Demon

**Demons** are an ancient race of supernatural individuals that roam Lyakvat. Demons come in many diverse specie and hybrid forms and appearances, along with unique blood that can advance physical strength, making them targets for trafficking. They are one of the marginalized groups within the ***Challenge of The Shadows*** universe.

## History

### Early History

The first demon was said to be known as "Masakka" or the "Mighty Masakka," the progenitor of the demon race. Massaka was said to be a failed angel, being born with a corrupt power and was seen as undesirable, resulting in his banishment to a land where the humans roamed. When observing the humans, Massaka started to see that he could use his magic to aid them. As a result, he allowed his powers to disperse among the humans and created the first demons by saying his magic was a gift, creating a diverse specie of demons after his power was distributed among other species.

Demons existence span back into the tribal era of Azuren, where many tribes, also known as clans, had control of areas of land: Demons were similar to that of humans but were said to have strong magic that advanced their development throughout time. Their powers allowed them to have food and protective barriers quicker than regular humans. The demons made the humans curious and traded with the demons at some point. Demons had managed to gain masses of land due to their large population at the time, something the humans had envied, along with their claim to large amounts of land full of resources that the humans desired to claim.

### Human-Demon War

As a result of the humans envy, the tribes attempted tot take part of their land, though were met with the demons defending their land intensely, leading to the human-demon war. In the end, the demons had managed to win the war because of their unique physiology and magic, causing a rift between the tribes and the demons. After the war, the humans blamed the demons for "stealing" land, despite them only defending their in order to help the population grow and establish villages. The rift suddenly turned into discrimination against the demons, where despite their magic, they were seen as dangers to humanity and were constantly killed because of the war, despite their countless apologies and attempt to mend relations.

### Persecutions

Following the end of the Human-Demon War and the end of the tribal era, demons were constantly persecuted without a logical explanation because of the propaganda being spread that they were vicious creatures who eat humans. The propaganda and persecutions came after the Roserita's became the first ruling clan of Azuren. The persecution of demons became fairly common, leading into the demons being imprisoned or killed. Because of the unique properties in their blood to enhance physical strength, human trafficking businesses were beginning to increase to hunt demons and murder them for their blood and flesh.

During the dictatorship under Erothite after the overthrow of Rosalina Asaki, the demon black market became limited, but was still practiced, and persecutions of demons were less frequent, but occasional, though most had went into hiding after she seized power. During Erothite's dictatorship, demons went into hiding because of her mass persecutions. Most of the persecutions consisted of hanging, beheading or lethal injection before the remains would be turned into ash or sold off to nearby kingdoms into the black markets.

### Reign under the Founding Demons

After Erothite's subsequent death due to a wildfire, the Founding Demons had taken power and managed to abolish the persecutions of demons. As they were demons themselves, they made a safe space for demons after enacting several anti-prejudice laws that protected demons under their code and helped stabilize Runia. After demons were now protected, they came out of hiding and showed immense support for the Founding Demons. As peoples views on demons temporarily changed, Demons were allowed to marry humans and were allowed to get occupations meant for humans and cracked down on many black market operations. Since the demons came out of hiding, they were able to live lives like normal individuals.

Spanning for two generations, demons had a variety of rights most villages and states and treated them equally to humans, allowing them to peacefully co-exist with humans. Though, in later years, many would start to feel hatred towards Damion, the shadow Founding Demon, who supposedly represented a bad omen. Despite the Founding Demon's support they've garnered, many saw demons as witches and yearned for their extermination. Though Damion tried to ignore the criticism, he was often put down because of the things being said and often hid himself from publicity after and often let the rest of his council take the lead. Though his council comforted him, many still disdained him because of the omen of the dark demon destroying the peace that was once gained.

When he was outside carrying wood, a man shouted profanities and extreme vulgarities. Damion ignored it, passing on wood before stabbed in the stomach, resulting in Damion defending himself by clawing at the man, but accidentally murdered him. As a result, his council turned on Damion, leading him to be banished before he would kill them in the process, scattering their Demon Gems. Later on, the second generation of Founding Demons came along, Damion too had killed them after a thousand years into their reign, also scattering their gems to not remind himself of his past.

### Post-Founding Demons

After the fall of the Founding Demons, Demons started to migrate across Azuren and settling in small communities out of fear of being murdered in larger, metropolitan communities, some examples being Leiden and Etherin. Instead, the Demons manages to settle in smaller provinces where all could be united. Despite their migration to smaller provinces, they were often targeted by task forces of each kingdom due to them being supposedly "dangerous," and harming the community. With the extreme stereotypes and propaganda of demons remerging, this led to an extreme surge in trafficking because of the discovery of demon blood and flesh enhancing ones physical abilities. This trade mainly takes place in Lyakon and some provinces of Ostravik, though this form of trade is heavily monitored and highly illegal, though the practice is still continued.

## Physiology

Demons take the form of humans with human-like qualities to them, and are of different ethnicities. Because of their human-like appearance, hey can be easily mistaken as humans and get treated as one because of their physiology. Horns and claws are prominent features in demons, though are often hidden to avoid being murdered. Some demons take the form as sludge or