Name: Anka Kraek
Age: Around 200
Sex: A Man
Species: Zarrah-Kul
The true, original history of the Zarrah-Kul is an enigma of the galaxy. Their origins are all but unknown, as they are certain that they have existed for so long that they have forgotten even their own mythologies. What is known for certain, however, is that they first reached the stars more than a few thousand years ago and ostensibly come from the temperate forest planet of Kaz-Nagrod. History before their rise to the stars is seemingly nonexistent due to censorship from their leadership. What remains are tall tales and bedtime stories passed down from generation to generation, with each retelling growing increasingly corrupted from the truth. There are thousands of contradictory stories at this point; some say an ancient precursor race blessed them, or they’re the tattered remnants of one themselves. Others speak of their species undergoing several apocalypses before finally ascending to interstellar status, and a few even propose that they come from the Triangulum or one of the Magellanic Clouds.
The truth is, the Zarrah-Kul are a far older race than they are given credit for. They had to rebuild their civilization at least twice, first due to an asteroid strike and the second apocalypse being caused by an alien invasion that they barely fought off. Once they reached advanced spaceflight, they would be further set back. An orbit filled with debris due to a gigantic war between their colonized moon, Sakeet, and the homeworld of Kaz-Nagrod, as well as the complete annihilation of the settlements on that moon, prevented them from becoming a true spacefaring race for a very long time. Only when they developed sufficiently advanced armor and point defense systems were they able to bypass the Kessler Syndrome in their orbit and reach into the stars. It was also around this time that their squabbling factions were finally united somewhat after a great war between a grand alliance of smaller nations and their planet's superpower. They would first meet the Confederation a few decades after reaching interstellar status and join it soon after.
The Zarrah-Kul Ascendancy is the unified local government of most of their species as part of the Confederation, though there are several primitive planets within their sphere of influence, which they guard zealously against bandits and raiders. The Ascendancy is, by principle, vehemently against uplifting less advanced races, instead preferring to watch them from afar until they're judged sufficiently advanced to contact as near equals.
As a race, the Zarrah-Kul are crow-like avians with black feathers, though their heads have hair and their beaks have sharp, serrated teeth. They stand between 5’1” and 5’8” on average, with no significant difference between the sexes. Their most well-known trait is their absurdly strong memory; they can often still remember the smallest details of an event after many years have passed. Conversely, Zarrah-Kul are sometimes known to carry grudges for literal centuries, and at times such grudges evolve into one-sided multi-generational feuds as they take out their frustrations on the descendants of those that wronged them. They typically live for a millenium, though a small number have turned themselves into cyborgs, prolonging their lifespans even more. It is known that some mechanize themselves purely to spite their perceived enemies, seeking to outlive them and urinate on their graves.
Zarrah-Kul reproduction rates are rather slow, as befitting their long lifespans. Their perception of time is somewhat warped, feeling as though years are merely a blink of an eye.
Conversely, Zarrah-Kul culture places great importance on loyalty and friendship (with one another at least, because other long-lived species aren’t very common) because of, again, their strong memory. Because of their species’ old habit of huddling during cold winters, they have always been comfortable with close contact, and have been described as “very enthusiastic at hugging.” They also purr like cats when they're pleased or exceedingly comfortable. They often have a distinct lack of urgency in many things and can be sometimes seen as lazy or naive as they take everything that happens around them in a stride.
Appearance: 
Anka is around 5'8" tall.
Personality: Anka has stoic mannerisms, often to the point that he has been accused of being heartless. In truth, when you’re part of a species that lives so long and spends much of that time in petty rivalry and grudges, you tend to take things, even tragedies, in a stride. Unlike the usual preconception of the Zarrah-Kul, though, Anka doesn’t carry century-long grudges, instead usually shrugging and saying, “Alright, that’s fine.”
Anka’s stoicism, however, stands in stark contrast to what can only be a penchant for petty pranks and practical jokes that he practices without so much as a whiff of laughter from his end. And, though he’s not very overt with what he feels, people who have known him will say that he cares, treating others around him without much thought about the fact that they’ll probably die long before he does. He seeks to know them better before they pass; after all, he will always remember, and so the dead will still live on, in a way, in his mind.
While usually stoic and amicable, when slavers are mentioned, Anka becomes cold and distant, filled with a desire to see those criminals exterminated with extreme prejudice.
History:Anka was hatched on the Zarrah-Kul homeworld of Kaz-Nagrod, and from a young age, was destined for the stars. He was not like most of his race; the majority would rather leave matters of conflict to machines and artificial intelligence, allowing them to constantly pursue their usual artistic passions. By Zarrah-Kul standards, Anka was a maverick. He wished to know more about the universe and the myriad creatures that inhabited it, a desire that would end up placing him with the Zarrah-Kul Expeditionary Forces and eventually, the Confederation Navy. During his century-and-a-half-long career, he would meet many people and species that he would label as “interesting.” As another oddity of the Zarrah-Kul race, Anka actually formed friendships with some, before they eventually passed and left him behind.
Though it might be believed that his long tenure in the Navy means that he would have a great amount of combat experience, this is not necessarily the case. He spent the majority of his time as a backline military scientist, and it had “only” been thirty years ago that he decided to be part of frontline operations by enrolling to be a mech pilot. Still, thirty years is a long time (for others, at least), and so he was chosen to be one of the elite Ranger Corps. Anka is quite excited. How much knowledge can he gain in that elite formation, he wonders?
Key facts:Likes:Boops
- Cats
- Dogs
- Friendship
- Hugs
- Exotic cuisine
- Science
- Being petted on the head
- Learning others’ life stories
- Reading
Dislikes:- Slavers (kill on sight)
- Most of the other Zarrah-Kul (they think he’s weird)
- Drugs (he can never understand why anyone bothers with them)
Personal Gear:A cane (someone once jokingly called him “Old Man.” He has embraced the joke to this day.) with a hidden taser function in it.
- A pistol that’s hidden at all times.
- A quill made from one of his own feathers.
- Boots with blades hidden in them.
- A helmet that relays sensor information on its HUD.
- A hammer. Where he got it or what it’s for is a mystery.
Specialty: Advanced Battlefield Detection (sensors and tracking)
Anything Else: Has a hidden stash of wine in his mech's cockpit.
