Nandegakkovians

The **Nandegakkovians** (Nandegakkovian: **Nándegakkôes**, **Nándaroi**, **Nándoi**) are a race of grifajes or Igarinoids who live on the planet Nandegakko and several others in the galactic southeast.

## History

The Nandegakkovians were descendants of the wandering Resparin race of Igarinoids: more specifically, their founder Kurita, his colonists, and other Igarinoids who were attracted by his state.

When their planet was conquered by the Igarin Empire, the Nandegakkovians scattered throughout the Galaxy, and many of them established new colonies at the galactic southeast, at the northwestern frontier of the Free Igarin Alliance.

## Characteristics

Most Nandegakkovians are born with red hair. Like all Igarinoids, they are humanoids with blue skin.

As Nandegakkovians are grifajes, they are "born" by hatching from eggs. They have four genders: male, female, drone (like male), and carer (like female). Unlike the rest of the Galaxy, drones and carers in Nandegakko are regarded as equal citizens instead of slaves.

## Culture

See also: Nandegakkovian language, Nandegakkovian glossary

In spite of their country's technological advancement, Nandegakkovian culture would seem archaic to an Igarin of the Sarmelonid era, as its traditions were more similar to the conditions and phonology that were used during their country's founding nearly a thousand years ago. It valued art, historical knowledge, fashion, and archery as its main traditions.

Nandegakko has its own warrior culture: it was inherited from their Resparin ancestors, and shaped by years of fighting against Imperial oppression and other enemies. Nonetheless, in spite of their love of combat, they are also refuse to be reckless to avoid attracting more powerful enemies, but they will fervently defend to the last member and bullet if they are threatened by such.

As Nandegakko used to be a prison colony for exiled atheists, the lack of religious belief is considered a traditional part of Nandegakkovian culture. Whereas other galactic people worship the Igarin gods for their aid or out of fear, Nandegakkovians simply treat these deities as fictional characters to write stories about, or as symbols of evil and atrocity. They even weave the many stories of Igarin mythology into their own canon, which is used in the Free Igarin Alliance and in areas that rebelled against the Igarin Empire. They prefer certain deities in the Igarin gods over others, while the ones promoted in the Imperial State Cult of the Igarin Empire are denounced as the "dark gods" for the many acts of cruelty done in their name.

In addition, the Nandegakkovians love to surround themselves in Resparin mythology because they think it is very beautiful.

Instead of a religion, the Nandegakkovians practice a code known as Krazača to keep themselves disciplined. This code of rules directs every Nandegakkovian to behave better and avoid the many flaws and harmful behaviours of other civilisations in the Galaxy.

In spite of this, they also refuse to attack religious people, instead preferring to gain more allies: after all, they are a minority in a Galaxy that worships many gods, and other galactic people view them with disgust for their lack or religious belief.

Nandegakkovian culture is influenced heavily by maritime themes. For example, their legends' settings tend to be islands and seas, and the turtle is revered as a good luck symbol. Like their polytheist brethren, Nandegakkovians raise triangular blue sails to honour their ancestors. They paint the sails with red symbols to celebrate any accomplishment or victory.

Some people in Nandegakko practice the *náwabane*, a non-lethal, ritualised duel used as a mental exercise or a contest between friends. As the main focus is on one's concentration and focus, one does not need to be hit or even bleed to lose. Just slipping or dropping one's weapon by accident will allow one's opponent to instantly win for having a sharper mind. Two modes were used there: longblade and knife, known as *sakná* and *krid*.

When Nandegakkovians die or get killed, their loved ones hold a funeral ceremony called a *kejãgen*, which means "calling someone". It involves dressing the dead in beautiful robes (even a simple robe), cremating the body, and writing the deceased's name on a public record. So Nandegakkovian graveyards don't have graves, but are tall pillars with many names of bygone people on its sides.

Although some people in the Galaxy believe that atheists can go to Paradise if they are good, including and especially Nandegakkovians for preserving knowledge and protecting the weak; the Nandegakkovians believe that being remembered is better than Paradise. It is their own equivalent of "Heaven": their being may be gone, but their deeds will be remembered for ever, so they will never be truly lost. It is also like a chance to reunite with their descendants, by being a source of inspiration for greater deeds of righteousness!

### Languages

Nandegakkovians tend to speak in an archaic relative of Imperial Igarin, which is mixed with Resparin words from the Ngatolarin branch.

However, some Nandegakkovians attempted to create a reconstruction of their Ngatolarin ancestors' language, creating "Sũlgantaen". Their language's name, Sũlganta, is based on the meaning of "Nandegakko", meaning "fortress of wisdom". It is widely used in southern Nandegakko.

## Exiles

The Exiles (Zalojenjes) are the descendants of various Nandegakkovians who fled the conquest of their homeworld nearly a thousand years ago. This term is for all Nandegakkovians who are not citizens or members of the Republic of Chakravela, which was founded by their people near the Free Igarin Alliance.

Exilic culture is more religious than in Nandegakko, with popular deities being Sailachro (the sea god), Freyr, Talunda, Glontario, Nurutul, various fire gods, and Odin. This has also led to some northeastern Exilic peoples becoming mages and sorcerers, many of which served the Malendor Supercorporation as the "heralds of Lord Odin".

They speak in one or two of five hundred and sixty-seven dialects, forty-nine of which became their own descendants of Old Nandegakkovian. Many of these dialects were influenced by archaic Resparin or Novantir.

## Notable Nandegakkovians

* Soknawari
* Fassoknor
* Sogerin
* Rumerin
* Charitas Deratako
* President Kurita Deratako
* Governor Letaggasko

## Terminology

* Nándoi - Nandegakkovians (preferred shortened term)

### Positive

* Kandinjes - The Gifted Ones (Igarin)
* Nandakefjes - Defenders of Knowledge (Igarin)
* Kjonandajes - Blessed With Wisdom, The Wise Ones (Igarin)
* Laplinti - Pen-Wavers, Writers (Igarin)
* Daroinejes - Southerners (Igarin)

### Negative

* Töpralńe - Godsless (Igarin)
* Tölunijes - Soulless Ones (Igarin)
* Murkari - Cursed Ones (Igarin)
* Heretics
* Savages
* Barbarians

## Trivia

* The Nandegakkovians were inspired by the Octolings of Splatoon (red hair, fashion, octopuses, shooting, and the word "dera" for "very/much") and the Tau Empire of Warhammer 40,000 (technology, atheism, and a warrior tradition). Their traditional culture was based on Majapahit Indonesian art.
	+ Nandegakkô's name was inspired by a Japanese comment in a Gachimuchi video that read "なんで学校w" (nande gakkou warawara, "Why [does this] school? LOL"), which laughs at a scene where a wrestler destroys a school.

* Their refusal to worship or believe in the supernatural caused other civilisations (especially the fanatical Igarin Imperials) to view them as "soulless barbarians". In turn, the Nandegakkovians dislike the Imperial Igarins and the Konjors as "demons" for their cruelty.
	+ Their view of "gods" may be similar to that in Buddhism, which states that the "gods" are nothing more than powerful beings.
* Nandegakkovians can be differentiated from their Resparin pirate kin by their language; their lack of religion; and their obsessive love of ancient literature, archery, and mythology.

## See also

* Vovtarlans, their horse and gold-loving rivals
* Resparin mythology
* Nandegakkovian glossary
* Nandegakkovian calendar
* Seirenii, another maritime people