I can't seem to come up with a backstory for my Tiefling Necromancer, Maven. She has a charismatic personality, yet some can tell she's a bit of a shady type as well. I was thinking of a Charlatan background, but I can't think of a backstory that would tie both the charlatan aspect and necromancer class together. Any ideas? I am open to suggestions of changing her background as well. I feel like the charlatan doesn't fit well with Necromancer, but I want to try and make it work. 

What about running cons as a medium, using that deathly connection to put one over on grieving relatives? Or an "undertaker" that buries empty coffins and gets paid to take bodies that they would otherwise have to scrounge for?

A partially devilish person who is studying necromancy and is a charlatan.

Maybe your deception has more to do with NOT letting people know you are a necromancer (and/or tiefling).  The undertaker who sells graveyard plots over and over again, because they dig them up and take the corpses.  Would probably need a number of plots to cycle through so people don't get too suspicious about whats going on.  But that seems like a good way to deceive people and tie into into the study of necromancy.  Maybe even selling plots in a high class mausoleum and taking the money and running with the corpse.  

Maybe you are trying to pass yourself off as a cleric? "What, no he's not a Zombie, my guard has just taken a vow of silence!" "It is by the power of the gods that I return these men from the dead!"

Maybe you have a "Ghost Buster" scam going? Suddenly animals in a village won't stay dead after slaughter, or the local dead keep rising and causing mayhem every nigh! Zombies eating chickens and skeletons dancing in the center of town. "Luckily" you happen to wander through town and offer your services to rid the town of the undead scourge that you've created. I imagine an impishly charming Tiefling could think of clever hi-jinks to pull with their undead puppets. 

I did something similar with a Feylock who got paid to "Banish" troublesome Fey with his "magic" flute. He would just dismiss his pesky familiar once he started playing his mundane pan flute. 

Quote from Whiskeyjack8044 >>

Maybe you are trying to pass yourself off as a cleric? "What, no he's not a Zombie, my guard has just taken a vow of silence!" "It is by the power of the gods that I return these men from the dead!"

Maybe you have a "Ghost Buster" scam going? Suddenly animals in a village won't stay dead after slaughter, or the local dead keep rising and causing mayhem every nigh! Zombies eating chickens and skeletons dancing in the center of town. "Luckily" you happen to wander through town and offer your services to rid the town of the undead scourge that you've created. I imagine an impishly charming Tiefling could think of clever hi-jinks to pull with their undead puppets. 

I did something similar with a Feylock who got paid to "Banish" troublesome Fey with his "magic" flute. He would just dismiss his pesky familiar once he started playing his mundane pan flute. 

 

 Ghost buster scam is a really good one.