Emerging from the swirling chaos of the Hellgate, the demons overwhelmed humanity’s defenses. The Hellgate writhes and seethes like a living thing, a tornado of eldritch energies through which the minions of the netherworld surge forth.
The demons that swept across the face of the earth when the gates of Hell opened are varied in size, shape, ability and power. The careful observer will note that these abominations fall into one of four distinct categories, or castes.
Demon Castes
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Primus
Also called True Demons, these are the organized beings that command the lesser castes and are the primary cause of the apocalypse. Mostly humanoid in form, they often use weapons and equipment in their vile pursuits, and some have even been seen using human-created technology, although they tend to favor devices of their own fabrication. Their intelligence, use of weaponry, and the ability to attack from both range or in hand-to-hand combat make them a dangerous and unpredictable enemy. Demons also wear armor that is commonly resistant to traditionally infernal types of damage, such as fire and employ mystic shields to safeguard them against more temporal forms of damage. |
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Spectral
These are semi-corporeal beings with powerful magical abilities at their disposal. They exist, at least partially, on an alternate and parallel realm of existence known as the Spectral plane, making them difficult to fight using normal physical means. Spectral demons are visually the strangest and most shocking creatures encountered by the survivors of the Burn, and some even have hidden forms that can only be seen by adventurers with a means to peer into their unearthly realm. Their Spectral power sometimes manifests itself in our world as a form of electricity, and attacks based in similar energy spectrums have been found to be highly effective. |
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Necros
This caste includes both the undead and the demons that create and command them. Necros often swarm in semi-organized packs, using strength of numbers to overcome the limitations of their commonly weakened and decayed forms. Although usually simple to knock down, some may rise again unless appropriate measures are taken. Their masters are more powerful, and eliminating their commanding presence should be of the highest priority when encountering them. Creatures within the Necros caste commonly use attacks that pierce the flesh, poison the blood and corrupt the soul. It is important to note that they are particularly resistant to these same sorts of attacks. |
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Beasts
Beasts are the lower forms of life in Hell. They are the naturally occurring fauna of the Underworld, made evil by their surroundings and their masters. True Demons see them as fodder to subjugate, abuse, brand, armor and train for battle. Beasts are unintelligent and commonly oriented towards melee combat, attacking with fangs and claws. While susceptible to most types of damage, Beasts of greater power and age can be extremely large and strong, a few reportedly towering over city buildings. Some of these creatures also employ attacks representative of their infernal origins, unleashing corrosive, poisonous or fiery effects on their unlucky targets. In terms of natural defenses, the more brutish varieties have thick, armored hides while their smaller, wiry kin rely on their agility to avoid attacks. |
Demon Ranks
The demons that swept across the face of the earth when the gates of Hell opened are varied in size, shape, ability and power. The careful observer will note that these abominations fall into two distinct ranks.
Lesser Demons
These range from pets to monsters to foot-soldiers and on up through what would be equivalent to sergeants in a human army. Lesser Demons are mainly comprised of the Beast, Necros and Spectral castes, although minions within the Primus factions that have not attained enough infamy also fall into this category. |
Greater Demons
These are demons that are powerful enough to have names. These would be the equivalent of Lieutenants and above in a human army. Greater Demons are usually representative of the Primus and Necros castes, although certain members of the Beast and Spectral castes that have attained enough infamy also fall into this category. |
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