Night-Temple Priestess
The Night Temple is a spiritual institution akin to the other temples devoted to the Seven Patron Gods. Serving as both guild and sanctuary, such temples can be found in nearly every Thenian city, each devoted to a particular divine aspect.
The temples of night are consecrated to Astoreth, goddess of love, fertility and the primal bonds of kinship. Since ancient times, her rites have been safeguarded by the succubi, who serve as her priestesses and are believed to be living extensions of the goddess herself.
Succubi: Daughters of Astoreth
The succubi are daemons born of an age that predates even the Elders. They are heralds of their mother-goddess Astoreth, with whom they share both form and presence. Daemons were forged as divine weapons during the great wars of old, but the succubi have always preferred pleasure to battle, or conquest through intimacy rather than force. Though peaceful by nature, when provoked, their daemonic heritage reveals itself with terrible clarity.
Succubi are eternal beings and seem largely unconcerned with the distant past. They are easily recognized by their horns, which vary greatly between individuals, as well as their slender tails and imposing wings.
Far more remarkable is their ability to manipulate the mind. A succubus can alter how others perceive her, appearing in the form of their deepest desire. This gift has made them revered as comforters by some and feared as deceivers by others.
Within the Night Temple, this power is used in service to the faithful. Succubi ease longing and offer sacred intimacy in Astoreth’s name. Yet the same gifts take on a darker character when turned against an enemy. A succubus can charm her prey and drain away its life force, leaving behind little more than a hollow shell.
Many myths surround these beings. Some tell of mortals drained into nothingness, while others speak of love lasting beyond mortal death. One tale claims that when a succubus becomes truly enamored, she may transform her mortal lover into a High Vampire, infusing them with a part of her own essence and granting them a strange form of immortality.
It is unknown when the Thenrin first encountered the succubi. Since the reestablishment of their civilization on Thenion, however, the Night Temple has remained a pillar of Thenian culture. Its priestesses continue to tend to the faithful, carrying the rites of Astoreth into the present age.
