Demons
Among the Deva, the demons are probably the most well known, and certainly the most feared. From the lowliest imp to those who have ascended to godhood, the demons vary enormously in power, shape and size. What binds them together is the way they manifest in the world, which is by possesing the body of a living, or very recently dead creature, surplanting their spirit and killing them in the process. This happens through a summoning ritual, except for in the case of the most powerful demons, or, conversely the very weakest demons.
This apparent contradiction is because like all deva, demons remain in an unconscious, dreamlike state while they are uncorporial spirits in the Aether, except for the most powerful of them, who may be able to manifest their will in the material world, though they would most likely need to find a non-sapient creature, or a willing person to possess. Alternatively, the weakest demons are themselves like animals, or even practically mindless, like undead, and so, they may be drawn to places infused with lingering dark magic, and possess small creatures like birds or rats, without either being making any conscious decision to that effect.
Balors are a type of powerful demon dedicated to Baphomet.
Once a possession occurs the demon will change the flesh of the host to the shape of it's own body. In many cases it happens almost immediately, but some types of demons almost don't change the host body at all at first, and can pretend to be the victim. For most demons, the moment of possession is like waking up from sleep, and if it is the first time they manifest in the material world they will be what is called an infant demon, who is like a mindless animal, and must learn over time to speak and think, though they can do this much faster than human infants, in a matter of months or sometimes weeks.
If they have manifested in the material world before, they will remember all of their past experiences, and some demons can also retain a vague sense of the creature whose spirit they have consumed, which they can use to impersonate the victim if they so desire. Almost all demons cling to physical existence, but the fact that their spirit returns to the Aether, rather than being dissolved into it, does mean that demons, in general, are a lot less afraid of death than your average mortal, making them formidable foes in combat, regardless of their martial prowess.
This apparent contradiction is because like all deva, demons remain in an unconscious, dreamlike state while they are uncorporial spirits in the Aether, except for the most powerful of them, who may be able to manifest their will in the material world, though they would most likely need to find a non-sapient creature, or a willing person to possess. Alternatively, the weakest demons are themselves like animals, or even practically mindless, like undead, and so, they may be drawn to places infused with lingering dark magic, and possess small creatures like birds or rats, without either being making any conscious decision to that effect.
Once a possession occurs the demon will change the flesh of the host to the shape of it's own body. In many cases it happens almost immediately, but some types of demons almost don't change the host body at all at first, and can pretend to be the victim. For most demons, the moment of possession is like waking up from sleep, and if it is the first time they manifest in the material world they will be what is called an infant demon, who is like a mindless animal, and must learn over time to speak and think, though they can do this much faster than human infants, in a matter of months or sometimes weeks.
If they have manifested in the material world before, they will remember all of their past experiences, and some demons can also retain a vague sense of the creature whose spirit they have consumed, which they can use to impersonate the victim if they so desire. Almost all demons cling to physical existence, but the fact that their spirit returns to the Aether, rather than being dissolved into it, does mean that demons, in general, are a lot less afraid of death than your average mortal, making them formidable foes in combat, regardless of their martial prowess.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
How demons come into existence within the Aether is a mystery to most. Some were created long before the War of Ashes, when the world was young, but these are only the rarest, and most powerful demons. Most were infant demons sometime during the known history of the world, but how their spirit first appeared in the Aether, ready to take possession of a body, is a secret known only by older demons, and a handfull of Nyxian and Miankurian demonologists. They come into the material world through summoning rituals, which require knowledge of powerful magic, and an person or animal sacrifice which the demon can take possession of. Powerful demons usually require a sapient creature to occupy, but the specific vessel required depends on the type of demon in question.
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