Baarham (Baar-hAhm)

Summary

Once an ignoble prey species that, like many others, were oppressed under the Imperium, the baarham have since becomes icons of terror, fear, and recklessness of ages long past. Uncountable years of suffering and hardship pushed the ancestors of the baarham to greater and greater lengths. This catalyzed in their ingrained thirst for power, collectively driving their entire species onto a path of domination for survival. No effort was spared, nor any consideration given to the contrary, on how to increase their magic further and further. The fall of the Imperium provided the opening they needed, as a whole, to rise up and take the now-vacant spotlight. Though ultimately falling short of the same global reach as the dragons, their impact is no less memorable for those who had the misfortune of falling under their rule. So their terrible Dominion took the stage. It is said there was nothing sacred, and nothing inviolable, to the baarham. Their experiments approached with a clinical dissection and gleeful abandon to everything they did. Much of it was profane and abominable, such as the breeding project that invariably created the chimaera. The other species, freed of the dragons but now faced with a different threat, waged bloody wars against the baarham again and again. It should be noted that even the dragons, despite their soreness of being supplanted, allied with some to fight back. Faced with such overwhelming opposition, and no end in sight to their heinous ways, the world itself seemingly expunged the baarham. In a long violent storm of wild magic, entire baarham cities were ripped out of the veltron and cast out. Others were annihilated outright, not even atoms remaining of their existences. Thus, for many, the tyranny of the baarham came to an end once and for all. Those who survived the storms landed in Apoptosis, or the Land of the Empty. Bewildered by their sudden upheaval, it is only thanks to the monumental efforts of their sorcerer king and his daughter that the baarham maintained any cohesion. Still, much of their people fell into anarchy and wild savagery, trying to survive in a world that was inherently dead to begin with. Centuries of hardship came and went, the baarham trying everything they could to survive and return back to Veltrona. In this time, they found the Oasis City, and the many Forsaken beings who dwelled in it. Allying themselves with a like-minded warlord, they finally had the resources needed open a one-time trip back into their world. Thus, the baarham returned, accompanied by a horde of monstrosities. They cut a bloody swathe across the lands, seeking vengeance and territory to reclaim as their own. This campaign ran into a screeching halt when they encountered, for the first time, the baatari. Flabbergasted, a kind of cultural revelation struck the baarham as a whole. Almost immediately, the baarham turned upon the Forsaken they brought with them, unleashing magical power so great even those not in the conflict felt the aftershocks. Within a scant few weeks, the Forsaken horde was broken, its warlord destroyed, and the baarham now very much surrounded by enemies on all sides. In this brief, but intense conflict, their king fell, leaving his sole daughter to inherit his position. Thanks to mistressful diplomacy on her part, truces and ceasefires were orchestrated across the board, and the baarham collectively secluded themselves onto Mount Skyreach. A proclamation was declared, simply stating that all the baatari people were under their protection, and the terrible baarham fell silent ever since. In the years that followed, a slow fracturing of the species has occurred, spreading out and out farther across the world. They nominally accompany the baatari, acting like guardians, though this role has fallen by the side somewhat. Small enclaves or towns are not unheard of, but they are highly secretive and uninvolved with the world around them. By far and large, the new queen domina has been successful in banishing the dark arts of the baarham. Vast vaults of arcane lore and magical items have been sealed in unreachable places, forever locking the fruits of their dreadful legacy away. New ideologies promoting temperance and balance have taken root, driving the baarham thirst for power into more constructive avenues. Though they still retain all their arrogance, the history of their actions is still very much in living memory through their elders. Thus, all baarham bow their heads in shame, even as some conspire to return their people to supremacy once again.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Bipedal humanoids with furred forearms and legs, cloven-hoof feet, and tall, enormous ridged horns growing out of their skulls. The horns may emerge anywhere from the temples to the crown, and are usually symmetrical–it's considered a disfigurement to have asymmetrical horns. Their hands are distinctly human-like. They're mildly sexually dimorphic, with the females possessing wider hips, enlarged breasts, horns that usually curve, and a sturdy, physically capable physique. The males normally have straight, or slightly bent, horns, and a slender and alluring physique. They both possess a short but wide tail jutting out of their tailbone, right above the buttocks. Their fur is fluffier for the females, and males tend to be sleek or 'short furred'. They are, on average, shorter than most humans (when their horns aren't accounted for). They're not dissimilar to the petrakin in that regard. Their colors tend to be among black, red, and dark browns. Their skin can be olive-to-brown. Their eye color is almost always a variant of red, pink, or orange. Their sclera is always black, and their pupils are sharply horizontal.

Biological Traits

Grand Magic – All baarham have vast innate potential for magic; their greatest encroach upon the ryujin in their talent. Distinguished Bloodlines – Specially groomed bloodlines exhibit much stronger vitality and longevity, with lives stretching into the centuries easily. There is a visible divide between 'noble' and 'commoner' bloodlines as a result. Terrible Fertility – Baarham struggle to conceive for a number of reasons, and so they pay a lot of attention to their efforts in doing so. Cold Adaptation – Baarham are from colder climates, and so have higher internal body temperatures. Their thermal regulation is actually quite good at this, particularly around their heads with their heat-radiating horns. While the keratin-growth of the horns have almost no tactile senses, the sensation of being grabbed or moved by them is still quite clear to a baarham. Given their many sensibilities, this is one of the ultimate expressions in their species, and the core of a number of taboos. It is a sign of absolute trust in a partner, or malicious, overwhelming domination, and almost no baarham would fault another for maiming/killing someone who grabbed their horns. The short stubby tail coming out of their butts is, like many other monsters, a strong erogenous point. Similar to the horns, grabbing the tail is a cultural taboo, though a far less offensive one as it does not trigger baarham prey-anxiety. Given the overall sensitivity of their hind quarters and legs, it is largely considered a perverted action and treated as such. Their cloven-hoofed feet have no real tactile senses; or at least, not any similar to humans. Due to the mechanism of how they walk, their legs are fairly powerful, but often stressed. This normally helps engender a subculture of massaging and frequent sitting/resting.

Genetics and Reproduction

Hybrids tend to inherit their father's colors, and can produce chaotic fur patterns in otherwise homogeneous fur. Their horns may also be generally smaller and wilder in nature, making them starkly distinct from other baarham.

Civilization and Culture

Relationship Ideals

Romance is a difficult topic for the baarham, as any notion of 'true love' is almost self-defeating in their mentality. Whether traditional or not, settling their paranoia about their partner(s) is their greatest trial, and often the root cause for many relationships falling apart. Quite a number of other species regard the overly controlling nature of the baarham as too problematic for long term cohabitation, adding even more friction to possibilities. A more unique problem arises among traditionalists. Given how highly valued bloodlines and clear genealogy is, the baarham do not let their offspring (or themselves) freely romance. They exercise a meticulous and particular approach to selecting ideal candidates, often preferring mating partners for suitable qualities to the bloodline than for love. In a sense, the administrative necessities of this behavior has influenced many of their social designs. In more recent times, with the death of King Ghown and the slow dissolution of the old baarham ways, their ideas of romance change as well. Tentatively welcomed by others, encouraged by their own to change, and inspired (somewhat) by the baatari, the baarham are collectively learning how to love more freely. It may yet be a long time for them to overcome their ingrained anxieties, but a number of guilds dedicated to fostering romance have taken on a helping role.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

At their core, the baarham are descendants of a prey species who suffered terribly, and exhibit a mentality befitting of something akin to a persecution complex. Although they do well to hide their fear, they are constantly vigilant to their surroundings, and extremely particular about their social mannerisms. This often manifests into an arrogant or confrontational attitude, as they constantly seek to control what is around them for their own perceived safety. Perhaps as extension of this fact, they all almost universally exhibit a craving for power–magical might, economic prosperity, assured loyalty of underlings, and so on. They are not inherently evil, but a lack of wider cultural teaching of restraint or decorum often makes them tyrannical. It can thus be imagined, a baarham that feels content or safe in a given time or place is quite rare and highly treasured. Though, those in great positions of power often develop paranoia about others conspiring against them. Baarham often keep to details, and prefer certainty over possibilities. A more certain world leads to less possible danger their hyper-active minds worry about, and so they greatly resent when others disturb this. This is probably the root cause of their vast and sprawling legal systems. Perhaps the most intricate and detailed of any in the world, its insane depth makes much more sense when it is viewed as a metaphorical 'security blanket' they cling to. Unless otherwise raised in different cultures, it is thus easy to expect an arrogant or demanding baarham. While they adhere to social manners with some particular care, it is more to serve their own ends than to uphold virtues or ideologies.