Nopino

Race

Nopino are pale humanoids that have lived along the edges of every humanoid civilization in Markait exist strange creatures that move amongst their inhabitants. Though these creatures are alien and strange, the inhabitants of these civilizations generally do not even note their passing....because the nopino will appear in guise as one of them.

Nopino are rumored to be one of two things with no strong evidence towards either: First, they may be a crossbreed of humanoids with shapechanging monstrous humanoids (such as douplegangers, mamono, etc.). Second, that they are an engineered lifeform with abilities and skills that served some secret masters.

Physical Description

When describing the nopino physically, one must take into account that they will look like other creatures for much of the time. This assumed form they call, perhaps in jest, a 'mask'. Without this mask, some know it as their native form, nopino are pale mammalian humanoids, with hair, fingernails, and a single-boned lower jaw. Their noses are recessed in their face with only little slits marking their location, their eyes are either oddly wide or very narrow, their mouths are generally narrow slits.

All the colors of their native form are muted and pale white, grey, or sick green. Their eyes are duller versions of what one might find in humans.

Homeworld

It is very hard to track the movements of a people who can appear as anyone or any sentient creature. It is not clear if they prefer any one world over any other, nor is it clear if they have a preference to climate. The working theory is that they simply adapt to the environments native to their masks when they can.

Society

Nopino's natural abilities lend themselves to clandestine or multi-lives. Many, perhaps most, live an invented identity that appears as any other member of a given society, these nopino desire to go unmarked, unnoticed, these nopino may only use their powers twice a day, once to put on a mask, and once to take it off.. Others like attention, doing odd and eccentric things wearing someone else's face....who then latter gets the blame, nopino such as this may use their abilities three to ten times a day.

Their abilities are highly desired by criminal, law, and espionage organizations. They have no trouble finding work when they attempt to apply themselves to such fields, having a natural knack for disappearing into a crowd. There are likely, amongst every Star-Blocs and cooperation, staff that are or have been impersonated by nopino, where they've stolen secrets, passed sabotaged plans and subverted the intent of such organizations.

Relations

Relations are a tricky thing for nopino and revolve around two questions: do they build relations as the identities they assume or do they open up and come clean about their actual nature to people they meet. Many do a bit of both, only opening up to people they trust. Their relations are better described by how other races react to them when they are revealed as nopino. Bekre and Ishru are generally frank and honest and don't trust false faces of the nopino. They have an easier time building friendships with humans, loyu, and uvake.

Also interesting in the relationships nopino have with other nopino. One might be forgiven for thinking they'd have a sense of comradery and shared experience with one another. The truth is, they start out uncomfortable. This is commonly thought to be because they can more pinpoint a disguise than other members of society. When nopino use their beguiling pheromones it is as good as raising a red flag to other nopino nearby. They have an advanced olfactory ability that lets them utilize the Scent ability to local other nopino in the area who have used their pheromones. They can generally come to be fast friends but it is seldom an easy start.

Alignment & Religion

Nopino do not have any particular alignment. They also don't have any particular set of religious beliefs, it is not uncommon for them to participate in any local religious events.

Quirks & Foibles

Nopino can put on and take off identities the way one might dress up or dress down for work in the morning and a party in the evening. For many of them, this is invaluable to move throughout in a clandestine lifestyle, but some find it hard to remember who they started the day as or even if it was who they started the week with. Many try to cope with lots of self photos with notes written on the back, some collect knickknacks to job memories, the most tried and true method seems to be sculpting a mask for their TRUE face. They call such totems busele (busile plural), and are fit inside concealed containers either on their persons (perhaps sown in the lining of a coat) or in their domiciles (in an airduck or under a floorboard).

Adventures

Nopino may be out amongst the stars to establish a new idenity, feeling bogged down by the identities they've built up previously. Some might be out on the prowl to gain fortune.

Vitals

Table: Random Starting Age

Adulthood	Intuitive	Self-Taught	Trained
15	+1d4 years (16-19 years)	+1d6 years (16- 21 years)	+2d6 years (17-29 years)

Table: Random Height & Weight

Nopino	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Female & Male	5'1"	+2d4	110 lb.	x(2d4) lb.

Racial Traits ^{RP 9}

Standard

• Size: Medium (RP 0)
• Speed: An nopino has a base land speed of 30 ft. (RP 0)
• Type: humanoid with an shapechanger subtype (RP 0)
• Linguist:Nopino begin play speaking Basic Galactic. (RP 0)

Advanced

• Change Shape, Greater (Su): Nopino retain the abilities of their shapechanging progenitors, with the ability to assume the appearance of a small or medium humanoid as by the Alter Self spell, this ability does not adjust its ability scores. (RP +6)
• Beguiling Pheromones (Ex): Creatures that are near the nopino may be affected by pheromones, making them more susceptible to believing anything that the nopino says or proclaims. Creatures within 15 ft. of the nopino use this ability take a -4 to Sense Motive, a creature that succeeds a Fortitude save of (10 + 1/2 the character's level + Constitution modifier) ignores this penality for the next 24 hours. (RP +3)

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

It was believed that they've only within the past hundred or so years gained an ability to reproduce themselves rather than being a byproduct of monstrous humanoid shapeshifters or spawned out of tubes. They can reproduce with themselves or with other humanoids, when with themselves they always reproduce a nopino, when with other humanoids there is a 50/50 chance they produce a nopino or their partner.

A pregnant nopino is limited in a female form for the duration of pregnancy.

Growth Rate & Stages

Nopino begin life as a genderless child, only developing a preference latter in life, generally halfway through adolescence, though it is not clear if this is due to biology, choice, or some combination thereof. Other than this quark they age and mature just as any other humanoid race might physically.

Non-nopino that are born with nopino parent go through the lifecycle as normal for their species.