"I wish I could believe what you are saying. Your actions have proven counter to your words. I believe you still hold Chaos in your soul. It is my job to root that out of you. I do not enjoy doing this, but it must be done. We'll talk again in a few hours. It is my hope that then you can convince me that your soul is pledged to the service of Order."

— Generosa Alvolia, Conductor of the Chorus of Harmony

by M. J. Barros

History & Legend

The Breaking of the World had many wide and varied alterations to the world of Ashiel, but one of the most widely spread of these was that when the world Broke, the very fabric of Existence itself was torn open in many places. This allowed The Eater to escape his timeless prison outside of everything, but it also opened the ways for entities from other places far beyond what The Weaver had created. Among those who came during the time of the Breaking were the Fiends of the Maleficarium. They came sailing through the Chaos Storm on their massive pleasure barges. Their presence was immediately noted by Yshirea, for they were beings steeped in Order, and he went to them and met with their King and Queen. The whole court of fiends was assembled, various fiends of power and influence attending the King and Queen. The King and Queen began the long task of making a deal with the God of Order for a place within this world. Yshirea knew he would held accountable when the moment had passed, so he took the opportunity to acquire additional power. Left out of this meeting, however, were the three children of the royal fiends.
Prince Xellmath, Princess Surraxod, and Prince Elredath were basically shooed away and told to go play and not get in trouble while the adults dealt with adult business. They did so, leaving the barges and taking to the storm to see the world as if was being torn apart. They each came across people lost in the storm, people who wanted help, wanted to be saved. People willing to pay for it with their very souls. The fiendish children did what any child would do when faced with a buffet, they glutted themselves, making deals and exchanging power and safety for their souls. They eventually heard the horns calling them back the barges, so they went and rejoined the rest of the court. Once all were present the Bargain was struck between the King and Queen of the Maleficarium and the God of Order. A copy of the Bargain remained with the King, while the other went with Yshirea who left to attend to other matters.
The barges changed course heading for the depths of the Shadowfell, which would be their new home. But the court was in brief disarray. One of the provisions included in the Bargain was that only the first fiend to enact a pact with a mortal would be the only one able to until that mantle was passed on to another. It was a potent favor the King possessed and planned to give to one of his Dukes. Once the Bargain was signed by both parties it became Binding Law among all fiends and thus the entire court knew what the three children had done. The Bargain took place retroactively, marking the three children as having made pacts with mortals and making them the only ones able to. In the moment the Bargain was struck they rose in both power and influence within the court, eclipsing even the Dukes and Duchesses. Only the King and Queen were above them.
As time passed those mortals who had made deals with the three children survived and had children and those children had children. And each generation they changed, the influence of the fiendish power and contract working upon the bloodline. Within six generations they were no longer recognizable as being human, the infernal legacy was writ large across them. In many places this led to them being shunned or worse hunted and killed. Many more escaped and the blood was passed on, but more importantly so were the stories and the legends of how they have become what they are. Stories of the fiends and that for those willing they too could make a deal for power. Compelled by their blood these stories were spread and soul by soul more people made the choice to enter into an infernal contract for power. The world had been Broken and was still not whole. There was no certainty in life any longer. Without power, you had little hope of a decent life. Soul by soul, the number of Tieflings began to swell ever greater.
Along with those stories others were told as well, many of them false, some of them true. And some of them uncertain. The most prevalent of these tales was of Asturium, The City of Gold. According to the stories, Asturium was built by Tieflings using the fiendish power they wielded. A lush city made of gold, protected from the outside world through powerful magic spells and enthralled beasts. It was a place where a tiefling would be welcomed with open arms, but all other races must pay to enter. Despite the stories no account ever surfaced of anyone finding Asturium. It remains one of the most well-known myths about the Tieflings, and many a young child dreams of finding it one day.

Appearance & Physiology

Tieflings generally stand between 5’ and 6’2” in height (not including the horns) and generally tend to weigh between 115 and 230 lbs. Tieflings generally live up to around 110 years, but in all other respects they tend to follow Humans closely in maturity and aging. There are three different strains of tiefling, each of which lend a specific palette of coloration and other features. Though there has been significant intermingling over the years, one strain often tends to be dominant when there are more than one present. The strains are known by the terms of a Tiefling being either Umbral, Carnal or Boreal in nature. Skin tone among all Tieflings, no matter their strain, can cover the full range of human coloration, but in addition to this the following also applies:

• The Umbral Tieflings may also have skin tones of light reds, light purples, light yellows or light oranges. Their horn coloration is often a lighter color that matches their skin tone, or they may be a light grey or even white in color. The horns of Umbral Tieflings tend to have very subtle curvature to them and they often have eye color of black or silver. The tail of an Umbral Tiefling often has a tuft of fine hair at the end and some exhibit a thin mane of hair along its length; this hair is very soothing to the touch for non-Tieflings. (This can, if the person is of neutral or positive disposition towards the Tiefling, give the Tiefling a +1 bonus on Persuasion (Charisma) checks.)


• The Carnal Tieflings may also have skin tones of dark reds, dark purples, dark yellows or dark oranges. Their horn coloration is often a darker color that matches their skin tone, or they may be dark grey or black in color. The horns of Carnal Tieflings tend to have very distinct curvature to them and they often have eye color of red or gold. The tail of a Carnal Tiefling often is ended in either a thick bone ‘club’ or a bone ‘spike’, either of which may be used as a weapon. (To attack with your tail uses an action and if it hits roll 1d4 for bludgeoning damage for the club tail or 1d4 piercing damage for the spike tail.)


• The Boreal Tieflings may also have skin tones of light to dark blues, greens as well as snow white. Their horn coloration is often of a color a shade lighter or darker than their skin. The horns of Boreal Tieflings tend to grow straighter than the other strains, many of them exhibiting branches after a few years of growth. They often have eye color of blue or white. The tail of a Boreal Tiefling is often slimmer towards the end and more prehensile than the other Tieflings, able to pick up small items and wield them, but not with precision. (The tail may pick up an item of equal to or less than 3 lbs and roughly wield it as long as it is no longer than two feet.)

Should a Tiefling be of mingled blood then one strain will be dominant and control the overall look of the Tiefling, though at most two traits may come from another strain. In general all Tieflings have a rather high body heat, as if they are heated from within by hellfire itself, though sometimes a Boreal Tiefling will instead exhibit a much colder body temperature than normal. Due to perhaps their infernal nature, Tieflings can impregnate or get pregnant from any of the other races, but in all cases the chances of a pregnancy developing is small. Only with either Tieflings is a pregnancy guaranteed. Lastly it is of note that Tieflings have very harmonic voices that are modulated in such a way to give a certain impression of them. Umbral Tieflings often sound trustworthy and sensual, Carnal Tieflings often sound fierce and intimidating, while Boreal Tieflings often sound calm and logical.

Family & Society

Tieflings do not usually have a traditional family unit, though this is not because of choice. The difficulty with pregnancy among Tieflings often means a pregnancy can and will happen when a Tiefling is not prepared or entirely not around. Many Tieflings are then raised by a single parent, and some have no parents at all due to persecution against them as well as other factors. This is not to say that a Tiefling cannot have a happy family life, but their infernal legacy can make others mistrustful of them. Tieflings can be found in every land in the world. Though in most places they do tend to exist in the lower stratum of society, there are exceptions to this in a couple of lands. Tieflings exist comfortably in the middle or even upper class within the lands of Ordina, Sera and Isenfeur.
When Tieflings do have a family unit there tends to be a hierarchical status based on which strain their favor. Boreal Tieflings tend to sit at the top of this hierarchy and below them are Umbral Tieflings followed by Carnal Tieflings. In larger groups of Tieflings there is often a firm, but likely unspoken and barely acknowledged, structure to their society. There will always be those who are looked to as leaders, who the people listen to, those who support them and those who follow. There is no name for this hierarchical tendency of Tieflings, but it exists and shapes the way they interact, not only with each other but also in regards to other races as well.

Stereotypes & Personality

Tieflings, much like Humans, tend to emulate the culture they have grown up in making them widely varied in their outlooks upon the world. Tieflings generally find themselves drawn to each other and at home in the company of their own kind, though they seem equally at home with any other races albeit in a different manner. The stories about and mistrust of Tieflings is not spun out of whole cloth. There is a natural tendency among Tieflings to tempt others, either by being the source of that temptation or providing it or encouraging it. This is not to say that Tieflings are all evil, far from it, simply that their infernal blood does exert a small influence upon them.
Tieflings in overall can run the gamut of personality but there are some noticeable trends among them. While all Tieflings are charismatic, those Tieflings who favor the Umbral strain often are friendly and charming, ready to be a shoulder to cry on or a source of advice when needed. Those who favor the Carnal strain are often full of energy and vigor, seemingly ready to act at any moment. Those who favor the Boreal strain often project a leadership quality, a feeling that they are in control of any situation. These appearances may not be true at all, but it can seem that way. Perhaps this false seeming might be partially to blame for the mistrust that some can have for a Tiefling?

Travel & Home

Setting aside rumors of fabled cities, Tieflings make their homes where and when they can, and depending upon the culture they grow up in their home could be a squalid house crammed full of other Tieflings or a sprawling mansion with servants at their beck and call. Much like Humans, their home life is more dictated by what is around them than anything else. Tieflings do travel often, however, as much if not more than Humans do. Perhaps this is a way to seek worth or a better life, or perhaps they simply wish to see the world, or perhaps their infernal blood is spurring them to find more people to tempt. Regardless of the cause, Tieflings can be found living and travelling just about everywhere that other people are.

Tiefling Traits

Ability Score Increase
Intelligence +1
Alignment
Tieflings generally tend towards no alignment but they can lean towards either Lawful or Evil.
Size
Medium
Speed
30 feet
Darkvision
60 feet
Hellish Resistance
You have resistance to fire damage.
Languages
You can speak, read and write Common and Infernal.

Strains

Umbral Tiefling

Ability Score Increase
Charisma +2
Xellmath's Legacy
You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the hellish rebuke spell once per day as a 2nd level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the darkness spell once per day. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. These spells do not use a spell slot.
Infernal Voice
You have advantage when making Persuasion (Charisma) checks.

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Carnal Tiefling

Ability Score Increase
Dexterity +2
Surraxod's Legacy
You know the shocking grasp cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the burning hands spell once per day as a 2nd level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the shatter spell once per day. Dexterity is your spellcasting ability for these spells. These spells do not use a spell slot.
Infernal Body
You have advantage when making Dexterity saving throws.

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Boreal Tiefling

Ability Score Increase
Wisdom +2
Elredath's Legacy
You know the vicious mockery cantrip. Once you reach 3rd level, you can cast the charm person spell once per day as a 2nd level spell. Once you reach 5th level, you can also cast the enthrall spell once per day. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells. These spells do not use a spell slot.
Infernal Mind
You have advantage when making Wisdom (Insight) checks.

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