Impetus

The Impetus are very tall people with an innate ability to control fire as well as an immunity to it. They tend to be more aggressive than other races and tend to be dominant in relationships of any kind. They live and breathe fire, and have thus named their offspring after things relating to it.

### Biology and Anatomy

#### Magical Ability

All Impetus are naturally gifted in pyrokinesis. While some can be more skilled than others, all of their kind can control it to some degree. Because of this, they find ease in careers that require the use of fire magic like offensive fire mages within the military, blacksmithing, or showmen- who often find themselves paired up with Breksta in the field of performance.

The power a Impetus holds within their fire can be measured by how red their hands are, this can range from only their fingertips being red to the entirety of their hands being red. This is because more of the gas that runs through their bodies is built up, and they have a higher supply of it.

#### Anatomy

Impetus have humanoid bodies and are usually larger in size, always being above 6 feet tall -save for females, who never surpass 5 1/2 feet in height. They can have black or orange skin as well as darker or tan skin. Light skin is quite rare among them, but having it doesn't give any social advantages or disadvantages. While just about any hair colour is possible, white hair is the rarest. Among their people, white hair will earn you immediate respect.

Females are rarer, they're at a higher social class and more valued than the common male. While men are big burning infernos, women are small and precious lights that should be kindled as long as possible.

Their bones are quite literally made of metal, which kind varies on heritage. Despite this, it doesn't cause them to appear incredibly heavy. The metal will have no real weight until the Impetus who carries it dies. The reasons for this are unknown, but it's speculated to be caused by the gas that runs through them like blood counteracts this weight. When one of their kind dies, this gas is expelled through any means necessary -but mostly commonly escapes the body through the fingers or wounds. Because of this, it's dangerous to be around a dead or dying Impetus as their body could literally explode if not handled properly.

Additionally, rare traits among the Impetus are more varied, including the aforementioned white hair, white/black eyes, and having four arms. Always found among them -save for a few rare cases- are their pointed teeth and eyes. One of their kind (save for hybrids) will always have the Eyes of Agnia. This trait gives them pure red pupils and causes an uncomfortable feeling in non-Impetus who look them in the eye.

#### Biology

They have an exceptionally high internal body temperature at 140 degrees Fahrenheit being considered the average. However, they can control how much of this body heat is actually expelled. If they suppress their internal temperature for too long a Impetus can become ill. One can become ill if they become too cold as well, making colder places like Nerevlin incredibly dangerous for them.

They are conceived in a manner that may be considered strange in comparison to other races. Children can only be made between a male and female, or between two females. The latter will produce only female Impetus. Children are created by two Impetus merging their magical flames. Those who -for some reason- cannot use pyrokinesis are considered infertile. Because of the nature of their conception women are barred from joining the Ashen military, as it's quite easy to accidentally cross flames in the heat of battle or when sparring.

### Nativity and Distribution

Impetus are native to Ashen and are most likely to be found there. A good chunk of their population has made homes in hotter places like the deep rainforests of Evershade or the deserts of Duskshine. The Impetus also have a strange synergy with the Anthean people and meld well with them, resulting in many Impetus immigrating from Ashen to Rosale -especially weaker or smaller members of the race who find themselves unable to keep up with the competitive nature of those in Ashen.

They're banned from Gaio Sylva due to the numerous attempts the Ashen army has made to burn down the forests. Additionally, they're banned from Nerevlin. The original reason for this was to keep the Impetus safe from the incredibly low temperature there, but it's caused a rift between the two races.

### Contributions

Many advancements in combat, weapon forging, and magical control have been made by the Impetus. These can vary from good to bad, depending on the contribution and how it's used.

They've found that the bones of their people can be recycled into weapons, they can produce explosions by cutting their fingers open, that Impetus can hand-make metal weapons because of their extremely high fire resistance, and that their fires never go out and don't produce harmful chemicals -allowing them to use their fires to light streets or homes.