Demons

Demons are fallen angels, malevolent supernatural entities who work against God to lead humans to ruin.

## Demons

Lucifer's fall from heaven, the first demon

## Origin

Before the beginning of time, Lucifer, a powerful archangel, was prideful and thought himself better than God. He tempted other angels into a revolt against Him, but he failed. As punishment for his rebellion, Lucifer was thrown from Heaven with the other mutinous angels into Hell. These fallen angels became the first demons, and over millenia, more would join him. Lucifer became Satan, and he was doomed to rule Hell for eternity, punished alongside the souls of the sinful.

## Overview

Demons are the adversaries of Jesus Christ and God. They are not morally grey beings, but are true evil. They are the cause of pain and suffering in humans. They are not simply tempters, but cause of pain, agony, and maladies, both of the physical, mental, and spiritual variety.

### Demonic Possession

Sometimes, demons may desire having an Earthly vessel or to steal the soul of a human. To do so, they may possess a human and act through them. The six types of demonic possession are:

1. **Possession**: When Satan or another demon takes full control of a person body without their consent
2. **Obsession**: Sudden attacks of irrationally obsessive thoughts, usually culminating in suicidal ideation, and which typically influences dreams
3. **Oppression**: In oppression, there is no actual involuntary actions. The demon may simply cause a series of misfortunes in business, loss of possessions, loss family, or poor health
4. Physical pain or mental distress directly caused by demons
5. **Infestation**: When a demon invades and affects houses, objects, or animals
6. **Subjection**: When a person voluntarily submits to a demon, possibly through a deal

Four characteristics of demonic possession are:

1. Superhuman strength
2. Speaking in tongues/languages that the victim never knew
3. Disclosing of knowledge that the victim cannot know
4. Blasphemous rage and an aversion to holy symbols, names, relics or places

#### Exorcism

The demon can be expelled through the performance of exorcisms, which are performed in the name of Jesus Christ. The person who performs the exorcism, known as an exorcist, is always a ordained priest. The exorcist will say prayers over the possessed and often makes use of religious items such as sacramentals and symbols. The names of Saints, holy men and women, reading of the Gospel, and holy water is also said to help drive them out.

The exorcist will often invoke the name of God (though Jesus Christ is more common) as well as the Archangel Michael to help with the exorcism. Several weekly exorcisms are occasionally necessary to exorcise a deeply entrenched demon.

### Number of Demons

The number of demons is estimated to be 4,439,622. They are divided into 666 legions, with each legion composed of 6,666 demons. Above all demons are the most powerful and evil, the Seven Lords of Hell, a corruption of the seven archangels.

Together, Lucifer, Dajall, and Leviathan form the Satanic Trinity, the dark inverse of the Holy Trinity.

1. Lucifer (Lord of Pride)
2. Mammon (Lord of Greed)
3. Asmodeus (Lord of Envy)
4. Leviathan (Lord of Wrath)
5. Beelzebub (Lord of Chaos)
6. Dajjal (Lord of Lies)
7. Belial (Lord of Wickedness)

## Powers/Abilities

* **Angel Physiology:** Though they have fallen, demons retain some of their powers from when they were angels. Most demon's powers fade, leaving them less powerful than they used to be, but some demons, like Lucifer, retained much more of their power.
	+ **Immortality**: Like angels, time does not degrade their bodies. Diseases, toxins, and even lack of food, water, oxygen, or sleep cannot kill them.
		- **Invulnerability**: Demons are immune to nearly all forms of normal damage and injury.

* **Shapeshifting:** Demons can change their shape into anything they choose, and even have the ability to appear as angels of light.
* **Telepathy:** Demons can read the thoughts, souls, and memories of humans. They can also sense the emotions of others and detect lies.
* **Soul Absorbtion**: Through deals or tricks, demons can steal the souls of other entities to make themselves more powerful.
* **Intellect:** Demons possess great knowledge of many things due to their great age, but they are not omniscient like God.
* **Possession**: Demons can possess the living and work through them, even controlling their thoughts and actions.

## Notable Demons

* Lucifer
* Mammon
* Asmodeus
* Leviathan
* Beelzebub
* Dajjal
* Belial
* Mephistopheles