demon

Those not of this plane...

We are so small, so insignificant in our place in the universe, the world so vast as to encompass countless planes for our exploration and infinitely more beyond the Veil and therefore beyond our reach...
But we in our hubris declare that our limited views are all that matter, that our insignificant lives are all that matter, and we literally demonize those that exist outside our understanding, who reside on higher planes we can never hope to see, and know things we could never hope to learn.

— Heksibar Ewabil, Elyrian philosopher

"Demon" is a term used to refer to most creatures native to the higher spiritual planes beyond the Veil. While the connotations of the term imply demons to be malevolent creatures intent on causing harm, the truth holds more nuance.

Civilization and Culture

Common Myths and Legends

The majority of myths and legends regarding demons center around demonic attempts at conquest and the brave heroes driving back the demon hordes. The most notable example of these tales is the The Legend of The Fearless One, about a single individual driving off a Fire Demon attack by leaping directly into the portal to their plane of Zaille.
Less popular are the occasional tales of individuals surviving a trip to one of the demonic planes before eventually returning to their families with tales of wondrous technologies, vast cities, and assortments of demonic cultures.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Of course. I'm a demon. The fact I am helping you must mean I am luring you into a trap. I suppose I must want to bathe in your blood? Or maybe I have a craving for fried Human fingers!
Or maybe, just maybe, we're not all the demons you make us out to be?

— Water Demon to a very lost traveler

Most tales of demons involve attempts to conquer or destroy sections of the lower planes of existence, resulting in an assumption that all demons are bent on conquest and destruction. A small number of travelers have managed to travel to the higher planes, with an even smaller number returning home successfully. These fortunate few tell tales of supportive demonic societies, advanced technologies beyond imagining, and helpful demonic sponsors ensuring their safety despite the health impacts of maintaining the higher spiritual frequencies required to remain on the higher planes.
As a result some scholars are beginning to doubt the truth behind the assumptions, acknowledging the possibility that perhaps only the violent citizens of the higher planes find value in attempts to conquer the lower planes. This does not change the beliefs of the majority of people across Fillimet, but it has led to new avenues of discussion in science, sociology, and philosophy among academic circles.

You are a primitive people. Your history is short, your technology young. But you have courage, cleverness, and a stubborn tenacity to rival my mother-in-law. And so I have hope for your future.

— Fire Demon to a Katanoj adventurer

Genetic Descendants

• Fire Demon
• Water Demon

Geographic Distribution

• Vandanara
• Zaille

Further Reading