A-EftP - Nephil prisoner in Fort Duvno

[Superba]

When you free a Nephil and a Human from their underground prison, the Nephil lady tells you about her partner, which is a prisoner in Fort Duvno. She's helpful with information. When in Fort Duvno, I ethically speaking expect to tell someone to free him as a reward to his lady. I think it is unjust there's no way to help him.

[Triumph]

Are you talking about the Nephil and Human under the Giant Fort? I thought she said her mate was at the Nephar fort?

[Jerakeen]

That's what I thought too. I remember feeling slightly guilty about that. It's just as well I wasn't offered the option of revealing that I'd probably killed him myself.

[Superba]

I passed that point with my present playthrough so I can't check information about Nephil location and other saved playthroughs don't help me. Let's say I was sure about Fort Duvno at 100%, after two persons have doubts it's 80%. Political correction

 

Maybe there are two Nephil ladies who talk about their mates? I am sure to remember she said her mate was in prison, but I also remember someone else saying he was in Nephar Fort. Getting mad.

 

[Slawbug]

The Nephar under the Giant Fort says her mate is at the Nephar Fort (and is not a prisoner, apparently). She is the only nephar or nephil prisoner -- just checked. Sorry.

[Superba]

Uh, I apologize. Mistake was maybe caused by her and him being both prisoners, then my romantic imagination did the rest

[Jerakeen]

Anyway, it's pretty clear that there's no justice for nephilim in early Avernum, any more than there is in the Empire.

[Superba]

According to Greek Mythology a Nephilim is a half human and half god being, like Percy Jackson, but what do you believe exactly is an Avernum Nephil? Half cat and half human? And why his kind was given this already existing name?

[Jerakeen]

Interesting. I was not aware of a Greek connection. I believe it's more likely derived from the Hebrew, where it has much the same meaning.

 

For that reason I've always assumed that 'nephilim' is the plural of 'nephil', though I know not everyone uses it that way.

 

As for why, who knows? Jeff draws from all kinds of sources for names. No, I don't think they're meant to be half-human.

[Trenton.]

Originally Posted By: HOUSE of S

The Nephar under the Giant Fort says her mate is at the Nephar Fort (and is not a prisoner, apparently). She is the only nephar or nephil prisoner -- just checked. Sorry.

I thought Nephar's were sterile. What good are mates? Better yet what good are Nephar's genders?

[Trenton.]

Yep. Found this.

 

Sometimes a newborn Nephilim is born bigger, meaner, and sterile. These are known as Nepharim. Nepharim retain all the advantages of their Nephilim cousins, as well as their increased strength and toughness, though they are fewer in number and much more reclusive, often separating themselves even from their smaller cousins.

 

So how the hell do they have a camp? Do Nepharim come from other packs to live in it?

[Superba]

@ Jerakeen: yes you are right about the origin of the name, but maybe a Greek socalled Demigod or HalfBlood is basically similar to the traditional Hebrew Nephilim, as both of them share the same fate as supernatural, powerful beings forced to live on Earth, created (angels) or generated (halfblood) from God or from the gods. However, it is peculiar Jeff chose this name for the weakest tribe in Avernum, Goblins apart.

[Slawbug]

Exile/Avernum distinguishes between Nephilim and Nepharim as Trenton quoted. What good are genders and mates? Well, "sterile" just means they can't produce offspring, it doesn't mean they can't love or form family units.

 

There are no Nephilim in Greek mythology. The only Greek "connection" is that the mentions of Nephilim in the OT were translated into Greek (the Septuagint).

 

There is also no "traditional Hebrew Nephilim." Nephilim is a somewhat mysterious term, not attested elsewhere nor used consistently in the OT. That it means "giants" is a good guess, but just a guess, really.

[Lilith]

Originally Posted By: Trenton the Rakshasa

I thought Nephar's were sterile. What good are mates? Better yet what good are Nephar's genders?

About the same amount of good they are for sterile humans, I'd imagine. Which is to say, quite a bit.

Originally Posted By: Trenton the Rakshasa

So how the hell do they have a camp? Do Nepharim come from other packs to live in it?

In short, yes. This is addressed in game too: a lot of nepharim prefer to hang out with each other rather than with nephilim, so they tend to go off and form their own communities.

[Alorael at Large]

Do we even know that nephilim have what we think of as traditoinal family units? For all we know, they pair up with mates and all children are raised by the tribe as a whole. Infertility might have little bearing on nephar parenting, actually.

 

—Alorael, who has already argued before from an evolutionary perspective. Big, tough, sterile individuals make sense in communal living where they can help ensure greater success for siblings and, more importantly, nieces and nephews.

[Superba]

@ House of: with regard to Nephilims:

 

"In Second Temple Judaism

Main articles: Book of Enoch, Book of Jubilees, and Watcher (angel)

 

The story of the Nephilim is chronicled more fully in the Book of Enoch. The Greek, Aramaic, and main Ge'ez manuscripts of 1 Enoch and Jubilees obtained in the 19th century and held in the British Museum and Vatican Library, connect the origin of the Nephilim with the fallen angels, and in particular with the egrḗgoroi (watchers). Samyaza, an angel of high rank, is described as leading a rebel sect of angels in a descent to earth to have sexual intercourse with human females" (Wikipedia, Nephilim)

[Slawbug]

The Book of Enoch does not actually refer to "nephilim" or use the word -- it refers to giants who sound similar to the OT nephilim. I believe that is also true of Jubilees, but I don't have a text handy, so I could be wrong.