Riftborn Human
Encyclopaedia Exilum Novum, Vol. III — On the Mortal Kinds of the Empire
"We are not as we once were, yet no god came to remake us. We are what the Rift left behind — and what we choose to become."
The Riftborn Human is the only extant strain of humanity known within the domains of the Empire, and indeed the world. They are the direct descendants of the mortal population present during the great Rift of 0 AR, and all who have been born since. The term Riftborn distinguishes them from the now-extinct lineages of pre-Rift humanity, whose bloodlines ended either in death or transmutation during the cataclysm.
The Riftborn persist as the backbone of the Empire — administrators, soldiers, priests, farmers — and, to Imperial eyes, the true inheritors of Terra Nova. Their existence is at once mundane and miraculous, for though they appear entirely human, they live under the invisible auspices of the Rift and its strange tides.
Origin / Ancestry
The Riftborn trace their lineage to the survivors of the Rift’s opening on 01 Primaris 0 AR. Though of the same flesh as the ancients, those born after the Rift demonstrate subtle divergences — not in form, but in fate. Some families, particularly those nearest the Rift epicenter, exhibit unusual affinity for magical arts, heightened sensitivity to aether currents, and the occasional gift of prophecy.
No verifiable pre-Rift humans have survived into the present era. The old stock, whether through attrition or infertility, faded within a century of the event.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Outwardly, the Riftborn are indistinguishable from descriptions of pre-Rift humans recorded in ancient codices: two-legged, upright, bilaterally symmetrical, flesh and bone. They retain the familiar spectrum of hair, eye, and skin pigmentation, as well as height and build diversity.
Genetics and Reproduction
Riftborn reproduce sexually, with gestation and maturation periods comparable to pre-Rift humanity. Magical mutations occasionally manifest in offspring, though these are rare and typically non-lethal.
Behaviour
Riftborn culture is heavily shaped by Imperial institutions and the Rift’s mythic legacy. They display the full range of human temperaments — ambitious, fearful, pious, cruel, ingenious — yet are often characterized by a quiet fatalism, having inherited a world still under the shadow of the Rift.
Additional Information
Social Structure
The Riftborn occupy every strata of Imperial society, from peasantry to senatorial elites. No caste is barred to them, though those born of families historically touched by Rift-magics often ascend to roles within the Arcanii or other mystical orders.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
The Riftborn are both the labor and the leadership of the Empire. While no formal exploitation of their kind occurs beyond the norms of class and slavery, certain bloodlines are closely monitored or sequestered by the Arcanii for their magical potential.
Average Intelligence
On par with pre-Rift ancestors; culturally valued learning has increased
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Most Riftborn possess standard human senses. Among select bloodlines, however, one finds heightened perception of aetheric fluctuations — a phenomenon not reliably measurable but widely attested in the Commentarii Arcanii.
Commentarii Arcanii note: ‘Though the common Riftborn denies his own subtle attunement, the Rift sings to their bones all the same.’
Civilization and Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Riftborn culture is inseparable from Imperial ideology: reverence for order, suspicion of unregulated magic, and ritualistic observance of anniversaries tied to the Rift event. The myths and fears surrounding the Night of Reversal, when Tharaxis gleams full, remain potent.
Common Taboos
While Riftborn are permitted to pursue magic, unlicensed or heretical practices (especially shadow-magic tied to Tharaxis) are taboo and subject to swift Imperial justice.
History
Before the Rift, humanity was already the dominant species of Terra Nova. The Rift shattered old kingdoms, erased the pre-Rift genetic line, and left only the Riftborn to rise from the ashes. In the centuries since, Riftborn humans have rebuilt civilization in the image of the old — tempered by awe and terror of the Rift’s legacy.
Historical Figures
Lucius Septimus Varro — First Riftborn Consul of Nova Roma
Faela of the Veil — Riftborn seeress credited with predicting the Arcanii Manifestation
Common Myths and Legends
It is said that the Rift whispers to the Riftborn in their sleep, and that their souls are already half-bound to some other realm. Such tales are dismissed in official doctrine but endure in folk memory.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
The Riftborn coexist uneasily with non-human species, who often regard them as both conquerors and custodians of the Rift’s strange power. Among elves, minotaurs, and others, Riftborn humans inspire equal parts admiration, resentment, and fear.
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