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 of a pact struck generations ago infused with the essense of Asmodeus--overlord of the Nine Hells--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.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Akta, Anakis, Bryseis, Criella, Damaia, Ea, Kallista, Lerissa, Makaria, Nemeia, Orianna, Phelaia, Rieta.

Masculine names

Akemenos, Amnon, Barakas, Damakos, Ekemon, Iados, Kairon, Leucis, Melech, Mordai, Morthos, Pelaios, Skamos, Therai.

Other names

Tiefling Names

Tiefling names fall into three broad catagories. Tieflings born into another culture typically have names reflective of that culture. Some have names derived from the Infernal Language, passed down through the generations, that reflect their fiendish heretage. And some younger tieflings, striving to find their place in the world, adopt a name that signifies a virtue or other concept and then tries to embody that concept. For some, the chosen name is a noble quest. For others, it's a grim destiny.

"Virtue" Names

Art, Carrion, Chant, Creed, Despair, Excellence, Fear, Glory, Hope, Ideal, Music, Nowhere, Open, Poetry, Quest, Random, Reverence, Sorrow, Temerity, Torment, Weary.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Common, Infernal.

Culture and cultural heritage

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. Tiefling 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 spectrum of human coloration but also include various shades of red. Their hair, cascading down behind their horns, is usually dark, from black or brown to dark red, blue or purple.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Self-Reliant and Suspicious

Tieflings subsist in small minorities found mostly in human cities or towns, often in the roughest quarters of those places, where they grow up to be swindlers, thieves, or crime lords. Sometimes they live among other minority populations in enclaves where they are treated with more respect.

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 that same trust to them. And once a Tiefling gives someone loyalty, the tiefling is a firm friend or ally for life.

Stat Block

Tiefling

Languages spoken

• Infernal