Demons

in: Races

## The Demons of the Wastes

The Soul Wastes are a twisting ever changing abyss floating in the immaterial realms between the mortal world and the lands of the gods beyond  where those who do not obey the rules of the natural order can be found.  To speak on the wastes and the demons within is forbidden in nearly every culture, except perhaps amongst dark elves, so those curious about the sordid creatures only speak in hidden lairs and dark corners. There are a number of arguments and discussions among  those hidden scholars as to the origins of how those who live in the waste were created or arrived..  The most prevalent of theories, however, suggests that demons were once mortal.  A theory supported perhaps by the fact that all demons are born from mortal souls cast down into the wastes for their sins or through deals and pacts made with demons for their own benefit.

This theory in particular states that long ago in ancient mortal lands, when the world was younger and magic stronger and flowing freely,  a group of sorcerers sought ever more power and knowledge, pushing to reach the realms of the gods so that they might steal their power for themselves.   According to these legends the sorcerers fought and struggled against the gods,  battling with their sorcerous power against those who watch over the mortal realm.  Eventually they were defeated, driven back from the gates of glory and cast into the drifting void.

They did not leave empty-handed, however, using what power they had claimed to forge a new world.  Four realms were created by these sorcerers who drifted in their realms while casting greedy eyes upon the heavens and would eventually be known as the four Demon Lords.  Three drifted and developed their realms into vast landscapes while pulling souls down from the mortal realm and those that could not quite reach the heavens,  building armies and grand places in their young festering realm.  The fourth is said to have gone into the blackness seeking knowledge and truth, the secrets to all things that have been, never will be, and have not yet come to pass.  Whether this sorcerer became the hidden one or simply the beings first disciple is as argued as the existence of the drifting demon lord itself.

Whatever the origins of these creatures, there are a few things that are known to be true.  Demons are real. They exist just beyond our realm and are ever seeking to make their way through the veil.  Demons are not unified. They dwell in warring lands within the wastes, fighting amongst themselves for control, or against the spreading void, seeking to reclaim the wastes.  Three of the four lords are known to have grand designs for the mortal world while the fourth’s mad plots and plans are a mystery to all, even other demons..  Demons collect souls.  They gather them and send them back into the wastes where they are used as a sort of currency and power that makes the demon stronger with every soul it collects.  This is perhaps the greatest threat to mortals from demons: the loss of their souls.  While a demon can take a soul by force they prefer to make a deal or pact with a mortal to obtain it.  They often find a soul offered willingly to be far more powerful and far more delightful to possess.

### The Vortex

At the center of the Soul Wastes lies the place that legend alleges the sorcerers were cast into the void.  The veil there is weakened by the swirling magics of the wastes, constantly cast toward the Vortex from the four realms.  This Vortex is unstable as the demon lords themselves each seek to wrest control of it from the others.  Armies of demons gather and fight over this area of the Wastes in an endless war to claim the path to the mortal world.  Should one of them wrest control from the others, even for a moment, the mortal world risks the opening of the Vortex and invasion from the denizens of the wastes.

## Quick Notes

* **Other Names:** Denizens of Hell, Devils, Fiends
* **Appearance:** Varied depending on the type of demon, though most demons have horns and tails.  Wings, fangs and claws vary.  Monstrous creatures from the depths of the Hell called the Soul wastes
* **Lifespan:** Does not die of Old Age
* **Height Ranges:** 170 cm (5'5") - 225 cm (7'3")
* **Regions Found:** The Soul Wastes
* **Culture:** Varied depending upon the type of demon.  They are usually ambitious creatures with little loyalty to one another.
* **Common Character Roles:** Dominators, Seducers, Tricksters, Monsters
* **Common Allies:** Cultists, Dark Mages, Cambions
* **Common Enemies:** Clerics, Priests, Witch Hunters
* **Architecture:** Dependent on region of the wastes
* **Religion:** Typically worship the darker powers of the Four Demon Princes
* **Views on Magic:** Demons are creatures tied to magic and their very nature is magical and infused with the powers of hell. All suffer from and abhor the use of Holy Magic and Nature Magic
* **Abilities:** Shrouded Form, Fiendish nature, Back to Hell and those of their demonic heritage
* **Quirks:** Demons are functionally immortal beings that are infused with the very nature of their realm.  They act in accordance with that realm and the power of their Demon Lord’s essence.

## Demons of The Four Realms

The Wastes are divided into four realms, each of which is ruled by one of the four Demon Lords of the Waste.  These creatures are immensely powerful creatures, long known to dwell within the realm of demons.  Though arguments are frequent among those scholars bold enough to delve into the origins of these creatures, scholars do agree that the demons’ power in their realms is all too real and all too well known.  Each of the four represents darker aspects of the world,  whether it is the more natural doings of man with war and lust or twisted variations of existence in plague and madness.  The Four Lords are the embodiment of these negative aspects and encourage their pursuit in all those that are touched by their malevolent power.  These four realms are often found to be equal in strength with one temporarily claiming territory from another in frequent exchanges between three of the lords or permanently by the ever creeping reach of the void.  These four realms are known as Infernum, Nil, Nysse, and Slyth.

### Infernum

The realm of Infernum is the home to the demon Lord Apollyon.  He is the Demon Lord of Wrath and War, The Herald of Blood.  Demons from the realm of Infernum are a militant and warlike lot.  The realm holds to a strict Hierarchy with an excessive amount of procedure and decorum.  Even the realms of the most meticulous of men pale in comparison to the hierarchy of Infernum’s armies.  While it may seem overly complex to most outsiders, the checks and balances of power are meticulously designed by the strategic mind of the Lord of War to ensure that he never has any serious challenge to his leadership and power over his realm.

The Officers of the land play a deadly game of politics in addition to the natural lust for battle and conflict that they all possess as a rule,  seeking glory and accomplishments that will see them a greater command or promotion or perhaps even special privileges among their peers.  The rank and file foot soldiers also seek to distinguish themselves in battle and compete amongst themselves for power and position, ever seeking to gain a greater title, a greater rank, and a more important role to claim some semblance of true power.

Not all demons from Infernum follow the militant structure and hierarchy of Infernum’s upper elite: some are simple minded savages and brutes, or simply far too desiring of war to care for politics.  These blood lusting berserkers make up a large bulk of Infernum’s lower ranks,  often disdaining military command and requiring harsher officers to be kept in check.  These warriors are purists, seeking only warfare and the bloodshed that comes with battle.  Many officers have been torn apart by such a berserker when politics and scheming has gotten in the way of warfare.

The vast majority of demons from Infernum despise the laws of the waste that bind them and keep them from simply slaughtering mortals for their souls and make pacts only begrudgingly.  These pacts are usually in some way an exchange of raw power.  Aid in a war, training a young warrior, or giving the mortal the essence of a demon of war to strengthen them directly.  These are the sorts of pacts often made by the children of Apollyon.

The Lord of War himself is said to be a towering figure clad from head to toe in black plate.  He rules the lands of Infernum from deep within his Black Fortress.  From here, he issues decrees and decisions to his sub-commanders.  His directions lead his soldiers to war against the other Lords as he seeks to gain complete control over the wastes for his own ambitions.  Those that serve within the Black Fortress are said to be the most loyal and powerful of demons in the wastes.  Their fighting skills and strength dwarf those of the elite of any other realm.  They are the last defense against invaders and assassins both.  The Black Guard of Infernum are warriors who are often sent out on special missions by Apollyon or his top commanders and a sighting of such a being always heralds the coming of war.

### Nil

The realm of Nil is home to the Demon Lord known only as The Hidden One.  He is the Lord of the Trackless Abyss, Master of the Void, and many believe that he does not exist at all.  Among the hordes of the waste the very strangest of demons hail from the realm of Nil, the Void at the edge of all things.  It is said that no demon naturally spawns from the realm of Nil, rather those demons that enter the mad realm are changed by the place.  When one of those that dwell within the wastes enters the realm of Nil, the void corrupts them and changes them into beings touched by the madness of that realm.  The laws that create them, the essence of what they once were, is touched by that drifting ever changing realm.  No matter where they come from or how powerful a demon might be, entering Nil brings with it an unavoidable change.

Those that lose their sanity in that place seem to act with random impulse and commit themselves to strange and unknowable purposes.  Others return from the drifting places of Nil with a disturbingly mad clarity and focus.  Intimidating in its intensity, these demons of Nil pursue goals with a frightening focus and drive.

The results of entering the place are varied and disturbing for most demons, however, the realm itself is far more maddening.  The vast majority of Nil is a twisting oddity of impossible landscapes and horrid sights.  There is no place within the realm of Nil that follows any manner of natural law or makes sense to either mortal or immortal minds.  To say that the realm is ruled is perhaps an overstatement.  It is a place of madness and change.  The closest thing to a hierarchy that could be said to exist, would be those demons that have delved too deeply.  They are preachers of the Void, pilgrims that have entered the abyss beyond the world’s edge and returned.  These so-called Prophets of the Hidden One claim that they have met the impossible being.  The sleeper within the darkness has given them truth, they say.  What that “truth” might actually be seems different depending on which of them you ask.  These demons are often more powerful wielders of magic than any mortal or demon has even aspired to be, holding powers beyond comprehension.

Demons of Nil are the fewest in number among the denizens of the waste, though they have far more freedom than those of any other realm.  They are able to travel between the realms and are often regarded by their kin as harmless nuisances or even pitied for the insanity that they are afflicted with.  They are often used as cautionary tales by demons to keep others of their kind from going into the realm of Nil and falling victim to the mad nature of those areas most heavily affected by the touch of the Void.  They are rarely a harmless nuisance in truth. These demons seek to spread and influence the effect of their realm, seeking to talk demons into making their own pilgrimages into Nil and the Void.  They seek to influence others of their kind to seek out the Hidden One, and learn the Truth.  When many of Nil’s prophets appear in the same places, it can often herald the sudden and violent expansion of the Void, which seeks to swallow the rest of the wastes for itself.

Demons of Nil make strange deals, they can be for anything and often have bizarre and unusual elements to their pacts and contracts, but do possess some of the most obscure and impossible knowledge.  It is said that a demon of Nil can provide knowledge that has long been forgotten, and knowledge that has never existed at all.  Their pacts most frequently involve those seeking to learn and understand some great secret in the world,  tthough the touch of a demon of Nil will often leave the seeker quite mad.

The Lord of the Trackless Abyss itself is a mystery even to those that claim to have encountered it.  Most often referred to by male terminology, there seems to be no true nature to the being’s gender, nor any other aspect of its existence.  There are none that can prove that the being truly does dwell within the Void from where it is said to rule its realm, however, there are many scholars that now believe that it must exist in some form or another because the knowledge and power of those demons that emerge from the abyss of the Void claiming to have encountered it are very real.  There may be some infinite number of drifting beings, gods, demons and things beyond comprehension within the void.  However, the greatest servants of The Hidden One all proclaim that a single being rules it all.  These servants are the most powerful of prophets, wielding arcane power and demonic sorceries that are far beyond the comprehension of their lesser kin.  The Apostles hold more power and candor than any other lesser servant of this mysterious Lord, and their presence often heralds the dread expansion of Nil’s realm and the influence of the Void.

### Nysse

A place ruled by Maeror, the Lord of Despair and Decay, Keeper of the Mists is the realm of Nysse.  This is a realm of subtle malevolence and hatred for all things mortal and living.  The demons that dwell in such a place are twisted things full of outward malevolence and yet subtle in their methods.  Most mortals think of them as nothing more than demons who spread diseases, and this is true if one considers despair and discontent to be diseases.  They nurture all of the negative emotions of man, guiding them toward despair and sorrow.  They are silent killers, whether striking from shadows or spreading sickness or sorrow to wipe out towns or even cities with their plagues, famine, and disinformation.

The more direct of Nysse and Maeror's servants are beings at home in the shadows of the world.  They disguise themselves when among mortals more adeptly than almost any other demon and when given cause for violence, prove quite deadly.  They strike when an opponent is confused or distracted, killing swiftly from the shadows.  They stalk their prey and hunt them like animals, waiting for the opportune moment and are more willing to retreat and strike again if their first attempt should fail.  Their kind prey upon the desperate and broken, using them and the fears of the world for their own nefarious deeds.

The other side of Maeror's kingdom consists of the worst sort of demon for many men.  Insidious and dangerous, the plague bearers work their vile deeds upon entire civilizations.  Loosed upon the world they spread their virulent diseases to all whom they come in contact with,  creating desperate conditions that force others to seek out more desperate solutions often leading to the source of such hazardous attacks.  Capable of causing crops to fail, livestock to waste away and sickness to run rampant,  they lay waste to lands before presenting themselves to the needy and weary as saviors.  For a small price, of course.

This is the manner in which most demons of Nysse make their deals bycausing despair and dread, fear and famine.  Then offering to fix the very problems they have made for the people of a realm.  They are an insidious sort of demon, presenting opportunities for revenge or relief in exchange for the mortal soul.  Despair nourishes these vile creatures, and in places of great suffering and sorrow, a demon of Nysse is likely not far often the cause of such to begin with.

Maeror himself is said to be an always cloaked figure draped in luxurious garments befitting a Lord, though tattered and frayed at the edges from wear.  His skin is pale and grey where it can be seen and the scent that accompanies him is one of rot and the ravages of time.  Even his servants are rarely allowed in his presence, and the manor from which he rules his realm is shrouded in the same mist that cloaks all of Nysse.  Only the most trusted of his servants may stand in his presence.  These True Shades are masters of spreading and sowing the seeds of despair.  They are the well timed and sudden death of kings and queens, the sudden failure of crop, and the rise of rebellion.  The True Shades are said to have toppled entire kingdoms and empires.  Ruling dynasties and great cities have all fallen by the well placed blade of a single True Shade.

### Slyth

The lush and beautiful realm of Slyth is ruled by the Demon Lord Sideri, whether its inhabitants believe themselves ruled or not.  Sideri is the Lord of Greed and Lust and the voice of temptation that echoes through their realm.  It is a place of decadence and desire, with each and every creature within, a connoisseur of some vice or another.  It is a realm dedicated to these things, full of seduction, entrapment, and seeking ever to cast aside inhibitions.  The demons of this realm crave to bring others into their own addictions and give in to the same desires they thrive upon.

Some of these demons seek to build their own following, to be worshiped for their beauty and charismatic presence.  They work to form cults and churches in their own image, rather than dedicating such things to their patron.  Through their very nature of seeking to spread their own influence and decadence, they give strength and pleasure to the embodiment of desire that rules over them.  The seduction of one demon of Slyth often directly opposes another's efforts and each of them struggles to stand above the next.

Other demons of Slyth care little for worship and praise from groups of entranced and dedicated followers.  These demons usually seek out a single target.  Whether that target is a great ruler, a powerful warrior, a holy priest who has erred, or someone far more simple these demons dedicate their time and efforts to one being, twisting them and influencing them toward their desires so that they become far more pliable and eager to indulge with the demon’s own desires.

Sideri and their demons most often obtain the souls of mortals through this sort of seduction.   For demons of Slyth such deals are important, for every pleasure and decadent vice experienced numbs them to the heights of that pleasure.  Even the beauties of Slyth are cold to the touch and ashen on the lips when exposed to them for too long,leaving one ever seeking more, to feel that first taste once more.  By using those who have given over their souls the demon can feel these pleasures again, at least until the mortal is used up and they must seek another to indulge their vices.

Sideri is said to be a shapeshifter of extreme skill.  Having no true form within their memory, they can appear to be everything and anything they desire.  Male, female, or anything between the two with no two forms looking exactly the same, but always being beautiful to whoever looks upon them. Some speculate their appearance may vary from viewer to viewer.  Sideri is the very personification of their realm,  indulging in every vice and desire and collecting a vast array of followers and worshipers, though still choosing favorite playthings from among them.  Eventually these favorites are discarded and become the Scorned:  bitter demons who've lost the touch of the mistress of mistresses and have become all the more ruthless users of others as a result.

## The Soul Wastes

The realm of demons is known as the soul wastes, though in many cultures it is simply called Hell.  It is a realm between realms, a place beyond the veil of the mortal world..  One of many realms that exist in this space between the world and those realms of beings from beyond the laws of the mortal world.  The realm of the Fey, The realms of gods, what some men call heaven, and of course hell itself are a few examples of these realms where mortal laws do not apply.  Despite the terror that exists within the realm, Hell is perhaps the best known of these realms.  Even still, the wastes are a difficult place to truly understand and even harder to map in any real way.  The realms are ever shifting and changing by the hour with the constant struggles between the demon lords causing a shift in territory and even landmass in some cases as realms expand or contract when the lords gain more or less power.  The realm itself is the origin of all demons and their essences return to it should they perish only to be used to form a new demon.  Though the newformed demons have no memories of their past lives, some maintain flashing shreds of memory.  Despite this, it takes thousands of years for a demon to fully form in the wastes meaning that anything they knew before awakening is likely long past understanding now.

The demons of the four realms are as varied as the masters of their realm themselves.  They are creatures of emotion and fueled by those things which they represent.  Demons of war love conflict and battle, empowered by the spilling of blood and conflict.  Demons of desire are fueled by the spread of that desire, acts of lust and the like.  As the demons of these realms grow stronger and feed, so too do their masters upon their own desires and emotions.  The stronger the demons of a realm the more powerful the Lord of that realm.  With the strength of the Lord, the realm expands… and so each realm is a reflection that grows ever more grand by the power infused into the ruler of that realm.  While the realms are ever changing, there are some aspects in each realm that remain static:  Locations of power, and lesser lords that serve their grand and terrible masters.

## Attachment & Kit Items:

The items listed in the kits below are made with the Season 6 modlist. They have been updated as of **14th December 2023**.

*Expand for Demon Racial Kit*

## Lore Contribution

> **Credit for Lore Contribution:**
>
>