Created by the Dark Source sometime during the Age of Settlement, Daemons are an assortment of Primordial Races that were entrapped in an Etherial Pocket and corrupted by the Dark Ether emanated from the entity over years. In a more broad sense, the term is also applied to animal life that was corrupted in similar fashion, and is often also used for the Felborne.
For the most part, the Daemons amplify the primal and chaotic nature of their ancestors to such a degree as to be impractical as a serious threat, save when co-ordinated by the Dark Sources various agents, or during the reign of the "Daemon God" Xylnulifein. Though with the sheer variety of forms they have transformed into, the occasional one, or group with the direction to lead arises.
History[]
After the Dark Source's release in the Primordial Wars, it would remain largely inactive until the Age of Knowledge, but during this time was able to slowly gather members of Primordial Races and corrupt them, hiding this army away in the Etherial Pocket that originally imprisoned it. While it also worked its influence on the Altalarans, with the Primordials almost entirely removed from the picture, it was able to work more drastically on their wayward children.
During the Age of Knowledge, it would release these hordes by having the converted Archmage Tyrius Gadril stage an "accident" at the Arcane Society's encampment in Aergoth's expansion into the Western Isles. The ensuing rampage would become the First Daemon War, leading to the establishment of the Daemon's fortress of Krael, and pushing Aergoth into further reliance on the corrupt Arcane Society to fight the new threat. This would however be one of the actiosn that led to the creation of The Shard, blocking the Daemons out of Idryllia and separating them from the Dark Source's control.
Having been brought to Idryllia in secret by Gadril and his Cult of the Unspoken, a few daemons nonetheless did survive onto Idryllia, and after Gadril was slain by The Companions, fled into the Underworld passages, eventually creating the smaller settlement of Karthax. Among these Daemons would be those who joined with Gadril's apprentice, Alraius Dessecar, in his various bids against Delwynvale and the Northrealm, before being defeated by the Arbiter Eli .
While the Daemons of Karthax licked their wounds, the Age of Cataclysm came about when Stormwind shattered The Shard, inadvertently allowing the Daemons of Krael to return to Idryllia. Under the banner of Xylnulifein, himself empowered as a god by the Divine Worship of thousands of Daemons during the time separated from the Dark Source's dominance, they would swarm over the ruins of Aergoth, and through the Underworld into Northrealm. A climactic battle with the forces of Northrealm (led by the Dawn Legion) would see their defeat though, aided by the efforts of the New Companions and the Elder Dragon Aquar, who entrapped the Daemon Hordes in the Western Isles in Bastion, and drowned the city in a tsunami waves. The resulting loss of worshippers depowering Xylnulifein enough to allow him to be defeated.
While the Daemons remain a threat in both Krael and Karthax in the Age of Reclamation and the Age of Mortals, they have not managed to form into a world threatening army since. Those in Karthax are known to have at least some contact with other Underworld powers (and cults of Dessecar), while the Daemons of Krael are regarded as a more raw destructive force.
Characteristics[]
While one can sometimes pick out their origins amongst Daemons, the greater array of them seem to be a chaotic mass of random warped features, appearing as anything from oddly colored but otherwise normal folk, to savage beastial forms or many limbed horrors. A great many have talents for resisting magic, or armoring that is difficult to pierce with standard weapons. Similarly to Dragons, despite having no relation, many also seem to attach themselves to aspects of ether present at their births. Whlile most Daemons can breed with any other Daemon, a few of typees "pure" pedigree do exist, moreso amongst the more organized Daemons in Karthax then the seething mass of destruction contained in Krael.