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Tieflings are humanoids who at some point in their ancestry have acquired the influence of the more dread planes, either Abyssal or Infernal, be it through powerful influence, corruption or familial relations, and as a result have acquired some aspect of the denizens of those Fiendish realms. Like many of the split ancestries, they are natural outsiders, prone to roaming more than community building, especially as they often face persecution due to their heritage.

Appearance

Tiefling are varied in appearance, though most often they are similar in form to their non-fiendish humanoid ancestries, with the same range of heights, but with some noticeable alterations, typically in the form of horns, tails, and/or more vibrant colouration of the eyes and skin. Hair colour tends towards black, but can also present in an array of more common or vibrant shades. Additionally, fiendish biology means that a tiefling’s vocal range may extend to further extremes than typical, such as a pit fiend’s husky baritone that might rattle the air, or a ear-grating nasal affectation like an imp, a quality often valued by bardic colleges.

Their fiendish aspects can be more or less noticeable person to person, for instance at more extreme ends of the spectrum; they may be taken at a glance for a denizen of the fiendish planes, with an assortment of deep purple or yellow skin, patches of scales and digitigrade goat legs or other bestial features.

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Alternatively they may be able to pass as their non-fiendish ancestry, with just a small set of horns hidden in the hair and small bat-like wings easily hidden beneath clothes, or some other such more discreet mark. It is speculated amongst many that these traits may be tied to abyssal or infernal bloodlines and liege lords, however the complexities of these make it difficult to confirm.

For personal appearance, many Tiefling place a large focus on self-expression, often to delineate themselves from, or re-enforce, their heritage, and express this through their style of dress, piercings, and tattoos. Traditional tattooing does not work on tieflings, as the ink breaks down rapidly in the conditions of their skin, however techniques utilising acidic chemicals or branding with hot iron have developed to achieve similar decorative effects.

Culture

Language: Often nomadic or cosmopolitan, Tieflings typically find it benefits them to learn to speak, read, and write in Common, and most find that they have an intuitive understanding of their racial fiendish tongue, often switching to Infernal in moments of high emotion. They are typically as adept at learning languages as other more social races.

Life Expectancy: The average lifespan of a Tiefling is slightly longer than their humanoid heritage, typically gaining between 10 - 50 additional years beyond their natural lifespans (for example, 100-150). However this average is often brought down in censuses taken in more superstitious or barbaric communities, which blame fiendish interference for their misfortunes.

Religion: Many Tieflings find confirmation of belief in the planescape through their own very existence, and so are often open minded to the grand alignments of the planes, knowing they are touched by the infernal planes but given a mortal soul, with which to choose their own path.
Many reject traditional predestination, preferring a more secular, self-determined code of personal values. There are however, some that might seek to deepen their connection to an ancestor through worship/pacts, or conversely, take up piety with the divine to seek redemption for their familiar history. In urban communities, it’s likely they may just inherit from the non-fiendish parent that raised them, sometimes paradoxically. Common deities include: Beshaba, Ilmater, Mask, Selûne, Shar, and Tymora.

Holidays/Traditions: While many Tieflings have a shared experience, they don’t often have much of a sense of community with each other, so shared holidays and traditions are rare. However amongst the rare families of Tieflings, it’s common for parents to mark the day of a Tiefling’s first bloodline magic, commonly around their adolescence, as a sort of second birthday, whether as celebration or warning, it is considered a Day of Decision. Natural outsiders, Tieflings are often drawn to celebrations devoted to the revolutionary or iconoclastic, free-thinkers and legends that chose to achieve great deeds, against great odds or fates. In urban communities, a tongue-in-cheek celebration of Beshaba at Midsummer is popular, said to be held to shake off bad luck and celebrate surviving poor fortune.

Creation Story: As a hybrid race, Tieflings have perhaps been around since the infernal planes first connected to the rest of the planescape. Whether it was first a Devil created by the Pact Primeval, or some Demon of the Abyss, that reached out and first connected to, not an unfated soul as is the natural order, but a living being of the Prime Material. Through birth or corruption, Tieflings then have sought to find their home, either amongst infernal ranks, or their more worldly parentage.

Environment: Most commonly, Tieflings seek to settle in remote places, such as mountains, volcanoes, deserts, which their heritage allows them to suffer more kindly than most, and allows for them to be out of the way of more superstitious communities. However, they do often pop up in surprisingly large numbers in larger cities, where they can gain the anonymity of a busy and multicultural crowd.

Professions/Economy: Often tieflings take on mobile professions, such as traveling scholars, bards, mercenaries, or tradespeople, which allow them to see the breath of the world, and stay amongst open minded companions. They tend towards an economy of trade, exchanging whatever they might have gathered on their travels for whatever they might need on the road ahead. Those that do settle are usually the more highly skilled, such as smiths, mages or alchemists.

Society/Government: Most often outside observers of politics, Tieflings are often adaptable to local laws and customs, but more closely stick to their individualist principles, which can mean bending or quietly subverting the original intent in favor of the literal interpretation of the law, a habit often thought to be a throwback to their infernal ancestry. Disagreements are often settled through impassioned debate, or contests chosen by the offended party.

Personality

Temperament: Though brought about by the convergence of infernal influence and the prime material, Tieflings have a freedom of temperament, however are prone to excess of emotion. While it is often something they make a conscious choice to embrace or repress, there is a great range in the response Tieflings take to their heritage, such as playing up the infernal terror they inflect, or seeking to be a beacon of pious charity in opposition to expectations. This innate reminder of circumstances beyond their own control often means that they are open minded about the circumstances of others, willing to explore and embrace the unorthodox, for good or ill.

Morals: Highly individualistic, with emphasis on personal deeds and values.
Strengths: In any number of ways, Tieflings tend to have a charismatic air that draws attention, they are also naturally resistant to both warmer climates and direct heat, with vision that stands up well even in the dark. Weaknesses: They are often very sensitive to emotion and persecution, and some may even share, to a lesser extent, the weaknesses of their infernal parentage. Fears: Loss of freedoms, forced isolation or failing to live to their own potential Goals: Tieflings generally seek their own personal goals, such as gaining power or fame, or simply a pious life well lived.

Relationships

Allies: Naturally Tieflings find allies where they can, ancestrally they may have favor amongst those that traffic with the infernal, such as Orcs and Humans, however they typically prefer to establish themselves on their own merit. Often treated with suspicion themselves, once trusted ardently, they are likely to return the sentiment. Enemies: While many Tieflings overcome their natural planar alignment, there’s a curiously innate discomfort they feel near Aasimar, a physical uneasiness that often leads to poor relations between the two, however many have found this reduces with exposure. Additionally, many Tieflings are historically aligned against the wizards of the Thay empire, where there’s a history of their enslavement and use as pawns in infernal power-brokering.

Family/Friends: For those not from existing tiefling-blood lineages, new couplings are often a part of pacts, deceptions, recruitment, or just traditional emotion with those who traffic with fiends, as such it’s often with Orcs, Humans, Gnomes, Half-Elves, Duegar and not so much surface Dwarves or high Elves. As such, some may worship or serve their infernal ancestors, others may seek a greater understanding of their mortal roots, or others still seek to fight against the fate their parentage might have brought them, especially if made as part of a plot. Once again a Tielfing’s depth of emotion, personal convictions and strength of individuality can make them difficult but often steadfast friends.

Common Names: Traditional family names often lend from Infernal, otherwise it’s very common for young Tieflings to take on a personal Virtue as a name. Nicknames are also popular, as many find it reaffirms their individuality and strength of character.

Infernal Names: Often starting with harsh constants, and ending on a strong vowel sound Akmenos, Damakos, Kairon, Morthos, Pelaios, Anakis, Bryseis, Ea, Makaria, Nemeia, Orianna

Virtue Names: Something with meaning to the individual, or their parent: Faith, Loyalty, Truth, Companion, Carrion, Chant, Creed, Despair, Excellence, Glory, Hope, Idol, Harmony, Wonder, Open, Beauty, Quest, Reverence, Sorrow, Temerity, Torment.

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