Nefer/Profile
Last updated 2026-08-01
The incredibly resourceful owner of the Curatorium of Secrets.
—Description from the Official Website[1]
The remarkably resourceful owner of the Curatorium of Secrets.
—In-game character attributes and profile page text
Official Introduction
Sometimes, I talk to the snakes too. They tell me that even the most cold-blooded among them seeks out the branch best suited for it to coil upon. It's a good thing that Nod-Krai is home to so many trees — more than enough for every snake to find a place that it can truly call its own.
Thanks to its exceptional efficiency in handling commissions and its relatively low prices (which can go even lower if Jahoda is on duty), the Curatorium of Secrets enjoys a strong reputation among the residents of Nasha Town.
Looking for a missing cat? Need to track something or someone down? Seeking justice for heartbreak or crime? Whatever the task, the Curatorium of Secrets is sure to see it through to the client's satisfaction.
At first glance, the Curatorium of Secrets and the Adventurers' Guild just a few doors down may seem to have overlapping roles. However, the head of the Nod-Krai Adventurers' Guild appears to have reached an understanding with Boss Nefer, and the two are even known to collaborate.
Look a little closer, and you'll see that the Adventurers' Guild isn't the only one working together with the Curatorium of Secrets. It seems that the Curatorium's capabilities are well recognized and people are generally more than willing to partner with them.
This is no surprise to the town's residents. After all, from their perspective, it's an incredibly fortunate thing to be able to work with the incredibly resourceful Boss Nefer. And the heads of those organizations are all smart people, so they would jump at an opportunity like this, that's for sure...
As folks stood around on the street, chatting idly, a little cat named Ashru quietly walked past behind them.
In his mouth, he carried a letter from the hand of Boss Nefer.
The intended recipient of this letter, however, was not one of those smart persons.
Character Stories
Character Details
Nasha Town is a "bustling" town.
During the day, mercantile debate and reckless arguments can be heard everywhere on the streets.
And at night, whispered schemes and the secret plots of thieves abound in the town's more dimly lit rooms.
Like a butterfly languidly flitting in the summer, these wild ambitions and intrigues linger soundlessly around every corner.
Countless are those who have chased said butterfly, hoping to one day find a land of plenty and safety.
Meanwhile, the one true feline, the one capable of felling butterflies with a single pounce, crouches high above, gazing down upon those who chase illusions as they furiously clash and clamor, only to fall once more.
"Ashru."
At the sound of his owner's call, the feline turned his gaze away from those with whom he was not at all concerned.
For no matter how the world changed, his owner would always have tasty dried fish in hand. As long as he stayed by her side, he would never go hungry.
Character Story 1
Friendship Lv. 2 • 
An Elegy for Faded Moonlight
A friend whose eyes shone in two different colors held Nefer's hands, smiling warmly. "Don't forget to write once you start studying at the Akademiya, alright?"
The child, who had lost her home, offered a wan smile and nodded in return. In just a few more days, she would set off for the Akademiya with their representative and begin a brand-new chapter in her life.
Though the future felt too vast for the young Nefer to grasp, and she had no way of knowing which path she would eventually take, she was more than happy to lose herself in a whirlwind of imagined possibilities.
It'd be best if she could end up at Amurta — she was a perfect fit for their research, with how easily she could identify desert flora and fauna. If not... well, Kshahrewar was an option too. The mechanical sciences seemed pretty interesting, and besides, she was nifty with her hands. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad fit either. As for Spantamad... forget it. She didn't have a Vision, so manipulating elemental energy was out of the question. Doing research there would be a total pain, she was sure of it. What other places were there again? Oh... there was still Haravatat, Rtawahist...
Nefer gradually fell asleep, cocooned in those fantastic thoughts. In her past dreams, she would sometimes find herself back in that dark cellar, hands over her ears, not daring to breathe lest she was discovered. But always, the door would swing open violently, and she would see that sword, stained dark red, come down on her... And then, she would wake up, screaming.
But now her dreams were filled with all those wonderful Darshans, so much so that there was no room left for the shadows of her past.
Yet reality was like a pit of desert quicksand, and imagination was but another thing for it to swallow whole.
"...Nefer? Oh, the one from the desert... You've been assigned to Vahumana."
Such was the scholar's pronouncement as he looked down at her.
"But I haven't taken the test to determine which Darshan I should go to yet."
"The test? That's not necessary. Just go there with your books now."
"..."
The scholar's response was cold and guarded. Indeed, he was expecting a protracted argument with the girl.
"I understand."
The student from the desert nodded her head, picked up her books, and walked silently towards her future.
All the pompous justifications the scholar had prepared caught in his throat. Now his breathing felt a little more difficult, if anything.
"...Tsk, desertfolk."
...In any case, a single drop of water had slipped through the cracks in the Akademiya's grand edifice, falling towards the desert.
For a desert dweller like her, it was already more than enough.
...
Another researcher frowned as he watched the girl walk away.
"That assignment was far too arbitrary. Every student admitted to the Akademiya has the right to sit for the test."
"I'm just following the rules, Cyrus. Now don't go making trouble for yourself. Admitting one of the desertfolk is already..."
"From where I'm standing, I can't see if she's from the desert or the rainforest. All I see is a student who's here at the Akademiya to learn..."
"...Fine, fine. Now keep your voice down, unless you want trouble from Azar's ilk."
Character Story 2
Friendship Lv. 3 • An Elegy for Faded Moonlight
In the stillness of night, a lone candle flickered, casting a soft glow over the corner of a sheet of letter paper. A letter to a friend had but only begun.
"Dear Candace, I have begun my studies at the Akademiya..."
Nefer's pen paused mid-stroke as she hesitated, unsure of what to write next.
She searched her mind, only to recall the questions from her classmates — some asked with pointed intent, others not quite so.
"Are the desertfolk always fighting each other? And if yes, why? The ancient texts say it's mostly over money and water. Is that really so?"
"Is it true that the desertfolk can't count? I heard that it was the Akademiya who sent people to teach them math."
"What do your people eat? Heh, I heard that desertfolk often drink animal blood, and that's how they've been able to survive in the desert all this time. Is that true?"
...
These students, who have never been touched by any sort of hardship, have never seen me as a peer, let alone as an equal human being.
To them, I'm nothing more than a curiosity, an object to be gawked at. The only reason I'm allowed to exist here is because they need someone to use as a footstool.
I've tried explaining, yelling, presenting every piece of evidence, and I've dug up every story from the depths of my heart, all just to prove that we aren't the "desertfolk" they imagine us to be.
...I think that perhaps I should return to Aaru Village. There is no place for me here at the Akademiya. I miss you too, Candace...
...
Unfortunately, the paper material was too thin to carry these heartfelt words of hers, and she was forced to confine her message to only what was appropriate and proper.
Nefer continued writing, choosing instead to focus on the Akademiya and the differences between its various Darshans, the delicious food and other curious tales to be heard in Sumeru City, and the magnificent Grand Bazaar...
Finally, these "words from the heart" came to a comforting conclusion.
"...I've made a new friend who's very interested in incense. I'll introduce her to you when I get the chance."
"Yours faithfully, Nefer."
Character Story 3
Friendship Lv. 4 • An Elegy for Faded Moonlight
"...You sure know how to spin a tale, newcomer, with all this talk of Sumeru and deserts..."
The coarse treasure hunter shrugged as she eyed up the desert dweller before her once more. According to the so-called "middleman," the girl was a rising star in Nod-Krai, as clever and cunning as a viper...
Tch. That "Middleman" would make any boast for the right amount of coin. This kid? She wouldn't last a month in Nod-Krai...
"I've taken care of the debt you asked me to collect."
The self-proclaimed "veteran" of a treasure hunter froze as a dark red coin pouch landed abruptly in front of her.
...She'd never told the girl what she had hired her to do.
"And now, it's time for you to pay what you owe."
The treasure was dazed for a brief moment, but that was enough for the viper to strike and sink its fangs into its prey's neck.
The treasure hunter's life and strength slipped away before her instincts could even kick in. In short order, this depraved beast had met its end.
The dispossessed desert dweller slowly let exhaled as the one who had been waiting outside the room stepped in without a sound.
"Miss Nefer, the others have also been eliminated according to plan. This was the last one."
Nefer nodded. This infamous treasure hunter was the last "leader" she had to eliminate.
Once upon a time, Nod-Krai was ruled by these so-called "leaders" who, behind closed doors, carved the land up into individual spheres of influence. Like the tyrants and usurpers that some exiles far from home had fled, they had quietly seized this Elysium, which by rights belonged to all, and unleashed their pawns to commit acts of brutality at will.
But Nefer knew that those seemingly loyal minions also nursed ambitions of sinking their own fangs into those who sat enthroned.
Once the king of these beasts was discovered dead in her room, those dreams that once seemed illusory would now have a chance to become reality.
Then they would fight, devour, and plunder, tearing each other apart even as the flames of ambition scorched their own flesh, all to forge a crown from bone and blood, a crown that would grant them power over all.
And Nefer would shatter that crown with her own two hands the moment it appeared.
"...What should we do next, Miss Nefer?"
"Wait," came the short and succinct answer from the leader of the assassins. "We wait till daybreak and for the dust to settle..."
The future owner of the Curatorium of Secrets contemplated the chaos surging in the palm of her hand, and then she spoke again.
"Bring more hands in to help. We don't want to drag innocent people into this."
"They will be my valued clients in the future, after all."
Character Story 4
Friendship Lv. 5 • An Elegy for Faded Moonlight
The Curatorium of Secrets, standing at the heart of Nasha Town with its doors nearly always firmly shut, is an endless wellspring of urban legends for the town's residents.
Some say that the owner, a native of Sumeru, nurtures an army of grotesque minions within using various mysterious rituals, and that when the stars are right, she will unleash these war hounds to bring destruction upon all...
Though most know these rumors were just made-up tales without even an ounce of truth in them, stories about a mysterious boss always make for lively conversation around the tavern table.
But for those who have had little choice but to visit the Curatorium and thus actually know what goes on in there, speaking with Nefer herself is anything but a matter of entertainment. They would rather face caged monsters or some malicious spell, for at least then, there might be some real satisfaction to be had.
And yet, whenever Miss Nefer receives them, she speaks in a tone most ordinary, calmly brewing tea as if she had never personally destroyed a gang, led a certain boss to ruin, or ever sparked conflict between any rival factions. As if she were not the unseen hand stirring the waters of Nod-Krai, keeping them just the right degree of murky...
Once, a trembling young man drew his blade against her. In his foolishness, he declared that no matter how meticulous a schemer Nefer was, she was still flesh and blood, and all he needed was one moment of reckless courage to bring her down...
The owner of the Curatorium paid no heed to the feeble threat. Instead, she commended him with a small smile. At the very least, he alone had followed his heart and dared to draw steel. The others before him had spoken of revenge, but in truth had hidden behind hollow bravado, hoping to use such posturing to bargain for petty profit.
For his foolish — yet admirable — show of bravery, Nefer was willing to tell the young man what kind of person could truly walk the path of victory.
There are indeed many powerful figures in Nod-Krai. Some command vast wealth, others possess fearsome reputations. Yet none of them can emerge as the ultimate victor.
Their names and fortunes have become shackles, making them hesitant and overly cautious, afraid that any wrong move might shatter some precious bauble. Furthermore, age has caught up with them, and they can sense death drawing near. The distractions they once ignored have returned with a vengeance, and now, night after night, they lie awake, haunted by memories and the looming shadow of their own end.
"Now, look at you. At least you still have your whole life ahead of you. That alone gives you the room to become more than ordinary."
Then the owner of the Curatorium of Secrets smiled, and she offered the youth a commission with which he could potentially make a name and fortune for himself.
"Be honest with yourself. What do you think you can accomplish on your own?"
...
Another client had just left the Curatorium. Nefer closed the door, then poured some water into Ashru's bowl.
She crouched down and spoke to the cat, who remained in his own world as he drank.
"...Well, Ashru. Looks like we've just brought on another temp. They're brave, sure, but tied down with a ton of baggage. I doubt they'll make it very far."
"We seem to have gone through everyone in town, but there isn't anyone interesting enough, it seems..."
"Meow meow? Meow, meow meow..."
"What? I was late in filling your bowl today, you say? Hehe. Alright then, I'll see if I can find you someone full-time."
"Obviously, we can't have you going without water, so let's find you someone first, interesting or not."
"Meow! Meow meow!"
Character Story 5
Friendship Lv. 6 • An Elegy for Faded Moonlight
A good chunk of Nod-Krai's residents were left speechless when the Curatorium of Secrets announced that it would officially open its doors to the public and accept commissions from anyone.
When the news broke, the adults' first instinct was to grab their children and warn them:
"I'm telling you, don't you dare take even half a step closer to that place!"
To reinforce their warnings, they would then cite a slew of bizarre urban legends, most of which were entirely fabricated. Their unease about the Curatorium stemmed largely from an instinctive fear of the unknown.
However, children don't tend to think that deeply. What they remember is how kind and pretty Big Sister Nefer is, with her lovely voice and gentle manner. They remember the candy she gave them and the fascinating stories she has told — stories that, while a little scary, were still far more entertaining than the adults' lectures.
...The lady in green is the owner of the Curatorium of Secrets and is a good person, so... the Curatorium must be a good place, too!
As a result, the first ordinary client to visit the Curatorium was a tearful little girl who would only stop crying after being comforted by a certain permanent staff member there. In between sobs, she explained that her parents had said they were going out on business, but they hadn't come back. As such, she wanted to ask Miss Nefer to help find them.
The girl's small wish was quickly granted. Once the clues were found, the young lady with the metal arm acted swiftly and decisively, rescuing the couple from the bandits who had taken them captive. And when the time came for payment, Miss Nefer asked for only a single hairpin from the little girl's head.
And this is how the first tender shoot sprouted.
Word of the commission eventually spread through the little girl's vivid retellings. Little by little, people began to consider visiting, and one client after another found the courage to step into the once-mysterious building and pour out their troubles. Even the children would sometimes sneak in just to play with the lazy black cat, only to scatter in laughter the moment Big Sister Nefer returned.
Today, the Curatorium is like a river winding around Nasha Town, a place where people come to draw water, to play, and sometimes to stumble upon small blessings along its banks...
For the unwitting common folk, their interactions with this river would end right here.
Only those who have truly ventured into its deeper waters know that tranquility and gentleness are a mere facade. In truth, this river has conquered all its tributaries, commanding them to merge their waters with its own. In its darkest depths, the merciless currents surge stronger than ever, dragging things that should never surface down to the bottom, burying them deep beneath mud and pebbles.
Only one person can uncover the river's true secrets.
...
"Boss, can't you send Ashru to look for the cats next time? I don't speak cat, you know..."
The girl with the metal arm bounced into the Curatorium with a pout on her face.
Nefer closed the ledger and watched as Ashru leaped onto the table, settling down and rolling over contentedly under the vigorous petting of the Curatorium's sole permanent employee.
"Tsk! You get to eat all this cat food every day without lifting a paw. Next time, I'm taking you out on field duty!"
"Meow! Meow meow meow!"
The sunlight outside the window was perfect. Surely, the river's surface would be shimmering and sparkling, dotted with people rowing boats and swimming, lost in moments of pure beauty and carefree joy...
But as for what lay beneath the water, no one would ever know.
Ashru
Friendship Lv. 4 • An Elegy for Faded Moonlight
Back when Nefer negotiated with the Ibis King, stranded as the latter was in Aaru, the king sent her his emissary: a small cat named Ashru.
Through the body of this little creature, the king was able to have a brief meeting with her despite his circumstances.
Interestingly, while indwelling Ashru's body, the Ibis King seemed to also share in the cat's physical sensations.
Unfortunately, before Nefer could learn about this, the cunning king had already left Ashru's body, turning him back into an ordinary little cat.
As for the reason Nefer has kept Ashru by her side...
Besides the fact that he is truly adorable...
The owner of the Curatorium of Secrets has considered that the Ibis King might once again use Ashru's body to communicate with her...
And when that time comes, she will never let such a golden opportunity slip away again...
Moon Wheel
Friendship Lv. 6 • An Elegy for Faded Moonlight
"...That is quite the bargaining chip, Lady Nefer."
The emissary from the Northern Intelligence Network nodded. Nefer's proposal, in truth, had exceeded his expectations. He had merely hoped the Curatorium's owner would help locate a certain traitor so that the appropriate punishment could be meted out. But at the meeting, he learned that she had already arranged for their target to visit the Curatorium for some business three days later, giving them the perfect opportunity to act. It was as if she had known his intentions all along.
And as for Nefer's requested recompense, it was simply "to have a chat with the person in charge."
The visitor thought of the aging representative, an influential figure at the Northern Intelligence Network who had long been searching for a successor. This visit to the Curatorium, this very deal, had been approved by him. Could it be that he had already—
Perhaps this conversation between Nefer and the representative would lead to a change in leadership at the Network...
The emissary quietly pushed down certain thoughts that might stir up unnecessary trouble, offered his thanks to Nefer, and took his leave.
...
Nefer caught the Moon Wheel that she had tossed high into the air as she watched the emissary depart.
It had appeared at the bottom of the box of gifts the emissary brought after their conversation. Amidst the pearls and the gold, this extraordinary item immediately caught her eye — it was something no mortal could have forged, and it certainly wasn't listed in the emissary's official inventory.
But what really made her pause to think was another story about the moon from the past.
Long ago, she had held a conversation with the Lord of Lies within Aaru, and to this day, she still recalled how skilled that sycophant, the Ibis King, was at deception and persuasion. She still remembered how he boasted of laboring across three moons such that he might guide the benighted mortals below, weaving reasonable threads of fate for all living things, such that life on earth could sprout anew in cycles. He had also told her how, upon arriving in Sumeru, his talents were recognized by the discerning King Deshret. He claimed that he was then elevated to lead the great "Seven Pillars of King Deshret," that he drank the wine of revelry with the king himself, and that he once planted greenery alongside the Goddess of Flowers. In short, if Nefer were to accept his grace, she would gain extraordinary power.
Nefer didn't believe these tales for a moment, absurd as they were. To her, they were nothing more than lies hastily spun by an old trickster trying to win her trust. After all, King Deshret had exiled three sycophantic courtiers to Aaru. Would it not have been all too easy for the trio, extraordinary as they nonetheless were, to come together in the time since and weave a story meant to deceive the unsuspecting?
"Will you truly refuse to believe anything?" Thoth, inhabiting the cat’s body, asked angrily. The cat's fur bristled, not from conscious effort, but simply because cat fur naturally stands on end when they're upset.
"If a deity wishes to deceive people with their wisdom, the people will surely be deceived," Nefer responded with a shrug. "So I won't believe a single word you say either."
"But the power you're about to give me? That's worth believing in," said the dispossessed desert dweller with a smile. "Today, I own nothing, and as such, there's nothing else I can believe in."
...
Nefer fiddled with the Moon Wheel with the slightest hint of a smile on her face.
...It seemed there was a tiny bit of truth hidden somewhere in all of Thoth's lies.
A moment later, she tossed this long-overdue gift into a document bag.
This extraordinary item should serve as a powerful deterrent at the meeting three days down the line.
Namecard
| Nefer: Secrets | |
|---|---|
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Obtain: Reward for reaching Friendship Level 10 with Nefer Description: Even the ugliest victory is preferable to noble defeat. Unbesmirched innocence has no place amid the blood and sand. This is simply how the desert folk survive. |
Constellation
| Ludus Latrunculorum | |
|---|---|
 | Meaning: Game of Brigands |
Quests and Events
Archon Quests
- Song of the Welkin Moon
- Act I: A Dance of Snowy Tides and Hoarfrost Groves
- Act II: Elegy of Dust and Lamplight
- Act III: A Nation That Doesn't Exist
- Act IV: An Elegy for Faded Moonlight
- Act V: A Nocturne of the Far North
- Act VI: Melting Moonlight in the Morning Mist
- Act VII: A Traveler on a Winter's Night
- Act VIII: True Moon
- Act IX: As All Falls to Emptiness
- Act X: Truth Amongst the Pages of Purana
World Quests
Intel
- Collaborative Commission
- The Disturbance Caused by Theft
- The Dust Settles
- The Haunted Pirate Shipwreck
- The Man Who Once Lied
- The Suspicious Hermit
- The Vanishing Bounty Target
Anecdotes
Events
Character Mentions
Character Stories
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Character Voice-Overs
| Character | Voice-Overs |
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Mails
| Sender | Mails |
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Trivia
- Nefer is from Aaru Village, having stayed there for a period of time when she was younger before being enrolled in Vahumana.
- The scene from the chessboard in Dance of Death: Serpent and Scorpion most likely takes place nearby there since the soundtrack (Wind of Tranquility) can be heard in Aaru Village at night and the various people shown during the quest are family members from her childhood.
- Nefer was not originally from Aaru Village- her father, Sinuhe, was the chief of the Shimti tribe (Nefer's birth tribe, most likely), as he describes himself as "the chief of our tribe[]" during Dance of Death: Serpent and Scorpion. Later on, he and the majority of the village would be killed in a fight that was triggered when Sinuhe was forced to steal water from another tribe's well.
- In addition, her Character Story 1 describes Candace as her friend, while Character Story 2 has her writing a letter to [Candace] and considering various things people have said about desertfolk. Within the same letter, Nefer states, "...I think that perhaps I should return to Aaru Village. There is no place for me here at the Akademiya. I miss you too, Candace..."
- Nefer was not given a chance to take the entrance exam to determine which Darshans new students are eligible for, as was her right. It is inferred that Azar was already Grand Sage, and his bias towards desertfolk caused him to make an actual rule that desertfolk enrollees would have a Darshan chosen for them instead, without their input. Cyrus had protested Azar's policies towards desert-dwellers before his retirement in a letter, only for his protests to go unread, as Azar seemingly did not care about his fellow sage's objections.
- Twice, Nefer refers to drinking or consuming animal blood.[2] It's known that the Eremites learned to bleed their Sumpter Beasts for fluid as a last resort, in the case of a dire emergency,[3] so her comments may be related to that in some way.
- Nefer's Constellation, Ludus Latrunculorum, shares its name with a Roman strategy game ("Game of Brigands", or "Game of Soldiers") that can be considered the precursor to chess. While gameplay rules may vary per recreation, as the exact rules have been lost, pieces usually can move either vertically or horizontally, and pieces are captured by being trapped between two opposing pieces.
Etymology
- Nefer is an Egyptian hieroglyph, representing a trachea and heart and means "perfect" or "beautiful." Her name could also be a reference to Nefertiti, a queen of ancient Egypt.
Other Languages
Character Title: Secret Beneath the Sands
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Secret Beneath the Sands | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 湮沙的秘闻 Yānshā de Mìwén | Secret Story of Buried Sands |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 湮沙的秘聞 Yīnshā de Mìwén | |
| Japanese | 砂に埋もれた秘話 Suna ni Umoreta Hiwa | Secret Story Buried in the Sand |
| Korean | 사막의 비밀 Samagui Bimil | |
| Spanish | La Guardasecretos de las Arenas | Secretkeeper of the Sands |
| French | Secret enfoui sous les sables | Secret Buried Beneath the Sands |
| Russian | Тайна, скрытая песками Tayna, skrytaya peskami | |
| Thai | ความลับใต้ผืนทราย | |
| Vietnamese | Bí Mật Cát Phủ | |
| German | Geheimnis unter den Sanden | |
| Indonesian | Secret Beneath the Sands | — |
| Portuguese | Segredo Sob as Areias | |
| Turkish | Kumların Altındaki Sır | Secret Beneath the Sands |
| Italian | Segreto insabbiato |
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- ↑ Official Genshin Impact Website: Nefer
- ↑ Nefer's Voice-Over: Interesting Things, Nefer's Voice-Over: Least Favorite Food
- ↑ Interactable: Damaged Records: I