YOU DIED or at least, you should have. In a brothel’s candlelit chamber, fevered and forgotten, your breath waned like a guttering flame. That was when she came to you. Whether drawn by pity, hunger, or something far worse, a succubi pressed her lips to yours, and in that terrible kiss, something passed between you both. Life? Death? Something in between?

You awoke not healed, but changed. Your reflection falters. Your heartbeat stirs only when blood is near. Hunger gnaws at you in quiet moments, not only for flesh or blood, but for purpose, for warmth, for what you were. You are one of The Hollowed, though few know the name. Fewer still understand the curse.

You don’t speak of that night, for you cannot explain it, not to others, not even to yourself. Was it salvation, or damnation? You sense that she watches you still, or perhaps something within you remembers her. Whatever was born in that embrace has not let you go yet.

You wander now, half-something, seeking meaning, redemption, or release. But no blade can undo what was done, and no prayer reaches whatever passed between your soul and hers.
But, is it really a curse?

Skill Proficiencies:

Arcana: The transformation that claimed you was no natural thing, it twisted magic itself through your essence. Whether you sought answers in dusty grimoires or they came to you in feverish dreams, you now hold fragmented knowledge of eldritch forces, soulbinding rituals, and infernal pacts. Your very existence is a living arcane anomaly.

Stealth: You’ve learned to move unseen, a shadow among the living. Perhaps it’s the unnatural stillness in your body, or maybe it’s the instinct to hide what you’ve become. You walk unnoticed through crowds, vanish in candlelight, and blend with the forgotten. Whether by habit or survival, you have mastered the art of silence.

Tool Proficiencies: You gain proficiency with either Calligrapher’s Supplies, a Disguise Kit or a Herbalism Kit, representing either the delicate recording of dark knowledge, a newfound skill in subterfuges or medical abilities, all of which born from a life lived in the shadow of death and temptation.

Languages: You learn to speak, read, and write either Abyssal or Infernal, the tongues of fiends. The language you choose reflects the nature of the being that marked your fate, a whisper in the dark that never truly left your soul.

Equipment: A single item remains from the night your soul was altered, a small vial of black, ever-warm liquid. It clings to the glass like shadow clings to flame. You don't remember bottling it. You’re not even sure it’s yours. But it pulses faintly when you hold it, as if remembering you. Something inside you says it’s the last remnant of your mortal blood. Other whispers tell it was a gift, or a curse, from her.

Suggested Characteristics

The Hollowed are not who they once were. Marked by a dark encounter they barely survived, or perhaps never fully escaped, they carry a void within them, echoing with whispers, hunger, or yearning. Some cling to shreds of their former humanity; others embrace the strangeness growing inside. Trust is hard-earned, and sleep often brings no peace.

The following characteristics reflect a Hollowed’s inner torment, their struggle with what they've become, and their search for identity, vengeance, purpose, or redemption.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I speak in low, careful tones, as if afraid to wake something that slumbers within me.
2	I often catch myself lost in thought, replaying the moment everything changed.
3	I keep people at arm’s length, better they never get too close.
4	I’ve become obsessed with forbidden lore, hoping to understand what was done to me.
5	I find dark humor comforting. After what I’ve seen, laughter is a shield.
6	I sleep lightly, if at all. I dread the dreams.
7	I have an unsettling charisma, like something otherworldly clings to me.
8	I always leave a candle lit when I rest. Shadows can no longer be trusted.

d6	Ideal
1	Redemption. I was tainted, but I believe I can still do good. (Lawful Good)
2	Freedom. No power, mortal or infernal, shall ever own me again. (Chaotic Good)
3	Control. I must master this affliction, or it will master me. (Neutral Good)
4	Revenge. I will find her again. And I will make her suffer. (Lawful Evil)
5	Knowledge. Understanding the curse might be the key to undoing it. (Neutral Good)
6	Balance. There is darkness in me, yes. But there is also light. (True Neutral)

d6	Bond
1	I keep a faded token from the night of my transformation, a lock of hair, a necklace, a scorched coin.
2	A loved one knows nothing of what I’ve become. I’d die to protect them from it.
3	There is one place in the world where I feel almost whole again. I keep its location secret.
4	I swore an oath to a higher power, not for salvation, but to keep the darkness from spreading.
5	I hunt creatures like the one who changed me, hoping to learn, or to end it all.
6	I still hear her voice when I am alone. Part of me still listens.

d6	Flaw
1	I secretly wish to see her again, no matter the cost.
2	I distrust everyone, even those who try to help me.
3	I’m reckless in the face of danger. What have I got to lose?
4	I sometimes lose time, waking with no memory of what I’ve done.
5	I am drawn to dark places and forbidden things. It's a hunger I can't explain.
6	I fear the person I’m becoming… but part of me welcomes it.

Contacts

The transformation that marked you left deep scars, but also strange bonds. Your path has crossed with beings. Some seek to use you, others to help you… or destroy what you’ve become. Your contacts are rarely ordinary folk, they may be other Hollowed, warlocks, cursed souls, forbidden scholars, or even extraplanar entities who took an interest in your condition.

Whatever their origin, these contacts tend to speak in riddles, vanish when you most need them, and return bearing cryptic warnings or dangerous gifts. Few truly understand you, but those who do may be your only lifeline.

d6	Contact
1	A lonely scholar who suspects what you are and seeks to study your condition, with or without your consent.
2	A priest who once tried to exorcise you, failed, and now watches over you from afar, hoping for redemption.
3	A demonologist who believes you are the key to bargaining with powers beyond mortal reckoning.
4	A fellow “marked” one, changed by a dark entity like you, who acts as a mentor, rival, or threat.
5	A mercenary who saved your life in the wilds and knows only fragments of your truth. You owe them a favor.
6	An innocent child who somehow sees past your affliction and treats you with pure kindness.

d2	Non-contact
1	A former lover who witnessed your transformation and either ran or stayed, you’re unsure which would hurt more.
2	The succubus (or their agent) still lingers in your life, whether through visions, dreams, or whispered words, watching, waiting, perhaps guiding.