Sark
| Sark | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creator | Xero |
| Information | |
| Average Height | 200cm-250cm |
| Average Lifespan | 300 years |
| Eye Colours | Green, Red, Blue, Yellow, Purple |
| Skin Colours | White, Grey, Black, Blue, Red, Purple, Green, Yellow, Orange |
| Current Leaders | Skoldarra (Bloodscythe) Mishirr (Waterclaw) Lizzaya (Wildfang) |
| Capital | Dzungle Wilds |
| Continent | Grukoor |
Deep in the Dzungle Wilds of Grukoor, the Sark thrive as a race of reptilian humanoids, their way of life and culture revolving around strength and conquest. Since their creation, the Sark have been known to be barbaric in nature, even ruthless to some as they enjoy nothing more than conquering the lands around them and spreading their influence throughout Grukoor. Despite this, the Sark are a spiritual people who fight in the name of the God of War Zarukk.
Long ago and deep underground, a long abandoned facility much like the Livanin God Archives was found beneath the mountains of Grukoor by an exiled Enkhulu seer named Rohan who fell to the influence of the Blood God, a god known for his desires for ritualistic sacrifice and twisted deeds. This facility that Rohan found was a creation of Nytheran meant for secretly experimenting upon Auria's mortals to create twisted abominations that could, as he would put it, "Accelerate the evolution of Mortalkind" however his involvement with the facility drew the attention of his fellow gods who were not so pleased to see him influencing the world in such a way. To continue his work, Nytheran broke the Enkhulu Rohan into working as his avatar, guiding him into the depths of his facility where he could continue his work as a puppet ignorant of his own enslavement, believing that what he did was for a divine job.
Within the crimson halls Rohan did the bidding of his new god, painfully stripping the flesh of both Primex, Dinosaurs from the Dzungle Wilds and captured Dragons of different breeds to create new monstrosities many of which would be discarded as wasted potential. Becoming increasingly furious of the little progress made in his secreted lair, Nytheran tormented the Enkhulu's physical body with illnesses and injuries, though keeping his life from escaping. In his pained state, Rohan was motivated to continue his God's will until his machinations would lead to the creation of the Sark, reptilian creatures who were made out of the genes of the Senkh combined with the blood of Dragons, flesh of dinosaurs and the essence of Primex to make an intelligent yet vicious race of Humanoid reptiles designed after the God of War Zarukk. Even as hatchlings, the Sark proved to be incredibly ferocious and determined to defy their jailer, a sign which the Blood God had desired. For years, Rohan was no longer forced to make new creations but to improve upon the Sark, conducting painful experiments upon their kind right in front of their imprisoned eyes, while the dungeon's automated machines protected the Enkhulu and helped the beasts remained at pay.
By the year of 1645, the withered and broken Rohan continued to praise the name of his god all while his own body failed himself. He had witnessed the horrors Nytheran had him do firsthand, his hands bloodied and scarred from countless gory operations he had to conduct on still living Sark and his ears deaf from the constant screams of his prisoners. In seeking salvation from his God, Rohan found an end to his life when Nytheran abandoned him the moment he saw perfection in the Sarks' designs, his blessing that kept the Enkhulu on his feet ripped from him and the defenses of the Halls shutting down immediately after, releasing all of the Sark imprisoned within at once. The stampede of the lizardfolk ran through the old man, his body ripped to shreds in the wake of the razor sharp talons that cut through him. The Sark had been liberated by themselves, free to roam the desert planet of Grukoor as a scourge of evolved humanoids, some charging north to the Desolate Drifts, others to the Okramm Canyons yet it would be the ones that sought the hunt in the Dzungle Wilds that would evidently survive the test of time, their numbers led by powerful Sark alphas that had been gifted with improved strains meant to make them into formidable leaders for their kind. Together, the Dzungle Sark invaded the unsettled jungle in almost a blink of an eye, doing battle with the native beasts there to settle themselves as the dominant species in the region.
Thanks to their gifted intelligence yet endless thirst for combat, the Sark would soon after turn on one another as different groups and ideals begun to form. Hundreds of different Clans were created each led by a Chief who's strain allowed them to stand above the rest in battle, yet when it came to conquest none would be more daring and successful than the Bloodscythe Clan, led by Darra the Ironscale, a Sark with scales as tough as steel and with blood as rich as a Dragon's, she led a valiant campaign in the northern wilds, conquering one tribe after another and turning them to her side. To the geyser fields in the west, the Waterclaw Clan, led by Zozkan the Templar led a brutal attack against the other tribes in conflict with theirs and much like the Bloodscythe did to the north, the Waterclaw united the Sark of the west under their banners. In the wake of these two brutal wars, the two major powers of Bloodscythe and Waterclaw remained to inevitably do battle with one another, their focus at one another's throats allowed a few Sark Clans who to the south-eastern marshlands to thrive in relative peace. Having found ancient ruins of a peoples of the past, these Sark begun to seek liberation from their primal need for conflict and instead pursued their existences towards spirituality as within these ruins they found murals dedicated towards higher powers, Gods, which they begun to worship. Though there were many depicted there, it would be the Sark-like figure of Zarukk, the God of War, which proved most successful for enlightening their kind. Eventually the marshland Clans joined together under the banner of the Wildfang Clan, led by Roza the Fertile.
The war between Bloodscythe and Waterclaw would last for many years down the line, with neither side ever gaining an advantage over the other. It wouldn't be until 2012 that the Sark would find any semblance of peace as the armies of Urol suddenly came marching from the east into the jungle to take the fertile lands for themselves, settling the fortress town of Akkedis at the foot of the jungle's eastern exit and starting an immediately battle with the Bloodscythe to the north. Witnessing foreigners trespassing in their lands, the Wildfang Queen Jahi took it upon herself to journey to the home of the Waterclaw to bring them the news of the Enkhulun threat, offering out her hand of peace and requesting that they go to the Bloodscythe's aid and at last united all Sark-kind under one unified banner. Queen Ekina of the Waterclaw would be hesistant in accepting the offer of a united peace between themselves and the Bloodscythe however she would agree to take her armies east to ambush the Enkhulu and push them back, flanking their warriors during a decisive push against the Bloodscythe that would have dealt them a lethal blow. In support of their fight, the Wildfang hunters and mystics fought alongside them, the sight of two major Clans of power facing off against the Enkhulu had King Atrokoxa of the Bloodscythe absolutely stunned yet also inspired to rally his warriors in a counter-push. Though there would be bickering among themselves, the Sark chose to fight as a united front and take Akkedis for themselves, forcing the Urol out of the jungle and solidifying themselves as a potential empire worthy of recognition.
Despite that, the Sark would never reach to a consensus regarding their unification. Each clan had their own morals and ideals which they had held onto for centuries by now and to merge with another Clan meant the erasure of their culture. Rather than unite the three Clans under one rule, the Sark remained separated, though they would see their opposing Clans not as enemies but as allies with whom they may work together at times. Still, petty rivalry between clans would continue to happen, and though the clans respected one another mutually their oral laws never forbid battles to take place between each other for territory and spoils. Nevertheless, such conflicts have always remained temporary as the loss of life kept at a minimal.
Religion and Culture
In the wake of a united Dzungle, the Wildfang Clan begun to share their knowledge of Gods found within the ancient ruins. Like them, the Waterclaw and Bloodscythe also took to worshiping the God of War Zarukk for his similarities to their own kind. Each Clan celebrates his existence differently, with the Bloodscythe hosting regular and bloody war games and hunting parties that often includes loud chanting of his name, the Waterclaws sharing in a similar though more sophisticated manner of such traditions where they pit their best warriors against one another in tournaments overseen by the Waterclaw Queen. The spiritual Wildfangs on the other hand bring Faith towards their God by erecting statues and making offerings of fruit, berries, nuts and plants they have gathered. As mingling takes place between the three Clans, certain traditions have slowly carried over too and it is not an uncanny sight to see the other two respective clans participating in the Bloodscythe's war games and the Waterclaw's tournaments, while the Wildfang sculptures were also commissioned to build statues of Zarukk in Bloodscythe and Waterclaw.
Outside of their vibrant worships, vigorous fighting and skillful hunting, the Sark live simple lives, though once more each Clan's cultural lives differ from the other two.
The Bloodscythe remain the most war-like, with strength and power honoured by their kind. A Bloodscythe is expected to be strong both physically and mentally and must also be fearless and ready to act at any time. Every Bloodscythe is trained at birth to be a warrior and many of them remain at that path of life till their dying breath. The Bloodscythe are also the most aggressive of the three clans, being the ones responsible for many Sark raids which happen outside of Dzungle which the Urol and, more recently, the Tyrantfall Militia have to deal with. Taking captives and pillaging non-Sark settlements are notorious keys to their culture, though they prefer taking alive captives over dead ones, and the thrill of hunting large prey is also important to them as many make it their life's purpose to become the greatest hunter in their clan. This is also why many Bloodscythe look for foes that can provide them a challenge to overcome. Because they are positioned in an area where a foreign attack may come from either the North or the East, their city is built and operated to withstand a war from two sides with the help of the Waterclaw. With the throne being overtaken by Skoldarra, the Bloodscythes have opened up to the idea of adopting the mysticism of the Wildfangs and recruiting Shamans into their ranks to help during hunts and battles.
The Waterclaw have forgone their age-long pursuits for war in favour of developing their kind further. Among the three clans, the Waterclaw are the most sophisticated, though they remain a warrior people who train almost as much as the Bloodscythe do. Having discovered a sturdy stone in the geyser fields they inhabit, the Waterclaws have become great architects and engineers who have built a white stone city operating on the potent energies of the Geysers which power their simple machines in a day to day life. In becoming developed, the Waterclaw have also become merchants of sorts, trading with the other two clans on the regular in exchange for other supplies or Gex, which has slowly become a currency for their people. Trades with foreign powers happening once in a while, though it remains not so favourable as doing it locally. The Waterclaws, with aid from the Wildfang, have also led campaigns to learning how to tame and breed the different beasts of Dzungle and use them in battles or during labour, these skills being shared with the Bloodscythe who lead the charge in taking down large beasts like the Tyrannus and taming them for the purposes of war.
The Wildfang who live in the Marshlands continue to live in tribalistic manners. As the least developed of the three clans, the Wildfangs dedicate themselves to virtues akin to a Wylderin Druid, finding joy in respecting the environment around them and living as one with the animals and the elements. Their settlement has become expansive over the years, though it has remained within the swamps and marshes of the south-east where they have always thrived, sustaining themselves off of fruit and other natural bounties instead of meat from beasts as it is in their belief that it is unnecessary. The Wildfangs are the lead practitioners of magic among the Sark, with their Shamans unique for their use of elemental magics, curses and even summoning their ancestral dead to give them boons. They were also the ones who first begun the use of the runic word "MANA" to refer to spiritual energy, though this use has since then spread to all three Clans.
Society and its Structure
All three Sark Clans share in similar societal structures where the Clan is led by a chieftain, though they may call them a King or Queen too. The leading chief is the ultimate voice of reason for their Clan and is the singular figure of authority there. The only other social class found throughout the Sark is that of the Chief's own 'Chosen', Sark who answer directly to the Chief and carry out his or her will to his or her people. The Chief is often, but not always, someone from one of the many lineages carrying a notable strain like Skoldarra, who is a direct descendant of the first Bloodscythe Queen Darra and the carrier of the Ironscale strain.
Once a year in every Clan, a rite of succession is allowed to take place where the current Chief must participate as directed by a belief which started when they begun worshiping Zarukk. In this rite, anyone from the Clan may challenge the current ruler for a battle and if they win, they become the new Chief. It is not mandatory for a challenger to step up and has become less likely to happen in Waterclaw and Wildfang, though in Bloodscythe the rites of succession are always met with multiple challengers which the chief must expect.
Sark genders are equal in their society, though the males often believe they have a sworn duty to protect their females.
Physical Appearance and Behavior
Sark are bipedal humanoid lizardfolk who are covered in scales of differing colours and hues. They have snouted faces with fangs as teeth and reptilian eyes and their hands and feet are shaped like claws, with razor-sharp nails common for them. A major distinction between male and female Sark are the obvious breasts of the female which, strangely enough, have no use as the hatchlings of Sark feed directly on flesh or fruit to grow.
Sark behavior can vary drastically based on what Clan they come from. Bloodscythe Sark are often hostile or brawn-heavy, Waterclaws are collected and more sophisticated and Wildfangs are deeply spiritual as well as tribalistic.
