Male Seducer: Too Weird/Creepy ?

[Jen]

One of the legend from my country says that the Triệu Dynasty can repel defeat all their enemy is due to a magic crossbow, among their enemies is Zhao Tuo who thought of a plan to help him gain victoryi.e offering his son as a spy....I mean peace treaty. This is interesting since it's often women who got offered as gift to other people, I can think of Chinese Great Beauties and Helen of Troy. And most of the time, they was sent to the opposite sides so they can bring ruin and misfortune to them, Diaochan causes Lubu an Dong Zhou to killed each other, Xi Shi bewitched Fuchai of Wu so her kingdom can take revenge.

So I kinda wonder if people will roll their eyes when they see a burly Lunar seducing Dynasts from their satrapy's duties, making them cater to his every whims and finally leads them to their ruin when the satrapy finally revolts again the tyrannical Dynasts who tax the shit out of the peasant to build a meat forest and wine river for the Lunar. I'm not talking about the weird manly seducer like Casanova or James Bond, but more like Daji or the fox demon from Painted Skin, sexy and seductive when nearing their target and crying demurely if someone accuse them of being flesh-eating skinwalker Anathema. Or is it too weird to see a muscular man playing hide and seek or pouring wine for his lords and ladies while whispering poisonous wisdom into their ears.

Oh, and side question, but is there...ahem.....male nymph. Since Tumblr's tag for Exalted is currently being dominated by underwear male model posing near river and waterfall, I just wonder if there is any chance a character will see a bunch of supernaturally hot men playing in the water on their journey around Creation, or is it just boobs and bikini witches all year round.

[HaplessWithDice]

From a Wisconsin mindset, seeing a burly guy doing a hide and seek or securely pouring wine, let's just say...I don't see it.

A fit, leaner athletic build sure. But not a big, lineman. But that might just be the nature of my imagination. That said, just about anything that creates a weird juxtaposition like that goes when a father is spending time with a daughter.

Bigger guys have their own ways of doing things, and trying to act like a smaller guy isn't one that works for them. Likely a larger stronger male trying to seduce another male would do things that accent the beauty in his size, and the Benefit to their subject.

[Xanandithras]

In Exalted? No, no male nymphs. Classically, the closest equivalent would be a satyr, but there really aren't any canon spirits that fit the role. I could see maybe a type of manly wood elemental or tree spirit taking a satyric form though.

Oooo, the souls of Hrotsvitha and their first-circle progeny could very well have such an appearance as well.

I know for my game, I designed a first-circle race that decended from The Blood of the Forge (well, she had a fling with Hrotsvitha and birthed the first who the reproduced more of his kind) that looked like big, burly WoW satyrs.

They play music, sing, and/or dance to inflame various emotions in others, as well as tempting victims into breaking whatever qualifies as taboos in their culture. They harvest the emotional energy as jewels to keep and use as currency in Malfeas or supply to their progenitor Aguinare for use in her blood metal smithing.

[Jutlander]

Oh, and side question, but is there...ahem.....male nymph. Since Tumblr's tag for Exalted is currently being dominated by underwear male model posing near river and waterfall, I just wonder if there is any chance a character will see a bunch of supernaturally hot men playing in the water on their journey around Creation, or is it just boobs and bikini witches all year round.

A male nymph would, traditionally, be a satyr.

The problem with male supernatural seducers is that we have some cultural codes. If a man or woman is seduced by a nymph (or other hot supernatural female) that is kind of hot. If a man or a woman is seduced by a satyr (or other hot supernatural male) that is kind of... rapey.

It is possible to do right, of course, but it is difficult.

[Exthalion]

So I kinda wonder if people will roll their eyes when they see a burly Lunar seducing Dynasts from their satrapy's duties, making them cater to his every whims and finally leads them to their ruin when the satrapy finally revolts again the tyrannical Dynasts who tax the shit out of the peasant to build a meat forest and wine river for the Lunar.

Only if they also have their ministers create new licentious sounds, licentious dances, and lewd music, fill the Deer Tower with coins, stuff the storehouses with grain, increase their collection of dogs, horses, and unusual objects so that the palace buildings overflow, expand their garden tower, disrespects ghosts and spirits, assembles numerous musicians and dancers, and have naked men and women pursue each other through the forest of meat during the nightly drinking feast.

The list has to be fairly long before the Hundred Surnames revolt.

[Xanandithras]

I did a lot of editing on my post earlier and can't stand to edit it yet again.

I forgot to mention that I then used the demon race I created as a coadjutor for my Slayer GSP. ;3

[Wiwuno]

well from what i have studied unfortunately Jen historical male sexually based supernatural creatures were typically more rapey and less seducey. especially if they were described and big, burly, large, or wide. this isn't universal as in recent years Incubi have changed from raping women in the middle of their sleep to create demon babies into male seducers but they are still often described as being lithe, athletic, tall, ect. That said i personally think it should be fine for you to do what ever you want with a fictional universe. go nuts. but i cant find any male nymph equivalent that is less rape and more lure. I'm sorry

[azoicennead]

A male nymph would, traditionally, be a satyr.

The problem with male supernatural seducers is that we have some cultural codes. If a man or woman is seduced by a nymph (or other hot supernatural female) that is kind of hot. If a man or a woman is seduced by a satyr (or other hot supernatural male) that is kind of... rapey.

It is possible to do right, of course, but it is difficult.

Holy sexist standards, Batman!

Also, Exalted doesn't have to strictly adhere to classical mythology; logical diversions from the classics is, well, logical. It's not like canon is restricted to those tropes.

[The Revenge of TV Head]

When it comes to Gender politics in Exalted my general policy is "It's kinda like Warlord, okay?"



Its setting, Skataris, an exotic land where a significant portion of the populace is half naked, pretty much everyone is a bit of a badass and you can donkey punch anyone regardless of their given genitals. One of the more egalitarian pulp fantasies, all said.

[Jen]

So a nymph uses her good look to seduce people, her male equivalent is......someone who jump out of a bush and put his daiklaive into your mouth. How is that an equivalent >_<

[Xanroth]

So a nymph uses her good look to seduce people, her male equivalent is......someone who jump out of a bush and put his daiklaive into your mouth. How is that an equivalent >_<

yeah using a daiklave as a bribe is no fair

[Zelbinnean]

I agree with Jutlander. It's difficult to do simply because of the social contexts and cultures of the people playing the game, and the connotations we assign to a woman coming on strong/seducing versus a man.

I'm not saying it's impossible but it is difficult, and extremely context-driven, and you should know your fellow players before doing something like this, fi your goal is to pursue another PC. If it's targeted at NPCs, then you should know your fellow players to the extent that them witnessing this might affect their comfort.

[Coik]

From a Wisconsin mindset, seeing a burly guy doing a hide and seek or securely pouring wine, let's just say...I don't see it.

Well, you have to take that in context, as well. When Wisconsin was first colonized, our ancestors had to contend with the packs of feral cows that roamed the state freely (and still do, in the wilderness between towns and villages). This naturally selected for a more lanky build, to better avoid the death stampedes of hell cattle mad with bloodlust. And, on the very rare occasions that someone managed to kill one of the savage beasts, it was almost always by out-manervouing the devilish bovine, not through pure force.

But then Milwaukee happened and...well, we all know.

[Phantom Queen]

having babies gets me in trouble. that lunar is hot. that lunar and I are the same sex. we won't have babies if we go frolic around.
ohthedragondsohthedragonsohthedragons... i hope no one finds out i'm spending time with a lunar.

unless the satrap is just a mortal from a great family because all the exalts have gone inland, then it's only the second line.

Totally fits like a Roman Emperor's decadence, less myth and more history so no magic required.
Bringing in the suduccer, making/taking a nice area for them to live. Basically becoming the most favored concubinus. then once in that position magic lunar-y powers could do stuff.

[Xanandithras]

So a nymph uses her good look to seduce people, her male equivalent is......someone who jump out of a bush and put his daiklaive into your mouth. How is that an equivalent >_<

Now see, I, as a homosexual male, am perfectly capable of thinking of a non-rapey senario involving a burly half-bestial man thing striding forth from the foliage.