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The Arai are one of the four species in Obduction, along with the Humans, Mofang, and Villein. Their Cell, Kaptar, was swapped away from its host planet with the Maray Cell. They are a race of intelligent beetle-like insects. The Arai were encountered by the Humans when the Trees reached a certain level of maturity, opening up the Heart and the passages to other worlds within. Lőrinc Tòth was the first to go through the passage to Kaptar and named both the Arai and the world.[1]
Variants and Physical Description[]
The Arai are insectoids, the only non-humanoid race in Obduction. However, their internal systems, like the other three species, are supported by similar atmospheres and nutrients. There are three variants of Arai:[1]
Barnacle
In this stage, the Arai are in a tough egg sac and are completely immobile. The eggs change color depending on the chemical makeup of the surfaces they are attached to.[2] In order to hatch, they must be in proximity of a polyarch, and are fertilized by the beetles after a certain stage of maturity. The luminosity of the eggs pulses in regular intervals. The pulsing is induced by the polyarchs.
Beetle
The beetles are essentially the sensory extensions of the immobile polyarchs. They have a minimal nervous system and are able to execute simple commands (like triggering the scale in the Kaptar War Room), but are not sentient. They also fertilize the barnacles.
Polyarchs
The polyarchs are the intelligent and sentient Arai variant. They lay immobile in their eggs, which have a purple color.
Language[]
Communication between Humans and the Arai is limited to non-verbal communication. Caroline Farley was the first to communicate with the polyarchs after spending lots of time with them in the Polyarch antechamber.[1]
Technology[]
The Arai have no technology of their own, but their world is littered with the technology and buildings of species that came and went through Kaptar.