manages to dro19 a demon in <wmbat, the fiend dissolves
into fori ichor. It then instantly reforms in the Abyss, its
mind and essence intact even as its hatred is inflamed.
The only way to truly destroy a demon is to seek it in the
Abyss and kill it there.
Protected Essence. A powerful demon can take steps
to safeguard its life essence, using secret methods and
abyssal metals to create an amulet into which part of
that essence is ceded. If the demon's abyssal form is
ever destroyed, the amulet allows the fiend to reform at
a time and place of its choosing.
Obtaining a demonic amulet is a dangerous
enterprise, and simply seeking such a device risks
drawing the attention of the demon that created it. A
creature possessing a demonic amulet can exact favors
from the demon whose life essence the amulet holds-
or inflict great pain if the fiend resists. If an amulet is
destroyed, the demon that created it is trapped in the
Abyss for a year and a day.
Demonic Cults. Despite the dark risks involved in
dealing with fiends, the mortal realm is filled with
creatures that covet demonic power. Demon lords
manipulate these mortal servants into performing ever
greater acts of depravity, furthering the demon lord's
ambitions in exchange for magic and other boons.
However, a demon r~gards any mortals in its service as
tools td use and then discard at its whim, consigning
their mortal souls to the Abyss.
Demon Summoning. Few acts are as dangerous as
summoning a demon, and even mages who bargain
freely with devils fear the fiends of the Abyss. Though
demons ,yearn to sow chaos on the Material Plane, they
show no gratitude when brought there, raging against
their prisons and demanding release.
Those who would risk summoning a demon might
do so to wrest information from it, press it into service,
or send it on a mission that only a creature of absolute
evil can complete. Preparation is key, and experienced
summoners know the specific spells and magic items
that can force a demon to bend to another's will. If a
single mistake is made, a demon that breaks free shows
no mercy as it makes its summoner the first victim
of its wrath.
Bound Demons. The Book of Vile Darkness, the
Black Scrolls of Ahm, and the Demonomicon of Jggwilv
are the foremost authorities on demonic matters. These
ancient tomes describe techniques that can trap the
essence of a demon on the Material Plane, placing it
within a weapon, idol, or piece of jewelry and preventing
the fiend's return to the Abyss.
An object that binds a demon must be specially
prepared with unholy incantations and innocent blood.
It radiates a palpable evil, chilling and fouling the
air around it. A creature that handles such an object
experiences unsettling dreams and wicked impulses,
but is able to control the demon whose essence is
trapped within the object. Destroying the object
frees the demon, which immediately seeks revenge
against its binder.
Dem"onic Possession. No matter how secure its
bindings, a powerful demon often finds a way to escape
an object that holds it. When a demonic essence
emerges from its container, it can possess a m0rtal host.
Sometimes a fiend employs stealth to hide a successful '.
possession. Other times, it unleashes the full bttmt of its
fiendish drives through its new form.
As long as the demon remains in possession of its
host, the soul of that host is in danger of being d~agged
to the Abyss with the demon if it is exorcised from the
flesh, or if the host dies. If a demon possesses a qeature.
and the object binding the demon is destroyed, the~.
possession lasts until powerful magic is used to drive
the demonic spirit out of its host.DEMON LORDS
The chaotic power of the Abyss rewards demon~ 0f
particular ruthlessness and ingenuity with a dark.
blessing, transforming them into unique fiends whose
power can rival the gods. These demon lords rule
through cunning or brute force, hopipg to one day claim
the prize of absolute control over all the Abyss.
Reward for Outsiders. Although most demon
lords rise up from the vast and uncountable mobs of
demons rampaging across the Abyss, the plane also
rewards outsiders that conquer any of its infinite layers.
The elven goddess Lolth became a demon lord after
Corellon Larethian cast her into the Abyss for betraying
elvenkind. Sages claim that the Dark Prince Graz'zt
originated on some other plane before stealing his
abyssal title from another long-forgotten demon lord.
Power and Control. The greatest sign of a demon
lord's power is its ability to reshape an abyssal realm. A
layer of the Abyss controlled by a demon lord becomes
a twisted reflection of that fiend's vile personality,
and demon lords seldom leave their realms for fear of
allowing another creature to reshape and seize it.
As with other demons, a demon lord that dies on
another plane has its essence return to the Abyss, where
it reforms into a new body. Likewise, a demon lord that
dies in the Abyss is permanently destroyed. Most demon
lords keep a portion of their essence safely stored away
to prevent such a fate.BAPHOMET
The demon lord Baphomet, also known as the Horned
King and the Prince of Beasts, rules over minotaurs and
other savage creatures. If he had his way, civilization
would crumble and all races would embrace their base
animal savagery.
The Prince of Beasts appears as a huge, black-furred
minotaur with iron horns, red eyes, and a blood-soaked
mouth. His iron crown is topped with the rotting heads
of his enemies, while his dark armor is set with spikes
and skull-like serrations. He carries a huge glaive
named Heartcleaver, but often hurls it into the fray so as
to face his enemies with horns and hooves.DEMO GORGON
The Sibilant Beast and the self-styled Prince of
Demons, Demogorgon yearns for nothing less than
undoing the order of the multiverse. An insane
assemblage of features and drives, the Prince of
Demons inspires fear and hatred among other demons
and demon lords.5T