Aasimar and Tieflings of Talingrad
Though rare and few in number, no race inspires more range of opinion than those touched by outsiders in Talingrad.
Aasimar are those touched by angelic entities, and possessing a spark of the divine within them. While might expect that this is a blessing, often this is not the case. For peasants when an Aasimar is discovered, the local clergy will offer to sponsor the child for a place within the monasteries of sanctuary to be raised among their own kind. These offers are often accepted and considered a great honor, though this means little for the child now separated from their parents. These children are then raised by the church directly, and often given large expectations as divine instruments upon the earth. Many faithful, such as the Blessed Order of St. Macarius, will often interrogate children to learn more about their perceived destinies or ancestry in order to learn the will of the gods, and order the aasimar to undertake holy quests to uncover these mysteries. They are often indoctrinated into the church of Iomedae and serve as clergy for communities and loyal soldiers for the church.
For this reason, many who can often hide their child's aasimar features to avoid them being collected by the church, or in the case of the nobility where there are more options, bribe local clergymen to simply not report an aasimar's appearance. In both cases a child might have a normal upbringing, though many do report hearing voices or whispers of their divine patrons. It is still somewhat common for aasimars as adults to join the church of Iomedae, but just as likely they will not do so, instead pursuing carriers as soldiers, merchants, or any other profession in order to avoid the spotlight and potential prying eyes of others.
If the birth of an aasimar is celebrated among the people of Talingrad, the birth of a tiefling is cause for panic and accusation. These devil blooded individuals are assumed the result of a family member making a deal with the Fallen. As a result, when a tiefling is discovered, a witchcatcher is often called. In these cases the child is typically put to death, and in some cases the mother of the child as well for good measure. Many mothers will willingly abandon their devil blooded offspring to avoid the witchcatcher's axe, and the more pious of Iomedae's faithful will often offer to kill the child themselves as penance for the deed. In a case where a parent does not wish to kill the child, the tieflings birth must be kept a secret, or efforts must be taken to hide their infernal features. Because of this, tieflings are often raised on the outskirts of civilization, or sent to live north of the Watchwall, or in the Caer Bryr away from the church's gaze.
In cases where a tiefling does survive to adulthood, either through hiding, lack of visible deformity, or in the case of the nobility, outright bribery, they may be allowed to join into civilized society to take positions of employment as one normally does, though if discovered, they are usually terminated from their workplace and forced onto the run. The only exception to this rule is the "trial of holy penance". A tiefling wishing to be purged of sin and shown to be a model member of civilized society may accept a trial to prove that they are not touched by sin. The nature of the trial is secretive, and those who undergo it do not speak of the ritual, if they return at all.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Talingradi (common), Infernal, Celestial
Culture and cultural heritage
Of note is the purges of King Markadian IV. Many tieflings living peacefully in Talingrad before this period, if shunned by most communities. King Markadian IV ordered the tiefling population to be put to the sword and the aasimar populations seized, setting forth current common practices for both races. These purges were part of larger efforts to deal with the cult of Asmodeus, and those who survived have not forgotten the calamity, called the "summer of fear".
Shared customary codes and values
Due to the limited number of Tiefling and Aasimar in Talingrad, they possess no independent culture or practices, other than how they are viewed by others. Therefore, those attempting to learn more about a divine offspring's culture should instead review the culture of their parent race.
Common Etiquette rules
Most godkin view each other with suspicion or awkward nods, and there is no real set common etiquette between them.
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