THE BASICS

• Hell is a realm inhabited primarily by demons- creatures with magical powers and an unsavoury reputation among other species.
• The borders of Hell are unclear. A complete map of the realm has never been drawn- it may be impossible to do so; the realm itself is magical and apparently expands and physically changes over time.
• Mortal souls do not go to Hell when they die (it's unclear where they go, or if they go anywhere at all). However, mortals can easily be physically transported to Hell by demons, usually for purposes outlined in the next section.
• No being alive has encountered solid evidence of a counterpart Heaven or a God existing.
• Lucifer, on the other hand, is only a myth- or he existed so long ago that he has essentially become one.
• There are several Cults of Lucifer in Hell, where groups of demons worship an idealized and mythologized version of a prophet-like Lucifer who preached disobedience to authority. Ironically, these groups are oppressed by the majority-Atheistic population and the autocratic ruling class of Hell.
• Each new leader of Hell takes on the title of Satan and purports to have absolute authority over all Demonkind. In reality, due to the wide range of abilities and temperaments of demons, Satan and their inner circle only control about 35-45% of Hell. Also, many demons have fled Hell to live on other planes, meaning that the percentage of Demonkind under the influence of Hell's aristocracy is even lower.
• Satan is almost always a high-born demon with strong magic. Their cadre generally consists of other demon aristocrats as well as their advisors, servants, friends, and family. Power-hungry demons who vy for the throne of Hell often slip into this group.

DEMON CHARACTERISTICS

• Demons are more or less immortal, but are dependant upon mortals. Demons lack their own vital spark; they must extract “life energy” from mortals in order to retain their strength. An existence without parasitizing mortals is technically possible, but the demon that chooses this lifestyle is eventually worn down to a husk and unable to move or use their powers.
• Some demons instead choose to indirectly obtain mortal life energy from other demons. In mainstream demon society this practice is looked down upon and considered a sign of weakness and depravity.
• This vital life energy can be obtained through many different methods. Killing mortals, encouraging them to "sin" in ways that shorten their lifespans or the lives of other mortals, drinking blood or ingesting other body parts, and inducing extreme suffering or pleasure are popular examples.
• Succubi and incubi are not a separate species or family; they are simply normal demons who have chosen to collect life energy through sexual encounters with mortals. Demons generally do not make this distinction; the terms were invented by mortals.
• Some demons have been mistaken for vampires due to their habit of drinking mortal blood.
• Demons can reproduce amongst themselves to produce a new demon, or with mortals to create half-demon offspring. In extremely rare cases, a mortal can become a demon, but the process of such a transformation is a mystery to most and only possible at the whims of incredibly powerful demons.
• Demons with mortal ancestry are considered an underclass in Hell. However, the truth is that almost all demons have some percentage of mortal blood.
• The outward appearance of demons is incredibly diverse. Some demons have the ability to physically change their form, but most are stuck with how they looked when they were born.

SIDEBAR: SIN

• "Sin" is a popular concept in many mortal belief systems, and what constitutes a sin to a mortal varies depending on their values, beliefs, and the society in which they are brought up. Committing a sin usually involves the perception that one has done wrong to a fellow-being or one's self; or it is simply an action that is considered wrong in that mortal's society or religion. A mortal does not have to have religious beliefs to sin; everyone experiences guilt, and all societies have actions that are considered taboo to perform. Whether the action is labeled as a "sin" or not by the mortal matters not to demons, only the result of the action is of concern.
• The guilt and other strong emotions generated by "sinning" are a bountiful and easily-accessible source of energy for demonkind. This has historically lead demons to influence mortals to sin; thus many religions have blamed demons as the source of all sin. This is not the case- mortals have the capacity to do wrong whether influenced by demons or not.

DEMON POWERS

The magical powers possessed by Demonkind vary, but there are a few powers that most demons share:

• All demons can influence others with a “glamour” or illusion to attempt to blend in with whatever species they are currently infiltrating. This glamour is not a true change of form, and exists only in the minds of those being influenced. Demons and other powerful entities can see through these illusions if they try, and very weak demons have a hard time producing a convincing glamour.
• Almost all demons have the power to travel between realms and worlds by opening portals.
• Around 75% of demons are able to influence or control mortals' actions in some way, ranging from subconscious suggestion to full-blown possession. A favourite method of influencing mortals is through the manipulation of their dreams; mortal dreams produce high volumes of valuable life energy.
• Approximately 60% of demons have some flight ability, ranging between the power to hover and the ability to soar through the sky.
• About half of demons have some kind of elemental power. Power over fire and heat is the most common, followed by power over electricity, then power over ice and the cold. Others are less common.

DEMON WEAKNESSES

• Demons have two names: the regular names that they use in everyday life, and their magical true names. Knowing a demon's true name affords an individual a great deal of power over that demon; one is able to give the demon orders that they cannot refuse. This is the greatest weakness of any demon.
• Demons' true names are unique, and usually incredibly long and difficult to pronounce. The true name is not given to the demon by their parents; instead it comes to them in a dream sometime in their early life, without exception. The true naming dream, as it is called, is the subject of many myths and religious stories among Demonkind. It is unclear where the dreams come from, but the current consensus is that it is a creation of the subconscious- the idea being that demons naturally name themselves once they get to a certain age. This theory does not explain how each demon is able to subconsciously create a completely unique true name, nor does it explain why the true name is so powerful. Most demons don't think about this too much.
• Needless to say, the majority of demons safeguard their true names as their most valuable treasure. Of course, some foolish individuals disclose their true names to mortals or other demons, almost always leading to their downfall.
• Although the power to travel between realms is a great boon to Demonkind, it comes with a price. Summoning a demon is easy, and doesn't even require the knowledge of that demon's true name. Of course, the difficulty increases with the power of the demon being summoned, and mistakes often occur where a random demon is summoned in place of the desired demon.
• Though demons are very difficult to kill as is, there are ancient, obscure methods that can turn demons mortal. Weakening a demon through starvation also makes it easier to destroy.