Praeziak

"Welcome to Praeziak, the true home of our people. I will make this very clear: we are not to be confused with those impetuous imperial beasts that dominate us from their thrones on Praesia. Their twisted ways and corrupt ideals put us all to shame."

- Aulerei Zeruna to Covenant emissaries, 1503 C.E.

Praeziak is a terrestrial body which, by comparison to Earth, is quite large, but is dwarfed by its larger cousin Praesia. The location of the planet and even its whole system is unknown, but it easily stands outside the boundaries of the UNSC or Covenant Empire. While it is technically under the same banner as Praesia, social and political relations are extremely sore and the two essentially operate as completely different nations.

The only known route to the Praesian home system at this point in time is by way of a Forerunner portal located on Nexus XXIV.

Geography
The planet's natural setting and terrain are strikingly reminiscent of Earth, but distinctly different at the same time. Like Praesia, it boasts a near-excess of mountain ranges, although these are haphazard and generally small. The only significant and very large mountain ranges reside to the east and west of Verdaite, the capital city. These mountain ranges are known as "Krusche" and "Sseserei," respectively. Patches of deserts partially occupy several continents, the largest desert, Xando-Zaan, is positioned to the east of Verdaite and directly borders the Krusche mountains.

Much of the surface is also covered by huge, sprawling forests and jungles, which bear the majority of the planet's biodiversity. One of the largest and most prosperous cities on the planet was built in the area of the forests populating the Sseserei mountains, nicknamed "the Forest-City" or "Serpent's Reach" for the abundance of vegetation and reptilian organisms.

Approximately 70% of the planet's surface cover consists of water in the forms of vast, turbulent oceans, seas, lakes, river and polar ice caps. Many bodies of water on Praeziak sport an abundance of aquatic life which are often sought for culinary practices. Occasionally, platformed cities may be found, perfectly constructed above the surfaces of seas and oceans.

Often occurring between these environments are enormous stretches of grasslands or flatland, upon which the majority of Praeziak's cities are built. Since Praesian body structure is not quite adapted for the rather high gravitational forces of the planet, cities were designed to have large surrounding forcefields that not only offer protection from weaponized threats, but also sustain limited anti-gravity fields which alleviate much of the stress put onto one's body, allowing for a comfortable living without drastic evolutionary changes to body structure.

Praesians
The Praesians, or Praezians as they are known on Praeziak, live in just under half as many numbers as they do on Praesia. Their presence was formed from an influx of emigrants, military personnel, and researchers originally sent from Praesia to survey the world's habitability and resources.

Zogburrat
"Strange... you resemble them so closely, yet you fight them so ferociously. But the Praesians are your enemies as well as ours. We will fight for you, for the time being."

- Unnamed Kryetar to UNSC forces, 2563

The Zogburrat (Zogburre, singular) are a bipedal, sentient race of creatures with distinct humanoid-avian features, standing at approximately 86 inches (218 cm). They possess a very resilient hide, which is partially covered by quills (mostly forming around the cranium, forearms, pelvis, and lower legs). They have rather large wings spanning off of the lower back area (estimated wingspan of 17-18 feet), and are capable of flight with the assistance of smaller, supplementary wings spanning from their forearms, a tail, and sometimes plumage forming on the lower legs. They are very physically strong, and their skin is resistant enough to provide limited protection from ballistic firearms. At one point in time, before the Praesians' widespread settlement of Praeziak, the Zogburrat had been the dominant form of sapient life on the planet.

They are, however, rather primitive and operate in tribal societies led by a Kryetar, or chieftain. Before the Praesians' rise to power on the planet, this species dominated the planet. By the year 2000 C.E., they had become dangerously close to extinction, with only several hundred left populating isolated forests, plains, and valleys on Praeziak. Since then, their population has slowly begun to increase once more.