Demons are a class of semi-corporeal beings which feed on Humanity. In
their search for 'food', they are responsible for much of the anguish
and suffering in the world. They consider mortals (and Kindred) their
unending herd of cattle, to be fed on and discarded at their leisure.


NATURE OF DEMONS

Demons do not have physical bodies. They are purely creatures of
intellect and emotion. Despite this, they cannot travel through
anything solid; Even a pane of glass is impenetrable for them (see
WEAKNESSES). Demons move by levitation, traveling typically at about
walking speed, although a few are known to be able to travel much faster.

Each demon has its own Visage, which humans see when looking at it.
This varies from demon to demon and is usually based on past experiences.
For example, a demon who had spent its time around Medieval churches might
look like a gargoyle, while one who had spent time with the Mayans would
take the form of a feathered snake. The Visage is translucent and
obviously not solid, so most people ignore them as product of their
imagination. If a demon has learned Obfuscate (see POWERS), then it may
use that Discipline to turn invisible, change its Visage freely, etc.
Visages tend to be about a foot in diameter.

Animals are very uncomfortable around demons, and will act strangely in
their presence.

Demons can be hurt by physical weapons, but may be immune to fire or other things of their nature.
they do have special weakness' (see WEAKNESSES).  Their bodies are again not naturally solid so 
even in corporeal form they do not have true lungs, heart, blood. So for the sake of fair rp, once their 
hit points are gone, you will take the head or heart and it will remain in corporeal form.

FEEDING HABIT

Demons gain their nourishment from corruption and anguish around them. In many
situations, such as battle fields and brothels, they can simply hang out
and feed. Many gluttonous demons do this, but most find it much more
satisfying to have caused the humanity loss themselves (home-made meal
as opposed to going out to eat). Some prefer certain types of anguish and so will
specialize in certain types of corruption, like hate or greed.

The rate at which a demon needs to feed is approximately 1 at least once per week, though this may be adjusted as necessary. This means that there
is a limit to the amount of time that a demon can dedicate to a particular
person before moving to easier prey.

PSYCHOLOGY

Although they act calm and and calculating, at 'heart' demons are petty,
emotional, and lazy. If made fun of, insulted, ignored, they will sulk,
plan elaborate revenge, whine, etc. They are very much like the school
bully, who acts like king of the mountain until someone beats him, and
then goes crying to mommy. For this reason, it is very uncommon for
demons to work together, since they always end up fighting with each
other.

Although years of exposure have given them human-like qualities, it is
important to remember that they aren't truly human. They have no humanity,
no honor, no pity, no conscience. They lie freely and often if it is to
their advantage.


ORIGINS OF DEMONS

This is an area of great debate among Occultists. Each 'expert' has his
or her own theory. Some say they have existed since the beginning of time.
Others claim that they are the spirits of the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah,
cursed to forever repeat their wicked acts. The scientific-minded say
they are a simply a different race. Religious folk say they were created
to tempt the weak and test people's faith. When asked, demons typically
says whatever they think will give them an advantage.


MODUS OPERANDI

The greatest tool of demons is their knowledge. Their long existences
have given them knowledge of many things forgotten by man. They are very
willing to trade this knowledge for something they want. Due to their nature,
it is easy for them to spy and eavesdrop, giving them access to countless
secrets.

Sometimes demons will simply give away their secrets. Telling a woman
the time and location of her husband's next rendezvous with his lover
may be all that is necessary for a quick snack. This type of advising
is tricky because the demon must be careful that the advisee doesn't
guess its ulterior motives. It is best to mix in enough helpful
suggestions that the advisee thinks the demon is on his side.

Other times, demons will make trades. Usually, the demon will offer
something the character desires, like stock tips, the identity of an
enemy, or a treasure map, in exchange for doing things which lower humanity.
These acts will be cloaked in reasonable explanations, like stealing some
ancient art that the demon wants to possess. For example, a Kindred/Magi/
Lupine wants to learn Blood magics from a demon. The demon would explain
that they need fresh learning materials to study with, in time getting
more specific and more heinous. "Get the life's blood of a couple that
has been married for at least 50 years so I can show you how proximity
can make people more and more the same." "Get me someone's arm, still
filled with blood." "Bring a healthy person so that we can slowly
remove all of his blood and watch the effects." If the 'student' isn't
careful, she will have no morality left by the time she finishes learning.

Legend has it that the oracle at Delphi was a demon Prince of epic proportions,
who loved to prophesize people killing their fathers or requiring people to
sacrifice their own children. It made dire warnings about all of the
awful things that would happen if it wasn't listened to (and which it
would try to arrange if it was ignored).


STRENGTHS

Metamorphism 1. Can mimic the voice of someone they know sounding very close 
to the person (roll at least a 3)
2. Facial features can be made to look like someone with in their
view or if they have a picture. (roll at least a 5)
3. Can change appearance to anyone they have picture, or can view
this can last only a short time. (roll of 7)
4. Can Change appearance to any animal. (roll of 10)
5. Can change appearance to any other person or normal creature. (roll of 13)

6. Can change appearance to any mythical or imagined creature (without inheriting it’s powers IE if a demon changed into a basilisk it would not be able to kill with a glance) (roll of 15 on higher)

7. Can now change appearance to resemble inorganic objects. A demon that transforms to a rock will have no detectable life signs or anything that gives it a way. roll of 17 or higher)8. Can change appearance to something seen before and replicate it right down to fingerprints and voices. roll of 19 or higher)9. The demon has truly mastered him self and can into anything possible, Yet will still not possess the powers of the thing they have transformed into. 

Ademon as a lightning elemental may spark and sizzle, but cannot control electricity. (roll 0f 21 or higher) Energy Manipulation 

1. Can create small amounts of energy (run a flash light) (roll of 3)
2. Can tolerate very high temperatures (auto)
3. Can Create send small energy balls at another target. roll 4)
4. The demon may send bolts of any natural energy at a target (roll of 8 must & out roll the target)5. The demon is resistant to any natural energy. roll 1 above opponent)6. The demon may send bolts of unnatural energy at a target such as hellfire. roll of at least 13 and 3 higher then opponent)7. The demon may control and direct all the energy in the area he occupies. (may have to battle with another creature able to
do the same) roll of at least 15)8. The demon may expand his elemental protection to other people and objects. (roll of 18 anyone rolling higher will see true) Healing arts 1. Can heal minor cuts and abrasions on another demon. (roll of 3)
2. Can heal minor cuts on self (roll of 6)
3. Can heal Large wounds can not heal broken bones (roll 9)
4. The demon may heal all natural wounds and damage done to a body (roll of 12)5. The demon may heal unnatural wounds to a body, though this ability costs more power and is painful to the target (roll of 14 must not be life threatening)6. The demon cleanse and purifies a target of all toxins natural and unnatural (if found before major 
damage occurs) (roll of 16)
7. The demon cleanse and purifies a target of all toxins natural and unnatural (roll of 18)8.The demon may heal mental and physical deformities not caused by birth or missing parts (limbs fingers etc)
(roll of 20 or higher)
9. The demon may heal mental and physical deformities either brought about by time or by birth.10. The demon is adept at the healing arts and may restore a body to the picture of perfect health, curing any diseases, wounds and damage by natural and unnatural sources. This is a long process and the creature must be focused solely on this task. roll of 22) Mind Magicks 1. The demon may browse surface thoughts and feelings of his target. Contact with the target is required for this power (roll of at least 3 and a higher roll then 
the target)
2. The demon may browse surface thoughts and feelings of his target. Contact with the target is required for this power to enact, but does not have to be maintained. (roll of at least 5 and a higher3. The demon may delve deeper into his target’s mind probing about for more information such as what the target has done last week and such, hidden secrets or desires. Eye contact must be made with the target for this power to work. roll of 7 and a roll of 3 higher 
then the target)4. The demon may communicate telepathetically with a target. The demon must know the target and have met him for this ability to be used. roll of 8 or higher)5. The demon is now powerful enough to start manipulating a targets mind planting subtle messages and urges along with emotional manipulations. Physical contact with the target must be made, and maintained 
for this to work. ( roll of 10, must roll higher then target)
6.The demon can manipulate a targets mind planting subtle
messages and urges along with emotional manipulations. 
Physical contact with the target must be made, but not maintained for this to work. roll of 12 must be 2 higher then
target)7. The demon can create mental issues, and images that
the target will believe as real. They must have an object
of the target. Effect will wear off in a short time. roll 16
must roll at least 3 higher then target)
8. The Demon can cause serious mental issues in the targets
mind and create very real scenarios in targets mind. 
Must have an object of person effect lasts for several days.
(roll of at least 19 must be 3 higher then target)
9. The demon is a master of mental manipulations and can control a person through their mind, essentially like possession, but the demon’s essence does not inhabit his body. (roll of 21 must roll 3 higher then target) 


WEAKNESSES

By their very nature, demons cannot force people to do things. They
must tempt them instead. Demons are careful to hide this fact or many
of their threats would be seen as lies.

People with high Humanity can be painful to demons by their presence,
especially if they are convinced of their ability to drive off evil.
They can often repel a demon with their faith alone. On the other
hand, if they every loose their faith, they make the best meal of all!

Another weakness is that demons cannot cross boundaries. Although their
lack of physical form would allow them to go under doors, the door is
a barrier and therefore cannot be passed through. On the other hand,
an open window is an open barrier and can be gone through without hindrance.
They cannot even pass over the tops of cubicles, but instead must go
through the entrance. Anything treated as a barrier will stop them. An
uninterrupted trail of salt or sand across a doorway works as well as a
door, IF there are no gaps to squeeze though and if it is treated like
a barrier. If anyone steps through the doorway, then there isn't a
barrier and the demon can freely pass. A pentagram or circle drawn in
chalk may as well be a column of plexi-glass as long as anyone inside
doesn't reach or step across it. A common way to trap a demon is to
lure it into an unfinished circle of sand and then close it behind it.
The demon is then trapped until someone breaks or crosses the boundary.
Running water forms a self-renewing boundary that a demon cannot cross
on its own. It must follow a person, who by traveling across it temporarily
breaks the boundary, or be carries across, typically by carriage or car.
Anyone on the opposite side of a boundary can invite a demon through it.

Legends of vampires needing to be invited into houses and not being able
to cross running water unaided may well have come from the actions of
possessed vampires.

SUMMONING

Occultists have long known methods for summoning demons. These rituals
usually involve animal or human sacrifice, because committing these acts
causes humanity losses in the new members. This 'food' is consumed by
the summoned demon and whets its appetite for more. Naturally, cults
will need a continuous in-flow of new members who are horrified by these
acts in order to maintain a steady supply of food.

There are two types of summoning: open and named. In an open summoning,
any demon in the area is being invited to consume the 'food' that is being
provided. The cultists will typically choose a place likely to hold demons,
like an abandoned prison or the site of a gruesome murder. Once the demon(s)
have arrived, the cultists hope that they can make a deal. In comparison,
a named summoning is much more difficult. A specific, 'named' demon is being
summoned, while keeping the others out. This requires making a boundary
around the 'food' (and typically the cultists too, since others demons might
be offended that they are being left out). The summoning gives the named
demon permission to cross the boundary (in or out), while leaving it intact
against others. This kind of summoning will draw the demon to it no matter
where it was before, EVEN if it was in Torpor. This is the sole hope of
forgotten demons, lost in abandoned mine shafts or buried in old pyramids.

There should be limits on summoning. More powerful demons may require
higher level rituals, or perhaps a custom ritual solely designed for summoning
a specific demon. If there is a barrier in its way, the demon may not
be able to reach the Summoning site, though the ritual may allow communication
so the demon can tell the summoners how to get the boundaries out of its way,
or even how to travel to it. Each particular summoning should have it own
requirements, components, strengths, and weaknesses (i.e. a shaman does it
differently than a hermetic mage or a voodoo priestess).

Demons can use points from their Humanity Pool to resist summoning. A good
rule of thumb is they will need consume as many points as are offered them
by the summoners (resisting the offered 'food' by eating what they already
have). Demons that have almost been trapped before may well resist all
summoning (for a human lifetime or two) just to make sure it doesn't happen
again.


BINDING

With enough magical knowledge and skill, a demon can be bound to an object.
Most binding rituals are slow, so the demon must either be willing or be
trapped. The object the demon is to be bounded to must be present for the
entire ritual. Typically, it can be no larger than a person. If it wishes,
the demon can resist, using the points in its Humanity Pool to slow or even
break the binding (the mechanics of this is up to the Storyteller). If the
spell is successful, the demon is bound to the object until it is unbound
or the object is destroyed.

The immediate result of this is that the demon loses the freedom of movement.
It is at the mercy of whoever is carrying it. On the other hand, the demon
no longer has to use its energy to levitate or to maintain a semi-corporeal
form, so it needs to feed half as often (i.e. every other week). Demons
retain their ability to speak and sense and are the most common 'sentient'
magical objects found. Some demons find this form relaxing, since many
'collectors' will kill each other over these objects without any prompting
from the demon. In time, the demon will tend to develop abilities that match
the object it resides within: a violin will create beautiful music no matter
who plays it, a crystal ball will show peoples auras and potential fates, etc.
Of course to use its abilities, the demon will still need to be fed, so it
is business as usual.

A demon bound in an object is vulnerable to destruction. If its container
is destroyed, so is it. This is a fact that the demon will hide at all
costs! For each point in its Humanity Pool, it can make its object
temporarily invulnerable to ANY damage. At this point it becomes a game
of nerves as the demon laughs at the person's useless attempts to harm it
as it rapidly runs out of the ability to defend itself. Fortunately, most
people will give up after one or two futile attempts (would you keep trying
if you ran over a glass statue with a steam roller and nothing happened?).
If the demon realizes that the person knows that she can eventually destroy
it, it will become desperate and promise the sun, moon, and stars to make
her stop (and probably have to deliver, since there is nothing stopping the
person from trying to destroy it again).

A demon can be unbound by a ritual similar to the one that bound it, though
this requires it to give out its name, which could also be used to destroy
it. No one said it was easy being a demon!


DESTROYING

Demons are notoriously hard to kill. If the person or object they possess
is destroyed, so are they, if they can't escape before it happens (see
STRENGTHS: POSSESSION). There are certain magical rituals which will kill
a demon, but they require it to be present (and usually trapped) and its
name to be known. If the Storyteller uses the Faith option, then a Miracle
can destroy one, though the demon will probably run when it sees the Faithful
person coming. A demon can hurt and kill another demon, so a weapon with
a demon bound to it can harm another demon, though both demons will fight
against this every step of the way. Demons can be fought astrally, but they
should be very tough to fight this way. In most cases, it is easier for a
person to get a demon bored with her than destroying it.


NAMES

With the potential for being bound and destroyed, one would wonder why a
demon would tell anyone its name. In many cases, it didn't have a choice.
Someone threatened to leave it trapped in a pentagram in a sealed room
forever if it didn't tell what its name was. All it takes is one Magi
knowing, and it will eventually get passed around. Often, having its name
known and available is a good business tactic, since cultists are always
looking for powerful creatures to get favors from.


LOCATIONS

Some areas are more likely to contain demons than others. Not surprisingly,
they like to hang out where they are likely to find food or a new victim.
Las Vegas is the Mecca of demons. In contrast, demons avoid, and even feel
pain, in places where Humanity is restored. Examples of these are homes of
honestly loving families, self-help meetings (perhaps like Alcoholics
Anonymous), and some (but not all) churches.


SUGGESTIONS

The motivations of demons should be kept secret. Players should always wonder
what a demon is up to, why it gives them information for nothing one time and
charges them heavily the next, etc. Once they figure it out, though, the
demon's actions should make perfect sense.

Demons are a role-playing creature. They exist to tempt people and talk them
into doing things they normally wouldn't do. They shouldn't be like D&D
Demons/Daemons/Devils, which were for beating up with your Holy Avenger.

There are rumors of creatures just like demons, Hunters except that they feed on the
increase of Humanity and good doings instead of its lowering.

Every demon should have its own personality. I usually give mine Demeanors.
Their Natures are uniformly Sadist (enjoying the suffering and corruption
of individuals).

Demons can be classed in clan-like groups: Guardian (who specialize in
fear/paranoia), Vengeance (hate), Wealth (greed), Pleasure (gluttony & lust),
etc.

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