Augafi

Augafi
Species
Homeland(s)	Southern Continent
Language(s)	Augafi Matoric
Species Category	B
Size Category	Medium 1.6 - 2.0 Bio
Can Use Kanohi	Yes (Great)
In the Doronai Nui	Yes
BS01

The Augafi are the highly-adaptable and versatile species of the Barraki warlord Mantax, and the primary constitutent species of Ruangu. Augafi are a strictly law-bound species, and put a great cultural emphasis on material wealth. They have created a number of rules for their society to help temper their covetous nature.

Overview

Design

One function of the Augafi is the supplying of resources to other workers of the Matoran universe.

Traits

Augafi are broad-shouldered beings and typically stand noticeably taller than a Toa. While lacking the powerful destructive abilities of many other species, they nonetheless exhibit a wide range of physical traits that make them adaptable to nearly any situation. They are characterized by their tails, digitigrade legs, and their long heads also possess a pair of tusks and horns, though the prominence of these can differ drastically between individuals. Their clawed extremities make them excellent climbers and sure-footed even in rough terrain, and their legs allow them to reach great running speeds, and perform huge leaps even when standing still.

Additionally, their eyesight is phenomenal, allowing them to not only see infrared and ultraviolet light, but also granting them the ability to better see in the dark and to penetrate dust storms. This extraordinary sight also allows the Augafi to spot small defects in materials or discern details even over great distances. Augafi are well-adapted to the dangerous conditions below ground, being resistant to the various poisonous gases found in underground environments. Finally, while most other species are forced to sleep at night to preserve energy, Augafi can choose to stay awake while they conserve energy, leaving them able to react quickly to danger.

Though they do not need to wear masks, Augafi are capable of accessing the powers of Great Kanohi masks. However, many Augafi only learn how to access the powers of Noble Kanohi.

Augafi speak standard Matoric, as well as their own dialect, known simply as “Augafi”.

Culture

Augafi are the constituent species of the kingdom of Ruangu, which covers the majority of the Southern Continent. While they can be found across the whole continent, the highest concentration of Augafi are found in the southern-most regions - Ontahura, Monuhi, and Vezohi - of which the Black Plains of Monuhi serves as the heart of of Augafi society, as they are home to the capital Inipani. They are, however, a rare sight in the central region of Asonara. Additionally, as part of Ruangu, the Augafi have occupied and colonized most of the gateway islands, with their presence most strongly felt on Mokumo and Tevan, though these are often considered of little importance to their society

Augafi tend to regard personal wealth as a measure of one’s status, and are usually looking to improve their own station, so to speak. They value nothing more than wealth and its display, utilizing the endless riches hauled out of their mines to fund a culture of bombastic grandeur and ostentatious display. To help temper their covetous nature, they have created a number of rules for their society. However, their laws only apply to their own homeland, and the Augafi have no obligation to follow said laws when not in their own land.

To the Augafi, bigger is always better - from the sizes of their cities, to the depths of their mines, to the heights of the golden pyramids that loom over the black sands of their homeland. The cities of the Augafi vary greatly in form and design, usually defined by the most popular architectural style at the time of their construction. For example, the ashlands of Monuhi often sport massive, angular structures, while pit cities can be found in Avohi, and most settlements in Vezohi are entirely underground, connected via tunnel networks and often combined with Matoran villages.

An Augafi’s path to acquire a fortune can take many shapes. They are excellent craftsmen and mining engineers; many Augafi are also successful merchants, exporting gems and rare metals to locations throughout the Matoran Universe. Owing to their impressive physical capabilities, Augafi mercenaries are also common in criminal organizations and private armies throughout the universe. Augafi slavers and Rahi hunters are also not rare.

Mine overseers fulfill a key role in Augafi society, ensuring that resources continue to flow from the earth to the markets. Supervising mining projects directly, most mine overseers find themselves deep in the tunnels and crevices in the earth alongside the workers. However, while the miners and slaves toil, the overseers hold the whip, and ensure that the workforce stays productive, that dissent is punished, and that quotas are met.

Augafi managers are found at all levels of Augafi society, some being merely useful underlings, while others have entire business ventures under their command. Whatever their rank and role, they throw themselves into their work, ensuring that every book is balanced or cooked, every employee paid or whipped, and every obstacle bypassed or buried. Despite the somewhat lower social rank held by most managers, they serve a vital function in Augafi society by relaying data and goals to overseers and barons alike.

However, the richest of the rich in Augafi society are the great landowners. Quite literally seated atop a pile of immeasurable wealth carried forth from their mines, these Barons dominate Augafi society - mostly independent rulers parceling out parts of their territories to chosen favorites. While the Barons occasionally meet to discuss matters of mutual importance, they generally spend their time competing with each other in sheer opulence of lifestyle and construction activity. Direct conflicts between Barons are rare, and their underlings are usually the ones competing over land.

Augafi pride themselves on their tolerance towards other species, though this tolerance just so happens to tend to be tied to personal wealth. Rich outsiders are welcomed with open arms and lavished with gifts, while those without noteworthy possessions are granted no special privileges or are offered “opportunities” that invariably turn into indentured servitude.

An unusual characteristic of Augafi society is its almost complete lack of reliance on Rahi. With their powerful legs and wide shoulders, Augafi are particularly suited to carry great weights, and the environment of their homeland makes sustaining greater numbers of Rahi impractical. Many foreigners gawk at Augafi caravans made out of nothing but dozens to hundreds of Augafi carrying their wares on foot, but to the Augafi it is second nature to rely on nothing but their bodies. In times of war, the Augafi heavy infantry is thus a fearsome sight, charging at enemy lines with the speed and weight of Kane-Ra bulls.

Augafi Praetorians

With the constant drive to collect and hoard wealth, there comes an inherent danger - the more that they collect, the greater the risk of theft. As such, the Praetorians evolved - the most elite warriors in Augafi society, an elite rank of bodyguards who protect the Barons with their lives and lead the charge in rare cases of open warfare. Originally used as bodyguards for VIPs, Praetorians were found to be better-served defending resource caches, mining towns, and convoys. Their thousand-year-long training makes them reluctant to give up their objectives, and they have been known to go weeks with neither food nor rest in order to see their superior’s tasks done. Additionally, their species’ lack of a need for sleep has allowed them to operate as full-time guards. The Praetorians wear heavy armor and commonly wield massive claymores so large that few creatures could bear them, both as symbols of rank and dangerous weapons. Other common Praetorian weaponry include poison blades, fang repeaters - projectile launchers that shoot acidic needles that rebound off walls - and war machetes.

History

During Barraki Mantax rule, he used his immense wealth to launch a series of campaigns deep into the Atureas homelands, coercing them into service. As a result, both Tevan and Zanua were brought forcefully into the Kingdom of Ruangu, although Augafi presence mostly focused on Tevan. The Augafi empire killed many of the Atureas chieftains, and rerouted key energy away from the feeding point on the south of Tevan in order to starve the Atureas tribes into submission. The northern node remained intact, and lying at the heart of an Augafi settlement. Many of the Atureas war prisoners had their horns removed to ensure that they could not use their powers against the Augafi.

When Mantax disappeared, the political order of Ruangu fractured along its economic lines, but this did not stop the occupation of the island. Instead, the north of Tevan, which was discovered to be rich in rare metals and rare Rahi byproducts, remained firmly under Augafi control, while the south became occupied by powerful Major Atureas chieftains. Between the two areas, a long strip of war-torn land is fought between Atureas rebels and Augafi barons seeking more laborers. Some Augafi defectors, such as the future Dark Hunter Guardian, joined forces with the Atureas, and even become honorary members of their tribes.

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List of Members

• Mantax
• Lurker
• Guardian

In the Doronai Nui

See Augafi/Doronai Nui

Behind the Scenes

The Augafi are designed to serve as the species of Barraki Mantax. Additionally, the Augafi incorporate the Dark Hunters Lurker and Guardian, which informed parts of their society. The absence of a tail on the latter hunter can be explained either through his severe injuries suffered in his backstory, or a similar punishment from the Shadowed One as those suffered by Conjurer or Lariska. Their culture draws small influences from ancient Egypt, as well as the cardinal sin of greed.

Augafi were originally named Ihaufage, meaning “Wealth Immeasurable”. However, this name was trimmed down while retaining the same meaning, due to the similarities and repeated confusion with “Ihidauri”. Another factor towards the new name was Au being the chemical element gold, with reference to the species' focus on wealth. It was also proposed Ihaugafe may be an older form of their name. However, to avoid confusion, use of alternate names should be minimal.

The Augafi were at an early point written to have a poisonous property if consumed, based on Mantax's poisonous spikes in his mutated form. However, this was cut due to insignificance.