Zkaii, The Sleepwalker

Zkai’xay’yil is the current High Overlord of Tret, and High Queen of the K’lax Hive. She is the representative of all K’lax to the Izweski Hegemony. Zkaii and her brood have been largely busy with expansion and colonization efforts over the last few years. Ever the tinkerers, her brood are known for their natural curiosity for all things mechanical, much to the chagrin of local mining companies who prefer their equipment in one piece. In the year since the news of the Zo’ra High Queen's ultimate fate, Zkaii has been under pressure to assume the role of High Queen from her fellow Lesser Queens. She assumed this duty during a public announcement in 2461.

Prior to their arrival in Uueoa-Esa, Zkaii maintained the Hiveship’s population, making her brood the largest within the Hive. She also oversaw the Klo’zxera reparations, developing various methods to maintain the ship. This resulted in the K’laxian Hiveship being the best-kept out of the three Hiveships encountered when contact was made.

Her leadership and stricter religious beliefs than those followed by other Queens, as well as the modifications in her brood’s sleep cycle so they can attend to emergencies at any given time has led to the curious Mother Dream religion.

Her Realm
Zkaii’xay’yil’s Virtual Reality is understood conceptually as a shiny gem that reflects in all directions, each a perfect copy to each other with no distortion further than what is expected from the mirroring angles. This is meant to represent the different simulations, all meeting in the center, with Unbound being known to visit the center room as some sort of oracle, which would reflect what occurs to them in the different avatars they might encounter when escalating their spiritual path.

Zkaii herself doesn’t reside here. Instead, there is an area often mentioned by the followers of the Mother Dream followers where they can advance to the next simulation. It is believed that Zkaii has a chamber in the physical palace of Mother K’lax, reached only when all simulations have been escaped.

Her Brood
Perhaps more than any other brood of K’lax, Zkaii’s spawn shares a deeply spiritual connection to their High Queen, that even surpasses what is experienced in VR by other Vaurcae. All K’lax of Zkaii’s brood call Virtual Reality the Ny’tatyk or ‘Mother Dream’. They see the Ny’tatyk as a mote in the mind of Great Mother K'lax and the Ny'tatyk itself the birthplace of how reality is defined. Bound and Unbound K'lax within Zkaii'xay'yil's brood may sometimes perform actions in their sleep. This type of somnambulism is often seen as echoes of Great Mother K’lax’s will expressed through them as its vessel.

Not knowing her ultimate fate has led many of her brood to have a crisis of faith, which Zkaii’xay’yil has been unable to assuage due to her own doubts. The question of whether the dream can exist if Mother K’lax is dead is often brought up in theological discussions. Some assert that even if she is dead, her late consciousness can allow for the dream to continue, and the goal of escaping simulations should not be abandoned.

The faith crisis has created opportunities and problems for the Sk’akh faithful and Maraziites missionaries who frequent the Hive’s colonies. While unlikely to adopt the religion at large, this has also sparked religious syncretism, understanding Sk’akh as Mother K’lax herself. Some sort of Mother Dream priesthood has been established as a consequence.

Besides their religious beliefs, both Workers and Warriors are known for their engineering feats. Recently, her Warriors are also known for their integration with the Kataphracts. Unlike Zo’ra or C’thur, there is no brood known for their military strength, and Zkaii has had to fill in this role as the liaison to Izweski.

Xakat’kl’atan
As a result of the circumstances since the Exodus from Sedantis, the Zkaii brood has seen plenty of modifications from its earlier form. As a consequence, the eldest Xakat’kl’atan have been retired, with newer masters taking their place.

Ka’Akaix’Vhixok K’lax
Vhixok is often regarded as the theologian behind the Mother Dream religion, and has remained relevant through its reforms and quasi-official adoption by Zkaii herself. The story goes that Vhixok, a fervent believer of the Pilot Dream theory, received a call from Mother K’lax herself to escape her simulations, understood as tests for it to pass so it could be elevated unto the next ‘nest’. Vhixok underwent a large amount of endurance until it reached the physical realm, which proved to be superior in sensations and, most importantly, more meaningful than the simulations in which the Vaurcae are entrapped. With this knowledge, Vhixok has since returned to Virtual Reality, where it teaches the means to escape the nests ever since.

Za’Akaix’Nerm K’lax
Once the news about the Unathi reached Nerm, it abandoned its peaceful rest inside the Aether to adopt a new body and learn about the warrior race first-hand. Often regarded as the first Vaurca Hopeful, Nerm has been in deep cooperation with the Hegemony warriors and may be directly responsible for the militarist push inside Zkaii’s brood. Nerm is also the mastermind behind the new training K’lax warriors receive, which incorporates [[Unathi|Unathite] combat techniques and expectations on the battlefield.

Recent Events
For Zkaii’xay’yil, assuming the role of High Queen has not been an easy task, and it is perhaps something she was unprepared for. She has since tried to keep order in regards the new relationship with the Izweski Nation, trying to reconfigure the services they provided as something else but slavery. Zo’ra seems to recognize her, as the very least, as the authority of the vassals. While a full push for independence might be a struggle, Zkaii has made the best of herself to incorporate in Tret before her next move.