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GLOSSARY
A DEMON: A demon is an entity formed entirely out of evil. They arise spontaneously when the evil thoughts in the minds of men, and the evil energy floating about the world suddenly come together, creating a new form and personality, entirely out of evil. Demons are mighty creatures- though not immortal. They have great power over fear and seduction, as well as great physical power, which they use to prey on humans, eating them, enslaving them, and even convincing them to join their cause (See CULTS). Demons gain power from being worshipped or feared (often both at once), from feeding off of humans or other magical creatures, from magical artifacts, and simply from age.
What their motives are beyond doing evil is unknown.
(see LESSER DEMONS, PHYSICAL MIGHT, MENTAL MIGHT, ANGELS)
ANGELS: Angels are creatures made of good.
(see [?])
ARMIES: As a demon grows bolder, he may decide to stop hiding in shadows and engage in open warfare against the forces of good. His followers will arm themselves, his slaves will work twice as hard, and his servants will gather and ready themselves for war. Demonic armies are terrifying things; slave warriors who feel no pain make up the front ranks, serving as fodder so that the armed cultists might manoeuvre into position better. Fanatics clad in hell-forged steel charge into battle, taking the enemy on five at a time. When the enemy grows weary from facing human foes, they will find themselves set upon by whatever dark servants the demon commands- mutants, undead, lesser demons- each more terrifying than the last, their charge is often the tipping point which causes the foe to flee. And commanding these cursed legions are the demon's champions, entities of great power, but also great intelligence and tactical savviness; often they can outwit even the smartest generals.
And should the enemy be capable of matching blows with the demon's forces, they may still not be in the clear. Should the battle be pivotal and the need great, the demon himself may come to fight; assuming the form of some titanic beast, sweeping men aside like a maid might sweep dust, turning entire regiments against their fellows with a single thought, destroying the entire army in a single blast of evil energy.
Only a great force of justice could stand against a demonic army. Such forces are rare, and the times they choose to act, rarer. (see HEROES, ANGELS)
(see A DEMON, FOLLOWERS, SLAVES, SERVANTS, CHAMPIONS, RESOURCES)
BRUTEWOLF: Created by Nokluvgn to ravage the woods near Fellshore, these wolf-devils are terrifying beasts. The most noticeable difference between them and a wolf is their eyes, for instead of a wolf's canny canine peepers, the Brutewolf has burning coals. This does not appear to impact their vision whatsoever. The other physical difference is their size, for the Brutewolf is a full foot bigger than even the biggest wolf. The most relevant difference is their intelligence, for the influence of Evil has made them nearly as smart as a human being, capable of understanding languages, handily outsmarting huntsmen sent to catch them until it is they who is hunted, and most importantly, capable of understanding their demonic master's will and acting on it. For the Brutewolf is thoroughly evil from snout to tail, filled with hate for all that is good and pure, and fanatically loyal to their dark lord. Brutewolves can easily take down an unarmed villager, or an untrained militia member, though it may not be able to best an armed guardsman alone.
(see MONSTERS, MUTATIONS, SERVANTS)
CULTS: Cults are organized groups of demon-worshippers. They vary from a gaggle of mortals serving a demon personally, to shadowy agencies with members in the highest courts, thousands of followers, and large active military arms. Typically membership of a cult will be kept secret, by worshipping only during the night in secluded locations, although as cults grow larger and more bold, they may worship openly. Cults tend to have a 'uniform' by which they recognise each other; frequently it disguises their identities as well. They often choose specific sites to worship at, with larger cults even constructing secret temples for the express purpose of worshipping their dark lord (see TEMPLES). A cult's power depends on a number of factors; the amount of members it has, how many resources it can spare for daily operation, how powerful the object of their worship is, and how close the connection between each cultist and the demon is.
Cults engage in a number of activities at their dark lord's bequest; converting more members to their foul cause, ensnaring and enslaving mortals to be sacrificed (see SLAVES), summoning or creating monstrous creatures (see SERVANTS, MONSTERS, SUMMONING), bearing arms against their malevolent deity's enemies (see ARMIES), or simply worshipping them, as that their chorus of voices might give him strength.
In return, the demon will often promise power, forbidden pleasures, or limitless wealth. (see REWARDS)
(see A DEMON, FOLLOWERS)
DEATH: That is not dead which can eternal lie, and given strange aeons even death may die.
(see SOULS)
DRUID: Druids are a form of wizard that use wild magic. Not much is known about druids.
(see WIZARDS, WILD MAGIC)
EATING: OMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM
FELLSHORE: A small village on the shore of Lake Fell, Fellshore recently fell under the complete control of the demon Nokluvgn (see CULTS, NOKLUVGN). It is a fishing village, catching fish from Lake Fell and storing them in barrels for sale at the market in Nuulyd. Lake Fell itself is relatively small as compared to, say, Grand Lake, but by ordinary lake sizes it is... medium. It would be known throughout Jilgalia as the deepest lake around, if anyone ever bothered to measure how deep it is. Who knows what unseen things lurk in those forgotten depths?
(see NUULYD, FÖZDOCH, JILGALIA)
FOLLOWERS: Followers are willing mortals, who follow a demon in exchange for power, or for not being eaten.
(see A DEMON, CULTS, MORTALS, REWARDS)
FÖZDOCH: The easternmost province of Jilgalia, Fözdoch (or Fozdoch) is large, but sparsely populated, its population mainly living in small, isolated villages surrounded by meagre farms, mainly subsisting off of fishing and forestry. There are two towns of note in the region; Nuulyd, a small but prosperous border town, and Oegorda, a larger town surrounded by farmland that serves as the de facto capital of the province, though the de jure seat of government is Castle Brylib, the Duke's residence a few days ride from both towns. The river Foz begins here, running west until it joins the larger Wrozrun, which flows all the way to Grand Lake.
The province's principal exports are furs, fish, timber (like most of Jilgalia) and copper. It imports grain and other foodstuffs.
(see JILGALIA, NUULYD, OEGORDA, FELLSHORE, FOZ)
GRAND LAKE: Technically a lake, as the waters are fresh and drinkable, Grand Lake is nevertheless better treated as an inland sea due to its immense size. It would take one almost a month to sail from one end to the other, and that is assuming one did not run into a storm, which whip up the waters of Grand Lake into waves rivalling those on any ocean. And also assuming that one was willing to sail across the center of the lake, and had a crew willing to follow you on such a foolish endeavour- for it is said that leviathans call the depths their home, great beasts that can snap a hundred-foot galley in half with a thought.
Many grand cities line the shores of Grand Lake, trading hubs from which set out ships carrying goods from all across the known world. The lands around Grand Lake are known as the Lakelands, a region renowned not only for the many smaller lakes that dot the landscape, but also the curious republican trend that infests it.
(see JILGALIA, LAKELANDS, LESSER KRAKENS)
HEROES: Heroes are human.
(see MORTALS)
IMPS: An imp is a lesser demon of such lowliness that it is barely sentient. They are often summoned en masse by more powerful demons to serve as a makeshift army. Imps usually take after their creator's image, though they have shape-shifting abilities allowing them to take on many forms- limited in size, however: Imps cannot take a form much larger than a child without suffering a decline in concentration. Physically, they are approximately as strong as a child as well, though their natural weapons and hideous visage means they can still pose a threat in combat. Imps are capable of minor feats of magic as well; blasts of energy, hypnosis (either for fear or control), and minor teleportation are some of the tricks most often found in an Imp's arsenal.
On rare occasions, mortal wizards will attempt to summon Imps and bind them. These attempts rarely succeed. (see NECROMANCY)
(see A DEMON, LESSER DEMONS, SUMMONING, SERVANTS)
IMP VARIETIES: Imps are lazy creatures with little imagination. They are all but incapable of learning, and given their relative weakness, are not suited for many tasks. For this reason, a demon will often summon specialized imps, who, at the expense of some other knowledge/powers, are capable of performing more useful tasks. Each demon will have his own varieties. Nokluvgn has summoned the following types of imp:
-Grey Imps: almost always disguised as an animal, frequently a raven, their disguise is nearly flawless, though their appearance usually remains grey. They possess an innate understanding of basic magic, both human and demonic. This makes them prized familiars for Necromancers. However, their knowledge of magic is purely theoretical; other than shapeshifting they possess no powers. In addition, they refuse to answer any questions unless they are fed human flesh every six days.
-Black Imps: A short, sturdy creature fond of drink and industry. Black imps are squat, covered in bristly black fur, and have large hands and feet that resemble the paws of a mole. Though they have little talent for magic, they are skilled diggers, and capable metalworkers. They insist upon consuming alcohol at every possible opportunity, are both OCD and very messy, and are deathly afraid of large fish and elephants.
-Ultraviolet Imps: Barely visible in daylight, ultraviolet imps make excellent spies and lookouts. During the night, their eerie glow provides excellent lighting for all manner of obscene rituals. Their light causes magical objects- be they good, evil, or mortal- to glow brightly. Their magic focuses on vision, having mild illusory abilities (nothing like a green imp), as well as the ability to augment the vision of themselves or others. They enjoy what they refer to as 'raves', or extremely loud and chaotic parties, during which they flash on and off to the tune of the music.
-Midnight Imps: Gloomy, reclusive creatures, with a tendency to be both figuratively and literally distant. Midnight imps are coloured an extremely dark blue, and have long, almost spiky limbs, and large refracted eyes. Their innate magic focuses on a variety of ranged attacks, from blasts of obscuring smoke to simple bolts of darkness that pierce flesh like butter. In addition to this, midnight imps are one of the few imp varieties capable of using weapons; they have been known to wield simple slings or shortbows, though they are incapable of wielding bows with a heavier draw.
JILGALIA: A large country, covering hundreds of miles of woodlands, the majority of its population is contained within a fifty mile radius of the capital, a massive port city on the shores of Grand Lake. For despite its immense size, Jilgalia is first and foremost a naval trading power, its vast woodlands serving primarily as building materials for its grand fleet. Like many nations surrounding the Grand Lake, Jilgalia has rejected hereditary monarchy, typical in most other regions, in favour of a more republican model. Every ruler, from mayors to the Prince-Elect himself, is chosen by the will of the people. The people with money and power, that is. And not just anyone can become Prince; one must be of noble blood, and typically possess vast wealth as well. Nevertheless, as the ruling classes like to remind the populace, this is a level of liberty unheard of in many other nations, and so Jilgalians are proud of the Freedom they possess- so proud are they of their freedom that they named their country after the god of freedom, Jilganheim.
Jilgalia borders on the Northern mountains in the east, claimed by the Tokzoku Empire, Meeroever to the north-west and the Ura tribes to the north-east, [trade-rival republican country B] to the south-west and [technologically superior country] to the south-east. To the west, of course, is Grand Lake.
(see GRAND LAKE, JILGANHEIM, REPUBLICANISM, LAKELANDS, MEEROEVER, URA TRIBES)
LESSER DEMONS: Lesser demons are like regular demons (see A DEMON), but lesser. Though essentially the same- a creature and personality of pure evil- lesser demons serve under some other entity- often another demon, and are bound to follow their commands. Not to be confused with bound Djinni- if you find a lesser demon in a bottle who offers you three wishes, either A) Run or B) make all three wishes "Make it quick". Lesser demons often exchange power with their superior- depending on the relation between the two, this can vary from: all power to the superior (see EATING) to all power to the lesser demon (see TREACHERY, EATING).
(see SUMMONING, SERVANTS)
MENTAL MIGHT: The mind of demons cannot be comprehended by man- indeed, if he did, he would die instantly from the horrific revelation. Nevertheless, it is possible to compare the mind of a demon to that of a human. A scale is employed, whereby the mind 'strength' (a combination of wisdom, intelligence, concentration, etc) of an average human adult is called 1. A learned human, or a particularly wise one, might achieve a score of 2, or even 3. A human who has studied the nature of the mind, or studied magic, might reach scores of up to 6 or 7. An archmage might attain a score of 10 on a good day. The mightiest purely-human mind was judged to have a score of 15.
An average demon typically has a mental strength of 50. Even weak, newborn demons have scores around 10. As such, to engage in, and win, a mental battle with a demon, requires either the combined effort of many highly-trained mages, the efforts of a hero (see HEROES, ANGELS), or the use of a magical artefacts to bolster one's effective strength (see MAGICAL ARTEFACTS)
MONSTERS: Demons aside, the world has plenty of nasty things ready to tear mortals to pieces. Many monsters are created by or with the help of demons, be they mutated beasts, reanimated mortals, or simply demonic energy given some physical form- imps and such. However, some monsters, by design or by accident, are capable of self-reproduction, and have over the years spread over the world, no longer serving their former dark masters, but simply living on instinct. Some theorize that some monsters were created by angels, or even by the gods; pointing out the essentially peaceful nature of the average dragon or mermaid. Certainly there are monsters who seem so normal and innocent that we no longer refer to them as such; it is hard to imagine a demon creating gnomes or pixies, for example.
(see SERVANTS, SUMMONING, MUTATIONS)
(see DRAGONS, GNOMES, IMPS, MERMAIDS, PIXIES)
MORTALS: Mortals are puny little weaklings, whose minds cannot comprehend the forces at work in their world. They are pitiful ants, trying to build kingdoms and empires not knowing that one errant twitch of a demon's toenail could rain fire upon all they know and love. Their mightiest warriors and best-trained wizards are no match for a demon with even a hint of power. And mortals are well known to suffer equally under the foot of the other side- when angels fight, they are often incapable of noticing their surroundings- and as such, a few mortals get caught in the crossfire. Oh well. Always more where that came from. (see BREEDING).
Mortals do have one hope, however. Rarely-ever so rarely- there will arise something that can protect them. Not quite mortal, not quite anything else. Heroes. (see HEROES)
MUTATIONS: Mortal flesh is like putty under the hands of a powerful demon. His chaotic influence can sweep the laws of biology aside and make of unblemished humans shambling monstrosities. Effectively, mutating is similar to summoning: raw evil is infused into the mortal to cause and maintain the mutations. However, the amount of evil required is drastically lower; it is merely used to force the body to change itself. Particularly impressive mutations may require a more substantial investment of evil, or the use of some other source of power, if the body cannot actually sustain the mutations on its own.
Minor mutations, such as a slight increase in strength, would not be particularly impressive, and have very little adverse effects on the mortal. More severe mutations- an extra limb, say, would cause the mortal's mind to become twisted- the chaotic influence of evil running rampant through his body. Extreme mutations- turning an ordinary man into a 10-foot, chitin-plated, six armed, fire breathing monster- will completely destroy the mortals mind, rendering them mad creatures that act only on instinct. Occasionally this will be offset by the demon giving the creature a new mind as well, but often the anguished cries of the mad human mind amuse them so much that they readily accept any collateral damage they cause.
Mortal Wizards have devised their own manners of replicating these arts- although in the civilized world, they are banned, and fall under the heading of Necromancy (see ALCHEMY, NECROMANCY)
(see A DEMON, SERVANTS, MONSTERS, MORTALS)
NECROMANCY: Necromancy is a form of magic wherein mortal wizards attempt to use the magical techniques of demons- in other words, the extraction, manipulation, and utilization of Evil for a variety of purposes. Necromancy is most often employed for summoning- by some foolish wizard who fancies himself better than even the lowliest demon (see IMPS), although it is also used for mutations, and even direct assault. Necromancy is a dangerous, forbidden art, for though a necromancer theoretically controls the Evil he uses, in practice the Evil often controls him; corrupting his mind and body, until he either turns into some twisted beast during a spell gone awry, or goes mad, attacking his fellow man- even willingly seeking out a demon to serve. (see NECROMANCERS)
However, not all arts classified Necromancy are of this nature; some schools of wizardry classify wild magic as necromancy, and there are means of inducing mutations- by way of careful alchemy- that involve no demonic processes, yet are still called necromancy by the magical orthodoxy.
(see A DEMON, ALCHEMY, WIZARDS, SUMMONING, MUTATIONS)
NECROMANCERS: A practitioner of necromancy who falls victim to its corrupting effects may go mad, and devote his entire being to evil. By opening his very soul to the stuff he seeks to control, he gains great power, turning minor experiments into full-blown disasters. Even a novice wizard who falls to Necromancy might summon a variety of deadly beasts with ease, and require much effort to subdue. And the corpse of a necromancer is often restless; it will rise up, fuelled by pure evil, whilst the necromancer's ghost pulls the strings- making him appear all but immortal. However, he is not- a Necromancer has a single fatal flaw. The human body is not meant to contain such great quantities of evil; and as a necromancer grows stronger, the risk increases that he will slip up, and that his body and soul tear themselves apart in a single sinister explosion.
Necromancers will often seek out a demonic cause to follow; if no demon can be found, they will establish a dark cause of their own, seeking places of power and raising legions of the undead.
The followers of demons often engage in necromancy; their minds already corrupted by evil, they have nothing to lose.
(see NECROMANCY, CULTS)
NOKLUVGN: A demon, born near Fellshore, his aspects include smoke, mazes, and fingers. He manifests as a tall, cloak-wearing humanoid whose torso is made of smoke, with bony wings, curling horns, eyes like burning coals, and long emaciated fingers. His first cult is known as the New Way, a hedonistic and loosely organised affair led by his Wordbearers (see WORDBEARERS), which claims to offer an alternative to the "Old Way" to recruits.
Nokluvgn is young, and still gathering strength, but may soon come to threaten all of Jilgalia, perhaps the world.
(see A DEMON, BRUTEWOLVES, NEW WAY (THE), SMOKEWRAITHS, WORDBEARERS)
NUULYD: Situated on a clifftop jutting out from the rising slopes of the Northern mountains, Nuulyd is a small but prosperous border/merchant town. Surrounded on three sides by a stone wall, and sheer cliff on the fourth, it contains a small temple and several manors belonging to wealthy local merchants. Goods from the surrounding region are brought here to be sold, some to traders from the neighbouring Tokzoku Empire. It is the easternmost town in Jilgalia, and hence falls within the province of Fözdoch.
(see JIlGALIA, TOKZOKU EMPIRE, FÖZDOCH)
PHYSICAL MIGHT: The strength of demons far outstrips even the strongest mortal. Nevertheless, it is possible to compare the strength of a demon to that of a human. A scale is employed, where the physical 'strength' (a combination of raw strength, athleticism, and internal energy (aka chi, mana, whatever)) of an average human adult is called 1. An especially fit human, or one with some training, might acheive a score of 2, or even 3. A fit human, trained for battle, equipped with the appropriate weaponry, might reach scores of up to 6 or 7. An expert warrior might attain a score of 10 on a good day. The mightiest purely-human warrior was judged to have a score of 15.
An average demon typically has a physical strength of 50. Even weak, newborn demons have scores around 10. As such, to engage in, and win, a battle with a demon, requires either the combined effort of many highly-trained warriors, the efforts of a hero (see HEROES, ANGELS), or the use of a magical artefacts to bolster one's effective strength (see MAGICAL ARTEFACTS)
PRIESTS: Priests are men who devote their lives to study and worship of the gods. Even small villages will usually have a priest, who oversees religious matters such as festivals, marriages, births, and funerals. Larger towns and cities will have more priests, and often they will dedicate themselves to one god or another. Priests can call upon the favour of the gods by way of holy chants and blessed objects, although they engage in such activities only rarely.
Priests are usually at odds with witches and doctors, with whom they disagree on a host of matters philosophical (see WITCHES)
(see MORTALS, GODS, TEMPLES)
RESOURCES: Resources are an abstraction of the wealth and materials a demon or his followers might need for actions of any kind. They may acquire these by theft, looting, slave labour, or actual legitimate business. One resource represents what is required to arm a single cultist with simple arms and armour.
(see CULTS, TEMPLES, ARMIES)
SERVANTS: Servants are monsters under command of a demon. Often they were created by the demon's own hand. They range from mutated mortals to lesser demons, bound into servitude.
(see A DEMON, SUMMONING, MUTATIONS, MONSTERS, LESSER DEMONS)
SLAVES: Slaves are unwilling mortals, who follow a demon because their minds have been broken, and only their bodies remain, to serve their dark lord unquestioningly. (see A DEMON)
SMOKEWRAITH: The Smokewraith is a terrifying tool in Nokluvgn's arsenal, for you could pass them in a crowd without giving them a second glance, yet they are not at all a mortal human. Formed by merging vast quantities of smoke with a recently departed human soul, the Smokewraith is capable of transforming into near any shape it pleases, even changing colour and 'texture' to match the form it takes. Though up close and personal the illusion is shatter
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Topic: Demonhood 2 -Number of giant minions lost: between 0 and 3- (Read 144314 times)