Noika

Description

  The Noika are a strange people in a strange corner of the world. Many fear them because of the mystery around their people, but in reality, the Noika are just simple people who want nothing more than to see their homeland thrive.   Known as Drinkers of the Mist, the direct translation of Noika, these people are tall, slender figures who have no facial features. The only thing placed on their face is a pair of slits that resemble the gills of a fish. Males have these slits positioned on the side of their head, and females have them positioned on their cheeks. These slits are used to inhale the mist which blankets the homeland of the Noika, Gravemist. Inhaling the mist gives the Noika the ability to connect their minds with the network of mist around them. While connected, they can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste everything around them to a degree. With the connection to the mist, they have the best sense of any race without a doubt.
The size of these slits is relevant to the society of their people. Larger slits are honored and the best fighters come from those with said large slits. The larger the slits are, the more one can detect the environment around them, leading to better reaction times and enhanced awareness. However, too many of these individuals in one place will consume too much of the mist, leading to a deficit in mist. This then leads to partial blindness and lethargy within the population. To deal with this, these 'honored ones' are limited to each village, and when too many co-exist, they chose one to relocate or to start a new village entirely. As a Noika ages, their skin begins to shrivel and shrink. Their slits become smaller which leads to a lack of awareness. Some in the population go through taboo operations to enlarge their slits, which is commonly used by rebel groups to fabricate 'honored ones'. These operations, unless done with care by a trained professional, will result in slits that are TOO large. This leads to mist madness, and the afflicted will see visions of apparitions that torment the afflicted. They go berserk and attack anything that makes any sound or smells too strong.