Emet

Insinsis who shape True Names.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: Insinsi

• Alignment: Nommic

• Energy: Nommos

• Lifespan: 5,000 years

• Diet: Common mortal fare

• Habitat: Arctic forests

Origins

Emeti evolved from shemir who sought to shape the fundamental Name of all things, the Book of Names, and were altered by it.

Description

Emeti appear to be anthropomorphic beings with high foreheads and a variety of color skin hues (dark blue, bright orange, soft yellow, heavy grey). They have fingers that are proportionately longer than one might expect from the size of their hands. They have hair on the fringes of their heads but not on top.

Procreation

Emeti reproduce sexually with one another. They sometimes reproduce with other insinsis, where the species of the offspring follows that of the mother. Reproduction with any other species requires supernatural intervention.

Powers

Emeti can shape the True Name of anything they can touch, but only a little bit.

Weaknesses

Bedrog harms them significantly. Waarheid binds them to a single identity.

Nations

There is only one emet nation, called the Nykosans, in the city-state of Nykosa.

Culture

The Nykosan culture centers on knowing the True Name, or the objective identity, of all things, and how they relate to one another. They dwell in a city-state shaped like a series of triangular levels, each one offset from the others, to form a cluster of 10 triangular sections, each ten high (thus a total of 100 sections). Elevated sections always have a majority of their surface exposed to the sun.

Nykosa was designed to be all-encompassing, and therefore, its interior is larger than its exterior. While the total size of the city is roughly the size of Chicago from outside appearances, inside, it is vast beyond reckoning. The city is an attempt to be a library of True Names, one that would capture every True Name, and therefore become the Book of Names, the whole of all things. It has not come close to this.

The ten triangular sections, each of ten stacked segments, are called the tritowers, and they bridge with one another, three bridges connecting to each. This intertwining forms the True Name of Nykosa itself.

Nykosa is ruled by one whose True Name translates to Governor. If the Governor dies, someone’s Name is altered to be Governor, and they take the place of the past Governor. It does not matter whom - the Name will define the person, making them a good Governor. It is usually the nearest person not engaged in already “vital” work, often a servant. The Governor alters ten Overseers who run each of the tritowers, and each Overseer alters ten Directors to handle the ten layers of their tritowers. Collectively, these leaders are the Directorate.

Nykosan society is split into roles based on True Names. There are ten different sectors:

• Children: anyone under the age of 25. See below.

• Creators: artists, artisans, anyone who makes things. They start with raw materials, they craft or design it, and then they shape its True Name to perfect it.

• Defenders: those who defend the city from attack.

• Farmers: those who grow food for the city.

• Healers: those who practice medicine, mundane or esoteric.

• Leadership: the Directorate.

• Namers: the most important people - those who determine the objective identity of people, places, things, ideas, and groups.

• Scholars: those who study already identified things.

• Servants: most people. Workers of any kind not specified elsewhere.

• Traders: those who trade with outsiders.

Nykosan children are raised by everyone in their sector. They are born, Named something neutral that indicates their role as a child, and treated with respect and kindness. They do not determine their own path, but have it shaped into them by others. If they reject this and seek their own shape, they are welcome to do so, but they are expected to take care of themselves thereafter.

Once they reach the age of 25, they are expected to take up a new sector, taking a new Name. By this time, this has been chosen for them, but they may change to a different one at any time if the other sector will accept them, and if they can find someone to shape them for it. This is more common than they admit. The only sectors that are truly gatekept are the Namers and the Healers.

Most Nykosans go through a Creator phase at some point in their lives. Most try to avoid being Leaders, which is seen as an embarrassing role to take on. The majority are Servants, because that is the role that is most needed.

Because their interest is in the whole of all things, Nykosans explore art, music, food, and crafts of every culture they can find. They replicate the culture of other places, constantly trying out new things in order to identify them. Individual emeti might focus on one thing or another, but overall, their culture simply tries different things constantly. As a people obsessed with identity, they have none of their own.

Esoterica

Emeti are beings of nommos. They are its best wielders. They wield all nommic powers, and they are capable of wielding any other esoterica if they alter their Names to allow it, except bedrog, which weakens and sickens them.

Religion

Nykosans worship the Book of Names as a concept, the universe, the whole of all things. They do this by replicating other religions and applying them to their own beliefs.

Gender

Gender is shaped by the True Name, and therefore, it can be anything. Most emeti go through multiple genders in their long lives.

Economy

Nykosa goes through phases, engaging in all modes of production at some point, as part of trying to identify all things. Usually, they are a socialist society.

Military

The Defenders make up the military of Nykosa. They use martial arts, primarily, drawing from their own True Names (always some variation of a warrior).

Trade

Nykosans trade agricultural goods, information, and oddities.

Occupations

• Creators: fitxagilea (those who make paper to scribe True Names upon); tononkalos (bards using Names to create poems and songs); innumani (those who weave Names into songs).

• Defenders: zhandouji (Named martial artists)

• Farmers

• Healers: menders (those who mend Names)

• Leadership: the Directorate

• Namers: namecasters

• Scholars: savans (those who study Names)

• Servants

• Traders

Outside View

Most people confuse them with shemir.

Notables

• Her Name Is Mother, Emet Manifest, Aeonian

Estimated Populations

• Nykosans: 300,000

• Other: 500

Sample Stats

PRO 8
ATH 8
STR 8
AWA 8
WIL 11
PRS 8
STH 8