Demons are the native inhabitants of Hell, a realm of eternal suffering for the souls of humans (and possibly others) who have led wicked lives. While each demon is a unique creature with intelligence and free will, they are almost always born with a strong preference toward sadistic, hateful behavior. The realm of Hell is designed as a place of punishment for the damned, and its inhabitants are generally thrilled to fulfill that duty.
Physically, demons don't have DNA, or even a body in a normal sense. Most demons tend toward humanoid appearances, though exceptions exist. Humanoid demons usually have wings and horns. The wings are bat-like in appearance unless the demon was once an angel, in which case their feathery wings will usually turn from white to dark grey or even black. Non-humanoid demons can vary wildly in shape, sometimes existing for no purpose except to wage war and cause carnage. Regardless of form, all demons are pseudo-immortal, reforming in Hell once they are physically killed off, and share an immunity to fire (a necessity when you exist in a fiery underworld). They also naturally cause lower forms of life, such as vegetation, to die off in their presence. While demons are rarely welcome in any society besides their own, this last trait makes them particularly hated by dryads and other nature spirits.
While demons originate in Hell, they eagerly explore other worlds in search of souls to drag back down with them. They have some limited ability to travel via magical portals of their own creation, but often rely on their victims summoning them in order to make extremely unwise bargains. Rather than simply killing their victims outright, demons usually prefer to corrupt their prey first, nudging them toward making decisions that damn their souls and make them ripe for the harvest. Demonic influence can rapidly turn decent human beings into greedy, hateful individuals, often causing major chaos in their communities before they are finally snatched up. This chaos is a perfect opportunity for further demonic interference, and while demons are hesitant to wipe out an entire community, they will happily keep it in a state of miserable disruption for as long as possible, parasitising it as long as they can.
Of course, like any race of intelligent beings, exceptions to the rule do exist. Natalie in particular stands out as an extreme aberration among demonkind. While no conclusive reason for this has been given, it is suspected that her father's identity may have something to do with it.
The following monsters and people are demons or at least partly demonic:
- Aubrey (Lilim)
- Azaeress (Lilim)
- Carrion Egg (monstrous troop transports)
- Daemiana (Lilim)
- "Ebony" and "Ivory" (twin Lilims)
- Hell Portal (inexplicable mobile connections straight to hell)
- Imp (low-level demons)
- Legion (monsters formed from evil energy)
- Lilaela (Lilim)
- Lilith (progenitor of the Lilims)
- Natalie (Lilim)
- Xylyra (Succubus)