Exalted/Godbound: The Vastness of the Yozis, Part 3

The journey into the bowels of Hell continue with the third part in the exploration of demons and the hell dimension (and body of the fallen Titan Malfeas they inhabit).

Demon of the Abyss by MrZarono

Defining Demons

Much like their progenitors/greater whole, the Demons (or Deva as they were known before their defeat) are near-limitless in size, scope and variation. Two Demons who descend/compose the same Yozis are vastly different creature, even if their core Essence is fundamentally the same. Their body shape, size, mind and purpose can be utterly alien or even outright antithetical to each other: the madness and broken nature of the Yozis make this possible, like how a cancer is made of abnormal cells. Malfeas, in particular, has had a bad habit of spawning imperious and powerful Demons who often seek to subdue or destroy others as he lash out in self-loathing and grasp in vain at some semblance of His past glory.

Statting Demons

When it come to game stats, Demons can generally be broken down into categories which give a convenient power level. While there's the obvious separation of 'soul tier' (First, Second and Third) this isn't the only way to stat demons. For one thing, Godbound generally tend to generally ascribe only a certain amount of HD to non-combatant and while such demons are hardier than ordinary mortals they would still easily be routed even by a Terrestrial Exalted.

• The weakest of the demons (the idea is taken from here, by the way) are sometimes called 0th Circle Demons or 'Imps'. While technically First Circle Demons, in practice they are the weakest of this category. These creatures are minor servants, chew toys or something equally degrading. The name 'Imp' may imply a small creature but this is positively untrue as some of these creatures are hulking brutes. What make a so-called 0th Circle Demon is that it lacks one or more attribute which even the most basic of demons have: they are either physically or mentally pathetic in addition to their weak Essence. Even the most physically potent of these creatures isn't worth more than being manual labor or cannon fodder as it lack the Essence-granted power and durability of other demons. These creatures are modeled as Mortal Foes in Godbound safe for their ability to Materialize as all spirits do.
• The core of the First Circle Demons are, much like the Imps, entire species of Demons. Each is a unique individual but ultimately they are limited by their shape and purpose. Aside from the Materialize power, Demons usually have a single gift or power appropriate to their purpose and ancestry (the powers of the Uncreated found in the Ancalia book are a good place to look) and their statline is usually easily replicated with the Minor Spirit stat line.
• Some more bestial or powerful spawns of the Yozis which are nonetheless First Circle Demons could be statted as Stalking Horrors, with Materialize replacing The Cold Breath. Not every Demon is a humanoid being, after all and some are monstrous...things...best left undescribed which stalk the wilderness or the slowly-flooding lower levels of the Demon City himself.
• There are some First Circle Demons which are 'ascended' Demon-Blooded who have become full demons. These beings are always unique and some may further ascend in the hierarchy of Malfeas but the more powerful they become the less of their individuality they have as they become more and more a part of their respective Yozis. Use the stats of Mortal Heroes with those, except they need to Materialize like all demons do.
• The Second Circle Demons are always unique individuals rather than species, even if some may share certain traits with demons born as 'siblings' (somehow, don't ask me, demons are weird!). These are statted as Weak or Established Parasite Gods and are bound to Words and these beings function under the same rule as other demons.
• The most powerful of the Demons are the Third Circle Demons and these are anywhere between 30-40 HD and a quick Third Circle Demon would be a Dread Parasite God. These otherwise work as all other Demons do.

Titanic Pantheon

As expected, each time there is a post related to Hell at least more Yozis get described. In this case, the presented Yozi is the one and only (fortunately) perennial dickhead of the Yozis, the Ebon Dragon. The Ebon Dragon is very much one of those Exalted NPC (if such term even applies to such a creature) which late editions utterly changed. Originally a creature of darkness, taboo and 'otherness' he increasingly became pure evil as the game progressed to the point the fanbase has called him the 'embodiment of dickishness'....a quite accurate description for what he got increasingly pigeonholed as. Granted, such a characterization is often too funny not to use.

The Ebon Dragon, the Shadow of All Things

All things cast a shadow, even the seemingly-perfect Unconquered Sun. Some myths say that shadow is the Ebon Dragon: of course anyone who knows of the Titans and their role in shaping Creation know this is impossible and so, disturbingly it must be the other way around, that the Titan who would become the Yozis known as the Ebon Dragon was the creator of the Unconquered Sun. This could be truth or it could be myth and ultimately does not matter. The association of the Ebon Dragon with vice and an absence of Virtues is not unfounded, however, even if that is not the beginning nor end of what He embodies. Darkness is, after all, the absence of light. The Ebon Dragon is invariably always 'the other' or the counter-force to something. Some say the Ebon Dragon has one foot into the grave and has connection to the powers of death, which would explain why his Demons often consort with the forces of the Underworld. In truth these mysteries to his nature are part of his being, for the opposite of truth is uncertainty or even outright lies.

Associations of the Ebon Dragon

The Ebon Dragon represent many things (or rather, the absence of certain things if you really think about it) and some say he's a brother to Oramus. Both are, after all, depicted as dragons and both tend to deal into the impossible. Oramus cannot be truly defined and falls under the purview of the impossible while the Ebon Dragon is an absence of things.

• Animals: Draconic beasts as well as all creatures which dwell in the darkness away from the light, from bats to worms.
• Locations: Caves, mines, graveyards and dark alleys. Alternatively, everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Places which others know not of. A memory of your worst nightmare or failure.
• Materials: Black stones, obsidian, tarnished gold, corroded copper and tears.
• Positive(?) Emotions: A strong absence of an emotion once felt deeply. Trepidation before committing a taboo act.
• Negative Emotions: Fear, loss and confusion in the face of the unknown or depraved. Cowardice. Spitefulness.
• Objects: Cracked mirrors, broken swords and bumped armors. The discarded bones of the dead. A chalice filled with poisonous wine. Tomes of forbidden lore.