Nikep

From the continent of Unistusi they are relatively rare in Karnath, most commonly found in the Edge. They have more or less fully integrated into Karnathi society.
The Nikep physically appear like short slender humans - with unusual, typically jewel toned skin and large crystalline eyes with no notable pupils or sclera. They typically have black or white hair, pronounced canine teeth, and facial markings that match the color of their eyes.
The Nikep are notable for the fact that they have three souls, rather than one. Typically, the souls are linked, interchangeable, and act in unison, allowing Nikep to behave functionally very similarly to the single-souled races of Orre. They often use collective pronouns in speech, though sometimes switch to singular pronouns when attempting to integrate with other races. Sometimes, the souls manifest distinct aspects analogous to ego, superego, and id. In extreme cases, the Nikep develops multiple personalities.
The Nikep philosophy/religion is animistic, believing that all things have a spirit. This is sometimes perceived by outsiders as heretical to deity-oriented religions, and has historically resulted in religious persecution against them. Most notably, the massacres that drove them away from their ancestral home, tied to the rise of Alinar and The Monarch. Nikep communities have also targets of abuse due to misinformation on their practices, such as that they steal or eat the souls of others, or take over other people's body with their soul. Because of this, the Nikep often stay out of the public eye, preferring to live in tight-knit communities within cities. Many Nikep believe that they are destined to return to their homeland, and some seek to oppose the Alinar theocratic stronghold politically, though no notable militarized Nikep groups exist at this time.
The Nikep are largely peaceful and very rarely take to violent or adventuring lifestyles (exceptions include San Ren), instead living quiet lives of contemplation. They frequently take professions that benefit from their heightened perceptiveness and intuition, such as healer or doctor, or their ability to deliberate among their souls, such as lawyer or bureaucrat (It is said that an argument between Nikep begins with two opinions and results in six).
While adventurous Nikep do develop the ability to manipulate their souls in a variety of ways (as indicated under racial features), even commonfolk Nikep are capable of storing their souls in inanimate objects without issue. This ability typically comes naturally to Nikep as they mature, and ritualistically placing their soul into a ceremonial necklace marks an important coming-of-age ceremony.
Nikep are typically monogomous, and will store one of their souls in their exchanged wedding rings. While commoners are unable to extract traits from the rings themselves, they are mutually able to feel the presence of their loved ones through the souls within the rings. It is also common for children to gift their parents a necklace containing a soul if they leave for long journeys, to provide a similar sensation of closeness until they return.
When a Nikep dies, any souls stored in objects remain but are rendered inert, providing only the aura of the deceased's presence. Typically, loved ones in possession of a soul-storing item will destroy the item at the loved one's funeral, allowing all three souls to rejoin in the afterlife. One notable exception are Nikep who have been imprisoned for crimes, who will be left in their soul object until their sentence has been carried out, before the object is destroyed and allowed to pass on.
Nikep are unusually capable of having children with other races, but do not form "half nikep" hybrids: instead, Nikep mothers will birth a conventional Nikep, while Nikep fathers will birth a set of identical triplets of the mothers' race. Because of this, several aspects of Nikep society are matrilineal: children take their mothers' surnames, and it is more common for husbands to move in with the wife's family than vice-versa.
Category:Races