Demon
Parabiology
See also: Demons Image Gallery (external)
or: The Archbishops of Dis Image Gallery (external)Demons are an immensely diverse and poorly-understood group, mainly defined by their social societies and (usually) humanoid physiologies. They may better be called a supergroup, with a range of species far wider than Waking humanoids.
Confusion
Though most observed demons are humanoid, there is likely observer bias at play. Umbral travelers have noted several creatures in demonic cities with only the vaguest of humanoid features, but aside from their physiology there is no strong reason to classify them differently, as they seem to be as cooperative with the local culture as any other resident.
Some schools define them just as much by what they are not, defining them as any umbral sapient that is not fae (morphic, ephemeral humanoids more tied to the Veil than the realms on either side) or chimera (bestial creatures that are mostly unintelligent and seem to take on characteristics of Material wildlife). Even this method has issues as there are species—for example rakshasa, sireni or ijiraq—that have characteristics of both demons and chimerae.The Physicality of Demons
Demons are neither physical (at least in the flesh-and-blood sense of Waking creatures) or incorporeal, but something altogether different. This is confirmed by a number of observations, including their extreme longevity, their sensitivity to "reality corrosion" when on the Material side of the Veil and their general mutability without the use of magic. Schools of demonology vary heavily on their properties. A popular theory holds they're made of a mutable substance most commonly known as ectoplasm, the same theory that accounts for the ability of incorporeal beings like ghosts to affect their physical surroundings. Other schools compare demons to the demi-reality of illusion magic, whereby phenomena are made real by the mere acceptance that they are (this does not mean demons cease to exist when not observed, simply that they share the same underlying nature as illusion magic). As the Veil weakens into the Third Age and demonic phenomena increase, this debate has reignited across the plane.Near & Far Umbral Demons
As a general rule, demons more resemble Humanoids in the Near Umbra (the "local" region of the Duskscape that more directly reflects Waking Materia) and become increasingly alien in physiology and culture as one travels deeper into the Far Umbra. For example, the Near Umbral trade hub of Epitaph, while obviously alien and kaleidoscopic, is mostly analogous to a Material metropolis, but as one travels outward, past the towering, maze-like coliseum of Dis or the bizarrely empty sprawl of Orms-by-Gorr, demonic behaviour grows less and less recognizeable as anything resembling "society" in a Waking sense. By the time one reaches the Far Umbral provinces like Boneflower, The Lost Angles or Towersaglitter, one must be careful not to lose their minds: there simply aren't enough familiarities to anchor one's sanity to.Population Centres
See also: Demonic Settlements Image Gallery (External)Consistent among demonic settlements is the presence of a "Moon" somewhere in its centre: sometimes floating above the city, sometimes guarded by a fortress, sometimes beneath the surface. Moons are poorly understood; they seem to always be large spherical objects that radiate a sort of energy that demons appear to thrive on: the closer a demon is to such an object, the more vital and sharp-witted they seem to get. This results in a distinct caste system based on distance from the city centre. As a result demonic infrastructure tends to crowd greedily around the core, resulting in tall, dense supertructures visible from vast distances.
Significant Near Umbral settlements mentioned in Antediluvian texts include:
- Epitaph
- Orms-by-Gorr
- Dis
- Nibelheim (exists simultaneously in the Near Umbra and Waking Materia)
- The Wilderness of Statues
- Neith's-Head-Unto-Siv
- Sarkoldu'un-Imathratep (twin cities)
- Kloster Storkenfels
- Savvissivik
Significant Far Umbral settlements mentioned in Antediluvian texts include:
- SVKH ("Savokh")
- Boneflower
- The Lost Angles
- Liminos
- Nullzone
- Towersaglitter
Society
Demonic manner tends to be unhurried if not downright slow by Material standards as they are exceptionally long-lived. It is not as if they're in slow-motion (reaction and physical speeds are comparable to Material humanoids), their societies just tend to run at a more leisurely pace. Visiting Material humanoids have a reputation as frenetic things, who buzz about like insects.Moons
Found at the centre of most demonic cities are giant, usually spherical objects called Moons, usually floating above the settlement or sometimes housed in enormous buildings. Vicinity to these objects is highly valued, creating a sort of proximity-based caste system in demonic societies See the § Population Centres section, above.The Centrality of Sports
Another consequence of the long demonic life span is a drastically different outlook on existence: many eventually reach a state of contentment with their myriad experiences and become acutely drawn to questions of what lies beyond (a noted effect among particularly long-lived Material species as well). As a result they sometimes take what Waking humanoids regard as a nonchalant attitude towards their own well-being: extreme sports, war games and the like represent a major share of most demonic cultures and economies. Such sports become the centrepieces of cultural exchanges (demonic equivalents of the Olympics) and even ways to choose leadership or make political decisions. Sports are perhaps the most familiar aspect of Waking culture in demonic eyes, and vice versa. Lacking further knowledge of the host, the best default way to treat with demons diplomatically is to learn their favourite game.Undead Slavery
A prominent distinction between demonic societies is whether they are signatories of the Old Accords: policy documents which agree, among other things, to prohibit the enslavement of the undead and dreaming souls of Waking Materians. Prominent signatories include Sarkoldu'un-Imathratep, Orms-by-Gorr and Savvissivik. Prominent abstainers include Dis and Kloster Storkenfels. Epitaph maintains strict neutrality and is traditional host of many past summits on the matter.Views on Waking Materia
Outside Epitaph, Material humanoids visiting the Near Umbra (that is, those that are neither dreaming nor dead, and have traveled here magically, or through a weakness in the Veil) are not common and generally treated with suspicious curiosity by the locals. The most ubiquitous verbal demonic language calls Material visitors Tellurians, after the word telljúúr meaning ‘clay walkers’: demons find the limited, flesh-and-blood bodies of Material creatures bewildering, and interpret them as being made of the same stones & clays as the Material talismans that pepper their marketplaces. In a sense, they view Material humanoids as something akin to sentient golems or animated statues.Demons on Waking Materia
Like all Duskscape denizens, demons are vulnerable to a phenomenon usually called "reality corrosion" on the Material side of the Veil, akin to mild radioactivity. (It is believed Material humanoids are protected from this effect by their flesh-and-bone bodies, almost like a hazmat suit.) Combined with the general belief that Waking peoples are violent, short-lived savages, demons mostly regard Waking Materia as an inhospitable backwater barely worth attention.
One major exception to this is demonic treasure hunters, as there is a considerable market among certain demonic species for exotic trinkets and magical items (which still generally work in the Duskscape). These treasure hunters almost always disguise themselves as to not draw unwanted attention.
There are also a small number of demons who happen to be hobbyist enthusiasts in the Material realm and visit purely out of interest, though they're rare. The most famous group are the Estrié, a mysterious group most known for their tendency to incorporate themselves into Material socities for sometimes long periods.
Near Umbral Frequency
Common Intelligence
Generally High to Superhuman Hostility
Generally Neutral to Hostile Patron Regent
No overarching patron; occasional worship of societal leaders like John Leng and The Dust King
Illus. (Left to Right) Ron Spencer, Capcom Design Team, Kazuma Kaneko, Wayne Barlowe
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