Narixian

The people who ascribe to the Narixian creed, no matter their race or location

Description

The Narixians - known in classic Narixian as the Narix'ade, or "Children of Narixia" - are a nomadic group of clan-based people consisting of members from multiple species and multiple genders, all bound by a common culture. Their culture is one that revolves around battle - war is a source of honor and pride in their community, and from their homeland of Central Narixia they have risen to found the biggest and greatest empire in living memory, collecting a myriad of cultures, values, peoples, and more into their burgeoning empire founded on conquest, war, and expansion. There is no central 'Narixian People', nor a central 'Narixian Homeland' - they are an idea, a culture, and a creed - one that has proved impossible to stamp out in the centuries since their rise.

Appearance

Narixians are wholly unlike any other Ethnicity on Zheng-Kitar in that any being can become a Narixian - one need merely follow the Six Values and accept the Narixian Way of life to be counted among their numbers. But classic Narixians said to be descended from the first warrior-tribes that founded the original Narixian People and Empire tend to be a dark skinned, with darker colored hair and darker eyes. Narixians are almost always found wearing their armor - it is a central part of the 'Six Values' that define their culture, and what is passed down through the generations.
As the Narixian People can vary so wildly, armor is often their only way to identify and display outward signs of the culture that binds them together. The painting on their armor sometimes represents their state of mind, or their personal mission - for example, sand-gold armor tends to represent a quest for vengeance, while black indicates a desire for justice - though this is not always the case, as many simple choose based on personal preference. They are not generally inclined towards camoflauge - Narixians believe heavily in the saying "It's one thing to see us coming, it's another to do something about it.".

History

Narixian History begun many centuries ago, and started with the Neo-Narixians - ancient tribes that formed a religious warrior-society where war was worshipped as a literal god that represented the opportunity for change through destruction, opposed by peacetime which represented stagnation and inactivity - and for this many of the early crusades of the Narixian people were seen as holy wars, and were known as the Narixian Crusades. These initial crusades shaped the initial Narixian People, but as the years went on these initial tribes perished in the wars they waged - but the teachings and culture that they had founded lived on the people they had conquered, bound by the common creed of Narixian Culture.
After the initial tribes died off and scattered, the Narixian people become much more accepting of other cultures and races into their fold, viewing those who joined them on equal footing to those who had born into the culture, and transforming what it meant to be a Narixian. This has shaped the modern Narixian belief that those who called themselves Narixian are bound by a single, unifying culture rather than any one race, and that an individual is defined by their actions rather than the circumstances of their birth.

Culture

Central to the Narixian Culture are the Narix'nare, or the "Six Values". These six tenets define what it means to be a Narixian, and any who wish to be considered as such are expected to abide by them. Beacuse of their culture granting such a huge variety of peoples and cultures into their fold, Narixian place a heavy value on rigorously carrying out these tenets in a daily manner to retain their heritage in the face of outside influence. Narixian culture is heavily nomadic, which traces its roots back to the early days of the Narixian Crusades, where the Neo-Narixians had a tendency to make conquered lands their new home. Though they have no central 'government' or 'rulership', all Narixian Clans and their Chieftains are subordinate to the Narix'ana, the one individual recognized as sole ruler of the Narixians and the nearest Narixian parallel for a proper head-of-state.
Even long after the formation of their empire, the Narixians hold fast to these nomadic traditions, partially out of attachments to the old ways but also as a means to to avoid presenting a single target to any enemy that would wish them wiped out. Thus, Narixian Communities can be found all across Zheng-Kitar, not just within the bounds of their empire, and many Narixians have thusly never even stepped foot in their homeland empire. Gender means little in Narixian Society, and there is often little distinction between the two - males and females are on equal footing, although they often take different roles.
The Narixian Society is one that sees the Narixians thrive on war, seek conflict, and attain glory through conquest - battle is seen as a chance to prove oneself, to come of age, and to make an impact and leave a legacy - battle is a holy, almost sacred thing to Narixians, and oftentimes many Narixian Tribes have borderline religious ceremonies done before heading into battle - though always quick and easy to perform. However, aside from the general misconception that they are all warriors and murderers, they are considerably more social than one might expect - so long as other speak their minds, say what they mean, accept a meal when offered(An offered meal is often a great compliment for them, as Narixians are nomads that tend to live hand to mouth), looked others in the eyes when talking, paid their debts, cared for their children, didn't make a pass at a Narixian of the opposite sex unless one planned to become a member of the culture, and respected the elderly - as any Narixian who reached such an age would be an incredibly warrior - any who encounters a Narixian outside of combat is unlikely to come to harm.
All Narixian Families never expect their homes to be permanent, nor do soldiers, and in Narixian Culture portability is desired over a large number of material possessions, with even their dwellings being designed to be set up and torn down or easily destroyed and abandoned. Because of this nomadic culture, they have few cultural holidays, celebrated events, and festivals - though the citizens of the empire have a few such as the beginning of harvest, and so on. Instead, most Narixians celebrate the events of the life cycle, such as birth, coming of age, marriage, and death.
Narixians rarely bury their dead, due to the inability for nomads to sustain cemeteries and the impracticality of bringing bodies with them on the move. The Narix'ana would be given a proper burial as a sign of respect, unless they chose otherwise. Instead, the armor of a fallen Narixian is kept in memorial - and if the full set couldn't be recovered, a small part was found and taken instead, to serve as a memorial and a memento. The uncertainty of life meant that most Narixians celebrate the time they have at every opportunity, taking part in communal singing, drinking, and enjoying time with family. The concept of Ynn'val was a Narixian term that encompassed the joy of time spent with loved ones while remembering those who were no longer among the living, relatively similar to the Common term "bittersweet".

The Six Values

1. Wear your armor. Treat it like your second skin.


2. Speak the Narixian langauge.


3. Defend yourself and your family.


4. Contribute to the welfare of your clan.


5. Rally to the Narix'ana when summoned.


6. Raise your children in the Narixian Ways.

Naming Conventions

Narixian names have no real-world analogue - they tend to vary in length greatly, and can range anywhere from 1-3 syllables. 1-2 Syllable names are more common among narixians, and 3 syllable names are so uncommon they could be considered rare. Otherwise, due to the great diversity of Narixians, it is difficult to pin down their names beyond this. Their names, more often than not, especially surnames, tend to unknowingly follow the alien conventions of the Gith, though not exactly - giving them very "Star Wars" type names.

Male Names

Edark, Tolovac, Mescen, Njeved, Llux, Vunn

Female Names

Vho, Ibbu, Iga, Sath, Jhaa, Lugepe

Surnames

Falorr, Chygg, Takkul, Shavurr, Crivhall, Kaitok

Encompassed species

• Gith

Related Organizations

• Narixian Witchkillers
• The Narixian Empire

Related Myths

• The Bagbeasts
• The Midnight Rider

Curses/Expletives

"Sunder's Sake!" - "Good God!" equivalent
"Blood and Thunder!" - "Shit" or "Fuck" equivalent

Compliments

"Dense." - A compliment when used to refer to one's durability. Pretty literally "Too stupid/simple to get hurt".
"Classy." - Flexible compliment. Can mean "awesome!", "ruthless!", or literally "classy!". Rarely actually refers to style of dress or bearing.
"Well-Built." - Compliment originally used to refer to the appreciable state of one's armor or gear. Colloquially has come to refer to one's appearance, hygiene, state of dress, etc.

Insults

"All Helmet, No Head." - Insult used to refer to someone with an overdeveloped sense of authority.
"Delicate." - Big Insult to Narixian Females.
"Brain Killer." - A boring person.
"Outsider/Foreigner/Traitor." - Generally used to refer to a Non-Narixian. Can be a big insult depending on context.
"Coward." - Huge insult to Narixians. Likely to start fights if thrown around casually.
"Nose-turner." - Insult used for someone with poor or awful hygiene.

Turns of Phrase

"Today's a great day for someone else to die." - Turn of phrase often spoken before heading into battle.
"His brain cells are lonely." - Narixian way to call someone an idiot.
"Truth, Honor, Vision." - Said when sealing a pact or agreement.
"Not gone, merely marching far away." - Narixian phrase for the departed.
"I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal." - Phrase spoken in daily remembrance of those passed on, followed by the names of those being remembered.