Demons

Some scholars believe that demons are the first beings, brought into existence at the origin of reality, as the primal forces of the universe coalesced into the elements of nature. Each demon strain is thus connected to an element. There are demons of the earth, demons of flame and smoke, demons of the sea, demons of the sky and stars, etc.

Before the events that caused the cataclysm, it’s said that the Immortal Emperor bound most of the demons and imprisoned them in the dark, hidden places of the world. Only a few escaped this subjugation, and scholars believe that it was these few that broke the Gates of Death in their rebellion and freed the greatest of their kind—the leviathans—to shatter the world.

Unlike humans, demons are not echoed in the ghost field—their blood contains electroplasmic essence, which gives them eternal life. Demons are corporeal creatures, not spirits, though they are extremely difficult to kill. Most appear as monstrous humanoids with physical features related to their element. A sea demon is covered in dark scales and has black shark eyes, a fire demon has flesh of smoldering coal with fires burning within, and so on. Some demons can transmute into their corresponding element and a few can disguise themselves with a convincing human illusion.

The exceptions are the massive leviathans. No one knows the true shape of these horrors that dwarf the largest iron ships. Only a small portion may be glimpsed when they crest the surface of the ink-dark sea, drawn by electroplasmic lures.

Each demon is obsessed with its dark desire (mayhem, manipulation, corruption, etc.), which it attempts to satisfy in every way it can, usually by preying on humans. A demon is living embodiment of its dark desire, not a “person” in a normal sense. See page 304 for a list of possible demonic desires.

Demonic Powers

Every demon has these supernatural abilities:

• Strength & Speed: Demons possess monstrous strength—they can dent steel with their bare hands, shatter stones, etc. They are also extremely quick, able to out-pace the swiftest steed.
• Arcane Speech: Demons speak the ancient tongue of sorcery, which every human ear can discern. They may also speak arcane effects into existence according to the elemental affinity and power level of the demon (the Whisper’s Tempest ability is thought to be a lesser form of this power).
• Strange Travel: A demon may teleport from one site of their elemental affinity to another. For example, a sea demon could teleport from the water in a fountain to a canal under a manor house on the other side of town. The greater the distance, the more powerful the demon must be. A demon may bring others with them when they travel. A demon may also be summoned in this way, by forcing it to travel to the summoner’s ritual presentation of their element.
• Remote Viewing: A demon may use their elemental affinity to achieve clairvoyance. For example, a fire demon could gaze into a fireplace and see out of the cook-stove at the Bluecoat tower down the lane. The greater the distance, the more powerful the demon must be.