Ten years ago, the people of Mythea had never seen a Tiefling.
No historical record described them.
No ancient text mentioned them.
No traveler spoke of horned people with crimson skin and burning eyes.
As far as the world knew, they did not exist.
Then they appeared.
At first there were only rumors from the southeastern frontier beyond the Velvet Sultanate and near the borders of the Dusklands.
A lone traveler.
A wandering family.
A small group seeking food and shelter.
Most dismissed the stories as nonsense.
Then more arrived.
Year after year their numbers grew.
Today thousands of Tieflings reside in a sprawling settlement known as Emberfall Camp along the frontier between civilization and the untamed wilds.
Where they came from remains one of the greatest mysteries of the age.
According to the Tieflings themselves, they are refugees from another world.
They speak of a distant realm called Ashara.
A world consumed by endless war.
A place of burning skies, shattered kingdoms, and ancient powers beyond mortal understanding.
They claim their people were caught between rival empires locked in a conflict that devastated entire civilizations.
As the war escalated, reality itself began to fracture.
Portals appeared.
Worlds touched.
Some of those rifts opened into Mythea.
The first arrivals came by accident.
Others followed intentionally.
As conditions worsened in their homeland, more refugees crossed through unstable gateways seeking safety.
Many never survived the passage.
Those who did found themselves stranded in a world they had never known.
Most now believe they will never return home.
To the Tieflings, they are not invaders.
They are survivors.
Whether their story is true remains a matter of debate among the people of Mythea.
Tieflings are humanoids whose appearance is unlike any known race native to Mythea.
Common features include:
Horns
Tails
Unusual eyes
Distinctive skin colors
Sharp facial features
Natural resistance to heat
Skin tones vary dramatically and may include:
Crimson
Burgundy
Violet
Indigo
Ash Gray
Bronze
Deep Red
Their horns often serve as symbols of family identity, heritage, and personal pride.
Many decorate them with jewelry, carvings, paints, or engraved metalwork.
Though their appearance causes many to assume otherwise, Tieflings are neither demons nor monsters.
They possess the same capacity for kindness, cruelty, courage, fear, ambition, and compassion as any other people.
The largest Tiefling settlement in Mythea.
Located southeast of the Velvet Sultanate near the northern edge of the Dusklands.
What began as a temporary refugee camp has gradually transformed into a permanent settlement housing thousands.
Though constructed primarily of tents, timber, and salvaged materials, Emberfall is heavily defended.
Watchtowers overlook the surrounding plains.
Veteran warriors patrol its borders.
Scouts maintain constant vigilance.
The Tieflings possess neither the resources nor territory of a kingdom, but they are more than capable of defending themselves against most threats.
Many who viewed them as easy prey have learned otherwise.
While the Tieflings know who they are, Mythea remains deeply divided.
To most people, the Tieflings are a complete mystery.
No one can verify their claims.
No one can prove where they came from.
No one knows why they appeared only ten years ago.
As a result, countless theories have emerged.
Some believe the Tieflings are:
Refugees from another world.
Descendants of forgotten gods.
Survivors of a lost civilization.
Demons disguised as mortals.
Heralds of an ancient prophecy.
Victims of powerful magic.
Scouts for an invasion yet to come.
The truth remains uncertain.
Every kingdom has reached its own conclusions.
The elves tend to view the Tieflings with cautious curiosity.
Many scholars believe understanding them is more important than fearing them.
The arrival of an entirely unknown people represents a historical event unlike any seen before.
The kingdom officially recognizes the Tieflings as free people.
While many citizens remain suspicious, others have begun employing Tieflings as merchants, adventurers, laborers, and explorers.
Perhaps no organization is more fascinated by the Tieflings.
The Collegium views them as one of the greatest mysteries in recorded history.
Scholars frequently travel to Emberfall seeking knowledge of Ashara, planar travel, and the possibility of other worlds.
Officially, the Sultanate has neither accepted nor rejected the Tieflings.
Unofficially, their situation is far more dangerous.
Their exotic appearance has made them highly sought after by criminal slave markets.
A captured Tiefling can fetch an extraordinary price among collectors, nobles, and traffickers seeking rare curiosities.
Though the Sultan publicly condemns slavery, criminal networks continue to operate along the frontier.
The greatest threat facing the Tieflings is not war.
It is predation.
Slave hunters rarely attempt direct assaults against Emberfall.
The camp's defenders are too capable and too numerous.
Instead they target:
Travelers
Traders
Scouts
Hunters
Small caravans
Isolated families
Over the past decade, numerous skirmishes have erupted between Tiefling defenders and slaving operations.
Many bounty hunters, adventurers, and mercenaries have begun taking contracts against known traffickers operating near the frontier.
Despite ten years of study, much remains unknown.
No portal to Ashara has ever been verified.
No scholar has successfully confirmed the existence of the Tieflings' homeland.
No one knows whether more refugees will arrive.
No one knows whether something else may follow them.
The Tieflings insist their story is true.
Many believe them.
Many do not.
For now, the people of Mythea can agree on only one thing:
Ten years ago, the Tieflings did not exist.
Today they do.
And the world has not been the same since.
Though many kingdoms remain uncertain about the Tieflings, two powers have consistently offered assistance: Sylvarana and the Emerald Collegium.
The elves of Sylvarana periodically send food, medicine, craftsmen, and diplomatic envoys to Ashhaven. Many among the Sylvaran people view the Tieflings as refugees deserving compassion rather than fear.
Likewise, the Emerald Collegium has funded supply caravans, medical aid, educational programs, and infrastructure projects within the settlement. Collegium scholars frequently visit Ashhaven, seeking both knowledge and ways to improve the lives of its inhabitants.
Yet goodwill alone cannot solve every problem.
Ashhaven lies far from both Sylvarana and the Verdant Spire, separated by vast distances, difficult terrain, and dangerous frontiers. Caravans must cross wilderness, skirt the Dusklands, and contend with raiders, monsters, and slavers.
As a result, aid arrives irregularly and rarely in sufficient quantities.
The people of Ashhaven are grateful for the help they receive, but most understand a difficult truth:
If they are to survive and prosper in Mythea, they must ultimately build that future with their own hands.
The Sultanate Slave Hunters targetting the tieflings has become a large point of contention in diplomacy between the Velvet Sultanate and Sylavaras. While The Emerald Collegium are supplying aid, they remain neutral from a diplomatic standpoint which has causes some friction between The Emerald Collegium and Sylvaras as well.