One of my favorite things about my Darkness Rising setting is the actual Darkness. Something stirs beneath the world Duir’Aion, and if it should rise, it could very well be the end of the world.
As a writer, creator of worlds, I like having this over arcing theme over all of my novels and short stories. It helps to tie all the threads together. It helps to give a sense of dread, if not urgency yet. Kind of like GOT’s winter is coming.
The dark forces in my world are best represented by the creatures of the Pit. The Pit is Duir’Aion’s version of hell. It is a place of darkness were souls are currency. Those that lived an evil life will find themselves at the mercy of those who came before them. Many eons ago the Primal Chaos was splintered by a war with the gods. Those splinters took root deep in the pit and over time 3 separate races emerged. While the forms vary, all races begin as soul maggots, feasting on the souls of the dead or each other. When a given soul maggot has devoured enough, it evolves into an imp. No one knows why an imp later evolves into a demon, devil, or daemon. Even after a demon dies enough to return it to imp status, when it evolves it will always be a demon. An imp slain, is slain forever. Soul maggots are birthed from the very ground. Some say they rise from the still rotting corpse of the Primal Chaos somewhere at the bottom of the Pit. Demons, devils and daemons gain power by killing other creatures and absorbing their essence. Absorb enough and they evolve into a more powerful form. Ruling over them all are the 13 Lords of the Pit. Serving the Lords are Talons, with Wardens serving the Talons. At the bottom of the dark nobility are the Knights. As expected with chaotic and evil creatures, Knights are replaced with frequency, while the 13 have only replaced a member in the last century.
Demons are savagery incarnate. They love nothing more than to destroy. The most powerful ones are as large as dragons. They aren’t mindless creatures either, most of them are quite cunning. To assume they are unintelligent is to invite certain death. They are the most varied in form being most like the Chaos that spawned them. They can appear humanoid, serpentine, oozelike, or any horrid combination within. Xaxavaan, one of the Pit Lords form is constantly changing, and the curse “Touch of Xaxavaan” was created by his followers. Demons gain strength through cannibalism, continuing the trend that spawned them. As they evolve they continue to grow in size and strength. Xaxavvan for example is a tall as a titan, and just as strong. A demon slain outside the Pit returns to the Pit in 60 days with only half of their original strength. While this technically doesn’t affect their status as Lords, they are not as powerful enough to defend that title should rivals come to call.
Devils are manipulators, seducers, and liars. They make elaborate contracts to trap those foolish enough to bargain with them. They must always be aware of who is above their station, and rivals from beneath them. What they make up for in sheer strength, they make up for in arcane might. They are not your run of the mill spell-casters either. Their magic is infused with the vile energies of the Pit. Infernal spells are most often traded to brave wizards trying to get an edge on the rivals. As consummate liars, most devils have two forms. The form they typically appear in, and their true form. A devil’s true form is much more powerful than it’s false one, but a devil slain in its true form is destroyed forever. A devil “slain” in it false form emerges in the Pit in 60 days with half their strength. A devil will only fight in it’s true form when in the Pit, for a devil slain there, false form or not, is truly destroyed. A devil gains powers in souls. The most power is garnered from souls willingly given, which is why devils are so good at crafting pacts. Once signed the soul belongs to the devil upon death, though sometimes before if the signer didn’t read the fine print.
Daemons exist in the middle. They can be found most often in the Pits running Reliquaries, which are banks that house souls. They tend to avoid conflict, but are dangerous opponents when they choose to. Others raid the mortal world for souls as raiders and slavers. Still others make a living as bounty hunters or sellswords. They care little for the rivalry between devils and demons, much preferring the company of the cursed races of the pit: rune elves, ash dwarves, and chaos dragons. Daemons are collectors first and foremost. Enough souls, and a Daemon can purchase anything from any of the Pit Lords. Krytek, the Vault Keeper became the most powerful chaos dragon in the Pit this way. Daemons are unique in that they gain attributes based on prolonged contact with a given race or species. A newly “born” daemon is grey, and featureless, seeing and hearing by unknown means. Daemons that ply most of their trade with demons begin to become more feral or monstrous in appearance, while those that deal with devils become more comely. In both cases they begin to develop abilities typically shown by those races. A daemon that kills a creature can choose to absorb that creature’s essence fully. Thereafter the daemon can shift to that form, similar to a devil’s false form. That form has access to and can advance whatever skills it had in life. The daemon can also access the memories of the dead, making it a perfect spy. Daemons often choose a form to complement its natural abilities. A daemon assassin may be able to shift into an elf rogue, or just as possible a human wizard. Rumors persist that one of the Lords of the Pit is actually a daemon. No one says this aloud. And lives.
These are the nightmares of the Pit. Once banished, the seals have been broken, and they have found ways to plague Duir’Aion again. Worse, some Lords of the Pit have been able to garner worshipers among mortals. The more ambitious Lords seek true divinity. To put them on even ground with their more powerful rival gods.
A Darkness Rising 