Arkhosians

The Arkhosians are an intelligent carbon-arsenic-based species native to the planet Sakijast of Matoehdahn. Numbering amongst the first species to achieve space travel in Aylathiya, the Arkhosians have a long history of living in low-gravity environments. Over thousands of years, they have adapted to these environments in a myriad of ways, most of which are artificial. The Arkhosians are numerous and have significant populations across most systems in Aylathiya.

Arkhosians have participated in space-faring civilizations as old as the Lareas Alliance and their associate state of Hyperion. It is unclear how only a small number of ancient Arkhosians left their homeworld. Over the years, prodigal Arkhosians returned to their home in a series of waves, destabilizing the planet every time. The last wave consolidated into two powers, the United Provinces and the Arkhosian Order. After being conquered by Sedrua, the Arkhosians spread throughout Sedrua's interstellar empire, leaving their planet in large groups. For many years, the Arkhosians had no significant sovereign state to represent them. Matoehdahn switched hands amongst numerous external powers before the formation of Arkholst in 9894 CE.

Biology

Instead of the more familiar multicellular structure of most complex life, the Arkhosians evolved on a planet devoid of cells. The basic unit of biology is the catomic fiber, a strand of RNA wrapped in a protein sheath. Capable of weaving themselves into fibers of any length and width, the Arkhosians are made up of cloth-like tissue. The tissue is very fine, leaving only the outer layer of skin resembling textiles in any way; their internals are far more reminiscent of organic tissue.

Arkhosians have four limbs, two powerful hind legs and two dexterous front legs. Arkhosians evolved the ability to stand on their hind legs for extended periods, but they struggle walking on them. Their powerful tails and fin-like extensions on their arms make Arkhosians excellent swimmers. This ability alone is not what granted them dominance over their native marshlands; their hands allow the creation of nets to catch food, growing the population.

Arkhosians are adapted well for humid marshlands. Adults can go long periods outside of the water, but newly-born Arkhosians spend their first few years fully-aquatic, a leftover from before the Arkhosians evolved proper legs. The young are born in groups of two or three without front legs, lungs, or horns. Over a decade, their front legs bud, lungs develop, and skin hardens, but their horns are the last thing to grow. Associated with reaching maturity, fully-developed horns are a sign of adulthood.

Society

The Arkhosians have a fairly isolated society typically, a leftover from their time as solitary predators. Cooperation proved useful on an intellectual level; unlike some species where seeing others is a need, for the Arkhosians it is a matter of convenience. The invention of nets proved as revolutionary as the invention of fire, both fundamentally changing society. Previously untapped food sources made healthier by cooking contributed to a massive increase in the population. Agriculture was the next step, a forced technology brought about by over-fishing and over-population.

To this day, Arkhosian society remains one predicated on alliances of convenience. Without familial attachments besides newly-birthed young, they have a reputation of being "highly political." Another unfortunate side-effect was prejudice on the grounds they "had no attachments," which is hardly the case. Arkhosians feel the full range of emotions common to more social species, including friendship. The difference is intensity. Two Arkhosians who speak once a month are considered "good friends," since this is all they need.

Emotions like pride and fear are just as prevalent, leading to the phenomenon of near universal nationalism for the only Arkhosian state, Arkholst. A state in the Commonwealth of Aggregate Aylathiya, its population has been rapidly increasing as the Arkhosian diaspora returns home. After five thousand years of statelessness, the Arkhosians finally remembered their pride. While a young state fraught with power struggle, Arkholst has inspired other stateless species to try self-rule.

History

Arkhosians have a long history dating back millions of years. The fossil record does not distinguish between the simpler and more complex Arkhosians, but they most likely evolved two million years ago. Behaviorally modern Arkhosians arose some time later, but isolated archaic Arkhosians persist. Every time, without fail, that an advanced species contacted the Arkhosians, a small group left the planet to join their empire. These small groups, mostly made of Magi, created isolated pockets of Arkhosians everywhere with oxygen in its atmosphere and water in its seas.

The Andvaris Swarm brought about a dark age. As soon as the swarm dissipated, the Arkhosians began moving about once more. In 3950 CE, prehistory for most species, the Arkhosians created practical interstellar spacecraft. Shortly thereafter, every state on Sakijast united, forming the Matoehdahn Contract. With possessions as far as Eos, this intergalactic empire made the name of the Arkhosians known the universe over. Bordering states such as the Boreal Empire, Providence Union, and Resonant Divinity, the Matoehdahn Contract faced no external threats. Internally, its delicate system of alliances broke under the harsh competition. The United Provinces, a political party bent on further central control, replaced the Matoehdahn Contract with a more centralized government, prompting the formation of the Arkhosian Order to resist them.

These two powers of Sakijast entered into fierce competition, shedding external territory as their armies clashed endlessly in the Matoehdahn system. An unsteady peace followed a century of warfare, leaving both sides isolated from the rest of the universe. Their colonies, now independent or the subjects of other empires, became their new neighbors. In 4505 CE, the Arkhosians began the construction of a grand megastructure, Matoehdahn's famous cloak. Both sides dissolved planets and moons to gather more energy, to out compete the other side. The star grew noticeably dimmer as they built, both economies entirely focused on building energy collectors, ever-grander space fortresses and cities, and ever-larger monuments to themselves.

This occupied them for centuries, a complex game of asteroid-ruling governors and petty monarchs extracting concessions from both sides. These civilizations had the infinite ambition of the young; their system was pristine and full of resources. Mighty weapons capable of vaporizing cities in an instant, titanic mirrors that cast shade on their home planet, and infrastructure around every rock with enough gravity to stand on. Most Arkhosians at this time could have whole minor planets to themselves, leaving the population fairly small. A larger territory meant more prestige of course, making prestige, land, or energy something of a currency. The web of alliances had nearly one thousand years to congeal. No outsiders would dare enter the heavily-armed system. In fact, its neighboring systems spent obscene amounts on defense. One day, the Arkhosians were going to attack.

Sedrua came across this civilization in 5313. A civilization less than one hundred years old bent on conquering every star they could see in the sky. The brightest one, despite dimming over the centuries, was still Matoehdahn. Sedrua had a system of aristocracy in which its immortal ruler, Sydiah, had her thousands of children compete. The Architects, as they were known, did everything they could. From creating new species to removing the gas from a gas giant, their ambition could not be contained to just the Eylanse system.

At first, Sedrua's architects tried to extract as much as they could from the competing powers. They proved useful in intimidating rivals, so Arkhosian leaders gladly hired them as mercenaries. The Architects enjoyed the game of prestige at first, but soon the pressure from back home to impress Sydiah drove them toward conquest. In 5321, the Architects brought the United Provinces to its knees, cooperating with the Arkhosian Order to quickly secure the system. Shortly thereafter, the Architects destroyed the Order as well. The resulting guerilla campaign caused Sedrua to destroy much of Matoehdahn's infrastructure. The neighboring systems were right to build up their defenses, as Sedrua harnessed the remaining weapons in their further conquests.

The Arkhosians did not get another state until recently. Before then, the served Sedrua until the Payotari Quartet conquered the system. For centuries, they had partial autonomy until the Civese War weakened their control. Seizing the opportunity, both Arkhosian rebels and Vaspujian took the chance to seize power. The Core Worlds Alliance, of which Vaspujian was a part, kept the small Arkhosian population confined to Sakijast, given broader independence, but only to rule a used-up world.

Most Arkhosians that could leave Matoehdahn did, spending years to save up the requisite funds to move to Eos. To this day, about as many Arkhosians live in Eos' cities as do around Matoehdahn. Paradigm, then called Uspayador, was the most popular destination. Underground movements to take the city for themselves never came to fruition, but small free cities of Arkhosians made a living on Eos for centuries.

The War of the Ancients gave the Arkhosians the chance they needed. With all of Aylathiya taking up arms, Uspayador ended up dragged into the conflict on the side of the Commonwealth of Post-Sedruan States. The Confederacy of Borealis gave any Arkhosian willing to endorse socialism as many weapons as they could spare. While many were true believers, most wanted the chance to finally rule themselves once more. They seized Uspayador's fleets and set off for Matoehdahn. The Confederacy and Dominion of Astraeus supported them with ships of their own. After two decades of warfare, the Dominion of Astraeus admitted the Duchy of Arkholst, ruling all of the inner Matoehdahn system. It retains the name despite its new independence. Arkholst is a state in the Commonwealth of Aggregate Aylathiya. A symbol of independence for those peoples, nations, and species who do not rule themselves. Of course, Arkholst is more than a symbol, but an international backer. The Arkhosians are back to their game of politics and now the entire universe, not just their star system, is their stage.