Nathaine is the name of a character in Violet Sword Blade. Nathaine is a Nareikker who meets the forces of the Kazdriel whilst in the city of Corensanith. Despite being Nareikk-born, Nathaine lives in Danetha, and has done for many years when encountered, and he holds no grudges against the Danethans, unlike most of the protagonists in the book.
Appearance and Personality[]
Nathaine is described in the book thusly: "He wore a suit of chainmail that was not unlike the Nareikk style, but it looked different somehow. He did not have a Kazdriel belt, but his trousers were a deep, leaf green colour". He is a young man of fairly pale complexion and is one of the most unique-looking characters in the book. Later, his facial features are described, and he is said to have "a young man’s face, half shrouded by a fringe of reddish hair. He looked like a Nareikker, alright, and when he spoke, had no Danethan accent."
Over the course of the book, Nathaine's personality is touched upon. He is outwardly friendly and easy-going, and is willing to help and talk with everyone, including the Danethans he has lived with for his entire life. He is very unsure and nervous about fighting the Danethan soldiers when he eventually joins with the Kazdriel forces after the Assault on Trathusa Castle, in which he reluctantly aided the Kazdriel captain, Xianorus, in the battle to rescue Captain Rutaris' platoon.
Bio[]
Early Life[]
Born in the Nareikk border-town of Broulada, Nathaine has always had good relations with the Danethans. His grandparents moved to the country in the early days of settlement in the Age of Exploration, and by the time Nathaine was born his family had ties in Danetha which allowed them to remain on relatively good terms with the people of the country despite the ferocity of the Sacrein Campaign and all conflicts thereafter.
Corensanith[]
After switching back and forth from Danetha and Nareikk, Nathaine finally settled in Danetha when he was old enough to live alone, and moved to the Green Region, eventually settling in the city of Corensanith, where he remained for several years, the only Nareikker in the company of many Danethans, earning him the nickname "Tahauzer" with the populace, taken from the Danethan word "tahuzar" meaning "prisoner". Nathaine speaks fluent Danethan, and communicates with the populace frequently, who regard him as a friend and allow him to work and hunt in and around Corensanith as though he were one of their own.
Service to the Kazdriel[]
In 1246, the Xianorus Campaign, a military operation conducted by the Kazdriel of Jadina, invaded and occupied Corensanith after the short Battle of Corensanith, and their forces dwelt in the city for some weeks. In that time, four Kazdriel, namely Derrassa, Racen, Oscrael and Mazzek Kein Rettensauth, befriended Nathaine and eventually convinced him to aid in the Assault on the nearby Trathusa Castle by teaching a select force of Nareikkers to speak the language of the Danethans, and he also accompanied them on the mission. While he was away, Zethix Dakrannsson, the leader of the Cantharan forces pursuing the Nareikkers, invaded Corensanith and overtook it, killing all of the defenders and locking the rest of the Kazdriel out. Nathaine could not return to his home, and so went with the Kazdriel, and fought alongside them from then on.
Role in the Book[]
In Violet Sword Blade, Nathaine is one of the chief protagonists and is notable due to the fact that he survives, where others such as Racen, Jericho Sanirasa and Oscrael die. Nathaine plays an important part in the story also, and is something of a fountain of knowledge when it comes to the land of Danetha. He becomes a close friend of Captain Mazzek later in the book, and teaches Mazzek much about Danethan places and their names, such as the River Bjuane and the city of Zamari.
Though Nathaine is hesitant when it comes to fighting Danethans, he has no qualms with attacking the Cantharans which act as the book's primary antagonists, and so also contributes to the Kazdriel by fighting. He takes part in the First and Second Battle of Dunac, and later takes part in the Battle of Laberan Fields, where the Kazdriel and Lareossi troops attempt to hold the swamps around Laberan against both the Danethans and the Cantharans, with Nathaine fighting both, saying "I’ll do my best, for Nareikk", a sentiment that he had, until then, seen as skewed.
Fate[]
Nathaine's fate during the Battle of Laberan Fields is unclear, and not outright stated, and in Violet Sword Blade itself it is not stated whether he lives or dies. However, it is revealed in The Starlit King, Violet Sword Blade's sequel, that Nathaine, along with Derrassa, Erinah Resoni, and Rullan Gaddersson, survived the battle, however he, unlike the others, is not encountered as a character in the book, and is merely referenced to. Erinah says to Rullan that "Nathaine, I believe, went back to Corensanith, the city in Danetha he’d lived in." but is sceptical of his success, adding later "I don’t know how they accepted him when he got back. If he got back, that is.".