Nevenka

Overview

Nevenka, commonly called “Nev,” is a Lyra Alterer and Exalt from the Ossonoya Clan. She is a graffiti artist described as the “queen of fibs, the empress of hoaxes, the goddess in the making of fabrication, mystification, and inaccuracy.” Her companion is Blotch, a paint dragon Chimera. Esmeralda described Nevenka as a troublemaker capable of the best and the worst. Described as unpredictable and rebellious, she is unconcerned with taboos and lives for excess and transgression. She experiences persistent voices that she cannot silence. She enjoys chewing gum, creamy pea soup, graffiti and street art, and cotton candy.

Early Life and Meeting Blotch

Nevenka was born within Mist, the Sahanka of the Ossonoya Clan. From a young age, she struggled with boredom and killed time by bombarding walls with graffiti, collecting insults along the way. Her gang was entirely composed of Eidolons, and she told her stories with paint bombs or brushes. Her mother is bedridden and nostalgic for her days as a stage diva, while her father has been absent most of the time since her birth. While wandering beneath the mighty chimneys of Mist, Nevenka saw a colorful serpent dragon swirling in the clouds. She climbed ladders to get closer, but a maintenance platform gave way and she plummeted—the Chimera rushed to save her using its oily texture. She leaped from the base of the Sahanka and began to stalk the dragon, pursuing him for 64 days. The dragon revealed his name as Kutrabalamashablotchara, but Nev registered only “Blotch.” Blotch had tested her to get a sense of her patience and perseverance, then agreed to become her sensei and taught her to meditate and control water.

Banishment from Ossonoya Clan

According to rumors mentioned by Esmeralda, Nevenka was banished from Mist by its Shepherd. The Ossonoya Clan is described as being fond of secrets.

Relationship with Blotch

Over time, Blotch got used to Nev tailing him, and they started traveling together. He made Nev his sidekick, or as he jokes, “tolerated her presence like a dog forgets about a tick.” Despite quarrels and gratuitous jabs, they became inseparable companions.

Friendship with Fen

During one of Fen’s performances in Arkaster, Nevenka met her. She too had been expelled from her Clan and was going to leave with her Chimera into The Tumult expanses. Despite their notable differences, they hit it off. Together, they roamed the streets, Fen keeping watch while Nev graffitied on walls, then they fled laughing to take refuge in a tavern. When Fen asked why she had joined the exploration forces, Nevenka turned the question back. Upon hearing about Fen’s situation and dream of finding The Song of One, Nev suggested she apply to be an Exalt too and suggested finding Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory.

Role as Exalt

Nevenka joined the exploration forces and became a Lyra Exalt. She participates in the Rediscovery Endeavor with her companion Blotch.

Timeline

390 AC - Pickpocket Encounter

Young girl tried stealing from Nevenka, but Nevenka walked through walls to corner thief in dead-end and played dice game for trinket.

390 AC - Graffiti Chase and Paint Prison

After graffiti on Basileus’s palace wall, Aegis agents pursued Nevenka with Eidolons, and Blotch grabbed Eidolon from wall and transformed it into mural.

391 AC - First Visit to The Ouroboros

Nevenka explored The Ouroboros with Fen, navigating gangways through construction areas filled with taverns, gambling houses, and big top circus.

391 AC - Casino Croupier Card Game

Nevenka played cards against croupier at casino, considering using Alteration to transform cards while losing track of strategy.

391 AC - Asmodeus Bargain

Two brutes caught Nevenka cheating with loaded dice, and Asmodeus appeared to bargain and strike deal with her.

391 AC - Chaos with Loki

Nevenka discussed with Loki about chaos being world’s true nature, planning to kick hornet’s nest and wake sleeping giants.

391 AC - All In Disaster

Nevenka lost all savings at casino and went all in at craps, accidentally using Alteration to make dice show “6” on all sides of first die and “1” on all sides of second.

392 AC - Contest with Sierra and Bifröst Creation

During contest with Sierra, Nevenka used spray paint to create Bifröst rainbow road and equipped Hatter with skates and Tanuki with a sand yacht using Alteration so they could reach Blotch.

393 AC, January-April - Talaria Warehouse Infiltration

Nevenka infiltrated The Talaria postal warehouse to mail a letter, then attempted to steal packages while Blotch kept lookout before speeding up the Axiom-installed conveyor belt as a diversion.

393 AC, January-April - Encounter with Santa Claus

Santa Claus caught Nevenka leaving the warehouse with stolen presents and gestured for her to load them into his sleigh, which she did before the Eidolon departed with his reindeer team into the clouds.

393 AC, January-April - Joyride with Stolen Sleigh

Nevenka took Santa Claus’s sleigh on a joyride with children aboard, bringing the figurehead to life without reindeer, carving grooves into lake ice until motion sickness forced her to stop and the children released the handbrake, stranding her.

393 AC, January-April - Sleigh Obsession

Nevenka became fixated on acquiring Santa Claus’s red sleigh with its gold handlebars, velvet cushions, and aerodynamic design, considering various schemes before abandoning planning in favor of improvisation.

393 AC, June-August - Observing The Wayfarer’s Arrival

Nevenka observed The Wayfarer hovering over The Screed with its helium balloons, noting that the Tisdhera Clan’s arrival was no coincidence.

393 AC, June-August - BLISS! Concert at The Screed

Nevenka waited in line at The Mess for stew during BLISS! concert preparations at The Screed, nearly joined Nosk for Katsubichi sake but remembered obligation to attend Fen’s performance and ran off.

393 AC, June-August - Gambling with Lakshmi

Nevenka summoned Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, and wagered with Sap-infused elongated cuboid dice the goddess provided, but lost—acknowledging she should not have challenged a goddess of luck.

393 AC, June-August - X Marks the Spot

Nevenka spray-painted X markers in the City of Scholars to help Tamati navigate, and while fleeing heard humming from a black stone block like a music box with no lid or key.

393 AC, June-August - Revealing the City’s Nature

Nevenka brought Fen into the City of Scholars corridors to search for her lost memories. Using Ignescence, Nevenka activated black polyhedron memory stones, causing shimmering bubbles to emerge and burst into golden dust forming ghostly afterimages of past inhabitants—children listening to singers, washerwomen at work, mothers humming lullabies. Nevenka revealed insight about the City: it is sentient and immortal, eternally in pain, and steals memories and imagination to dream and think of something else—like a drug to soothe itself, though Aether provides no true nourishment, making the comfort meaningless.

Relationships

• Blotch: Paint dragon Chimera companion and Alter Ego, whose full name is Kutrabalamashablotchara
• Fen: Lyra friend also expelled from Clan, met in Arkaster, explored The Ouroboros together (391 AC)
• Esmeralda: Lyra Shepherdess who described Nevenka as troublemaker capable of best and worst
• Loki: Eidolon best friend who understands chaos, plays pranks together (391 AC)
• Amahle Kalu: Pariah Eidolon whose philosophical teachings influenced Nevenka
• Asmodeus: Eidolon who bargained with Nevenka after she was caught cheating with loaded dice (391 AC)
• Sierra: Axiom Exalt who competed against Nevenka in contest (392 AC)
• Mnemosyne: Goddess of memory Nevenka suggested Fen find
• Santa Claus: Eidolon whose sleigh Nevenka covets after encounter at The Talaria warehouse (393 AC, January-April)
• Nosk: Ordis communications officer and drinking buddy at Storvhit (393 AC)
• Kuzma: Cousin
• Mother: Bedridden former stage diva
• Father: Absent most of time since Nevenka’s birth
• Aegis agents: Pursued Nevenka after graffiti on Basileus’s palace (390 AC)
• Croupier: Casino dealer Nevenka played cards against (391 AC)
• Young pickpocket: Girl who tried stealing from Nevenka (390 AC)
• Hatter: Eidolon Nevenka equipped with skates during Sierra contest (392 AC)
• Tanuki: Eidolon Nevenka equipped with sand yacht during Sierra contest (392 AC)
• Lakshmi: Goddess Eidolon who beat Nevenka at dice game (393 AC)
• Tamati: BLISS! drummer Nevenka helped navigate City of Scholars (393 AC)
• The Wayfarer: Tisdhera Clan Sahanka whose arrival Nevenka observed (393 AC)