Njarir'Akhan

Njarir'Akhan („The Chosen of the Sea“)

The Tajaran from the Etari Archipelago

### Physiology

Njarir'Akhan are generally taller than the average Hharar, as well thinner, with lithe muscles. Males usually stand between 180 cm to 220 cm, weighing in between 70 kg and 120 kg. Females mostly stand between 160 cm and 200 cm, and mostly weigh in between 45 kg and 100 kg. Their frames are narrow and stream-lined, the fur is thick and of velvety quality, giving them some protection and isolation against water, with black, dark brown and white being usual colours, the trend going to monochrome. Their face features are soft, round and short snouts are usual. It's common that Njarir'Akhan walk with a certain predatory grace. Njarir'Akhan strongly resemble terran lynx.

### Origin of the Ethnicity

The original Njarir'Akhan hail from the Etari-Archipelago, although there are very few pure-breed left. Most modern Njarir'Akhan cross-bred with the Hharar, when the Kaytam fled to the archipelago.

### Culture

Njarir'Akhan were the original settlers of the Etari-Archipelago and settled on the volcanic islands permanently.
They organized themselves in “houses”, which is a group of Tajaran sharing a common ancestry, traditions and blood-lines, which account up to 1000 heads. These “houses” sometimes formed “Tribe kingdoms” as well, in which several “houses” join together in a moot, crowning one of the houses nobles for their tribe king for seven years. Houses are led by the house ring, notable nobles versed in some field important for the survival of the house.
Most rules and laws differ from house to house and clan to clan, as it only depended on oral tradition. Most of the time, either the house ring or a tribal moot settles issues and feuds.
Feuds played a central part for Njarir'Akhan's native culture, as they were three forms of those :
The personal feud, which is a dispute between individuals, the house feuds, which involves entire houses and the royal feuds, where entire tribes fought against each other.
Feuds usually were spelt out when the offended party feels strongly betrayed or otherwise enraged by the offending party. Some feuds could endure generations, with the only ways out of this with either beating one side to submission, a great repay of wealth or when one of the parties did such a great deed that the other forgives them.
Generosity, pride and heroism play a major role in Njarir'Akhan culture, as these are seen as the greatest virtues. As house nobles and tribal kings are elected, a king is usually an individual of great reputation, who, for example, helps a neighbouring house after they barely survived a flood with food and able hands to rebuild their homes.
The original pantheon of the Njarir'Akhan were Father Wind and Mother Sea. Both unpredictable, sometimes friendly and protecting towards their children, sometimes ferocious and uncaring, Njarir'Akhan often hold tremendous (for their scales) feasts and frantic mass dancing to appease their godly parents.

The height of the Njarir'Akhan culture was organized trade, the beginnings of mass production of metal and architecture. Then the Overseers came and put them under their yoke, banishing the Hharar Kaytam on the Archipelago as well. United under the hatred against the Overseers, Kaytam Hharar and Njarir'Akhan houses intermingled and prospered, creating the modern Njarir'Akhan.

Most of the modern Njarir'Akhan have a similar culture like on the mainlands, but it's distinctly different, as concepts and political structures were adapted and assimilated when the Overseers were defeated. So is the Kaytam Clan still a loose republic, with several factions even feuding each other.

### Relation with the other Tajaran

Since most Njarir'Akhan are members of the Kaytam clan or on friendly terms with them, Hharar, especially these from the Clan Hadii, don't like them and vice versa. Communications between those are most of the time at least slightly troublesome, because of subliminal racism to each other. So are Hharar “kneeling wimps” and Njarir'Akhan “brute mongrels.”

### Relation to Aliens

Njarir'Akhan are usually seen as the soldiers of Ahdomai, warrior-like creatures, as a great deal of tajaran based PMCs are based on the Archipelago and thus a lot of Tajaran mercenaries are modern Njarir'Akhan.