Arakos

Arakos (singular: Arakan) are robust Serenza that primarily inhabit the southern regions of the Tsominku continent in the Kingdom of Kroggné. They are one of the few races without a universally recognized nickname, although considering their linked minds and similar ways of thinking to one another, popular nicknames include 'cultists' or 'hiveminds'. While they lack any innate transformation abilities like the Vartiz, they did not descend from the Kasil the way the humans, elves, and dwarves did, and as such are not classified as Kasil either. Other races that fall into neither category include the Wakuda, the Serenghe, and the Jalenga.

Origins
The Arakos were a race created by the god Leaxyk, who was also the First Creator. He designed them to work in perfect harmony with one another and to serve him. Had they been the only inhabitants of Mencu, they very well might have been much more successful in this endeavour. However, since some of the unintended side effects of his work included the creation of many of the other gods who in turn designed and created their own people to inhabit the world of Mencu, the Arakos have seen much in terms of conflict with the other races.

Throughout History
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a race so culturally fixated on order and stability has changed very little over the years and ages, and as such, their goal of converting the rest of the world to the Cult of Leaxyk remains, as does their orderly and hierarchial society. While the amount of territory they controlled or held influence over has fluctuated slightly, more often than not they have held the boundaries around what is present-day Kroggné, with little more and little less.

Modern Times
To this day, the Arakos' goal remains the same: convert the rest of Mencu to the doctrine of their god Leaxyk. They have had varying levels of success and have redesigned their plans and methodology many times. They nearly succeeded in turning the Zukuren to their plans, but the event later known as Leto's Rebellion wound up crushing those aspirations. Their current focus as of The Crusade of Zulera is the Shinzoka.

Language
Arakos traditionally speak Arakan, although like every race apart from the Wakuda and a few hardline traditionalist Zaderei, they also speak the Common Language to aid in communication between themselves and the races they seek to integrate into their culture. This also helps their home of Kroggné have some communications with other nations, usually in messages of "diplomacy" or warnings of war, but a communication nonetheless.

Religion
All Arakos follow the teachings of their god Leaxyk, who teaches about order and unity, and in turn, prosperity for all. Since the Arakos control Kroggné with absolute authority, this is also the national religion of the kingdom. 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, where they were expunged in an earlir age; and Shahar-Eka, where they are treated as anything from minor disturbances to outright menaces, and thus usually removed by the wily Kumenza.

Despite their usually harsh and very authoritarian views, the Arakos do not seek to influct 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, if or when they are 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, stating that he is a ruthless god who demands justice for his fallen people, and since the Arakos seem to adhere to the idea of justice in the form of revenge as well, they see it as fully justified.

Cultural Behaviours
Arakan culture and Kroggñan culture are essentially the same thing, but despite this, Arakos tend to respect most of the laws and customs in other countries, and are thus often law-abiding citizens. This is what makes them difficult to remove before they "strike", since removing individuals who have done no wrong can make leaders and law enforcement look like tyrants, which damages their reputation among their constituents, to name the very least.

Another unusual quirk is that while Arakos follow the Mencuan Naming Convention, their names are more a string of titles that denote their rank, with every Arakan having the surname "Arakan". Their first and middle names denote other ranks, titles, and formalities that only they seem to know. The only ones that are well-known are the Archon and the Matrona, which are the male and female leaders of the Arakos respectively.

Biology
While it is popularly believed that Arakos also experience Zaderism, it is uncertain if they are biologically compatible with any of the other races of Mencu, as it has never been attempted.

Physical Appearance
Arakos are know for their fairly uniform physiques and builds, with them appearing as robust Kasil at first glance. Most males stand between 6'1" and 6'8", and females between 5'9" and 6'4". Despite lacking transformative abilities, they are not considered a Kasil Race because they did not descend form the ancestral Kasil. Much like the Serenghe, they existed independently of the Jalenga, the Kasil, or the Vartiz.

While they are uniform in many things including culture and mindset, they stand out from other races with their skin tones, whihc tend to be shades of gold, yellow, or bronze, with many even having a sort of sheen to them. Their hair colors are similar, with shades of bronze, silver, and gold being noted, with eye colors to match. It is believed that the color of an Arakan's skin, eyes, and hair might also help direct their cultural or social roles, but few outside the Arakos' enigmatic society know what means what, and so it remains a mystery.

Lifespan, Age, & Population
For better or worse, an average lifespan for the Arakos is slightly longer than most of the other races, and their growth patterns and lifespans more resemble those of the Serenghe as a result. Since both races existed at the same time and were the only two races to survive from the 1st Age to present time (since the Kasil became the three Kasil Races, the Vartiz became the six Vartiz Races, and the Jalenga disappeared), it is believed that there might be some kind of connection between the two. However, since no records of any biological compatibility between Arakos and Serenghe exist, this seems unlikely. On the other hand, Arakos are not known to be biologically compatible with any other race, and so perhaps the difference runs deeper than that.

By matching the Serenghe, Arakos have a lifespan of around 250-300 years, coming of age in full adulthood at age 35, and then experiencing a lengthy prime for the next 100-120 years of life. While many Arakos are slain in battle due to the nature of their people and culture, the population remains rather large due to the number of them that remain in their isolationist homeland, and only the Zukuren and Wakuda are believed to outnumber them.

Other Notes
While Arakos are believed to be biologically incompatible with other races (a trait only shared with Wakuda), this is actually not proven, and no one seems willing to test it. Another uncertainty is whether or not Arakos are able to have Kumenza produced from their species, as this has either never been attempted, or all attempts and records have been carefully monitored and/or destroyed by the Arakos. No one outside of Kroggné really knows which is more likely.

While no Zaderic Arakos have been seen to exist, it is popularly believed that not even the Arakos are immune to Zaderism, but rather that Zaderic Arakos are used as a 'resource' for some of their many mutations tests. Arakos are also the only known race to be immune to vampirism, which is also part of the reason they are so vehement against it.

Roles in the Series
While they are not inherently evil, the Arakos and their stubborn adherence to what outsiders refer to as the Cult of Leaxyk has them coming to conflict with many of the other races. As such, they are common antagonists throughout the series.

The Crown of Zivia
The Arakos play a significant role in The Crown of Zivia, where they are seen in the Renkida Kingdom and the Empire of Koldia. They are flushed from Shimla almost singlehandedly by the warrior Isikiro, who formed a task force with the help of the Kadasi Circle to help remove the rest. They also appear as a primary opposition force against Leto's Rebellion in the Zukuren Civil War.

The Crusade of Zulera
The Arakos return in The Crusade of Zulera, albeit with a new Archon this time. Like the Kagero-Kiza, they take advantage of the Renkida Vampire Crisis to invade the kingdom.

The Shadows of Shinzoka
The Arakos play a smaller role in The Shadows of Shinzoka, As they work to establish a new Archon to replace the one they lost in the Elven Civil War. While this was a lengthy process, their culture remained stable and orderly due to the strict and solid hierarchial structure it follows.

The Rebirth of Krippa
It is unclear if Arakos appear in this volume, but it is very likely.