"He has no need of his wings, for he is no longer a child of our most precious and benevolent god"
The Adherents of Rukhmar are a religious order of arakkoa who worship the avian deity, Rukhmar.They rule the high arakkoan society with unyielding fanatism. This is the most dominant Arakkoan society, the others being the Arakkoa Outcasts, and more recently the Order of the Awakened. The Adherents loathe their deformed Outcast brethren, the curse that twists their bodies, and the shadows that they affiliate with, preferring the light and warmth of Rukhmar.
At the height of their power, the regal arrakoa plot atop their high peaks, well out of the reach of the brutal Shattered Hand orcs and the wingless outcasts below. The arakkoa gaze out from these treacherous perches, watching their land like incarnate gods ... and paying homage to the blessed sun by burning the "low races" alive. The Adherents have a caste system, and one's place in society is chosen before you are even given a name.
The Adherents covered up Terokk's rule, writing of it in many scrolls and tomes as a time of darkness where the tyrant Terokk had committed crimes and depraved acts. According to this false history, Terokk's tyranny was brought to an end when the Adherents rose up against him and liberated the arakkoa from oppression. Rukhmar then turned her back on Terokk and he became shriveled and maddened.
The Adherents are searching for Apexis artifacts across Draenor to use their technology against the Arakkoa Outcasts. They claim it is theirs by the will of Rukhmar, but in truth they found sites such as the Apexis Excavation by accident. They use this salvaged Apexis technology to fire beams of light down on the Outcasts below, setting their towns on fire.
History[]
The adherents were formerly a group of respected Arakkoa during the rule of the Talon King, Terokk. In order to get more prestige and power, the Adherents betrayed Terokk. They cast Terokk, his daughter Lithic and his allies out of Skyreach and down into Sethekk Hollow, a swath of fetid pools infected with the curse of Sethe. After this event, the Adherents attempted to erase all trace of history that portrayed Terokk as a great king in order to prevent retaliation from its members in the future.
Additionally, they taught young members that any who showed signs of "the curse", such as speaking against the elders, disloyalty, contacting the Outcasts, seeking too much information on certain things such as King Terokk and especially knowledge of the ways of shadow. If one is to betray the Adherents, they perform a ritual where the wings of the Arakkoa are painfully and brutally clipped off with a device know as the Talon of Rukhmar. They are then cast down below to live with the "lesser races".
Recently, when High Sage Viryx came to power, the Adherents have been searching for and using ancient Apexis artifacts to purge the Outcasts once and for all. However this purge was stopped by the Outcasts and their allies, who killed their leader. This has causes some commotion in the order, with some members leaving and joining the Order of the Awakened. The current state of of the Adherents is unknown.
Culture[]
Shadow magic is strictly prohibited in Adherent society. The punishment for crimes in Adherent society, such as owning tomes of dark magic among other things, is being tossed into the pools at the Sethekk Hollow, transforming arakkoa into a cursed, flightless state. This method served to create the flightless arakkoa encountered both in Draenor and later in the main timeline's Outland. The Adherents fear and hate the arakkoa cursed by Sethe.
The Adherents pair young arakkoa together. Doing so means the fledgling members of the order can watch over each other and ensure that everyone follows the decrees Rukhmar. If one accomplishes a great feat, both would be showered with praise. Likewise, if one transgresses, both would be punished.[5] Flying arakkoa also carry with them dreamcatchers that are said protect them from Sethe's curse. The dreamcatchers allegedly absorb the Curse of Sethe and then get rid of the darkness in the morning light.[5]
The flying arakkoa hold a festival celebrating Rukhmar during the time in the summer when the days are the longest. As well, every time a mark on a sundial is cast on by a shadow they say a prayer to their goddess.
Known members (Excluding the Outcasts)[]
| Name | Location | |
|---|---|---|
  High Sage Viryx
|
Skyreach, Spires of Arak | |
| Ranjit
|
Skyreach, Spires of Arak | |
| Windkeeper Koreyx
|
Windswept Terrace, Spires of Arak | |
| Sol-Shaper Krashyx
|
Apexis Excavation, Spires of Arak | |
| Sol-Shaper Voryx
|
Apexis Excavation, Spires of Arak | |
| Overseer Akrath
|
Apexis Excavation, Spires of Arrak | |
| Blade-Dancer Aeryx
|
Spires of Arak | |