Infernals
| Infernals | |
|---|---|
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| Race | |
| Pronunciation | In-fur-nulls |
| Population | 15,000 - 20,000 |
| Common Nicknames | Devils, Imps, Demonspawn |
| Naming Customs | Demonic inflections; common use of Z, K, L, B, A, V in starting, often ending in ‘el’, ‘aes’, ‘ael’, ‘us’ & ‘al’ as a reference |
| Traits | |
| Magic Potential | Yes |
| Min/Max Age | Immortal, Max age is 200 |
| Min/Max Height | 5'8 - 6'7 |
| Eye Colors | Glowing eyes of all colors |
| Hair Colors | All hair colors are possible for this race. |
| Skin Tones | All skin colors are possible for this race. |
| Half-Breed | None |
| Artist Credit | Rion |
Infernals are a hellish race shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Resembling demons, their lives are dedicated to the pursuit of glory to mark their place in the world. Their creation means they have no concept of a traditional family but are fond of blood sports, fights, and competitions, which is where their closest bonds are formed. Otherwise, their outlook on life and interpretation of the Infernal code largely comes from the “Qalnn”, or fraternity, that they were raised in. Their unique culture and appearance sets them apart from the other races, though they actually prefer spending time with them compared to socializing with other Infernals. They tend to stand out from the crowd and may oppose authority figures if it can gain them a reputation. Infernals believe in the importance of defining their own path in life whilst living each day to the fullest.
Origins
The birthplace of all Infernals is a little island off the coast of the X Isles known as Tanrytiq. Before the age of scholars, a weapon utilizing a great amount of Potentia was deployed on the island amidst a skirmish between the natives and an invading force, killing nearly all life from coast to coast. Once the dust settled and the soldiers’ blood had seeped into the scorched soil, full-grown Infernals clawed their way through the dirt and so were born. Scholars speculate that the blood of a fallen soldier in an area of great Potentia is the perfect recipe for Infernals. Scientists have attempted to prove this hypothesis through experiments both in Ironhurst and Potentia, but to no avail.
Physical Appearance
Infernals are varied in appearance, ranging from vaguely human-looking to a tailed demonic beast with glowing eyes and ram horns. Their smooth, dolphin-like skin carry the most varied palette of skin tones across Pennotia from humanesque shades to any wedge on the colour wheel. While it’s evident that most Infernals are entirely unique in appearance, one consistency remains across all Infernals, which is their horns. They only seem to come in certain shapes, these being; gazelle horns, bull horns, buffalo horns, antelope horns, and the most common of all, ram horns. Infernals also have a wide variety of tails; sometimes, one, two or none at all, though they are usually spaded.
The tallest of Infernals stand at a towering 6'7, while the shortest caps at 5’8, making them one of the tallest races in all of Pannotia. Their builds tend to be athletic and mostly proportionate to humans, though often lankier in comparison. Infernals are one of few races to possess sequential hermaphroditism, a unique trait to their species that allows them to change their sex and gender presentation at will through Potentia. The painless process can be performed in an instant and has no limit to its capabilities.
Mentality and Creed
Infernals are few and far between, meaning a general synopsis of the race’s mentality has been hard for scholars to truly encapsulate until recent years. While little is known about them, Infernals are notoriously glory-driven and much of their lives are spent seeking renown by any means necessary. Their life philosophy is to leave a mark on the world in the name of their race and make memories with those they hold dear so they can live on through legend and storytelling once their time is up. Cowardice in any form is repugnant to them as it contradicts their cause so they often find themselves aligned with ambitious leaders and warriors, ever seeking their next opportunity to make a name for themselves. This, however, is subject to change. As always, blind ambition feeds the Infernals’ innate need for glory so in the case that they find a figure they are following lacking in ability or can no longer provide a service, they are prone to betrayal. In addition, Infernals reject authority at every turn so when they are presented with an opportunity to ridicule someone to be in a ‘false position of power’, they have no qualms with following through unless it directly impacts their goal.
It is worth noting that Infernals, while broadly known for their proficiency in war and combat-related pursuits, do not always follow this path. Renown can be achieved through many walks of life and while one might earn chiding comments for choosing differently, all Infernals respect a remarkable life and if that is found through an alternate course, their judgement takes a backseat to admiring their achievements. For example, an Infernal shepherd rearing prized sheep would be considered a valued Infernal, as they’ve made a significant achievement in their field. On the other hand, an Infernal soldier who cleans latrines for the duration of their deployment and shies away from combat, would be shameful.
Religion
Infernals are broadly agnostic and deem all known deities insufficient to their cause as their specific goal of honor and glory “for the Infernal, by the Infernal” isn’t explicitly stated in any known religious scriptures. However, this is not to say an Infernal can’t be religious or believe in a religion as many conform to their core beliefs, though not without severe judgment and skepticism from their peers. Infernals adhering to organized religion are seen as weak and subservient to ‘the man’, which could be any given authority under the sun, and are often rejected by their peers for choosing to live in the shadow of their oppressors when Infernals were born to stand out from the crowd. These traitors are commonly referred to as ‘Bvahk’ which is a derogatory term used within their community borderlining a slur and if used, is usually the line crossed for a duel to the death. Notably, the afterlife is a foreign concept to Infernals as they believe the life they were given is the one life they have and so they should live it to the fullest. Regardless of religious following or lack thereof, Infernals instinctually believe that the afterlife is non-existent with no outliers. Some theorize it to stem from an ancient survival instinct dating way back before recorded history and others attribute it to the beginning of their life cycle, how the blood of a fallen soldier symbolizes paying their bodies as tribute to death and perhaps, the end of existence.
However, Infernals are deeply spiritual. For what they lack in religious piety, they make up for in a devotion to the people around them, the people they want to be and all they can see, hear, and touch. While they might not have the closest association to nature among all races known in Pannotia, they have a deep well of respect for the circle of life and treat the passing seasons not as one lost, but another gained. This profound and often, morbid, connection to the fragile weave of life further outlines their inner strength built out from an unbiased perspective of nature’s course, and how they smile in the face of death simply because it’s their time, and not because some false god has willed it so.
Culture
Infernal culture, by most civilizations, would hardly be considered a culture at all. The majority of their shared traditions include bloodsport, chest-puffing and even at times, mild torture but to them, it is sacred. Many would think their self-imposed cruelty stems from their fabled demonic ancestry but actually, it happens to be much more simple than that. As Infernals are born from the blood of a slain warrior, they have no parents, no siblings, no blood relatives and so, the concept of family is entirely alien to them. This doesn’t mean they cannot form family-like relationships but on the island of Tanrytiq where nearly all Infernal are born, they have no experience of what it must be to have a blood related family nor the capacity to understand it initially. The only thing that compares is their ‘Qalnn’ which is a co-ed fraternity that raises Infernals from ‘birth’ with their own teachings and rendition of the Infernal code. Each ‘Qalnn’ has a unique name in the Infernal tongue and competes with the other houses at social events for prestige. Funnily enough, most ‘Qalnn’ mascots are some rendition of a devil, making it difficult to distinguish them from each other for any non-Infernal. However, to these hellish fiends, the differences are clear as day.
One of their favored traditions is called the ‘Taer’ which is for all intents and purposes, a fiery bloodbath. Essentially, a spiral is drawn in the dirt with a special paint made of Tanrytiq ash and set alight. Slowly but surely, the fire starts to spiral inwards towards the opponents, taking about five minutes to reach the centre. The goal is to force your opponent to concede or kill them and if it can’t be done, both opponents are burned alive in the process. The ‘Taer’ is not combat exclusive, opponents can choose any skill or game they’re both proficient in to set the match, all that matters is if it's entertaining to watch. In cases where neither contenders have a shared skill, knife fights become the default. Obviously, winners get bragging rights and while losing can bruise one’s ego, it is far more shameful to let it come to a tie. Losing means nothing if there is no Infernal left standing, resemblant of their code. The ‘Taer’ is often used to settle arguments or square scores with one another as it is understood that the better Infernal will win.
Fashion
Infernals are androgynous in nature and are often found flipping between genders or even subscribing to none. Naturally, their fashion sense follows a similar trend where Infernals will dress to hide gender defining features to achieve an androgynous silhouette. As Infernals are generally non-conforming, they believe gender roles are pointless and advocate for equality through their dress. That being said, they do not judge those who prefer to dress themselves as particularly masculine or particularly feminine as an objection to gender norms means all can dress as they like, no questions asked.
That being said, Infernals have a distinct style that can only be described as freer, choosing freedom of mobility over anything else. For base attire, breathable fabrics such as cotton and silk are preferred. Leather trench coats and wool shawls are also favored, often embellished with shiny medals or pins as a mark of their success or metaphorical wealth. Big boots are a staple for Infernals, typically made of leather or suede so their heavy footsteps can announce their arrival before they even speak.
Wandering Infernals have curated a new form of dress in recent times, created by consuming foreign influences abroad. It’s fruitless to add descriptors to this sense of style, because it is dependent on the wanderer and what found cultures they’ve decided to adapt, so the limits are endless.
Cuisine
Infernal food, to put it simply, is quite unpleasant. So much so that the Infernals don’t have a distinct food culture and instead befriend or persuade members of other races to cook for them. Some of their favorites are Dwarven foods, Human foods and particularly, Ferox foods.
The gruel they sustain themselves on outside of pandering others for meals depend on their location. In Tanrytiq, the locals rely upon mutated creatures and plants for food, though their gross Potentia-ridden nature often strip much flavour, making the matter bland and tasteless, par from the vague tinge of charcoal. Elsewhere, since there is no established cultural cuisine other than roughing it, Infernals experiment with naturally occurring fauna and flora and make their own recipes over time though very few are shared culture-wide.
Despite their odd lack of prowess in cuisine, the Infernals do have one significant dish though few would refer to it as an actual food and moreso a challenge. Infernals have an increased tolerance to spice and once that became known, they began challenging each other out of ego by creating the spiciest dish known to Pannotia and subjecting each other to the torture of eating as much as they possibly could stomach. This dish is named ‘Aaeaen’ which loosely translates to a curse word in the Infernal tongue, referring to how unbelievably intolerable this meal is. Competitive eaters who engage in this tradition routinely often wind up losing their sense of taste after prolonged use.
Arts
Infernals have six color cones in their eyes meaning they can see double the color spectrum perceived by the human eye. This makes no difference to their everyday life as this is normal to them though it does leave other races awfully confused when confronted with Infernal art. Seeing as half of their color perception is beyond human (and most other race’s) capabilities, theirs appears either incredibly dark or incredibly light as the extra color cones are required to see the hidden shades within black and white.
Even if it is difficult to interpret their art visually, it is popular for the subject matter to include depictions of existentialism and topics close to heart. Infernals don’t often voice their fear of the unknown, despite sharing an all encompassing belief of no afterlife and while it is commonplace for Infernals to tease one another for such omissions, artistic expression in all forms is immune to such judgement. Art, to them, is not a superficial demonstration of skill or a product made simply to be critiqued, it is an absolute expression of the self that reaches beyond common reservations of propriety, and in essence, acts as a projection of one’s soul. Critics aren’t welcome so far as art is concerned, but it is rare they will inform strangers of this interpretation as it is quietly shared among their own kin.
Painting is most common among Infernal artists, but utilizing different mediums is equally appreciated. One founded by the Infernals is scorchpainting, a practice defined by the use of kinetic, flammable paint. The same kinetic ash used in ‘Taer’ is mixed into clay paint so it becomes a paste and is painted in layers to create a 3D effect. Once set alight, the saturation of soot to paint scorches the material deeper and adds variance in colour, texture and tone. The paint itself doesn’t create a flame, it only scorches the imprint into it’s canvas whether that is stone, paper, hide or even, sometimes, skin. The purpose is to leave a permanent effect, so it can never be washed away or ruined, scorched into the face of the surface forever.
Commerce
Infernals have a weird relationship with money. While they understand the necessity, most see it as a barrier to their goals and consider it something of a nuisance. Between themselves and willing parties, they resolve to trade and manual labor, a skill they accredit value beyond currency. That being said, most civilizations, even Von’tel in Tanrytiq, rely on money because the universal chain of economic exchange reaches farther than their own reservations, and really, simplifies the matter of building their own system from the ground up. This suffices, because Infernals do not like math.
Though, Infernals will show a preference for bartering outside of traditional compensation. Many become tradesmen or independent workers in hopes of finding like-minded folks who will trade a roof over their heads for labor so they might escape the vicious cycle. Their distaste likely stems from a long tenured history of pirates raiding their coastlines, laying waste to their people’s lives in the pursuit of coin, which was perceived as a disgraceful act considering they had never been confronted with the cold grip standard capitalism has on it’s subjects before. Being in debt to someone also compounds this fear, as it is contradictory to their endless drive for agency.
Notable Infernal anomalies
Von’tel - Von’tel is a lawless pirate state tucked away on the isle of Tanrytiq known for its debaucherous and bloody company, heavily populated by pirates, criminals and of course, Infernals. Scholars theorize an ancient weapon that utilized a great amount of Potentia was deployed on the island and imploded, killing most of the inhabiting soldiers and as a result, creating thousands upon thousands of Infernals from the blood left in their wake. The surviving humans and Infernals built the island up and established it as a port for wandering sailors and Infernal alike. It is considered the only known hub for Infernal across Pannotia as Infernals themselves usually dislike civilization and prefer a nomadic lifestyle, apart from this anomaly.
Trivia
- Infernals are never known to shy away from a battle and often become cocky in the face of danger. As a result, the race has become infamous for instigating tavern brawls and will often be turned away from high class establishments due to their belligerent nature.
- Infernals have a secondary voice box. When they speak, it mimics the sound of their primary voice box and lowers it by an octave, creating a raspy, demonic trill that sounds more bestial than human. They use this secondary voice box to speak their native tongue which can’t be mimicked or understood by anyone but Infernals.
- Infernals bond with their party members through teasing, though they’re not so fond of being on the receiving end themselves. This is in part why Infernals are considered ‘solitary’ creatures. While they enjoy socializing and are considered quite extroverted, they actually find each other intolerable, which is why you will only find one Infernal in any given social circle outside of Qallns based in Tanrytiq.
- Infernals have an innate hatred for domestic cats and vice versa. This phenomenon has been mulled over by scholars for decades to no avail. Within their presence, a cat will hiss at an Infernal and to the amusement of those around them, the Infernal will hiss back.
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