Nasts

Nasts are a fictional sapient group that appears in modern fantasy and speculative fiction. In most depictions, Nasts are humanoid beings tied to memory, perception, and the recording of history. They are often described as slender, ethereal figures with shifting features, whose bodies reflect scenes from the memories of observers.

In narrative uses, Nasts are typically portrayed as elusive and reclusive, preferring quiet, marginal spaces such as ruins, libraries, or abandoned neighborhoods. They do not fit neatly into heroic or villainous roles; instead they act as impartial custodians of forgotten events, offering warnings or insights to those who seek truth rather than power. Their interactions with humans vary from cooperative to wary, and contact is usually initiated by a request for truth rather than aggression.

Typical abilities attributed to Nasts include memory manipulation or projection, the capacity to reveal hidden pasts through visions or whispers, and limited clairvoyance regarding patterns in history. Most depictions also emphasize vulnerability to certain sigils, iron, or environmental disruptions that erase or obscure memories.

Origin fiction for Nasts is diverse; writers often present them as ancient inhabitants of a world that long predates human civilization, or as emergent phenomena born from collective memory. The concept has gained traction in tabletop role-playing games, web fiction, and indie novels, where Nasts serve as catalysts for storytelling about history, secrecy, and the ethics of memory.

See also: folklore, memory, myth, fantasy creatures, tabletop gaming