#taxonomyofdemons

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Irina, Count of Powderscar

Irina, Count of Powderscar, The Rust-Feather Crane, Shadow Of The Killing Rain, Demon Noble of the Sixth Circle. Subsidiary Soul: Beza, The Rust-Feather Crane

Irina takes the form of a tall, thin woman - unnaturally slender, her body corded with muscle. Her skin is rust-red, her head adorned with scarlet feathers like a thick mane. Her eyes are black holes ringed with bright steel; meeting her gaze is like staring into the barrel of a gun. She dresses in elegant robes in more shades of red and brown, with wings upon her back. Her weapon of choice is called Leadfire Wheel, a ringblade studded with pistols.

Her demense, Powderscar, is a dense and tall city wreathed in gunsmoke. The gunsmithies ring with hammers and testfire at all hours, almost drowned out by the bustle of the markets. It is surrounded by the bullet paddies that bring it wealth; oil-flooded fields where ammunition is grown by serfs and patrolled by stilt-legged guards. It sits on the edge of a canyon and the bridge to the far side is controlled from her palace.

She is known to be decisive and merciless; not cruel, but without hesitation in meting out punishment, quick to apply to the death sentence by her own hand. She is also well known for her taste and fondness for fashionable attire; her preferred colour palette may be limited but she delights in designs which make interesting use of pattern, texture, and shape. She practices pyrography, searing detailed and delicate scenes of nude figures lounging in gardens. Her private chambers are decorated with abstract sculptures of smoke and her favourite guns from her personal forge.

She serves Earl Ruthven of Kanon with fidelity, but feuds with her closest peers; Titus Ironhand covets her gunsmiths and she despies his boorish manners, while she and Lelka the Cutting Scream have never forgiven each other over being punished for infighting by having a rare material over which they battled taken by Ruthven. She is ever at war with her neighbour of the Fourth Circle, Count Lenshi of the Bitter Coast, who rules the demense wildward of her own. The great cannons of Powderscar shout their rage every few hours in a effort to sink his fleet. She takes lovers in secret and their names are not known.

Expressions: Hunter's Eyes: When sighting a target, Irina gets one use of the Hyper-Appraisal Blasphemy for free. Cannon Queen: Ballistic cannon revere Irina; they will try to miss her when fired in her direction. Bullet Ballet: Irina can use her Perform Skill in place of Evasion when avoiding gunfire and kick off bullets to propel herself.

Her subsidiary-soul, Beza, takes the form of an immense crane with rusting iron feathers. He soars above the demense, his shadow causing terror in Demons who fall under it. Traitors, spies, and criminals feel the piercing besk of Beza, whether falling from the sky like a spike of doom or exploding from a perfectly still one-legged posture. Beza enjoys harp music and eating Imps.

Expressions: Steel Beak: Beza's beak attacks ignores up to 5 Soak. Stillness to Violence: Beza blends into his home territory when still. When doing so, his Composure is doubled for determining Initiative and his next attack counts as if from stealth.

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Princes of the Fourth Circle

I may not go back do this for all of the Circles, but this one is in ascending order and comes with a playlist

Valtanta, Scourge-Prince, Sovereign of the Winds, The Coldest Shoulder, Cutting Sigh, Evergone, The White Mourning, Cruel Prophet, Lord of the Rain of Tears, Lady of Last Resorts, Voice of Betrayal, The Kindly Knife, Saint of Exile

Twilight Mirage, Scourge-Prince, Sovereign of Mesopelagia, Unknowing Knower, Sea of Ghosts, Ice-Rimed Eyes, The Empty-Handed, First of the Drowned, Forget-Me-Now, Inward Blade of the Unforgiven, Saint of the Lost

Luce, Scourge-Prince, Sovereign of Bathys, Lightscorned, Whalecorpse Palace, Shipwrecker, Blackheart, The Great Serpent, Jaws Within Jaws, Scapegoat Seeker, Outward Blade of the Unforgiven, Saint of Murder

Isioros, Scourge-Prince, Sovereign of the Doldrums, The Hungering Void, Master of Empty Rooms, Heartstopper, The Crushing Fathom, Silence Absolute, Doomsickness, Great Kraken, Saint of the Wounded

The Moon In The Deep, Sovereign of The Abyss, The Great Attractor, Nightsong, Who Abides Eternal, Martyr In Themself, What Loves You Always, The Glow In The Rock, False-Home Spectre, Saint of Suicides

The Bitter End, Scourge-King, Forsaken of Names, Mouthless Eater, Mountain-Killer, The Dark Hope, Breaker of Virtue, Fourth Symbol of Royalty, All-Consuming Tide, The Silent Maelstrom, Frost-Devouring-Dawn, Deathscorned

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First Circle Princes

Lux Tyranis, Illuminor-King, Who Sits The Nuclear Throne, Radiant Blade of The Infinite Horizon, Brooks-No-Shadow, First And Final Blood, Commander of the Endless Host, The Ur-Monarch, The First Symbol of Royalty, Hydrogen Saint of Fusion, Whose Light Severs, Warrior Without End

Tacitus, Illuminor-Prince, The Unblinking Eye, The Pitiless Sun, Shining Lord of the Paper Desert, Thrice-Broken, The Revelation of Time, Mentor of the First General, Uranium Saint of Fission, Whose Gaze Unravels.

Setha, Illuminor-Prince, Queen of Duels, Heaven-Sundering Glaive, Temple of the Warrior’s Fortune, Arbiter of Trial by Sword, The Just Cut, Mentor of the First Knight, Plutonium Saint of Fission, Resplendant Division of Murder and War.

Rathless, Illuminor-Prince, Mercenary Heart, Mentor of the First Sellsword, Adopted of War’s Forsaken Children, The Underhanded, Who Kills By Sight, Disfavoured of the Hellsun, Leaden Saint of Fission, Law’s Shadow

Adalgard, Illuminor-Prince, Shield of Dawn, Patron of Heroes, The Obliged Noble, Mentor of the First Lawkeeper, The Punishing Sun, Deuterium Saint of Fusion, The Terrible Power of Duty. The Grieving Sword of Execution

Tentham, Illuminor-Prince, The Defier, Tyrant-Rebel, Quill of the Death Warrant, Mentor of the Last Rebel, Poisoner of Revolution, Bright Lure Atop Power’s Jaws, Neutrino Saint of Fission, Hypocrite in Golden Finery

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Third Circle Princes

Ur-Sekhem'gal, Avenger-King, End of All Swords, Keeper of Thunder's Forge, The Great Drake, Of Adamant Scale, Third Symbol of Royalty, Doom of Nations, Vengeance of Spiritus Mundi, The Burning Tower

Shurdat'urma, Avenger-Prince, Lady of the Flaying Wind, Destroyer of Kings, Doom of Tyrants, Thrice-Penitent Killer, Blood-Drowned City, Guillotine Queen, The Red Axe, Vengeance of the Downtrodden

Karpallas, Avenger Prince, Bloodshot Eye of Desperate Fury, Trenchlord, Sovereign of the Killing Fields, The Bloody Fisted Wraith, Vengeance of the Forsaken Soldier, Heart of Murderous Intent

Y'shora, Avenger Prince, Widower Knife, Bloody-Handed Child, The Ashen Hovel, Wild Flame of Anguish, Vengeance of the Wounded Soul, The Woman With Red Teeth, Stonehearted, Whom No Love May Conquer

Tothis-Nale, Avenger Prince, Mewling Scythe, Weeping Terror, Vengeance of No Home, Blood-Drunk Patriarch, Loathesome Guardian, The Silent Chapel, Heart of Smoke, The Hollow Man

Red Lotus, Avenger-Prince, Bodhisattva of the Twin Graves, The Path of Crimson Footprints, Vengeance of the Penitent, Destroys-by-Touch, Drinker of Poison, Cuts-You-Cuts-Me, Retributor, Sin-Eater

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Second Circle Princes

The Unspeakable,Nightmare-King, Annihilator of Meaning, The Colour of Madness, Voice of Apocalypse, Moonless-Night Sovereign, Here-And-Nowhere, The Tall Man, Prince of Falling Leaves, Second Symbol of Royalty, Thief of Hope, Master of Mirrors, Walker in Dreams

[Redacted], Nightmare-Prince, R, Duchess of the Wall of Sleep, Who Is Summoned In Speaking, Warden of Dreams, Jailer of Art, The Terrible Power of Banality, Lady of the Border-Marches, Bearer of The Moon-Piece, Mask of Anhedonia.

Margenta, Nightmare-Prince, Master of the Maelstrom, the Overflowing Cup, Patron of The Too-Sighted, The Untameable Hands, The Ceaseless Tongue, Rapture of Wilderness, Bearer of The Rare-Chance Piece, Mask of Mania

Tower-Ever-Falling,Nightmare-Prince, Lord of the Dead City, The Watcher From The Garret, Cageheart, The Great Empty, All Unseeing, Love’s Last Revenge, Voice of the Dusk, Bearer of The Ice-Piece, Mask of Tragedia

Ebroad, Nightmare-Prince, Keeper of The Bleak House, Moonscorned, Eater of Sleep, The Hungry Threshold, Thought-Jawed Trap, The Thing With The Endless Tongue, Eversmiling, King of the Toads, Bearer of the Night-Piece, Mask of Commedia

Old Scrape, Nightmare-Prince, Tender of Night’s Vast Garden, Scarecrow Lord, Rot-Shepherd, Beloved of Beetles, Cemeterian, The Lord of No Court, He Who Walks Behind The Hedge, Bearer of The Scale, Mask of Acedia

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Taxonomy of the Demon Realm: Dopplers

Hounds of the Great Beast, Dopplers in their 'natural' form are inchoate heaps of flesh, studded with eyes and mouths, dripping with corrosive digestive fluids.  They are normally encountered in one of three shapes - something desirable, something they like, or another Demon.

Dopplers have an intuitive sense for what, in their immediate environment, would be desirable. The smallest Dopplers mimic nearby currency or valuables; larger Dopplers at rest stops might take the shape of chairs or beds. Unfortunately, they're not especially bright creatures - once, a Doppler crawled into a Pandemonium hotel through an open window, and disguised itself as a bed. Over the next two days, seven more Dopplers found their way in. By the time someone tried to occupy the room it was wall-to-wall beds and the door was wedged shut (a problem solved by strapping a few ampoules of neurotoxin to an imp, sending it through the window, and letting unnature take its course). This is less of a problem when they get into vaults and treasuries, but when one finds oneself in possession of three additional crystal skulls for no clear reason, it's probably Dopplers.

While Dopplers rely on things around them they can mimic, some become fixated on specific objects that they find somehow beautiful or entrancing. The Doppler in question will puddle nearby, manifest dozens of eyes, and simply stare at the object in question. Items they mimic in this fashion are forms they can always remember and take, although rarely with much regard for their surroundings.

A rare few Dopplers are cunning and clever enough to convincingly mimic mortals, imps, or other beasts of Hell. The most infamous case is Count Ilustrin, who was devoured by an especially large Doppler. The Doppler then assumed his identity so perfectly, it didn't know it wasn't Illustrin. The situation later resolved itself as the Doppler succeeded so thoroughly, it worked its way up to Earl and transformed entirely into a true Devil.

The WanderInn is a very large Doppler in Pandemonium that takes the shape of a pub, shambling into empty spaces between buildings and luring in customers, and moving to a new location once recognized. Still, it has become well known enough that Demons dare each other to go in for a drink, and an infection of Pustules has taken to staffing it.

Dopplers are most often used as security for treasuries or similar locations, assassination tools, decoration, or even ammunition (some very small mimics make horribly, hilarious effective bullets).

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A Taxonomy of the Demon Realm: Aubade

Each of Hell’s Circles has a beast of such expressive form that it becomes known as the Hound to that Circle. Unsurprisingly, this term is applied to things which stretch the fragile boundaries of the word.

In the case of the Hellsun, the ‘Hound’ is in fact a feline of prodigious size and grace. While some unique examples exist, most Aubade strongly resemble tigers or leopards wrought of gold and ivory, with powerful jaws and deadly claws. The most striking feature of the Aubade is also the hardest to perceive – their eyes shine with a bright light, hard to look upon, hinting at what lies beneath. When roused to violence, the flesh and fur of the Aubade’s head peels back like petals to form a mane and reveals the burning star within. If one has the capacity to look without being blinded, the shape of the skull can be dimly perceived, formed from coruscating plasma.

In temperament, there are only two commonalities to Aubade – their limitless disdain for perceived prey and territoriality. Aubade fight viciously over lairs and hunt Rabble for fun, and will unflinchingly strike at even Nobility if they do not respect them. On the other hand, Aubade can be loyal to masters they respect and some can even be described as cuddly. Highly intelligent, Aubade are not trained so much as convinced to co-operate.

Aubade are formed when light from the Hellsun becomes trapped in an area and coalesces into shape, and they effectively ‘breed’ by gathering objects into a light trap.  Wild Aubade appear to hoard dark materials and parts of prey for this purpose.

The Emerald Lion is the loyal pet of the Illuminor-Prince Lux Tyranis. A particularly impressive specimen over twenty hands tall, The Emerald Lion is a dark, lush green striped with silver.  It sits, or lounges, at the side of Tyranis’ throne pampered by imps until he gives the command to kill. It does not hurry, however – some prey can spend the equivalent of decades seeing the glint of emerald light on the horizon before the Lion finally strikes, and it does not kill quickly even then.  Like its master, the Lion is powerfully radioactive even by the standards of the star-skulled Aubade.

[credit to mah boi https://silvertonguedcanine.tumblr.com for the concept]

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A Taxonomy of the Demon Realm: Manics

Despite the implication of their name, half of all Manics at least lack the frantic energy of their peers. All, however, are driven by a singular obsession that they find any excuse to avoid directly pursuing.

The average Manic is taller than an Imp and frequently around four feet tall, discounting ears or hair; both of which tend to be long and worn high. Like most Unseen, their flesh tends to be shades of purple, blue, and black with hints of silver or green. Typically humanoid in shape, but it’s not uncommon for them to have patches of chitin, extra eyes, or up to six limbs. Oddly, many of them resent comparisons to spiders.

Predictably, they rarely rise above their station – perhaps even less so than Imps – serving as minions to higher-ranking Demons as an excuse to focus on their goal from afar. Those without immediate responsibilities foisted on them, or a little more ambition, tend to assemble ludicrously convoluted schemes to achieve their goals. In general, knowing your minion is plotting against you in comically self-defeating fashion is preferable to one whose intentions remain hidden, and if you can keep them busy doing other things you hardly ever need worry. The danger lies in the rare Manic of such skill that it rapidly succeeds at other tasks, leaving itself lacking in excuses, or the even rarer example whose obsessive machinations are worryingly competent – something rivals, targets, and enemies may not realize until the noose tightens around them.

Like Imps, Manics usually spin out of the dreams of the most vast and terrible Unseen.

They usually find themselves employed as bureaucrats, spies, assassins, concubines, and weaponized diplomats (good luck getting all the paperwork done with one of these on staff. Some Demons take their filing extremely seriously).

Titled Manics skew to extremes; berserker-commanders of mercenary companies or aloof masterminds manipulating everyone around them.

Mora Mori serves as chamberlain to Kulshedra, the Great Serpent of the Lake of Inks. He also manages a vast spy network among lower-ranking Demons with intent to find and destroy his rival, Yakub the Bound, by luring him into a fatal confrontation.

Lewish All-Teeth is a roaming killer, hired not for discretion but to make a point. Her name comes from her favoured weapons – the jawbones of other Demons artfully broken and reassembled into crude hatchets and tonfa. It is only when you see her action you realize she must, at one time, have been a dancer or hoped to become one. A Lightbringer once applauded as Lewish cut her into seven pieces.

The Bladesong is the master of an obscure monastery where acolytes train in an esoteric martial art tied to the intersection of music and violence. No one has actually seen the Bladesong himself practice in many cycles – he spends much of his time writing elegantly crafted poetry based on puns. Famously caused an Incubus to cringe himself into a unique new form with a particularly devastating play on the word vulva.

Name: Manic Circle: Second Circle: Hell’s Night Family: Fiend Class: Rabble Preferred Habitat: Comfortable, dim-lit urban locations. Reproduction: Demonic Emanation

Typical Appearance: Rarely taller than five feet, never shorter than three. Fond of comfortable but stylish attire which is nonetheless rather unkempt. Has between four and six limbs, up to three eyes.

Theological Significance: “Behold, the careless sword that sunders nations!”