Standing apart from the natural order of divinity, but no less a part of the grand order now, are the self titled Demon Kings. The Demon Kings are relatively new to the cosmic order of things, but not, nor have they ever been ignorant of them. The infernal masters of the Pit have long aspired to gain power like the gods. Cults have sprung up in worship of these darker powers, and many Infernal Powers, such as Demon Lords and Princes can grant their faithful powers. These powers could rival many of the divine tier, but only the greatest of Demon Princes could hope to do battle with Greater god or Titan. That all changed a few centuries ago, nearly yesterday for the immortal powers.
Loremasters, priests of Neissithaar, the god of knowledge and secrets, share their master’s vehemence for the Demon Kings and have taken a sacred oath to uncover everything they can about the Demon Kings. This also makes them valuable sources of information regarding anything Infernal. While they have learned many things about the inner workings of the powers that reside in the Pit, they have uncovered only a few details about the Demon Kings. The information they have uncovered however is no less significant.
For example, there was a demon prince that uncovered the secret to divinity. Y’thraak was slain by mortal champions before he could complete the process to godhood. Since demons are notoriously selfish, it still remains a mystery how the knowledge Y’thraak gained found its way to the infernals. It is believed that the Keystone, the heart of Y’thraak’s Wailing Tower, may have contained that knowledge. It has been lost since the demon prince’s demise.
The Demon Kings present a natural problem to the gods of every level. For one it shifts the balance of power towards utter evil. The Demon Kings are evil incarnate, and whether demon, devil, or daemon, they all wish to subjugate everyone and everything. Their hunger for power is insatiable. As gods, the Demon Kings are now capable of attacking and acquiring portfolios (and worshippers) from any other deity. Thus even the evil divine powers have a reason to fear. For this reason, evil aligned gods, as well as those who have flexible morals, have been known to work with their more noble kin in order to keep their powers out of the Demon Kings’ grasp.
The Demon King have an additional advantage. If a god is killed in his realm, he is truly slain. A Demon King, like other infernals, can only be slain in the Pit. As gods however, the Demon Kings have created their own realms in the Aether alongside the divine, the Ebon Court. Thus in order to slay a Demon King, one would have to accomplish that task twice. A god of any kind – to say nothing of those of good, light and justice – in the Pit would attract the attention of every single infernal for leagues, if not the entirety of it.
The Loremasters have uncovered a disturbing prophecy about a being known only as the Demon Emperor. Even the Demon Kings are uncertain about its meaning. The prophecy states that the Demon Emperor will ravage reality with the 12 Demon Princes as his general. Some seem to think the 13th Demon King will become the Emperor. Others think that the 13 will fight amongst themselves, with the victor becoming the Demon Emperor.
As far as scale, the Demon Kings are similar to the Greater Gods in power. While a group of Intermediate gods could slay one, they would only be able to do so on the Demon King’s realm. They would not stand a chance on the Demon King’s true home in the Pit.
Becoming a Demon King is not an easy task. It is essentially a progression from demon prince, which requires a vast amount of power. Most Demon Kings became one only after killing and absorbing the powers of several princes.
Demon King spotlights:
- Naelizeda – One of only two females in the Court, Naelizeda is the Demon Queen of witches. A powerful succubus, Naelizeda advised a demon lord for centuries before she grew tired of the lord’s lack of ambition. She seduced several of his rivals, and instigated a war between them and her former liege. When the demon lord was murdered, the other lords, as typical began to fight amongst themselves about the spoils, especially the demon lord’s power. She swooped in and killed them all. Taking all their power and realms for her own, she became a Demon Princess. She began trafficking in information, with spies everywhere. It is said there isn’t a realm, mortal, infernal or divine where she doesn’t have a spy.
Though no one knows how she discovered the secret, it was no surprise when Naelizeda sauntered into the Ebon Court, a throne of thralls appearing in an empty space at the Ebon Court’s table. Whether she came by this information honestly, or stole it from a would-be-king, Naelizeda has proven herself quite formidable. She is considered a considerable threat, second only to Karaanx. - Karaanx – Currently the most powerful Demon King, Karaanx is unique among them. He is a Titan and the former god of death. He aspired to control both sides of the veil and tried to take the portfolio of life, from Tadalaar. Aeruus came to her aid, and the two gods grievously wounded Karaanx. When the god of death retreated to his domain, he found his son Raeksithaanx waiting for him, hungry with intent. In his weakened state Karaanx was unable to fend of his son and had the portfolio of death stripped from him. Severely reduced in power, Karaanx sought aid from his sometime ally Akis the Reaver, a demon lord, instead of retreating to the Gray. The demon betrayed him however, and absorbed the former god into himself. Even a fallen god has great inherent power, and Akis was elevated to the status of Demon Prince. Unfortunately for Akis, he did not understand what it meant to be a Titan. Karaanx existed within the demon princes, and bided his time gathering his strength. He subtly began to manipulate Akis, having the demon prince establish cults of undeath all over Duir’Aion. Whether Akis ever understood what was happening is unknown. At some point, Akis traveled to the Demon King’s Court, and arranged a meeting with them. It was there that Karaanx finally revealed himself, subsuming the demon prince, and properly harnessing the power that the cult’s worshippers granted him. Karaanx immediately announced himself a Demon King, and created his own realm within the Court known as the Crimson Crypt.
Karaanx is aware that the other Demon Kings fear him. For he is the only Titan among them. He is the only true god (even if former) among them. And his aspirations, and desire for vengeance aim ever higher. He wants to wash the world in blood, killing everything, including the gods, raising them all as twisted mockeries of their former selves, under his control, from an undead insect to an undead god of the sun.
Karaanx is worshipped primarily by spellcasters, and counts necromancers among his favored worshippers, particularly if they choose to become liches or mummies. Awakened undead of all kinds give at least lip service to the god of undeath, lest he choose to reclaim the power that animates them.
A Darkness Rising 