Appearance

In their normal, daily forms, demons are indistinguishable from each other by house; they present a humanoid form, but their characteristics vary wildly by individual as would any member of a species. They can sport horns, multicolored eyes, and various other features that set their common forms apart from others; it is the demon's true form that really gives away where they belong.

As mentioned previously, all demons possess an inherent true form; this form is something that they cannot change, and it is the true measure of their full power. This form's appearance varies between the different houses, though it is representative of each house's curse. The true forms of the weakest demons present grotesquely twisted forms, the most affected by the curses, while the strongest demons' true forms only hint at what house they belong to. The appearance of each house's true form is as follows:

Death: The weakest Death demons look like skeletons. From there, demons that are slightly stronger still resemble skeletons, but they sport deathmasks. As demons grow increasingly powerful, they gain flesh and skin, until the strongest demons look like they might have only just passed into the void.

War: The weakest War demons look like slain soldiers, possessing gaping, fatal wounds. As the demons grow more powerful, the amount of blood on their forms increases, but the lethality of the wounds decreases. The strongest appear heavily injured and bleeding, but seem not to be bothered by the wounds.

Conquest: The weakest Conquest demons look like broken slaves, with collars, chains, and brandings upon thin, weak frames, though the accessories do not interfere with movement in any way. As the demons grow more powerful, these signs of slavery begin to recede, starting with the brandings and moving on to the removal of the collar, while the demons begin to look more physically fit. The strongest of these demons still have chains, but they are broken and hanging, and the demons themselves look well-muscled and fit.

Famine: The weakest Famine demons look little better than emaciated corpses. As they grow stronger, they appear better and better fed and the visibility of their bones begin to lessen. The strongest demons look almost recovered, their bones barely visible, but they still seem unnaturally lean.

Martyr: The weakest of Martyrs appear as if they have been rotting away in the ground for over a century. Their bodies are made of bones with dry, brittle hair. Some of their original form still lingers, but they have huge gashes and missing chunks in their bodies. The stronger the demon grows, the less undead it appears. There are less missing parts of their body, less wounds, and a less dead appearance. The strongest appear like newly arisen zombies.

Terror: Terrors appear like any other demon except where most will bleed blood, Terrors will bleed a black shadow-like mist. The weakest of Terrors only are able to show this substance when they are cut. The stronger the demon becomes, the more it is able to control it. The strongest are able to take on an entire appearance made of this substance with no need for flesh.

On Royals: Royal demons are an exception to the rules, and have unique true forms that are impossible to attain for any other demon. Death royals appear alive, but they wear deathmasks and possess an aura of darkness that leaves behind an afterimage, which is commonly known as the Cloak of Death. War royals appear as knights wearing removable armor, bleeding from behind the plates and especially under the helm. Famine royals look slightly overweight, as if they are well-fed, and are decorated with extensive ornamentation. Conquest Royals are blindfolded and have broken chains trailing them, though neither affects movement or visibility; they also have a branding mark somewhere on their body. Martyr Royals appear the most angelic as they wear white robes made from the souls of the fallen. They appear as if they just died with gashes as if they have just been injured. Terrors have the oddest appearance as they do not have one specific look. Their appearance takes on the form of what the opponent fears most.

Abilities

As aforementioned, demons have always been as powerful as the angels. Descended from the same ancestor, created by the same gods, demons and angels are two equal forces that may never triumph over each other. However, as the demons have split from the angels, they have developed their own twist upon the powers that were once the same as their light-following enemies.

Like the angels, demons have true forms, and it is in this form that they are the most powerful, both in strength and magic. Though in these true forms all demons possess power far greater than in their everyday forms, the status of the demon itself determines the total power that its true form possesses. Stronger demons display equally stronger true forms, up to the royal demons, whose true forms' powers are great enough to destroy lesser beings simply by the sheer amount of energy they radiate. Due to the danger of their abilities, demons are unable to access their true forms unless they are in very dire need. Should they use it, the demon itself can be damaged by the strain forced on their body by such a form, and thus the true forms are rarely seen. The strain is more due to the concentration of such a high power being unleashed when normally it is bound up tight like an unused muscle.

The true forms of the royal demons are slightly different than those of the rest of the demons; not in their physical appearance, but rather in the usage of a highly specialized weapon that is created from the essence of their true form. This weapon may change over time if the essence of the demon has changed or been altered. Each weapon has special abilities and can be extremely powerful with being made of condensed power, able to annihilate a great number of things.

The normal form of a demon, though it varies in appearance by house, is the one most commonly seen. Though in this form a demon does not possess its full power, it is still not a force to be taken lightly, as a more powerful demon can still deal devastating damage. Demons are unlimited to all forms of magic but one; the stronger demons are able to control more than one thing, and the number of magical skills that the demon is capable of mastering is determined by the demon's rank and strength. Not only this, but more powerful demons exert some level of control over the weaker demons, although the amount of control is determined by the gap of power between the lower and upper demons.

Demons' abilities in their common forms vary by house as well. War demons are the strongest, and they are well-suited to melee combat, possessing not only greater strength, but greater stamina as well. The Famine demons are the fastest of the demon kinds, able to outrun and outmaneuver most others. Conquest demons are the strategic masterminds, and are adept at coming up with new inventions and schemes. Death demons are the most mastered at skills with magic, and have the ability for accelerated healing, without need for healing magic or spells. Martyrs are able to take significant amounts of damage to the point that blood-loss almost means nothing. However, this makes them more vulnerable into slipping into their true forms and lose control the more blood they lose. Terrors leave the feeling of fear in their wakes. This makes those around them vulnerable to paranoia and insanity.

Demons' abilities in their common forms vary by house as well. War demons are the strongest, and they are well-suited to melee combat, possessing not only greater strength, but greater stamina as well. The Famine demons are the fastest of the demon kinds, able to outrun and outmaneuver most others. Conquest demons are the strategic masterminds, and are adept at coming up with new inventions and schemes. Death demons are the most mastered at skills with magic, and have the ability for accelerated healing, without need for healing magic or spells. Martyrs are able to take significant amounts of damage to the point that blood-loss almost means nothing. However, this makes them more vulnerable into slipping into their true forms and lose control the more blood they lose. Terrors leave the feeling of fear in their wakes. This makes those around them vulnerable to paranoia and insanity.

Another ability that demons possess is that they are able to shift into forms of various animals. The weakest demons only are able to change into one alternate form, but the strongest demons can have up to three animal forms that they are freely able to shift between. For normal demons, these forms can be any non-mythological animal, from a snail to an elephant. However, Royal demons are granted a fourth, mythological form along with the three that they already are able to use.

The one form of magic that the demon cannot use is light magic. The true reason behind this is unknown, though it is thought to perhaps stem from the fact that the demons turned their back on the light when they separated from the angels. Not only this, but demons are affected by light magic the most strongly, so that it can inflict severe damage when used against them. In this, demons once again oppose angels, for their light brethren are affected in the same way by the dark magic that demons tend to favor.

History

Once, years upon years ago, there were no demons in Antarsia. Only angels roamed the northern section of Katakarthia, worshipping the goddess Haliea of the sun and moon. However, some of the Angels began to see a different side, began to disagree with their brethren, and from this the dissenters found a new god to worship. His name was Vaerath, of the light and dark. The angels who came to be known as the "twisted ones" found their ideals were far better aligned with this new god's, and with their new patron at their backs, they started a silent rebellion.

The "twisted ones" turned against their houses as the sunlight in their souls was replaced by the darkness of the moon, and they swore never to return. From this point, these angels were no longer angels; rather, they began to call themselves demons, wholly embracing the darkness that now resided within their beings.

Thus split from the angel houses, the demons chose to oppose the houses of the angels, creating four houses of their own; these houses were War, Death, Famine, and Conquest. Led by the most powerful dissenters, the demons in these dark houses allowed their new way of life to twist them, until they were unrecognizable from the angels had once been, both in mind and body. This twist in being became known as the "curses" of the four demon houses, traces of it apparent in all demons from the weakest to the strongest of them. Equally as powerful as the angels, the demons threw the once-promising lands of the angels into turmoil, launching themselves against their light brethren in an eternal war.

The origins of Martyrs and Terrors are a bit different compared to the other Demon Houses. It is thought that Martyrs are born from the dead angels and demons who have fallen in the war between the two species. These were the ones who normally were opposed to the fighting, but still died due to the War. However, no demon remembers their past life. Terrors are said to be born from fear itself. The accumulation of fear from across the continents had manifested to create the demons known as Terrors. Since then, the two have developed into the demons we know today to stand as their own respective houses alongside Famine, War, Conquest, and Death.