Demonkind

Demons hail from Ara'kigal, a distant plane entirely their own. No Vitaran mage has managed to travel to this plane, so its appearance, composition, and habitability is shrouded in mystery, and barely little information about it is given freely by demonkind. There are many different variations of demons, and all are master manipulators, and malevolent in nature. Many demons have cloven feet, batlike wings, and/or elaborate horns, but others take the forms of humans, and are nigh undiscernible to the human eye. Aravi'x is the name of demonkind's native tongue, but many can speak Vitaran just as easily.

Demons' goals are largely a mystery to the people of Vitaria. Some scholars suspect that demons seek to take control of Vitaria, since each demon uses its personal skills in order to corrupt and gain control over people. By increasing their influence, it can be thought that their ultimate goal is to increase their numbers and control as quickly as possible. Other scholars say that demons are far too selfish, and only exist to sow malevolence wherever they go. Regardless, demons are incredibly secretive about themselves, and anything they say can easily be a lie intended to manipulate their victim. Demons possess the ability to disintegrate themselves at will, and their corpses decompose into nothingness very rapidly, leaving no traces of themselves in seconds. As a result, studying them in great detail is nigh impossible.

## Creation and History

In reality, demons are the children of Erebos, the former God of Darkness, and were created entirely by Him, in secret. Throughout His life, Erebos never revealed demonkind's existence, and their entire goal is to bring Him back to power in the case he was compromised, whether that be through their own actions, or corrupting mortals and forcing their hand. Demonkind are Erebos' failsafe, and are ruthless in their goals of restoring their Creator. All demons carry a faint trace of Erebos' lifeforce, and even if a demon fights against its true nature, it will always feel Erebos' call through its very soul.

Erebos' protective spells safeguard Ara'kigal from His former peers, and despite His passing centuries ago, They are still unable to locate it. Upon Erebos' death, however, the secrets to calling demons from their plane have been mostly lost, but are recently being found as more and more Eldyrian ruins are discovered.

Erebos' secret is so well-preserved, that even today, Vitarans, and by extension, the Gods, believe demons are their own race, unique, and separate from the former God of Darkness. This couldn't be further from the truth.

## Aar'u, the Gatekeeper

One of Erebos' last actions before His death was creating a way to ensure a constant number of His children, in case many of them were destroyed. While souls migrate from the mortal realm to the realm of their afterlife, those that have engaged in particularly nefarious actions can find themselves confronted by Aar'u, an incredibly strong demon known as The Gatekeeper. Aar'u's purpose is to recruit new souls to Erebos' service, and he uses another chance at life as the bargaining tool. Like his kin, Aar'u is a master manipulator, yet those that are particularly strong-willed or devoted to their God can resist his influence.

Aar'u takes the form of an incredibly beautiful human male, with golden locks, great, white wings, and he is always surrounded by an aura of peace and calm.

## Types of Demons

* **Esver'ari**, also called **Alu**, or darkness demons, are tall and fanged, with muscular builds and fine, chiseled features. They possess ebony skin, elongated ears, and hair that ranges from white to pale blonde. Alu possess a natural talent with dark magic and metaphysics, and merely being around them evokes feelings of horror and panic. They feed off fears, and can appear as attractive young men in order to fool their victims or get closer to them. Darkness demons can create fields of darkness at will, and these fields can be so powerful as to block torches and other lightsources entirely. Alu can take the form of a field of darkness as well, and may use it to teleport, making them hard to locate in battle. They can also infuse their essence into corpses, raising them as minions to do their bidding. A corpse raised by an Alu demon can only be destroyed by magic, or if its creator is killed, personally.
* **Mylaxi'i**, also called **Lilim**, or oath demons, possess incredible powers over law, itself. Like Alu, they are tall and elegant, but all Lilim take a female form. Lilim are capable of mindreading, and pick their targets carefully, probing their minds to find what it is most they desire in life. A Lilim will then make a deal with a mortal, promising to grant them their wish, but exacting a cost, in return. if the mortal agrees, they are bound with the Lilim's powerful magic, a geas, and therefore have their lifeforce at the Lilim's control. If the mortal breaks their word, delays it, or doesn't act on it, according to the Lilim's wishes, she can drain their lifeforce, potentially killing them as a result. Although a mortal can indeed free themselves from the geas if they complete their part of the deal, most Lilim will word the bargain in such a way that they have no actual chance to do so.
* **Be'ezau**, (pronounced Bay AH zow) or rage demons, are nearly two stories tall, winged, and possess flaming eyes. All can create flames at will, and their claws drip with a dangerous toxin that paralyzes the nervous system upon contact. The gaze of a Be'ezau is said to strike fear into anyone, from the lowliest peasant, to the strongest Defender, and their scream causes instant fear and paranoia. Controlling a Be'ezau is nearly impossible, since the demon's will is almost unshakeable, and because of this, mages have been known to summon Be'ezau in the middle of cities or towns, hoping the demon will wreak its havoc without mercy. Be'ezau do not speak, and almost wholly consumed with causing merciless destruction. Mercifully, summoning one is an incredibly complicated affair, requiring a vast number of rare reagents, and the sacrifice of at least thirteen people genuinely willing to die.
* **Oro'gari**, **Hellions**, or pride demons, can be considered the lords of demonkind. They are far stronger than any mortal, and stand around three stories tall. They have dark, grey skin, muscular builds, immense wings, and white, pupil-less eyes. Hellions are able to empower their heavy blades with their powers, and can steal the lifeforce from their victims, leaving them paralyzed and permanently aged. The sight of a Hellion greatly boosts the morale of demons nearby, and demonic armies are often always commanded by a Hellion warlord. Hellions' voices are deep, commanding growls, and any mortal that hears them

Succubi and Incubi, Oculari, Beren