Tieflings
Tieflings are humans that are born deformed due to abyssal influences exposures, tieflings in the empire were extremely rare before the demonic wars almost unheard of, after the demonic wars tieflings are now not common but still make up a sizeable part of the Empire population, roughly 0.5%, this percentage is a rough estimation across all of Ishar and is not indicative of regions that were strongly exposed to abyssal energy.
Most Tieflings are born in the Kingdom of Aurum and the South of the Merovingian kingdom, this region experienced larger quantities of stronger abyssal portals, it is also said that children born of soldiers that guard the horns of the abyss, the largest abyssal gate during the war and the only one still standing although inactive, have a high chance of siring tieflings.
Due to the low chances of these deformities, most tieflings are born in cities that have a large population purely out of statistical probability, but the commoners being ignorant believe that the fresh air of the countryside prevents tiefelings from being born.
First-generation tieflings are not much different from normal humans, some have jagged teeth, skin that is reddish, purplish, or blueish, but not to an absurd degree, and almost all have small horns. Their hair is humanlike with a hint of vibrant color of any variety, first-generation tieflings' eye color usually is not different from humans but some have more reddish or blueish eyes.
Second-generation tieflings have more pronounced differences, almost all have jagged teeth, skin that is visibly reddish, purplish, or blueish, and all have medium to long horns, some also have tails a feature that is almost not nonexistent in those of first-generation. A second generation tiefling hairs can be either jet black or pure white and some have brightly colored hairs, their eyes can be any color but the pupil is almost always humanlike.
Third-generation tieflings and over appear almost cartoonishly demonic, almost all have teeth that resemble ones of sharks, and skin that is vibrant red, purple, or blue. All have long extravagant horns, also all have long tails and a very rare minority has bat-like wings. This kind of tiefling features hairs that are brightly neon-colored, and eyes that can have any shape or color of pupil, iris, and cornea.
The stature and physique of a tiefling is dependent on its parents and is no different from that of a regular human.
The natural average lifespan for a tiefling is similar to humans and is about 70 years in the Empire of The White Flame, unfortunately, a lot of tieflings are killed at birth and for those living in the cities Ghettoes tend to die younger of unnatural causes.
Tieflings compared to humans have a minor talent for the arcane arts, almost all tieflings can cast a simple spell and some are either born with magic sight or develop it later in life, living in the Empire of the White Flame means that anyone with a talent for the arcane best keeps it a secret before the inquisition comes knocking at their door with dimerithium shackles, this being said the inquisition can't burn at the stake everyone that can light a pipe with his finger or there'll be no more people in the empire so minor arcane tricks are tolerated if used sparingly.
Naming Traditions
Unisex names
Traditionally tieflings raised by the Church of the White Flame are given virtue names such as:
- Faith
- Destiny
- Grace
- Verity
- Amity
- Charity
- Constance
- Hope
- Mercy
- Harmony
- Joy
- Favor
- Justice
- Noble
- Prudence
- Chastity
- Felicity
- Glory
- Patience
- Royal
- Sage
- Honesty
- Victory
- Guidance
- Purity
- Light
- Sky
- Courage
- Stenght
- Envy
- Vanity
- Avarice
- Cupidity
- Hysteria
- Indolence
- Malice
- Enmity
- Ire
- Perfidy
- Wrath
- Lust
- Luxuria
- Hedony
- Bellicose
- Greed
- Sloth
- Gluttony
- Jealousy
- Lie
- Corruption
- Darkness
- Shadow
- Abyss
- Weakness
- Feeble
Family names
In the Empire, commoners have no family names and simply use the place of birth with the prefix "of" or "from", children raised by the church take the name of the church they were taken in at or the order in which they were raised.
Nobles have long-lasting family names.
Culture
Culture and cultural heritage
Tieflings born of humans are usually abandoned at a church, a tiefling ghetto, or anywhere in general, some unlucky tiefling children are outright killed for the grievous sin of being born. This is cause for resentment from tiefling to the human population.
Most of the tiefling population is split into two groups those who were raised by the church and those who grew up in a ghetto.
Tieflings raised by the church
The church of the white flame, intolerant as it may be, knows that corruption of the body does not mean corruption of the soul, in fact, the Goddess teaches that we are our soul and our body is just a mortal vessel, they see tiefling as an ostracized population which merits compassion and is vulnerable and perfect to indoctrinate into the churches dogma. Any child raised by the church, tieflings included, are raised to become priests of the church, some may become missionaries sent to far locations to foster the cult of the White Flame, and the more zealous may become inquisitors. Tiefling children in the church are given virtue names as soon as they are adopted into the church meaning their name does not necessarily reflect their characters. Tiefling in the church swear an oath to not sire any children, although the church is compassionate towards tiefling it still sees their pecurialities as a curse and something that should not be handed down to newer generations. Like all members of the church tieflings raised by the church speak celestial.Tieflings raised in ghettos
Tieflings born of tieflings and unlucky tieflings born of humans usually end up in ghettos in the cities, these ghettos are not always entirely made of tieflings, some other unfavorable races in the empire may live here such as half-elves, also extremely poor individuals from the more excepted races might end up here. The ghettos are inhumane places that resemble prisons more than city blocks, most are walled off, and those that aren't have guard checkpoints on the entrances and exits. Tieflings are not prisoners in these ghettos, they can leave, by passing through a checkpoint meant to catch wanted criminals and contraband, most dangerous items and some items that could be used to create dangerous items are usually illegal in these ghettoes, every city has it's list of banned items but most include, liquid amber, fertilizer, flammable liquids, (including those with a high percentage of alcohol) gunpowder, guns, crossbows, ammunition of any kind weapons of war and items to make such weapons such as steel and sometimes anvils. These restrictions created a lucrative opportunity for smugglers and subsequently a rise in criminal activity, some ghettos are entirely controlled by a singular crime boss some are divided by crime families that engage each other in war. Guards usually only patrol the perimeter of these ghettos making sure that the criminality stays inside, if the guard enters a ghetto is for an important reason and with overwhelming force, meaning it is a coordinated operation that needs planning to execute. Tieflings living in the ghettos decided on the peculiar naming tradition of vice names, partly to mock tieflings in the church that they see as sanctimonious pricks and partly because if the humans think that they are demonic might as well play the part. Tieflings living in the ghettos form a very isolated community weary of outsiders, and the necessity to communicate with one another without outsiders listening means that a shared unique language was needed abyssal was chosen, since nobody in the Empire speaks it and is also a sarcastic way to mock the Church. Tieflings' abyssal is a very different dialect from the scholarly one taught in the academy of the free cities and both are almost unrelated to any of the many dialects spoken by actual demons in the abyss, a tiefling might be able to read and comprehend simple demonic scripts but it can not have a conversation with a demon in its mother tongue.
Related Organizations
