Auren

Auren are a humanoid race known for their insect features and deep connection to nature. Originating from The Sanctuary, they embody grace, wisdom, and a profound bond with the natural world.

Country of Origin: The Sanctuary

Physical Traits:

• Auren are humanoid with distinct insect features; each Auren can be joined with two insectoid features (not counting wings).
  • Features can vary greatly from person to person, with some Auren appearing more human-like and others more insectoid.
  • Insectoid features can include, but are not limited to, compound eyes, antennae, and exoskeleton plates/carapace covering parts of their body.
  • In their humanoid form, Auren have skin tones that tend towards shades of greens, blues, purples, and grays. Metallic sheens are common.
    • Women are traditionally larger, both in height and build, than men, with women averaging 6'0" and men closer to 5'6".
• All Auren have insect-like wings, typically resembling beetles, butterflies/moths, or dragonflies.
  • An Auren's wing condition is typically a strong indicator for their health and overall wellbeing; wings are usually extremely vibrant and often have a faint glow, shimmer, or sparkle to them, but can visibly droop and dull/darken when the Auren is sick, stressed, or otherwise unwell.
  • An elderly Auren's wings will typically dull and appear tattered or worn as they near Reverie.

Abilities and Traits:

• Natural Abilities:
  • Extended lifespan - Auren can live up to 300 years
  • Flight - almost all Auren can use their wings for swift and graceful flight
  • Bonding - Auren typically bond with Verdelisks.
    • There is no cost to join an Auren that is already bonded with a Verdelisk; if bonding after joining, they will be charged the standard bonding cost (250c).
  • Shapeshifting - Most Auren can transition fully into a single animal form; their form retains one insectoid feature, such as wings, compound eyes, chitin plating, or antennae. Extinct and mythical forms can be unlocked through payment (standard Valka costs)
• Strengths:
  • Most Auren have an innate connection to nature, specializing in magics associated with plants and animals.
  • Auren are known for their strong intuition, especially when it comes to things like natural disasters.
• Weaknesses:
  • Most Auren have a strong fear of fire.
  • Auren are extremely weak to Arachnoxalith poison, which can paralyze and eventually kill them in a matter of days.

Society and Lifestyle:

• Build vibrant communities that are scattered throughout The Sanctuary.
• Live in small, flexible clans characterized by a fluid structure. They act as protectors and caretakers of rare creatures and plants.
• Build homes high up in massive hollowed out trees or woven platforms.
• Value freedom, wisdom, and intelligence, encouraging individuals to seek knowledge and grow through exploration and learning.
• Hold a profound belief in the cycle of reincarnation, envisaging death as entering a peaceful phase called "Reverie", a serene and nurturing space where souls rest, heal, and prepare for their next life.
  • Reverie is perceived as a beautiful garden of dreams, where the spirits commune with the essence of The Sanctuary, absorbing wisdom and experiences from the living world to carry forward in their next life.
  • The Eldertree, a colossal and ancient tree in the heart of The Sanctuary, is revered as the source and guardian of the reincarnation cycle, ensuring the flow of life through generations, blessing each new life with wisdom and love inherited from the ages.

Relationship with Other Races:

• Alliances: Volari, Zenoxi, Sanctuary Humans, Sanctuary Valka
• Conflicts: Igneans
• Neutral: Rockfolk

Concept Images

Here are some examples of what Auren may look like. It's okay to have a different interpretation as long as you get close to the description above.

Verdelisks

Verdelisks are unique magical creatures native to The Sanctuary; they are similar to, but different from, the Astrofel found on New Ognos and have an innate ability to bond with Auren.

• Verdelisks resemble winged housecats with long, exaggerated whiskers that are hypermobile and act similar to antennae.
  • They have thick, metallic exoskeletons instead of fur, and are usually vibrantly colored with gold, green, and blue being most common.
  • Verdelisks communicate with chirps, trills, purrs, buzzes, and cicada-like calls; they are also able to send "thought pictures" to their bonded.
  • Verdelisk may resemble any housecat breed currently found on Earth, including mixed breeds/mutts.
• Happy Verdelisks produce "verdelisk dust" from their whiskers; this dust is basically pure nature magic in physical form.
  • It is highly sought after for its abilities to speed up plant growth, enhance crop yield, strengthen/improve plant quality, and even make normally inhospitable ground capable of supporting most crops.
• Verdelisks commonly bond with Auren before their third molt, when they are still "kittens", and typically bond for life.
  • Verdelisk can typically survive the death of their partner, but they often pass away from heartbreak within days.
  • Auren can typically survive the death of their Verdelisk, though they may experience magical backlash at the moment of loss.
• Verdelisks are normally quite devoted to their partner, often sticking close even when their Auren is working or otherwise occupied.
  • They can develop separation anxiety or other behavioral issues if consistently forced away from their Auren for extended time.
• Verdelisks are born from eggs.
  • The mother lays a clutch of 3 - 6 eggs in a secret location to be fertilized by any male who comes across the nest.
  • The mother is alerted by her magic when the clutch is fertilized; she returns to her nest and carefully puts the fertilized eggs into a magical pouch on her belly.
  • The eggs are then incubated in the pouch for around 8 - 10 weeks before hatching.
    • Verdelisk eggs can also be hatched by other means, however, these clutches are often less successful -- an Auren may be able to hatch half the eggs, while another race might be lucky to get even one egg to hatch.
  • When hatched, Verdelisk kittens are equivalent development-wise to an eight week old domestic cat.

Concept Images

Here are some examples of what Verdelisks might look like. It's okay to have a different interpretation as long as you get close to the description above.