Bloodtide Devil

Bloodtide Devils are powerful devils that reside in the Infernal Planes. They are often called Crimson Corpses due to their emaciated visage.

Description

Appearance

Some describe the Bloodtide Devil as resembling a shambling corpse filled with a crimson colour. Others make them out to be a strange creature that is made of a semi-fluid liquid. In either sense, they often resemble emaciated humanoids who are held together by a set of armor that is a deep black, almost like a void. When angered and fighting, parts of the Bloodtide Devil can shift and move around like blood, making a thick sludging noise at all times.

Abilities

Boiling Blood

Infused with hellfire, a Bloodtide Devil is able to throw part of their form towards an enemy. In doing so, not only is the creature imbued with a part of the necrosis that covers their flesh, but the hellfire burns away at their skin.

Magic Resistance

Like most devilsh figures, Bloodtide Devil's have become adept at shielding their form from the magical powers of the world. Whenever they are the target of a magical effect, they are able to resist its effects more easily. However, for the Bloodtide Devil this comes at a cost. Should they resist magic in this way, it reduces some of their life force, meaning they struggle to retain their magic resistance long-term.

Blood Drain

When near a creature who draws their energy from blood and life, the Bloodtide Devil can draw out some of the blood of a creature by lashing at them with a quick strike of their hands. In doing so, the creature loses some of their blood and life force to the Bloodtide Devil, who regains it. If a creature is felled by such an action, they find themselves absorbed into the Bloodtide Devil, who can use their soul as a bargaining chip in the Infernal Planes.

Bloodtide Devil

Biological Information

Type	Fiend (Devil)
Alignment	Lawful Evil
Vision	Blindsight, 90ft.
Movement	50ft. (Walking) 100ft. (Flying)
Abilities	Boiling Blood Magic Resistance Blood Drain

Physical Characteristics

Size	Large
Color	Crimson Black

Sociocultural Information

Planes	Infernal Planes
Language	Infernal Primordial

Placeholder Flower by Owen Davies

Society

Unlike many others of their ilk, Bloodtide Devils do not often make pacts. Usually they are pulled from the Infernal Planes into the Material Plane during the course of a ritual that involves a blood sacrafice. As the result of not forming deals, the Bloodtide Devils often consider themselves outside of the normal progression of devils from meager souls to Archdevils. In fact, no Bloodtide Devil has ascended to the status of Archdevil, with them instead becoming a hoarde of souls within each of their forms.
There are some powerful devils that take on a Bloodtide Devil as a minion in order to possess more souls in the Infernal Planes than one of their rivals. However, this has often backfired, with the Bloodtide Devil retaining the souls for themselves, or ending up dead.
There have been several thoughts as to why the Bloodtide Devils are so frought about finding and holding onto souls. Many devils believe that they are wishing to return to life and that in collecting enough souls they will be able to do so. However, some believe that they are looking to find a powerful enough one amongst their kind to approach the possible title of Archdevil, so they can barter and trade souls with more freedom than the current systems allow.

Known Bloodtide Devils

Zelgan, Everbleeding

Summoned during The Shatter, Zelgan is considered to be the first of the Bloodtide Devils. Once a mortal champion of Disaki, Zelgan became a twisted version of a corpse due to the intense nature of their death and subsequent animation at the hands of a dark necromancer. This disrupted the normal flow of their soul and left them a bleeding corpse of a devil, the first Bloodtide Devil. Zelgan acted as a powerful general of Disaki until they were allegedly destroyed by a group of heroes delving into the Infernal Planes in 309 AR.

Ezena

Ezena was once the lover of a devil, having been betrothed to him as a result of a summoning ritual in the mortal plane pulling her into the Infernal Planes. She was a loyal and kind wife, considering the situation she found herself in. Over time, she transformed into a half-devil due to her intense connection with the plane of infernal beings. After what felt like centuries of devout service to her husband, Ezena took on another lover, a handsome devil known as Darmiscos. When found by her husband, Ezena was cursed into the form of a Bloodtide Devil, revealing the leech she was.

Hatath

Very little is known about Hatath's earlier life, however much is known of their exploits as a Bloodtide Devil. After a summoning ritual invoked them to the material plane, Hatath took the form of a pile of blood that surrounded their armor. After being found by a powerful artificer, Hatath revealed themselves and tried to take their soul. However, the artificer was prepared for this and bound Hatath to their armor, creating a breastplate made of Hellsteel that would constantly drip blood. This powerful item was created and worn by the artificer until they went missing in 586 AR, leaving their breastplate somewhere in the world, with Hatath's influence still linked to it.