Ispilu

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: Metahumans

• Alignment: Celestial

• Energy: Ujjval Aatma

• Lifespan: 70-100 years

• Diet: Common mortal fare

• Habitat: Temperate montane forests

Origins

A pair of orphaned twins made a pact to always share each others’ burdens and boons in perfect equilibrium, and from them, a new species was born.

Description

Ispilu have the same range of appearance as humans do, but they always come in pairs of twins whose appearances complement one another. While height and frame will be roughly the same (though one might eat more or have an accident that leaves their bodies altered), eye color, hair color, and skin color will always differ. They will be otherwise identical. Habits, especially in appearance, might also be complementary. For instance, one might wear their hair long while the other keeps it short, or one might be more athletic than the other. On rare occasion, instead of being born as twins, they are born as one intersex individual.

Procreation

Ispilu can reproduce with any other metahumans, size- and shape-permitting. The offspring will be the same species as the birthing parent, but always twins. They cannot reproduce outside of metahumans without supernatural intervention.

Powers

Ispilu have the ability to trade places with their twin every three years, magically swapping via teleportation.

Each pair of ispilu has an emotional bond such that they know what the other is feeling at almost all times if they are closer than 2,000 miles apart. They can always understand one another, even if both don't speak the same language (which is very rare). They can also act in concerted effort, moving as one or in complementary fashion. Ispilu warriors often use this in combat, but any ispilu pair can do this in any circumstances, whether taking a test, washing the dishes, or casting a spell. As long as it is an action and not a mere thought or feeling or biological process, they can act together. Metaphysically, they share a True Name but not souls.

Specific Powers

Weaknesses

Razdavit’ will sever their connections to one another.

Nations

There are four nations of ispilu in the world:

• Bikiak: the original nation in the mountains of Jael’.

• The Gysylltiad: a nation enslaved in central Ansulym.

• Judava: a nation in Vimala.

• Vinculgen: a nation in Gyrah.

Culture

The Bikiak live in montane forests between the Galdish Westlands and the Danuan Plains, amidst the Viperes Montanes in a region called Jael’. In some eras, it is under Galdish control, in some Danuan, and in some, it has even fallen under Kerupene control. But always, the Jael’ nations seek to maintain their independent cultures. The ispilu in that region, the Bikiak, have one of the fiercest resistances to conquest in the area, maintaining conclaves of independence through the worst of it. They have succeeded in carving out an area in the mountains, bringing together other species and nations, to create a small and much-beleaguered enclave of equality.

Their enclaves are led by an elected council. Property is held in common, controlled by the council. A small elected group of community protectors handles multiple communities (usually four to eight) in lieu of a police force.

Each community is made up of numerous extended families. Bikiak families take their homes very seriously. They consider their homes "indivisible" in a symbolic relationship to their twinned selves. This is why extended families always live in the same house, and when too many people are part of the family, they add on to the homes. Thus, they have large houses. In farming communities, they have farmsteads that are truly large complexes. Children are raised by everyone within the extended family.

Every enclave has multiple schools, and children are allowed to choose their path through education. While there are required subjects - history, math and science, language, arts, and physical education - no one is forced down a path they do not wish to pursue. If they find a particular path difficult but wish to pursue it anyway, they are allowed to keep trying until they decide otherwise or until they succeed. All Bikiak ispilu are required to learn to fight as part of their physical education.

Equality is a central concept in their culture. They work very hard to ensure it within their community, providing for everyone and protecting everyone, and accepting anyone into their communities from other species and nations. However, they are very wary of those who have connections to the countries that seek to conquer them, which leads them to be uninviting at times to folk from Kerupen, Danuo, or Galdun.

Among the Bikiak, there is an important tradition of building megaliths in the forests. This ties into their religion, but even the non-religious partake in the practice. The megaliths are always crafted in twos, and they always have double characteristics - if it is anthropomorphic, it will have two heads, four eyes, four arms, or some other doubled feature, for example. If it is animalistic, it will similarly have doubled characteristics, such as four wings, eight legs, etc. If they do not have animal or mortal features, which most of them don’t, then they will have features such as double loops, branching, etc.

Music and art among the Bikiak is always complex. If half of an ispilu pair plays an instrument, the other will play a complementary instrument. Flutes, hand drums, and accordions are most common. Art is usually even more complicated, with different art styles being practiced by a pair of ispilu. They blend their styles to create singular works.

If half of an ispilu pair dies before the other, the other will usually die within a few months, no matter how old they are. Those rare ones who survive for long periods of time are often seen as very strange, taking up habits from their twin, talking to their dead twin, and usually leaving their home community to wander, propelled by the feeling that they need to replace their twin somehow. They will leave their romantic partners and find strange things to "replace" their twin, like dolls, statues, animals, or trees.

National Cultures

Other ispilu nations have some significant variations from the original nation:

• The Gysylltiad: ispilu across central Ansulym are members of the Gysylltiad. In order to survive, they have turned to wielding generational bonds to preserve memory in spite of their enslavement and oppression. As such, each generation of the Gysylltiad bears ancestral memories of the previous generation in their line, which leads them to be powerful in their resistance to their oppression.

• Judava: the most famous nation of ispilu, they are integrated into Vimalan society. They are the famous source of the name for their inherent energy - ujjval aatma - and for the primary wielders of said energy, the kumal, gurus who guide others to find internal equilibrium.

• Vinculgen: in Gyrah, the Vinculgen have assimilated into the ruling classes of Urayme and engage in the slave trade. This weakens their binary bonding with each other, but they retain enough of it to be dangerously powerful.

Esoterica

Ispilu are beings of ujjval aatma, which is the core of their metaphysical bond. They are capable of wielding any energy, but culturally, other celestial energies and aetherial energies are most common. Nommic and poioumenonic powers are also frequently wielded. Infernal powers are rare.

Religion

Religion among the Bikiak is focused on the goddess they credit with their creation, the Forestwalker. In the deep forests around ispilu communities, it is said, Baso Ibiltaria the Forestwalker wanders, breathing life into the things of the woods, guiding lost travellers, and building megaliths. Every Bikiak family has a small statue of her in their homes. They also have a rich tradition of saint-worship. Many communities have a patron saint which they focus on, with festivals, ceremonies, and special iconography.

Gender

Gender is complex among the Bikiak. Each pair considers him/her/themself a single person, but each individual in the pair has their own gender, name, and experiences. Many different genders are recognized among them, and in their language there are pronouns for each. In other languages, they usually default to common he or she pronouns even if it doesn't fit them, as they/them even if used singularly makes them think people are referring to them plurally. When an intersex individual ispilu is born, they are revered as a special birth in the community. There is a tendency for these intersex ispilu to become esotericists or religious leaders.

It is not uncommon for ispilu to form a "blood ring" of relationships where both ispilu in a pair couple with both ispilu in another pair. This sometimes creates a string of couplings to form an extended blood ring. Monogamy is the most common relationship form (including marriage), but other relationship types are not forbidden.

Economy

The Bikiak live in socialist enclaves, resisting the imperial powers around them.

Military

The Bikiak enclaves have a fierce fighting force protecting them from the countries around them laying claim to their lands. The main of their military forces are the arkularia, guerrilla snipers who use the mountain and forest terrain to their advantage to keep invaders out. Every adult in every enclave knows how to fight, and most end up serving with the military at least for a few years. Those who are not aruklaria work as scouts or skirmishers.

Language

The Bikiak language is based on Basque.

Trade

Coal, iron, and salt are mined in the region, which is part of why other forces wish to control it. Lumber is also sought out there.

Occupations

Some common occupations include the following:

• Arkularia: snipers.

• Arotza: carpenters.

• Basozain: scouts.

• Epaile: judges.

• Eraikitzailea: builders.

• Eskarmatzaile: skirmishers.

• Esparru: scops. Voice of the people.

• Hargin: masons.

• Irakaslea: teachers.

• Iraultzailea: revolutionaries who fought for Bikiak freedom.

• Izorratua: those who find equilibrium through sex magic.

• Kraantikaaree: kumals who fight for liberation and equality in Vimala.

• Kumal: gurus of equilibrium.

• Langilea: workers.

• Lorezaina: gardeners.

• Megalitogliea: megalith-builders.

• Moldatzailea: sculptors.

• Nekazaria: farmers.

• Sajag: vigilantes in Vimala.

• Zaharrenna: elders on the elected council.

Outside View

Ispilu are greatly demonized by powerful countries. Prejudices and stereotyping of twins in general are rooted in hatred of ispilu. They are accused of mind-reading, identity stealing, and terrorism.

Notables

• Lehenengo Bigarrena, Ispilu Manifest, Aeonian

• Yona Marde, Instarian Sword, legendary warrior from Lyrilla, deceased

Estimated Populations

• Bikiak: 2 million

• The Gysylltiad: 1 million

• Judava: 10 million

• Vinculgen: 100,000

• Other: 200,000

Sample Stats

PRO 8
ATH 8
STR 8
AWA 8
WIL 9
PRS 8
STH 8