The Nisell inhabit the tabletop mountains southwest of the southernmost tip of Kaal Charmat and are traditionally counted among the Northern Kingdoms. They are often called the “nation of children and elders,” for such is their true nature. No one has ever seen a full-grown, adult Nisell—only a boy or girl, or an old man or woman. Many pilgrims and travelers were so fascinated by this nation that they spent years immersed in their world, attempting to grasp the mystery of their lives. Poets and writers of romance, in particular, were captivated by their culture. They left us many accounts in ancient travelogues, their tone sounding like fairy tales or nonsensical fantasies. Yet, the Kingdom of Nisell still exists in the far northwest, and whoever ventures there will find the living reality of what those travelers recorded.
If we were to summarize the painful and mysterious reality of Nisell life in a short article, we could say this:
A Nisell is born in the manner of humans, from a father and through a mother, and lives a childhood similar to that of other human communities. During adolescence, however, they grow much more slowly, and their age seems to freeze around the thirteenth or fourteenth year. The Nisell remains a slender, beardless, and inquisitive youth whose intellect quickly outpaces their emotional side. A young Nisell learns many things rapidly, but for few of them do they feel a true, deep emotion; they accept things quickly, discard them quickly, experiment, and search.
Years pass—perhaps a decade—and nothing may happen. But then, a strange age arrives when the Nisell begins to have dreams of vivid colors, and something begins to awaken within them with great force. Hope and despair toss their body, and they understand nothing. The storm eventually seems to subside, and on the surface, nothing has ostensibly changed. Inside, however, everything is different. The young Nisell suddenly gains an appreciation for art, for deeper emotions, and above all else, they are suddenly capable of affection, love, and passion with a power that cannot be compared to the feelings of any other human race. As stated above, the Nisell remains young and physically the same. Their eyes, however, now gain depth and their actions strength. They live as if every minute counts, never thinking that their life might one day end. It depends on fate, but sooner or later, such an Awakened Nisell meets their love, also from the generation of the Awakened. The search may take years, or the Finding may occur in the first month after awakening.
The harmony of two Awakened beings in the bond of love is unparalleled. Their souls touch one another in moments of instant understanding, and their inspiration intensifies through the union. This moment, however, lasts painfully short. Sooner or later (and usually sooner), such a couple undergoes a wedding and joins on the marriage bed. From such a union, a child is almost certainly born.
In the morning, two adult Nisells emerge from the bedchamber, for during the Night of Miracles, the transformation is completed. No one, however, sees them, for no one watches. They depart from the town or village and return only after nine months. It is then that their children are born—usually triplets—and during the birth, the mother and father age terribly, reaching a grey old age. Their bodies stoop, and their faces are covered with the lines of age and weakness. They are not, however, wretched elders—they still retain a certain beauty and grace, and in fact, a certain strength compared to human elders. What they lose entirely, however, are dreams, visions, desires, and plans. All their hopes are embodied in their children on the day of birth, and those children may then partake in them during the brief time of their own Awakening.
As an elder, the Nisell raises their children and continues to live a good and honorable life, which, however, lacks true desire and true direction. Their steps are guided by calm deliberation and reason, which finally contributes to the stability of the Nisell Kingdom, which—if led by the frenzied Awakened—could easily fall into ruin.
An old Nisell can live to a venerable age and is theoretically immortal, because the end of their life is not a certain age, but the moment they behold the face of their grandchild. The old Nisell fears death slightly, but even more than that, they yearn to see their grandchildren. Eventually, they cannot control their desire and look upon the children of their children. It is said that in that moment, they live for a brief instant in true emotion and true joy, similar to the times of their youth in the generation of the Awakened. That same night, however, they fall asleep and die, and their kin behold them no more.
Many have lamented the sad fate of the Nisell, who are condemned like mayflies to a long, immature youth, a brief explosion of feeling and consciousness, and the subsequent void of old age. Many claim this, yet none of those who have actually spoken with the Awakened do. For the Awakened experience something that an ordinary mortal can never experience. Every second of their youthful life, they embrace the world in emotion and ever-deepening understanding; every second, they experience a sharpness of perception and growth that is without equal, and they love with a power and passion that no words or song can capture. When we realize that some lucky ones among them live in such a state for years, then we must admit that the quiet overture of a prolonged childhood and the sudden fading into old age are but a weak counterbalance to the Awakening they experience.
The greatest horror, nevertheless, comes from the fact that they can live one moment full of dreams, with a vast consciousness and so many ideas and visions, and then, within a few weeks, they can lose everything and forget it as if they had rotted or died inside. Horror is sparked by the thought of losing attained consciousness, the loss of the capacity for feeling, the loss of ideas and dreams. But whoever looks back at their own people, or directly at their own life, may understand that the fate of the Nisell is not so far from their own. We tell ourselves that we are growing, but in reality, we are dying and losing our dreams every second.
