The Araleks are among the founders of Silizm (one of the galaxy's most widespread religions). The race has settled across the entire galaxy. The Araleks are considered one of the wealthiest races in the galaxy, in large part thanks to their invention: the technology of benzzorange transformation of planets. This form of terraforming makes it possible to grow benzzorange — a plant used in the manufacture of starship fuel. Thanks to their monopoly on this technology, the Araleks have seized the markets for this critically important resource. The technology is kept under the strictest secrecy.
Aralek females are generally denied a significant share of rights. At the same time, they are a highly coveted target for slave traders. Wealthy Aralek men frequently add to their harems through the slave trade. Aralek women who achieve success are a rarity, and as a rule achieve it outside their home countries.
The dominant religion of the sector is Silizm. Silizm resists, with extreme rigidity, any other churches attempting to gain a foothold in the sector. The head of all believers in the sector is the caliph of Aruat — the capital of the Great Aralek Caliphate — who concurrently serves as its ruler. The dominant Silizm branch of the sector is Livizm; in large part it is Livizm — the most dogmatic of all branches of Silizm — that is the cause of the sector's technological stagnation.
The center of every major city and town consists of two places — the bazaar and the church. The bazaar is not merely a place of trade, but also a place where rumors and news pass from mouth to mouth. There is even a term, “the voice of the bazaar” — in effect, public opinion, which even the most authoritarian rulers are forced to reckon with. The church also exerts substantial influence on society, especially in smaller villages and towns.
Izevety drovers. Izevety are large, hardy animals capable of living in any climate; they are the chief source of meat for the sector's inhabitants. Grazing follows non-overlapping routes, since izevety literally destroy the vegetation in their path and are the leading cause of desertification in the M-27 sector and the reason for its abundance of desert planets. The drovers themselves live in isolated communities and rarely take part in the life of the sector.
The Dancers of Saviya are an Aralek women's sisterhood that wields considerable power: it owns numerous slave women and brothels that draw many members of the local elites. The dancers are divided into castes: mothers (the highest caste, Aralek women only, often highborn but tainted by an affair outside marriage or some other transgression; they run the entire system), daughters (Aralek women from families of middling influence, handed over to the dancers by their own families in hopes that, once they become concubines of an emir or caliph, they will not forget their parents; they are trained in many arts and are sought after as concubines), and granddaughters (slaves whose lot is service and prostitution; most often these are Agatylais and human women).
The Brotherhood of Gaish is a mysterious brotherhood of assassins, employed in the intrigues of the powerful. It is composed solely of Aralek men who, upon joining, renounce their name and their past. No one knows where its leaders are; the brotherhood has no single stronghold. But everyone knows this: if the brothers have been “hired” against you, the only chance of survival is to flee.
Silizm sects. The Kapitul Polumesyaca is a tehag sect whose goal was to expand the pillars of Silizm; it acts in alliance with a number of preachers and typically opposes the strongest dogmatic currents, believing that excessive dogmatism leads to the sector's backwardness. It was founded by Al-Duom Ar, who made the pilgrimage and still heads the chapter to this day; he counts himself among the Iridist branch of Silizm. Many devout residents consider the KP heretics, but are forced to cooperate: tehags hold considerable power in this backward sector. The Syny Eyhana are a second influential sect of the Livizm branch, gathering relics and theological texts from across the galaxy. Their theological authority is immense, and their influence over the courts of rulers is great: a curse from the Syny Eyhana can turn yesterday's powerful ruler into an outcast.
Caravaneers. Millions of settlements in the sector are connected only by caravan trails. The caravaneers are a distinct subculture with their own rituals and laws; they never air their affairs in public, settling trade disputes within their guilds, and assembling mini-armies if the need arises. They rarely grow rich: their lot is to trade in goods that are not worth transporting by costlier means. A caravan of dozens or hundreds of pack animals is led by several caravaneers with assistants and slaves; they carry salt, water, dried food, and other non-perishable goods for weeks along dangerous routes — dust storms, wild animals, bandits. Only the bold and those willing to take risks go into the profession among the Araleks.
