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On Tieflings...


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Hello to you all. Especially those making this mod I so eagerly look forward. Needing some way to make my first post I decided it by kicking off with what knowledge I possess on Tieflings and sharing that with you all. Note this also contains my personal views alongside the facts. But since Tieflings are mostly a PS thing that fits in just right. ^^

 

Hope you all enjoy reading it. :)

 

Blackened hearts and eyes lit with fire.

Cruel tongues and carefull trust.

A shiv in the back and a smile up front.

A spitefull child and a loving parent.

 

The Tiefling is first and foremost... A survivor. Good evil, chas, law are all but tools and mindless idealogies if one does not know how to survive. Trust never comes easy for it is the trusting sort that suffers the most when all can see what lays behind your skin.

 

Don't mistake this simple and nearly multiversal trait as ill intend and selfishness.. Well perhaps selfishness. But everyone is selfish. Even the cutter who lets his loved one goes; for he believes that her happyness is more important then his own. And that too is selfish in it's own twisted little way.

 

So a Tiefling is a survivor?

 

What else, you ask of me? Anything and everything. She's the wretched whore huddling in thick cloaks, hiding her babe from sight of the ruffians.

It's the smiling paladin who saves the damsel in distress and slaughtered the helpless kobolds on the way.

He's the thug who drinks and beats his loved one; yet works in the Madhouse to offer some comfort to those who have nothing to lose.

She's the dancer who moves with a grace and motion that sends shivers down one's back to the front of their pants; while her friends cut the purses in the audience. They can be vision of umatched beauty that seems to bask a hall with the light of the Powers themselves... Blinding people to the lies in their words or they can be the mutilated wretches whose organs can be seen while the stench of rot hangs about them, leaving all to ignore their offers of friendship.

 

If it helps them survive, the Tiefling is there. For like any mortal creature; A Tiefling is no more then the product of their enviroment.

 

But they carry the blood of the Lower Planes and Fiends in their veins, you cry out! True at that Cutter. But that blood is little more then instincts. And you don't always act on your instincts do you? Thought not. So why should a Tiefling that lived a good life?

 

Heck; Even a Tiefling that has every right to be cruel, selfish, arrogant and distrustfull can make for the most caring, generous, humble and accepting of persons.

 

You caught me? How?

 

Ah yes... Such is not the way of the survivor... True and false, Cutter. Few people would life like that if they wish to survive for many days. But sometimes, Cutter... and here is the trick; it's the survival of the soul that counts. And on the Planes; the Soul is far more then a abstract thought.

 

Keep an eye out for the Tieflings, Cutter. They make for the worst and most persistent enemies no matter their cause. They also make for the most dedicated friends... Just make sure that's what they are when you turn your back to them though.

 

Origin -

 

Bred for war - Theories on the origin of Tieflings are varied. Some claim they were bred by Baatezu ages past shortly after the Prime Material plane was first discovered. Their first results lead to the race of Bladelings which now reside in Acheron. Ofcourse... this leaves on to wonder how there can be so many Tanar'ri and 'Loth descendant Tieflings?

 

Devine Punishment - Now ofcourse we can't give those scheming ne'er break a law Baatezu all the credits with out theories (And ne'er shall they be anything else. Eh?) Some belief that it was not devils and fiends that gave 'birth' to the first Lower planetouched but it was in fact a punishent by the Powers! Good Powers most likely for to whom is a Tiefling more of a affront; a being of evil or one of good?

 

Origin? What origin? - And then there are those who belief that planetouched are not 'new'. These berks tend to belief that nothing ever changes so therefor by default there must always have been Tieflings.

 

 

Bloodlines -

 

Tanar'ri - Probably the most common for the numbers of the Abyss are infinite and as such their are many chances where mortals willingly, unwillingly and unknowingly couple with a Tanar'ri and the results can be greatly varied. Still after some generations the Tieflings come forth. Sometimes they are hideous. Sometimes they are beautifull. Somethimes their obvious and sometimes their positively mundane.... But there is almost always a way to tell the basic of their bloodline if your just persistant enough... Even if their more lawfull then a Baatezu court officer.

 

Baatezu - Ah, speak of the Devil, Literally! The workings of this should be obvious for it goes the same way as with the Tanar'ri. Though both sides prefer not to think on that one! Admittedly though these Tiefling bloodlines are less common; though how can a mortal tell? As the orderly nature of Baatezu makes them less inclined to copple randomly with some mortal. And they don't have the sheer numbers of Succubi and other assorted lust inducing Fiends.

 

'Loth' Ah, the most evil of the evils. The most cunning of the Fiends. The Fiends who try to make the Multiverse forget they exist... Perhaps that why there are so few Tieflings of their descend. Or perhaps it's because they are actually able to breed with one another. Who knows?

 

Exposure to the planes - It is commonly believed that Tieflings are the decendants (never direct mind you..) or Fiends. But this is not the whole truth. The Multiverse is a living place and some planes are sentient in their own right. Enough Evil in the fabric of a plane could lead to a most startling offspring when two parents of any mortal prodengy find that their previous pure bloodline is now suddenly sullied, or blessed (Depending on perspective), with a charming little Tiefling baby!

 

Almost all Fiends can 'smell' the bloodline of a Tiefling though. To a human a Tiefling may smell odd. But this is usually the side effect of one of their fiendish traits rather then their bloodline. With the exception of a direct result of being exposed to the planes a Tiefling that does not know it's ancestry should be carefull about dealing with Fiends... They can never tell if they might offend some Vrock's delicate sense of smell... As for those those who are the result of the planar forces themselves? They may not smell like a Fiendish bloodline but they still carry the scent of the plane that infused them in mommy's womb.

 

Who knows, maybe your a little bit of a fiendling yourself. Even Fiendish blood dillutes over enough time; But better not summon any demons and the like, just in case?

 

Traits -

 

Ah the defining factor of a Tiefling to the Clueless, aside from their 'untrustworthy nature'.

 

A Tiefling can look exactly like it's mortal parents. (Belief none of this bubber talk that all Tieflings are the descendents of humans. Last I checked; Humans didn't hold the monopoly to, quoting a Prime here; Get their freak on.)

 

Most however tend to be different. And while we all hear about the goodlooking one's the truth is that most Tieflings aren't cute. They don't have sexy tails, short horny horns, purring voices and eyes like amber. Most people fear Tieflings because they look like they came from a good child's story. And none of these PG Prime stories now were talking about the Real Alice in Wonderland, the Real Little Mermaid and the real Flute collector... Or was that bone collector? Ah well.

 

Goat legs, horns, tails short and long (and all kinds in between. Furry, bald, scaly, feathered, cold flame coverd; etcetera.), black eyes, white eyes, blind yet seeing eyes, third eyes, fifth eyes, transluceant brain boxes, fiery hair, real burning hair, scent of brimstone, scent of a rainy day, scent of a battlefield, voice like a rasp, voice like the smoothest silk, no voice.

 

Do I need even go on? Anything is possible with Tieflings. This might also explain why some of them die at a really early age. Course you rarely hear of those unless your a Dusty.

 

Locale

 

We all know that many Tieflings make their home in that madhouse in the planes; Sigil ruled by She who will not be named lest I get pointy bits up my delicates. And for good reason. If a Tiefling survives there (oh so important) then they can survive anywhere right? (No not really; but some need that delussion. Keeps them happy and alive.) But more importantly; It's Sigil. The place where anything can be done short of becoming a Power and telling about it.

 

More Tieflings make their home in the Lower Planes or directly by them (it's a technicality on a planar scale... trust me.) for obvious reasons. For equally obvious reasons most either get out, get power, are never heard of, or die. Or all of the above.

 

And the upper planes... What? A Tiefling can't live their? Can a passionate Tiefling not appreciate the wild beauty of the Beastlands? And what abou that Tiefling who worked at the shelter? Is he denied entrance for all his hard work because some one long since dead had to get it on with a Fiend? No no, many Celestials may not like the Tiefling race as a whole; But just as the good guys that fall make for the worst of villains, so do the rising planetouched as Fiendlings make for the best of do-gooders.

... Oh give me a break and some semi-poetic licency, okay Cutter? *Snorts*

 

The Outlands and the other neutral aligned planes make for a popular spot as well. Here few Tieflings suffer from the ill effect of the plane's 'alignments' (afteral most people in the planes are neutral save for the fanatic and immortal. Oh and the Powers.) so you can find them easily here as well.

 

Ah. lets not forget abou the Prime!

 

Planar versus Prime

 

The Prime... Did you know that Tieflings can be Primes, both in essence as well as residence? Oh yes. Afterall live somewhere long enough for enough generations and you become 'bound' to the place. This is how humans, elves, dwarf's and their ilk became planars. They hang around long enough.

 

Most Tieflings are for obvious reasons Planar. Their born on the planes or the taint in them is strong enough to change their 'creature type' in such a manner even if born on the Prime. Buuuut; if a Tiefling settled down on the prime and started tae bring out the little uns like a rabbit. Then eventually these little uns', little uns would become Primes. Even if all of their direct parents where Tieflings themselves.

 

How long....

 

... Does the taint last. Well that's the tricky part. Fiends live long. Veeeeerry long. So their bloodlines do as well. A single family could bring out ten generatoins of Tieflings with no problem even if they never had any more expose to Lower planes then that one time when someone shacked it up with a Gelreleth. *Shudders* Then their would be normal people being born again... and look their offspring are Tieflings again. Hmm, guess that generation was lucky enough not to be a Tiefling; their offspring still carry the taint of that first Gelreleth *shudders again.*

 

Anyway; I rambled on long enough. It was quite enjoyable to share my Dark's on these ever so loveable Fiendlings with you all. Hope to post and comment here some more.

 

May the forces of Evil become confused when seeking your home;

 

Fountain the D. (Mah first post, Ma!)

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