Nawa
In the World of Threa, there are 21 races. This is a description of a race that lives in the world of Threa, the Nawa. That I will describe
The Nawa, in appearance, have a Basal form. Their skin tones range from light beige to dark brown. Eye colors include brown, blue, green, hazel, and gray. Hair colors range from dark blue and black to brown, blonde, and various shades of red. Hair naturally grays or whitens with age.
Their builds vary widelyâtall or short, slim or large, muscular or lean.
[META NOTE: Nawa are basically humans]
From the very beginning, Ice and Lightning cared deeply for their creationâthe Nawa. The Neo provided for their every need and desire. But this nurturing turned into dependence. The Nawa began to act only to please the Neo, knowing they would be provided for in return. They could not survive on their own.
Over time, the Neo observed how other races were thriving independently. By then, the Aetha and DreaviâPerfects like the Nawaâalready walked Threa. The PuresâLor, Aria, Dis Com, and Ma Hirâhad also begun to grow and shape civilizations of their own.
The Neo saw the contrast clearly. While the Pures built, expanded, and endured, the Nawa remained reliant.
And so, like their Prime parents before them, the Neo chose to step aside. But unlike the careful guidance and strong foundations the Primes gave the Pures, the Neo simply left.
Unable to survive alone, the Nawa scattered. They fled into the populations of the Lor, Aria, Dis Com, and Ma Hirâassuming their forms, blending in until they became indistinguishable.
They were no longer seen. No longer known.
The Nawa became Lost.
As the First Age progressed, more races came into being. The first UnionsâMort, Lauril, Zeur, Minka, Jin, and Muraiâand the second UnionsâImoh, Corlee, Rowlf, Nink, Redn, and Kapopaâjoined the growing world alongside the Pures (Lor, Aria, Dis Com, and Ma Hir) and the Perfects (Aetha, Dreavi, and the Nawa themselves).
The Nawa drifted from one population to another, always assuming the forms of those they lived among.
As generations passed, they began to lose their sense of identity. Nawa children were born in the assumed form of their mother, and so they grew up believing they were Lor, Aria, Dis Com, or Ma Hir.
With each passing generation, the truth faded. The Nawa lived their entire lives in these assumed forms, unaware of who they truly were. Eventually, they no longer saw themselves as Nawa at allâonly as the people whose shape they had inherited.
Today, the Nawa are unknownâforgotten, lost. They live among the peoples of Threa in assumed forms, unaware of their true nature.
And yet, they are still there.
One lingering trait remains: a Nawa can recognize anotherâif they know what to look for.
If a room were filled with Lor, and one among them was a Nawa in Lor form, another Nawa might pause and say, âThereâs something off.â But they wouldnât be able to explain why. That subtle sense would likely be dismissedâa fleeting feeling, gone as quickly as it came.
Another aspect of the Nawa condition is that they have lost all knowledge of how to use their innate abilities. As Perfectsâthe first peopleâthey are the strongest of all. But unknowingly, they limit themselves to the constraints of their assumed forms.
Occasionally, glimpses of their true power emerge. For brief moments, they might run faster, jump higher, swim with ease, or display other small feats that hint at what lies beneath. These moments are fleeting, often dismissed as chance or luck.
But when their innate ability to change form is accidentally triggered, the result is life-changing.
In that instant, they revertâunintentionallyâinto their true Nawa form. A form theyâve never seen. A form no one around them recognizes.
And because the Nawa aspect is unknown to the world, this transformation is often treated as a curse or a medical affliction. A sudden âdisfigurement.â A malady no one understands.
Only a rare few have managed to regain some control, learning to shift back into their assumed formsâthe ones theyâve always believed to be their true selves. Rarer still are those who begin to question what this means, who dare to suspect they might belong to an unknown race.
And if a Lost Nawa were to see one of these reverted Nawa, they wouldnât feel that familiar sense of âsomething is off.â
Instead, they would feel it clearly: something is right.
This is designed for a video game. The Nawa serve as a diegetic explanation for custom characters. Any race option other than Nawa represents their assumed form.
Since they are Nawa, they can learn any ability available in the game. However, using abilities that go beyond the limits of their assumed form will require more effort or training than others.
The idea is that Threa is an open-world game. Players can select from preset charactersâone for each race, except the Nawaâeach with their own unique narrative.
Upon completing a characterâs narrative, their race is unlocked as an option for custom characters.
The custom character narrative begins in a small, multiracial town. The player characterâs parents are generated to match the selected race. However, when playing as a custom character, there is a subtle visual glitchâsomething slightly âoffâ about the custom character, their mother, and a scattered selection of NPCs throughout Threa. This glitch appears on all Lost Nawa.
Importantly, the custom character narrative does not reference the Nawa at all.
Completing the custom character story unlocks the Aetha and Dreavi characters. Finishing their respective narratives unlocks them as options for custom characters as well.
The key difference with the Aetha and Dreavi is that they innately see through form changesâthey can perceive Lost Nawa as Nawa.
Within both the Aetha and Dreavi narratives, a side quest becomes available that allows the player to unlock the Nawa as a custom character option.
When playing as a Nawa custom character, the narrative changes. It begins with the character reverting into their true Nawa form.
Expected Playthrough:
At the beginning of the game, only four character races are availableâthe Prime Pures. Upon completing the narrative of any one of these characters, that race becomes available as an option for the custom character narrative.
While the custom character narrative is mostly the same regardless of race, there are some variations depending on the assumed form. NPCs will treat different races differently, reflecting the social dynamics of Threa.
Once all four Prime Pure character narratives are completed, the next set of character racesâthe First Generation Unionsâis unlocked. Completing each of their narratives unlocks those races for custom characters as well. Afterward, the Second Generation Unions are unlocked, followed by the Neo Pures.
During the custom character playthroughs, players will notice a slight visual glitch on certain NPCsâthese are Lost Nawa. The effect is intentionally subtle, designed so that players might assume itâs due to poor programming, unoptimized shaders, or a minor bug. Most will dismiss it, perhaps expecting it to be patched later. But there is something undeniably âoffâ about those characters.
If the player completes the custom character narrative with all 20 available races, the Prime Perfects become playable. These characters have the innate ability to see through hidden natures. In their narratives, the same NPCs that appeared visually glitched in custom playthroughs now appear visibly differentâclearly marked as Nawa.
Completing the Aetha and Dreavi character narratives unlocks those two races for custom character selection. Hidden within their narratives are secret quests that allow the player to unlock the Nawa as a custom character.
The Nawa custom character route is unique. It effectively serves as the Nawaâs race-specific narrative. Unlike other custom characters, who begin by walking a road into the village and greeting familiar friends and family, the Nawa character experiences something different.
As the Nawa character ascends the road, villagers react with unfamiliarity and caution. Where an NPC might normally say, âGood day, neighbor!â they now say, âWelcome to our humble village, traveler.â The assumed form is gone. The Nawa Aspect has returnedâand the world sees them as a stranger.