Aster (ToF)

**Asterians** are a race in the Tides of Fate universe. They are an unusual race of humanoids that never seem grow out of the body equal to that of a 12-15 year old human child, along with the fact that they are all female. They are the first natives of Flinrock, the easternmost continent of Carokiiv, and one of the recurring species. Some humans are found in their homeland, but both races peacefully co-exist with one another and work together to face the never-ending hardships in their continent.

Quick in wit, they are a very versatile race that can adapt to many fields, notably arts related to survival in the harsh continent they live in. Like the other dominant races, magic is accepted in their life, and is actually a very integral part to the survival of their race, despite their poor output of Mana. In some ancient sources, it is strongly believed that the Asterians have the strongest connection to the Will of the World, which remains a hotly-debated subject by many scholars of Carokiiv today.

## Origin and Early History

Due to the fact that they were completely useless for slave labor due to their slight physiques, the Beast Races that first dominated Flinrock considered the Asterians as nothing more but a mere food source like the non-sentient animals that they hunted for sustenance. The Beast Races carried out hunts against them and normally devoured all they captured. As a result, the earliest Asterians studied the art of survival and became so immersed in it that it became more difficult for their overlords to hunt them as they learned overtime. Despite this, the Asterians still lived in the danger of persecution from the Beast Races and weren't always able to escape unscathed, those dying of attrition fortunately replaced.

Fate seemed to have favored the survivalists when the fabled event known as the "Advent of Magic" came about; the Asterians received the ability to use magic like all other Near Human races, which would later become one of the most important factors in their survival and reversal of their ill fortunes. With this newfound knowledge, the Asterians utilized this to a great extent, easily overpowering the Beast Races in combat through their frightening speed to cast both offensive and defensive spells, including recovery-based ones, even if they lacked power in general. This magic allowed the creation of the first High Asterian, the Priestess - Queen who could unite all Asterians under her command.

Under the leadership of the first High Asterian, who wielded unparalleled magic when compared to her peers, the Beastfolk met their untimely demise. In the final days of the Beast Races' existence in Flinrock, the Asterians refused to stop in hunting them down, and according to some historical sources, they "literally drove the land-walking animals into the edges of the continent, for the sea and it's wildlife to devour." With the Beast Races completely annihilated from their home, the Asterians proceeded to settle and occupy their hard-won continent, where they would begin building their own history. Asterians never used Beast Races for slavery, having wiped them completely from Flinrock.

During the time of the fabled "Zero King", when he and his human followers from the distant land of Betoriv arrived in Flinrock before the infamous purges that eventually happened in Betoriv, they were at first deterred by the distrustful and now-dominant Asterians due to their history with the taller Beast Races, which they regarded as "giant devourers". It took time for them to eventually open up to the humans, and when they did, they began calling the first ones that had arrived in their home as "strange, gentle giants." As the humans were told their history, it did not take long for the Asterians receive the legendary reputation of being the only race not truly enslaved by the Beast Races. The charismatic "Zero King" even took back the High Asterian of his time as his wife, and they would depart Flinrock to defeat all the humans who were strongly against magic and its users.

## Modern Age

Even in the modern era of their known world, Asterians continue to prefer isolationism from their neighboring continents and fellow Near-Humans, with the exception of the native humans that settled in Flinrock ages ago. They mostly treat outsiders with a hint of suspicion due to their history with the Beast Races and the previous Setoran Incursion alongside the Tyrant-King, and many Asterians that were truly devoted to the life of an outlaw favored targeting foreigners for either revenge or the promise of profit from their larceny, if not both.

Despite the preferred independence of the city-states like in every settlement in their homeland, the city-states of the Brass Fort and Icefield Quarry are generally more accepting of outsiders, and welcomed trade with them under acceptable circumstances. Regardless, each of the states were strongly independent, but trade with one another whenever needed and swore fealty to the High Asterians of their time.

## Traits

### Normal Asterian

Their notable appearance and stature, despite being frail, Asterians are the most agile race out of all the others along with their unusual resilience against damage, with even the humblest ones bearing this aptitude regardless of how they lived their lives. The common Asterian has the appearance of a young teenaged girl of around 12 - 15 years of age, variable hair colors that are still within natural ranges and normally rare eye colors.

Asterians have one of the poorest Mana pools among the races, if not the poorest, due to their lack of mana nodules. They normally make up for this with their high Circuit count, which makes them ideal flash-casters for lower-tier magic and various self buffs when coupled with their fast Mana regeneration.

The average Asterian is known to possess several inborn talents with regard to their internalized powers. Their ability to output bursts of mana allow them to seemingly teleport short distances with a short reprieve. By altering their own perception, Asterians can even slow time down from their point of view to evade many attacks or mitigate their damage, and can even defy reality to delay damage on their bodies.

There are also some other abilities all Asterians have, which allow them to either store away life energy for future use. This stored energy can be released to heal the Asterian, or mixed with mana and forcefully expelled to create a powerful blast. As it takes time to recycle dissipated life energy, an Asterian needs a day to regain the ability.

It is currently unknown how Asterians exactly create their numbers, as it is a well-kept secret by them, aside from what they refer to as their unique magic called the "Innocence of Creation." This has been a matter of speculation by the other races. This means that Asterians cannot reproduce with any of the other Near Humans, and that no Asterian hybrids between normal Asterians and other races exist.

An even more legendary knowledge that only the best of their people have is an unknown ancient ritual known only to themselves. This is a hotly-debated subject by the entire race, and is taken very seriously due to it's importance to their people. This ritual is considered taboo and it is known that it only happens in their time of true need.

### High Asterian

The High Asterian has some magical and physical traits of what she came from, but the main difference between them is their apparent age. The High Asterian is always a beautiful maiden between 18 - 20, never appearing to age, blessed with golden hair and crystalline, sparkling irises of many possible colours. The High Asterian retains her strong damage resistance properties, but unlike a normal Asterian has human levels of strength and endurance, making her a much more dangerous foe, as she retains her Asterian agility.

Unlike their normal kin, the High Asterian has a circuit count and quality similar to a high ranked Human or Elven mage, granting her similar prowess in flash casting of spells, as well as a greatly expanded mana pool that is quite substantial. The magical power of the High Asterian is thus extremely high. The High Asterian further has an inborn "Divine Crest" which can directly produce and eject mana in beams and blasts. It can also replicate all low tier spells of all elements with 90% the power of the original spells.

The High Asterian can further use the unique "divine words", which allow her to perform incantation at a speed that exceeds even the best High Elven mages. This unique ability further crystallizes the hopes and dreams of all Asterians as power, allowing the High Asterian to draw the power of her "followers" and directly from the World's power to cast incantations of extreme magnitude.

One other distinguishing factor is that they are not sterile like all Asterians, and doesn't reproduce via the "Innocence of Creation". The High Asterian is capable of mating with all Near Human races in the capacity of a female, and can produce viable offspring with these people. The offspring of a High Asterian do not inherit their mother's physical traits, but are generally beautiful and have a high innate talent for magic, due to their affinity for it.

### Known High Asterians

#### "The Zero Queen"

One of the earliest known High Asterians and the ancestor of the human Chronopsis and Avelenyss clans. She is one of the first sorceresses who had a hand in the creation of modern magic alongside her husband, the Zero King Kyron Avelenys.

#### Maika

Being the most recent High Asterian, Maika became the new Priestess-Queen of her time after her sister gave up her own existence upon her inevitable demise during the Asterian Civil War by the Sixthborn's time.

Maika is the only known High Asterian formed from a pair of "twins" which were born in a single instance of the "Innocence of Creation" which is a rare occurence. In essence, she is the only High Asterian born from a single origin, almost as if she was directly created by the Will of the World.

Her magical capacity and output exceeds a standard High Asterian. It is higher than even the Zero Queen herself. This unique property is attributed to her unique origin.

## Culture

In the time of crisis, there is one that all Asterians see as the unifier of all their race, and they will all band together under her: The High Asterian. By drawing upon the combined mana of all Asterians, their Priestess-Queen is able to utilize using the ancient original divine language that she knows to perform extremely powerful invocation, as it is implanted into her mind upon her 'birth'. It is rare for one to appear, unless something threatens their very existence.

If not, most Asterians will generally not be unified, and live either in a solitary existence, or in small groups that wouldn't even form a village. They tend to be nomadic across Flinrock for most part and live day to day hunting for survival. Need is often a poor teacher of morality, thus Asterians generally are quite receptive to different forms of larceny for self sustenance, such as pickpocketing, armed robbery or even full on banditry, with patriotic sects and individuals well-known to be very hostile to outsiders, usually resorting into bloodshed.

Asterians are known to rarely leave Flinrock, which they know very well due of the fact they would easily face more resistance outside of their homeland, in addition to their thieving habits making it difficult for them to be accepted into society outside. Thus, few people have seen an Asterian, unless the rare one decides to make a visit outside of her home region. Even the generally accepting humans will treat one with a hint of suspicion.

Their naming system is simple; They rarely live with their families and tend to be self-sufficient after a short period of needing to learn, hence almost all Asterians simply have a one part name equivalent to a normal personas first name.

Asterians do not have last names that are an equivalent of a family name. Some have two-part names, but this is equivalent to a first name that has multiple parts, and do not ever signify any familial connections.