Tieflings

To many who have not explored the world, tieflings have no society or culture to speak of. They are too rare to collectively have a unique society. 

But that simply isn’t true.

When the first generations of tieflings emerged, they were heavily persecuted and even executed. These tieflings were not happenstance births of innocent creatures - they were transformed humanoids who consorted with demons or devils, and their evil (or at the very least, selfish) actions that warranted their transformation were what sent cities after them. It wasn’t until tieflings were born of two humanoids that it became a question of morality. These children were not innately evil, but marked by an ancestor's evil deals. Society still did not accept them with open arms, pushing them to leave their homes in search of a place that did. A few camps were created by small groups of tieflings. Those camps became settlements, which became towns, which became cities. While few in number, tiefling cities were accepting, but the culture that came from the large number of tieflings was what made the cities so infamous to travelers.

Tieflings may not be innately evil, but they are often naturally ambitious, seeking power, influence, wealth, or knowledge. Even benevolent tieflings have this desire, though the tieflings that have more selfish motivations often push themselves to further extremes to achieve their goals. Even if they were not raised to be cruel, some tieflings devote themselves to the demon or devil that their ancestor struck a deal with, and as such, the cities they resided in became hubs of power and wealth. Political intrigue kept the power from being hoarded by one tiefling family, though as time went on, the more clever families rose to a seat of more-or-less stable power over a city. Their patrons were their devil or demon “benefactor”, and while the families were not cult-like by default, some became fervent worshippers, hoping their loyalty would cement a place of power once their soul inevitably wound up in the Hells, or the Abyss. 

Tiefling societies can be split into two main groups, splintering off into smaller sects from there.

Devil tiefling culture is heavily political, with competing families constantly trying to manipulate their way to power without open conflict. The courts are the battlefields, and the more cunning a family is, the higher they will rise in society. Silver tongues, deft hands, and quick wits are essential if one wants to just survive in devil-dominated cities. Tieflings with a devilish heritage are more likely to show aptitude in Deception, History, Insight, Persuasion, and Sleight of Hand. 

Demon tiefling culture is almost completely opposite. Grand demonstrations of might happen often. Being able to show the complete and utter domination of a political rival is what makes a demon tiefling proud. Sometimes it is done with some modicum of subtlety, other times it is open battle on the streets. Demon-dominated cities are dangerous purely for that reason. Demon tieflings have too much pride to let a slight go unaddressed in the most imposing way possible. Tieflings with a demonic heritage are more likely to show aptitude in Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, or Performance. 

That said, these trends only arise in areas where tieflings are the overwhelming majority (such as in cities like Marsivero or An'Calen). Though these traits are noticeable in other places, no tiefling is bound to demonstrate them all.