Note from the Researcher � The listing of Demon/Daemon breeds herein is by no means exhaustive, much as the array of emotion and behaviour that we sentient beings can experience cannot possibly be fully catalogued. As the embodiment of our darkest selves, it is impossible to list all species here.
Devina DarkHunch, Head of Demon Studies, Research Sect.
The god Killar came to Tal'Vorn, and found that it was too bright, too clean for the creatures He planned to use to form His army. None know if the Demons existed in the world before the gods came, or if it was the mind of the Bloody-Handed God that brought them into being, but as He began to populate the hells with Demon-kind, they grew stronger, and more formidable. It is oft said that more Demons were created in the moment Killar discovered His entrapment than at any other point in time. Whilst His history may not concern many Demons, it is the driving force for several of the race. Many pursue bloodshed in an attempt to speed the release of Killar from his eternal torment. Unlike the Pravaii, who lust only for the immortality they are granted with each kill, Demons kill for the killings sake, with the freedom of their Father god often present, though rarely foremost in their mind.
Killar's screams echo constantly through the Hells, driving His creations to frenzy, slaying as they will, trying to restore His freedom, to stop His suffering and ease His insanity. Within the centre of the Seventh Tier of Hell, there is a rip in the fabric of the World, a relic from the times of the Great War. It creates a portal between The Hell of DemonKind and Tal'Vorn, the channel that allows the broken flow of Demons into the World. Only opening occasionally, the rift sparks savage fighting throughout the Seventh and Eighth Hells, as Demon and Daemon alike compete to break into reality and bathe in the blood of the world. Some appear in random locations throughout Tal'Vorn, though the majority are released on the Isle of the Dead, aptly named, for the sheer scale of slaughter has been known to bring a tear to the eye of even the most battle-hardened warriors.
The Demons are the embodiment of all negative and destructive emotion or behaviour. Although each demon is individual, they can be grouped loosely by the emotion or behaviour that they embody. This segregation is absolute, members of one group rarely working with another whilst in the Hells which they roam. Occupying the Seventh Level of Hell, the Hell of DemonKind, they spawn and grow, the groups warring amongst themselves regularly, for territory, food, or to slake the ever present lust for blood. Despite the differences in the types of Demon, they all share three things in common � The constant blood-lust, the unpredictable rage, and the incurable insanity, their actions always resulting in the death (immediate or eventual) of their victims. Usually spawned from the will of Killar (whether consciously or not is often debated), this trend is not unusual, with aspects of the Slaughter God often seen in his 'children'.
In terms of the embodiment of the particular emotion or behaviour they represent, a demon may be one of two particular subspecies, so to speak. They may either actively embody the emotion themselves, as with Anger and Lust Demons, or provoke it in others, such as seen with Fear Demons. There are also demons who display both of these traits simultaneously, not only acting so themselves, but provoking the emotion or behaviour in others, in particular their victim, or someone used as an agent/third party, to target the victim. Some Demons may have tendencies that appear to broach a number of different Demon breeds (as with Jealousy Demons provoking jealous rages in victims). In these cases, the most dominant emotion will usually determine the classification. Certain breeds of demons are also considered counterbalances to each other (as with Lust and Jealousy Demons, or Greed and Hunger Demons), and it is usually these opposing groups who spark the most decimating battles within the Hells, though not necessarily the most bloody or violent.
The most common forms of Demons are those in the emotional Anger vein � Anger, Fury, Rage, etc., and the associated behaviours, such as Slaughter, Murder and Violence. As the most widely felt of emotions, and the darkest of behaviours, it comes as little surprise that such Demons would be the most common. Much like their acts, these Demons are monstrous, and abhorrent to behold. Large, powerful beings, bestial in form, they tend to be the most violent and destructive of all Demons, desiring only to maim, or more often, kill. They have little care for subtlety or finesse, their victims merely a means to a bloody, violent end.
Whilst it is often debated if lust is a negative emotion, there is little doubt that Lust Demons exist. Preferring to seduce their victims before finishing them off, they coax the unwitting into their embrace, having their wanton way with them, usually before ending the encounter with bloodshed. Lust Demons usually have two forms, a beautiful humanoid form, and a more bestial, animalistic form, sometimes thought of as their 'true' Demon form, though one form is as natural to this breed as the other, and both are equally fascinating. Seductive abilities in each individual vary, but some may rely merely on their looks, whilst others secrete pheromones or other chemicals, making them irresistible. A scent, a taste, a touch � each is a weapon in the vast arsenal of the Lust Demon. Few have spent the night in one's bed, and lived to retell the adventure they experienced. It should be noted that Rape Demons are often mistakenly attributed to this breed. Such Demons seek to bring pain and suffering through this non-consensual, violent act. Lust Demons, on the other hand, tend to engage in consensual acts for pleasure (though, of course, victims would not be regarded as in their right mind).
Hate Demons, unlike most demons, often appear to have a grudge against their victim, a loathing bred over a period of time. Perhaps one of the slower acting breeds, they are no less dangerous, often plotting the elaborate downfall of their victim, or perhaps several victims, in one sweep. It is this underlying hatred for the victim, and the desire to see their demise unfold that separates these Demons from the more common Anger Demons.
Fear and Terror Demons have various ways of instilling their particular emotion in their victims. Some emit an aura such that merely the presence of such a demon will drive the victim into a state of heart-stopping terror. Others specialise in appearing where least expected, scaring the victims to death, whilst still others rely upon their form to instil fear into the populace. There have been many documented cases of Fear Demons working with Insanity and Dementia Demons, driving the victim mad with paranoia, doubt and uncertainty.
Insanity and Dementia Demons are closely related, though are also the most rare of all the breeds of Demon. Among the most insane of all Demons, they inflict their own madness on their victims, driving them to the brink, and eventually over it, though it is yet to be discovered how. Those that have had an encounter with one of these demons are rarely intelligible, their sanity having been driven from them. One of the key identifiers as to whether one has encountered an Insanity or Dementia Demon is the presence of insane, blood-fuelled rampages, similar to those seen in Demons themselves, which can usually only be ended by the termination of the victim. Considered the highest threat to ordered and civilised society, these Demons are exceedingly hard to hunt down, due to the rarity of the equipment used, and the danger facing the hunters.
Cruelty Demons are the masters of torture and torment, using the tools of other Demons to one end � making the victims beg for death. Many have forms with barbs, blades and talons, designed to inflict pain and suffering. Even if not bodily equipped with these weapons, all are well versed in their use. Compared with most demons, Cruelty Demons draw out the kill, prolonging the torment for as long as possible.
Greed and Hunger Demons are two of the opposing species, sharing only the same goal � to force their victims to the extremes of physical existence. Greed Demons are large, glutinous creatures, covered with jewels and silks, encouraging their victims to excel in excess, always to their ruin, financially as well as physically. Hunger Demons, on the other hand, deprive their victims of everything, so that they hunger for all that they do not have. They wither away, malnourished, impoverished, and lacking any true relationship. Themselves, the Demons are skeletal, emancipated, clothed in the rags of beggars.
If Demons are the embodiment of all negative emotion and action, Daemons are the epitome of this. Essentially, they are bigger, badder and faster than their Demon counterparts, better at what they do. Able to cow the lesser of Killar�s creations, and the majority of the other god�s creations for that matter, Daemons are fearsome enemies, and exquisite killers, their viciousness and high death tolls belying their rarity.
Night Daemons are the leaders of the Demons and Daemons, thought to be a separate breed altogether. The generals of Killar�s army, they inhabit the Eighth Layer of Hell, the Hell of Night, a castle of stone from where they strike fear into the hearts of all. Having no link to Tal�Vorn within their own Hell, they cut a bloody sway through the Demon hoard when the rift opens, unleashing unspeakable cruelty when they claw their way into the world. Skin of pitch black, and eyes of milky white, they represent no specific emotion, free of the insanity that plagues their lesser brethren, free in their minds, actions, choices. Their bodies are perfectly formed, strong and muscular. Some possess animal features, cloven hooves, bat-like wings, horns. Incredibly powerful, they possess an outstanding understanding and control over Blood Magic.
The only time that the Demon hoards have been utilised for the greater good, at least in popular thought, was during the time of the Great War. The negotiations between Vralic and Killar took some weeks, culminating of the release of the Demon�s into the world to swell the Elder ranks. Twelve years of marvellous bloodshed followed, the Demon slaughter rivalled only by the blood lusting DragonLords. The ground soaked red as body upon body was sacrificed to Killar.
It was during this bloody time that the existence of the rarest of Demons became known. With the coming of the Twelve came Scrathlar SpiderDaemon, Killar�s answer to Drake FrostHeart. One of the Caged God�s few deliberate creations, the Spider Daemon stood ten feet tall, his lower body that of an arachnid, whilst his upper was humanoid, grotesquely muscular, forearms arrayed with long spines, with an extra set of arms bearing seven-foot long claws for stabbing and ripping flesh asunder. His head was all eyes and teeth, fangs dripping blood, hair spiked in kind, a crown of horns finishing a menacing statue of torment. Under his leadership, the Demons whirled into a blood-fuelled frenzy, felling all before them, during the battles that drove the humans back to their gates, but none were able to compare to the fury of their leader. However, during the final assault on the Utima Gate, the terrifying Daemon fell, and was killed. The war raged on without him, but the loss was hard felt by those who gave a care. Few knew that, 666 days after he was killed on the blood-soaked field of battle, Scrathlar SpiderDaemon was reborn from the ruin of his former body, stronger than he had been before.
Eventually, the war was ended, and the ranks of the Elder-army dispersed. Those Demons that remained, however, still thirsted for the blood that would free their God. The war had been, in Killar�s view, glorious in the scale of its destruction. Every battle, every murder, feeding the Lord of Slaughter, allowing him to force more Demons into the World. More Demons had allowed for more deaths, and so the vicious cycle continued. Now, with the war at an end, the Demon�s began to roam the world, continuing their bloodshed in Killar�s name, each in their own way. For Killar, The Bloody Handed Slayer, the God of Slaughter, the Caged God, will only be free when the Hells are empty.
BLOOD IN KILLAR'S NAME! SLAUGHTER FOR THE SLAUGHTER GOD! HEARTS FOR THE GOD OF MURDER!
Demon War Cry, spoken by a Hate Demon
free, I will be free, let me loose I demand it, I beg it, set me free to kill and tear and reND AND CLAW AND BITE AND SLASH AND FEAST UPON THE LIVINGS BLOOD and to walk upon Tal'Vorn again, to feel the sunlight upon my flesh, yes flesh upon my lips aND IN MY BELLY AND SWEET, SWEET BLOOD WITHIN MY THROAT that I may just exist, oh set me free I cry for freedom and I must have it for my cage will drive me mad, insane, demENTED WITHOUT HOPE OF FREEDOM, I MUST HAVE MY FREEDOM LEST IT DESTROY ME and I be lost without all hope
Extract from Killar's ramblings. This goes on constantly and has been so for the last thousand years.
© Joshua Binks (Paladin), Christopher Riley (Carnage), Brad Rumsey (Lithium), Alicia Rumsey (Escapist) and Vanessa Vaughan (Andanin) 2002 -