The Lilitu

With all the stealth of the jungle cat that was his namesake, the rogue called 'Red Tiger' clambered through the darkened window. Few men would have had the craft to scale the smooth wall of the palace, much less in the dark, but he was driven by love. Since the night when he had first met the noblemen's chambermaid that had become his lover, he had been possessed by a passion he had never known before. Over a few short weeks, she had become his whole life.

In the darkness, his lover waited. She softly chided him, ‘Tiger, you're late! I know just how to punish you!' Then, with a gentle bite, she sucked the life from his body as he sighed with pleasure.

A particularly flighty and night-loving type of succubus, lilitu appear to be attractive women of particular beauty and charm. In their natural form, these predatory females have the wings and feet of owls, but they do have the ability to assume a particular human shape as well. In lands without large numbers of humans, these sinister spirits will instead have an alternate form suited to the local population. They are able to change the human guise they wear, but it requires a great deal of effort. For this reason, they seldom change their preferred human form.

Like other succubi, lilitu are best known for their ability to enchant and bewilder men. Manipulation and trickery are generally their main amusements, entertaining them as well as providing sustenance for them. Although their abilities make them capable of quickly killing almost any unsuspecting victim, they prefer to stretch things out as long as possible.

Each lilitu will have its own preferences about how it prefers to treat its victims. Some treat their victims with respect and gentleness, preferring it to be a complete surprise when they finally drain their blood and essence away. Others prefer to slowly drain their victim, a bit at a time, leaving him progressively weaker until disease or mishap finally finishes him off. A few enjoy rougher amusements, humiliating their besotted paramours or sadistically hurting them. They prefer to take these things slowly, crafting their lovers' deaths into detailed masterpieces of manipulation and deceit.

Once a lilitu has 'marked' her victim with a bite or passionate kiss, she is able to magically enthrall him. Night or day, the victim finds that he cannot get her off his mind. 'Deeply in love', he will think obsessively of his love; the lilitu will slowly drain energy from him the whole time. Some, even more subtle, lilitu can twist this fascination to focus on another woman, especially one that the victim finds beyond his reach.

Those under the fascinating spell of a lilitu can also be made to forget 'inconvenient' facts or details, becoming generally befuddled and indecisive.

Few of these creatures prefer to drain women, but they are capable of doing so. They may focus the woman's obsession onto themselves or may cause the victim to obsess over a man. Those lilitu will often insert themselves into their victim's life, acting the part of a friend or confidante to enjoy her anguish. In this role, she will gradually drain the victim's life essence away, supportively staying near her side while she 'pines away from unrequited love'. It is not unheard of for a magician to attempt the perilous summoning of a lilitu so that she may use this power on his behalf. Lilitu are glad to assist this way, as they will often find a way to drain the life from both parties in such a situation.

Lilitu have a variety of other abilities in addition to the powers of fascination, life draining, and form shifting mentioned earlier: They share the other powers common to creatures of demonic heritage, such as the ability to shroud themselves in darkness or shift between planes of reality.

Once they have drained the life from a victim, a lilitu is able to cause his corpse to animate and serve her will after his death. They will most often use this power to send their victims away or otherwise cover up their involvement in the death.

If forced into physical combat, lilitu can be formidable enemies. When enraged, their screech is loud enough to be debilitating at close quarters and they are capable of draining blood with their bite. In their natural form, lilitu are capable of flight, although they cannot carry heavy loads when flying. Their birdlike feet have hellishly sharp talons and a powerful grip.

Red Tiger's lover stretched languorously, torpid from her feast. It was a shame that she had to end things so quickly, she thought. Pulling on a revealing chemise, she checked her hair quickly in the mirror. All must be in order before her new lover arrived; it wouldn't do for Lord Fhoran to find her disheveled when he came to comfort her after her 'terrifying ordeal'.

Plunging a hairpin into the corpse's neck, she let out a piercing scream! 'Let the new game begin,' she thought as her noble patron pelted down the hallway to her rescue...