Demogorgons

**Demogorgons** are predatory creatures originating from the Upside Down. All Demogorgons encountered thus far are assumed to obey the Mind Flayer and by extension Vecna, and make up part of the Upside Down's hive mind. Under their influence, Demogorgons are murderous, violent and have limited intelligence. They are sometimes seen in Ohio.

### Overview

Demogorgons are tetrapods with distinctive flower-like heads. They have oily black blood, like their flying sister species. They are seemingly native to the original incarnation of the Upside Down, pre-dating the 'freeze' of November 6, 1983.

## Life Cycle

The life cycle of a Demogorgon seems to have six distinct stages and is similar in some ways to that of several Earth amphibian species.

In the only cases of Demogorgon reproduction observed, the cycle began with the deposition of eggs or larvae within a host by a tentacle within the Upside Down. The slug-like larvae later were vomited up by the host, and subsequently escaped into the wild. After this, the larvae underwent a period of rapid metamorphosis, molting through each phase of their development until emerging as an adult. The process takes place over the span of a week. A Demogorgon's life cycle was best illustrated by Dart, a Demogorgon which Dustin temporarily kept as a pet.

The growth of a Demogorgon highly depends on the amount of both food and nutrition it consumes. It took D'Artagnan more than 9 months to grow and transform from Slug form to Pollywog in the wild. However, after being kept and fed by Dustin, it could achieved the Demodog phase in only 2-3 days.

### Stage One: Larval Stage

Larval Demogorgons are roughly the same shape and size as the standard garden slug, but they differ in terms of coloring. Larval Demogorgons are generally dark green, with bright yellow spots.

The larvae inhabited the bodies of the original Demogorgon's victims

### Stage Two: Pollywog

After an unknown amount of time, a larval Demogorgon would molt to the next stage of its life cycle, sometimes referred to as a “pollywog” due to the resemblance to the larval stage of amphibians. The pollywogs are small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, and their translucent skin is colored yellow-green. They possess a pair of forelimbs with small claw-like hands, a mouth, and a lizard-like tail. They are incredibly sensitive to heat; even direct exposure to the light of a table lamp is enough to cause a pollywog extreme discomfort.

### Stage Three

Unlike other stages, the third stage of the cycle is not entered by the creature molting. Instead, this stage is signaled by the pollywog's skin taking on a dark green color, as well as an increase in body mass. The pollywog will then sprout a pair of hind legs, becoming quadrupedal. Small, sharp teeth begin growing in the creature's mouth.

### Stage Four

Once the pollywog has eaten a sufficient amount of food, it molts, growing a little larger than a standard house cat. It is in this stage that the juvenile Demogorgon develops the signature “petal mouth” that the species is best known for. In addition, the juvenile becomes carnivorous. Its skin takes on a darker color and is resistant enough to heat that it is able to walk in direct sunlight with no injury

### Stage Five: Demodog

Upon molting to the penultimate stage of their life cycle, the adolescent Demogorgon develops to a much larger version of their previous form, referred to as a “Demodog”. Now roughly the size of a large dog, the Demodog is strong enough to tackle a grown human. They are proficient in digging tunnels and are able to climb steep precipices. While a Demodog is not invulnerable to gunfire, its skin is thick enough to resist several gunshots. This stage is found in Ohio very commonly, so beware.

### Stage Six: Demogorgon

After molting for presumably a final time, the Demogorgon emerges as an adult. Adult Demogorgons are bipedal and reach a height of approximately 6 - 10 ft. They possess immense strength, being able to knock a door off its hinges and pin down an adult human with ease. Their sense of smell is exceptionally potent, being able to detect a small amount of blood from the Upside Down. Their skin has grown durable enough to withstand gunfire and numerous attacks dealt with a spiked object. One of the few things shown to cause a Demogorgon any type of significant harm was being burned, but even then the creature was able to escape fairly easily and did not seem to be hindered by its injuries