Valcust
Lord of Altera
So, seeing as the first thread reached capacity with all my lore makings, Here's the continuation, since i've still a lot to write about the Nakam ^w^
If you have not read the first thread, click here before continuing.
Remember, ask me questions in the comments~!
Now, to continue with Nakam lore~!
~Nakam Trade & Tourism~
Verbali is known as a great trade city to all, mostly due to Kavdek's main export: Chocolate.
Though Nakam chocolate is known to be unlike any found in other lands of altera, and is said to have a natural cooling effect. Such chocolate is also known to be sweet enough to be used without the addition of sugars.
Though Nakam are not natural miners, the Verbali mining company has discovered that the islands innards are comprised of dirt, stone, gold, gravel, and lapis.
During the first years of the uprising of Verbali, not many would trade with the merchants of the land. Though soon after the Teshvadiik began making subterranean homes, said homes were overtaken, and expanded into full mines. The only issue with the gold and lapis is that it must make a full trip from mid-island to the western coast, a trip that could last several days, if not weeks. Routs are scoped out through the thick jungle brush, and though the Nakam believe their routs to be relatively hidden from any vengeful eyes, each mining group is required to be escorted by a guard couple.
To ensure further safety amongst the entire island, the Verbali council allow only a certain number of travelers across the city's walls every so often, and only with their strict permissions. To openly show permission, a traveler must wear a necklace of gold and lapis through his or her travels, the exact design of which is changed every so often to ensure the owners of expired permission necklaces cannot continue.
Anyone who is not a Nakam found within the Island jungles who is without a necklace is taken to the Verbali prisons and deported to their native lands.
Though, if a hairless is to be found without a proper necklace, and even attempts to run or reach for a blade, Verbali guards are known to attack with extreme hostility and stealth.
~headwear~
"So, since you've got ears and all, do Nakam have any native headwear..? and how do hoods work for you, exactly..?"
...
Most of our headgear has holes cut in to accommodate ears, though we do often come across this issue when purchasing headwear from hairless..
And heavier headwear (iron, gold, diamond helms) are known to greatly impair our hearing.
~Nakam Social Life~
Now, as I've stated on multiple occasions, Nakam tend to have a thought process of equality, that is to say that they have no "god", no "ruler", and generally no sense that anyone is any better or worse then they are themselves. Of course, the town drunk is not to be held in the highest regards, but he's still a person, as is any king or queen of any lands Nakam should visit. In fact, some instances are known to've occurred when Nakam were nearly beheaded for attempting to shake the king's hand, rather than bow.
As for eachother, unlike their hermit-like ocelot counterparts, Nakam tend to be awfully social creatures, often having their own little "click" of friends amongst their tribe or city.
It's not uncommon to see Nakam travel in packs, drinking together, singing together, generally socializing.
Though a mate still holds importance above friends, most often a Nakam's mate has been their friend for many years beforehand.
Just as with selecting a mate, Nakam generally do not distinguish gender amongst friends. Males and females get along equally as well as with same gender social groups.
However, Nakam are also capable of hatred and gossip, which can also lead to the shunning of or general dislike of other Nakam.
Many who find each other in far off lands are known to flock together, if only to bring about some sense of belonging in an unfamiliar land.
~Deserts: No.~
As of late, another question's been buzzing around in my head: "What should a Nakam feel like in different climates?"
Well, we already know that the Nakam come from a very cold climate, something only reachable within a tundra here in the land of Altera.
But, if a Nakam is to find them self in, say, a desert, they're not likely to be enjoying it much.
Imagine having a padded sweater that's attached to your skin, that you can never take off.
Now imagine wearing that sweater into an area which is most likely ninety degrees in the shade.
Needless to say, the Nakam usually stay away from dry and hot places in favor of cooler climates.
However, some Nakam are known to settle in Desert areas, so long as their home is cooled by some source of ice or snow, and if there is a supply readily available.
Heatstroke and death are two very real possibilities in the desert, even for a furless human. There is no exception to this rule with the Nakam, if anything, the likely hood of either death or heatstroke is elevated.
Humidity is also a worry, such as in jungle-like areas, though it's not nearly as horrid enviornment for Nakam as deserts are.
Bottom line: Snow good, deserts bad. Very bad.
~Nakam "Tattoos"~
"So, most every other race is known to occasionally stain their skin permanently with ink, leaving a mark or picture on said skin. Do the Nakam have anything similar?"
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: All Nakam, even tribals, are known to use natural dyes to stain sections of their fur. While Native Nakam fur staining is usually held back to simple patterns of armbands or dyed ear tips, Verbali Nakam (specifically the financially rich) are known to have elegant patterns of staining gently placed along their fur.
However, this is not completely like a tattoo, as the dye does grow dull, and eventually fades away.
Because of the usually expensive nature of using the Verbali's lapis and gold for such dyes, such "tattoos", Let's call them "Stains", are usually reserved for special occasions; such as a twentieth birthday (As entering Dajakal is seen as the day a Nakam is "grown up")
Lapis blue and metallic gold are two of the most popular staining colors due to their shimmering effect in sunlight. However, they are normally monstrously expensive, as previously stated.
Before you go about making a blue and gold Nakam, know that such stains are considered beautiful because of their patterns and elegance. To see a Nakam with a completely blue/red/purple/yellow/gold/green arm or belly is usually a sign that they messed something up, or just fell into a vat of dye.
And, unless a Nakam is a stain artist by trade, any and all stains Nakam have while away from home usually fade away; due to the lack of touch-ups.
~Update: What do we look like? Eyes!~
Nakam eyes are said to be very simmilar to those of any feline, though they retain the spark of intelligence.
Natural eye colors of Nakam can range from browns, to blues, to greens, and even some slight oranges.
This does not, however, take away from the Nakam's "fire eyes" or "ghost eyes" Nakam are said to have in most Teshvadiik superstitions.
This is most likely a dramatized way of looking at the seemingly unnatural way a Nakam's eyes can "glow" in low-light situations.
~Verbali Weaponry~
As previously stated, the Verbali guards have at their disposal weaponry that rivals that of any military.
The crown jewel of such a military would be the Verbali modular crossbow, which consists of the stock, grip/trigger mechanism, and bow.
While stocks and grips are used for personalisation and fit of the guard in question, there are three subtypes of bow sections, each of which has their own advantages.
The CQB bow is made for, of course, close quarters, and is built on a small bow with enough torque to fire a small bolt thirty meters or so with enough power to kill.
Then Next, standard bow is slightly larger, but also focused on a streamlined design to ensure that any guard could move about small areas without being inhibited by any wide bow wings. This bow can reach up to an estimated ninety five meters.
Both the CQB and standard bow sections of the modular crossbow use a top mounted pulley system, to easily re-cock the string and prepare another bolt.
This also allows for the mounting of (literal) iron sights.
The third, and final bow section, however, uses the standard "use your brute force to pull the thing back".
This is the long range bow, which can reach out three feet in either direction, and is able to reach two hundred meters with killing force.
The trigger mech/grip section all have a single thing in common, the lower forward facing part of the weapon, which is mostly held by the non-dominant hand to stabilize the weapon is curved to a near half-circle, and plated in iron. This allows for a pocket to catch blades within during CQC.
*putting out a concept picture request, I offer a few thousand rads for such a picture :3
~Nakam Burials~
Any and all life inevitably comes to an end.
As stated before, Nakam believe that all spirits from this realm of existence go off into the afterlife, controling both the kind and cruel happenings of their world.
However, the physical remains are handled in a different respect.
To bury a Nakam is seen as sacrilege, it prolongs their journy to be accepted back into nature, and is seen as a form of torture to the soul.
Most Nakam remains are cremated, and their ashes spread amongst their home village, or a particular place the fallen Nakam may have favored.
Though grief is seen in Nakam burials, death is not taken as a purely negative happening.
Instead, it is a movement from one existence to another, and is met with bittersweet emotions of joy and sorrow.
Most often a Nakam who has lost their mate will not seek out another, as they believe their spirits to be bonded.
Should the proper wares to cremate a body not be readily available, leaving a body exposed to the elements is seen as the next best choice, as it is still absorbed by nature.
~Odd race opinions~
As previously stated, Verbali is a grand trade-city, and does deal with all sorts of peoples from all across altera.
Nakam have no presumptions about any particular race, as their mindset of equality evens the playing field in their mind for all races.
More likely, a Nakam's opinion of races would be made up of previous encounters with said race. Whether they've been on good terms with any particular race depends on the Nakam in question.
What's more is that Nakam are notoriously deep people, that is that they rarely judge a person immidiately by appearance.
So a Nakam is likely to approach a human with the same enthusiasm they would an earthspawn, and visa versa.
~Nakam Spirit Blessed~
An elemental Nakam spirit blessed is never recorded to've ever existed. This is thought to be because of the Nakam's general hate of anything Magic, and most often a body's inability to handle such a spirit.
However, Nakam spirit blessed do exist, and are not hated in the least by their peers.
Nakam are in tune with their belief system, that the spirits of their ancestors influence all happenings in the world, both the good and evil.
A Nakam spirit blessed is not able to levitate items, create fire/water, or anything similar to that.
Rather, with the ability to be within the spirit's realm and their own simultaneously, spirit blessed Nakam have the ability to look into the fates of the world and all happenings.
Though the rarity of such a Nakam is massive, where only around a hundred have been known to exist within the extent of all Nakam history. (That is to say, no, it is not an obtainable perk
)
These "Fate blessed" are no more than Nakam holymen, essentially, advising tribal leaders and Verbali council members on their actions and such.
~Last Names~
As you've probably already gathered, Nakam do have last names.
Sajek Alkam
Keivja Salukt
Kaziim Akul
However, Marriage does not exist within their culture, and last names are not shared as such.
Instead, Mated couples keep their respective family names, and the gender of their offspring determines which family name the child will take.
Many Nakam have only two names, though a Nakam with three names is not out of the ordinary (their given birth name, and both family names)
Nakam names can be either historically based, such as Sajek or Sxoki, or meaning based, Such as Vera (meaning fire, warmth) or Keivja (Meaning knowledge, wisdom).
~Side note: Wording~
Many words within the Nakam language have dual, yet similar meanings in their culture.
Such as Vera, which can mean direct flame or general warmth.
Though the most influential of these dual-purpose words would be "Satob"- meaning home, the place of belonging, or mate, as in loved one.
This simple wording should further express the Nakam's mind set of being faithful to one lover, and the importance of such a relationship.
~Simply put: Pros and Cons~
I know I've written a LOT of the Nakam's story here, but I've not directly stated the pros and cons of being one.
Essentially, the list goes as such:
~Pros!~
Nakam tend to have better reflexes than your average person, as well as potentially amazing hearing, slightly better night vision, and slightly improved smell over a human's.
~Cons!~
Nakam tend to not be overpowering creatures, relying on cunning and stealth to protect them over brawn and power. As well as seeing better during the night, their vision also slightly diminishes during the day, at least within direct sunlight. Also, most Nakam will never stray into extremely arid, dry, or hot lands, as their pelts would have them dehydrated and pretty much dead within a few hours, if not sooner.
~Neutral?~
Magic-hating..Can be a pro or a con, either way.
~And what if a Nakam's mate..y'know..dies?~
Seeing as how Nakam tend to be unparalleled in terms of faithfulness in a relationship, this may have transferred onto their culture as well.
Biologically, while a Nakam usually does only have a single mate at a time, if said mate is known to be unreachable for an extended amount of time, and I mean several years, if not decades, such as in death, Nakam may be compelled to find another love.
However, their culture does demonize the notion of having more than a single mate during one's lifetime, causing many to go through life alone if they've lost their mate.
The occasional Nakam may break said taboo, and while most tribes and Verbali have no official "laws" concerning this, said re-mated Nakam may be seen as "impure" to the general public, or anyone who knows of their previous mate. While they are not considered pariah amongst the general populous, they may be seen as deserving pity, rather than hate.
That brings up the entire notion of polygamy, which both biologically and culturally is extensively looked down upon.
Though, very rarely, the occasional Nakam may break through their own instincts and have multiple mates, this is not the natural status of Nakam, and whomever should do this would be made a pariah amongst nearly all other Nakam, if they were not chased from the town with pitchforks beforehand.
~Commonly spoken languages~
With the question of Language brought about now by the easy language speaking punctuation "<___>", I've been thinking of how exactly Nakam would fare in learning new languages.
Needless to say, most Nakam grow up speaking Verba, the Nakam native language, called such by the first traders to Verbali. The Nakam, never having a name for their own language besides "Talking" adopted the name Verba with pleasure.
Ever since trading has become the central means of income for Verbali, however, most (if not all) Verbali citizens are well versed in English and Verba. English, however, is known to the Nakam natives as "tra'de" (Trah-Deh), simply because of a misunderstanding wherein the Verbali council had declared common tongue as the "trade" language.
Some Verbali traders may also know a bit of other languages as to trade with a wider array of ships, however, Common tongue (the Alteran equivalent to English) has been taken as previously stated, a world wide trade language.
Native Nakam, growing up knowing only Verba, may find it a bit difficult to learn Tra'de, but not impossible.
the Average Nakam is capable of knowing two languages, and being somewhat rusty in one.
However, if a Nakam is to dedicate large amounts of time to study, some scholars have been known to know around four languages.
~Verbali & Native Hierarchy~
As I've stated before, the Nakam have an overwhelming sense of equality throughout their outlooks on others. That's not to say that there are those who're richer and poorer than others, depending on their trade, though that doesn't seem like anything truly important to them.
However, a city cannot operate without some form of government, as there is simply too much occurring to be let run in anarchy.
So, Verbali in itself is set up in a multitude of districts, each with a singular focus on sustaining life within the city. (though it's not uncommon to find a ship contractor in the housing district, or a few houses in the trading district, etc.)
Each district has a "mayor" or a few "mayors", depending on the importance of the district in question.
Twice a week, each mayor in town gathers in the town hall to discuss matters of importance and such. The group in whole is referred to as "the council"
However, a growing rumor within Verbali is that the council is continuously payed off to pass multiple laws and measures that would seem to be in favor of a mysterious secret society, often referred to as "the order".
While the existence of "the order" can be neither confirmed nor denied, the rumors tell of Nakam who're sworn to remain silent for the remainder of their days, as to not reveal any secrets of the underworld they may hold.
But, those're just rumors. ^_^
..Hopefully.
Similarly, most Native villages are run by councils in themselves (though there will always be the militant ruler who somehow gathers control of their tribe).
That is, that each family with the village will have an elder (or an elder couple) who will take part in a council of elders within the tribe to discuss matters of importance.
Again, elders are held in a particular sense of respect, as they're seen as a basion of knowledge and experience.
~Nakam Maternity~
The question's been brought up multiple times: "do Nakam have children or litters?"
Due to their physiology, Nakam share the limits of birthing numbers that humans do.
"litters" are never heard of, and most Nakam only give birth to a single child at a time, though twins and triplets are a known occurrence.
~Nakam Music~
Music is essential in a culture. No matter how primitive or advanced, every known culture in reality has been known to create music in some form.
The Nakam are no different, yet, as theirs has recently become a culture of mixed influences (thanks to the Verbali port), their style of music has changed.
Traditionally, Native Kavdek Nakam would utilise drums made of any materials available, of all different sizes and tones.
Some metallic in nature, others created from stretched skin over a wooden base.
In recent years, some native tribes have taken to using string instruments as well, though the general consensus of any sort of wind instrument (flutes, pipes, etc) is distasteful.
This comes from the root Nakam belief in music, that it is an outer representation of one's inner self beyond words; and as such, it should not be stained by any sort of production of the mouth.
This means that most if not all Nakam music is free of singing.
However, this also leads to a sound from Nakam musicians many say is passionate beyond critique.
Another trait Nakam music shares is it's need to tell a story, to have structure.
Some music might have a bit of narration behind it, though this cannot be called singing, it is a means of which to convey emotion within a story.
Most traditional Nakam folklore is passed down as music, though since hairless traffic has increased within Verbali, many of such stories have been adapted to the stage for entertainment purposes.
Update time~!
To answer:
Accent~
Common Nakat Professions~
Applicants notes~
~Nakat's Accent~
So, as it should be clear by now, the Nakam are not nessisarily born common tongue speakers. And though a great portion of Verbali traders may be able to speak common tongue nearly perfectly, others will have a heavy accent.
Verbali, while spoken with sharp, low lived sounds, is also generally spoken in low tones.
Nakam may roll their R's when speaking, however, glottal stops are rare amongst the accented. This is mostly due to the Nakam's language consisting of sharp, precise sounds, so contractions are even semi-rare.
As for a sound, I'd imagine something similar to either native or southern american accents.
~Common Professions~
As one can speculate, professions vary greatly depending on Verbali or Native Nakam.
In Verbali, one can expect to see traders, butchers, housing, guards, mayors, councilmen, along with the underground slavers and thieves.
Native Nakam professions, however, are moreso focused on survival than profit.
Native villages would often have hunters, perhaps farmers (though farming in trees would be difficult), gardeners, elders (elders may still be working in another profession), and craftsmen.
Though know that currency is no object to the native population, as most are more concerned with food and water, and trade for such items.
~update in hierarchy~
~Working Ages~
As stated before, many Nakam are born into their line of work, and mate along as such.
The general age at which Nakam gain jobs differs depending on the choice of the parents, however, the social average age for beginning a menial or low-grade job is around eight.
This is meant as simple sweeping, table cleaning, etc.
Not terribly dangerous or demanding work, however, warriors are seen as leniently grown in Verbali, and harshly such in native villages.
Many begin at the age of ten in Verbali, studying battle tactics and strategies, as well as survival techniques. Though at the age of thirteen (or three years after initial studying), the physical conditioning begins, continuing their studies with added agility and stregnth training with their regiment's leader.
This continues until the age of sixteen (after three years physical conditioning, six study.)
Around this time, a warrior is required to make a field run with their peers, as to establish a hierarchy within the group and create bonds between future mates.
Many such groups are sent into situations which require the removal of hostile forces.
These groups of peers will continue to serve with each other as a single unit until each die out, or are retired at Dajakal.
Native Nakam warriors operate in a much simpler, yet much more brutal way.
Many begin study at early ages, possibly as early as five or six, by listening and observing their parents (or instructors, if the child did not come from a warrior family).
Throughout their life, they are chosen to assist with the most difficult of physical tasks around the village, along with their continuous study through their elders.
At sixteen, eight are sent to the jungle floor in a group, and told to spend two moons there.
The warriors in training must walk in opposite ways for one whole day, and spend the next walking back.
Whether or not they return shall dictate who makes the cut and who does not.
~Nakam Jewelry ~
I'd mentioned before that Verbali uses necklaces as a way to identify who is and who is not allowed to traverse the island.
That is to say that often enough, jewlery is a point of showing social status, as a sort of "presentable wallet"
Along with their average currency of coins, many Verbali share in the native culture as far as trade goes, often using beads and decorations of multiple precious metals as trading currency.
Which means, that instead of giving a pile of coins to a person as payment for a meal, one may offer a string necklace with four gold beads and a lapis pendent.
This does not mean that a simple wooden bead would be fit for trade, as the precious metals of the beads are a deciding factor in the value of the necklace or singular bead in question.
However, piercings are seen as fit for only the most noble of warriors, as self-inflicted wounds are generally seen as unnecessary, many who do have bits of gold or jewlry hanging from their ears are as such due to a missed arrow or spear.
Rings are not seen as precious, however, as they impede the fingers and interfere with daily activities. Rings are mostly seen as dirty things, as they gather grime from a hand's daily activities over years.
~Kavdek Wild Life and Domestication~
Many Nakam do keep "pets", however, the Nakam word for "pet" is the same for "friend", as the Nakam mindset of equality tends to transfer to most living beings, at least those who express some form of intelligence.
A favorite of most Nakam outside of Verbali are the ever available Wolves. While some wolven packs are taken for their meat and pelts, Nakam villages are known to have "treaties" with certain wolf packs. Though these "treaties" are essentially just giving the wolves all of the town's scraps, which leads to the wolves relying on the village as a source of food and assistance, which would lead to the wolves protecting the village.
It's not uncommon to see a few dens in the snow below villages, these would be filled with the wolf pack that the above village has had a treaty with.
There are a few other animals across the land; snow ox, lumbering grey creatures with entwined horns and tusks that're mostly used as live stock.
Icebacks, a fearsome form of large beetle, about three feet long, which emits a liquid poision from it's flesh, using the frozen liquid as an exo-skeleton. Icebacks are usually treated as a nuisance, though their poison ice is used to tip some native weaponry.
The "Nakla", primitive people, or otherwise known as mountain lions. Though with their thick layering of fat and dark grey fur, most will look on these as bears moreso than felines. along with the Nakam, the Nakla are the apex predators of the land.
And, finially, the saberdogs.
While these are seen as somewhat dangerous, they are not actually dogs at all.
The saberdog is actually a form of boar, though with little else to compare it to, the natives have compared them to dogs with tusks. Though only in appearance, as most saberdogs are very highly hostile towards bipedal movement.
Along with the snow oxen, saberdogs are also a source of food for the native and Verbali population.
~Applicants notes~
*This section will remain last in this post*
This section will be updated as misunderstandings arise~
All misunderstandings here have been had by two or more people at least, so don't feel bad if you see one of your mistakes here :3
~Kavdek is a large Island (about the size of real-life Madagascar), far to the west of port silver, slightly north as well.
~Kavdek's inhabitents are either part of Native tribes, or Verbali. There is no known middle ground between the two, besides the tribes who trade with Verbali.
~Kavdam has only been active for a year, which means that your characters cannot "grow up in Kavdam"
~Kavdam is NOT a trade town. It's simply a living area at this point, and would not be a stopping point for any ship, airborne or otherwise.
~it is moderately rare for Nakam to leave their lands. It takes a heafty initiative to get them to leave, as travelers often tell of a world full of bigotry and hardship. (even now, there're only eight Nakam in the northern kingoms out of the millions of Nakam in Kavdek.)
~Kavdek's general climate is VERY cold, with tempratures reaching 15 below 0 (Fahrenheit)
~ Despite Kavdam's climate, the lush jungle covering most of the island (save the coastline and Verbali) is still VERY healthy, meaning that these are otherworldly plants and trees able to sustain life within such hostile conditions.
~ Because of the thickness of the jungle, most (98%) of native Nakam villages are suspended within the trees, this is also to avoid the hostile wildlife amongst Kavdek (Teshvadiik, wolves, saberdogs, etc)
~not all native villages speak Common tongue, some may not even have heard the language before!
~~ More to come, in {THIS} new thread! Comment there!~~
If you have not read the first thread, click here before continuing.
Remember, ask me questions in the comments~!
Now, to continue with Nakam lore~!
~Nakam Trade & Tourism~
Verbali is known as a great trade city to all, mostly due to Kavdek's main export: Chocolate.
Though Nakam chocolate is known to be unlike any found in other lands of altera, and is said to have a natural cooling effect. Such chocolate is also known to be sweet enough to be used without the addition of sugars.
Though Nakam are not natural miners, the Verbali mining company has discovered that the islands innards are comprised of dirt, stone, gold, gravel, and lapis.
During the first years of the uprising of Verbali, not many would trade with the merchants of the land. Though soon after the Teshvadiik began making subterranean homes, said homes were overtaken, and expanded into full mines. The only issue with the gold and lapis is that it must make a full trip from mid-island to the western coast, a trip that could last several days, if not weeks. Routs are scoped out through the thick jungle brush, and though the Nakam believe their routs to be relatively hidden from any vengeful eyes, each mining group is required to be escorted by a guard couple.
To ensure further safety amongst the entire island, the Verbali council allow only a certain number of travelers across the city's walls every so often, and only with their strict permissions. To openly show permission, a traveler must wear a necklace of gold and lapis through his or her travels, the exact design of which is changed every so often to ensure the owners of expired permission necklaces cannot continue.
Anyone who is not a Nakam found within the Island jungles who is without a necklace is taken to the Verbali prisons and deported to their native lands.
Though, if a hairless is to be found without a proper necklace, and even attempts to run or reach for a blade, Verbali guards are known to attack with extreme hostility and stealth.
~headwear~
"So, since you've got ears and all, do Nakam have any native headwear..? and how do hoods work for you, exactly..?"
...
Most of our headgear has holes cut in to accommodate ears, though we do often come across this issue when purchasing headwear from hairless..
And heavier headwear (iron, gold, diamond helms) are known to greatly impair our hearing.
~Nakam Social Life~
Now, as I've stated on multiple occasions, Nakam tend to have a thought process of equality, that is to say that they have no "god", no "ruler", and generally no sense that anyone is any better or worse then they are themselves. Of course, the town drunk is not to be held in the highest regards, but he's still a person, as is any king or queen of any lands Nakam should visit. In fact, some instances are known to've occurred when Nakam were nearly beheaded for attempting to shake the king's hand, rather than bow.
As for eachother, unlike their hermit-like ocelot counterparts, Nakam tend to be awfully social creatures, often having their own little "click" of friends amongst their tribe or city.
It's not uncommon to see Nakam travel in packs, drinking together, singing together, generally socializing.
Though a mate still holds importance above friends, most often a Nakam's mate has been their friend for many years beforehand.
Just as with selecting a mate, Nakam generally do not distinguish gender amongst friends. Males and females get along equally as well as with same gender social groups.
However, Nakam are also capable of hatred and gossip, which can also lead to the shunning of or general dislike of other Nakam.
Many who find each other in far off lands are known to flock together, if only to bring about some sense of belonging in an unfamiliar land.
~Deserts: No.~
As of late, another question's been buzzing around in my head: "What should a Nakam feel like in different climates?"
Well, we already know that the Nakam come from a very cold climate, something only reachable within a tundra here in the land of Altera.
But, if a Nakam is to find them self in, say, a desert, they're not likely to be enjoying it much.
Imagine having a padded sweater that's attached to your skin, that you can never take off.
Now imagine wearing that sweater into an area which is most likely ninety degrees in the shade.
Needless to say, the Nakam usually stay away from dry and hot places in favor of cooler climates.
However, some Nakam are known to settle in Desert areas, so long as their home is cooled by some source of ice or snow, and if there is a supply readily available.
Heatstroke and death are two very real possibilities in the desert, even for a furless human. There is no exception to this rule with the Nakam, if anything, the likely hood of either death or heatstroke is elevated.
Humidity is also a worry, such as in jungle-like areas, though it's not nearly as horrid enviornment for Nakam as deserts are.
Bottom line: Snow good, deserts bad. Very bad.
~Nakam "Tattoos"~
"So, most every other race is known to occasionally stain their skin permanently with ink, leaving a mark or picture on said skin. Do the Nakam have anything similar?"
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: All Nakam, even tribals, are known to use natural dyes to stain sections of their fur. While Native Nakam fur staining is usually held back to simple patterns of armbands or dyed ear tips, Verbali Nakam (specifically the financially rich) are known to have elegant patterns of staining gently placed along their fur.
However, this is not completely like a tattoo, as the dye does grow dull, and eventually fades away.
Because of the usually expensive nature of using the Verbali's lapis and gold for such dyes, such "tattoos", Let's call them "Stains", are usually reserved for special occasions; such as a twentieth birthday (As entering Dajakal is seen as the day a Nakam is "grown up")
Lapis blue and metallic gold are two of the most popular staining colors due to their shimmering effect in sunlight. However, they are normally monstrously expensive, as previously stated.
Before you go about making a blue and gold Nakam, know that such stains are considered beautiful because of their patterns and elegance. To see a Nakam with a completely blue/red/purple/yellow/gold/green arm or belly is usually a sign that they messed something up, or just fell into a vat of dye.
And, unless a Nakam is a stain artist by trade, any and all stains Nakam have while away from home usually fade away; due to the lack of touch-ups.
~Update: What do we look like? Eyes!~
Nakam eyes are said to be very simmilar to those of any feline, though they retain the spark of intelligence.
Natural eye colors of Nakam can range from browns, to blues, to greens, and even some slight oranges.
This does not, however, take away from the Nakam's "fire eyes" or "ghost eyes" Nakam are said to have in most Teshvadiik superstitions.
This is most likely a dramatized way of looking at the seemingly unnatural way a Nakam's eyes can "glow" in low-light situations.
~Verbali Weaponry~
As previously stated, the Verbali guards have at their disposal weaponry that rivals that of any military.
The crown jewel of such a military would be the Verbali modular crossbow, which consists of the stock, grip/trigger mechanism, and bow.
While stocks and grips are used for personalisation and fit of the guard in question, there are three subtypes of bow sections, each of which has their own advantages.
The CQB bow is made for, of course, close quarters, and is built on a small bow with enough torque to fire a small bolt thirty meters or so with enough power to kill.
Then Next, standard bow is slightly larger, but also focused on a streamlined design to ensure that any guard could move about small areas without being inhibited by any wide bow wings. This bow can reach up to an estimated ninety five meters.
Both the CQB and standard bow sections of the modular crossbow use a top mounted pulley system, to easily re-cock the string and prepare another bolt.
This also allows for the mounting of (literal) iron sights.
The third, and final bow section, however, uses the standard "use your brute force to pull the thing back".
This is the long range bow, which can reach out three feet in either direction, and is able to reach two hundred meters with killing force.
The trigger mech/grip section all have a single thing in common, the lower forward facing part of the weapon, which is mostly held by the non-dominant hand to stabilize the weapon is curved to a near half-circle, and plated in iron. This allows for a pocket to catch blades within during CQC.
*putting out a concept picture request, I offer a few thousand rads for such a picture :3
~Nakam Burials~
Any and all life inevitably comes to an end.
As stated before, Nakam believe that all spirits from this realm of existence go off into the afterlife, controling both the kind and cruel happenings of their world.
However, the physical remains are handled in a different respect.
To bury a Nakam is seen as sacrilege, it prolongs their journy to be accepted back into nature, and is seen as a form of torture to the soul.
Most Nakam remains are cremated, and their ashes spread amongst their home village, or a particular place the fallen Nakam may have favored.
Though grief is seen in Nakam burials, death is not taken as a purely negative happening.
Instead, it is a movement from one existence to another, and is met with bittersweet emotions of joy and sorrow.
Most often a Nakam who has lost their mate will not seek out another, as they believe their spirits to be bonded.
Should the proper wares to cremate a body not be readily available, leaving a body exposed to the elements is seen as the next best choice, as it is still absorbed by nature.
~Odd race opinions~
As previously stated, Verbali is a grand trade-city, and does deal with all sorts of peoples from all across altera.
Nakam have no presumptions about any particular race, as their mindset of equality evens the playing field in their mind for all races.
More likely, a Nakam's opinion of races would be made up of previous encounters with said race. Whether they've been on good terms with any particular race depends on the Nakam in question.
What's more is that Nakam are notoriously deep people, that is that they rarely judge a person immidiately by appearance.
So a Nakam is likely to approach a human with the same enthusiasm they would an earthspawn, and visa versa.
~Nakam Spirit Blessed~
An elemental Nakam spirit blessed is never recorded to've ever existed. This is thought to be because of the Nakam's general hate of anything Magic, and most often a body's inability to handle such a spirit.
However, Nakam spirit blessed do exist, and are not hated in the least by their peers.
Nakam are in tune with their belief system, that the spirits of their ancestors influence all happenings in the world, both the good and evil.
A Nakam spirit blessed is not able to levitate items, create fire/water, or anything similar to that.
Rather, with the ability to be within the spirit's realm and their own simultaneously, spirit blessed Nakam have the ability to look into the fates of the world and all happenings.
Though the rarity of such a Nakam is massive, where only around a hundred have been known to exist within the extent of all Nakam history. (That is to say, no, it is not an obtainable perk
)These "Fate blessed" are no more than Nakam holymen, essentially, advising tribal leaders and Verbali council members on their actions and such.
~Last Names~
As you've probably already gathered, Nakam do have last names.
Sajek Alkam
Keivja Salukt
Kaziim Akul
However, Marriage does not exist within their culture, and last names are not shared as such.
Instead, Mated couples keep their respective family names, and the gender of their offspring determines which family name the child will take.
Many Nakam have only two names, though a Nakam with three names is not out of the ordinary (their given birth name, and both family names)
Nakam names can be either historically based, such as Sajek or Sxoki, or meaning based, Such as Vera (meaning fire, warmth) or Keivja (Meaning knowledge, wisdom).
~Side note: Wording~
Many words within the Nakam language have dual, yet similar meanings in their culture.
Such as Vera, which can mean direct flame or general warmth.
Though the most influential of these dual-purpose words would be "Satob"- meaning home, the place of belonging, or mate, as in loved one.
This simple wording should further express the Nakam's mind set of being faithful to one lover, and the importance of such a relationship.
~Simply put: Pros and Cons~
I know I've written a LOT of the Nakam's story here, but I've not directly stated the pros and cons of being one.
Essentially, the list goes as such:
~Pros!~
Nakam tend to have better reflexes than your average person, as well as potentially amazing hearing, slightly better night vision, and slightly improved smell over a human's.
~Cons!~
Nakam tend to not be overpowering creatures, relying on cunning and stealth to protect them over brawn and power. As well as seeing better during the night, their vision also slightly diminishes during the day, at least within direct sunlight. Also, most Nakam will never stray into extremely arid, dry, or hot lands, as their pelts would have them dehydrated and pretty much dead within a few hours, if not sooner.
~Neutral?~
Magic-hating..Can be a pro or a con, either way.
~And what if a Nakam's mate..y'know..dies?~
Seeing as how Nakam tend to be unparalleled in terms of faithfulness in a relationship, this may have transferred onto their culture as well.
Biologically, while a Nakam usually does only have a single mate at a time, if said mate is known to be unreachable for an extended amount of time, and I mean several years, if not decades, such as in death, Nakam may be compelled to find another love.
However, their culture does demonize the notion of having more than a single mate during one's lifetime, causing many to go through life alone if they've lost their mate.
The occasional Nakam may break said taboo, and while most tribes and Verbali have no official "laws" concerning this, said re-mated Nakam may be seen as "impure" to the general public, or anyone who knows of their previous mate. While they are not considered pariah amongst the general populous, they may be seen as deserving pity, rather than hate.
That brings up the entire notion of polygamy, which both biologically and culturally is extensively looked down upon.
Though, very rarely, the occasional Nakam may break through their own instincts and have multiple mates, this is not the natural status of Nakam, and whomever should do this would be made a pariah amongst nearly all other Nakam, if they were not chased from the town with pitchforks beforehand.
~Commonly spoken languages~
With the question of Language brought about now by the easy language speaking punctuation "<___>", I've been thinking of how exactly Nakam would fare in learning new languages.
Needless to say, most Nakam grow up speaking Verba, the Nakam native language, called such by the first traders to Verbali. The Nakam, never having a name for their own language besides "Talking" adopted the name Verba with pleasure.
Ever since trading has become the central means of income for Verbali, however, most (if not all) Verbali citizens are well versed in English and Verba. English, however, is known to the Nakam natives as "tra'de" (Trah-Deh), simply because of a misunderstanding wherein the Verbali council had declared common tongue as the "trade" language.
Some Verbali traders may also know a bit of other languages as to trade with a wider array of ships, however, Common tongue (the Alteran equivalent to English) has been taken as previously stated, a world wide trade language.
Native Nakam, growing up knowing only Verba, may find it a bit difficult to learn Tra'de, but not impossible.
the Average Nakam is capable of knowing two languages, and being somewhat rusty in one.
However, if a Nakam is to dedicate large amounts of time to study, some scholars have been known to know around four languages.
~Verbali & Native Hierarchy~
As I've stated before, the Nakam have an overwhelming sense of equality throughout their outlooks on others. That's not to say that there are those who're richer and poorer than others, depending on their trade, though that doesn't seem like anything truly important to them.
However, a city cannot operate without some form of government, as there is simply too much occurring to be let run in anarchy.
So, Verbali in itself is set up in a multitude of districts, each with a singular focus on sustaining life within the city. (though it's not uncommon to find a ship contractor in the housing district, or a few houses in the trading district, etc.)
Each district has a "mayor" or a few "mayors", depending on the importance of the district in question.
Twice a week, each mayor in town gathers in the town hall to discuss matters of importance and such. The group in whole is referred to as "the council"
However, a growing rumor within Verbali is that the council is continuously payed off to pass multiple laws and measures that would seem to be in favor of a mysterious secret society, often referred to as "the order".
While the existence of "the order" can be neither confirmed nor denied, the rumors tell of Nakam who're sworn to remain silent for the remainder of their days, as to not reveal any secrets of the underworld they may hold.
But, those're just rumors. ^_^
..Hopefully.
Similarly, most Native villages are run by councils in themselves (though there will always be the militant ruler who somehow gathers control of their tribe).
That is, that each family with the village will have an elder (or an elder couple) who will take part in a council of elders within the tribe to discuss matters of importance.
Again, elders are held in a particular sense of respect, as they're seen as a basion of knowledge and experience.
~Nakam Maternity~
The question's been brought up multiple times: "do Nakam have children or litters?"
Due to their physiology, Nakam share the limits of birthing numbers that humans do.
"litters" are never heard of, and most Nakam only give birth to a single child at a time, though twins and triplets are a known occurrence.
~Nakam Music~
Music is essential in a culture. No matter how primitive or advanced, every known culture in reality has been known to create music in some form.
The Nakam are no different, yet, as theirs has recently become a culture of mixed influences (thanks to the Verbali port), their style of music has changed.
Traditionally, Native Kavdek Nakam would utilise drums made of any materials available, of all different sizes and tones.
Some metallic in nature, others created from stretched skin over a wooden base.
In recent years, some native tribes have taken to using string instruments as well, though the general consensus of any sort of wind instrument (flutes, pipes, etc) is distasteful.
This comes from the root Nakam belief in music, that it is an outer representation of one's inner self beyond words; and as such, it should not be stained by any sort of production of the mouth.
This means that most if not all Nakam music is free of singing.
However, this also leads to a sound from Nakam musicians many say is passionate beyond critique.
Another trait Nakam music shares is it's need to tell a story, to have structure.
Some music might have a bit of narration behind it, though this cannot be called singing, it is a means of which to convey emotion within a story.
Most traditional Nakam folklore is passed down as music, though since hairless traffic has increased within Verbali, many of such stories have been adapted to the stage for entertainment purposes.
Update time~!
To answer:
Accent~
Common Nakat Professions~
Applicants notes~
~Nakat's Accent~
So, as it should be clear by now, the Nakam are not nessisarily born common tongue speakers. And though a great portion of Verbali traders may be able to speak common tongue nearly perfectly, others will have a heavy accent.
Verbali, while spoken with sharp, low lived sounds, is also generally spoken in low tones.
Nakam may roll their R's when speaking, however, glottal stops are rare amongst the accented. This is mostly due to the Nakam's language consisting of sharp, precise sounds, so contractions are even semi-rare.
As for a sound, I'd imagine something similar to either native or southern american accents.
~Common Professions~
As one can speculate, professions vary greatly depending on Verbali or Native Nakam.
In Verbali, one can expect to see traders, butchers, housing, guards, mayors, councilmen, along with the underground slavers and thieves.
Native Nakam professions, however, are moreso focused on survival than profit.
Native villages would often have hunters, perhaps farmers (though farming in trees would be difficult), gardeners, elders (elders may still be working in another profession), and craftsmen.
Though know that currency is no object to the native population, as most are more concerned with food and water, and trade for such items.
~update in hierarchy~
~Working Ages~
As stated before, many Nakam are born into their line of work, and mate along as such.
The general age at which Nakam gain jobs differs depending on the choice of the parents, however, the social average age for beginning a menial or low-grade job is around eight.
This is meant as simple sweeping, table cleaning, etc.
Not terribly dangerous or demanding work, however, warriors are seen as leniently grown in Verbali, and harshly such in native villages.
Many begin at the age of ten in Verbali, studying battle tactics and strategies, as well as survival techniques. Though at the age of thirteen (or three years after initial studying), the physical conditioning begins, continuing their studies with added agility and stregnth training with their regiment's leader.
This continues until the age of sixteen (after three years physical conditioning, six study.)
Around this time, a warrior is required to make a field run with their peers, as to establish a hierarchy within the group and create bonds between future mates.
Many such groups are sent into situations which require the removal of hostile forces.
These groups of peers will continue to serve with each other as a single unit until each die out, or are retired at Dajakal.
Native Nakam warriors operate in a much simpler, yet much more brutal way.
Many begin study at early ages, possibly as early as five or six, by listening and observing their parents (or instructors, if the child did not come from a warrior family).
Throughout their life, they are chosen to assist with the most difficult of physical tasks around the village, along with their continuous study through their elders.
At sixteen, eight are sent to the jungle floor in a group, and told to spend two moons there.
The warriors in training must walk in opposite ways for one whole day, and spend the next walking back.
Whether or not they return shall dictate who makes the cut and who does not.
~Nakam Jewelry ~
I'd mentioned before that Verbali uses necklaces as a way to identify who is and who is not allowed to traverse the island.
That is to say that often enough, jewlery is a point of showing social status, as a sort of "presentable wallet"
Along with their average currency of coins, many Verbali share in the native culture as far as trade goes, often using beads and decorations of multiple precious metals as trading currency.
Which means, that instead of giving a pile of coins to a person as payment for a meal, one may offer a string necklace with four gold beads and a lapis pendent.
This does not mean that a simple wooden bead would be fit for trade, as the precious metals of the beads are a deciding factor in the value of the necklace or singular bead in question.
However, piercings are seen as fit for only the most noble of warriors, as self-inflicted wounds are generally seen as unnecessary, many who do have bits of gold or jewlry hanging from their ears are as such due to a missed arrow or spear.
Rings are not seen as precious, however, as they impede the fingers and interfere with daily activities. Rings are mostly seen as dirty things, as they gather grime from a hand's daily activities over years.
~Kavdek Wild Life and Domestication~
Many Nakam do keep "pets", however, the Nakam word for "pet" is the same for "friend", as the Nakam mindset of equality tends to transfer to most living beings, at least those who express some form of intelligence.
A favorite of most Nakam outside of Verbali are the ever available Wolves. While some wolven packs are taken for their meat and pelts, Nakam villages are known to have "treaties" with certain wolf packs. Though these "treaties" are essentially just giving the wolves all of the town's scraps, which leads to the wolves relying on the village as a source of food and assistance, which would lead to the wolves protecting the village.
It's not uncommon to see a few dens in the snow below villages, these would be filled with the wolf pack that the above village has had a treaty with.
There are a few other animals across the land; snow ox, lumbering grey creatures with entwined horns and tusks that're mostly used as live stock.
Icebacks, a fearsome form of large beetle, about three feet long, which emits a liquid poision from it's flesh, using the frozen liquid as an exo-skeleton. Icebacks are usually treated as a nuisance, though their poison ice is used to tip some native weaponry.
The "Nakla", primitive people, or otherwise known as mountain lions. Though with their thick layering of fat and dark grey fur, most will look on these as bears moreso than felines. along with the Nakam, the Nakla are the apex predators of the land.
And, finially, the saberdogs.
While these are seen as somewhat dangerous, they are not actually dogs at all.
The saberdog is actually a form of boar, though with little else to compare it to, the natives have compared them to dogs with tusks. Though only in appearance, as most saberdogs are very highly hostile towards bipedal movement.
Along with the snow oxen, saberdogs are also a source of food for the native and Verbali population.
~Applicants notes~
*This section will remain last in this post*
This section will be updated as misunderstandings arise~
All misunderstandings here have been had by two or more people at least, so don't feel bad if you see one of your mistakes here :3
~Kavdek is a large Island (about the size of real-life Madagascar), far to the west of port silver, slightly north as well.
~Kavdek's inhabitents are either part of Native tribes, or Verbali. There is no known middle ground between the two, besides the tribes who trade with Verbali.
~Kavdam has only been active for a year, which means that your characters cannot "grow up in Kavdam"
~Kavdam is NOT a trade town. It's simply a living area at this point, and would not be a stopping point for any ship, airborne or otherwise.
~it is moderately rare for Nakam to leave their lands. It takes a heafty initiative to get them to leave, as travelers often tell of a world full of bigotry and hardship. (even now, there're only eight Nakam in the northern kingoms out of the millions of Nakam in Kavdek.)
~Kavdek's general climate is VERY cold, with tempratures reaching 15 below 0 (Fahrenheit)
~ Despite Kavdam's climate, the lush jungle covering most of the island (save the coastline and Verbali) is still VERY healthy, meaning that these are otherworldly plants and trees able to sustain life within such hostile conditions.
~ Because of the thickness of the jungle, most (98%) of native Nakam villages are suspended within the trees, this is also to avoid the hostile wildlife amongst Kavdek (Teshvadiik, wolves, saberdogs, etc)
~not all native villages speak Common tongue, some may not even have heard the language before!
~~ More to come, in {THIS} new thread! Comment there!~~
