Succubus

A succubus (female) or incubus (male) is a creature, sometimes considered "a demon", looking like a highly attractive human being seducing real humans, first appearing in dreams from time to time, then physically, and is interested only in men that have already come of age. Neither succubi nor incubi are particularly violent, though they draw energy from the men and women to sustain themselves, often until the point of exhaustion or death of the victim.
== Notable succubi ==
* Natanis, from Beauclair
* Vara
* Salma, from Novigrad
* Succubus of Ard Skellig
* Succubus of Murky Waters
* Succubus of Vergen
== ==
A bestiary entry can be obtained by reading Journey to the End of the World.
=== Bestiary entry ===
:Again?! Good grief, woman, I'm spent...– Lester of Smallton to a succubus, a few days before taking a vow of celibacy
:Unlike other monsters, succubi and menads feel no desire to kill, do not crave human blood and usually do not, in fact, mean any harm at all. They are motivated by one thing and one thing only: an insatiable lust. They try in vain to slake this by engaging in sexual acts with any other humanoid species they encounter. While it must be admitted that their "victims" rarely put up much resistance, this does not mean succubi and menads do not present any danger: their never-ending advances, though pleasurable at first, have pushed more than one man to madness or even death.
:Succubi and menads usually can be found near human settlement, including small villages and populous cities. They prowl at night, though when stricken by serious need they will leave their lairs during the day as well. They shower their affections on men as well as women, the young as well as the old, the ugly as well as the beautiful. Some of them are particularly fond of pastors and other holy men, whose seduction they treat as a sort of game.
:Though succubi are peaceful by nature, when forced to fight they will defend themselves fiercely. One should thus not be fooled by their fair appearance – under the velvety skin of their arms lie muscles of iron, and a blow delivered with their rear, goat-like legs or the thick horns on their head can easily crush bone.
=== Combat tactics ===
Clever witchers may be able to talk down a succubus, with stories of witchers seducing a succubus and allowing them to flee a region whispered among commoners. Should a witcher choose to slay a succubus, they must act quickly. Succubi are known for their surprising brute strength.
They can also be accomplished spell-slingers in their own right, commanding fire with natural aptitude. The simple flashes of fire that a succubus can call upon can disrupt any sword technique a witcher is capable of, and there is no defense save for quen, or frantic rolls away from the flames.
Relentlessness is key. A succubus cannot be allowed to control a battle. Exploding bolts or aard can disrupt their spell-weaving, Northern Wind can freeze them in place. A witcher will succeed in slaying a succubus if they can pin them down and unleash a flurry of strikes.
 Prior to , succubi were vulnerable to steel swords instead of silver. This caused a unique problem as one could not actually use hybrid oil against them, which also meant that perks requiring use of an appropriate oil, like Protective Coating, would not work.
=== Associated quest ===
* Practicum in Advanced Alchemy
== Notes ==
* In the graphic novel, there is one major succubus character named Vara of Vengerberg. She is depicted as similar to succubi from the game series, except that she lacks cloven hooves. She does have wings and can look very like a human, and she is shown in her true form only once in the comic.
* Despite succubi being sentient and relatively non-violent, they are brethren to fiends and chorts.
* The listed loot is actually a custom set scripted for the succubus of Ard Skellig, while only Salma can drop generic succubi loot.
* In the , during the secondary quest Equine Phantoms, the umbra that Geralt chases is strangely labeled as "incubus" for a brief second while transforming, despite the male counterparts not appearing as of yet in the adaptions.
** Some speculate this is due to the quest originally featuring an incubi as the "demon" haunting Pinastri, not an umbra, backed by the similar behaviours between the creatures.
== Trivia ==
* Succubi and incubi are mythical demons who seduce people. Such creatures are found within various mythologies.
** The portrayal of succubi in and shares similarities with the half-human, half goat faun or satyr of Greco-Roman folklore. Vara from seems to resemble the traditional depiction of succubus instead.
== Gallery ==
Tw2 journal Succubus censored.png|Succubus of Vergen in 
Vara Wiedzmin Dom ze Szkla 2 017.png|Vara in 
Twba character model Succubus.png|Succubus render in 
TWBA hero succubus.jpg|Succubus in 
Tw3 wallpaper succubus.png|In 
Tw3 skellige succubus.jpg|Succubus of Ard Skellig in 
Tw3 journal salma.png|Salma in 
Gwent cardart monsters incubus.png|Incubus cardart in 
== References==
== External links ==
*
de:Succubus
es:Súcubo
fr:Succube
it:Succube
pl:Sukkub
pt-br:Súcubos
ru:Суккуб
uk:Суккуб
Category:Creatures
Category:The Witcher 2 bestiary
Category:The Witcher 3 bestiary
Category:The Witcher Battle Arena characters