Horns, cloven hoofs, and pointed tails like beasts. Skin the color of flame. Voices that crackle like fuel being burned and eyes that radiate a light notably darker than that which comes from the Grace of the Sun, this is the image of a Tiefling; Eruwë's most feared people. Regardless of their path, all Tieflings know war, for it is war that bore them from the fiery depths of Hell. Although briefly aligned with the Most High, under the guidance of their Goddess-Queen most have again strayed into the path of blasphemy.
TIEFLING HISTORY
Flame, that most ultimate blasphemy, stolen from the pits of Gehenna; it is this flame that scorches the soul of every Tiefling. The flame of rage, of passion, of audacity. Light is meant to be offered by the Sun and the Stars alone, and by the Holy Water within the souls of mortals; fire is thus, an abomination against God, for it creates its own twisted mockery of Light. The Tieflings were born of this abomination, their souls void of Holy Water, the Light within produced by this Sinful Flame. It is said that the Angel-Dragon Szaerivial stole the knowledge of the power of fire from the Most High before fleeing to Earth and disseminating this knowledge amongst his kin as well as the mortals. For his betrayal, he was cursed to burn eternally, his body turned to ash and his soul a flaming spirit hidden away in the deepest depths of the earth. When a mortal wizard by the name of Gideon sought the power of this fire to usurp Gormierre Oskilor, he used conjuration magic to attempt to bind Szaervial's spirit to himself. When he did so, he found he was unable to control his power, burning away entire the lush forest that had once covered the Azag region. It was then that the Tieflings charged forth from the depths of Gehenna, forging an unexpected alliance with the forces of Oskilor. Together, they overpowered Gideon. However, after his defeat, the spirit of Szaervial, no longer bound, sought to bind itself to that which was nearest to it; the very earth. From this point forward, the Sinful Flame sleeps in the very region of Azag, making it among the most unforgiving environments in Eruwë.
Due to the removal of the Sinful Flame from Gehenna, the Tieflings stayed in Azag, maintaining their allegiance to Gormierre Oskilor and even having their leader serve on her Council. During the reign of Nivriel Oskilor, this leader was Sul-Takesh, who has come to be known as "Strongest of All Heroes", and "She Who Every Man Feared". It is said that even Nivriel himself shook with horror at the intensity of her battle prowess. Ever since the death of Nivriel Oskilor and the fall of the Oskilorian Empire, Sul-Takesh has declared herself the architect of a new empire, one wreathed in unholy Flame. She has committed herself to a blasphemous path, claiming to be the conduit of Szaervial's Flame and the rising Blistering Goddess. As for her people, most have remained loyal, particularly the many within her legion. Those Tieflings who have abandoned her flame now seek new purpose for their blazing ambition.
TIEFLING CULTURE
All tieflings have at some point in their lives served in the Legion of Cinder. At the age of 10, all Tiefling children are enrolled in military academy, where they learn the art of war and combat. By the age of 16, after rigorous training, they are fully fledged Cinder Legionnaires, the most feared warriors in Eruwë. Although many Tieflings leave the Legion after the mandatory 4 years of service, most remain. This has made the society of Azag and in particular the city-state of Laiedth deeply militocratic, with higher ranking officials receiving many privileges over the common folk. Economically, Laiedth leverages the power of it's military to extort other regional entities, such as the Puppets of Jördr, for tribute. There are very few natural resources in the Azag Wastes, the only meaningful export from the region being tobacco. Tobacco grown in Azag famously dries as it grows, making it consumable from the point of harvest. It is also among the highest quality on the continent. Being demons, even those few Tieflings who have turned their back on the Blistering Goddess and embrace non-blasphemous cults are sometimes not trusted. Despite this, all but the very foolish would far prefer a tiefling as their ally than as their foe.
TIEFLING TRAITS
Size: Medium
Languages: Common and Azag
Speed: 30 feet
Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray
Hellish Resistance: You have resistance to fire damage
Reach to the Blaze: Once per long rest, you can shroud yourself in flame. For one minute or until ended as a bonus action, you deal fire damage to all creatures within 10 feet of you equal to your level. When you make an attack during the duration, you may also add fire damage to the damage roll equal to your proficiency bonus.
Azag Combat Training: You are proficient in simple weapons, shortswords, and longswords
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