Demons

Overview

Where exactly the Nightmare came from or what exactly it is are the subject of many a demonologist’s and astrologian’s sleepless nights. What is currently known is that the Nightmare is a fog-like energy that seeps from blood-red meteorites and taints the land. Leaves wither and grass blackens; water becomes noxious as if stagnant; the endless daylight of the region turns to eternal night.

by V. Ganon

More significantly, the Nightmare is directly responsible for creating twisted horrors referred to as demons. Demons manifest when the Nightmare either warps existing life into demons (usually referred to as something else, to call out their origins) or spawns them seemingly from thin air (referred to as true demons). Whatever their origin, demons universally are evil incarnate, intent on nothing but cruelty, consumption, and chaos. They have no need for food, drink, or sleep; they exist only to spread destruction.

Some consistent types of true demons have been observed, such as the hulking dreadlords, mind-altering lilin, and shadow-dwelling nehemoths, but there have also been many unique demons of varying strengths. The Nightmare appears to be able to manipulate the creation magic of Tron Daurat to manifest demons from local stories and beliefs or even personal fears. More than one elf in a Nightmare-afflicted region has claimed that horrors from their own nightmares have appeared on their doorsteps. If this is true, then demons could spread infinitely until the Nightmare itself is destroyed.

Fortunately, demons are prone to infighting and selfishness, hampering any coordinated efforts of conquest on their part. Only the presence of a sufficiently powerful Nightmare-afflicted entity has been seen to push a horde of demons into any kind of unified force. This small blessing is the main reason the Nightmare has not poured out of Tron Daurat into the larger world, though if the emperor of the elves could call down the meteorites of the Nightmare, there is little to say that others could not learn of its existence and call it down the same way.