STANDARDS

Standard auri are a magical, partially golden feline-like species. They’re rather simple as babies, with a simple quad-body, three eyes, basic round bell on their collar, and spiked cat-like ears or axolotl-like ears with 4 'nubs/spikes'! Like all Aurillion species, they're partially composed of gold and their bell collar is vital to their very well being. Appearances vary greatly from auri to auri and they, out of all the species, display incredible genetic diversity. As adults, they can take on one of five forms, from the standard upright stance to the unconventional serpent stance. They’re the most common species out of all the Aurillion species and also one of the oldest, if not the oldest subspecies. They're considered to be the first species made by Kleptar, acting as a sort of “base” that all others were 'modeled' off of.

Even since their inception, standards were diverse in not only appearance but personality, having no core stereotypes or natures on the species as a whole. They’re the true “blank slates” of the Aurilion species, which isn’t a bad thing. It plays off well along with their incredible genetic diversity; they can look like anything and be anything. No two auri are alike! There are stereotypes among specific towns and cities, for example, classic city slickers or country folk. Though a place like Bellavette, where the largest concentration of standards lives, doesn’t have any one stereotype as it's is more of a melting pot of various different cultures and personalities.

While they’re the most common species in numbers, they’re not found all over the continent and tend to stay within the mainland and center closely around Chimewoods. However, standards living off in more remote locations is not unheard of. These individuals need to be well prepared and adapted for these extreme environments though, otherwise, they wouldn't last long.

Standards are the jacks of all trade when it comes to magic, they don't have any strong affinity towards any one element and are not typically born with any secondary abilities.

Being the “template” or base species, the terminology used for standards are generally used and applied to all species.

The species itself is called Aurillion.

The proper plural form for 'aurillion' is 'aurilli' however 'aurillions' and 'aurillion' are also acceptable.

Babies & children are referred to as 'auri', the proper plural form for “auri” is 'aurii' however 'auris' is also accepted.

The species name can be shortened to 'auri', and can refer to children or adults. The terms 'baby', 'child', 'teen', 'adolescent', 'adult', etc. are also commonly used and can apply to all other species as well.

HISTORY

Standard aurii have a long history, being the first to be created by the Creationist God Kleptar and were considered Kleptar’s special children. A designation only rivaled by the Munchkins. As the first, the standards were once the only intelligent species on Orrem, and many important constructs, buildings, and other architecture around Melauvira were created by them. For example; the ruins found in the Windswept Moors, Old Bellavette (which can still be visited!), and according to legend, the fabled temples of worship in the Craggfall Mountains and even, according to rumors, ancient buildings long lost in the Corruption of the Wastelands. As can be expected they've basically left their mark everywhere.

According to history, as more species were created diversity and culture boomed. New species were welcomed with open arms; cooperation and interaction being high amongst them all. While some species were more independent than others, standards made sure to have some sort of contact with each of them. This unity was largely prompted and encouraged by Kleptar themself and, thanks to this, social, technological, and even magical advancements rose. Standards may not have an affinity to any one element, but that just meant they were better suited to learn and control all of them, helping to push the boundaries of magical abilities and what one can do with them.

Due to the strong unity and openness among the subspecies and standards especially, the standards had adopted a bit of each subspecies’ cultures, allowing their own to become a diverse mix of them all. This can still be seen today, especially in the main city of Bellavette which was the most diverse settlement. It was not one-sided though, cultural diffusion spread throughout all the subspecies, with standards being the mediators. All of them benefited from interacting with each other, even the more isolated ones like the Munchkins in their sky archipelago, or the more intentionally isolated Naganids. Aurillion as a whole shared their resources; one species' strength would cover another's weakness and vice versa.

This unity held up for a very long time until The Great Calamity. One day the southwesternmost point of the continent became darkened and corrupted with a strange, sinister magic that spread at an alarming rate. Not much could be done to stop it, the strange material burned those who touched it, and warped the minds if one got too exposed. Magic was the only thing that seemed to help, but mere mortals alone were not strong enough to combat this. Turning to their benevolent and attentive god the auri pleaded for them to solve this growing crisis. Of course, Kleptar agreed and they set out to use their superior, godly magic to quell this corruption. Unfortunately, even they were not strong enough. The Corruption would not stop, it would keep growing, seeping and oozing into Hazefire and after that, it'd be over. In a last, desperate attempt to stop the world they'd created from being destroyed, Kleptar used the strongest magic they knew to break off the affected area from the mainland. And it seemed to have worked. For a while. Hazefire citizens attested the Corruption was still festering out there, and that, if not properly dealt with, it would surely creep across the land once more. Once again the aurili turned to their god, but they were nowhere to be seen. Shortly after creating what is now known as the Divide, the beloved god seemingly vanished without a trace nor explanation. And that is when things turned for the worse.

The moment they disappeared, the world itself was seemingly thrown out of balance. Natural disasters started occurring more regularly and much more severely. Places that were under Kleptar's personal protection, like the Euphor Sky Archipelago, were now at the mercy of Nature's wrath. The light rain seasons the Munchkins were used to were now devastating annual monsoons that occurred much more frequently. Others, like the Guardians, had seen first hand the uselessness of their god, and isolated themselves out of anger, preparing for the Corruptions' inevitable return to the mainland. The unity that once was, slowly but surely faded away as each subspecies went their own way, broken by the disaster and Kleptar's disappearance. Most did not leave on ill terms, but Kleptar was the biggest symbol and encourager of unity; with them gone and the greater threat of disaster, it was easily fractured. In the present day, standards can still be seen all over the continent, but they too have holed up and are most commonly seen within their home country.

CURRENT DAY

The main concentration of standard Aurilli is still in Bellavette however contact from outsides such as the Munchkins and much more recently the Naganids have encouraged some standards to branch out again. Interestingly not much of their culture has changed however, specific cultural celebrations brought in by other subspecies have sadly faded from memory. Hope is not lost though, if contact were to be reestablished, surely the species could come together again and be unified as they once were.

Standard aurilli are likely the most technologically advanced subspecies, at least in recent knowledge. Bellavette is considerably the largest city on the continent and the most prestigious schools are located there. They do well enough to accommodate everyone's needs as best they can. Aside from that Bellavette tends to hold many world records in sheer volume alone ex. the largest population to date, the most number of schools, buildings, jobs, etc.

It's been hundreds of years since the creation of the Divide, and with the worrying spread of the Corruption, the standards have started seeking outside help again. So far only a couple have reciprocated, or have been able to be contacted at all. The Munchkins were the first, the monsoons displacing them whenever they fall, not that they felt any safer outside their paradise. The Naganids much more recently have begun reaching out, making Euphor and the Aphyx Glades places of interest once more. Other initiatives have taken place as well, including this very Databank, which intends to make up for the lost years by cataloging and documenting important information for present generations and those to come.

Meanwhile, the Bellavette population has put a lot of effort and resources into conserving the older parts of the city and its surrounding structures and architecture. It's a slow process and the contrast between modern, old, and refurbished architecture is very noticeable. Other, more independent teams have begun trying to clean up and restore other areas, not an easy feat given the expenses though. Of course, the top, top priority on everyone's minds is finding a way to finally stop the Corruption for good. Scientists, researchers, and mages alike are all hard at work trying to come up with the solution Kleptar could not. Even with the looming threat and lack of outside help, there is still hope. Hope in restoring the world, preserving it, uniting it again, and freeing it of the Corruption once and for all.