Demonology: A Short Guide/Contents

	SPOILER ALERT!
	This article potentially reveals in-game secrets, spoilers, walkthroughs, or other information about necromancers not intended as general knowledge in-game.

Demonology: A Short Guide

By Sijan Renyan'ache, with additional text by the editor

What is a Demon?

Without trying to delve too deeply into planar theory, demons can best be understood of as beings so fundamentally different than anything in the Plane of Abiding that their mere presence is cancerous to our very planar survival. To relate this idea to a familiar concept, think upon mana frequencies. As with mana, each plane can be said to have its own "frequency", and the creatures native to that plane are in harmony with said "frequency". When a being from one plane enters another plane, their "frequencies" are in disharmony, and we all know what can result from forcing disharmonic mana frequencies into incompatible spell patterns.

The resultant planar damage seems to be exponentially related to the strength of the demon, as greater beings appear to be able to blur the line between their home realm and ours. As these planes start to merge, the cosmological and physical laws of both begin to be altered and combined, which potentially can have ill effects for both or either set of planar inhabitants.

A Word of Caution

Demons, at least those strong enough to have manifested or interacted with the Plane of Abiding thus far, appear to occur in a variety of different forms and fashions, and often have vastly different desires. These desires are frequently so entangled with the very essence of the creature that some theorize that these demons might be manifestations of primal forces enacting out their very nature even on our plane. Further research will be necessary to truly understand if this is conjecture or truth. It is, however, crucial to remember to treat each demon you interact with as a separate being with different rules and reactions than any other you have previously encountered. Many make the mistake of believing just because these beings share a similar planar classification that their are connections that may or may not exist.

Conduits

Luckily, it would appear that, like a biological organism, the Plane of Abiding actively fights off these foreign entities by disabling their access to the plane and driving them back to their plane of origin. It is quite difficult for a demon to simply manifest itself bodily due to this. As a workaround to this planar defense, demons will often seek to find ways to create connections, or conduits, that link their home plane with ours in order to stabilize their power here and prevent being wholly removed by the cosmological boundaries that they are so actively breaking. These conduits can take many forms, from physical items to active "portals", human footholds, or potentially many undocumented sources, and can range in a variety of strengths.

I would be quite remiss if I did not take time to mention possession, a very common and popular subtype of conduit that has allowed demons not only access to our plane, but also has lead to incredibly disastrous effects. While many talk about the destruction brought on by the Perverse Lyras during her many year war, it was not until the demon often colloquially referred to as the Hunger took root in her that the true devastation took place. It is believed that, initially, Lyras acted on her own accord even after making her pact with the Hunger. She was indeed a conduit for the demon even then, albeit a smaller one. However, upon her descent into undeath, the Hungers conduit grew with the dislodging of her soul.

When Lyras crossed the then-corrupted Great Barrier, the final remnants of her personhood were prevented from making the trip, left behind to haunt the West while her body was fully possessed by the Hunger. While Lyras is a dramatic example of possession, it is important to note that any creature appears able to act as this type of conduit, should its soul, spirit, and consciousness be severed from its physical form and the demon have sufficient power to enact such a thing.

Once a conduit is established, the demon can begin to assert its power upon the Plane of Abiding in ways both subtle and vulgar. It does appear that this range may be somewhat limited by the strength and/or number of conduits that a particular demon might have, but accurate research into this area remains scant at best. Known effects, however, include warping of flora and fauna, mental and spiritual diseases in nearby sentient populations, and disruptions in mana streams, to name a mere few.

Avid demonologists must first understand not only the way in which demons might be able to impact our plane, but how to manipulate and sever the very connections that allow a demon access. To attempt to directly research or combat these beings without such knowledge is to court not only personal destruction, but also the potential destruction of our entire plane. Though a fully treatise on such matters is outside of the scope of this work, it should be noted that any manipulation or destruction of a demonic conduit can only occur when one tailors their rituals to the specific demon in question.

As mentioned previously, the greatest folly is to make assumptions about generalities amongst these creatures, and to do so while attempting such an undertaking as conduit manipulation or destruction will doom your endeavor to potentially catastrophic failure.

Conclusion

How does all this information relate to us, the Philosophers and followers of similar paths? Some theorize that perhaps our creation, the very breaking of the laws that turn us from the common into the exquisite, potentially open us up to not only see these beings for what they are but also be a beacon to these entities. It is also conceivable that it isnt the process so much as the type of person who ends up undergoing the process which lures the demon's attention. Many of us have opened ourselves up and given away pieces of ourselves for power, and that is something that many demons are willing to exploit to accomplish their ends. If one chooses to interact with these beings, it is wise to always remember that their assistance is never given for free, nor without clauses that may not at first be apparent.

Stay vigilant and wise in your endeavors. Shackles are shackles regardless of if they come from demon or Immortal, and all interactions must be handled with care, planning, and precision of thought.