Arika Ronango'O

Arika Ronango'O was a Lausán Xeroist judge, author, politician, and former guerilla soldier. She is also known as Arika I, the name she began using when she became the third Pontifex of the Makerist Church. She is most well known for using a Ring of Power and sacrificing herself to open sixteen portals throughout Eldham and Rathnir to allow people to flee Iristor's Comet. She was posthumously declared into sainthood by the Makerist Church, where she began to be called Saint Arika. She is often venerated and prayed to as a patron saint of refugees and victims of warfare.

Arika had served five terms as a Supreme People's Representative, one term as Premier of the Fourth Supreme People's Assembly, and acted as an executive advisor to multiple USSE administrations and other nations such as Valreshiya.

She was a member of the Communist Party and has been a member of organizations like the Sulotoxédé Mizorgaxá Nizu. She notably made contributions to Hrabian, Bardonian, and Shakumagi socialist causes, owing to a reputation for supporting and abetting communists abroad, particularly in her youth.

Background and history ( - 204 TE)
Arika Ronango'O was born in the year 192 AJC (232 TE) to two Lo'Oix parents: Hilina Ronango'O and Andros Zalingona. She is a great-great-granddaughter to Lausán revolutionary Xeroise Ronango'O and Garxijos politician Buoyo Bjorn. While she is mostly Lo'Oix, was culturally raised Lo'Oix and was born to two predominately Lo'Oix parents, she does have very small Kolsson heritage in addition to smaller Garxoix heritage. She was raised fluent in three languages: Lo'Oi, Kolsson, and somewhat fluent in Mari. She later picked up Traveler's Tongue as a teenager while living with a distant cousin. Both of her parents were card-carrying members of the Communist Party of the USSE and lived in Kaxkaya; where she was also born. Her maternal great grandparents were both soldiers in the People's Army of the USSE. Her maternal great grandfather Erik Kuznyssov was 100% Kolsson and wedded her maternal great grandmother Nazua Ronango'O in about 110 AJC (150 TE) before giving birth to one daughter that they named after the popular politician Van'la Gaboliver. Nazua was the only daughter of Xeroise Ronango'O and was born in Laria while Xeroise Ronango'O (her mother) was living there; she moved to a farm outside Bierzhan after wedding her husband. By around 128 AJC (168 TE), fighting had begun between the Duchy of Manzland and the United Socialist States of Eldham. Both were involved soldiers and were both killed during a collective Vulperium/Manz raid on their farm outside the village of Bierzhan in 131 AJC (171 TE), it is believe they killed seven soldiers with gunfire before being taken down by the troops according to the now-open Manz archives. Nazua was 42 and Erik was 55 at the time of their deaths. Their daughter Van'la was 20 at the time and became an involved member of the Communist Party after their deaths and the end of the Great Serronan War. Her maternal grandparents were the librarian and archivists Van'la Vinoxinda Ronango'O and Ixalo Garkoa, who died before Arika was born and lived on the Isle of Kiurtrog which was occupied by the Larian government and later by the Dread Fleet and Sylvania. As previously iterated upon, Van'la and her husband were communists and lived alongside Xeroise Ronango'O in her old age on the island; whom was Van'la's grandmother. Ixalo died during the first wave of occupation from the Laria nationalists who would later declare themselves the independent Republic of Laria. He worked in Southern Kiurtrog at a small library in the scattered woodlands. A Larian vessel docked in the town, South of Garkos, and requested identification from all Citizens of the island.

Prior to Larian settlement, most people carried their Communist Party card as identification if they were party members instead of other pieces of legal documentation as under the USSE government it was considered legal identification. Those who presented to the Larians with their Communist Party identification were often kidnapped, killed, or exiled from Kiurtrog. For years what happened to him specifically was unknown, later Ixano was found buried in a shallow ditch in Southern Kiurtrog ten years later, with wounds to the cranium suggesting he had been killed with a hatchet or axe. It is believed that he was killed by the Larians after showing his Communist Party identification card upon being asked who he was; he was merely 55 years old and died in 154 AJC (194 TE). During the first decade of occupation, the Ronango'O family lived in secrecy in Garkos for numerous years. Xeroise Ronango'O, the grandmother of Van'la Vinoxinda and the great-great-grandmother of Arika Ronango'O, died peacefully on the island from natural causes at 160 years old in 166 AJC (206 TE). She was one of the most wanted officials by the Larian government at the time. Xeroise was survived by her granddaughter Van'la Vinoxinda who continued to live on the island in secrecy for two decades until 187 AJC (227 TE). It is unknown what happened to her, but she disappeared in the middle of the night and two days later was found; her remains having been burnt. It is believed she was kidnapped and murdered by Larian or anti-communist spies; she died at the age of 76. The Ronango'Os at this time were going by the secret last name Dovaré and by various first names. They also were routinely dying their hair black; as the descendants of Xeroise Ronango'O and Buoyo Bjorn all had a silvery tint to their hair naturally.

This murder of Van'la Vinoxinda prompted the remainder of the Ronango'O family still living on Kiurtrog to flee the island; most having already fled. This included Van'la's two children Hilina and Diogo - both having moved to Kaxkaya. Hilina soon thereafter met and married fellow Kiurtrogoix native Andros Zalingona; Andros' family having fled the island nearly three decades prior in 164 AJC (204 TE). Around five years later, they had given birth to a daughter named Arika.

Youth and teenage years (232 TE - 249 TE)
Her father Andros passed away at the age of forty-one following a shootout with the People's Security Bureau of the USSE; the shootout followed a robbery of an experience factory storage hub in Kaxkaya, Arika being 11 at the time and it remains unclear of Andros was actually involved in the robbery or was misidentified.

She lived the next several years grieving and her family moved to Vostroya in the State of Atoxa, not long after when Arika was merely 16, her mother died at the age of 72 from heart failure. She moved in with a very distant cousin who also lived in Vostroya named Zivimo Votoxa; whom was 42 at the time and is still living.

Despite at first living with the Votoxas, she became fiercely independent and decided to join in her familial footsteps. Shortly before Arika became 17, she joined the Communist Party of the USSE despite grievances with the government of the USSE and the People's Security Bureau regarding the death of her father Andros and what she considered the betrayal of her maternal grandmother and her family on Kiurtrog; the island willingly being given to the Larian state.

Beginning at the age of 17 in 249 TE, she studied at the University of Akaishiro and became a Lawyer for the USSE Commission of Justice.

Early adulthood ( 250 TE - 261 TE)
Shortly thereafter she was elected to Seat V of the First Supreme People's Assembly of the USSE. During her tenure as a legislator she wrote numerous laws and referendums including the Postal Act, Janitorial Cleanup Act, and the Referendum on the Defining of Illegal Seizure, Rights of Mayoral Councils, and Rights of Mayors. In 210 AJC (250 TE) she gave birth to one child with a PSB Officer named Akauna 'Karma' Cornaro; a daughter named Vozuba Cornaro-Ronango'O. Ten years later in 220 AJC (260 TE), she gave birth to a second child named Kovoik Ronango'O. Later after that in 229 AJC (269 TE), she gave birth to a third child named Satvani Ronango'O. Satvani and Kovoik are believed to be complete siblings and were born to out of an affair to what is alleged to be a fellow member of the Supreme People's Assembly. The father of the two children is often identified as Dhattu Maraléa, a Mari from Ythmyrr Beach and Kaladinia City. Both children, despite not being technically related to Akauna Cornaro, were raised by both her and Arika as Akauna was unaware that the children were not related to her.

She was also elected to Seat I of the Second Supreme People's Assembly where she continued to be an important legislator; Seat I indicating that she was the most popular candidate of all her running mates. It was around this time that the USSE began to transfer from using the now-antiquated AJC (After Jagdas Crisis) Calendar and began to transfer to the TE (Traveller's Era) Calendar.

Later adult years (262 TE - 297 TE)
In 263 TE, she gave birth to a fourth child named Ruben Ronango'O while abroad on a diplomatic mission. The father of Ruben is Embram Hayitsynkov, though neither the child or Embram knew this. In 266 TE, her first child, Vozuba Cornaro-Ronango'O, died at merely 16 years old, the cause of her death was contested.

She was later reelected to the same seat in the Third Supreme People's Assembly in the Winter of 272 TE. She notably is considered the reason that Ren Serebra was not reelected as Premier, instead the position of Premier falling to Abba Tzain who occupied Seat X of the Third SPA. Around 274 TE following the blessing of the River Gonf in Adalor, she began to become interested in religion for the first time. By the year 275 TE she began to convert to Makerism. In the Fall of 275 TE, the same day that the Celestial Accords Treaty Organization lost the Battle of Steigenbirge, Arika Ronango'O formally converted to Makerism and was baptized in the River Gonf outside Renapheus. That same year, she moved from Vostroya to the city of Renapheus to be closer to her faith. She additionally became a Laysister of the Core Makerist Church, with her newly written text 'We Saw the River Flow' being submitted to the church for approval as a history in the Codex Aetherni. The next year, she became an Abbess for the Core Makerist Church, ascending from the position of Laysister. This permitted her to officiate weddings and baptisms for the church, which she began to engage in. It was around this time she bared personal witness to the Second Apparition of G0NF, a spiritual appearance of G0NF in Vostroya and Renapheus in the Spring of 276 TE. During this time, G0NF gave the following prophecy to Arika and Pontifex Silus II, "AWAIT MY RETURN, STUDENTS OF THE WORD. FOR THE TIME BEING I APPEAR AS A MERE APPARITION, TO VIEW THIS WORLD FROM A CLOSER PERSPECTIVE."

She began hosting sermons at this time in Renapheus, below a tree in reference to the story and duties of Ovo in the text "Player's Book" authored by StoneyStoner. She was well known for preaching to all of Eldham (in global chat, to the great nuisance of non-believers) where she would recount various tales from the Codex Aetherni and other stories of the Villagers, G0NF, and acts of faith to the Maker. While she was already one of the most popular and beloved politicians in the USSE at the time, her sermons grabbed the attention of many and she began to hold baptisms in the River Gonf. It was around this time that she received a Ring of Power, a mystical object bestowed by the God(s) that has historically been used to shield cities and nations during war. She refused to use this object, despite multiple people bidding to purchase the item from her. Instead, she said she would only use it if commanded by GONF themself or his messengers.

Almost immediately after becoming an Abbess, she had baptised over a dozen people and held multiple popular sermons; successfully converting nearly two dozen people across Eldham to the Core Makerist Church in merely 48 (real world) hours. For this she was quickly recognized by the Church's clergy for her clear oration and ability to convert others, and was offered that if she continues her mission in Serrona, she may be appointed Bishop one day. It was around this point that planning and construction began on the Second Abbey of the Apparition, built at the initial Shrine of the Apparition. The First Abbey of the Apparition was a small temple located in the physical main section of the city, where the Second Apparition of G0NF had appeared. The temple was originally pagan, but was converted to a Makerist temple; outside of which Arika would host her sermons sat under a tree which became known as the Preacher's Tree. In the Winter of 277 TE, she was elevated to the position of Bishop in the Core Makerist Church and led by the Bishopric of the United Socialist States of Eldham. In 278 TE she gave birth to a fifth child named Roge "Rouge" Ronango'O. In the Fall of 279 TE, she authored a text named 'Stateless Philosophy' for the Communist Party of the United Socialist States of Eldham. That same year she gave birth to a child named Diogo Ronango'O. In 281 TE, one of her sons, Kovoik Ronango'O, died of alcohol poisoning in Vostroya; Kovoik was merely 21 years old. This marked the second death of one of her five children. Around 283 TE, she was appointed as a government advisor to Valreshiya and oversaw language introduction programs for Lo'Oi. It was around this time she ran for a seat in the Fourth Supreme People's Assembly. Diogo, Roge, and Ruben all have the same father, Embram Hayitsynkov. In 284 TE, she was finally elected to Seat I of the Fourth Supreme People's Assembly, she also chose to run for the position of Premier for the Fourth SPA. She was elected to be the Premier of the 4th SPA, the first time she had been elected Premier.

In the, she was elected once more to the First Seat of the Fifth Supreme People's Assembly. She also began to work in linguistically analyzing the Maharian language and helping conduct socialist reforms in the Shakumagi Federation. By 297 TE, she was also introducing Xeroist philosophy to the Azcorian Democratic Republic and Montroig. After researching the socialist movements there, she wrote the text "Why Xeroism?" which served to bring many new people to the movement.

Death of Eldham and self-sacrifice (298 TE - 319 TE)
By the, Arika had run for the position of Pontifex in the Makerist Church, and won the 8th Pontifical Conclave. At this point, she made numerous impacts on the church's influence, writing a new edition of the Codex Aetherni and transcribing numerous texts from StoneyStoner for the very first time. Through this dedication to ancient Villager Texts, she became intimately familiar with the coming of Iristor, and the eventual deaths of Eldham and Rathnir. In particular, she discovered detailed prophecies which would place this death in the coming decades. In the Fall of 306 TE, she issued an edict of excommunication of StoneyStoner, forbidding him from the Makerist Church upon receiving revelations of what he intended to do, calling him the "Villager Flayer". She believed that Emen was attempting to divide the prophets of the Maker, and by extension, GONF. In response to this excommunication. StoneyStoner stormed the Gonfist Temple of Aeterna, where numerous church officials were meeting. In particular, the former Pontifex - Silus I - was there. Stoney accused all the clergy of treason, and called an Eldhamite militia who was freshly fighting in the War of the Comet to come to the temple. Stoney and Silus would get into a vicious debate, where Stoney claimed the clergy did not know the history nor GONF, despite Silus and Arika having met GONF on multiple occasions. Ultimately, Silus turned to the Eldhamites, and told them to always seek G0NF's love and forgiveness. At this point, a diamond katana was handed to StoneyStoner by a person named Vesayl Habbei. At this point, Arika had heard of the chaos through an emergency transmission and made haste to the Gonfist Temple. The Eldhamite militia began to slaughter the clergy and even just visitors, brawling throughout the halls of the mighty temple. Then, just as Arika arrived, Stoney will execute Silus, murdering him in front of a jeering crowd. Silus's friend, E_Rex08, greatly grieved his friend's death. Upon seeing this, Stoney confronted him and ordered him to renounce his friend and join with the "people of Eldham", who were crusading against Rathnir. E_Rex08 refused to do so, so Stoney slew him, too. Arika then spoke from outside the temple, declaring Silus to be a martyr of the movement and that he had ascended, as with the other martyrs who were murdered inside the temple. StoneyStoner heard the declaration, and furiously declared her to be a traitor and placed a ten-thousand dollar bounty on her head.

For four years, she would remain in relative hiding before abdicating from the position of Pontifex in the. She would continue to live in hiding, contributing to the Makerist movement as necessary and occasionally engaging in preaching. Perhaps most notably was her speech she gave from her home in Renapheus after the bounty was placed on her head. Her windows had been shattered by the spirits to allow mercenaries to enter and kill her, at which point she shouted:

"''I speak from the River GONF! May the legacy of the Testificates, the legacy of our GONF prevail! No destitute temptations from Emen shall conquer the fate and prophecy of the Lord! Blessed be GONF! Emen has attempted to sway the fate, and he shall fall; we remember our brother [Silus] as a follower of the faith - and in his unrighteous death he has ascended us and affirmed the Word of GONF! The hand of Emen will sway you - listen not! I consume the Villager's scourge, a testament that Emen failed once before to kill the legacy of the Testificates, and he will fail in his attempt to destroy us all! Blessed be GONF! Blessed be the Maker! Even if the servants of Emen shall place ten-thousand on my head, the Word of GONF will persist! Emen will demean you and your faith; he will attempt to be your friend, he will claim to inherit the Lord GONF - it is our duty to detest it! GONF my friend has already given us the prophecy! We all know what has come, and we knew it was to come!I do not fear death; I find solace in it!''" After being in hiding for years, she would make contributions to the Larian Liberation, a battled from the USSE against the Sylvanian empire. It would result in the defeat of Sylvania, and the avenging of those kicked out of Laria centuries prior. In 317 TE, she was finally able to return to the abandoned home of her great-great-grandmother, Xeroise, who was one of many kicked out of the city. Immediately, she began to remove Sylvanian relics and items from the city for preservation and historical memory, and began contacting over ten people who were kicked out of the city to allow them to return. Houses built by or only used by the occupation were given to patriots who had fought in the war. For two years, she would help reorganize Laria back into a socialist commune. She travelled across Valreshiya, the USSE, and the entirety of Serrona collecting ancient artifacts and researching information for historical preservation.

In the Summer of 319 TE, intimately understanding what was to come to Eldham and Rathnir and that the worlds would perish and be frozen, and having her ancestoral homes liberated, she would rise to a hill in the city of Laria. She held several items, including a torch, sixteen end crystals, a glass of Lo'Oix coffee, and her Ring of Power she collected nearly fourty-five years prior on her finger. She summoned the essence within the RIng of Power and her eyes began to glow, and she could see through the eyes of all people and see the future. She placed out her torch to light the future she saw, and than threw the sixteen end crystals into the air, and a sudden shock of energy was heard throughout both Eldham and Rathnir; awakening people from their slumber. The following was heard by all people across the realms: "''People of the worlds, many believe that we are doomed; and I promise all that shall not be. Do not be afraid, I am merely a person. For nearly the last fourty-five years I have sat upon a secret, for I was bestowed a Ring of Power for fulfilling my duties to G0NF. I watch as my compatriots plead for it to be used for advantage in warfare, or to spite our enemies; that shall not be. Instead, I shall be the first person to use these sacred privileges to save our cultures and our histories. Many have died in the Comet War, and many more have accepted that death is upon their doorstep. To those that wish to live, let their offspring persist into the distant new realms, I bear great news. Holding my Ring of Power, a torch to light the way, and crystals, I shall open a limited number of portals. Through the will of Our Maker, sixteen portals have opened throughout Rathnir and Eldham. Those who make pilgrimage to the portals and make passage through them, shall await in slumber and in the Summer of 320 TE - one year from now - will awake, scattered into a new world which we do not yet know. I sit at the hill my ancestors announced the loss and victory of countless wars, overseeing the humble city of Laria. Now, there shall be no more wars to announce death in, now I shall announce life.The StoneyStoner, through the will of Emen, once placed thousands of dollars worth of bounty on my head for loyally disgracing his name. I shall announce he has lost - for while the abilities of the Ring of Power are immensely powerful - they are not strong enough to secure these portals. Therefore, I sacrifice myself, and will make passage to the Heavens, so that the peoples of the World may be able to live. Now, I can see through the eyes of all men, and I know you will find a bright future. Make haste.''"

With this proclamation, sixteen portals had appeared throughout Eldham and Rathnir, eight in each, allowing people to make passage into a new world. In order to light the portals, the Ring of Power was not strong enough alone, so she chose to sacrifice herself. After giving this proclamation, she evaporated into a powerful burst of smoke which filled the skies of Laria and the surrounding region for hours. She was now dead and had ascended to the Heavenly Realm, and had opened portals throughout Rathnir and Eldham which were the way that almost every single person who did survive the freezing of Eldham and Rathnir would survive.