The Thrallish Tags Freakishly large misformed humans enslaved as thralls by the Black Empire Appearance/Biology (Above: The height of a Thrall compared to a normal human.) The most striking difference between a thrall and a normal human is their freakishly large height; both male and female thralls stand at towering heights ranging from seven to nine feet tall. In addition, many thralls have strange misformed proportions such as longer or shorter arms or legs, or very broad shoulders. They typically have very pale skin from over a century of slavery in dark Black Empire worlds that get little sun, their stature selected for as positive qualities for a slave to have. Because of their extreme height and other features, thralls suffer from a number of negative mutations and deformities. They suffer from extreme back problems as they age, often requiring surgery in order to avoid chronic pain or spinal disorders such as scoliosis or kyphosis, which are common among thralls. Other genetic diseases are also common among thralls such as blindness or anemia. Unless a thrall is in service of a wealthy family, it is unlikely they would get adequate enough medical care to treat their deformities, making them suffer from a low life expectancy. Culture/Themes "Thou wishest for an escape from thy servitude? A treacherous ordeal, but one I may offer mine guidance to." Thralls have been enslaved by the Glitch of the Black Empire for over a century, causing them to follow Glitch culture and customs in a place where they are the lowest social caste. Slavery in the Black Empire differs from most forms of slavery, instead being more similar to the forms of slavery practiced in the Roman Empire; many thrall slaves are educated and even skilled and serve as house servants or slave knights trained in combat. Slaves were also typically valued by their owners if they were in these more important positions. However, many thralls also work grueling manual labor in farms, mines, factories, and other places where their pain only multiplied. Sometimes, thrall slaves are freed by their masters, typically as a reward for a great deed such as service as a slave knight, or after buying their freedom. Freed thralls, though still of their lowly social caste, are independent people; a number of slum districts exist in the Black Empire where freed thralls and other organics live in destitution, excluded from the social privileges that Glitch have. At other times, thralls may attempt escape, especially if forced to harsh labor; to attempt escape is dangerous, as an escaped thrall must live as a fugitive, always at risk of being returned to their master or worse. Even more dangerous is to attempt to leave the Black Empire, as its closed borders make it exceptionally difficult for a fugitive slave to make it through without being smuggled. Those that do escape the Black Empire typically find familiarity among non-Black Empire Glitch or in places where there exists strong Glitch integration, such as the New Catholic Church or places in the Fringe. Otherwise, thrallish culture typically follows that of Black Empire Glitch; medieval gothic in nature, often speaking in Glitch languages and dialects (though often they are taught common) depending on the colony they lived in. A particular profession of note among thrall slaves is that of a Slave Knight, skilled combatants that serve their masters out of loyalty or a chance at freedom. (Above: Thrallish Slave Knights) History The history of thralls began roughly two hundred years ago, when a human generation ship known as the Sedulous embarked on a journey throughout the cosmos. Little did the ship inhabitants know, their destination would be within a number of feudal Glitch territories yet to be united by the Umbral King. The entire ship was captured; its weak people were enslaved by the Kingdom of New Oralis, a powerful early kingdom that was later conquered into the Black Empire, where its population of thrallish slaves began to spread throughout the empire. Intentions for Story & Setting Interactions Thralls offer an opportunity to roleplay as a different human subspecies from a Souls-inspired background, ripe with opportunity to develop a unique character that hails from Glitch territory. Cosigners @Bulphrog @majo @AD INFINITUM
