Jokarun

(Corvus Sinistrum)

### Homeworld

Jokar Prime (destroyed, bombarded with asteroids)Theraspont (current capital in Beta Timeline)

### Average Lifespan

~800 (Untainted)~100 (The Defiled)

~250 (Purified)

### Affiliations

Jokar Undivided (Burning)Corsair Warbands

Rebellion of Restoration

Sarvian Death Cults

Ilarii Orders

Grand Jokarium (To Boldly Go)

Order of the Black Sun (To Boldly Go)

Ragon Empire (livestock)

Convocation of Kul'Zarrah (Brave New World)

Independent

### Special Traits

Highly variable psychic capabilitiesExtreme memory retention

## Physical Description

### Eye Colors

Predominantly blue and grey; occasionally purple

### Type

Avian Humanoid

*"I watched as my people, a peaceable race that had turned away from violence for thousands of years, turn to a species filled with nothing but hatred. For two hundred years we have sulked in the darkness of deep space, hoping for a bloody vengeance that will never come, as our time of glory is forever past."*

*-* Kaleso Stralbane to Mattys Venter

Proud of their ancient past and often insufferably arrogant, the Jokari are a technologically advanced avian race native to the southern reaches of the Ragon Empire. They are gifted with highly variable and seemingly random psychic abilities, an erudite intellect, and long life unblemished by sickness. However, as of Burning, they're a shattered race, with what remains of them being a refugee population aboard hundreds of roving fleets.

In the future of To Boldly Go, they had recovered their former territory and reformed into the democratic state known as Grand Jokarium, though they are nowhere near their former glory of ten thousand years before.

## Biology

Obviously, the Jokarun are an avian race, described as resembling Terran ravens and crows the most due to their black feathers and beaks. Some, however, look more like falcons. They stand between 5'7" to 6'3" tall for males and 5'5" to 6,' females, with wings sprouting out of their backs that give them the ability to fly short distances. Their eyes vary in color, from blue, green, purple, and grey for the Untainted subspecies, and red and brown for the Defiled, leaning more on a bright red. They are also mildly telepathic, being able to communicate with each other without speaking a single word. These avians are known for their smug sense of superiority, and they have many reasons for such a mindset; they are, after all, vastly more intelligent and cunning in their machinations than most races. While their generations are few and far between, they live very long lives, with each individual living at least 800 years free from illnesses and frailty. A select few among them exhibit powerful psychic abilities such as telekinesis, psychic lightning, enhanced reflexes, pyromancy, and psionic shields. These individuals are known as Sorcerers, and are some of the most well known warriors of the Jokarun, described by Naiket as 'scalpels that pierce the veil', as they are some of the most skillful psykers in the galaxy. These Sorcerers in particular look down on the psykers of the Kiellar Command, seeing them as creatures that have been mutilated in mind and body, with the sole purpose of forcefully bending the energies of the Other Place, as opposed to the more mystical ways in which the Sorcerers use psychic powers.

With the Ragon invasion and occupation of the old Jokari Republic, a new sub-species of Jokarun emerged. They were known as the Yahkuthein by their brethren, or the Defiled in the English tongue. They were bred to be docile, flightless, and were shorter than their brethren. Centuries of passivity has made them weak willed compared to their headstrong brothers and sisters. Those who have been taken and rescued by the Untainted are often cybernetically and chemically altered to remove any Ragon indoctrination.

In the future of To Boldly Go and Raider's Gambit, the descendants of the Yahkuthein are known as Kanorites, roughly translating into 'The Free'.

## Background

### History

The Jokarun are an enigma of the galaxy. Their origins are all but unknown, as they had existed for so long that they have forgotten even their own mythologies. What is known for certain, however, is that they first became spacefaring 10,000 years ago and ostensibly come from the temperate forest planet of Jokar Prime. History prior to 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 the point; some say they were blessed by an ancient precursor race, probably the ones that created the infamous Zero Point Energy Generators, others speak of their species undergoing several apocalyses 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 Jokari are a far older race than they are given credit for, but constant warfare, along with an orbit filled with debris due to early versions of space warships fighting each other, prevented them from becoming a spacefaring race for a very long time. Only when they developed sufficiently advanced shielding technology were they able to bypass the infamous Kesler 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 began to expand afterwards, and their history, along with its atrocities and tragedies, were censored, and then erased over the course of 10,000 years.

At the zenith of their civilization, the highly advanced Jokarun enjoyed an automated, post scarcity society in what is now the southern edge of the Ragon Empire, where every member of their species was free to pursue science, philosophy, and art. The Jokarun Republic was founded as the united government of the entire race, and senators from every one of the star systems of the Republic met on Jokar Prime to discuss matters of the state. They fought early wars against other races in an effort to consolidate their territory, though this was a slow process due to the nature of their birthrate and lifespans. However, when the borders finally became fixed, their expansion ceased and the once grand armies of the Republic became a shadow of what they once were.

It was around two centuries before the present time that they first encountered the beings known as the Ragon. Too late did they realize that these reptilians posed a major threat, not just to their nation, but to their species as a whole. When Ragon forces invaded, they encountered pitiful sector defense fleets, as the Republic was in a state of political and military decline. What resistance they offered was quickly swept away, and all but one of the systems fell in a few short years. Jokar Prime stood alone as the final bastion.

The Ragon broke through the defenses of the capital soon enough, but the entire system was burning. Asteroid bombardment had turned everything of value in rubble, and the land was all but useless without extensive terraforming. It was apparent that the Jokarun had taken everything of value aboard every last vessel, and blasted the rest by sending asteroids down into their own home system's planets. They deemed it better for it all to be destroyed rather than be colonized by their now hated enemy.

With that event, the Jokarun were reduced to a fraction of their former strength, if they were strong to begin with. They didn't waver, however, and continued to persevere aboard nomadic fleets of self sustaining city ships, though they were mainly centered around the ancient continent sized starship known as the Undying Light. In the Beta Timeline, the Ragon Empire was broken by the Galactic Concord, presenting the opportunity of vengeance and reclamation. Many of their planets, which now teemed with their brethren that had been turned into livestock, were reclaimed and reformed into a powerful militarized state known as Grand Jokarium. It had pulled in all of the disparate groups and orders that had splintered from the fall, and became a player in the new galactic setting in its own right. They are also actively colonizing new worlds; a far cry from the insular, isolationist republic of old. While Grand Jokarium nominally holds the vast majority of their race, there are numerous orders, fleets, organizations, and individuals traveling the Andromeda, with some even ending up in the Milky Way. As such, it is not uncommon for small numbers of them to come to the new hubs in the former Command and the Sol System. Most of these would eventually return to their home systems, however, some do not, each with their own reasons. By the time the Destiny Iaunched, least 75,000 Jokari are present in the Solar System and nearby systems, mostly inhabiting space stations as their residence is usually temporary. An increasing number of them, however, have decided to stay for good. This rapidly growing offshoot is called the Targani; roughly translating into 'The Departed'. None of the Sorcerers of the Order have been noted to join the Targani, either.

In the Alpha Timeline, the collapse of the Command allowed the Ragon to focus on comparatively weaker foes, such as the Jokari. As a result, their race is driven further into the precipice of destruction. The Untainted subspecies eventually become extinct in the Neutral Zone and former Command, though some of their fleets are able to escape into the frontier regions in the western side of the Andromeda Galaxy. Their fate is unknown; if they survived and formed a new nation, they would be brewing plans of bitter revenge that are unlikely to come into fruition.

## Culture

The Jokarun of the times of Burning are a xenophobic and highly militarized people, as the traumatic events of the Ragon invasion has hardened their once soft pacifist hearts into cold stone, making the Jokari Untainted (the ones who were able to evade the Ragon) one of the most feared piratical forces within the Neutral Zone. They are divided into three main factions that are in practice all allied together under the Jokar Undivided: Refounders, Corsair Bands, and the Rebellion of Restoration, though the JU is usually used interchangeably with the Refounders.

The former denizens of the Undying Light, the Refounders, were extremely hostile to most outsiders, and would murder most foreigners that trespass into the Undying Light’s path. However, Corsairs, Rebels, and the later Kanorites are far more amicable to alien races, as they are the ones who have regular contact with other species, and thus are more level headed than their sequestered brethren. It isn’t uncommon for Corsairs and Rebels to have alliances or friendships with members of other species, as exemplified by Kaleso Stralbane with Yare-Lokem and Nathaniel Carter.

In the present times of the Beta Timeline, the xenophobic tendencies of the Jokari had simmered down as their various subfactions merged into Grand Jokarium. They become highly open to trade with the nations that remained after the fall of the Command, though they are extremely cautious and paranoid as they seek to do everything to avoid a second fall from grace. As such, they retain their militaristic aspects, especially amongst the border worlds, while propaganda ensures that least a portion of the general populations of other races would tread carefully due to the belief that the Jokari are most or all destructive psychics. Though this is very far from the truth, misinformation is inherently difficult to combat.

In warfare, they would often take the skulls, bones, and sometimes the skin of their enemies in order to use them as trophies or headdresses. This has garnered their warriors something of a reputation of being simultaneously barbaric as well as paragons of elegance. In addition, Jokari warriors regularly use the corpses of dead enemies, especially Ragons, as drawing canvases with their plasma blades.

The Jokari primarily worship two gods: Ilarion and Sarvia, with their religion being known by other races as the Faith of the Twin Gods. Ilarion and Sarvia represent the light and dark, the beginning and the end, life and death. Little else is known, for like most things in their possession, the Jokari keep the details of their faith secret to most outsiders. However, those who had forged friendships with the more outlying Jokari, such as corsairs, might know a few more things. Many Jokari subscribe to cults dedicated to either one of their deities, but with the Fall, the Sarvian Cults have seen a rapid rise in membership.

## Subspecies

Other than the mainstream Jokari species, there are two distinct subspecies under it.

### Defiled (Yahkuthein)/The Free (Kanorites)

The Defiled are the inbred products of a century of Ragon dabbling with the highly complex Jokari genome. They are shorter, flightless, much more passive, and incapable of using psychic power, but have higher body mass and a stronger skeletal structure than their unmodified counterparts. The Ragon however were never able to purge their powerful intelligence, which was mitigated by their passivity, as they were bred to accept their fate from the very beginning. They have physical strength comparable to that of the Kiellar and much more stable minds than the Untainted. Those that were liberated and purged of all indoctrination were called Saruthein; the 'Purified'.

In the Beta Timeline, their descendants would become known as the Kanorites, who greatly outnumber their Karthelthein counterparts. The two subspecies are able to interbreed, which creates offspring with no latent psionic capability, but they regain the wings of their ancestors.

### Untainted (Karthelthein)

The baseline form of the Jokarun. Members of the Untainted possess latent psychic ability, though the risks of trying to improve one's power are great. They are more stable than Kiellar psykers and do not require inhibitor pills, but will eventually succumb to a painful neural degeneration at the final days of their lives. It is therefore said that sorcerers are either the most selfless individuals, or are downright insane.

They are capable of limited flight, and are more technologically advanced than most of the other races in the Andromeda due to their long history. They suffer from low birth rates, however, and have been slowly dying out in the times of Burning, though they have somewhat recovered by the launching of the Destiny II in the Beta Timeline.

After the Republic's fall, the succeeding generations of Karthelthein are known as the Voidborne. They would be raised in low gravity conditions within starships and space stations, rendering them unable to stay on planets of 0.5 G and higher without taking bone and muscle densifiers.

### Kul'Zarrahi

In the far future, the Jokari of the Milky Way Galaxy develop into an entirely new race and culture: the Kul'Zarrahi, which translates roughly to 'Children of the Void'. They are the result of the Karveli and Kanorites interbreeding over many generations, resulting in a psychically inert species that possess self powered flight.

## Technology

The Jokarun are one of the most advanced species in the Andromeda Galaxy, reaching up to the point of post scarcity before their destruction at the hands of the invading Ragon Empire. They used to have an atrophied military, but the destruction of their Republic has resulted in a rapid military advancement that lasted for two whole centuries, culminating in the weapons they use today.

They had and still do have a highly automated society, leaving its members free to pursue art, science, or the arts of war. Drones perform most mundane tasks in their cities, though some groups, such as the Gwahir Diaspora and the Black Sun, actively eschew automation in favour of 'disciplined work'.

However, the hallmark of their technology is their powerful arsenal, which they used to level the playing field despite their greatly inferior numbers. Their most notable naval weapons are spinal magnetic accelerator cannons, which launch solid tungsten projectiles at extreme speeds, as well as the exotic particle lance, which are their most commonly used capital ship guns. They are a rare example of kinetic weaponry being used en-masse, as most races in both the Milky Way and Andromeda mostly use energy based weapons. They prefer kinetic weapons in space combat as its destructive capabilities increase with longer ranges, which is the preferred engagement distance of the Jokari.

The soldiers of the Jokar Undivided and Grand Jokarium have always been formidable warriors, even in times of peace, and are proficient in both long and close range. They wear ornate platinum or black colored armor, and more often than not they would wear black or grey cloaks over their primary protection for aesthetic purposes. Experienced veterans will often sport tribalist head dresses made from the skin and bones of fallen foes, though this practice has mostly phased out of the latter generations.

Jokari psykers, known as the Sorcerers of the Order, are an ever present force in the battlefield; while most function essentially as super soldiers with energy projection and telekinetic abilities, others are of far greater caliber and rarity have more specialized and diverse abilities; they are comparable to the metahumans produced by the Prefeton Facility. They are organized into the Order, which is responsible for the training of psykers. They are notably highly esoteric and mystical, as opposed to the more direct methods of Kiellar psyker training.

## Sub-Cultures and Groups

### Core Worlders

The Core Worlders are a distinct culture within the greater Jokari race, as they are descended from those that came from the home system of the old republic, and are as such also the most numerous amongst the Karthelthein. Core Worlders are often seen as lazy by the likes of the Gwahir Diaspora and Order of the Black Sun, who come from much more difficult backgrounds. This isn't to say that they are actually lazy; it is simply that Core Worlders would rather chase artistic pursuits than become soldiers or sorcerers.

### Gwahir Diaspora

The Outer Rim, also known as the Gwahir in the Jokari tongue, were those planets that had only been recently colonized when the Ragon invasion struck. The Gwahir worlds, being neglected in the defence, were easily conquered and most of their inhabitants enslaved. Those survivors that managed to flee to the home system are known as the Gwahir Diaspora, and share a collective identity right into the present day. They are notably more hard working and industrious than their Core Worlder counterparts, and a larger proportion of their population turn to military occupations.

### Order of the Black Sun

The Order of the Black Sun are descended from one specific fleet of arkships that managed to evade the Ragon invasion by going into a system where the star had collapsed into a black hole. They were able to sustain themselves for nearly three centuries until life support and hydroponic systems in their ships began to fail, forcing them to finally make contact with the rest of their kind. They remain a wholly separate and fiercely independent group, and are even more xenophobic than normal. At present times, they will sabotage the other Jokari factions allegedly due to past grudges. It is said, however, that they have turned to the dark side of their psyche.

### The Departed

Also known as the Targani, these are the Jokari that have decided to stay in the Milky Way Galaxy for good. They are usually naturalized or born citizens of the UNS and Federation, though some seek to found a new nation somewhere in the new galaxy.

## Relationships with other races

### Dhasath

While not truly sharing a mutual alliance or even a friendship of any kind, the Jokarun share an empathic bond with the most sought after species in the galaxy. Both were badly decimated by the Ragon Empire; the different is that while the Jokarun were able to save an entire solar system's worth of their population, the Dhasath didn't even manage to save a single planet. Still, the Jokarun fully understand the path the Dhasath have been thrown into, so every Jokari captain, raider, and sorcerer at most times will outright refuse to kill a Dhasath. To this they hope that they are contributing to another species' survival somewhat.

### Kiellar

The relationship between the Kiellar and Jokarun is very complicated. On one hand, the Jokarun prefer to have the Kiellar as a dominant military power to oppose the Ragon. In the other hand, they actively attack and raid Command assets in search of supplies. However, it is a general consensus that the slaver Command is a lesser evil compared to the Ragon, who had all but devoured the majority of their race.

### Ragon

The Jokarun hate the Ragon with a burning passion as hot as the core of the greatest star. A popular chant is said to summarize what the Jokarun feel about the reptilian giants: *"Kwa ebieut das Makureste, nyod yolen sar."* (The dead will not rest until every Makureste is dead). The Jokarun call their scaly enemies "Makureste", which literally translates to "the Great Enemy". While rarely the case, when Jokari forces capture a Ragon, the worst tortures can be expected. The Ragons' natural resilliance has made the Jokari invent increasingly sophisticated ways of inflicting pain and suffering, which would usually not be limited to their so-called 'Great Enemy'. However, there are rare occasions in which members of the two species manage to reach an understanding, though official policy is to kill them on sight.

### Sarufi

The Sarufi are one of the races they truly respect. They allow the telekinetic dragons to visit their ships and territories; it is not uncommon for interspecies friendships to be found between the two races.

### Archelians

The Archelians were a trading partner of the Republic and the Technocracy still maintains relations with every Jokari faction.

### Humans

While most Jokarun will never meet a human, let alone be friends with them, those who have, such as Kaleso and Karesan, tended to grow fond of humanity; they treat the chaotic and paradoxical history of mankind as some kind of cosmic joke played on them by the universe, but they also admire human stubbornness and resilience.