Demons

Exploration of the supernal and supernatural realms led Terran (and especially Apex Consortium) scientists down many paths that they never truly wanted to visit. While they were warned especially about any contact with the Faerealm and the \*hedgerow\*, humanity began looking into the other outer realms in search for meaning, understanding and potentially power.

When they connected with the Abyss, they got the complete opposite of that. While many creatures live in the abyssal realm, it was demons who were the first to respond, and their very existence terrified most of the scientists working at the time. Demons, once again, was a term used in its generality. being inspired by Judeo-Christian and some Islamic Terran religious iconography. While contact with the Devils had made humans understand a bit more of the power of the supernal realms, witnessing the demons and their behaviour solidified their knowledge that those creatures from beyond could not be reasoned with normally.

Again, as with Devils, Demons are evil to their core, and not in a way most sentient beings could discuss "evil". Demons exist to defile, ruin, destroy and maim. They care not for beauty and would rather have an entire art gallery burn and its benefactors cry about the destruction then try to benefit in any way from it. Demons drive sentient beings to the largest excesses in hope that they would hurt many in their search for pleasure, ultimately leading to the destruction of the being they corrupted at first. While Devils strike pacts and contracts, demons come and bear "gifts" for those they want to corrupt.

Demons also are absolutely beyond control. They act on their own all the time, in a search for more power for themselves and a lust for the strength the act of defiling gives them. While there are Demon Lords and higher ranks of demonic beings, they only gather forces around them through raw strength and magical power in a hope that those weaker then them will serve them for as long as they are subjugated.

Demons have been in an eternal war with almost all other forces in the supernal realm, but they appear to have a massive hatred for the Devils and Archons. The armies of the Abyss are always trying to find new weaknesses in their enemies and many even try to enlist the work of mortals to assist them in those tasks. Luckily for Reality, it seems the Demons have stricken a pact, which they respect as much as can be expected from them, with the Hunter's Guild Association, and any massive demonic incursions in reality are generally met with rather destructive means by the HGA, along with the other supernal powers. Again, this is a good thing for any sentient species in the Known Universe, as the armies of the Demons would be more then enough to wipe out most of civilisations.

## Qlippoth

Demons might be the most populous race in the Abyss, but another specie of supernal beings does exist in the endless wastes. Called Qlippoth, they are a race of ancient beings, predating sentient life itself according to demonic and devilish sources. Those proto-demons seem to carry an even greater hatred towards mortals then demons, and their existence appear to be built around destroying all those living. Demons cull the ranks of the Qlippoth on a regular basis and attempt to prevent them from actively doing what they want, but every once in a while, some mad scientist or sorcerer calls upon the power of the abyss and brings forth one of these creatures, which then goes on a murderous rampage. The HGA always on the lookout for Qlippoth incursions, which they regard as the step up from any issue with other supernal creatures.

## Demonic forms

* Babau: Murderers and sadists, Babau often form the mass of a Demonlord army, a mass of slimy beasts carrying long polearms and nowadays rifles to destroy their foes.
* Balor: Generals of the Demonlords armies, Balor are terrifying giants of hatred, muscle, wings and chitin who care not for anything other then their own advancement.
* Dretch: The least of demonkind, Dretches are cowardly, weak creatures of minimal intelligence, but what they lack in power, the make up in numbers. They are often drafted as footsoldiers by Demonlords.
* Glabrezu: A bestial demon that is terrifying to witness, the Glabrezu is also a guileful monster who uses illusions to twist wishes made by mortals to damn their souls or cause as much pain as possible
* Hezrou: An amphibious demon, the very existence of a Hezrou in a wetland will defile it and transform its inhabitants in demonic mutants. They prefer simple pleasures and do not have grand schemes, but are a threat nonetheless.
* Marilith: The Queens of the Abyss, Mariliths are tacticians of the hordes of demon, but they are also fierce warriors in their own right.
* Nabasu: Demons of gluttony, Nabasus feed on the souls (and bodies) of mortals, it grows as it creates hordes of mindless flesh-eating beasts before returning to the Abyss to transform into something worst.
* Nalfeshnee: Minor lords of the Abyss, Nalfeshnee are insane administrators and politicians of demonkind, building and rebuilding realms as they rise and collapse in the everchanging landscape of the Abyss.
* Quasit: Tiny demons who are often seen as servants and familiars to magicians and sorcerers, Quasit love to torment and torture mortals they are not bound to, in hope that they will be able to strike a deal with a stronger demon once they return to the Abyss.
* Shadow Demon: Incorporeal beasts, Shadow Demons possess mortals to have them perform deeds as depraved and destructive as possible in hope of damning their souls for all time.
* Succubus: A demon of seduction, Succubi are represented as beautiful women that manipulate everything she can to reach her goal, damning all those she touches.
* Vrock: Demons of wrath and destruction, the Vrocks love nothing more then to kill anything it can get its hands on and destroy all forms of beauty it can reach.