Devils

Devils are one of the few remaining vestiges of the Old World. While the Cataclysm fractured or destroyed all other planes, the Hells remained inexplicably untouched. This allowed Devils not only to survive the Great Extinction, but to thrive. They have since come to heavily infest the Material Plane and to this day pose one of the greatest risks to humanity's survival.

## Biology & Origin of Fear

Devils are an Infernal species originating from the Hells, a plane which is entirely separate from the Material Plane in which we live. They are highly magical in nature and enjoy a number of characteristics which the humanoid races do not; furthermore, they vary greatly in appearance, strength, and alignment. It follows that "Devil" is more of a blanket term to describe any creature which originates from the Hells and which possesses the three main Devil features: a core of fear, immortality, and a unique power.

All Devils are Infernal by nature and thus bear a strong connection to the Hells. Creatures within the Hells do not procreate but rather are born by supernatural means. Devils also do not die by natural means such as age or disease. Instead, the existence of a Devil is determined by the presence of fear: all Devils are born of a prevalent fear, and a Devil will cease to exist if that fear vanishes entirely. As such, if new threats face humanity which frighten enough people, a new Devil will spawn--but this Devil will only disappear once the last memory of its source is forgotten.

Fear determines not only the birth and death of a Devil, but also its strength in both the short and long term. The stronger a subject of concern, the stronger the associated Devil will be; for instance, the Pigeon Devil has a weak base and thus little power, but the Death Devil sources from a universal fear and thus has immeasurable potential. Thankfully, by the natural mechanisms of Devil reincarnation, these Devils are generally trapped in the Hells. It should be noted that weaker Devils still pose a significant threat and should not be trifled with. As aforementioned, Devils also scale of fear in the short term, which is to say that if one who is face to face with a Devil becomes very afraid, the Devil will enjoy an additional temporary surge of power.

Because a fear is the source of a Devil, it follows that every Devil is themed in some way around that fear. All of their appearance, power, and nature will be related to that fear--though particularly strong Devils enjoy a degree of control over these things that weaker Devils do not. Accordingly, Devils are generally divided into three tiers:

#### Gamma: Bestial, low-functioning Devils

Gamma-tier Devils are those which have a low level of mature intelligence and self-control. They are motivated entirely by the desire to consume and self-preserve, demonstrating little ability of foresight or premedication. Usually these Devils are very inhuman in nature and behavior, and though many have been capable of speech and conversation, their motivation is entirely carnal. In terms of appearance, Gamma Devils tend to be monstrous and bestial in nature, which is to say they stand out strongly from a human crowd. Traditionally, Gamma Devils are the weakest breed.

#### Beta: mid-functioning Devils

Beta-tier Devils are a step above Gamma-tier Devils. They may have more subtle or humanlike appearances which allow them to disguise themselves better in society, though these disguises are rarely flawless. Beta Devils will always display some trait which identifies themselves as non-human. Personality-wise, they will be somewhere between Gamma and Alpha. They will demonstrate better intelligence, self-control, and social understanding than Gamma Devils, but will still be compelled by their nature.

#### Alpha: high-functioning Devils

Alpha-tier Devils are the strongest tier of Devil and are those which most closely resemble humans. Alpha Devils can disguise themselves perfectly as humans, hiding away their true demonic form. They have the same degree of intelligence, foresight, and social ability as natural humans. Alpha Devils exercise a high level of self-control and can, in some instances, suppress their more evil nature and live alongside humans if they so desire. Of course, these Devils are also the most dangerous. A few have even been observed to help or lead human criminal syndicates.

Gamma-tier: Leech DevilBeta-tier: Katana DevilAlpha-tier: Failure DevilRegardless of a Devil's tier, they will always be stronger in their true form than in a disguised form. Stronger Devils can switch between these freely, allowing them to hide within human society as needed.

One may question the fears with more of a neutral or positive tone, such as justice, truth, angels, the future, etc. Devils for these concepts do indeed exist, and sometimes are friendly or at least neutral toward humans. This in conjunction with the existence of high-functioning Devils has led to the adoption of Devils into some parts of human society--though all are heavily monitored by the Elyrium government. Some Devils and Fiends work for the EPD, the Akademiya, or the broader government; others have been officially sanctioned as sources of contracts for warlocks.

Biologically, Devils vary greatly. There is no one determining factor for appearance or internal function; the main commonality is that they are all based on Infernal magic and design. Furthermore, while Devils are able to sustain themselves off of normal food and drink, all prefer to feast on human flesh and blood. Gamma Devils will almost exclusively seek to do so, while Alpha and some Beta Devils may exercise a degree of restraint which allows them to refrain. Some Devils may also require sleep, but this varies based on origin.

## Immortality

Devils are partially immortal. While a Devil will never disappear while any memory of its source remains, Devils can be killed with magic. When a Devil is killed, it is reincarnated in a cycle: if it dies in the Material Plane, it will be reborn in the Hells. If it is killed in the Hells, it will be reborn in the Material Plane. Every incarnation of the Devil will be a "fresh slate" with no memory of past incarnations, though it does have an innate understanding of what it is and its abilities.

Typically one incarnation of a Devil will be very similar to its last. This includes appearance, personality, initial mindset, and power. Occasionally these vary in small ways, but should be overall consistent between incarnations.

Note that Devils cannot be killed without magic, and are resistant to all non-magical forms of damage.

## Magic

Unlike humans, all Devils are able to cast without any genetic prerequisite and all are magical by nature. Some excel at casting while others prefer to stick with more physical offensive and defensive tactics; even so, there is no school or elemental restriction placed on the casting capabilities of Devils. It follows that Devils are an extremely formidable and dangerous enemy. There is no limitation or pattern to their respective talents or preferences; in fact, their casting tendencies seem entirely individualistic.

Devils enjoy two more magic-related perks as well: non-magic resistance, and specialized Devil powers. With regard to the former, Devils are resistant to all non-magical forms of damage and cannot be killed without the use of magic. This characteristic is what necessitates the existence of the DHDs: standard human weapons cannot kill devils, and thus the organization of dedicated hunting teams is required. Not only can non-magical weapons not kill Devils, but they are far less effective in damaging Devils. At best, non-magical weapons can slow a Devil down.

The second characteristic--Devil powers--is a concept which is entirely unique to Devils. Human casters are limited to a collection of identified spells. Even as more come to be discovered and crafted, there is a finite number of spells that each individual can learn, prepare, and cast. As aforementioned, humans also tend to be restricted to one or a few schools of magic. Devils feel no such restriction, and further each enjoy an entirely unique and individualized "Devil power" which is not replicated anywhere else in the magic realm. These powers are predictable insofar that they are always related to the theme of the Devil, but otherwise are a mystery. As an example, the Maggot Devil is able to infect humans with colonies of maggots, which nest within and eat the host from the inside out. The husk of the body is then left to the control of the maggots, which obey the Maggot Devil in a hivemind fashion. In contrast, the Shark Devil is able to enter and swim through any matter as if it were water. No other Devil or human can channel such a power; it is entirely unique to the one Devil.

These Devil powers present a significant challenge when hunting new Devils or reincarnations of Devils. Those whose power is unknown are particularly challenging, as the assigned DHD is effectively going into a fight blind. Reincarnated Devils are a bit of a wild card, as the new incarnation will have a power similar to a previous incarnation, though it may differ in small but meaningful ways.

In combination, these characteristics make Devils exceedingly difficult and dangerous to fight. They pose a major threat to humanity, and humanity has few tools with which to combat them.

## Contracts & Devil Variants

Pure Devils are the strongest form, but Devils are not restricted to just their singular entity. Through the use of contracts, Devils are able to take 'form' or exert their power in other ways. The result of a Devil contract is a Devil Variants, either a Fiend or a Warlocks. See the Devil Variants page for more information.

Regardless of whether a Fiend or a Warlock is the outcome, a contract is supernaturally binding. If either side (that is, Devil or human) fails to uphold their side, the default result is death--though contracts may stipulate an alternative if agreed upon by both parties.