Chapter #16Demons by: Yote   The designation "demon" encapsulates all the myriad organisms that dwell within the parasitic netherworld that exists concurrent to ours - the "Hell dimension", if you will. Though study is hampered by the inhospitability of this realm to mortals, it would appear that demonkind is equally as varied as that of the mortal world, with species ranging from insects to sentient life of formidable intellect. The Demonology Department of the Crimson Order has studied and catalogued this infernal ecosystem for centuries, and shows no sign of completing their task any time soon.
Yet despite their seemingly endless variance, all demons share a number of characteristic - first and foremost, their need to feed upon the life essence of mortals. The crudest demons feed upon physical essences - often draining life-rich fluids such as blood. The more complex, intelligent demons favour more rarefied essences, and may be sustained by the consumption of the emotional and sensual energy produced by mortals in heightened mental states. To this end, these demons will seek to arouse intense feelings of terror, hatred, greed or lust from their prey, upon which they then feed.
The most powerful of their number, the Demon Lords, sustain themselves on pure spiritual essence - feasting on the soul itself. In terms of sheer power, the Demon Lords rank almost on par with mortal gods and have forged unbreakable contracts with them over the years. The Demon Lords do not directly interfere with the mortal world; in return, all sinful souls are banished to Hell to be fed upon for all eternity. The Demon Lords constantly seek to find loopholes in the contracts, tempting humans to fall into sin.
Studies suggest that all demons share a natural hierarchy, and will rise and fall depending on how well fed they are. A low ranking demon such as a lemure that feeds particularly well will grow and ultimately metamorphosise into a greater demon, such as an Erinyes, while even Demon Lords may be reduced to tiny Quasits if deprived of their hoard of souls for too long.
Once a mortal soul has been utterly drained of energy, it is cast aside and reborn as a demon on the lowest rung of the infernal food chain.
Being not of this world, demons are abominations against all natural and divine order, and as such their powers are diminished by natural or holy substances. A sword made of wood will do more damage to a demon than one made of iron, for example. Leather will negate demonfire better than steel armour. And for some strange reason, tree sap processed into rubber will bind a demon with ease. It is for this reason that demon summoners are naturally quite fond of leather and latex.
Demonkind
Succubus
Tiny horns, bat-like wings, and a sinuous tail betray the demonic nature of this alluring woman. A succubus drains energy from a mortal she lures into an act of passion.
Among the demon hordes, a succubus can often rise to incredible heights of power through her manipulations and sensual charms, and many a demonic war has raged due to the subtle machinations of such creatures.
Incubus
Like their succubi counterpart, incubi drain energy from a mortal lured (or forced) into an act of passion.
An incubus in his true form is always muscular and attractive, with long hair and intense eyes. His skin can be of any color, but is always smooth and silky. When not using his wings for flight, an incubus can fold them to drape across its shoulders like a cloak. They are also often conjured for similar roles by mortal spellcasters, although care must be taken in dalliances with incubi, for they delight in causing pain to their companions.
Salikotal
On lean limbs the color of spilt blood creeps a being of sinister grace. Eyes like embers and a sneer full of needle-thin teeth gleam from an unmistakably fiendish visage.
Often called the "Assassins of Hell" or the more sinister "Slayers of Souls". Despite ranking high in the infernal hierarchy, Salikotal still fall just short in their ability to consume a complete, whole mortal soul. thus upon dealing the fatal blow, the Salikotal will rip apart the soul of the victim itself. These soul fragments hide themselves in nearby vessels - animals or objects - or attach themselves to people, and are individually weak enough for the Salikotal to feed upon. The soul fragments will always be drawn to one another, wishing to be made whole again, and a Salikotal works feverishly to ensure this does not happen.
Patraavex
This fiend is a horrendous amalgamation of snapping claws and writhing tendrils with a disgusting fanged mouth running vertically across its torso.
Known as "Sire Demons", Patraavexes are the progenitors of many of the mortal realm's tieflings. Seeking mortals who either want hellspawn children or are willing to bear an infernal taint on their bloodlines in exchange for the demon's offerings, a sire demon lives to insinuate hell's influence into the mortal population. Patraavexes use their shapechanging ability as a bargaining chip with potential mates, who put their immediate pleasure above the long-lasting ramifications of corrupting their bloodlines with an infernal taint.
Belier
This amphisbaenic monstrosity has the body of a slug with a leech’s mouth at one end and a knot of three human heads at the other.Masterful possessors and foul manipulators, belier demons are among the most feared masterminds of Hell. These worm-like fiends avoid physical confrontation. Instead, they target influential individuals for possession, using them to manipulate events by proxy. If their schemes are uncovered, the demons retaliate with all the power at their host bodies’ disposal.
A bdellavritra’s voice can emanate from its worm-like maw, from any of its human-like mouths, or from all four at once, as it desires. Each mouth has its own distinct voice, often pleasing to the human ear. Bdellavritras typically reach lengths of 16 feet from worm-mouth to human heads, and weigh 3,000 pounds.
Lech - parasitic leech-like creatures that feed on a host's lust, suppressing sexual desires. The feeding of a lech produces a feeling of euphoria in its host. If a lech is not allowed to feed within 24 hours, sexual urges generally resurface stronger than before, along with symptoms of withdrawal. Since the introduction of female wizards, the magi have enforced the usage of leches by all wizards out of concern that the opposite sex poses a distraction in warfare.
Curiously, the lech also has the effect of suppressing the onset of adolescence in prepubescents, maintaining them in a child-like state.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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