Here is an ark-guard who guards the path through the woods from human and ruan strangers.
Arks is an oldest race that lives in the Nowhere world, they are some kind of birds and tiger mix, and they have a tribal culture. They are very tall, even compared to the big human. In ancient times arks were warriors and other races had to fight with them, but now they are living in the woods and have some kind of peacful but closed society.
Most of the arks are hunters, they also have a powerful anima, Shelchoras. It gaves them supernatural connection to the world of spirits, Maol, but it doesn't mean that arks can be mages.