[h3][center]~The Handbook of Demon hunting~[/center][/h3] [hider=The handbook] [b]A brief Overview[/b] - Demons have two sources of powerful magic - their 'Origin' and their 'Bloodline'. This also roughly defines what they are like and the way they view the world. Demons are immortal creatures, and can only really be put down by either a divine weapon, thus purifying them and returning them to the cycle of reincarnation, or magically bound and restrained for eternity. No one is quite certain on the origin of the demons, but religious texts say that at one point someone attempted to flay the God Our’ous alive, and from such an act they were born. All demons bear marking of this act, and are born with a mark upon their body at some point depicting the Clan that they belong too, often modified slightly to symbolize which particular Family they belong too within the clan. Most demons, proudly display this symbol somewhere upon their body. [b]The Blood Clan:[/b] Those born of the blood spilled as Our’ous was flayed. Demons of emotion, violence, and extremities. They are both the most difficult demons to deal with due to their unpredictable nature, and the most easy because well, they are the most straightforward demons. They lack panache or any desire for trickery and most, can be rather agreeable and have a penchant for keeping their words if they give it without twisting or giving bad interpretations of questions. Young demonologists, often find them the easiest to work with. However, one should always keep in mind their violent and sadistic tendencies. They often have animalistic features, and their magic often entirely is purely destructive in nature, usually elemental. They inhabit the first circle and sit at the Center of Naraheim, often called the Roiling Caverns, the Halls of Debauchery, and the Paradise of Murder. A hellish landscape of magma, heat, and where Blood Demons build grand coliseums to force mortals they capture and other creatures to constantly fight and die repeatedly for their amusement. Their clan marking is as simple as they can be - a single drop of blood. [b]The Scale Clan:[/b] Demons born of the flayed skin of the God, each born from one of his scales. Beautiful, strong, and they consider themselves perfect. They typically possess magic extremely focused on defense and regeneration so that nothing can mar their beautiful visage. They have a penchant for being prideful, arrogant, and they are nothing more than the same hollow shell they were born from. The most powerful even possess a mockery of their origins divine authority - the ability to affect the flow of time. They often have a more serpentine appearance in some manner. Their clan marking is depicted as a serpentine fang wearing a crown of light. Popular to summon by powerful sorcerers who seek some measure of perfection themselves. They inhabit the Second Circle of Naraheim, often called the Immaculate Mountains, the Hollow Wastes, or the King Fools Peaks, described as being a place of impossible to traverse mountains that evokes a sense of loneliness [b]The Eye Clan[/b] Demons hatched from his plucked eye like an egg. Demons that are extremely intelligent, cunning and are particularly greedy. They are a more passive sort of demon, at least in regards to mortals. They view them as a human may an insect - they hardly acknowledge their existence. Rather, they are much more interested in material wealth, magical knowledge, and performing whatever occult experiments within their realms that they can. They will willingly trade knowledge with mortals so long as they get something of equal value. Unlike Blood Demons, however, they care not for the spirit or even the letter, twisting words and objects to suit their whims. They often have an insectoid appearance, and their home exists past that of the second circle, a place known as the Desert of Ignorance, the Incomprehensible Wastes, and City of Yellow Stones. It is a particularly nasty place, despite being one of the smallest realms in size for its insidious nature - once you enter the desert, you physically can not leave without a demonic guide, for the realm is heavily influenced by their signature spatial magics. They say an incomprehensible city exists in the middle of the desert, and once humans enter, they never wish to leave its opulent, convoluted streets. Their sigil is that of a serpentine eye, gazing at whoever has drawn it. They are often summoned by those who seek knowledge, but are often unprepared to give it in return. [b]Tear Clan[/b] Born from the pained and some say, lonely tears of the serpent. Somewhat of an enigma among demons, they are shy, cowardly, but also envious, and cruel. A favorite for the arrogant or cowardly ones who think they can’t handle the…particular natures of the other demons, and this is exactly what the demons desire. They typically do not interact with humans directly, until a particular one catches their fancy, at which point they will do everything they can in their power to sway that particular human over to them, bringing tragedy after tragedy to the human until they are forced to become dependent on them and posing as their only friend who will constantly sing their praises. Often the most physically imposing demons, they tend to be gargantuan sea leviathans with the ability to hide their true size and scale, possessing magic that allows them to move quietly, unseen but otherwise do not possess any special magics and instead have physical ability on par with those of Blood Demons. Their realm of Naraheim, that exists past the Third, is a gigantic sea. The further and further you go outwards, the sea becomes frozen as it nears the fifth and final circle. Strangely, the eerie disquiet that seems to be present always here, makes one paranoid. Their mark is often either a tentacle or a wave. [b]Tongue Demons:[/b] Also known as Dream Demons or Nightmares, they are demons born from the tongue of the old serpent. Some of the more insidious demons, for they forgo a physical form entirely, and instead rely on illusions and preying on people's fears, emotions, and dreams. They will often approach mortals via dreams, tempting them with various depending on the mortal itself, either by whispering sweet things to their dreams or by tormenting them with nightmares until they beg for it to be over. Able to lead even the most stalwart men astray with tormenting dreams and illusions of madness - at which point, they will possess the host for as they lack physical bodies they can not directly interact with the mortal realm without it. They are skilled with illusion magic, possession, as well as since they lack a physical form they can be rather difficult to fight unless one wishes to harm the host. The fifth circle of Naraheim possesses nothing in terms of the physical either. It is a grey, vast expanse with no sun, moon, or anything. Just a gray, dully lit void. Tongue demons have full control over this space, allowing them to create whatever they desire here in order to torment those who find their way here. [b]Bloodlines[/b] - When demons began to propagate and spread their influence, they divided themselves into various families within the clans, each vying for power among themselves and the other clans, researching and twisting their Origin abilities into new forms or powers. A demon of the Blood clan may express their abilities through combusting magical energy into pure destructive blasts, demonic lightning that’s sole purpose is to destroy. A scale demon may be skilled at making barriers, or perhaps they can quickly regenerate their physical forms. [b]Classifications:[/b] Demons are roughly classified into nine different tiers to help differentiate threat level, as well as give one a rough idea of abilities of each. [list] [*][b]Whelp[/b] The weakest form of demons. Often larval forms of greater beings and young demonic beasts. Possesses no great threat to anyone, save young children. [*][b]Demon Beast[/b] Your average demonic creature. Possesses little intelligence and is about as dangerous as your average wolf, bear, or similar predator. Depending on the realm they are from, they could possess a greater or lesser threat depending on abilities. [*][b]Greater Beast[/b] Beasts that bear no resemblance to anything seen in the mortal realm. Creatures entirely unique to Naraheim and suited to living in its circles. Their abilities will vary depending on their home, but they are typically where demons actually start to become challenging to fight. Accurately gauge the strength of your foes. [*][b]High Demon[/b] A departure from the bestial and animalistic teirs below, High demons tend to appear as humanoid beings of some sort and is where the actual intelligent demons start appearing. Extremely dangerous, and once encountered a Maids objective is to either seal or purify it if at all possible. They are not welcome in our realm. There are many nameless demons that exist in the realms, just as there are many nameless inconsequential humans that live in ours. [*][b]Devil Beast[/b] Bestial creatures that have lived, aged, gainted intelligence, and subsequently power above most high demons. Often possesses an actual notable name in some record somewhere, they are imposing and are often a purest example of the natures of their Origin [*][b]Noble Blood[/b] Demons From a notable demonic family and bearing a great name. Extremely dangerous and fighting one alone is foolhardy unless one possesses great skill. To become a Noble Blooded demon, one must first best a Devil Beast in combat, or be born into such a family. They could likely destroy an entire village single handedly should they desire it. [*][b]Arch Demon[/b] The head of a Demonic Family. Powerful demons who have in some fashion quashed all resistance within their own families and taken the title of Arch Demon. They possess power rivaling on that of the greatest swordsmen and heroes, often enough raw power to completely decimate an entire city. Treat with caution. There are seventy two great families who names are known. [*][b]Demon Lord[/b] The so called rulers of the circles of Naraheim. Only five may ever exist at a time and them gaining access to the mortal realm would be disastrous, for they would no doubt seek to cause as much chaos as possible for their kind. [*][b]Primarch[/b] An existence above even the Demon Lords, very little is known about them save that they were the first of the demons, and all other demons came from them. Like a ‘Demon Lord’ it is a title, and at times new Primarchs can be crowned, and none know the true number of them. [/list] [/hider] [hider=Demon hunting Gear] Standard Gear - [b]Merril Automatic 4 Type L[/b] MAT4-L A semi-automatic pistol bearing a mechanism created by Merril Fiore, the now deceased middle child of the Fiore Family. Based on an original design and created in the Maison and sold for profit by the now head of the family. Bears a revolutionary system for automatically loading bullets stored in a magazine that can hold about 12 bullets before needing to be reloaded. Its stopping power against demons isn’t high, but as a side arm it works just fine. Those created to be used by the maids are modified to hold gemstones in their construction to act as a focus for sealing magics. [b]Merril Repeating Rifle Type L - MRR-L[/b] A repeating rifle created using the same mechanism Sir Merril designed, now sold by the head of the Fiore family for profit and used by the Maison. More high powered than the pistol of similar construction, its the main firearm used by the maids. With the ability to hold different types of ammunition, and relatively high stopping power, it can deal with most demonic threats up to High tier relatively easily if used effectively. Like with the pistol, those used by the Maison are modified with gemstones and other arcane etchings to act as a catalyst to aid in sealing demons. [b]The Maids Katzbalger[/b] - A standard issue blade, sometimes called a ‘Sweeper’ or a ‘Duster’ by those in the field. A sword designed for slashing and tearing. A good number of demons, like those of the Blood Clan, Tear Clan, and Tongue clan often do not wear armor, relying on their sheer physical or magical might to overwhelm. Perhaps its pride? Regardless, the blades given to the rank and file maids are made of high quality material, inlaid with gemstones or otherworldly materials to act as catalysts and can easily rend demonic flesh. Even against the prideful scale clan and tough Eye clan a good cutting implement can do wonders. A good maid never leaves home without it. [b]Maison Standard Regalia - [/b] What appears to be a rather standard looking maid uniform, is in fact a carefully constructed and engineered piece of handiwork. Made of high quality materials, the uniform is resistant to water, fire, being stained, and other general elements a maid might encounter in the field to allow operatives always to look their best. Also, surprisingly durable and resistant to cutting damage. No one, aside from Lady Fiore and the Maison’s tailors know exactly where the material comes from, but its likely otherworldly in nature to achieve such properties. Lightly resistant to general magical effects. [/hider] [center][h3][b]Notable relevant World History[/b][/h3][/center] [hr] [hider=Recent history] [b]The Orisian Holy Conquest[/b] The failed great holy war against the northern nation of the Krysa. Spurned on by the belief of their collusion with demons, only for it to be revealed their informant was indeed, the one colluding with demons in order to create a situation ripe for a demon lord to enter the world via the prolonged war. The Our'ous army was nearly completely decimated, and the people have lost a great deal of faith in their church for its somewhat war mongering stance on such things. For now though, they have been placated due to a propaganda campaign, but still, resentment against both the Krysa [i]and[/i] the church itself bubbles below the surface. [b]The Fiore Family:[/b] A once great family that was once led by a one Reine Fiore. After her youngest daughter, a woman by the name of Livia Fiore exposed her for consorting with demons, feeding false information to the church, and the dark dealings she had with the cities undesirable elements, the church arrested her and her conspirators. The Youngest of the Fiores, Livia, would assume the head of the family after her elder sister, Marise intentionally stepped down and her brother, a notable inventor and mechanist was found dead in his workshop of apparent suicide. In return for exposing her mother, and in a mutual effort to hunt down the demons and take care of demonic incidents that had steadily been increasing in number recently, the young Miss Fiore approached the church with an offer - she’d create an organization to hunt them…if she had complete control over it. Many rumors surround the young miss Fiore, and none of them good, all stemming from a simple, undeniable fact - that she beheaded her own mother upon the gallows before she hanged. They say she herself is a demon that has simply assumed the role, or that she gained her powers from consorting with demons herself, that she’s simply a witch with ill intent…yet none can deny the organization's effectiveness since it was formed five years ago. [b]Violet Garden:[/b] The organization created by Livia Fiore to hunt demons. Not only does it train young women to be proper maids, giving them cooking, cleaning, and etiquette classes, but it also trains the maids in the rigors of fighting demons, occult knowledge, and general combat. Typically, once joined one must join for five years before legally being able to leave the organization barring any special circumstances. The organization itself has expanded quite rapidly in its five years of existence, the first generation of demon hunting maids recruited having made great exploits and earned quite a bit of renown in doing so, and supposedly stopping a demon lords appearance two years ago at a little town called Elterberg. Typically, the organization employs fairly simple tactics against demons - beating them to a bloody pulp. The weapons standard are enchanted by the Garden’s Mages with gemstones or other material from magical creatures in order to physically harm even the Tongue demons. Of course, dealing with demons is hardly ever so straightforward, especially if they’re hiding or have human allies seeking to consort with the creatures. As such, Maids are also trained in interrogation, investigation, and other techniques to be able to weasel out information if need be from suspects…and also taught how to perfectly blend in with your average maid or other servant in case infiltration is needed. [b]Magic:[/b] An energy that suffuses every corner of the world, considered to be the raw power of creation by some, or a demonic trick by others. Regardless of its origin, the church of Oros highly disapproves, yet can’t deny its usefulness and imposes strict restrictions on those that can learn it and all mages are required to have bi-annual inspections of workshops, psychological checkups and generally anything the church deems necessary to ensure the mages aren’t up to anything shady. Most mortal races at least, are incapable of casting magic without some sort of catalyst or tool to draw and direct the energy. Words, gestures, and objects of a magical nature also aid in casting. [/hider] [center][h3][b]:Gods and Religion:[/b][/h3][/center] [hider=Divinites] [b]Religion:[/b] As previously stated, the Orosian religion worships the Serpent deity, Our’ous who is seen as a cyclical deity that is responsible for the creation, and also destruction, of realms when its their time to come to an end. This, cycle, is only kept in balance by his wife Kyshellas, the Goddess of Stability, Eternity, and purity whose crown holds every realm in existence within, supposedly. Below is the most prominent and notable deities of the primary Orosian religion, though it is not a comprehensive list. Maids are not required to know, or use holy magic from any deity and in fact it is actively discouraged for them to rely on the gods. [b]Our’ous[/b] The serpentine God of cycles, renewal, and change. The Chief god of the Orosian religion. Supposedly when he found humans in this cycle, he grew fond of them and with Kyshellas help, made the cycle permanent. Often seen as something of a kind, if somewhat of a violent God prone to being easily offended. [b]Kyshellas:[/b] The Goddess of purity and eternity. A dark skinned woman sitting upon an hourglass. In ancient times, she gave the humans an Our’ous a seed, which when planted sprouted its roots deep into the earth, separating the realms and cutting off Naraheim from the mortal realm to stop an ancient demonic threat. Has a fondness for Elves and the Fey, even if they themselves are not born of Our’ous cycles. She oversees the laws and orders of the world. [b]Albas:[/b] The God of the Firbolg who inhabit the island nation in the northern waters. He possesses an eye that can reverse Evil. A proud god of Warriors and Rituals who stalwartly protects his realm and has a particular love for walking among his followers in the form of a divine avatar. A jovial, friendly God that loves nothing more than a good fight. Takes the form of a winged human clad in shining, golden armor. [b]Ithica:[/b] A little known child goddess of the moon who eternally sleeps in her cradle high above. A Goddess of Dreams who, in her eternal slumber dreams things into existence. A demon placed a curse on the pitiful child, that whenever she woke would signal the end of this cycle. As such, she was given an attendant whose sole job was to watch over her…and sing an unending lullaby to ensure she never woke. A lake to the south whose waters are always pristine, clear, and supposedly have healing properties is named after her. People routinely go missing here… [b]Kelygra:[/b] The God of the Sun and the lord of the Silver Palace. A God of smiths who detests imperfections in anything, be they weapons, the gods themselves, or humans. He crafts the finest weapons and armor, and is the one who gifted Albas his sword and shields. [/hider]