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.