There is a peculiar type of barbarian tribes that reside outside of city limits. Known as “The Hounds,” they harass farmers, extorting them for goods. They’re also commonly referred to as Pigs by city officials, as a derogatory term. Although they’re mostly humans and humanoids, they speak a crude, rudimentary mix of Abyssal and Common, and most of them can’t read and write.
Since their sense of comprehension is so hopelessly banal, they’re very difficult to negotiate with. And with their unabating tendency towards violence, it would be very much unadvisable to do so. Most farmers, completely horrified of what might happen, just give them everything they want so they would leave them in peace.
Mark of the Damned
The Hounds are known for removing their own noses, which results in their resemblance of fiends. This is also the source of numerous nicknames, such as Pigs, Imps, and so on.
In the ritual, the so-called shaman of the tribe cuts of the nose of the initiate with a relatively dull blade and then burns the wound with a small, ceremonial flame (or alternatively, some use a acid, instead). This results in an ugly scar and overall shape, much like that of a fiendish creature. This ritual creates absolutely no connection to the fiendish planes nor to any other otherworldly patrons. It’s completely and utterly meaningless in every sense that even remotely matters.