A starter for the Aun backstory

I had some free time at work, and did not currently have any real updates for my Warpath army list I have been working on. I have went on to update the list with new names, so also figured I might as well give them a new backstory. Of course this is a very rough draft, as once again i am doing this on my break, and have not done any great amount of spell checking or anything. In the end, it does give a basic idea of who the Aun are.

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The Selvarius Sector has been one of shadows and bogeymen for most of the races of the galaxy. The three suns that lay within the Selvarius Sector are blacken and dead orbs, their fires burned out long ago, but their gravity remaining strong continually pulling in more space refuse from light years away. The many planets of the sector are always in constant change of alignment as they shift between the three suns gravity wells. It is a sector of space that knows no light and no peace, yet in the darkness creatures not seen elsewhere in the galaxy stalk their prey.

Many explorers of the galaxy have tried to delve into the still mysterious Selvarius Sector, most do not return while those that do return are forever changed mentally or physically. Ships are destroyed easily as they get caught between sudden asteroid belts that were not detected just minutes earlier. The ships that manage to survive the dangerous trip through find themselves on barren wastelands, void of water or substance on the surface, but there is still life; a life always searching for an easy meal in the darkness.

What most of the early explorer’s did not see however were the busy cities that formed under the surface of many of the planets. Insectoid creatures evolved from the darkness, and the self proclaimed rulers of the Selvarius Sector. These creatures stand a head shorter then the average human, with slender bodies of natural chitin armor. The creatures have come to call themselves the Aun, a simple vocalization in which both the Insectoids and other races can pronounce.

The first engagement against the Aun was one of misunderstanding and fear from both sides of the battle. A large force of Marauders had landed on one of the barren planets of the Selvarius Sector through luck and stubbornness. Their intent was unknown, but some guess they came to try and mine those planets that others refused to touch. The mining operation drilled fast and hard into the crust, until 50 meters deep they broke through to a large cavernous space underground. Within minutes a skittering sound could be heard coming up the hole, like many clawed hands lightly tapping their way up the drilling shaft. The invasion force fell back as an equally large force of Aun poured through the opening to the top of the planet. The two forces looked at each other in a long and uncomfortable silence before the first shot rang out striking one of the smaller soldier Aun dead.

The Aun immediately took up defensive positions and began firing back with before unseen bio-plasma weaponry. Any target the strange plasma hit burned with acidic fury, eating through flesh and metals alike. The Marauding forces were forced back towards their ship, slowly being shot down by the seemingly well trained Aun soldiers. The Captain of the invasion force watched the Aun move and sways almost in unison and assumed the insectoids were run by some larger hive mind creature guiding the battle. Quickly he glanced over the battlefield and saw a larger Aun near the center of the force chittering orders to his soldiers. It only took one shot, and single shot through the chest to bring the large Aun down to the ground in a pile of gore. The Aun did not however slow their assault, each unit working just as fluidly as they were before the death of their leader. It wasn’t until much later was it found that the Aun were a self-intellectual race of beings, each fully capable of making choices without the guidance of a leader mind. Only few members of the invading forces managed to escape the wrath of the Aun and tell the horror story of the human sized insect warriors of the Selvarius Sector.

Over time the other races of the galaxy came to the Selvarius Sector in hopes of diplomatic relations with the Aun. Some were more successful then others, but the Aun in general did not seem interested in the galaxy outside their dark sector of space. This attitude changed in the last hundred years, where raiding parties of Aun have been seen far from their homelands regularly. It is currently unknown what has driven the Aun into the aggressive stance they have taken. The battles have never appeared to be about expanding their kingdom though, as the Aun never stay on a planet or outpost in which they have taken, leaving it to once again, be repopulated by the other races of the galaxy.

All races have encountered the Aun in battle, many finding the technology of the Aun to be both amazing and deadly. Aun leaders and elites typically take to the field in specialized forms of bio-armor the Forgefather’s have come to term Dragonflys, Hornets, and Botflys. Even the basic Aun trooper has a lighter form of bio-armor, fully integrated with numerous targeting matrixes and communication devices.

While the bio-armor of the Aun is impressive, the ranged weaponry that the Aun uses regularly can cause most enemies to quake in fear. The missile pod weapons found on the vehicles and larger bio-armors have a delay detonation, allowing them to burrow deep within their target before detonating, thus giving the Botfly bio-armor it’s name. Even the basic rifle is an acidic bio-plasma that eats through protective armor and the flesh underneath.

The Aun are not without weakness however, as they are slow in melee and easy to strike down. If an enemy force can survive the ranged barrage of the Aun and get into combat, the Aun typically find them falling in great numbers. At range the Aun are typically protected by buzzing mechanized drones that hover around the unit and intercept enemy ranged weapons.

The Aun are usually lead to battle by a Spirit Guide, an Aun gifted with strong psychic presence. While the Spirit Guides do not favor direct combat, they are not above assisting their brethren in battle, and are the typical Aun to oversee any diplomatic negotiations. Elite Aun called Hive Captains can also be seen leading Aun forces to battle occasionally. These elite Aun warriors wear modified Dragonfly class bio-armor capable of using additional bio-plasma weapon system.

There is still a lot to learn about the Aun, but one thing is for sure. The Aun are no longer stories children are told about around campfires, and they are a very real threat.