Physical Traits of Tiefling Bloodlines

While many families and individuals made deals with devils during the last days of the Bael Turath Empire, the situations under which each were forged determined the extent of the power imparted by their patrons. By and large, the common folk of the empire were taken under the general power of Asmodeus, lesser noble houses by various Paeliryon, and the higher nobility were claimed by other Lords of the Nine.

It is here that we will go into general detail on the traits imparted to each "Golden Estate" family, their pact holder, and how their situation evolved to the current day.

Side note: in general, those bonded to a Paeliryon tend to be tall and solidly built with thick tails that narrow from the base toward the tip. Eyes are almond-shaped, fingers are long and frequently clawed, and their skin is a pale shade of pink, green, or blue. Hair can come in any naturally occurring human colour. These traits tend to show up in combination with other houses depending on interbreeding, and are often responsible for bringing mutations into the more "pure" bloodlines.

History:
House Wendre was not of the Golden Estates prior to the Burning Pact, but rather gathered and took the opportunity to bond themselves to something greater in an attempt to grab power during the upheaval. The one who responded to their ambitious call was Bel, the Pit Fiend who later overthrew Zariel as Lord of the First.

Current Day:
House Wendre is famous for their diligence and earnest work. They don’t keep an especially close relationship to their patron, but quietly make offerings at the change of each season to ensure the perfection and bounty of their crops.

Physical Traits:
Members of House Wendre boast great curling horns that sweep back and forward like a ram, and skin that ranges from light brown to jet black. Hair can be any shade, though purple/black is common and considered prestigious.

History:
House Prevost, once they learned of the Queen of Roses’ plan to forcibly pledge the souls of her people to Asmodeus, loudly and violently opposed what they saw as the deepest possible treachery of their people. This made them an instant target for the ire of House Rousseau, as they had already sworn themselves to the service of Asmodeus. On the Day of Devils much of their power was stripped away or destroyed and their only salvation was to fight side-by-side with House Fleuret – a task they took to artfully as manufacturers of defensive equipment. During this time they managed to root out every single defector in their midst who sympathized with the Queen and her ilk, executing them by throwing them to the devils at their gates. This quickly caught the attention of The Iron Duke who claimed the family as his prize.

Current Day:
House Prevost has long since regained their standing by assuming unassailable positions in the financial and political spheres; their meticulous nature keeps them beyond reproach as they eye the position of their long-standing foes in House Rousseau. While the lower members of the family do not keep the faith, it is rumored that the heads of house continue to commune with the Iron Duke’s consort Lilis on the anniversary of the Pact.

Physical Traits:
The House Prevost bloodline is evidenced by (sometimes multiple) rows of smaller horns that go back along the head starting from the highest arch of the brow. These horns will be black or rust-red in colour, and their thin black hair typically has an oily sheen. Members of this house are born with a slender ankle-length tail that ends in a pointed stinger, though they themselves usually sport a thicker build. Their waxy looking skin is either pink or grey/blue.

History:
While the Burning Pact was being discussed in the Ruby Court, House De Preaulx had already struck their fell bargain with Mammon. They cared only for the potential riches to be gained and new land to exploit for minerals, making the victory of their people a far lesser priority when weighed against the available rewards. Mammon responded to their naked greed with enthusiasm and welcomed the heads of their house to his lair in Minauros.

Current Day:
The house retains an outwardly comfortable position in the Golden Estates despite the fact that the current widower Lord De Preaulx doesn’t seem interested in furthering their success. In truth, he is busy manipulating trade deals across Esparra in a long-con attempt to bankrupt the more goodly nations so that they might turn to Mammon in their desperation. His daughter Laira oversees regular business matters and overseas trade while his attentions are focused elsewhere. On the anniversary of their Pact the five most influential members of the house are brought to Minauros for nine nights, though this is not public knowledge even to the other members of the family.

Physical Traits:
Mammon granted the traits of his Pit Fiend aspect to his followers in the form of large steer-like horns that sweep outwards in the lower ranks (backwards in the higher), normally light in colour. Eyes are always green or pure white, nails are always black, and a fiendish runic marking will usually manifest on the forehead during puberty that grants the holder immunity from either fire or poison. Skin will be shades of brown or ashen grey.

History:
House Fleuret stood alongside House Prevost in their rebellion against the Queen of Roses, refusing to willingly take a pact with devils despite the fact that they had much to gain by forcing the war further across the continent. It was this act of charity that caught the attention of Lady Fierna. Sensing a chance to grab a foothold on the Prime Plane, the daughter of Belial chose the Fleuret family as her new playthings.

Current Day:
House Fleuret is mostly forgotten by their dual patrons and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Occasionally they are still called on to complete a task for one or the other, but this is a rare occurrence.

Physical Traits:
Members of House Fleuret are almost always exceptionally attractive creatures with golden, red, or pale pink coloured skin, swept back thin black horns of no more than six inches in length, and black or white hair (though very rarely it has been known to be red). Completely black or dark brown eyes are common.

History:
The Guillorys joined Houses Prevost and Fleuret in their opposition to the Burning Pact and instantly found themselves under suspicion and hostility from the ruling family. In an attempt to safeguard themselves they began building a massive underground stronghold with the help of their new political allies and on the Day of Devils only they were able to reach the gates before the slaughter began, leaving Fleuret and Prevost barricaded further down the tunnel network, caught between groups of marauding devils. Trapped in their protective prison, the head of the house heard the insidious whispers of frozen northern winds deep in his dreams and awoke to find his family in the midst of their reviled transformations.

Current Day:
It is still not known if Levistus sought out House Guillory or if Asmodeus forced them into his care, but the Lord of the Fifth rarely contacts his adopted house. Every now and again one will hear the whispered words of command on a winter’s breeze off the sea, but to whom they come and under what circumstances remains a mystery.

Physical Traits:
Levistus imparted solid looking dark horns that grow up close to the sides of the head from just behind the ears. These eventually develop a paler coloured twist in old age but are blackish-blue until that time. They inevitably have light skin and pastel ocean blues, greens, or muted white for hair colours. If a Guillory is born with black hair they will be carefully watched for signs of Levistus’ favor. The eyes of this family are primarily gold or blue and their teeth are small and sharp.

History:
The heads of House Magdelene debated many long nights before the Burning Pact was signed, eventually deciding to play their hand with the daughter of Asmodeus and Lord of the Sixth, the Archduchess Glasya.

Current Day:
As House Magdelene was already famous for the brothels they ran in addition to their other “public works”, they were quickly ordered by Glasya to use their pleasure houses to help recruit for her cause. For now they sit and bide their time, pretending outwardly to have cut all ties to the Princess, but both House Wendre (with whom they share an amicable relationship) and House Guillory (who has been the recipient of many a “random” audit) know better.

Physical Traits:
Members of House Magdelene sport dark, sharply angled horns usually protruding from high on the forehead, hair ranging from colors like red and black to purple and white, copper and pink shades of skin, and a forked tail.

History:
House Sanguin pledged their services to The Fallen One long before the war was even a passing thought in the minds of Vor Rukoth’s nobility, and for this they were vastly rewarded by their patron with wealth, beauty, and an abundance of talent. Every ship belonging to House Sanguin has contained a small shrine to the Slug Archduke aboard and every manor home contained an elaborate statue depicting his Archon form, usually displayed in a garden or marble framework.

Current Day:
The ongoing sorrow and neglect of their patron due to his condition eventually carried over to his influence on the Prime Material. Due to this, as of the Burning Pact they have been communicating with Mysdemn Wordtwister, an Erinyes who runs the day-to-day operations of Malagard and is attempting to clean up the act of her master.

Physical Traits:
Imbued with the aspect their patron desperately wishes to reclaim, members of House Sanguin are identifiable by their long curling horns that are sometimes more antler-like than what one would expect, giving them an almost Fey appearance. Sanguin blood will result in a slender build, tanned or goldish skin, with blue, grey, purple, or multi-coloured eyes. Light blonde or other pale and ethereal coloured hair will frame usually freckled faces. Long, tapered fingers are tipped with opaque white nails.

History:
When discussions began to arise on the subject of the Burning Pact, House Lefebvre prided themselves on seeing how the wind was turning and brought the matter to their twenty most prominent members. The arcanists among them, which there were (and still are) many, petitioned that they bargain with the Lord of Hellfire, Mephistopheles. An agreement was quickly struck and House Lefebvre was given not only the gift of Hellfire but an infernal talent when it came to twisting words and meanings in their favor.

Current Day:
Of all the families in Vor Rukoth, this one sends its more human-looking members the farthest away from the comforts of home to spread the gospel of Mephistopheles’ power and magnanimity. The ones who remain in Bael Turath enjoy their quiet existence and the fruits of the labor their lower-ranking family members send back in between via House Magdelene’s ships.

Physical Traits:
The Prime Material blood of Mephistopheles is evidenced in multiple ways; the outer ranks of the family can be determined by their small upturned horns about 2-4 inches in length that normally appear low on the forehead, small features, and straight black or ashen hair. The horns themselves are always black or dark brown. The higher up members of the house have white eyes with solid red irises and pupils (though this does not apply to the extended house), longer horns that jut up 7-9 inches before twisting and curling out sharply to the sides, and black hair without exception. These Tieflings will also occasionally be born with red skin.

History:
As the driving force behind the corruption of the Royal Family, House Rousseau has been in league with the Lord of the Nine Hells since time immemorial – their rise through the political power spectrum over the course of the war was due largely to their infernal assistance, and they did not forget to repay their debts, though history forgets exactly how and who orchestrated the empire’s demise.

Current Day:
Openly proud of their Baatorian ties, House Rousseau wears their heritage with pride. They are as devious and cunning as one would expect of those who worship Asmodeus. While they make pretenses of living atheistic lives there are always small hints that something is amiss…

Physical Traits:
As they share a patron with the general populace, family members hold the traditional “Tiefling” look with red skin and horns that form part of their brow structure. Members of House Rousseau are able to be distinguished from the common folk who were taken into Asmodeus’ fold by the golden flecks in their eyes and horns, but the vitiligo that appears in various configurations across the body is the most obvious sight – it is always evident on the backs of their hands, if nowhere else. It is said that the configurations appearing on the bodies of House Rousseau reflect the pattern of wounds sustained by their patron during his descent through the Nine Hells in whatever his current state of regeneration may be.