Demon



Demons are a race of near-immortal beings who naturally possess magic. They are considered a threat to humans by the Sentinels of Humanity and have been driven into hiding and fighting for their lives ever since the Calamity over 400 years ago.

History
Millennia ago, demons were once spirits of magic with no physical form and could only interact with the world through Contracts with humans. Their influence over the world was subtle and was hardly noticed by the common person. Only humans with a high magic affinity were able to detect the spirits.

One human with an especially high affinity made a contract with the oldest living spirit. That spirit wished only for it and its brethren to have physical form and so the human agreed to help, although the specifics of their contract are unknown. Since then, the spirits died out as they all gained physical bodies and became known as demons. The Origin core was also born from this contract, which in turn created the Demon Monarch. This story has been lost to time over the millennia, with only the Monarch and a scant few other demons, such as Claudius, having any knowledge of it.

Characteristics
Demons are a humanoid race with varying physical features which give away their demonic heritage. The most notable being the color of their eyes and hair, which range across the entire color spectrum unlike humans. The two-toned nature of their hair comes from their magic leaving a physical mark on their body. Aside from these specific traits, a demon is normally indistinguishable from a human. However, every demon has what is referred to as a 'true form', although it's more specifically a secondary form given shape by the demon's personality and magic.

The 'true form' is usually a more monstrous form that a demon can take to make them stronger, both physically and magically. A demon can switch between forms without any physical drawbacks, however the process can take a mental toll from the surge in power. This can lead to demons losing themselves if they transform too often or stay in their secondary form for too long. The safest option is to only let their other form bleed through in small ways, increasing their power by some amount without risking their sanity. The demons of the current era commonly stay this way, leading to the belief among humans that demons have become corrupted since the events of the Calamity.

All demons share a very distinctive feature- the core. A core is a crystalline object located in the chest and is the embodiment of a demon's magical power. It is the reason demons naturally possess magic as it allows them to pull in magical energy from their surrounding and manifest it into the world. It also takes the place of a normal heart, meaning removal or destruction of the core results in instant death. However, damage to the core can be recovered from over time depending on the severity of the injury. Demons can also move their core around inside their body with enough concerted effort, effectively saving their life in a pinch.

Each demon has a unique form of magic, as well as a color specific to their magic which can be seen when they wield it. However, there has been records of families sharing similar magic, both in function and color. Magic can also be naturally similar to one another without any relations, although no one form has ever been the exact same as another. The power of a demon's magic depends mostly on their training, although, as they are naturally born with it, a demon will have naturally strong magic. Even so, it can often come down to how it's used, resulting in rare cases of a Serpent overpowering a demon in a contest of magical ability.

Abilities and Powers

 * Core: All demons possess a core which gives them the ability to wield magic. It pulls in ambient magical energy and manifests it in a form unique to each demon.
 * Magic: Every demon has their own unique magic with a specified color to match. Unlike humans, they are born with their magic and therefore have higher competency when using their magic than a Serpent will.
 * Immortality: From the outside, demons appear ageless and eternally youthful, but they are still able to die of old age. Demons are very long-lived, living for upwards of hundreds and even thousands of years. They also cannot die by conventional means, such as illness, but they can be wounded or killed by magic or the Black Blades wielded by the Sentinels.
 * Regeneration: Demons display incredible regenerative abilities. Older demons are capable of recovering from lost limbs and even fatal wounds, such as an attack to their Core, given enough time. However, young demons can be easily overwhelmed if they're not cautious due to their still-maturing bodies.
 * Inhuman Physical Capabilities: A demon's body surpasses a human's in all aspects, extending even to the senses. The only humans with the capability to keep up with a demon's strength and movements are high-ranking Sentinels and the Commander herself. Inflicting damage on a demon also requires magic or the use of a Black Blade as any other implement is too weak to penetrate their stone-like skin.

Origin
The Origin is a special core carried by the Demon Monarch. It is considered to be the pinnacle of magic and possesses incredible power unmatched by any other. It gained this power over millennia of consuming magic energy, both from its surroundings and its bearers.

To become the Monarch, a Contract is formed with the Origin. In exchange for its power and the title of a God amongst humans and demons, the demon would give up their life to the Origin and let their original core be consumed. This process alters both the body and mind, leaving the Monarch fundamentally different from their previous self in order for them to appropriately unite with the Origin. Once they give up their role, they are absorbed into the Origin as sustenance.

In the aftermath of the Calamity, the Origin was split into two pieces. One half came into the possession of Claudius, who passed it onto his daughter's family. The other half went missing and has yet to resurface.

Hybrid
A hybrid is a child of both demon and human. The offspring are born with the ability to use magic and can mostly pass as human in appearance. Both demons and humans have long considered hybrids beneath them and they have always been shunned by both societies. Such a relationship was merely looked down upon before the Calamity, but it was quickly labeled as taboo and a crime by humans in the following centuries.