Before the banishment of the Earth Tribe… Before the deception of the Element Lords… Before the very ground beneath their feet was shattered by the ceaseless war… There was an impossible mask, and six forgotten warriors.
In the wooded regions of Bara Magna, the insular and mysterious Earth Tribe maintained a millennia-old feudal society of farmers and knight, ruled over by matriarchal queens. These knights, revered across Spherus Magna for their fighting skills and supposedly unbreakable honor code, mostly guarded the borders of their kingdom and protected the shipments of grain they sent across the planet to feed the other seven tribes. A few, however, wandered far beyond their queen’s domain, searching for meaning, glory, and purpose in the Great Barren.
One such knight — a young and ambitious warrior named Koric — was passing through the southern jungle when he encountered Ferrux, Venna, and Oris camped out in a small clearing just off the main road. Believing them to be a raiding party, he attacked the group and almost overpowered them before Venna managed to stun and subdue him. Quickly realizing his mistake, Koric swore fealty to the lady of the Black Spire Mountains and swore to protect her and her companions on their way to the Great Beings. But Oris, more accustomed to deception than his new “friends,” felt there was something about this stranger that none of them should trust…
A mostly comprehensive guide to Random's headcanons on Agori
Compiled from these posts; some are included in these fics.
The term "Agori" (which roughly translates to "person" or "peer"*) is hereby used to describe both sentient species of Spherus Magna regardless of size.
*(source: I made that up basing myself on the Ainu word "ainu" meaning "human")
The metatextual reason is that I don't want to constantly distinguish Agori from the unnamed race that makes up the majority of professional Glatorian; the in-universe reason is that the differences between these species are generally limited to height, weight, muscle mass and other smaller details that have much less of an impact than one might believe.
Despite appearing very different, the seven Agori tribes share a common ancestor and can produce fertile offsprings with one another. As no tribe's genes are necessarily dominant over those of others, these (fairly rare) cross-tribe children can present the traits of only one parent just as well as of both, with varying results.
COMMON BIOLOGICAL TRAITS
Agori are bipedal and anthropomorphic: most of their internal organs are arranged in a manner similar to humans. They exhibit sexual dimorphism based on their tribe's physical appearance, whereas anatomically they are limited to small differences in bone structure. These dimorphisms can sometimes appear muddled, unbalanced, contemporaneous or completely absent in intersex or transitioning individuals.
Their noses are flat, straight and long, with generally thin nostrils; their lips are similarly very thin and flat. Their ears tend to be very flexible and can bend in a variety of directions: only the Sand and Iron tribe Agori lack this ability as their ears are essentially attached to their skulls.
Their skin is tough, making it hard to pierce without applying an adequate amount of strength. Breasts are placed in the pelvic area above reproductive organs and are mostly invisible aside from their teats. Lower garments are reinforced around their approximate height in order to prevent chafing as well as other painful or uncomfortable sensations.
They are omnivores, enjoying most kinds of meat and vegetables available to them. More in-depth looks at their individual preferences will come up later.
They present a mostly useless, short and nubby tail that remains the same size throughout their entire life, thus apparently shrinking as they grow; it moves by reflex to express emotion, and children apparently use it to balance themselves when learning to walk.
Before the start of the Core War, prosthetic magnetic plaques made to more easily wear armor were only applied to soldiers; the dangerous living conditions of Bara Magna caused their use to become much more widespread, and their implementation was turned into a sort of rite of passage into adolescence for the very few Agori born during the Great Barren period. Many older Agori also sport complex prosthetic limbs, joints, bones or organs, both as a result of the Core War and common accidents of desert life: while Glatorian have a certain variety to their injuries, the "properly called" Agori most often suffered amputations below the belt.
Pregnancy lasts one year and a half, followed by two years of sterility due to how taxing the process is to the body; for this same reason, older Agori may not manage to survive childbirth. Sudden spikes in stress can hinder the process, and a steady stream of anxiety is almost sure to result in a stillborn, causing a severe decrease in birth rates in Bara Magna for 100k years.
The maximum life expectancy before the Shattering was around 450k years old, dropping to 300k-250k afterwards. In human years, that should be around 90 and 60-50 years respectively.
TAPYRI (Ta- + Pyros + Agori)
Tapyri are naturally drawn towards volcanic environments or similar natural sources of great heat. In order to prevent dehydration in these climates their skin is coated by a layer of mucus which also catches particles of dirt, ash, and other impurities: their cleaning routine is thus usually limited to scraping it off and letting a new layer form in its place. Their clothes are usually fire-resistant to some degree and specially treated on the inside to prevent being soaked.
They are known for having a wide variety of warm skintones, going from onyx black to bright orange, usually sporting spotted patterns on their head and back, more rarely on their front (color and shape depend partially on parentage). While mostly depending on the individuals and their parentage, facial patterns tend to be extremely similar, especially around their eyes and lips.
Their pupils are oval, stretching horizontally, and their sclera is usually a light shade of orange. Their teeth are small and slightly bent towards the inside of their mouth.
Their hair is short, hard, and somewhat translucid; coupled with the mucus smoothing it down against their body, many Agori of other tribes only discover Tapyri have any hair when they become angry or scared enough to pull it upright in an attempt to make themselves larger. In these occasions their mucus production increases rapidly and their ears, usually curled in a shape similar to a human's, also unfold in three axolotl-like gills. Their teeth are small and slightly bent towards the inside of their mouth.
Tapyri have few sexually dimorphic traits - female individuals will have rounder tails and slightly duller colors, while males will also tend to be shorter and more slender in the stomach area. Being intersex, Ackar exhibits muddled traits: his height and build are congruent with the average male, but his tail is not as flat and his pigmentation not as vibrant as those of Crotonius, Perditus and Raanu.
Volcanic soil is very fertile, so Tapyri learned their fair share of agriculture and used to be a good source of grains; they also harvest sweet coal (a type of edible lava residue) and spontaneous tubers which grow in cooled magma. Their favorite meats are usually fauna such as iron-shelled snails or heat moles. Their preferred methods of cooking are earth ovens, roasting, and grilling over heated rocks.
A common show of affection for Tapyri is pressing another's hand to one's forehead.
Tapyri are based mainly on salamanders. Other inspirations in regards to their appearance include newts and various similar little funky slimy critters.
GAQURI (Ga- + Aqua + Agori)
Gaquri are equipped for living in highly humid environments, usually close to if not directly in or above bodies of water. They don't possess gills, but their lungs have a large capacity, their tail and ears are finned, their fingers lightly webbed, and their eyes sport a protective retractable membrane that lets them see clearly underwater. Humidity is particularly good for their skin, so they wear fabric that's easy to drench and stays wet for a long time.
Their scales are somewhat loose, making them to shake and vibrate when they feel threatened, angry or embarrassed. Blue or greenish in color, they differ in type depending on whether they live near fresh- or saltwater: most Agori born in or near the Bara Magna area, such as Tarix and Berix, have cycloid scales; Kiina, born by the Dormus river delta (essentially by the sea), has ctenoid scales. Washing them under running water is vital for their upkeep.
Their pupils are crescent shaped, stretching horizontally, and their sclera is a pale green. Their teeth are long and triangular, sharp, with a fast regrowth time.
They have a commensalistic relationship with certain lichens and algae which take root underneath their scales, simulating the presence of hair as they feed on minimal percentages of blood. The ones on their head grow longer and dry out over time, turning yellow, so Gaquri prune them semi-regularly.
Gaquri sexual dimorphism is almost non-existent. Intersex people make up 98.3% of the tribe, which also has the unique ability to alter their body's production of specific hormones at will: between these two facts, many dimorphic traits have gone lost. The names referring to each of their many sexes vary between individual dialects, though they are used mainly in medical contexts.
As it is obvious from their semi-aquatic nature, Gaquri are good fishermen and divers, usually basing their diets around fish, crustaceans and other seafood, but also enjoying frogs, toads, tadpoles and slugs. Some cultivated rice-like plants, and their main source of vegetables especially in Bara Magna were mosses or algae found in caves - some of which produce sticky fruits called "kelp jades". They generally prefer to have their food raw, but also steam, boil or grill it.
A common show of affection for Gaquri is rubbing one's cheek against another's.
Gaquri are of course based on fish. Their ability to do what I call "homegrown HRT" is based on some species (i.e. clownfish) autonomously changing sex in certain situations.
LEBORI (Le- + Bota + Agori)
Lebori live in forests of any kind, usually settling off the ground. Though they're mostly covered in feathers, their palms and soles have specially hooked cells that allow them to keep a good grip on most surfaces, particularly tree bark: they are as such incredibly nimble climbers, which makes up for the fact that they're unable to so much as glide. Their clothes are light and sturdy, shielding them from bruises and abrasions against wayward branches.
Their skin tends to be tawny in color. Extreme variations are fairly rare and are dependent on certain types of dyschromia - albinism, melanism, piebaldism, vitiligo, etc. It's not usually visible outside of their palms and soles due to their feathers, unless a body part or spot is actively shaved.
Their pupils are beaded and stretched vertically, while the iris is reddish and the sclera bright yellow. Their teeth are thin and needle-like, with a discreet space between each of them.
Down feathers are somewhat equivalent to body hair - small, short and very soft, but immediately become soaked and heavy in water; as such, sandbaths are preferred when it comes to cleaning themselves. The longest feathers are found on their head, sort of mimicking hair or a headdress: younger Lebori have them red-tipped, adults lime-tipped and elders yellow-tipped. Similar pigmentations are also found on the smaller plumes covering the pinna of their wing-like ears.
Lebori exhibit dimorphism mainly through feather coloration: while generally green, males showcase much more vibrant and lighter hues while females will tend towards darker ones. Vastus, a transwoman (he/him) undergoing HRT, has visibly shifted from brighter to murkier colors during his transition; Tarduk, intersex, showcases both colorations in different parts of his body; Gresh, also intersex, only displays common male traits.
Their main source of meat are bugs (insects, arthropods, arachnids, worms...), though they don't disdain poultry or small game either. Their diet is also full of fruits, berries and a wide variety of edible plants both cultivated and gathered; they often have access to vegetal oil of various kinds, leading them to a preference towards frying their food over other cooking methods.
A common show of affection for Lebori is preening one another's head with their teeth.
Lebori are based mainly on birds, though their climbing abilities are taken mainly from reptiles such as geckos. For inexplicable reasons, I also associate them with lemurs.
KONIRI (Ko- + Nives + Agori)
Koniri are usually found in cold climates, on icy peaks or vast tundras. Low temperatures are no problem thanks to their stiff white fur, which they partially shed in warmer months for a darker summer coat, and their ability to build up fat relatively fast: their clothes are made mainly of tough leather to further help with insulation. They sport dark long nails closer to claws and their triangular ears are the largest amongst the tribes, sometimes tipped by tufts of fur.
Their skin tends towards pale or pinkish color due to its poor exposure to light, though their habitat might influence the pigmentation. Piebaldism, albinism, and melanism are sometimes accounted for, but these cases remain fairly rare; faint markings are fairly common, especially in the facial or back area, and become much more apparent upon summer coats.
Their pupils are rhomboidal, stretched vertically, with brown irises and tannish sclera. Their teeth are sturdy and pointed, with their canines bending slightly.
Being covered in fur, they don't exactly have "hair" in a human sense, though some individuals will grow longer strands between their ears or below their nape. They often wash by combing off shed fur, rolling in snow or scrubbing it on their limbs, faces and torsos; access to warm water lets them clean themselves more deliberately and thoroughly, using faintly scented soaps and being careful to avoid the ears in order to prevent infections.
Sexual dimorphism is fairly minimal in Koniri, with males being somewhat larger and having both slightly longer tails and larger canines, whereas females tend to be heavier and sport a black tip on their tail all year long. They also present slight variations in the shape of their skulls and marking distribution. Gelu and Strakk, who have a long history of intersexuality in their family, showcase faintly muddled traits through slightly darker tails and facial markings.
Good sprinters and primarily hunters, Koniri center their diet on local game meat or fish when available; they're also known to keep some livestock for dairy, grow a few crops, and harvest arctic anemones. They have a fairly vast knowledge of edible plants, and are usually found harvesting and snacking on fruits or berries, nuts, herbs, spontaneous vegetables, and even certain types of branches or barks. They prefer to keep their meals fatty, usually employing a lot of butter or lard in more elaborate dishes: while they will gladly eat things raw, they otherwise tend to smoke, fry or roast their food.
A common show of affection for Koniri is gently biting or chewing on each other's ear.
Koniri are based mainly on arctic foxes and lynxes, though they could also showcase traits of other furry predators such as wolves, snow cats and mustelids.
SANURI (Sabulum + [O]nu- + Agori)*
*(I had previously called them "Basari" or "Banuri", but have since changed my mind to better fit the conventions of the other tribes' names)
Due to their poor retention of body heat, Sanuri are found primarily in hot, preferrably perennial summer-like climates, spacing from desert areas to tropical jungles. Their scales are irregular in shape and adherent to their bodies; they are often covered in small horn-like protrusions across their whole body, and their thin tails (which only gained stingers after the mutation in Vorox/Zesk) can be painlessly amputated in case of danger.
Their skin comes in varying colors, differing heavily between different settlements as they depend on the environment they live in to better camouflage themselves: Bota Sanuri tend towards darker and greenish hues, whereas Bara Sanuri are significantly brighter and yellower in color. Their ears are small, in the shape of minute "pockets" of skin by the side of their heads.
Their pupils are linear, stretched vertically, with very wide orange irises and white sclera. Their teeth are small and triangular; the mutation also added significantly sized mandibles.
Much like Gaquri, they too used to have a mutualistic relationship with particular plants that would take root between their scales and act as hair. The variety of plantlife was rather impressive, featuring a wide range of tough weeds that could survive the Sanuri's sandbaths. The mutation heavily impacted this: most plants were no longer able to sustain themselves or only survived on smaller patches, and the drastic change in grooming habits caused them to be weeded out for good fairly quickly. Vorox and Zesk are thus "hairless".
Sexual dimorphism presents itself a little more obviously in Sanuri compared to other tribes in the form of large spots of bright colored pigmentation exclusively on males, usually confined to the throat area and reddish in hue. After the mutation, females were also observed to have slightly shorter and stouter mandibles.
Due to their preference towards environments that didn't allow much space for agriculture, Sanuri were mostly nomadic hunters and gatherers, oftentimes domesticating birds of prey and other small predators to make the task easier; they also traded their catches for grains and vegetables with neighboring tribes at times, but otherwise made do with dried meats and fruits. Post-mutation, most Bara Magna Vorox and Zesk have forgone cooking and more advanced methods of food gathering, though in some cases they still collaborate with desert fauna, especially birds.
A common show of affection for Sanuri is lightly scratching each other's nape with their claws.
Sanuri are mainly based on lizards, with their small horn-like protrusions being taken from bearded dragons. Some elements were also taken from scorpions post-mutation.
POTORI (Po- + Lithos + Agori)
Potori are the most adaptable amongst Agori tribes, easily living in rougher environments such as rocky mountains or desertic areas: their tough bones and moderate immunity to a number of mild venoms make them ready for most challenges, and they're often able to make themselves at home almost anywhere. Their wooly fleece helps them regulate temperature easily, but also drives them away from too humid climates due to growing mold easily.
Their skin has a range of colors closest to that of humans, with different tones depending heavily on the environment they were born in. Melanism, albinism and vitiligo are not unheard of, and in certain tribes such as the Bone Hunters birthmarks are very common. Fur patterns aren't ubiquitous throughout the species, but when present can take on a variety of designs and colors.
Their pupils are rectangular, stretched horizontally, with brown or blue irises and greyish sclera. Their teeth are rectangular and blunt, with four somewhat dull canines.
Similarly to Koniri, they do not have "hair" on account of already being covered in fleece, which depending on the environment can have a curly or wavy texture and generally leaves only their face exposed (more rarely their long ears as well). Potori shear their wool regularly as it grows very fast; they wash soon after shaving so that they don't have to worry about damaging the fleece with water, and otherwise use scented oils to conceal body odor.
Sexual dimorphism concerns mostly the head and tail: female Potori often have somewhat longer tails, usually of a dark color, whereas males tend to develop small horn-like growths. Due to the military nature of Skrall society, these horns are usually forcibly shaped to follow the curve of the skull during formation in order for helmets to be worn comfortably over them; Bone Hunters tend instead to let them grow out naturally.
Unlike most other tribes, Potori primarily feed on vegetables and other plant matter, usually of the thorned or urticant variety: they don't disdain the likes of nettles, briars, thistles, poison ivy and various cacti, pairing them with fruits and nuts and occasionally meat from domestic livestock. After the Shattering made vegetal food significantly harder to acquire, salt-dried meat became a main dish for the Skrall, whereas Bone Hunters opened themselves to any and all edible possibilities. Their preference towards stews, skewers, soups and sauces comes from more abundant times.
A common show of affection for Potori is to forcefully shove one's temple against the other's.
Potori are based mainly on caprids and ovines - specifically, the idea was for Skrall to be more similar to sheep, and for Bone Hunters to be closer to goats.
FEZERI (Fe- + Zinc + Agori)
Despite not coming in large numbers, Fezeri were one of the most distributed Agori tribes across Spherus Magna, as their constantly growing segmented carapaces offered great protection from the elements and naturally shielded them from the dangers of the mines, where they most often worked. Their clothing was sturdy but minimal, covering mostly only spots where their shells were more prone to damage, weaker, or simply wouldn't reach.
The carapaces could be of almost any color and pattern. Lamellar masses would cushion the dark grey or yellowish skin underneath and slowly harden and wear out: the shell would turn a rusty color as this happened, slowly losing sturdiness, and would need to be shed through molting once too old enough, with a new layer beneath already formed. Fezeri were thus never properly "naked". Some of these softer masses would congregate under the skull (at the nape) and tail shells, substituting hair.
Their pupils are octagonal, with greenish irises that move like a camera's focus and almost no sclera. Their teeth are needle-like, but thicker that Lebori's.
Some of the softer lamellar masses would grow significantly longer and dangle out from beneath their carapaces; this happened most often under the tail and the nape, giving the impression of hair. Due to how quickly they tended to regenerate, most of the cleaning mainly concerned the shells, which were kept smooth and polished through sand baths (though taking care not to accidentally get any into their flat ears) and rough but careful filings.
Sexual dimorphism in Fezeri mainly concerned size, with females being significantly larger than males. Sex-specific patterns, especially in the face area, and the presence of horn- or mandible-like protrusions in male skull-shells had also been observed, though these traits were much rarer.
As they spent a great deal of time digging, Fezeri tended to have a discreet choice of tubers, roots, mosses and mushrooms and mostly hunted burrowing critters, bugs and the odd fish for meat. Their dietary habits however varied greatly as most of their settlements were often in completely different environments, and they weren't shy of integrating foods and cooking methods from other tribes into their culinary culture through trade or cohabitation. They were also known to have a fondness for sweet flavors, and had a vast knowledge of edible flowers of any biome.
A common show of affection for Fezeri is to butt the top of one's head against another's.
Fezeri are mainly based on bugs, mostly beetles, and in part also on the Spiderwick Chronicle's sprites. Their "hair" is specifically based on Dedusmuln from Hylics.
addendum: RANDOM CULTURAL STUFF
Children are referred to exclusively with ti/tir pronouns until they choose a different set. It's highly unusual for someone to continue using ti/tir into adulthood, and the set is also used to mock those who behave childishly or immaturely.
When in an enclosed space or gesturing at the visible insides of an enclosed space (building, tunnel, vehicle, etc) Agori will tend to point with their chins instead of their fingers.
Clothes are designed to value function over form, though it wasn't always the case before the Shattering; dyes are and were primarily derived from plants, bugs and minerals. Toplessness is not considered necessarily indecent.
Most tribes have some kind of gender spectrum. After the schism between Brothers and Sisters, the Skrall have developed a very strict gender binary based solely on whether or not an individual showcases psychic abilities.
Agori weddings are fairly simple and require only a scribe and a spectator to be officiated. The couple must share a house to be wedded, and present a pawn of affection (a small handmade charm or piece of jewelry with something of oneself, such as a feather/scale/tuft of fur/piece of horn/etc in it) during the ceremony; afterwards, it's good etiquette to give guests small gifts like food or utensils "for the trouble" of taking part in the ceremony. Before the Shattering it wasn't uncommon for a dance and/or a supper to be held afterwards.
Blood, once adequately treated and stored, is a common soft drink. It's usually drunk on special occasions, but it's also often heavily integrated into the diets of pregnant or post-partum individuals and newborns, usually mixed in milk; furthermore it can be used in baked goods or sweets, or simply cooked into dregs.
Agori tend to be at least bilingual: each tribe has its own dialect, but will share an artificial common language with the others living in its same area. Tribal dialects tend to be close enough in structure to one another that settlements in completely different or very distant areas will still be able to hold a conversation with relative ease; common languages can instead at times have very few similarities between one another, as the dialectal traits eventually chosen to create them can vary significantly from area to area - in some cases even just defaulting to a more "cleaned up" version of one dialect.
The Agori's anatomies lend to a lot of particular body language (feathers puffing or ruffling, fur raising, scales shaking, teeth baring, particular ear movements, etc) and each tribe also has many ways to wordlessly vocalize with trills, chirps, hisses, gurgles and more.
Most Bara Magna Fezeri were not buried after death. Their sturdy shells were highly sought after to make armor both pre- and post-Shattering, resulting in basically all bodies being mutilated. Because of their relatively small numbers, Fezeri carapace armor plates were held in high regards and jealously passed down as heirlooms even when broken or cracked, or sold at exhorbitant prices; Sahmad has the widest collection of them, mostly now entombed in his former settlement, as he made a habit of targetting owners and stripping them of their treasure before selling them to the Skrall.
