Aasimar

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Aasimar Assmarpng2

Originally for Aeria by Christoph.
Formatted, tweaked and built upon by Krug.

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Credits go to BooM for locating the image.

Quote :: Overview:

The Aasimar are a race blessed with holy energy, uncommon to behold in the world of Aeria and thusly mostly known only by the way they are depicted in art. Such a perception has evolved as the years have progressed, altered dramatically over the two-hundred years that led to the modern age. The same has always held true, however, artwork of Aasimar always showing them with wings filling the canvas and some form of brightly glowing blade. More modern work has depicted them as being set against or alongside a bright moon clung to a clear night sky, but this is an uncommon interpretation.

A primarily nomadic people, these beings whilst originally from Talibar in the days of the Empire, usually exist far to the east and are found travelling in large caravans that can reach. Due to this fact, it is quite rare indeed for one to be seen outside of his community, but there have always been wandering Aasimar.

The exact numbers of this population are entirely speculation, as most caravans will go years without encountering any civilization and will usually act through proxies to obtain what they need. This has caused most members to be highly xenophobic and tradtional, holding close their racial values of a calm mind and an open heart whilst keeping fighting spirit primed and strong. Building upon this isolation and culture of values is the strong sense of racial, and religious unity. They refer to themselves as the 'Chosen People'. not without good reason. Due to their high rarity, many tales and legends have evolved around them, often mistaking them for true angels serving Tyr.

The caravans are organized around religion, with the priests occupying the most important seat atop the hierarchy. Whilst there is no de jure caste system, a de facto one usually arises within most caravans. The priests occupy the central rung, followed closely by the mothers, the warriors, artisans, scavengers and so on in a descending fashion. It's important to note that Aasimar place a high amount of reverance around their females, especially those who have born children into the world. Whilst not finding themselves completely matrifocal in terms of a society, women occupy a place of high respect and authority, easily equal to that of men.

All new Aasimar are brought into this world through conventional means, but that is not to say that they all remained entirely pure. Each different caravan posesses its own rules, customs and dogma when the issue of procreation outside of the normal pure Aasimar relationship. Some are essentially the same as their ancestors, living in a very closeted and traditional manner, whilst others are much more modernized, and a certain amount of racial dilation has taken place.

Universally, they are incredibly religious and most live by strict codes, praying multiple times a day and tailoring their entire life around the demands of the caravan. Almost all do not drink the vile alcohol that would cloud their minds, many do not eat meat out of respect for living life. They are a righteous people, endeavoring to live their lives as closely to their own god as possible. Contrary to popular belief, Aasimar do not exclusively recognise Tyr. The only other gods they recognize, however, are Aten and Ilmatyr. All others are rejected as heretical, and most consider it rude, and maybe borderline unrighteous to pray to them.

Aasimar are naturally inclined to be morally good, finding it a natural instinct within them to commit themselves to and place immense importance in such virtues as kindness, benevolence and charity. This does not exclude an Aasimar from finding themselves of a more neutral alignment, or even an incredibly sour or hostile personality, as many have taken this path before.

The higher their purity, the less linear they become. For instance, all Aasimar place less importance on time. They are notoriously late to arrive, and it is not uncommon to find one patiently and happily waiting hours for the smallest of things to happen. This increases with the amount of holy energy within an individual.

Aasimar of pure decent will take on a quasi-angelic form, and their thought pattern will tend to be incredibly calm and patient. This is neither a guarantee nor a requirement, however.

Quote :: History and Origin:

The Aasimar, an extremely pure race, were born out a time of unrivaled strife and hatred. After the end of the God Wars, a group of original paladins and their followers were left horrified, war-weary and incredibly disillusioned. They saw the unimaginable death, destruction and suffering that had been wrought upon the world, and thusly decided that such a life of violence and sorrow was not for them. They desired a simple and righteous life, free from it all, and so they set out on a great trek. The original group, famously composed of the one thousand seven hundred and seventy members often mentioned in the historical tomes of Aeria, were a greatly devout and righteous people.

One of Tyr's foremost archangels, Razael, saw this and was pleased. He came upon the group and bestowed upon them his blessing, infusing each member with holy energy. Large and small, good and bad, they all received this blessing. Curiously enough, almost none of them experienced changes. However the very youngest, those three months and under, did develop new, unique features.

This generation would become the Aasimar.

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Appearance and Racial Traits:

The blessing conferred numerous physical changes upon all the new children and newborns of the group. Any Aasimar born will have these traits to varying degrees, the amount of holy energy within them dictating how accentuated their features are:

Golden Eyes, glowing brightest in the darkness of night.
- No matter how strong the heritage, an Aasimar's eyes will always be a pure, famously beautiful and deep gold colour.
Blonde or Silver Hair that grows faster than that of a human, though many wear it short cut.
- Varying in specific shades, Aasimar will always have hair of such a fair hue.
Pale Skin that is impossible to tan, and varies in luminosity.
- Their skin reflects moonlight, widely regarded amongst their kind as a disadvantage.
Holy Aura depending completely on how much holy energy is within the individual.
- All members of the Aasimar have auras of light and holy energy around them. The most pure of the race have auras powerful enough to be visible to the untrained eye. Through training Aasimar are able to diminish their aura, although most never learn this skill.
- The aura, contrary to popular belief, does not have a comforting effect. It is impossible to sense without magic sensitivity or otherwise.
Increased Height, also depending on the holy energy within.
- Females stand at a minimum of 5'11", Males at 6'2". Both sexes have been recorded to reach up to nearly seven feet.
- It is possible, however, to have a strong influence and a short height.
Increased Toughness, Endurance and Lifespan
- They are hardy, resistant to many diseases and poisons. They also have extended lifespans, about double that of an average human being. They also tend to heal much more quickly in the sun, but slower in the night.
- Aasimar are naturally resilient and bulky beings, their muscles developing much easier and naturally with little effort.
Magical Resilience
- Aasimar are actually more protected from shadow, demonic, dark or unholy magics by their natural holy energy. If they come into contact with an aura if this nature, it is hard for them not to notice, but it does not cause them discomfort. This protection only goes so far, as prolonged or heavy exposure can cause them long lasting damage.
- Aasimar also simply cannot cast such magics. It is impossible for them, and will cause them immense pain within their very souls to try and attempt to weave such energies. They also do not have a natural boon in using holy magic.
Wings, of pure white feathers and found on only the purest of Aasimar.
- Very pure members of the race develop broad, feathered wings, which allow them sporadic flight for short periods of time. More importantly they are effective weapons in battle, being as strong as any other part of their body. Those pure enough to possess wings, however, will almost always stay at their caravan, acting as a guardian for life.
- There have been reported cases of these wings on lesser Aasimar, though this is subject to speculation.
Decreased Nightvision, a compulsory trait.
- Though the Aasimar have an incredibly sharp vision in the daytime, when darkness falls they have a hard time focusing and they find themselves colourblind until back in the light. However, they may still find it hard to see long distances and focus even in artificial light.
Decreased Stamina
- Aasimar are naturally bulky beings, finding themselves naturally strong whilst lacking the ability to fight for a long period of time and especially fatigued by running. As such, most wear heavy armors to take advantage of this.

Quote :: A Note on Prayer, Magic and Tyr:

Curiously enough, the Aasimar discourage the practice of magic in the traditional sense of the word. They use rituals, chanting and prater to achieve the goals desired. Communicating directly with their god, the most devout (which is quite a high proportion of their population) can draw from his energy through prayer. Most Aasimar will specialize in a certain form of this prayer magic. Some will be healers, others will be enchanters, but almost all will have a rudimentary knowledge of the techniques and practices used. It is difficult, though possible, to manifest this as offensive energy, however, the natural form creating a powerful healing energy.

Concerning holy artifacts, Aasimar are the only beings inherently able to use them. Even an agnostic Aasimar would be able to manipulate them naturally.