#notably tho a lot of STDs do cross the species barrier

[sindumpster]

Do you think demons could have STD's (like idk syphilis)?

Asking for a friend skfgdkf

~WSW

I don’t see why not, and I feel like I’ve seen others have that be a thing (tho I can’t point you to specifics)

Though I could also see demons having them and totally not caring because…demons. Either doesn’t really affect them, or stuff like HIV where there’s no real stakes there. Or I’ve seen interpretations of demons just being sick all the time/having the plague and that’s their whole thing—they embody it. So that but it’s a demon with STDs.

Which also on that note, if you want a particularly awful demon, they’re a vector for STDs. They have one, or maybe all of them, and the whole point is to give it to people. Succubus but instead of draining your soul she gives you the clap.

Syphillis you could go an interesting route with the whole insanity and other awful things that happen at the tertiary stage. Not fatal for the demon per se, but does addle them. They’re less in control/more likely to act up and be a problem.

Tho kinda also depends on the mechanics of demon? Are they immortal? Tangible or intangible? Personally I do the “you can slay them but they’ll respawn eventually unless you have special magics/weapons up your sleeve”. Which I’d consider a reset. Any afflictions they had are washed clean, tabula rasa time except demons so it’s just a clean slate for mayhem (or minor inconveniences). And also still depends whether they want, or care about picking those back up.

But like def makes a difference if your demons are the you only live once sort. And likewise if it’s a “they can only visit certain times of the year”. Like there’s a million ways you can define and make rules for how demons work. Whole scale of whether they’re manifestations of pure evil, or varying levels of problem-causers, or just spiritual beings that are just vibing but people are afraid of them.

Along with the “are they actually flesh and blood or just look like flesh and blood?” Like that would definitely impact whether they can get STDs, and how it affects them (similar to how some can cross the species barrier, so not all of them, so demons might not even be able to get certain STDs)