CREATURES of HORROR (A.A.V.)The Ancient Art of Demonology is the most dangerous It should not be used by a person with little power. "Take heed, foolish Dabbler, you have been Warned, Demons will never forget you, their Tormentor and Captor." The hazards are great, but the rewards are greater. The method of preparation of a Demonic Circle of Binding is both complex and difficult. Each and every stage must be performed exactly as stated or disaster will strike you and your suffering will be endless. First, a perfect circle of Human Blood must be drawn, by a priest of pure good or the magic will fail and all Chaos will be set free. Within this circle the priest must scribe a perfect magical Star to focus the power. Next, ten black Candles must be placed at the junctions of the paths, and these candles must be lit as a beacon for Evil Beings to see from their foul plane. This powerful magic splits The Universe in two pieces, that within the circle and that without. The area within the circle is a direct Conduit to the Plane of Demons. You must then summon the Demon you wish to conjure by use of an enchanted message. Ancient tribesman have been known to use an enchanted magic bag for this purpose. The following step is the most important. You must not make even the slightest error or the magic will fail and demonic hordes will be free to roam the Land. When, the Spawn of Chaos has fully materialised then you must, with all speed, bind Him to your will. This step envolves a mental Battle for control between you and the monster. Once you have control then the demon is at your command for one solar cycle. The method of Banishment is similar to that of summoning except that by simple methods the Portal must be reversed. Perform the first steps in order. Then cause the demon to enter the circle and intone the Spell of Binding. The creature is no longer at your command. Be quick then, and dispel the creature to whence it came and destroy the magic circle lest it returns to seek revenge. The ANGEL of DEATH is one of evil's most powerful minions. This unholy creature is sent straight from hell to deal with those who meddle in the affairs of evil. They are usually sent only when all else fails. Although emaciated and of very sallow complexion. These creatures are extremely dangerous and can usually kill with just one blow of their scythe. It is said to be impossible to run from an angel of death. Few survive after having attracted evil's attention to this degree. ANIMATES are things created by human scientists or magic users with a specific series of actions in mind. They generally perform simple movement, like robots. They are renowned for endlessly following a set pattern until commanded otherwise. They can only understand basic commands unless some sort of artificial intelligence has been installed. They are usually extremely tough and often cannot be killed while the magic is still working. This is because the magic heals any injuries they may have and they are restored to their original state. They do not have any special powers and must be pulverised to stop them. BANSHEES are the unfortunate slaves of demons whose purpose is often to foretell a death in the house. However, they are often used as early warning systems. Their ear-splitting screams will alert people to an intruders presence. They attack by scratching with their nails but are basically defenseless against a determined attacker. They have no magical powers and the presence of a banshee usually indicates a greater danger ahead. Be warned for their screams are said to cause intense head pain and alert their masters. DEMONS are creatures that originate on another plane of existence. There are seven planes apart from the Material plane on which we dwell. Indeed, if we could travel to one of these other planes then we too would be classed as demons. Chaos is a basic demon trait and it is simply for amusement that they come to our plain to wreak havoc. They can also be summoned with magic and forced to carry out tasks for the summoner. All demons are at least moderately powerful. Some are extremely powerful and if they attacked en masse they could conquer the world. Luckily demons generally don't get along. MAJOR DEMONS are, fortunately for humanity, a rare breed. There are actually only eight in existence, to rule each of the planes. The most volatile demon is Cerberus. This demon takes the form of a huge, triple headed dog. This creature breathes fire and casts very powerful spells. If you meet Cerberus it is a very good idea to run away, extremely quickly. It is extremely unfriendly and has made several, so far unsuccessful, attempts to conquer this dimension in the past. Cerberus is often surrounded by it's minions, these provide protection from magic users who have the power to banish it back to its own plane. MINOR DEMONS come in many shapes and sizes and from many planes. The most common ones are Elemental Demons and Succubi. Elemental demons come from one of the elemental planes and have powers associated with that element. For example Fire demons can throw fire at will. Succubi use seduction to get their victims in a vulnerable position whereupon they use their claws to rip him limb from limb. They appear as beautiful humans having first induced a deep sleep in their victim. Elemental demons appear as a solid mass of their element and the key to their destruction is usually the opposite element. GHOSTS are non-material entities that usually work for a powerful magic user with the promise that they will be restored to life for their service. Ghosts are the spirits of people that died in an extremely violent way, with great pain. They attack with a touch of ice which saps strength and health and is known to be extremely disconcerting. Because of their non-material state they can only be damaged with magic. Fortunately, they are extremely weak when attacked in this way. GHOULS are undead creatures who have the unique ability to paralyze living creatures with a touch. They are more intelligent than animates and zombies and are capable of some independent thought, although they are usually controlled by a magic user of some sort. They are quite tough and fairly hard to kill, but they have no magical powers. When they are not attempting to paralyze, they tend to attack very quickly with a dagger. GIANT RATS have evolved deep beneath the ground, out of sight of humans. They are many times the size of normal rats and their powerful jaws can cause serious damage. They are not very tough but can withstand a lot of damage and do not present much of a problem. Beware, some carry contagious diseases. HAGS are evil women who have devoted their lives to malice. They have been rewarded with powerful magic and cursed with physical deformity. Once past their magical defenses it is fairly easy to defeat them as they have weak bodies. They usually use lightning bolts to kill their enemies. IMPs are best described as small, green humanoids with a nasty disposition. They are actually humans cursed with green skin who were condemned many years ago and left the surface to live underground. Do not underestimate them the underground life is not easy and a normal imp is much stronger and tougher than a human. Imps are master smiths and have crafted high quality weapons and armour with which to defend themselves. They usually live in clans of about 150 individuals which rule a certain section of the underworld. INSECTS, or more particularly giant insects, are created from their smaller cousins by magic. They can quickly populate a large area with offspring which provide an excellent defense. Their qualities vary greatly from weak to strong. They will usually win through by weight of numbers alone. Below are a number of insects that have been discovered in their larger form. Beware as they tend to have special powers not seen in the smaller versions. ANTS tend to be found in the greatest numbers. They are the least dangerous and the easiest to dispatch as the transformation process weakens their exoskeleton. Their method of attack is to fire globs of acid from their tails. This acid is highly corrosive to non-organic matter. GIANT SPIDERS are extremely uncommon as the spider is highly resistant to growth magic. The spell rarely works but the results are astonishing and have an extreme effect. By far the biggest of the giant insects is the spider. They are very powerful and tough and are extremely poisonous and highly resistant to magic. GRUBS are very big and nasty creatures which have razor sharp mandibles and bone-crushing strength. They can survive a lot of damage but have a very low magical resistance. They look and move like a giant caterpillar. MOSQUITOS, while being mere pests in normal size, are incredibly dangerous in larger form. They attack by extending their probosci into the victim and draining his blood. They must be destroyed quickly after penetration as their poison soon leads to unconsciousness. NYMPHS are huge, aquatic insects which jealously guard their underwater domain. They will viciously attack intruders with their jaws which are very powerful. Fortunately, their exoskeleton has been weakened by underwater life, making them easy targets. SCORPIONS are one of the more deadly insectivores, especially in giant form. They are very big and their tails are wickedly barbed. Whilst quite weak physically, they do incredible amounts of poisonous damage. Fortunately, due to their huge bulk, they move very slowly and sometimes not at all. WASPS are very fast flying insects which attack quickly and then withdraw. Their sting is quite painful and sometimes poisonous. It is not unknown for giant wasps to have been imbued with some minor spells. WORMS are very large indeed but fortunately quite weak. Their soft bodies make good targets and their innate blindness means that combat is difficult for them. Beware, for a good blow from one of these creatures will will fell the mightiest warrior. MIMICS are mindless clones often used by spellcasters to impersonate another. However, under the magically created flesh is only a rotting corpse. Their strenght and constitution depends on the power of the magic-user that created them. It has been known for some mimics to be completely invincible to normal damage. Mimics cannot cast spells of any sort and consequently have a high magical resistance. The most successful way to deal with them is to use magic to boost your physical self and attack normally. NECROMANCERS are humans who are psychically connected to the plane of spirits. If this power is developed from an early age by a powerful mage then the child will become a necromancer, gifted in the magic of the undead. A fully trained necromancer can cast many spells as well as summon vast hordes of undead from beyond the grave. These are formidable opponents indeed, as they have weapons brought from the plane of spirits. Beware especially their Dust of Death, which they can release at will. These deadly spores eat away a person from the inside if inhaled and they become a servant of evil forever. POLTERGEISTS are free spirits who have been trapped in our plane by magic. They actually do what they want and cannot be controlled, but simply perform the same task as when they were alive. They have no attacking ability but they too cannot be attacked in any way. SHAPESHIFTERS are some of the more powerful, non-demonoid creatures that one is likely to face. A shapeshifter can re-arrange its genetic structure at will and take on the form of another of roughly equal size. Its true form, however, is that of a huge serpent, its jaws dripping deadly poison. It attacks by spitting poison at its victim. Shapeshifters are also powerful magic users and can often be found at the head of a band of monsters. They are totally evil and stop at nothing in order to cause pain and death. It takes minutes for the poison to kill so prepare many potions before fighting these. SKELETONS are the bones of humans that have been re-animated. They are usually used only as guards and are quite easy to dispatch, being slow and fairly weak. Some have been known to have been imbued with minor magic. Beware, however, for they can regenerate themselves with time after being disabled. VAMPIRES are split into two types, purestrain and hybrid. A pure vampire is the child of two vampires while a hybrid is a vampire who has been infected by a purestrain. They appear as old fashioned humans with pronounced canines and pale skin. Purestrains are extremely dangerous, having few weaknesses and a powerful offensive capability. Hybrids are lesser vampires to their purestrain parents, having many more weaknesses. These often turn up in large groups or families to protect their creator. Most vampires hate holy items, sunlight and garlic. All can cast at least some magic. VAMPIRE BATS are not really vampiric in nature but are actually oversized bats with a taste for blood. They have no magic and are very weak. However, their quick suprise attacks in large numbers have meant the end for many. WIGHTS are powerful guardians that live in the bodies they had in life. They have a freezing touch which can cause paralisis and extreme damage. They must stay in contact with their physical bodies at all times and spend most of the time 'sleeping' there. They are usually activated by the presence of life. ZOMBIES are merely animated bodies. They are totally stupid, and unable to make decisions, and must follow simple instructions like a puppet on a string. They are usually quite tough and strong and can be magically protected by their controller. |