Tiefling

Tieflings

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 — into their bloodline. Descendants of the other Archdevils of the Nine Hells are also common. 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.

Infernal Bloodline

Tieflings are derived from human bloodlines, and in the broadest possible sense, they still look human. However, their infernal heritage has left a clear imprint on their appearance. Tieflings have large horns that take any of a variety of shapes: some have curling horns like a ram, others have straight and tall horns like a gazelle’s, and some spiral upward like an antelopes’ horns. They have thick tails, four to five feet long, which lash or coil around their legs when they get upset or nervous. Their canine teeth are sharply pointed, and their eyes are solid colors — black, red, white, silver, or gold — with no visible sclera or pupil. Their skin tones cover the full range of human coloration, but also include various shades of red. Their hair, cascading down from behind their horns, is usually dark, from black or brown to dark red, blue, or purple.

Met with Mistrust

Ignorant people tend to be suspicious of tieflings, assuming that their infernal heritage has left its mark on their personality and morality, not just their appearance. The reality is that a tiefling’s bloodline doesn’t affect their personality. They are gifted with magic from the infernal realms but chart their own course in life.

Lacking a homeland, tieflings know that they have to make their own way in the world and that they have to be strong to survive. They are not quick to trust anyone who claims to be a friend, but when a tiefling’s companions demonstrate that they trust him or her, the tiefling learns to extend the same trust to them. And once a tiefling gives someone loyalty, the tiefling is a firm friend or ally for life.

Eating Habits

Though Tieflings are humanoid and can have human blood in their lineage, the infernal or fiend blood affects their nutritional needs quite a bit. In fact, it removes the benefits they can derive from fibrous vegetables.

Like cats, Tieflings are what’s known as obligate carnivores. This means that they derive nutrients out of animal flesh primarily. They need to eat things like gristle, blubber, blood, and meat to survive. Some might also drink broth, sulfur, and oil mixtures or even ash, coal, or inorganic rock. However, many Tieflings do consider raw bone marrow to be a particularly delicious delicacy.

Funeral Rites

Tiefling bodies are left to decompose in a stone casket, and after some time their remains turn into a wax like substance, which is then used to create candles that are lit during their funerals. Some say that their spirit can’t completely pass on until all of the candles have burned.

Traits

Age. Tieflings mature at the same rate as humans but live a few years longer.

Size. Tieflings are about the same size and build as humans. Your size is Medium.

Darkvision. Thanks to their infernal heritage, tieflings have superior vision in dark and dim conditions.