| "If you don't believe in curses, look at me. I used to be a leader at the High Temple back in those days and where am I now?" |
| — Nyahitha says to Kyoshi.[1] |
Nyahitha was a close friend and companion of Avatar Kuruk. A highly spiritual Fire Sage hailing from the Bhanti, Nyahitha was the sole individual who knew about Kuruk's mission to hunt dark spirits that wished to invade the human world.[3]
Nyahitha cut many ties with his tribe and came to a prominent position in the High Temple. However, by 295 BG, he was living alone as a charlatan fortuneteller in North Chung-Ling.[1]
History[]
Aiding Avatar Kuruk[]
After receiving a premonition, the elders of the Bhanti sent Nyahitha to give aid to the Water Avatar. He first encountered Avatar Kuruk in a cavern beneath Ma'inka Island, where he saw the disheveled waterbender. Nyahitha was unimpressed and had a hard time believing him to be Yangchen's successor, and hauled Kuruk to a campsite in the jungle where he was able to diagnose the spiritual damage to Kuruk's soul from the Avatar's battle with dark spirits. He repaired what he could, but admitted that a permanent toll would be taken on Kuruk every time he fought a spirit, and he would certainly not be one of the longest lived Avatars. Kuruk began to joke about the man's poor bedside manner, but coughed up blood all over the Fire Sage's robes.
Kuruk began to take breaks from his missions with Jianzhu, Kelsang, and Hei-Ran to conduct spiritual research with Nyahitha in the Bhanti library. They deduced that the spirits were trying to force their way to the material world through newly created cracks between the two realms, although they did not discover why or how the cracks were forming. They searched for a better technique to subdue the spirits, but found none.
Nyahitha helped Kuruk track down many dark spirits in the Spirit World before they could cross over to the physical world, but they did not tell the rest of the world about their quest to hunt dark spirits, nor Kuruk's other companions. Nyahitha joined Kuruk in his pursuit of hedonism to try and combat the depression that had plagued him since his first battles with the dark spirits. Hei-Ran believed that Nyahitha was responsible for leading Kuruk to a self-indulgent life, thus beginning a rift between Hei-Ran and Nyahitha that lasted long after Kuruk's death.[3]
Life in North Chung-Ling[]
After Kuruk's death, Nyahitha remained a respected Fire Sage, and was next in line to be High Sage. However, the powerful Saowon clan tampered with the selection process, and the uncle of Lady Huazo became High Sage ahead of Nyahitha. After this, Nyahitha moved to North Chung-Ling, where he became a charlatan fortuneteller in the city's fairground, allowing visitors to receive false spiritual visions by filling the tent with a large amount of natural gas that caused hallucinations. He believed that his fall from grace was a direct result on the curse that fell on anyone who learned of Father Glowworm's existence.[1]
In 295 BG, Nyahitha's tent was visited by Hei-Ran, her daughter Rangi, and Avatar Kyoshi, who asked the sage for spiritual guidance. Rangi disapproved of the man, believing that as a scam artist, he could not be trusted, although Kyoshi wished to stay, asking him what he could tell her about Yun. He could provide little help, informing Kyoshi that he had simply been the handler on Kuruk's missions as he hunted dark spirits. Kyoshi then asked to meet with Kuruk herself, and he asked her to come back to him in an hour before twilight.[1]
Nyahitha and Kyoshi made their way to the caldera near the city, where the Avatar informed him about the conflict between the Saowon and Keohso clans within the city, and the Keohso man disowned by his own family for doing business with his clan's rivals. He admitted that he was not proud of every slight against one's name having to be avenged in the culture of the Fire Nation, and bemoaned the impoverished state of North Chung-Ling. As they got to a cliff where Kuruk once meditated after his journeys to the Spirit World, Nyahitha was surprised to learn Kyoshi had access to a flying bison, as the two had walked on foot, the Avatar believing that their journey was part of the exercise.[4]
The pair sat down, and Nyahitha attempted to guide her to Kuruk. When Kyoshi raised that Yangchen could perhaps be more helpful, Nyahitha shared his belief that she had to reach her immediate predecessor before she could contact the other Avatars. Kyoshi began to meditate, and received a vision of Kuruk's life from his revelation as the Avatar up to his first journey to the Spirit World. Nyahitha was greatly surprised at Kyoshi's prowess in crossing over. She revealed that she had learned nothing about Yun or Father Glowworm from the experience, and asked to try at another location. Nyahitha advised her that it would be unlikely to yield any different results, as she was at her limit. Nyahitha told Kyoshi that she would not contact Kuruk or the past Avatars if she clung to her resentments and, in a fury, the earthbender grabbed him by his robes. After she let go, he told her that she could not have both her past and her future, and they could try again once she understood.[4][5]
Beginning to trek down the mountain, the pair were surprised to find a large message in the town's melonyam fields, supporting Chaejin's claim as Fire Lord. The pair made their way to the village square, where Saowon and Keohso clansmen began to gather, the latter being outraged at the message. Noting that they were too late to stop the conflict, Kyoshi had Nyahitha go to her friends and inform them of the situation.[5][6]
After the fight, Nyahitha joined Kyoshi and Jinpa in the town's Coral Urchin Noodle Shop, where Atuat healed a grievously wounded Hei-Ran after Yun's attack. When Jinpa hopefully observed that the fighting had paused for a while, Nyahitha explained that it was only temporary, and that the Saowon and Keohso now had just cause to attack each other, starting a true war. He believed that it would only be days before fighting began in earnest.[7]
Abilities[]
Nyahitha was capable of using fire to sense chi paths, enabling them to interpret and diagnose spiritual energy. He was able to repair the spiritual damage on Kuruk's soul by using a healing-like technique, similar to the technique used by the Bhanti shaman.[3]
Appearances[]
Chronicles of the AvatarThe Shadow of Kyoshi
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game |
Trivia[]
- Hei-Ran and Nyahitha were the last living members of Kuruk's original companions.[1]
| Preceded by Jetsun |
Avatar's spiritual mentor Unknown (BG) |
Succeeded by Lao Ge |
References[]
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