As the Champions scoured the impure races from the land with defiling and bloodshed, not even the far-flung human settlement of Yujas in the verdant South was spared from the strife. Its inhabitants fled into their former farmlands, now a sandy waste. Over the next months they found themselves reduced almost to the level of beasts.
They huddled around their pathetic campfires one night, futilely attempting to keep the frigid winds at bay. Suddenly the fires flared into furious vortexes, and somehow at the same time sent an intense chill through them all. There was a...presence...among them. The shadows of the night loomed larger and darker than should have been possible.
A sulfurous cloud assaulted their senses and a voice older than time spoke to each of them. Some nodded immediately, tears streaming down their faces. Others shook their heads violently, stunned mouths agape and terror in their eyes. Others appeared to consider their responses for varying amounts of time before deciding one way or the other.
Clouds of shadow and flame reached out and enveloped those who had answered in the affirmative. When they were touched, all released bloodcurdling screams. They thrashed about on the ground, heedlessly rolling through the embers, and over razor-sharp rocks and cacti. Blood and burns covered them completely. Charred flesh cracked and split, and as their torment continued wide swaths of skin even began to slough off.
Those of the clan who had declined were untouched, and when they saw their kin's suffering they wanted to help but didn't know what to do. That terrifying otherworldly presence still loomed over them, and while they couldn't see its form they all sensed it was enormously pleased.
Their clansmen's torments continued, but now they could see that where formerly smooth, tanned flesh was ripped and burned away, there was not the expected muscle, bone, and viscera exposed beneath. Instead, fresh skin was being revealed, though it was in various shades of red and seemed almost like tough animal hide.
They had all been very thin, but now those undergoing the change veritably burst from their old ravaged skin. Rippling muscles bulged, and where this new flesh met flame it seemed to glow with strength instead of burning. Power had been offered, and they had accepted. Power to conquer the desert. Nevermore would they know fear or weakness.
The screams subsided after a perceived eternity. The altered clansmen stood up with evident strength and pride shot through with arrogance. Even the fair among them now had coarse black hair and all were at least a head taller than they had been. Growing from their scalps, each had a pair of glistening, sleekly-curved horns. Powerful hands bore black claws instead of fingernails. They looked upon the huddled group of those who had refused the entity's offer with eyes all the colors of flame. They smiled wickedly, revealing sharp white teeth.
All again heard the cold, deep voice speak: "This is a strong, brutal land, and only the strong and brutal will survive it. I have made you more than you were, and now the price must be paid with the blood and anguish of the weak. Know that your pain and loss are sweet to me."
As the final screams of their former clansmen echoed across the dunescape, the first tieflings of Athas watched a new day dawn with a dark sun.
www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/d...
Don't know if you are familiar with the Wheel of Time books, but in my DS campaign I see the tieflings as having a lot in common with the Aiel (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aiel). So, this origin story serves as the tieflings' moment of shared cultural shame.
I'm playing with the idea of having a lost city inspired by Rhuidean (wot.wikia.com/wiki/Rhuidean) in my campaign. There would be a Tree of Life (perfect parallel to Avendesora) and something akin to the glass columns (wot.wikia.com/wiki/Glass_columns) that show a person certain events in history through their ancestors' eyes.
I think it could make for some great RP for our tiefling warlord in particular. He has been wrestling with some inner demons (lol, after I typed that I realized could be both literal and figurative),and seeing the moment his clan bargained with evil to survive would be awesome.
So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when reading through "Beneath the Dust" at your suggestion! With minimal modification it should really fit in wonderfully. Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention. My 5-member party is 6th level, so it's right at the perfect level as well. If anyone has run through it and has any comments on certain sections that might be helpful I'd love to hear.
Thanks again!
Anyways, I have a back-up character (swordmage/wizard) for the DS game I'm in and she was human until corrupted/trained by the rakshasa lord residing in Roqom, Fajjayad. Her father or mother made a deal with the devil; in exchange for safe passage through the Silt Sea and wealth, their first-born was to be given to him. Another version of the background is that it is one of the rakshasas living in the Mountains of the Teeth instead who kidnapped and trained her as an agent to subvert SK rule.
This dark apprenticeship warped and corrupted the child into a "tiefling", she looks normal except for small horns curving out from her brow and a slim tail. Her fiendish appearance grows more pronounced in the heat of battle or throes of ritual magic. When her diabolic soul is let loose, cloven hooves replace her feet/legs and her horns become larger and bloodier. Her story is similar to Illyana Rasputin's of X-Men fame.
As to drawing parallels to WoT/Aiel, no. For me, I see Athas more akin to Frank Herbert's Dune and the Fremen culture. The Aiel Wastes is more of a stony barrens than pure desert, while Dune's Arrakis is all desert. And Athasian elves are more like Aiel than anything else. They're both nomads who love to run rather than ride.
As for the WoT series, I am so looking forward to A Memory of Light. I've been impressed with the job that Brandon Sanderson has done...especially in Towers of Midnight. I felt like he didn't really have the characters' voices down in The Gathering Storm, but he's really turned out a couple of marvelous books (especially given the circumstances). It was so rewarding finally seeing Mat, Thom, and Noal/Jain enter the Tower of Ghenjei.
I live in Charleston, SC (the real Two Rivers:P) and was lucky enough to meet Robert Jordan a few times over the years. One time was a writing workshop I skipped school to attend, and it was pretty much one of the most awesome experiences ever. It's definitely going to be bittersweet seeing the series completed; it's been such a part of my life. Like a lot of people, I re-read the series prior to any new novel being published... so I've been through them all more than a couple of times by now lol.