FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

• What is an Azerite?

An Azerite is a homonid feline native of the planet Azeron, orbiting the star Azeroth, within the edges of one of the Milky Way's arms.

The star system has no reference in the Old Gaia records, and has only recently been added to the galactic map, earning the name of Martyr's Hallow some decades after discovering the system and how it came to be.

Azerites are most commonly known for their robust bodies and ability to survive in conditions most other species simply could not - such as dangerously hot planets, regions of space inhabited by electrical entities, or even in a vacuum to some extent - and are greatly respected for their willingness to do the work that would often be reserved to things like robots in the case of the Authorians, or slaves in the case of the Rat Kin.

They are capable of surviving immense pressures (or lack thereof), electrical shocks that would outright kill other species, have an impressive thermal tolerance and most importantly, have the ability to laugh off most injuries as if nearly losing a limb was a regular occurrence.

This seems to be naturally beneficial to their innate strength as well, as Azerites can be seen lifting objects more than five times their mass on a regular basis - as well as this, an Azerite can increase their strength even further by channelling their reserves of energy, stored as an extremely high potential plasma-like substance in a manner similar to human adrenaline, except on a far greater scale.

The fact that Azerites naturally have adrenaline glands larger than an Old Gaia human further compliments their absurd potential - as any Azerite can, in an emergency, grind their perception of time to a near halt, giving far more time to react and consider their current situation, at the cost of exhausting themselves if they expend their supply of adrenaline, as their own reserves of energy will be burned to ensure enough adrenaline production to extend the effect.

Furthermore, the abilities of all Azerites vary somewhat depending on their origin - pure Magui creeds born under the Maiden's Wings are small technical geniuses that can temporarily make themselves nigh invulnerable using their reserves of energy, while a pure Phoenix creed born under Sapphire's Spear are larger and more powerful, and can channel their energy into a precise strike that can penetrate almost any material.

They do however, have a tendency to be somewhat argumentative amongst themselves and are almost impossible to have around Rat Kin without the two species attempting to kill one another - for their cultures clash grossly, and even their gods have sworn one another as enemies.

Above all, every Azerite is willing and ready to fight regardless of the where or the when - an Azerite shall only lose this fiery will once they are utterly exhausted and physically incapable of fighting, and anything else will simply inspire them to greater heights of heroism and camaraderie, making them massively valued as both terrestrial soldiers and ship crew for this natural resolve alone.

In summary, Azerites are natural warriors and technicians capable of not only surviving extreme environments, but also carrying out extreme tasks without much risk. They make the finest warriors in the galaxy, but tend to be rather poor in diplomatic matters, as well as constantly fighting amongst themselves as part of their culture, and are often viewed as dumb, belligerent and primitive by those who haven't spent the time to work with them - however, when it boils down, Azerites aren't the smartest species, but by far the most foolhardy, determined and honourable of the various species within the Milky Way.

What is the Azerite culture?

The Azerites pledge allegiance to their gods and their will - following six main gods, and many more lesser deities, and through this they are honourable to a fault, are held to account for all their misdeeds in life, and above all, despise any creature that lacks the concepts of morality and honour - as those with no understanding or any care for the damage they cause is a stain upon the Universe, and should not continue their existence unimpeded.

What way of life they follow in particular depends upon their family and when they were born - as the six creeds that make up their species represent their main gods and follow in their image.

Should a Kit (Azerite child) be born at night, they will be born under the watch of both one of the six main gods and the one of the many lesser gods - such as the Maiden or the Emerald Matriarch - and this will determine their main creed and their markings.

Should a Kit be born during the day, an exceptionally rare occurrence for reasons unknown, they will be born under the eye of Azeroth, their sun, and their highest god, and will be regarded as a Sunborn regardless of their creed.

A Sunborn is viewed in either one of two ways - with revelry, or with envy, as they have the potential to become massively powerful and are regarded as prophets of the God Sun, leading to some jealous of the position and the borderline worship it brings.

Specifics of Creeds

Those born under the Phoenix respect power and prowess in battle above all else - and believe that the weak should aspire to be strong, and the strong have the right to rule and lead should they be always willing to let a stronger foe take their place. They tend to be larger and stronger by default, but less skilled in channeling their energies, and their sense of honour is dampened by their "strength is superiority" mindset.

The aura associated with the Phoenix is a fiery red.

Those born under the Mad One believe that knowledge is power above all, and that any other pursuits are in vain without the understanding of what can be achieved through them - to not know what one is doing is absolute heresy, and being incorrect about anything pains them. They are slightly taller than the average Azerite, but tend to be skinnier and lacking in muscular structure: they more than make up for this by being incredibly powerful channelers, but often find their arrogance or curiosity to be their downfall, as well as being somewhat unhinged by default.

The aura associated with the Mad One is a deep, azure blue. They are referred to as The Azure, rather than The Mad, as not all are gifted with "The Madness".

Those born under the Jade Feline are seen as the true average Azerite - adopting no specific views or specific capabilities and being known most for being modest, quiet and hard working, making up the majority of the non-fighting and non-exploring citizens of the Azerite species. They lack any particular short comings, and are a little taller and broader than an average Old Gaia human male.

The aura associated with the Jade Feline is a darker, more saturated green than the basic aura all Azerites can possess. They are not referred to in any different way.

Those born under the Fortunate Orphan forsake things like codes of honour and an obligation to contribute to the "big picture old Azz likes to paint" and instead set about their lives eating what they like, doing whatever they like, building whatever bizarre inventions they like, and above all else, having as much fun as possible, leading to them being both loved and somewhat feared - they can become terribly destructive if their idea of fun suits that, and the fact that they are the second most common creed of Azerite means that they will almost always outnumber anyone trying to persuade them to stop whatever they're doing. They are smaller than the average Azerite - as small as half their stature, and they lack the same physical strength, but are infuriatingly nimble. Apparently, the Fortunate Orphan herself is the most likely of the six gods to choose a Kit to take form in, and has all know her as Locket. She is one of the few gods to willingly name herself.

The aura associated with the Fortunate Orphan is a vibrant golden yellow. They are referred to as the Magui.

Those born under the Saint are naturally gifted in both anatomical and mental maintenance of other Azerites, following in their god's footsteps in an effort to ensure that the lives of every Azerite they meet is relieved of any troubles. They are naturally kind, generous, and overprotective, and are quite well known to cause as much damage as they prevent on the battlefield, capable of flipping into a rage when they are incapable of keeping their fellow Azerites safe.

The aura associated with the Saint is an almost crystalline ruby glow that is far deeper than that of the Phoenix. They are referred to as Saints, Medics, or Ruby Priests depending on where and when they deliver their graces.

Those born under the Engineer Priestess are rarer than most other creeds, but are massively valued for their natural gift with mechanics and technology - they are hardly seen outside of their workshops, and most major advances in Azerite technology are caused by them and their constant tinkering with the creations of the other creeds - taking them as inspiration for mechanisms and devices that might actually survive colliding with something or not be prone to malfunction.

If not for them, the Azerites would never have escaped their own orbit, let alone reach the stars - as even whilst every Azerite has some natural technological skill, it is incredibly rare for them to make it a life profession and dedicate themselves to the furthering of their technology and sciences, whilst those born under the Opalescent Priest will devote their lives to it.

The aura associated with the Engineer Priest is a whitish, opalescent glow, but is rarely seen in combat - rather, they will begin to glow when exposed to new technology, or witnessing one of their inventions work as intended, or simply while brainstorming.

Specifics of Creeds - Sunborn and Onyx Hunters

Those born outside of the Watch of the other six gods will be born either under the watch of the Sun, during the day, or will be born under the watch of the Hunter, who is only present for around three days per Azeron solar cycle.

Those born under the Hunter are referred to as Onyx Hunters, and are not considered part of other creeds, as it overwrites these to create the Kit in the image of the Onyx Hunter herself. Only females will be born under the Hunter - if a male was to be born, they will not survive.

Onyx Hunters are feared greatly, as they are daughters of the one god that despises all other gods, and are believed to be sworn against their own kind - true or not, all Onyx Hunters are quiet, terrifying individuals that emit animosity and are nigh unstoppable in combat, being one of the few Creeds that can oppose a Sunborn on the battlefield. All of them have been gifted in channelling by nature, and all of them appear to possess innate abilities to wield heavy weaponry and wear heavy armour - these tall, broad warrior women recognizable from afar from their jet black plated armour and discomforting presence.

Each of them have named themselves Ophelia, after the Onyx Hunter herself - but referring to them as such is taken as speaking to the Hunter by her name, and may lead to maiming - and each of them have taken an almost identical appearance. Tall, broader than most females but slimmer than a Phoenix male of the same size, with almost their entire body covered in white fur rather than the usual Azerite sand/dust red, deep black hair, and lacking in any softness of the body, along with their Quazite veins being outlined with deep onyx lines, giving them an unnerving appearance even without their armour.

While all Azerites can use Onyx auras and energies, they largely forsake the idea because they require the user to harness some of the worst emotions to manipulate such awful power - delving into animosity, hatred and a cold, horrible despising towards all of Azeroth's children - such remains mostly exclusive to the Hunters.

Unlike the burning properties of most plasma attacks, being struck by Onyx plasma is instead cold - the substance spreading through an Azerite's system and causing nasty effects, such as agony when trying to channel, loss of sensation, or even flipping out into a blind rage.

There is only ever one Hunter living at any one time, and many rejoice for this fact.

Finally, those born under the Sun are referred to as Sunborn, and can be considered part of other creeds, as it is a separate blessing - the creeds of the parents is what decides this.

Those referred to as Sunborn are said to be the sons of Azeroth himself, and no other Azerite has any power over them - for the only thing they answer to is the Absolute One himself. They are known for being intensely bound to the Azerite codes of honour, they hold devout belief in the Tales of Origin, maintain massive respect for all religious and military matters, viewing as them one in the same, and above all else, possess massive pride in themselves which burns as hot and as persistently as Azeroth himself, who as an absolute god, infallible and divine in his purpose, would not see his own children in any way other than he intends.

The Sunborn do not find themselves altered in physical structure from their family creeds - instead, the white markings that most Azerites possess are outlined with faint golden edges, and their eyes are always golden.

It is not unheard of for Azeroth to take over and speak through - or fight through - one of his sons, and when this occurs, the significance of the event echoes planet wide.

The aura associated with the Sunborn is a deep, golden orange hue quite similar to the glow of Azeroth itself - and any Azerite facing a Sunborn engaging his aura would flee from the fight on the basis of fighting a divine power alone. But the light holds them in battle, and it erases any thought of cowardice, meaning that if a Sunborn intends to teach one a lesson, they aren't getting away. No other aura presents this type of influence.

Features of Azerite Anatomy - Channelling

Other creatures that encounter an Azerite will find that, asides from their already existing physical abilities and impressive tolerances, they express a unique ability to manipulate both internal and external energies through what they refer to as Quazite Channeling...or what other species may refer to as "Total Space Magic Rat-Crap" when on the receiving end of it.

While the Azerites accepted it as a gift from their gods, many of themselves devoted to perfecting the art, and many others simply accepting it as part of their world and environment, their ability to create, emit, manipulate and also utilize high energy plasma as an energy source has boggled scientists from other species for some time.

To keep it simple, the solar system within which the planet Azeron exists contains an orbiting belt of high energy plasmas - largely referred to as Quazite - which overlaps the orbit of the planet, meaning that it's atmosphere constantly takes on the gaseous substance.

This leads to levels of plasma in the air that are noticable and occasionally visible - presenting danger to many species that are not suited for the environment - which are associated with the power and presence of their gods. These gods are effectively electrical entities that take the plasma belt as their habitat.

Azerites are suited to deal with this through a number of adaptations, but we will go more in depth on these later on.

Azerite anatomy contains a system of protein-silicate veins that span across the entirety of their body which is closely linked to their nervous system and the electrical signals that it outputs.

Their skin contains no sweat pores, as they are naturally capable of dealing with extreme temperatures, and instead where they may be expected to be found, they are replaced with pores that allow plasma substances to pass back and forth depending on both external sensation input and personal input. This means that any excessive Quazite plasmas that come into contact with their skin cannot saturate and burn, and instead are absorbed.

This plasma is stored in various places throughout the Azerite's body.

The bloodstream takes on a negligible amount, and some digestive organs lined with the silicate-protein substance that allows them to process Quazite tainted substances have some small reserve room.

Where their adrenal glands are, they possess a third gland which is referred to as their "Spirit" or "Will" or "Determination", but is simply an organ capable of storing and compressing Quazite for redistribution across their body. If an Azerite does not make use of the plasma they store on a regular basis, it may become both too dense and too energetic and begin to enter a solid crystal state - leading to immense pain and an inability to channel without therapy, and even death in the long term.

What makes Azerites capable of controlling the substance itself is the fact that, to an extent, every Azerite is an electrical entity alike their gods, and the substance will respond to their will - as the energy that gives them life and the energy within the substance is one in the same. While many of their kind will settle for the simplicity of throwing hastily made balls of plasma and crude blasts of power, some dedicate their lives to the art of Channelling - these Azerites being regarded as Sparks.

Whilst most Azerites can make, hold, and throw a ball of plasma out of internal plasmas, a gifted Spark could make a ball of plasma combine and float in the air next to them simply from the ambient plasma around - and send it pelting towards a target with a flick of their hand.

While most Azerites can create simple weapons out of their Quazite, Sparks are well known for creating multiple weapons that act almost independent from them, defending and striking where they desire without occupying hands that can be used for complex channelling techniques.

Indeed, many Azerites will only witness things like a True Scarlet Lance or the Mad Dance, or the Maiden's Wings, and will never devote their lives to become capable of such things themselves, but great respect goes to those who are willing to devote themselves to their gift from the gods.

Features of Azerite Anatomy - Silicate Usage

Being on a planet comprised primarily of sand, many of their flora take on the abundance of silicates as a way to stay alive in the presence of plasmas and temperatures that would burn Old Earth plants to cinders, incorporating it into their flesh, and this is a given for most animals that eat the silicate lined plants, and those who eat them - the Azerites ending up adding silicates to their body no matter what they eat.

Because of this, their skin becomes smooth and particularly tough with the persistent addition of silicates to their body as they mature, creating a natural armour against claws, blades and small arms. This reinforced skin can withstand a few seconds of being exposed to high energy, high density quazite without any damage - but much more than this and terrible burns will begin to occur.

Furthermore, the white markings that every Azerite possesses - most commonly on the triceps, the gut and the shins - are actually silicate dense portions of their fur that act as either a conductor for their own energies, or as a greater insulative barrier against external energies, allowing them to block and reflect plasma projectiles to an extent. Layered fur is insulative, whilst standing fur is conductive - and on a side note, should an Azerite receive plasma burns anywhere on their body, the fur that grows to replace it will be the reinforced white seen on their markings.

And that is the end of the first lore dump! I could probably write more, but I need to return to this at a later point to basically take it apart and actually arrange the lore. But I'll wait until we actually have enough around to start getting confused over.

Liked reading this? Didn't? Did something make no sense at all? Tell me! I can't improve without feedback!

Thank you for reading!