Nikim Farmers - mlichtenstein/13thAgeSK GitHub Wiki

The Nikim Farmers are simple and poor communities of mixed race who farm the lands in the North near the Great Dark River. They mostly farm hearty grains including barley, oats, and rye, as well as root vegetables and apples, especially in the hilly areas on the border of the Fisherman lands. Despite their name, many villages support smiths, carpenters, and other craftspeople. But they are mostly farmers. Nikim furniture is known for being aesthetically uninteresting, of above average sturdiness, and reasonably priced.

As a group, they have a strong sense of cultural identity, but do not seem to act in unison in pursuit of greater goals. Consequentially, they are not often included in formal lists of factions. They simply appear to lack the desire to impose a collective will upon the world. In various ages, they have been occupied by the Empire, the Splinter Kingdom, and the Fishermen. Despite these periods, they have maintained their cultural identity and continue to act much as they had. For the most part, adjacent factions appear to have given up on controlling them, as there appears to be very little purpose.

While they have very little formalized religion, visitors report demonstrations of respect toward the gods of Sun and Rain, Balance, and Death. Reverence is also shown toward village-specific dieties thought associated with each location, as well as the ancestors of each village. By reputation, they are kin, hospitable, and at times, joyous, if unsophisticated. Despite their hospitality, however, outsiders reliably come away feeling that there is some intrinsic element to these people that has remained enigmatic, whether because it is intentionally hidden or simply rendered incomprehensible to those lacking their native perspective.