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This article was written by ToaFairon. Please do not add to it without the writer's permission.
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| Azzilat | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
| Position |
220 million kilometres from its parent star
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| Size |
N/A
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| Population |
2 billion, most of which are Skakdi
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| Status |
In existence
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| Pronunciation |
AH-ZZEEE-LAHT
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- "Ah, Azzilat. The ringed homeworld of the Skakdi. Unlike the Estronians and their troubled government, the Azzilati government is arrogant purely out of spite against the Toa and the Combat Masters. They still hold us guilty over the actions during the Second Great Infinian War.
"
- ―Acritus discussing Azzilat.
Azzilat is a rocky, ringed planet in the Xeler Galaxy and one of two homeworlds of the Skakdi race. More than twice as large as Arcturus Magna, but not nearly as densely populated, Azzilat is the third planet in its solar system. Its landscape is wildly varied, but most of the planetary surface consists of large mountain ranges, with a few lakes in-between.
As the second world the Skakdi migrated to after the Second Infinian War, Azzilat's status in Skakdi culture is secondary only to that of Moni, the holiest planet and most influential of planets in intergalactic Skakdi society. Nevertheless, Azzilat is the dominant economic power in its sectors of the galaxy, and exerts considerable influence on local and galactic politics.
For years before and during the rise of the Planetary Alliance, Azzilat maintained its own interstellar empire under the banner of the Azzilati Empire. The rise of the Planetary Alliance, and the challenge that posed towards Azzilat's dominion over its own star system and other star systems, led to a series of conflicts that became known as the First Galactic War, or the Alliance Incursion to Azzilati's.
At the end of the First Galactic War, the two parties signed a treaty on the border world of Mesos IV, stipulating that Azzilat's empire would cease to exist and the planets of the empire would become full members of the Alliance, albeit under the condition that Azzilat and its former empire would maintain special relations.
History[]
Azzilat was created in a solar nebula that created much of its solar system, including its single moon and its rings.
Its rocky composition and mountainous landscape led to an early colonisation, which fed primarily from the patches of frozen water located on the surface, as well as from enormous bird creatures that inhabit the planet indigenously.
After the Second Infinian War, the Great Migration took place, whereupon Azzilat was settled by a large number of Skakdi, mostly former Compat Apprentices and Combat Masters who'd been part of the Combat Masters' League or the Independent Combat Masters' League during the war. While most of the elder Skakdi society migrated to Moni, the Skakdihan ruled that Azzilat would become the political home of the new Skakdi society, while Moni would become their spiritual centre.
Due to the intimate ties between Moni and Azzilat, as well as their friendly relations with the independent planet Kubran, Azzilat and Moni agreed to become the centre of a union. The Azzilati Empire was formed with Skakdihan Sharnahkk at its helm and the Skakdihai Councils as its political organs. Tightly-wounded trade networks sprang up left and right, with the Azzilati's seemingly taking the economic lead much like Dracia did in the Matoran sphere of influence.
First Galactic War & Joining the Planetary Alliance[]
For several hundreds of years, Azzilat and its empire enjoyed a period of peace that was unprecedented in Skakdi society. Skakdi culture and customs were widespread, and the region developed economically in ways that previously were thought impossible. Also, at the same time as Hendrax created his first Energy Reactor designs, the Azzilati's also developed their own parallel designs, enabling them to travel between star systems much quicker than their previous multi-year journeys across the empire had ever been.
A result of the Azzilati Space Drive, however, was also that the Skakdi sphere of influence eventually touched upon the sphere of influence of the Matoran and their Planetary Alliance. Much to the ire of the Skakdihai, the Matoran sphere of influence under the Planetary Alliance steadily spread itself out, eventually encountering the gas giant Mesos and its moon, Mesos IV, which was a border world for the Azzilati Empire.
Enraged by the encounter of their ancient rivals, the Skakdi attempted a negotiation with the Alliance, who declared they came for peace and free trading. The Skakdi, distrusting of the Matoran and Toa, believed instead that they were attempting to colonise Azzilati space. After a heated argument, the situation escalated and the Matoran ship narrowly escaped with their life.
In retaliation to the Skakdi paranoia, the Planetary Alliance sent its first battleship, the Titan-I Battleship, to negotiate with the Azzilati's and demand a reason as to why the conflict escalated. Further escalation, however, could not be prevented, and a full-blown war soon broke out.
After about 150 years of fighting each other to a stalemate, the Alliance and Azzilat eventually came to an agreement on the same border world where the first skirmishes once occurred. The Treaty of Mesos IV dissolved the Azzilati Empire, but declared the Skakdi cultural sphere a special sphere of influence where the Skakdi had preeminent rights to their own economy. Furthermore, the former worlds of the Empire would become members of the Alliance so as to ensure that a future war would not happen. The border world of Mesos IV was designated a sanctuary and a neutral territory between the Matoran and Skakdi spheres of influence. The fall of the Empire resulted in the fall of Skakdihan Sharnahkk, who was replaced by the more moderate Zarorhk in his position of Supreme Skakdi.
When Dracia fell, however, the Azzilati government were the first to jump ship and declare that the Planetary Alliance was "over", and that it was a "failure". Through political and economic persuasion, Azzilat once more entered into an agreement with Moni and Kubran, effectively re-establishing a smaller form of the Azzilati empire. Using their combined defense forces, the Azzilati alliance's military forces were the primary forces preventing refugees from Dracia from entering into Azzilat, Kubran and Moni and receiving asylum, thereby worsening the Dracian Refugee Crisis.
The Estronian Civil War, however, threatened the stability of the Azzilati empire when resistance movements popped up left and right in Moni and Kubran. As a result, the Azzilati government handed control back to the respective planetary governments and instead signed a trade and mutual defense agreement with the two planets. With Moni, Azzilat signed the Political Cooperation Treaty, ensuring that Moni and Azzilat were administered jointly by the Skakdihai.
Though reluctant, the Azzilati's eventually became a member of the Galactic Council, becoming the final member to join before the Universal Paralysis occurred.
Climate[]
Unlike the icy cold Arcturan climate, the climate on Azzilati is relatively mild, with temperatures averaging between -5 and 5 degrees Celsius. It is colder in the patches of frozen water on its surface, and therefore, those areas are far less inhabited than the other areas.
Geography[]
The surface of Azzilat is notable for its large mountain ranges and rocky terrain, with most of the planet featuring large differences in terrain height. In the few relatively flat areas where settlement is possible, the Azzilati have built most of their settlements, although there are settlements in the mountain ranges as well.
Ahrar[]
Ahrar is the capital city of Azzilat, situated in the middle of a large valley between mountain ranges. It is a vast metropolis extending many kilometres from its city centre into the mountain ranges near it, with sattelite cities in the nearby canyons. Its city centre features the Azzilati Palace, where the government of Azzilat convenes.
Government[]
The government of Azzilat is organised along the principles of traditional Skakdi society. A number of spiritual leaders known as the Skakdihai, controlling the element of Psionics, are local administrators and tribe elders. The Skakdihai, in turn, form Skakdihai Councils, who then elect the Supreme Skakdi, or Skakdihan. The Skakdihan is also gifted with the power of Psionics, and carries the Staff of Zarazza, the very first Skakdihan.
Due to their cultural and political interconnectedness, the Azzilati government is deeply connected with the government of Moni, so much so that one can sometimes consider them one and the same. Although Moni does have its own administration, Skakdi culture and its reliance on the system of Skakdihai and Skakdihan means many on Moni and Azzilat answer to the same people, even though the governments are nominally independent from one another.
Skakdihai[]
The Skakdihai (singular Skakdiha) are particularly powerful elder Skakdi, who most often function as local administrators and elders in villages and city blocks. They most often control the power of Psionics, granted to them via ancient Skakdihai Initiation Rituals. Through their Psionic powers, they can foresee possible events in the near future, as well as control and influence beings with less Psionic powers.
Despite being powerful Psionic warriors in their own right, and being highly influential administrators, Skakdihai are usually not parts of the Azzilati armed forces. Rather, the Skakdihai prefer to busy themselves with matters of the mind and of the spirit, rather than political matters. The Skakdihai High Council, however, does have the power to veto any decision the Skakdihan makes.
Skakdihan[]
The Skakdihan, also translated as Supreme Skakdi, is the highest position one can attain in both Azzilati and galactic Skakdi society. At any given time, only one Skakdi can ever hold the position of the Skakdihan, and it is open to all genders. The Skakdihan can only be elected by the Skakdihai High Council, and can be deposed at any given moment. Due to the nature of Skakdi administrative culture, the Skakdihan can make decrees and decisions of their own volition, but any decision a Skakdihan makes can be vetoed at any time by the Skakdihai High Council. This balance of power has often resulted in a conflicting relationship between the two.
In order to be electable to become the Skakdihan, a Skakdi has to have been deemed a Combat Master by the Skakdihai, and has to have served society in some way, be it through serving time in the Azzilati or Monian Space Fleets or otherwise. Most Skakdihai are also ineligible for becoming the Skakdihan, as Skakdi laws forbid the Skakdihai from electing one of their own. Therefore, should a Skakdihai wish to be elected to the position of Skakdihan, they would have to resign from their positions as Skakdihai before becoming eligible again.
The current Skakdihan is Zarorhk, a Skakdi of Earth. He became Skakdihan after the previous Skakdihan, Sharnahkk, fell from grace as a consequence of the First Galactic War.
Moon[]
Azzilat has a single moon, Asera, which is larger than Arcturus Magna in size and carries most of the Azzilati's industrial base. On Asera, Protodermis steel forgeries produce massive amounts of Protodermis steel for the usage in spacecraft and other military and industrial applications, and the Asera Shipyards are the official shipyards of the Azzilati space fleet.
Population[]
Most of the population of Azzilat are Skakdi migrants who came directly from Infina Magna during the great migration period. Many of them were warriors, and some of them were affiliated with the Combat Masters' League before the League ousted them due to their violating the code. Due to this, the Azzilati population is rather warlike. It is home to many species including many Toa, Matoran, Skakdi and Agori, though the vast majority of the population are Skakdi.
Trivia[]
- The Azzilati governmental structure was inspired partially by the Roman Empire.
- The planet's name was inspired by the Arabic language.