Applied Demonology

**Applied Demonology**, created by InCase, first appeared on July 21, 2022 when he uploaded the first four pages. This science fiction-themed webcomic, which appears to be based in the future, features a daring young scientist named Norah Adelaide Caldwell Grier and her extremely timid flying robot named Euridice as they explore what the robot categorizes as Hell, inhabited by what it calls demons.

The comic has been abandoned.

## The Story so far

In a nightmare setting of reds and blacks, dominated by enormous swords piercing the ground, a series of pale blue geometric figures appear, followed by a searing bolt of blue-green light. Forming a glowing triangle of hazy blue, the portal becomes anchored in the space framed by a pair of swords that are leaning together. Two figures appear in the blue haze of the portal. Euridice floats out in apparent defiance of gravity and, calling out to its "mistress", declares they have reached Hell. Norah steps smoothly out of the portal and reminds Euridice that this was the intended destination of the portal they had generated.

Several tall, nude, and very-much-male humanoid figures stalk the landscape, "beating the bushes" in a manner of speaking, seemingly in search of something, the horns springing from their brows giving rise to the robotic Euridice's declaration that they are demons. Euridice behaves in a noisy, panicked manner, insisting that they return to the lab, causing the more level-headed and studious Norah to admonish it to stay quiet, concerned that the machine's excessive religious assertions may be attracting the attention of "the locals". Just as Norah decides they need to find a solitary specimen to study, her concerns of discovery bear fruit, and a solitary representative the native species approaches the pair from behind, even as the pair observe the other natives in pursuit of their own endeavors.

Realizing they have been discovered, Euridice moans they are about to die. Norah turns to the approaching native, and while speaking to him, she reveals that their expedition is in defiance of the Church of the Eternal Orchard, an institution she personally holds in low regard. She realizes it was too much to hope for that they share a common language, so she resorts to a crude form of sign language. At this point she appears to lose her scientific detachment, and she pantomimes performing fellatio; this is quickly and eagerly understood by the native. Norah kneels up in front of the creature, her head level with its lower abdomen, which further illustrates the creature's height. Her close proximity and the creature's understanding of her intent causes his flaccid member to become erect, the organ becoming even more prodigious and eliciting a flustered outburst of admiration from the scientist.

Norah gets closer and explores the creature's erection with both hands, her opposing fingertips barely touching as they surround his girth. Euridice becomes distressed when Norah starts stroking the creature with one hand and cupping his scrotum with the other, and it stammers out a request for information on what was happening. Norah replies with a facile explanation about conducting research, showing that she has lost all scientific detachment; use of an endearment may indicate her state of mind as well. Euridice responds in a sarcastic manner, and then it demands Norah stop what she's doing. Norah claims science is underway, and when that doesn't work, she tells Euridice to harvest energy. The robot reconfigures its upper portion into some sort of collector, intent on gathering energy, then it catches on and chastises her for trying to distract it and demands she explain herself. Norah responds, "I will! Observe!"

## Characters

### Norah Adelaide Caldwell Grier

Referred to by her robot attendant as "mistress", Norah is a fervent **natural scientist** in pursuit of an unspecified goal of exploration on unknown lands in defiance of the Church of the Eternal Orchard.

The pale-skinned woman wears a form-fitting bodysuit, cinched at the waist with a utility belt, that shows off her trim physique. She wears a throat guard, a stiffened armor covering her from beneath her modest breasts to her waist, and knee-high reinforced boots. Her hand are covered with surgical gloves, probably nitrile based on their blue color. Her dark brown hair is pulled back in a loose bun, and her brown eyes are framed by round rimmed glasses that rest on the bridge of her nose; a retention chain hangs from the hinges to around the back of her neck. Norah's overall appearance gives off a vibe of hot scientist or even hot librarian. Or both.

Norah adheres to a scientific outlook and maintaining an objective perspective, to the point of reminding her robotic assistant to refrain from coloring its observations with its religious point of view, but her scientific detachment appears to be flexible when it comes to the newly discovered natives of this planet.

### Euridice

The flying robot that came with the scientist through the portal was supposed to support the young woman's endeavors, but in fact its timidity and religious outlook are proving to be a hindrance. Despite the Norah's remonstrances, the robot continues to paint the current mission in terms of a religious viewpoint, referring to the destination as Hell, and calling the denizens demons. Even the landscape offends its sensibilities. It constantly harangues Norah to either return to the lab or purge the current world of its inhabitants.

There is no apparent means of levitation, so it is likely that some form of antigravity is used to give the robot lift; a faint trail of glowing motes billowing out from underneath shows there is some kind of propulsion unit for moving the robot about. The dome seems to be an energy construct of some sort which contains free-flowing plasma. The "dome" reconfigures itself to accomplish different tasks; an example would be the Energy Harvester mode. The robot shows signs of self-awareness and it fears for its own existence as well as its "mistress", while at the same time worrying for her "immortal soul".

### The "Locals"

Not much is known about the locals — referred to as "demons" by Euridice, but not yet classified by Norah — apart from their general appearance. They are well-muscled humanoid males roughly 6'5"(2m) tall. They have a ruddy complexion that fades to dark gray at the extremities. They have short horns sprouting from either their temples or foreheads above their eyes, which have gray irises on black sclera, and they have long, pointed ears. A glimpse of one of the creature's teeth show that the incisors are elongated; it has fangs. This coupled with forward-looking binocular vision seems to indicate the creatures are predators.

Their oversized hands have only four digits — three fingers and a thumb, and they are tipped with short black claws or talons. They either walk on tiptoes or they have evolved hooves on their legs; further investigation is required. They have a proportionally oversized penis which, like the other extremities, fades to gray from base to crown, and it hangs to the knees when limp. When erect, it is shown to be as long as Norah's lower arm, elbow to fingertips, which is roughly 14 inches (36cm) long. They have no hair on their bodies below the neck, but they have a variety of facial and scalp hair, all dark. Casual tactile observation indicates that body temperature runs much higher than human norms.

They stalk the countryside, hunting who knows what, although scars crossing the body of one observed individual might indicate that their prey fights back or they have to fight off other predators. Another possibility is they fight amongst themselves. Attempts to converse with a native elicits only grunts and hoots from the subject, however, the comprehension of charades used to communicate indicates the creatures may well be intelligent. An exclamation made by the subject at the onset of experimentation may be evidence of a language.

The use of sign language in the form of charades is comprehended, indicating intelligence.

## Abandoned

Sometime after posting what is now known to be the last update of *Applied Demonology* in August 2022, InCase moved the somewhat popular comic to the Abandoned header under the Comic listing on his website, indicating he would no longer be updating the project.

As of November 2023, *Applied Demonology* is the only work in this category.

## Footnotes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Page 5
2. ↑ Page 3
3. ↑ Page 1
4. ↑ Page 2
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Page 4
6. ↑ **Wikipedia** *Natural science*
7. ↑ **Focusers** *The Personality of Round Eyeglasses*
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Page 7
9. ↑ Page 6