Sarkaz
| Race | Enemy |
The Sarkaz (both singular and plural) are a race in the world of Arknights.
Description
The term "Sarkaz" does not actually refer to a specific race; rather, it is a derogatory umbrella term for various humanoid races who are neither Ancients nor Elders with some among the first intelligent races to have ever walked on Terra.[1][2] Their dominance came to an end when the "First Civilization" arrived in Terra along with the Ancients and Elders, displacing the Sarkaz as the sole inhabitants of Terra and driving them out of their ancestral homeland of Kazdel, also known as Teekaz. The Sarkaz has since scattered across Terra where the so-called "invaders" dehumanize and demonize them, seeing them as nothing but bloodthirsty warmongers, even going as far as using racial slurs against them by calling them demons or devils, and they are being heavily discriminated including being exempt from social welfare, as well as being experimented and exploited upon. Nonetheless, the Sarkaz embrace the term as a rallying cry and their suffering has left them deeply embittered and vengeful despite attempts by some to convince the Sarkaz to move on from the past, leading to the Victorian Crisis instigated by the fascist Military Commission of Kazdel.
Sarkaz exhibit a range of physical traits depending on their subrace, most commonly a pair of horns of varying shapes atop their heads; long, pointed ears; and tails of varying shapes such as having pointed ends or scales. However, some Sarkaz lack any of the aforementioned traits. While horns are common features among Sarkaz, horn-removal is also frequently practiced in order to conceal their identities; however, this is seen as an act of humiliation to some.[3] Sarkaz are also known for having extended lifespans that can last up to centuries or even millennia. They possess the special ability to maintain the collective racial memories which reside in their genes, especially those of the deceased which they call the Revenant, and see this as the calling of their souls – for instance, they can easily sense the deaths of other Sarkaz in the blink of a second.
Sarkaz are the first Terran race that ever made contact with Ananna, the oldest form of Originium, and this led to their ancestral racial curse: being the most vulnerable to Oripathy than other races, from which the first Infected originated from them.[4] This is seen as a bitter "blessing" that allows them to both enhance the purest, most ancient form of Originium Arts, often derogatorily referred to as "witchcraft" or "cannibalism," and resist its attack, which gives them a unique strength among Terra's races. However, the consequences are far worse than the benefits. The Sarkaz Arts are often associated with death and wrath, such as the harnessing of vengeance using the deceased's souls and their collective memories.[5] As such, the Sarkaz value death more than Terra's other races and firmly believe it is the only requiem from their worldly curse, leading to their renowned esoteric traditions.
Interestingly, the Sankta, Anasa, and Oni are descended from the Sarkaz, making them share a common ancestry with the Teekaz, but the Sarkaz views them, especially the Sankta, as "traitors" for betraying the Teekaz with an unglorified past.
Tribes
As mentioned above, the Sarkaz "subraces" are actually distinct races or "tribes" of the Teekaz. This is evident from their physical differences, which means that categorizing them as subraces is actually incorrect; "sister races"/"sibling races" would be more appropriate.[1] In ancient times, there were more than a hundred different Teekaz tribes, but most of which were completely erased throughout the course of history.[6]
- Vampire
- Wendigo
- Banshee
- Gargoyle
- Nachzehrer
- Damazti
- Diablo
- Lich
- Cyclops
- Goliath:[7] One of the few clans that aren't related to the Royal Court, the Goliaths are characterized by their muscular stature (similar to the Biblical Goliath, hence the name) and (usually) ram-like horns. The majority of Sarkaz enemies are Goliaths, with Meteorite likely to be one due to her traits.
- Djall: One of the ten ancient Sarkaz clans that form the Royal Court.[1][6] They're likely named after Dajjal, the analogue to the Antichrist in Islamic eschatology. Currently there are no known members except the fact that one of them used to work for Babel's Human Resource Department and currently is also in charge of Rhodes Island Human Resource Department.[8][9] A Djall Lord known as "The Arch-liar" became the King of Sarkaz at one point.[10]
Notable
- Dijkstra
- Colbert (Episode 12)
About the characters above:
- While Cecelia was born from a Sarkaz father and a Sankta mother, she is identified as a Sankta.[11]
- Ifrit is not actually a true Sarkaz; she was a Savra who was forcibly embedded with Diablo body shards.[12]
- The Tin Man is a cyborg possessed by a Sarkaz Revenant.
- Hyman was originally a Sarkaz before becoming a Seaborn.
- PhonoR-0 was originally a Banshee Sarkaz before being converted into a robot.
Etymology
Their name possibly derives from the Greek word for "to tear apart" or "to sneer," σαρκάζω (sarkázō).[13] The word is also the origin of the English word sarcasm.
See also
References
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