Wystys: Succubus Demon

Details
True Name: Wystys.
False Names: Serene, Jezebel, Maeve.
Age: That’s a good question.
Race: Succubus demon.
Gender: Female.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil.

Appearance
“Pull the wool from your eyes, child. You’ve been lied to,” she whispered, her lips at his ear.

Serene can alter her appearance with bone-contorting effort so please be aware of which form in particular she currently presents you with.

She bears features that remain the same at all times. Large and curved black horns like those of a ram. Entirely black eyes - no whites or irises. They are as vacant of colour as her absent soul. Her hooves are a charcoal shade of bone. Reddish brown hair grows from her knees, down her shins and slightly spills over her hooves. Her upper legs and thighs remain smooth flesh and hairless. Her tail is quite thin and long, as long as she is tall, akin to that of a manta ray.

Humanoid Form
She is a tempting and curvaceous example of her species while taking the form of a humanoid, revealing near perfect symmetry and delicate, exquisite features. If not for her lingering demonic qualities she could be every male mortal’s wet dream. Many mistake her for a blooming and comely tiefling wench and she welcomes the misunderstanding. She is pale of skin and auburn of hair, strands that curl and flow over her shoulders and taper at elbow length. Her breasts and hips are full and voluptuous, fit for child-bearing, with slender arms, gentle hands and long legs.

Demon Form
Her true form is more frightening, coming to a nightmare near you. Her skin bleeds and colours crimson red. Her teeth elongate until carnivorous and sharp. Claws curl from her fingertips and a deadly barb extends from the tip of her tail. Her muscles tighten and become more pronounced - arms, her abdomen and legs especially take on a toned appearance. If she could transfigure herself completely many more blades and barbs would be hers to wield, akin to an echidna, but her presence on this plane feels flimsy and weak. For now she cannot truly assert her true form until she harnesses more and more life energy.

Personality
Serene has spent millennia contemplating the being she chooses to be.

One would expect a demon to be a mindless force of chaos, doom and destruction - but she is so much more. Everything she does she does with purpose and reasoning, evocative and powerful acts that cling to your memories. Serene is sentient, intelligent and aware of her actions as much as you or I. She is a complex, thorough and layered individual that will have you second guessing your own moral and ethical paths.

You mortals like to think that you’re at the heart of everything, but believe me you’re not.

Serene understands ideals of law and righteousness to be inherently fallacious. She feels disdain for rules of any kind. Rules convince sheep to forfeit free will. Laws punish thinkers for breaking expectations. Society is one of the most elaborate deceptions of mortals. Kings corral men into pens, make sheep into slaves and that’s their prerogative. What amuses and disgusts her is the way kings masquerade their kingdom as something pure and right - something worth fighting for. Their society coddles and protects the weak when the weak should be ripped out like weeds.

Righteousness is a lie. Angels fall from their lofty perches all the time. Deities make mistakes. Paladins are no less corruptible than the rest of us. Crusades and holy wars are alternative names for genocide and mass murders. Acts of kindness deprive the benefactor and beneficiary of power. Beggars and people crying for help would benefit more by solving their own issues or rising above their problems. These supposed heroes that tend to their pleas reward sheep for their bleating. They continue the cycle, turn the wheels of weakness.

Serene is a free spirit and nothing is more important to her than freedom. If she ever feels that her free will is being suppressed she will do everything in her power to shake off the oppressor. Attempting to cage or control her is asking for trouble, but that does not mean she will not cooperate with others. On the contrary she respects the strong and will obey those who wield power, so long as their orders align with her goals. If not, rewards and tributes will be necessary to persuade her. Pretending to do as she’s told only to betray down the line is also probable. She will do anything for more power unless that power comes with too great a cost.

Secretly ruthless and without honour, Serene takes no issue with using violence and wrath to get what she wants. Bad things happen to people so that she can prosper and they can rethink where they went wrong. Fighting strengthens the victor and exposes flaws in the defeated. She will utilize every weapon available to her and expects her opponent to do the same. She exploits honour in others and has no scruples whatsoever with any tactic no matter how heinous. As long as she has a motivation anything between it and herself is as good as dead.

That said she is aware of her own vulnerability and seeks to surround herself with powerful allies, before committing herself to dangerous situations. It’s a long walk of shame from the demonic plane to Althanas. She’s not fond of leadership roles or being bossed around by someone who is, but she does seek powerful peers because so much more chaos can be sown with a pack. She will probably come to resent the leader of the pack no matter how effective they are, pointing out their flaws and mistakes. An adviser role suits her quite well, if the individual in charge can tolerate her shit.

“Sometimes there is absolutely no difference at all between salvation and damnation.” ~ Stephen King

History
“It’s a long story,” she says with an irritated sigh. “Suffice it to say I’ve been here before.”

A demon well over two thousand years old, Serene incited the demons to pour through their magnificent portal and wash over this world, burning and pillaging everything and everyone in their way. You could say she was one of many sparks that set the raging demon invasion in motion. It was all for naught - the invasion had been rushed and their enemies were clever enough to unite together and crush their onslaught.

Serene had been young and foolish, too overconfident in her own abilities and a runty dwarven wizard defeated her in single combat. The humiliation was too much to bear. She felt her material form fading and her banishment from this world imminent, but the dwarf wasn’t willing to let her escape. He trapped her spirit in a crystal, and, after the battle, imprisoned her being within a pair of vambraces. Her hatred and wrath cursed the dwarf but also empowered him. He would go on to wield her power for the rest of his hundreds of years of life. It seemed she was destined to remain in captivity, nothing but an awareness that fueled the whims of the wizard. When he died his descendant claimed the vambraces and the anguish began all over again.

Many generations passed and little changed until one idiotic dwarf-spawn decided to disenchant the wrist plates - his intention to communicate with her and learn more of her secrets. When at long last she materialized she knew the fool hadn’t taken the appropriate measures to protect himself and she ravenously mutilated him, breaking his finger bones and tearing out his throat with her teeth before he could cast spells. Freedom, finally hers again she fled and returned to Haidia.

Her imprisonment weakened her immeasurably. No longer is she the deadly predator she once was. Her home world feels so much further away when she calls to the native demons and summoning is staggeringly difficult. If she is to survive her strength must be restored somehow, or new strength must be consumed from the bones of these pitiful mortals. Nothing can be changed without the power to affect change.

She would enjoy nothing more than conquering and destroying this world, eradicating all of these weak, mewling mortals that constantly multiply like rabbits. The demon council’s goals were pure and should have never been forgotten. The current state of Haidia is disgraceful and pathetic, the demons so far fallen from their greatness thousands of years prior, content in their cities, bickering among themselves and fighting with each other. In her mind all of it should be different. Demons were never meant to cower together in cities.

Demons came through the portal to ravage and lay this world to waste. The other races are a parasitic blight that should be purged with fire. If it was within her power she would cleanse this planet herself, but re-acclimating to this place will take time. Until her power grows Serene will have to make do, inciting the demon clans to action, rousing the strong and the reckless to war while she pulls strings from the shadows. There are demon clans to unite. There are enemies to divide and turn against each other.

All things in time.

Occupation
Serene takes what she wants from those too infatuated, too stupid or too weak to stop her. She makes gold with ease - bounty hunting, gambling, mercenary work and harlotry each serve her whims. Looting corpses also provides gold.

Attributes
Humanoid Form
Strength: Good (1.5x Average)
Dexterity: Good (1.25x Average)
Defence: Poor (0.5x Average)
Endurance: Poor (0.5x Average)
Perception: Good (1.0x Average)
Speed: Good (1.25x Average)

Demon Form
Strength: Good (1.5x Average)
Dexterity: Good (1.25x Average)
Defence: Poor (0.5x Average)
Endurance: Poor (0.5x Average)
Perception: Good (1.0x Average)
Speed: Excellent (2.25x Average)

Skills
Bribery [Novice]
Cooking [Adept]
Disenchanting [Novice]
Empathy [Novice]
Enchanting [Novice]
Gambling [Apprentice]
Hunting [Adept]
Intimidation [Adept]
Languages
[Master] Infernal, Haidian.
[Adept] Dwarven, Tradespeak.
Literacy
[Master] Infernal, Haidian.
[Adept] Dwarven, Tradespeak.
Persuasion [Adept]
Seduction [Master]
Thuggery [Apprentice]
Trapping [Adept]

Abilities
Consume Life
This is the demon’s core ability and she requires it to sustain her existence. A succubus feeds on life and seducing a willing mortal into temptation provides her with the most vibrant energy, stripping their years away and extending her own lifespan. This act replenishes her youthful appearance while simultaneously causing the victim to age slightly. By feeding on player characters she can develop powers inspired by the abilities of others, over time - with the next level increase.

In combat consuming an unwilling victim’s energy requires their complete immobilization. Interrupting this process has painful repercussions for Wystys and allows an attack of opportunity, so she is only willing to use it as a finishing move. Consume life should cause feelings of apathy and fatigue in the victim, perhaps ending one’s willingness to fight but player characters may interpret the effects however they wish.

Shifting
Like a chameleon alters its colour to conceal itself, Wystys can alter her form to blend in with mortals. The shift to humanoid form is far from perfect and she retains many demonic qualities - eyes, horns, hooves and tail. As a humanoid she appears exceedingly attractive and enticing, drawing the favourable attentions of others, however player characters may interpret the effects however they wish.

Her true demonic form tends to terrify mortals - a reason to hide under their beds or scream for help at the top of their lungs. In this form she becomes swift (+1 speed). She also has a natural selection of weapons available - claws and tail barb. These weapons are of iron quality and currently cannot penetrate any metal armour. Serene may nevertheless gleefully pierce basic leather armour and flesh.

The process of changing is exceedingly painful and horrific to witness. The succubus can alter her form once per day and must commit to it until she rests and recovers. She could shift in combat over a duration of two posts and would be vulnerable during this time - therefore doing so would be unwise.

Infernal Gate: Imp
Serene can summon a minor demon from the demonic plane. An imp is the weakest form of minion, can be held in the palm of your hand and has puny wings which can only glide or hover. They are nimble and annoying pests but can be slain with a single attack. The succubus’ imp provides little more than someone to collect and carry loot for her. They are irritating and unreliable creatures, good for kicking.

It is currently unreasonable for her to perform the ritual during combat. It would require three posts to do so and any interruption would cause the ritual to fail. There are reagent requirements that are expended, demonic runes to scrawl on surfaces and infernal language to chant. She also needs the demon’s exact name to call. With all of that busy work, when the yield is so pathetic, why would she even bother?

Weaknesses
Otherworldly
Serene spawned on the demonic home world and does not belong here. Her existence here feels thin, wispy and needs consistent replenishment. She can only endure half the punishment an ordinary mortal would be able to suffer. A few reasonable blows are more than enough to defeat her, sending her back to the shadow from whence she came. If she is banished to her home world to regenerate her material form, she must be summoned or travel through the Haidian portal if she wishes to return to Althanas.

True Name
As a demon Serene is subject to all that is truly holy - everything that angels, paladins, clerics and all manner of men and women of the cloth can throw at her. Symbols repel or expunge her, sacred places keep her out, holy water burns at the touch and protection from evil spells keep the caster protected for their duration. The most interesting vulnerability she has however is her True Name. She will never speak it aloud unless suffering through an exorcism or torture. Speaking it will give you power over her, to command her to do anything you desire. Keep in mind that bending demons to your will rarely ends well.

Inventory
Apparel: Shoulder Wrap (Wolf Pelt), Chest Wrap (Wolf Skin), Sarong (Wolf Pelt).
Tools: Tool Roll (Animal Skin), Hammer (Stone), Rope (20 feet), Skinning Knife (Iron), Stakes (Bone), Trowel (Iron).
Armour: None.
Weapons: Claws and tail barb in demon form only (Iron quality).

Hello and welcome to Althanas!!

Your character looks really interesting, and has a lot of really complex, powerful abilities.

For a first level character, however, you are very powerful.

This is down to having lots of different abilities. Your three weapons at demon form (claws, barbs on tail and elbows) all count as different ones, and all of your attributes do too. I have taken into account your weaknesses for some of these. Summoning an imp that has an ability also counts towards this.

I would just ask for some clarification on one thing: if Serene has an imp summoned at the beginning of a combat (say, at the beginning of a thread already) can she then use it in combat?

What I would suggest is possibly locking an ability for now (for instance, the imp summoning).

Sorry about this, please feel free to ask any questions.

Clarification-wise, if her imp had been summoned already before combat was initiated, she could use him in combat, yes, but at this time she would not resummon him if he died.

That assumes some ideal circumstances of isolation however - demons draw attention to themselves and summoning one through a demonic gate is an eye opening feat which nearby guards would be quick to put down. She couldn't do that in the middle of Corone and toddle off through the crowds and into the Citadel for a casual spar. Even if the monks are truly neutral the people who live in the city are not.

That would be likely to occur in Haidia or Tular though, on her own turf.

I'm content with locking her gate (hoho so punny) but I'd rather deal with the ability that is giving you the most trouble (which seems to be shifting). I could either remove the increase in stats or tuck away the claws and elbow barbs for now.

I'm fond of my tail barb. Please can I keep my tail barb?

Hey there

Thank you for getting back to me so fast!

Locking the Infernal Gate would certainly get your numbers for abilities down, as there are two abilities in there - summoning the imp, and his ability to do fire. You are a few numbers over currently so we would need to look at taking away a stat and also getting rid of some barbs in that case.

Let me know what you would like to do.

And yes, you can keep the fine tail barb.

Perhaps I could remove the imp's fire spit capability, the strength increase and elbow barbs. How would that go?

It's certainly a start to look into.

It'll definitely bring you close to the TPL for level 1.

One note: is there any limit to how long she spends in demon form?

Does her natural form have a duration? Erm... nope. I could place a limit on the time she can spend in humanoid form, but... that would make her more dangerous. That's why I had that tidbit in there about committing to a form to give the decision gravity. She has a cooldown once per day on shifting. That will occasionally trap her in a form she'd rather not be in.

Shall I bin the dexterity too? I'll ditch the dexterity.

Okay thank you for answering that.

If you bring down the dexterity bonus that should bring us within the PL of the first level.

Could I ask you please to edit all these changes into your first post, directly into the profile itself.

Let me know when you are done and I can go ahead with approving you!

It's tweaked dear. ^.^

You are still a couple of points over, but after what we have discussed I am going to approve you with discretion.

Please use the imp sensibly, and with all the weaknesses involved then you are good to go.