Forsaken

Pre-lore
The Forsaken were born when An asteroid crashed into a long-forgotten world. Andiheimr it was called, The world of Andiheimr was a cold primordial world. Snowstorms and sheer cold winds were a common occurrence. In the bitterness of this world, food was hard to come by, which made the Forsaken A strong hardy folk. Hunting was the way of life for this warrior race though as time went on they managed to adapt to the cold world. Fishing became a major industry for the Forsaken as did the growing of sweet berries, one of the few plants able to be grown in the harsh landscapes of Andiheimr.

Appearance
The Forsaken in comparison to their Human counterparts had little variety in their looks. Though the men were always strong and the women more than a common beauty. Their hair color tended to be either black or white. The eyes rarely deviated from being a deep red or a cobalt blue hue. Some Forsaken are even born with the adornment of horns. These horns also came in a variety of sizes and colors, some being mere studs on their foreheads or others would have magnificent wrathful crowns growing out of their scalps. Though this would all begin to change when A process in their lifecycle known as the Ashening began.

The Ashening Process
The Ashening process of the Forsaken is triggered by times of extreme stress and emotion. some never even live to experience this change if they are given a quiet life. The Ashening is a painful change for them, as their flesh begins to wither and fall off their bodies almost as if it were burning. Indeed even their body musk during this time is one of cinder and smoke. they will not willing to show or display any signs of this pain during this change as such complaints are viewed as a sign of weakness.

The skeleton that comes into plain sight as their flesh rots is also something of an anomaly, The main reasoning for this is the variety of hues the bones take on. Which appear to be linked to certain dominant personality traits.

1. A greedy Forsaken will have a skeleton lighter in color. The lighter Forsaken is the lesser of two evils in the ashening process.

2. the Bones of a corrupt Forsaken will be the crimson color of Hellfire or blood. These are Great evil and powerful to boot. If you should encounter one it would be best to run.

3. Lastly those Forsaken with heroic noble hearts will have a blackened withered skeleton within them. Ironic given their selfless and fearless natures. These are hardy and true friends among their race. If you happen to know one count yourself lucky.

Life Expectancy
The life span of a Forsaken varies depending on if the Ashening has been triggered. If the ashening has begun they will live only up to a century, barely beyond that of a long human life. Though if they remain intact and UnAshened they can expect to live well into their 240s. Rarely has any Forsaken lived beyond that time.

Strength and Weaknesses
Normally your average Forsaken is far stronger than any human. If not for their warrior and hunter lifestyle they would make excellent builders. Contests of strength are always a welcomed sport, anything from seeing how far they can throw larger boulders, to wrestling, and martial combat are viewed as wonderful past times. They are also much more durable than humans, being able to sustain wounds that would be fatal to a man and recover in time. However, if they are exposed to water be it rain or full submersion they become mortal men. Their strength wanes and their bodies soften, during these times they value the strength of intimidation as a social skill.

Weapons and warfare
Forsaken has a saying " make a blade and when you're done make it again but bigger!" All their weapons are ridiculous in size be it hammers, axes, or swords. Though having a regular-sized sidearm is also commonplace, in the event that they are exposed to water. As if wet they could not lift such behemoth-like weapons. There have even been reports of enraged and unarmed forsaken ripping trees out of the ground to wield as a club. That being said one can imagine their savageness and effectiveness on the field of battle. When it comes to the arcane arts only the purebloods can use magic to their call. These spellcasters mostly deal with fire magic; which in turn is once again dependent on their personal traits. as some can even summon the baleful blue of soul fire magic. Making them all the more deadly.

Society and Culture
Due to the Forsaken's bitter beginning in the world of Andiheimr they learned to build strong and sturdy structures. To survive the bitter colds they borrowed designs from the early humans. Nordic halls were common dwellings and stone Ziggurats were reserved for larger halls. These Ziggurats were even large enough to have cities within them. All these building types worked well with their warrior/hunter lifestyles. It was not unheard of however for the Forsaken to hire human builders for the more manual tasks associated with building.

The Ashenlands or the afterlife
they keep few religious or spiritual tales among them. Though one tale is known to all Forsaken. The tales of their afterlife or what they consider to be an afterlife " The Ashenlands" tend to be confusing and at times contradictory in nature. What can be told from the few consistency of the realm is that it is a home for the strong and hardy. Beings can move in and out of it with the right favor. Indeed some Forsaken can even travel to and from there at will. Tales of the Ashen lands include folk of other races as well, Though these souls are said to struggle a bit there. Tales tell of both A hellish world is full of barren and scarred landscapes, fickle gods, and the cruel tricks they play. As well as a world filled with challenge and adventure across strange landscapes. Strong foes to fight and overcome and great halls of warriors. The only way one can be certain is to find out for oneself.