My friends, the people of earth. . .

Biology and Appearance:

General:

Arkanisians are a species of aquatic humanoids whose skin is covered in a myriad of bioluminescent stripes visible only when submerged in water or under UV-A light. These stripes mirror the patterns of Blaschko lines present on humans. While they appear nearly human and are often mistaken for them, their most distinctive feature are their gills, located on the sides of the neck, webbed fingers and toes, and claws and sharp teeth. They also have a secondary clear eyelid to protect their eyes from salt water and allow them to have clearer eyesight when submerged. Their eyes have also adapted to see in the dark, giving them a natural eyeshine at night which makes them appear as if they are glowing. The presence of both gills and lungs allows Arkanisians to breath both air and water, though the gills are a secondary respiratory system so the species does require periodic exposure to air in order to function properly. Their skin however is extremely sensitive, and gets dehydrated easily if out of water for extended periods. The heavy rainfall and moistness of Araknis's atmosphere does provide some ease in terrestrial travel.

Aquatic Adaptations:

Arkanisians posses a flexible ribcage and lungs as well as their airways being fortified by a layer of cartilage in order for their bodies to with stand long dives and deep oceanic pressures. Their body is made of an even higher percentage of water than humans and they store much of their oxygen in their blood and muscles to compensate for lung compression during dives.

The waters of Arkanis are extremely cold so their bodies produce Antifreeze Glycoproteins and Peptides in order to lower their bodily freezing point. They also have a Countercurrent Heat Exchange, meaning their warm blood from the core runs close to their cold blood coming back from the extremities. Heat is transferred between them warming returning blood before it reaches the core and cooling arterial blood before it reaches the extremities, thus minimizing heat loss.

Other adaptations for the cold that Arkanisians posses include Increased metabolism, Enzyme optimization to function in low temperatures, and cell membranes with higher proportions of unsaturated fatty acids causing membrane fluidity which allows them to function in lower temperature environments.

Reproduction:

(warning brief mentions of mpreg)

Arkanisians are a bigestational species. Meaning both sexes posses the capability for carrying pregnancy. The harsh environment and high infant mortality rate of pre colonial Arkanis lead to an adaptation which resulted in some males possessing wombs. This mutation was far more common prior to imperial rule but decreased due to medical advancements and cultural shifts. Chances of males possessing a womb increased however in a small isolated population of Arkanisans and Arkanisian hybrids that grew up in the confines of the imperial, and later first order, military system, due to the high stress and aggressive environment.

Arkanisians can procreate with most humanoid species. Human hybrids as a result of imperial colonization were not uncommon, though most perished in the siege. Arkanisian Human hybrids may posses any number of physical Arkanisian characteristics, some appearing entirely Arkanisian, others appearing entirely human. Internal anatomy however almost always reflects Arkanisian anatomy. All hybrids do posses Arkanisian stripes.

Infant Arkanisians and Arkanisian hybrids must be partially submerged in water for the majority of the first 3 months of life.

Warning male reproductive anatomy detailed bellow:

Carrying males appear phonetically male and still posses penis and testiest, though due to high estrogen levels most are completely or partially infertile. Their uterus is connected through the rectum. They do not have visible breasts until pregnancy where hormonal shifts result in their growth and milk production. Males will not necessarily return to being completely flat chested after pregnancy occurs.

Society, Culture and History:

Societal Structure:

Prior to imperial colonization the Arkanisians functioned as a hunting and gathering society. There was no formal hierarchy, government office, or division of labor. They functioned in large matriarchal family groups, that collaborated with one another to share resources and knowledge. Houses were built into cliffsides and oceanic caves with direct access to water, and due to danger created by both rough seas and dangerous sea life, hunting, mainly for fish, was a community wide event where the catch would be shared between all family groups proportional to the needs of each family and the amount of fish caught by family members.

For instance a baseline of fish and other foods would be shared between all members of the community, those with higher needs such as pregnant people, the sick, and the elderly would be given larger portions, but if a member of one family had a very successfully catch and caught an abnormally impressive amount of fish, their success would be rewarded by being able to take that access fish back to their family rather than sharing it with the whole group.

Diets were supplemented by nuts, berries, fungi, and sometimes fowl, hunted and gathered by children and members of society not fit for aquatic hunting. No formal agriculture was present prior to imperial colonization due to rocky soil and harsh weather. Jobs were not assigned based on gender, anyone could do any job as long as the contributed to the society.

Clothing and Tradition:

Clothing was minimal due to Arkanisian's adaptation for cold environments, it was often woven from seaweed or kelp and decorated with pearls, abalone, and other shells. It was very common for women to be topless as bodies were not sexualized. One of the most sought after Arkanisian goods was seaweed lace.

They typically keep their hair long regardless of gender and style it in intricate braids.

Arkanisians had a tradition in which a communally chosen member of the society would descend into the ocean and not return for two years, this was tied to their polytheistic religious practices, mostly lost due to imperial colonization, as the ocean was viewed as the gateway to the realm of the fairies. It is not entirely clear what the purpose of the ritual was but it was likely a way of protecting or blessing the community. Those who survived the ordeal were given a special name like a title of nobility. This practice stopped after imperial colonization. Little is documented about the pre colonial religion though it had strong ties to nature and astrological phenomena.

Post Colonial Era:

When the empire arrived Arkanisians began to set up mud houses on the hills forming temporary living spaces and trading villages so they could trade goods with off-worlders. This is where some of their cultural practices, mostly shared orally, began to dissolve. their societies became more patriarchal and there was an adaptation of pearls as currency, moving away from communicably shared resources. Imperials imposed basic on the locals, started farms that ate away at the natural environment, overhunted native species, and opened a military training academy. Women were often taken from trading outposts to work as service staff for the imperial academy or be taken as wives.

While some transitioned to live amongst the empire, forming permeant residence in the trading villages, which only grew, others retreated to the sea, as the oceanic habitats was safe from imperial enforcement. Unfortunately Imperials ransacked Arkanis for it's resources and filled the air and water with pollutants, leading to a massive Fishkill and drought that killed many Arkanisians. The planet was struggling when the new republic siege occurred and much of the island surrounding the Arkanis academy was decimated by the fighting, many civilians were caught in the crossfire and perished. After the siege remaining members of the species migrated to smaller islands on the far side of the planet.