A comfan was a portable device usually carried by the Adumari. It was described as a small hemisphere with a handle. On the flat side of the hemisphere were numerous little vents; at the bottom of the handle were an on-off switch and an intake vent. When switched on, the device would draw air in through the intake vent, cool it, and expel it through the other vents, making it a handy personal comfort device. Handling the comfan itself was an art form, with every possible gesture assigned a meaning by the Cartann court.