In this moment, I am certain of your downfall. The name is not for any man to know, but understand this: I know the truth, for I have paid what needed to be paid. My soul is no longer my own, but the knowledge is now mine, so heed my words. In your world, there are only two forces: order and chaos. All strive to create order for the benefit of their own race, but it is futile. One day, chaos will come, and from it, no order will arise. Nothing will remain—only chaos—and here the archdemons will reign supreme.
I do not write this for the followers of the archdemons to learn who they are. I write this because a Kelllwanite by the name of Johannes Krell has publicly released a book about demons, purporting to stand against Kelllwan. I write this because he is wrong. Johannes Krell is not merely a coward but a sheepherding backwater loon unworthy of even the derision of the learned. I have paid the price for my knowledge, and he is mistaken. Let me, therefore, cast light upon the shadow of ignorance that Krell has so carelessly spread.
In the forgotten echoes of creation, when Kallean and Misrush clashed to create Armandos the world saw its first Archdemon. Nobody knows how and only fools speculate on why. However, as Armandos helped gods ascend to their rightful place, it became clear that even gods could die. Even the eternal are not impervious to the touch of death and corruption. And as the gods were slain, an archdemon would take their place. Those profane and twisted lords of chaos and darkness.
To slay a god is to shatter the fabric of balance. Yet death is not their end, but their desecration. Their celestial forms, unshackled by mortality, descend into the depths of the abyss, where the dark energies of the void seep into their being. Their once-hallowed names are stripped from memory, replaced with titles whispered in fear and loathing. Their virtues are turned into vices, their noble domains corrupted into instruments of torment.
You should know their titles, as you will be bowing to them. However, mortal, be joyful, for there are only four archdemons that you should worship.
THE DEMON OF HATRED
Total darkness and hatred, surpassed only by an all-consuming evil. A single glimpse of him, and one knows their fate. He is the lord of the demons’ sphere and without a doubt the most powerful. As is the nature of the archdemons, there is always an inner brutal power struggle, but none have yet unseated this archdemon from his throne.
Every hatred, every anger, every brutal act you commit is a tribute to him and a weapon he will turn into your downfall.
His general, his son, his weapon, and your doom is named Ballator, and it is most likely through him that he will tread upon Kalish. No matter which archdemon or pitiful god you worship, you would do well to show this archdemon respect.
This archdemon is no fallen and tormented god. This archdemon has found his place on his current throne after embracing the darkness that every god has been granted upon entering this most sacred realm. I dare not utter his former name, nor his history. This knowledge he reserves only for his highest-ranking supporters.
If you are followers of the greatest of The Great Ones, remember this: Hatred and anger are not the same. Anger is a fire that consumes everything in its path—a mighty weapon—but it will burn out sooner or later. Hatred, on the other hand, is a force that only grows stronger with time.
THE DEMON OF GREED
This archdemon was once a god of the dwarves, and there is little more of relevance to say about his former life. After the dark elves granted him death, his twisted understanding of order and justice was stripped away, and his true nature was brought to “light.”
He is truly one of the oldest of The Great Ones, and he, more than any other archdemon, has grasped the truth: that everything in the world belongs to them. It simply has not yet reached them. His constant desire for all things valuable and precious has made him the most resource-rich of The Great Ones. He rarely shares his treasures, and always as an investment or in exchange for something greater.
But I will say this to his followers: If he grants you anything, you are his. And once he has invested, he will expect returns, and he will always get his price—one way or another. Worshiping this darkened god is unimaginably rewarding, but know that if you fail, it will cost you more than just your life.
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THE DEMON OF NIGHT
The Queen of Night, as she is often called, remains a shadowy enigma to most. The fool Johannes Krell wrote that her domain of darkness solely concerns assassination, but believe me, my brothers and sisters, her power is far greater. Lies, deceit, and the silent violence of assassination—all these are the foundation of this archdemon’s influence. It is true, as Johannes claims, that she is active, for her followers are everywhere and arguably the most well-hidden of any. The only one of her followers known to the public is Longknife, undoubtedly her strongest offensive weapon.
However, the majority of her triumphs arise not from direct confrontations but from whispers in the shadows, lies in the dark, and subtle manipulations that lead to daggers in backs, friends becoming enemies, and even civil wars and misguided revolutions. Some believe that the civil war in Permersland was her doing. She does not demand much from her true followers, only their unyielding loyalty and, above all, their ability to remain hidden.
Even her own past was a lie. The old texts claim that Daikia had eight children, yet only seven are described and known. Only a handful of the eldest dark elves, those who still remember her and her closest confidants, know the truth. I advise you not to speak openly of this matter to anyone. Most dark elves would slaughter you for uttering “falsehoods” about the Ilsheres, and the Queen of Night herself is known to loathe the exposure of her secrets.
It is said that the White Ilsher was Daikia’s only daughter, but this is a fabrication. Her name was Lasandra, and she was the fifth-born Ilsher, thus ranking below her elder sister yet, as a woman, placed above her brothers. She knew that Ishtar would never rest easy while another female Ilsher existed to challenge her position. Daikia, too, foresaw this potential conflict, and the three of them—Daikia, Ishtar, and Lasandra—agreed to keep the fifth Ilsher a secret.
Lasandra understood that her brothers would not support her if it came to a confrontation between the two female Ilsheres. She relinquished any claim to a house, appearing weak and conflict-averse. She promised her siblings to assist each in their endeavors, all while secretly mastering the arts of assassination and intrigue, ever preparing for the chance to eliminate Ishtar. Yet the murder never occurred, and the reason for this remains known only to the Queen of Night herself.
How Lasandra met her end is a mystery not granted to me, but evidence suggests that when the demons claimed her, she was not tortured—or at least, not in the same manner as the others. In trade and treachery, she always holds the upper hand and nearly always obtains what she desires.
Although Lasandra renounced her house and her family colors, Longknife has personally told me that all her followers carry something yellow upon them.
THE DEMON OF LIGHT
Also called the Demon of Justice. This archdemon is the cause of much of my existence's despair. After Krell, the worm, spread his knowledge of the most sacred beings in the universe to a population—a continent—that was unworthy of hearing such secrets without paying their soul as a price, I made it my “life’s” mission to find him and devour his soul. I spent years hunting him down, only to finally drag him into my realm when something stopped me.
It was an archdemon I had never heard of, for no demon would tell me his name. He blinded me with his light and bound me with magic, so I could never harm the Kelllwanite I had longed to torture until he was no more. Many of the other archdemons were displeased or outright furious, for they all wished to have their share of Krell. But this “archdemon” would not allow harm to come to the traitor. And no archdemon seemed willing to challenge him.
Since then, I have toiled to uncover as much as I could about this archdemon, and this is what I found: He is perhaps the most hidden secret of the demons’ sphere. No demons want anything to do with him, and no archdemons will acknowledge him as one of them. He seems to lack even a trace of evil, which leads me to ask: Where does he draw his strength from? For there is no doubt that this is an incredibly powerful archdemon. He draws no strength from screams, nor from death, pain, or dark emotions or thoughts.
Krell claims his name is Armandos, but how could that be possible? All know that Armandos is but part of the creation myth, a story told to hide how the gods claimed power through mortal means. However, if Armandos is dead, it would explain why none can call upon his divine powers.
Like most other archdemons, he fights a constant war among them, but here something is different. “Armandos” does not seem to seek the throne of the strongest, but rather acts as a wrench in the gears of the others. And the archdemon most frustrated by his interference is undoubtedly the Demon of Hatred. Yet, even he will not banish him from this sphere, even if he could.
“Armandos” appears calm and collected in his mind, which I cannot interpret as anything but an insult. To receive the power of demons and not be consumed by darkness can only be seen as theft and blasphemy. This “Demon of Light and Justice” does not seem to have any followers—or, if he does, he hides them from our gaze, and with good reason. So, I say this to his followers, if ever there have been or will be any: Hide yourselves! And never so much as whisper your lord’s name in our presence. For if you do, we will make it our life’s mission to hunt you down and finish the job I never completed with Lrell, for every last one of you.
- Author unkonwn