Ashborn
Ashborn are a rare and more humanoid offshoot of Imps, born not from the forges of Hell, but from the aftermath of mortal bargains burned too close to the flame. When an infernal pact ends in tragedy—be it a broken oath, an overreached promise, or a soul twisted beyond redemption—the embers of that failure sometimes ignite something new. From that scorched potential, an Ashborn is birthed: a being caught between Devil and mortal, shaped in cinders and regret.
Taller and more refined than their impish kin, Ashborn resemble slender humanoids with ashen-gray or coal-black skin, glowing ember-like veins beneath the surface, and eyes that smolder like dying coals. Horns curve like scorched iron, and flickering wisps of smoke often trail from their limbs or mouths when they speak. Though their wings are vestigial or entirely absent, many carry an aura of residual flame, infernal magic, and unsettling charm.
Ashborn retain the cunning of their imp ancestry but lack their obsessive sycophancy and small-mindedness. Instead, they are more independent, calculating, and driven. They often act as infernal fixers, deal-brokers, and warlocks in their own right—managing contracts, enforcing pacts, or punishing those who try to outwit the Hells. To some devils, they are a useful mutation; to others, a blasphemous anomaly that threatens the hierarchy by thinking too freely.
Unlike true devils, Ashborn are not wholly bound to the will of The Nine Hells. Many carve out their own paths across Aigusyl, walking the line between damnation and autonomy. Some rise as cult leaders or crime lords within cities like Cressari, their silver tongues and infernal knowledge winning over mortals desperate for power. Others serve as independent agents, playing devils and mortals against one another in an endless game of leverage.
Though capable of cruelty, Ashborn are not inherently evil—many feel resentment toward the Hells that created them, and some even seek redemption or transformation. Their nature is dual: part-devil, part-mortal, part-ember, part-flame. This gives them a strange empathy toward both sides of a pact, making them surprisingly nuanced mediators, albeit ones who always ensure a price is paid.
