As I stand as part of the sorcerers gathered by Yin Hye-Rin, the group consisting of official disciples and master sorcerers, I recall what I've learned of demons and demonology from the tomes of Kamar-Taj, such as both the Greater, and Lesser Keys of Solomon. Demons in the marvel universe are a mesh of different collections, with some paralleling religious works and myths from my homeworld, like the 72 demons of the Ars Goetia, or those of various folklores.
They are inherently corrupting and evil entities skilled in black magic that exist in various Hell dimensions and dark planes, that seek to come to material realms to cause suffering among their mortal populations and feed on the souls of sinners. The countless demons encountered by the sorcerers have been divide by them into three classes based on their origins; Class One, Class Two, and Class Three. These classes are not necessarily a representation of their strength, but more of how they emerged.
The first, Class One, is the smallest class of demons, solely containing the fallen Elder Gods of Earth and their Elderspawn. After an unknown event caused the Elder Gods to degenerate into demons, the eldest son of Gaea, Atum, the first of a new race of gods, travelled the primordial earth and slew them, becoming Demogorge the God-Eater. Seemingly realising the futility of trying to destroy the God-Eater, the surviving fallen Elder Gods, Set and Chthon, retreated to realms of their own creation.
Left to roam the flayed surface of the earth in the absence of their creators was the Elderspawn; dark creatures imbued with divine power. Overtime, the surviving Elderspawn became the opponents to newly born pantheons, or dark figures of myth. Though they continued to exist beyond the genocide of the Elder Gods, they were bound by rules set by Gaea, with some especially powerful ones in possession of divine mandates unable to assume their position, leaving them with no choice but to manipulate and corrupt mortals for their own continued existence.
The majority of Class Two demons are a consequence of this deicide, being birthed from the evil energy left behind when Demogorge slew the Elder Gods, giving rise to demons shaped by the unconscious desires of human worshippers. These demons later became known as Hell-Lords, each in control of their own Hell dimension. A known limit of these beings is that they lose power when away from their realms, so they often play on human conceptions and rely on their demonic agents to gain power and souls.
The remaining demons of this Class are former divine and angelic beings that were corrupted by either their own choices or outside forces, becoming demonic entities. The difference with these types of demons compared to the Hell-Lords, is that, because they are not inherently demonic, they can ascend back into their previous form or status should they redeem themselves, though his often comes with a heavy price.
Class Three demons are a special case among demons, as their origin is not tied the earth in any way, being extradimensional in origin and alien in form and motivation. The key entities of this class are the Great Old Ones, also known as Many-Angled Ones; formless, eldritch beings that predate the universe, who's very appearance in the physical world causes madness among those that gaze upon their form. Most of these ancient entities are locked behind the Gate, and can only partial manifest using avatars, or by possessing mortals.
While demons can vary greatly in power and reach, the appearance of a single demon is treated as a significant threat by the sorcerers. From what I've gathered, a demon itself isn't treated as the main threat, more the influence ones presence can have within human settlements. Any time a demon is summoned or claws its way to earth, those within it's vicinity have their spirits blackened, leading them into the temptation of evil and giving rise to a period of unrest, where the common man seeks out all things demonic, hoping to fulfil their own vices.
The whispers and chats of my fellow sorcerers start to die out, breaking me from my thoughts and making me pay attention, finding the Sorceress Supreme standing before us on the steps at the front of the courtyard. A serious expression sits on her face as she looks over us, her eyes locking with mine for a moment before moving on, starting to speak, "As you've no doubt have heard by now, Master Nieminen was attacked by a demon while investigating worrying signs along the Karelian border."
We listen in silence, not speaking out, as she continues, "After consulting the wards and performing some preliminary investigations, we have thankfully been able to determine the cause of the attack and the events preceding it. It seems that, in an effort to expand their borders, the Kingdom of Swerike has begun a third crusade into Finnish lands, beginning with a naval attack on a harbour settlement." She raises her hands, conjuring an image above us, the sight of which causes me to frown.
The illusion displays a bird's-eye view of a small, snow-covered town, dotted with a few buildings surrounding what looks to be a marketplace, located on an extended bit of land that reaches into a river, a few docks branching from its bank. The image is frozen, showing a snapshot of a battle, a few sailing ships and galleys lining the river and beached on its shore. The figures of men donning metal helms, wielding shields, axes, and swords, stand frozen, their forms charging the town.
Columns of smoke rise from the homes and business' of the residents, with the slain bodies of their friends and families lying still on the muddy roads; the townsfolk huddled in the market place, their armed men putting up all the defence they can muster. My nose crinkles in disgust as I look upon the selfish desires of royal scum, the manifestation of their insatiable greed once again laying waste to their fellow man. Mutterings sounds from those around me as they form their own opinions on the sight before us.
The sorcerers grow quiet as Yi Hye-Rin speaks again, "This is the state of the town where the demon attacked Master Nieminen, as of a few minutes ago. Attempts at scrying the demons location have been unsuccessful, but we've managed to determine it class; Two. What Hell it originates from, and what Hell-Lord it follows is unknown, so stay alert." Her brows draws together in a frown, before smoothing out, "You have five minutes to prepare, then we leave." She finishes with a clap of her hands and says, "Disperse!"
The sorcerers, me included, rush out, each setting off to prepare in their own ways. I start making my way to my apprentices room, anything I need to prepare being already stored in my Ring of Containment. Coming to his door, I barge in, forgoing knocking, finding him in the middle of meditating, his eyes snapping open and his body flinching in shock as I enter. Not giving him any time to recover, I start speaking quickly at him, urgency in my voice.
"Thomas!" I start, searching his room for what his clone, but not finding it, "A demon has risen in Finland, so the Sorceress Supreme has called for the disciples to go destroy it." His eyes go wide at this information. As a boy who was taken in by the temple at a young age, and only started his training fairly recently, he has never been summoned to fight. "This is the perfect opportunity for you to get some real-world experience!" A look of realisation dawns on his face.
A nervous look then starts to appear in his eyes as he goes to speak, before I interrupt him, "I've decided to take your duplicate with me, should you feel up to joining." I move to him and place my hands on his shoulders, "So, feel like coming with me to kill a demon?" I ask him, my eyes shining with expectation.
I've done a little soul-searching recently, spending many nights in bed, and many days in spars, coming to the startling conclusion that... I like fighting; even though it comes with the risk of death. The concept of my own death still terrifies me; but the thrill of deadly combat, toeing the line between this life and the next, with one wrong move proving fatal? Only to emerge victorious, standing over the defeated form of your opponent?
Shivers of excitement run across my skin at the very thought of it.
I watch the shifting expression of my apprentice, his thoughts clear to me, as he struggles to find his answer. Eventually, after a few minutes of tense silence, determination shows in his eyes, a pride-filled smile curling upon my lips as it does. I release him as he stands from his bed and closes his eyes, his second body climbing out of him and walking over to his desk, grabbing his Sling Ring and sword. Seeing that he's ready, I equip my own Sling Ring and open a portal to the courtyard, waving to the first Thomas as we go through.
We exit the portal to find the sorcerers regathered, each one wielding their own relic or weapon, standing at the ready, waiting for the signal from Yi Hye-Rin. She look to us as we move to join the group, eyeing Thomas with concern, before staring at me with a tilt of her head. Understanding her unspoken question, I give her a simple thumbs-up, causing her to let out a breath and nod at me, then turn back to the battle-ready sorcerers, beginning to speak.
"Each and everyone of you is a trained mystic, capable of holding your own against great threats, but that is no reason to become careless, losing your life to an enemy you underestimated." She bring her hands in front her and joins them, locking her fingers together, "Most of you here have experience in battle and know your roles in situations such as these." She lets out a breath, "Should you come under attack from the invading army, you have my permission to put them down, is that clear?"
We all cup our hands and bow to her, shouting out our agreement, "Yes, Sorceress Supreme!" The collective sound bounces off the architecture surrounding the courtyard, as a pleased look appears in the eyes of Yi Hye-Rin. After a slight bow of her own she walks down the steps and moves around us, coming to our side of as we turn to her, before raising her hand and creating a large portal, wide enough for us all to fit through while walking side-by-side.
A snowy forest is visible through the portal, its light illuminating the undisturbed ground and the weighted trees, the visible glow of the burning town reaching the sky and reflecting off the night clouds. Taking hold of Thomas' wrist, I lead him through with a nod to Yi Hye-Rin, walking in pace with the other sorcerers, our feet crunching into the snow beneath us. The leading master and two other sorcerers, a man and a women, take the front, coming to a stop before the tree line, rings of sorcery circling their wrists.
They spread out, each taking a position around the forest clearing, starting to walk the line of the clearing, their hands busy writing runes as they go. A little later, once they're finished, they turn their attention to us disciples and start issuing orders. Master Volkov, a Russian man with a bald head and wild, brown beard, speaks up, his voice rough but clear, "Me and masters Prakash and Fieraru will take point, while you lot follow behind, focusing on your own defence."
"If you see something, either call out or take action if you judge it to require immediate action, got it?" We sound out our agreement then conjure Tao Mandalas and group up into pairs, the one in front focusing on defence. Pairing with Thomas, I have him take the front, my greater mastery of sorcery and my powerful physique allowing me to respond quicker than him. With the masters leading, the six pairs spread out and form a line behind them as we move into the forest, senses focused.
The dark of the forest is all-encompassing, the only light being that of the moon and the orange of our sorcery that is partially blocked by thin trunks, creating eerie and warped shadows, the barely lit roots appearing as if the malformed limbs of a nature spirit. The compressing of the snow, the tense breath of the sorcerers, and the sounds of distant war; the cries of pain, fear, and pleasure winding its way through the forest, all leave us on edge, the oppressive atmosphere weighing down on our minds, attempting to grind away at our spirits.
The small wall of the town starts to become visible through the gaps of the trees, the air thick with taste of smoke and blood. As we pass beyond the forest, out onto the fields of broken oats, a cry from master Prakash calls to me, "Sarah!" Patting Thomas on the shoulder, we break away from the group and move to the masters side, finding her crouched over a fallen, middle-aged woman, her damaged, twitching form lying in a pool of her blood. Understanding what I was called for, I kneel down, starting to channel my Chi.
I place my glowing hands on the most damaged area I can see, a slice down the centre of her chest, between her breasts, her shredded top exposing her. I work my Chi into her system, her wounds healing at a visible rate, as the bleary-eyed woman looks up at me, reaching up to touch my face, muttering under her breath in a language I don't recognise. Master Volkov, who has been guarding us with the other masters, looks over at the woman, mouthing her words to himself.
As my healing finishes mending her, she slackens beneath me, the events of the night catching up to her. Calling for Thomas, I instruct him to watch over her as I stand, turning to master Volkov, asking, "Did you understand what she was saying?" He looks me in my eyes, his own expressing grave worry, before he turns and exchanges words with the other masters. He glances down at the woman with concern, then lets out a sharp breath and starts to address us.
"...Going by the words of the native, the situation seems to be more dangerous than we originally thought; we might be dealing with more than a simple demon." He frowns, "She didn't manage to relay much before she passed out, but from what I gathered, the towns shaman, a worshipper of a deity by the name of Kivutar, went mad and started killing folk when the svenskar invaded." A frown of my own forms on my face as I listen to his words.
Kivutar is not a name I'm familiar with, nor do I know what domain they control, but tales of fallen worshippers are documented at Kamar-Taj, warning of their danger. Should a follower be too weak-minded, or become to closely aligned with their god, through either prolonged contact with their domain, or being overwhelmed by domain-aligned events in a short frame of time, their spirit resonates deeply with their god.
When this happens, their spirit touches upon the higher dimension consciousness of their divinity, which then feeds back along the connection, fragmenting and misaligning their spirit, damaging their cognition. Under this spiritual corruption, the follower can become overwhelmed by the experience, driving them mad. In past cases, corrupted followers have conducted bloody rituals and performed gruesome sacrifices in order to spread the faith and domain of the god, even if it goes against the wishes of their patron.
Depending on the power and dominion of the deity, this can manifest in positive ways, such as if the god is aligned with a benevolent or harmless concept, like art or peace. But if they are associated with a domain that is inherently evil, or can be interpreted in a malevolent way, for example, emotion, health and death; mass destruction and causalities can follow. The most recent case encountered by the sorcerers was when a follower of Demeter took her domain of fertility too far, leading to the birthing of inhuman monsters from the wombs of helpless mothers.
If such a thing is occurring in this small town, especially on a night filled with death, the danger waiting for us could be incredibly high.
The words of master Volkov cause unease to ripple through the disciples, each of them knowledgeable on the subject of corrupted worshippers. From the corner of my eye I see the crouched form of Thomas tense, causing me to reach out and pat him on his head, giving him a smile as he looks up at me, his body relaxing at the sight of my feigned casualness. As I turn back to the masters, waiting for their order, a haunting sound travels to our ears from the direction of the town, skipping along the earth.
The noise is unlike any I've ever heard, its very presence burrowing into my mind, licking away at my spirit as it catches. It washes over us, sounding like the gurgling of rotten wind and the first cry of a newborn, held in the arms of its dying mother, the final sight of her life being that of her spawn, loss and love overwhelming her. The disciples around me stagger or fall to their knees, blood running from their ears, as the masters prepare themselves for battle.
My superhuman constitution stops me from feeling the worst of the effects, keeping me stable, so I move in front of the fallen Thomas and the unconscious women, enhancing myself with my Chi and summoning Jian from my ring as I do. Creating a Tao Mandala for defence, I place myself behind the masters, guarding the disoriented disciples behind me and providing support to the masters before me. As I plant my feet, falling into a combat stance, an unholy creature comes into sight.
Its appearance mimics that of a human, two pairs of arms and legs, but with a skinless head on top. The skin of its body is flayed in places, with numerous stab wounds covering every visible inch of its clothed physique. It's hands and forearms are mutilated, split down the centre to the elbow, while its chest gapes open, ribs cracked and flared out behind it, exposing it internals, its left lung and heart absent. From the small of its back extends a mutated spine, its numerous vertebrae dragging on the floor behind it, with malformed, elongated fingers branching from the bone.
The instant I lay eyes on the horrifying entity, a powerful feeling of nausea rises from my stomach, but I suppress it, following the stoic example of the masters and preparing. A softly whispered curse of fear from the lips of master Fieraru reaches my enhanced senses, causing a chuckle of dark humor to nearly leave me, before the sight of the monster picking up speed refocuses me. As it charges us, its movements erratic and flailing, I breathe out, nerves spiking with adrenaline.
This is gonna be fucking amazing.