Tiefling

To be greeted with stares and whispers, to suffer violence and insult on the street, to see mistrust and fear in every eye: this is the lot of the tiefling. And to twist the knife, tieflings know that this is because a pact struck generations ago infused the essence of Asmodeus, overlord of the Nine Hells (and many of the other powerful devils serving under him) into their bloodline. Their appearance and their nature are not their fault but the result of an ancient sin, for which they and their children and their children's children will always be held accountable. Tieflings are a race that has been infused with the touch of the fiendish planes, most often through descent from fiends—demons, Yugoloths, devils, evil deities, and others who have bred with humans. Tieflings are known for their cunning and personal allure, which makes them excellent deceivers as well as inspiring leaders when prejudices were laid aside. Although their evil ancestors can be many generations removed, the taint lingers. Unlike half-fiends, tieflings are not predisposed to evil alignments and vary in alignment nearly as widely as full humans, though tieflings are certainly devious. The celestial counterparts of tieflings are the aasimar. Tieflings tend to have an unsettling air about them, and most people are uncomfortable around them, whether they are aware of the tiefling's unsavoury ancestry or not. While some look like normal humans, the vast majority retain physical characteristics derived from their ancestor, with the most common such features being horns, prehensile tails, and pointed teeth. Some tieflings also have eyes that are solid orbs of black, red, white, silver, or gold, while others have eyes more similar to those of humans. Other, more unusual characteristics include a sulfurous odour, cloven feet, or a general aura of discomfort they left on others. In many other ways, tieflings are similar to humans physically. Tieflings are, on average, just as tall as humans, from 5′6″‒6′2″ and weigh just a little bit heavier at 140‒220 lb. Tiefling skin is usually human-like in colour, though extending past normal human colours into reddish and blueish hues as well. Tiefling hair is also often the same colour as human hair, though dark blue, red, or purple are common shades amongst the race. Although it is not always the case, tieflings tend to have better reflexes than their human kin. This, along with their natural propensity for hiding and deceit help to give tieflings a reputation for thievery and duplicity. Tieflings who have strikingly inhuman features are often killed at birth by their horrified parents or others. Only those tieflings with subtle features or born to someone indifferent to their appearance, either out of acceptance or cruel purpose, are likely to reach adulthood. Those tieflings who do reach adulthood can be expected to age at roughly the same rate. They have life spans roughly 20 to 40 years longer than normal humans.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

Related Ethnicities