Demon

A **demon** is a non-human creature comprised of ether, which preys upon the energies of other beings, both living and otherwise. With the exception of "human" derived demons, these beings have never been alive, and never will be. For the most part, demons and demonic entities are hostile to living people. As a rule, demons have no set appearance or form, often adopting a guise catered to the desires of the person looking at them. This is involuntary for most sentient demons. For archdemons, it is intentional.

Any interaction with a demon has the risk bearing of a price. They are always on the lookout for a way to entrap people, and will take almost any positive response to them as consent to a deal. The currency of the afterworld is souls, and the soul of a "good" person is infinitely more valuable than a "bad" one.

The power of names is such that speaking or even writing the name of a demon is considered a jinx, and can draw their attention, or summon them outright. Knowing the *true* name of a demon can allow someone to control them, but only temporarily. Binding a demon in this way has invariably bad consequences.

## Types of Demons

### Ether Creature

A semi-sentient construct made from dark energy, usually taking the form of a monster. Ether creatures range from mischievous imps to SUV-sized skeletal horrors, most created and controlled by a more powerful demon. They are the foot soldiers of the other world, often acting as spies, walking traps, or shock troops when dealing with humans.

### Demon

These beings were never human, and never will be. Created from ether by higher powers, demons are energy-vultures, seeking out people and other entities from which to draw power. Being so low down the chain of command, demons tend to adhere to vulnerable people in attempts to gain ownership of their souls. They prefer to brute-force soul-stealing, as opposed to the use of any real strategy. The abilities of these beings range from forging ether to full-scale possession.

Demons sometimes pose as human spirits to gain the trust of humans, and are drawn to those who dabble in things they do not understand. They have no empathy, often resorting to blatant lies and threats to intimidate their enemies. Some demons cause violent or revolting hallucinations with their presence.

### Demon Clone

A demon clone is essentially a demon *cosplaying* as a person. Demons have been known to take on the appearances of ghosts or guardians, either with the intention of getting close enough to a target to badly hurt them, or in order to distract from other things going on. While visually identical to the spirit they are impersonating, the demonic lack of emotions and empathy make it difficult for them to act convincingly. Their impressions usually come across as somewhat "off," which tends to be a dead giveaway that the demon is an imposter.

When called out or presented with proof of their falseness, such as wrong answers, demon clones invariably resort to aggressive or threatening behavior, or simply attack outright, revealing themselves.

### "Human" Demon

When a person sells their soul to a demon for personal gain, the demon awards some level of power to them in life, in return for ownership of their soul after death. (That some demons elect to *kill* those who deal with them is an unfortunate loophole in the process.) The agreement takes the form of a physical Contract, which binds the soul to the demon's command, reducing the person to a psychic scavenger in the afterlife.

The only way to return a demon of this kind to human status is the return of their soul through destruction of the Contract. Once destroyed, the demon reverts to a human spirit. Ravyn and Richard are both former demons, whose Contracts were destroyed shortly after Nero changed sides, in return for acts of self-sacrifice. Xel is another human demon, though he remains bound.

### Archdemon

More powerful demons are referred to as *demon princes*, or--more neutrally--*archdemons*. While standard demons tend to be more animalistic, impulsive and destructive, archdemons tend toward more strategic behaviors. Though lacking emotion, they can be exceptionally charming, often using a logical appeal as a means to forge an alliance. Something as simple as offering to "help" with a problem can result in a person accidentally blundering into a Contract. Archdemons make a sport of entrapping people, the collection of souls boiling down to a supernatural form of poker. It's all a numbers game; the one with the most chips wins. Any form of positive response to their supposed *assistance* is considered consent.

When pressed for power, archdemons are capable of *demonic cannibalism*, settling to devour their enemies or underlings outright, thereby absorbing their power to grow stronger.

They are not above bargaining with humans for energy, and are invariably drawn to people with power. Sex is a favored method of drawing on this power, and they are not shy or picky about who they will target. It's all about the power, and if they suspect a person is susceptible to this approach, they will not hesitate to try it. While entirely possible, it is generally a *bad* idea to bed an archdemon, as it tends to involve consent, and consent is a slippery slope.

### Fallen

A Fallen is a type of archdemon (supposedly) derived from an angel. The oldest archdemons are invariably Fallen. The difference between a general archdemon and a Fallen is the presence of emotions. More than making them sympathetic to people, this depth only makes them more cruel, their understanding of human suffering and weakness allowing them to do more harm. Fallen are rarely interest in human interaction, finding living people to be beneath them. Despite this, they still seek out power, and a powerful enough human can gain their interest. *This is not a good thing*.