Demodand
Demodands are a Fiendish race created by Primordials, assumingly Abberations and creatures created in the Great Rift Era.
The Demodands are somewhat connected to many Abberations, and many scholars believed that the Demodands are either connected to them as their creators or perhaps, their creations.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Demodands are universally powerful. Even the weakest, the tarry demodand, surpasses many other fiends. Inheriting their creators' hatred, they possess an inherent resistance to divine magic.
Genetics and Reproduction
Demodands reproduce by laying eggs, and the offspring are completely random – no matter the parents, the type of demodand that hatches is a roll of the dice. There's no parental care – demodands abandon their clutches as soon as they're laid. When the eggs hatch, hundreds of blind, ravenous infants emerge, immediately attacking and devouring their siblings in a rage (not hunger, as they don't need to eat). Only one or two survive each brood, a brutal selection process that demodands view as necessary to strengthen their race.
When demodands taint mortal bloodlines, the resulting offspring are known as foulspawn or demodand-spawn. These heretical cambions are revulsive creatures, often bearing a single, exaggerated deformity – loathsome, sagging skin or sweat that resembles tar. Their lumbering gait and shrill voices belie their twisted minds, forever drawn to blasphemy.
Deeper Learning
To the Sages, once people are raised with a spell that raise them or ressuret (unlike Undeath), there is a chance, however small that some of this divine energy find itself at Carceri, somewhat enabling the Demodand to multiply themselves. How its done, is not clear if they then mate or they are just created from 'thin' air. Its still the main reason that clerics are careful not to ressurect simple children and only important figures, as the risk of creating a demmodand is too great for all faiths.Behaviour
Demodands prefer cramped, enclosed spaces – whether in the Outer Rifts or the Material Plane. Many dwell near the protection of their masters, but some form nomadic gangs or fight demons for territory.
The demodand psyche is a complex web of contradictions. They possess an unwavering loyalty to their own kind, yet harbor a deep distrust of all outsiders. This xenophobia is coupled with a general loathing for everything that exists.
While keeping mortals trapped in Carceri is nearly impossible, demodands have been known to hunt escaped petitioners on other planes. Though they can briefly leave Carceri, they are inevitably drawn back to the Tarterian Depths. When summoned, they often serve as executioners or guardians.
Destruction is all
Lesser demodands might engage in random acts of violence, while greater ones might orchestrate the downfall of entire societies through subtle corruption. Demodands are incapable of creation – their sole focus is tearing down what others have built.Wardens
Demodands are notoriously difficult to summon and refuse to serve willingly. They despise servitude and will spend years plotting revenge on anyone who attempts to control them. Demodands see themselves as the jailors of Carceri, enforcing their warped sense of order on the entire plane's population. They scoff at those who can freely enter and leave Carceri, yet believe it's their duty to keep all petitioners imprisoned, making no distinction between travelers and actual prisoners. Unlike most Fiends, demodands have little interest in manipulating mortals. They prefer inflicting sadistic torment through threats, taunts, and brutal acts of violence.Additional Information
Social Structure
Demodands hold no allegiance but to the themsleves. They lack any society of their own, existing solely to serve their dark masters. They will even slay other demodands on command. Some demodands pledge themselves to individual titans, refusing to serve the titan's rivals (a decision that often ends in death at the hands of the rival titan or its own demodand servants).
Since the primordials are either defeated or became deities themselves, demodands act as their own agents in the universe. They incite heresy, desecrate sacred sites, eliminate priests, and plant seeds of doubt among the faithful. Demodands also engage in widespread slavery, capturing Celestials and other
Hierarchy
Demodand society, surprisingly, has a feudal structure with three classes: [tooltip:lower]farastus, kelubar, and shator. Farastus are essentially laborers and soldiers, assigned unpleasant tasks and fighting for the upper ranks. Kelubars act as supervisors and bureaucrats, managing farastu and liaising between the classes. Shator are the commanders, nobles, and schemers who rule over the demodands and constantly plot for more influence. However,despite this clear hierarchy, demodands rarely gather in large groups.Civilization and Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Demodands are far less numerous than other Fiendish races, but even their weakest members are comparable to high-ranking entities from other parts of the Lower Planes. This inherent power is reflected in their abilities.
History
When the first mortals emerged, some primordial grew jealous of the reverence these mortals showed to the deities. Consumed by this envy, many of the primordials created creatures that fought the Draconic deities and its children and the Giant deities and their creations.
Using the foul materials of the Far Realm – cursed mud and the water of the River Styx in Abaddon – the primordials sculpted beings of captivating beauty and power. They breathed life into these creations, infusing them with their own dark essence. These were the first demodands. However, this manufactured perfection was fleeting. In sealing of the Rift, the Demodands were left thereaswell, only to be returning in the Era of Bridges claiming Carceri - somewhat, changed.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Demodands roam Carceri, unleashing their hatred on any unfortunate soul they encounter. Their refusal to participate in The Blood War, their ancient grudge against Mezzofiends, and their blatant contempt for all non-demodands make them universally despised.
Demodands have little to do with other fiends and barely contribute to the Blood War due to their small numbers and imprisonment on Carceri, a plane frequently caught in the crossfire. They only fight to defend themselves from demons and devils. The one exception is Mezzofiend – one of the few races they'll leave Carceri to harass. Demodands constantly seek to undermine and destroy daemons, whether by raiding Gehenna or manipulating mortals to focus on them.
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