Jark’aqaña

The celestial powers beneath the surface.

Basics

• Taxonomic Order: Illittum

• Alignment: Celestial

• Energy: Juaih

• Lifespan: 2,000 years

• Diet: Fungi and other subterranean fare

• Habitat: Subterranean Realm

Origins

The jark’aqaña formed as life protected other life from danger, sparks of power that filled various lifeforms with the sacred power and duty to protect one another.

Description

Jark’aqaña appear to be 7’ tall sentinels of power that dwell beneath the ground. Their bodies are sinews of vegetation and animal muscle, their heads are animal skulls, and their organs are made of precious stones. Their fingers appear to be animal claws, but they can be extended, transformed into vines, at will. Their bones, other than their skulls, are fibrous plant tissue as well.

Beetles dwell within their flesh.

Procreation

Jark’aqaña reproduce in a similar fashion to plants, being pollinated by beetles that dwell within their flesh, which they share with other jark’aqaña in order to crossbreed.

Powers

Jark’aqaña have the power to draw raw juaih from their own organs, which are made of massive jewels, and create barriers around others. If those barriers are attacked, the organs of the jark’aqaña crack, but they heal very quickly.

Choosing

Jark’aqaña are one of a few species that can choose someone for whom they take wounds. They can only do this by washing their chosen with their nectar. They will stop taking wounds for someone once the target has received 13 wounds.

Senses

Jark’aqaña can sense how physically strong another mortal is by looking at them.

Weaknesses

Sterisi can weaken them.

Nations

There are eight nations of jark’aqaña in the Subterranean Realm, each one protecting a different layer:

• Khuchhip’iqi of the Lithosphere: the pig-skulled nation

• Wakap’iqi of the Grottos: the bull-skulled nation

• Tejónp’iqi of the Hollow: the badger-skulled nation

• Ch’uqip’iqi of the Hypogaeum: the frog-skulled nation

• Challwap’iqi of the Low Mines: the payara [dogtooth tetra fish]-skulled nation

• Jamach’ip’iqi of Shadowdeep: the condor-head nation

• Laq’up’iqi of Barathrum: the iguana-head nation

• Jach’ap’iqi of the Inner Core: the hadrosaur-head nation

Culture

The exigency of life is to preserve other life. The exigency of life is to protect one another. The exigency of life is that no harm shall be done to those not strong enough to defend themselves. All jark’aqaña nations respect the exigency of life, which they call kamachixa.

A jark’aqaña is born a seed and gains a skull after germinating in dust. From the moment they have a skull (and thus a mind, though what is actually the brain and not just random plant matter is unclear), they are educated by their elders about the kamachixa. From dust to skullflower to sprout, they are raised by their whole community. They are raised to know the kamachixa and the rules of who is weak, who is strong, who is worthy, who is unworthy, and when and why these states of being change. They are raised to believe in the worth of the weak.

They are taught how to fight, because there are those in the world who would harm the weak. And they are taught how to defend, because those who protect the weak are often attacked. And they are taught how to make peace, because most mortals are sensible, if they have not been bought by the cruel. And they are taught that to bend is to be stronger than iron and stone.

They are taught that from within the world, they protect those above by protecting the siqi, the load-bearing columns that keep the world from collapsing in on itself. Even more so, they are taught that the world is in danger from things buried deep, which cannot be spoken of, and they must be ready to sacrifice themselves to save all other life, if these things should be unleashed.

They learn that to protect is to sacrifice, and that to sacrifice is to achieve the kamachixa, and this is the utmost achievement of a jark’aqaña.

Once they have learned this lesson, they are considered an adult. If they do not learn this lesson, but they learn other lessons - perhaps the lesson of the power of violence - they are asked with some force to leave. If they learn this lesson while gone, they may return. If they never learn this lesson, their names are forgotten after they die. There is no time limit on learning this lesson.

As an adult, they take up the role of their communities: farming fungi, gathering mineral dust and water for soups, fashioning heavy cloths to drape over their bodies to hold off the cold of the deep caverns, crafting and keeping lanterns, building domed houses, raising children, and guarding the siqi.

None lead them but themselves. None may conquer them, for they are defense itself. None may dominate those who defend the weakest, for they make the weak strong, and thus they have nothing but strength.

On the first day of the year, which they know from the color of the siqi, they sing together, and their voices resonate through all the caverns of Shem, a thrum of calm that promises that, for another year at least, the world will continue to exist.

National Cultures

• Khuchhip’iqi of the Lithosphere: the pig-skulled nation nearest the surface of the world lives in caverns beneath Cassaru. They are most likely to wield aether alongside their celestial powers, and they are also the most likely to encounter surface-dwellers. They are therefore the face of the jark’aqaña to the world. They take delight in making sure they are seen as terrifying to oppressors and villains, though sometimes even the meek they are intended to protect misinterpret this.

• Wakap’iqi of the Grottos: the bull-skulled nation in the pocket-caverns deeper down, they dwell under the Indigo Sea. They are more likely to wield poioumenonic powers alongside their celestial powers, and they are also more likely to take up strange and wondrous arts. They delight in building the oddest dome houses with superfluous features, though sometimes outsiders find them fearsome.

• Tejónp’iqi of the Hollow: the badger-skulled nation lives in remote corners of the Hollow, away from other nations, near their siqi, which is the most exposed of all the siqi. They are roughly under the south pole. They are most likely to wield shebvic powers alongside their celestial powers, for they must be more war-like, being so exposed. They take delight in communal dances that shake the caverns and send echoes throughout the subterra, for they know they must put fear into the hearts of their enemies.

• Ch’uqip’iqi of the Hypogaeum: the frog-skulled nation dwells next to a vast lake, which holds their siqi, and they are roughly under northeastern Dabusen. They are most likely to wield also nommic energies alongside their celestial powers, for they are keenly aware of themselves. This awareness makes them keen on education and self-improvement, but only insofar as those things might make them better protectors. Those who meet them often come away with a few useless bits of trivia.

• Challwap’iqi of the Low Mines: the payara [dogtooth tetra fish]-skulled nation dwell roughly beneath Ansulym, and the direct connection between their realm and the exploiters above means they are fierce in their protection of their siqi, which is often assaulted. They aide the miners there, whom are mostly slaves of the oppressors above, and engage in direct celestial unity and power against evil. They are feared as monsters.

• Jamach’ip’iqi of Shadowdeep: the condor-head nation never makes lanterns. They are unseen, as are all within Shadowdeep, and they keep silent as well, out of respect for their environs. Instead, they dwell in the forests along the ceiling of the layer, using their roots to remain attached. They have learned to communicate through touch and breath. Little more is known of them, save that they have a preference for paradoxical energies. Roughly, their home is beneath the central Palhuric Ocean.

• Laq’up’iqi of Barathrum: the iguana-head nation dwell on a small island amidst the magma ocean, using their powers to protect themselves against the heat. They are roughly beneath western Taggarus, though this has little meaning where they are. They spend most of their time defending their siqi against the environment itself. They are most likely to turn to faith - whether worship of their own Divine, spirits, ancestors, or even an embrace of mortalism - to augment their celestial powers. They have little time for art or music, but they have many wonders of faith.

• Jach’ap’iqi of the Inner Core: the hadrosaur-head nation protects the siqi at the heart of the world. They are beneath everything. They wield all powers save for the infernal, and they strive to be in balance across all energies in order to most perfectly the siqi in the center of existence.

Esoterica

Jark’aqaña are beings of juaih, the energy of protection, and they are its most potent users. Among them are users of almost every celestial energy - especially hegnh, lhair, and ujjval aatma - and in many of their nations there is a preference for some other esoteric alignment (see above). Most commonly wielded powers among them are kazaddarean, gebvel, and kutsegula.

Religion

Jark’aqaña worship Iskuru, known in the surface world more commonly as Hoawoppih, the Protector, who tasked them with protecting the people of the world. They have a loose religious structure in their communities, wherein those called to religion take up the task of leading prayer, rites, and ceremonies. These sometimes switch to other roles, or have other roles, and it is not considered their most important function. Religion is respected, but it is not elevated above other duties.

Gender

There are either no genders or infinite genders among them. They can’t decide, so everyone is left to do as they please. There is no concept of marriage, only love amongst them.

Economy

Jark’aqaña own all property communally.

Military

All jark’aqaña are protectors. They learn to protect others and themselves. Fighting any given jark’aqaña is akin to fighting a tank, but one made of invincibility. Armies of thousands have died fighting ten not-particularly well-trained jark’aqaña.

Language

Their language is based on Aymara.

Trade

Jark’aqaña trade with other nearby nations, usually food or cloth, in exchange for other food or maybe some interesting trinket.

Occupations

The main occupations among them are protector (warrior), which is synonymous with jark’aqaña, and then farmers, weavers, builders, and caretakers.

Outside View

Jark’aqaña are thought to be terrifying monsters of the dark underground, because oppressors hate and fear them and spread lies about them. If they could be conquered, they would make good slaves, but they cannot be conquered, so they must be demonized.

Notables

• Nayrïrtayka, Mother Jark’aqaña, Jark’aqaña Manifest, Aeonian

Estimated Populations

• Khuchhip’iqi of the Lithosphere: 10,000

• Wakap’iqi of the Grottos: 8,000

• Tejónp’iqi of the Hollow: 10,000

• Ch’uqip’iqi of the Hypogaeum: 10,000

• Challwap’iqi of the Low Mines: 4,000

• Jamach’ip’iqi of Shadowdeep: 400

• Laq’up’iqi of Barathrum: 1,000

• Jach’ap’iqi of the Inner Core: 50

• Others: 1,000

Sample Stats

PRO 20
ATH 11
STR 30
AWA 10
WIL 11
PRS 9
STH 7