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| | <center>''"I'm getting out of here! If you don't wanna die, you should head back, too. Unless you can fight demons, of course..."''</center><br> | | <center>''"I'm getting out of here! If you don't wanna die, you should head back, too. Unless you can fight demons, of course..."''</center><br> |
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| − | Demons are entities that can be found in certain supernaturally-charged locations on PersonaMUSH. While they share certain traits with Shadows, they cannot be treated the same way. This newsfile concerns itself with the nature of demons, their abilities, their limitations, and their relationships with humans and other creatures.
| + | ==What are demons?== |
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| − | ==The Basics==
| + | Demons are supernatural creatures, similar to Shadows in some respects. Unlike Shadows, they are sapient and possess personalities and drives. They have complex relationships with humans, which can range from temporary alliances or mutual agreements to outright hostility. |
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| − | Just like Shadows, demons are supernatural creatures. Both can be found in supernaturally-charged areas and both possess specific powers, such as the ability to create ice out of thin air or to heal themselves or others, that are beyond the means of unempowered humans.
| + | ==Where do demons come from?== |
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| − | However, while Shadows possess cunning, they can't be said to have a consciousness. A demon on the other hand can display a range of sapience equivalent to a human. Demons can think like a person and be spoken to, and it's these abilities that makes them particularly dangerous friends and foes to have. | + | Demons come from the demon world, or at least that's what they'll say if asked. Where they actually hail, though this is not IC knowledge at present, is from the Collective Unconsciousness, like Shadows and Personas: they are also representations of things born from human minds. |
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| − | Despite the terminology used, not all demons derive from beings that come from 'a hell'. Demons may also be 'angelic' in origin, but it doesn't make them any friendlier to humans than normal. Gods and spirits of all types from all sorts of cultures may be demons.
| + | ==What are demons like?== |
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| − | Demons can be grouped broadly into tribes or races, then subdivided into specific types of that tribe or race. The Fairy tribe would be one example of a race of demons, with individual types represented by members of that race such as Pixie or Jack Frost. While all members of a tribe share a general outlook or philosophy, the differences between demons really show at the type level. | + | Demons possess personalities and drives, but they are not typically complex ones. They tend to have two-dimensional personalities, that are shared among other demons of its type, that is, a Jack Frost demon is usally very much like any other Jack Frost demon. |
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| − | A specific type of demon possesses a simple personality. For example, Jack Frost presents a childish and foolish personality, while Pixie displays a cannier, playfully fickle personality. Demonic personalities are typically not deep or detailed; they're comparable to a very one-dimensional human. | + | Demons are fundamentally alien creatures that abide by their own logic, so they may betray someone relying on them at a moment's notice... or spare someone from death, if that's their whim. |
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| − | ==Magnetite==
| + | There can be weird exceptions to the above, but these tend to be plot devices or other singular individuals. |
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| − | Demons may be powerful, but they require a certain material to manifest in the human world outside of highly charged supernatural areas, such as Mikage-cho or the mines of Inaba. This is Magnetite, a strange, dull silver substance that demons ingest to maintain their forms.
| + | ==Where are demons found?== |
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| − | This same material exists in very minute quantities in the human body in an ethereal form, which is the reason behind demonic attacks on humans even within their own realms: demons are highly attracted to Magnetite even when they don't require it to survive. Magnetite as a metal is very rare and difficult to find, which means that bringing demons out from Mikage-cho or the mines of Inaba is hard to accomplish. | + | Demons are found in supernaturally-charged areas, which just means that you usually won't find a demon under your desk at work, but there might be something lurking in an almost never used coat closet in the basement. They especially favor places few humans tread. |
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| − | For every rule there is an exception: the demons unleashed on Sumaru City by Master Joker are not subject to the need for Magnetite. Aside from the added bargaining difficulty this provides, these demons were also tasked to harry Persona-users and others of their ilk when they were brought into this world and they cleave to it still. | + | [[Mikage-cho]] is home turf for demons, but they can be found in most places, especially in Sumaru City. A small colony of demons exist deep within the Inaba mines. |
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| − | ==Locations== | + | ==How do demons and humans interact?== |
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| − | Demons can be found in a few locations. Of these, Mikage-cho and the mines of Inaba can be called their 'home'. Mikage-cho is an alternate reality version of the city of Lunarvale. More details on it can be found in the [[Mikage-cho]] file. The Mines of Inaba were colonized by demons from Mikage-cho, who discovered that the near-omnipresent fog makes for comfortable living conditions deep below the town. Without Magnetite, though, they can't safely leave their newfound home, and thus the residents of that town are spared an invasion. | + | As stated above, it varies! Demons can feel many different things about humans, and vice versa for humans about demons. A few points bear mentioning: |
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| − | Demons can also be found in Sumaru City, thanks to Master Joker. While this is by no means 'home', these demons' specific lack of need for Magnetite means that they can treat it as such. They avoid crowds and places of sanctuary for reasons known only to them, preferring to strike at people who are alone or in very small groups in the more remote parts of the city. They also have a fondness for striking at Persona-users and Shadow-Possessed out and away from crowds. These demons tend to 'nest' in abandoned places where humans rarely travel, making it quite dangerous for people who infiltrate these locations for whatever reason.
| + | * Humans killed by demons always rise again as zombies. |
| | + | * Most humans can't see demons, unless they are actually being directly attacked by the demon in question. |
| | + | * Demons, like Personas, can't be photographed. |
| | + | * Demons may be allies, but they will never engage in combat on a human's direct order. |
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| − | ==Demons and Humans== | + | ==What about rumor demons?== |
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| − | Demons cannot be photographed or otherwise captured in various media, much as it's impossible to similarly take images of Personas and Shadows. All attempts will simply fail. The effects of their attacks and powers may show in some photographs and other media, but while strange, nothing conclusive about them ever comes up.
| + | [[Rumors]] can reshape ambient demonic energy into a new form. Like Shadows, these demons cannot be reasoned with. Confrontations with them are always violent. |
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| − | Unlike Shadows, the sapience that demons possess provides more options for dealing with them than combat. In short: one can attempt to parlay with demons, though the results of this are never a sure thing. In talking to a demon, one can gain a temporary ally and learn valuable information from them. One might be able to convince a demon to stand aside or even scare them off and avoid a combat situation altogether, or one might discover that their words only enrage the demon further and that now combat is an inevitability.
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| − | Demons, for their part, are by turns fascinated and disgusted by humans and their ways of life while also viewing them as sources of Magnetite. Individual types of demons tend to act in similar ways towards humans, but this is by no means a given as there are at least a few differences among them.
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| − | Mundane humans typically don't see demons, except in the supernatural places that demons call home such as Mikage-cho or demonic 'nests' in Sumaru. If a mundane human is actively on guard and looking for demons, they may be able to see them. Similarly, if they are actively being directly, frontally assaulted by a demon (mental attacks simply don't count), they will also be aware of the nature of their attacker.
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| − | Due to this, a mundane human will almost always fail to parse a fight between demons and humans, unless they as above are also being attacked, have reason to be on the lookout for demons, or are in a supernatural space.
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| − | A terrible fate awaits those slain by a demon, however: their bodies will invariably rise as an animated corpse. These 'zombies' can always be seen by mundane humans.
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| − | ==Rumor Demons==
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| − | Demons aren't immune to the effects of rumors (see [[Rumors]]). Within the bounds of Sumaru City, rumors can transform ambient demonic energy and reshape it into the form of the rumor's devising. | + | |
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| − | Demons of this type play by their own rules. Like other Suamru demons, they have no need for Magnetite, but other than that there is very little similarity. They cannot be reasoned with at all, and are in many respects more akin to Shadows than their regular demonic siblings, exhibiting more instinctive behavior and less intelligence than other demons. In fact, they behave more by rote. If the rumor said they stick to a particular type of place, that's exactly where they stay. If the rumor dictated any aspect of their behavior, that's exactly what they'll do, to the exclusion of all else.
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| − | The types of rumors that spawn rumor demons are without exception of the 'urban legend' model. Kuchisake-onna, the woman who cuts the people she encounters on the street who fail to answer her question improperly, is a good example of a rumor demon. So would sewer alligators, or Hanako the toilet ghost.
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| − | Quite often, when a rumor demon is defeated--and there is never any option except to defeat them, when they are encountered--they leave behind a token. In certain circles, this is proof that the rumor demon actually existed, and they may pay highly for it. For others, it's just a strange object that someone claims is 'some kind of evidence of ghosts and things'.
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| − | As with other rumors, stories about rumor demons can be spread as normal. Simply talk about something enough, and it becomes real. The only problem is dealing with the consequences.
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| − | For OOC protocol on rumors, please see the rumors newsfile.
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| | + | Their form and activity derives the rumor that birthed them to the letter. Most typically, these rumors tend to reflect urban legends and the like though not always. The only thing someone needs to create a rumor demon is to spread a rumor. |
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| | + | Despite their origin, rumor demons tend to leave behind a token of some sort when destroyed. Certain people will sometimes give rewards for these tokens for various reasons, some because it's proof the creature existed. Most people just think of these as strange tokens as things that are 'said to be supernatural'. |
| | </div> | | </div> |
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| | [[Category: Newsfiles]] | | [[Category: Newsfiles]] |
| | [[Category: IC]] | | [[Category: IC]] |
"I'm getting out of here! If you don't wanna die, you should head back, too. Unless you can fight demons, of course..."
[edit] What are demons?
Demons are supernatural creatures, similar to Shadows in some respects. Unlike Shadows, they are sapient and possess personalities and drives. They have complex relationships with humans, which can range from temporary alliances or mutual agreements to outright hostility.
[edit] Where do demons come from?
Demons come from the demon world, or at least that's what they'll say if asked. Where they actually hail, though this is not IC knowledge at present, is from the Collective Unconsciousness, like Shadows and Personas: they are also representations of things born from human minds.
[edit] What are demons like?
Demons possess personalities and drives, but they are not typically complex ones. They tend to have two-dimensional personalities, that are shared among other demons of its type, that is, a Jack Frost demon is usally very much like any other Jack Frost demon.
Demons are fundamentally alien creatures that abide by their own logic, so they may betray someone relying on them at a moment's notice... or spare someone from death, if that's their whim.
There can be weird exceptions to the above, but these tend to be plot devices or other singular individuals.
[edit] Where are demons found?
Demons are found in supernaturally-charged areas, which just means that you usually won't find a demon under your desk at work, but there might be something lurking in an almost never used coat closet in the basement. They especially favor places few humans tread.
Mikage-cho is home turf for demons, but they can be found in most places, especially in Sumaru City. A small colony of demons exist deep within the Inaba mines.
[edit] How do demons and humans interact?
As stated above, it varies! Demons can feel many different things about humans, and vice versa for humans about demons. A few points bear mentioning:
- Humans killed by demons always rise again as zombies.
- Most humans can't see demons, unless they are actually being directly attacked by the demon in question.
- Demons, like Personas, can't be photographed.
- Demons may be allies, but they will never engage in combat on a human's direct order.
[edit] What about rumor demons?
Rumors can reshape ambient demonic energy into a new form. Like Shadows, these demons cannot be reasoned with. Confrontations with them are always violent.
Their form and activity derives the rumor that birthed them to the letter. Most typically, these rumors tend to reflect urban legends and the like though not always. The only thing someone needs to create a rumor demon is to spread a rumor.
Despite their origin, rumor demons tend to leave behind a token of some sort when destroyed. Certain people will sometimes give rewards for these tokens for various reasons, some because it's proof the creature existed. Most people just think of these as strange tokens as things that are 'said to be supernatural'.
