Izu Nemni

Izu was born to Naka Igriz and Zaren Nemni in the year 741, exactly 14 minutes after his identical twin sister Ifa. Much of the twins' childhood was spent in and around the Ulajeta at Nemnosti and it was assumed from a young age that both would become acolytes of The Grey Carver. Izu planned to go into the priesthood for as long as he could remember, but felt ambivalent to the prospect of becoming a Hand of the Dead as his sister planned. He was a withdrawn and melancholy child, often feeling out of place and awkward both in his own body and in his community. He retreated into his studies and his stone carving, a skill at which he excelled. As a child he was often seen sitting at the edges of gatherings, watching, but not really participating. He learned early on to read people and anticipate their moods and feelings, in order to better keep out of the way.

He became an acolyte of Nemnu Ula at age 13 along with his sister, and quickly began to immerse himself in the teachings of Nemnu and the life of the Ulajeta. His dedication and meticulous attention to detail impressed the lady enough to keep him in a position nearby her, despite his lack of any outstanding talent using fos. The lady took special interest in Izu over the first year of his acolyteship and noticed the difficulty he seemed to have engaging with others, and even with Nemnhu herself. Over time she drew him out of his shell and began to subtly suggest in her lessons and conversations that his path may be more bent than he at first realized. She suggested that perhaps the Huthajai path might allow him to carve himself into a shape that better fit his ideas of self and improve his fit in the world around him. This revelation changed Izu's entire worldview and since then he has been eternally grateful to The Alabaster Lady for beginning him on a course that would alter his life.

At 15 he began his studies at a Voice of the Dead, studying under the various Voices in the Ulajeta, especially Ingo Pechotukho and Rupun Lurusiri. As he progressed on the Huthajai path he became more confident, less awkward, and more personable, although he remained quiet and conscientious. He had been close to Ingo and his partner Junu Arfendazi since childhood and now he began to shadow them both, learning the mysteries of the Voice and advanced carving skills from them respectively. He began to make friends and contacts around the Ulajeta, as well as hold long discussions with the many ancestors that rested in its tombs.

When his sister Ifa returned from her training in Onighus, she found her twin literally a changed person. He was more confident, more at ease, and more tranquil than ever in his life. He was dedicated to Nemnu in heart and mind, and had found that he was good at organizing, planning, and directing people. Soon afterward, Nemnu chose him to be her personal attendant, and he felt honored by the choice, vowing to live up to her expectations and trust.

Since then he has served her constantly and well, attending to her daily needs, organizing her schedule, and managing much of the everyday workflow in the Ulajeta along with his duties as a voice. Most who deal with him see him as extremely reliable, if a bit odd. He is quiet and thoughtful and still prefers the silence of the tombs to the bustle of the city, but he is no longer afraid to voice his opinion if necessary, and he is exceedingly loyal to those he sees as friends.

Role

At Nemnosti, Izu's main duties are to serve Nemnu Ula directly as Her valet or attendant. He makes sure Nemnu has the things that she needs, that rooms are organized or decorated appropriately, and that her personal appearance is as she wishes. He often manages the Lady's Morsel, a tasting ritual whereby Nemnu's lips and tongue pass over a bite of a meal that will then be consumed by an honoured guest. He would be present in many non-secret meetings with the Lady, although She will sometimes ask him to step away regarding issues of confidence. An acolyte or two could be present to serve as a runner/gofer in these sorts of settings. He is not expected to serve at all hours, but he does spend a significant amount of time with Her every day - a job always reserved for a Voice of the Nemni lineage. (Note that because you are a Nemni, she can call you telepathically from anywhere, at any time.) Additionally, Izu has the ordinary range of duties at the temple portion of the ulajeta, mostly relating to the care of Ancestors and communication with them. He has access to the Inner Caves where honoured ancestors rest, as well as the less exclusive Outer Caves, and communicates with ancestors as required, even though it isn't his main responsibility. And, because the temple at Nemnosti is so large and complex, he probably has all kinds of other responsibilities, although someone in his position may allocate menial work to one of the many acolytes required to do daily labour.

NPCs

People

Antezheva Teresu: AKA Sasti or Weakyarn. Nemnu's tailor and clothing designer. The Lady is not stuck on appearances but knows that people come to see Her in all her finery, and Antezheva makes it happen. Because of your role as Nemnu's valet / attendant you interact with her a lot on a daily basis. She is very smart, has a wicked sense of humor, and has carved out her life of service in just the way she wants. She's a lesbian who has never married and seems extraordinarily happy with her life.
Asomon Gongai: AKA Ghongum. He is a local Voice from the Gongai lineage which controls the great holy natural rock formation of Degh Ekorre just down the road from Nemnosti. He was an acolyte a few years before you, so you've known him a long time. You have a lot of stories about his fondness for women and while it never got out of control, it wasn't always welcome attention.
Avrubai Dusmanis: You always call him Estuki; or playfully, Earwax. Came from poverty up from Ai Dandura and was an acolyte with you and Ifa. A mystic - not the best one but quite talented, you're told. He went away to Ardukh in the north to train further, and since he came back last year he's definitely been different - more confident, less of a goofy fun guy and more of a force. Still a friend, but less anxious about his lack of wealth and status.
Bistu Borgegi: The Lady's ward here on loan from Borgegus Ula, a young Voice about your age, maybe a couple years younger. Definitely you get the impression that Voices at the Maze, Borgegus's ulajeta, are more worldly and less intellectual than at Nemnosti. You've been helping him adjust to life in the high hills, and remembering that it was similarly awkward when Ifa went to Onighus in the same capacity. He gave you a copy of the Record of Gambits which he recommended to you.
Dadim Nemni: Your big brother, aka Dumpling or Zhinozh. Always had the reputation as the least intellectual of the four of you kids but he's no dummy. Outgoing and friendly to everyone, he runs the Coathook in Naftusa which lets him provide information to Nemnu about what's going on in the province. He is the kind of big brother who pokes fun but also takes super good care of you, and tells you things like how to pick up ladies, or gentlemen, or whatever.
Divus Sochavi: AKA Navelbeard or Solum. Not actually old but feels really old. Nemnu's provisioner working out of his trading concern in Naftusa (where his wealthy lineage is based), so you interact with him a lot to make sure the Lady has what she wants and needs for the ulajeta. He's the guy who knows a guy who has just the thing. Sometimes you find him a little too slick, but he knows his stuff and does not disappoint.
Faifir Losturi: AKA Chaive (rarely). A very old, revered Voice, officially the Master of the Conclave, which is when Nemnu calls all of her revered ancestors in the inner caves together once a year. The Losturi are not Nemni (by definition) but are the closest thing to it - they are in an eherdos (fealty) relationship. Very esteemed and wise, but you also know he used to really get around back in the day - and not just with his not-so-secret partner Foduza.
Imas Mundurir: AKA The Trowel. The architect / engineer / Voice / master of repairing and expanding architecture, mainly here at Nemnosti but also famous elsewhere. You know he's totally cut off from his birth family and Nemnu, Nemnosti, and the work he does are his life now, for decades. Unlike some other Voices, has never really expressed any interest in having relationships on the side - maybe even a little judgy of those who do. He's older and wiser than you, definitely a bit aloof, not nasty but you're not sure how much other people are really relevant to him.
Ingo Pechotukho: AKA Vestor or Threeknees. The high priest at the temple at Nemnosti, the only boss you would recognize other than, of course, Nemnu Herself. He's known you your whole life of course, and is good friends with both your dad as well as Voice Kailas - they were all acolytes at the same time, as well as the hengi, Hojon. He is from Onighus originally and is politically well-connected both to the nobility there and to the Conduits who run the country. He has always liked you and increasingly is giving you positions of responsibility and autonomy within the temple.
Junu Arfendazi: AKA Jagu or Quellstorm. A sculptor in the fine alabaster quarried nearby, and one of the best at what he does. He's about ten years older than you (and 15+ years younger than his partner, Voice Ingo) and was both one of your teachers of stonecarving/sculpting, and someone who is a friend. He and Ingo helped you figure out a lot of things about yourself when you were a kid and maybe even view you as a kind of son / friendly nephew. Junu is so well-known for his skill at his craft that few people realize that he's enormously smart, probably smarter than most of the mystics, but he doesn't make a big deal of that.
Kailas Nemni: AKA Kivaro or Sizzlepate. A distant cousin, Kailas is the one who would be able to tell you exactly how you're related. Every Nemni and everyone who's married into the Nemni for hundreds of years. It's like a party trick that is actually useful. He is not the most powerful Voice, and he's kind of an awkward dude, single-minded in his purpose to know how everyone is connected to everyone.
Lildanai Nemni: AKA Janglebloom or Tesel. The main gardener at Nemnosti, which is not an illustrious role but she really enjoys having a life free of stress. You interact with her and her husband, the chef Uruno, to make sure everything is ready for when the Lady 'eats' with guests or acolytes.
Mususi Nemni: Your (distant) cousin, daughter of the hengi, Hand of the Dead appointed to the temple in Naftusa, basically the same age as you and Ifa. Kind of a rivalry going back decades, mostly low-key with occasional periods of chilly silence. She's just a little bit too obsessed with what other people think of her and then wonders why people don't like her. She was the equivalent of the popular kid mean girl at the ulajeta when you were all acolytes, but that isn't a good look when you're 26 and supposed to be a professional priestess.
Naka Igriz: Your mom, herbalist and teacher at the ulajeta. AKA Ovakh, but not to you. While for some people, having your mom as a teacher would be awkward, you always found it comforting. She's a warm, generous kind person who just happens to like the natural world a lot more than you do. She was always supportive through your transition and your religious calling. You're not really Ravre, like she is - but at Nemnosti that's always more complicated - and sometimes you are reminded that she grew up in a much more rural way, even though Akapa Sogo is only a short walk from the ulajeta.
Nanga Nemni: AKA Bristlenose or Chimis. Your cousin, a year or so older than you. She was always the 'bad girl' at the ulajeta when she was an acolyte (but also before and afterwards) like she was rebelling against something. But she's still here even though she has relatives in Onighus and could do lots of things. Her boyfriend is Verga, the son of the Dendorfi hengi, and everyone expects they're going to get married, but you're not so sure.
Rupun Lurusiri: AKA Bent-river or Besura. Rupun is the only other Voice you know on the huthajai path, and in that respect, kind of a mentor. He started out in the Sortustor common lineage in Naftusa, you think, but that was ages ago. As an acolyte, he eventually took up his calling not as the solitary follower of Lurusiru Ula, the ancestor-saint who resides in a place of honour in the Inner Caves. Rupun is literally the only person allowed to talk to Them other than, you guess, Nemnu, and maybe (?) Ingo. The whole thing is very sensitive for Nemnu, you know. Anyway, Rupun is a weird dude, which has got to be true for anyone who lives his life serving a dead saint and mostly being the caretaker for a village and ulajeta that have been abandoned for 300 years. You know it is part of the role of the Voice to care for every temple, every saint, every Ancestor, of course.
Sumasi Zipizmo: Sumasi is the main priest, which is to say, the only priest, of the tiny but honoured temple in Hong Sogo, where Sumasi's ancestor Isfizal and many other ancient Ravre ancestors reside. Not an acolyte, doesn't ever have much to do with Nemnosti, but you know that Nemnu regards him with esteem, and occasionally he helps out when the Voices at the ulajeta need something relating to the high hills. You've never been to Hong Sogo but Marga, who was born there, does not seem to be a fan. Sumasi himself seems pleasant enough but very, very religious, even for a priest.
Uklai Akhamai: Your grandma, originally born in Taizi and whose father was an acolyte here before her. Her life was spent as a merchant / dealer in goods for the cloister (similar to what Divus now does) but since your grandfather died many years ago, and then she retired to a cottage in Hertu where she gardens and lives a life as an honoured elder. You visit her there when you can to bring her things and do chores that need a tall person.
Verga Dendorfi: AKA Quencher. Son of the hengi of the Dendorfi, definitely has the whole 'noble son looking to prove himself' vibe. He's a Voice, but not a really great one, and you imagine that he may someday give that life up for his lineage politics and all that. He's around the same age as you and definitely seems bitter that your position is more esteemed, but because he was never an acolyte, that isn't going to happen. You don't mistrust him the way some others do - he's not a spy, he's just a daddy's boy who is a pawn in some political game. He does play somewhat important roles in the Outer Caves (where the ancestors of the not-so-esteemed are interred, outside the cloister walls).
Veruve Nemni: AKA Mosaic or Nifin. A few years older than you, Veruve came to Nemnosti a couple years before you were an acolyte, from northern Khutu, and later adopted into the Nemni by Hojon's sister Kheta (so now, a cousin of some kind). Very skilled for her age as a mystic, she is now Nemnu's Vessel, whose body She occupies when she wants to do magic. It's intimate and personal but it works because she is so devoted to Nemnu, which you have in common with her. You get why sometimes she keeps her distance from others, because she has this role that makes her really different and requires her to not have really powerful attachments.
Zaren Nemni: Your dad, AKA Zesty or Ronu. He was (still technically is) a stoneguard, but an injury forced him to retire from active duty about 10 years ago, and he now basically does a little teaching, a little administrative work, but mainly is retired even though he's not old. He's super close friends with a bunch of male acolytes all around his age, most of whom have really important roles, including Hojon, the hengi, Ingo, Kailas, and maybe some others. You know he's a bit ambivalent about you and Ifa having a religious path - he's very proud of that and of your service to Nemnu, but he does wish he had some more grandkids.

Revenants

Uruno Losturi: AKA Balai or Whisks. The chef at Nemnosti, a master at his craft. He died a few years ago but it doesn't seem to have affected him much. He's the child of corpseborn and he and his wife Lildanai have three adopted corpseborn kids and might get some more - they love having kids around the house. He's a little dim but not when it comes to the things that matter to him. You deal with him in terms of events or meals that Nemnu has guests for.
Zurusha Nemni: Born as Lamna, AKA Geme or Whimsy. Your older sister, someone you always looked up to as a kid. When she died it was terrible how she came back, and it caused all kinds of strain in your branch of the family that you are only now getting sorted out. You can only communicate with her via letters or similar means, as she lives basically segregated from everyone, working as a bookbinder which she can do on her own. Zurusha was never exactly outgoing - so more like you and your mom, less like Ifa, Dadim, and your dad - but you know she struggles with loneliness a lot.

Ancestors

Farai Nemni: Your dimirabas, after whom your Lady's Name derives. You are not a great singer or anything like she was, but you can see what Nemnu was thinking - Farai was the most loyal of all the loyal followers at the ulajeta in the years when Nemnu was silent after war tore through the area. It's that idea of service and loyalty and presence for the Lady that you know she always values. You talk to Farai now and again - the time when she lived was really complicated and chaotic and war-torn, which is hard to imagine now in the Pardopasu, even though the ruins are all there to prove it.
Limard Nemni: A distant relative, Limard was your predecessor in your current role, where he served Nemnu for decades prior to his death around ten years ago. Not so much anymore, but when you were first starting out in the Lady's service as valet and attendant, you would consult with him often about how best to serve Her. He was a Voice of moderate skill, but always kindly, and well-respected among the elders at the ulajeta. A fine statue of him was commissioned and sits in the chapel of the temple in an honoured place.
Pi-ouessa Paakai: A very ancient Ravre reckoner and one of the first Ravre to join Nemnu at Nemnosti in its early decades. You interact with her mainly when learning and practicing old Ravre language - she calls her language Riabhra. The Paakai were a tribe/lineage/grouping of mainly Old Folk, which makes her service to Nemnu all the weirder, but after she converted, she was very loyal and held in great esteem. The modern Pekai lineage in Akapa Sogo must surely be their descendants.
Songaseli Nemni: Your grandddad, who grew up in Omba because his dad and granddad had left Nemnosti over a dispute, but he returned to the ulajeta after having a religious experience and became a stoneguard. You, and your dad, and Ifa and Izu, are all religious folk, and it's just treated as normal that your branch of the family has this spiritual bent. You were really little when he died, but your grandma tells stories about him, and you can of course visit and talk to him whenever you want.

Special Notes

Izu Nemni

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Role

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Revenants

Ancestors

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