Nina Kho

Phoenix of the Ocean

Nina Kho was a Mermish woman born in Brek in the 4th century, famously known for her ability to communicate in multiple languages. While all Mermish have a natural gift for water, Nina was believed to also have a natural gift for languages, as she soon was able to communicate in multiple dialects of Mermish, as well as minority languages also used in Brek.

Early Life

Born to a Mermish leader, Nina was known for her good speaking skills and was expected to take over for her father as an adult. Though documentation is limited, she was also a controversial figure, in part because of the interactions with lower-class people living in Brek at the time. It is likely that these political opponents led her to be sold into slavery at the age of twenty-nine. 
Though there is no documentation of major conflicts between humans and Mermish within Brek, as human travelers came from other countries to the island, they had mixed reactions to the Mermish people living there, with many believing the Mermish to be dangerous sirens. It is most likely that Nina was sold to a group of these humans, along with other Mermish people, to appease humans that were viewed as a threat to Brek, though it is unsure if they believed that the sale of these slaves was intended to make outsiders believe that the sirens were not a threat or if they were merely intended as political prisoners.

Sold into Slavery

Nina, like the other Mermish women in the group, was to have her magic bound and then married to an "appropriate" man. However, when the outsiders discovered her natural gift for languages, they decided that she would better serve them as a translator and navigator. Nina spent the next decade helping her captors in Brek. She negotiated with both Mermish and human leaders on the island regarding trade and new settlements. This is the most controversial part of her legacy, with some arguing that she betrayed her own people and others saying that she improved diplomatic relations between the groups, likely delaying an inevitable war.
About seven years into her captivity, Nina did marry one of her captors. Though human, Carlu Ardetti had spent long hours with Nina learning the Mermish language and studying the Mun religion. Shortly after the marriage, Nina gave birth to a daughter, Sarai. Unlike many other human men who had children with Mermish women, Carlu openly claimed Sarai as his daughter and even gave her his last name, though he raised her speaking Mermish.

Leading an Escape

After ten years traveling through Brek, the expedition mounted a return, allowing men to return to their families, or to exhibit the sirens they had captured to broader society. Carlu offered his wife as chief navigator. During the return journey, Nina guided the ships into the path of an underwater volcano. In the chaos that ensued, most of the Mermish captives, along with any children they had, escaped, able to protect themselves magically in the boiling waters. Carlu and Sarai were among them. Nina was not.
The refugees made their way to nearby Bathblast Islands), where they became the people now known as the First Islanders. Carlu raised his daughter among the Mermish and half-born people on the islands, and as an adult, Sarai became a grand navigator, like her mother, and led expeditions throughout the Minor Ocean. Nina was never seen again. Most likely, she used her magic to protect her husband and child, and burned herself out in the process. However, some believe she never died, and she continues to guard the ocean and protect any who choose to live in harmony on her islands. This has earned her the name the Phoenix of the Ocean.

Relationships

Nina Kho

spouse

Towards Carlu Ardetti

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Carlu Ardetti

spouse

Towards Nina Kho

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Spouses

Carlu Ardetti (spouse)

Siblings