Aasimar
When Celestial Blood Joins Mortal Blood
At first, people feared us. They thought we were monsters just like the Elders or the Fiends. That was until they saw our wings. Saw the light within us. Then they heralded us as our saviors and prayed to us for aid. But the hate and fear had already sunken into some of us. We still don't trust them. Behind those awestruck eyes will always be a look of fear and hatred.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Aasimar have the anatomy of whatever race their heritage belonged to originally. The only added benefit is a pair of magical wings they can summon as they become more powerful. These wings appear to be either feathered or skeletal based on the type of Aasimar they are.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Aasimar often have names related to the culture they grew up in. However, if an Aasimar doesn't have a set culture or wish to throw off the shackles of their old life, they instead choose to take celestial based names and their last names are related to the celestial being that spawned their bloodline.
History
Despite the Outsiders being unable to interact in Avestra before the fall of the barrier, they were all interested in the world as a whole. While the Fiends affected the world through corruption and the rise of Tieflings and the Elementals caused the rise of the Genasi, the Celestials influenced enough of the world to cause the rise of the Celestial touched beings.
However, their celestial nature frightened the Avestrans around them, who placed them in the same lot as the Tieflings and Genasi that rose around the same time. Despite their innate need to do good for the world, the Aasimar were ridiculed and persecuted constantly. For every tale of Aasimar heroes fighting valiantly for a world that distrusts them, there are countless more of the witch hunts they went through. The Celestials who planted the seeds of these touched beings were horrified by the treatment of their children but could do nothing with the cosmic barrier preventing them from entering the realm.
It took the great evil of the Elders to finally have the people rally behind the Aasimar. They, along with Tieflings and Genasi, threw themselves into the war effort. Many Aasimar lost their lives in the war but their valiant actions inspired stories of their courage for centuries to come. After the Eternals returned and the Elders were defeated, many Aasimar were hailed as heroes, both living and dead. In some areas, they became major powers in the region such as in the Brandovian Empire where they were held up as symbols of mortal divinity.
However, that worship came too little, too late for some. The bitterness and resentment festered in their hearts and gave birth to fallen Aasimar in droves. Now, people are not sure what to think about these celestial-touched people. Some see them as gifts from the heavens, sent to aid them in dark times to come. Others see them as monsters masquerading as divine beings for so long and finally revealing their true colors. Only time will tell what story the masses will finally tie themselves to.
Common Myths and Legends
The Shining Night
On the continent south of Alus, there is a common story spread by the people of the Brandovian Empire. A great horde of aberrations threatened to sweep across the continent, slaughtering everything in their way. The great stronghold of Bragon was the last bastion of hope against the horde. People prayed to their gods for aid, for protection from the evil that came upon them but their prayers weren't answered by the divine. But by mortal hands. Aasimar led by a Protector named Lias.
Lias was hated by the people from the day of his birth. He was marked by that hate with marks burned into his body by cruel non-Aasimar. However, despite all they did to him, despite what little vengeance he could fulfill by letting them die, he chose instead to risk his life to defend them. He rallied his brethren and came to Bragon where soldiers and civilians alike hide behind its walls. When aberrations came charging towards the stronghold, many were prepared for the end. But Elias refused to lay down and die.
With bright wings unfurled and eyes shining with divine radiance, they throw themselves into the horde. Psionic and radiant magic clashed on the battlefield. With all the aberrant blood spilled, it should've tainted the land for centuries to come. However, the blood of the Aasimar purified the land, creating fertile fields and even creating fields of white flowers, each denoting the body of an Aasimar that fell that day. Lias was the last one to stand, his radiance burning so bright it was like a second sun. And as the sun rose on the dawn of a new day, his finally ran out.
In a final sacrifice, Lias exploded, creating a smoke cloud that shot into the sky like a mushroom. However, the explosion harmed only the aberrations, leaving the innocent unharmed. And soon after his death, it is said Aeternum appeared in the night sky. Many like to say that his sacrifice is what called the Eternals back to Avestra, serving as a beacon to their return and an inspiration that drove them to fight back against the Elders.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Ironically, Aasimar get along well with Tieflings and Genasi the most. As children of otherworldly beings, they all know the harassment and persecution and how it feels. Tieflings and Aasimar butt heads the most as they are born of lineages that despise each other. But that very genetic hatred is what drives them the most sometimes. On the other hand is the Genasi, their cousins of an elemental nature. The Aasimar find them rather strange due to their creation from the primal leylines and elemental beings. However, that strangeness has come to their aid several times as the Genasi can perceive the world in ways Aasimar can't even imagine.
The most disliked race by Aasimar is commonly Kalashtar. A darker reflection of their own origin, they despise their connection to the Elders and Aberrants who attempted to destroy them so long ago. While judging an individual for the actions of their creators or their group might be wrong, Aasimar have seen firsthand what destructive actions a Kalashtar can achieve. While they won't kill them out right, they will watch them carefully for any signs of their ancient enemies.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
160 on top of their race's average, 300 on top of an elf's average lifespan
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