Asteri

The **Asteri** are a parasitic race of near god-like conquerors who are the rulers of the Midgard. They rule the planet from the Eternal City in Pangera.

## History

It is unknown where the Asteri originate from, although they feed off the firstlight and secondlight of other races and had forgotten the location of their original homeworld, which they've presumably destroyed. Due to their hunger, the Asteri spent eons travelling from world to world, conquering and farming off the lifeforce of other races they deemed sustainable, and destroying others that rebelled. However, during their conquest, select worlds were able to drive the Asteri out. These included the Princes of Hel, who were able to unite against the Asteri and drive them out, even killing one of their own, Sirius. Around 15.000 years ago, Asteri arrived on Midgard and began to lure other races from different worlds as a means to feed off of them. This included the fae, shifters and other vanir they could find to feast on their firstlight and secondlight.

They were the victors of the First Wars of Midgard, and thus wrote the history. They made the scholars and philosophers write down their version of events under penalty of death. This included naming Hel as the enemy and erasing Theia from the historical records. The Great Library of Parthos is what remains of the truth of the world before the Asteri and the writings of the few brave souls who tried to voice it afterwards. The Asteri reduced the humans to slavery and created the hierarchies of the Vanir. They are the creators of the Malakim.

## Appearances

### House of Flame and Shadow

All remaining six Asteri are present when Einar Danaan and Morven Donnall are being interrogated by them in the Throne Room concerning their children's betrayal. After both Kings assured that they had nothing to do with it, the Asteri let them go, but not without a warning.

## Physical Description

Though the descriptions of all the Asteri remain unknown, it is widely speculated that their true forms are an extreme form of raw power forged from stars that inhabit whatever bodies they possess, until their vessels wither away from the strain. An example would be Rigelus, whose current body inhabits the form of a teenage Fae boy, whom Hunt declares as "a mockery of the monstrous power within." They've also been shown to have some semblance of unity in their thinking, as they are capable of speaking in synchronization, as well as individually.

## Known Asteri

* Austrus
* Eosphoros
* Hesperus
* Octartis
* Polaris
* Rigelus
* Sirius †

## Powers & Abilities

They are described as being the most powerful beings on Midgard. Initially, it was believed they each possessed the brute power of a star which gives them the capabilities of destroying entire worlds, as well as contend with the most powerful of all demons, such as the Star-Eater, who was the only entity who had successfully killed one of the Asteri, Sirius. The Asteri are unaging and undying. Inside the archives of the Eternal City lies the truth about the Asteri - it is unknown whether they even possess a star inside themselves, since their power originates from both the firstlight and secondlight of Midgard's inhabitants. Thus, the Asteri feed off the population and use that power instead of their own. Regardless, they've been shown to be extremely powerful even if their power doesn't derive from their own. Over the eons, they've been able to conquer numerous worlds from across the universe whom they fed off for sustenance, even decimating their own homeworld in search of more entities to fuel their hunger.

## Trivia

* In Greek, Asteri means star.
* The Asteri's symbol is the letters "SPQM" and a wreath of seven stars.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 15, *House of Sky and Breath*
2. ↑ Names.org