Vathysian (Vah-theece-ian)

Vathysians are humanoids whose bloodlines have "fallen" to hellish "taints"; how this came to be varies from bloodline to bloodline. Their features become like those of their fiendish origins: tails, horns, and inhuman skin colors are all common; rarer features include thickened skin, barbs, pointed ears, and changed eye anatomy. Otherwise, they share many of the same features as Humans: they usually have similar builds and height variance, and live about as long, if maybe a few years longer naturally.
Due to the changes in their bloodline, they have an affinity for fire, and most can learn very basic magic. Their link to realms of fire grant them near unparalleled harmony with it, and some skilled Vathysian mages are known to call exceptionally powerful flames. Their natural bond to fire also makes them resistant to heat and burns; they can receive damages like burns or heatstroke, but it's significantly harder than your typical human. Vathysian also possess dark vision, and as such, can see fairly well in dimly lit or dark conditions, though many still prefer well-lit areas for work.
Vathysians have existed throughout written history, and the oldest records indicate they existed prior to even those said records; as such, it isn't known when Vathysians came to be. Thankfully, they are rarely demonized, as their unique traits have allowed them to be exceptional workers of various talents, but none quite like the forge. Many famous smiths are Vathysians, as they can withstand heats beyond reasonable for most races. Their resistance to fire also leads to many firefighters being Vathysians, and stories of particularly noble Vathysians running into burning buildings to rescue trapped inhabitants aren't excessively rare.
Vathysians represent a decent portion of mages, as their atypical lineage has granted them an inherent link to magic. Vathysian mages have quite the edge on fire spells, and many Vathysian mages will use fire magic almost like an extension of their physiology; mundane actions like lighting candles and stoves with a flick of their hand, or warming rations in a mere moment for a hot meal anywhere.
For all intents and purposes, Vathysian intermixing is largely the same as humans; However, instead of hybridizing, Vathysian traits seem to be quite dominant, often overwriting other traits instead of mixing. Traits may stick around for a generation or two, but largely equalize without frequent reintroduction. For this reason, "Pureblood" isn't used to describe Vathysian lineages, as it's largely indistinguishable.

Attributes

Born in Flames

Vathysians laugh in the face of fire, as the flames barely tickle them.
○ Passive Resistance to Fire

Darkvision

Vathysians are not hindered by the absence of light, as most species are.
○ Passive, 60 feet

Flame Mastery

Vathysians have a natural affinity for the flames, and as such can harness their power with more skill than other races.
○ When attacking with any fire based attack, you can reroll any 1's until you get a 2 or higher.
○ You can willingly produce a minor amount of fire to light a small flame, suitable for candles, campfires, stoves, or similar; this can also be used as pure heat to lightly heat objects, such as a mug of water or a ration of food. This can be used to attack barehanded with fire magic, for 1d4 damage.

Related Organizations

• Silvergrove Smith's Guild