The tail integration of the bat is my favorite detail of these creatures. All the different ways they take that on has been wonderful.

Do hosts maintain any sort of individuality post-corruption? I'm curious as to what use their intelligence is if their sense of self is fucked with. Do the demons want to keep their altered hosts in society or pull them back to rank and file for organized chaos?

Succubats are corrupting parasites. They basically rewire people to feel good about helping demonkind, and bad when demonkind is harmed. So you have the same person, but one who thinks like, making someone else into a host is helping not only demonkind, but the potential host as well.

Like it messes with brain chemicals to make them love their hive and queen, but indirectly enough that like, each succubat host kind of filters those feelings through their own personality. The only personality traits succubats really filter out are like, procrastinators.

To be clear about role, like, succubats are pretty versatile. They basically handle everything that isn't raw brute strength and endurance. Physically a succubat is just like, a superior version of the host. So getting new hosts, securing food, diplomacy or assassinations if it ever comes up. Succubats would also be the ones like, managing organization. Like sometimes the best use for a host is just like, they're an engineer or repairpeep

Foreign mental persuasions integrating with or fighting against self-interests and self-preservations without practically wiping the host's identity is a fascinating little thought experiment. I admire an attempt to muck around in that middle ground, seeing as that's the hardest one to justify cleanly. If a host's cherished loved one is a danger to demonkind, I'd expect there to be some mental war going on. If they can axe them down without a second thought or regret, it may as well just be the bat's mind and will in complete control as it mimics whatever traits and knowledge it plucked out of that gray matter.

Will a succubat host typically be driven to work *purely* for demonkind's continued dominance and growth, or they allowed any sort of individuality that doesn't impact their new managers? Stuff like hobbies or relationships or any other actions that are more geared towards mental stimulation and entertainment of the host.

One more interesting little thing: does the succubat maintain some sort of sapience post-corruption, or has it effectively merged its mind with theirs? If the former, does the host spy this new eyeball on its tail as part of their body or just some new demon friend of theirs that's nothing out of the ordinary?

Depends on the person, and how they would treat a family member who 'doesn't know what's best for themselves'. But for real it would be like finding out one member of your family was a threat to the rest, and also you have brain rewiring parasites that can fix that and make the person happier and healthier :v

Hobbies and relationships yes. Demons still have friends and loved ones, people they prefer to work or play with. It's still the old person with old interests.

The bat is mostly an extension of the host's brain. Like any other part of your brain, sending you hormones and impulses. At first it seems more external and willful because it's new, but it primes people to accept their new situation. Also the more corrupted a host is, the less the parasite seems external to their own mind.

Devil's definitely in the details. If that friend or family member is in hysterics, shouting at who you used to be, I feel like there has to be forced ignorance from the bat in order to help the host stay so assured that they're in the "right." They still care about this person to some degree, but they're definitely no longer the light of their life like they were before. Flipside, if a host could genuinely debate their new stance with a sense of confidence that doesn't just gloss over others' feelings and concerns, that'd be MIGHTY impressive. That's a step higher than a 50s brain mutant flick.

As for the bat, are its wings or the occasional big fluffy tail maw acting under its influence or the host's? Alternatively, is it the bat's deal, but the host is tricked into thinking they're spinning the wheels. I do enjoy the idea of it being independent, acting as an external steward to the host's new drive like you said. It's almost a little sad that it just blends in and is eventually forgotten, even if its just a parasite XD

I appreciate the discussion, btw. It's one thing to get attracted to some concept you come across around here, but it's a whole other glorious experience to interact with a creator that's actually invested and willing enough to divulge further. ;w;

Betraying or causing harm to demons feels morally wrong. It makes the person feel terrible. The more corrupted someone is, they more they'll consider fellow demons to be beloved friends and family. It gives a sense of belonging, makes you happier and healthier. How a demon acts depends on their original personality. I don't hate people or believe in something just because my bigoted family, or conspiracy loving friend shouts at me hysterically.

It shifts and varies. The bat is like a third brain lobe. Just as how your left and right brain don't always agree and work in unison if they're separated, the parasite seems external until it's fully integrated.

Well, yea, if you already have misgivings against these people, it's all the more easy to just disregard them in this situation. I was more running under the assumption that—prior to corruption—these folk were special to the host without such damning qualifiers. Unless you're saying that part of the corruption process is that twisted perception that these non-demon folk are suddenly beneath you should they disagree with your influenced beliefs and fight your attempt to convert them. That just feels like you're stripping away at the host's identity, replacing it with more foreign forgeries. I mean, it's not unusual for demonic corruption to go that far, but it's at least interesting to see it mingle with newly gray areas of conscious rather than completely overwrite them.

I actually like the idea of it being just a third lobe. Those studies about people with separated lobes and how they operate independently without freaking out that person raise as my interesting questions as they do disturbing fears. Plenty of variance there. XD

I don't think you understand what I'm trying to lay down here. Demons think they're right because they have experiences and allies that enforce that belief. Family saying demons bad we have to stop them clearly don't have all the information, and are ignorant or misled. Actual literal cults already do worse without having immediately obvious rewards and benefits.

Fresh demons might be primed to already be ready for this and faithful to demonkind, or not be the first demon among their friends and family. They might not, and be dealing with new instincts and hormones that train them to being a good demon. The point of preserving the old person is they're an individual. Everyone acts differently and tries to accomplish goals differently. Everyone's relationships are different. Someone resisting what feels right, and sticking to a path that fills them with self doubt, depression, and unease, who is rejecting the right to exist of everyone infected by a parasite like them, is not a typical demon, so I don't talk about their experiences.

Demons aren't some fantasy hive mind with a unified behavior. They might disagree about methodology or how kind to be to non demons. But they all have such a singularity of purpose and sense of community, that it might seem that way to non demons. Similar to how like, animals seem to all behave similarly to people, unless we get to know a singular animal and learn its personality. Humans might start to seem directionless and full of strife and conflict to demons who lose touch with humanity.

Correct me if I'm still off-base, but I think my main disconnect is that I assumed your demonkind were inherently malevolent. Sounds like you treat them more as a diverse race then you do a force of spiteful superiority. With that line of thinking, I figured that someone finding you corruption into demonhood was a much more dire event. I didn't have a lot to base my assumptions on, so it may have taken me a bit to get a clue. Assuming I have yet, that is. ;w;

(Just to be clear, I was running under conditions that would assume a scenario like two lovers hanging out together, one gets succubat'd, and their personality completely shifts to pro-demon religious creepiness. The sort of "You're either with us—one of us—or against us." sort of mentality that would drive someone to hysterics.)

If that is the case, then it makes the host's mental gymnastics before and after the bat digs its spikes in a lot less severe. It sounds less that they're mostly brainwashed and more that their priorities are shifted around without ruining the host. I may still not be clear on how artificial those values are and if they develop naturally within the host or are forced by the bat.

Oh, no. The deal with corruption, as i enjoy it, is like a millstone, change is gradual, if generally inevitable. The literal moment a person is turned, they are almost the exact same person, but funny looking and looked at as untrustworthy. They would be feeling great, healthier thank ever, and a sense of satisfaction, butt not inherently aligned with demons yet.

Like resisting corruption means constant self doubt, depression, and self loathing, while surrounded by suspicion, threats, and purple saying everyone like you needs to die. Resisting the pride and pleasure they feel at hearing demons are doing well. Questioning what emotions or impulses are their own. Not really the normal route.

Humans resist demons because, 1, it really does look like inhuman outsiders tainting and minds controlling once humans. Take that in addition to how people can barely tolerate foreigners half the time, and like, even the most peaceful demon hives (and they aren't all peaceful) can seem like a threat to humanity, or sign that any openly cooperating people or country are just as bad.

Wow my phone really messed this post up

Doesn't really matter, the whole thing was super interesting to read!

I just came across your galleries the other day when someone showed me fluffy tail maw, body morphing cute, so I'm still figuring out your takes on tf. My immediate association with corruption is definitely more of a negative influence, especially when it's brought up alongside unnatural mental alterations. Seeing talk of how people retain their intelligence but blank, blank and blank immediately gets me curious on the details. It's one thing for someone's physical appearance to warp around, but it's a completely different case, I feel, if their consciousness is warped through the ringer the same way. That's when I start questioning if the being in front of you has been replaced by a new entity or not.

Resisting your brand of corruption to me feels much more benign by comparison. The bat isn't dissolving their original identity into a shadow of itself that exists to serve the demons of hell or anything. It sounds like to me that all it does to your mind is make it more accepting of demonkind. Not the worst sort of mental suggestion in the world. There's certainly nothing pleasant about being cast into a void of rampant uncertainty, turning your life into some sort of horror flick.

No judgement for what folk personally enjoy, but my preference definitely leans towards whatever option is as close to retaining whatever sound of mind one had prior as possible. Your critters are even more interesting to me as a result :3

As for the rest of society, your take on it is about what I'd expect in this case. Is it safe to assume that demons are varying levels of accepting to transformed folks as well?

Parasite demons mingle with like satanic hell beings. At least like, not any more than anyone else. They just look demonic, and have terrifying stories about them destroying countries, or how they have terrifying powers like turning people into one of them, or other less true things. So they're called demon parasites.

Actual demons, the kind with dark magics, and fire and brimstone and evil contracts for souls just think of them as like, ants and potential souls, the same as any mortal. Albeit ones with better fashion sense

*parasite demons don't mingle with

Was confused again for a moment there. XD

So I take it that none of these demons are actually demons, just folk that were chosen by parasites, correct? There aren't "natural" demons in between parasite demons and Diablo's minions?

Makes sense why they'd impart an inclination in favor of other demon parasites just to help ensure their safety. Now that I think I understand them better, I just get curious as to what comes next for a transformed individual that benefits their kind if they've not met other demon parasties or if there's any rhyme or reason as to what parasite choses what host to stalk and meld with. But I've taken so much of your time today that I'd understand cutting it off here. Thanks again for the wonderful art and awesome concept to mush into other's characters. :3

Also, im guessing that when a succubat attaches to a host, it connects to their central nervous system at the lumbar area of the spine?

Also apparently make the host female.

Wait, never mind, saw the source material.

The sex and gender of parasites and host don't always line up before infection. The hosts body changes according to the parasite

when a lot of parasites or hosts are available, this isn't an issue.

So, is there a cure? Can you just lop off the false tail and the rest of the Succubat dies, allowing the host to return to normal?

The succubat embeds itself in the host but like. I guess you could remove it with magic or surgery? You'd need another independent method to return the body to normal. And like, the more corrupted a person is, the more they honestly and personally are loyal to demonkind. They would just be like, loyal in the way a human is without the succubat reinforcing that loyalty through emotions and pleasure. They'd still remember life as a demon, and how other demons were to them, unless you erased that too.

Thanks for doing this, the whole theme is super fun <3

nice :3

very interesting idea ^^

So, part of me wonders, is there a way to resist the conditioning?

Sure. It just sucks, and stays with you forever. Not helping the hive makes you anxious and antsy, or even fills you with self doubt.

Plus people will be as suspicious of you as the would loyal hive members

Sounds almost like it's a chemically induced conditioning? So resisting it would be like going through withdrawal? Does kind of sound like individuals with a less prominent self of self would be easier to target with something like that, since intelligence and memories have to be retained.

How does the parasite or whatever know if you're avoiding the hive or not?

It's like a third brain lobe. It knows because you know. and is sending you all the like, normal hormones and brain chemicals that your unaltered emotions would be using. (this does mean parasites also fix things like depression, or could potentially cause depression like symptoms in someone who resists)

Ah, that third brain lobe thing makes me think of a certain video I watched called You are Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfYbgdo8e-8

I'd imagine for some the sudden appearance of a third piece of a mind being wedged into you could be disconcerting, especially if it strongly conflicts with the other two lobes. So how much of the anxiety and antsiness is self-inflicted, and how much of it is intentionally inflicted upon a renegade host?

it would probably be more disconcerting if the parasite didn't like, pump you with confidence and satisfaction right away. Basically it's another quiet lobe, and the more used to it you are the more integrated it seems. Like you can make it so you see through the third eye, and are the one controlling it just as much as your left arm.

Like people with split brain don't freak out at their quiet half having it's own ideas

Ah, interesting... also probably disconcerting yeah. I'd still imagine though that the chemicals can only do so much, there'd need to be some kind of pre-existing vulnerability to the kind of power the parasite can give for it to truly be effective. Someone with a high satisfaction in their life is more likely to have a bad result than someone who's lose is probably worse than what they could possess in the hive. At least that's how I'd interpret it, it'd also be partially up to the individual and how they think.

Part of the question I guess is what exactly do these demons do?

Hosts get food for the queen, either through growing it, or making deals to buy food or securing more farmland. They also grow the hive by distributing parasites more consciously than parasites can by themselves.

Succubat hosts also manage the hive, teach people, act as doctors, and all the normal jobs a society requires to function. Ones who can fight, do when it's called for, or act as security

But the general goal of any hive is to satisfy the queen's ever growing hunger, and secure the people needed to keep up with that demand.

Them being labeled "Demons" is more propaganda than truth. They aren't inherently evil or anything, they're more like, fashionable ants. They get the title because they look different, and can just take away and convert the loyal citizens of a country, or faithful of a church.

Ah, interesting. Though what do you mean teach people, act as doctors, etc. Is that within their own internal society, or human society as a whole? How do weird parasite infested individuals even hold down regular jobs if it's the latter?

Also, so the queen's hunger is evergrowing in what manner? As in it's literally always increasing, till it hits some kind of unsustainable threshold and everything falls apart? Does it taper off at any point?

Hives still need medicine, and managers and transportation and all that. They need teachers to teach kids, they need craftspeople to make tools, and traders to negotiate deals. A hive is made up of people like you or me, just with a more defined sense of purpose and belonging.

The two ways a queen dies are "Someone killed her" and "Her hunger became impossible for her to satisfy". The older a queen is, the larger and hungrier they become. As such they need wider and broader infrastructure to satisfy themselves. Large enough hives might be an entire city-state or country dedicated to feeding their gigantic queen. Queens smart enough to reach this point are older than most countries, ancient and HUGE.

A lot of queens with weak impulse control will strip the land around them of everything edible, growing the hive with lots of crown crabs, and take whatever they need by force. They claim too much land, and have no infrastructure to support themselves, so either armies/'heroes' stop them, or they just can't get enough food back to the queen to avoid starvation.

So essentially they're partially or entirely removed from human civilization, and need individuals to fill in similar kind of roles? How does reproduction even work anyway, do they come out as demons, or as humans that are then parasitized?

Alright, so there isn't any tapering off, and really the ones that get really old have to have a highly developed method of transporting the necessary nutrients, or else they'll starve and die? And no matter what the shipments need to get bigger and bigger each time?

Kids are just, normal non host children. They usually even look like they would if their parents weren't hosts. A lot of hives don't give them a parasite until they're old and skilled enough to not have issues from an impulse telling them to help out

Bigger queens do what they need to eat, and they never stop growing as long as they live. They keep up or they pass away.

I fell like I answered a lot of these questions on this page???

I'd imagine it'd cause development problems, yeah. Probably would cause some anyway just due to the differences in growing up surrounded by succubats rather than regular people like themselves. So what if they don't want a parasite? How much of a choice would they have in that?

Ah, sorry if I am asking questions that have already been answered. I do appreciate the time you've taken to answer my questions so far.

I mean, what can a rebellious kid really even do? They're growing up without an explicit reason to think poorly of these parasites that give everyone a healthier, more attractive body, a sense of belonging in the world, and purpose to their life. Hives act differently based on the morals of the people contained. "This is for your own good" is not unheard of for any adult or society to make their children do something.

Honestly young adults are like, willing recruit number 1 for Hives.

Well, some people do like having the ability to choose. Even if it's a foregone conclusion. Sometimes it's the choice that matters, a willing convert is more likely to accept it than one who has it forced upon them.


Will say though that you're probably right, it's easier to recruit younger people than it is older ones whom are more set in their ways. Kind of why the stereotypical rebel is young for a reason. The young are more likely to go against the established base, especially when the system doesn't favor them. That's also partially why I asked, because while a young human adult that was raised with humans may be an easy recruit, one that's raised around the succubat might go one of two ways, either they idealize the succubats, or they resent them, or they resent themselves for being inferior.

... in which case parasites are thing magical cure all that fix all your problems, and the big thing adults have been keeping away from children, like mommy's makeup, or booze, or all those things adults can do but kids can't

Eh, maybe? Some people like their imperfections.

I know if I ever encountered a Succubat, I'd help find it a nice host.
(I happen to find Succubi as fascinating) <3