Description
Tieflings are either born in the Lower Planes or have fiendish ancestors who originated there. A tiefling (pronounced Tee-fling) is linked by blood to a devil, a demon or some other Fiend. This connection to the Lower Planes is the tiefling’s fiendish legacy, which comes with the promise of power yet has no effect on the tiefling’s moral outlook.
A tiefling chooses whether to embrace or lament their fiendish legacy. The three legacies are described below.
Abyssal. The entropy of the Abyss, the chaos of Pandemonium, and the despair of Carceri call to tieflings who have the abyssal legacy. Horns, fur, tusks , and peculiar scents are common physical features of such tieflings, most of whom have the blood of demons coursing through their veins.
Chthonic. Tieflings who have the chthonic legacy feel not only the tug of Carceri but also the greed of Gehenna and the gloom of Hades. Some of these tieflings look cadaverous. Others possess the unearthly beauty of a succubus, or they have physical features in common with a night hag, a yugoloth, or some other Neutral Evil fiendish ancestory.
Infernal. The infernal legacy connects tieflings not only to Gehenna but also the Nine Hells and the raging battlefields of Acheron. Horns, spines, tails, golden eyes, and a faint odor of sulfur or smoke are common physical features of such tieflings, most of whom trace their ancestry to devils.
Culture
Due to their infernal lineage, tieflings are often seen as cursed or are mistaken for an actual devil or demon. If surrounded by a superstitious community, like rural ones often are, the life of a tiefling can be one of constant bullying, harassments or banishment. It can lead to a tiefling living an isolated life. But in larger cities, where superstitions are fewer and understanding is better, a tiefling may live a life no different than any other.
See the following species for more information on how Tielfings are viewed and treated: