Source: Morgrave Miscellany
Malefic Bloodlines. The tiefling is a stock character in stage and story: a tragic figure touched by darkness. In these enlightened times, we know that most tieflings are simply shaped by the influence of the outer planes. This course examines the roles of tieflings in fiction and in fact, then considers the future.
—Birra Oak
In Eberron, a tiefling isn’t specifically the result of an infernal bargain; but it is understood that tieflings are touched by darkness. Eberron lies balanced between thirteen moons—planes of madness, war, death, and more. The influence of the planes can be seen in manifest zones, where traits of the plane bleed through into the world, and they can be made to manifest in a tiefling child, a living vessel for the powers of one of the malevolent planes, which in turn leads to the fear and prejudice that tieflings face. Through no fault of their own, tieflings are tied to dark powers. People believe that this evil clings to a tiefling and follows them wherever they go. The world is full of common superstitions, with such ridiculous rumors spread indicating that violence follows wherever a Shavaran tiefling roams, people and animals sicken and die if they spend too much time around a Mabari tiefling, and letting a Fernian tiefling sleep in your house is an invitation to have it burn down.
All rumors come from a drop a truth, and all tieflings do possess mystical powers associated with their origins. In Eberron, a tiefling may have minor involuntary effects on their environment. Shadows grow deeper around a Mabari tiefling, perhaps even moving on their own. When a Fernian tiefling becomes angry, the ambient temperature rises. These are cosmetic effects, and entirely out of the character’s control. That rise in temperature is notable, but despite the superstition it will never actually cause a fire. Although, combined with the tiefling’s unusual appearance and the Fernian’s power to control flames, it’s easy to imagine how the fear can spread.
Tieflings are rare, even rarer than people who face similar prejudice due to their aberrant dragonmarks. People tend to know of tieflings only through story and folktale, and their rarity only helps to strengthen the superstitions. It is crucial to remember that it’s not a tiefling’s horns that cause fear, nor is it the belief that they have infernal blood, at least no more than a hairless minotaur. They are feared because they are tieflings, and tieflings are known to be touched by extraplanar darkness and harbingers of misfortune.
Tieflings are very rare in Eberron. Beyond those born into the cultures in the Venomous Demesne and other specific cases, tiefling nature isn’t hereditary, and their birth is a remarkable occurrence. There are a number of different ways to produce a tiefling, and in creating your own tiefling character, consider your character’s personal origins and how this can affect your story moving forward. You might choose to roll on the Tiefling Origin table or choose an origin from the table. Alternatively, you might want to use any of the options presented here as inspiration to come up with your own unique origin.
| d6 | Tiefling Origin |
| 1 | Arcane Experiment. You weren’t born a tiefling, but you became one as a result of the magebreeding programs conducted by House Vadalis, or the result of a personal experiment you conducted on yourself. |
| 2 | Cursed Child. The people of your town considered you to be cursed. You were driven from your home as a child and had to make your own way in the world. Perhaps you eked out a living as an urchin or turned to a life of crime while living in the shadows of a major city. Do you hate the common people because of how they treated you, or have you forgiven them? |
| 3 | Direct Influence. You have a direct connection to a particular fiend. Your parents might have made a bargain with this being, you might believe you’ve descended from a demon, or your bloodline cursed, and your physical form is the result. This degree of direct influence is common among the Sakah tieflings of the Demon Wastes. |
| 4 | Mysterious Past. Something obliterated your memories of your childhood. You woke on the edge of a battlefield in the Last War, with no memory of how you got there or who you were. It might be a dark destiny or a bloody past you’ve forgotten, but the question is, do you want to recover your memories, or are they better left alone? |
| 5 | Sinister Family. You were born into a prominent family. Your relatives aren’t tieflings, but your family has always had a sinister reputation. One rumor exists that members of your family are warlocks, another is that your ancestral mansion rests on a grim manifest zone, but are they indeed false? |
| 6 | Tiefling Bloodline. You are part of a family of tieflings, an ongoing bloodline shaped by bargains made in the distant past. Such a thing is extremely rare in Eberron, and with the only established tiefling lines being the Kaluun tieflings of the Venomous Demesne. You could be serving the interests of your family, you might have been betrayed by a rival heir, or you could be seeking the power or glory you need to outshine your rivals. |
The traits of the chosen subrace replace the tiefling’s Infernal Legacy, and Hellish Resistance traits in the Player’s Handbook. There is one exception: those tieflings who trace their ancestry to Ohr Kaluun. Those tieflings use the traits in the Player’s Handbook.
Ohr Kaluun was an ancient kingdom in Sarlona, ruled by mage-lords renowned for their dark magic and infernal pacts. Ohr Kaluun was laid low centuries ago by those who feared its dark practices, but a few of its noble lines escaped this purge. These refugees fled across the sea and established a new stronghold on the western edge of Droaam. This city, the Venomous Demesne, is a place of arcane wonders, with cruel and alien traditions.
The noble houses of the Venomous Demesne are tiefling families, shaped by ancient bargains. Kaluun tieflings possess unnatural charm and intellect, and wield powers of fire and darkness at will. Such tieflings use Hellish Resistance, and Infernal Legacy traits in the Player’s Handbook.
Malevolent forces permeate the Demon Wastes. Tieflings are sometimes born to the Carrion Tribes that live in the Wastes; such children are called sakah, or “touched” in the Abyssal language. Considered a blessing among the Carrion, many sakah rise to become leaders and champions of their tribes.
While Sakah tieflings vary in their appearance and abilities, the rakshasa are the dominant fiends of Eberron. Some sakah tieflings reflect this with feline features, tiger-striped fur, or the backwards grip of the rakshasa. Their supernatural gifts likewise resemble those of the tricky rakshasa.
The Realm of the Dead is a place of misery and despair. Tieflings touched by its power have grey skin and eyes. They don’t have horns, but tendrils of ectoplasmic mist often trail from their bodies. Dolurrhi tieflings hear the whispers of the dead, though often they are too faint to be understood. Many go mad, but others become remarkable mediums, devoted to helping restless spirits find peace.
A Fernian tiefling is touched by the endless flames of the Sea of Fire. Their skin is orangered, their teeth and horns have the appearance of obsidian, and their eyes burn like embers. Fernian tieflings have fiery tempers and are quick to anger. Their skin is warm to the touch, and when they become excited or angry, the temperature around them will rise.
The Churning Chaos of Kythri is a plane of constant change and instability. Tieflings tied to Kythri are wildly diverse. One Kythri tiefling might have scaly skin and hair that slowly moves of its own accord; another might have silver eyes and flesh that’s almost translucent. Kythri tieflings are energetic and chaotic in their thinking, preferring to stay in motion and never remain in one place or path for too long.
The Endless Night is the plane of shadows and negative energy. Mabari tieflings take after the succubi and incubi that dwell there; they are often painfully beautiful, but their fangs and small horns reveal their unnatural heritage. Mabari tieflings are driven by predatory instincts, and most are cruel and manipulative.
Those tieflings tied to the Plane of Ice are coldhearted and cold to the touch. A Risian tiefling has pale skin, silver-white hair, and horns that seem to be made from ice. Risian tieflings rarely show their emotions, but when they grow angry the temperature around them drops.
Shavaran tieflings resemble the fiends that fight the endless war of the Eternal Battleground. Their horns appear to be made of iron, and their skin has a scaly texture. While they aren’t as quick to anger as the Fernians, Shavaran tieflings are naturally aggressive, ever watchful for threats, and only comfortable with a blade in hand.