Zaderei

Zaderei are a peculiar group of Serenza that are affected with Zaderism. While biologically compatible with every race that non-Zaderic individuals are compatible with, they often stick to their own kind due to many stigmas that surround them and their unnatural origins. They are easily distinguishable from others by their red eyes and a sunburst shaped dark red marking that covers one side of their face. They primarily inhabit the nation of Krippa.

Since nearly any race of people can be affected by Zaderism, Zaderei are technically not a race on their own, but more a subrace or a variation existent among many of Mencu's humanoid species.

Origins
Much like the Kumenza, the Zaderei were originally created by the Jalenga during the course of them living life and altering reality as they pleased. In this case they were the result of several ambitious individuals who wished to create a more durable and robust race, and so in a way, they were the precursors of the Kumenza, only with several major differences. The largest of these, and the one believed to be responsible for the gender disparity, was that the Jalenga modified existing women who would then give birth to the first Zaderic individuals. Fortunately, nearly all of the affected women survived and proceeded to live normal lives, although the Jalenga purportedly continued to modify women across multiple generations.

As a result of these endeavours, a great majority of Zaderei are female, although males from every race barring Shinzoka are known to exist. The primary reason no male Shinzoka are believed to have existed is mainly due to the gender disparity in that race, even if said disparity did not become very prominent until the 182nd Age. While they are fully biologically compatible with other races, they are often shunned and ostracized, which led them to retreat to the then-nearly-uninhabited southern part of Munjang-Îue, where they built a powerful empire known today as Krippa.

Kumenza
The Zaderei were, in a way, a precursor to the Kumenza, but surprisingly, the Jalenga did not "abandon" the Zaderei after creating the Kumenza. In fact, there are Kumenza that are affected by Zaderism as well, although their marking (known as a Keiza) is blue, and their eyes similarly glow a shade of vivid blue instead of the normal vivid red of non-Kumenzic individuals. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Kumenza and Zaderei are extremely tolerant and accepting of one another (including Artificial Kumenza), even without counting the Zaderic Kumenza.

Present Day
While some cultures, such as the Madizi, the Dorenzu, and the Kumenza, have been fairly welcoming of Zaderi (particularly the Dorenzu, whose very queen is a Zaderei), they are still viewed with relative suspicion, especially because it is believed that there are technically at least 1,703 differences between Zaderic individuals and normal individuals. Of these, only three are commonly known, which just adds to the misinformation and the fear of the unknown. Despite this lack of acceptance, Zaderei are generally fairly welcoming of other races, although it remains rare for people apart from Kumenza and Zaderei to venture into Krippa, much less live there.

Language
Zaderei primarily speak the Common Language due to their many different walks of life. Since most of them converge in Krippa, they have mixed and mingled significantly, hence their need and desire for a common language. Their dialect is slightly different from the Mainland dialect, particularly since a lot of them still speak Archaic Jalengan, sometimes referred to as Old Zaderic. This is particularly true because it is used in many of their rituals, ceremonies, religion, and other cultural practices.

Religion
Because they stem from nearly every race, Zaderei are fairly accepting of many different religious practices, apart from those practiced by the Arakos, due to the lack of Arakan Zaderei; and slightly less focus on the Shinzoka's religion due to the small number of Zaderic Shinzoka (and complete lack of male Zaderic Shinzoka). Unlike the Kumenza, Zaderei do not venerate the Jalenga as gods or as their creators, but instead simply respect them for the power and ability they had.

Cultural Behaviours
It is considered socially unacceptable to touch the marking on a Zaderei's face without their permission, due to the different emotional factors that come into play and affect the sensory reaction. Because of their differences, many disparaging terms for them have developed, including but limited to "red-eyes", "scar-faced", "marks", or other terms mocking their eyes, markings, or resilience. Incidentally, Zaderei have also used terms such as "blank-face" or "dark-eyes" to describe non-Zaderei, with a particularly harsh favourite being "weak ones", jabbing at the fact that Zaderei are notably more durable than their counterparts.

For various reasons, Zaderei also harbour a dislike for footwear, and as such, most of them will go barefooted, with their durability being the primary reason the soles of their feet seem unaffected by heat, cold, or harsh terrain or objects. Despite this, they do tend to wear plated gloves on their hands, but this seems more to deflect elements in combat or spars, rather than to protect their hands, which are as resilient as the rest of their bodies.

Biology
Since they have members from almost every type of Serenza, Zaderei are very diverse in their appearances, and so they rarely follow any particular trends regarding height, weight, size, or color. This becomes even more poignant considering that Kumenza can also be Zaderei (whether produced naturally or artificially). Despite these notable physical differences, Zaderei are easily recognized by a series of dark red, vein-like markings that cover one side of their face known as a Keiza, as well as for having luminescent red eyes. Zaderic Kumenza are similar, except their eyes are luminescent blue, and their Keiza is also a similar shade of dark blue, not unlike the color of their blood.

Physical Appearance
Since Zaderei can be as small as Serenghe or as tall as Kuthawa, they appear physically like the race they are a part of, and are fully biologically compatible with any and all races that normal members of their race and species are compatible with. On the other hand, it has been noted that Zaderei of any kind are on average an inch or two shorter than their non-Zaderic counterparts. They also tend to have slightly larger hands, feet, and ears, although whether this is one of the supposed 1,703 different traits or just a coincidence remains unclear.

While they might not appear it physically, many Zaderei also often weigh slightly more than non-Zaderei due to a higher muscle and bone density, which is something attributed to their increased resilience. Others are purported to have a different type of bone and muscle structure that forms patterns that are more resistant to damage, although the truth behind these speculations is also still unclear.

Lifespan, Age, & Population
Zaderei live slightly longer on average than the rest of the Serenza, often passing into the 300-year range compared to the 200-250-year lifespans of many other races. However, they are also one of the last races to come of age socially, not being considered adults until the age of 35. From there, they take the path of other Mencuans with a prime that lasts from their 40s to around their 120s or 130s, before gradually declining as their age catches up with them. Different types of Zaderei live to slightly different ages (based on the sex and race of the individual, with females living longer than males), but overall age similar to those around them.

Interestingly enough, the age variance between the different types of Zaderei is much smaller than it is among non-Zaderei of the same races. ie: while Mizulen might live longer than Todawa, a Zaderic Mizulen and a Zaderic Todawa would have much similar lifespans. However, all of them are not fully considered adults at the age of 35, regardless of what race they are from.

Since Zaderism affects females more than males, the population of Zaderei is heavily skewed, with about 74% of the, being female. Since most of them reside in Krippa, there are more women than men in the country, but since many non-Zaderic men come there for various reasons (including the women), the gender ratio of the country is much more balance, albeit still skewed more towards females. However, the Zaderei's skewed gender ratio coupled with the Shinzoka's skewed gender ratio is exactly why no male Zaderic Shinzoka have ever been recorded.

Forms
Since the genetics for Zaderism are located on the 'X' sex chromosomes, they appear more in females than in males. As such, Male Zaderei only have one "form", while female have two: Mza and Kzi. Mza women are those with the trait on one of their sex chromosomes, while Kzi are those with the trait on both. Outwardly there is little difference between the two, although Kzi Zaderei are notably more durable and their ears point at a more outward angle. The side of the face that the Keiza appears on seems to be random. Both parents might have it on the right side of their face, and still give birth to a child with the marking on the left side of their face. It seems to have no impact on any physical or mental functions of the Zaderei which side this mark appears on, and thus is considered more of an aesthetic issue at most. This trend affects Kumenza as well, with the only difference being the color of the marking. Because it is dark red on non-Kumenza and dark blue on Kumenza, it is theorized that the Keiza's color matches the color of its owner's blood.

Role in the Series
Zaderei crop up in every volume of the The Crest of Zabutur series, with many of the major characters and at least two of the primary protagonists being Zaderei. Most of them are female, in line with their gender ratio, but unlike Shinzoka, male Zaderei also appear in every volume.

The Crown of Zivia
The Crown of Zivia opens up with a scene involving Katara Zelgiaz Montoya 1, a Zaderic Serenghe thief and assassin. It also introduces her daughter, as well as many of the Serénes Clans, who are also Zaderei. Brief appearances from Zulera, an infamous Zaderic mechanist, also tally the Zaderei's role in this volume.

The Crusade of Zulera
Katara returns in The Crusade of Zulera in a similar opening scene, as well as her daughter. It also puts a much larger spotlight on the titular Zulera, who is also a Zaderei. The Serénes Clans also reappear, as do Zaderei who prove and reveal that they are immune to vampirism.

The Shadows of Shinzoka
Many different Zaderei appear in The Shadows of Shinzoka, since the Serénes Clans reprise a major role, and because of prominent influence from Krawvill's southern neighbor Krippa.

The Rebirth of Krippa
Liberty Tezeru Mežkiel 4, the lead protagonist of The Rebirth of Krippa, is a Zaderei. Since much of the volume takes place in the titular nation, the Zaderei are central to this volume's plot, and as such make many major appearances on both sides of the conflict.