Arauki people (Ara-OO-key)

Appearance

Born lit with candle flames upon their foreheads, the Arauk are a nation made up for people of a variety of phenotypes, with the vast majority of them being of very dark skin. The flames that float before their foreheads come in a myriad of colors, all tinged with grey to signify its origins in the Realm of Grey Flame. This flame provides minor illumination in dark areas, but does not emit light equivalent to a regular flame. However, the way the flame manifests is a sure sign of the various primordial forms that the Arauk have under their main Aspect of The Moment.  Given the tropical climate they live in, Arauk are often seen with loose fitting clothing, and men often go shirtless for a large portion of time, with women wearing enough to cover themselves while remaining cool. Beyond this, the type and quality of clothing one wears is an immediate indication of one's current work station, status, island origin, and clan.

Common Personality

The Arauk are a nation whose origins are ancient, borns of a combination of ancient scholars and farmhands. As such, the ideal Arauk is seen to have their eyes looking upwards with their feet planted firmly in the ground. That is to say, they seek ideals but are grounded in the knowledge of reality. They use such metaphors of earth and sky to represent this duality of thought that encompasses their mainline philosophy, and how one may be tethered or bogged down on one side of this dual way of thinking. However, this main ideal influences how they interact with others. They are accepting of strangers, but also observe thoroughly before trusting them. They see the value of knowledge, but are conservative in its application, seeking advancement at a moderate pace to allow for adjustments in strategy and improvements due to further study. This also, ironically, results in them being consistently late, as they see value more in the present rather than an imperfectly defined future.

History Summary

The Arauk are so named because they were the last to depart from the first Grand City of mankind, the City of Barinma, after the Scattering of Mankind. It is said that they were guided across the ocean by a being of great power whom they dubbed "The Guide", with their leader, Ideem Adwar, holding a great treasure of knowledge for their people. They named Ideem "The Scholar" for this deed. When they stepped through the Realm of Grey Flame to walk across the ocean to their new home, the people absorbed its essence, becoming candles to its immense power, and extending their lifespan to a great degree. Yet, they were attacked soon after they arrived, in which they Guide called for a Guardian known as the Impthei to protect them. In honor of those by whom they were able to survive to build their new civilization, the Arauk made these, named by all as the Lofty Ones, the "Honors of the  Directions". The Guide represented the North, as he brought them away from the center of the Southern Disk. The Scholar represented the East, the Guide's right hand to lead the people in times of trouble, and the line of which became the line of Kings and Scholars from which their society was birthed. The Guardian Impthei represented the West, the Guide's shielding hand through which the people were saved time and again from the machinations of the Wraithborn Abominations that infested the Mahoutmauei Islands. Lastly, the south, for the longest time was left vacant, as it signified the lost and accursed city of Barinma from which they came. However, upon the ringing of the final bell and its collapse into dust, the Final of the Lofty ones was established, known as the Raised Child: A boy seated upon the arms of his mother and grandmother looking on in reverence at the place where the city used to be, signifying the changes and revelations of the Impthei upon the people on the day when they successfull fought back against the Imperial Zenitherian Empire.

Society and Common Environment

The Arauk are a collective of interconnected Island societies separated by the sea, but connected through an interlocking set of structures called Sky crystals that allow for people with the Aspect of The Moment or with specific technologial items to be able to traverse between islands within the span of a few seconds. This allowed for incredible connection between all the islands, enabling each of them to help the others with varying resources. Each island has a different terrain and materials to provide, but all are tropical in climate. This allows for the interconnection of even remote villages into a giant transportation networks, bringing all the islands together despite their significant distance apart.
Due to their scholarly and agricultural origins, there is a strong emphasis on both in Arauk society. The elevation of those who pursue academics is desired mostly for the benefit of all, not for the pursuit of higher status. As such, seeking academic pursuits is done for the sake of society at large, as much or even more so than seeking other persuits that do not require as much academic rigor. Thus, those who have pursued and achieved academic success are often seen as public servants rather than elevated above the masses due to their achievements. 

International/Multi-ethnic relations

Because of the collaboration of many ethnic groups on the successful Resistance against the Zenetherian Empire, known later as Kumans'm de Libey (Commensment of Liberation), a number of formerly distinct ethnic groups have been integrated into Arauk society, sometimes with difficulty, but mostly without issue. This has resulted in a more relaxed view of international relations, and especially multi-ethnic bonds of marriage or relationships. This results in many Aspectral variations within Arauk society by those who were raised and treated and consider themselves fully Arauk.

Religious Tendencies

While there are many who view the Lofty Ones as grand ancestors to be venerated among all others as the founders of their nations, and still others venerate the Guide as a god for their instrumental role in bringing them out of the fallen and accursed city, the vast majority of Arauk believe in a greater divine being they know only as "The Bright One" from whom the Guide was sent as an ambassador and overseer. This was later folded into the overall "Truthseeker Sect" that later formed.

Ethnic and Racial Traits

• Race: Any, but the vast majority of the indigenous group are Ao'Maphran or Lacrimaphran
• Languages: Main official and spoken language is Uk'weiol, with varying dialects based on the island. However, due to their being a hub of knowledge and their strong connections to Faesmithea, they are often trained in several other languages, including at least 1 trade language beyond the one for the planet they are on.
• Temporal Processing: Player can choose any mental Attribute of choice (Perception, Intelligence, Wits). When rolling for any skill requiring that mental attribute, they roll those specific dice with a -1 to difficulty, in order to discern answers from existing information or to learn more information.
• Arauk Weapons: Arauk are trained to be proficient in one of several specialized weapons by choice: The Clockhand Rod, The Weaver's Gloves, and the Fencing Cutlass. All Arauk, regardless of which specialized weapon they use, are proficient with the Kite-Shield rod.

Aspects

• While the integration of peoples from other cultures to the Arauki society has resulting in the inclusion of many other Aspectral powers, most of the indigenous people possess the Aspect of The Moment .

Unique Martial Traditions

• The Clocktower Arts: The central martial arts style of the Arauk Military. All people are trained in the basics of this art from their youth, as well as one of the Clockhand Rod's 4 forms (Short Mace or Knob [Second], Short Spear/Blade or Iklel [Minute], Long Javelin blade or Attesai [Hour], and the Staff-Club Okerryi [Day]). This difficult weapon is then mastered by those within the military, and those with the highest proficiency are given the greatest version of this weapon: The Glou-Rod (energy projection). All versions of the Clockhand Rod and its separate singular forms are accompanied with a wristband that allows for it to return to the wielder's hand through spatial manipulation, making it also useful at any point as a ranged weapon.
• The Nyanzi Weavings: The Spy-Weavers of the Nyanzi have created a specialized, nearly unbreakable thread which they use in extremely versatile ways to attack, bind, and eviscerate their enemies. An extremely difficult and time consuming weapon to learn, it is nevertheless a very potent weapon in the hands of those who wield it effectively. Additionally, by making use of the beads they are housed in as spatial anchors, the Nyanzi have developed a special way of usinf their Weaver's Gloves to create specialized ranged weapons to fire Foci beads at high velocity to deal potent damage at range. It is for this reason that they gained their reputation for dabbling in the dark arts, when these methods were secret and therefore misunderstood.
• The Saborius: Saborius soldiers are the vanguard of offensive weapon wielders. Wielding a single cutlass as a tool of fencing, they strike and parry with unusual precision, closing the gap between themselves and their opponent easily and unexpectedly with their temporal skills and lashing out with a flurry of blows. with their far arm always free, they can more easily use their Kite-Shield Rod in Buckler mode to defend and deflect opponents to continue their onslaught, increasing the potency of their fighting skills.

Associated Nation: Arauk Kingdom 
Associated Languages: Uk'weiol