Encyclopaedia Argollica

Demons

Before I begin my account of the demons, I must add an important caveat. There is still a lot of animosity between our two people, despite the centuries that have passed since we were at war in the last age. As a result, my account of them will be more tentative than I would like, as I have not been able to verify much of this information through my own observations or conversations with the demons themselves. The information presented here is based partially on intelligence gathered during the War and after, hearsay from those who came into contact with the demons and a renegade from their ranks who was willing to grant me an interview. Certainly, any new information we learn after the printing of this book will be added in future editions. But now, let us start our description of this species.

It would be fair to say that, in many ways, the demons are our opposites and equals. They were the channel of communication between mortals and the Demon Lord in the last age, serving as advisors, generals, administrators, spies... They made sure to influence mortals whenever they could, trying their best to make the world hostile to the High God's plan.

Just as we were left without the High God's guidance, so the demons were left leaderless as well. Contrary to the order espoused by the High God, the Demon Lord was a much more chaotic force, and demon society had always been full of conflict and intrigue as every demon tried to rise through the ranks and attain more power. Naturally, without guidance from above, cohesion quickly fell apart, exacerbated by the fact that the demons faced the same plagues and reproductive issues that we did.

What happened next is not surprising. Factions started forming as demons gathered their allies to them. Accusations were made, ambushes set and knives drawn. Soon, a large civil war broke out in the streets of Hades, the country-sized metropolis that was their home. A full account of this civil war would no doubt be a riveting narrative of brave deeds, innovative stratagems and skullduggery. But such a detailed record is not something I have access to. Suffice it to say that for fifty long years, the demons waged a bloody war amongst themselves, completely isolated from the outside world due to Hades' magical barriers. As the dust settled, a fragile coalition of prominent demons led by queen Paimon emerged victorious. Now in control of the demons, Paimon set a simple goal for her people: survival.

To accomplish this goal, one of the first things ordered by the new regime was something rather atypical for the chaotic demons: the creation of laws. To serve as a basis for this law code, all decrees and decisions made by the Demon Lord in the last age were methodically collected. This was no easy feat, as many archives were destroyed during the civil war, and prominent scholars spent years deciding on how to compile the various edicts. Not infrequently they had to fill in the blanks, usually with considerable influence from the ruling demons on the final result. This effort resulted in the creation of the Infernal Laws, a collection of choice edicts from the Demon Lord and commentaries expounding on their meaning. Comparatively, it is not a thick work, as it seems Paimon and her allies realised that to get demons to turn into bureaucratic, law-abiding citizens overnight would be a fool's errand. Instead of containing detailed legislation, they outline a set of broad principles and guidelines that leave much room for interpretation. I wish I could elaborate on the contents of these Infernal Laws for you, gentle reader, but they are a closely guarded secret among the demons. Even the one renegade demon I had the fortune to interview for this account refused to elaborate on its contents. She was only comfortable telling me that that dissent from their vision is harshly punished. But in a way, their contents are only of a secondary importance. Any demon is required to swear to obey these laws, and punishments on the basis of supposed violations, which can mean many things considering how much leeway the laws leave for interpretation, have become an important control mechanism for the demon leadership.

With internal control restored through the Infernal Laws, the demons turned to other matters. The most important of these was to find a solution to the twin problems of disease and reproduction, and those scholars who had escaped the civil war alive were put to work on these issues. Just like us they have managed to find treatments for most of the diseases that troubled them in the past, but a way to restore their reproductive capabilities has not been found yet. According to my informant, laboratories are working day and night on a solution in Hades, but none has been forthcoming.

The second issue was their position in Argoll. The demons' numbers had dwindled since the last age, in no small part due to their civil war, and with their reproductive rituals not working they had no way to easily replenish them. Moreover, Hades is located on a peninsula on the mainland. While somewhat inaccessible due to mountains, it has nowhere near the natural defenses, such as sea-storms and sharp rocks, that our own island home of Eden enjoys. To make matters worse, the wall that of old guarded the city had been breached by the earthquakes that resulted from Echidna's reshaping of Argoll, while many of the magical artifacts that were supposed to help with its defense were lost or destroyed in their civil war. Therefore, the demons were vulnerable to the monsters outside their walls, and it seems that protecting against invasion continues to be the number one priority of Paimon's foreign policy to this day. The walls have been repaired and a new military force has been formed out of the militias from the civil war, but to truly secure Hades' safety, a more subtle plan was required.

The demons still maintain their old hierarchy. It contains seven ranks in total: Queens, dukes, princesses, marquises, earls, presidents and knights. A demon on each tier will have a group of demons from the lower tier who directly answer to her, to create a strict chain of command. So while any marquess can command any earl, most earls will have a specific marquess to report to and assist in her duties, and they will in turn have a cadre of presidents who answer to them. Young demons do not possess a rank at first, only becoming knights after they have completed their education. After this they can rise through the ranks on the basis of recommendations from their superiors.

Demonic foreign policy so far has been focused on increasing their influence throughout Argoll. This is done primarily through assuming places of importance in society: as a royal advisor, a respected mage, a mercenary leader, a rich merchant, etc. Back in Hades, demons are often trained to excel at one of these functions, bringing centuries of experience and collected wisdom to bear. Through this process they gain the power to subtly influence events in the area where they establish themselves, as well as creating a good reputation for their people. They have certainly been prolific in this, and I can say that many, though certainly not all, regions I have visited on my travels had at least one demon stationed there. Independent though they may seem, each demon is in close contact with her superiors to discuss strategies and carry out their secretive plans, which are designed to keep the demons' enemies weak and their allies strong.

In recent years they have also gained power more directly through the creation of client kingdoms. Usually this is done by offering a petty ruler aid of some sort, such as a detachment of demon soldiers, wealth or magical artefacts. In exchange, a degree of obedience and cooperation is expected. These are also granted a title and official seal. On the one hand, this can confer extra authority and prestige on them. On the other hand it firmly enshrines them as a subject of Hades rather than a fully independent ruler. A recent such case is Harja Redwolf, one of the many warlords of the Iron Plains, who has been furnished not only with the title of "Great general who burns the steppes" but was also given a set of antique magical canons to help her subdue her rivals.

The demons seem in a relatively comfortable position nowadays. With their large network of agents throughout Argoll, they have their fingers in many pots and can anticipate any threats easily. Hades is securely defended and demon society is relatively stable. But it is quite unclear how long this present situation will last. On the one hand, not all demons seem content with Paimon's rule, if my informant is to be believed. Her enforcement of the laws rankles the demons' chaotic temperaments, and she has managed to alienate a significant number of her important allies over the years through increasingly authoritarian behaviour. A second civil war might be brewing. They have also not yet found a solution to the issue of reproduction, and any loss, even due to mundane causes like disease or the attack of a wild animal, puts a dent in their ranks. A second internal conflict, even if less brutal than the first, could prove devastating. How long the demons will manage to hang on in this new age, no one knows, but at the very least they seem determined to not go quietly into that dark night.