Anomaly - Demon Species

> What are demons?
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Demons are beings of constant hunger and blood lust. They can only be fulfilled by blood, souls; directly sapped energy. They are characterized by their instability, red eyes/souls, sharp teeth and claws, and constant sense of dysmorphia. Their fangs are hollow for blood consumption and venom usage.

> Dysmorphia? Why?
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A coping/defense mechanism. Demons have the innate ability to transform their bodies into almost anything they can think of; within reasonable size. Demons are skittish, paranoid creatures. This dysmorphia is characterized by a deep feeling of dread that your body doesn't look the way it should; therefore, demons transform to look more scary or threatening to the things they try to defend themselves from.

The drawback is always feeling uncomfortable if you try to keep your demonic form hidden.

Most demons have their own specific way they like to look that makes them feel at ease. Some add horns, longer fangs, fuzzy or red tails, etc. Some look less human and more humanoid, it is all up to personal preference.

A default demon, without disguising or adding new parts has red souls/eyes, sharp teeth and claws.

Oh, and the claws can sheathe and unsheathe.

> Does that make all demons complete unstable wrecks that kill without second thoughts?
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Now now, don't get ahead of yourself. Demons come in all shapes and sizes and personalities. Their stability depends on how often they eat and their emotional states. If they're careful, they can live relatively normal lives. Demons usually live secluded from society due to how awkward it would be asking your buddy to borrow some of his life force. It's easier to just drink the blood or eat souls or the flesh of strangers and ditch them.

> Where do demons live?
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Everywhere.

Plenty favor sleeping in forests or alleyways during the day, then do go into the cities and towns around dusk. Good hunting time, especially when people are heading home from late-night dinners or visits or struggling drunk down the street. Easy prey.

That isn't all of them, though. There are some who band together in clans, some who even squat in abandoned office buildings and set up camp.

The smallest majority try to maintain the most normal lives possible. They live with friends and family, keep secrets, use colored contacts, and keep their eating binges to a minimal.

> What abilities do demons have specific to them?
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Demons can possess others, including animals. They can control minds, and inject bodies with venom that turns them into demons. All demons are either extremely numb to pain or masochists, so their instincts urge them to be rash if they are hungry, even if it means getting hurt.

Another important note is their use of tentacles. Demon's stomachs transform into a holding vessel that stores a black gooey substance. It bursts from the body and takes the form of tentacles to grab things out of reach. The substance relaxes it's victim physically, and can even urge them into sleep. Lastly, the substance can sap energy from it's victim. Demonic diet: Souls, blood, sometimes flesh. Going straight for flesh eating is a telltale sign of instability. Those in clans usually have a "no flesh" policy, as demons who eat flesh tend to be willing to murder others, including demons. Other less violent demons who are willing to be patient can sap energy through different ways. Two most well-known ways are tentacles or sexual acts.

How much food they need is a case-by-case basis, but they don't need too much. Blood is energy rich. One drink for a few days is enough to keep them fully powered. If they use energy often, then they need more energy consumption.

Important fact! No abilities are "gated off" by certain types of anomalies. Rather, some abilities come more easy and natural to certain types. Demons are given these abilities by instinct, and don't have to think twice about it.

### Demon Transformations

There are two processes for becoming a demon.

* Process one:
* This can be caused by a bite. Your soul destroys and recreates itself. It is a painful sequence of events, as your claws grow in, your fangs sharpen, and your eyes change color. This can last anywhere from an hour to a few weeks, depending on the power of the original demon's venom (in relation to how healthy and how much energy they had).
* Process two:
* Someone who is already an anomalous human, but is not a demon, is under mass amounts of stress. Their soul splits in two, along with their spirit. They are left weak as a new demon forms within their body. The demon is a copy of themselves, can live on inside their mind. This is a coping mechanism, with the eventual goal of the demon combining with the original spirit it split off from, as a more powerful half-demon. Or just to kick out the original person entirely. View the forum topic: headspace.
* Process 2.5:
* A combination of both, except for a ghost that does not have a body. The stress of not being able to exit the physical realm causes holes in the soul. The remaining energy left in the spirit and soul are used to create a new physical body. A demon is born.

> Can AOs become demons?
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They're incredibly susceptible to. Going off the deep end emotionally, suffering too much stress, etc. can cause holes to form in the soul. The soul recreates itself, and starts process two (see above).

> Can ghosts become demons?
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Process 2.5. takes place when a ghost becomes too world-weary and can't take the anguish of being separated from a living body. It takes different amounts of time depending on the ghost and their capacity for stress.

> Any other forms of demon that are... weird?
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They have the capacity to be! Some ghosts don't have enough energy to become demons and gain a new physical form. They do gain a physical form when they are about to fade, yes, but it is not one you would want. It's a near mindless puddle of black goo. It attaches to most surfaces, and absorbs flesh that comes in contact with it. It counts on people poking it before sucking them in, absorbing their entire body into it's mass and murdering them. Over time, after gaining enough energy, it can gain a demon form that actually... looks like a demon.

> How do demons act?
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This is a case-by-case basis. Demons are from the mind's need for power and control, and sacrificing a healthy body for that sake. It can change the personality of the person. Their personality often becomes warped in one way or another. They act how their original self would imagine them at their most powerful. A person who thinks "I would be much more powerful if I wasn't so nice all the time" would probably be a rude or cruel demon if they are bad at self control.

All demons have a heightened sense of fight or flight for self-preservation. A majority are skittish in nature. They are naturally sneaky and slippery, keep your eyes peeled. Many demons are wracked with guilt, inner conflicts, and/or rage from their previous lives.

The change in personality can also be heightened blood lust and a craving for violent situations. Though, this personality change is usually given to someone who is already violent. Or, someone who has always wanted to be violent, but held themselves back.

This is why AOs become the ***worst*** demons.

> What's snapping?
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When a demon gets too hungry, overwhelmed, or too negatively emotional, they snap. Snapping includes the entire eye turning pitch black and their power rises in turn for a lowered defense. They cannot control themselves in this state, and will kill anything around them even if they aren't threatening.

They become more like an animal, some even run on all fours or hunch over. They hiss and/or growl and bare their fangs. This state is a survival mechanism, and can lead to rashness in attitude. Some are rendered mute and block out all words of people around them. Every demon snaps in their own way.

This state ends when they eat enough or calm down. They can "snap" halfway, with only their sclera turns black.

They don't sacrifice all their defense, and they maintain a large majority of their sanity.