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The Shining City.

Aasimar Tainted

Tainted Aasimar

Normally, aasimar are a planetouched race of goodly folk, descended from celestials. However, a certain group of celestials was tasked to fight in some unknown battle millennia ago in the sphere that is now known as the Graveyard of the Gods. Scholars claim these celestials lost the war and were stuck in this sphere, unable to be called home after the phlogiston flooded into the sphere after its shattering due to its anti-conjuration properties. These celestials continue to fight to hold onto their stronghold on the world of Austerion, where they maintain a bastion of hope amongst the dying world around them. However, these celestials are not immune to the Taint of the world around them, and slowly began succumbing to its corruption. Their celestial blood is enough to stave off the effects, but the Taint still corrupted them at a base level. Tainted aasimar are the direct descendants of these brave celestials, and are bred to survive in a world that would otherwise see them corrupted.

Personality: Generally, tainted aasimar are sullen, cold, and calculating. Accepting that their lineage curses them to loneliness and despair, understanding that the world itself wants them dead. A rare few adopt the honorable and noble attitudes of their ancestors and break the cycle of doom and gloom.

Physical Description: Tainted aasimar appear like humans (sharing the same height and weight as that race), with the exception of wispy silver or black hair. Their eyes are usually a darker sort, ranging from pure black to almost pale and milky white. Otherwise, they have similar appearance traits to regular aasimar.

Relations: Tainted aasimar rarely fit in with most other races, preferring to keep to themselves or with a small group of people in whom they trust. Due to this, tainted aasimar typically become either recluses due to their perceived status as a "bad luck omen". However, others become adventurers as a way to find a trusted group of comrades as a way to stave off their loneliness. Contrary to normal aasimar, tainted aasimar with similar planetouched races, such as tieflings, believing them to be kindred in their cursed existence.

Alignment: Tainted aasimars are usually neutral, with their celestial heritage offsetting their tainted nature. Good tainted aasimar are relatively common among those who remain in the Shining City and become its protectors alongside their celestial counterparts. However, outside of the Shining City, it is more common for them to become evil and succumb to their curse due to a lack of a proper support structure needed to endure it.

Tainted Aasimar Lands: Tainted aasimars hail from a place known as the Shining City. This city began as a stronghold in some long-forgotten war that caused the shattering of the sphere now known as the Graveyard of the Gods. The city itself stands as a stark contrast to the rest of the world of Austerion, a bright golden light amongst a sea of darkness and decay. The defenders and rulers of this stronghold-turned-city are ancient celestials that have lived for an untold amount of time, ever vigilant against the force of evil banging on its front doors. The main citizens are various corrupted mortal races that have slowly been tainted by the influence of the planet, but kept sane by the powers who rule the city, which includes the tainted descendants of these celestials: the tainted aasimar.

Religion: Tainted aasimars have no chief deity, and typically worship whichever deity their ancestral celestial served under. Rare tainted aasimar who succumb to their curse will typically serve evil deities as their heralds or clergy.

Language: Tainted aasimars have no cultural language, although those that realize their heritage usually learn Abyssal or Celestial, depending on whether their curse consumes them or not. An aasimar usually learns the language of their parents.

Names: Tainted aasimars generally take human names, though some change their names upon reaching young adulthood and realizing their heritage.

Adventurers: Tainted aasimars make natural adventurers; their desire to connect with others and stave off their inherent loneliness drives them to seek companionship. Many pursue a divine calling, becoming paladins or clerics, but the race also boasts many powerful sorcerers, bards, fighters, and rangers.

A tainted aasimar male and female.

Tainted Aasimar Racial Traits

Tainted aasimars have all the aasimar racial traits given in Chapter 4 of the Races of Destiny (pp 92–93) except as follows:

  • Animate Dead (Sp): Instead of daylight, a tainted aasimar can cast the animate dead spell once per week as a 1st-level caster or a caster of her class level, whichever is higher. No variant skeletons or zombies can be made with this spell.
  • Pure Soul: Tainted aasimars do not gain the normal resistances of their race, and instead gain access to the Pure Soul feat, ignoring its prerequisites. They also do not lose the feat for changing their alignment, as per normal for Exalted feats.
  • Automatic Languages: Common and your choice between Abyssal or Celestial. Bonus Languages: Any. Tainted aasimars have more of a desire to meet new people, and they need to communicate with them.