Heterochromia is a hereditary genetic condition where the color of the iris in one eye differs from the other. In Fyrstrheim, heterochromia of any kind is considered traitorous; labeling the character as a hybrid, a curse to their city.
Being a hybrid implies that their family line has fraternized with the enemy/another city. Which is illegal in their history, as it seemed to produce children with ill-intentions, crazed behavior, and aggressive/blood-thirsty tendencies. Hybrid characters are seen as a curse to all cities, a warning from their gods that they did something wrong, something to deserve a punishment from them.
Additionally, hybrid characters are often scape goats. Whenever something bad happens to the city, they will often point their fingers towards the hybrid, blaming them for their existence and the reason as to why the gods have cursed them; which often results in the character being maimed, exiled, or murdered, depending on the cirumstances. Each city tends to treat hybrids differently, having a variety of ways to treat a taboo feline and punish them for their misgivings. However, all cities view them equally as bad, and are not afraid to murder or exile them due to the slightest wrong doing.
That being said, cats do not pressure hybrid or cursed cats to dispose of themselves, nor is this allowed in discussions outside of roleplay. Suggestions and provocations for a hybrid or cursed cat to self-harm or end their lives themselves is considered against our rules and is not tolerated.
Being a hybrid implies that their family line has fraternized with the enemy/another city. Which is illegal in their history, as it seemed to produce children with ill-intentions, crazed behavior, and aggressive/blood-thirsty tendencies. Hybrid characters are seen as a curse to all cities, a warning from their gods that they did something wrong, something to deserve a punishment from them.
Additionally, hybrid characters are often scape goats. Whenever something bad happens to the city, they will often point their fingers towards the hybrid, blaming them for their existence and the reason as to why the gods have cursed them; which often results in the character being maimed, exiled, or murdered, depending on the cirumstances. Each city tends to treat hybrids differently, having a variety of ways to treat a taboo feline and punish them for their misgivings. However, all cities view them equally as bad, and are not afraid to murder or exile them due to the slightest wrong doing.
That being said, cats do not pressure hybrid or cursed cats to dispose of themselves, nor is this allowed in discussions outside of roleplay. Suggestions and provocations for a hybrid or cursed cat to self-harm or end their lives themselves is considered against our rules and is not tolerated.
SYMPATHIZING IS A PUNISHABLE OFFENSE
- Below is listed the in-character consequences per city of sympathizing or aiding a hybrid cat. Amicability and care for any hybrid cat is not tolerated by any city, and consistent actions that show this will be noted. However, if your character crosses the line into sympathizing without discussing it with the team first, your post will be deleted and you will be notified in your personal ticket as to why. If you want to continue with the choice, please note it will be a plot purchase and your character may face immediate consequences, up to and including being put to death. We will not remove posts that reflect inward defiance through thoughts and emotions, only posts that are of outward defiance.
- If you still want your character to sympathize with a hybrid cat, it is a large personal plot purchase for 1,000 C and extensive discussion with the admin team in your discord ticket to ensure you understand the consequences of your character's choices. Your character may be put to death as a punishment. Please make sure you are aware of all potential consequences for sympathizing with a hybrid before going through with the plot purchase.
- If you want your character to sympathize with hybrids or otherwise be friendly towards them, be against their city's culture and traditions, idolize other cities, or any other form of non-traditional views, please let us know. We don't want to limit you in your choices if this is something you want to go through with for your character, we just want to be informed so we can discuss with you potential consequences and punishments for it. We want to plan out the reaction to your character's views before they are done in-roleplay so everything can run smoothly!
IN CHARACTER CONSEQUENCES
CONSEQUENCES OF HAVING A CHILD WITH HETEROCHROMIA
CONSEQUENCES OF HAVING HETEROCHROMIA
- ELDUR this city does not tolerate those who birth and raise felines with multicolored eyes; swiftly executing them upon discovery to appease their gods and lift the curse of a hybrid. Depending on the child's response, the kitten may be murdered, or exiled for being born.
- FORSETI As Forseti does not view blood-relations as anything particularly special; with the city often discouraging close relationships between blood-relatives, Forseti would not punish any feline for giving birth to a hybrid kitten. The city would only take action against the birth parents if they decided to sympathize with the hybrid, and care for them more than an average city member would.
- LAGUZ this city despises any form of heterochromia, as it is seen as a curse and a sign of disloyalty. Rarely do they allow the offspring or the parents to live, opting for a public execution of the traitorous couple and all of their offspring. There has only been one instance thus far of the city sparing the kittens.
- STORMR The city in the mountains acknowledges blood-relations and views them with a special weight, due to having a monarchy that can only be formed through blood. As such, traitors who raise a hybrid child will not be tolerated. Depending on their actions, they may either be exiled or sentenced to death.
CONSEQUENCES OF HAVING HETEROCHROMIA
- GENERAL Manual labor/grunt work(cleaning tents, bathroom areas, cleaning weapons and training areas, punching bags, etc.)/higher quotas per city need (hunting/crafting), not allowed to be in the healing class, lowest social status available per city, last to eat, will never get a traditional funeral. Never allowed to reproduce or find love. Never allowed to have friends or have companionship.
- ELDUR Eldur tends to treat hybrid felines the same way Laguz does; the hybrid has to hunt on their own, will always be the last to eat, and cannot take a share from the supplied food. They are not allowed to use any herbs from the healers storage, and must learn how to treat their wounds on their own. They will still be allowed to have their fate chosen and placed into a rank, but they will be treated harshly during their mentorship. Depending on the hybrid, they may choose to not teach them at all, allowing them to fend for themselves within the city as they are essentially isolated within the territory they call home.
Hybrids in Eldur are expected to run independently of the city, doing their bidding and running errands for anyone who asks. They are often found doing the grunt work for their position, and are of the lowest status in their city. Looked down upon, disrespected, and a curse upon the city — a dark stain that all find disgusting. No one is allowed to befriend or sympathize with a hybrid, for if they do, they will be severely punished by being isolated, exiled, or killed.
Despite the harsh treatment, the hybrid is expected to stay in the city. If they are caught leaving without permission or are attempting to flee their birth grounds, they will be hunted down and killed. Their eyes are often considered a trophy reward for this instance, and the hunt is quickly turned into a tournament of who may find, kill, and bring home the sign of a curse first. Whoever succeeds is immensely rewarded.
- FORSETI Forseti does not believe in exiling or murdering a hybrid, often opting to spare the lives of the many who do wrong in order to please their goddess of life, Jörd. However, that does not mean that they are accepting of the curse; relying on social isolation, forcing the Hybrid to fend for themselves and eventually die out on their own, or as they say by the gods will. Anyone who is caught socializing or sympathizing with a hybrid in Forseti is susceptible to high punishments or exile, depending on their offenses. Additionally, Forseti is more than happy to watch a hybrid feline make a mistake, so they may be given an excuse to exile the heterochromatic stain in the city.
As the hybrid grows and reaches the age of six cycles, they may be eligible to rank up. Depending on their actions and how well they have treated the city, the feline may be held back or continue on as a Novice. Unfortunately, however a hybrid is not given a pod, nor are they given a rank to shadow, and are expected to figure it out all on their own.
Once they officially become an adult, they can choose their rank, apart from any rank pertaining to healing, and will have to learn how to succeed in their class by themselves. The council will look for any reason to exile the feline, so the hybrid must ensure they're working extra hard and picking up all necessary skills, while fending for themselves as they exist within the city.
Hybrids are not allowed to take food from the city's storage once they reach the age of six cycles, and are expected to hunt and fend for themselves, whilst aiding the city and carrying out their duties. Additionally, if they are wounded, they will not be treated or allowed any herbs from the healers storage. Hybrids in Forseti have to learn how to heal their own wounds, hunt for themselves, and learn how to manage their time to take care of all the cities needs to remain in the councils good grace's at the age of six cycles.
- LAGUZ The city residing on islands tends to treat hybrids with more distaste and violence. As they rarely allow hybrids to live and reside among them, heterochromia felines will be treated much more harshly than they would in other cities. They must fend for themselves; in hunting, healing, and treating their wounds. They are not allowed to take supplies from the city, and are only expected to gift supplies in return for allowing them to coexist.
Hybrids are expected to do anything they can to help aid their city, and are often the ones doing manual labor, grunt work, and may be used as a theoretical punching bag to train upon without complaint or resistance. Young novices may train with a hybrid and their mentor, learning the most effective ways to strike and injure another feline, and are allowed to unsheathe their claws when in battle with an unmoving hybrid.
Unlike other novices, once they reach the age of six cycles they are immediately given the status of an adult, and are not given any training for the rank they are placed in. Hybrids in Laguz are expected to learn on their own and fend for themselves, no matter their age or experience.
Since Laguz does not often accept Hybrids in their ranks, the feline will never receive a true silver status, and will always remain a lower class, bronze rank once they are considered an adult. No matter the position they are put in after their trials. They are expected to carry out their duties as a bronze rank as well as the duties of other ranks, aiding wherever needed and wherever they are ordered to assist.
- STORMR Stormr holds blood ties to a particularly high standard; immediately killing or exiling those who have committed treasonous acts by producing a Hybrid, and often killing the offspring, even if they do not have heterochromia, to prevent the spread of the curse from infiltrating and tainting their city.
However, if a Hybrid is allowed to reside within the city, it's because Stormr is desperately low on felines to continue out the cities legacy. The hybrid will then be allowed to join their ranks, but will never be accepted. None may befriend or romanticize a hybrid, and they will never be allowed to take food or herbs from the city's storage. They will have to fend for themselves once they reach the age of six cycles.
Additionally, the feline will never be allowed to go to school, be taught to read and write, or be taught basic survival skills. If they die on the mountain-side, nature took its course and the gods punished the feline for existing in Stormr's stead. When they are officially allowed to be a Novice, they will instructed to sleep outside of the Roosting den and will never be given a mentor to guide them onto their path of adulthood. The hybrid may choose their own specialized rank, apart from healing and the seer class, but they will have to learn how to commit to it on their own. They will never be recognized for their skill, bravery, or determination, as it will all be expected of them.
Like the other cities, hybrids are expected to give and aid their city in any way they can. By doing any duties they may see that need to be done, or are ordered to do. They are expected to ask the leader of each rank if there is any work to do, and once they have finally been told that their work is done may they rest and find food for themselves.
LORE
History of Heterochromia
For as long as history has been recorded in Fryrstheim, hybrid cats have been known to be cursed.
There are two reasons that are known for the cause of their dual-colored eyes. These cats are the physical representation of a traitorous bloodline. Some where in their family lineage, a cat betrayed their city by breaking the City’s rules, going against the City’s culture, or helping a neighboring city. While the reasoning is not known, it is an indication that that bloodline should cease.
Another less common way that hybrids present themselves are through eyes belonging to two different cities. This shows that a bloodline has been tainted with cross-city relationships and is a rare occurrence. While all hybrids are cursed, those who have eyes of two different cities is the worst thing that you can be in Fryrstheim.
For as long as history has been recorded in Fryrstheim, hybrid cats have been known to be cursed.
There are two reasons that are known for the cause of their dual-colored eyes. These cats are the physical representation of a traitorous bloodline. Some where in their family lineage, a cat betrayed their city by breaking the City’s rules, going against the City’s culture, or helping a neighboring city. While the reasoning is not known, it is an indication that that bloodline should cease.
Another less common way that hybrids present themselves are through eyes belonging to two different cities. This shows that a bloodline has been tainted with cross-city relationships and is a rare occurrence. While all hybrids are cursed, those who have eyes of two different cities is the worst thing that you can be in Fryrstheim.