A legacy of smoke and shadow trails your every step, for you are one of the Brimstone-Bound. Whether your lineage began with a desperate pact or a curse cast upon a defiant ancestor, you carry the visual and visceral marks of the lower planes. You are a living testament to the fact that blood does not define destiny, yet your path is rarely easy. With a glance that pierces the dark and a resilience born of hellfire, you are a harbinger of change standing between the world of mortals and the echoing depths of the planes below.

Members of this ancestry are immediately recognizable by their supernatural features. They possess horns of various shapes: some are curved like a ram, others are straight and pointed like a gazelle, and some are small like a goat. They often have thick tails that range from four to five feet in length. Their skin tones include the full human range but frequently exhibit shades of vibrant red, bruised purple, or ashen gray. Their eyes are typically solid orbs of color: often gold, silver, black, or red, without visible pupils or sclera.

Lacking a unified homeland, the Brimstone-Bound are often the perpetual outsiders of other civilizations. They tend to live in small, tight-knit communities within larger cities, where they find safety in numbers. Because of the prejudice they face, they prize self-reliance and personal loyalty above all else. They are often masters of trades that others find distasteful or dangerous, such as alchemy, assassination, or dealing with extraplanar entities. Their culture is one of quiet resilience and a shared understanding of being 'othered' by the world at large.

Many Brimstone-Bound find themselves drawn to faiths that emphasize redemption or survival. Some embrace their dark heritage and serve powerful fiendish patrons, while others become fervent champions of light to prove they are more than their blood. They do not have an innate leaning toward evil, though the societal pressures they endure often lead them toward chaotic or neutral alignments. Most simply try to live their lives without drawing the ire of judgmental neighbors.

Since they lack a nation of their own, they often inhabit the oldest or most neglected quarters of human cities. Their architecture is characterized by hidden rooms, complex locks, and defensive features. In the rare instances where they build their own settlements, they favor dark stone and subterranean levels that provide comfort from the prying eyes of the surface world.

The Brimstone-Bound often have a strained relationship with more traditional folk. They find a common ground with other outcasts, such as goblin-kin or those with draconic heritage. They are frequently viewed with suspicion by elf-like or dwarf-like societies who maintain long memories of ancient wars involving the lower planes. However, their reliability and unique skills often make them valued members of adventuring parties.