'Mind-skimming', huh?

Quick Question(s) by Storme Hawk on 2014-06-09 15:08:00 UTC Reply

I know the DMFF deal with uncanonical plants and animals, but would that also cover uncanonical races in badfic? If not, which department would it fall to? Either way, how would one deal with an uncanonial race? (and we're not just talking about an almost dead race that the Sue/Stu is the last of, we're talking about a race with a potential population of hundreds)

Storme Hawk

I also have a quick question by Dark Brother 16 on 2014-06-10 23:13:00 UTC Reply

Is the Medical Department capable of replacing severed limbs? That is not entirely clear to me.

It should be. by Pippa's Ghost on 2014-06-10 23:59:00 UTC Reply

Especially in the case of canon characters who've had limbs cut off by a Warrior Sue.

Okay by Dark Brother 16 on 2014-06-11 00:08:00 UTC Reply

Thank you for that piece of information.

I'd probably go with DMFF. by Huinesoron on 2014-06-09 15:26:00 UTC Reply

If you have an uncanonical location - a town, say - send in DOGA to burn it to the ground. If you have an uncanonical race, send in the DMFF to, uh, commit genocide? Well, maybe they'd find an alternate home for them, instead - they're named Misplaced Flora & Fauna, after all.

hS

Thanks by Storme Hawk on 2014-06-09 16:30:00 UTC Reply

Now I just have to work out what continua has Succubi in it, and if not maybe borrow a bit of help from DOGA to blow their home out of the sky whilst they're on it.

Here there be demons by zdimensia on 2014-06-09 17:36:00 UTC Reply

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HornyDevils

Just be careful on that site... it eats hours.

I know by Storme Hawk on 2014-06-09 21:10:00 UTC Reply

I've spent hours on that site before. And the worst part is, now that I've finished my exams, I have the time.

Oh, and thanks.

Lots of 'em. by Huinesoron on 2014-06-09 16:45:00 UTC Reply

The difficulty is matching the characteristics... some succubi are winged, for instance.

Fortunately - and particularly with badfic - most intruder species are copied from another canon, not made up from scratch. I guess your average fan-writer is more interested in writing (say) 'vampires from Twilight in Middle-earth' than 'this genuinely innovative version of vampires which I just came up with, in Middle-earth'. Mostly because we all save our genuinely innovative ideas for original fiction. ;)

Of course, not everyone says where they're borrowing their insertions from... that would be too easy.

hS

Well... by Storme Hawk on 2014-06-09 21:29:00 UTC Reply

They're winged, with little pointy tails and a natural ability to read minds.

It seems however that they're based off of another fanfic's author's Succubi rather than from a particular canon, and he doesn't say where he's borrowing his Succubi from (if he even is at all). I guess I'll just have to work out what the closest match is.

Tut, you can do better than that. by Huinesoron on 2014-06-10 10:51:00 UTC Reply

There's tonnes of ways to narrow down the type of succubus. Where's your attention to detail?

-Language. Do they speak? If so, do they use modern English, Olde English, another language, or an alien tongue? Are they described as having an accent?

-If they /don't/ speak, do they use telepathy? Sentences, single words, or thoughts? Is it two-way?

-You say they can read minds - any clue on whether that's sentences or just impressions? Can they locate you by your thoughts? Can they /affect/ your thoughts?

-Size of wings. Massive bat-like things or tiny little leather-fairy jobs? Either way, are they able to fly, or are they just for display?

-General appearance. Are there any constants in their descriptions? Are they human-with-wings-and-tail, the above but in a different colour (blue, red, green), the above but with minor demonic attributes (fangs, pointy ears), or full-on demons?

-Magic? Illusion, mind control, magic ropes to ensnare you with.

-Do they have a hierarchy? How rigid is it?

-Are there incubi as well, or just succubi? If both, how do they relate to one another?

-Any information about where they come from? Are they a natural surface species? Escaping from a hellgate? Summoned deliberately? Summoned accidentally?

-Do they kill, or just drain energy? If they kill, how? By massive energy drain, vampiric bloodsucking, general mutilation?

Details, Storme Hawk! You have two sources for these creatures - unless they're incredibly background (in which case they'll probably just pop out of existence), you should be able to write a thesis on their biology.

(All right, I'm being deliberately facetious with the tone of this; I'm going for 'irritable professor', which isn't really Me. So don't take the framing comments too seriously. What I am serious about is that, with enough information, you can probably pin them to a precise world. Want me to take a look and write the thesis for you?)

hS

sigh... by Storme Hawk on 2014-06-10 16:20:00 UTC Reply

Let's go down this little list then. :p

- Err modern English
- Impressions, the exact term from the badfic is 'mind-skimming', although we only see it in use once.
- The badfic itself doesn't state anything more about their wings than the Succubi having them, the ones in the fic they're based on have massive bat-like wings so I'd assume that it's a similar case. Either way they're seen flying.
- Humans-with-wings-and-tail
- Ritual based magics, mainly revolving around sex and blood.
- They have a hierarchy, it's not known exactly how rigid it is, however they do have a Matriarch who seems to rule them, from the small amount we see anyway.
- No incubi, the closest are Vampire's who they call their 'brothers' (seemingly as a blanket term for their race).
- Natural surface species, Quote: "It is said in the ancient texts that this battle took place when man was learning how to use fire and the ancient races were spread throughout the land, the five sentient races, Elf, Goblin, Centaur, Vampire and Succubi stood against the worst Dark Lord in history a Werewolf known only as the Night God who had gathered all the dark forces in the world under his rule and they fought for control of the earth."
- They don't seem to do either naturally,

The problem is, is that they appear to be fairly central to the backstory and background, yet the badfic seems to have been abandoned and they've only appeared in person in about a third of a chapter so far.

(don't worry, thanks and not at the moment.)

Storme Hawk

'Mind-skimming', huh? by Huinesoron on 2014-06-10 16:54:00 UTC Reply

That's a very specific term. It only throws up a handful of hits on Google with '"mind-skimming" succubus' (and no more with 'succubi'.

*One is the story I suspect you're looking at.
*One is a single mention in a Baldur's Gate fanfic, here. It doesn't seem connected to succubi, though they are mentioned on the page. Anyone who's played Baldur's Gate - or, indeed, anyone familiar with Forgotten Realms at all - able to comment on the similarities? Google images suggest a) never search for images of succubi, but b) they might be a match.
*The third hit is to Alpha Chronicles, a 'universal Role Playing System'. It links to this:

Mind Skimming
This option requires Mentalism and is a lesser version of telepathy. The mind skimmer can read only the surface thoughts of the victim at a maximum range of 20 feet. A contested ¼ Willpower vs. Mentalism check is required to read the victim’s mind. The mind skimmer must continue to concentrate upon the victim in order to maintain the connection. Any combat or movement faster than a walk will shatter the link.

Upgrades:
+10pts. Additional 5 feet of range.
+20pts. Telepathy

Again the RP connection. Since pen and paper roleplaying really took off with D&D - which is where FR is from, apparently - it's looking very likely that 'mind-skimming' is a D&D term. Which suggests one place to look to find a new home for your army of succubi.

hS

Forgotten Realms by Antigone68104 on 2014-06-11 15:14:00 UTC Reply

FR is one of the main settings for D&D. At least, it used to be during second and third editions.

I don't recognize the term "mind-skimming", but I've also never played with a group that used the Psionics rules.

Here's a reference (with a SFW picture) on FR succubi.