The Great Infestation

In the years leading up to year 0 demons as a society had largely caught on to the practice of demon summoning. Demons had always been aware of the process, as demon summoning had been such a staple practice in mortal society them learning about it was almost inevitable. But between the years 45BDI and year 0 Demon kind had taken a particular interest into the practice.

   It all started in the year 45BDI, when one of the Ministry of Demon’s founders was slain in the country of Patallon. The demons of the Bexstone Mountain Range have always seen the founding of Patallon as an act of war. Ministry Founder Maglan Brokul had decided, against the Ministry’s advice, to head into the country with a small faction and wipe them off the map while they were still in their infancy. Of course, Maglan was unaware of Patallon’s alliance with Aelvale. When he arrived at Parallon’s borders the relatively small army of demons was exterminated by Aelvale’s forces. After this attack, nobles of both Aelvale and Patallon brought together several demon hunting guilds and sent their own armies into the mountains with the intention of exterminating the demon threat once and for all.

   The first large scale attack on the Mountains, launched in 43BDI, was extremely successful. The success was enough for the Aelvale alliance to organize several more attacks, which decimated the demon population across Bexstone over the next few years. As the years went on, word started to spread, and soon enough people all across Mirror Domain were on a demon killing spree. Wild demon populations were at an all time low, and for the first time in a very long time it seemed as if demons were no longer a threat. Any mortal could easily and safely traverse the mountain range without seeing a single demon. Mountainside countries were celebrating their victories, but it would not last.

   Demons had always been aware of the practice of Demon Summoning. It’s how each and every one of them was brought to the Mortal Realm after all, but the finer details of the practice remained a mystery to the masses for some time. The only people knowledgeable enough to summon a demon would also know enough to identify one, making it almost impossible for the average demon to gain any headway in the subject. The practice could not stay a secret forever, though.

   Once the Ministry realised the gravity of the situation they’d found themselves in, they went into a panic. All of its members gathered their remaining trusted underlings onto Void Peak in order to formulate a plan. With their minds put together, they formulated a plan to infiltrate Mortal Society and raid their libraries, Archives, and universities in search of any in depth information on Summoning Circles or the practice of Demon Summoning in general.

   While this raid was successful, with demon factions hitting major cities in Patallon, Flaidver, and Pontyn, the remaining demons of Mirror Domain took massive losses. By the year 14BDI the global demon population was less than 500 individuals; most of the remaining ones being directly tied to the Ministry itself. At this point the remaining demons were beginning to question the Ministry’s integrity. Yes, they had been successful in their attempts to gain information, but it was one minor success in a string of failures. They were no longer able to protect their own, and as a result an internal conflict began to brew.

   This conflict resulted in a small group of demons known as the Shadow Band to split off from the Ministry, taking roughly 120 of their underlings with them in a mass exodus. With them they took a large portion of the Ministry’s newly gained information on Demon Summoning, which would wind up crippling both sides for another 14 years. Instead of working together to learn the inner workings of summoning and perfecting their craft, they fought with each other for superiority. Eventually, though, both sides cracked the code. From that point on they not only knew how to summon fellow demons, but their deeper connection to the Void and their ability to understand Demonic as a written language put their summoning abilities leagues above mortals.

   During the tail end of the time leading up to the infestation, mortal society was becoming a bit too comfortable with their new way of life. Demon activity had been almost nonexistent for nearly 40 years. An entire generation had grown up without the ever looming threat of demons, and as a result of this people began to underestimate just how powerful they could actually be. Stories of rogue demons or the mass slaughtering of mortals had devolved into nothing but fairytales. It wasn’t uncommon for people born in this era to never have seen a demon in person. They’d almost turned into creatures of legend.

   Of course, this period did not last. Both the Ministry of Demons and the Shadow Band were in the process of raising an army. While both factions were separate, they both had the same end goal: to exterminate Mortals and take over Mirror Domain once and for all. For the next three or so years before the infestation, both groups tactically began summoning powerful allies and teaching said allies how to summon even more demons. Any intelligent demon still left on Mirror Domain had the knowledge on summoning, and all of them planned to weaponize it in order to overthrow mortals.

   With the threat of demons at an all time low and demonic defenses as lax as they’d ever been, demon kind launched their first attack against mortals. It started out simple. Well camouflaged individuals were tactically sent into mortal settlements with the goal of summoning as many lower class demons as possible. Mere pests that would divide mortals attention and keep them busy. These animal-like demons posed no real threat to mortal kind, but seeing how under prepared they were many smaller villages and towns took major hits.

   Mortals immediately began panicking. No one knew where all these demons were coming from, and while the ones being released in mass were nothing more than animals it was still extremely alarming. The few remaining Demon Hunting Guilds were promptly swamped with work, which led the demon army into phase two of their plan.

   While the art of demon hunting had largely died off, demons knew there were still a few prolific guilds out there with the information to snuff out their armies with a bit of aid from local guards or country armies. So, when the guilds started sending their members out to deal with the lowly pests, higher demons began picking them off one by one. They exterminated almost all of the remaining guilds, effectively destroying the last bit of information on how to effectively kill their own. With that information gone, or at least not readily available, the next wave of demons was unleashed upon the world.

   After the guilds went down, higher demons began going into cities and towns on a murder spree. They’d attack settlements in mass, not stopping until any and every mortal in the area was dead. At this point governments all over Mirror Domain were in a complete and utter panic. Anyone who knew anything about demon hunting was dead, and the public was largely uninformed on the real threat of demon kind. Mortal populations began to fall rapidly, some places being hit so hard they were reduced to nothing but ruins. Mortal society had been completely blindsided by the attack, and now they’d been left stunned while demons continued to ravage their populations.

   The war continued on, and for the first third of it Mortals were at a very obvious loss. They were being exterminated in mass as the demon population grew higher and higher. Countries near the mountain ranges were hit the hardest, and anywhere within 100 miles of the Bexstone Mountain Range was almost uninhabitable. By this point conflict between mortals started getting heated as well. Havenlyn and its allies blamed Patallon for starting all of this, and that accusation angered both them and their own allies. Tensions between Havenlyn and Aelvale only rose as time went on, and it eventually culminated in a separate minor war in the country of Atwich. This battle caused a domino effect, and eventually countries all over the world were pointing fingers, assigning blame, and getting into fights. Mortal society was beginning to collapse in on itself, which caused many demons to get cocky.

   While they hadn’t been doing much in the foreground, it was around this point the gods started to take interest in this war of mortals and demons. Demons were on the rise, and it seemed as if mortals had gotten a bit too caught up in fighting themselves to put a stop to things. They all knew Mirror Domain would be doomed without help, but helping out would be risky. If they exposed their existence to the world there’d be a whole new issue that’d most likely only divide mortal’s attention even more. They had to tread with caution, so instead of stepping in directly, the gods began creating relics to aid mortals in battle.

   Several relics got created to aid mortals, although not all of them made it to the Mortal Realm unscathed. One relic, the Rod of the Morning Sun, was created by Oasis with the hopes of stunning and smiting demons in mass, but the rod was broken during its descent into the mortal realm. The pieces were scattered across Mirror Domain, causing a boom of blue magic ambiance in all the crash sights. While it never got used for its intended purpose, the rod did give access to powerful blue magic which aided mortals in the long run. The effects of this relic have permanently altered the ambiance of the crash sights, and the blue ambiance lingers in those areas even to this day.

   Once the gods started getting involved, mortals really started to get things together. The tides hadn’t turned quite yet, but with the aid of new relics and a boom of ambient magic mortal deaths began to plateau. They were undoubtedly still losing, but their losses went down significantly, and by this point the war was at a bit of a standstill. The Ministry quickly realised this. Their tactics abruptly changed from killing mortals to stealing these strange new relics and using them against mortal kind. A Ministry member by the name of Cairo ended up getting his hands on a piece of the Rod of the Morning Sun; forging it into a new weapon known as the Sword of Light. Once this relic was collected by demons, mortal losses started picking up again as the demon armies began to collect more and more relics.

Of course, this wasn’t the turning point for demon kind. The relics they’d been collecting thus far had all been of blue magic. Many of these relics were created with the intent on smiting evil rather than specifically smiting demons, so while they could be used against mortals many of them were no better than an average enchanted weapon. No, demons didn’t really kick things into high gear until the Shadow Band got their hands on a red magic relic known as the Soulless Blade. At this point in time no one knew how demons were created. Even in the modern day it’s unknown, even to the gods. So the god of red magic had no idea what he was about to unleash upon the world in making this blade.

DC, in hopes of snuffing out demons as a whole, created the Soulless Blade. A sword of extremely powerful and concentrated red magic which tears apart ones soul and destroys it permanently. He knew demon “souls” were inherently less powerful than that of a mortal, so the idea was that this blade would kill them in mass and keep them dead permanently. Unfortunately, the Shadow Band got ahold of this weapon before mortals did and once again started using it against them. But this sword had an odd effect when used against mortals. Instead of destroying a mortal’s blue magic soul, it merely damaged it. Warping it into one of green, and consequently turning them into a demon as a result. A demon that did not have to be summoned from the Void.

So, with this new weapon at their disposal the Shadow Band began selectively killing mortals, raising a “perfect” army for themselves. This in turn caused mortals to be thrown into a panic. They knew this blade could turn them into the enemy, but they also knew that fleeing would get them killed. Word of this blade began to pick up traction, and eventually it caused a group of mortals to defect from their own forces, forming a cult like group called the “Shadow’s Disciples”. These people used to be mortals, at one point, but decided to sacrifice their mortality to the Soulless Blade as a means of joining the Shadow Band. They were convinced that Mortal kind was on its way out, and this cult wanted to be on the “right” side of history when this war was all said and done.

The war was now about two thirds of the way through, and demons once again had a leg up over mortals. The Soulless Blade and subsequent rise of the Shadow’s Disciples caused mortal losses to take a sharp turn for the worse. Internal conflict within mortal society was at an all time high, and it seemed as if the world as a whole was on the verge of collapsing. If something wasn’t done soon, mortals would lose this war. Permanently.

Of course, there was something demons hadn’t accounted for in all of this. Dragons had existed well before this point, but they had yet to be added to the Purity Scale. Because of this, they hadn’t been targeted in mass the same way Pure beings had been. Up until this point Dragons as a species had kept themselves separate from this war, only doing their part to defend their own territories as a means of survival. But dragons were not stupid. Far from it, in fact. They’d been watching this war go down from the sidelines, and by this point they realised if they didn’t step in the demon armies would completely take over.

Dragons slowly began making their ways to the remaining mortal settlements and offering their aid, on the grounds that if they aided mortals in this fight against demons they’d stop being hunted themselves. Before this Dragons were seen as terrifying beasts in need of culling, so they took this as an opportunity to barter. They’d only help if they were recognized as a pure species, and mortal society wasn’t in the position to tell them no. Dragons were promptly added to the Purity scale, and a wave of dragon warriors were sent out to fight in this battle.

One of these dragons was the Great Dragon Halcyon. A mighty beast in battle, but a lawful diplomat and intelligent strategizer outside of it. He’d been taking note of demons' battle tactics since well before the infestation. Hell, he was one of many theorizors who’d foreseen an event like this breaking out. People had known for a long time something like this would happen, and Halcyon was no different. Still, while he did end up being right in the end, he saw no need to brag about it. Telling people ‘I told you so” wouldn’t get anything done at this point. If anything, it’d only damage the newly blossoming relationship between dragons and other pure beings. Halcyon didn’t want that for his kind.

Halcyon’s help caused a paradigm shift in the war. New spells came about to better slay demons, more efficient artifacts were created to ward them off and keep them at bay, and knowledge on the Demonic language started becoming more widespread; allowing mortals to better understand and communicate with the enemy. With the dragon’s aid, demon armies were being exterminated in mass. There’s not much that can be done against a giant fire breathing monster. It doesn’t matter if you’re a demon or a mortal. Dragons would take out the bulk of demon armies, and mortal armies would rush in to take out any stragglers. It seemed things were shifting in Mortal’s favour.

By this point, the Ministry of Demons were starting to realise this was turning into a losing battle. Less and less of their armies were coming back, and the few that were didn’t want to fight anymore. They knew they’d get obliterated, so the Ministry started shifting their tactics. They had the bulk of their armies retreat underground, which would eventually result in demons settling the Inbetween in later years. But, while the Ministry was ready to throw in the towel, the Shadow Band was not. They had the Soulless Blade, and they fully intended on using it against the dragons.

The Shadow Band began summoning more powerful demons, equipping them with this blade and sending them out to slay these dragons. This in turn created terrifying dragonoid demons, which had no choice but to fight for the Shadow Band. Even if they didn’t want to, going against them would just get them killed by mortals. So they fought, and they fought hard.

By this point, average demons were fighting average mortals while the dragon’s shifted their attention to this new threat. Halcyon was among these dragons. He’d never seen demons this mighty before, but he knew they had to be exterminated. Just like the rest of them. He fought relentlessly, but his brethren were not so willing. All of them knew of the Soulless Blade, and all of them knew at any moment it could be brought out and used against them. The dragons started hesitating, and their hesitation wound up getting them killed. More and more dragons began to fall to the Shadow Band and their sword, and at least to them it seemed as if they were once again getting the upper hand.

The Great Dragon Halcyon was beginning to get overwhelmed. All of the dragons getting killed in mass were causing mortals to panic, and that panic was only getting more of them killed. Dragons were getting disheartened, and many of them began to retreat back to their lives of solitude in hopes of waiting out the war. This caused other mortals to retreat, because if the mighty dragons were scared enough to flee there was no hope left. Mortals had the upper hand now more than ever, but watching their new dragon allies fall and retreat made them think otherwise. All they had to do was push on, but they were starting to get disheartened.

At a certain point, only a few dozen dragons remained in battle. Halcyon was leading them, but even he was starting to get overwhelmed by the Shadow Band. He took more and more heavy hits, which resulted in him being barred from battle in order to recover. But he didn’t have time to wait for his injuries to heal. If he wasn’t on the battlefield, the dragons weren’t on the battlefield. And if the dragons weren’t on the battlefield, no mortals dared to step foot inside. He had to fight. He was the only beacon of hope mortals had left. If he could only survive a bit longer they’d win the fight. But Halcyon was mortal himself, and eventually his injuries began getting the better of him.

After a devastating blow in a battle in the Decaying Flatlands Halcyon the great was crippled. The Shadow Band had struck him with the Soulless Blade, and his injuries were dire. The blade didn’t kill him, but even he knew it was time to retreat. He couldn’t risk being turned. He’d rather die than join the demon forces, so Halcyon fled; making his way over the Sanquet Mountain Range and going into hiding near Pelrior Abyss. There he lied in wait, slowly succumbing to his injuries. But this would not be the end of the Great Dragon. Someone had been watching him, and they’d taken a great interest in his achievements.

While both Oasis and DC had lended their aid in this war, the elusive god Meridian had stayed in the shadows. He was hellbent on keeping his existence a secret from the world, but even he knew that Halcyon’s death would spell the end of mortal kind. If he died, all hope would be lost, and the few remaining mortals would be slaughtered. Meridian didn’t want to involve himself directly in this war, but he knew his magic would be the nail in the coffin for demons. So, for the sake of reality itself, Meridian paid the Great Dragon a visit, bringing with him a relic that’d allow the dragon to borrow his magic and slay the remaining demon armies.

This relic would later be known as the Dragon’s Pendant. This pendant allowed its wearer to harness the power of Purple Magic. With it, Halcyon effectively had all the powers of a god, albeit with minor restrictions in place to prevent him from destroying reality as a whole. No mortal nor demon had ever had access to this much purple magic before. Demons had no way of preparing themselves for what was about to come next. With his pendant in tow, Halcyon rose from the ashes and began obliterating the Shadow Band. Even with the aid of their demonic dragons, they were no match for the Dragon’s Pendant.

With Halcyon back on the battlefield, hope was restored. Mortals caught a second wind, and demons had finally been knocked down a considerable amount. The Ministry had long since removed themselves from this war, and now the Shadow Band was starting to follow suit. With Halcyon’s help, the Soulless Blade was taken from these demons, and the entirety of their inner circle began to collapse in on itself. The blade was their only leg up on Mortal kind by this point, and it’d just been stolen out from underneath them. The writing on the walls was clear. It was finally time for the Shadow Band to retreat.

Halcyon’s return marked the end of the war, but the aftermath of the infestation is still in effect to this day. Mortals now knew the true might of demon kind, and they dared not risk a second wave of infestation by going into the mountain ranges a second time. Demons also knew this, and used it as a chance to continue summoning their own kind and rebuilding their lost populations. Society had taken a large hit, but now they had the chance to rest and recover from the war and rebuild.

While dragons were added to the purity scale, their kind was still not well liked by higher beings. Not only that, but dragons had always been solitary by nature. After the war was over, the remaining dragons took their winnings and retreated back to their hoards to recover. Halcyon was among these dragons. His presence was no longer needed, and by this point it was more important for him to protect his new relic than it was to play diplomat with other mortals. Not even 18 years in to the new Era the Great Dragon Halcyon had disappeared off the map completely, settling in an area near Pelrior Abyss that would later become the country of Barrowford.

Things settled after the war, but with the world permanently changed society saw it fit to rename this new era. Mirror Domain’s timeline was now split in two. Events happening before the infestation now being labeled BDI (Before Demon Infestation), and any events from here on out would be labeled ADI (After Demon Infestation). Not only that, but stricter laws and regulations were put in place in order to prevent even more demons from being summoned. Public awareness of demon identification was also brought to light. More and more schools began teaching the new generation how to properly identify demons, and new demon hunting guilds began springing up all over Mirror Domain to further keep the public safe. Mortal life had forever been changed because of this event, for better or for worse.