Ferrow

"That shame you feel when you think nobody's watching? Yeah, that's us."

- Glaas, Ferrow foreman

Ferrows are true demons that inhabit and protect the Netherlands' hells, which are informally called the “Netherworlds.” Because they are eth-daemons, Ferrows are not born of evil and instead share temperaments not unlike the average human being. They are responsible for discreetly monitoring living souls and assigning them to their Confidant, the Edaxus that would mentor them postmortem.
Due to their unique role in Netherworld society, some Ferrows are authorized to live in the Overworld among mortals. Though this position is coveted, less fortunate Ferrows are still unconditionally dedicated to their work and see their lives as worthy and necessary.

Anatomy

Standing on average 7’5” - 8'2” (2.2-2.5 m) and weighing between 200-275 lb (90.7-124.7 kg), Ferrows are towering, digitigrade, and heavyset humanoids with bodies containing little fat. Pure muscle accounts for approximately 65% of their total weight. Ferrows have sharp, pearl-white spines protruding from the dorsal side of their hands. These spines line their arms, beginning at the center of their hands and ending at their shoulders, where they fuse into the neck. At the base of these spines are muscles that allow the spines to lay flat or stand upright. Juvenile Ferrows are unable to control these muscles properly, resulting in them standing upright when the young Ferrow is stressed or excited.
Ferrows have dark reddish-brown skin that fades to black in the chest, stomach, and inner thigh regions. A Ferrow’s tail is typically 3’6” feet (1.1 m) in length and is made entirely out of dense muscle. Ferrow tails are tipped with spines similar to those on their arms. These spines fan out around the tail's tip like flower petals when the Ferrow's muscles contract and lay straight like arrowheads when they're relaxed. Due to the reactive nature of a Ferrow's spines, they serve as an additional means of communication and can allow for limited conversation when and if there is a language barrier.
As demons, Ferrows are entirely ageless. Many of the organs they have are a consequence of their parallels to humanity. A Ferrow's life cycle is similar to a human's, and they can reproduce sexually when necessary.

Among Mankind

Though Ferrows, like their Edaxii cousins, reside primarily in the Netherworlds, Ferrows known as “foremen” or “forewomen” live in the Overworld in the guise of a mortal. Each foreman is assigned a group of mortals to document their lives, sins, and virtues. These groups range from one soul to a dozen depending on the foreman's experience and the demand of the Netherworlds. When a foreman's mortal dies, that Foreman escorts the soul to the Netherworlds and assigns it to its Confidant. It is the foreman's responsibility to assign the soul to the most qualified Confidant to ensure the soul receives a just afterlife.
The older the soul, the more extensive and detailed their documents, which are known as 'Verii'. Because of the workload, only Ferrows that have lived for at least a century are eligible to serve as foremen.
The legitimacy of foremen have been questioned since the job's creation. Because Ferrows work so closely with mortals, Ferrows risk exposing the Netherworlds to them. This risk worsened post Divine Renaissance, when divinities created seers capable of glimpsing into the Netherworlds. This, coupled with allegations of bias among foremen, has led to a sizable portion of the Netherworlds not trusting the accuracy of court decisions. Regardless, foremen still exist and serve as an essential part of the Netherworlds Tribunal.

Society

Originally, Ferrows lived strict, rigid lives of hard and endless work. They served as the backbone of the Netherworlds and had dutifully tended to it over several centuries. Before the Netherworldian archdemons divided the Ferrows and Edaxii into separate sectors, Ferrows were responsible for handling every physically-demanding job in the Netherworlds. After this division, Ferrows were given much lighter workloads, to the chagrin of some. Years of this toil have resulted in perfectionism made all the worse by their natural temperaments. Ferrows take pride in the work they're given, and they see their mounting responsibilities as a sign of their reliability and strength.
Similarly, foremen see the lives of mortals as lighter reflections of their own. It is because of this, perhaps, that foremen take the sentencing of mortal souls more seriously than Edaxii, who are responsible for tending to souls after they've died. Foremen, for better or worse, are largely prevented from interfering with the lives of still-living mortals. The lives these mortals lead are cemented in the foremen's mind, and particularly evil souls may find themselves in a heavily one-sided trial. An Edaxii may claim each soul deserves a chance at redemption; a foremen may claim the soul squandered its chance before it died.

Origin/Ancestry

Eth-daemon

Average Height

7’5” - 8'2” (2.2-2.5 m)

Average Weight

200-275 lb (90.7-124.7 kg)

Rust and Wrath

"Nowhere is the phrase 'blind rage' more true than just underneath a Ferrow's skin, barely contained. When they glare at me, I feel pins and needles."

The name “Ferrow” is taken from the word “ferruginous,” meaning “rust-colored.” Though most demons (including Edaxii) have proper names, Ferrows do not, meaning the name “Ferrow” is both used by non-Ferrows and Ferrows themselves. This name was coined by a Conduit, a Muthellian mortal sworn to secrecy, and has been used by the Netherworlds' population ever since.
Ferrows are spirits of wrath and vengeance. They are impulsive, quick to anger, and slow to cool, leading to a lack of critical thinking when it's most necessary, and they hold grudges for generations. Much of this hatred is tied down by a stronger sense of duty, and Ferrows are generally mature enough to manage it. Foremen, living among humans, have their anger counterbalanced by mortals, but those living in the Netherworlds are not so fortunate. It is believed by some that the feud between Ferrows and Edaxii began with the killing of an Edaxii lawyer by a Ferrow foreman.