Nahmon

Nahmon (IPA: [ˈna.mɔn]) is a humanoid species with some semi-aquatic traits and an unusual reproductive mode. They are the main inhabitants of Naiparku, and make up about 94% of its population.

Evolution
Anatomically and behaviorally modern Nahmons first appeared around 10,000 BFC, and the Neolithic transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture and settlement occurred around 1200 BFC, after the extinction-level event occurring in 1000-2000 BFC severely impacted climate in Naiparku for centuries.

Anatomy
Nahmons have long, slender fingers, with retractable webs between their four fingers and toes. They don't have thumbs, but a hardened, protruded pad at the base of the palm serves as a pseudo-thumb that is opposable to the fingers. Nahmon skin has a firm, leathery texture, with good resistance to scratches, and the skin tone is on average of a dark coppery bronze with a tinge of olive (#6C4E37). Their eyes are large, with nictitating membrane which aids them to see underwater. Nahmons are mostly hairless: a small number of the population (~7%), male and female alike, develops significant facial hair, which is often seen as an anomaly and can be the source of embarrassment, sometimes even mockery and harassment. On average, females have a larger stature than males: average height for an adult Nahmon is about 163 cm for females and 155 cm for males. Average mass for an adult Nahmon is about 65 kg for females and 55 kg for males. Average life expectancy at birth of Nahmon is 11 years (about 55 Earth years) for females and 12 years (about 60 Earth years) for males. The energy expense involved not only in conception of fetuses but also in soul imbuement is often thought to be the reason that females have a shorter lifespan than males.

Diet
Nahmon have a predominantly vegetarian diet: no animal husbandry is practiced and only small aquatic invertebrates and fishes are captured and consumed, usually raw.

Behavior
Nahmons are renowned for their stealth and agility: those are their main assets against foreign attackers and predators, which are admittedly not numerous, except for the fearful carnivorous dolphins that live in the Great Salt Channel, and sharks that roam the high sea in the Great Salt Ocean.

Reproduction
Reproduction is perhaps the most unique aspect of Nahmon biology. They reproduce through a form of ovovivparity: the embryo is first conceived in the mother's body for about two months, then they construct an "embryo shell" through secretion while laying the fetus for its protection. The fetus is incubated within the shell for about another 11 months before "imbuement", where its soul is created and transferred to the fetus by its mother during a one-month process, during which the embryo completes its development at an exceptionally fast rate before finally bursting out of the shell as a young infant. The embryo shell is sturdy and resistant to desiccation and predator attacks, however most still prefer to lay their embryos in the wetlands.

Kinship
Kinship relationships are constructed in a complex way due to the particularities of Nahmon reproduction. A schematic diagram showing the kinship terms can be found here.

Parents

 * General term for parents: jami
 * Mother (imbuer): nabowan/nowan, non/nono (addressing term)
 * Mother (imbuer but not conceiver): napata
 * Mother (conceiver but not imbuer): naurwa/narwa, nwa/nana (addressing term)
 * Mother (neither conceiver nor imbuer, just mate/spouse): muka
 * Father (conceiver): naigėt/nak, san (addressing term)
 * Father (not conceiver but just mate): josat
 * Father (not conceiver but spouse): hansyat

Offsprings

 * General term for offsprings: pugam
 * Child (imbued, with telepathic connection): harėt
 * Child (conceived but not imbued, only with blood relationship): nopo
 * Child (neither conceived nor imbued, but from another mate/spouse): bwėsi

Affixes for offspring terms

 * Reborn child/ person (one that the mother imbued by transferring another existing Nahmon soul): nek-
 * Transformed child/person (one that the mother imbued by transferring another existing soul from a different species / changing the gender during the transfer): ruk-


 * Child before adulthood: (no affix)
 * Child after adulthood: o- -an
 * Child after first mating: sa- -an
 * Child after having conceived an offspring: ari- -dan
 * Child after having imbued an offspring: pan- dan
 * Child after having done both: shi-

Mate

 * Mate (anyone who has ever been in a relationship): oku
 * Mate (anyone with whom a child is conceived): gyep
 * Mate (anyone who imbued a child that they conceived): kach
 * Spouse (the mate for the family): rikich

Sibling
There are different terms for siblings and cousins (including in-laws), based on the their age generation relative to that of the speaker:


 * Sibling/cousin (in-laws) (of the same age generation): yun
 * Sibling/cousin (in-laws) (of one age generation above): shada
 * Sibling/cousin (in-laws) (of higher age generations): ya-
 * Sibling/cousin (in-laws) (of one age generation below): deno
 * Sibling/cousin (in-laws) (of lower age generations): ya-/hom-

There are different terms for aunt and uncle (including in-laws), based on the their age generation relative to that of the parent to which they're related to (and which is specified by [term of aunt/uncle] kak [term/name of parent]):


 * Aunt/uncle (in-laws) (of the same age generation): jagi
 * Aunt/uncle (in-laws) (of one age generation above): tovri
 * Aunt/uncle (in-laws) (of higher age generations): ya-
 * Aunt/uncle (in-laws) (of one age generation below): ansu
 * Aunt/uncle (in-laws) (of lower age generations): ya-/hom-

Magic
Nahmon's magic system mostly revolves around their ability to "imbue" spirits into developing embryos: under exceptional circumstances, they can transfer another person's spirit through imbuement into a developing embryo, thereby achieving a kind of rejuvenescence/immortality. Even more rarely, spirits of other species can also be transferred into a Nahmon embryo, creating a form of hybrid, which usually also inherits some physical traits of the donor species. Only females who have recently lain embryos temporarily possess this ability, and it is an energy-consuming process: usually a handful of male mates are by their side during the process to ensure constant supply of nutrition. Any individual possesses a certain bond to their mother who imbued their spirit, and through some training and meditating telepathy can be achieved, allowing them to communicate without verbal language.