Jiki

Jiki (ジキ, in English, rhymes with "Ricky") is an irregular Male Nevrean living among the Northern Shamans in the New Age setting. Some elements are drawn from a personal fan fiction. He is the biological son of Muan.

Appearance
Head plumage is a warm blue. Body plumage follows more "parakeet" colors like his father, Muan, but it is a cooler green, with fades of yellow. Body frame is very robust, long-limbed, yet a slender athletic build, unlike many other Nevrean males. One of the more striking features, is simply his height. Standing far taller than the average Nevrean. His facial features are bolder, resembling a female beak structure.

He wears a simple clothing, often a half-tunic vest with traditional tribal markings and designs.

Biography
Born RC62, Post Shigu-Reono War famine survivor. Shaman Acolyte. Turned activist and Culinary artist, perfumer, explorer.

Raised among Northern Shaman, where his egg was abandoned by a destitute Nevrean of Out Ring.

Jiki had a natural talent for understanding the flora, fauna, and herbs according to their use, as well as harmonizing their flavors and scents. He'd enjoy learning from one peculiar member of their Shaman tribe, Hekaa, an elderly Nevrean female. (Affectionately called, his "Hia" or "Hika") Later revealed to be a Shigu defector who lived through the Shigu Conquest, and played a fairly significant support and tactical role. She also fled to GoldRing towards the Shigu decline. Despite her instrumental yet covert role in certain events, she still endured humiliating, and sometimes devastating events, including having one of her eggs taken and eaten in front of her by hungry Shigu soldiers. Her sordid experiences in Gold Ring only served to further embitter her, leaving her incredibly ornery and cynical of the world. She later returned back from GoldRing because she did not like her options in life that were available, as many, she felt, were beneath her. Nursemaid, laborer, or criminal.



She is the only one to teach and mentor Jiki about the rest of the world, including traces of old Nevrean culture and language. She regrets not being able to express or teach the subtleties of artistic expression itself. Although she's not a sergal, Hekaa fulfilled the role as a kind of pseudo-matriarch after the loss of their leader xxxx. Avid Kef smoker. She walks with a limp, but is surprisingly sturdy and physically durable. Although, harsh and cynical, she nurtured Jiki's creativity, as a glimmer of hope she held onto. She enjoyed watching him flourish and grow his talents, though she rarely showed it outwardly. Jiki sensed this, and gained a great respect for her as well as a genuine affection.

She possesses well honed personal combat skills, learned from her earlier involvement in the Shigu/Reono wars. Sporting a heavy machete, and a dense wooden club which is useful for cracking hard Talyxian shells.. Though in travels, carries a more compact yet very dense metal baton.

She remained among the Shamans, even after Jiki left to see the world. She became more reclusive and aloof. One day making a trip to the North, and upon returning, mysteriously no longer walking with her limp. She persisted for a very long time, despite her age, never losing any of her perceptive acuity. (Needs separate article)

RC(74) His early mentor, a sergal shaman and adoptive father is killed by a dangerous forest creature, xxxx (Harpoon pineapple). Left to survive and nearly die in the forests, it was an indescribably traumatic experience, leaving him thirsty, hungry, and delirious from ingesting dangerous plants. He vowed to never allow himself to be naiive about Talyxian Flora. He struggled to voraciously learn every intricate detail of every plant, herb and creature he could, as well as absorbing the customs, unique language, and esoteric subtext of Shaman rituals.

RC87 Arriving at Gold Ring, he turns to many odd jobs and labor to help pay for a formal training in Culinary Arts. Despite his self consciousness of his body, he begins a stint of brothel work to supplement his expenses and training. There, he becomes less self conscious about his body, and they very quickly discover some intriguing "talents". Jiki meets with other GoldRing chefs, crafters, explorers, and found his time there to be a very valuable networking resource. Always willing and eager to cater to the many fancies and fetishes of clients. The unsavory brothel environment did expose him to a period of almost 2 years, where he slips into dabbling in recreational herbal/drug use. Although well intentioned in these explorations, he fancied himself in grandiose hopes of becoming a sort of "Urban Shaman". Eventually, his emerging hedonistic proclivities overcame his better judgements, resulting in friends getting hurt, and jeopardizing his culinary aspirations. Not long after that, he abruptly begins focusing solely on his Culinary development, partly from the generous support and genuinely loving encouragement of Dachu Baisalis.



His social activism however, tends to grate on others. Events building towards the infamous Blaze of Sailzane, left much of that region of GoldRing in a reconstruction period, and continuing Social unrest, despite Human Rights reform decades earlier.

RC90 reunites with father, Muan. They instantly recognized each other upon meeting, without words, in a tearfully joyous moment. They've kept the shards of the shell that Jiki was hatched from.

RC92 Jiki tracks down his mother XXX, who has fallen into being an Out Ring criminal. This reunion does not go well. She thrashes him thoroughly beating him bloody, and even cracking his beak. Jiki retreats, but doesn't lose hope, telling her tearfully that she still deserves to be loved. Over the coming years, he does make further attempts. Eventually soothing her vicious nature little by little, singing and dancing to her from a distance, as well as leaving lovingly prepared gourmand foods for her.

Jiki continues to hone his culinary skills, studying the tastes and combinations that the public enjoy, as well as artistically presenting original dishes never before seen.



Around this time, Jiki & Muan establish themselves in running Delicatessen shop which also sells rare perfumes, herbal medicines, snacks, candies, oils, and other personal care and grooming supplies. Around this time, Muan & Jiki occasionally encounter Kharnak the sergal, with whom they don't particularly get along with, partly due to his rather questionable hygiene. Whereas Kharnak will refer to Jiki as "that freakishly tall Nevrean" and Muan as "that runty old Nevrean who keeps staring". Muan finds Kharnak particularly interesting though, giving him flashbacks from his years with the Shigu, as well as recognizing Kharnak as one of the vicious AdHoc brute hires during the Blaze of Sailzane. (They actually have, quite literally rubbed elbows in the past without realizing it.) Upon seeing a unique Leather & bone hair tie that Kharnak was wearing, Muan confronts him with some very revealing details about it and Kharnak's past.

RC103 - meets a female Nevrean, a failed artist, singer, crafter. She finds solace and supports his new husband fully. They share cultural exchange.

RC104 - His son Jiki's attempts at endorsing their Nevrean written language continue to fail to catch on with the Nevrean community. During this time, Jiki also spends the next 2 decades, on sorties ranging from a week to a month out in the wild, traveling and exploring different regions, in search of various cuisines, customs, and local tastes and delicacies to expand his culinary repertoire.

RC123 - Father Muan dies. While walking with Jiki alongside ColVilous lake. Jiki falls into a very depressive and languid period as he questions and contemplates his life experiences and accomplishments, and learning to accept his failed efforts and aspirations.

Hekaa dies RC138,   4 years before Jiki. He visited her a couple of times up North. RC102, 118, and RC130

RC142 - Jiki dies, in the comfort of Surin Ren, his devoted wife, survived by their one child, Oryo, a gifted musician with odd quirks.

Facts and personal Fan Lore:

- He is a true synesthaet like his father Muan. His senses are combined. (Seeing music.  Seeing fragrance.  Tasting color)

- Jiki recovers Muan's early works on creating a written form for their Nevrean language, but his attempts to compile and propose them also failed in his lifetime.

- His name, Jiki (named after Guerlain perfume.) in-world, was named after a rare, fragrant moss-like growth that is found under precarious cliff sides, which is known to have medicinal and much sought after culinary use.

- One of his biggest peeves, is when someone eats one of his meals too fast, or without taking notice of details.

- He is actually able to fly in place for a few seconds, though with great effort and tiring quickly. Much to the disbelief of other males who'd think he's simply too heavy. He can easily glide, even while carrying a load of two small Nevreans. Jiki loved helping young Nevrean boys practice their own gliding skills by giving a running boost.

- Jiki has a strong urge to sing when gazing at sunrises. He is filled with a deeply satisfying joy, as he finds the sun to be an intriguing and spiritual presence.

- Jiki has visited Native Nevrea, several times, and was considered a very highly honoured guest.

- Jiki has actually beaten Kharnak the sergal in a belching contest.

- Jiki's cooking ability is not hindered in any way, even while drunk.

- He LOVES eating cockroaches.

- There are several special prized sauces that Jiki created, which involve an old traditional method of ingesting and regurgitating it in preparation. (Similar to how bees process honey) this is considered exotic cuisine, even in modern times.

- (Fan Lore) Native Nevreans have their own version of Kombucha fermented tea, made from herbs, insects, & fruit juices, prepared by filtering, ingesting, regurgitating, filtering, re-ingesting and regurgitating multiple times. The batches with the strongest carbonation and clearest appearance, are considered the most prized brews.

- During adolescence, Jiki fell into a Talyxian plant trap. This resulted in some physical internal injuries. He carries a parasite inside him since then. This parasite affected his behaviour and hedonistic urges during early adulthood, until he learned to come to terms with it, and learning how to control it. Also, utilizing these traits for their "sensory advantages". One skill, is having an almost supernaturally keen sense of smell, and knowing what flavors blend and harmonize with others.