Arkanai

Fast Facts

Height: 5'4"-6'6" Males, 5'0"-6' Females

Weight: 140-260(lbs) Males, 110-200(lbs) Females

Lifespan: Adult (18 years), Elder (150 years), Deathly (180 years)

Notable Features: Light-Deep Blue Skin, Long Ears, Purple Irises/Sclera, Raven or White Hair, Etheric Lines, Smooth Complexions

Player Restrictions: None

Racial Ability: Starborn: Originally from Muid, the Arkanai are deeply connected to the Adac. Their souls were built to bond with them, the smallest and simplest of spirits conjoining with them to form a symbiotic relationship for them both. As a result, most adult Arkanai are bonded with a small spirit called their Starling. While Starlings once helped make the Arkanai far more powerful as a people, their fall and disconnect from Muid has limited this benefit. Instead, Starlings help the Arkanai resist corruption, helping them to navigate dangerous environments like the Straits of Adena, or to be able to endure a fractional amount of Mageblight before truly succumbing to its drawbacks.

Population: 28,000,000

History

The Arkanai were created by Saryn, God of Time, originally for but one reason: to test the extent of his own power, though the list of reasons expanded shortly after they were born. Saryn wanted not only to create a race, but the perfect one; one that could serve his and Venadak's will unfalteringly, with only a spare notion of mortal freedoms, unlike the others. The original Arkanai were nearly pure, perfect beings as opposed to their common mortal peers. They were enduring, powerful, longer-lived than even the Hyr'Norai, and they were capable of traveling back and forth between Atharen and Muid without fail. The source of this strength existed within their souls: a small Adac that roamed within them, invigorating them, connecting them to Saryn and his might. While they were few in number, they were truly elite; an order that could serve his will well.

For thousands of years, seeing an Arkanai meant steering clear. They congregated among themselves, and most of their lives were spent fulfilling tasks for the Living Gods. Despite the decree of relative distance from their creations, some Gods - Saryn among them - were not content to let threats stew, or for danger to broil. He sent his followers across the continents to act as a cabal of killers, informants, and more. Most of this was done to protect Atharen while Venadak played his games, living among mortals and avoiding the responsibility or the blood of any mess, the necessary deaths or interventions that would keep the stability of the world order.

It was, in fact, the Arkanai who first began to report on and challenge the actions of Valen Dres during the waning days of the Empire, decades before the Sundering. They were armed and sent to cull him and his courtiers, his Draedan allies, though even they failed. This was the first sign of the Empire's true threat; that Saryn's justicars could not handle the dangers. It was their failure that ultimately led Venadak to act.

Before the Sundering, the Arkanai lived in Muid for most of their lives. They would traverse the planes to land in Atharen whenever they were called to do so, though for most of the year they would train within the fields of Senia, Muid's surface. Many lived in Saryn's old realm, though they were kept distant from the management of his domains, such as Time. Saryn was, to them, the overseer of Decay and they were meant to mend the cracks that time created in the stability of the world. From beyond the veil they would monitor the coming of these dangers, few in number.

The Sundering came as a shock to all of the Adac and their peers, but to the Arkanai the event held permanent and painful implications. The Sundering was their fall: Saryn was corrupted irreparably, the explosion of ether that emanated from Adena compromising his soul, twisting and rotting him. The Arkanai felt this through their connection to him -- in fact, they began to grow corrupted themselves. The Adac within their souls began to change into that of Dregs, and while Saryn's imprisonment cut off this process of degradation, the Arkanai were expelled from Muid. The spirits within them - twisting and gnawing, and growing in ferocity - were unwelcome, and as a result, so were they. They flooded out from the realm, banished, dumped into the Straits of Adena like filth. Many of them -- most of them -- died. The few that remained moved to Sil-Elaine's corrupted, eastern coast, and while some stayed the majority left to go north on a ship they'd built from the remains of the Elainian fleet. The nearer they stayed to Adena - Atharen's corrupted heart - the more vicious their inner-Dreg became. So, they went far away to attempt to preserve themselves, and eventually made landing on Ganeron's shores.

The Arkanai tried to purify themselves. They used what they had learned, harnessing what magics they could; Necromancy, most of all. Their attempts were far less productive than merely waiting, it appeared, though in the midst of these enduring years they were forced to deal with the consequences of the Sundering. Their race had become far weaker, more fallible. The Dreg within them was a constant nuisance, and these agitated spirits seemed to constantly seek to create unrest and disorder among them, twisting and misleading their thoughts. Worst of all, they had no method of reproduction. The Arkanai were all born from one central pool of Divinity within Saryn's realm: a rich, divine basin of energy where their dead souls were placed, only to wash up along the edges of the pond in the form of a child. Saryn had constructed them this way to control them and their population; he had made them sterile so they could not grow beyond his supervision, and those who defied or failed him would not be reborn. He would claim their soul instead, harvesting them like the creations of any Living God.

With this imperfection inherent to their race, and disconnected from Muid, the Arkanai were adrift towards extinction. Years passed and they inched nearer and nearer, their numbers dwindling more and more. Once a hundred thousand, they were made ten by the Sundering, and five through the passage of time. It was then that Kyrikain laid his eyes upon them, and took pity. He created a new well of Divinity for them, one that functioned the same as the one they knew from Muid, and placed it at the core of Ganeron's central Isle. He would not mend their sterilization, as he believed the current generation too corrupted to spread their blood. Instead, as they passed on and were brought to the well, the waters would cleanse their Dreg and neutralize whatever corruption remained. The next generation that came was a new life of their race: they were imperfect and fallible like Atharen's other mortals, but they had far more free will than before, they could build their own families and follow their own path. Kyrikain enriched the Arkanai with emotion, and the plurality that was life. While the last generation of truly Starborn Arkanai died ill and corrupted, they could at least live relieved to see a healthy and purposeful youth coming after them, inheriting their stories.

Since the creation of the 'Lifebasin' - or the well - around four centuries ago, the Arkanai have found a new meaning. They constructed the Kingdom of Ganeron around the island they had made their home, with the Lifebasin terraforming the once-frigid isle into a lush home. They've since become a prolific, nautical race, sending out great ships to other lands to colonize and trade with local nations. Within the last few decades, a large number of Arkanai landed in Lukhan, eager to expand the breadth of their tropical home.

Physiology/Biology

Arkanai physiology is not fundamentally different from that of Human physiology. They are very diverse in height, weight and build, though most of them tend to gravitate around the median, with males standing at around six feet in height, and women at around five and a half. They are known to typically be in very good shape, as if their bodies naturally aide in their fitness: because they do. They were constructed by Saryn to be warriors, hunters and elite spies, and for that reason their physique is one predisposed to easily enter an athletic shape. Female Arkanai were typically made to serve as spies and investigators, and so they tend to be more lean and agile, while men often carry robust and powerful builds to serve their primary, old role as justicars. However, the more their generations move on, the less they appear to follow these archetypal patterns.

The Arkanai commonly have dimly glowing etheric patterns, typically silver-like in color. They tend to be appear symmetrically on their cheeks, arms and around their shoulder-blades, with some also having those marks around their pelvis or hips. Their bodies and complexions are typically fairly smooth, particularly female Arkanai, with male ones capable of a more rugged appearance if they do not trim their slowly growing hairs. As a final note, Arkanai tend to have very powerful legs, making them faster runners than most other races.

Starlings

While the Arkanai could once fully commune with their Starling, the weakening of their connection to Muid has limited this interaction. During the years between their fall and their restoration, the Arkanai could not communicate with their Starling at all, but rather could be influenced by it - often to commit harm. Kyrikain, upon acting to shepherd the race, decided that he would restore their ability to communicate with their Starling, but to a limited effect. Arkanai can now only communicate with their Starlings during their dreams, at which time they can speak with them, share emotions, and travel through Reverie with these companions. Arkanai are said to have more benevolent dreams than other races, with their Starlings acting as guides to help stay them from nightmares.

The Starlings themselves tend to appear as small, sprite-like beings. They often take on the form of an animal, but glowing and with unnatural characteristics. Equally as many are simply incomparable to animals, having their own unique appearances and traits. For more information, please read the Spirits article.

Technology and Civilization

The Arkanai of Ganeron live in High Medieval conditions, intentionally avoiding industrialization to protect the biome of Inner Ganeron and their island capital, Norinel. Their most advanced technology is their nautical technology: they wield a fleet of smooth, white, marble-like ships constructed from a strange material found in Ganeron's inner valley, a material that cannot be described as either lumber or any mineral. These ships are light and incredibly fast, manned by several Oath mages who defend their hull from attackers during skirmishes. The ships are lined with Etherforged cannons that fire immensely destructive ethereal shots, ripping through other ships - even Lorien and Grisith's more advanced ones - with a cleave of vaporizing ethereal bursts, appearing as a horizontal explosion of blue energy.

The Arkanai are known to build walls around everything. The entire inner valley of Ganeron is covered by a thick, white wall spanning the entire edge of the inner portion of the continent, forming the largest wall in the world. These walls are typically highly advanced, as well; they are capable of rising and falling in sections, typically have multiple layers, and are so dense as to resist even the most destructive of cannon-fire. Many believe that this is a sort of psychological imperative left behind by their days of living in Saryn's realm, as the God-realms of Muid are all surrounded by impenetrable, mountainous walls. All of their major cities are surrounded, as well, by multi-tiered walls. As their cities expand, they will build walls around new districts to separate them, typically with the wealthiest populace living in the center.

This is, in truth, due to the heavy presence of monsters and other, hostile creatures that live on Ganeron. The Arkanai have reason to believe that Kyrikain, who is near-death, would be unable to construct another Lifebasin for them if they lost the one they currently have. The Lifebasin itself is perhaps their greatest 'technology'; a divine well that wields millions of souls and near-endless divine power, capable of being harnessed to achieve unimaginable goals. For this reason, they are a deeply militaristic people who defend Norinel (which surrounds the Lifebasin) at all costs.

Among all societies, the Arkanai are only second to Daravin in how deeply magic has seeped into their culture and lives. Magic is an extremely common vice and virtue of theirs, with Oath and Mentalism being their most common practices. Summoning is completely banned in Ganeron: in the past, the Choir of Fog attempted to use their Archetypes to steal the power of the Lifebasin, and as a result, any who wield the Mark of Summoning are executed if discovered.

Culture and Psychology

As Kyrikain remade the Arkanai, he gifted them with a truly complex array of emotions. Humans are known to be the most psychologically diverse race in many ways, but this is largely because of the impression they've left on society, and their wide span. In truth, Arkanai are equally as complex. They wield vastly diverse backgrounds, and the depth of their personalities is one that cannot be understated. They are, however, known for a few cultural quirks due to the vast majority of them residing in one nation: Ganeron.

As is mentioned in the Language section, the Arkanai are a charming, suave and witty people. They are known for their rogue-like demeanors and their humor, their quips as sharp as their ears. They're also known to be deeply passionate, and romantic. This romanticism is perhaps due to the strong family-focused orientation of their society; they tend to marry young and have many children with their partner. This is certainly tied to their militaristic society, with population growth apparently necessary in order to defend Norinel and the Lifebasin.

The Arkanai are a deeply exploratory people. They spend many years exploring Inner Ganeron as youths, and millions spend their late twenties and thirties on ships, voyaging to Atharen to interact with the people of the western continent and experience their cultures. If there is perhaps any one thing truly imbued into their psychology almost to a level of compulsion, it is their wanderlust. Arkanai explorers were the first to draw maps of the entire world, the first to circumnavigate it, and they tend to be the primary people further exploring and mapping out new lands.

Clothing, Grooming and Art

While Ganeron is an enchanting land, known for its green grass, purple leaves and flowers and charming white hills and cliffs, it is undeniably cold outside of Norinel. While Norinel has been terraformed by the Lifebasin, the surrounding Kingdom is far north of the equator and has one of the coolest climates on Atharen. While it does not snow much, and the ecology of the land appears to persevere and thrive in the frost, the chill winds still strike the people of the Kingdom all the same. For the majority of Arkanai who live in Inner Ganeron, wearing thick layers of clothing - often with furs - is a matter of survival. These Arkanai tend to let their hair grow out more, as well, typically near shoulder-length for men, who will generally sport humble beards.

Those who live on Norinel or explore other continents, however, tend to dress far differently. Their clothes is often simple: white cloth with steel decorations around their wrists, ankles and waist, and gilded silver sleeves and collars. Ornate, platinum-colored jewelry and decorations are common for women, with men only wearing such decorations around the edges of their ears. Most Arkanai men keep their hair short, and typically wear somewhat open-chested outfits like vests, or V-line clothes. Women generally wear dresses that sink fairly low into their collar, accentuating their physiques. Arkanai clothing is often fairly comfortable, neither form-fitting nor baggy, and tends to look - while simple and almost monocolor - very expensive and high quality. In this way, their fashion notably appears to have taken inspiration from the Sil'Norai. This is unsurprising, considering where they initially emerged after their banishment from Muid.

Arkanai art is beautiful and generally focused on realism. They focus on quality, with each stroke of the brush intended to be well thought-out and finely placed. For this reason, many of the 'greats' of the world were painted by the Arkanai, though they tend to have few actual artists due to the perfectionism of the craft in their culture, weeding out most who would be interested in it. More common than painters are sculptors, with white-marble statues exceedingly common in Norinel's cities, depicting almost every moment of their history in elaborate compositions.

Religion and Worship

Most Arkanai worship Kyrikain, unsurprisingly. While Saryn made their race, many of them view their years in service to him as a dark time for them: one stripped of freedom, with individual will being replaced with command and obedience. Where Saryn gave their race commands, Kyrikain provided them with purpose, dreams, complex emotions and true companionship - and even a second chance, far away from Senia or the corrupted western lands. With his aide, the Arkanai have managed to become one of Atharen's most prosperous people, and for this reason they tend to be wildly faithful to him and his tenets. They are, as a result, an academic people and many of them perform 'worship' through intellectual pursuit. Philosophy, study of history and such similar things are intricately tied to their clergy, with most of their universities being run by Kyrikain's most devout, also known as the Ameslari.

A little-known fact is that Malek also helped to construct the Lifebasin, given his dominion over souls. For this reason, he is one of the only other Living Gods that is frequently worshiped by the Arkanai, as he is viewed - like Kyrikain - as a savior of their race, a God willing to offer them a second chance.

Reproduction, Aging, and Death

The Arkanai have a similar process of reproduction as humans and Elves, in that they reproduce sexually between one male and one female, and pregnancy typically lasts around nine months. However, the process of giving birth is vastly unique for them as opposed to the other races.

When an Arkanai woman is ready to give birth, she will know it. At this point - once it becomes clear to her - her body will give her roughly three weeks to make her way to the Lifebasin. If she cannot make it to the Lifebasin in time, the process of giving birth will be one of unimaginable pain - and for naught. All Arkanai must be born in this well and enriched in its Divinity, or they will come out malformed or stillborn.

Once the Arkanai mother finds her way to the well, all she must do is enter it. Typically, women will lay at the edge of the basin and relax, spending hours in a trance-like meditation. During this time, a soul will either find their way from the well into the fetus - at which point she will painlessly give birth - or a soul will be crafted within the well itself, resulting in the same outcome. Some children are born with a Starling within them, typically those who were made from the soul of a previously dead Arkanai. Those whose mothers were not blessed with this arbitrary fortune simply need to bond with one later in life.

Most dead Arkanai are brought to the well once they die, at which point their body will decompose within minutes, as if absorbed into the divine waters. The Lifebasin itself is a massive, circular pond surrounded by a simple wall and a few white-marble steps. Its waters appear to glow a star-like color, a white shade with an accent of smooth violet. When the Arkanai were corrupted by the Sundering, their connection to Muid was severed, and so their souls were no longer bound to it upon death - unlike other races. For a long time, this meant that any Arkanai who died simply became ghosts, souls with nowhere to go, rejected by the land of their creators. Now, however, their soul is bound to the Lifebasin itself, meaning all of them return to it one way or another, even if their body is not directly returned.

The Arkanai age fairly slowly, though they are not in the league of vitality as the Elves or many of the other longer-lived races. They tend to live roughly as long as half-Elves, dying anywhere from one hundred-eighty to two hundred years of age, and becoming 'middle-aged' at around a hundred-twenty. They do noticeably age around this point, not remaining 'young' forever, though Arkanai aging is a fairly benign process where they maintain most of their endurance, with the most major difference being minor lines along their cheeks, the dulling of their etheric glow (like those on the markings of their skin), and an overall minor regression of their physical capability. Old Arkanai appear to have an intense desire to return to Ganeron as they come nearer to death, the Lifebasin calling to them in a process similar to the one their mother experienced amidst her pregnancy.

Born from that same pull, they appear to die with it as well. At a certain point in the twilight years of an Arkanai, many of them wander to the Lifebasin alone, and - as if welcoming them back - the pool will swallow them, their bodies being absorbed as their soul returns to the basin. As their soul is cleansed by the waters, they forget all: their old lives, all of those memories. The new Arkanai - though ultimately reincarnated - is born with a clean slate.

Language

The Arkanai, interestingly enough, speak Common. They were largely meant to communicate perfectly among one another, and to be able to communicate with the local populations of whichever area of Atharen they were dispatched to. For this reason, they never constructed their own language, and picked up Common as the most effective universal tongue. While many Arkanai are multi-lingual, Common is their true lingua franca, and they are articulate and eloquent wielders of it. Notably, their accent tends to be very distinct from that of Atharen's users of Common. They are often said to sound almost too suave, as if they are perpetually seeking to charm others around them through humor and wit. This comes out in every aspect of their accent and usage of words, though it makes them an expert people at diplomacy and negotiations.

Arkanai names are highly varied, but are unique to them. They tend to have very mystical-sounding names: men might be Sarissan, Dyrax or Kaenen, while women might be Aurelix, Vanira or Solanor.

An Arkanai's middle name is usually the name of their Starling, and so an Arkanai will not have any such name until they bond with one. Their last name is one they choose, often upon marrying. The Arkanai and their spouse will decide on a name together, often a word in Eldhan that they feel resonates with them. Their children will have this name until they marry themselves, at which point the cycle continues. For this reason, there are no common surnames for the Arkanai, and no common conventions for their surnames, either.