Ludérc

Description

Well-known is the myth of the witch Ibolya and Sárbolc (see The First Ludérc in the sidebar), which tells the story of how she tried to gain his affections but was found out and cursed instead. Thus the first ludérc was born, a creature that has to prey on others and drain their lust and energy to survive. These fiends possess two basic forms. The first is that of an elemental firebird, which can fly at high speeds and set things on fire. The second is a humanoid form which can be altered to some extent, but is nearly always that of a stunningly beautiful woman, with eyes smoldering with passion. When they change between these forms, they release burst of flame, which explains why the houses of their victims are usually scorched and charred. They also possess the ability to forcibly stir the flame of passion in others, charming them while also burning out their life force. Thus they must be quick to take advantage before their target burns up entirely, lest they go hungry still. This also means they are usually not long-term planners, as they cannot keep anyone enthralled for too long. Instead they are predators of opportunity, picking out their target and stealing their life force before stealing away into the night again. If they wish to keep a target theirs for a longer period of time (e.g. for reproduction), they have to rely on traditional methods of seduction instead. As dangerous as they are, there is one easy way to distinguish a ludérc despite its shapechanging capabilities. For some reason, the footprints they leave are always that of a horse's hoof, regardless of what humanoid form they may take. Thus they are often extremely careful to not walk outside in broad daylight, or at least not on any surface that could leave tracks.

Intelligence and Behavior

The ludérc is as intelligent, if not more, than the humans it originated from. Moreover its abilities naturally incline it towards being a good listener, and adept at subterfuge and seduction. They may feel constant hunger and need to feed frequently, but they are no fools. They know that recklessness can get them killed, and instead play the long and careful game. Hunger is temporary, but death is forever after all. While they may be aware of each other's presence, they rarely band together. They prefer to be independent and go and do as they please. Usually they will claim a piece of territory as their hunting ground and push other ludérc out of it, so they don't have to share the better human specimens with another.