Demon

A demon is a term used to apply to a member of the collection of species previously alien to Skylessia until the appearance of the Thing and the subsequent Demon Wars. Demons vary in size, shape, and nature, and are more accurately described as a collection of alien races as opposed to a supernatural phenomenon. Most demons possess sentience, but only several races of them possess sapience; as such, most of them are considered to be demonic animals and beasts.

Demons are regarded by the inhabitants of Skylessia with hostility due to having fought demons commanded by the Thing during the Demons Wars. Due to the existence of a large number of aggressive demonic races, they are also often regarded as threats to humans and livestock, and subject to extermination when possible.

Species of Demons
Demons are not a singular species, but a collection of different races complete with different anatomies, biology, and behaviors. An attempt to catalog all of Skylessia's demon races has yet to be completed due to the prevailing opinion that not all races have been discovered yet.

Bunyip
Ugly little things that emerge from dirty bogs and waters corrupted by demons. They aren't very harmful on their own, but are capable of throwing nasty illusions on people, often akin to daytime nightmares. They attack rarely, but do so with their nasty fangs riddled with bacteria and disease.

Dominion
This type of demon was the most powerful type in the Thing's horde. Currently it is a monster far beyond what mere mortals can face. During the height of the war several were slain, but it took the might of Skylessia's mightiest heroes to take them down. The Dominion averages at about ten feet tall, its body is covered in flesh-like armor, harder than any metal man can produce. The armor is generally black in color though many varieties have been seen ranging from orange to deep green.

Its three-toed feet end in large talons capable of tearing through man-made armor. One of its arms is always grafted to a shield while the other is an oversized limb giving the demon longer reach with whatever weapon it holds. Surprisingly despite its huge size and weight it is still capable of flying at a rapid pace. Its face is covered by a full helmet, the shape of which varies between creature. some have small eye slits while others have been seen with a y-shaped slit that resembles the standard issue Alimond military helmet.

Gargoyle
Demons shaped in ugly, almost-human forms that are made from stone animated with magic. They are heavy, but can fly through the air, and attack with boththeir bodies and stray lances that they find on corpses of their prey.

Groxn
Terrible, jelly-like merpeople that most commonly plague the seas closest to Valhassa. They have only vaguely humanoid bodies composed of a viscous sort of jelly that paralyzes humans on contact. Their ugly, fish-like faces possess jagged horns instead of noses, which are capable of blasting a paralysis ray from a distance.

Mauthedoog
Corrupted wolves that have developed poisonous fangs and saliva through the demonic magic. They are swift and vicious foes, driven mad once they get the taste of blood in them.

Mogall
Giant, bodiless eyes coated in rotting flesh that float through the air in search of prey. They are heartless demons, seeking only human souls to consume via their gigantic eyes, and cast Dark magic to immobilize their prey.

Siren
Hauntingly beautiful demon women that are formed of mist and foam cursed with magical essence. Sirens constantly hunger for the souls of young men, singing songs and ensnaring men with their voices to lure them close, where their fierce claws can rip and tear through flesh.

Skeleton
Bony remnants of fallen humans reanimated with magic. They have no weapons save their own bodies, but are tenacious and vicious creatures.

Thinglet
Rumored to be fragments of evil that have broken away from The Thing itself, these demons are incredibly adaptive buggers. Their appearance is never the same from Thinglet to Thinglet, but there are a few common traits that bind these demons together. Thinglets are most recognizable by their many hands. Lots and lots of hands. The number of hands (and arms, of course) these things have tends to tell how powerful the creature is in general. It is thought the Thinglet is actually a parasite of some sort that can attach to and take over a host via the arm-like appendage, which would explain why the main body of these creatures is so variable.

Some think Thinglets can even take over other demons and others believe that Thinglets expand its number of hands by taking them from their prey.Given their many hands, they often wield a large number of weapons; it is not wise to engage a Thinglet in melee combat. Ranged combat and magic is the way to go as Thinglets tend to have few ranged possibilities. That doesn't mean a person wouldn't see a Thinglet with a bow and arrow, but it just is not a feasible means of combat for these demons.

Tidehunter
Nasty, ferocious demons that are most often found in the seas near Teraskyrn. They are serpentine beasts that are covered in sharp scales and their mindless violence is almost unrivaled in the seas. With webbed, suction-cupped limbs for climbing sea vessels and rocks, and rows upon rows of terrible teeth, even a single Tidehunter is a risk. The fact that they tend to travel in packs makes them all the more dangerous, though.

Vampire
Corpses that have been magically altered to drain life energy from living beings through direct physical contact. They cannot transform into bats or mist, nor can they fly, as rumors suggest, but they possess superior physical capabilities and can even outrun a normal man due to the magic empowering their corpse bodies. Due to their magical state, vampires can appear as perfectly normal human beings, up until the moment they strike.

Yeti
Huge ape-like monsters with enormous bodies heavily coated in white hair. They have powerful, long arms that serve to crush their targets easily. People tell tales of their fearsome ice breath, capable of freezing their prey to immobility. They find their home within the Outer Barrens, although yeti sightings are not very common.

Domestication
Domestication of demons, although uncommon, can be found in several of Skylessia's eastern regions. This largely applies to demons that lack sapience, such as Gargoyles and Mauthedoogs. The phenomenon can be found more commonly in the Northern Territories, where, aside from labor, demons can be found being utilized for military applications, such as Mauthedoogs being used as mounts.