#Lore24 – Entry #340 – Sci-Fi Month IV #5 – The Calling of Demons
Transcribed From the Personal Recording Implant of Andra Ganim, Chronicler of the Codex Infinitum
RV: “I am most certainly NOT saying that, Ms. Ganim. I am saying that I was responsible for discovering the methods of contacting the realm of demonkind and developing the methods by which we could gain access to their power. Any irresponsible use after that cannot be placed upon my shoulders.”
AG: “Of course, of course. Could you explain how this line of research came about? What were you researching at the time?”
RV: “Interdimensional, planar travel, even the concept of parallel realities, the “multiverse” if you will; truly few minds were capable of grasping the concept in that era. My initial research had focused upon improving the ability to transport our soldiers and supplies long distances through magical gateways, in concordance with the use of scrying to perhaps arrange for surprise attacks upon our enemies. For as idiotic as they are, the aerians were wise to our methods, thanks to their kerryn allies, primarily, so finding a workaround to their detection and countermeasures was naturally a priority.
It was during my studies of a particular draconic ruin and the ancient portal there that I pieced together the early concept of my multiversal theory and began to theorize that perhaps the dragons that we have so long sought could have not only left Andyllion and our galaxy, but they could also have left our reality entirely. My unique brilliance has led me to many such radical theories over the centuries, and I have, more often than not, been proven correct.”
AG: “Were you the first person on Andyllion to make contact with the demons, then?”
RV: “I was, yes, quite possibly the first outside the Demon Barrier and the Demon Sector, in fact, but that’s something we’ll have to circle back to later. It was during one of the many jaunts I took through the planes during that time. I had taken precautions, of course, to hide my trail, and had not shared my ability to shift amongst the planes with my fellow arcanists at the time. In those days, you see, only the priests were considered capable of such a thing, should they travel to the realm of their gods, and that was seen strictly as a reward for their devotion. What I did then transgressed the commonly held beliefs at the time, for it was assumed that all magic called upon the “aether” present in the world, that elementals were summoned from the four elements, that sort of thing. I could go on at great length about ancient arcane theory, but I don’t think that’s what you’ve come for.
To answer your question more thoroughly, I had found a trail of corruption in certain planes and realms I had visited, and with some deduction and insight, I followed that trail and puzzled out the particular ritual methods that must be performed in order to bridge the gap into the demonic realm. Not knowing any particular demons at the time, I was fortunate to have encountered only a minor one that was well within my ability to slay, for it was quite hostile with me. My future attempts to contact them would be within the most controlled of environments, with strong wards and multiple layers of protection spells designed specifically to deal with beings not native to our reality.”
AG: “How did matters escalate to the point that the demons were allowed to invade the world? Did something go out of control?”
RV: “Only the ego of my people. Once I had solidified my knowledge of planar shifting and the rituals required to deal with the demons, and a mostly concrete understanding of their hierarchy and ways, I revealed my knowledge to my fellow arcanists and the leaders within the Elvish Dominion. By this time, things had escalated to full blown war between our forces and our allies and those led by the aerians and kerryns, and the tide had already turned against us. I will admit that my attention was elsewhere, and I had not paid due attention to the situation. It was a decision I made in the interests of self-preservation of myself and my kind.
We originally sought only to augment our forces to fend off the advance of our enemies, to push them out of our lands. But, once the full extent of what I had learned in the intervening centuries was understood, a plan was formulated that would break our enemies and see the Elvish Dominion returned to its proper place atop the world. So, instead of using the demons directly as our soldiers, we would discredit our enemies and tear them apart from the inside.
Through a series of planar jumps, we were able to infiltrate deep into enemy territory without their knowledge, and once we had established our base of operations beneath the kerryn capital of Shinsei Daitoshi, we enacted our plan, coordinating with the lord of demons known as Suzu’retani, the Queen of the Succubi, the Bringer of Calamity. Oh, don’t give me that look, Ms. Ganim; she was destroyed thousands of years ago; if any demonkind still remembers her name to even hear it uttered, they can do nothing about it within my domain.
Now, then, the invasion started subtly enough, with her forces causing all manner of disruption amongst the enemy. A deal was made with the demons; in return for elvish dominance over Andyllion, they could have all the aerian and kerryn souls they could possibly want. Though I led the initial operation to bring the demons to Andyllion, I would be well away from Shinsei Daitoshi when the Demonfall occurred. I must admit, even I was caught by surprise when Suzu’reitani subverted the kerryn faith and managed to capture Saressh. Even I don’t know exactly how she managed that feat, but it was the madness that filled the kerryn priesthood that signaled the beginning of the Demonfall, and soon enough, the beasts ravaged our enemies, taking souls as if they would never end.
Their taint spread, and soon enough those who had once allied with the aerians and kerryns turned to us, and against them. The aerians, without the help of their longtime kerryn allies, were wiped out and driven from our lands. However, though the Elvish Dominion had made a clearly defined bargain, we had not taken into account the nature of the corruption that spilled forth from their incursion in the kerryn capital. The very essence of the demons began to corrupt and taint the world, and seemed to affect the elves more quickly and fiercely than other races. This was initially how we garnered so much sympathy from our former enemies, in fact, for we played it off that the kerryns had summoned forth the demons, set the corruption against us, and then lost control of the monsters they had brought forth.
My own corruption was significantly lesser than my peers due to the time I spent in realms beyond our own, though even I could see that something had to be done to reverse course. I’ll admit that I played my part in the atrocity, but I likewise did what I could to save Andyllion from the destruction that my overeager brethren had wrought upon it. I would find myself in strange company in this endeavor, for the being known as Marcon Shadowmist would seek me out to right the situation. Not even I can understand his way of thinking, why he had waited this long, but it was his plan that we followed to restore the balance and stop the demonic invasion. This was what led to the Great Cataclysm, and somehow, that was the better choice, not just for Andyllion, but for the rest of the galaxy, though we certainly could not have known that at the time.”