The Campaign Builder's Guild

Exploring...
Daemons

What follows is the fifteen most common daemons in Tephra.  Demis, the most common daemons, were explained earlier.  Daemons have a caste system (though only daemons of the highest caste truly believe in it), and demis fall below the lowest caste.  Castes are typically decided based on the daemons ability to interact with the Tephran world, switching between their corporeal and incorporeal states, and their intellect.  

Monsters do not exist in Tephra as they do in other fantasy worlds.  Daemons make up the majority of "monsters," followed by magi-created aberrations, and then by dangerous animals.  Most foes in Tephra are fellow Tephrans.

The name in bold is their daemon name, the name that other intelligent daemons call them.  The name in italics is their common name, used by most Tephrans.

[th colspan="3"]Daemons by Caste[/th]

Lowest Caste	Middle Caste	Highest Caste
Avugal Fairy Light Odu Priok Tozuruck	Enoziod Halkuuja Phyrean Vaulishar Xira	Daemon God Dragon Koraus Shifaaga

Avugal - Hellflame
Avugals are small daemons little better than demis.  They have minimal intellect and are hard to control.  To those with daemon sight, they look like small flames.  They are easily controlled by those who have the gift, people known as hellflame controllers.  These small daemons, known to common people as hellflames, have the power to ignite things but almost never do with provocation.  Hellflame controllers, using their arcane words, are able to provoke and control them.

Daemon God
The daemon gods are known by no other name, for each one is unique.  It is through unexplained occurrences that create daemon gods, for they appear just like other daemons.  Some come from deceased Tephrans, others just appear, and others are the offspring of a split daemon.  Regardless, daemon gods have immense power, have full intellectual prowess, and can switch between their corporeal and incorporeal forms at will.  They are worshiped in many societies, but their motivations are each unique to themselves.

Dragon
Dragons, too, are known by their daemon name.  Dragons have long been of the upper caste of daemons, and, during the Magi Rebellion, were taught to switch between corporeal and incorporeal at will.  They are long and serpentine, often with frills and of various colors.  They are all very different, with various levels of intellect and powers.  They can fly through the air and swim through the seas as though they were the same.  

Enoziod - Banshee
Enoziods are sound daemons, ones that appear like most middle caste daemons - as large demis - and cannot become corporeal.  They can, however, be heard.  They make terrible sounds, often like shrieks.  Some enoziods learn to use their voices in other ways, some exceedingly intelligent ones even manipulate Tephrans.  Others use their voices in destructive or charming ways.  Most, however, never become so intelligent.  The enoziods are easily at the bottom of the middle caste.

Fairy
Fairies are small, colorful daemons that occasionally blink between incorporeal and corporeal.  They are mischievous and playful, and change shapes easily.  They can switch between body types and colors.  In all, fairies are highly dynamic but typically not very intelligent.

Halkuuja
The halkuuja are daemons with the power to possess Tephrans.  They look like large demis.  Their intelligence varies, but is typically of Tephran levels.  They have a hard time possessing people for long, and the conscious of the Tephran always wins out in the end and kicks the halkuuja out.  Halkuujas, when they possess elves, create the farishtaas.

Koraus - Guardian Daemon
The korauses are just short of daemon gods in power and are often likened to angels, though their appearance varies greatly.  They are often intelligent and powerful.  Most korauses are the result of a deceased Tephran who was very attached to another person.  These guardian daemons choose a Tephran and bind themselves to them, protecting them no matter what.  Almost all korauses can switch between their corporeal and incorporeal forms.  

Light - Will-o'-Wisp
Lights are anti-daemons; daemons cannot approach them and Tephrans find that they burn when touched.  Only elves can touch them without being harmed, and elves that have rebelled from the farishtaa often capture and keep these rare daemons.  Lights look like small glowing orbs and they can always been seen without daemon sight.  They are only as intelligent as animals.

Odu - Spirit
Odus are daemons that can possess objects.  They almost always have a preferred type of object they possess (such as iron, bronze, ceramic, et cetera).  They are of animal intellect and rarely do anything beyond rest inside their chosen object.

Phyrean - Daemon Tree
These daemons have adapted and truly become a part of Tephra.  They look like dead trees; dead, because they do not have the life-force to create leaves and look truly alive.  They
are intelligent but are rooted to one spot, though they can slowly move their branches.  Phyreans, though Tephrans are often frightened by them, are rarely malicious.  Any Tephran that touches a phyrean gains daemon sight, and some take a piece of bark from a phyrean in order to be able to see daemons.

Priok - Dream Daemon
Prioks are daemons that are, effectively, weaker halkuujas.  They can possess Tephrans, but only when they are asleep.  Prioks cause unusual dreams, and some prioks cause nightmares.  Otherwise, these daemons are typically harmless.

Shifaaga - Doppleganger
Shifaagas are intelligent daemons that can switch between their corporeal and incorporeal state at will.  They are also shape-shifters and easily take the guise of Tephrans.  Many Tephrans fear them, but each shifaaga has a different motivation.  Most just enjoy being part of Tephran society.  Shifaaga live several centuries and often take on many guises.

Tozuruck - Locust or Plague Daemon
Tozurucks are small daemons and are typically regarded as the vilest daemons, both by Tephrans and daemons.  They multiple by sucking on Tephran energies, and each one sucks on different energies.  These daemons cause ailments to those they reside in, and then spread their offspring to those who come in contact with them.  Not all plagues on Tephra are caused by these daemons, but many are.

Vaulishar - Ghost
Vaulishars are middle caste daemons with the power to interact with corporeal objects while still being unseen.  These are the most common of the middle caste.  They often appear as large demis, puffs of dark smoke, but with vague limbs.  Vaulishars have varying degrees of intellect, anywhere from animals to Tephran.

Xira - Smoke
Xiras are small daemons, often fairly intelligent, that can only be seen through smoke.  Smoke attracts them and they feed on it, but they can also possess smoke so that people see faces in the smoke.  Simply called smokes, xiras are typically gentle daemons that just want to interact with Tephrans.

Defining...
The Life Force Theory

Most Tephrans live according to the Life Force theory, as explained by the haud professor, Vishuu.  The Life Force theory is a triangle composed of three important elements: the conscious, the body, and the essence.  And connecting each one is a part of the person: their memories, their emotions, and their skills.


When a Tephran dies, their essence is released as a daemon.  That daemon is impossible to reconnect to the body, so, in order to resurrect them, a new essence must be created.  As seen in the chart, the essence channels the memories to the conscious, so new memories must be created or learned.  This is why old skills and emotions remain in the person when they die, but their memories are lost.

Some people call the essence their name or their heart.  Professor Vishuu says that calling their essence their heart is incorrect; rather, their "heart," as the term is used, is best used to describe their emotions, the chain between their conscious and their body.  Calling the essence their name, however, may be accurate.  This is why so many take on new names when they are resurrected.

All sentient Tephrans obey this triangle with the exception of two: the haudi and the elves.

The haudi's pyramid goes in reverse, channeling memories from the essence to the body, skill from the body to the conscious, and emotions from the conscious to the essence.  Though this has had no effect on the haudi, this theory arises from the fact that the haudi are Tephra's creation rather than Aeon's.  Only the haudi were created by Tephra, and so their life force flows in reverse.

The elves have no essence.  Their memories remain in their conscious after they die and so may be revived rather than resurrected.  Only elves may be revived.

[blockquote=Revival]Elves can be Revived, which is a seventh level flux spell.  This is done simply by completely repairing their body and reviving the conscious, which shuts down upon death.  Elves, when revived, retain their memories.  They are the only race with this ability.  If an elf is resurrected, it becomes a daemon elf and begins to transform into something that looks like a darker farishtaa.  Once an elf has an essence, it must henceforth always been resurrected and cannot be revived.[/blockquote]

Quote from: JharvissExploring...
Daemons

What follows is the fifteen most common daemons in Tephra.  Demis, the most common daemons, were explained earlier.  Daemons have a caste system (though only daemons of the highest caste truly believe in it), and demis fall below the lowest caste.  Castes are typically decided based on the daemons ability to interact with the Tephran world, switching between their corporeal and incorporeal states, and their intellect.  

Monsters do not exist in Tephra as they do in other fantasy worlds.  Daemons make up the majority of "monsters," followed by magi-created aberrations, and then by dangerous animals.  Most foes in Tephra are fellow Tephrans.

The name in bold is their daemon name, the name that other intelligent daemons call them.  The name in italics is their common name, used by most Tephrans.

[th colspan="3"]Daemons by Caste[/th]

Lowest Caste	Middle Caste	Highest Caste
Avugal Fairy Light Odu Priok Tozuruck	Enoziod Halkuuja Phyrean Vaulishar Xira	Daemon God Dragon Koraus Shifaaga

Avugal - Hellflame
Avugals are small daemons little better than demis.  They have minimal intellect and are hard to control.  To those with daemon sight, they look like small flames.  They are easily controlled by those who have the gift, people known as hellflame controllers.  These small daemons, known to common people as hellflames, have the power to ignite things but almost never do with provocation.  Hellflame controllers, using their arcane words, are able to provoke and control them.

Daemon God
The daemon gods are known by no other name, for each one is unique.  It is through unexplained occurrences that create daemon gods, for they appear just like other daemons.  Some come from deceased Tephrans, others just appear, and others are the offspring of a split daemon.  Regardless, daemon gods have immense power, have full intellectual prowess, and can switch between their corporeal and incorporeal forms at will.  They are worshiped in many societies, but their motivations are each unique to themselves.

Dragon
Dragons, too, are known by their daemon name.  Dragons have long been of the upper caste of daemons, and, during the Magi Rebellion, were taught to switch between corporeal and incorporeal at will.  They are long and serpentine, often with frills and of various colors.  They are all very different, with various levels of intellect and powers.  They can fly through the air and swim through the seas as though they were the same.  

Enoziod - Banshee
Enoziods are sound daemons, ones that appear like most middle caste daemons - as large demis - and cannot become corporeal.  They can, however, be heard.  They make terrible sounds, often like shrieks.  Some enoziods learn to use their voices in other ways, some exceedingly intelligent ones even manipulate Tephrans.  Others use their voices in destructive or charming ways.  Most, however, never become so intelligent.  The enoziods are easily at the bottom of the middle caste.

Fairy
Fairies are small, colorful daemons that occasionally blink between incorporeal and corporeal.  They are mischievous and playful, and change shapes easily.  They can switch between body types and colors.  In all, fairies are highly dynamic but typically not very intelligent.

Halkuuja
The halkuuja are daemons with the power to possess Tephrans.  They look like large demis.  Their intelligence varies, but is typically of Tephran levels.  They have a hard time possessing people for long, and the conscious of the Tephran always wins out in the end and kicks the halkuuja out.  Halkuujas, when they possess elves, create the farishtaas.

Koraus - Guardian Daemon
The korauses are just short of daemon gods in power and are often likened to angels, though their appearance varies greatly.  They are often intelligent and powerful.  Most korauses are the result of a deceased Tephran who was very attached to another person.  These guardian daemons choose a Tephran and bind themselves to them, protecting them no matter what.  Almost all korauses can switch between their corporeal and incorporeal forms.  

Light - Will-o'-Wisp
Lights are anti-daemons; daemons cannot approach them and Tephrans find that they burn when touched.  Only elves can touch them without being harmed, and elves that have rebelled from the farishtaa often capture and keep these rare daemons.  Lights look like small glowing orbs and they can always been seen without daemon sight.  They are only as intelligent as animals.

Odu - Spirit
Odus are daemons that can possess objects.  They almost always have a preferred type of object they possess (such as iron, bronze, ceramic, et cetera).  They are of animal intellect and rarely do anything beyond rest inside their chosen object.

Phyrean - Daemon Tree
These daemons have adapted and truly become a part of Tephra.  They look like dead trees; dead, because they do not have the life-force to create leaves and look truly alive.  They
are intelligent but are rooted to one spot, though they can slowly move their branches.  Phyreans, though Tephrans are often frightened by them, are rarely malicious.  Any Tephran that touches a phyrean gains daemon sight, and some take a piece of bark from a phyrean in order to be able to see daemons.

Priok - Dream Daemon
Prioks are daemons that are, effectively, weaker halkuujas.  They can possess Tephrans, but only when they are asleep.  Prioks cause unusual dreams, and some prioks cause nightmares.  Otherwise, these daemons are typically harmless.

Shifaaga - Doppleganger
Shifaagas are intelligent daemons that can switch between their corporeal and incorporeal state at will.  They are also shape-shifters and easily take the guise of Tephrans.  Many Tephrans fear them, but each shifaaga has a different motivation.  Most just enjoy being part of Tephran society.  Shifaaga live several centuries and often take on many guises.

Tozuruck - Locust or Plague Daemon
Tozurucks are small daemons and are typically regarded as the vilest daemons, both by Tephrans and daemons.  They multiple by sucking on Tephran energies, and each one sucks on different energies.  These daemons cause ailments to those they reside in, and then spread their offspring to those who come in contact with them.  Not all plagues on Tephra are caused by these daemons, but many are.

Vaulishar - Ghost
Vaulishars are middle caste daemons with the power to interact with corporeal objects while still being unseen.  These are the most common of the middle caste.  They often appear as large demis, puffs of dark smoke, but with vague limbs.  Vaulishars have varying degrees of intellect, anywhere from animals to Tephran.

Xira - Smoke
Xiras are small daemons, often fairly intelligent, that can only be seen through smoke.  Smoke attracts them and they feed on it, but they can also possess smoke so that people see faces in the smoke.  Simply called smokes, xiras are typically gentle daemons that just want to interact with Tephrans.

Geting a distinct hindi feel in this, perhaps becasue of the caste-terminology, and by the organizatios of the daemons themswlves. The tendency towrds inhabitations of other creatures speaks to this as well.
 Further, with this groundwork, I can eaily see a mythic framework on the way...

Superb -- Hindi influence is exactly what I'm going for.

"They are the only race with this ability. If an elf is resurrected, it becomes a daemon elf and begins to transform into something that looks like a darker farishtaa. Once an elf has an essence, it must henceforth always been resurrected and cannot be revived."

So are they still going to be considered lower beings to the Farishtaas?? Do their boils and such dissapear??

Once their resurrected again do they lose their memories like the other races since they can't be revived again??? I'm guessing so...but I think it's weird that they can be revived only once...


It would be cool if the Koraus could be assigned to a person by a higher daemon at time and not just choose on their own all the time.

Hurray for the Farishtaa info you wrote up btw ^_^

[blockquote=The Mad Hatter]"They are the only race with this ability. If an elf is resurrected, it becomes a daemon elf and begins to transform into something that looks like a darker farishtaa. Once an elf has an essence, it must henceforth always been resurrected and cannot be revived."

So are they still going to be considered lower beings to the Farishtaas?? Do their boils and such dissapear??

Once their resurrected again do they lose their memories like the other races since they can't be revived again??? I'm guessing so...but I think it's weird that they can be revived only once...[/blockquote]

Hey Face,

Sorry I didn't make it more clear.  Elves can be revived basically an indefinite amount of time.  They are going to have a lot of penalties compared to other races, and this will be one bonus they have.  But resurrection (not revival) is a creation spell and creates an essence.  Revival has nothing to do with the essence; it's a flux spell.  It just heals their body and kick-starts them.  Resurrection creates a new essence.  If an elf is given an essence, they become a farishtaa.  If an elf is given an essence all to itself, it will keep its memories from the revival.  It will not keep its memories if it is resurrected after being given an essence.

Does that make sense?

so someone could revive the elf and than "resurrected" it will keep its memories before the revival right? Since it was given it's "own essence."

so it could still remember than? Could a elf commit suicide so it could get it's own essence? slightly confusing to me :/

No, see...

Revival and Resurrection are two different spells.  

If an elf is revived it goes about its life like it used to.  It is brought back with the Revival spell.  Only an elf can be revived.

If an elf is resurrected, it gains an essence and all the problems and benefits that go along with gaining an essence.

Want to just make it simply and say that elves can't get an essence, they can only be possessed?  That'd make it simpler.

hmmm i dunno. Because if they elves can get an essence all of their own someone can just kidnap elves and make a army of resurrected ones. Or the elves canjust go off on their own once they find out about resurrections, ya know?  It's an interesting idea but maybe making elf resurection harder than the other races?

Resurrection's already a 9th level spell that is a bitch to cast.  There will never be armies of resurrected anything; it's impossible.  The casting cost alone is a couple thousand, plus the material components (which in D&D are, what, 15,000?).  Those numbers will change for our world, but I don't see them going down.  It would be possible for an elf or two to become resurrected and be angelic elves, but who's going to resurrect an elf?  Not anybody I know of.

alrighty than, thats cleared up :D.

so yea

resurection over all= no previous memories si? elf or not

a army of resurrected elves would be awesome....and who says you can't just steal the stuff??? :3 bwahahaha

Farishtaas and Elves: Birth

When Elves give birth their children don't come out looking like their elven parents. Elven children look like baby Farishtaas at first but eventually shed into what their parents look like in a couple of years.

Farishtaa children are the same. They are born looking like normal Farishtaas but eventually end up looking like the elves. But everr once in a while (rarely) two Farishtaas will give birth to a full Farishtaa baby (rarely).

Defining'¦
Magic

In D&D, there are many routes in magic.  You may cast magic through the divine channel, bardic magic, sorcery or wizardry, druidic magic, psionic magic, or through numerous other ways.  'Magic' is an umbrella term for arcane, divine, and psionic magic.  You may gain access to magic through prayer, contemplation, reading, or just natural talent.  But when any of them get to the field of battle and the actual casting of the spells, they all look exactly alike.

The magic on Tephra is the opposite.  There are four disciplines of magic: creation, flux, mind, and summoning.  All of them are learned by magi.  All of them are magic (and just magic).  But each one requires different tools to evoke it.

The chart that follows is the basic spell per day progression for the mage class.  For each slot, you will notice two numbers.  The first number represents the amount of spells that the mage can cast per day from their primary discipline, their forte.  The second number is the amount of spells they can cast per day from their secondary discipline, their foible.  Mages are only allowed access to two of the four disciplines.

[th][/th][th]0[/th][th]1[/th][th]2[/th][th]3[/th][th]4[/th][th]5[/th][th]6[/th][th]7[/th][th]8[/th][th]9[/th]

1	3+1	2+1	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"
2	3+1	3+1	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"
3	3+1	3+1	1+1	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"
4	3+2	3+2	2+1	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"
5	3+2	3+2	2+1	1+1	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"
6	3+2	4+2	3+1	2+1	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"
7	4+2	4+2	3+1	2+1	1+1	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"
8	4+2	4+3	3+2	3+1	2+1	'"	'"	'"	'"	'"
9	4+2	4+3	3+2	3+1	2+1	1+1	'"	'"	'"	'"
10	4+3	4+2	4+2	3+2	3+1	2+1	'"	'"	'"	'"
11	4+3	4+3	4+2	3+2	3+1	2+1	1+1	'"	'"	'"
12	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+2	3+2	3+1	2+1	'"	'"	'"
13	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+2	3+2	3+1	2+1	1+1	'"	'"
14	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+2	3+2	3+1	2+1	'"	'"
15	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+2	3+2	3+1	2+1	1+1	'"
16	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+2	3+2	3+1	2+1	'"
17	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+2	3+2	3+1	2+1	1+1
18	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+2	3+2	3+1	2+1
19	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+2	3+2	3+1	2+1
20	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+3	4+2	3+2	3+1

Just a quick note-

In Tephra, there is no such thing as anti-magic.  You cannot nullify the magic in an area.  That's illogical.  You can alter it on occassion, but you cannot get rid of it.  If it was possible, Aeon would have nullified magic rather than altering it during the Magi Rebellion.

In D&D, dealing with magical forces is very difficult.  It typically seems like the only way to keep a powerful mage from teleporting in, killing the emperor, and teleporting out is a huge anti-magic field or some sort of anti-teleportation area or something of that sort.  There are very few defensive spells in D&D with the exception of simple walls, and those don't often keep out spellcasters.

In Tephra, counterspelling is going to be a staple.  Counterspelling is become a skill (and don't judge that yet, as skills are getting a major work-over), and all spellcasters will have access and probably learn it.  It'll replace many of the effects of spellcraft.  I haven't fully figured out what I'm going to do, but I envision royalty using secret-service style magi and mage-warriors to act as bodyguards.  They'll be able to quickly react to and deflect spells, banish summons, and, at higher levels, intercept incoming teleportations.  This will be one major difference from normal D&D in Tephra.

Magic, continued.
As previously discussed, magic works different in Tephra.  D&D magic is frustrating because most spellcasters prepare and cast the same spells the same way, but each spell is cast differently and can be cast by many different casters.  In Tephra, there are four disciplines, and each discipline is different.  Spells do not overlap; a spell that belongs to one discipline does not belong to another.  And spells are cast in the manner their discipline requires.  Mind magic requires only words, summoning magic requires symbols, and creation magic requires both gestures and words.

Creation
Creation magic is the creation of something out of nothing.  Many magi consider creation magic the ultimate magical expression.  Creation magic, however, can also be highly destructive.  Its spells create things, but the creation of fire or falling rocks or flying swords can destroy just as much as it creates.  Creation magic is the flashiest of all disciplines, though some consider it the least versatile.  Creation magi consider them to be uncreative.  A creation mage in battle, though, makes for a truly frightening opponent.

Casting: The creation discipline requires extravagant movements and words to create the desired effects.  

Spell Preparation: Creation magic requires the mage to begin casting the spell and then, on the verge of the spell being completed, to store it within their mind.  This process is both physically and mentally exhausting.

Flux
Flux magic is the magic of change and alteration.  Flux magic is used to change how things work, how things feel, increase or decrease things in size, and many other uses.  Flux magic is also used to heal people and mend items.  It can be used for instantaneous travel and flight.  Some consider it the most versatile magic, but it is not a destructive type.  Flux magi are handy to keep about.

Casting: The flux discipline requires the most out of its casters, requiring the magi to use hand gestures (though not to the extent of creation magic), words, and components for the flux magi to concentrate on.  Many flux magi keep specifically crafted gems, often set atop a staff, that they can peer through and use flux magic without the need of somatic or material components, though magic words are always necessary for flux magic.

Spell Preparation: Flux magic requires no preparation.

Mind
Mind magic is one that influences the mind of the caster and those he chooses.  Mind magic is often used to charm people and change their attitudes, other times to make them see what is not there, to feel what cannot be felt.  Some magic of the mind can enhance perception, let the mage see further than they should, see what they should not be able, hear what otherwise would remain silent.  Mind magi consider their discipline the strongest, but others consider it manipulative.

Casting: All mind magic requires just words to cast, but often requires extensive concentration.  No mind magic requires anything beyond words, and the words required range anywhere from a whisper to a roar.  Mind magi memorize only the weakest of their spells, and need to read from spellbooks for their most powerful spells.

Spell Preparation: Mind magi read through their spellbook everyday to commit their simpler spells to memory, but the more powerful of their spells '" the ones that require the reading of the spellbook at the time of the casting '" do not need to be prepared.  Most preparation time for a mind mage comes from the creation of their spellbook.

Summoning
Summoning magic is magic that deals directly with daemons, using them and their powers.  Summoning is the most versatile of magic, for it can tap into all abilities that daemons have.  Summoning magic is received in different ways everywhere, depending on how they view daemons and their usage.  These magi use daemons to shield them, harm others, or as tools for a variety of purposes.

Casting: Most summoning magic requires runes and symbols to activate.  It is these symbols that summon and control the daemons.  A few summons require words to control them, but this is not common.  Most summoning magi carry pre-drawn symbols with them which they use to cast their spells.  They can create the symbols on the fly, but this takes longer.  Some summoners have books or scrolls with the symbols drawn in them, but the symbols burn away the pages when cast.

Spell Preparation: Summoning magi prepare the symbols to cast their spells ahead of time, though this is not necessary (not doing so makes the active casting time longer).