Devils

While the average farmer may use the term “Devil” and “Demon” interchangeably, to assume that the two beings are similar would be entirely inaccurate. Devils are the native residents of the Plane of Void, beings of pure Void Magic that seek to destroy, consume, corrupt, and otherwise cause as much pain as possible. Devils and Angels are constantly at odds, and any mortals unfortunate enough to get caught up in their fights rarely emerge unscathed.

What Exactly are Devils
Devils are beings of pure Void Magic, and their forms are rarely what one would call stable. The more powerful the Devil, the more capable of maintaining a humanoid form and speaking they are. That said, should a Devil ever need to exit the Plane of Void and traverse the Material Plane, possession is the only viable option for the vast majority of Devils.

These possessions can vary in severity, sometimes with the mortal able to maintain some semblance of control, but just as often with the Devil taking full control and simply piloting the body around and using the unfortunate victim as nothing more than a disguise. Often possessed mortals are identifiable by grey or black veins on the face or elsewhere on the body, though particularly strong Devils have on occasion been able to hide these symptoms, and thus prolong their inevitable discovery.

In their true form, Devils tend to be devoid of colour (appearing monochromatic/greyscale or almost as if formed from shadows). Their forms are fluid, uncanny, and uncomfortable to look at. The average civilian may have difficulty looking at a Devil directly should they ever be unlucky enough to be face to face with one, with their eyes trying to focus anywhere else, and their own memory trying to purge the image to protect themselves. More hardened folk such as adventurers, however, have no such luck.

The vast majority of Devils are bestial, monsters of flowing shadow that simply want to cause as much destruction and suffering as possible in their pursuit of entropy. These Devils are rarely capable of speech, or otherwise do not understand the mortal tongue unless they are possessing a host. Far more dangerous and terrifying are the Devils that can maintain a semblance of a humanoid form and speak to mortals, offering deals and power in exchange for cooperation or other personal gain. Those who accept these deals not only risk their own lives, but those of their descendants. Humans who have accepted deals with these powerful Devils may see their children or grandchildren turn into Cambions during puberty, despite the child’s lack of involvement in the initial trade.

How Devils Come to Be
The exact origin of Devils is unknown, however the most popular theory is that they are formed of the dregs of the universe - whatever leftover unneeded bits of magic and power that remain after everything has settled. Like ash at the bottom of a fireplace, they are unavoidable byproducts of the natural order, and given their way, they would see the rest of the universe crumble until Devils are all that remain. Angels directly seek to avoid this, by any means necessary.

Devils have been known to consume magic, items of great power, powerful entities, and even each other in order to grow stronger. Unlike Demons, it is very uncommon to see a group of Devils working together towards a particular task unless a particularly powerful Devil is enforcing their cooperation.

Behavior, Motivations, and Ideals
Devils, while usually utterly self serving and self interested, have a few common goals. These goals are as follows:


 * Destroy Essence wherever it can be found.
 * Corrupt through pain, sadism, or cruelty.
 * Promote chaos, destruction, and entropy.

In addition to these core behaviors, most scholars who research Angels and Devils agree that Devils have an underlying wish for destruction, and would happily tear down the universe if they had the means to do so.

Devils will occasionally stray from this common behavior, but only ever if it suits their own personal gain or motivations. There is no such thing as a benevolent or kind Devil, but it is not impossible for a Devil to act in a cooperative or even seemingly generous manner. This should be considered more terrifying than any outright sadism on the part of the Devil, because it means that they are trying to win a mortal over to their side for unknown reasons.

Known Abilities
While the abilities of individual Devils vary massively based on the individual Devil in question, there are some commonly exhibited abilities.

Due to being made of Void Magic, their command of Void is unparalleled, and even the weakest Devil is capable of some terrifying feats of Void Magic. Likewise, Devils are often particularly fond of and competent at dismantling Essence Magic, though this is not without risk to the Devil, as should there be any error, Essence is their antithesis and can very easily destroy them.

All Devils are capable of possession, and that is their easiest method of entering and traversing the Material Plane. Their presence and power can linger and corrupt any mortal unlucky enough to be possessed, and even proximity and interaction with Devils can have a negative effect on a mortal body.

Devil Corruption
Devil Corruption is one of the Blessings and Curses that an adventurer may be afflicted with should they come into contact with a Devil. There are three main ways in which an individual can become corrupted.

The first is being cursed directly by a Devil. Often Devils will simply kill or maim any unlucky victims who get in their way, but on occasion they will infect the individual with their own blood or magic. This corrosive presence will twist the victim over time, and watching this struggle is usually of great entertainment to the Devil who caused it.

The second is as the aftermath of a possession. While possessed, an individual will often display the same black veins as a Devil Corrupted, and these do not always fade upon the Devil’s exit of the body. Because Devils usually cannot travel the Material Plane without possession, their hold over the body they are hitchhiking on is deep, and will often leave scars upon the body and soul.

Lastly, and most concerning, are those who seek out the corruption willingly, either through a Devil or another Devil Corrupted mortal who is willing to spread their curse. Some would-be heroes choose this to spare another that is about to be cursed, or the more selfish and short-sighted may willingly choose to take on the affliction for the benefits and powers it brings, consequences be damned.

While records of the results of Devil Corruption are sparse and/or poorly documented, one thing is confirmed. After an indeterminate amount of time, sometimes mere months or a year, sometimes far longer, the individual will be twisted by this curse. The prevailing theory among scholars, though it is difficult for humans to be able to confirm, is that this corruptive presence is actually wearing away at an individual’s soul. At first this can manifest as changes to the personality, but the longer it progresses, the more at risk the individual is. When the individual is fully consumed, the following can occur:


 * Individuals with very strong willpower and sense of self may become a Devil themselves, with just enough of their memory intact to be dangerous, but next to none of the original self remaining.
 * More commonly, the individual will dissolve and disperse, draining into the Plane of Void until someday they coagulate and reform into any number of Devils with no sense of self or memory of what they once were.

Cambions
Cambions are those unfortunate humans who, due to dealings with Devils at some point in their bloodline, have developed horns, tails, and other devilish features upon reaching puberty. These Cambions are viewed with suspicion at best, and hostility at worst.

Little is known about what happens to a Cambion upon their death, and if the Void that is inherently a part of them causes the same erosion to the soul as Devil Corruption can cause. Regardless of this, however, Cambions are in the same mortal danger as Devils and Devil Corrupted are should Angels ever go on the hunt, as Angels see little distinction in what form Void Magic takes, just that it must be eradicated for the safety of existence. Likewise, Cambions may find themselves sought out by other Devils as an ideal host for possession, or a potential sympathetic target to be swayed and corrupted.

False Sim
In the year 2019 (year 427 in the NOSian Calendar), the Church of NOS was tricked into believing that NOS themselves was going to descend upon the Material Plane. This did not come to pass, however, and instead a trio of Devils now known as False Ney, False Olt, and False Sim arrived to try and trick and manipulate the mortals into committing heinous acts of violence and into providing them with further power through misguided worship and offerings.

False Sim was the ringleader of this trio, and eventually they were sealed away deep beneath the Frontier.

Jeremy the Birthday Devil
Jeremy is a Devil who has caused no end of confusion to the adventurers of Carreg Wynn. Appearing repeatedly throughout the year to bring “gifts” to whoever has a birthday that month, Jeremy is sometimes written off as a harmless curiosity, but his motivations are entirely unclear, which is a great cause of concern for more cautious members of the Frontier.

Bitey
A Devil who seems to favour the Frontier region, appearing to those unlucky enough to find cursed patches of Wild Magic that they have left in the wilderness to try and trap adventurers. They appear as a mass of teeth and fangs, and though they much prefer violence, they have been known to talk on occasion, particularly to Devil Corrupted and Cambions.

Diasacles
A Devil bound to the Angel Cascadian. These two entities tend to possess mortals or otherwise incarnate upon the Material Plane at the same time in order to continue their  battles against one another.