Adventures of Nyis

The Adventures of Nyis are a book series published in Utlia, originally created by Wyelf Nereset in 82 TT. Wyelf wrote the first book after being inspired by the Journals of Isyen, a biographical account of Isyen Shwyn, a man who disappeared at sea after trying to explore beyond the storm.

Plot

The adventures of Nyis focuses on a cast of characters who man a ship that gets lost in the storm off the south-eastern coast of Utlia. The ship and its sailors, mainly the teenage Wyck go on adventures to alien and unknown islands. Plots usually focus on the group discovering, interacting with and exploring new lands. The series is set in a largely realistic world.

Characters

Main cast

• Wyck Mroe: the excited and naive apprentice cook of the boat and main character, often starts conflict with his obsessive ingredient collecting upon landing on a new island.
• Nyis: The boat itself, a historic Eutan design, has multiple insignias of Wycalt carved into its side. Routinely gets damaged and repaired
• Captain Merte: playful but authoritative captain of the ship.
• Lia Leyte: The ships stern and strict resident Ardey and head of the onboard shrine.
• Yerel: Elderly Cook, patient mentor of Wyck.
• Eriis Neyr: Smug bandit who stows away on the boat while on the run/
• Areen Ters: Friendly fisherman who often defuses conflict.
• Relip: Mechanic and repairman, childhood friend of Areen.

Supporting

• Lyeot Utesen: Drug addicted deckhand, most commonly appearing somewhere unexpected, like inside a ruin or deep within a jungle, to the main casts surprise. Based on a friend of Wyelf.
• Tenny: Wyck's pet teye-hog
• Uwiexiuan: helpful cartographer rescued from her oppressive home island in the first book, appears in nearly every entry. speaks little Utyis
• Leseyed: Linguist picked up in the second book, occasionally helping with translation.

List of books in the series

1. The disappearance of the great Nyis! (Published 10-2 82 TT)
2. Isles of endless joy (Published 15-10 82 TT)
3. Wrecked and abandoned (Published 23-5 81 TT)
4. The endless jungle and its ancient people (Published 3-12 81 TT)
5. The sea of red (Published 5-3 79 TT)
6. King of gold, king of old (Published 8-6 78 TT)
7. Inside the labyrinth (Published 22-2 77 TT)
8. Feast on the empty isle (Published 3-9 75 TT)
9. Skeletons of fire (Published 11-6 70 TT)
10. The settling of the great Nyis! (Published 1-10 8 TT, posthumously)

Reception and legacy

The adventures of Nyis were at the time somewhat successful commercially and most entries were critically considered mediocre. Critics at the time often disliked the idea of a world beyond the storm, calling it unrealistic and claiming the series promoted storm exploration.

In 50 TT Wyelf Nereset died of a hereditary disease, leading to a critical reappraisal of the series and demand for the final entry, written shortly before his death, to be released. The entry was eventually released by his estate in 8 TT.

In contemporary Utlia the series is considered a classic, with the characters being some of the most recognizable images in Utlian culture.

There is much debate over the best book in the series, many critics believing it to be book 5, The Sea of Red; on 12-3 4 PC two Unlaunen scholars stabbed each-other to death over a drunken disagreement stemming from which book is of the highest quality.

In 31 PC a study found that 1/3 households in Utlia contained two or more books in the series.