When members of different Djinnborn races have a child, the result always resembles one parent more than the other. However, the child always has some traits of the other parent. Different facial or body features, altered height, even something simple as their hair growing differently.
The child is typically identified by the race he or she most resembles. So a child of an Aremite and a Musian that looks Aremite at a glance (blue skin, white hair) would be considered an Aremite.
The Djinnborn have special nomenclature to describe half-breeds. As mentioned, they are considered to be whatever race they resemble most. The “half” part is the parent that bestows more subtle features. So in the above example, the child of an Aremite and a Musian that resembles an Aremite would be referred to as a half-Musian Aremite.
Put a different way, a half-Krekonian Takhari is a person that strongly resembles a Takhari (green skin and hair, red eyes, tail), but has a Krekonian parent and certain Krekonian aspects to his or her features.
The best way to understand this is probably to see it in action. Click past the jump to see figure drawings of typical half-breed Aremites!
Content Warning: Artistic nudity beyond the jump. Viewer discretion advised!
Half-Krekonian Aremite
Half-Krekonians of any race tend to be born boys. Nobody’s sure why this is, but genealogy scholars and physicians believe the Krekonian parent’s naturally superior strength (whether the parent is male or female) tends to produce a child capable of building more muscle mass. An Aremite mother of a half-Krekonian child often experiences difficulties during the later parts of her pregnancy, and can have a very difficult birth. Krekonian babies are larger than Aremite babies, and an Aremite woman’s womb is not well-suited for carrying the larger half-Krekonian child. Most Aremite women manage to survive these pregnancies, though many have to be surgically removed rather than birthed naturally. Krekonian women tend not to experience any unusual difficulties when carrying or giving birth to a half-Krekonian Aremite child.
Half-Krekonian Aremites of either sex are always taller and more muscular than their full-blood Aremite cousins, but are usually shorter than full-blood Krekonians. Those that pursue athletics, martial arts, or heavy labor are capable of matching their Krekonian kin in physical strength. All of them are naturally stronger than full-blood Aremites. Many Aremites find their half-Krekonian kindred intimidating. The size, strength, and musculature of a half-Krekonian Aremite is typically bigger than any Aremite can hope to achieve.
Half-Krekonians sometimes (but not always) have lighter blue skin than their full-blood Aremite cousins, but not as light as a full-blood Krekonian. They tend to keep their hair cut short in Krekonian style and many wear bands around their biceps and upper forearms according to Krekonian fashion. Those raised in Aremshah often become soldiers, though some have found good work as professional athletes or stage performers, their Krekonian blood giving them an edge in sports and feats of strength.
Naskos, one of the main characters of Djinnborn, is a half-Krekonian Aremite.
Half-Musian Aremite Woman
Musians have such a pronounced sexual dimorphism that half-Musians display different characteristics depending on whether the child is a boy or a girl. Half-Musian Aremite girls also tend to be taller than full-blood Aremite girls, but not as tall as full-blood Musian girls. Most stand taller than Aremite men by several inches, though this trait is not one many Aremite men find desirable. Aremite women pregnant with half-Musian girls can find their pregancies more difficult than normal, but this is not common enough to be considered a given. Statistics estimate roughly half of all Aremite women that give birth to half-Musian girls find the pregnancy normal.
Half-Musian Aremite girls usually have a purple tint to their skin. Since Aremite hair is already predisposed to a yellow tint, this trait becomes dominant in all half-Musian girls. Their hair also tends to look more controlled than full-blood Aremite hair. Most such girls wear their hair unbound in Aremite fashion and eschew the more elaborate hairstyles many Musian women seek.
Most half-Musian girls find themselves more at home in Musia than Aremshah. Height tends to carry masculine associations in the Aremite cultural subconscious, so most Aremite men find half-Musian women less attractive than their full-blood Aremite counterparts. Indeed, Aremshah’s culture often considers tall people intimidating or threatening, moreso if a woman is tall. However, Musians consider height highly desirable in a woman, so most half-Musians find they are well-received in Musia even if they are shunned by Aremshah.
Half-Musian girls raised in Musia often find many of the same opportunities as full-blood Musian women. They are usually trained in business, finance, and politics and one sits on the Musian Parliament. Half-Musian girls raised in Aremshah often emigrate to Musia. Those that stay can usually earn acceptance once they reach adulthood.
Half-Musian Aremite Man
Half-Musian Aremite men (pictured at left) resemble their full-blood Aremite cousins in coloration, but their builds are bulkier. At a first glance, a half-Musian man might resemble any other Aremite man, but his broader shoulders and deeper chest quickly become apparent. Half-Musian men are usually about as tall as Aremite men and taller than Musian men. Their skin color does not change noticeably, and they often wear their hair short and spiky in the Musian style.
Half-Musian men get along well in both Aremshah and Musia. Like half-Krekonians, they are naturally stronger than full-blood Aremites and excel as soldiers, athletes, and heavy laborers. They also do not have the overbearing height that half-Krekonians have, so fewer Aremites are put off by their appearance. Most are more nimble than full-blood Musian men, so they are often found in Musia as light infantry units, skirmishers, or scouts. However, because they stand out more in Musia than Aremshah, most move to Aremshah at an early age and set up lives where they blend in better.
Half-Ropoldi Aremite
Half-Ropoldi Aremites (pictured above at right) often look like shorter-haired Aremites. Their skin color tends to be a few shades darker and less saturated than normal, their eyes are always dark gray, and their hair often has a gold tint. Some half-Ropoldi inherit Ropoldi hairlessness and are incapable of growing hair throughout their lives. Even those that do grow hair, male or female, are never able to grow more than an inch or two. Most half-Ropoldi stand slightly taller than their full-blood Aremite cousins, but shorter than full-blood Ropoldi.
Beyond the hair, the differences between a half-Ropoldi and a full-blood Aremite are more subtle than most half-breed Aremites. Half-Ropoldi tend to have sharper lines. Their muscles do not necessarily develop more, but their bodies have a harder cast. Facial features are often a little sharper and their bodies seem to be made of more solid muscle. Half-Ropoldi are much less prone to becoming overweight than full-blood Aremites. Most also develop the carnivorous Ropoldi diet and prefer animal-based proteins to the pastries and vegetables of Aremshah.
Half-Takhari Aremite
Half-Takhari Aremites often blend in seamlessly with their Aremite kin. Their skin is sometimes a shade or two darker, and their figures are always slighter. However, since most Aremites are naturally lean and sleek, the difference in build is rarely noticed.
As with half-Ropoldi, the differences between a half-Takhari and a full Aremite are more subtle. Half-Takhari usually have more pointed chins and often have darker eyes. Half-Takhari women usually have smaller breasts, but as with overall build, this is not always a noticeable trait. They stand a couple inches shorter than full Aremites but are usually still within the average range for a full Aremite of their sex. Most half-Takhari that live in Aremshah blend seamlessly into Aremite life.
The most noticeable difference occurs in the hair, especially in women. Half-Takhari tend to have straight hair that curls near the ends. This trait stands out most in women because Aremite women’s fashion demands that women wear their hair long and loose. Half-Takhari women’s hair, and to some extent men’s, usually looks less wild and windswept than a full-blood Aremite’s.
Since half-Takhari can live in Aremshah without trouble, most prefer to live in Aremshah. However, many raised in Takhar or Musia share their Takhari kin’s passionate yearning for independence, fiery self-reliance, and seething dislike of Musians. Such half-Takhari often join the Takhari militia or find other ways of taking up the fight to keep Takhar independent.
Gallery
I hope you enjoyed this treatise on half-breed Aremites. Below is a gallery of all images included in this post, as well as the uncensored version of the group picture. I’d love to hear what you think about these various half-breed types.
Coming Next
Next week will be the promised Aremite male clothing design post. The post will feature typical outfits worn by Aremite men. It won’t include military attire like armor and weapons yet. I’m saving that for a post all on its own.
Stay tuned, and thank you for reading!