Kakuren:

Kakuren, a race of humanoid species, are known as the Children of God, individual tribes of summoners that thrive on the blessings of their deities and nothing more. They harness the power of their gods to both smite their foe as well as breathe life into earth.

Location and Population:

The Kakuren live all throughout Soralia. The individual tribes dwell in areas where their deities' have the most power. The individual tribe population is rather small, nothing more than a family or a community, but the Kakuren as a whole thrive well enough. For more information about individual tribes, look at the Tribe Section.

Biology:

The Kakuren's life span is generally half that of humans, even if they age about the same rate. Therefore, there are no 'old' Kakuren since most die in their forties. Appearance wise, there is no difference between theirs and mankinds, which makes it extremely easy to filter in man's society. They body structure is like that of a human's, their organs like that of a humans, and their intellect like that of a human's. However, unlike man, the only sustenance that a Kakuren needs is to have the blessing of their deity. They don't need to eat, drink, or sleep to survive, though many still do. Although if they are cut from their deities (separated from their 'element' for a period of time) or have been forsaken by them (for whatever reason, use creative license here), no amount of food nor water will keep them alive. Most last a week or two, perhaps a bit longer if they eat and sleep. The only known method of regaining a deity's favor is by sacrifice, although since most Kakuren make pacts with more than one summon, never have they needed to regain a deity's favor to maintain life.

The Kakuren can mate with other species but the act is usually looked down upon, even forbidden by some tribes. If a male Kakuren mates with another species, absolutely none of their offspring will retain the powers of a Kakuren. Striped of their power, these Kakuren cannot summon a deity nor communicate with them. These offspring are regarded as the species of the other race rather than a Kakuren, only they retain the shortened life span of a Kakuren. These Kakuren cannot birth and are often times cast out of the tribe. If a female Kakuren mates with another species, the offspring has a 50% chance of retaining the powers of a Kakuren, known as Kakuren-bo. The deities they summon are usually malformed and hard to control. While these are not cast out of the tribe, the abuse they go through usually forces them away anyway.

Culture:

Not much can be said of the culture as a whole. The mode of dress for the Kakuren usually involves 'celestial fibers' which differ from tribe to tribe ('fibers of the clouds, rocks, plants, water, wind', which is comprised solely of the element they represent). These garments cannot be worn by anyone else, not even by the Kakuren of other tribes. Wearing these celestial fibers supposedly improves movement and strength of the Kakuren wearing them, especially when they are in their element. Although many of the Kakuren still don on the garments of man or of other species with little consequences. Kakuren are usually seen wearing masks signifying the deity they worship.

History:

The Kakuren have existed for as long as there was life on earth. Supposedly they were one of the first humanoids to come to being on Soralia, thus given their names 'Children of God'. They rarely interact in the affairs of others, therefore they avoid wars and industrialization, even shun human contact, with the exception of a few tribes. They have no concrete form of government though many have gathered into tribes centered around a head family member or a type of council. The tribe acts more like a family than a state. Very few feuds have been recorded between the tribes but there have been times of extreme tension bordering on use of arms (or summons in this case).

Tribes:

Efrit- Commonly called the Children of Fire, they do the biddings of fire deities. Their blessings range from producing warmth during cold winters to sundering the land in lava. The fire deities are known to be more rash hot-headed than the other deities which make them more offensive than the other Kakuren tribes. More often than not Efrit Kakuren provoke battles although their unending pride keeps them from initiating the fight. They dwell in rocky mountainsides of volcanic mountains but many have been seen drifting into the plains and towards human settlements. Their fascination with man's manipulation of fire to bend earth and metal has put them as one of the more isolated Kakuren tribes.

Yggdrasil- The Yggdrasil Kakuren are the most common of the tribes and are called the Children of the Soil. Their deities harvest power from the ground itself and while they can summon spires of rock and stone to impale their enemies, they can also breath life into dead earth to make even mountain sides fertile and green. They live in forests and plains, anywhere where the ground is fresh with life but many have made long journeys to dead lands in order to bring life to where there is none. This duty of theirs have made them particularly opposed to man and their wasteful ways. However, despite their hate for those that cut down forests and erect metal and earth into buildings, the Yggdrasil Kakuren would rather spend their times reviving the soil than fighting against man and their machines. They are known to be particularly friendly with the Lazuli nymphs.

Undine- The Children of the Water wield the strength of water deities which can range from a refreshing drink to a sweeping flood, from frost to steam. Water deities tend to be the most genteel and more forgiving than others although once their wrath has been earned, they are also the most merciless of the deities. Undine Kakuren living among beaches, lakes, anywhere where there is a large body of water. They are the only Kakuren that don't consume air to breath which enables them to survive for long periods underwater. Another name they go by is Children of the Healing Hand. Since living things are made up of a great deal of water, their blessings are known to restore strength and heal wounds, speeding up the body's recovery and even bring healthy people to the peak of performance. They share the same sentiments as the Yggdrasil Kakuren towards the humans.

Zephyr- Perhaps one of the only nomadic Kakuren tribes. Zephyr Kakuren, also known as Children of the Wind, worship wind deities that can conjure tornadoes and even induce flight. Many are seen around valleys and plains but hardly are they ever seen in one place. They are perhaps the friendliest of the Kakuren as well but it has antagonized them at points, especially when they are being jovial with humans, but that is simply a trait of theirs that makes them one of the easiest to ally. They have make allegiances towards the Efrit Kakuren since they are the only ones who don't oppose them befriending man. More often then not, however, Zephyr Kakuren would rather flee than fight an enemy head on.

Helios- Children of Light, Helios Kakuren worship the sun and all forms of light, as well as the counterpart, shadow. These deities aren't very harmful physically and can only alter sunlight. However they are known to induce permanent blindness in the healthiest of eyes with an immaculately bright light as well as suck light from a daytime sky until the darkest of nights have fallen. The Kakuren have also developed methods of reflecting or refracting light upon themselves until they have become practically invisible. Many Kakuren have resorted to martial arts or other magicked spells for combat. Helios Kakuren, however, are perhaps one of the most peaceful of all tribes and hardly resort to fighting unless it's absolutely necessary. Helios Kakuren dwell in all areas often times with other tribes, providing light for travel or safe haven.

Lilith- Children of the Sky worship storm deities that vary from light rain to heavy thunderstorms and hurricanes. Since these deities aren't exactly offensive and harder to control than others, most Lilith balance themselves with their own martial arts or personal spells. Often times they're used to bring rain on drought seasons and while they are known to forsaken their enemies with heavy rains or thunderstorms, most are genteel and xenophobic. Lilith deities are never under the control of their summoners aside from simple commands such as "Move over there" or "Go away". They isolate themselves on mountain tops like hermits. They are perhaps the longest living tribes due to their controlled and near perfect climate.

Anima- Kakuren from the Anima tribe call forth deities of spirit and the undead which has earned them the name Children of the Dead. This, however, is quite a misconception since their strength dwells in bringing life to the inanimate. The Anima Kakuren weild their power differently than other Kakuren. The Spirit deities usually appear as a manifestation of energy and then channel themselves into and object to animate it, a process many know now as possession. Stronger deities can possess already living things but always meet with the resistance of the living's will which makes it harder for them to control. Anima Kakuren are the only ones who can summon more than one deity at a time but the strength of the deity depends on what it is possessing. They cannot affect the physical plane otherwise. Only the strong deities can take on their own physical form without possessing something. It is this power that frightens the other Kakuren and has left the Anima tribe the most isolated and feared of all the Kakuren. Many have been antagonized and put to death, leaving the tribe rather lacking in members. Where the remaining few survive is unknown.