Zairmura: the half-demons
"Can't trust them, unless you've made a pact. Like devils, they are lying, thieving, violent and indecent creatures who are gluttonous, greedy, perverse and lecherous. And the stench. Unless scrubbed and perfumed there is always the smell of sulfur about them. "-Hluihaugualli merchant, The Grand Duchy of Moury
Naming Traditions
Unisex names
Zairmura shift genders by choice and magic. Names tend to be indeterminate to Ozymandi ears. Maru, Humbaba, Ibbi, Puzu, Ishta, Sabit, Ubau, or Shatu. They may or may not take family names.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
They speak a dialect of the demonic language now full of adopted words from Ozymandi and Chaju and have developed their own written form, which demonic does not possess. Zairmurans do not share either with any but the most trusted outsiders.
Shared customary codes and values
Over centuries of persecution, frequent expulsions and exclusions from places, occupations and status Zairmura have come to value education, something that can't be taken from them by others. They have become secretive to others they don't know or trust. They collect and hide wealth against theft, unjust tax and sudden need to flee. Though Zairmuran acceptance has improved, they are still widely seen as suspicious and evil by many. This not helped by the Zairmuran practice of trying to trick or fool outsiders (Jiti), where they may play up their demonic backgrounds with threats or offers of placing curses.
Common Etiquette rules
Zairmurans will be cold and formal with strangers. They hide their true feelings except in familiar company. In making an agreement with outsiders they make "contracts" with expected terms and intents and will not agree without signatures. Outsiders who have shown repeated goodwill or have performed a major service or help to Zairmurans may be offered a "pact" or personal alliance.
Common Customs, traditions and rituals
Once yearly in the autumnal dry season is the Zairmuran New Year - the Feast of Emancipation (Biragogan Acik), commemorating their revolt and freedom from the Demons. From before dawn until nightfall they fast, and then in the middle of the night have a large ritual meal with stories and songs. For centuries these were mistaken for demonic rituals by outsiders.
Zairmura are half-demons that originated in what is now the Dominion of Jarkaget. Originally halfbreed offspring of slaves, and themselves powerless compared to the Demon progenitors and rulers, and thus also slaves. Zairmura and the other slaves revolted under the influence of the Demon Lord Avander. This led to invasion by the Esen Horde, the Drizian Theocracy, and the Sorcerous Kingdom of Bomoji, quickly followed by others that carved up the Demon Kingdom. The Zairmura scattered or held out in isolated fortresses. Briefly, they had a nation-city-state called Sidu-Gamlout. 948 years ago, in the fall of the Yatian Khaganate, the Zairmura formed the Dominion of Jarkaget, while Dulbazar and Shrav were formed from other parts. The Invasion of the Manese Empire and the Hundred Years War broke and took territory from others, but not the Dominion. Jarkaget remains the Zairmuran state, though Zairmurans are also scattered all across the thousand Isles.
The Zairmuran diaspora created small communities of half-demon throughout the isle archipelago. In many places they were hated and feared. Progroms, edicts and prosecution followed. Intermixing by marriage outside of one's species has been outlawed in many nations, though Zairmuran prostitution remains widespread due to stories of seduction, supposed lurid sexuality and exotic fetishism and adventurism.
Zairmurans stand on average 162cm to 200 cm. They have a basic uman build with flat face with flattened noses, high cheekbones, a mouth with fanged and flat teeth. Neither gender form has facial hair. Two arms, two legs and a prehensile tail that possesses a spade shaped cartilaginous tip. The wings are feathered or membranous. Hands have four fingers and a thumb with short sharp curved talons. The stance is plantigrade typically with five toes- though some have hooves or even bestial feet. They have two pectoral nipples in incubi or breasts in succubi. The skin is red, black, blue, purple or metalic sheened copper or gold, some smooth, others with light scales or thin fur over the body. The pelvis and lower body does have a scaled or light fur covering, though shaving is practiced as a grooming option. Ears are long and sweep back to points. On the head or forehead are either short upward pointing, gently curving horns or heavier coiled ones- with a single point in either case. The eyes are typically yellow or orange. The body scent is mildly sulfurous and can be reduced with bathing and perfumes.
Zairmurans produce Zairmuran children, though cross breeding with other species does produce offspring more heavily influenced by the other partner. Only in the Succubus form do they become pregnant, with a cycle that runs 45 days +/-5 in continuous Succubus form. By investing 10 mana they may change from one form to the other. If pregnant- that stays in either incubus or succubus form. Gestation runs 300 days, typically with one but sometimes upto 3 young. Once labor initiates they revert to succubus form.
The Zairmuran life expectancy is between 150 to 200 years.
Zairmurans can't really fly, though they have wings. They can glide rather than fall from hights and may use the wings to jump higher than wingless beings. Despite their demonic ancestry the only magic they naturally possess is the ability to change their gender form. If they take up magic they have a unique ability to prepare and "hang" spells with invested mana upto the limit of their available mana points. In all respects casting a hanging spell is just like regular spell creation and casting except the spell is not activated until willed to do so. These hung spells take up the assigned mana and reduce the caster's pool. The caster's mana pool can not recharge until the spells are spent or canceled. The spell may be activated with a word or action.
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