Zheyta

The Zheyta occupy only a small fraction of the Segment, all the way at the very edges. They guard the Runegates that allow people to travel to and from Da'iro, and ensure any visitors stay in their nation. This is because, following the war that resulted in the extinction of many sentient races, the Zheyta wanted to protect the two other races from any more harm. They feel as if it was their fault the war happened in the first place, and see it as their moral obligation to prevent anything like that from ever happening again.

In terms of appearance, they look relatively similar to your standard elves. Their height generally falls into the 170-190 cm range, and they have long, pointed ears that move along with their faces, becoming an emotional signifier just as a human's eyebrows are. Their skin is a dull, even green, and their long, braided hair can range from being almost white to a dark green.

Unlike the other two races, the Zheyta have only a single nation, tucked away at the very edges of the Segment. They also have a social hierarchy that is much closer to how humans do it; at the head of this nation is a single person, who rules together with a council of aristocrats. A position among nobility is pretty much always passed down through generations- and this goes for commoners as well, who often learn their craft from their parents.

Despite the many hardships that have plagued the Segment, from the Greater Fracture to the massive wars that wiped out many of its sentient races, the Zheyta have managed to keep most of the knowledge they used to hold. They have always preferred writing down their information on physical mediums, rather than saving it digitally like many other races did. Because of this, they are seen as the most intelligent and wise of Da'iro's three races. They don't often share this knowledge with the Féni or Kèr, but after the wars, they saw how much they had lost. And so, they began to preserve their wisdom and their way of life as best as they could. Their culture has, for the most part, stayed the same even after thousands of Standard Cycles.

### Holidays

Whenever SGM-15, Morlavul can be seen in the sky, the Zheyta know that one of their most important holidays is near. The Hiril Radènna (the "War Festival") takes place while Morlavul is slowly disappearing, and ends when it is no longer visible with the naked eye. To measure exactly when the festival starts, they compare the Segment's size to that of a special measuring device. In Earth time, the festival lasts around 3 days, and the festivities continue without stopping during this time.

The actual festival itself is relatively similar to Halloween in concept, in that its purpose is to ward off ghosts and prevent them from causing harm to the living. After the war that happened on Da'iro thousands of years ago, protection from ghosts has become an important aspect of Zheytan culture. They believe it is necessary to keep them away from the realm of the living, or else the spirits of the extinct race that ignited the war will return to slaughter the living once again.

At the beginning of the festival, one person is chosen to lead the rituals and celebrations. They are chosen from among the priests that make up the nation's theocracy, and are the only person who has to stay awake for the full duration of the Hiril Radènna. In addition, they are not allowed to eat or drink during the festival Everyone else is permitted to sleep whenever they please, as long as there is someone constantly tending to the ritual bonfires.

The chosen priest is the one to light the ceremonial bonfires, which are designed to have a pleasant smell. It is believed that anything that the living perceive as enjoyable, the dead despise, and vice versa. This way, they will be repelled by the foul stench they perceive.

Similarly, torches are lit with the same or other sweet smells, and carried around the borders of the nation. This way, the spirits will be unable to stay on the Zheyta's home island, and will supposedly drown in Da'iro's seas.