To Tom Magnus

[TennyoCeres84]

How do cambions work? I mean, apart from the mechanics of reproduction, how is it feasible that entities that have to possess a dead body are able to sire or give birth to children? And are they like Nephilim who inherit a fraction of their demonic parent's power?

[IamLEAM1983]

"Ah, but there's a catch: demons typically restore the bodies they possess to some semblance of life, restarting certain processes and leaving others suspended. Basic homeostasis is the last thing any demon wants to alter, obviously, as fiddling with that would be akin to playing with a computer's motherboard without knowing what you're doing...

As an incubus, this is useful to me largely thanks to the fact that I can leave my body sterile for as long as I need and then kickstart gamete production if the need arises. If I can produce living sperm cells, then Thomas Quint's DNA is mine to transmit. Nature's law dictates that the most complex member of the pairing wins out, so the odds that my hypothetical selkie partner would give birth to another selkie are fairly high. I'm just a demon riding in an anthro warthog's body, Aislinn is a staggeringly complex lifeform that doesn't have one, but two distinct states of being. There's a world of difference between your average chameleon, for instance, and the genetic complexity needed for something like a selkie's pelt to develop properly. Via needs to stick itself to the right genes and enable the right instructions, and that's the sort of stuff only a closed population can foster.

Now, as far as the arcane aspect is considered, demons tend to pass on a small nugget of power, a tiny measure of their demonic signature, to their children. Decent upbringing, a generally safe life and no cause to go digging into dark stuff usually means that a little Cambion girl will never know she's a Cambion. Unlike a Nephilim's nature, it's not the sort of thing that proudly stands out at puberty. Depending on where the demon inheritance comes from, that can mean a few things...

A child with a parent who hails from the City is usually prone to be stable, just a little on the dour side - maybe going into humourlessness as they get older. Not bad folks, far from it - just people who tend to see more Bad than Good and are weighed down by it all. Some get cynical but feel a bit more, others come from the Seducers and end up being eerily empathetic towards others... In all cases, powers can emerge if the Hellish parent actually had some clout.

Then, you have the Pitspawn... Mantus and I are the exception that confirms the rule, with very few other people in the wastes subscribing to my take on Damnation. There's more than just me and Randolph, true - but not by much. That rule I mentioned, however, is spite. The rule is anger, often misplaced and misdirected. The rule is a deep-seated and hopefully ignored cruel streak. The rule is latent sociopathy.

Grow up well and chances are you'll only become a bitter adult. Grow up poorly, however, and chances are you'll join the small cabal of killers and murderers who genuinely felt called to Hell. Monsters tend to beget monsters, and the Pit's occasionally brazen and ambitious escapees are no exception. That's if you're in control of that shard of your demonic parent that's been left in you. If not?

You'd better get yourself committed - or exorcised.

In my case, however? Well, the norm for succubi and incubi is passing on a shadow of our lust to our children, and that never ends well. You end up with a decent fellow who has an unfortunately twisted view of sex and its acceptable boundaries, of relationships and what they can and can't be used to explore.

My norm, however, is passion. I run hot. Everything warms me a little bit more each day, metaphorically speaking. My children would grow normally, and then their loins would start to stir... Their eyes would open after years of neglect, and they'd finally see all the beauty there is to see in the world. They'd want it all, just as I do. I'd foster travellers or inconstant lovers, womanizers or femmes fatales, explorers or adrenaline junkies, free spirits or emotionally dependent minds clinging to the idea of affection like a raft in the ocean... Strong types, weaker sorts, all focused on what feeds them, what drives them - it being predominantly themselves, or the idea of being loved by someone else.

Of these, the very closest to me might inherit a speck of my talent in the Dark Arts. I'd teach them gladly, work to build a legacy - because Dark doesn't necessarily mean Evil. I prefer the shadows, but I enjoy looking to the light to guide my way - much as anyone else.

I think you could count on me and my kin to father the Pit's bad boys with hearts of gold, or our adventuresome daughters with no real regard for Randolph's precious laws, but every regard for human life. Considering, and to liberally crib from Dungeons & Dragons, Aislinn would have to contend with the fact that if we're preparing for an involving run as a couple or family, she'll effectively be joining Team Chaotic Good.

I love Archie as much as the next lust demon, honestly - but the paperwork he comes with? Not so much. I'll play along for as long as I can't function independently, but past that?

Let's just say I won't feel to bad about breaking a few proverbial eggs. Not that I'd be worried - killing anyone would stay off the menu.

Property damage, though? Hmm... If I'm sending an ally to infiltrate another demon's sanctum and I know for a fact that this other demon has less moral considerations than myself, would that be a crime? Hrmph, Aidan would say yes, of course - but this feels so limiting, sometimes..."