<span class="elvish" style='font-style:italic'>Zonor Ibelos</span> The Chonor Ibelos (or 'The Before Times' in the common tongue) is a collated work documenting all knowledge of the time before the Void. Though this document isn't known to any mortal in the world of Archon, it is a piece of work that lies safely within the vault of knowledge deep within the temple of all. It talks about demonology and the make of the creatures of the Unbridled Chaos. It does not however, contain a detailed description of each and every demons. For those works, one must only look to the masterful work of the demonologist Gunrake (1780 li E.C.). # On the Unbridled Chaos For as long as there has existed something, there has been the Unbridled Chaos. Though often thought of as that which surrounds the known world, the Unbridled Chaos has been around for far longer than the Void has. Its undulating dark purple plains consist of broiling masses of energy made from true maddening randomness. As so aptly put to words by the sage Melkior: > *"It exists in a state of every somethingness that nothing can be."* > -Melkior, 433 Dwainian Calendar The ever shifting currents and patterns of the Unbridled Chaos sometimes coalesces, stabilizing just long enough to produce a true horror of Chaos. These terrifying creatures, known as demons, are doomed to roam around the flux until they inevitably melt back into the Chaos. As far as is known, the Unbridled Chaos is eternal and endless, filling its infinite plane with madness until the death of the universe itself. Unstable as it is, the Unbridled Chaos has four points of attraction that influence its randomness slightly. The closest thing to a constant known in the whole Unbridled Chaos, these four nebulous points are known as the forces of the Cardinal Chaos, pulling the surrounding Chaos into their influence. The forces of the Cardinal Chaos represent the four main building blocks chaos is prone to toy with. These types of Chaos are: Un - the madness of destruction, Feth - the madness of emotion, Kzar - the madness of creation, and Loth - the madness of knowledge. These forces, akin to a compass, oppose one another, as both Un and Kzar are opposites as well as Feth and Loth. # On the Classification of Demons Though demons are incredibly erratic and defy most definitions of standardisation or classification, there has been an attempt to categorize demons based on how much energy a demon has attained. Using amount of souls collected as an energy measure, demons fall in roughly 9 stages of being[^1]. Keep in mind that demons within the same stage can look and act wildly different to one another. The only real similarity between them is the amount of energy consumed. ### Pitlings The first stage of demon categorization is known as a Pitling. Pitlings are the random spawnings that the Unbridled Chaos spits out. About 99% of the Pitlings created dissolve, explode, or melt back into the flux before living longer than a few minutes. However, those that do survive their spawning in a semi-stable form, roam around in a Lethe state, desperately searching for a soul to consume. ### Abyssants When a Pitling consumes its first soul, their form solidifies further into a state called an Abyssant. Abyssants shed their Lethe state and gain a sentience beyond the mere instinctual. However, their one and only drive remains the consumption of energy. Though not necessary, most demons are drawn towards one or more of the forces of the Cardinal Chaos once they reach the Abyssant stage, aligning themselves with either a Prime Daemon or a Chaos Lord[^2]. ### Ruinars After consuming around five souls, most Abyssants change their shape into that of a Ruinar. Their bodies amassing more flesh, most Ruinars are larger than their previous states. These demons often utilize their newly acquired brawn as fighters and warriors for the cause of their aligned Chaos. They are used by the Prime Daemons and Chaos Lords as soldiers, sending them ahead to prepare for the coming of their master. Ruinars are the main force that is send through the Rift into the Void to fight with the devils. ### Tormentasi Demons that have consumed more than 50 souls can sometimes change into a Tormentas. In this state, the mental capacities of the demon starts to burgeon, as its intelligence goes from frontal to lateral thinking. Their focus lies on strategizing, conniving, and commanding as they use their cunning to control the demons under them for the goals of their aligned Chaos. ### Chimerons If a Tormentas consumes 100 souls their form explodes into an amalgamation of all their previous states known as a Chimeron. Though random, most of the time the fusion favours one state over the others. This off-balance mixture of states often informs the character of the demon, as the first inklings of a personality starts to form in this state. As the Chimerons are a mixture of the previous states, they are often even more maddening to behold than their brethren. ### Corrumpi A demon that has consumed hundreds of souls finally gains a semi-constant form, as it stops its drastic changing of its shape on subsequent states. It is now known as a Corrumpex and is granted a unique name. Gaining a fully realized personality, the Corrumpex more clearly aligns themselves with their forces of the Cardinal Chaos. This is also the final state in which a demon is likely to experience a Lethe state, though it isn't entirely impossible. ### Nectics Roaming around the Unbridled Chaos for centuries, Nectics have devoured thousands of souls. The state of Nectic is a rare breed among demons, as only a handful of demons ever reach this state of being. Nectics are among the most devout champions for their forces of the Cardinal Chaos. ### Prime Daemons A Prime Daemon has reached its pinnacle of existence, having lived for millennia and syphoning the energy of at least 10.000 souls. Not many demons live long enough to ever reach this state of being, most either becoming to much of a threat to a Chaos Lord earlier on or making too many enemies along the way. Only four demons are known to have ever reached this state and lived, all representing their own corner between two forces of the Cardinal Chaos. ### Chaos Lords Since the beginning of the Unbridled Chaos, at the utmost centres of each of the forces of the Cardinal Chaos, stood four dreadful creatures. Each of the malformed things embodying and representing one of the four types of primal Chaos. These creatures are known as the Chaos Lords and they rule the Unbridled Chaos. They have consumed innumerable souls and are the most powerful beings known in their plane. # On a Demon's Lethe State Demons need a certain amount of energy to function in a semi-stable state. When this quota of energy is not met, the first thing to go is the mental capacities of the demon, regressing to an animalistic, feral state of mind driven only by the drive to persist. Its personality, its memories, its allegiances, and its goals are all lost in its instinctive drive for more energy, whatever it takes. This state of being is called a Lethe state. All demons fear the Lethe state and very few are exempt from it. All creatures created of the flux enter the world in a Lethe state until they consume enough energy to pull them out. A demon that remains in its Lethe state for too long will eventually become too unstable to function, entering into dissolution. Its only fate then is dissolving, imploding, or generally unexisting in a myriad of horrid ways. The Lethe state is also very dangerous to summoners. If a demon is summoned without a soul for sacrifice, there is a chance you might summon a demon in a Lethe state. A demon like that is sure to lash out at its summoner on arrival. # On the Madness of Destruction, Un The madness of destruction is the drive behind complete and utter demolition. Un is a primal force of Chaos and the opposite of the madness of creation, living only to break down that which already exists until the last concept in existence ceases to be. It is the force to end all forces, the ultimate counter to all; No something, no nothing, no time, nor timelessness. It is the drive to empty out all of existence, after which the concept of existence itself should perish. There is no reason to Un, as no system, however beneficial it might be to Un itself, will be spared. In the end, even Un will be destroyed by itself. ### Chaos Lord Koth Koth is the pure embodiment of Un itself. Koth is a towering figure, containing humanoid, bovian, equestrian, and simian features. Its horned face is adorned with a three pronged crown and his fire red flesh is tuft with maroon fur. They sit on their throne of skulls and overlook their domain of the Undeath[^3], the unholy forces to its suicidal crusade. Its flaming axe Izhrann can tear through all form of matter with ease. Known by his epitaph 'The Great Destructor', Koth will stop at nothing to advance the agenda of Un. ### The Forces of Un The forces of Un mainly consist of the undead, also known as corrupted corpses. Zombies, walking skeletons, and wraiths all fill out the ranks of the Great Destructor. In addition, the forces of Un contain creatures known as Deathwalkers. These large demons spread undeath wherever they roam, creating more soldiers for Koth. Higher still are the horde demons, beings that rule and command the waves of undead battalions. Highest in the chain of command are the demons known as the commanders. These dreadful beings strategize and layout the plans for total destruction. However, they aren't afraid to join the fray, often leading their troops ahead in a battle. Finally, you have the creatures known as the Krahz'za. The Krahz'za are the elite fighting force of Koth, trained to fight side by side with the Chaos Lord itself in the final fight for existence. ### The Worship of Un Those who fall to the folly of worshipping Un are few and far between. However, those lost enough to do fall into its hold are oft too far gone to listen to reason. To worship Un is to loathe life itself. Some foolish mortals believe the destruction of Un will herald the beginning of a new universe, one where those loyal to the Chaos Lord will rise to the status of the new gods. Drawn to the promise of this power, or merely the promise of a fresh start, these followers unwittingly bring forth their own doom. Less disillusioned, though far more sorrowful, are the followers so pained by their experiences that they truly believe no life to be better than the anguish of living. Whatever their beliefs, the cult of Koth and its followers want only for the destruction of the current state of existence. # On the Madness of Emotion, Feth The madness of emotion is a force of flux and impulse. As cardinal opposite of the madness of knowledge, Feth concerns itself not with cause and effect, but rather feeds the pure volatility of emotions. It thrives within the complete irrationality of mortals. Hating your lover, while loving to hate. The calm screeching within, while burning through emotional states faster than the sun. Feth tries to make the logical illogical whatever its price, peeling away until there is naught but gut-reactions and instinct. Its force contains the highest forms of ecstasy, rage, and despair, forever addicted to the rush of utter extremes. ### Chaos Lord Emphoth A looming humanoid with pale yellow skin, the proportions and make of which are ever shifting into asymmetrical blobs. Throbbing, almost thrumming, as its flesh melds from smooth to hard and lean to buff. Four wings protruding from its back, never certain if they be scruffed feathers or mangey leather. Thus is the form of Emphoth, Chaos Lord of Feth. Its body almost pulsating, feelings as on the constant verge of either burst out laughter or soul rending weeping. Emphoth can often be found in their hedonistic lands burrowed deep within a pile of mangled corpses and euphoric demons writhing around in their own bodily fluids. ### The Forces of Feth The ranks of Feth are varied and filled with many unique demons. Terror demons, pleasure demons, and pain demons; All fill out the fields of punishment that Emphoth rules over. The only consistent forces under Emphoth command are the Torazu, or Punishers. These Punishers are long black creatures, consisting mainly of slick tendrils held in a semi-humanoid shape. The Torazu are tasked with representing Emphoth should Feth be summoned. They are free to carry out the will of their master however they see fit in the moment. Should the summoner be rewarded? Pained? Ignored? Their fates are up to the whims of Feth. ### The Worship of Feth Most of the people sought out by Feth are those who wish for release of some mental chain keeping them down. Maybe they want for someone's affection who doesn't seem to return the feeling, or perhaps they seek relief from their crushing grief in unknown bliss. Whatever their plea, they search a freedom of their emotional state. However, once Feth latches on, it never lets go. Soon numbed by the mundane feelings of life, it pushes in its hold to further and further extremes. Eventually, only the torturous sorrows and reliefs of Feth can still move their hearts. Those it consumes worship it as a divine drug, making their grey existence bearable and feelable once more. # On the Madness of Creation, Kzar The madness of creation empowers the fervent creation and re-creation of all, assembling matter in all manner of forms. Never satisfied with the status quo, Kzar produces constant amalgamations of components, never relenting. It is a perversion of the flow[^4], severing connections and stuffing it in vessels never meant to carry it. Kzar blurs the lines between life and death, choosing to heal you from disease by killing you, or sending you to your doom through eternal life. It is always driven to produce more and more of its ilk, never stopping to think of the implications or consequences of its spawn. Kzar is the cardinal opposite of the madness of destruction, forever trying to compensate for that which Un destroys. ### Chaos Lord Belgor Belgor is a gigantic bulging figure stretched in vile green skin. Its body is covered in innumerable pustules and outgrowths filled with its most horrid creations. The face of Belgor is misshapen, as if molten by acid. It drapes over its skull loosely, not contained to its head but seeping onto and around its whole body. With their corrupted ladle in hand, Belgor can often be found near their cauldron within the Festering Gardens, stirring whatever creation they have cooking in the pot. Belgor tries to keep one of each of the species they create within their gardens, watching over its spawn with glee. ### The Forces of Kzar The demons working under Belgor can be largely classified into three clades. The first ones are known as the Gardeners, demons tasked with aiding Belgor keep their gardens and create new things. The second clade is known as the Doctors. Akin to the Torazu of Feth, the doctors are tasked with serving the people calling upon Kzar for aid. However, the doctors are generally helpful, though their solutions are often much more extreme and off putting than the summoners had hoped for. Unlike the Torazu, the doctors of Kzar are incredibly driven, often creating problems for mortals just to be called upon and offer a novel solution. The final clade of Kzar is known as the Puzglaru in the demons tongue. The Puzglaru are tasked with spreading and proliferating Belgors cursed creations throughout the realms. ### The Worship of Kzar The people calling upon Kzar are among the most desperate of mind, usually pleading for the curing of some terminal disease ailing their loved ones or the saving of a stillborn child. However, there are also those who call upon Kzar for more selfish purposes, wanting for immortality, or wishing an enemy to fall incurably ill. Whatever the ask, the solutions offered often have a steep cost. And the yet unforeseen 'quirks' contained within the Doctors gifts often have far more disastrous consequences than thought possible. # On the Madness of Knowledge, Loth The madness of knowledge is a power fed by cause and effect, connections, and conclusions. Loth pushes the concept of holisticality to its ultimate endpoint, creating complex webs of cause and effect for even the most disparate of events. It collects, twists, clarifies, and poisons knowledge whenever it can get a hold of it. It is the belief that a nonsense declaration cannot ever exists, as the only thing that exists is the lack of knowhow on how to make the declaration make sense. As the corrupted scholar Bolass tried to explain before being carried off to the Aeloras Asylum: > *"Nothing is never always everywhen and everything is part of everythis and everythat."* > -Bolass, 1132 Dwainian Calendar In its quest for the final equation of all, Loth is cardinally opposed to the madness of emotion, trying to force the illogical to be logical. ### Chaos Lord Thoz Thoz is the pure embodiment of Loth. Akin to a mixture of humanoid and vulture with giraffe-like proportions, Thoz stands tall over their vault of knowledge, laid in their temple of all. Their long boney body is covered in a pale violet hide stretched taut over his already slender shape. The joints and collar are protected by royal marine tufts of feathery down and their long leathery neck is crowned by a giant orange eye with a catlike pupil, framed by three beaks and their blue plumage. The beaks constantly whisper of cursed knowledge and lore, slowly unravelling the telling of the great equation. Thoz sits on their vault, hoarding and weaving the knowledge within into their final equation for all, awaiting the day until his Tzeeches have collected all there is to know. ### The Forces of Loth Most demons under the influence of Loth are known as scholars, who help Thoz in their collating of all there is to know. In addition, the scholars are used to answer the pleas of the desperate souls calling to Loth, as well as tempting more mortals to its call. Some of these demons are called Keepers of Gifts. These demons watch over the hidden temples of Thoz containing caches of the tomes and items collected by the forces of Thoz. Finally, there are a few select demons known as the Knowledge Hunters or Tzeeches. These demons are among the most trusted of Thoz, tasked with the quest of finding all that Thoz is yet to know or have. This task is deemed so pivotal to the advance of Loth that only Nectics are allowed to be bestowed this title of Tzeech. ### The Worship of Loth The pull towards Loth is often felt most in the scholarly and professorial mortals who seek information or lore to aid them in their research. Archaeologists, historians, and treasure hunters are also among the folk who are easily corrupted by the force of Loth. Those easily drawn to power can also fall into its grasp, as Loth can grant not only access to unknown weaknesses and pressure points of enemies, but Loth also is the power behind the infamous words of power; A language that when spoken can shape parts of reality itself, just by the sounds of its words. However, most mortals enthralled by Loth don't reach this power before falling completely mad. # On the Prime Daemons Unlike the Chaos Lords, who are children of a single force of the Cardinal Chaos, the Prime Daemons are demons who fought their way up to near Chaos Lord level of status and power. This also entails that there is no upper bound to how many Prime Daemons can exist, as is the case with the Chaos Lords. However, since the beginning of the Unbridled Chaos, only four demons have ever managed to live long enough to reach the state of Prime Daemon[^5]. These four have mainly survived by avoiding direct competition with the Chaos Lords by representing a conjunction of two different forces of the Cardinal Chaos. ### The Hungry One Nestled between the domains of Un and Feth lies the hunting grounds of Ravantoth. The grey hills of barren trees are stalked by the animalistic demons of the Hungry One. At its centre, Ravantoth's lair, strewn with the gnawed bones of bygone quarries, lies protected in a grove of thorned vines. The Hungry One lives by one and one principle alone: To eat, or to be eaten. Seeing all of existence as a race for the apex, a brutal game to prove who wins life, it hunts and kills and feasts in perpetuum. Those who fall to the trappings of the kill or be killed ideology are empowered by the Hungry One, gaining great strength and ferocity, in addition to a hunger for the flesh of their enemies. Ravantoth loves the hunt almost as much as it loves the feast afterwards. It heralds and guides their warriors to the top of the food chain, killing all that dare face them and preparing them for the final hunt, a game of death between Ravantoth and its followers to determine the final winner of life. ### The Faceless Form An incomprehensible blob of dark green sludge, Qouz'zax is the creator of all slimes and oozes. Operating soley on the instinctual drive to spawn, Qouz'zax lies in its cesspit constantly spitting out more and more of itself, representing both Feth and Kzar. Its spawnlings slither out its cesspit to feed, spread, and multiply to any space they can reach. Eating and biting through most anything, the spawn of the Faceless Form can use ample resources to proliferate. Unique in its simplicity of mind among the demons of higher states, Qouz'zax is the only demon that isn't effected mentally by being in its Lethe state. Only the truly mad ever worship the Faceless Form, as the only benefit to its reign is an endless wave of ooze. ### The Everlasting One Representing both Kzar and Loth is Mylathor, the Everlasting One. Growing steadily within its fungal forest, Mylathor works tirelessly to infect everything with its spores. Its ethereal threads connect its drones in a hive mind, being both the eyes and ears of the Everlasting One. Its dispersed nature making it almost impossible for any power to destroy Mylathor for good. Using its telepathic ability to control its drones, the Everlasting One forever guides them to infect more and more hosts. Those who join its network gain the benefits and knowledge of the full hive mind, even granting the telepathic abilities of Mylathor itself. However, none that join the hive mind keep their autonomy for long, slowly morphing into just another extension of the Everlasting One. ### The Wrathful Beast Deep in the war room of its bestial empire sits the demon Baphomet, ever plotting their next move. Sitting betwixt both Un and Loth, Baphomet is a cunning commander driven to expand their empire to every corner of existence to rule all under its iron hooves. Father to the minotaurs, the forces of its empire are fierce and strong, stopping at nothing to expand their borders. Those in need of an army can swear fealty to Baphomet and gain access to its indominable force. But beware, those who underperform in its eyes are sure to be conquered themselves. # On the Origin of the Void In the time before time, within the swirling flux of the Unbridled Chaos, all was well and unordered. The creatures of the flux came and went, all the while the forces of the Cardinal Chaos pushed and pulled on each other. However, this was all soon to change due to a chance spawning that so often occurred within the Chaos. This spawning though, was fated to have repercussions no demon could ever fathom. A name it had not as mere Pitling roaming the undulating plains. Spawning central to the Cardinals, no pull was particularly powerful. This caused the area to be highly contested, with many demons trying to push for their domain of Chaos to rule, or just to claim a piece of hunting ground for themselves. Within this constant feuding, the Pitling managed to find a lucky kill, attacking mainly by ambush. This kill was enough to enable the Pitling to escape its Lethe state and advance on towards an Abyssant. Now able of higher thought, the demon started to take note of the constant threat to its life by the other demons, constantly on the edge of a mortal ambush or unwinnable fight. Growing tired of this way of life, the demon tried to live in solitude, only hunting stray Pitlings to stave off the Lethe. It was then, within its loneliness, a most unexpected thing did happen. The little demon started to think of a set of rules and the concept that the whole of the Unbridled Chaos was to be held against this list of requirements, no matter what strength of power beheld the demon. It thought about a system, through which the flux would react so predictably, that plausible plans could be made and within them the planning out of a home protected from the unnecessary battling and destroying of the Chaos. It thought of order. The instant the thought solidified in the mind of the demon and it could properly comprehend its ideas, a searing pain smote through the whole of the creature, increasing exponentially until the demon screamed out in excruciating agony. The pain filled up the demon, causing it to start to tear itself apart in a desperate attempt to let the force of agony escape its body, or at least distract it from its pain. However in vain its struggle, the demon tried all it could to lessen the pain burning inside, until eventually the demon imploded. There, in its place, a small black orb floating in mid-air appeared. Seemingly undisturbed by its surroundings, the sphere was static, as a pinhole punctured through reality itself. Before long, other demons showed up to the area. Intrigued by the floating orb, most of them tried to touch or eat it. But each time a demon made contact with it, the demon got shred and absorbed within the sphere instantly, causing a slight expansion of its circumference. Over time, the orb grew to be quite a formidable size, eventually catching the attention of the Chaos Lords. Thoz, intrigued by the orb, sent a posse led by a Tzeetch to investigate the properties of the unusual object. However, they too were absorbed before long. Shock and terror flushed through the ranks of the Lords at the absolute ease at which this strange orb had disposed of a Tzeetch. In turn, each Lord declared war on the orb, seeing it as a threat to their force of Cardinal Chaos. However, each attack mounted against the orb was in vain, as the hordes of demons did naught but feed the orb further, expanding it closer to the Chaos Lords. Within the orb, the black silence of nothingness laid heavy like a thick blanket. The only thing filling its void was the influx of energy from the millions of demons absorbed by the outer edge. That is, until they arrived... [^1]: Before the Void, souls didn't exist. So demons got their energy by consuming other demons. As souls are far more efficient, most demons nowadays focus on consuming those. However, their cannibalistic tendencies persist to this day [^2]: As you will notice, most rules and statements made about demons are more akin to guidelines. Oftly broken guidelines... [^3]: Un is heavily related to the prefix 'un-' as used in the common tongue. It can be seen in words such as undone, unwelcome, and indeed in undead. [^4]: Notably, before the existence of the flow, Belgor focussed its creation more on the myriad of ways the flux could fit together to produces things and demons. After the creation of the Void, Belgor was infatuated with the possibilities of matter and couldn't help but focus fully on the flow and its creatures. [^5]: As the worldbuilding for Archon was made in conjunction to it being used as a Dungeons & Dragons setting, the four Prime Daemons can be substituted for Yeenoghu, Juiblex, Zuggtmoy, and Baphomet respectively.