Scourge of Enthrallment

The Scourge of Enthrallment first came to demonkind through the Lucifer and his Archduke, Samael. Vicious and twisted as they are, with a rapacity far outmatching the angels they were bred to fight, demons began low in numbers, and their creation was difficult and time consuming for the Devils who forged them. As such, demons were taught to replenish their own numbers with this Scourge, using it to manipulate mortal souls, to corrupt them, and eventually, to reforge them into new demons.

## Mechanics

Enthrallment primarily focuses on manipulating the Flame of Divinity within mortals, as well as warping mortal souls in general. The Flame is used to fuel the transformation of a soul into a demon, and after such a transformation, the Flame is wholly devoted to sustaining a demon's essence, and can no longer be used as a power source. The only exception to this is when a demon employs the Scourge of Contamination to consume another demon, where they can attempt to devour as much of the Flame as possible before the destroyed demonic energies fade away.

## Powers

### Lower Mastery (Levels 1-2)

* **Sense Spark (Level 1):** As a demon begins their foray into mastering Enthrallment, they first learn to sense the Flame of Divinity within a soul. This enables them to determine whether a creature is a human, Awakened mage, or any other form of humanoid supernatural being, as well as roughly gauge their power.
* **Touch Spirit (Level 2):** While demons within the Ether are able to interact with ghosts as they please, the same does not hold true for demons who enter the physical world and possess a host. While they can innately perceive any spirits within their vicinity, interacting with them is normally impossible. With this power, however, demons can partially manifest their hosts into the Shadelands, just enough so they may grab or strike ghosts who vex them.

### Minor Mastery (Levels 3-4)

* **Madden Spirit (Level 3):** A power born primarily for the purpose of spite and sowing chaos, this ability enables demons to impart a portion of their own vile essence into a ghost. Even the tiniest portion of a demon's essence is enough to corrupt an otherwise passive or even benevolent spirit. At best, they are beset by a period of time where they are plagued by a short temper, most often caused by a weak demon, whose essence quickly fades from them. Other, more powerful demons are able to permanently implant their own malice into a ghost, causing them to become a hateful entity who wishes to cause chaos. Fortunately, however, demons who master Enthrallment to such an extent are rare.
* **Rend Spirit (Level 4):** Advancing on the ability to physically interact with ghosts, this ability enables demons to cause serious harm to the ghosts Plasm form, which, if sufficiently damaged, will force them into a Halcyon until they manage to heal themselves.

### Lesser Mastery (Levels 5-7)

* **Forge Pact (Level 5):** Demons are known throughout various mortal cultures for making all manner of bargains with mortals in exchange for their souls. This power is the source of such tales, allowing a demon to, with the consent of a mortal, forge a bond between the two of them. The demon can utilize the Flame of Divinity within a mortal soul to manifest the mortal's desires into reality, in effect, granting them a wish. This act causes a taint on the mortal's soul as it is filled with the energies of the demon, which can be sensed by demons who wield Enthrallment, as well as Reaper angels, the latter of which will instantly deny access to Heaven to any mortal who shows such a taint, regardless of their nature. Furthermore, the connection forged in this pact allows the demon to instantly sense when the mortal dies, allowing them to be exploited by the demon through other powers of the Scourge.
* **Crucible of Descension (Level 7):** This is perhaps the most important power in the entire Scourge of Enthrallment. The ability to put a mortal soul through what demons refer to as the Crucible, where they are subjected to the long, torturous process of their own Flame of Divinity being twisted to torment and corrupt them, driving them mad with pain. The soul's joy and happiness are burned away using the Flame, a process which strips them of their humanity and sends them into a state of utter rage and malignance at what has been stolen from them. By the time a soul has completed the Crucible, they are no longer human, and all that is left of them is a pale, corrupted shadow of what they once were, motivated by the desire to bring destruction into the world.
* **Summon the Marked (Level 7):** Once a mortal whose soul is marked by a demon dies, a demon will be immediately aware of it. Then, with this power, they may call the newly deceased ghost to them, wherever they may be. Using the connection of their own essence within the ghost, the demon can pull them across the realms to their side, instantly.

### Major Mastery (Levels 8-10)

* **Steal Pact (Level 8):** Certain Demon Lords punish servants who displease them by robbing them of the pacts that they have forged. This power allows this feat, giving those who wield it the ability to strip the pacts of lesser demons away from them and take them for their own. Of course, demons who are too liberal with this ability often find conspirators of underlings gathering to remove them. Well, more conspirators than usual.
* **Eradicate Spirit (Level 9):** An advancement of the ability to Rend Spirits, this power allows for demons to permanently destroy a ghost, tearing apart their essence and eradicating them utterly.
* **Soultear (Level 10):** This ability enables a demon to pull a mortal soul right out of its body, killing them instantly and leaving them to the mercy of whatever demon has taken them into its clutches.

### Greater Mastery (Levels 11-13)

* **Devour Soul (Level 11):** Greater Demons mastering the powers of Enthrallment are able to consume mortal souls wholesale. Any soul with their presence can simply be absorbed and consumed, whatever power they had burned to fuel the might of the infernal monstrosity who devoured them.