The subraces of the diezmo, or sky'lk, of the New Imperial Loreverse in ceremonial dress. These tieflings are part of my DnD homebrew setting and are going in my lore primer. Yap about them below >>
After the opening of the Boca del Infierno by foolhardy human nobility, the sky'lk developed their culture in relative isolation in the Underdark, leading to rich traditions including high ornamentation for everyday wear. Subraces follow the lineage of patron archdevil Lords, as in canon DnD lore, and common offerings and symbolism are notated. The subraces, or loc'sky'lk (Colors of the Lords), adhere to fairly consistent trades and skills within the sky'lk, and derive their respective cantrips from their Lords, making up larger social classes. The intermarriage of a now long-gone overseas colonial group lent the diezmo the human portion of their blood at the fall of the First Empire. It also influenced their linguistic and aesthetic values - this is clearest in the fashions of their traditional armour, and their name to other races, diezmo, short for diezmadores, the tithers or the decimated.
It is not the overseas tongue spoken by the race, though, but a pidgin of tlic'tp, the liturgical language of the diezmo. Most sky'lk grow up bilingual by default, but the very insular clans speak only tlic'tp. Along with their lineage-lords, the skh'lk revere a mysterious fae spirit of the Upper Planes called the Intercesora; the drips in limestone caverns of aquifer pools are said to be her voice, and have been notated in tlic'tp since the dawn of the diezmo race. The syllabic click language is designed to resemble these subterranean sounds of falling water. Its flowing calligraphy form decorates almost all diezmo clothing, in no greater glory than on the ceremonial chapel and diplomatic wear of the races.
Worship of the skh'lk Lords is shrouded in esoteric tradition, with belief in the magic of charms, gemstones, prayer medallions and potions still ruling the faith of many of the tlic'tp. Jewelry hewn from the abundant ore of Yuri's Back drips over every part of their bodies, said to draw the patron Lords closer to oneself. Since the enslavement of the tieflings in the mines during the Second Empire, these traditions have grown possibly even more fervent, with most diezmo taking a coming-of-age ceremony involving a hot branding iron and swearing never to leave the Black City Sangre or the rim of the Boca. The scar of the iron, tp’uik’sky (my promise to the Father), can be seen on the chest of most faithful.
Very few rebel against the enslavement of their race or the stripping of their ancestral wealth, placing their hopes in the hands of the Intercesora to spread her merciful arms and guide them back home into the Nine Hells, 'lk. Only those skh'lk of Zariel, diezmadores Dezariels, are of the constitution to become vigilantes, establishing colonies as far as the Caliphate. While still shunned by other races, those who defect from the promise of the Boca perceive freedom as their divine vocation.
