Bloodlines of Thelemar
In Thelemar there is a clear distinction between a character’s hereditary traits - the physical, biological inheritance passed down from ancestors - and their acquired traits, gained from living within a society, looking up to role models, and learning. The first is called a Bloodline; the second, a Culture.
A character is made by choosing both a Bloodline and a Culture. While some combinations are considered “normal,” there is no rule forbidding any pairing: as long as the story behind the character holds together, they can be whatever the player imagines.
Children of the Empire
The name given to the mortals who once lived in The Empire, the Children of the Empire are the most common sentient creatures in the lands of Thelemar. They are a people of perseverance, who rose from the ashes of the fallen Empire and reconquered the world - driven by ambition to reclaim what was lost and once again rule.
The Half Bloods
The Half Bloods are not a single race but a category: the offspring of magical creatures and mortals. Their origin lies with the demonic invasion of the world. As the gods drove the fiends away, the fiends left one last “gift” behind - they bred with mortals and created the tieflings, half-fiends.
The gods discovered this and were about to destroy the abominations when the crying prayer of a desperate mother stopped them: she prayed that her son, who was half demon, might grow up half person too. The gods relented, sparing the tieflings and letting them choose who they would become - and, to balance the scales, gave the world the Hochlings (then called Aasimar), half-celestials, so that just as there were races cursed by evil, there would be races blessed by good.
This category also includes the Dragonborn, Genasi, Nyuidj, Dendulra, and Descathi. The Half Bloods are often regarded with awe and fear by the wider population, with streaks of admiration and hate.
Half Blood races
- Tiefling
- Hochling (formerly Aasimar)
- Dragonborn
- Genasi, Nyuidj, Dendulra, Descathi (not yet documented)
The Twisted Races
Following The Collapse, many new races began appearing in the world, regarded as creatures twisted by the magic from the heart of the Empire. They live at the edges of society and are often met with racism and hate beyond their own clans. The attitude varies between nations - but even in the most open cities, the Twisted Races draw some measure of suspicion.
The Twisted Races are: Changeling, Tabaxi, Loxodon, Tortle, Aarakocra, Kenku, Goblin, Hobgoblin, Bugbear, Goliath, Firbolg, Kobold, Minotaur, Centaur*, Satyr*, Half-Ogre, Yuan-Ti, and Gnolls. Many more may exist, as not all take part in the proceedings of the so-called “civilized” world.
* Centaurs and Satyrs are considered blessed by the god Pan in the Holy Theocracy, and so take full part in society there.
Documented Twisted races
Appendix
Sources & Attribution
- Primary lore:
editions/5e-2014/world/bloodlines-of-thelemar.md(Traveler’s Guide, heading chain Origins of Thelemar → Bloodlines of Thelemar), author TrueMichato.