Nijū-Iki, for lack of a better summation, are a duel-hybrid of humans and plants.  They are a very beautiful and diverse race, with skin colors ranging from flesh colored to green, to pale blue, to lavender, to orange, to pink–the same variation of color exists in the hair and eye color–though Nijū-Iki tend to have eye colors in a ‘matted’ color verses the metallic hues of the Ki’ra, Tazu or Clan.  The name, Nijū-Iki means ‘double breath’, and is fitting due to their duel set of vocal chords and respiratory systems.  Actually capable of breathing in both oxygen or carbon dioxide, they are able to ‘reset’ their systems up to every twelve hours, breathing oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide, only to switch to inhaling carbon dioxide and exhaling oxygen if they choose.  It’s a unique adaptation, believed to have been created specific by Prothidian Altar for when all the races were trapped in Clana-Ca’sta after the Great Fall.  Indeed, if not for these wonderful ‘oxygen makers’, there may have been serious issues for the populace while living underground for so long.  Nijū-Iki are also noted to have the most complex language on the Continent, capable of only being spoken by native Iki because of sounds created by their duel vocal chords.

 

Nijū-Iki themselves are breed-able only with the human race as far as anyone can tell, though rumors of half-human half-something else breeding with Nijū-Iki has been claimed, though no-one has actually produced such an offspring for consideration.  They are all vegetarians, consuming food only when they are using their oxygen breathing cycle; when breathing in carbon, they switch to an all liquid water diet, while also absorbing nutrients from soil via porous tissues on their palms and soles of their feet.  Nijū-Iki are very short-lived compared to other races, with life-spans of only aprox 45 to at the very, very most 65. (Average mortality age is aprox 52 years.)

 

Society: Nijū-Iki are very reclusive, and live primarily in the massive wilderness of the Furōrin-Iki, their culture and society closely guarded and hidden.  What is known of them is they are very in-tuned to the earth and live in complete emersion with their jungle/forest home, rarely emerging from this safety to interact with the outside world.

 

Country of origin: Furōrin-Iki

 

At their best: They are a very empathic and caring race, capable of great natural innovation, and there is no one better to transverse the wilds with.  Their singing voices are also singularly unique, and many of them are quite happy to demonstrate.

At their worst: Nijū-Iki can be obsessive about nature and the cycle of the natural order, going so far as to avoid bending even a single blade of grass in such a way as it be ‘bruised’– and trying to force those around them to comply to this as well.  They can be cripplingly shy, not speaking directly to anyone and never making eye contact, or also having a certain snobbishness with regard to their native language.