The intense Yang to Brightwind's gentle Yin, Faneglut is the realm of carnal pleasure, home to the powerful demonettes and the treacherous succubi. Faneglut is a desert of broken red earth and black stone, peppered with twisted, thorny trees who's toothy maws match those of any animal predator. Clusters of beautiful, life-draining crystals spring from the stone and sand, luring the unwary with their splendor and feeding the dark energies that give this realm it's life. Great balls of fire trace burning trails across the earth and the violet-hued sky, bouncing from crystal to crystal, expressing Faneglut's natural affinity for flames. In other areas arcs of black lightning or a strange, shifting haze of light will twist between the crystals, giving Faneglut as many strange and unique vistas as any realm.

Geographically, Faneglut is a series of enormous, pancake-shaped caves stacked one over another in every possible direction. These caves are on the scale of planets, hundreds or even thousands of miles wide and dozens of miles high. Each is effectively it's own world, connected to the others by a network of tunnels called the Shatter (named for the fact that maps of the tunnels resemble a shattered pane of glass). The entrances and exits to the Shatter are constantly under guard, but so many new tunnels and networks are dug or collapsed every day that truly controlling it is impossible.

In the deepest recesses of Faneglut are the quiet realms known as the Dark Heart. These places are not well known by most and reflect the pure essence of shadow more than the demonic inhabitants elsewhere. It is here that the dark crystals of Faneglut become safe; where normally they drain only the energy of creatures from other realms, here in the Dark Heart, it is the demonic species who are drained while visitors are not. This makes the Dark Heart the safest place in Faneglut, for those who can actually reach it. It is a place of calm and contemplation, and it is almost totally devoid of life. What this place is or what purpose it serves--if any--is almost totally unknown.

The creatures of Faneglut are bestial and voracious--everything from tainted, black-scaled versions of mundane creatures to twisted beasts of teeth and tentacles that do not follow any sort of logical order. The most notorious, however, are the various families of demonic females who lord over this strange land.

The beautiful succubi and powerful demonettes share a shifting but constant alliance in this place. Though both are split into several sub-races, Succubi and Demonettes are very distinct species with very different advantages and very different attitudes. What they unquestionably share, however, is a desire to seduce, control and sometimes humiliate the members of other species. They live for pleasure and degradation, which to them are often one and the same. Faneglut is a very conducive climate for this; all forms of physical pleasure are greatly enhanced while in this realm, a strange twist to those who would otherwise consider this a place of torment.

It is, more accurately, a place of wanton vice and excess; a place of carnal urges and hedonism.

Despite their penchant for self-serving degradation, one of the strongest aspects of demonesses is their honor. There are certain things Demonesses cannot do and others that they cannot refuse to do. One of the most well known is that a demoness or succubus must swallow you if you ask her. This is a surefire way to end slavery at the hands of a demoness, though it is a path that most girls are too frightened to take, for obvious reasons.

Many people know about that loophole, but very few people know that it has a flipside--a demoness cannot swallow you if you tell her she may not. Very few people know this, and fewer still know why. Even some demonesses do not realize this, but even those who try cannot break this bond.

Demonic honor can be a complex matter for those who are unfamiliar with it; the rules seem to vary not only by a demon's faction, but by their race and sometimes even stranger things. Even the demons themselves are often in the dark about certain aspects of it; many don't even truly understand their own honor codes, but one thing is known for certain: demons stand by their honor. Regardless of other factors, almost all demonesses seem to adhere to most--if not all--of the primary tenets of their faction and race.

The demonesses of Faneglut are organized into factions called Fanes. The dominant members of Fanes are typically succubi and a few of the larger Demoness species, particularly Demonettes. Each Fane also has a few non-demonic "Pet" species that are considered members of the Fane, albeit with lower status, and members of other races can also earn places within a Fane through noteworthy contributions or suitable demonstrations of skill or might. While Fanes will trade and form temporary alliances with one another, it is uncommon for them to share territory except in neutral border cities or cities dedicated to inter-Fane diplomacy and intrigue (of which there are a surprising number).

Creatures of Faneglut

Demonesses in General

Demonesses are gifted both physically and magically. They make powerful predators and even more powerful enemies. Demonesses have very strong regenerative abilities, so they don't pop nearly as easily as monsters or fae. However, they aren't strong enough to take unlimited punishment as girls can; demonesses can be killed without eating them, but they are resilient enough that it is very difficult--it is often more expedient to eat them anyway. Either of these is difficult, however, as they are often cunning and skilled combatants.

The majority of demonic species are naturally capable of travelling to other realms. Their favorite realm is Prime, as Prime is what contains their favorite food: Girls. Demonesses can gate into any other realm provided they have a strong enough "anchor;" something they have a personal, mystical connection with. Nine times out of ten, the anchor they use is their own blood--a drop of their blood on or inside an object will be enough to allow them to gate to it at will, assuming they are powerful enough to gate (not all demonesses are skilled enough to gate themselves). Other anchors can be used provided they provide some sort of mystical connection to the demoness. The power of the anchor also influences how easy it is to gate; extremely powerful demonic artifacts can act as a beacon to even the weakest demonesses, allowing them to teleport themselves to them. Though Demonesses can have multiple anchors, the more they have, the harder it is for them to gate anywhere. Thus, most demonesses have only a few particular places they can gate to.

In addition, some realms are naturally harder to gate to than others. Demonesses can effortlessly gate themselves into Faneglut, and if they live there, their home will generally have a strong enough connection to them to act as an anchor all by itself.

Prime is the next easiest; all they need is a good anchor and they can reliably travel to wherever that anchor is with nominal effort.

Beastspace is slightly trickier--the intense energies of the place require the Demoness to expend more effort in getting there, but the difference is not huge.

Phaesili is easy to gate into, but there is a complication: The demoness will not necessarily appear next to her anchor. In fact, she could potentially appear anywhere in Phaesili. What's more, the same effect takes place when the demoness tries to leave--she may end up simply popping up somewhere else in Phaesili, or even a different realm altogether. Thus, demonesses strongly prefer stable, pre-existing magical portals when going to and from Phaesili. Many of these portals are guarded from the other side, but there are enough that the demonesses have either bargained access to or taken by force that they have reasonably a wide range of access points.

Brightwind is very difficult for demonesses to gate into; their usual anchors don't work. Demoness blood and magical enchantments will not function--it is as though the connection cannot pass beyond Brightwind's borders. The Demonesses only know of one reliable anchor to Brightwind: if someone they love is in Brightwind, that will act as a sufficient anchor, and a very powerful one at that. Obviously, most demonesses are repulsed by the very concept, so they stick to portals. There are few portals to Brightwind that the angels are not guarding, however, so any travel to Brightwind will typically require an invasion force. Those few portals which are unguarded are kept secret, more to keep the Angels from discovering and fortifying them than anything else.

After gating, most demonesses must "recharge" before they gate again. Typically they must wait a day or two. Gating typically takes at least ten seconds of concentration--doing so instantly requires an exceptionally skilled or powerful demoness, but it can be done. Gating more than once in a day can typically only be done if they are gating back to Faneglut.

Demonesses are capable of gating into a realm without an anchor, but it will be far more difficult and they will have absolutely no control over where they end up. This is only possible if the demoness has no anchors in that realm, as otherwise the anchor will pull her in even if she tries to avoid it. Such travel is draining far beyond normal gating and will leave the demoness physically exhausted. This is one of the few reliable ways for them to get into Brightwind, but few of them survive there for long there using this method--they will almost always be on their own, in hostile territory, and exhausted to boot. It typically isn't long before an angelic guardian arrives to dispose of them.

Succubi

Succubi are creatures of extreme sensuality and sex appeal. They live for seduction and gain their meals by compelling them to become prey willingly. When this does not work, most are easily powerful enough to take their prey by force.

Succubi are fairly high in the ranking hierarchy of Faneglut, officially being equal in power and authority to Demonettes. These two races lord over the "lesser" races of Faneglut; Thaegons, demonic monsters, and girls (who, depending on their affiliation and personal power, range all the way from the highest to the lowest on the totem pole).

While most succubi have wings, some do not. Flight is a skill that varies between them; while most can fly, not all of them are good at it. As few things deflate a succubus' sails quite as much as ramming into a building, a lot of them prefer to walk.

Succubi are rarely affected by the climate. They are equally comfortable in temperate forests, frozen wastes, and burning deserts. If they could be said to have a preferred climate, it would be cities. They love the commerce, intrigue, and unnatural beauty of a big city, and they flock to build such places in their own honor. Like most demons, they dislike sunlight--yet another reason to prefer cities. In fact, when possible, succubi like to take this a step further and build their cities underground. The fact that all of Faneglut is underground makes this fairly easy, but settlements in other realms take considerably more effort. Succubi can be found actually working on such endeavors far more often than the Demonettes, who detest doing anything themselves and prefer to make their slaves do it. Succubi typically maintain a higher crafting standard than slaves do, however, so their homes are often more elegant and well-constructed than their Demonette cousins.

Succubi are the most sensual of an already sense-oriented set of races. A subtle caress on the flower is often enough to stun a succubus, even in the middle of combat. Some succubi take physical pleasure to almost a spiritual level, seeing it as the very core of their being. This sense is so strong that a canny opponent can have a great influence on a succubus' behavior if she just knows what to say and where to touch. While Succubi pride themselves on being the universe's best seductresses, the fact is they are also among the easiest of creatures to seduce.

Honor Code: Succubi are constrained by a fairly harsh restriction; while most honor codes forbid certain actions, the Succubi must curtail their behavior in all but the most specific of curcumstances. Specifically, they cannot swallow any sentient creature unless it meets one of three criteria: it is their slave, it is their enemy, or it is willing. Different Fanes and different Succubi have different definitions for these three terms, meaning some are broader than others, but generally the practical results are the same: Succubi cannot simply attack a creature and eat it. They cannot hunt in the conventional sense, but must instead capture their prey and take them home or seduce them on the spot. The only times they can spontaneously attack and eat a creature are during times of war or in self defense.

Ironically, many Succubi prefer it this way; they feel it holds them to a higher standard than species who simply brutalize their prey and then eat it. It is a source of pride for many of them that they refuse to eat any prey that they cannot subjugate first.

Feeding Habits: Succubi have unusually strong preferences for particular kinds of prey. Their favorite seems to be the Prime races and Girls in particular. This makes Prime itself the most abundant source of their favored food. Unfortunately, getting to Prime isn't something every succubus can do. While demonesses can gate themselves into other realms, they must first have an anchor, meaning they must have already been there or had someone else take an anchor there for them. Once there, the succubus has to maintain a low enough profile that she isn't hunted down by her would-be prey; few succubi have the power to defeat a large number of clan warriors. Typically, Succubi are stealthy and subtle when they hunt in Prime. They will sneak into private residences or follow lone warriors and try to find a secluded place to seduce and devour them. Once they are alone with a potential meal, Succubi will use their mental compulsion abilities and skills at seduction to get them to go down their throats without a struggle. They only sully their fingers with direct confrontation when they are hunting for slaves.

Succubi have one very unusual digestive trait. While their normal digestive tracts are fairly conventional, they actually possess a second digestive tract that is completely separate. It is essentially a spiritual digestive tract, though it is integrated and controlled by the succubus body (meaning a succubus does not keep it if they are reincarnated as another species).

This second digestive tract cannot be used in combination with the normal one; the succubus must choose one or the other. The reason for this is that it occupies a different space from the physical stomach. Moreover, the "spirit stomach" is only capable of digesting spirit matter.

Succubi are capable of "sucking" spirit matter into this second digestive tract. With rigorous training succubi can learn to actually suck a girl's spirit right out of her body, but most can only suck up spirits that do not have any physical anchors (i.e. ghosts).

Spirits which are ingested in this way are literally digested by the succubus. However, it places the succubus in the awkward position of choosing between digesting the body and digesting the soul--they cannot do both.

Also, a girl's spirit is designed to hold on to it's body fairly tightly. The best way to loosen it's hold is to get it's pink and flowstar chakras to open up--a phenomenon which most commonly occurs during orgasm. This is what gives Succubi their reputation for seducing girls and then devouring their souls. However, even under this circumstance, it is a feat the majority of succubi cannot accomplish without practice.

Mating Habits: Succubi are extremely sexual creatures, but they don't necessarily have sex more often than other creatures--it just tends to be longer and a lot more intense. Sex among Succubi is usually a business arrangement--one succubus will pay another for the service of fucking her senseless. This allows them a range of partners to suit their tastes and avoids the stigmas associated with things like "love." Nonetheless, "special discounts" are a very common occurence, especially when the arrangement is taking place outside of a formal brothel. Sometimes two succubi will just end up trading money back and forth from one day to the next as they initiate sex with one another, and this is seen as perfectly appropriate. Officially, there is no marriage among demonesses, but sometimes a particularly wealthy succubus will have another on "permanent retainer," or two succubi will exchange "weekly subscriptions" with one another...

Succubi will freely have sex with other races, even humans and monsters in some cases, provided they can pay the same fees. A succubus who desires a member of another species is a slightly more complicated matter, but generally the unspoken rule is that this is fine, so long as the succubus remains discrete and keeps it sexual. A succubus who truly falls in love with someone is strongly encouraged to keep it secret unless they want to become outcasts from demonic society as a whole. The Flesh Fane can get away with this a little more than usual, as can the Night Fane simply because they're considered to be eccentrics anyway.

Honey: Succubus honey has powerful healing properties and will instantly cleanse the drinker of nearly all poisons, curses, and maladies they may be afflicted with, along with restoring most of their energies. The stereotype is that succubi use this to make sure their "toys" don't break prematurely.

Succubus honey keeps well enough that it could be bottled and sold, but this is very rare; succubuses, quite simply, consider it demeaning to sell their honey. In fact, despite their usual self-interest, they are quite picky about who they give their personal honey to.

A lesser known and in some ways more potent aspect of succubus honey is it causes a person's spirit to "linger" for quite some time after they have been digested. This is primarily useful in ensuring the spirit is still around to be resurrected, should the opportunity arise.

Special Abilities: Succubi have the power to seduce in a rather direct fashion; they can magically instill a powerful sense of desire in a target, and focus this desire on themselves. This is not an automatic win by any means--most girls know better than to approach a succubus and many can resist--but it is, at very least, a constant temptation and a distraction. Girls in combat with a succubus often catch themselves hoping they'll lose, which makes it all the more likely that they will. Many Succubi have also perfected a special sensory touch: they channel energy through their hands, lips, or other parts of their body as they touch someone to cause an almost instantaneous orgasm on that spot. This is especially effective on girls who are already on the verge of surrendering themselves to the succubus, not to mention being useful in a host of other situations.

Demonettes

Occupying the middle ground between the lithe Succubi and the enormous Thaegons, Demonettes are powerfully built but still well-proportioned (if you don't count their typically oversized breasts). Some varieties have cloven hooves and some don't, but wings are less common than they are on succubi, and very few have fur as the Thaegons do. Nearly all demonettes have horns and tails, varying from thin, fingerlike tails and points on their foreheads to thick serpentine appendages and enormous ram's horns. Demonettes are among the most diverse races, often exhibiting wildly different unique traits like a spiked tail, scaled armor on their limbs, horn-like spikes protruding from their skin, and so forth. At times these extra attributes are small and subtle; other times they are very pronounced.

Demonettes are comparable in intelligence to succubi, though the former secretly consider themselves superior to the latter. In truth, differences between individuals vastly overshadow differences by race. Demonettes are just as conniving and manipulative as the Succubi; the only real difference is that, while Succubi seek to maximize their personal pleasure, the Demonettes seek to maximize their personal power. (Which is not to say that they don't seek pleasure as well...)

Demonettes are almost immune to naturally-occurring extremes of heat. In fact, many of them intentionally seek out extremely hot places like the hearts of volcanoes or the searing desert to make their homes in. They are also resistant to extremes of cold, though they don't like it nearly as much.

Feeding Habits: Like Succubi, Demonettes prefer Girls over other prey. However, the normal problems of harvesting them exist, and Demonettes don't have the advantages Succubi have in luring prey into their bellies; if a Demonette wants a meal, she'll have to beat it into submission. What's more, Demonettes have an even harder time keeping a low profile in Prime than Succubi do.

Because of this, many demonettes use alternate sources--often their native land of Faneglut. While demonesses are the dominant species, there are plenty of girls in Faneglut. The problem is, most of them are either slaves (and thus the property of another demoness), have a political arrangement that affords them protection, or live in nomadic camps that remain as far away from the demon cities as possible. These camps are the most common source of both food and slaves for demonettes, though attrition among hunting parties is high--the nomads are adept at fighting demonesses (those who aren't don't last very long). They also make the poorest slaves as they are strong-willed and have a long-standing hatred of demonesses of any kind.

Prime girls make far more malleable slaves--many are too mild or too afraid to put up serious resistance once a demoness has properly "conditioned" her. Demonettes who are capable of travelling to Prime often do so in large groups so they can harvest prey not only for themselves, but slaves to take back to Faneglut. Such slaves are not only valuable to the Demonette, but can be sold for a handsome profit as well.

Demonettes have a special relationship with angels. It is considered quite a trophy to have an angel slave, and demonettes often create elaborate public shows where they eat a captured angel and digest her in front of the audience. Of course, these prizes are fairly rare; those angels which stray from Brightwind are often powerful and difficult to catch. An angel showing up in Faneglut is likely to be either nigh-undefeatable or extremely stupid. The latter probably couldn't find their way to Faneglut in the first place, making the former the more common.

Mating Habits: Demonettes are power players when it comes to sex. They don't want a loving or mutual relationship. The nice ones want complete control over their mates. The not-so-nice ones want to humiliate and degrade their harem of sex slaves. Both prefer to think of others as sexual playthings, not partners. They want to feel like their lovers are nothing more than sex toys, and they want those lovers to feel the same way about themselves.

Because of this, most Demonettes satisfy themselves with harems and slaves rather than mates. Wealthy Demonettes will have dozens of servants and sex slaves, allowing them to engage in everything from a simple fisting-and-spanking session to a ten-person orgy where the slaves are expected to pleasure every sensitive part of the Demonette's body. Others have only a few slaves, forcing them to contend with somewhat simpler activities like forcing them to eat her out.

The very wealthiest of Demonettes throw lavish parties where hundreds of slaves are in attendance, and these slaves are expected to service the guests in whatever fashion they desire, just as if they were her masters. Sometimes they will even have a banquet that includes a hapless slave as the "door prize" for one lucky demoness. These parties are a powerful source of influence for demonesses, for obvious reasons.

Of course, it's inevitable that there would be a few Demonettes who didn't have any slaves at all. Such Demonettes avail themselves of the brothels run by the succubi, many of which even have slaves that can be rented "by the hour." These are usually human slaves, but a few brothels have succubi available for such sessions--at rather exhorbitant rates.

It is not unheard of for Demonettes to have sex alone with one another, but they see it more as a gesture of respect to a demoness of equal standing. What's far more common is for two demonettes to have sex in a way that involves their slaves as well, placing the slaves in subordinate roles that reinforce that both demonettes are above them.

All of the above is negated if the Demonette is a renegade; in fact, many demonettes who leave Faneglut do so specifically because they are unsatisfied with mere carnal pleasures and wish for genuine love. While the Flesh Fane can get away with this if they are discrete about it and nobody in the Night Fane is really going to care, the Demonettes from other Fanes must either keep such relationships secret or risk losing respect or even open ridicule. The great irony is that the vast majority of such Demonettes flee to Brightwind.

Honey: One of the more malevolent honeys, Demoness honey is a powerful compulsion agent; it compels the drinker to worship and obey the demoness, rewarding them with pleasure when they do so (or when they believe they are doing so). The primary effect lasts for several hours, then tapers off, lingering in a weaker state for several days. However, the more times it is administered, the longer the effect tends to last with each dose (unlike most honeys, a person's resistance to Demonette honey actually tends to weaken the more times they have recieved it).

Demonettes typically use this exclusively for their own pleasure and the pleasure of their demoness friends. They delight in humiliating their new slaves, most of which don't have the willpower to resist the powerful desire they have to obey their new master's wishes, no matter how strange, depraved or demeaning.

Demonettes are unusual in two ways when it comes to their honey production; first, they generate almost as much honey in their hips as they do in their breasts, and this honey is just as powerful as their breast honey. Secondly, (WARNING: GROSS) they are capable of secreting this honey into their rectum, introducing it into their bodily waste. A favored way of ringing in new slaves, therefore, is for the demoness to make her eat her excrement.

Special Abilities: Demonettes are physically stronger than most races their size and are immune to natural fire. They often have an affinity for fire magic, but this is partially just a result of their culture and their natural resistance to fire.

Thaegons

Thaegons are cloven-hooved demonesses with thick, powerful bodies. Their lower legs are digitigrade and often covered in coarse hair, while their upper halves are humanoid and ripped with muscle. About 30% of Thaegons have wings. All of them have horns, though these are of varying sizes. They are often twice the height of an average girl (or demoness) and have terrible, violent tempers when angered. Despite this, they are often loyal to those few who they consider to be friends, provided this loyalty is returned. They rarely trust the Succubi and Demonettes with whom they live, so while they will cooperate with them, their relationship doesn't quite reach the level of "friendship."

Thaegons do not follow the codes of honor set down for other demonesses. In fact, they openly deride such rules. Ironically, they often follow the spirit of these honor codes more closely than those who follow their letter. An Orchid Fane thaegon is more than happy to break a contract if she feels she's been wronged; on the other hand, if she's pleased with the agreement, she's much more likely to ensure that the other party gets what they wanted, regardless of whether they explicitly asked for it. The simplest way to put it is that while a Demoness may break faith with someone, she will never break her word; conversely, a Thaegon may break her word, but will never break faith.

Thaegons are also the most open-minded and tolerant of the demonic races--at least, to the extent that they tend to hold all races with the same level of regard. A selfish Thaegon will be disdainful of all races, demonic or otherwise, whereas a respectful and honorable Thaegon will treat both angels and demons equally.

Though Thaegons are often considered simple-minded and boorish by both Demonettes and Succubi, they are actually of equal intelligence. They simply tend to be more straightforward and literal-minded. Some of them are downright cunning, and despite the other demonesses lack of respect for their intellects, the fact remains that they are just as hard to trick as any conniving succubus.

While Thaegons are considered beneath Succubi and Demonettes in the demonic hierarchy, both races know better than to push the Thaegons around--or even point out the fact that they are of lower political station. Thaegons are fiercely self-determined and hate any attempt at coercion; they will violently resist such attempts, and violence is something they have a singular talent for. They are just as strong as they look, and faster than most would assume. As such, while they do not have the power or authority of the others, they are nonetheless given a wide berth.

Out of all of the Fanes, the Night Fane holds the highest respect for their Thaegons. While thaegons in other fanes are often seen as hired thugs or cannon fodder, Night Fane thaegons are actually seen as protectors. The normally prankish Night Succubi are unusually reverent towards their Thaegon sisters, as it is always the Thaegons who step forward first to defend the Fane against it's enemies.

Thaegons are not quite so fond of the hustle and bustle of cities and crowds as their succubus cousins. They prefer to be solitary or associate only with a few trusted companions. And unlike the Demonettes, they are all but immune to extremes of cold but dislike heat.

Feeding Habits: Thaegons are one of the few demon races that is perfectly happy eating critters and beasts, though they will eat girls and other prey as well. Their feeding pattern is pretty straightforward--overpower the prey, then eat it. If they vary this pattern, it's by eating the prey without bothering to overpower it first.

Mating Habits: Thaegons are "shy" compared to other demons. They rarely initiate sexual relations but are perfectly happy to accept the advances of others. As most demonesses know that sexing up a Thaegon is a fairly easy way to break the ice with her, Thaegons recieve a decent amount of sexual attention in spite of their hesitance to brook the issue themselves. Despite their shyness, Thaegons are one of the most sexually generous of demons--even when they are having sex with a slave, they will often make sure she recieves her share of satisfaction.

Honey: One of the strangest of honeys, Thaegon Honey is unique in that it affects both the drinker and the thaegon herself. Anyone who drinks a Thaegon's honey will forge a powerful bond between the two of them. The thaegon will give her complete loyalty and devotion to the drinker, and the drinker will want to do the same. This happens regardless of race, meaning cases of thaegons becoming lifelong lovers with mortals or even beasts are not unheard of. Thaegons are very hesitant to give their honey, however--they're "honey-shy" even with people they like. The bond forged by a thaegon's honey is permanent and very strong, so they treat it with the utmost care--it is the one thing these gigantic demonesses are truly protective of, and once it is given, the only thing they will protect more is their new mate.
Thaegon honey must be very fresh. If it is stored, even for a short time, it rapidly decays into a lethal poison. Only the most skilled of alchemists can prevent this from happening, but if they do, it can prove to be a very powerful potion reagent.

Special Abilities: Thaegons are very physically strong. They often wield enormous, brutish weapons like hammers and axes, but they are just as comfortable with lashes and blades when they can get them in an appropriate size. Despite their strength, they rarely wear armor--in fact, they rarely wear clothes at all. They have the same magical potential as succubi or demonettes. Thaegons are very strong-willed and are very difficult to compel or manipulate, and almost impossible to intimidate. Even when they realize they cannot possibly defeat an enemy, they will not fear them.

Empirisai

Near the top of the demonic hierarchy, the enigmatic Empirisai are considered to be among the elite of the demonic nobility. Empirisai are extremely powerful creatures; they are stronger, faster, and command stronger magics than any normal demon, and these are not small differences. Empirisai have been known to enslave souls, digest people who are outside of their bodies or teleport them into their stomachs (both of which are typically considered impossible), and turn away blades with their bare skin without a scratch. They are the elite of the demon world because no one could suggest they be otherwise. Demonic status is based on power, and Empirisai are power.

Empirisai are very rare, however, because they do not reproduce "naturally." Empirisai cannot grow from eggs or spores, or so everyone believes; if it does happen, it is so rare that no one in living memory has seen such an event.

Empirisai reproduce only by live birth. What's more, they may only be impregnated via a living sacrifice--an unbirth. For an Empirisai to have a child, another living creature must be pushed through her vagina and into her belly. The Empirisai's stomach will then seal itself off in preparation for the creation of it's child.

Those who believe that being chosen to become a child will save them from digestion and death are in for a rude shock. On the contrary--they are going to endure more of the terrifying pleasures of digestion than any other creature.

Not only is the inhabitant mercilessly churned and seared by the Empirisai's powerful digestive juices, but the way to the intestines is completely cut off--there is no way for the person's remains, or her spirit, to leave the Empirisai's body. What's more, the Empirasai constantly pumps the material from the person's body back into the stomach, meaning it is not even absorbed--the person's body is constantly recycled causing a seemingly endless ordeal inside the Empirisai's hot belly. It will not stop until the very energies that composed the matter in their bodies is broken down. But that is only the beginning: the reason for the ceaseless digestion is even more frightening.

As the person's body is broken down into smaller and smaller pieces, the Empirisai starts slowly digesting the person's soul as well. This digestion, like that of the body, is meant to be utter and total. There will be nothing left of the soul when it is through--nothing but component energies. No memories or identity will remain--not even a trace of them. Everything the person was will be utterly destroyed as their trapped spirit, now left without any sense of identity or self, nonetheless experiences every sensation of it's body and soul being compressed, melted and churned in the Empirisai's tight stomach.

However, once the energies have been broken down into their most essential components, they can finally be reformed. As the Empirisai is absorbing and recycling it in and out of her stomach, she is also converting it into energies that she can turn into another Empirisai. This process is assumed to be considerably less hostile to the person in their belly, though no living Empirisai claims to remember it. (This is not surprising, considering they don't have a soul OR a brain at this point.)

This process of digestion and reformation is so subtle and thorough that it takes considerably longer than the few hours or days most things take to digest. In fact, it takes an entire year inside an Empirisai's belly before she will give birth again.

The creature that comes out will contain no vestige of it's previous self--it is an Empirisai. Young Empirisai are the size of children, grow very slowly and must be well-fed--the "mother" typically sees to this, but even a newborn Empirisai has the power to bring down most prey they might fancy. Empirisai can completely digest a girl or even a powerful demon in under an hour, and it's a good thing, as they are unsatiable when they are young. Some will eat as many as 5 or 6 human-sized meals a day, and even then it takes years to reach adulthood (an especially unusual thing in a universe where most creatures never live to be a year old in the first place).

Thus, there are many reasons to seek the favor of an Empirisai--and many reasons to fear her wrath, especially if she has a growing daughter. Some even hope to be chosen as children one day, though most of the more reasonable ones see the idea of having your soul digested as terrifying beyond reason.

Empirisai live alone or in small families, not including their servants and wards. The favored habitats of Empirisai are enormous enchanted mansions. Everything near an Empirisai becomes charged with strange magics, as if their every breath blew across the land and suffused it with mysterious enchantments. This effect is such that their permanent residences can become places of complete magical chaos--what is a lavish dining hall one morning may be a soldiers' barracks the next. The only ones who seem comfortable navigating such places are the Empirisai and their most trusted servants (or people from the more chaotic regions of Phaesili). The less powerful servants know better than to leave the immediate area they work in, because if they leave they don't know if it's going to be there when they get back.

Empirisai are often the lords of the greater demonic cities, but others live in mansions apart from the others. Empirisai are an enigmatic and inconsistant bunch--all manner of personality types can be found among them, from kind and benevolent to utterly ruthless and sadistic. Some are reclusive and live in humble abodes in enchanted forests or mountains (which will be enchanted if for no other reason than an Empirisai lives there) whereas others live in city-sized palaces and claim lordship over nations of staggering size.

Feeding Habits: Empirisai typically remain in Faneglut, feeding on rogue demonesses, nomads, slaves, or whatever else suits their fancy. Some shrink their prey, some subdue them in combat, others simply paralyze or otherwise incapacitate them, some charm and seduce--none of these things are beyond the Empirisai's abilities, even when they are hunting other demons.

Empirisai digest souls as well as bodies. They will typically digest the body first, then the soul. When they absorb the soul, they store it's configuration, allowing them to mimic it's special powers.

Empirisai who choose to hunt in Prime or other realms become icons of utter dread in whatever land they choose to live in. Sometimes the locals will simply try to coexist with her and hope they will not be chosen as her next meal; others will send hunters or even wage war on the Empirisai in the hopes of saving their people.

Needless to say, neither tactic works particularly often.

Mating Habits: Empirisai vary according to how they like to mate. Some choose a few favored partners (though some see them more as "pets,") while others remain largely solitary. Empirisai do not often mate with one another simply because there are rarely enough Empirisai to go around. It is not unheard of for an Empirisai to marry another creature and actually remain faithful to them--in fact, some of the most terrible and wrathful Empirisai have been those who've had their treasured mates taken from them.

Empirisai do not necessarily choose their mates to become children, as they know their mates' identity will be destroyed. They will never see that mate again, at least not as they know them. Thus, it is quite a heavy decision.

Though it is well known that Empirisai can only reproduce by unbirthing, there have been paradoxical tales of Empirisai hybrids--Empirisai who shared the traits of both Empirisai and other, lesser races. Some say they are merely fullblooded Empirisai masquerading as hybrids; a simple explanation, but one which never seems to fit. Whether these seemingly impossible tales are true has been impossible to prove; if such creatures exist, they have been keeping a low profile, and the secret to how they are created has not been shared.

Honey: Practically no one can truthfully claim to have drank the honey of an Empirisai, and as such, it's effects and powers remain largely unknown. Among demons it generally goes something like this: "It's an Empirisai. Her honey probably does whatever she wants."

Special Abilities: Empirisai are extremely powerful in all conventional areas and many unconventional ones as well. They are strong, fast, magically adept, and very resistant to damage. Many of them have shapeshifting abilities as well, allowing them to transform into particular creatures, most often exotic ones like beasts, elementals, shades etc. Many Empirisai can turn into giant snakes, wolves, or even dragons. Others can turn into simple ravens or even mice. Most Empirisai discover these abilities as they get older; most end up with two or three forms they can take besides their natural form.

Empirisai can also steal the most pronounced abilities of other powerful spirit bodies after digesting them. For example, if they digest a particularly strong elemental, they would gain the ability to take elemental form, since elemental spirits create elemental bodies. If they digest a powerful fire mage, they will be able to cast that mage's fire spells. Empirisai spirit bodies are able to reconfigure themselves according to their needs, which is largely what allows them to have this power (along with many others). However, it can only configure itself so many ways at once, so an Empirisai is limited as to how many spirits' abilities it can be using simultaneously. (The exact number depends on how complex the copied spirit is and the power of the individual Empirisai. Empirisai typically only adopt one or two of the primary powers of a digested spirit and only have a few spirits active at a time.) Empirisai can switch which spirits they're using fairly quickly, however.

Deceptors

"Deceptor" actually describes a wide variety of species; what unites them is the method in which they feed. Deceptors are plant/animal hybrids that are typically immobile. As such, they must convince their prey to come to them.

First, most Deceptors release airborne pheromones which are highly intoxicating. They impair judgement and induce a dreamlike, foggy state of mind that greatly lowers the alertness and mental acuity of anyone in the area. This effect is especially pronounced if the prey has never encountered a Deceptor before; those who commonly encounter them grow resistant to their effects so that they are not nearly so severe.

Once the prey's mind is sufficiently dulled, the Deceptor will entice the prey towards it. Since Deceptors are primarily a demonic species, the way they most often do this is by forming a part of their body to resemble an extremely attractive girl. This doppleganger will try to lure the prey to her through sheer carnal appeal; most Deceptors are dumb plants and cannot speak, being capable only of enticing gestures and overtly sexual movements. Many girls, in their intoxicated state, will approach these false objects of desire, which inevitably form part of the Deceptor's mouth. The Deceptor's false treat and the prey will begin having sex, and once the prey is sufficiently distracted by this act, the Deceptor will begin pulling her into it's throat and down into it's digestive tract. The false girl will continue to make love to the prey long after she's fallen to pieces, which means that many girls find it difficult to resist even when they realize what's happening.

Aside from this common mode of finding food, Deceptors vary in a great many ways. Some of them have mental compulsion abilities that literally force the prey to approach; others include powerful aphrodesiacs in their pheromones that make their sexual lure even more difficult to resist. A very few Deceptors are actually sentient and capable of conversation and spellcasting, but as they are immobile, they are usually more interested in a meal than a conversation--after all, they don't know when the next girl is going to wander along. Those few who do generally have some sort of "arrangement" with the locals; they will provide services of some sort, ranging from enchantment to simple sex, in exchange for the locals bringing them food.

While Deceptors are all over Faneglut, they are also found in all of the other realms. Deceptors in these realms come in slightly different flavors. Carnality is one of the best ways to appeal to most demonesses and monsters, but a shiny gem can be an even better lure for a faerie or a girl. Thus, Deceptors in other realms often use valuables as lures rather than sex. These Deceptors will not always respond to someone taking the lure; often they will regrow their lure many times, lulling the locals into a false sense of security before snatching one up. This means most girls will see harvesting from Deceptors as risky but potentially very profitable; this, in turn, ensures a steady flow of meals to the Deceptors. Perhaps the most unusual Deceptor lures are found in Brightwind; they are often as simple as a pleasant-smelling flower or a velvet heart. Angels will willingly feed themselves to a plant if it is hungry, so a real "lure" is actually unnecessary. Deceptors in Brightwind give their real gifts after the Angel has been digested and reborn; if she returns to the same Deceptor again, there will often be something unique there waiting for her, such as a locket or a sweet-smelling ribbon.

Imps

The "tiny" race of the demons, Imps are typically four to twelve inches tall, placing them head and shoulders above most tiny races but still far too small to survive against a normal creature--at least when they're alone. Imps are notorious for swarming larger creatures en masse, attacking them with spears, bows, nets, and all manner of traps. Though they are incapable of eating them, they take sadisdic delight in capturing larger creatures, tying them down, and feeding them to their "pets;" typically full-sized beasts or monsters. The sight of a full-sized girl or demoness being eaten by their pet snake is the most potent aphrodesiac an Imp can get her hands on, and they often participate in wild orgies while the swallowing is taking place. When not feeding their captives to their pets, Imp tribes will typically sell them to the demonesses as slaves.

Imps are capable of mind-controlling lesser beasts, though there must be a large number of imps present to do so. The longer a beast remains enthralled, however, the easier this control becomes, until the beast will loyally obey the imps even without mind control. Some say that large enough groups of powerful imps are even capable of mind controlling greater creatures such as girls and even demonesses, though few demonesses would happily repeat such an insulting rumor.

Imps would be easy prey for the demonesses if not for their sheer numbers. Imps always prefer to travel in very large groups and they are adept at bringing down large targets. They are masters of poison, making the tiny pinpricks of their spears and arrows much more dangerous than they would otherwise be. They are deceptively strong for their size and often wield potent offensive magics, their favorites being curses and other weakening spells (though some are fine with simply bringing down their opponents with hundreds of miniature fireballs). Though they are capable of shrinking enemies magically, they see it as more satisfying to capture them at their full size. They typically only shrink opponents when they intend to feed them to their queen or need a meal themselves.

Feeding Habits: Imps feed primarily on other small creatures, preferring living prey if at all possible. They also greatly enjoy pixies and nymphs when they can get ahold of them; captive pixies are often used as payment by demonesses who want the loyalty or services of an Imp tribe. Imps have very stretchy stomachs and can eat surprisingly large things; while Imps who are capable of swallowing a full-sized woman without shrinking them are very rare, it is not completely unheard of. Such Imps are typically recognizable by their increased size and enormous, honey-bloated breasts. Imps will sometimes shrink captives and eat them or feed them to their queen, though the Imp who is doing the eating must have done something that the rest of the Imps consider is worth the reward--otherwise, they prefer to feed them to their pets, since that is something that all the Imps can enjoy. Most Imps have limited life-draining magic which they use on their pet while it is digesting it's prey, allowing them to share in it's nutritious meal.

Some Imps feed their captives to demonesses or greater monsters; typically these Imps will expect honey in exchange, as feeding their captives to a powerful creature like a Demoness just doesn't have the humiliation factor that they seem to love.

Mating Habits: Imps are one of the only races to surpass the Naga in their love of orgies. Just as they fight in huge groups, so too do they have sex in huge groups. Imps having sex resembles nothing more than a writhing mass of dozens (or hundreds) of bodies, each secreting it's own natural lubricant from it's skin. A few of the more exotically-inclined demonesses have partaken in these orgies, immersing themselves in the mass of squirming bodies; they have described the experience as being quite unlike anything else. Such treats are rare, however, as few Imps want to run the risk of being squashed by a gigantic Demoness in the throes of orgasm. A few demonesses do maintain Imp "harems," which typically have sex in ways that limit the risk to both parties--the demoness will remain upright or on her back with a few imps working the flower, one or two on each breast, etc.

Honey: Imp honey has the rather insidious effect of adding a new component to the imps' mind control; they become capable of inflicting both pain and pleasure on the target, giving them an incentive to obey. The small size of imps makes it awkward for them to feed their honey to anyone but each other, so it is typically squeezed out and kept in bottles until they have enough to drug someone. Despite the fact that this can make their mind control considerably easier, they far more often use it in deals with succubi and other demonesses for it's pleasure-causing properties; many imps find employment in brothels doing just this sort of thing.

Special Abilities: Imps have the power to mind control other creatures. Though this ability is extremely weak, they can combine their powers against a single target, making the compulsion more powerful. Any creature can be controlled provided enough Imps are focusing on her; how many Imps are necessary depends on the intelligence and willpower of the target. Mind controlling a giant snake may only take ten Imps; mind controlling an Empirisai or a Kyosar could take tens of thousands.

Imps are very strong and sturdy for their size. They take longer to digest than most races and anyone who eats too many runs the risk of them working together to force one or more of them back up into her throat and out her mouth--and you can bet they'll all be tied together, ready to pull one another to freedom despite the protests of the woman.

Dark Angels

Demonic cousins of the angels, Dark Angels are angelic in form but not in behavior. While they do not necessarily follow the demonic codes of honor or owe fealty to any of the Fanes, they do tend to seek pleasure above most other things and are fully capable of being utterly selfish. Others seek power as well, and while many become adventurers, it is typically for excitement and treasure, and they are not always the most trustworthy of companions.

Dark angels have a wide variety of personalities, and oftentimes their moral standing will depend on how much time they have spent immersed in demonic culture. While dark angels are not afforded any automatic status as Succubi and Demonettes are, they are not looked upon as slaves-until-proven-otherwise like humans and monsters are. Sometimes they are treated well enough that they become part of a demon Fane, and in these cases they will often act just as a member of that Fane would. Other times they form their own societies, which tend to be hedonistic and self-interested, but not quite to the degree of demons.

Whether they are official members of a Fane or not, they do have the genetics of demons, and each dark angel belongs to a Fane genetically even if they don't belong to one politically. This also has an impact on their personality, though it does not necessarily dictate it.

Dark angels do hold one form of special affection for normal angels--they love to eat them. Angels are preferred over all other prey, and dark angels will often go to great lengths to obtain an angelic meal. They are often quite kind to their angelic food-to-be, right up until the point where they devour them whole. They seem to have a strong preference for Cherubs--in fact, for most dark angels, the more innocent and naive, the better.

Feeding Habits: Dark angels are avid hunters, attacking and subduing their prey with both weapons and magic. They shun eating critters and most do not eat regular food except of the richest kinds (refined foods such as those that other angels eat--sweets, chocolates and the like). They prefer humans and fae over monsters and demons, and prefer angels over all other forms of prey. However, they do not seem to like fighting other angels--only eating them. Thus, they almost never take the invasion and combat route that other demoness societies favor when obtaining prey; they strongly prefer to infiltrate and seduce.

Mating Habits: Dark angels have peculiar habits when it comes to mating in that different dark angels will approach the situation differently. Some dark angels prefer to have a harem of sex slaves, just as Demonettes do, while others enjoy the brothel culture of the succubi. Still others like to choose a mate in the same way as non-demonic races, and a some even prefer to seduce their meals before eating them.

To their chagrin, sometimes their angel blood runs strong and they truly fall in love with someone, whether they be demon, human, or even a true angel. Few dark angels can deny this aspect of their nature once it asserts itself--many will choose their love even if it means being outcast from their own society. Whether this actually happens depends on several factors, the two most important of which being the identity of her lover and the political standing of the dark angel herself. It's easy if the dark angel is of high standing or her partner is a demoness or other dark angel; it's quite another if a dark angel with little or no political power falls in love with a Summer Rose angel.

Honey: Interestingly, dark angels are one of the few species whose honey can have multiple effects according to the will of the dark angel. It has a different effect depending on the state of mind and general disposition of the angel at the time that it is dispensed. If she feels a genuine affection for the drinker and harbors feelings of love for her, it confers powerful protective properties, similar to those of Rose Angel honey (albeit not as powerful). If she is feeling cruel or is feeding it to an enemy, it will severely weaken them physically. If neither of these conditions are met, it acts as an aphrodesiac, much like Naga honey.

Dark angel honey has no effect unless it is drunk directly from the dark angel.

Special Abilities: The dark angels possess a combination of angelic beauty and demonic allure; this makes them very compelling creatures, even if they don't have the mental manipulation powers of their demonic cousins. Like Angels, they are skilled spellcasters, and their demonic blood makes them sturdier combatants than normal angels.

A minor but sometimes significant ability is that Dark Angels hold the spirits of their prey inside their bodies for longer than normal; this difference is minor in most cases, but when they eat other Angels, it is often multiplied many times over. They can often end up holding the spirit of an Angel inside them for a week or more, temporarily preventing it from reforming.

Demyykyres (DEM-yeh-keers)

Neither Angel nor Demon, nor quite a hybrid of the two, Demyykyres fall somewhat outside of the normal range of either archtype, yet possess some of the stronger traits of both--particularly their dominant abilities. Typically, they possess the physical and magical strengths of both but do not possess the manipulation or emotional powers of either. They cannot comfort, neither can they seduce, but they can turn things to ashes with light and darkness alike.

Demyykyres are physically powerful, though the exact nature of this power tends to vary highly from one Demyykyre to another. Some have extreme, almost superhuman reflexes, whilest others can fling the mightiest of monsters off of their feet. The exact balance of magical vs. physical power also varies, though typically both are high.

Demyykyres are neither accepted nor shunned by demonic society; rather, they are expected to earn their station as most other races do. They are afforded somewhat greater opportunities to do so, as they are more powerful in combat than both demonettes and succubi. Whether they are more intelligent, on the other hand, is another question altogether and depends entirely on the individual.

The curse of being a Demyykyre is that Demyykyres do not genetically resonate with any but a very small minority of other creatures, and Demyykyres themselves are extremely rare. As such, they tend to feel mentally and emotionally isolated. This means that Demyykyres are typically loners, but it also means that when someone does strike a chord with one, they will react to it very strongly. Beyond that they are typically aloof, hiding their motives for the most part and making their way through their lives as suits them.

Demyykyres typically resemble dark angels, distinguishable by the fact that their wings are almost always unusual--the most common form of Demyykyre has a demon wing on one side and an angel wing on the other. It is not uncommon for other features to be mismatched as well, such as hair or eye color, talons on one hand, or even stranger features. These features tend to be symmetrical, however--it is uncommon, though not unheard of, to find a feature on one side that does not have some sort of counterpart on the other. (Tales of "One-winged angels" are typically referring to Demyykyres)

Demyykyres are neither inherently good nor evil, nor do they share the honor codes of demons. But, while they can be found almost anywhere, they are almost always born in Faneglut. The one personality trait they do share is tenacity. Demyykyres pursue their goals with a ceaseless single-mindedness that few other races can match; in fact, if they pursue a particular goal for long they can easily become obsessed.

Feeding Habits: Demyykyres are one of the only non-human races that can survive exclusively on critters and normal food, though this will leave them in a constant state of hunger. As a result, some will hunt and feed on greater creatures, using their power to overwhelm them, while other, more benevolent Demyykyres will simply go without--so long as their willpower allows them to do so. Those who live in Brightwind amongst it's abundant, willing prey enjoy respite from this hunger, but Demyykyres living in Brightwind often feel a desire to return to other realms due to their driven and often restless nature. What's more, many of them consider themselves to have a disruptive effect on angels; the empathic angels can sense the emotional isolation of the Demyykyre and are often disturbed by it, and good-natured Demyykyres will often choose to leave for this reason.

Mating Habits: Demyykyres are very distant from others, both emotionally and physically. It takes a particularly tenacious person to earn the affection of a Demyykyre, and many simply do not mate at all. This often includes other Demyykyres--though sometimes two Demyykyres will find each other and instantly become lifelong lovers, others will be leery or outright hostile towards one another.

Despite the emotional barriers they place around themselves, Demyykyres are very tender lovers when they do find mates.

Honey: Demyykyre honey confers unpredictable powers on the drinker, often similar to those of the Demyykyre herself. Demyykyre honey is unusual in that it is unpleasant to drink--though it has a pleasant taste it causes a painful burning sensation which quickly spreads from the stomach and throat to encompass the entire body. The effect is temporary, however; the pain does not last nearly as long as the honey's actual effects. If not immediately drank, Demyykyre honey becomes inert and loses it's effects after approximately 20 minutes.

Special Abilities: In addition to their physical and magical powers, most Demyykyres have one unique, unusually potent power. These powers can be nearly anything, but are often of a destructive nature. Anything from inhuman speed to the ability to call a gigantic comet from the sky can be inherited by a Demyykyr.

Dopplegangers

A genetic cousin to the Succubi, Dopplegangers are essentially demonesses with a streak of Fae blood that allows them to disguise themselves magically. Their natural form is identical to that of a succubus; the primary difference is that they can assume other forms as well.

The easiest disguise for a Doppleganger is that of a lover. When a Doppleganger sees another creature, they will have an instinctual sense as to what form will appeal to them; forms which will elicit trust or desire. This is often the form of a lover or close friend, but it can also be a unique form that represents the target's ideal fantasy.

Of course, this disguise is only skin-deep. While Dopplegangers will look, sound, and even feel like the creature they are copying, they won't necessarily act like them. Dopplegangers don't have any idea how the person they're mimicking is supposed to behave unless they've studied that person beforehand, and even then, it's a question of acting skill rather than magic.

Dopplegangers assume almost all outward characteristics of the creature they are copying--even clothing (though unusual properties of the clothing, such as enchantments or armor protection, will not be conferred). The one thing that slips through is smell. Dopplegangers will keep their original scent when they disguise themselves. Most girls won't notice this; typically only professional demonhunters know what Dopplegangers tend to smell like. Nonetheless, it might seem strange to a lover who knows intimately how their partner normally smells. Experienced Dopplegangers will generally try to mask this with perfume, but this in itself can be suspicious at times.

In most other ways, Dopplegangers keep their natural characteristics. Their magical abilities, physical strength and so forth remain as they were before--usually. Exceptionally powerful Dopplegangers have been known to actually copy someone else's skills and abilities in addition to their appearance. This ability is more easily achieved (and more potent) when the person being copied is nearby, meaning dopplegangers with this power will often assume the form of their enemies in combat, using their own powers against them. In extreme cases, Dopplegangers have been known to beat their enemies at their own game, using powers and class abilities the enemy has not even learned yet!

Dopplegangers cannot take whatever form they want. Dopplegangers can ONLY assume forms that are taken from other people's minds. They can take the form of someone's friend, lover, trusted clan matron, or whatever they'd like, but only if they can see that person, and only if that person has strong feelings and memories about the person the Doppleganger is going to copy. What's more, while Dopplegangers can hide their wings, they can't grow extra appendages or change their mass more than a small amount. This limits them to copying humanoids of a similar size to them (they can't copy people who are a lot shorter, taller, fatter or thinner than they are.)

Note that any creature can potentially disguise themselves using illusion or shapeshifting magic (though a precise disguise is very difficult with most shapeshifting). The advantage Dopplegangers have is that such magic is unnecessary--spells meant to detect illusions will not detect a Doppleganger unless they are specifically designed to do so. (In this case, you're not actually looking for illusions--you're looking for a Doppleganger.)

Dopplegangers will instantly revert to their natural form if the person they are attempting to trick realizes that they are not who they appear to be. It is largely the realization that breaks the illusion; if those in attendance already know the doppleganger is not who they appear to be, there will be no effect--likewise, if the target did not believe the illusion to begin with, it illusion will not be broken. (In particular, dopplegangers tend to gain immunity to this effect if the person they are duplicating sees them, since there is no way they would believe it.)

Feeding Habits: Dopplegangers favor one method of capturing prey--they assume the form of something that will make the victim let their guard down. This is usually a friend or lover. They wait until the prey is alone with them, get in close, then simply swallow them. The more clever ones will incapacitate their targets if they think there is going to be resistance--a favored method of this is poisoned lipstick or drinks. A few have innate abilities such as the power to exhale a paralyzing gas or poison that they excrete from somewhere on their body.

Mating Habits: Interestingly, many Dopplegangers mate the same way they feed--and often with the same people. Dopplegangers have no compunctions about fulfilling a lovers' role before they betray and devour their targets. This makes the meal riskier, of course--sex makes it more likely the prey will realize something isn't right, and the prolonged time taken makes it more likely that the real lover will walk in on them...

In Faneglut, Dopplegangers can also make quite a handsome living as prostitutes. They can instinctually assume whatever the most alluring form to their clients is, and this appeals to many demonesses, for obvious reasons.

True love can be harder for them to find, however. A Doppleganger is perfectly capable of assuming someone else's ideal form, but this makes them self-conscious of their natural form. Those who take the form of their lovers' ideal often secretly fear that it is the beautiful disguise that they really love. (No self-respecting Doppleganger would admit to that kind of sentiment, of course.) Those who don't take this form are still constantly reminded of what their lover's ideal really is, so they are self-conscious because they feel their natural form is flawed.

Honey: Doppleganger honey causes the drinker to temporarily take on a different appearance, though neither the Doppleganger nor the drinker can determine what that appearance will be. Doppleganger honey does not keep naturally, but it can be made to do so by a skilled alchemist. (Once properly treated, Doppleganger honey will store for a very long time--effectively indefinately.) Alchemical modification can also give the drinker some control over what form they take.

Special Abilities: The primary special ability of Dopplegangers is their ability to shapeshift into a form that appeals to another creature. They also have a weaker version of the seduction powers that Succubi possess.

<- BACKz0r