Neliciak

From unwilling guests to great craftsmen

''Back then In the old days We lived above
Blessed by all In the Greatest Home In Great Duwalli
But then Then it all changed Everything broke And they took us''

-excerpt from the Inacikak

The Neliciak have lived all across the urban regions of Ikaharin for at least 500 years, when they were taken from their ancient homeland by slavers. Unlike many other groups that suffered their fate, they never assimilated into their owners' societies, keeping the Kalwiran Language and a very rich folklore and mythology, which reminds them of their long and troubled history and evolution.

History

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Unwilling guests

''They brought us with them

Through endless seas and great storms

Facing divine punishment

And then

We reached their home

In the Great South

Where many live''

-excerpt from the Inacikak

Although much of their distant past remains a complete mystery, with scholars not even being able to determine where their legendary home of Duwalli was (or even if it was real), it is known that they entered the urban regions of Ikaharin roughly 500 years ago, when the first mentions of them in any written text can be found.

''12 Neliciak have been bought by Kuinon on the markets of Suwan, 7 boys, castrated, and 5 girls, virgins, for the price of a barrel of olive oil. This transaction was recorded by Kanin''.

-deer hide from Sunkar

The Neliciak lived in slavery for many decades, being slowly distributed to palaces and brothels all across the land. Although at first they tried to revolt and gain their freedom through violence, they quickly realized they lacked the numbers needed for that and that being defeated would bring upon them extreme punishments, thus they switched from open resistance to more subtle ways of opposing their masters (namely murder and sabotage).
Besides those activities, they also tried their best to retain their old ways and language, one which they often had to speak in secret, as many masters were suspicious of them using a tongue they couldn't understand.

Emancipation

''And thus I raise, my child! None shall ever think of you as property ever again! None shall ever trample you as one tramples the grass on the ground, for you are now free!''

-Iter Laku

Luckily for them, their bleak lives would eventually change, as Iter Laku Soksau emancipated them all in a move that most people anticipated (while still enraging a lot of them), ending their bondage in a grand ceremony where he poured olive oil on the foreheads of many of them, turning them into people with souls and rights, able to participate in public life without restrictions.
Even if he did that to all servants in the empire he had just built, he took special care to ensure they would actually become equal to the other ethnic groups of his state, as many of his closest friends and early allies came from their ranks. This dedication went as far as publicly executing many employers who would keep treating them as property, which made him incredibly popular among the Neliciak.
They would in turn become some of his most ardent supporters, using the vast reach of their networks to give him much valuable information about possible rebellions and conspiracies, even murdering some of his enemies before they could threaten him.
Even after the emperor's death, they kept loving him, being the first to spread tales of his divinity and building the first temple dedicated to his worship.

Unrivalled influence

''-I tell you, they are much more powerful than what you would think! They control the king, the markets, even! They should not be trusted and they should not be accepted inside our society. Else you want them to spread their wickedness and degeneracy.
-Oh! The rumours weren't wrong then...
-Why would they?
-You are, in fact, the town's madman!''

-random conversation

Even if the children and grandchildren of many of the people the great ruler had released were once again enslaved by the new lords (though technically they were no longer called as such), the Neliciak managed to avoid that fate, largely thanks to the fact they had been able to thrive during his reign, becoming wealthy enough to avoid the chains.
From fine clothes to turquoise jewelry and even armour, they have become great craftsmen since their release, even forging the royal regalia of many cities. This gives them a somewhat privileged status when compared to the rest of the commoners (a few lucky ones even being part of the aristocracy), even if, by and large, the aristocrats still look down on them. Furthermore, the Neliciak have rather extensive contact networks across several cities, which helps give them more influence.
Due to all of the above, this ethnicity often finds itself as a sort of ally of the ruling class in the commoner districts of the settlements they inhabit. This alliance has also given them a certain degree of influence among the aristocracy, which has manifested more than once and often highly exaggerated.

Culture

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Faith

''May this sacred oil satisfy your thirst and may these olives end your hunger, High Father. May you rest soundly in Duwalli, may your dreams be full of mercy and may you wake up soon''.

-prayer

Although most people groups and regions of Ikaharin have their own variety of ''Ikaharinese Religion'', the faith practiced by the Neliciak is quite different. They brought it with them from their old homeland, but hasn't remained stagnant, as it has grown with its followers. 
They are duotheistic, praying to only 2 gods (which is fairly odd in these lands), Ikallic and Ellicari. Their faith states that Ikallic, who they also call 'High Father', is the most powerful god, even if he went to sleep after their ancestors were captured from Duwalli, his sorrow being too large to stay awake.
Even if not everyone can agree on this, many believe that when Ikallic wakes up from his slumber they will finally return to their legendary homeland, the same way they believe he dreamt Ellicari into existence to guide and liberate them while he was still resting, a god who came down to Earth incarnated as Iter Laku Soksau.
They also consider olives and their oil sacred, as it was used by the Only Emperor in the ceremony where they were emancipated, although it should be noted this liquid is also deemed holy by most Ikaharinese.

Language

''Ikacalik anacik celcokecikciekic anecik carikec macik anaicerik cippayac
The farmers ate 1118 grapes even if the cousins were left with none''

-tongue twister

Something the Neliciak take a lot of pride on is their native tongue, Kalwiran, a language isolate which hasn't seem to have changed much in the past 500 years, with parents putting great emphasis on their children learning the proper pronunciation.
On occasion native speakers jokingly call their speech 'Cikcirec', which literally translates into 'chirping', largely due to the prevalence of the 'ch' ( t͡ʃ ) sound (which is represented with a 'c'), it being present in nearly half of all vocabulary.

Literature

''Inac Kayellek bought 25 barrels, of redwood, from Awain Nabasic in the markets of Suran, for the price of 38 units of fine cloth. This transaction was recorded by Anailic Danec''.

-deer hide from Dawan

Like most other languages in the region, theirs doesn't have an extensive written cannon, documents generally consisting of business transactions and other equally uninteresting administrative records.
Instead they focus on oral tradition and the retelling of their epic poems, the chief one being the Inacikak (derived from their phrase for 'Inacik's Tale'), which talks about the early struggles of the Neliciak through the eyes of Inacik, a most certainly legendary slave who defeated 9 armies on his own before being slain by an 10 headed demon who is literally called 'the Chainmaker'.

Customs

''May we use these first days to contemplate the deeds of Iter Laku and meditate deeply about the virtues he showed to mankind. May we use the next days to bask in what He gave to us all. May we use the last days to dream and enter a sacred communion with the Two Elevated Ones.
May no storm or sword ever stand on the way of our plans, and may all rejoice!''

-A regular Ellicarikak speech

Even if they generally look and think like their neighbors, having no major differences with them on most regards, there are some things that stand out and are unique to the Neliciak. Some of these include:

• Keeping pets: Pets in Ikaharin are usually kept by either aristocrats or people who consider them work animals.
• Not having unpaid labour: Due to their past as slaves, the Neliciak are against any sort of unpaid labour, always emphasizing the need to reward workers and refusing to own servants.
• Playing the Kahillik: This string instrument, the only one in use in the region, is their invention, and they are the ones who use it.
• Speaking very directly: Even when speaking languages not their own, members of this ethnicity barely ever use polite words and euphemisms, being of the opinion that there is no need for them (some will argue this is due to their past as slaves).
• Waiting 4 years to name their children: Although most cultures in Ikaharin don't name their children immediately after their birth, the Neliciak take specially long, waiting 4 years to give their young a proper name.

Another important aspect to their culture are their festivities and celebrations, chief among them the Ellicarikak (which derives from their phrase for 'Ellicari's feast'), where they spend 12 days celebrating the god the feast is named after and his incarnation as Iter Laku Soksau.
The first days are dedicated to commenting the life and deeds of Iter Laku, reciting his stories and thinking about the virtues he showed to humanity through example, chief among them bravery and patience. After that they celebrate and hold banquets, basking in the glory of his achievements and pouring oil over the heads of those there present to symbolize their emancipation. Then they spend the last days praying and sleeping, hoping to communicate with their two gods in their dreams.

Dictionary:

• Neliciak: 'eternal people' in Kalwiran
• Duwalli: 'home' in Kalwiran
• Iter Laku Soksau: 'Our Lord the Elevated One' in Shiuihikane
• Kalwiran: 'speech' in Kalwiran

Trivia:

• Slave raids are nothing unusual among the urban societies of Ikaharin, their great ships full of warriors scouring the coasts and islands of the continent in search of victims and other loot.
• A system of servantship replaced slavery not long after the death of Iter Laku, one which is identical to the previous one in every major way, the condition of servant even being hereditary.
• Iter Laku has been the only person to successfully create an empire so far.
• Even if they were the ones to start the veneration of Iter Laku Soksau, this practice has spread to all religions in the region, him being seen as a major god in all pantheons (even if everybody has their own interpretation of the figure).
• The Neliciak may be great craftsmen and have extensive contact networks across the cities, but they aren't traders, deeming commerce an unworthy activity. This stance on the matter is shared by all their settled neighbors, with merchants almost always being nomads.
• Attempts to link Kalwiran with other languages have often been made, but nobody has yet come up with a convincing relationship.
• There is no fixed currency in Ikaharin.
• Despite its limited use, the kahillik is a fairly well known instrument, it often featuring on the royal ensembles of cities.