Page 51 - D&D Bestiary

Spawned in the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, demons
are the embodiment of chaos and evil- engines of
destruction barely contained in monstrous form.
Possessing no compassion, empathy, or mercy, they
exist only to destroy.
Spawn of Chaos. The Abyss creates demons as
extensions of itself, spontaneously forming fiends out of
filth and carnage. Some are unique monstrosities, while
others represent uniform strains virtually identical to
each other. Other demons (such as manes) are created
from mortal souls shunned or cursed by the gods, or
which are otherwise trapped in the Abyss.
Capricious Elevation. Demons respect power and
power alone. A greater demon commands shrieking
mobs of lesser demons because it can destroy any lesser
demon that dares to refuse its commands. A demon's
status grows with the blood it spills; the more enemies
that fall before it, the greater it becomes.
A demon might spawn as a manes, then become
a dretch, and eventually transform to a vrock after
untold time spent fighting and surviving in the Abyss.
Such elevations are rare, however, for most demons
are destroyed before they attain significant power. The
greatest of those that do survive make up the ranks of
the demon lords that threaten to tear the Abyss apart
with their endless warring.
By expending considerable magical power, demon
lords can raise lesser demons into greater forms, though
such promotions never stem from a demon's deeds or
accomplishments. Rather, a demon lord might warp a
manes into a quasit when it needs an invisible spy, or
turn an army of dretches into hezrous when marching
against a rival lord. Demon lords only rarely elevate
demons to the highest ranks, fearful of inadvertently
creating rivals to their own power.
Abyssal Invasions. Wherever they wander across the
Abyss, demons search for portals to the other planes.
They crave the chance to slip free of their native realm
and spread their dark influence across the multiverse,
undoing the works of the gods, tearing down civilizations,
and reducing the cosmos to despair and ruin .
. Some of the darkest legends of the mortal realm are
built around the destruction wrought by demons set
loose in the world. As such, even nations embroiled
in bitter conflict will set their differences aside to help
contain an outbreak of demons, or to seal off abyssal
breaches before these fiends can break free.
Signs of Corruption. Demons carry the stain of
abyssal corruption with them, and their mere presence
changes the world for the worse. Plants wither and die
in areas where abyssal breaches and demons appear.
Animals shun the sites where a demon has made a
kill. The site of a demonic infestation might be fouled
by a stench that never abates, by areas of bitter cold or
burning heat, or by permanent shadows that mark the
places where these fiends lingered.
Eternal Evil. Outside the Abyss, death is a minor
nuisance that no demon fears. Mundane weapons can't
stop these fiends, and many demons are resistant to
the energy of the most potent spells. When a lucky hero