Demon Lords
The Abyssal Paragons:
Demon Lords, known as the Abyssal Paragons, are the most fearsome entities of the Abyss, embodying its chaotic and corruptive aspects. Each Paragon reflects a primal force of destruction, despair, or madness, and their very presence twists reality. Nearly impossible to kill, they were driven back into the rifts between worlds by the combined might of all mortal races, sealing the gateways to prevent their return.
Malgazar, the Lord of Annihilation:
Malgazar is the embodiment of destruction and chaos. His presence warps reality, causing entire realms to crumble into nothingness. He hungers for the annihilation of all existence and delights in the ruination he spreads.
Erinyes, the Voidqueen:
Erinyes personifies emptiness and desolation. Her realm is an endless expanse of cold, starless space where life withers and hope dwindles. She seeks to extinguish every glimmer of optimism, leaving only a void of despair.
Thal'zekar, the Corruptor of Dreams:
Thal'zekar thrives on twisting hopes into nightmares. In his surreal realm, dreams and reality merge, creating a constantly shifting landscape. He corrupts the aspirations of mortals, replacing them with torment.
Nurgoth, the Plaguebringer:
Nurgoth is the embodiment of pestilence and contagion. He thrives within a realm of decay, where noxious miasma chokes the life out of all who enter. His goal is the spread of relentless disease and suffering.
Ravakar, the Despoiler of Hope:
Ravakar feeds on despair and desolation. His realm is a wasteland of shattered dreams and broken spirits. He revels in extinguishing the light of hope, leaving nothing but despair and sorrow.
Zal'karoth, the Lord of Shadows:
Zal'karoth is the master of deception and subterfuge. His realm is a labyrinth of ever-changing riddles, where truth and falsehood blur. He thrives on sowing confusion and exploiting the weakness of trust.
Azaroth, the Tyrant of Torment:
Azaroth embodies suffering and torment. His realm is a nightmarish domain of pain and anguish, where the very fabric of existence is agony. He seeks to torment and break the spirits of all who cross his path.
Xar'goroth, the Weaver of Madness:
Xar'goroth is the architect of madness and delirium. In his realm, the very geometry of reality is ever-shifting, creating an endless labyrinth of insanity. He delights in driving mortals to the brink of madness.
Valtharion, the Devourer of Souls:
Valtharion hungers for the souls of mortals. His realm is a realm of endless hunger, where souls are eternally devoured. He seeks to feed on the essence of sentient beings and grow in power.
Xal'Zirith, the Jealous Eternal:
Xal'Zirith is the embodiment of envy twisted by immortality. His realm festers in a corrupted mockery of life—where time stalls, and mortals wither without dying. He craves what he cannot possess: mortal vitality.
Gralkar, the Forgemaster of Torment:
Gralkar is the master of crafting instruments of suffering. In his hellish realm, he forges devices of torment and despair. He delights in breaking the will of mortals through his sadistic creations.The Mortal Resistance:
During the Great Cataclysm, the Abyssal Paragons led countless horrors into the mortal realm, threatening to consume it in chaos. Though the mortal armies were pushed to the brink of annihilation, a coalition of the most powerful warriors and sorcerers emerged. Through sheer resolve and mastery of ancient magics, they repelled the Abyssal forces and drove the Demon Lords back into the rifts from which they came. This victory came at a cost. The Magic required to seal the rifts demanded sacrifices—both in life and in the very essence of the mages who performed it. Most rifts were permanently sealed, but a few remain active, their barriers unstable, requiring constant vigilance to prevent another demonic incursion.
Fortresses:
To ensure the safety of the world, the remaining rifts were surrounded by fortresses. These bastions, constructed by mortal hands and enchanted by the arcane, serve as eternal watchtowers against the Abyss. Each fortress is staffed by dedicated orders of knights, priests, and mages who guard the seals and defend against the occasional resurgence of lesser Abyssal entities. These fortresses vary in form and function, reflecting the unique nature of the rift they protect:
The Iron Bastion:
A fortress built around the Rift of Ravakar, its walls are forged from enchanted iron to ward against despair and break the spirits of invading Demons.
The Citadel of Eternal Light:
Guarding the Rift of Erinyes, this fortress is infused with radiant magic that keeps the Voidqueen’s influence at bay.
The Labyrinthine Redoubt:
Surrounding the Rift of Xar'goroth, its twisting corridors mimic the chaotic geometry of the Abyss itself, confusing invaders and protecting its defenders.
The Abyssal Seals
The rift seals are powerful magical constructs maintained by rituals passed down through generations. These seals are reinforced periodically by magical orders, each specializing in the binding magic required to keep the Abyssal Paragons contained. Examples of notable seals include:The Arcane Crucible:
A sphere of pure energy that pulses with celestial alignment, used to keep Malgazar imprisoned in perpetual stasis.The Shards of Eternity:
Crystalline fragments radiating with divine magic, forming an unbreakable cage around Valtharion’s Rift.The Wailing Chains:
Anchored deep inside the rift, these chains bind Nurgoth, their keening sound drowning out his pestilent whispers. Each Demon Lord remains tethered to their own realm, exerting influence through subtle manipulation, whispers in dreams, or by sending lesser Abyssal entities to test the fortresses.
Genetic Descendants
Geographic Distribution
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