Infernal Nature
Something I wrote up recently. Applies to Furryfaire, really, but I'd probably adopt it to other fantasy settings if I had any active.
Excerpt from speech by ArchMagister Ralyn before the Convocation of Arcanists held in Nycthanlinth, circa 700 AE
Good afternoon. While I make no claims as a demonologist, Magister Sellik has asked me to speak today and share what I have learned from my personal experiences. As most of you are aware, I have spent a number of years studying the Infernal Realms directly.
Now, many of us have been taught that demons are the opposite of angels and archons - beings in service of dark gods. By and large, this is untrue. There are exceptions, of course. The rukshasa might be called "demons" and operate in the name of Ravana. Most of the entities we classify as demonic, however, do not serve divine powers. Rather they are more akin to elementals. The primary difference lay in that while a sylph may be a being of air, demons are representative of more ephemeral aspects of our reality.
These demons of the Infernal Realms are creatures of energy and nature manifest as emotions for us. Or, one might say, passions. The typical succubus - ever a favorite for research among young summoners - is an entity of lust. That passion is as much a part of them as the blazing heat of a fire elemental, or as the flesh and blood that make up our physicality. They, you might thusly surmise, tend to be beings of metaphysical energy given form. They do not have the mortal division between spirit and body in most cases.
There are many different types of demons, usually shaped by their particular affinities. In our previous example, the succubi are attractive because it is in their nature to be so. Demons that embody destruction take on powerful, hulking shapes. Demons of corruption very commonly take on an appearance comfortable to those who see them. In the Infernal Realms, demons tend to gravitate toward areas suffused with energies of their affinity. These affinities define what they are. And yet, they are all relatively harmless in their own environs if undisturbed.
Of course, they are not always in their own realms. When a demon is summoned to this plane, it manifests in a form appropriate to its nature, sometimes appearing differently than outside our realm. All but the most powerful also find themselves unable to draw upon the energies of their native plane. Couple that with their metaphysical nature, and a demon in our world is actually relatively vulnerable, being unable to naturally heal or absorb the ambient mana resident here. They are, however, quite capable of replenishing themselves by "feeding," if you will, on the energy released by living beings that matches their own affinity. A demon of fear left in isolation will lose cohesion unless it manages to avoid spending any energy at all, but that same demon could work its innate magics and remain here indefinitely if it is able to draw upon the fear of living beings.
Thus we find a duality of reason behind the actions taken by demons in our world. First, it is in their very nature to behave according to their affinity. And second, causing reactions in their "victims" that evoke emotions of their type gives them something to feed upon to sustain and empower themselves. It is a matter of nature and survival, and expecting them to be otherwise is akin to expecting a fire to deny itself of fuel.
There are occasional exceptions, of course. Some demons show an ability to regenerate their quasi-physical form. This is most common within the destroyers - creatures which seem to draw upon the terror, loss, and pain caused in destruction - and essentially amounts to a metaphysical reserve. It too is limited. Only very powerful beings that might be termed "Demon Lords" are able to draw upon their native plane from our own and truly restore themselves without local "feeding." Also, some demons come into this world - whether by pact or mistake - in such a way that they bond with or possess a native being. Such entities do maintain a true flesh-and-blood body apart from their spiritual self.
...
One of the more intriguing affinities I have found among demons is that of corruption. While succubi are often attributed with "corrupting" people, they are usually only focused on generating lust in what ways they may. It only so happens to be somewhat ruinous in most mortal relationships. No, true corruptors seek to evoke chaos and change, feeding upon the doubt and conflict generated within someone made to act against their nature.
...
Of an oddity, there are also what we name "imps." These are very low among the ranks of demonkind, possessing only limited powers of their own. What makes them remarkable is that they exist across all manner of affinities. There are imps of wrath, and imps of pain, and imps of lust... perhaps even every variation of demonic affinity. They vary some in physical appearance based on their type, but they are all small figures and possessed of a barbed tail. Perhaps their most notable power, this stinger carries a metaphysical toxin that evokes an emotional or physical response appropriate to their type. Very few are fatal, but they can all be dangerous in their own way. These "least" demons will frequently attempt to take the position of minion or familiar, coercing their "master" in whatever way they can to benefit their own motivation.
...
And, of course, there is the matter of souls. We all know demons seek to steal mortal souls, of course. Except that it is only rarely so. Most demons have no more use for a stolen soul than I might a lazy nephew. This is another aspect of demonkind that has grown out of proportion - but it does deserve to be addressed because there is some foundation to it.
To start with, there are truly malicious demons. Those aligned with destruction and chaos are usually limited enough, but when gaining sufficient power they do sometimes look beyond their own bounds. These are the ones that threaten us even if left alone. They will try to steal or trade for mortal souls simply to draw them out of the cycle of reincarnation in an effort to weaken the Tapestry of Creation. To these beings, souls matter little for what they are. Rather they see each stolen soul simply as a means to unravel the Tapestry and create chaos on a grand, planar, scale. Unfortunately, some of these beings have also made a sport of it, counting their victims against their kin in a game of one-upmanship with dire consequences.
We can only be vigilant against these sorts and thankful that their numbers are relatively tiny in the grand scheme of things.
Also, some demons can use soul-pacts as a link to our prime plane. In truth, this has nothing to do with theft of a mortal's soul, but it creates a bond between the demon and a mortal that can be exploited. In many cases, it allows the demon to travel here without being summoned later. And for some demons that is draw enough as I am given to understand the "flavor" of evoked passions from mortals differs from the energies of their native realm in a way that is particularly appealing to some. It also helps them operate here, allowing them to more readily manipulate and feed from a bound mortal. And in a few cases, it actually allows them to draw upon the mortal from their own realm, providing some additional power there.
While such pacts do not inherently condemn the mortal's soul to everlasting torment beyond death, there have been cases where the mingling of energies caused the mortal's soul to be drawn to the Infernal Realms when they died, being born as a demon there rather than remaining a part of the Tapestry. Such instances are usually not the primary intent of a demon in making such a pact, but that makes the danger no less real.
-------------------------
In some follow-up discussion, I mused that perhaps angels/archons/daevas were beings that represented more "positive" emotions/passions - love, compassion, mercy - and then they were snatched up in a way, called into line under the gods to serve. Thus they became representatives of their divinity first, and "elemental" beings second though those traits are still usually found in them to some degree. I further pondered that maybe there still are "pure" heavenly beings that don't serve gods, but because of mortal religion and expectation, they simply aren't called upon or seen by mortals anymore.
In a roundabout way, that ties gods to a measure of faith/belief/worship. People may fear evil gods, but they aren't as likely to revere them. Thus there are likely to be fewer of them, thus there are more un-deity-aligned infernal powers/beings out there.
Excerpt from speech by ArchMagister Ralyn before the Convocation of Arcanists held in Nycthanlinth, circa 700 AE
Good afternoon. While I make no claims as a demonologist, Magister Sellik has asked me to speak today and share what I have learned from my personal experiences. As most of you are aware, I have spent a number of years studying the Infernal Realms directly.
Now, many of us have been taught that demons are the opposite of angels and archons - beings in service of dark gods. By and large, this is untrue. There are exceptions, of course. The rukshasa might be called "demons" and operate in the name of Ravana. Most of the entities we classify as demonic, however, do not serve divine powers. Rather they are more akin to elementals. The primary difference lay in that while a sylph may be a being of air, demons are representative of more ephemeral aspects of our reality.
These demons of the Infernal Realms are creatures of energy and nature manifest as emotions for us. Or, one might say, passions. The typical succubus - ever a favorite for research among young summoners - is an entity of lust. That passion is as much a part of them as the blazing heat of a fire elemental, or as the flesh and blood that make up our physicality. They, you might thusly surmise, tend to be beings of metaphysical energy given form. They do not have the mortal division between spirit and body in most cases.
There are many different types of demons, usually shaped by their particular affinities. In our previous example, the succubi are attractive because it is in their nature to be so. Demons that embody destruction take on powerful, hulking shapes. Demons of corruption very commonly take on an appearance comfortable to those who see them. In the Infernal Realms, demons tend to gravitate toward areas suffused with energies of their affinity. These affinities define what they are. And yet, they are all relatively harmless in their own environs if undisturbed.
Of course, they are not always in their own realms. When a demon is summoned to this plane, it manifests in a form appropriate to its nature, sometimes appearing differently than outside our realm. All but the most powerful also find themselves unable to draw upon the energies of their native plane. Couple that with their metaphysical nature, and a demon in our world is actually relatively vulnerable, being unable to naturally heal or absorb the ambient mana resident here. They are, however, quite capable of replenishing themselves by "feeding," if you will, on the energy released by living beings that matches their own affinity. A demon of fear left in isolation will lose cohesion unless it manages to avoid spending any energy at all, but that same demon could work its innate magics and remain here indefinitely if it is able to draw upon the fear of living beings.
Thus we find a duality of reason behind the actions taken by demons in our world. First, it is in their very nature to behave according to their affinity. And second, causing reactions in their "victims" that evoke emotions of their type gives them something to feed upon to sustain and empower themselves. It is a matter of nature and survival, and expecting them to be otherwise is akin to expecting a fire to deny itself of fuel.
There are occasional exceptions, of course. Some demons show an ability to regenerate their quasi-physical form. This is most common within the destroyers - creatures which seem to draw upon the terror, loss, and pain caused in destruction - and essentially amounts to a metaphysical reserve. It too is limited. Only very powerful beings that might be termed "Demon Lords" are able to draw upon their native plane from our own and truly restore themselves without local "feeding." Also, some demons come into this world - whether by pact or mistake - in such a way that they bond with or possess a native being. Such entities do maintain a true flesh-and-blood body apart from their spiritual self.
...
One of the more intriguing affinities I have found among demons is that of corruption. While succubi are often attributed with "corrupting" people, they are usually only focused on generating lust in what ways they may. It only so happens to be somewhat ruinous in most mortal relationships. No, true corruptors seek to evoke chaos and change, feeding upon the doubt and conflict generated within someone made to act against their nature.
...
Of an oddity, there are also what we name "imps." These are very low among the ranks of demonkind, possessing only limited powers of their own. What makes them remarkable is that they exist across all manner of affinities. There are imps of wrath, and imps of pain, and imps of lust... perhaps even every variation of demonic affinity. They vary some in physical appearance based on their type, but they are all small figures and possessed of a barbed tail. Perhaps their most notable power, this stinger carries a metaphysical toxin that evokes an emotional or physical response appropriate to their type. Very few are fatal, but they can all be dangerous in their own way. These "least" demons will frequently attempt to take the position of minion or familiar, coercing their "master" in whatever way they can to benefit their own motivation.
...
And, of course, there is the matter of souls. We all know demons seek to steal mortal souls, of course. Except that it is only rarely so. Most demons have no more use for a stolen soul than I might a lazy nephew. This is another aspect of demonkind that has grown out of proportion - but it does deserve to be addressed because there is some foundation to it.
To start with, there are truly malicious demons. Those aligned with destruction and chaos are usually limited enough, but when gaining sufficient power they do sometimes look beyond their own bounds. These are the ones that threaten us even if left alone. They will try to steal or trade for mortal souls simply to draw them out of the cycle of reincarnation in an effort to weaken the Tapestry of Creation. To these beings, souls matter little for what they are. Rather they see each stolen soul simply as a means to unravel the Tapestry and create chaos on a grand, planar, scale. Unfortunately, some of these beings have also made a sport of it, counting their victims against their kin in a game of one-upmanship with dire consequences.
We can only be vigilant against these sorts and thankful that their numbers are relatively tiny in the grand scheme of things.
Also, some demons can use soul-pacts as a link to our prime plane. In truth, this has nothing to do with theft of a mortal's soul, but it creates a bond between the demon and a mortal that can be exploited. In many cases, it allows the demon to travel here without being summoned later. And for some demons that is draw enough as I am given to understand the "flavor" of evoked passions from mortals differs from the energies of their native realm in a way that is particularly appealing to some. It also helps them operate here, allowing them to more readily manipulate and feed from a bound mortal. And in a few cases, it actually allows them to draw upon the mortal from their own realm, providing some additional power there.
While such pacts do not inherently condemn the mortal's soul to everlasting torment beyond death, there have been cases where the mingling of energies caused the mortal's soul to be drawn to the Infernal Realms when they died, being born as a demon there rather than remaining a part of the Tapestry. Such instances are usually not the primary intent of a demon in making such a pact, but that makes the danger no less real.
-------------------------
In some follow-up discussion, I mused that perhaps angels/archons/daevas were beings that represented more "positive" emotions/passions - love, compassion, mercy - and then they were snatched up in a way, called into line under the gods to serve. Thus they became representatives of their divinity first, and "elemental" beings second though those traits are still usually found in them to some degree. I further pondered that maybe there still are "pure" heavenly beings that don't serve gods, but because of mortal religion and expectation, they simply aren't called upon or seen by mortals anymore.
In a roundabout way, that ties gods to a measure of faith/belief/worship. People may fear evil gods, but they aren't as likely to revere them. Thus there are likely to be fewer of them, thus there are more un-deity-aligned infernal powers/beings out there.
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