Demon

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A Demon, sometimes also called a Yokai or a Spirit, is a manifestation of destruction spawned from the abyss. Their ultimate goals are to spread chaos, murder, and mayhem across all the planes. They are the chaotic counterpart to the lawful Devils on the Ten Hells.

Creation

True to their chaotic nature, there is no one way for a demon to be born. Many demons are formed from the Abyss itself, born from the realm's nature chaos and mutations. Many lords of the abyss create legions of demons in their image, but other demons are spawned haphazardly from cursed or shunned souls. Soul-shunned demons are often born in the Ethereal Plane and spend much of their life there, causing mischief and danger from behind their veil of etherealness. Sometimes, a demon under stress can manifest other demons, manifested as copies of their madness. These summoned demons often times live very brief lives, symbiotic to their summoner, but others grow in strength and perpetuate through the planes.

About

The more chaos a demon causes, the more powerful it becomes. The quickest way to disrupt life in the Material plane is to kill something, and murder is often a high priority for demons who make themselves known to mortals. Many times demons who grow in power also grow in size and shape, even mimicking the form of stronger demons they may have encountered. They do not do this as a compliment, but as a challenge, as demons almost always war with each other when crossing paths. While many demons may appear similar, you will never find two that are exactly alike; whether they be from different layers, of different ages, or just born of different forms of chaos. The best demonologists can do it to categorize types of demons, tracing similar paths of changes taken by demon types or be demons molded y the influence of particularly powerful Demon Lords. Demons that serve under Demon Lords of carnage may appear for bestial with animalistic features, fanged maws and long clawed hands while demons who serve under Demon Lords of madness may appear strange and ethereal, looking alien in nature.

Death

Demons can be destroyed only when killed in their home plane, The Abyss. A demon vanquished in any other plane or realm will be reformed and trapped in the abyss, where they must wander until they once again find a portal to the outside.

The Blood War

The Blood War is an everlasting planar conflict between the chaotically aligned Demons of the Abyss and the lawfully aligned Devils of the Ten Hells. Devils are bound by the pact primeval and the Lord of the Hells, Asmodeus himself, to hunt down demons wherever the arise and to send them back to the Abyss. Many regions of the lower planes are consumed by the Blood War, with fronts raging from the layers of the Abyss up to the first layer of the Ten Hells, Duumal. These conflicts will even spread to the Material Realm. When demons manage to breach into the realm of Quelmar, the Hells with send its devilish agents who often conscript mortals to do the work for them.

The Demogorgon

The Demonic Infiltration (120 PR - 138 PR)

During Realm War I, to boost their war efforts the kingdom of Troverth began experimenting with summoning and binding demons in order to use them as weapons of war on the battlefield. The kingdoms Wizards and Warlocks would soon pioneer a ritual known as the Demonic Infiltration Summoning Circle (DISC) that could allow anyone to summon and control a Demon. As more and more demons were pulled into the realm via the DISC method, the nature barriers between Quelmar and the Abyss began to weaken, as did the magic that was controlling these demons. Yet Troverth was undeterred as they continued to summon demons to aid in their war efforts.

Eventually, the demonic summoning caught the eye of Demon Lords, who had long been prevented from entering Quelmar due to the magic of the Pact Primeval. These Demon Lords were able to enter Quelmar for the first time in untold centuries by either tricking lowly wizards into summoning them or by slipping through the growing cracks in reality. As the years continued, more and more demons covertly entered the realm and began to sow the seeds of chaos. Eventually, the barriers between the Material Realm and the Abyss became so weak that Demons no longer required the DISC method to break through as plane shifting explosions began to occur all across Quelmar, bringing in waves of new demons in unprecedented numbers.

The demonic Infiltration was masterminded by the twin mad minds of the Demogorgon, arguably one of the strongest Demon Lords and holder of the title, "Prince of Demons." They had been using a powerful artifact known as the Black Pearl which was being used as an anchor to pull the madness of the Abyss into the Material Realm. Din 137 PR the Demogorgon and the source of the infiltration were destroyed by an unwitting group of heroes sent on their covert operation alongside the combined holy and unholy forces of Pelor and Asmodeus. The heroes successfully destroyed the Black pearl, sending the Demogorgon and his forces back to the 88th Layer of the Abyss. But the destruction of the Black pearl is not without its consequences as many Demons are left stranded in Quelmar and many mortals are left stranded in the Abyss.

Over the next few months, the Demoninc Infiltration would wind down as the remaining demons and Demon Lords were slain and banished back to the Abyss. The Demonic Infiltration would officially end in with a clash within the scar of Amusa between the Demon Lord Orcus and his minions, and the mysterious warrior Esau who summoned powerful Devils to aid him after making a pact with Asmodeus.

This era is the setting for the 5e D&D Community Campaign Bedlam in the Badlands.

The Demon Disappearance (925 PR)

In 925 PR the Demon Lord Ratatrosk with the aid of the Ordained kills the ferryman of the River Styx, Charon. Ratatrosk then uses Charon's oar to stem the flow of the River Styx. This has the side affect of banishing every demon across Quelmar exept for Ratatrosk back the Abyss and by cutting off all planar access to the planes of chaos.

Types of Demons

Note: Demons marked with a star are unique to Quelmar*

Demon Lords

Demon Lords are the greatest and most powerful of all Demons. A lord gains their title by claiming dominion over a layer of the infinite Abyss, and as there are infinite layers, scholars assume that there may be near infinite Demon Lords. Those that make themselves known to Quelmar tend to be the most powerful of the bunch, able to pierce the vales between the planes to exert their influence in the Material Realm.

Abyssal Dragons*

Abyssal Dragons are born when draconic magic meets demonic chaos. These beasts look like mutate dragons that vomit corrupted demon ichor and exude an aura of maddening chaos. Most are either born of dragons who get trapped in the Abyss, or when a dead dragon's spirit is drawn to new life in chaos.

Manes

Manes are the weakest of all demons. Created by souls denied by all the other planes, Manes look like stubby and bloated rotting corpses. They are loathsome creatures misshapen and distorted with the overwhelming urge to harm other beings.

Abyssal Chicken

Abyssal Chickens

Abyssal Chickens are strange and carnivorous bottom feeders inhabiting the Abyss. Closer in behavior and temperament to a mangy rat, these tiny fiends run in small flocks in eager search for their next meal.

Dretches

Among the most common of demons in the Abyss are Dretches. They are small monstrous mongrel covered in mattered fur, parasites, and boils and fill their reeking packs fill vast demonic hordes.

Abtere

Abtere are winged humanoid demons covered on coarse fur with razor sharp teeth and claws. They gather in large flocks and like carnivorous vultures the circle the skies, swooping down on any poor creature that catches their eye.

Abyss Hound

Abyss Hound*

Abyss Hounds are rotting wolf-like creatures that prowl in packs across the Abyss. These packs are led by an alpha dog who will lead their packs across chaotic wastelands in search of their next meal. And when they do find their prey, they will clamp their their vertically split jaws down upon it and cover it in flaming drool.

Quasits

The demonic counterpart to imps, Quasits are tiny green fiends with a penchant for mischief and sabotage. They pathetically desire approval from greater demons, and will commonly reach beyond their means to cause pain and chaos.

Bulezau

Bulezau are humanoid demons with goat-like heads and barbed tails that reek of a foal putrid odor. They embody the chaotic violence of nature and many serve as foot foldiers in the armies of greater demons. They are eager to kill and fearless in the face of death, welcoming it even.

Dybbuks

In their natural form, Dybbuk's appear as ethereal floating jellyfish coated in a black slime. At their first opportunity, they will possess the corpse of a creature and twist it in horrifying ways to terrorize their victims. In one such case, it twisted a horse by giving it fingers and making it vomit black blood.

Shadow Demon

Shadow Demons

Other then in the lairs of demons who court night and darkness, Shadow Demons are not born naturally. Rather they are made when a demon is slain and is unable to properly reform in the Abyss, causing the remnants of their spirit and their evil to coalesce into a newly born Shadow Demon. These demons thrive in darkness, able to slip through walls like a spirit and disappear when the lights go out. The best way to fight a shadow demon is to expose it to bright light.

Barlgura

Barlgura's most often manifest as massive ape or bear-like demons coated in thick, matted red fur. Their brutality is famous across the realms and make their lairs in dense jungles or treacherous cliffs, climbing and swinging about with ease.

Tanarukk

Tanarukks

Tanarukk are the result of summoning demons using the body (live or dead) of an Orc. The most notable instance of Tanarukk in the realm came during Realm War I when the Troverth Dynasty found out they could create "Super-Soldiers" by killing the feral orcs in their lands, and then summon demonic yokai to inhabit the corpse. However, Tanarukk summoning backfired when the blood of the Tanarukk seeped into the water supply of Balabag, causing the Balabag Plague.

Chasme

Chasme are large horse sized mosquito demons, with a droning wings and a proboscis that will suck mortals dry of all their blood. The sounds of their wings can be deafening and even disorienting to creatures who fight them unprepared.

Vrocks

Vrocks are large rotting vulture like demons that inhabit the skies of the Abyss spreading slaughter and ruin. They carry an untold number of diseases and toxins which they are eager to share with their victims.

Vitrionette*

Vitrionettes are pale an unnerving puppeteer demons draped with black string. They possess the horrifying ability to force their will over other creatures by turning them into the demon's living puppets using their strings. They are chaotic and conniving puppet masters that seek to dominate and control the weak and sane alike.

Hezrou

Hezrou are fat and bloated frog fiends. They are violent and gluttonous, quickly devouring anything they kill. They dress themselves in the rotting flesh of their victims and their stench can make even hardy warriors wretch.

A Glabrezu, a Barlgura, and a Mane

Glabrezu

Glabrezu stand out from most demons as they possess the ability to strategize and think ahead. They are cunning and intelligent, wielding arcane magic and devising traps to lure in their prey. Glabrezu's prefer to cause chaos and pain through deception and betrayal rather then brute force, though, with massive crab-like pinchers for hands, it isn't afraid to get its claws dirty when need be.

Yochlol

Yochlols are shifting demons made of flesh and toxic slime that possess the ability to take on the forms of other creatures. They will serve as spies and saboteurs for their demon overlords, with most serving at the behest of the Demon Queen of Spiders, Lolth. Though not all Yochlol are tied to the Queen of the Drow, with others serving in the courts of other Demon lords like Mother or Ozythra.

Babi Ngepets*

Babi Ngepets, also known as Boar Demons, are fiendish spirts of greed. They do not possess their own physical form and will instead make pacts with willing mortals and possess their bodies. Then next time the mortal goes to sleep, The Babi Ngepet will then take control and the body will transform into a large boar monster. The Babi Ngepet will then go on a nightly rampage, and whenever it scratches its claw along something that contains wealth or valuables, say a home, a box, or a vault, all the wealth inside will be transferred to the home of the mortal the Babi Ngepet is possessing. The pact between the Babi Ngepet and the mortal is bound to an enchanted candle. If the candle is to ever go out, the Babi Ngepet's spirit is banished back to the Abyss.

Rakshasa

Rakshasa unlike most demons, did not originate in the Abyss. Rather they were the first creations of the Sun God Pelor and were made to be his chosen people, looking like humanoid tigers with backwards hands. But sometime in the far past, they became cursed with fiendish magic, turning them into demonic creatures. With a heavy heart Pelor called for a crusade against the Rakshasas', bringing the species to near extinction. Only a few now travel the realms on the fringes of Pelor's light, dealing in dark magic and cruel secrets.

Nalfeshnee

Nalfeshnee are bestial ogre-like pigheaded demons that serve as brutal Abyssal warlords and commanders. They are dripping with pride, forcing other demons to bend the knee to them with many either serving as leaders in the armies of Demon Lords, or seeing themselves as "prospective" Demon Lords.

A Marilith

Marilith

Mariliths are demons with the bottom half of a massive serpent, and the upper half of a six-armed warrior. They wield multiple cursed swords at once and are some of the most skilled warriors in all of the Abyss. The most famous Marilith was the reformed demon Toi'Viral, a Marilith who was able to break away from the cycle of chaos in the Abyss. Seeing the threat posed by dragons to the realm, Toi'Viral crafted the legendary Seven Arms of Sin, and used the artifacts to wish the dragons away.

Goristros

Goristros are towering horned demons capable of singlehandedly bringing cities to ruin. With strength on par with most dragons, these abyssal minotaurs seek to bring low great structures and to turn kingdoms into piles of rumble.

Corpuliths*

Corpuliths are massive obese demons with expansive wings and large bellies. Instead of a face, they instead have a massive gapping maw. They are demon spirits of gluttony and are driven by an insatiable hunger for anything they can get their hands on. Many see themselves as demonic aristocrats, slovenly ruling over putrid banquets and demonic halls.

Balors

Balors are some of the strongest demons in the Abyss, second to only the Demon Lords. These demons made out of fury and hatred wield weapons of elemental power and command vast demonic hordes, their wings casting dark shadows across the battlefield. If a Demon Lord is to fall, it is not uncommon for a Balor to be the one that takes their place.

A Balor

See Also

Underdark Old Ones