Demon

Terrible, otherworldly creatures, **demons** are hellbent on the destruction of mortalkind. They feed on the despair and anguish of the world. The demons reside in a realm known by many names, though Hell seems to be the preferred title. There are many different forms and types of demons, all varying in shape, appearance and level of power. The most powerful being the Princes of Hell, one of the nine lords of Hell who rule over its nine territories. The Princes are then followed by Archdemons, who are typically subservient to a single Prince and serve as their lieutenant. They usually manage the day-to-day aspects of commanding a legion.

Demons normally remain the same rank throughout their existence. However, since the creation of the Blood Pact, demons now have a chance to grow in strength. By absorbing a Witch’s Soul upon their death, a demon will inherit their power and strength. Interestingly enough, many high level demons have entered into Blood Pacts as well. Some speculate that they do this to maintain their stature and influence in a now-turbulent and uncertain demon hierarchy.

## Abilities and Powers

A demon's powers vary widely, but are typically based upon where they stand on the hierarchy. Demon's naturally possess a greater strength than mortals. They also heal incredibly fast, and can withstand a great deal of damage before succumbing.

Most demon's are armed with powers of a certain element. While fire is the most common element, there are other abilities that have been known to be possessed by the demons. Powerful demons may have telepathy or telekinesis, others may even have abilities to take on the shape of another. A demon's powers are usually determined by their specific race, such as succubi having demonic magnetism or Nightmares being able to Dreamwalk.

Most demons are able to teleport with relative ease, though this is usually confined to being able to teleport to any location in the current dimension that they occupy. Only the Princes of Hell are powerful enough to traverse between Hell and Earth, and even then they are usually allotted a short amount of time before they must return to Hell. For lesser demons, they must either be summoned directly or have taken part in a Blood Pact in order to venture beyond the reaches of Hell.

## Destroying a Demon

Most being innately able to regenerate and heal, demons have proven to be exceptionally difficult opponents. Exorcists are strongly encouraged to avoid engaging a demon in combat alone. However, most demons are not immortal.

Demons can be beaten down and weakened by attacking quickly and mercilessly. They can sustain physical damage just as any other being, but they possess the ability to return to Hell in order to regain their strength. This makes hunting demons incredibly tricky, as a demon will flee before they can be destroyed. Once a demon has been sufficiently wounded, Exorcists are trained to confine and seal them within the mortal plane. Imprisonment seals, or other rituals and spells are used to keep a demon from escaping to Hell. Objects made of iron have also been known to weaken demons, as well as weapons that have been treated in salt.

To destroy a demon, their heart must be taken from their physical form. It must then be pierced with a special iron rod known as a Dirk. Once the demon's heart has been pierced it is quickly burned. Simultaneously, the demon's head must be removed from its body and a Sealing Rune carved into the forehead. Once the rune has been placed, the head is burned along with the heart. Only then, is a demon truly destroyed.

Demons are also capable of killing one another. They, of course, do not need to follow the same ritual as the Exorcists. When a demon destroys another demon, they absorb their power and in turn bolster there own. In order to ensure that demons do not go around killing each other, the destroying of another demon outside of a prearranged duel is highly frowned upon and may be punishable by execution. There are exceptions to this rule, however, as demons are fickle in their ability to follow rules and laws.

If sufficiently weakened, a demon is banished and expelled from the mortal realm. They are forcibly pulled back to Hell. Demons who are banished will be unable to return until summoned again.