Akkaoni

Akkaoni (singular akkaon) are the dominant species of Aketi. They inhabit and control the 5 habitable planets within the Lodiris system, but do not exhibit a desire to expand beyond Lodiris. It is rare, but possible, to find an akkaon out of their natural society in anything but a science position.

Appearance
Akkaoni have violet- or blue-tinted skin with brilliant bio-luminescent markings in silver or gold. They have anywhere between 1 and 5 eyes on their face (mutants with more or less than that are common, but are considered social outcasts). Their eyes also glow in the dark and are also usually silver or gold. They have two feathery antennae the same color as their markings sticking out from their hair.

Many akkaoni on Aketi especially are seen with prosthetic limbs. These are usually not a medical necessity for them when they are installed, but rather an enhancement of natural abilities.

Unique Properties
Akkaoni are well-known throughout their region of the galaxy for their remarkable healing properties. They are able to recover fully from a broken bone within two weeks. Most minor cuts will heal within 24 hours. Even major organ trauma is capable of healing completely within 3 months.

They are also noted for their bioluminescent markings, although this is less of a scientific "miracle" and more of an interesting fact.

The wide variation in eye placement and quantity is not seen in species from other star systems, but is also extremely present on all other fauna from Lodiris.

Gender
All akkaoni are non-binary according to human standards, and only have one physical sex. In their own language, akkyaakir, they have no gender tied to pronouns. However, when speaking Common, some akkaoni opt for feminine pronouns, some opt for masculine, and some opt for neutral. They generally choose based on what others perceive them as, in most cases because they do not have a firm sense of what gender is. They do express some traits that are misread as secondary sex characteristics by other cultures, but these traits are caste-linked more than anything else- and even then, very loosely.

Castes with odd numbers of eyes (except for iikhoš, who have a very diverse array despite having one eye) tend to have silver eyes and markings, are taller, and may have slight curves. They generally have the toned bodies of a runner or a swimmer. These akkaoni are generally perceived as feminine by other cultures.

Castes with even numbers eyes tend to have brilliant gold eyes and markings. They also generally have squarer, more muscular builds. They tend to be shorter than those with odd eyes. They're usually perceived as masculine by foreigners.

These traits are not necessarily set, and can easily be mixed and matched.

Society
Almost all akkaoni live within Lodiris, which is dominated by them and their society. While other species do not have a specific social climate ingrained in them, akkaoni do: almost every akkaon has lived in Lodiris, even if they are found elsewhere. Almost every akkaon has therefore lived under the strict society that exists within the akkaoni of Lodiris.

Aketi itself has, by far, the most rigid castes and governments, but all other akkaonian settlements tend to display the same patterns due to how they were socialized on their planet of origin.

The middle name of all akkaoni born within Lodiris is always the name of their caste. Born dakaar have no middle name.

Castes
Akkaoni have a rigid caste system in their Lodirian society, based on amount of eyes. Interbreeding between different castes is not only extremely frowned upon, but known to cause extreme deformities in children. These deformities will send not only the child, but both parents, to the caste known as “dakaar.” There is no direct translation for the word “dakaar” that is used to describe this class simply because it is viewed as so negative that it’s almost beyond translation, but it translates roughly to “so disgusting as to be beyond touching” or “infectious foulness.” Deformed children from the breeding of two parents with different amounts of eyes commonly fall into three categories: those with more than five eyes, those with no eyes at all, and those with eyes on parts of their bodies other than their face.

There are two ways that an akkaon may move castes, and the only caste that they may move to is the dakaar. Firstly is breeding between two different castes and having a child with one of the aforementioned deformities. Relationships and even marriages between two castes are not frowned upon, unless they bear children. It is possible, but extremely rare, for one of these inter-caste couples to have a normal child. If that is the case, the child would be accepted into whatever caste they correspond to and treated normally. The second way is by committing a crime such as murder or repeatedly committing lower-level crimes such as theft. There are no prisons: the threat of being reduced to dakaar status is enough to prevent most crimes.

Iikhoš (Iikhi)
The lowest accepted class has only one eye. Iikhi frequently work menial jobs: they are the “street-sweepers” of the akkaoni. They typically dress in desaturated colors, such as whites, blacks, and silvers (silver is more expensive for them to purchase, so it is reserved for formal occasions). Violence against the iikhi is uncommon, even if they manage to secure a job that is better than harvesting farms, mining, or sweeping streets. The only violence against this caste consists of putting down riots. This caste does protest their conditions, but not as frequently as some other castes. The one-eye caste is treated relatively well, in fact, because they are the most numerous caste and a huge revolt of this caste could overturn the entire system.

Aakhoš (Aakhi)
The next caste has two eyes and are known as aakhi (singular aakhoš). They work more dignified jobs that are still considered too unpleasant for higher castes: personal servants, customer service, and experimental subjects. They are mistreated more than the iikhi simply because they are less numerous and therefore riots by them would be less deadly. However, they are considered a higher caste because they do work better jobs and are generally richer. Most inter-caste violence is directed at the aakhi and dakaar. However, the aakhi are still not sympathetic towards the dakaar and refuse to associate with them. Cybernetics are extremely common in aakhi, but not because they desired to enhance their physical abilities. The prosthetics are tested on them, rather, and sometimes gifted by benevolent daamiri or kimir if their true limbs were damaged in a riot.

Iiar (Iiari)
Akkaoni with three eyes are the standard middle class. They are the second most populous caste, and can generally live pleasant lives. This caste consists largely of mechanics, science lab assistants, and teachers. Iiar occupy jobs that are considered too noble for the iikhi or aakhi to occupy, but too lowly for daamiri or kimir to even consider kneeling down to. They frequently wear reds and golds, colors that are more expensive but affordable to this caste. They have more leisure time than iikhi and aakhi simply because their jobs do not always demand extreme hours. Most of the military comes from the iiar.

Daamir (Daamiri)
Daamiri are the second smallest caste, and consist of those blessed with four eyes. These are the farm owners, doctors, politicians, more significant scientists and inventors. They are considered highly capable and intelligent, worthy of providing direction to the lower castes. Many law officers also originate from this caste, but not to the same extent as the kimiri. The richest of the daamiri may be seen wearing blue or indigo, but the rest of them do not typically wear colors as expensive as this. They may also have commercial cybernetics to enhance their physical abilities if they are especially fortunate, but this is uncommon.

Kimir (Kimiri)
The richest in society, however, are the five-eyed kimiri. They often occupy leadership positions, but also make up the majority of the police and military officers. The most significant scientists also come from this caste, despite it being the smallest. Kimiri are often given cybernetic implants to enhance their physical capabilities as soon as they are done growing. It is extremely rare to see an adult kimir without these prosthetics. Many kimiri have their children design their own cybernetics to prove their intelligence and inventiveness, and so they feel they can customize themselves. Of course, these prosthetics are first tested on iikhi and aakhi before potentially risking kimir lives. It is rare to see a kimir wearing anything other than indigo, but they are rich enough that nobody would frown upon them for wearing what colors they pleased.

Government, Military, and Economy
Akkaoni live as one empire. They live as something of an oligarchy, being ruled by a council of several kimiri and a handful of daamiri. Rulers are not elected from these castes, but rather born into important families and proceed to inherit the position.

They are not concerned with imperialism or spreading their influence to star systems other than Lodiris. They do not have aggressive policies, either. However, they do have a very strong military. Their system is often raided in hopes of stealing their vast natural resources. In addition, caste riots are not uncommon and must be quickly put down before they can become disastrous to their society.

The military is mostly volunteer-fueled, especially by iiari, daamiri, and kimiri. These three castes in particular often feel “threatened” by the other lower castes, especially dakaar. Propaganda is frequently used to solidify this fear of a threat from the poorest castes. Officers are almost always daamiri and kimiri.

In the event of a draft, iikhoš are always drafted first. There has never been a time that iikhoš have not been enough to supply the military, but in theory, the draft would work its way up through the castes from the bottom.

The government itself is somewhat corrupt, but the very system lends itself to that. It naturally favors those lucky enough to be born into higher classes while punishing everyone else simply for bad luck. There is absolutely no way to change social

Akkaoni have no true prison system. There are courts, which are capable of sentencing major crimes to life as a dakaar. Smaller crimes are punished by forced military service, forced labor, or being sent on a colonization mission. There is a death sentence, but it is only ever given to dakaar.

It is worth noting that the court system is extremely biased. A kimir would have to commit a truly atrocious crime, or commit many lesser crimes, to be sentenced to becoming a dakaar, whereas an iikhi would only need to walk two steps into the private property of a kimir to receive the same sentence.

Being reduced to dakaar includes the burning of all legal documents, the erasure of identity from everyone who ever knew them (this is usually voluntary- akkaoni will often completely forget a loved one who became a dakaar of their own free will), the seizure of all personal property, and forcible transport to a dakaar ‘home’ (a word used to describe a place where many dakaar will gather, not an actual structure). This punishment is frightening enough to ensure no major crimes are committed.

Their economy is largely capitalistic. Every individual works a job of their choice suited to their skills, education, and caste. They earn money off of their skill, and may even get a promotion. Promotions will never go between castes, but they may mean extra money to buy nicer things. Those who do not work are frowned upon. Even rich kimiri are encouraged to work. Refusal to work is not seen as laziness, but as malicious intent. Not using your natural skills to help better society is seen as selfish and harmful to society.

Fabrics
Because of the harsh weather changes on Aketi, Aketian akkaoni have developed many amazing fabrics that are worth extra note.

While most of civilization is located underground (with the exception of towering spires for some homes and businesses), the world outside feels so fresh and beautiful that anyone who can afford to leave the frequently stuffy and overcrowded underground cities will do it in a heartbeat. Also, even with advanced cooling and heating technology, even the underground cities can suffer from overheating or extreme cold.

Clothing production is largely automated, but a few special fabrics are so precise that they must be hand-woven. There have been machines made to replace manual fabric-making, but artisans still produce far higher-quality material than the machines.

The best summertime cloth is extraordinarily light. The word for it, “mmusaa” even translates directly to “woven wind.” It is very thin, and has shimmering and translucent properties. It is so thin that it may remain translucent at 5 layers. It folds tightly and is remarkably smooth. Mmusaa is typically hand-woven, making it expensive to the point where lower classes must save up for years to purchase it. However, this purchase is worthwhile: mmusaa, in addition to its beautiful iridescence, is well-known for its strange cooling properties. The highest quality mmusaa is also known to protect against sunburn.

Mmusaa clothing is sewn loose and baggy. It is breathable and allows for a wide range of motion. While it may seem counterproductive, mmusaa clothing is meant to cover the entire body. Mmusaa veils are even sewn to shield the eyes from the intense light of two suns. The highest quality mmusaa clothing is embroidered delicately with beads and intricate patterns. It is sewn in just a way that even a single layer of mmusaa cloth will not show anything immodest. It is remarkably cooling and very beautiful.

In winter, kiisaa is a far more reasonable choice. “Kiisaa” translates to “woven spring,” referring to the fabric’s ability to trap the pleasant warmth of spring. This fabric is thin, but cleverly woven in a way that traps heat. It is also hydrophobic, so wintertime precipitation simply slides right off. It is darker, and does not have any shimmering or translucent properties like mmusaa. However, this suits many akkaoni far better than the showy nature of mmusaa.

Kiisaa clothing is not as loose or baggy, hugging more tightly to the form. It is made to be layered for fashion, but does not rely on extra layers for warmth. There are no kiisaa veils, as they are not see-through. Kiisaa scarves and hats are far more practical. High-quality kiisaa is created with subtle patterns that only appear after much scrutiny or at just the right perspective. Lower-quality kiisaa is infamous for obnoxiously bright patterns.

Kiisaa and mmusaa are the most notable fabrics unique to Aketi. Most of the other fabrics they wear are imported and therefore not as significant or specific to Aketian life. Uniforms for trades, such as police uniforms or waitress uniforms, are usually constructed out of imported fabrics simply because they will rarely be worn into the outdoor elements  and are far cheaper to supply to all employees.

Dyes for fabrics are another large part of clothing styles. Indigo and blue are the rarest dyes, and thus only reserved for the upper class. Greens are almost non-existent and must be brought in with an expensive trade system. Almost nobody is able to wear green except for a handful of kimirs. Blue and yellow dye may be mixed to replicate true green dye, but blue dye on its own is expensive and this does not even make the ideal green.

Warm colors are more common. They are worn mostly by the middle class, but are too expensive to be worn by the poor. The poorest are stuck with low-quality imported fabrics in dull colors, blacks, whites, and silver if they’re lucky.

Notable Akkaoni

 * Zantim Aakhoš Tulyhn
 * Aalik Kimir Entik
 * Sethyl Aakhoš Tulyhn
 * Zaupel Aakhoš Kinuul
 * Easah Daamir Cuskor