Demons

General Description
Like Hell itself, Demons seem to be a hodgepodge of interpretations of various religions, but mostly Abrahamic religions. Demons are anywhere between humanoid and goblin-like, but are usually hulking and strong. They are usually covered with dark coloured skin that's mixed with fur, claws, scales, spines, and sometimes wings. They always have horns (though the number of horns vary) and long, whip-like tails topped with various types of fins, clubs, and spades.

Most demons are androgynous in appearance and nature, especially if they're in hell. Demons have the ability to shapeshift between a smaller, humanoid form and a larger, more monstrous form that usually resembles something found in Ars Goetia.

Demons do not breed or have external sexual characteristics, but two demons can create other demons out of their blood, flesh, and a lot of magic. These created demons retain most physical traits from one parent, but the magical abilities of the other. A similar process is used to cross-breeds with humans, though the child will mostly be demonic and called a cambion unless it is a second or third generation teifling.

Demons use the ends of their tails as identification - usually the type of tail they have denotes lineage. Without a tail, a demon has no place in society. Demons often sever the tails of their defeated opponents.

Society
The best way to describe the society is kill or be killed - millions of demons exist in hell and all of them are fighting to be top dog.

After he fell, Lucifer made demons and categorized them into clans under the Seven Princes of hell, including himself. The clans of demons roughly had 5000 demons each, and used to be very segregated. Over time these lines blurred and there were so many demons that creating more became strictly regulated. Most demons are completely content serving their Princes, and often are used as territorial guards against other Princes, or powerful warriors and torturers of human souls

While most demons still loosely reigned over by a Prince, some heavily mixed clans have broken off and created independent clans called 'Mixers'. Most Mixers exist to overthrow the Princes from their throne to establish their own bloodline and territory. This has only happened with one clan - a Lust-based demon overthrew Asmodeus to take on the role as Prince - Luxuria.

Some demons willingly leave hell or are exiled - often times, these demons have gentler natures and are considered imperfections by their clans or parents. Demons who spend time out of hell often take on a gender role, and over time, start taking on that gender physically, growing secondary sex characteristics. This is not always the case.

Most demons that are exiled are often hit with powerful spells that warp their memories and make them remember very little of anything before the exile. Most of these types of demons live secluded lives away from humans.

Demons who willingly leave hell often do so to make trouble and are dispatched of by demon hunters.

Names
Due to the nature of demons, it's often hard to directly identify a demon since many of them look alike. So demons came up with a complicated naming system for their race so that no two demons can have the same name.

All seven Princes have one name. IE
 * Amon

While those created directly from him will often have a latin word for a singular identifying name, while also carrying their Prince's name.


 * Amon Corvus

Corvus would be the demon's identifying name, and would be named for any crow or raven-like traits (ie. black feathered wings). As time went on, the names became more complicated as demons interbred.

Often times, demons' names will carry the Prince's name, as well as other famous demons found further up in their lineage, while being given names that identify them physically, often with latin or hebrew roots. The amount of names that denote lineage and names used for 'identifying' vary and can be in any order. The Princes' name will always be the first name.

This is a typical demon name:


 * Amon Abraxas Eifa Astarot Nerezza Ire

To break this down:


 * Amon, the Prince's name.
 * Abraxas - Another powerful diety thought to be a demon, also found in this demon's lineage.
 * Eifa - A common name with Arabic origins. Used as an identifying name.
 *  Astarot - Denotes another powerful demon in this demon's lineage.
 * Nerezza - Italian name with the root word for darkness in it, which probably denotes dark fur or skin. Another identifying name.
 * Ire - Latin word for anger.

In hell, this demon would often be identified by it's last three or four names. Demons who leave hell often just go by one name or a monicker.

Abilities and Weaknesses
All demons can breathe fire (of varying colours) and most can shape shift between a more humanoid form and a more bestial one. Most of them have wings that are flight-capable. These wings are often bat-like and dark coloured. The physical strength of a demon often matches its size, which can vary, but all have fast reflexes and have high endurance. Most demons regenerate physical injuries quickly, but cannot re-grow limbs.

All demons have some grasp on black magic, including soul entrapment and curses. They can all possess human beings and other human-based races for days at a time. Some demons can even physically bond with them.

However, demons are susceptible to attacks by holy water, crucifixes, wards and other holy objects. Being touched by sacred objects causes burn-like injuries that take a long time to heal. Demons cannot step onto holy grounds such as churches or temples without thick shoes.

Demons are also very sensitive to cold temperatures and will often not survive extreme cold. Most of them find Earth very cold in mild or temperate weather.

They do not need to consume food, but do like to drink.