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Rising from the ashes of the great cataclysm that ravaged the Purgadian peninsula, the Demons of the Darklands and their nascent civilization developed as it did through a combination of slavery and various forms of social and racial engineering, all instituted by the Orcheus-based Highbloods . Obsessed with heredity and looking for ways to maximize the utility of "lesser" Daeblus races along with importing creatures from the Brightlands (such as Minos and Parak Beasts) into Purgadia for their own gain, the crimson-skinned aristocrats had initially adopted the formidable Arcriers to work as their soldiers and bodyguards; while the conniving and nimble Keldr'nai filled in as spies, assassins and couriers. When the Arcriers chafed at enslavement and rebelled against Highblood rule, they would be replaced by the less mercurial but strong-willed Convarsids , and "expendable" Cobolds were bred in droves and freely used for most lower-level tasks by the Third Age.

Among the "true" Demons it was the Luminants who were the most versatile and held the most potential for development, due to their combination of magical prowess, intelligence, physical strength and longevity being relatively close to their Highblood "betters." Indeed, the Highbloods themselves were an offshoot of the Luminant race dating back to the First Age, though the former were quick to bury any information about that more plebeian aspect of their lineage. The Luminants would eventually graduate from serfdom and become the foundation of the Demon City's booming middle class, just as they were rising to prominence in many leadership roles throughout the rest of Camboria.

However, the Luminants had an ancient practice of their own that they preferred to keep hidden from the public eye--at least outside demonic circles. To supplement their diets many Luminants had developed a taste for the essence of other beings to energize themselves. Usually this took the form of another race's blood, purified and distilled into a very potent drink. This "bloodwine" has been a commonly available good inside Orcheus for thousands of years, but is rarely seen anywhere else.

By the mid-Second Age a small number of Luminants who heavily favored bloodwine began manifesting a very unusual ability--they could regulate the life force of other creatures through touch, either draining their targets to feed themselves or using the vital energies to sustain and heal others. Though much remains mysterious about the origins of the trait to this day, the Highbloods rapidly capitalized on the discovery. Many of these Luminants were bought from their families and rounded up for selective breeding to develop the attribute further. This offshoot of demonkind eventually took on the role as servants living at the beck and call of the highest Demon caste, along with a new name--Shyn'ubi, sometimes shortened to "Ubi."

Bred to have a somewhat gentler disposition and high degree of empathy relative to other Demons along with an insatiable appetite for life's pleasures, the graceful Shyn'ubi suffered for several Ages under Highblood rule. They were frequently kept by the wealthiest households and used as sex slaves, their sleazy masters instilling in them from birth the false idea that without coitus these engineered Demons would eventually wither and die from "starvation." Hundreds of unfortunate Shyn'ubi exchanged hands during the height of the slave trade and eventually some would make their way to the Brightlands, working in brothels and other seedy establishments.

After the disastrous outcome of the Arcrier rebellion, the Highbloods were wary of any possibility of Shyn'ubi breeding with other Demons--particularly their own kind--and potentially undoing the centuries of careful indoctrination used to keep these servants under heel. That fear was vindicated when a "Shyn'aed" or half-Highblood by the name of Hekate rose to prominence in Orcheus and led a slave rebellion in the mid to late Sixth Age, using her own race's gifts along with the accrued knowledge of blood magic techniques to drain life from hundreds of victims at a time. In the ensuing conflict many Shyn'ubi lashed out against their masters and sided with the sorceress.

Even after the attempted coup was put down in 807, Sixth Age, the Highbloods had a very hard time getting their angry and disillusioned Ubi slaves back in line as a cult of personality formed around the fallen Hekate. The Malabranche family--partially responsible for the half-Highblood's rise to power to begin with--retaliated by bloodily purging all of their Shyn'ubi from inventory, callously viewing them as "tainted merchandise." Other Highblood families shunned the Ubi trade, stigmatizing these troublesome relations and refusing to employ them in any roles whatsoever regardless of their loyalty. Though the resentful Shyn'ubi were officially emancipated a decade after the Orcheus Convenant in 42, Seventh Age, it was seen as something of a hollow victory. When faced with a lack of work it was all too common for "free" Ubi both within and outside Orcheus to become dependent on various drugs due to their hedonistic ways, leaving them economically destitute and living on the margins of society.

This problem only became more prevalent with the resurrection of Hekate and the rise of the controversial Redrum trade in the Ages to follow, continuing to the present era. Soon the Shyn'ubi's image would inevitably be tainted by association with this banned substance, despite growing numbers of Ubi seeking "legitimate" careers. The highly addictive nature of Redrum is a bane to the Shyn'ubi, who develop hideous mutations such as continuously multiplying and enlarged cranial horns, split tails and deformed wings from long-term exposure. The worst cases are dubbed Cronashyn--beings that have become so monstrous that the changes have broken their minds. At this stage most Shyn'ubi are incurable and have devolved into an amoral and freakish state, leaving death the only solution.

Despite these setbacks and lingering bitterness towards the Highblood aristocracy, the Shyn'ubi have managed to persevere both in Purgadia and abroad. Many still find prostitution and burlesque an alluring way to get out of poverty, though this time the elegant Demons would engage in sex work by choice. Others labor in various working class professions and in the Brightlands' "gray markets," where many goods of dubious legality along with highly sought information are imported and traded. Shyn'ubi have also taken up the task of rehabilitating Redrum addicts, feeling a certain pity for their deformed kin and trying to stop their condition from progressing.

Though still bearing the large pointed ears, dark sclera, skin of reddish or orange hue and hooved digitigrade stance generic to Luminants, after centuries of specialized breeding the Shyn'ubi eventually took on several features that distinguished them from their parent race. The average Succubus (female) or Incubus (male) is approximately six feet tall and notable for a lithe, slender build compared to their more muscular kin, along with a long tufted tail, vividly colored hair and pair of thin, outwardly curved cranial horns unique to their race. There are no major differences in size or strength between the sexes. Like Luminants and Highbloods, Ubi are considered fully adult at the age of forty and 200-300 is generally seen as "middle age."

Historically the most prized Shyn'ubi had horns that resembled a "heart-like" shape, several feet long and curved so severely that the tips would sometimes touch their bearer's shoulders; this is less often seen in the current Age, as they are quite a hassle to deal with despite the perception of beauty. In addition, most Ubi sport a tiny pair of flightless, leathery bat-like wings protruding from their shoulder blades that are frequently displayed. It is often claimed that these wings were deliberately bred into the Shyn'ubi to mock the forms of Fae and Celestines , though this explanation is dubious and more likely attributed to an odd quirk in their lineage.

Beyond these more visible traits, Shyn'ubi are also known for having an extremely well-honed sense of touch--their skin is very sensitive and capable of detecting subtle disturbances in the air. Some have developed this to the point of being able to navigate rooms even while blindfolded. The enhanced sense plays both into the race's energy manipulation ability and their own sensual impulses. While energy absorption can sustain their bodies for a time, like other Daeblus the Shyn'ubi are carnivores and generally prefer actual sustenance over sucking the life out of prey.

Widely regarded as the most attractive of all Daeblus, Ubi have wit and cunning to match their sultry forms and have been quite intelligent, perceptive, and manipulative since their emancipation from the Highbloods. While rarely overt in their cruelty compared to other Demons, Shyn'ubi are maligned and mistrusted for their perceived tendency to physically or mentally charm others into doing what they desire, often at the expense of their marks. Though the belief that Shyn'ubi (particularly Succubi) are single-minded nymphomaniacs is a highly erroneous one, they are still renowned for their healthy libidos and most have no sexual preference when it comes to gender. Both Succubi and Incubi have the ability to fully control their own fertility--a rather useful trait considering their amorous passions and trades they often find themselves in.

The Shyn'ubi race's most unusual talent is in the art of shapeshifting--indeed they are only one of two species in the entire Gateworld to carry this ability, the other being the elusive Nymphs . Roughly half of all Ubi are shapeshifters to some degree. Unlike Nymphs the Ubi variant of shapeshifting only extends to morphing their physical form for fairly superficial illusions, including increased musculature (though actual mass and strength remain the same); altered hair or eye color; and changing the size and shape of certain other features for erotic appeal. Many Ubi are competent sorcerers and alchemists, having the same affinity for magic as their Luminant peers. Shyn'ubi physical strength is considered to be only slightly below that of Luminants/Highbloods and considerably greater than the average Humie, though the empathetic Demons would much rather talk their way out of conflict than fight.

Unlike Highbloods, Humie-to-Shyn'ubi converts often retain their physical gender but age regression/progression is quite common and the average transformation takes roughly one to two months to complete in full. Usually the mental changes outpace the physical ones, and native Ubi are far more willing than most Demons to ease these fresh arrivals into the transformation and help them with their new lives. Perhaps their own culture's history of persecution and neglect by others encourages this solidarity; but since Shyn'ubi see the process of molding the hearts and minds of new members in their community as a very pleasurable experience, any altruistic motives are questionable at best.

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

Rising from the ashes of the great cataclysm that ravaged the Purgadian peninsula, the Demons of the Darklands and their nascent civilization developed as it did through a combination of slavery and various forms of social and racial engineering, all instituted by the Orcheus-based Highbloods . Obsessed with heredity and looking for ways to maximize the utility of "lesser" Daeblus races along with importing creatures from the Brightlands (such as Minos and Parak Beasts) into Purgadia for their own gain, the crimson-skinned aristocrats had initially adopted the formidable Arcriers to work as their soldiers and bodyguards; while the conniving and nimble Keldr'nai filled in as spies, assassins and couriers. When the Arcriers chafed at enslavement and rebelled against Highblood rule, they would be replaced by the less mercurial but strong-willed Convarsids , and "expendable" Cobolds were bred in droves and freely used for most lower-level tasks by the Third Age.

Among the "true" Demons it was the Luminants who were the most versatile and held the most potential for development, due to their combination of magical prowess, intelligence, physical strength and longevity being relatively close to their Highblood "betters." Indeed, the Highbloods themselves were an offshoot of the Luminant race dating back to the First Age, though the former were quick to bury any information about that more plebeian aspect of their lineage. The Luminants would eventually graduate from serfdom and become the foundation of the Demon City's booming middle class, just as they were rising to prominence in many leadership roles throughout the rest of Camboria.

However, the Luminants had an ancient practice of their own that they preferred to keep hidden from the public eye--at least outside demonic circles. To supplement their diets many Luminants had developed a taste for the essence of other beings to energize themselves. Usually this took the form of another race's blood, purified and distilled into a very potent drink. This "bloodwine" has been a commonly available good inside Orcheus for thousands of years, but is rarely seen anywhere else.

By the mid-Second Age a small number of Luminants who heavily favored bloodwine began manifesting a very unusual ability--they could regulate the life force of other creatures through touch, either draining their targets to feed themselves or using the vital energies to sustain and heal others. Though much remains mysterious about the origins of the trait to this day, the Highbloods rapidly capitalized on the discovery. Many of these Luminants were bought from their families and rounded up for selective breeding to develop the attribute further. This offshoot of demonkind eventually took on the role as servants living at the beck and call of the highest Demon caste, along with a new name--Shyn'ubi, sometimes shortened to "Ubi."

Bred to have a somewhat gentler disposition and high degree of empathy relative to other Demons along with an insatiable appetite for life's pleasures, the graceful Shyn'ubi suffered for several Ages under Highblood rule. They were frequently kept by the wealthiest households and used as sex slaves, their sleazy masters instilling in them from birth the false idea that without coitus these engineered Demons would eventually wither and die from "starvation." Hundreds of unfortunate Shyn'ubi exchanged hands during the height of the slave trade and eventually some would make their way to the Brightlands, working in brothels and other seedy establishments.

After the disastrous outcome of the Arcrier rebellion, the Highbloods were wary of any possibility of Shyn'ubi breeding with other Demons--particularly their own kind--and potentially undoing the centuries of careful indoctrination used to keep these servants under heel. That fear was vindicated when a "Shyn'aed" or half-Highblood by the name of Hekate rose to prominence in Orcheus and led a slave rebellion in the mid to late Sixth Age, using her own race's gifts along with the accrued knowledge of blood magic techniques to drain life from hundreds of victims at a time. In the ensuing conflict many Shyn'ubi lashed out against their masters and sided with the sorceress.

Even after the attempted coup was put down in 807, Sixth Age, the Highbloods had a very hard time getting their angry and disillusioned Ubi slaves back in line as a cult of personality formed around the fallen Hekate. The Malabranche family--partially responsible for the half-Highblood's rise to power to begin with--retaliated by bloodily purging all of their Shyn'ubi from inventory, callously viewing them as "tainted merchandise." Other Highblood families shunned the Ubi trade, stigmatizing these troublesome relations and refusing to employ them in any roles whatsoever regardless of their loyalty. Though the resentful Shyn'ubi were officially emancipated a decade after the Orcheus Convenant in 42, Seventh Age, it was seen as something of a hollow victory. When faced with a lack of work it was all too common for "free" Ubi both within and outside Orcheus to become dependent on various drugs due to their hedonistic ways, leaving them economically destitute and living on the margins of society.

This problem only became more prevalent with the resurrection of Hekate and the rise of the controversial Redrum trade in the Ages to follow, continuing to the present era. Soon the Shyn'ubi's image would inevitably be tainted by association with this banned substance, despite growing numbers of Ubi seeking "legitimate" careers. The highly addictive nature of Redrum is a bane to the Shyn'ubi, who develop hideous mutations such as continuously multiplying and enlarged cranial horns, split tails and deformed wings from long-term exposure. The worst cases are dubbed Cronashyn--beings that have become so monstrous that the changes have broken their minds. At this stage most Shyn'ubi are incurable and have devolved into an amoral and freakish state, leaving death the only solution.

Despite these setbacks and lingering bitterness towards the Highblood aristocracy, the Shyn'ubi have managed to persevere both in Purgadia and abroad. Many still find prostitution and burlesque an alluring way to get out of poverty, though this time the elegant Demons would engage in sex work by choice. Others labor in various working class professions and in the Brightlands' "gray markets," where many goods of dubious legality along with highly sought information are imported and traded. Shyn'ubi have also taken up the task of rehabilitating Redrum addicts, feeling a certain pity for their deformed kin and trying to stop their condition from progressing.

Though still bearing the large pointed ears, dark sclera, skin of reddish or orange hue and hooved digitigrade stance generic to Luminants, after centuries of specialized breeding the Shyn'ubi eventually took on several features that distinguished them from their parent race. The average Succubus (female) or Incubus (male) is approximately six feet tall and notable for a lithe, slender build compared to their more muscular kin, along with a long tufted tail, vividly colored hair and pair of thin, outwardly curved cranial horns unique to their race. There are no major differences in size or strength between the sexes. Like Luminants and Highbloods, Ubi are considered fully adult at the age of forty and 200-300 is generally seen as "middle age."

Historically the most prized Shyn'ubi had horns that resembled a "heart-like" shape, several feet long and curved so severely that the tips would sometimes touch their bearer's shoulders; this is less often seen in the current Age, as they are quite a hassle to deal with despite the perception of beauty. In addition, most Ubi sport a tiny pair of flightless, leathery bat-like wings protruding from their shoulder blades that are frequently displayed. It is often claimed that these wings were deliberately bred into the Shyn'ubi to mock the forms of Fae and Celestines , though this explanation is dubious and more likely attributed to an odd quirk in their lineage.

Beyond these more visible traits, Shyn'ubi are also known for having an extremely well-honed sense of touch--their skin is very sensitive and capable of detecting subtle disturbances in the air. Some have developed this to the point of being able to navigate rooms even while blindfolded. The enhanced sense plays both into the race's energy manipulation ability and their own sensual impulses. While energy absorption can sustain their bodies for a time, like other Daeblus the Shyn'ubi are carnivores and generally prefer actual sustenance over sucking the life out of prey.

Widely regarded as the most attractive of all Daeblus, Ubi have wit and cunning to match their sultry forms and have been quite intelligent, perceptive, and manipulative since their emancipation from the Highbloods. While rarely overt in their cruelty compared to other Demons, Shyn'ubi are maligned and mistrusted for their perceived tendency to physically or mentally charm others into doing what they desire, often at the expense of their marks. Though the belief that Shyn'ubi (particularly Succubi) are single-minded nymphomaniacs is a highly erroneous one, they are still renowned for their healthy libidos and most have no sexual preference when it comes to gender. Both Succubi and Incubi have the ability to fully control their own fertility--a rather useful trait considering their amorous passions and trades they often find themselves in.

The Shyn'ubi race's most unusual talent is in the art of shapeshifting--indeed they are only one of two species in the entire Gateworld to carry this ability, the other being the elusive Nymphs . Roughly half of all Ubi are shapeshifters to some degree. Unlike Nymphs the Ubi variant of shapeshifting only extends to morphing their physical form for fairly superficial illusions, including increased musculature (though actual mass and strength remain the same); altered hair or eye color; and changing the size and shape of certain other features for erotic appeal. Many Ubi are competent sorcerers and alchemists, having the same affinity for magic as their Luminant peers. Shyn'ubi physical strength is considered to be only slightly below that of Luminants/Highbloods and considerably greater than the average Humie, though the empathetic Demons would much rather talk their way out of conflict than fight.

Unlike Highbloods, Humie-to-Shyn'ubi converts often retain their physical gender but age regression/progression is quite common and the average transformation takes roughly one to two months to complete in full. Usually the mental changes outpace the physical ones, and native Ubi are far more willing than most Demons to ease these fresh arrivals into the transformation and help them with their new lives. Perhaps their own culture's history of persecution and neglect by others encourages this solidarity; but since Shyn'ubi see the process of molding the hearts and minds of new members in their community as a very pleasurable experience, any altruistic motives are questionable at best.