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Demons were the most widespread type of fiends.[citation needed] They were chaotic evil by nature, and were native to the Abyss. Demons had no true rulers, though powerful demon lords and deities were able to gain enough power and influence to gain control over sizable armies of demonic creatures. They were also the sworn enemies of the devils, though their ageless Blood War came to a cool upon Asmodeus' ascendance to godhood.
Contents
Subcategories of demons[edit | edit source]
There were three main subcategories of demons, widely known and distinguished between among scholars and sages.
Obyriths[edit | edit source]
The oldest of the demonic races, obyriths were ancient creatures of chaos and insanity said to have come from an entirely different reality. They ruled the Abyss for eons and were responsible for creating the tanar'ri, before an ill-fated war broke their armies and a subsequent slave revolt drove most of them into hiding or to extinction.
Tanar'ri[edit | edit source]
The most numerous of the demonic races and the rulers of the Abyss in the modern times. The tanar'ri were born spontaneously of the Abyss, although some bore signs of being altered by sibriexes or other creatures. Tanar'ri occurred when evil mortal souls enter the Abyss; the first tanar'ri was Demogorgon.[3]
Loumara[edit | edit source]
Loumara demons were the youngest demonic race, consisting of immaterial beings that possessed people, creatures, or objects to spread evil. They were theorized to be born from the dreams of dead gods killed by the Abyss.[3]
Other demons[edit | edit source]

Not all demons belonged to one of the three main subcategories of demons. These other demons were divided by the Demonomicon of Iggwilv into three other groups.
- The Created
Demonic creatures created by some powerful entity, such as a demon lord or, more rarely, some other powerful entity like a night hag or very powerful mortal spellcaster. These creatures were made either from other demons or from the raw material of the Abyss itself, but were not spontaneously created by the Abyss. Interestingly, Iggwilv included quasits in the created category, despite the fact that they were known to spontaneously arise from the Abyss. She also theorized that in time various Created demons would be "accepted" by the Abyss and begin to spontaneously arise as well. Created demons could be undead, constructs, or even truly living outsiders.[3]
Undead demons:
- Blood fiends, huge, four-armed creatures that fed on the blood of other demons.
- Haures, bizarre demons created by Orcus.
Demonic constructs:
- Retriever, mindless, spider-like constructs that were created to serve stronger demons of the Abyss.
Living creations:
- Bonegouge assassins, stealthy creatures said to be created by Orcus.
- Ghazneth, humanoid, winged demons with differing magical abilities.
- Ghour, demons that took the appearance of monstrous minotaurs, ghour demons served (and were likely created by) the demon prince Baphomet.
- Ferroliths, demons created from succubi that had been thrown into molten iron by Graz'zt.
- Quasit, the demonic equivalent of the imp, were small, insidious winged demons with paralyzing claws.
- Shoosuva, large, hyena-like demons that were created by and served the demon lord Yeenoghu.
- Tomb demon
- Beasts
Some creatures produced by the Abyss acted like what would, in saner places, be called wildlife. They were generally unintelligent.[3]
- Abyssal chickens, small creatures that did not actually resemble chickens.
- Kazrith, aquatic demons that poisoned their prey.
- Maw demons, also called Abyssal maws, were horrible looking, constantly hungry demons.
- Nashrous, animalistic predators that hunted in packs.
- Skulvyn, bestial aquatic demons with a slowing aura.
- Servitors
Similar to the Created, servitor demons were the least populous group. They were created by deities as servants, proxies, and agents. Some servitor races were abandoned to the Abyss when their creator moved on or died.[3]
- Deathdrinkers, egocentric demons that collected dead souls.
- Yochlol, shapechanging demons that were created by and served Lolth.
- Zovvut, winged demons that had outlived their creator.
- Other demons
Even with the six categories described by Iggwilv, many demons defied categorization, either due to lack of sufficient knowledge or the sheer chaos of the Abyss itself.
- Abyssal wurms, two-headed, many-legged demons.
- Bebelith, massive, highly aggressive spider-like demons.
- Demon spawn
- Immolith
- Jarrlak
- Mahataa
- Quarrak
- Rageborn
- Shadow demon, mysterious demons with a wraith-like appearance.
- Voracalith
- Wendigo
- Whisper demons, incorporeal demons of insanity that drove mortals to suicide.
Demon Lords[edit | edit source]
Demon lords, or Abyssal lords, were powerful demons that commanded many other demons and ruled a layer of the Abyss. Each demon lord had a unique appearance and set of abilities. The most powerful demons lords were called demon princes. Since demons had no set hierarchy, both titles were self-proclaimed, and the demon lords and princes fought against each other constantly. Demon lords were also considered archfiends.
Appendix[edit | edit source]
Further Reading[edit | edit source]
- Monte Cook (Oct 2002). Book of Vile Darkness. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-0672-3.
- James Jacobs (March 2006). “The Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Baphomet: Prince of Beasts”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #341 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 20–33.
- James Jacobs (November 2006). “The Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Dagon: Prince of Darkened Depths”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #349 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 30–45.
- James Jacobs (July 2005). “The Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Fraz-Urb'luu: Prince of Deception”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #333 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 24–39.
- James Jacobs (July 2006). “The Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Kostchtchie: Prince of Wrath”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #345 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 20–33.
- James Jacobs (March 2005). “The Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Pazuzu: Prince of the Lower Aerial Kingdoms”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #329 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 56–67.
- James Jacobs (November 2005). “The Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Zuggtmoy: Queen of Fungi”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #337 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 36–54.
- Eric Cagle, Jesse Decker, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Matthew Sernett, Chris Thomasson, and James Wyatt (April 2003). Fiend Folio. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-2780-1.
- Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan (September 2001). Manual of the Planes 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-1850-8.
- Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-9356-9600-8.
- Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- Ed Bonny, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and Steve Winter (September 2002). Monster Manual II 3rd edition. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 07-8692-873-5.
- Andrew Finch, Gwendolyn Kestrel, Chris Perkins (August 2004). Monster Manual III. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-3430-1.
- Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel (July 2006). Monster Manual IV. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-3920-6.
- Cordell, Bruce R. Expanded Psionics Handbook (Wizards of the Coast, 2004). ISBN 0-7869-3301-1
- James Jacobs, Erik Mona, and Ed Stark. Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss (Wizards of the Coast, 2006)
- Colin McComb. Faces of Evil: The Fiends (TSR, 1997). ISBN 0-7869-0684-7
- Lester W. Smith and Wolfgang Baur. Planes of Chaos (TSR, 1994).
- Doug Stewart, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1994).
- James Wyatt and Rob Heinsoo. Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
External Links[edit | edit source]
- Demon article at the Eberron Wiki, a wiki for the Eberron campaign setting.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 50–65. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 52–58. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 James Jacobs (September 2007). “The Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Apocrypha”. In Erik Mona ed. Dragon #359 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. 43–45.
Connections[edit | edit source]
Devil (lawful evil) |
Yugoloth (Daemon) (neutral evil) | Gehreleth (Demodand) (neutral evil) | Demon (chaotic evil) |
Other Fiends
Achaierai • Barghest • Canomorph (Haraknin • Shadurakul) • Hell hound • Hordling • Howler • Larva • Maelephant • Marrashi • Night hag • Nightmare • Rakshasa • Succubus • Vargouille • Yeth hound
Fiendish creature • Half-fiend (Alu-fiend • Cambion • Draegloth • Durzagon) • Tiefling (Fey'ri • Maeluth • Tanarukk)
Caligrosto • Dybbuk • Guecubu • Manitou
Tanar'ri
Adaru • Alkilith • Armanite • Arrow demon • Babau • Balor • Bar-lgura • Bulezau • Cerebrilith • Chasme • Dretch • Gadacro • Glabrezu • Goristro • Hezrou • Jovoc • Kastighur • Klurichir • Lilitu • Mane • Marilith • Maurezhi • Mavawhan • Molydeus • Myrmyxicus • Nabassu • Nalfeshnee • Palrethee • Rutterkin • Solamith • Sorrowsworn • Succubus • Uridezu • Vrock • Yochlol
Obyriths
Draudnu • Ekolid • Golothoma • Laghathti • Sibriex • Uzollru • Verakia • Wastrilith
Abyssal chicken • Abyssal scavenger • Abyssal wurm • Bebilith • Bonegouge assassin • Deathdrinker • Demon spawn • Ferrolith • Ghour • Haures • Immolith • Jarrlak • Kazrith • Mahataa • Maw demon • Nashrou • Quarrak • Quasit • Rageborn • Retriever • Shadow demon • Shoosuva • Skulvyn • Tomb demon • Voracalith • Wendigo • Whisper demon