Cambion

Legacy

Cambions always have a Parent or Grandparent who is of infernal Origin – a Devil, Demon, or Yog. Of them, the most common is the Devil, as Yogs are horrifying to look upon and Demons have a difficult time claiming solidity. The flow of a Cambion never goes further than this, and it does not matter what their other parent was – the result is always a Cambion, though it may influence their appearance.

Cambions are found mostly in towns or cities, often in the roughest quarters of those places, where they grow up to live among the edge of regular society, often seeming to be forever on the outside. Sometimes they live among other minority populations in enclaves where they are treated with more respect.

All Cambions trace their line to a point where some denizen of the Infernal Plane encountered a member of their family within two generations of them. The two generations following always display the marks of it. Cambions are like Tieflings, but can be descended from a Yog, Demon, or Devil. That forebear may or may not have been vanquished and may even still be present in the world.

Cambions are Semihumans, meaning that they have a planar background that separates them from the rest of the peoples in a way that had nothing to do with the God’s War, though some may trace their other lineage back to then, as it was War. Cambions can be of Human, Elfin, Dwarfin, or other derivation.

Cambions can be found among all the assorted homelands, but only very rarely do they come from villages, hamlets, or steadings – it is likelier they will be killed as children in those places. Cambions are rarely taken as slaves or cattle in raids by Foes – they are considered foul and undesirable. Rumor has it that trying to escape Goblin pens via consorting with Demons has led to many an entire stock being killed.

Tradition

Cambions are very close with their parent, often having been overprotected, and they deeply value Family ties, even though they may look poorly on larger scale ties such as kin and Kith. Still, when one mentions Family to a Cambion, the word conjures an idea of the one you create for yourself, not the one that you were born into.

Cambion’s must deal with the knowledge that at some point in the past, one of their ancestors served the Dread Host, or was corrupted by them through their infernal servants, or was involved with infernal beings.

Perspective

All Cambions know that they must make their own way in the world and that they must be strong to survive. This is a strong trait among them – be stronger than those who challenge you.

As there are wicked Seraph, there are nice Cambions. Though, in both cases, their forebears would often take offense. Not that Cambion care: their planar parent usually has nothing to do with them, and their name may not even be known.

A cambion’s bloodline doesn’t affect his or her personality to any great degree. Years of dealing with mistrust does leave its mark on most cambions, and they respond to it in unusual ways. Some choose to live up to the wicked stereotype, but others are virtuous.

They are slow to trust anyone who claims to be a friend, but when a cambion’s companions demonstrate that they trust him or her, the cambion learns to extend the same trust to them. and once a cambion gives someone loyalty, the cambion is a firm friend or ally for life.

Stigmas

People tend to be suspicious of cambions; that their infernal heritage has left its mark on their personality and morality, not just their appearance. Their appearance and their nature are not their fault but the result of an ancient sin, for which they and their children and their children’s children will always be held accountable.

Most Cambion, though, are simply very aware of how people respond to them. After dealing with this mistrust throughout youth, a cambion often develops the ability to overcome prejudice through charm or intimidation.

Shopkeepers keep a close eye on their goods when cambions enter their stores, the town watch might follow a cambion around for a while, and demagogues blame cambions for strange happenings.

Appearance

Cambions are always visibly marked by their Infernal Heritage, having horns or strange bony growths of some sort, and have likely the most varied possible complexions, eye colors, and hair colors. They will retain only some markers of their mortal heritage.

Cambions have large horns that take any of a variety of shapes: some have curling horns like a ram, others have straight and tall horns like a gazelle’s, and some spiral upward like an antelopes’ horns. They have thick tails, four to five feet long, which lash or coil around their legs when they get upset or nervous. Their canine teeth are longer and sharply pointed, and their skin tones cover the full range of mentioned coloration. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is usually dark. Their eyes tend to glow, with their pupils and sclera often matching in color, typically a slit (though it can be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal).

Cambions do not commonly have pointed ears, but likely have pointed chins, sharp noses, and most have some form of widow’s peak, though it can be single, double, or triple.

Cambion are often shocking to look at, as many are far more colorful than other peoples, and it is said in quiet places that the Skyfalls spread their coloring out into the world, and this is why we have folks with such peculiar hair and eye colors. They can have any Hair Type but tend towards the 1 and 2 range.

Their horns may also have remarkable coloration that may even clash with their appearance otherwise. Cambion horns are very sensitive, getting cool or warm easily, and most Cambions flinch involuntarily when they are touched.

Trait

You have Resistance to Infernal damage. This does not mean that Cambion are inherently evil or twisted. It simply means they aren’t as easily affected by it.

Talent

As an action, you can touch a creature and harm them with infernal damage.

The creature loses a number of hit points equal to your proficiency bonus. At each Degree of Mastery, you can choose to either add another amount of harm equal to your proficiency bonus or choose to add an additional time you can use it per day.

This harm cannot cause diseases or arrest or mimic the effects of conditions, it only provides basic reduction of Hit Points, and does not affect Vitality.

You can do this three times per setting of the Sun and only so long as you have at least a short rest between such.

Tell

Deriving much of their existence from the Infernal Planes, Cambion have Weakness to Celestial damage, receiving a plus 1 to each die of damage.

Notes