Azeth

Among the various inhabitants of the Proxima Galaxy, few have been able to match the level of influence held by the Azeth. Hailing from the world of Valthan within the Sarut system, the Azeth had the good fortune of possessing a wealth of Shaper artifacts, including a vast archive, leading to the belief that they are their chosen successors. Through the combination of this belief and the knowledge they were able to extract from these artifacts, the Azeth have established themselves as one of the great powers of the galaxy, and continue to search for more Shaper artifacts in the pursuit of achieving their "destiny".

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Azeth have a humanoid build with two arms ending in five fingered hands and two legs ending in four toed clawed feet. Additionally, the Azeth have hard plates on the front and back of their torso, on the outside of their arms and legs, and on their face.

Biological Traits

Male Azeth are taller than females, and females tend to be more slender an have smoother looking plates.

Genetics and Reproduction

The Azeth give birth to live young.

Ecology and Habitats

The Azeth prefer temperate environments, particularly if they have a mountainous terrain like that of their homeworld.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Azeth are omnivorous.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

The Azeth have sharp facial features, and their faces are covered in the same plates found across their body as a sort of "mask". These plates have small points similar to front teeth on the upper and lower jaws, as well as longer points akin to pronounced canines, and backwards-facing horn-like crests extending from the back of their facial plates around the ears (two long S-shaped upper horns, two shorter lower horns). Additionally, these plates are sparser around the eyes and cheeks, allowing thore facial expressions similar to those of most other races.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Azeth can be found across the galaxy, especially in systems held by the Azethi Imperial Systems, as well as those hald by the alliance known as the Dominion of Spheres ("The Dominion" for short).

Average Intelligence

The Azeth have above average intelligence, thanks to their psionic abilities and access to the knowledge contained within the archive found on their homeworld.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Azeth have a high potential of being born with the ability to use Psionics.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Azeth Names contain a mix of hard and melodic sound.

Male: Aetel, Zhora, Rahl, Vhas, Tarem
Female: Vyla, Ena, Yone, Rago, Akelis
Last Names: Senissh, Ruek, Tamash, Xemav, Yaen

Beauty Ideals

The Azeth consider discipline and loyalty to be attractive traits.

Gender Ideals

The Azeth are highly egalitarian when it comes to gender, with ones level of prestige being a greater factor in determining ones societal role.

Courtship Ideals

In order to successfully court one another, an Azeth couple must earn the approval of each others families. Typically, those who come from prestigious backgrounds have a greater chance of success.

Relationship Ideals

The Azeth are monogamous.

Average Technological Level

The Azeth have highly advanced technology, thanks to their access to a wealth of knowledge from the Shapers. In fact, the Azeth are among the most proficient at reverse engineering the technologies and knowledge of the Shapers, with a particular focus on technologies that draw on Impulse as an energy source, including weapons, generators, and propulsion systems.

Common Dress Code

Azeth clothing typically uses sharp geometric shapes and dark colours, with red and gold mixed in for those of higher standing.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Since their ancient history, the Azeth have placed a high value on personal accomplishments and prestige. While one is born into their place in society to start with, they can advance or fall based on their deeds and accomplishments throughout their life. This naturally pushes the Azeth to stive for excellence in whatever efforts they set themselves to.

Additionally, due to the role their recovered relics played in their rise to power, the Shapers are highly revered among the Azeth. On their homeworld, the Shaper archive that contained the knowledge and technologies that made planetary unification and interstellar travel possible for the Azeth is considered to be sacred ground, with only a select few being allowed to access it, and many believing it to have been deliberately planted on their world to be found by them. As the self-proclaimed heirs to the legacy of the Shapers, the Azeth strive to be the ones to restore the golden age the Shapers created so many millenia ago, and are actively seeking out further knowledge and relics that could aid them in their grand endeavour.

History

Like many of the races that inhabit the Proxima Galaxy, the Azeth are believed to have appeared on their homeworld some time after the fall of the Shapers, though Azeth historians claim that their world still saw a high level of Shaper activity before then. Like many of the other inhabitants of the galaxy, the development of early Azeth civilisation was largely uneventful, with the most noteworthy historical occurance being the establishment of numerous clans across the planet. Eventually, one of these clans would discover an ancient Shaper archive below the earth where their planetary capital would eventually be established, and would use what knowledge and technology they could recover from it to begin uniting the other clans under their rule, eventually managing to unite their entire homeworld under one rule.
As they made more and more progress in uniting their world, and uncovered more knowledge from within the Shaper archive that made their efforts possible in the first place, the Azeth developed the belief that the Shapers had intended for them to eventually rise up to become their successors, pointing to the near-untouched state of the archive supposedly left for them to find as proof of this. This belief would motivate the Azeth to expand thier reach to the rest of their home system, and eventually the rest of the galaxy, both to spread their influence, as well as to search for more Shaper relics and knowledge. This has resulted in a number of conflicts with other space faring races during the Age of Discovery, mostly over territory and relics, though they also found a number of others who would become their allies, forming the alliance know known as the Dominion of Spheres.

Historical Figures

Shal Qeshik: The legendary first emperor of the Azeth. According to legend, he was the leader of the group who first unearthed the ancient Shaper archive within the lands of his home clan, and it was under his leadership that the knowledge and relics contained within were used to unite the Azeth under one rule. For his role in uniting the Azeth, and leading them into the wider galaxy beyond their world, Shal remains a highly venerated figure among the Azeth.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

While the Azeth are considered to nominally be a part of the greater Galactic Community by most, they consider themselves and their allies (collectively known as the Dominion) to be a distinct, separate entity. As the de facto heads of the Dominion, the Azeth strive to maintain good relations with their fellow members.

Lifespan

160

Average Height

Male: 6'2" Female: 6'0"

Average Physique

The Azeth typically have a lean physique.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The Azeth typically have grey skin with some dark teal markings, and dark coloured plates. Their eyes are typically golden yellow, teal, blue, or green, and the hair that extends from the back of their head is typically white or light grey.