Nocvi

[Bakery]

Nocvi
Knock-vee.

_{Region of Origin:} Twilight (Time of day, not some lame book)

Basic Biology:
Ask any Nocvi about their looks and they'll tell you right off the bat the legends of their origin with pride. Believed to be born from the twilight, raised from dusk itself, they are creatures of the night. It runs in their blood- the stars, the moon, the midnight sky- these are all things that are represented in the Nocvi features. The night sky- dark and shadowed- is the velvet fabric of their skin. Their pigment ranges from the darkest shadows of the night to the violet in the last moments of the dusk to the pale gray blue of twilight- and any mix of the dark colours in between. The moon and stars are represented in the freckles on their skin and the bright illuminating eyes they have- but never will any Nocvi be found with dark eyes. Each and every Nocvi has eyes that glow a wide range of colours to match the stars twinkling far and wide. As for freckles- these colours are limited to the pale variations of colours- whites, grays, and any paler versions of colours such as lavender and periwinkle. Their hair shares in this pale, dark and bright coloured scheme as well- but it doesn't have the properties their eyes have and does not glow.

Their structure is similar to both humans and elves- the sturdiness and strength of humans mixed with the charming bone structure and effortless grace carried by elves. Because of such an odd mix of structures, this leaves a very wide height range for the Nocvi- ranging from four feet even to the rare possibility of seven feet. With such a range of height comes the slender and slim bodies the Nocvi have, with added high metabolisms to keep them agile and flexible.

Nocvi, despite looking like the night itself, possess a few unique qualities. For a certain amount of time every day they are able to change how they look- to make themselves look like someone else and pose as this other person. They can only accomplish this so long as they have a piece of that other person- their heart/love, their hair, a shirt. Anything that the person gives to the Nocvi- or that the Nocvi takes- can be used by the Nocvi to change into that person. It is easier for them to transform at night- due to their ties with the time of day it is dark.

Along with the abilities to transform there are a few other unique abilities. With their connection to the night and their heritage granted from the darkness, they cannot live without a piece of the night sky with them. This is often carried out by creating trinkets for themselves when they come of age- whether it be jewelry, a weapon, or any sort of object they can keep on their person. Without these gifts from the light in the darkness they are substantially weaker, so in order to remain healthy the must never loose them. These trinkets are made of moon metal- a metal that can only be crafted at night. It is blessed by the moon, thus giving it the name 'moon metal' and helps them withstand one of their many weaknesses- the sun.

While many other creatures may be able to withstand the sun and its brightness, to the Nocvi it is almost poisonous to them. It slowly drives them mad if they are exposed to it for too long without their trinkets. It's overpowering grasp- which the Nocvi's opposing sister race, the Asura, are accustomed too- is too much for a being of the night and will do much damage to them if they have lost their trinket and spend too much of their time outside.

Simply put, they cannot live without their handmade gifts from the moon- less they be driven to madness and become weak enough to the point they could die if they are not careful.

_Lifespan: 1800-2200^YRS

General Behavior:
Quite the quiet race, in both a play on words and in a literal sense, the Nocvi keep to themselves. Having a bad reputation will often warrant silence in any living being and with their natural talents it is a bad reputation they receive. 'Nothing but criminals', 'dirty thieves', 'thugs after money'- these are only some of the slander the Nocvi receive and hear about daily. This judgmental mentality others have towards them provokes a returned cautious attitude- a wariness that is always present in any seasoned Nocvi. They have traveled the lands and know how cruel and closed minded many others can be- thus creating the wall that makes them the outcasts in society.

Usual Habitat:
During the night, as they sleep during the day for the better of their health, you will find the Nocvi in the folds of every land- taking on jobs during the nighttime of questionable intent and considerably mildly illegal. Because of their natural talents in sneaking and thievery, not to mention their ability to make themselves look like someone else, they are a natural fit for such jobs- some may even be proud enough to say they are considered the best in such a field, unmatched in their talents. While this may be debatable, there is still only a small amount throughout the lands.

Aliment:
They cannot survive without proper food, shelter and clothing, as are the basics for any form of life and despite those Nocvi who are not of age, many are advised to not spend too much time in the sun- even with their trinkets. The harsh rays of the light are taxing on the Nocvi and those who cannot withstand it are better off staying out of it as much as they can. Wearing clothing that covers them from head to toe only improve their situation slightly but is not a permanent solution.

Due to the danger of the sun many Nocvi are found sleeping during the days- but not for more than five hours; the maximum hours of sleep they need and can accomplish in one sitting.

Losing the trinket they made when they came of age is a danger in itself- without the blessing of the moon to heal them from the sun and keep them in darkness the Nocvi grow weaker. Many believe those without trinkets are swallowed by darkness, leaving them without a light to guide them on their path and therefore sickened by the imbalance.

Basic Social Structure:
Having no official rulers to turn to the Nocvi turn to a group that most, if not all, of their race resides in- a group well known for employing others in illegal actives- which the Nocvi so happen to have a natural talent for. In other words, every member in the Nocvi race is a part of a guild of thieves known as The Dragon's Spine. Having very few in numbers they are left with no choice but to be apart of this group, a brotherhood of Nocvi that grows stronger as they years go by.

The Dragon's Spine is a new safe haven for Nocvi, having only been created recently. Before it's existence the Nocvi were without a respected adviser to turn to for events of injustice against them- but now that they have a place to go and someone to turn to things have gone better for them.


Family Life/Gender Roles:
Gender roles are nonexistent in the Nocvi way of life. Everyone knows everyone else with the small populous they have and with the added home of the The Dragon's Spine they are all united together. Very much considered a big family, all Nocvi are a part of this thieves guild and abide by it's rules, code and way of life. Everyone is connected in some way or another- but for more personal families, the children are tended to by whichever parent wants to- or has the time. If neither can a close friend or trusted person will be asked too and they will go down the list of those they do trust until someone is found.

Procreation:
Procreation is possible between two Nocvi and the product will be a full fledged Nocvi. A child of pure Nocvi blood may only be produced if they write a petition to have one. Due to their long life and their abilities, the threat other races feel the Nocvi pose on them creates a desire for them to be controlled- leading to controlled procreation of a full blooded Nocvi. Because of this hardship not many full blooded Nocvi are created- leaving the race small in number.
If mixed, however, the child will be only half of what a Nocvi is- meaning their abilities will be weaker and the sun won't affect them so drastically. If a Nocvi should partner with a Asura, however, the child will be doomed from birth. The two opposing races- as different as night and day- will eventually destroy the child once they come to the age where they must become a member of night or day. Having both in their blood there will be no balance and they will be sickened by both, with no trinket available to help them.

Childbirth and Childcare:
A Nocvi mother will carry a child for five months in total if the child is a full fledged Nocvi- if it is a half breed the child will be carried for as long as the opposite race's children are carried. At the age of 18 a Nocvi is considered an adult and will begin to shift into the life of an adult Nocvi. They must craft their trinket in the night so they will not be hurt as much by the sun and not be weak- and must adjust to the sleeping pattern of sleeping during the day if they are not already.

Magic and Abilities:
As stated previously, the Nocvi have the ability to change the way they appear to mimic another. This ability can be used for an hour every day. If they activate this ability at night, however, it is much easier for them and can last for two hours.

Another set of abilities is their uncanny talents for sneaking, their flexibility and agile bodies- each skill that benefits their career choices. To use the skills they are blessed with many, if not all, Nocvi turn to the path of the thief and illegal activities to put themselves to the best use.

Legends and Folklore:
Stelae: The legend of Stelae is not lost among the Nocvi. It is a legend of two Nocvi lovers- both names having long since been forgotten. But it is rumored that they had both become so close they answered to the same name, Stelae. Their love outshone any and all others in the world- so much so that even after death it still continued, existing in fractions of the lovers of today, their souls revived in the romance. Now the name they had both been known by is used as a term of endearment- a proclamation of love. If a Nocvi calls their lover 'Stelae' they are expressing a great love for their partner.

History:
While many have believed rumors that the Nocvi are a race of mixed races- this is not true. All that is known is that they had appeared during the night, like fallen stars from the sky appearing from the shadows. They spoke of their heritage- the night having birthed them onto the world- and thus began their existence. They have acquired many nicknames over the years they have lived, the most common being 'Night Blood', 'Moon Born', 'Star Children' and 'Nightinggales'. These are the more tame of the nicknames- avoiding the harsher names created for them that are anything but pleasant. After other races learned of their abilities- many years of racism against them ensued. Such events lead them to the current day and age- disliked with limited procreation and the only safe haven being The Dragon's Spine.