Demon

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Demons are a broad category of intelligent magical entity that develops in magic-rich environments, somewhat akin to a mold or fungus in a humid atmosphere. Demons form as a byproduct of thoughts and actions of mortals.

Demons do not have souls of their own, and their bodies exhibit certain metaphysical properties. They tend to accumulate fastest in locations that do not have a strong ideological harmony, particularly empty dimensions and demesnes. They have been known to spring up near powerful sources of magic to siphon off power from it. Demons do not mate or otherwise reproduce without mortal interference. In closed systems demons will form a rough ecological harmony with the energies of that dimension.

Various sub-categories and classifications of demons exist, depending on affiliation with an emotional spectrum, ideological preference, preference for anarchy or law, and the source of the magical energy that sustains them. Malevolent demons (such as in Hell are sometimes called 'devils' while flighty and deceitful demons are called 'fae'.

  • Hellion -- A class of Demon that occupies Hell and similar demesnes. Violent, aggressive, and unpredictable. These grow naturally out of the spiritual residue of certain dimensional environments. Common in Hell and Limbo.
  • Devils -- Ruthlessly egalitarian, devils belong to a complex hierarchy that establishes dense bureaucratic regulation of all devil-kin and oversees what passes for society in Hell. The only virtue they recognize is the ability to conquer more powerful devils through strength of arms or wits. The creature known as Etrigan is a devil-type. The ruling class of Devil Lords are some of the most potent metaphysical entities in the universe, many of them former angels who were products of The Fall with Lucifer.
  • Revenant -- Formerly spirits of humans who made a Faustian pact with a major demonic entity. Consigned to a torturous existence in Hell, they often try to escape to the real world. They manifest as swirling, inky clouds of black smoke and attempt to possess people prone to narcissism or who are fearful and selfish. They often enslave mortals foolish enough to conjure them without sufficient safeguards in place. Revenants prefer to possess willing or humans with weak wills. They can manifest a powerful, demonic physical form comprised of Astral ectoplasm if they are summoned by a mortal hand. Disrupting the physical form of a demon requires potent magic and tremendous force. A sufficiently polluted and unrepentant Revenant may eventually start to take on the appearance of a demon or devil.
  • Fae -- Faeries occupy a broad spectrum of personalities. Pixies and brownies tend to be flighty and inattentive. Bogguns and goblins are sly and predatory. Orcs and Trolls are vicious and cruel. Elves, centaurs, and dryads are the most intelligent of the Fae and tend to make up the ruling class.