Gakika

The gakika are the religious preisthood of the excation species, acting as spiritual leaders in tandem with the excations elected leaders, the kagira. The Gakika teach that kalem's sun, Via, is a creator god that brought all other stars into being and created the planets that orbit them. In addition to religious teachings, the gakika hold records of excation history and take an active part in smaller comunities, teaching young excation about the world.

Ranks of the Gakika
while there is almost no formal termanology for the ranks within the gakika organisation, as to be expected from the excation, outsiders can easily determin an unofficial heirachy. The legendary Tomac has a unique position in the church, ikgakika, meaning the First Gakika. The term is appropriate for the being that created the church.
 * Jokgakika: the highest rank and only named one, the Jokgakika is responisble for leading the gakika and has the final say in any actions the church takes. The Jokgakika always resides in Takahet and is currently Jokgakika Toraka.
 * Cardinals: the three Cardinals are regional leaders, relaying orders from the Jokgakika to the preists under their command. The Cardinals reside in Okagir, Lysvar and Lyrahar.
 * Priests: the lowest actual rank of Gakika, the priests are most likely to come into contact with the public they teach.
 * Initiates: Obvious in the ranks of the Gakika due to not having bleached white fur, initiates are yet to complete thier pilgrimage and return.

Pilgrimage
The Gakika must undertake a pilgrimage to the sunward side of kalem and return. The process is extremly danarous, the harsh light and radiation of the sunward side being far to powerful for even a hardy species like the excation to survive for long. Those that return are almost always suffer from the same damage, fur bleached white from radiation and unable to grow back with any colour, and partial or total loss of eyesight complete with a reddening of the eyes.

It is said that the pilgrimage takes initiates on a similar path to the one walked by the very first Gakika, Tomak the hunter, many thousands of years earlier. While Tomak's journey was accidental, and thus not recorded, the general conceses is that the path takes initiates past the mountains of Takahet and around the large dunes behind it. Pilgrimages from Takahet try to follow the orginal path, while other cities use thier own version based on the local geography.

Temples
Most Excation cities are home to at least one temple to via which are maintained by the Gakika and protected by at least one Djarlin

The most ancient temples have up to 100 chambers for various functions, including libraries, school rooms, kitchens and bedrooms.

The original temple of the Gakika was founded in the city of Takahet and is said to have been started by the legendary figure Tomac.

relationship with the Djarlin
the Gakika church holds control over a force of nulls known as the Djarlin. The gakika are able to command the Djarlin fully and use them to hunt down criminals and act as sentinals to the frequently crippled gakika.