Demons

"Forgive me for this rather dramatic scene, sometimes you need a bit of theatre to get people's attention." - Zamorak

This page serves as a source for information about how this subject is applicable to World 42 Roleplay. It may contain Lorebending information and such should not be considered 100% Jagex canon.

K'ril Tsutsaroth — K'ril, a Tsutsaroth Avernic and general to Zamorak's forces.

This page serves as a source of information about demons as it is applicable to World 42 roleplaying characters. Everyone is invited to add to this information.

A Brief History[]

Homeworld[]

Shadow of the storm portal — Thammaron's Throne Room, one of our few glimpses into a small piece of Infernus.

Demons began on a world known as Infernus, also known as Pandemonium and the Infernal Dimensions; a world of jagged rocks and liquid fire. The term "demon" refers not to a single race but to multiple races that originated on Infernus, and the different variaties of demons we have seen are all of different races. The demonic races are among the oldest that came into being, the oldest known race of demons being the Infernals; beings of incredible power that were once the undisputed rulers of the other races and the plane, they ruled over Infernus until they were overthrown by a lesser caste known as the Chthonians. What happened to the Infernals after this is unknown, though some are still thought to survive; hidden in the most secluded reaches of the universe after having been banished from Infernus.

The Chthonians replaced the Infernals as masters of the realm, and took over as slavemasters of the Avernic; a large group containing many species of less powerful demonic races, which were also slaves underneath the Infernals. Despite the seemingly chaotic nature of demons, the Chthonians established an orderly society on Infernus; rich with culture and strict laws, though the penalty for breaking a law was usually to be devoured. In contrast to the Chthonians, the Avernic were still a squabbling bunch of tribes, continually engaged in bloody conflicts. There are many different subspecies of Avernic; the largest and strongest being known as Tsutsaroth demons (who continue to exist today, as do all the other known Avernic subspecies). Due to the combustible nature of the Avernic, the Chthonians were not able to consume and absorb them, and so both races continued to coexist amongst one another.

This golden age on Infernus continued for aeons; until eventually the god Zaros came, and tricked the greatest of the Chthonian rulers, Hostilius the Autocrat, promising the demons new worlds to travel to and devour rather than continuing to cannibalize themselves. Hostilius granted Zaros the use of several of his Avernic legions, and this was the mark of the demons' arrival to Gielinor; only a few small legions out of the hundreds of Infernus were enough to grant Zaros military might beyond that of any god, but yet more history continued to happen on Infernus. With the defeat of Zaros in the God Wars, Zamorak enlisted the help of the Avernic who wanted rebellion against the Chthonians. It took close to two decades, but with Zamorak's help; the Avernic were able to banish the remaining Chthonians to the Abyss. The Avernic then became the new masters of Infernus.

Gielinor[]

Thammaron skelet — The remains of Thammaron the Tsutsaroth, who died slowly enough that his body didn't combust: uniquely preserving his skeleton.

The first known occurrence of demons setting foot on Gielinor was the nearly lost piece of history detailing Zaros's arrival on the plane. Using energy from a trapped hydra named Loarnab, who somehow ascended to godhood, Zaros began summoning forth the Avernic legions he had been gifted by Hostilius, and then the Chthonian dukes that had been placed under his service. Following Zaros's bringing of demons to Gielinor, he began a great military conquest and created his empire. Senntisten became a cultural seat for demonic influence on the plane, as Even the Avernic slaves enjoyed living in a lap of relative luxury compared to the human inhabitants of Senntisten.

Zebub and Thammaron were the only demons who aided Zamorak in the usurpation and defeat of Zaros. As soon as Zamorak painfully ascended to godhood, the two demons opened a portal to Infernus and carried the god into their world. After learning of Zamorak's fate on Infernus, the Avernic demons began to aid the rebels in fending off the Zarosians. Over the course of nineteen years, Zamorak and the Avernic demons rebelled against the Chthonians and won.

After Zamorak returned, the God Wars began, which saw the arrival of many monstrous demons of the Avernic race, who could be so strong that they were only remembered as myths or legends. Under Zamorak, demons were a very popular accessory to the military, sometimes even leading entire armies, as exemplified by K'ril Tsutsaroth, and later in the Fifth Age by the Infernal; Kal'ger the Warmonger.

A some point during the wars, Uzer, the largest city in the Kharidian Desert, was besieged by Thammaron, a Tsutsaroth demon and chief lieutenant of Zamorak. Despite the Clay Golems' efforts to save the city, they were defeated and Uzer was destroyed. Thammaron, however, was severely wounded by an elite group of Golems, and he was forced to flee to his dimension on Infernus. Since the demon was physically present on Gielinor instead of making use of a manifestation; the wounds eventually proved fatal.

Over time, hundreds or thousands of demons have been both summoned to and banished from the Gielinorian realm.

Accepted Lore[]

This section addresses details about demons that are widely accepted throughout the world 42 roleplaying community.

Creation[]

Demons are not born in the traditional sense, there is no joining of opposite sexes nor any observable courtship behavior (supportable by the apparent lack of feminine creatures in the race). Instead, it has been discovered that demons are born from the literally burning heart of their homeworld: Infernus. How this process takes place is unknown, it is possible the first demons of a race are randomly birthed from the flames. Chthonians, reproductively, are more distinct from other demons. The majority of Chthonians are born from other Chthonians, which use their own essence to form their offspring, who do not inherit knowledge from their parent.^[1]

Known Races of Demons[]

This section lists the various races native to the realm of Infernus, which have come to be known as demons.

Infernals[]

The oldest and most powerful of all known races of demons Infernus had spawned; the Infernals were the undisputed masters of their homeworld at the height of their reign, and were creatures so powerful that even gods would likely have thought twice before attacking them. Little is known of the variable Infernal demons, as all have either been killed, banished, or fled to other reaches of the universe after the Chthonian uprising. Infernals were known to have fed on the anima of other demons.

Infernals share some similarities with the Avernic species, and it can sometimes be easy to confuse them with their cousins, as it can be seen that Infernals likewise explode on death (but this may just be another unexplainable game mechanic to add effect), and many Avernic Tsutsaroth demons share similar appearances. One thing that sets Infernals apart is their variety when compared to the Tsutsaroth: the avernic species almost always have red skin, pitch black or glowing red eyes, and can be affiliated with some sort of fiery element, while Infernals have a wider range of abilities, skin tones, and eye colors. Something also worthy to note is that Infernals often have more short fur on their bodies than Tsutsaroth.

It is not truly known what one would expect of an Infernal's temperament, as there are no instances in RuneScape where anyone has really had a recordable prolonged conversation with one. It is possible, since the Chthonians based their rising civilization on the Infernals' after their dethroning, that the Infernals have a temperament similar to their successors, while not being too overly aggressive like their Avernic cousins.

Little is known of the Infernals' civilization, but it is known that their Chthonian successors based their own off their former masters. From what can be seen of the Kal'Gerions, Infernal society was likely rich like the Chthonians, but more heavily influenced by combat and militaristic pursuit; with the strongest dominating their weaker peers, in this way Infernal society also bears similarities the Avernics'. An example of this militaristic class structure can be seen with Kal'Ger and his generals. One small snippet we have of Kal'Gerion culture; Kal'Gerions, when in the presence of a superior, often gift their betters with a body part from another demon they have bested. This need for body parts as a custom has led some Kal'Gerions into taunting other demons, in an attempt to goad weaker opponents into fighting them, even if the weaker demon knows they have no chance of winning. One Kal'Gerion, Yk'Lagor the Thunderous, preformed this cruel practice to the point that it seriously thinned the ranks of demons under his command; resulting in him being punished by his superiors for wasting soldiers.

Kal'Gerions[]

The demon Kal'Ger the Warmonger, his generals, and the other lower ranking Kal'Gerions in the dungeon outside Daemonheim's entrance are the only known Infernal demons to still be alive, but some of the Generals seem weak in comparison to the description that Palkeera's memory gives. It is possible the Kal'Gerions are of a lower caste of Infernal, like how the Byzroth demons are a lower caste of Avernic (or simply another game mechanic, as the bosses can be quite challenging depending on party size and the difficulty setting chosen while setting a dungeon). Kal'ger himself, however, is undisputed in his power above his generals.

Yk'Lagor's voice, what an Infernal sounds like.

Har'Lakk the Riftsplitter's voice.

To'Kash the Bloodchiller's voice.

To'Kash roaring as he dies.

Chthonians[]

The Chthonians were the demons to overthrow and replace the Infernals as masters of Infernus, and who ruled for a long time over the plane. The less powerful Avernic demons served as their slaves just as they once served the Infernals. The Chthonian demons were likewise powerful just as their Infernal predecessors were, the greatest of the Chthonian demons made Zaros look like a mouse in comparison. The Chthonians varied in appearance, just as the Avernic do, some were even known to consist of a twisting mass of tentacles. Eventually the Chthonians were overthrown by the combined efforts of the Avernic and Zamorak, once more causing a shift of power on Infernus with the long enslaved Avernic coming out as the new masters of their homeworld.

The remaining Chthonians were banished to the Abyss, where they still exist today; the weakened remnants of their once great race forming the many variaties of abyssal demons we know of. Like the Infernals before them, they were known for feeding off the anima of other demons, though it is known that they can feed on the anima of most species, excluding Avernics. Chthonians can feed on the power and knowledge of others indefinitely, and the most powerful Chthonian, which Zaros had tricked into giving him several Avernic legions, was as powerful as a god.

Out of all the demon species to encounter, the Chthonians are perhaps the most civilized and well behaved; contradicting the belief that all demons are monsters. The only thing that makes associating with them dangerous is their appetite for other races, but there are some instances of them associating with others peacefully, even befriending said individuals. Although they are capable of coexisting peacefully, accidents do happen; as a Chthonian noble of Senntisten named Senecianus gave into his appetite and accidentally consumed a young girl named Rowena, whom he cared for deeply. The resulting guilt, and the combined trauma of consuming the soul and memories of a loved one, caused Senecianus to lose sense of his own identity; and brought him into insanity, where he was then condemned to the insane asylum outside of Senntisten's walls.

Before their overthrow, the Chthonians had built a great civilization on Infernus, filled with culture dedicated to political prowess and artistic pursuits; having adopted many aspects of their new society from their Infernal predecessors, but although it was considered a golden age, there were still some dark pieces of history hidden under the rug. Even though cannibalism was outlawed, Chthonians still needed to eat other beings to sustain themselves and grow: so the punishment for many crimes was to be devoured, which allowed those in power to continue to grow in strength and knowledge. This gave rise to the many Chthonian dukes and aristocrats on Infernus, but at the expense of making it both dangerous and bothersome to be a lower class citizen.

It was from this solid social structure that the god Zaros first learned of language and civilization, and he applied what he learned to the second race he encountered: the vampyres of Vampyrium. It was thanks to the culture and society of the Chthonians of Infernus that the vampyres were changed from a loose collection of primitive predators and into the complicated aristocracy we know today: having adopted the Infernal tongue and court systems that the Chthonians had given Zaros.

The Penance[]

The Penance are the offspring of the Chthonian Duke called Cacus, who became incredibly strong by devouring Infernals during the Chthonian uprising, as well as his own kin. The Chthonian ruler, Hostilius, eventually promoted him to Duke and gave him his own legion of demon soldiers. Duke Cacus's fate eventually turned sour, as the Avernic rebellion came he was banished from Infernus by Zamorak and his soldiers, becoming trapped in the Abyss. Cacus survived on detritus that floated his way until he, through events that are still not entirely clear, came across a young Fremennik woman named Aesa Fellsdottir and ate her soul; using her energy to transport himself to Gielinor. Once there, he adopted the new identity of King, and spawned an army out of his own body. The Fremennik named these beasts the Penance, and have fought them since Cacus first set foot on Gielinor, being the only small, yet effective line that has prevented Cacus from becoming a major threat to all the realm.

The Penance take many forms, as they live in a hive society, and thus have many shapes and roles suited to such a life style. From Cacus spawned the queens, who then spawned the rest of the hive. It is unclear how intelligent Cacus's spawn are, the creatures below the queens seem to only hold thought on a bestial level, and the queens themselves are under scrutiny. It is known, however, that penance can communicate with one another through telepathy, and are able to coordinate attacks. They share this gift of telepathy due to their linked lineage from Cacus, as they are all linked to one another's life forces, having received their lives from Cacus's essence.

Nechryael[]

These ghastly Chthonians are thought to be the offspring of duke Orcus. Not much is known about them, but they are strong combatants that can generate smaller creatures known as death spawn to help them in combat.

Virii[]

The Virii demons are a bestial form of Chthonian, which can be comparable to dogs or wolves, and live in a pack structure. One of the packs is owned by Nex and are called blood reavers. They are quadrepedal, as suits their animalistic lifestyle, and would likely make good guard animals or even companions to those who could control them. Virii are shown to be intelligent, but only on the level of what could be considered close to an above average dog, only one Virius, Ocellus, was ever shown to have true intelligence (as he recieved his sentience from Guthix). The singular form of Virii is Virius.

Bloodveld[]

The bloodveld are a type of Chthonian demon about which little is known. They are shown to be unintelligent and are often treated as pets by those that can tame them. Vampyres favor them as companions, though they keep a different breed than the ones that can be found in the slayer tower; having created a special vampyric breed of bloodveld instead. Through their studies on blood, the vampyres also created a mutated breed of bloodvelds with humans in the mix, but these monstrosities were abandoned and left in the ruined dungeons below Meiyerditch.

Rippers[]

“	I hear the blood pumping in the veins of my coworkers, even as their hearts stop beating. Their blood still feels warm on my claws.	”
–The last words in a miner's journal, before the change was complete.

Perhaps the most horrific of Chthonians, Ripper demons themselves are not intelligent, but rather, their hosts are. Ripper demons are parasitic Chthonians, which spread to humanoid hosts when pieces of their bandage-like flesh separate from their bodies. These snake-like ribbons of flesh then crawl around like horrible millipedes; searching for hosts to nip with their miniscule legs and infect. If not disturbed, the severed flesh will attempt to fuse with the flesh of the victim, but even if it is removed, it is too late: the infection process has begun. Over the course of mere days, the humanoid victim's hands and feet begin to fuse at the bone and sprout long metallic blades at the knuckles, and the flesh begins to unravel; giving the infected a ragged, mummified appearance of dirty, bloody bandages covering their entire form. As their forms change, the identities of the hosts themselves begin to become lost, as their memories and personalities are slowly wiped away and replaced with a "terrible darkness" while "thousands of voices" whisper in their heads; urging them to kill, maim, and slaughter. In the end, the victim is left sentient, but entirely unaware of who they once were; replaced by a monster that has consumed them.

The Ripper's form of reproduction is unique among Chthonian kind, whereas most others reproduce by spawning, the Rippers are the only known Chthonians to take hosts. What they do is not possession, like what the Avernic are capable of, rather, the host literally becomes the demon; not controlled by it as through possession. The process is so absolute that it is likely irreversible, as it entirely consumes who the victim once was, much like vampyrism. It is unknown if the current Rippers near Al Kharid are infectious, as it was the flesh from the dead Ripper who killed Saint Elspeth that was used to infect the current victims (while the host was dead, a Zarosian cultist was able to revive the demonic flesh with a ritual, which then crawled away from the long-dead corpse of the host to infect the miners he had paid to excavate the cave the body was in). Another difference from other Chthonians: Rippers do not consume other races like their bretheren, they only kill them, however, it is referenced that they are capable of sustaining themselves on the bloodshed they create.

What the victim becomes is perhaps one of the most feared creatures on Gielinor, or anywhere else for that matter. Rippers are capable of dealing immense, precise, and incredibly fast damage to their targets: landing strikes that penetrate through even the most formidable armor types and defense styles. In fact, one of the few things that seems to effectively defend against these demons are the prayers of those with great faith, as Saint Elspeth was able to keep one at bay with her songs of worship, though it eventually did reach her as her voice gave out. Along with their great speed, they are capable of magically fading in and out of shadow to surprise and overtake their targets with horrible ferocity: appearing and disappearing much like a Mahjarrat's ability to phase in and out of the Shadow Realm. As combat goes on; Rippers are spurred on by the adrenaline of a prolonged fight, and their attacks can become all the more fiercer. To make matters worse, Rippers themselves are attracted to the bloodshed caused by others of their kind; if the first Ripper's victim sustains grievous injuries, any other Rippers in the immediate area will be drawn to and attack in unison with their brethren, causing a horrific onslaught that few creatures could withstand.

As if their offensive capabilities weren't enough, the creatures are capable of sustaining massive amounts of damage, even when the rare opponent comes along that knows how to damage one (they are incredibly difficult to harm, with even the most experienced slayers quickly finding themselves outmatched and overwhelmed). If an opponent manages to fell a Ripper, distance must be maintained from the creature, as they flail and slash violently in their death throes; such thrashing may have been what killed Saint Elspeth as she struck the demon's heart with her song. Their reputation lives up to their legend, as even some of the mightiest figures in Gielinor's history have been felled by these creatures, and despite their almost human-like size; the average Ripper puts even the mightiest of Tsutsaroth to shame with their ability to kill.

Avernic[]

Since the collapse of Chthonian rule on Infernus, the less powerful Avernic subspecies have been thriving. There are many different kinds of Avernic, each with their own distinct features, and are the demons we are used to seeing and know the most about. Out of all the demon species, the Avernic types are often considered the most short of temper, and the most violent, leading Zaros to describe them as "embittered slaves". While the demons that ruled Infernus before them, the Infernals and later the Chthonians, had rich and thriving cultures, the Avernic species embrace a more primitive, tribal and violent society with little order and structure, which helped them to eventually follow the philosophies of Zamorak. The rules of Avernic society are simple: the strongest rule the others, while the weak are cast down to serve their betters.

Through all the hardships the Avernic demons have endured, they have proved one thing over and over again: their hardiness. Avernic demons, while most of the time being considered weaker than their predecessors, are true survivors. They have lived through thousands of years of slavery and have emerged all the stronger because of it. One of the qualities that the Avernic possess that has helped them go the distance is a unique trait that only Avernic demons have under their belt: their burning hearts. Like the heart of their homeworld, Avernic demons have an inner flame inside them that literally radiates heat off their bodies. It is because of this inner fire that Avernic do not need to eat (although they are capable of doing so increase in power) to sustain themselves. Unlike the other demon races which have to feed, Avernic can perpetually sustain themselves off the heat that radiates from their hearts. This inner heat is also what saved them from being eaten by the Chthonians; as when an Avernic demon dies, the heat and life energy literally explodes out of their bodies. This quick escaping of energy makes it impossible for Chthonians to capture an Avernic's life essence as it flees the body.

Tsutsaroth[]

The Tsutsaroth demons are the largest and strongest of the Avernic, and were the most outspoken when it came to defying the Chthonians and fanning the flames of rebellion with the help of Zamorak. The most noteable Tsutsaroth we know of is K'ril, a general of Zamorak. The Tsutsaroth demons are also known as Elder demons, or Butcher demons.

Alyaroth[]

The Alyaroth, commonly called greater demons, are very well known and come in at least two variaties; the standard greater demon and the slightly more powerful black demon. All other winged Avernic demons that are not Tsutsaroth could likely be classified as Alyaroth. The Alyaroth are subservient to the Tsutsaroth, and serve them loyally, but it is unknown if they are considered as slaves or merely servants.

Byzroth[]

The Byzroth are among the most commonly known demons, often refered to as lesser demons. Although called lesser demons, they are certainly not something to underestimate, as some of the strongest Byzroth, such as Delrith (a Byzroth infamous in Varrockian history), are known to be strong enough to take down cities (although individuals this powerful are rare, with most Byzroth being reasonably manageable to kill). Not too much is known about the Byzroth, save for they have no wings and are likewise subservient to the races above them.

Blazehounds[]

These beasts share the same role to the Avernic that Virius demons served to the Chthonians; namely as guard animals, as they are said to guard the scorched keeps of Infernus and howl at any tormented souls that come near. Like the Virius, Blazehounds appear to be animalistic with no sentient thought, just as a dog or wolf.

K'ril's voice, what a Tsutsaroth sounds like.

A Byzroth's voice, less intimidating than K'ril's.

Impious[]

Impious demons are the lowest of the low, the weakest of all the demonkind. It is because of this weakness that they are regarded as little more than nuisances by other races, but they still fill a role in demon society. Despite their weakness, most Impious demons have found a small and humble role as being servants to the more powerful demon races, and have earned themselves a place among the history of Infernus because of it. While they are weak, it is because they are weak that they have the advantage of slipping through cracks where as other demons are easily noticed, and so some Impious demons act as spies, while others have no masters and instead fulfill their time by playing jokes and getting up to no good.

Fiends[]

Little is known about Fiends save that they are an elemental variety of Impious demon. They come in three known types: fire, water, and ice. Out of all the Impious demons, Fiends barely serve any function in demon society, as little to none have been seen serving a master.

Imps[]

Imps are the most commonly known Impious demons, and it is they who we know the most about. Mischievous little things, Imps often like to pass their time playing jokes or getting into trouble, but they are the ones who most often fill the role of servant to the more powerful demons, and so you do not often find an Imp without some kind of master. Not really being the most evil kind of demon you'd find, Imps have been known to team up with other non-demon races if they find that they get something out of it. Imps come in two varieties: fire Imps and snow Imps.

Implings[]

Implings are smaller Imp-like creatures that greatly resemble the larger Imps, but they are often considered by many to not be true demons; largely because of their characteristics and the fact that they live on a plane called Puro-Puro, which seems vastly different to any description of the demon home world: Infernus.

Other Demons[]

These are demonic entities that may or may not be actual demons.

Hellrats (Assumed to be true demons)
hellcats (Warped to become demonic)
Hellhounds (Assumed to be true Avernic demons, possibly warped wolves or dogs)
Mazchna (Assumed to be a true demon, possibly an Avernic who changed his form)
Ice Demons (Very likely a greater form of Icefiend)
Gargoyles (A possible sub-species, likely an earth elemental based Impious demon)
- (They are suspected of being demons due to the fact that they are affected by the famous sword; Silverlight/Darklight)
Arzinian Being of Bordanzan (Unknown, possibly a very powerful Impious)

Naming Conventions[]

This section gives note on how the names of the individual races of Infernus differ from one another, and provides guidelines on how to name a demon character depending on race.