Tag: tainted

#Lore24 – Entry #69 – Fantasy Month #9 – Mazoku

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

 

Another general topic today, it seems.  Well, so be it. 

“Mazoku” is the name given to those of humanoid or near-humanoid ancestry who have visible signs of a demonic taint in their bloodline.  The term likely originates from the early days of the Demonic Incursion, when the first demons were coming through the dimensional barriers and sewing their seeds throughout the world, simply to distinguish between a true demon and those who were merely spawned from demons.  Records from the period are somewhat unclear on exactly what differentiated a Mazoku from a half-demon spawn, but there are distinct differences between the two that may be somewhat generational; the first creatures born of demon-kind upon the world were distinctly much more demonic and stronger in nature, whereas the Mazoku only share some of the same general features and only a fraction of the supernatural power of a true or even half demon.  Though the bloodlines have thinned, and there are reports of attempts to cleanse the taint from certain families, it still remains quite strong, with no indication of being cleared any time soon.

Mazoku are decidedly chaotic in their physical makeup and tend toward having a more free-spirited and chaotic nature about them, owing to their heritage.  An astonishingly high number of them are female, some estimates putting the number at well over ninety-five percent being born as such.  This is undoubtedly due to the heritage of the Demon Lord Suzu’Reitani and her Daughters (some theories indicate that every demon that came through during the Incursion were her children), the power of the demonic blood overriding normal reproduction.  Female Mazoku are commonly called ‘succubus’, whereas the ever-rare male examples are called “incubus”.  All, regardless of their original heritage (be it human, elf, dwarf, kobld, kerryn, orc, etc.) share similar physical traits in addition to those of the race which birthed them, namely unnatural skin colors, most commonly in shades of red, blue, white, purple, and black, as well as some form of horns growing from their heads, usually from the forehead or upon the sides of the head, and most usually have tails of some form.  They also tend to have sharper teeth, goat-like eyes, and claw-like fingernails.  Other demonic features seem to be rarer, including actual claws, cloven hooves, thicker scaled flesh, wings (some of which being actually capable of flight), and unnaturally strong resistances to certain elements, such as fire or ice or even acid and electricity.

Owing to their heritage as descendants of the Succubus Queen, Mazoku tend to be of exceptional, perhaps even supernatural, beauty, and are commonly described as being remarkably charismatic and persuasive.  Further, many have some limited inborn magical talents, tending most commonly toward emotional manipulation and charm-based effects, but in some cases presenting as elemental manipulation or the creation of illusions.  Many of them are natural sorcerers, and excel in the magical arts.

Socially, at least within the Empire, Mazoku remain a minority within the population, but prejudices here are much less severe (perhaps due to the kerryns generally being the lowest of the races, or perhaps due to their higher numbers here?) than other nations, and often they are just as capable of gaining powerful leadership positions through their own merits as anyone else (take the High Inquisitor Elvoix Vaktra Flamescale, a kobold-born Mazoku, for example).  Feelings on the Mazoku vary in other parts of the world, from ambivalence to outright fear and persecution depending on where you are.  Though I haven’t traveled and studied in the lands beyond the great oceans, enough accounts exist to safely assume that Mazoku are generally not as well tolerated beyond the Empire in most other places, but I would quite enjoy the chance to make determinations on the subject myself one day.

 

 

#Lore24 – Entry #66 – Fantasy Month #6 – Demon Lord Suzu’Reitani, Bringer of Calamity

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

 

I was rather curious as to why Felaria had today’s prompt delivered in written form, and my curiosity was quickly sated, for one does not invoke the name of demons verbally, especially those as ancient and powerful as this particular Demon Lord, lest their sight and wrath fall upon you.  That is traditional wisdom, and one must perform the proper ritual to communicate with a denizen of the lower realms (and what a ritual it must be to reach a demon lord), but perhaps it is best not to take chances?

The great Demon Lord Suzu’Reitani, Queen of Succubi and the Bringer of Calamity, thusly named for it was her coming that led to the Great Cataclysm that shook the very foundations of the world some two-thousand years ago.  Though much history was lost following the great upheaval, we do have records that state quite clearly that it was her entry into the world that led directly to the downfall of the kerryn goddess Sarresh and sealed the fate of the kerryns to be forever enslaved, less they cause another disaster that would see the world utterly destroyed.

This of course, like many things in history, is up for interpretation, for there is ample evidence that it was the Elvish Dominion that called forth the demons into the world, though they’ll never admit to such a thing, certainly.  This discussion is for another time, however.

This great demon lord sought to conquer Andyllion and use it as her bastion in her desires to claim the entirety of our realm as her own.  From what is generally accepted, she masterminded the many wars that marred the decades before the Great Cataclysm, using her many daughters to plant seeds of deceit, bending wills to her own devices, and building the great onyx tower that would serve as the beacon for opening a gateway to her domain and allowing her to come through to claim the world.  The true nature of her failure to take the world as her own has been lost in the chaos caused by the destruction of the great gateway tower, but we do know that her destruction in this world is what triggered the Great Cataclysm that reshaped the very surface of the world, toppling nations, destroying countless civilizations, and forever changing the fabric of our world.

The true depths of her machinations are still far from being fully explored, though her legacy has certainly remained.  To this day there are still those whose ancestry can be traced directly to her blood, for all mazoku are descended from her daughters, their demonic features easily marking them as such, as does the fact that they are almost entirely female, with estimates of less than one-percent of the mazoku being male.  Many creatures maintain demonic qualities, for Suzu’Reitani’s taint runs deep, and her kind are known to breed with anything, and true demons are still not unheard of, though full manifestation in the material world is thankfully rare.  However, there are still many cults worshiping demons, some perhaps even dedicated to Suzu’Reitani herself, though such worship is strictly outlawed and must necessarily remain hidden.

Thankfully another true demon lord has not been summoned into the realm, and hopefully none are planning such madness again.  It is the ever-present danger presented by demons, their unmatched capacity for destruction, that orders of exorcists, like that of the Holy Order of Rashnikova, still exist, and are rarely if ever bored.  Those caught worshipping and summoning demons are dealt with harshly, no mercy granted, and none expected, for one who dedicates themselves to such darkness are far too dangerous to be left to their machinations.