Tieflings

The Tieflings

Tieflings are like other hominids with a few exceptions. Their name is derivative of the word for low, implying they are born from the low flames, or a hellish region but this might be a misnomer for the Tieflings of Dunia. Most have horns, some have tails, some have hooves, and some have wings, or any mixture of these attributes. They were afflicted with a foreign virus-like corruption originating from various infernal realms many eons ago that affected their human DNA, imparting them with a strange connection to magic itself. This happened during a period of time when Dunia's plane had a strong connection to other planes of existence. This viral DNA manifests in a fiendish apperance, but otherwise grants them several unique abilities. Having been mutated so long ago by this external influence, they've speciated away from humans at large and are at this point considered their own species.
Some view it as a curse, or have a fear of the Tieflings' origins, but they are not their ancestors. They regularly choose to defy or rise up above expectations for their kind. There are a few exceptions of course, but for the most part, Tieflings do not mirror their progenitors' sins. Often misjudged and mischaracterized, Tieflings were at one point relegated to the fringes of society, being a hugely marginalized group. People feared them because of their otherwise demonic appearance. They were viewed as second-class citizens all too frequently and were denied basic human rights. This perception from the other species on Dunia did eventually change but it took a lot of concerted effort from other outcasts and incremental reforms on civil rights. They had won some major civil rights cases in Verdoyant and Eadwellian territory just a few decades before the Cataclysm hit which did finally put them on equal footing with others in those regions.
There are several different strains that affect the various subspecies of Tieflings differently referred to as lineages, where the originator of the strain's influence bled over into their genes and altered their appearance and their abilities accordingly.

Lineages

Aeshma's Lineage - One of the most ancient rulers of a realm of pain and suffering, Aeshma is the manifestation of wrath. Aeshma is a demon depicted with two sets of horns and digitigrade feet, wielding a 3-headed bloody flail. Aeshma's influence corrupted humans that were constantly at war and could not let go of their anger.
Azkan's Lineage - Ruler of an ancient realm where greed is turned upside-down and material wealth flows outwards from the greedy, Azkan is the manifestation of avarice. Azkan is a powerful demon often depicted with two sets of short horns and a large third set of horns, all plated in bits of gold, with parts of his flesh replaced with gold plating. He was said to carry a gilded balancing scale and a golden dagger with a wavy blade. Azkan corrupted humans whose unbridled avarice led to others' suffering.
Balor's Lineage - The king of the Fomorians, a powerful race of demonic beings, Balor's influence bled over from his realm into Dunia and altered the humans touched by it irrevocably. Those in the Northern parts of Jazirah were impacted. Once known as the king of demons, Balor was often said to have inverted wings, gargantuan horns, and cloved feet, with a burning crown floating atop his head. During his reign, he wielded a flaming whip and a powerful sword of storms at his side, but his most dangerous ability was his lethal gaze. His influence corrupted those with unrelenting contempt. He was destroyed by Lugh at one point in his own realm.
Cethlenn's Lineage - The queen of the Fomorians, Cethlenn ruled over their realm alongside Balor. She is often depicted with a ram's features, sporting large curved horns, curly hair, and pale skin, wielding a scepter adorned with gems that absorbed light. Her influence was whispered into the minds of ancient humans and changed them slowly but insidiously. She wields the power of foresight, and is able to predict events that are yet to manifest. Her influence corrupted those that were exceptionally deceptive.
Lilitu's Lineage - The primordial being of both love and war, Lilitu was often depicted as a beautiful demon of the night with wings that sprouted from her lower back, sporting curved horns and flowing hair. She could make herself invisible, invade the dream world, disguise herself, and even steal the life force from the living. Her influence altered the bloodlines of those that were irredeemably envious or lustful.
Lineage of Malkus - The demon ruler of a dark and cold realm of ice, Malkus was the slow death that crept upon betrayers and oathbreakers, insidiously breaking down their psyche until they lost all sense of self. Malkus was depicted as having blue piercing eyes that would shimmer in the light, long fangs that were meant to pierce flesh, and horns that curved inwards and backwards, and had four arms. Malkus wielded a tremendous blackmetal hammer that would break the spirits of many, adorned with carvings of wailing souls. Malkus' influence corrupted the genes of traitors, backstabbers, and the dishonorable.
Lineage of Orcus - The punisher of the dead but also a being that manifested his own realm, Orcus' influence bled over in regions where the dead became restless. He often appears as a hunched over gaunt being with a draconic head with monstrous canines. He has a wicked tail and wields a powerful club to crush the bones of the punished. Orcus' influence corrupted the genes of both those that would try to defy the natural order of death itself, and those that fought the undead.

Adaptations

Tiefling biology is somewhat alien when compared to the other hominids, with their pigmentation not being determined by natural factors but by their lineage. Their horns are also a result of corrupted DNA, and have largely remain unchanged since their originator's influence spread to their species, this is not found in any other hominid species. Similarly, cloved hooves and tails are also a result of this change to their physiology in ancient times. Their tails allow them to balance slightly better as their center of gravity is altered by their other features.
Their infernal DNA also allows them to shrug off fire as if it were nothing, with an ablative non-flammable compound coating on their skin naturally produced by their pores, they are incredibly resistant to fire but not immune. Their bodies also radiate heat away better than other species as well, thus allowing them to survive in some extreme heat conditions. Surprisingly, their hair also has some measure of fire resistance, not being a flammable keratinous material. This does, however, mean that they supplement their diet with strange things.
Their innate connection to magic itself allows them to perform a sort of 'waveshaping' technique where they use a combination of strong emotions and particular movements to cast magic. This allowed them to fight, even when their weapons were taken away from them, and worked in their favor. Unfortunately this does also mean they're less physically stable when they encounter high amounts of ambient magical entropy.

Culture

Tieflings have frequently been the brunt of many social stigmas, blamed for when things go awry, or have been treated as outcasts or second-class citizens. Sometimes they were forced into indentured servitude through systemic oppression and families were torn apart or separated by larger, more powerful groups. Only recently were they victorious in numerous civil rights cases in Jazirah and Karrah. Jazirah's nations were a bit more welcoming and open to Tieflings as a whole when compared to Karrah, though xenophobic tendencies from Humans and Orcs did not wane for some time. Eventually they were celebrated and revered for their contributions to society.
Their culture is best communicated through their art, their music, and their inventions. Many tiefling writers had to go under pseudonyms in the past, and would often come under fire when they were outed for their works - or worse yet, their work was stolen by other humans, but they had a cultural rennaissance roughly 150 years before the Cataclysm, which catapulted them to the forefront of high culture and art. Their writing permeated the cultural hubs of the Verdoyant and Eadwellian nations, riling up and challenging the status quo with bold statements and inventive approaches to perspective, but also acting and music. Tiefling music was lauded for its avant-garde qualities and novel approaches to usage of more traditional instruments like the upright bass and the trumpet. The piano was a favorite of many soloist Tiefling musicians as well. Their music filled the air of many lounges, bars, and nightclubs with sordid, rich sounds. They pioneered quite a few genres of music which many others emulated or adopted.
Tiefling families are usually multi-generational, where the parents of the youngest are usually the ones responsible for organizing and leading their households. They had placed a high value on education, as education has traditionally been the way that they were able to elevate themselves out of poverty and into desirable positions in society. They still do. There is often a family library, where the oral history of one's family was converted into a written history.

Architecture

Tiefling architecture before the Cataclysm often incorporated similar materials to the more populous species, such as bricks, wood, metals, and glass. It didn't really come into its own until roughly 50 years before the Cataclysm where they began experimenting with more interesting shape design and approaches to try and solve housing issues in more metropolitan areas. They also designed self-sustaining multi-family housing units to combat urban food deserts, complete with a communal garden, power generation units, and water collection and purification facilities. There were designs that incorporated a lot of triangular and trapezoidal structures as their motifs used for art museums and government buildings.
Post-cataclysm, they've mostly focused on reclaiming and renovating structures, or salvaging buildings for their parts to rebuild. Tiefling settlements are often comprised of several multi-family dwellings, each building capable of sustaining itself, but the community is still interconnected via radio and comms lines in the event the settlement comes under attack. To reduce the likelihood of food being stolen, their gardens are typically situated on the rooftops, along with solar panels that provide power. There's also a kinetic battery operated generator that runs a driveshaft as it unwinds during the night, but spools up during the day while under solar and wind power.
Usually at the edge of a tiefling settlement there is a hightower that guards rotate out of in shifts throughout the day and night. There's also usually a motorpool situated underground beneath the apartment structures, to keep their transportation under close watch. The school and workshop are kind of a combined central area where adults can keep an eye on their kids.

Technology

Tieflings, with a deeper connection to magic than other hominids, integrated magic itself into a lot of the technology they use. One of their greatest contributions to society at large was the invention of the magecraft repulsor and the magecraft flywheel drive, which are still used even after the Cataclysm in several modes of transportation. It revolutionized movement across the continents and made high speed travel much more feasible even before crude was available. Unfortunately, the engineers behind the designs were lost to history.
Aside from magecraft, they also pioneered gas masks, miniaturized the computer, devised the first networked electronics devices, and engineered telecommunications lines. One inventor also came up with an air-pressurized water gun called a 'Super Splasher' which was hugely popular just a few years before the Cataclysm happened but he wasn't properly attributed the design, or rather a huge company swept it up without really crediting him. Similarly, other inventions may have not been properly credited to Tieflings where they should have been.
They're the ones that established the Morgan Arms weapons company as an everyman's manufacturer, with ease of use and portability being the first and foremost factors in their design decisions, but also established the Union Defense corporation as well, as a contractor for Eadwellian and Verdoyant nations. Something about straightforward and lightweight firearms is appealing to Tieflings. They designed one of the most successful and widespread assault rifle platforms, the Morgan Arms A-15 and later the L63, developed by Ethan 'Stonehand' Morgan, grandson of Eugene Morgan, inventor of the A-6 Shotgun and H9-45 High-power Handgun.

Unique Vehicles

Union Defense MIFV-113 - A mobile infantry fighting vehicle that saw widespread success during proxy wars between the Verdoyant alliance and the Shedari armed forces. It frequently features a 30mm chain gun as its main armament, with a coaxial light machine gun as it secondary armament. Its main purpose is to deploy a squad to the front lines, protected from shrapnel.
Hovertank MHT-338 - A combined effort between humans and tieflings, the MHT-338 was an attempt to develop a high speed overland competitor to the Dragonborn's lumbering T-60. It is equipped with an autoloader and 360-degree turret rotation but its wide design gives it a larger silhouette. It operates off of magecraft equipment.
Wingsail Aeronautics Ultralight Glider - This flywheel-operated ultralight sails through the skies effortlessly like an albatross riding the thermal updrafts. Designed and built as an observational scientific craft and exploratory vehicle, it has no weaponry to speak of.

Unique Weaponry

Hawkins ML-6 - One of the earlier multi-launcher designs with a revolving magazine, the ML-6 is a 6-shot grenade launcher that can act as a force multiplier. It was deployed during one of the last proxy wars where the Verdoyant alliance actually intervened on behalf of the country that was being invaded. Its polymer furniture and lightweight design make it more portable than the Boer Industries counterpart.
Morgan Arms BCG - The 'Briefcase Gun' is an automatic pistol-cartridge PDW that folds up into a small, compact form and is super lightweight. There are very few existing examples of this weapon around today.
Morgan Arms AMG-L - The Assault Machine Gun, Lightweight model was developed late into Ethan 'Stonehand' Morgan's life, but provides a very accurate, lightweight squad automatic weapon that shares its cartridge with the A-15, making logistics much easier.
Rancor Foehammer - A limited production prototype shotgun, the Foehammer, developed by John Rancor, is a rare and futuristic piece with a feature set not seen in any other weapons. Its magazines can be deployed as anti-personnel mines.

Racial Features

Ability Score Increase: Your ability scores are modified by your lineage.
Age: Tieflings mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer.
Size: Tieflings are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision: Thanks to your infernal heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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 can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Hellish Resistance: You have resistance to fire damage, but also do not gain Exhaustion levels from extreme heat.
Spectral Flight: Starting at 7th level, you gain limited flight capabilities, as you manifest spectral wings from your corrupted lineage when you desire. You can activate this feature as a bonus action or a reaction once per short or long rest. You can fly at a speed of 45 feet for a duration of 10 minutes. Once the duration ends, you will gently fall to the ground and take no fall damage. While your wings are out, you cannot take fall damage, and instead glide. While wearing Heavy or Superheavy armor, you cannot use your wings to gain height.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Infernal.

Fiend-Touched Lineage Features

Spellcasters and Lineages
As a spellcaster, you can raise your volatility to cast these spells. They are included in your known spells list when you reach the specified levels. If you are not a spellcaster, you can cast these spells the specified number of times per specified rest.
Aeshma's Lineage
You know the Fire Bolt cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Searing Smite spell at 2nd level with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Flame Blade spell once with this trait, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. Your Strength score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.
Azkan's Lineage
You know the Mage hand cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Detect magic spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Knock spell once with this trait, and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. Your Intelligence score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.
Balor's Lineage
You know the Thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Hellish rebuke spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Darkness spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. Your Constitution score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.
Cethlenn's Lineage
You know the Guidance cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Command spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Hold Person spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. Your Wisdom score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.
Lilitu's Lineage
You know the Minor Illusion cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Disguise Self spell once. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the Invisibility spell once. You must finish a long rest to cast these spells again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. Your Dexterity score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.
Lineage of Malkus
You know the Ray of Frost cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Icebound Armor spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Misty Step spell twice with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. Your Constitution score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.
Lineage of Orcus
You know the Chill touch cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Inflict Wounds spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Silence spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. Your Intelligence score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.