Beings infused with boiling infernal blood.
Alignment: Infernal
Lifespan: 10-20 years after infusion for constructed, 40-50 years for baleborn
Diet: Carnivorous
Habitat: Anywhere mortals dwell
Socioeconomic Status: Privileged oppressed or ruling class colonizers
The baleful appear to be distorted, hypermuscular versions of their former selves. Tzukans, the largest nation of baleful, originated as humans experimenting with baleblood from infernal boars, and most of them have developed into a nation of larger than average humans with massive muscles, tusks, and bleeding eyes. They have clawed hands and feet and no hair except small patches in odd places on their bodies. Typically, about half of all Tzukans have this general appearance, while the rest are more muscular, tusked, clawed, bleeding-eyed versions of other species.
All baleful have the same blood. When their it spills, it comes out as liquid fire.
Even the tiniest bit of anger causes the baleful to fly into uncontrollable rage. During this rage, their physical stats (PRO, ATH, STR) increase by one point per round, and their other stats (AWA, WIL, PRS, STH) reduce by one point per round. If their STR exceeds mortal limits (42), they explode. If their other stats hit -1, they explode. During their rage, though their AWA drops, their reaction and perception remain the same if they are tied to AWA.
All baleful can consume most meat and blood without worry for disease or toxicity.
There are three ways to alleviate the power of baleblood once infused with it: burning out, emotionally rejecting it, or supernaturally fighting it. The former happens rarely, as most who get to that point burn to death or explode. The second method is done through deep psychological efforts, usually involving complete submission to peacefulness, emptiness, contentment via meditative arts, or through loving care and total acceptance and compassion. These emotional methods require decades of intensive therapeutic efforts or communal care.
Supernatural methods of fighting baleblood infusion usually involve celestial energies or nommic energies.
The first nation of the baleful is the Tzukan, who were the earliest to survive. They are ruled by the Eternal Bale-King the Tzukazi Horng Toecutter, Resurrected in Fire, and his vast armies. Other nations that embraced baleblood culturally were wiped out by the Tzukan or others who feared them. However, from the Tzukan, three other nations formed - the Dalgryam, a nation of refugees who rejected the baleblood, but retain some remnant of it; the Prajgrkam, a nation of slaves who have lower levels of baleblood and are owned by the Tzukan; and the Xyrnyrak, a nation of survivors whose baleblood has burned out but not killed them, leaving them empty vessels.
Mostly they dwell far in the east, but those who come to the colonies usually come as Tzukan colonizers with a retinue of Prajgrkam slaves. Some Xynryrak or Dalgryam come to seek refuge. They are all proud of their heritage and warrior culture.
PRO 11 ATH 10 STR 14 AWA 8 WIL 7 PRS 7 STH 8
Those descended of The Pit.
Alignment: Infernal
Lifespan: 200 years
Diet: Fuliginized fare
Habitat: Fuliginized landscapes
Socioeconomic Status: Ruling class colonizers
Fuliginites appear to be amalgamations of many different species from the current era of Shem. Any given fuliginite will have features of any spirit folk, humans and metahumans, insinsi, elementals, illittum, and adelfoi. Each individual will have no more than seven and no less than five features of different species, and their progeny will not necessarily match them.
Fuliginites are mortals who have been infused with fuligin, a metallic sand found near The Pit, a massive hole in the world where Divinities go to die. Fuligin is created by the rejection of all that is good and decent, and it causes mortals to be drained of their entire being, and as they collapse, they fused with other beings, forming unexpected amalgamations. Those born to them are amalgamations of their parents.
A fuliginite will have no more than five and no less than three powers from random species. Their powers do not necessarily match the beings they resemble unless said powers are derived from physical features they have as part of their resemblance. For instance, a fuliginite who appears to be part-centaur, part-nymph, part-brannish, part-avian animal folk, part-athak might have a nymph's beauty, psionic powers from a psionist, and water-breathing like a merfolk, and they can fly because they have the wings of an avian. The powers they have will all be fuligin-tainted, however, meaning that any interactions their powers have with faith, spirits, or Divines will harm the faith/faithful, spirits, or the Divine.
Upon birth, a fuliginite is almost always rejected by their parents. This act allows the infernal energies to fill them. If this act does not occur, the child will grow up to be one of its component species. This is extremely rare. Upon being filled with fuligin, the child will rapidly grow in strength until it can survive on its own.
Fuliginites have a variety of immunities not necessarily correlated to any being they resemble. Each fuliginite will have an immunity for one to three different esoteric energies.
There are two fuliginite nations:
Harkanians: fuliginites of a brutal theocratic kingdom.
Xorcrans: nomads of the Fuligin Field.
The largest nation among the fuliginites is the Harkanians.
Harkanians live in a brutal monarchist culture. Their God-Emperor rules with a fuligin fist, demanding tribute and taxes monthly from his vassals. The God-Emperor's vassals are kings, dukes, earls, barons, and the landed gentry. Each pays tribute up the chain, with the God-Emperor taking the largest cut from the collected wealth. The main underclass are the serfs, who are not free to move from fiefdom to fiefdom, unlike peasants, of which there are none. The other workers and servants are all slaves, who can be bought and sold, unlike serfs. The only way a serf or slave can get out of enslavement is by joining the military or being chosen for the priesthood.
The Xorcrans are nomadic fuliginites in the Fuligin Field, the vast desert around The Pit.
Xorcrans live in nomadic tribes that wander the Fuligin Field. Each tribe is ruled by a warlord, who maintains power via violence and control of the meager resources the tribes find in the Field. Warlords are usually very skilled fighters who have many wives, slaves, and warriors. Each tribe has a hierarchy that includes a warrior caste, an esoteric caste, a commoner caste, and slaves.
The Church of Harkan does not present itself as a rejection of the Divine. They see it as faith, a faith in a being they call the One True God. They believe Harkan was this God's chosen champion against the blasphemers of the world. The Pit is seen as the place where false gods are cast. The Church presents their control over blasphemy as Divinely granted, but of course, the rituals are all truly blasphemous rejections of the Divine, spirits, and energies of faith.
In the colonies, all fuliginites come as colonizers or slaves, but mostly colonizers.
PRO 9 ATH 9 STR 10 AWA 9 WIL 9 PRS 7 STH 8
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