The Campaign Builder's Guild

Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowHmm, if a demon appears rat-like it also seems to make sense that rats are somehow material children or manifestations of his otherworldly presence. Or do they take shapes based on human conceptions? That is, does he look like a rat because humans associate rats with plague and contagion and he is a divine or symbolical entity representing those two concepts?

It would be have to do with human conception, somewhat.  I am thinking this thru as I type.  The demonkind, like the gods, are...I am going to take a smoke break, and think this thru.  Be right back...The gods often take the form that their worshippers hold firm to in order to promote fidelity and consistency in their religion.  Demonkind doesn't work the same.  They choose their form, but like everything in Argul it comes out twisted.  The form of the rat was chosen for a purpose.  Humans have a natural, or learned, aversion to rats, and most people fear them.  The form is used for that purpose.  Hecha, the Ratherder, is a demonic Vassal so it could reasonably be summoned to the real world.  

So, demons forms are chosen and serve a purpose. Thus, the rat demon of contagion.  In reality I made the connection between the plague and rats, but that's a good an explanation as any, I suppose.

Conincidentally, I have chosen to keep the Hecha description for Contagion with a two minor changes.  It wears robes and not a cloak, and one of the two heads is dead.

I have been working on a family tree.  It's a work in progress, but it should give you an idea of where I'm headed with all of this.

EDIT:  The Demonic Minions section should be called Demonic Citizenry.  I know it's a crappy name, but I am working on it.  The Demonic Minions line of information at the bottom is the actual Demonic Minions.


File: 1238367547_539_FT65412_argulite_family_tree.zip

Can demons pick their own shape then? Could they change it from summoning to summoning?

Perhaps being innately immaterial, they do as Crow says, but just prefer certain shapes?  "Usually takes the shape of X but is also depicted as Y and Z occassionally."  You see that sort of thing with a lot in archaeology.

Could the form of a summoned demon be based on the nightmares/fears of the summoner, even if the summoner is actually unaware of this?

Quote from: GhostmanCould the form of a summoned demon be based on the nightmares/fears of the summoner, even if the summoner is actually unaware of this?

Sort of like the emohawk in Red Dwarf?

Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowCan demons pick their own shape then? Could they change it from summoning to summoning?

Argulite demons are what they are.  Their primary forms do not change.  That being said, most demons have the ability to alter their form.  There are demons walking the earth.  Some appear human and hold positions of power, and some appear in a bestial form and haunt particular locations or roam the land.  

After the fall of the Lusharite Empire the Nedarians and their demonic lords and minions were hunted.  Most of them fled to the remote island of Chi Darra as best they could.  Some infiltrated other societies, and a few hid themselves in out the way places.
Those demons that infiltrated other societies took on human forms.  Some of them have been in place for years.

Most demons can alter their forms, with the exception of the beasts and minions, and often do when it serves their purposes.  Demons are more likely to do this when they are loose upon the world.  Demonologists, in general, are not too surprised by how demons appear.  It's what they don't see that a Demonologist should fear.

It is possible that rumors of demons would have any one of them represented by a myirad of forms.  However, not many people see a demon and survive, and those that do see them often generally aren't very forthcoming with that information.  Certainly not on the level required to turn it into public knowledge.  General speculation would, more than likely, depict demons in several forms, but they could be representations of several nameless demons or pure speculation.

So they have a standard shape but can change their apparent shape at will?
Is this effect a direct molding/shaping of their flesh or is it an illusionary/mental effect?

Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowSo they have a standard shape but can change their apparent shape at will?
Is this effect a direct molding/shaping of their flesh or is it an illusionary/mental effect?

It goes much deeper than illusion.  They actually alter their shape, and they can hold it for a very long time, on earth.  They can even go so far as to duplicate, identically, an individual.  They have other means of manipulating humanity in the form of possession and when they are bound into demonic items and assume control of the bearer.  Exposing themselves, even in another form, would either be a last resort or part of a major undertaking.
They always mainatain their primary form while in Argul.  See Hecha above.  They may also assume their natural forms while on earth, but not necessarily.