Post by deadsent on Mar 14, 2011 12:10:35 GMT -5
IN THEIR MANY AND VARIED FORMS, demons are living engines of annihilation. They embody the destructive forces of chaos. All things tend to decay into entropy, but demons exist to hurry that process along.
Fear and mercy are utterly alien to demons’ minds. Hate and savagery are their only masters, destruction their only pleasure. They care nothing for plans or structure, banding together only in rampaging hordes, not nations or legions. There is nothing subtle about them: They are not manipulators or schemers, nor are they tempters or bargain makers.
While a demonic presence might turn mortals toward corruption
through indirect influence, demons do not actively lure other creatures toward evil; they burn them alive or rip them to quivering shreds.
Sometimes powerful beings attempt to summon demons to do their will, hoping to harness demonic strength for their own purposes. But demons are not easily bent to their summoners’ will; when a demon appears in the midst of combat, it is with the boundless fury and power of an elemental. Personal power, wealth, prestige, and even survival are not important to demons—their only goal is to destroy as much as they can before they themselves are destroyed. And then, born anew in the depths of the Abyss, they rise again to continue the destruction.
Balor:
FEW DEMONS ARE MORE FORMIDABLE than the cruel balor. Weaker demons obey the balor’s commands out of fear of being torn asunder. Balors answer directly to demon lords and other creatures of tremendous power. However, a few balors are mighty enough to hold their own as minor princelings of the Abyss, answering to no one.
Some balors lurk in the deepest reaches of the natural world, bound against their will or preparing to rage against creation at the first opportunity.
Balor is a Rank S foe.
Barlgura:
BARLGURAS ARE DRIVEN BY A SAVAGE BLOODLUST that can be slaked only in combat, where they can tear apart their foes with bare claws. Barlguras are favored by the demon prince Demogorgon, who enjoys their primitive, bestial savagery. Their presence in the world is often a sign of a hidden cult of the so-called Prince of Demons.
Barlgura is a rather weak demon ranked only at E.
Evistro:
EVISTROS CRAVE CARNAGE and rampage across planes and worlds in enormous hordes, leaving devastation in their wake.
Rituals known to demon-worshiping cultists and certain depraved wizards can summon evistros to the world. However, evistros are notoriously difficult to control—usually, the best their summoner can accomplish is to send them out to wreak havoc. Sometimes, though, they turn on their summoner before extending their rampage.
The Evistro demon is another weak demon. It is an E Rank demon though there are a few that have managed to climb to D Rank.
Glabrezu:
GLABREZUS ARE CUNNING BRUTES that use magic as well as brawn to slaughter everything that stands in their way. Glabrezus use their high intelligence to sow discord. They also like to goad their allies into ever-greater acts of depravity and violence.
When a demon as wicked as a glabrezu lingers too long in the world, its corruption spreads. Crops are stunted, animals die, people sicken, and the sky itself seems to darken. Only when the demon is driven off or slain is the natural order restored.
Glabrezu is an A Rank foe.
Goristro:
GORISTROS ARE LIVING SIEGE ENGINES capable of destroying castles and laying waste to entire cities. With a tremendous roar they surge forth, obliterating everything in their path.
Goristros are the favored servitors of Baphomet, the Horned Lord (demon lord of minotaurs). They are numerous in the Abyss and the Elemental Chaos, but thankfully rare in the natural world.
Goristro is a Rank B Monster.
Hezrou:
AS OBEDIENT AS THEY ARE LOATHSOME, hezrous eagerly serve
more powerful demons and summoners who encourage and
reward their destructive behavior.
Hezrous are numerous, expendable, powerful, and able to stay focused on the simple tasks they are given. As demons go, they’re fairly easy to please provided there’s abundant food that they can kill.
Hezrou is an A Rank Monster.
Immolith:
THE SPIRITS OF DECEASED DEMONS sometimes fuse together as they fall back into the Abyss that spawned them. The event is unpredictable, and the result is a horrid demonic entity called an immolith.
Few demons despise the living more than immoliths. Thus, they are often encountered in the company of powerful undead creatures including liches and vampires.
Immolith is a Rank C Monster.
Marilith:
THIS SIX-ARMED, SERPENTINE TERROR delights in hacking enemies to pieces with its swords, doing so with horrifying ease and stonishing grace.
Mariliths are obsessed with martial skill, and they take trophy weapons from particularly fierce opponents, which they hide in secret caches—sometimes in the depths of the Abyss, sometimes in the world.
Mariliths are Rank A Monsters.
Mezzodemon:
THESE INSECTOID DEMONS ARE SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY. While they delight in killing, their priorities lie with the accumulation of treasure.
In the eons since they were spawned in the Abyss, mezzodemons (sometimes referred to as mezzoloths) have spread throughout the planes. They are more likely than other demons to establish lairs and infest specific areas, rather than rampage across realms in monstrous hordes.
Mezzodemons lust after gold and other valuables. Because of this, mezzodemons often work for pay alone and have a mercenary reputation.
Mezzodemons are Rank C Monsters.
Vrock:
WITH DEMONIC GLEE, VROCKS SWOOP DOWN upon their victims and tear them to pieces, cackling madly and relishing their victims’ screams.
Vrocks have a reputation for disloyalty, often abandoning their posts and forsaking one master to join another whom they view as more powerful. They also like to plot against their superiors, although these schemes rarely amount to anything.
Vrocks are Rank D foes.
Abyssal Evicerator:
ABYSSAL EVISERATORS TEAR INTO ENEMIES, ripping out their guts in a frenzy of slaughter. The dimwitted eviscerators often end up under the control of powerful, malign individuals who use them as guardians and muscle.
While the Abyssal Evicerator is strong its lack of intelligence means it rarely threatens society and can often be out maneuvered by a platoon of good soldiers. As such this creature has been given a D Rank.
Abyssal Rotfiend:
ABYSSAL ROTFIENDS ARE DEMONS OF DESPAIR and madness, dark souls wrapped in stitched-together demon and devil skins.
Abyssal rotfiends are demonic undead contained by demon and devil flesh. The spirit within a rotfiend is often a demon soul, although it can come from any evil creature.
Orcus chains abyssal rotfiends in the halls of Everlost, using them as guardians against intruders that can teleport.
The Abyssal Rotfiend is as intelligent as it is powerful. It uses powerful psychic attacks that could cripple armies. As such it has been given an A ranking.
Bebilith:
ORIGINATING IN THE WEB-STREWN REALM of Lolth, the spiderlike bebiliths crawl through the Abyss and other planes, hunting and killing for the joy of it.
Bebiliths often serve Lolth, but :heir limited intellect makes them poor participants in drow schemes. Drow summon these demons as engines of destruction or entrap them for use as guardians.
The powerful Bebilith has been given a B ranking.
Bloodseep Demon:
THE BLOODSEEP DEMON'S POISON BLOOD weeps and spurts from its translucent, cracking body, hastening the death of its enemies while healing its allies.
Bloodseep demons like to weaken their foes before facing them in combat, such as by tainting enemy food sources.
The Bloodseep Demon is fairly weak, though it's toxic blood makes it deadly in melee combat, the demon has been determined to only warrant an E Rank.
Dretch:
FOUL-SMELLING DRETCHES prefer to attack in large numbers and overwhelm their foes.Quarrelsome and stupid, dretches can be tricked into fighting one another i f no leader is present.
Dretches have been decided to be Unranked. While slaying one will not warrant a Bounty Board reward or positions town and cities that may have a problem with an infestation of these creatures may offer a reward for their extermination.
Gnaw Demon:
GNAW DEMONS CONSUME EVERYTHING they can get their hands on. Although they can subsist on inanimate objects, they prefer living flesh.
Gnaw demons are cowardly demons that usually choose escape over destruction. Fleeing gnaw demons can become distracted by a
weak target, so chasing them down is often as simple as locating their next likely victim.
The cowardice and simplicity of a Gnaw Demon means it rarely ever attacks even the smallest towns or cities. As such they have been left Unranked. Though a town may offer a reward for a colony or even an individual.
Kazrith:
The kazrith lurks underground and uses tremorsense to locate its enemies. Once it has chosen a target, it surfaces and attacks, retreating after the attack. It waits for the acid to run its course and then resurfaces to finish off the victim.
Kazrith demons are water-dwelling predators of the planes. They lurk in lakes, rivers, and waterways, waiting for unwary prey to pass by. Kazriths can also burrow. Acid sprays from a kazrith's pores,
aiding the demon's ability to burrow and leaving a fountain of acid in its wake.
Kazriths travel between bodies of water by creating vast networks of interconnecting flooded tunnels. These networks lie close to the
surface so that the kazriths can sense prey overhead. Although most kazriths dwell in the Elemental Chaos, they sometimes find natural gates leading into the world.
The Kazrith Demon is powerful and extremely deadly. Though it rarely attacks settlements, it is still a very dangerous foe for travelers. It has been given a B rank.
Needle Demon:
NEEDLE DEMONS TURN ENEMIES against one another by making them believe that their closest friends have betrayed them. Needle demons wreak havoc and destruction throughout the Abyss and take
any opportunity to bring that chaos to the mortal realms.
Needle demons possess greater cunning than most give them credit for, and they are more patient than many other demons. This craftiness often puts needle demons in the role of advisors to more powerful demons and even as the true powers behind manipulated puppets. However, their hunger for watching foes fight one another often gets the better of them, and they are rarely capable of more than simple deceptions.
Needle Demons are powerful foes that are very deserving of their D ranking.
Neldrazu:
NELDRAZUS HIDE IN THE SHADOWS on the edge of a battle, then charge in to snatch enemies away. Once a neldrazu gets its target alone, it tears into it with its four savage claws.
Although difficult to control, neldrazus make excellent abductors for slavers or kidnappers that don't mind if their goods are slightly damaged.
The Neldrazu, though fearsome looking, is fairly weak in open combat. It's main strength is its ability to teleport around the battlefield. It is this ability that earned it a D rank.
Nycademon:
RIPPLING WITH MUSCLES AND THICK TENDONS, nycademons are winged terrors that soar over the charred landscape of the Abyss, searching for prey on the open expanses. These predators harry ground creatures for amusement, lifting their hapless victims high into the air and dropping them.
Nycademons are nicknamed "sky demons" for their tendency to swoop down and grab their enemies, carrying them high into the sky and releasing them to fall to their deaths.
Nycademons put great stock in their physical superiority over their foes. This belief makes them overconfident when facing enemies that
don't immediately show signs of power and hesitant when facing enemies that show great strength.
The Nycademon is powerful both in sheer strength and tactical ability. It's love of dropping enemies from high places is well documented. This had earned the monster the rank of an A Class.
Fear and mercy are utterly alien to demons’ minds. Hate and savagery are their only masters, destruction their only pleasure. They care nothing for plans or structure, banding together only in rampaging hordes, not nations or legions. There is nothing subtle about them: They are not manipulators or schemers, nor are they tempters or bargain makers.
While a demonic presence might turn mortals toward corruption
through indirect influence, demons do not actively lure other creatures toward evil; they burn them alive or rip them to quivering shreds.
Sometimes powerful beings attempt to summon demons to do their will, hoping to harness demonic strength for their own purposes. But demons are not easily bent to their summoners’ will; when a demon appears in the midst of combat, it is with the boundless fury and power of an elemental. Personal power, wealth, prestige, and even survival are not important to demons—their only goal is to destroy as much as they can before they themselves are destroyed. And then, born anew in the depths of the Abyss, they rise again to continue the destruction.
Balor:
FEW DEMONS ARE MORE FORMIDABLE than the cruel balor. Weaker demons obey the balor’s commands out of fear of being torn asunder. Balors answer directly to demon lords and other creatures of tremendous power. However, a few balors are mighty enough to hold their own as minor princelings of the Abyss, answering to no one.
Some balors lurk in the deepest reaches of the natural world, bound against their will or preparing to rage against creation at the first opportunity.
Balor is a Rank S foe.
Barlgura:
BARLGURAS ARE DRIVEN BY A SAVAGE BLOODLUST that can be slaked only in combat, where they can tear apart their foes with bare claws. Barlguras are favored by the demon prince Demogorgon, who enjoys their primitive, bestial savagery. Their presence in the world is often a sign of a hidden cult of the so-called Prince of Demons.
Barlgura is a rather weak demon ranked only at E.
Evistro:
EVISTROS CRAVE CARNAGE and rampage across planes and worlds in enormous hordes, leaving devastation in their wake.
Rituals known to demon-worshiping cultists and certain depraved wizards can summon evistros to the world. However, evistros are notoriously difficult to control—usually, the best their summoner can accomplish is to send them out to wreak havoc. Sometimes, though, they turn on their summoner before extending their rampage.
The Evistro demon is another weak demon. It is an E Rank demon though there are a few that have managed to climb to D Rank.
Glabrezu:
GLABREZUS ARE CUNNING BRUTES that use magic as well as brawn to slaughter everything that stands in their way. Glabrezus use their high intelligence to sow discord. They also like to goad their allies into ever-greater acts of depravity and violence.
When a demon as wicked as a glabrezu lingers too long in the world, its corruption spreads. Crops are stunted, animals die, people sicken, and the sky itself seems to darken. Only when the demon is driven off or slain is the natural order restored.
Glabrezu is an A Rank foe.
Goristro:
GORISTROS ARE LIVING SIEGE ENGINES capable of destroying castles and laying waste to entire cities. With a tremendous roar they surge forth, obliterating everything in their path.
Goristros are the favored servitors of Baphomet, the Horned Lord (demon lord of minotaurs). They are numerous in the Abyss and the Elemental Chaos, but thankfully rare in the natural world.
Goristro is a Rank B Monster.
Hezrou:
AS OBEDIENT AS THEY ARE LOATHSOME, hezrous eagerly serve
more powerful demons and summoners who encourage and
reward their destructive behavior.
Hezrous are numerous, expendable, powerful, and able to stay focused on the simple tasks they are given. As demons go, they’re fairly easy to please provided there’s abundant food that they can kill.
Hezrou is an A Rank Monster.
Immolith:
THE SPIRITS OF DECEASED DEMONS sometimes fuse together as they fall back into the Abyss that spawned them. The event is unpredictable, and the result is a horrid demonic entity called an immolith.
Few demons despise the living more than immoliths. Thus, they are often encountered in the company of powerful undead creatures including liches and vampires.
Immolith is a Rank C Monster.
Marilith:
THIS SIX-ARMED, SERPENTINE TERROR delights in hacking enemies to pieces with its swords, doing so with horrifying ease and stonishing grace.
Mariliths are obsessed with martial skill, and they take trophy weapons from particularly fierce opponents, which they hide in secret caches—sometimes in the depths of the Abyss, sometimes in the world.
Mariliths are Rank A Monsters.
Mezzodemon:
THESE INSECTOID DEMONS ARE SOMETHING OF A MYSTERY. While they delight in killing, their priorities lie with the accumulation of treasure.
In the eons since they were spawned in the Abyss, mezzodemons (sometimes referred to as mezzoloths) have spread throughout the planes. They are more likely than other demons to establish lairs and infest specific areas, rather than rampage across realms in monstrous hordes.
Mezzodemons lust after gold and other valuables. Because of this, mezzodemons often work for pay alone and have a mercenary reputation.
Mezzodemons are Rank C Monsters.
Vrock:
WITH DEMONIC GLEE, VROCKS SWOOP DOWN upon their victims and tear them to pieces, cackling madly and relishing their victims’ screams.
Vrocks have a reputation for disloyalty, often abandoning their posts and forsaking one master to join another whom they view as more powerful. They also like to plot against their superiors, although these schemes rarely amount to anything.
Vrocks are Rank D foes.
Abyssal Evicerator:
ABYSSAL EVISERATORS TEAR INTO ENEMIES, ripping out their guts in a frenzy of slaughter. The dimwitted eviscerators often end up under the control of powerful, malign individuals who use them as guardians and muscle.
While the Abyssal Evicerator is strong its lack of intelligence means it rarely threatens society and can often be out maneuvered by a platoon of good soldiers. As such this creature has been given a D Rank.
Abyssal Rotfiend:
ABYSSAL ROTFIENDS ARE DEMONS OF DESPAIR and madness, dark souls wrapped in stitched-together demon and devil skins.
Abyssal rotfiends are demonic undead contained by demon and devil flesh. The spirit within a rotfiend is often a demon soul, although it can come from any evil creature.
Orcus chains abyssal rotfiends in the halls of Everlost, using them as guardians against intruders that can teleport.
The Abyssal Rotfiend is as intelligent as it is powerful. It uses powerful psychic attacks that could cripple armies. As such it has been given an A ranking.
Bebilith:
ORIGINATING IN THE WEB-STREWN REALM of Lolth, the spiderlike bebiliths crawl through the Abyss and other planes, hunting and killing for the joy of it.
Bebiliths often serve Lolth, but :heir limited intellect makes them poor participants in drow schemes. Drow summon these demons as engines of destruction or entrap them for use as guardians.
The powerful Bebilith has been given a B ranking.
Bloodseep Demon:
THE BLOODSEEP DEMON'S POISON BLOOD weeps and spurts from its translucent, cracking body, hastening the death of its enemies while healing its allies.
Bloodseep demons like to weaken their foes before facing them in combat, such as by tainting enemy food sources.
The Bloodseep Demon is fairly weak, though it's toxic blood makes it deadly in melee combat, the demon has been determined to only warrant an E Rank.
Dretch:
FOUL-SMELLING DRETCHES prefer to attack in large numbers and overwhelm their foes.Quarrelsome and stupid, dretches can be tricked into fighting one another i f no leader is present.
Dretches have been decided to be Unranked. While slaying one will not warrant a Bounty Board reward or positions town and cities that may have a problem with an infestation of these creatures may offer a reward for their extermination.
Gnaw Demon:
GNAW DEMONS CONSUME EVERYTHING they can get their hands on. Although they can subsist on inanimate objects, they prefer living flesh.
Gnaw demons are cowardly demons that usually choose escape over destruction. Fleeing gnaw demons can become distracted by a
weak target, so chasing them down is often as simple as locating their next likely victim.
The cowardice and simplicity of a Gnaw Demon means it rarely ever attacks even the smallest towns or cities. As such they have been left Unranked. Though a town may offer a reward for a colony or even an individual.
Kazrith:
The kazrith lurks underground and uses tremorsense to locate its enemies. Once it has chosen a target, it surfaces and attacks, retreating after the attack. It waits for the acid to run its course and then resurfaces to finish off the victim.
Kazrith demons are water-dwelling predators of the planes. They lurk in lakes, rivers, and waterways, waiting for unwary prey to pass by. Kazriths can also burrow. Acid sprays from a kazrith's pores,
aiding the demon's ability to burrow and leaving a fountain of acid in its wake.
Kazriths travel between bodies of water by creating vast networks of interconnecting flooded tunnels. These networks lie close to the
surface so that the kazriths can sense prey overhead. Although most kazriths dwell in the Elemental Chaos, they sometimes find natural gates leading into the world.
The Kazrith Demon is powerful and extremely deadly. Though it rarely attacks settlements, it is still a very dangerous foe for travelers. It has been given a B rank.
Needle Demon:
NEEDLE DEMONS TURN ENEMIES against one another by making them believe that their closest friends have betrayed them. Needle demons wreak havoc and destruction throughout the Abyss and take
any opportunity to bring that chaos to the mortal realms.
Needle demons possess greater cunning than most give them credit for, and they are more patient than many other demons. This craftiness often puts needle demons in the role of advisors to more powerful demons and even as the true powers behind manipulated puppets. However, their hunger for watching foes fight one another often gets the better of them, and they are rarely capable of more than simple deceptions.
Needle Demons are powerful foes that are very deserving of their D ranking.
Neldrazu:
NELDRAZUS HIDE IN THE SHADOWS on the edge of a battle, then charge in to snatch enemies away. Once a neldrazu gets its target alone, it tears into it with its four savage claws.
Although difficult to control, neldrazus make excellent abductors for slavers or kidnappers that don't mind if their goods are slightly damaged.
The Neldrazu, though fearsome looking, is fairly weak in open combat. It's main strength is its ability to teleport around the battlefield. It is this ability that earned it a D rank.
Nycademon:
RIPPLING WITH MUSCLES AND THICK TENDONS, nycademons are winged terrors that soar over the charred landscape of the Abyss, searching for prey on the open expanses. These predators harry ground creatures for amusement, lifting their hapless victims high into the air and dropping them.
Nycademons are nicknamed "sky demons" for their tendency to swoop down and grab their enemies, carrying them high into the sky and releasing them to fall to their deaths.
Nycademons put great stock in their physical superiority over their foes. This belief makes them overconfident when facing enemies that
don't immediately show signs of power and hesitant when facing enemies that show great strength.
The Nycademon is powerful both in sheer strength and tactical ability. It's love of dropping enemies from high places is well documented. This had earned the monster the rank of an A Class.