Ashwind

Ashwind is the dukedom that rules the south and central Firebrand Mountains. It was from this land that Tieflings first appeared. There are a million stories surrounding how exactly it happened but the basics are that a lord of Rookstead who ruled the region managed to forge a pact with all of the 10 archdevils of the hells. One by one, as payment, each one of his 10 children was claimed by one of the devils and became one of the first Tieflings. They are the descendants of all Tieflings and to this day Ashwind is ruled by a council of Eight, each who answer to the Duke.

Ashwind is widely seen as an evil land ruled by devils. This is not untrue. The Tieflings of Ashwind are not particularly nationalistic or violent but devil worship is openly encouraged in the dukedom and gods of other lands are looked upon with disdain. Although not outlawed, worship of any beings besides devils is considered something to keep to oneself. Due to the competitive nature of devils, the different archdevils have churches that engage in social warfare to win the loyalty of others. This can range from winning tournaments to making grand charitable gestures to discrediting church leaders of other sects. The one thing that unites the Tieflings of Ashwind is demons. If the leadership of the Dukedom discovers a demonic cult or conspiracy at play, they will stop at nothing to crush it. Even if it is across the world, they will be there without hesitation.

The largest city of Ashwind is, well, Ashwind. The city bears the same name as the Dukedom so it is normally referred to as “The city” by residents of the Dukedom. The rest of the region is filled with mountain towns, many built near active volcanoes and frequently pelted with either rains of molten rock or howling blizzards. It is a place that very few could live besides Tieflings. Many towns take the names of levels of the nine hells as tribute to their ancestors. Ashwind enjoys a very close alliance with Rookstead, despite having fundamental religious and cultural differences, with many saying the two nations share a relationship akin to siblings.