Wytchborne

Wytchborne are the distant descendants of ancient pairing between human and infernal parents, and, despite the passing of many generations, that Hellish legacy still runs strong in their blood. While Wytchborne form a tiny minority of individuals within the The Empire of the Known World it is estimated that there are up to a million of them spread throughout Imperial lands, with, it is theorized, many times that number resident outside the Imperial bounds.

History and Origin

Long before the birth of the Empire, back when the walls between the above and below were more malleable, many Infernals ascended the Obsidian Tower from Hell to the Plateau of Leng, from their ravening across the lands, creating their own kingdoms, personal pockets of Hell-on-Earth, and gathering heaving harems of human men and women. All things pass though, and when the ancient Apostle of Light Miriam led her Hellpurge, those devil-warlords were slain to the one and their kingdoms crushed into the dust. While the Hellpurge sought not only to irradicate the devils it also charged itself with delivering a merciful release to all those tainted by the infernal. It is said that Miriam shed a tear for each human she had put to the blade, yet despite her unwavering purpose, some of tiny number of the children of the harems escaped the cleansing, and it is from these few that the majority of the Wytchborne in the Empire today owe their origin. New Wytchborne bloodlines, created in the years since the Hellpurge have been era-rare events exclusively restricted to the People of Leng and their captives. Climbing the Obsidian Tower is now a near impossible challenge, a final blessing bestowed by the Apostle Miriam, when, at the apex of the Hellpurge, surrounded by enclosing-enemies on the spires of Leng, she sacrificed herself, and the lives of each remaining member of her army, to cast the Ward of the Flaying Sun upon each of the Tower's million steps.

Appearance

While Wytchborne appear humanoid, there is always some physical trait that distinguishes them from the rest of humankind. This could be vestigial horns, an unusual skin tone, fangs, or one of any number of uncanny features that clearly marks their infernal heritage. The degree of these physical deviations varies greatly from individual to individual. For some Wytchborne their infernal 'tells' are so slight that cosmetics and clothing can conceal them, while for others there bodies are changed so massively that no natural means will hide their nature.

Legal Status Within the Empire

Within the Empire Wytchborne can hold one of three legal statuses, and while they will always be treated with a degree of distrust and prejudice by the rank-and-file, their official legal status will determine their position and opportunities:

Assimilated
Assimilated Wytchborne are those Wytchborne who have joined Imperial Service. The process of Assimilation involves a year of probationary service, educational classes, and with regular assessments by Church authorities. On completion of this probation, the Assimilated is not only free to work in Imperial Service but is considered a full Imperial Citizen, free, in theory, from the prejudice that is directed against the rest of their kind. Each Assimilated Wytchborne is assigned an spiritual advisor, usually a specially trained nun or priestess, with whom they must meet regularly. This advisor is there to support the Wytchborne in their struggles with their infernal nature, but also serves to monitor the Wytchborne, lest they become a danger. Assimilate Wytchborne can be found within every strata in Imperial Society, but seem better accepted in the high social circles where their 'novelty' works more to their advantage.

Natal
Natal Wytchborne represent the vast majority of Wytchborne within Imperial Society. They exist as one of the many social underclasses and usually live together in ghettoized areas, creating a society-within-a-society. The legal status of Natal Wytchborne is complicated and unsure, and varies depending on the Satrapy and even city, often depending on the degree of covert political power influential Wytchborne can employ. Wytchborne ghettos thus frequently become de-facto, self-governing authorities, where Imperial Law and convention is cursory at best, and where 'good' imperial citizen can go to indulge in the vices and inequities frowned on by polite society. Outside of their ghettos Natal Wytchborne are treated with distrust and prejudice, not only by the populous, but also the authorities, and thus tend to live hidden and secretive lives, and those Natal Wytchborne who make a permanent home outside of the ghetto usually rely on the whim of powerful patrons or the value of their own unique talents.

Atavistic
Atavistic Wytchborne are criminals and enemies of both the Church and State. All Imperial Authorities keep list of Atavistic Wytchborne along with their lists of other wanted felons. Largely, the Atavistic Wytchborne are those who have fully embraced their Infernal heritage and now serve the chthonic powers, although there are a minority among the Atavists who have more secular reasons for inclusion, such as aligning with enemy, revolutionary or terrorist organizations. Many Natal Wytchborne are arrested and harassed for being 'Potentially Atavistic', but are then subsequently released, with the label of Atavist being sometimes used as a tool of oppression and control. Those few who actually receive the label of Atavist do so either after arrest and prosecution, or via assignment from an investigating committee, for those still at large. The only exception to this is for those Wytchborne originating from the Forbidden Plateau of Leng, who are not only Atavists by default, but also considered to be hostile, enemy infiltrators.

Social Organization

All Wytchborne belong to Families. This originally was a refence to the Devil-Warlord who started their line, but with interbreeding and consolidation this is more a political than a genetic designation. While there are numerous Wytchborne Families, most are now considered offshoots or subsidiaries of one of a few major Families, which usually wield considerable regional power, often becoming the rulers of Wytchborne ghettos. The position and stature of Wytchborne Families is a constantly shifting landscape of power-games and political manoeuvring and while general truces and agreements, forged for mutual survival, keep open warfare to a minimum the relations between a regions dominant families is an uneasy one at best.

Abilities and Vulnerabilities

Wytchborne exhibit a number of unusual abilities as a result of the Infernal heritage. They are much more physically resilient than their human counterpoints and often have biological systems and natural defences inherited from devil-kind. Wytchborne likewise have an innate aptitude for the Infernal Magics, and can become very powerful practioniers of these arts. These advantages come with a price though. As aforementioned there are the 'Infernal Tells', the outward physical differences that mark them as different from humans, something that is exacerbated by the prejudice they face in Imperial society, and even if they can somehow conceal these features, they always resonate to abilities that can detect the Infernal or Unnatural. Likewise they have also inherited the Infernal vulnerability to holy artefacts, energies, to the point where even standing on holy ground ground is painful and damaging to them.