Nira Khali

Nira Khali is a fictional character from the Saga of Seven Suns series of novels by Kevin J. Anderson.

Biography

Nira Khali was a green priest from Theroc and one of two green priests that travelled to Ildira to study the saga of the seven suns. While on Ildira, Nira fell in love with the Prime Designate Jora'h but also captured the interest of his brother Udru'h who wanted her for the experiments on Dobro. Consequently Nira was kidnapped and her green priest companion on Ildira, Otema, was killed.

Nira Khali was the mother of four children - Rod'h, Gale'nh, Tamo'l and Muree'n - as a result of the breeding program on Dobro in addition to Osira'h, her daughter fathered by Jora'h. After Jora'h's ascension to Mage-Imperator and conviction to find and free Nira, the green priest was moved by Udru'h out of the breeder camps and to an island on the other side of the planet. However, shortly before this happened, Nira managed to get in contact with Osira'h and relate the truth of the experiments of Dobro.

Nira remained on her island for many months, content with the more pleasing surroundings and lush vegetation, but wanting desperately to touch the worldforest once again. Eventually, Nira decided to escape the island merely to spite Udru'h, but also to try and find some way off the planet. Some time later, Udru'h revealed to Jora'h that Nira was indeed still alive, and was ordered to free her from her isolation. Udru'h complied, but could not find Nira when he returned to the island. Fearing what Jora'h would do to him should he not find the green priest, Udru'h made his designate-in-waiting Daro'h send out scout groups to find Nira. She was eventually captured after much searching.

After being reunited with not only Osira'h, but all of her other children as well, Nira worked with Osira'h to convince Daro'h to release the imprisoned Burton descendants from the now defunct breeding camps. They succeeded in their efforts, and the slaves were able to branch out and being to prosper. However, they were still treated very much like prisoners, and so Nira plotted a demonstration; one that would burn down the breeding barracks and show the Ildirans that they were not second-class lifeforms. Unfortunately, the violence and the fire spread out into the Ildiran settlement, resulting in the loss of much life. Udru'h was almost pummelled to death by a mob, but survived due to Nira's intervention. After calling a truce, the Ildirans and humans worked for days to quell the blazes and rescue those who were injured. The settlement was to be put back in order before the arrival of the Mage-Imperator.

Finally -- after years apart -- Nira got to embrace Jora'h; who had travelled to Dobro specifically to collect his makeshift family and take them back to Ildira. Nira found that her love for Jora'h had not waned, but her trust in him had faltered due to his many secrets. Jora'h informed her - shamefully - of his dealings with the hydrogues, which eased Nira's distrust somewhat.

Oddly, Nira and Jora'h were able to summon a new phenomenon from some dead worldtree wood, which was accomplished by combining their feelings for one another. This led to Osira'h creating an effective mental assault against the hydrogues by flooding their minds with verdani hatred: destroying the hydrogues perched over Ildira.

Appearances/ Sources

• Hidden Empire
• A Forest of Stars
• Horizon Storms
• Scattered Suns
• Of Fire and Night
• Metal Swarm
• The Ashes of Worlds