| abstract
| - Demons are the servants of the Descendant Powers that want to take over Necromundus. Some have been Demons for long ages, others are fallen souls who have earned Necromundus as a first assignment. Demons are sexless beings (although for ease of communication or whatever temptation they may have going they can take on the characteristics of a specific gender, this is entirely a choice and one which can be altered). In their purest form, they are largely featureless beings of broadly humanoid shape, sporting very large wings and bearing an aura of crimson flame with a heavy scent of sulphur. While they are capable, with some effort, of taking on any form - there will always be some sign to those that look for it that one is dealing with a Demon and not a felinoid, lupoid, human or other being. The simplest sign is, of course, the red or black wings demons often sport. Fangs are also common, as is a lingering scent of sulphur in the air, or footsteps that burn or harm the earth. Demons are often far more capable than Angels at disguising their nature, and though they can never appear fully human it can often take a true member of a given race to know for certain that the being one faces is Not One Of Us. Unlike any other race but the Angels, Demons don't just arrive in Necromundus, but are sent there with a purpose and a duty in mind. They may have to 'wake' to this awareness, but it's more a matter of time than anything that could be avoided. An demon's duty binds its will; it is physically incapable of betraying its duty regardless of what pains or tortures might be visited upon it. Likewise, Demons are uniformly considered 'evil' beings. They may well appear kind or friendly, but they are always 'evil'. While not wishing to force players to be 'classically evil', that Demons are an evil race is a given - not a guess or supposition. A demon which fails to be evil, and fails to perform evil acts, may well expect the Greater Descendant Powers to take note of their dereliction of duty and visit horrible punishments upon them. Demons, like Angels, do not have free will. At the very least, a demon should be intent on corrupting and deceiving other PCs in some harmful manner, or on gaining control over them to influence the city toward the Descendant Powers. Demons, like Angels, are mystical beings. They hold great power compared to many of the denizens of Necromundus, at the price of their free will. They are also subject to unique weaknesses which are not shared by any but their Angelic cousins. Capture: While it would ordinarily be very difficult to bind an infernal creature such as a Demon, it can be done by a Mage or Priest versed in the correct ceremonial magics. However, to do this requires possession of the Demon's true name. (NOTE: No Demon on Necromundus will ever introduce itself or willingly refer to itself by its true name, so don't go thinking this is any kind of easy task!) Once a Demon is summoned into the mystic circle, it is bound there by the will of the casting priest or mage. This confinement is defined by a contested Willpower roll, once per day - if the Demon's roll is higher, the Demon has broken free. If the captor's roll is higher, the Demon is held bound for the next 24 hours. Torture: As it is, again, difficult to cause harm to a creature as infernal in nature as a Demon, other methods have been devised. Magic can be used to cause a Demon harm, but the most effective torture again involves use of a Demon's True Name. Deliberate mispronunciations of the True Name cause a demon harm not unlike drawing fingernails across the blackboard of the soul. As this causes the demon great pain without doing it physical harm, it is favored (by those who can obtain the True Name required) as a form of interrogation. This is often the only form of torture that will gain the attention of a Demon at all, given how merciless their superiors often are in meting out punishment for any failures.
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