Demons

## Overview

There are many paranormal menaces in Earth-27 and no list of such ne'er-do-wells could be complete without mention of the demons. One of two main species in the realm of Hell, but also found on the mortal plane, demons are formed in a variety of ways. Some would argue that they are not a unique species, but are more like the Fae in that they are a loose collection of similar beings united more in purpose than common ancestry.

While they might have different origins, most demons are foul and malicious creatures who live to torment mortal beings. Demons delight in making others suffer and engage in torture, murder and any foul deed that will bring about suffering or chaos, for it is this entropic energy that they feed on. Greater demons are typically more intelligent, conniving and treacherous than their lesser brethren and typically use lesser demons as their minions, and may use humans and other mortals as pawns in elaborate games of corruption, deception, and treachery. It would be a mistake to think that such greater demons are hiding behind the ranks of these minions, as greater demons also tend to be incredibly powerful and deadly in their own right.

## Types of Demons

### The Fallen

The Fallen were Angels who 'fell,' ritualistically stripped of their grace by the Presence and its angelic loyalists, cursed to become demons. All but the most powerful of the Fallen are unable to manifest in a physical realm on their own and are thus forced to possess the weak-willed bodies of mortals when they seek to travel the physical planes. These demons are among the most dangerous of the demons as their lack of grace gives them an insatiable hunger for entropic energy that is so great that if they're removed from a host through force or exorcism, they must quickly flee back to Hell to feed off the infernal essence there or risk withering away into nothing.

* **Notable Fallen:**
	+ **The First of the Fallen** was said to be Lucifer's right-hand man during Lucifer's rebellion. As an angel, the First was a Principality so enamored with Lucifer's cause that he came to believe that the Presence was insane. He became a zealot which even Lucifer felt would go too far. As a result, the First was stripped of his grace, his titles, and his name. Banished from Heaven and cast down to Hell, the First preceded many other angels who would fall for their part in the rebellion. When he found Lucifer in exile, he once again dedicated himself to serving his former master but was surprised to find that the ritual which had taken his name had also affected Lucifer's memory. In time, the mortals of Earth would give the First a new name: "Satan," which meant "the Adversary." Among the Triumvirate of Hell, Satan was the only one to keep his title as "First of the Fallen" in unbroken succession as the "Second of the Fallen" and "Third of the Fallen" often changed every few centuries while Satan remained constant... that is, until John Constantine tricked him into breaking an infernal law. Even though Satan was only stripped of his rank for a brief time, even by mortal standards, the First of the Fallen is still itching for a chance to make the Hellblazer pay for this insult.
	+ **The Second** and **Third of the Fallen** were originally other Principalities stripped of their grace before ultimately being banished to Hell after Lucifer and the First of the Fallen. Unlike the First of the Fallen, these titles have been passed around to other powerful demonic lords, both fallen and archdemon among them. Currently, a Fallen by the name of Belial holds the rank of Second of the Fallen while an archdemon holds the rank of Third of the Fallen, despite not being a Fallen themselves.
	+ Abaddon was once the Principality known as Apollyon the Destroyer but sided with Lucifer in the rebellion. She was the Second of the Fallen long ago and has held that title repeatedly throughout the history of Hell but has not been seen since the turn of the nineteenth century, believed to have gone exploring the Void. Rumor is she found a new corner of the Void to settle and has established herself as a new Queen of Hell elsewhere. However she was actually trying to find a way to get back into Heaven so she could be with Saraquael and reincarnated as the angels Leonardo and Donatella.
	+ Azazel was once the third of the Principalities cast to Hell. Unlike Satan and Abaddon, Azazel never bothered to use infernal power to rebuild himself a new physical form, preferring to further explore his new nature until he settled into the amorphous form of a mass of shadows with fanged teeth and eyes. Azazel always craved power but had little head for politics. Azazel was usually content to release his title as Third of the Fallen in favor of corrupting mortals, but did reclaim his title briefly over thirty years ago to challenge Lucifer's decision to give ownership of Hell to Dream of the Endless. Opposing Dream's decision to give the various Lords of Hell pieces of Lucifer's wings to ensure a stalemate of power, Azazel attended a meeting of the Lords of Hell held at Dream's castle in the Dreaming. While there, Azazel famously insulted Dream at the gathering. When Dream reminded Azazel that he was a guest in the castle and would do well to respect his host, Azazel rejected the hospitality and thus freed Dream to unleash his full fury upon the demon. Azazel is rumored to be kept contained inside a jar in the Dreaming's library ever since, a mere trinket gathering dust.
	+ Zuul
	+ Vinz Clortho
	+ Meleos

### Hellions

The Hellions are what many would call "true demons" and are the original occupants of Hell. These demons are born through concentrated negative emotion compressing inside an essence cloud. Unlike the weaker fallen, all hellions have a distinct form while in Hell. However, that form may not retain its corporeality when ascending to mortal realms. Those powerful enough to manifest physical form are called Archdemons and represent the highest order of these beings. However, even among the Archdemons, there is a complicated political hierarchy with noble families known as the Demon Lords.

* **Notable Hellions:**
	+ Archfiend Asteroth
	+ Beelzebub, Lord of Flies (past Second of the Fallen)
	+ Ran Va Daath, the Serpent Queen (and current Third of the Fallen)
	+ Prince Etrigan, son of Belial and Ran Va Daath
	+ Ophur, the Great Serpent of the Garden
	+ Asmodon
	+ Baal-Satyr, High Lordling of the Lower Depths
	+ The Arkannone
	+ Baytor, Lord of the Criminally Insane
	+ Blathoxi, Lord of Flatulence
	+ Bloodklott, the Prince of Pox
	+ Cthuga, Hell's Arbiter
	+ Kafir, the Horned One
	+ Morax, Lord of Stygia
	+ Pruflas
	+ Neron
	+ Nebiros
	+ Nergal
	+ Scapegoat
	+ Skarva, the Seven Lords of Torture
	+ Rakkar, the Nothing
	+ Belphegor
	+ Abnegazar, Ghast, and Rath (The Demons Three)
	+ Samhain
	+ Asa
	+ Savanti Romero

### The Cambions

Not often found in Hell, but worth mentioning due to their infernal ancestry, Cambions are the children of demonic coupling with non-demonic partners (often humans). They are naturally powerful psychics and can be easily trained to become powerful sorcerers as well. Grigori are the special children of the Fallen, a powerful cambion created with dark magic.

* **Notable Cambions:**
	+ Rosacarnis (½ Hellion, ½ Endless)
	+ Lady Infernus (½ Hellion, ½ Pagan God)
	+ Lord Satanus (½ Hellion, ½ Pagan God)
	+ Aurelius Ambrosius (½ Fallen Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Adam Constantine (½ Human, ¼ Hellion, ¼ Endless)
	+ Saul Constantine (½ Human, ¼ Hellion, ¼ Endless)
	+ Maria Constantine (½ Human, ¼ Hellion, ¼ Endless)
	+ Naamah (½ Fallen, ¼ Hellion, ¼ Endless), daughter of Azazel
	+ Perifáneia, aka: Pride, aka: Rachel Roth, aka: Raven (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Laimar, aka: Gluttony (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Aplis, aka: Greed, aka: Avarice (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Lagneía, aka: Lust, aka: Jinx (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Thymós, aka: Wrath (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Zilévo, aka: Envy (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Nothrót, aka: Sloth (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Bigby Wolf (½ Demon, ½ Daimon)
	+ Greyheart (½ Demon, ½ Daimon)
	+ Snapjaw (½ Demon, ½ Daimon)
	+ Longtooth (½ Demon, ½ Daimon)
	+ Anung Un Rama, aka: Horatio Bruttenholm, aka: Hellboy (½ Fallen Demon, ½ Human)
	+ TJ Bruttenholm (¼ Fallen Demon, ¾ Human)
	+ Brigette Bruttenholm (¼ Fallen Demon, ¾ Human)
	+ Jack Walker (¼ Human, ¼ Endless, ½ Lilim)
	+ Charaxes (½ Hellion, ½ Noble Fae)
	+ Hel (½ Daimon, ½ Demon)
	+ Jörmungandr (½ Daimon, ½ Demon)
	+ Basanos (½ Angel/Fallen Demon, ½ Endless)
		- Noema Presto (⅓ Angel/Fallen Demon, ⅓ Endless, ⅓ Human)

* **Notable Grigori (Cambions of the Fallen):**
	+ Grigori Rasputin (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Ilsa Haupstein (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Karl Kroenen (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Sam Winchester (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Andy Gallagher (½ Demon, ½ Human)
	+ Ava Wilson (½ Demon, ½ Human)

### The Cursed

Sometimes a mortal's soul becomes so tainted by infernal energy that they become corrupted and physically transform into demonic reflections of themselves. Though the infernal energy might not always come from Hell, these sorts are often considered to be demons.

* **Notable Cursed:**
	+ Anton Arcane
	+ Otto Haddon
	+ Richard Swift
	+ William Scumm
	+ Crowley, the King of the Crossroads
	+ Annowre

### The Beasts

Lilith, Queen of Monsters, is a Hellion succubus quite prolific in her work on Earth and other mortal planes. She not only was the first wife of Adam, the first of the Presence's mortal creations, but Lilith is also the progenitor of two entire lineages of demonic significance: the Beasts and the Lilim. The Beasts are demons usually born in the mortal world and many would come to be known as "monsters" to humans who encountered them. It is believed that many of Lilith's bestial children became the progenitors of other monstrous races, such as werewolves and vampires. Though many "beasts" appear monstrous in form, others have deceptively human appearances.

* **Notable Beasts:**
	+ Spot (the Beast With No Name)
	+ Grundel
	+ Gargoyles

### The Lilim

Known by other names, such as the Lilin, Children of Lilith, Lamia, Lilu, Nocnitsa, Succubus, and Incubus; the Lilim are the descendants of Lilith, Queen of Monsters. The Lilim are said to often be the most beautiful of demons (though some bear demonic markings which affect their overall beauty) and are consumed by lust, whether this be an unholy thirst for blood, a hunger for tender flesh, an ambition for power, or merely a carnal desire to procreate with mortals, the Lilim are among the most well-known demons. Most of the oldest of their kind were born on Earth, but as humans became more civilized and organized, many were exorcised or otherwise fled to Hell. With humans becoming less superstitious and a stronger magical surge returning to Earth, many of the Lilim have joined their other demonic cousins in returning to Earth.

* **Notable Lilim:**
	+ Mazikeen
	+ Inanna
	+ Shamash
	+ Jett
	+ Joplin
	+ Beni
	+ Nyx
	+ Lumi
	+ Kesa
	+ Syksy
	+ Kevat

**Note:** The terms "Succubus" and "Incubus" are not strictly used for Lilim. In fact, the terms are used to describe any infernal being who uses sex, seduction, or other such tactics in their manipulations or deal-making. The term is more of an occupational title rather than an actual species of demon or devil. For instance, the daughter of Nergal and Death, the Cambion Rosacarnis is another renowned succubus without any affiliation to the Lilim, as is the lust devil Vylaela. Likewise, the gluttony devil Danielle Cassidy has been known to refer to herself as a succubus when she's feeling rather flirtatious.

### Lords of Chaos

Not usually considered to be demons, per se (at least most of them), the Lords of Chaos are beings of pure chaotic energy originating from the Void and are therefore technically demons. Their closest cousins are the hellions and the Lords of Chaos often employ hellions and other types of demons as their agents.

* **Notable Lords of Chaos:**
	+ Trigon
	+ Melmoth
	+ Imperiex
	+ Klarion
	+ Neron
	+ Lilith, Mother of Monsters
	+ Barbatos
	+ Chaon
	+ The Child
	+ Koth
	+ Mordru
	+ Mr. Keeper
	+ Pythia
	+ Shivering Jemmy of the Shallow Brigade
	+ T'Charr (originally)
	+ Tython
	+ Vandaemon
	+ Weaver
	+ Gozer

## Trivia and Notes

### Trivia

* First demons were created when Tuoni created the star Inferno.
* They are sometimes confused with Daimons, though the two are nothing alike.
* Cursed Demons whos mortal souls were corrupted by pure eldritch essence, become a type of demon known as a Soulsinger.
* They are also sometimes confused with devils. Demons are *not* devils.
* Cambions can be artificially created from a child of human parents. These types of cambions act as anchors for their demonic parent. In an event the demon is killed or exorcised, they can just activate this connection to one of their cambionic anchors and the child is banished to hell or dies.
* Another demonic entity is demon Belphegor. He uses the name Verminous Skumm while on Earth. As an archdemon, he is capable of physical manifestation as a horde of rats or a rat-like man. He feeds off souls while sedating victims with telepathically induced euphoric sensations.
* Ruby is technically half-Daimon, but the father's parentage isn't taken into account for designation as a Lilim.
* The ritual that stripped the Fallen of their identities was a warped version of the angelic Rite of Rebirth.
* In Hell Demons barter memories to trade.
* Demons can become Scourges.
* **Notes from Roy on how essence affects Demons:**"*Demons are a product of their environment. The fact they respire essence from their environment causes significant changes for them over time. Same with other ephemeral beings. While they are not completely a product of their environment, but as humans are a product of both nature and nurture, demons are shaped by three reservoirs of essence. The first is their personal or core essence, generated by their soul(s) or spark. This is a unique singularity within them that created the essence crystal they would eventually form from or this spark was created by the act of their parents mating. The essence contained in this is steady and constant. If it does change, it is slow and gradual and a difficult metamorphosis. The second is their peripheral reservoir. This is what they take from their environment and store in their being until they need to use it. This is what they can expend to power their magical abilities and keep themselves alive without wearing them out. It replenishes itself based on what is in their environment, what they eat and consume, and what they do. Demons are known to cause chaos because that creates chaos essence which demons find most delicious and intoxicating - as whatever essence they fill their peripheral reservoir with, that mixes with essence from their core essence which is mostly infernal essence. Chaos and infernal go well together and demons enjoy that sensation. However, a demon can learn to enjoy other types of essence. So demons who live on Earth and engage in other non-demonic things can learn to appreciate other flavors. Succubi and inccubi often prefer sex essence to chaos essence. Some demons become more fond of death or disease. The third is ambient essence. This essence is what is in the environment they are in. This fills their peripheral reservoir if there is room for it, but even if a demon intentionally resists filling their reserve with the essence in the environment, the ambient essence will have a reaction with the essence that is in the demon's core and peripheral reservoirs. This can be a pleasing sensation for demons when the essence is compatible, but it can also cause them discomfort. So a demon who is evil to their core and has a steady diet of chaos and death might find being in a consecrated church ran by a truly faithful congregation physically uncomfortable, especially if they use their powers and their reservoir fills with some of church's residual essence. All three of these things influence a demon's personality and behavior. Mazikeen as an example was born on Earth. She would have had much of her core shaped by the essence she absorbed in her youth. When she moved to Hell, she gradually became darker and more "demonic" but her core values would still be the root of her personality. As she spent time in Hell, she began to miss the old her. When Lucifer decided he was going to move to Earth, Mazikeen went with him. Though she may have justified that act as her wanting to be Lucifer and remain loyal and true to him, you have to wonder if she just wanted to find the old her again.*"

## Links and References

* List of Demons

1. ↑ VOX Box: Born Again
2. ↑ VOX Box: Lost and Found
3. ↑ Dinkley Files: Grigori
4. ↑ Network Files: Aradia Morningstar 2
5. ↑ E27 Adding to the Lore
6. ↑ The Infernal Houses
7. ↑ Network Files: Gozer
8. ↑ RepCap: Pralaya
9. ↑ Heaven, Hell, and Limbo too
10. ↑ Network Files: June Moone 2
11. ↑ VOX Box: Gone to Gotham 4
12. ↑ ECO
13. ↑ Network Files: Ruby
14. ↑ VOX Box: Born Again
15. ↑ VOX Box: Hell Hath No Fury 7
16. ↑ Coffee Talks: Bruce and John
17. ↑ Notes from Roy on how essence affects Demons