Data IV - Cambions

Cambions: Creatures born of the union of Human and Demon.

Cambions had, in the past, been far more common. Some cases had to do with brutal couplings, but a good number came to be in a more willing manner, if only in exchange of safety, power or for other reasons agreed through various Deals or far less businesslike propositions, instead being more earnest and sincere desires (or vices). While demons are creatures of desire and chaos, time molded them to be far more alike to humans than many would like to admit, and this brought far more positive feelings to the much more eager demonic entities of Hell than the more guarded and distant angels from Heaven.

Because Cambions are the result of Demon and Human couplings, their forms and minds are usually highly sexual, beautiful and generally more closely resembling their demonic side than their human ancestry in hopes to bring an exotic allure that most average humans find enticing, be it through magical means or natural attractions. Cambions are nonetheless a mix of both worlds, and most, even for the most magically deaf species, can 'disguise' themselves as humans. Although the word 'disguise' is slightly misleading as, unlike other magical disguises, these forms are true, not illusions, even if the inner workings are still hellish and not standard human fare.

This is why Cambios were also called Changelings. Unlike many other demons, except Hellhounds and Succubi thanks to their duties in the living world in much darker times (And still in the modern age for the Succubi), they have natural human disguises. Many other species also have means, artificial or learned, to use disguises. For a Cambion bloodline this is, however, a biological obligation. This power is an ingrained allure to use their beauty and instincts to prolong the Cambion's line by attracting more humans to pair with, as the demon blood running in their veins ensure the taint of the fell for dozens, if not perhaps hundreds of generations to come. However it is highly recommended for Cambions to regularly couple with humans to create more, as a Cambion having a child with a Demon is, by all accounts, considered 'mostly' a Demon still.

In fact that is why Cambions, as a whole, have become rare.

Indeed: Nowadays Cambions are much more scarce. Demonologist enclaves in Hell have been erased for a long, long time, and it is rare that a human finds a permanent stay in the land of the damned before their passing. Although it does happen that an encounter or two with a mortal in the living world ends up in a pregnancy, this is, however, rarely seen through, more so if the mother is human and not demon. As such the number of Cambions is constantly in decline, with very few remaining and fewer joining their ranks.

It is perhaps a positive, at least for the more puritan demons in Hell. Cambions tend to have many characteristics that are unlike that of their own species. Truly, many of these abnormalities tend to be… negative.

Defects are common, like having their claws as a permanent fixture instead of being able to retract them, having uncontrollable magic, being dominated by their instincts and so on. Rarely the 'defect' is something a mortal could identify, though the more 'human' ones tend to do with mental instability. But let's be sincere here;, most demons are already as far from 'right in the head' as you can get if you look from a human perspective. However, the many negatives in most Cambions do make most demons shy away from the idea, not to speak of the dangers of having a human partner, be it through the slippery slope that is their longevity or many other variables to consider.

Despite all possible negatives, and many in Hell would give you an ample list, Cambions also prove one thing right about hybridization: The result is either sterility (as many examples exist in the animal kingdom), or a superior breed. Considering Cambions are never sterile, and in fact have almost as easy a time having children as any human or demon would, it is unsurprising to see more than a few raised eyebrows when a Cambion is present, if only because they are always generally 'better' than the purebred demons they come from.

As such it is not hard to see many disdain these hellborn. Cambions are, by and large, greater than their original species. This is similar to hybrids from other hellborn species, as they tend to mix and match the best qualities, often losing the worst in their heritage, or making these negatives have a much lesser impact. Only difference is that, Cambions, despite appearances, are not 'demons', similar to Sinners. They have human souls, though their death, much like any hellborne, is final. These souls power them however, and this grants them many possibilities if they were to ever have the chance to exploit them.

Even the weaker demon species, if given a human soul, can do much more than most think. A Cambion? They get that chance from the start. That is why many puritans in Hell look at them with either disdain, or fear.

But to those that earn their loyalty or friendship? Cambions can be truly frightening allies to call upon.