Demi-Humans of Thalmyr
Children of Adaptation, Not Design
Origin: Born of the Labyrinths
Demi-humans are not half-breeds in the traditional sense.
They emerged generations after the Labyrinths appeared, when prolonged exposure to:
Dense mana
Monster ecosystems
Arcane distortion
began altering unborn children.
Scholars classify them as Adaptive Lineages—mortals whose bodies reshaped themselves to survive dungeon reality.
> “The Labyrinth did not curse them.
It taught them.” —Guild Biologist’s Treatise
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Physical Traits
Demi-humans possess:
Partial beast or monster traits (ears, tails, scales, claws, eyes)
Enhanced senses
Accelerated mana circulation
Slight resistance to Labyrinth corruption
They age slightly faster than humans but mature earlier.
Common lineages:
Wolf-kin (tracking, pack instincts)
Cat-kin (reflexes, night vision)
Lizard-kin (poison resistance, regeneration)
Insect-kin (climbing, silk production)
Chimera-bloods (unstable, rare)
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Social Standing
Demi-humans occupy a contradictory position:
Highly valuable in Labyrinth work
Socially distrusted outside it
They are:
Overrepresented among bonded servitude
Underrepresented in nobility
Frequently recruited by guilds under “protective contracts”
Many free citizens consider them “Labyrinth-touched,” not fully mortal.
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Demi-Humans and Bondage
The system exploits Demi-humans disproportionately.
Reasons:
Their traits make them ideal delvers
Their families often accrue debt
Laws treat them as functional assets
Yet paradoxically:
Demi-human contracts often include stronger survival clauses
Guilds protect them fiercely as investments
Some Demi-humans willingly enter bondage to:
Protect family lines
Access training
Escape persecution
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Cultural Identity
Despite oppression, Demi-humans form tight communities.
Common traits:
Clan-based loyalty
Oral history
Labyrinth myths passed as lullabies
Ritual scarification or markings
They believe:
> “If we survive the depths, we earn the surface.”
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Relationship with Other Races
Humans
Pragmatic, exploitative, dominant.
Elves
View Demi-humans as tragic proof of nature violated.
Elaris Glade refuses them entry, quietly fearing Labyrinth contagion.
Dwarves
Respect skill and resilience; often treat Demi-humans as equals underground.
Beastkin
See Demi-humans as kin—but weaker echoes of ancient adaptation.
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Demi-Humans & the Cardinal Heroes
The revelation that two of the Cardinal Heroes possess Demi-human lineage (even subtly) causes:
Shock in the Empire
Hope among bonded populations
Political backlash from purist factions
Some scholars whisper:
> “The Labyrinth chose adaptability, not blood.”
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The Dangerous Truth
Deep Labyrinth texts suggest Demi-humans may be proto-survivors— what mortals must become if the world fully synchronizes with dungeon reality.
If so, Demi-humans are not an offshoot…
They are a preview.