Tiefling

Tieflings are creature planetouched, native outsiders that are infused with the touch of extraplanar evil descended, most often through descent from fiendish inhabitants of the Outer Planes &mdash; demons, devils, evil deities, and other evil creatures who have bred with humans. Tieflings are known for their cunning and personal allure, which makes them excellent decievers as well as inspiring leaders when prejudices are laid aside.

Although their evil ancestors may be many generations removed, the taint lingers. Unlike half-fiends, tieflings are not predisposed to evil alignments and vary in alignment as widely as full humans, though tieflings are certainly devious. The celestial counterparts of tieflings are called aasimar.

Similar races include fey'ri, maeluth, tanarukk, and wisplings.

Physical characteristics
Tieflings tend to have an unsettling air about them, and most people are uncomfortable around them, whether they are aware of the tiefling's unsavory ancestry or not. While some look like normal humans, most retain physical characteristics derived from their ancestor, with the most common such features being horns, nonprehensile tails, and pointed teeth. Other but far rarer features include cloven hooves for feet and eyes that are solid orbs of black, red, white, silver, or gold.

In many other ways tieflings are similar to humans physically. Tieflings are, on average, just as tall as humans, from 5'6" to 6'2" on average and weigh just a little bit heavier at 140 to 220 lbs. Tiefling skin is usually human-like in color, though extending past normal human colors into reddish hues as well. Tiefling hair is often the same color as human hair as well, though dark blue, red, or purple are also common shades among the race.

Psychology
Because tieflings are generally distrusted throughout the world due to their fiendish heritage many are distrusting and self-reliant. Tieflings are also proud and secretive by nature and possess a dark demeanor. Unfortunately this only helps to further the reputation tieflings have for being social outcasts and untrustworthy scoundrels. However, members of the other races will find that once they demonstrate friendship and trust towards a tiefling they will be quickly reciprocated in full. Once that bond is forged, it is rarely broken.

Culture
Like other races that are the result of the breeding of two or more others, tieflings have no true culture they can call their own. However, there are many archetypical features of tieflings that are not necessarily innate. This includes their attitude regarding their heritage and while some tieflings embrace it, others are repulsed by it, forging the two most common stereotypes of tieflings.

The former, those who are proud of their fiendish past, are often fascinated by the dark and sinister events that touch the world, but are not necessarily evil or inclined to perpetuate them. Some tieflings of this type choose to use their knowledge of evil and their own fiendish abilities to thwart these dark plots and schemes. Others seek to learn more and to emulate these evil deeds.

Other tieflings are ashamed or even frightened of their heritage and wish only to escape the shadow that lurks over them as a result. Some do this through constantly doing good, as though to make up for the evil that begot them. Others instead hide and try to go unnoticed as they pass through the world, preferring to be ignored and forgotten than noticed and made a target due to their past.

Homelands
Being the resultants of fiendish interference on humans, tieflings have no true homelands and are found throughout Toril. The race was particularly common, however, in Mulhorand and Unther before both nations were devastated by the Spellplague. Tieflings also had a large presence in Thay but the takeover by Szass Tam drove many out of the region.

Today, tieflings are most commonly found in Narfell and High Imaskar, though many are also welcome in Tymanther due to the native dragonborn's policy of racial tolerance. Other tieflings have allied themselves with the genasi servants of Memnon in Calimshan, where they are a valued addition to the efreet's war against his rival Calim. Many tieflings are also found along the Sword Coast, particularly the cosmopolitan Baldur's Gate, as well as parts of the Dragon Coast. In Aglarond the race is only begrudgingly tolerated as enemies of Thay.

Notable tieflings

 * Valen from the computer game Neverwinter Nights expansion Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark.
 * Neeshka from the computer game Neverwinter Nights 2.
 * Haer'Dalis from the computer game Baldur's Gate II
 * Annah from the computer game Planescape: Torment