Back to Species of Karkaana Rankan¶ Appearance
The Rankan are a kind of giant bipedal feliform, one of the dominant inteligent species on the world of Karkaana. While certain regional variations are prominent, much of the general appearance remains consistent between them. Standing upright with broad shoulders and gently curved spines, these creatures typically range from six to over nine feet of height. While there is a clear tendency towards strong builds as to support their size, it is far from ubiquitous and a wide range of body types exist on top of that frame of reference.
Having digitigrade lower limbs on such a big frame, they naturally grow powerful to compensate and offer sufficient balance and traction in movement. This made even the smallest of Rankan have impressive leg musculature.
Rankan lack any significant sexual dimorphism among members of the species, and most aspects of sexually gendered expression is largely ignored by the majority of modern Rankan. Physically speaking, any Rankan is equal to their peers regardless of sexual traits.
¶ Society
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¶ History
As the nearest descendants of the Karkaanan proto-felid, the nem-ra-nem, Rankan are likely the closest related and genetically most similar to the ancient feline species. This admittedly limited understanding is where a lot of Rankan pride comes from, frequently calling on some manner of ancient right over the world. With more discoveries in that realm, this supremacist sentiment has abated over the last generations, however it remains one of the foundational aspects of some of the more expansionist and imperialist arguments among the Rankan.
¶ Factions
¶ United Rankan Nations
orig: Eunii Rankannem, lit: Union of Rankan People, abbr: ERN
Majority of the modern Rankan belong to the United Rankan Nations, a massive multicultural union of former legions as led by a democratically elected parliamentary government.
It could easily be said that what makes the Rankan so well known for being the technological powerhouse of Karkaana is indeed the ERN, even if their people aren't the only ones who rely on it in their day to day dealings. Still, many of the world's finest scientific discoveries including the renaissance of air travel, indeed come from the ERN.
Historic generational conflicts between various Rankan nation-states have resulted in a heavily centralized form of government as of ERN's inception, one prompted by a fear of resurgence in nationalist sentiment. This centralization has created the side-effect of a massive population shift into Kelram Nor, the capital of ERN, turning it into the biggest urban center of Karkaana.
¶ Heloi
Formerly known as the Legion of the Sun (Soleos Legii), Heloi were the earliest Rankan nation that has split away from their historic Empire, settling on the Eastern coast of the central continent. Effectively political exiles, they have a strong distaste for all things Rankan even to this date, refusing any kind of association. This intense divide has created a significantly more prominent cultural difference between the Heloi and other Rankan, so much so that they are often not even considered the same species.
The Heloi are particularly known for their spirtual nature. While this spirituality has always been ancient part of their nation, it was only emphasized as of their historic relocation. Nowadays the Sun worship has become the central point of their overall culture and world views.
Historically, they have been known as intensely particular about involving technology in their lives. Most of it has been decisively refused as a relic of ancient times, leaving only certain forms as openly welcomed. It is possible the root cause of this was their relationship with the rest of Rankan society. As time passed, more modern Heloi have become less paranoid about this particularity.
It is important to mention that from the earliest days, the Heloi have been the Rankan nation with the closest relations to the Lae people, having settled and lived among them for countless generations. Indeed, this has resulted in the modern Heloi being a significantly more mixed heritage group than their progenitors.
Multiple groups and divisions exist within the modern Heloi, some of which focusing more on their spirituality, some integrating more closely with the Lae society, and some even turning to a more nomadic lifestyle.
¶ Red Empire
orig: Irtos Eokanem, lit: Lords of the Red Host
As led by the descendants of Irtos Legii, the Red Empire is a militaristic, nationalist and traditionalist Rankan country with severely expansionist tendencies. Their lofty goal is the restoration of what they consider former glory, a reference to the long fallen Rankan Empire. Strongly in opposition to the cosmopolitan United Rankan Nations, a lot of their political agenda nowadays revolves around invoking nationalist ideals within the various subsets of the Union.
Xenophobic and culturally conservative, the Red Empire represents what many would consider the remnants of the worst aspects of former Rankan Imperialism. Perhaps ironically, a large portion of the Empire's population are subjugated peoples under their rule, be it enslaved or otherwise foreign nationals living within the Empire. Much of the Empire's strength as well as conqusts are indeed fueled by blood, sweat and tears of these very same peoples.
With inequality being rampant within the Empire, the only thing that truly ensures a position of reverence and power is bloodline, be it real or bought. Those of insufficient perceived purity or failing to adhere to the rules of the Empire are oft discarded as chattel or in more extreme situations imprisoned and worse.
Religion has a degree of prominence within the Empire and reserves a certain degree of protections. This has resulted in it becoming a respite among the most underprivileged members of this Rankan nation, particularly women. Despite its name being a reference to Irtos, Keiandros has rose to power as another important deity in the Empire.