Homebrew Cupidus Species Details
A Loveless Beginning
Cupidus are born from a couple who's love was influenced by a Cupid or another Cupidus, some are lucky enough to remain human looking with some minor fey traits. Pointed ears and slender faces more commonly but in some extreme cases, the Cupidus can be born with soft pink skin and bright eyes. But how do people know a Cupidus when they're walking down the street if they hold such simple traits? Maybe its the natural charm that seems to ooze from them, or the confidence in their walk that helps their tail swish from side to side with ease, who knows. But speaking of their tails, they're slender in nature with soft fur growing out on the end, the fur the color of their hair, the tail itself the color of their skin, its versatile in use, able to grab small things and hold them unless they're worked to hold more, however, their tails are considered very dangerous once in contact with another person. Able to sway another's attention onto them with just the softest touch from their tails, it becomes required now for a Cupidus to cover them.
Cupidus Names
Surprisingly you'll find that Cupidus, at a later stage in their lives, choose a new name for themselves, especially if they sell into the idea of their nature. They tend to fall on romantic sounding names or ones that just melt on your tongue like warm butter but it's also common for them to keep their given names.
Love for Hire
Well known for their abilities to create love, much like their ancestors, Cupidas are a hire on demand by a wide variety of people, giving them way to living comfortable lives. They are able to create love in two ways, a mischievous one and an innocent one. The innocent approach is more common and well respected by many within the Cupidus group, a shared bite from a special fruit called the 'Passionfruit', that only a Cupidus can grow from their saliva and the DNA of the couple in question, can create a harmless, loving bond between two people or more. The mischievous route is truly for the troublemakers however and is heavily frowned upon, weaving together a braid made from hair, hair of a Cupidus and dyed wool, it is then whispered upon, words that flow from the Cupidus's mind and from their lips. The braids are given or even snuck into the couples pockets and can force a love or break it apart entirely.
Cupidus Traits
Charming Entrapment, Fey Ancestry, The Future is Clear, Love WeaveLove Weave
Innocent Love: With the mixture of a Cupidus's saliva and the saliva of the couple in question, combined together and nursed into healthy soil, a single fruit will grow under the moonlight, named jokingly by many as the 'Passionfruit'. The couple eats from the fruit and from that moment onwards, a beautiful and consensual love blossoms. Once eaten, the fruit must be kept by the couple, somewhere safe but out of sight as the fruit will symbolize how quickly their 'love' will burn away. The feeling will be that of what you think of when you think of love, warm and enticing, bringing out pure feelings of happiness and joy when you're around the other, their souls now bonded together. One feels sick, the other starts to feel sick on a smaller level, they now share each others feelings, both physically and emotionally on a small scale. The feeling of wanting to lie to the other becomes heartbreaking. But now they have each others backs, boosting each other when they need it. Discarding the fruit or destroying it, will destroy the enchantment.
For its potency from the Cupidas, a d4 must be rolled:
1- The effects of the fruit last only for 24 hours and instead of running through the levels of love 'naturally', the couple burns through the effects and can be left feeling traumatized by the end of it.
2- Effects can last from 72 hours to a week, the feeling of burning through the levels of love can happen but the couple doesn't feel traumatized, rather that they fell out of it naturally or in their own way.
3- The effects can range from 3-6 months, depending how much the couple works to hold onto what they have, the effects of wanting to support each other starts to show and they may even form their own love for each other without the help from a Cupidus.
4- It is now either permanent or can wane over the years, depending on how well the fruit is kept. Everything one would expect from eating the Passionfruit, occurs for the couple. But be wary, even if subconsciously, one grows to hate the other, they cannot do anything but love them and this can turn into something truly maddening.
Mischievous Love: Some strands of hair from the Cupidus, and some strands of hair from a couple, maybe even some dyed wool to make it decorative, a braid of love or even heartbreak is woven. This approach is heavily frowned upon by other Cupidus and even other species, unless they're in private and buying it from them. Once held by the couple, a carnal and passionate love is born, like burning fire, it quickly overtakes their mind, their souls and its longevity can vary, however it can also cause a terrible heartbreak and make the love they have, fall apart. The only way the enchantment can be woven into the braid is if the Cupidus believes in the words, there's nothing set in stone, no permanent words that all Cupidus know, its only words that feel right to utter in that moment and the belief that what they want to cause, will happen. To break the enchantment, the braids must be burnt with fire, nothing left behind, everything must be burnt. These braids can be specially requested and kept for 'special occasions', only affecting the ones they were made for. No stats can be gained when under the effects of the braid. Its potency depends on the characters level.
Level 1: The chance of the braid working strongly are not so high, the Cupidus has a 50/50 chance of this working well enough to last even an hour. The effected person needs to make a DC saving throw of 14 or higher to not be affected. If it is successful, the persons will be affected for a week maximum.
Level 3: The longevity and potency lasts up to a month, the saving throw is moved up to 15.
Level 5: There is a high chance at this level for the braid to last for a good many years or even permanently, the saving throw is moved up to 16.
Fey Ancestry
More information is given in the Players Handbook, 5e Edition.
The Future is Clear
With your future laid out clearly before you, you know where you want to go and who you want to be.
Charming Entrapment
Many Cupidus are expected to either hide their tail or keep it wrapped up in public as their tails are known for dragging a person attention to them. When a Cupidus's tail comes in contact with another's skin, skillfully and quietly, all their attention is put on the Cupidus and the world seems just so much brighter, happier and at rest, the person finds themselves wanting to give nothing but their all to impress the Cupidus but if their attention is broken, the others attention is broken too but they feel somewhat saddened at losing the wonderful feeling that came from talking with them.
For a working enchantment, you need a successful charm throw and a wisdom throw from the affected party. The highest the number on a d20 roll, will show who was more successful.
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