Kroggné

Kroggné is the southernmost country of the Mainland, and home of the Arakos. To the south lies the Frigid Sea, while its eastern and western borders are flanked by Wakuda territory. To the north lies the Aurum Forest. Few people venture this far south due to the xenophobic and jingoistic nature of the inhabitants, who all subscribe to what outsiders perceive as a violent cult. The truth of these claims depends almost entirely on who is asked.

Its capital and largest city is Capitol Urufu, situated in the heart of the country, where the Archon and Matrona rule the country with absolute authority.

Geography and Climate
Surrounded by mountain ranges on both its eastern and western sides, Kroggné actually enjoys a temperate climate and experiences 4 distinct seasons. The bulk of the country consists of rolling hills and plains, which has helped the orderly Arakos produce settlements and civilizations that are almost like works of art. Despite the foreboding nature of the society that lives there, the region itself appears otherwise very warm and hospitable.

The southern half of the country is lined with rocky, unremarkable beaches that lead south into colder lands unknown. these beaches are otherwise featureless and not much to look at, though a few Arakan ports sit on these shores, primarily for Arakos to venture out into other lands and perhaps attempt to convert others to their cause. The eastern and western borders of the country sit at the foot of mountainous, rocky terrain that houses Wakuda, both above and below ground.

Despite bordering the Aurum Forest, there are few trees in the steppe-like grasslands that lead southward into central Kroggné, since the boundaries of that forest also marked the boundaries of the country. Its southern reaches are somewhat more frigid than the rest of the country due to their position on the continent, and that Tsominku is located in Mencu's southern hemisphere.

History
Kroggné is known for being one of the most stable and unthreatened nations on Mencu, to the point where its borders and governmental structure has not changed at all since the beginning of the 182nd Age. The only reason anything changed at that point was primarily due to the aftermath of the Jalenga Ascension Crisis, but apart from that, it remains as one of the most isolationist and uninvolved nations in the world. It is also known for being the oldest and most structured nation in the world, and despite their common involvement in wars and conflicts, almost none of these happen on Kroggñan soil.

Despite its own stable borders, the country has attempted to expand many times. The Aurum forest proved too treacherous for them to navigate, especially against the native Komera and Mizulen. They have also attemped to remove Shahar-Eka from the map due to the erratic nature of the natives, although this only resulted in a purge of Arakos from the country, making it and Krippa the only two nations in the world without a sizable or significant Arakan population.

Demographics
Kroggné is easily the least diverse country on Mencu, housing almost nothing but Arakos. Even the Wakuda do not live formally within its borders, but are consolidated to barren lands east and west of the country. While these lands are not officially part of Kroggné, they are effectively administered by the Kroggñan government, for Wakuda are weak without leaders, and the Arakos seek control.

The Zaderic population of Kroggné is believed to be remarkably small, although there are no accurate sources to confirm or deny this due to the secrecy of the Arakos and that they vehemently deny any experimentation done on Zaderic individuals of their kind. Since no Arakan Zaderei have been seen in any other corner of the world, it is unclear just how many of them exist, although it is popularly believed that they have lower levels of Zaderism than most other races.

Surprisingly, Kroggné has what the Arakos refer to as an "endemic" of dark elves, who are sly, wily individuals that manage to avoid being spotted or apprehended by the Arakos. It is unclear if these crafty individuals have connections to the ones in Shahar-Eka, but it appears that they do. However, they do not appear to be trying to subvert the Arakan chain of command, and so for the moment it appears that the Arakos are okay with these wanderers in their land--at least for the time being.

Culture & Religion
Kroggñan Culture is essentially Arakan culture considering the totalitarian rule of the country. The essential dictatorship from the Archon is an orderly and remarkably functional society due to the nature of the Arakos as extreme social creatures who follow a sort of hivemind. Individualism is practically nonexistant here apart from the renegade Kumenza that make their homes in these borders, but even they seem to give no inclination as to what they do or how they live.

Culture
The Arakos possess a rigid hierarchy of power, and their names reflect ranks and positions on this social ladder. Everyone has a place, and while the Archon and Matrona are at the top of this ladder, they are viewed as equals by all of Arakan society. They are a culture that shares everything equally according to need, and they do not waste people or resources. Arakos are loyal and will die for their noble cause, and even the Archon himself is not immune to this. While he is revered as the Supreme Leader of Kroggné, there are others that can and will replace him upon his death. Otherwise, the positions of Archon (for males) and Matrona (for females) are permanent until death.

"Electing" these leaders is a unanimous process that involves the highest rank of Arakos democratically choosing one from among themselves to rule them. While the process is, as mentioned, a democratic process, the results are near-always unanimous due to the connected way that these people think. It is a complicated system involving dozens of different ranks and positions on the social ladder, and few outsiders know of its true structure, just as very little is known of Arakan culture other than that it it is very orderly and society-oriented.

Because of these rigid structures and the mindset of the Arakos, Kroggné is virtually crime-free, as not even the few dark elves that live in these regions dare commit crimes and stand out from their Arakan peers any more than they already do. Most of them attempt to keep low enough profiles as it is.

Religion
All Arakos follow the teachings of their god Leaxyk, who teaches about order and unity, and in turn, prosperity for all. These teachings are what has led them to abandon individualism, and while most other races oppose this type of thinking due to how varied they are, the Arakos had no trouble accommodating to it. They are also zealous proselytizers, which has had them infiltrate nearly every corner of the world except Krippa and Shahar-Eka, where they are treated as anything from minor disturbances to outright menaces.

Despite their often harsh and very authoritarian views, the Arakos do not wish malice upon the other people of Mencu, and as such, are not actually engaged in actual war with most of them most of the time. However, after being provoked, such as in incidents such as Isikiro's Purge, they will not hesitate to either take up arms, or remember the wrongdoing before moving to strike in retribution at a later time. They claim that these are Leaxyk's commands, for he is a ruthless god who demands justice for his fallen people, and the Arakos seem to adhere to the idea of justice in the form of revenge as well.

Role in the Series
Kroggné is a distant and isolated country that sees few visitors,and due to its own lack of conflict, it sees very little attention in many of the volumes. However, evidence of its culture and people are seen in every volume in the form of the Arakos and their cult.

The Crown of Zivia
Kroggné's influence can be seen heavily throughout The Crown of Zivia, as the Archon himself tries to establish a cultural alliance with Koldia by turning the monarchs into their puppets and mouthpieces through gradual appeasement and submission. This plot was subverted by a violent rebellion formed by Princess Leto Irizari.

The Crusade of Zulera
The influence of the Arakos and Kroggné are much smaller in this novel due to the loss of their Archon, although they serve more as secondary antagonists as they oppose the vampires that caused the Shioru Vampire Crisis, rather than directly oppose the leaders of the movement to free Shioru.

The Shadows of Shinzoka
Since the focus of this volume is primarily on Krawvill and the Shinzoka, Kroggné's role is minimal.