Nikaru

## Basic Information

### Anatomy

The Nikaru of Tynera appear quite different to other humans. This is due to their Sea Elven ancestry. The Sea Elves were an elven race with dark, straight hair, almond-shaped eyes, and yellowish skin. The Nikaru have retained many of the traits of their ancestors, and also inherited their culture.

## Civilization and Culture

### Naming Traditions

**Male:** Feng, Shiro, Hinshi  **Female:** Bao, Hiruki, Shazu

### Beauty Ideals

Paler, soft skin is generally more favored in women, both among the peasantry and nobility, as it is a sign of culture and higher class. For men, tanned, rough skin is more preferred as it shows that he is a hard worker. Gold jewelry is worn as a sign of affluence.

### Gender Ideals

Men are expected to be hard workers, whether in the field as a farmer or as a soldier. Nikaru society is patriarchal, and women are actually barred from holding certain jobs, especially military service. Women can inherit noble titles, but are more often than not barred from politics. Nikaru women are generally expected to be homemakers. Despite this, both men and women of the upper class are expected to practice music, painting, calligraphy or some other art form.

### Courtship Ideals

Arranged marriages are the norm in Nikaru for all classes. Suitors petition a woman's parents for her hand in marriage, and it is the parents who decide. Many parents care for their daughter's happiness, and allow her to court potential suitors, effectively allowing her to decide for herself, but there are also many families who are swayed more by dowries provided by certain suitors.

### Relationship Ideals

Wives and husbands are expected to respect each other as equals in the home. Many women, especially the wives of warriors, are trained in the use of weapons and are skilled warriors in their own right, despite being barred from military service. This is so they may defend the home while the husband is off at war. In public, the man is typically expected to take charge, and the woman is expected to play a slightly more submissive role, within reason. Any behavior perceived as abusive is taken care of swiftly, if not by nearby guards, then by angry and protective townspeople. Casual relationships are considered dishonorable by the Nikaru, as are homosexual relationships, especially if one is the submissive partner. Other "deviant" relationships are illegal. Due to the high honor associated with marriage, infidelity is punished swiftly and harshly, and is treated the same as rape.

### Common Etiquette Rules

The Nikaru highly value politeness. They are known to respectful and polite to everyone, even Suthermen, despite countless years of conflict between the two peoples. Nikaru culture values honor, and to dishonor another person is often considered taboo, and in some extreme cases is illegal. Many Tyneran punishments are harsh by foreign standards, and they inflict the death penalty more often than any other nation due this high expectation of honor. They believe the dishonorable actions of one dishonor all in the community, and so the individuals are dealt with swiftly and harshly to avoid invoking the anger of the Saku. This being said, the severity of punishment varies greatly from settlement to settlement, as some areas have more benevolent Saku than others.

### Culture and Cultural Heritage

The Nikaru derive their culture from their Sea Elven ancestors, and to a lesser extent their Sutherman forbears. Their arts, architecture, language, and most customs come from the Sea Elves, while their ideals of honor, courage, and self-sacrifice stem from Sutherlandic culture. There is also an offshoot culture called the Hurfong, who are a decentralized and tribal nomadic people who roam the Tongruk Plains to the south of Tynera. They were banished from Tyneran civilization long ago, and have since become a horse-based culture with a unique dialect of Okujin. These people are commonly seen as barbaric, but have culture which, while being an offshoot of mainstream Nikaru culture, is largely similar.

### Common Myths and Legends

The Nikaru have a very unique religion, which seems to be completely unrelated to the other religions of Forgosia called Sakuhai. Outside of Tynera, many people call this practice demon worship, because of the faith's worship and reverence for darkness, death, and seemingly occult practices. However, despite outside perceptions, the practice of Sakuhai focuses on the positive and beautiful aspects of these concepts, and is meant to garner a healthy respect and reverence to the local deities, called the Saku (or demons by outsiders). Common practices involve building shrines of bone, commonly whalebone, horse bone among the Hurfong tribes, or sometimes even human bones, as well as the performance of small blood sacrifice upon oneself and the use of sacred symbols, painted in alchemical holy mixtures. While the Saku are worshiped as deities, they are not wholly benevolent. They are worshiped just as much for their boons as they are to prevent catastrophe from befalling the people. Certain groups, such as the Shendjinn, embrace the more negative aspects of the worship, and engage in murder and violence as a means of attaining enlightenment and appeasing their Saku.

### Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

While they are fairly common sight throughout much of Forgosia, other cultures often see the Nikaru as an alien and exotic people due to the vast differences in culture and religion. However, aside from the initial curiosity regarding their culture and misgivings about their religious beliefs, the Nikaru are generally well accepted throughout the continent. There does exist some degree of racial tension between the Nikaru and Suthermen, due to a long history of conflict, and abuse.

Genetic Ancestor(s)
* Sea Elves
* Suthermen

Origin/Ancestry
Human
Lifespan
90 years
Average Height
5'5"-6'
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Yellow-hued skin
**Magic Culture:** Much of Nikaru magic culture centers on the power of the Saku, and so it should come as no surprise that Warlocks are the most common types of mages within Tynera. Clerics are rare within Tynera, as the Nikaru don't worship any gods of the Deretil Pantheon, and those who do worship those gods are not as common in Tynera as they are in other nations. The Nikaru, despite having a well developed society, also lack a strong magical academia producing wizards, likely due to the fact that the niche of wizards has once again been largely filled by warlocks and sorcerers. Speaking of sorcerers, they are fairly common, as the Elven blood of the Nikaru gives many a natural propensity for magic. Those who are born as sorcerers are believed to be blessed by the Saku, and so are treated with great respect, often receiving special training. The Nikaru also has a bardic tradtion called the Nakidori, who are able to weave magical energy with song. Many Nakidori use these magical energies to animate objects and tell stories with their song, along with the more typical bardic magics. Druids are generally well respected, with the exception of the elite, who are more likely to look down on them. Among the Hurfong, druids actually take the place of warlocks as religious guides. Magic-wielding fighters and rangers are fairly common among the Nikaru, as well as magic-wielding barbarians among the Hurfong. Tynera also has a few monastic traditions, among which are the Shendjinn and Samasu. The Shendjinn are an illegal assassin group of magic-wielding warlock rogues who are granted the power of a powerful death Saku, the Shendjinn Lord, to spread death through Forgosia. They believe in the attainment of enlightenment through murder. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Samasu, warrior monks who actually shun the practice of magic, preferring the power of their own bodies and minds. They practice a form of meditation called mind-honing, which increases their awareness of their surroundings and their body, heightens their reflexes, and increases the effectiveness of their strikes.