While most tales of the succubus describe her as
going after one mortal at a time, draining him
and taking his soul to the Abyss, this only truly
describes succubi at certain times. Mostly, this
tactic is only used when either it is particularly
important for an individual mortal, such as a
powerful leader, to be destroyed, or when the
succubus is pressed for time.
When a succubus is not under such constraints,
she prefers to take a more long term approach.
The prevalence in tales of only the individual
attacks of these DEMONS can be attributed mostly
to the above average standing of the victims, and
the fact that the succubus is not trying to
conceal herself. When given the choice, most
succubi gladly conceal their tracks, making it
difficult to detect the presence of the fiend in
the chaos she causes.
The succubus' preferred method of attack is as follows.
First, the succubus appears in a community, one
in which she is unlikely to be detected immediately.
This usually precludes areas with powerful
WIZARDS or large temples. Once she arrives
in a suitable area, the succubus changes into
a very nondescript individual, and uses her ESP
and clairaudience powers to scout the area,
focusing on the local customs and social mores.
The succubus then uses her shapechange ability
to make herself look like an unavailable, but
highly attractive female.
The classification of unavailable differs
widely by culture. For some, it is an age
group. For others, a certain caste or race.
The form need not be off limits to all members
of society, just a very large portion. The succubus
carefully chooses her role to be one that can
plausibly arrive in the community, and will have
a relatively high profile once she establishes
herself.
At once, the succubus' corrupting power begins
to assert itself. During the first stage, very
little overt change will be observed in the
community. However, within the minds of the
people, the succubus is having an effect.
The major effect of the succubus' presence
is a lowering of inhibitions with regard to
sex and lust. Slowly, the populace begins to
shrug off its ingrained social mores. In a very
strict society, this may even be a good thing
for a while, as excessive restrictions are relaxed.
However, as the succubus continues to live
within the community, this change becomes
dangerous. At first, the lowering of inhibitions
is only in regards to the succubus herself.
Males and females to whom the succubus is
unavailable begin to desire her. The succubus'
attractive force works on all beings, gender
and sexual orientation notwithstanding. At this
stage, the succubus may be approached by people
to whom she is culturally available. The succubus
welcomes such attentions, and deliberately holds
her soul draining powers in check, to avoid
destroying those she trysts with.
In the second stage, the community begins to
change outwardly. The first signs are the
competition between everyone to win the succubus'
attention. Fights and jealousies break out between
those who are affected. Those who others view as
being more in favour are set upon, and often
physically attacked. The second noticeable
affect is that the decreasing of inhibitions
extends to all people. People feel less and
less social pressure to restrict themselves
in their romantic pursuits. Often, relationships
spring up between those who are fighting for the
attention of the succubus, and find themselves
among the losers. In addition, the lessening of
inhibitions spreads to those who may never have
even seen the succubus. In this manner, large
cities can be corrupted, even though the succubus
is only active in a small neighbourhood.
As the succubus' influence spreads, it can
corrupt whole countries, even worlds. The
people become less and less concerned with
others, and more and more intent on fulfilling
their own desires. Often, by the time powerful
figures recognise something is wrong, the
succubus' influence has spread too far to
pinpoint the centre of the danger, and unable
to find the fiend to exorcise her. Stopping a
succubus usually depends on some lucky
individual discovering her true nature early,
and either stopping her, or reporting her.
Even then, if authorities have been corrupted
as well, reporting can be useless, if not
dangerous to the reporter.
The succubus' corrupting effect is not
precisely a magical effect. The succubus
need not concentrate or even activate it.
The effect persists on anyone who does not
know the true nature and goals of the fiend.
Because this ability is not really magical,
people who have been corrupted by the succubus
are not detected by such magic as detect charm,
or similar spells. Detect evil, however, will
discover a general malaise in an area under the
influence of a succubus, while protection from
evil will prevent the effect from affecting a
person within its confines, and bless or remove
curse will reverse the effect. Removing the effect,
however, does prevent it from again affecting
a person, and protection from evil will not
remove the effect from a person.
This is where the offspring of the succubus
and the incubus come in. Known as CAMBION'S
they are half human, half demon.
There is also another succubi species known
as LIDERC. Virtually nothing else is known
of this creature...
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