Good vs Evil

[overbringer]

I'm going to basically just copy/paste Avshar's setting, and then update this post as people offer suggestions.

In a distant land, two kingdoms warred: Videssos and Makuran. They were very different lands, but both honorable and civilized nations. About a generation ago, however, Makuran was invaded and conquered by the barbarian nomad hordes known as Yezd. Makuran now struggles under their new overlords, who have their sights set on Videssos. The most feared general of Yezd is the Wizard-Prince Avshar, who has led Yezd's armies in victory after victory, first against Makuran, and now against Videssos in stinging raids.

The last few months have been quiet, however. Avshar has not been seen along the borders. Rather, he has been seen in Videssos's capital itself, acting as an emissary for prisoner exchanges, arguments over who owns towns on the border, and other such business. He has so far minded his manners enough that he has not forfeited diplomatic immunity, but the Videssian officers and troops are just waiting for an excuse, especially since Avshar saw fit to bring his retinue of "aids", as unsavory a lot as ever there were who are causing no end of complaints amongst the citizens.

With open war on the horizon and an ambassador who's very presence is an open insult, tensions are at the breaking point. The only question is who will snap first.

Comments

[have_hat_will_travel]

Pidonus Marasia was an innocent, beautiful human woman whose town happened to be destroyed by Alhazred. Unfortunately, Alhazred happened to hear her when she, trapped under some burning church wreckage, begged for her life, specifically saying the particularly stupid words "I'll give anything". Alhazred took her up on the offer, rescuing her only to transform her into a Succubus, erasing her memory of her human past and replacing it with a mile-wide sociopathic complex and intensely vain nature.

Pidonus is loyal to Avshar only incidentally; Alhazred, her 'creator', is the one she honestly thinks of as master. Pointedly, though, her methods are particularly nasty even by the terms of Avshar's minions, manipulating the minds of the weak-willed directly through magic, while working to corrupt the strong-willed until she can influence them too. Some get turned over to Alhazred for his experiments, while others are ultimately slain, their lifeforce drawn into her to power her nastier magics. (She refers to the amount of energy consumed by these spells as a "number of souls", however, it's uncertain that she actually claims the soul, stealing it from its honest fate. Certainly, though, the body is left dead.) A signature method of hers is to steal someone's memories and then kill them, magically copying their form and taking their place for some time to lead into a larger scheme.

Possible Hooks:
-- Possibly someone you were close to was consumed by her. If they were significant in their community, perhaps they acted strangely for some time before doing something horrifying and turning out to actually have died days or weeks ago, replaced by the succubus.
-- Possibly you were another survivor of Pidonus' hometown, and recognize her.
-- Most importantly, a major thing I wish to play out is Pidonus ultimately being captured by the heroes, and convinced to allow herself to be 'purified', at least partially restoring her human form and memory. How might your hero or villain be involved in that?

[charmbuster]

Mimete would be available to "accidentally" arrange for Pidonus to be left behind after some joint operation if she ever is given reason to think Alhazred likes Pidonus better than her.

[have_hat_will_travel]

But she thought we were friends! ;A;

Yup. Definitely a proper fate for Pidonus...

[charmbuster]

They were and then Pidonus threatened Mimete's standing in this evil organization.