Demon

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Demons are the natives of Brunikor, a plane that comprises the unformed chaos leftover from the creation of the universe. In many respects, demons could be considered the first forms of life, predating Asmos himself.

Overview

Demons take an immense variety of appearances, often as grotesque, alien beings that do not resemble anything found in Erudite. They have often been compared to imitations of life, having organic limbs and parts placed about them without rhyme or reason. While most demons look completely different from one another, a few species began to form over time - especially after the creation of Erudite. Demons heavily vary in intelligence. Some are animalistic in behavior acting entirely on instinct while others are extremely intelligent and cunning. However, their diversity of behaviors makes them extremely difficult to predict.

The main caveat of demon physiology is that because of their origin within the chaos, they cannot survive in normal space without assistance. As such, they usually have to project themselves with avatars or get assistance from a powerful mage capable of summoning them directly. A mage with a specialty in excorcism is able to sever their connection, banishing them back to Brunikor.

A demon's primary form of sustenance are spirits and the souls of other beings. Because not every demon actually has a mouth or any sort of orifice for capturing prey, they feed simply by attempting to absorb their prey on contact. While capturing prey within their bodies is useful in absorbing the souls of other beings, it is not required. However, because of their difficulty in entering normal space, they tend to prey on one another.

Society

Due to their inherit chaotic nature, it is considered difficult for the Demons to hold any form of longstanding society or culture. However, this has not stopped them from trying. The most intelligent demons formed a hierarchy of nobles with the most powerful of them holding the title of Lord. The Lords tend to assume control of less intelligent demons to effectively make them extensions of their will. However, very few demons hold their titles for long due to constant infighting.

History

In one incident, a secretive group known as the Shadow Force summoned numerous Demons to stage an invasion against Erudite, setting off what is known as the Demon Wars. The Shadow Force, however, could not keep the Demons under their control indefinitely, eventually leading to them going rampant and attacking settlements indiscriminately.

Known types

Known species

  • Gnasher - A demon that appears as a floating ball of human-like skin. Besides cillia-like extensions that help it move about as well as a mouth making up half its size, it has no other visible features. It is particularly uncanny, sporting humanoid lips, teeth and a tongue. It attacks prey by biting, hence its name.
  • Lasher - A similar species to the Gnasher. It has a human-like mouth that is divided in three ways from which sprouts multiple very long tongues that, as its name suggests, can lash out like whips.
  • Lesser Eylius - Appears as a giant lidless eyeball supported by two legs.
  • Slime Eylius - A slime that usually appears green or red covered in many eyeballs.
  • Crawler - A gelatinous central mass with multiple human arms extending from it which it uses to drag its body. It consumes prey by grabbing it with its arms and dragging it into itself.
  • Polyp - A small, pod-like creature that attaches itself to another being and slowly drains its soul. Polyps are incredibly dangerous in groups.
  • Shifter - A rubbery being that can change shape based on what souls it has previously consumed. It can lure other prey by disguising itself as deceased loved ones. Shifters can also disguise themselves as animals, sometimes taking the place of livestock or pets. Because they only imitate a creature's external appearance, they can be told apart from mortals by making a small incision on the skin. A real mortal will bleed while a cut into a shifter will separate like rubber.
  • Devil - The most humanoid-looking demon, varying in size to that of a human to that of a giant. They bear a striking resemblance to Orcs in terms of appearance, only with horns and dark red skin. Some variants also have bat-like wings. Devils are thought to have evolved to take on a form that could more easily and more reliably communicate with mortals from Erudite.
  • Imp - A small version of the devil that tend to attack in packs. They are particularly mischevious, prefering to play with their prey before consuming them.
  • Finger Spider - A set of large intertwined fingers like a hand with no thumbs. It moves about by crawling with its fingers like a large insect.
  • Red Hand - A Red Hands are a single disembodied human hand with crimson, leathery skin comparable to a third degree burn. They are known to come in left-handed and right-handed with rare variants even featuring a sixth finger. Larger specimens feed by crushing their prey in their palms while smaller ones will attempt to strangle them by grasping the juggular. Some are known to attack in groups by pulling apart their prey.
  • Flesh Moss - A mold-like growth that spreads on the surfaces of objects, transforming structures to resemble the interiors of living beings. For example, if it overtakes the inside of a house, the doors might sprout teeth, the windows might grow eyes and the furniture might turn into organs. Flesh Moss covers much of the wild landscape of Brunikor, serving the function of plants though some of its extensions will feed on live prey. The growth of flesh moss within Erudite often signifies a strong presence of Demons in the area.

Known unique demons

  • Abraxas - One of the first Demon Lords to appear on Erudite. Known for essentially starting the Demon Wars.
  • Ziminiar - A Demon Lord that destroyed the city of Gammel.
  • Ephialtis - The largest Demon ever known - so large that his body is considered part of the natural terrain of Brunikor in most locations. He is described as a leviathan with multiple reaching arms, gazing eyes and toothed mouths.
  • Blood Moon Demon - Appears as a large, pink bat-like creature with no hair. It has a gaping, sharp-toothed mouth and large, round glowing yellow eyes with no pupils. This demon is capable of entering Erudite during blood moons - when Kosa experiences a total lunar eclipse - while it lets out a piercing shriek to herald its arrival. The Blood Moon Demon is said to be very rare, having only been spotted in Emsius a handful of times during the late Renaissance Era.
  • The Famished One - A demon that was dispatched by the Steel Sisters after it attacked a military camp. The Famished One appears as an emaciated old woman with long black hair that covers much of her face. She can hardly stand up, usually preferring to crawl on the ground quadrupedally. While appearing mortal on the exterior, her internal physiology was anything but. She sprouted a tentacle-like tongue as well as a jaw that can unhinge to fit objects much larger than herself. Her mouth was actually a portal to Brunikor, and as such, she would never derive nourishment from whatever she ate. As such, the Famished One was eternally cursed with a lust to destroy and consume, driven by the pain of her hunger pangs. Despite how dangerous the Famished One is, she demonstrates genuine gratitude to anyone who willingly gives her normal food. Despite not being able to derive sustenance, she can still taste whatever she tries to eat.