Rhakin or The Dragonfly Warriors are an ancient sub-species of Aphex. They are usually found in deep ruins or around the sacred lands of forested areas. Rhakin are usually peaceful towards their kin, but are incredibly durable and well built for battle. Rhakin are prideful, sacred beasts and take their role seriously when protecting places or people. Rhakin are supposedly descendants of an offshoot of a failed Aphex sub-species which was designed solely to be as indestructable as possible. This small tribe hid from most of the world and grew, creating traditions and marking their places in the world. Nowadays there are many off-shoots of Rhakin clans across the globe, each varying slightly in traditions and religions, however, they all share some defining factors. These mostly consist of harsh and often considered "cruel" methods of testing a child's strength before being "crested" into a Rhakin. 

The Great Trial

It is Rhakin tradition to leave a child alone at a young age somewhere in the wild, quite a distance away from the tribe. It then relies on the child to fend and fight for themselves. The strong survive while the weak weed themselves out. While this may sound extremely barbaric to outsiders, many children that have failed are found by wanderers and cared for. Those that have failed do not bear a Rhakin crest and are not considered as Dragonfly Warriors. This tradition, as frowned upon as it seems, has forged many strong tribes, resulting in a high success rate for their young. Young often don't return to their tribes as many are well hidden and Rhakins are quite rare themselves.  If a Rhakin hatchling survives long enough or finds its way back home it is crested and is embued with the knowledge of the tribe to continue its ways. Crests are carved pendants from metals and depict the unique design of the tribe, which is usually in the form of an insect or dragonfly. These pendants are fuzed to the body, most commonly the chest. If a Rhakin has broken a tribe's rules and is outcasted, their pendant is removed. This is considered worse than death for a Rhakin. To lose their honor is a sin most unholy.

The Dragonfly Warriors

This name refers to Rhakin that have been decorated with their crest. It is a name dubbed by outsiders to describe their agile and strong nature, along with their insectoid and luminous armour styles. Rhakins themselves often do not refer to themselves with this title, but rather by statuses. Outcasts refer to those who failed their first test and thus are shunned from joining the tribe from that point on. Crested refers to those who have gained their pendant and are respected warriors of the clan. Knights are crested that are highly decorated and experienced in battle. A Noble is one of the highest ranks known for Rhakins. This refers to those who have done a significant contribution to the safety of those around them. Often those who are given this title are those who have sacrificed their life to save another's.

Above is a general example of a Rhakin's armor, however, the style varies based on the clan. A Rhakin's armour is commonly made of metal, the type of metal directly relates to their rank in the clan (if they are not in a clan this does not apply). Sometimes these metals are coloured and painted. Silvers, bronzes nd muted colours are for cresteds, and is a basic appearance. Gold is representative of Knights, or well-experienced Rhakins. Pearlescent, holographic or "heavenly" metals are for nobles. Those wearing black armour are those who undertake gruelling or noble tasks. This can be as executioners, assassins, spies etc. This armour can be switched out when not undertaking the current job.

Lifestyle and Anatomy

Rhakins are extremely strong, considered the strongest Aphex species in relation to body mass. These warriors of silver and flesh have been known to hunt down Dephx without fear, and have commonly taken down beasts triple their size alone. Rhakin also possesses the ability to breathe out smoke (single colour). This usually happens when the Rhakin is overexerting itself to rapidly expel heat from its body, but this can still be present in small amounts when the Rhakin is calm. This smoke is mostly harmless but can cause confusion and dizziness if breathed in large amounts. Rhakins don't always remain with their clans. Many leave once crested to find another purpose, or others of a different kind to share their strength with. Some Rhakins don't always seek the warrior lifestyle and want to make a new life for themselves in a new place where there are no expectations for their future.

A dark knight. 
Our ancestors are calling. 

A howl, nothing more.
Drowned by the midnight's cry.

This world is filled with terror and spite.
Yet we stand, our claws sharp,
our minds honed. 

We are ready to fight. 

Aphex are created and born with reborn souls straight from Alure, and this soul is released upon death as per normal.

Height Sheet
Basic Trait Sheet
Bonus Pack #1

When transforming your Aphex to a Rhakin sub-species, the Aphex may lose some characteristics in the process while you're adding Rhakin anatomy.
During the transformation, your patterns must remain recognizable. 
Smoke can not change colour. 
Fur should loosely follow the guide above and not be short.
The tail can vary based on Aphex guidelines. 
The crest can be any metal colour and should be close to the design below.

When transformed these additional traits must be added. 
Head must be hard as above and contain at least one or more horns. 
Scales covering the limbs and chest close to the visual above.
Horns on the head
Crest on the body.
Mouth can be any style ridge. No teeth on the outside.
Rhakin Anatomy|Special