Hello! I'm a huge fan of your art and your protoss headcanons, and I was wondering whether you have a map of Aiur during the Aeon of Strife? Like where did each tribe lived?
En Taro Adun, brave son of Aiur! That is a very unexpected question - thruly not many out there care for these so I eventually stopped posting much protoss content BUT actually I do have a map of Aeon of Strife Aiur! I must say it is an old one, based on even older one, where my older fandom fellows extrapolated the shorelines of Aiur from poor screenshots from 1998 ingame cinematics, so it may not correlate with new canon images at all. Here is the basic map after I processed it by drawing some depths and mountains - putting it here so the tribal borders may look more understandable due to their natural habitat borders. No toponimics included, but I sure do have a number of fancy names for oceans and mountains, just never had a chance to introduce.
Here is the map of tribes as I settled them after lots of discussions with @intaier and writing some fiction that many times involved geographic specifications of each tribe. These include as well Kanimai (black) and Sheddar (teal). I will give some brief information on each tribes position in the conflict. Shelak the knowledge keepers are blessed by Xel Naga tech to isolate themselves from all conflicting tribe. A great wall of weapons defends them on the south, high mountain on the north-east, ocean on the west. They don't share their techs and legacy of Xel-Naga with others, staying loyal to their gods and teachers, and merely wait until the conflict ends. Akilae tribe dwells in broad but relatively warm northern regions and are in constant conflict with neighbouring tribes Auriga, Sargas and Velari. As the ones who first discovered the truth about gods, they believe they were blessed by truth and avoid any alliances with those who "never guessed". Auriga as a tribe of noble sailors keeps their hands strong on the volcanic islands and inner shores of Gizar ocean. They are in constant war with Sargas and Akilae, but eventually closer to the end of Aeon of Strife the will unite their forces against Ara and Velari. Their ongoing efforts on the seas eventually conquered them part of the Oshekh sea shore, which was historically held by Ara only. Sargas Empire expands through wide and unfriendly mountain grounds which passed through many natural cataclysms, which forged this tribe as one of the most independent among Protoss, which was the reason they were the last to bend under expanding unity of Khala, and it was brought to their ground with another massive conflict. In fact, many of Sargas willingly cut their nerve-cords even back then to resist annexion, but it didn't help. Venatir and Sheddar tribes live in the almost coldest regions of Aiur, preferring cold to be their natural protection - in my headcanons although Protoss are warmblooded, they can't really stand temperatures too low, especially the ones who always inhabitated warm regions like Ara. While Venatir shamans went up to the mountains, hunting and mindcontrolling animals, Sheddar chose cold swamps, where they sewed clothes and crafted medicines from local unique plants. Both tribes were isolated from the major conflict most of the time, until Auriga ships brought Sargas warriors to the Oshekh shores, and these decided to make a maneuvre through the mountain grounds - something that won't scare off a true Sargas. That resulted in alliance, which provided Auriga and Sargas warriors with powerful mental support from Venatir shamans, which could stand Ara mind-control techniques most effectively. Sheddar medicine was also very handy. Ara tribe occupied the most warm tropical region of Aiur. They consider it a gift of gods and hence proclaim themselves the most worthy Protoss, legit to rule all the others. Their rituals and mind-control techniques make it quite possible for them. Being physically fragile, they can successfully manipulate huge armies, even into destroying themselves as they did many times with Auriga invaders. Furinax tribe dwells in colder lower shore grounds. They are peaceful tribe, willingly submissive to Ara, providing them with materials and workers in exchange to protection of their shores. Their part of Gizar is full of colder streams, so in fact this protection is rarely needed - Auriga are attracted almost solely to warm Ara grounds. Velari tribe, dwelling in subtropical half-deserted area accepts Ara dominance and exists in submissive alliance. While they are genetically close, it sometimes occur that Ara take the most mentally powerful Velari in, and descends mentally weaker but physically stronger Ara into ruling positions among Velari. That, along with Furinax submissive position, results in forging stronger bonds between tribes, and after Khala comes this brings the base of Protoss caste system. Also it resulted into high amount of high templars among them in future. Kanimai, as well as Venatir and Sheddar, preferred to
stay away from the conflict. But unlike them they weren't always a tribe - more likely they are refugees from the Ara submissive territories, which preferred independent existance. Not that Ara oppressed them much - but being their allies meant being part of the conflict. They existed separately, and after Khala they became that one tribe which could give birth to Protoss of any caste with equal probability.
This all is a very brief and fragmented retelling of bigger picture, and I hope it's not conflicting within itself. Aiur history keeps living and developing in my mind always and I really hope I will manage one day to finish all the unwritten stories of Aeon of Strife I once started. As a treat here's one of my recent sketches on topic - young Ara cultists trying to confuse the mind of Auriga invaders but failing because a Venatir shaman is on their way, fully resistant to their influence.
