Devils

Courteous, rapacious, merciless, beguiling: **devils**, the emissaries of Hell, have come west to Bomenya for one purpose: souls. And perhaps the company, the sights, and a little chamber-music. They run and patronize several establishments in the vicinity of Merrybones Road; for example, Etnad's Grill, the Long Spoon, Abbuhzon and Bael Trading Co., and their London headquarters, the Sulfurous Embassy.

The Agora's conveniently located for Hell, and Hell's envoys keep stalls and warehouses here. Which is great if you want to buy brass, obsidian, sulphur, hydrogen, devilbone or any of Hell's other well-known exports. Or if you want to sell souls. But you shouldn't do that.

## Characteristics

Devils are generally humanlike, but with fangs and golden or brassy eyes to set them apart. Many can be found in the soul-spa of Cuzzlon, as well as in Caduceus, the Wolfwell, and as one of the factions in Pan.

## The Alphabets of Hell

Devils speak many languages ~ around a hundred, all in all, many of which may be lethal to learn or read. They largely go unnamed and undifferentiated, but some alphabets are said to be invisible while others glow bright enough to shine through several layers of cloth, making them useful for marking criminals. These languages may also be spoken, which frequently brings strange memories or sensations, and particularly grave words may even lead to sudden decay of objects around the speaker.

The most frequently mentioned language of devilkind is the **Rose Giveth****,** which is sometimes called the **Rose Taketh** and said to be the best language of Hell. It is unclear whether the two names designate some subtle distinction or serve as synonyms. Regardless of its moniker, it is a dance-language: laboriously engraved into brass tablets and spoken through quick rhythmic motions that burn the floor and send sigil-sparks flying in their wake. Ideally, it is performed with wings and six legs, if not more ~ but even with four limbs, it is a difficult and demanding language. Mistakes in the Rose Giveth lead to limbs bending in unnatural directions, and novices may struggle to return to verbal speech as they instinctively attempt to dance what they want to say rather than voice it. Even witnessing the Rose Giveth, either engraved or danced, leads to nightmares, aches across the body and even bleeding from the eyes.

The Rose Taketh is, in truth, a variant of the Signatures, which explains another common complaint ~ singed eyebrows. Other alphabets of Hell may share the same origins.

## Bees?

Devils once lived in translunar night, where they were attendants to the stars. Then they rebelled against the stars and fled to the Asymptote, where they camped out in a giant beehive. Why yes, they're still bees (and, sometimes, other insects too). Just wrapped up in all sorts of disguises. This is why prisoner's honey is a thing ~ devils hold the key to the Asymptote, in a sense.

After leaving the Asymptote for Hell, the devils began to be ruled by princes, but these were all overthrown in one "season of revolutions." Most of the princes now live in exile in the crater of Mount Balmuzztuhn. The Sulfurous Embassy will now pay a fortune for the whereabouts of just one of them.