Zesk

The Zesk are an animalistic subspecies of Agori that gradually evolved into their own race on Bara Magna.

Description
The Zesk share many traits of their ancestors the Agori, such as a metal endoskeleton and overall similar physiology. The most significant physical difference between the two races is the presence of a large stinger tail emanating from the Zesk's backs; this trait was given to them by the Great Beings to aid in desert survival. Their helmets and masks are made of the skulls of dead creatures, which gives them a four-eyed appearance (though they still have only two eyes) and the armor they wear is made from metal and bone.

Over a hundred thousand years of social isolation, combined with the absence of the Great Beings' leadership, caused the Sand Tribe that the Zesk were descended from to slowly lose their sapience and regress into animalistic beasts in the wastelands of Bara Magna. Though they can still handle weapons and speak a very broken version of the Agori language, they operate mostly on instinct, hunting in packs, with or without their Vorox allies. They are also mostly nocturnal, preferring to sleep in their underground tunnels during the day and coming to the surface at night to hunt for prey.

Evolution
The Zesk were originally members of the Sand Tribe, a race of Agori that were affiliated with the element of Sand on Spherus Magna. Though an honorable race, the Sand Tribe were nomadic by nature and preferred to live in desert regions due to their affinity with sand. The Great Beings noticed this and experimented on them, altering their physiology by giving them stinger tails and other adaptations to aid in desert survival.

When a war over Energized Protodermis at Spherus Magna's core split the planet into three chunks, the Sand Tribe were divided across the two with solid land: Bara Magna and Bota Magna. The remnants of the Sand Tribe were left in the endless wastelands of Bara Magna while the other tribes retreated to the few locations that fit their elements. The absence of the Great Beings, combined with the savagery of Bara Magna's wildlife and their separation from society, caused the Sand Tribe to gradually regress into an animalistic state. Despite this, the Zesk continued to live and hunt alongside the Vorox, the former Glatorian of the Sand Tribe.

Over the years, members of the other tribes would hunt Zesk for sport, which deepened their hatred of Bara Magnan society.

Desert Heat
In 100,080 CMT, the Zesk became allies of Le Chiffre by proxy when he allied himself with the Vorox to get revenge on their mutual enemies: the Glatorian and Agori. The Zesk were not explicitly mentioned as being involved in Le Chiffre's campaign, but it is probable that he captured some Zesk, mutated them, and added them to his army, like he did to many Vorox, Glatorian, and Agori. These mutants were kept in his lab underneath Roxtus, but were transported onto Darkmount shortly before the destruction of Bara Magna. He had part of this army escort him to the Fellowship of Kakamu's location when they teleported onto Darkmount.

Whatever Zesk remained on Bara Magna were killed when the planet was destroyed by Blackout later that year, but they were later recreated along with the rest of the planet's inhabitants by the Architect and Yon in 150,080 CMT.

In 150,082 CMT, Airachnid and Abeloth were sent to recover the Harbinger, which had crashed on Bara Magna. When Abeloth was asked what kind of game they could hunt on the planet, he listed the species that he knew occupied Bara Magna, including the Zesk.

Far Future
"Bara Magna. One of three planets created as a result of the Shattering of Spherus Magna 250,000 years ago. Home to the species Agori, Glatorian, Skrall, Vorox, Zesk..."

- An information terminal in the far future, Stargazer Chapter 2: A Picture in a Frame

In an unspecified year of the far future of the Original Universe, a computer information terminal told Sal'e that the Zesk were one of the species that inhabited Bara Magna.