Izanagi

The Izanagi are a race of Novus desendent from the Numen, Miyako Ishikawa. They are the second of the first-generation Novus in terms of age and power. They are the rulers of the Izanagi Empire, and have been the sole rival of the Xai since the First Xyon War in 642 AE. Additionally, they are the chief troublemakers of the first-generation, waging wars to usrup the role as hegemon from the Xai. Notable facts about the Izanagi is their perfect spatial awareness and vast intelligence.

Biology & Appearence
See also: Novus

The Izanagi are typical of Novus in the fact that they possess the undying trait, lack of aging past 250 years of age, and three times the strength of a normal human. The Izanagi pale skin, and typical Asianic features. They are relatively short for Novus with men being 1.7 meters in height, while women are typically 1.4 meters in height. They are however, extremely lithe, capable of moving in ways most other Novus would not find possible to perform. Their eyes are capable of picking up on minute details that other races would miss, and can view fast-moving objects with a level ease that humans cannot.

The Izanagi's spatial awareness is at the peak of perfection, allowing them to sense object around them to a level not even the Xai or Vikali can. They can thus fight with a level of fluicidity that has made them made martial artists, and powerful opponents. Their sense of balance is superior to that of their cousins, with the ability to perform amazing feats of agility, all the while remaining perfectly balanced. They are highly intelligent, surpassing the Xai in such a capacity, and bringing shame to those who would say otherwise. It should be noted that the part of their brain which controls logic is more active in men, while that of emotion is more active in women.

Izanagi blood is red, and the texture the same as that of humans. However, it has something of a smell smell to it, almost like flowers and perfumes. Many Novans joke about the trait, but the Izanagi appearently care little for it, as warriors of their human ancestors used perfumes during battle so that in the event of their death, it would smell of fragances. The Izanagi have the ability to control fire as a natural defense, and can make use of the element to fight and opponent such as the Xai (using the light of the fire to annoy a Xai during a fight).

Reproduction
The Izanagi reproduce through sexual intercourse and through the successful fertilization of the woman. The gestation period of a female Izanagi is about five months. Unlike humans, the Izanagi female can have as many children as she wants forever, without no limit to the number of eggs her can store. Like the rest of the Novus, the Izanagi can choose want sex their children will be upon conception. Men currently outnumber women with a ratio of 2-to-1, this being the result of the long-standing cultural preference of men over women. Regardless, the Izanagi mature at a fastest pace than the some of the Novus. A Izanagi reaches maturity around 190 years of age compared to the generally 250 years it takes for other Novans. Additionally, the Izanagi, along with the Xai and Vashti, have a greater affinity for controlling reality than their peers.

While the Izanagi are capable of doing so, the women choose to allow themselves to appear pregant, more as a way of preserving their people's belief in natural reproduction, and as a defense against enemy soldiers, who are more less likely to rape or kill a pregant woman than one who is not. Some Izanagi may attempt to have a particularly powerful child, which requires that several times they perform intercourse to keep adding additional genetic material to the growing fetus. It also provides the child with additional memories from the parents (aside from the memories gained from the entire species), and better skills that they may inherit as they grow. Mothers who are about to give birth are usually kept at home or a special area in the capital of the Izanagi where they are to recieve training and preparations for their future life.

Society & Culture
Izanagi culture and society is not unlike that of their Japanese ancestors from Earth. The Izanagi have a great respect for nature and its qualities, as well as the reverence of poetry and the arts. Like their Japanese predecessors, the Izanagi prefer men over women, though men are less adept at bending the laws of reality as female Izanagi, maintaining the balance of power in the lands of the race. This was intentional, as Miyako (having a messed up childhood), wanted the men to be protective of the women like her brother, yet in subjection to women like her father (who she has an unexplained hatred of despite her praising of him).

The Izanagi are very aloof (though not like the Vashti), and isolationist. Outsiders are not allowed to reside in any of their main cities; for a single, purpose-built city far from the capital known as Tsūka (通過), designated as the only place foreigners may live. Those who make up the population are wealthy experiates living in the empire carrying out business of varying degrees and purposes. The Izanagi have Tsūka under heavy guard so as to keep the foreign population under strict control, and too prevent anti-foreigner attacks by fellow Izanagi subjects, determined to oust the visitors from their lands.

In the family, men are regarded with a level of upmost respect, and are without fail, the rulers of their castles. Their wife is expected to perform her duties with a level of grace and conviction that brings respect to her household. In a working relationship, the men make sure that there is food and money for the family, and the wife prepares everything needed for him to perform his work. Children are not expected to do anything beyond learning and training for combat, and have very little say in the way things are run. Additionally, they have fewer freedom that other Novan children.

While the Izanagi are religious and very dutiful in their worship of their Numen, Miyako, they are very rational and secular to the degree that only a few shrine to their Numen actually exist. A number of statues devoted to her exist as well, but Miyako stated that she wants her people focus on the gifts around in nature, and not on herself, though a level of worship is demanded to remind the Izanagi they do have a creator. There is no worship of her brother or any of her children though, as they are viewed as the examples the Izanagi should follow, not worship.

Many of the cultural stances of modern Japan on Earth have no holdings within Izanagi society. Miyakko was determined to return her people to the "golden ages", where a degree of culture was based on the traditional values of her land, not the ones which were developed within the span of a century, and effectively "Westernized" by the world back home. Miyako's ultimate goal is to force these ideals on the Japanese people, and force them to return to the days of old; where the Emperor and not the Prime Minister has control of the nation (an issue that annoys her to no end).