Demonic Allegiences

Written by Paul King

I. The Dark Legion

“Only the strongest are fit to rule, and – make no mistake – lord Mnemesyx is the strongest of all!”

Background

Corporeal or not, even the most driven of meglomaniacs needs help conquering the world. Upon dominating the will of the warrior Brogan, Mnemesyx immediately set about gathering the strongest, most vicious warriors he could find. Stalking the borderlands, it did not take long to find a handful small tribes and villages who had not at some point considered subjugating their neighbors.

Walking fearlessly into the most brutish and aggressive of these marginalized locales and challenging the most prominent warriors to a duel. Using his infernal sense and understanding of the greed and envy in the hearts of mortals, the possessed warrior would wager his enchanted accoutrements and the loyalty of any who were following him against the absolute servitude of his opponent.

Should the demon win, the defeated would swear fealty to him and become a part of the new kingdom he was building. If the demon somehow failed to overcome his adversary, the enchanted equipment would be freely given to the victor. By Mnemesyx’s reckoning, this was a win-win situation – as it ensured that the item he was currently inhabiting would always be in possession of the superior warrior which would, in turn, bring that warrior into Mnemesyx’s possession.

Having surrounded himself with a core group of hand-picked warriors, the demon began to expand his recruiting operation by sending his men into the larger neighboring cities. His warrior-agents were carefully instructed to look for those areas where the downtrodden and disenfranchised could be found, particularly those made bitter by their circumstances, full of anger and envy. To these his message of opportunity and deliverance would come: Follow him and get what you deserve; follow him, and cast down those who have profited at your expense; follow him, and rule.

Once his influence had grown to a certain point, Mnemesyx lay siege to his first city. Caught unawares, was not able to put up much resistance. Upon capturing the city, Mnemesyx had all members of the local nobility publicly executed and turned their lands and property over to his most loyal and accomplished followers. Seeing how the demon rewarded his followers, unrest began to stir up among the lower class in the neighboring cities.

The demon once again sent forth his agents, telling those who suffered at the selfishness and indiscretions of the aristocracy that they, too, might find themselves blessed by Mnemesyx should they prove their loyalty to him. The ensuing riots and insurrection compromised the cities’ defenses, giving the demon’s army little trouble in capturing them. Once again, the aristocracy where publicly executed and the leaders of the insurrection elevated in their stead.

Within a few short years, Mnemesyx command a force large enough that he stopped looking at taking over individuals cities, and began thinking about conquering entire kingdoms.

Mission

The Dark Legion serves the will of Mnemesyx. They are sworn to spreading his influence and dominion wherever they can and committed to the belief that the demon will richly reward their loyalty and fervor.

Structure

Mnemesyx likes to surround himself with the best and strongest. His generals are those individuals that have dueled the demon, survived, and been personally deemed fit to lead his forces. For every city the Dark Legion conquers, one general – often times a native of the region, if possible – is left in control. Below them, a fairly standard, if simplified, military structure exists: Lieutenants, Sergeants, and the rank-and-file soldiers. Within each city, forces are divided between the active military (about 2/3 of the total force) and the City Guard (about 1/3) which ‘keeps the peace’ and defends the city while the active force is away.

Adventure Hooks

• The PC’s are visiting a city when a riot between the classes suddenly breaks out. The PC’s may try and figure out the cause of the riot, which side to support (if any) and/or try to quell it before the Dark Legion arrives to claim it for Mnemesyx.
• The City Watch is looking Dark Legion spies who are trying to stir up rebellion in a city. The PC’s, being outsiders, find themselves on a short list of suspects with the local authorities.
• In a plot to overthrow the Legion’s hold on a city, the PC’s are asked to assassinate the General ruling the city. Of course, accomplishing such a task is likely to draw the attention of the demon himself – who might be convinced that one the PC’s are more worthy for the position than the one they deposed.

II. Daemonhammer Fellowship

“The perverse forces of darkness and chaos once again rear their abominable heads and fix their hate-filled gaze upon the mortal world. We, the ever-vigilant, stand ready to cast them back into the hell-pits from which they dare to crawl!”

Background

For as long as the mortal world has existed, the demons who inhabit the chaos and darkness of the infernal realms have both envied and hated it. Countless attempts have been made by the ruinous powers to corrupt and destroy that whose existence causes them such unfathomable loathing – by subtle, corrupting influence at first, later by direct possession of mortal beings, and, finally by direct manifestation on the mortal plane. It was as a result of this last instance that the Daemonhammer Fellowship came into existence.

The various temples and faiths had long been combating the evil that beset the mortal hearts and minds. However, when the first demons physically appeared and began laying waste to Creation, they found themselves at a loss for dealing with them. It was some of the first heroes of recorded history who gave their lives to send these embodiments of hate and destruction back into the Abyss. In the wake of near extermination, the factions within each of the Good-aligned faiths began to study and analyze the nearly unstoppable forces that had been unleashed upon the world, determined to ensure that such an event never happen again.

As each institution gained understanding and developed means of dealing with demonic incursion based on the hell-spawned beasts they had personally encountered. Over a period of time, individuals within each of the faiths felt a compulsion to reach out to the others, to exchange the information and techniques each possessed to better prepare mortal-kind as a whole. Old rivalries are hard to forget, however, and these early daemonologists were discouraged from having contact with their peers.

Dismayed, but not deterred, meetings were held in secret and a plan for dealing with future invasions developed. The group, however, was eventually discovered and all the participants cast out of their respective temples and all but blacklisted within their faith-communities. The group, having nowhere else to turn, established the Daemonhammer Fellowship, devoting themselves to discovering and learning everything they could about demons and how to defeat them.

As mortals spread across the face of the world, encounters and incursions by demons began to occur more frequently. The Fellowship began to put all it had learned and trained for to use, sending more than a few demons howling back to their pits. With victory came fame and public support, and with that came influence and a grudging acceptance from the very temples and faiths that had cast them out years before.

Preferring the autonomy and freedom from oversight they had enjoyed, the Daemonhammer Fellowship declined to be accepted back into any one religion, but announced that it would work alongside any good-aligned faith in pursuit of their higher calling: the destruction of demon-kind, whenever and wherever it was to be found.

Mission

The Daemonhammer Fellowship is committed to seeking out and destroying demons who have infiltrated the mortal plane, wherever evidence of their presence on the mortal plane is to be found.

Structure

The Fellowship draws much of its membership from practitioners of the good-aligned religions from in which it has its roots, though people from outside any given religion will be considered provided they pass a series of tests designed to test their willpower, character, and intellect – aspects of mortals commonly assaulted and/or corrupted by demons. Once accepted, recruits are enrolled in a rigorous intellectual and physical training program. Seniority is important within the Fellowship, with the newer recruits being expected to show the proper respect and deference to older, more knowledgeable and experienced members.

The Fellowship is overseen by the Iron Council (a reference to pure iron as an anathema to demons), a group of eight of the most senior members, which is chaired by the Inspector General. When news of demonic outbreak reaches the Fellowship, a tribunal of three agents is dispatched to investigate the situation and determine how the Fellowship will respond: more subtle incursions and possessions may be contained and dealt with immediately by the tribunal itself, while evidence of physical manifestation would most likely require the dispatching of larger, more heavily armed group of Hunters.

Whenever the Fellowship is called to an area, they will attempt to work closely with any good-aligned temples in the area – provided that no evidence of corruption within the temple itself is perceived. In such cases, the tribunal may decide to visit a location and conduct their investigation without contacting any of the temples in the area.

Benefits/Drawbacks

Despite sometimes being viewed as pushy and demon-obsessed, members of the Daemonhammer Fellowship are generally respected by all good-aligned faiths and often rely on them for logistical support when conducting an investigation or cleansing operation. Secular governments may also call for support from the Daemonhammer Fellowship – but often only as a last resort after other, more conventional attempts to combat demonic incursion have failed.

Members of the Fellowship have been trained to face some of the most fearsome beings ever to walk the earth – they resist any panic- or fear-inducing effects caused by a demon. Additionally, they gain a bonus to resist any attempts at intimidation made against them.

III. Inferati

“Self-righteous fools! Don’t they realize that you can’t kill a demon? Striking one down only returns it to the abyss to wreak more havoc – no, the only true way to defeat this threat is to bind him to our will. One need not fear what they control.”

Background

Despite any number of tales and theories, no one really knows who the first Necromancer was – that first individual who encountered death and decided to try and bend it to their will. It was the same with the organization known as the Inferati. No one is really sure how the group was started.

What is commonly speculated, though, is that at some point in the past, an individual witnessed the incredible power and fury of a demon and began searching for a way to bend that power their will. To the mind of an Inferati, demons are tools. They do not fear demons, but have a healthy respect for them – or rather, a healthy respect for the cunning and the potential for destruction for which all hell-born are known.

Like Necromancers, the general public wants nothing to do with the Inferati. As far as most sentient mortals are concerned, the undead and demons are two things any sane person would do well to avoid entirely. Upon discovery, they are often chased out of town or, if caught in certain outlying parts of the countryside, may risk being lynched on the spot for daring to traffic with demons.

Consequently, being a member of the group is a closely guarded secret and gatherings of Inferati are often held well away from any prying eyes or ears. A handful of members from the local aristocracy can often be found dabbling in local Inferati activities in order to get a leg up on their peers and competitors in high society, though true mastery in the summoning and command of demon-kind takes a dedication that only a few possess.

When a demon manifests in the physical world, the Inferati often find themselves racing to find and bind any demons crossing over before they are discorporated and banished back to the infernal realms. Their presence during an incursion is often mistaken as cult activity in service to the very forces they are trying to bind, which often brings them into conflict with those who wish simply to strike down any and all demons and be done with them.

The Inferati prefer to bind rogue demons (that is, those not summoned and controlled by a specific individual) into inanimate objects, where they are contained by powerful wards and enchantments. The possessed objects then dispense and regulate the demon’s power in ways that often mimic magical weapons and implements, though the demon’s will is still active and must be guarded against for the duration of exposure to the items. A less common and much more risky practice is the binding of a demon to a mortal host. While the potential benefits of such a binding is still being explored, the potential for calamity from demons bound in living vessels that allow them interaction with the physical world are well-documented.

Mission

The Inferati seek to harness beings from outside this plane of existence, bending them to their will. They believe that having mastery over spiritual beings will enable them, in turn, to gain mastery over the physical world.

Structure

The Inferati are comprised of independent bodies that congregate in a given geographical area. There is no single overarching governing body that presides over the Inferati as a whole; connections between different jurisdictions depend solely on mutual recognition. Each body of Inferati is divided into three tiers of membership, each tier named for the three levels of demonic incursion in the physical world:

Whisperers: Individuals who have passed tests of candidacy to determine their discretion, commitment and level of interest in demonology;

Possessed: Those who have devoted themselves to the study of interaction with demons, taking a particular interest in the ways in which they communicate and manipulate mortals and learning safeguards for such interactions. They are able to create and use demon-bound items and equipment.

Manifested: The most experienced Inferati who are able to physically summon and control demons.

While there is no established rule that says any one tier has authority over the others, deference is usually paid to the higher tiers by the lower. It takes very little effort for the more experienced practitioners to maintain their de facto rule, as the numerous accounts of arrogant and inexperienced Inferati attempting to perform rites and rituals beyond their abilities or to personally challenge senior members are often warning enough to keep the membership in line.

Benefits/Drawbacks

Inferati of rank Possessed or Manifested are more resistant to attacks against their willpower. They also gain a bonus against attempts made to bluff or intimidate them.

At rank Possessed, the Inferati gains the ability to create and use demon-bound items and equipment. For every turn a demon-bound item is used, an attack against the user’s will is made. Should the attack succeed, the demon to effectively control the Inferati until a save is made.

At rank Manifested, the Inferati gains the ability to summon and control a demon. Should the Inferati’s means of control over the demon be compromised, it can and will attack the person who summoned it.

Demonic Allegiences by Nevermet Press is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.nevermetpress.com/contact.