Defleos
“A coin will always have two sides, darling. Is the shinier side more valuable than the other?” - Mammon, Lord of Greed
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Long ago, long before time itself could remember, humanity attempted to get rid of their “evil deeds” and “unholy desires” and while it’s unknown when this chase after what they considered purity started, the end result was not what they expected. Attempting to separate part of a whole race’s essence came with dire consequences and a heavy cost that they couldn't pay and out of this failed experiment, 7 creatures were born. Ashamed and in refusal of their creation and own reflection, humanity was quick to condemn their own mirror image as their sins embodied and banish the creatures to never return. The only parting gift they received from their creators was the cursed name “Damno”, meaning “To condemn” that over the centuries, due to linguistic differences and abbreviations, changed to the term “Demon”.
Like a rejected child, they had to reorganize and build their own home in Detoya, a place they could quickly and easily build housing. Deciding to give themselves their own identity, they changed their names to "Defleo", reflecting on the burden they’re forced to carry for simply existing. Some humans followed the 7 siblings to the new land and were granted “blessings”, changing their appearances to match the siblings they chose to serve. Modern Defleo are actually of mixed blood, the only Defleo of pure blood are the Lords and their henchmen.
The Lords decided to run their people as a close-knitted family, welcoming any half-bloods into their community as one of their own, no matter what the other parent’s race may have been. This created a sense of loyalty and devotion not only towards the Lords but to each other.
The beginnings was harsh, many of their own people were often kidnapped and sold for slavery due to the human belief of them not possessing a soul or that as wicked creatures, that was their punishment. Through many battles and negotiations, Defleos seemed to regain their freedom to return home. This may have happened ages ago but the hurt is still very much present in their society.
It’s quite easy to recognize a Defleo, their imposing horns, sharp teeth, long tails, and pointed ears set them aside from the crowd, some even are born with wings but it isn’t common. Their stature and horn variation heavily depends on their assigned sub-race, but in general their skin and hair color vary heavily from family to family.
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Defleo lifespan can live well over 900 years, being able to almost completely control their physical aging due to the original blessing from Asmodeus, lord of Lust. Their long lifespan often leads them to be careless with their actions and deem many things as “unnecessary”, especially bonds with other people as a way to guard themselves against the pain of seeing loved ones die of old age.
Gluttony (Famelicus)
As a blessing from Beelzebub, Gluttony Defleo are naturally more plump/muscular than the rest and have a harder time gaining or losing weight, but even then their appetite is incredibly intense with a stomach of pure iron, managing to eat pretty much anything in front of them.
Perhaps it’s the influence of their Lord’s blood but Famelicus are known to be one of the most gentle Defleo, their personalities are often described as “Gentle Giants” who deeply care about those around them.
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They’re the tallest among the subraces standing at around 6’3 on average with horns pointed towards the skies. They possess a sleek, almost lizard-like tail and If born with wings, they’re usually similar to a fly, delicate but with enough power to allow the ability of flight.
Sub-Races:
All modern Defleo are in one way or another half-blood, what is widely known as a “Pure” Defleo by other races are in reality a mix between a Defleo and human, even if both parents are Defleo since to be a pure-blood Defleo you’d have to be born out of rituals and not out of flesh and such rituals been long banned by the Lords. Defleo processes their own “sub-types' ' according to which Lord your bloodline descended from (Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, Greed, Pride, Wrath, Envy).
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Defleo blood, however, is extremely strong in the genetic department and even if an individual comes from a Defleo parent and a parent from another race, the other race’s attributes will be heavily watered down by Defleo attributes and the child will always be born with horns.
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Lust (Succubus/Incubus)
Usually, when people think of Defleo, they picture the Succubus. Their hauntingly beautiful features can vary intensely, not having an average height or body frame, the only thing in common they all seem to have is their large smooth horns and ,if they possess wings, bat-like wings. Some theorize that their physical inconsistency comes from Asmodeus' shape-shifting powers, allowing their descendants to be as physically varied as possible.
They DO NOT have any type of mental-manipulation powers, those are simply rumors, and implying that a Lust Defleo only lives for carnal desire is highly disrespectful.
Sloth (Quies)
Widely considered the soft-spoken and gentle amongst the types, Quies Defleo can be recognized by their fluffy hairs on the end of their long fuzzy tails and ram-like horns. If they were born with wings, they’re quite fluffy and soft, not suitable for long flights and used instead as make-shift blankets. They’re usually on the average to short side, standing at around 5’7.
It’s not uncommon to see many individuals with naturally closed eyes since they have the strange ability to sense their surroundings better in the complete darkness and are more sensitive to the light, some choosing to completely cover their eyes as a religious practice or personal preference.
Quies regain their energy by sleeping like most creatures but have the small chance to gain visions or insights into their own future, feelings or desires due to the influence of their Lady Sloth.
Wrath (Contumax)
Also nicknamed “Hellbulls”, the Contumax possesses a short temper but an incredible sense of duty and loyalty, usually serving as the guards of their homeland.
Being the second tallest, standing at a 6’0 average with large frames and bull like horns and tail. If they possess wings, they’re usually shaped like a dark swan.
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Their unnatural strength only intensifies whenever they are overwhelmed with rage or negative feelings, making them capable of crushing almost anything with their fists and are unable to feel pain during their “Anger rushes” but after it’s over everything will come at once, seeing them pass out of pain after a particularly intense fight isn’t unusual.
Greed (Avaris)
The first thing people notice upon glancing at an Avari is their natural gold markings around their bodies and multiple horns and sleek tails, sometimes this gold even travels to their hair strands. Matching their Lord Mammon, they’re also quite small in stature and stand usually at a 5’4 on average,their frames varying wildly.
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They are natural sweet-talkers but most seem to suffer from kleptomania and hoarding tendencies, be it gold, clothing or even knowledge, giving the popular nickname of the “Golden Dragons”.
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Avaris that suffer from overwhelming stress have their golden markings fade to a silver color.
Pride (Gloria)
With their horns shaped like crowns around their head and a slick tail they give off a natural aura of authority and elegance. Their wings, if they have any, are large and powerful, being a bit inconvenient and mostly for looks.
Their stature widely differ but they all seem to bear the same desire to be taller than their original height, often using heels or other ways to achieve that desire.
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They crave to be the best in anything they do, be it skills or appearance, suffering an almost physical pain whenever they feel inferior to others around them but regain confidence quite easily if the subject changes.
Envy (Livor)
It’s hard to define a Livor since they tend to take the form of their fellow sub-races depending on their desire. A livor that craves love will take an appearance similar to a Succubus/Incubus, one that craves wealth will take the the appearance of an Avari and so on. The only thing that can set them apart is their pure black eyes and an obvious imperfection in their horns/tail/wings (Ex: Asymmetrical horns, mismatching horns and tails from different sub-races, etc).
Culture and Traditions
To signal marriage, Defleo usually decorate their horns instead of having a ring, but they have different levels of affection:
Golden horn accessories: Marriage.
Silver: Engagement or just a devoted romantic relationship.
Bronze: A promise of eternal friendship.
Black Gold: Loss of a loved one, be it a spouse, child or dear friend, they may choose to wear it during mourning period or for the rest of their life.
They do have gems embodied into them to set it aside from regular horn-jewelry but the type of gem all depends on the person, they may choose a ruby for a golden accessory to match their spouse's eye.
When losing a loved one, it's normal to have the deceased's horns cut off and used to make jewelry or weapons for those left behind. The most common crafts are daggers or necklaces and are considered family heirlooms for future generations.
The Sacrifice:
Those devoted to the old customs will nearly starve for 7 days, or just 1 day for those less devoted to the old customs, as a way to pay tribute to the 7 Lords and remember the suffering it took to rebuild their race after humanity's abandonment. One simple meal made of snap beans, cauliflower and potato mash is allowed when they wake up to keep them energetic enough to keep working.