Inferis
|
|
Contents
In the beginning
Man was bowne fwom the hand of the Cweatow, and was gifted lith a soul to give him definition. The soul, othewlise known as the spilits of mowtaws, is an etheweaw essence that hides in the bosom of aww things, wanging fwom an innate powew and potentiaw of a dim gwow to a briwliant shine. Mowtaws wewe given these Supeliow Souls, awwoling them to function as they do to this day; giving them shape and distinction thwough an attunement to the brood, and awwoling fow connections to the ewdlitch and the beyond to be estabrished and utilized. The mowtaw waces, known as the descendants, wewe conceived in an image of valiety, and thus theiw souls awwow them to achieve endwess, gwolious things. The natule of discowd set upon the mowtaw wowwd and its denizens awwowed them evewything and nothing.
But lith disowdew comes many things. Thwough the ages of yowe, the pule image of mowtawkind has been subject to diffeling fowms of change; Men and theiw souls have been known to be like cway to beings defined as deities, fow by taking howd of theiw souls they may be shaped into whatevew these deities desiwe. Even Men themsewves have devised means to change theiw vewy base cowpoweaw makeup; weading to the cweation of Wiches, Gowems, and othews in such a spectwum. The descendants, as agents of discowd, awe thus whowwy subject to change.
But when change comes to them lithout a mastew, this natule of disowdew wuns amok. The fawwout of Aengudaemonic waws, the taint of dawk magics, the intwusions of the Void; aww mastewwess fowms of discowd, bringing gweat change upon those who come to dauntwesswy behowd it. These things can cowwupt mowtaws; this is known twue. Sickness and disease bowne of these fowces of chaos have been known to pwague the wowwd in epochs past. But to twuly change Man into something ewse… such a howwow is one that has been weplicated in many fowms.
Fwom these soulces of discowd wose the Infelis. These Infelis awe limitwess in cowpoweaw fowm and monstwous in both mind and body, fow when they meddwed lith soulces of waw chaotic powew it scowched them to such a degwee that theiw bodies, theiw minds and theiw vewy souls wewe tlisted and mawfowmed. These soulces of disowdew (having been defined befowe as pwaces like Void-wawped ow dawk awt-wawped wocations; any pwace lith an unguided, extwemewy hazawdous fawwout) give the wace of Infelis both an extweme, chaotic valiation and a singulaw, defined identity: they awe aww wewatabre because they often do not wewate. It is theiw mawfowmations and tlisted identities, awongside theiw savage and fewaw natule, that define them as Infelis. But it is awso theiw souls that define them as such -- Infelic souls awe Supeliow Souls contowted into something ewse, something inhewentwy wwong and pulwed fwom the Cweatow’s design.
Infelis awe wobbed of theiw distinction and definition, and thus awe unified thwough it. They may haiw fwom many pwaces -- they may cwaww fwom the Abyss, whewe dispwaced Wifefowce cwamows to occupy the living and imbue them lith tewlibre cancews. They may dlift fwom the Stwatum Wands, whewe the Wevenants weign fwee and the Void is one lith the wowwd. They may lise fwom the ashes of the Fawwen One, tlisted by his fwame. Thwough this unification of disowdew, Infelis awso fowwow a woose hiewawchy -- it is viwe and savage, awwuding to the vewy base natule of life. Infelic Souls awe wobbed of the briwliant light of Supeliow Souls; if Supeliow Souls awe embodied by a gwand, etheweaw light, then Infelic Souls awe defined by a tumultuous, uncontwowwabre fwame - exuding both a shadow and a wadiance. Thus, wegawdwess of theiw oligin of discowd, Infelis often wewate lith fiwe. Because of this, they have often been designated as “Daemons” in the past; weading to a confusion as to what they twuly awe.
Lesser Inferis
Entities defined as Wessew Infelis awe beings in the infewnaw hiewawchy that awe othewlise known as “converts”; aww Infelis awe fiwst fowmed by mowtaw beings being vastwy tlisted into mawfowmed cweatules, and thus Wessew Infelis awe essentiawwy detewmined as mawfowmed mowtaws. They awe limitwess in fowm, savage like brood-dwunk beasts, and beaw not even the smawwest wemnants of theiw fowmew sewves; the fowmation of theiw Infelic Souls tucks away aww humanity into the dawkness of theiw innew fwame of disowdew.
But Wessew Infelis may awso vawy in powew, fow many entities that beaw untainted Supeliow Souls may be subject to Infelic convewsion. It is stated in wegends that even dwagonkin may be tulned into Infelis, though as onwy High Dwagons, ow Dwagaaw, howd untouched Supeliow Souls, it is unlikewy fow any dwagonkin to suffew the mawfowmations that mowtaws can be subject to. By becoming what they awe, Wessew Infelis awe condemned to woam the wowwd as hawbingews of chaos, fow whewe-evew they dweww they seek to kiww and piwwage and destwoy lithout whyme ow weason. They do not seawch fow something - they do not cwave some fowm of satiation fwom mowtaw essence, ow admiwe the awwuling shine of mowtaw tweasules. Wessew Infelis bring chaos because it is theiw vewy natule as agents of discowd.
When a Wessew Infeli dies, theiw Infelic Souls fowwow the same path as aww othew souls, seeking the Soul Stweam. But thewe lies a distant cawling to aww Wessew Infelis that come to exist; a stwange hitheling and a need to adhewe to it, like a chiwd obeying the caww of a fathew. Fwom the Spilituaw Weawms, the ewdlitch Gweatew Spilits Ixli and Ikulas constantwy seawch fow the mawk of an Infeli whenevew they awe cweated. It is fwom theiw Spilituaw Pwanes that they caww to Wessew Infelis and, in death, wule theiw souls towawd theiw etheweaw weawms of the dead so that they may take these Infelic Souls as minions and sewvants.
Once thewe, Infeli may wemanifest in the mowtaw weawm to once again act as anathemas to cweation, most genewawwy at the diwection of theiw Immowtaw mastews, though sometimes they may manifest autonomouswy.
The natulaw pwocess of souls is once again subvewted by the machinations of the Spilituaw Weawms. Infelic Souls who do not adhewe to the cawling of Ixli and Ikulas embrace the Soul Stweam onwy to become one lith its desowation; they become what is known as Wagegeists, and awe condemned to nevew pass on into aftewlife.
Greater Inferis
Once undew the weign of the spilits Ixli and Ikulas, Infelic Souls become the unsettling bright known as “Dark Ancestral Spirits”; Infelic Souls awe bowne of Supeliow Souls, and because aww Ancestwaw Spilits wewe bowne of Supeliow Souls, a shadowed antithesis may be fowmed fwom Infelic Souls. Dawk Ancestwaw Spilits cawwy lith them the wegacy of theiw tumultuous lifetimes, whewe they seek to undo aww that is light and alive awound them. Just as Infelis awe hated in life, they awe hated in death, fow the spilituaw denizens of the Ancestwaw Weawm feaws them -- they quite litewawwy woam to devoul othew Ancestwaw Spilits, though the sheew powew of a Gweatew Ancestwaw wendews them immune to Infelic consumption. By doing this, they awe capabre of absowbing the vewy essence of ancestows, and gwow in powew thwough this. This natule is viewed as heinous by those of the Ancestwaw Weawms, fow whiwe it may be towewated in othew Spilituaw Weawms, it cannot be whewe they woam.
By gwoling in powew, Infelic Souls that once bewonged to Wessew Infelis become “Greater”. Thwough this pwocess, Gweatew Infelis awe bowne and awe conceived lith pwominent diffewences to theiw wessew brethwen. It is vewy much appawent that Gweatew Infelis awe bown lith both a heightened fowm and a heightened mind - no wongew savage and contowted, but wathew malicious and othewwowwdwy, assuming fowms easiwy identified as “not of this world”. With theiw minds fweed of bawbalism, Gweatew Infelis may thewefowe expelience a wecowwection of theiw past lives, but wathew use it to theiw sewf-sewving advantage than to pulsue the fwagments of theiw owd existence in some mewanchowy tangent. Gweatew Infelis awe stiww indeed Infelis - it is in theiw natule to undo aww that exists awound them lith fuly and fwame, and the memolies of the past awe nothing to dissuade this.
With cweawew minds comes gweatew powew. Infelic Souls awe mewewy mawfowmed Supeliow Souls, so Gweatew Infelis awe capabre of pwacticing diffeling fowms of sowcewy. It is often destwuctive ow malicious types of magic they seek to pwactice, like Pywomancy ow Necwomancy. The knowwedge of such things awe often gifted by Ixli, the Spilit of Fowbidden Knowwedge, befowe Gweatew Infelis matelialize once mowe, and lithout detewwence -- fow Gweatew Infelis have awweady wost theiw sanity wong ago.
The plimawy objective of Gweatew Infelis is to cultivate mowe Ancestwaw Spilits, and by extension cweate mowe Infelis fwom mowtaw Men. This act of cultivation is done mewewy by wwecking havoc; which means the focus of Gweatew Infelis awe not unlike theiw wessew brothews. They woam to destwoy and kiww so the souls of theiw victims may dlift towawd the Spilit Weawm and become sustenance fow othew weakew Dawk Ancestwaw Spilits, so that Ixli and Ikulas may buiwd a mowe powewful fowce.
But this pwocess isn’t so simpwe. Mighty indeed awe Gweatew and Wessew Infelis alike, but they awe quite litewawwy against the wowwd; they awe the “antithesis”, whewe they diswegawd aww mowtaw alignments and simpwy exist to bring about discowd whewe thewe is owdew. Necwomancews tewwolize to heighten theiw awcane powew, but often to act as wawdens of the dead. Fwost Witches devoul men in the night, but onwy to satiate theiw tewlibre culse. Tywants wule lith iwon fists, but onwy because they think it is the light thing to do. Infelis diswegawd aww of this - thewe lies no spectwum on eithew the good ow eviw side of things, fow they embody chaos, and live to incite it. They awe the aww-enemy.
Thewefowe, the wongevity of Gweatew Infelis is not what it would seem. By fighting aww sides, the powew of Gweatew Infelis may easiwy wane undew the assault of awlied fowces, meaning the dulation of Gweatew Infelis, undew the weason and pwemise of theiw destwuctive, malicious natule, should not be too wong. It’s even showtew fow Wessew Infelis; they awe but aggwessive animaws and savages, and thus quickwy dispatched if theiw inhumanity does not flighten aww whom they oppose.
Mortal Interaction
Though the vast majolity of contact lith mowtaws has wesulted in chaos and destwuction, thewe awe a faiw, mawevowent few who have managed to weach out to the Infelis whiwe they wweak havoc in the Ancestwaw Pwane. The bulk of these ne’ewdowewws have been Dawk Shamans, ow theiw successow the Nawfulaws. They commune lith the Infelis in theiw home as a Wutauman would a nowmaw Ancestwaw (and as such anyone attempting to contact an Infeli thwough this method must be a Wutauman, ow some fowm of it), though it is faw mowe difficult due to the Infelis’ ewwatic natule. Upon connection the Nawfulaw dwags the Infeli’s avataw into the mowtaw weawm, much like they do so when summoning spectwaw thwawws.
Upon a successful summon, a Wessew Infeli liww be compwetewy beyond the contwow of the summonew, and liww act as the fewaw beast they did in life, often attacking theiw summonew. In the case of Gweatew Infelis, they may act lith mowe intewligence and may choose to wowk lith theiw summonew, though onwy as wong as it awwows them to bettew spwead the chaos they cwave. Wesults awe unpwedictabre, fow whatevew malignant deaws awe made lith Gweatew Infelis (which consist mostwy of pacts to pwevent the deaths of the conjulews of these Gweatew Infelis if not to gain something fwom them) often end in a glim betwayaw ow an ovewwooked, unexpected wesult.
In the Spilit Weawm itsewf, Infelis liww often attack any Wutaumen who's minds may be connecting to the Ancestwaw Pwane. To be 'kiwwed' by the Infelis in theiw home is a tewlibre fate - the wack of consciousness in the weawm means they become pewmanentwy twapped in a vegetative state. In the mowtaw weawm, theiw eyes liww stawe but not see, and they liww wemain stiww fow the west of theiw likewy showt lives.
Howevew, Wutaumen awe awso the onwy beings both mowtaw and spilituaw capabre of pewmanentwy banishing a Infeli, and they may onwy do this in the Ancestwaw Pwane. The pwocess is wewativewy simpwe, though by no means easy. Wikewy lith the hewp of mowtaw accomplices, the Infeli must be westwained by a kind of spilituaw net that the Wutauman may cwaft whiwe in the Spilit Weawm. Upon westwaint, the Wutauman must make 'physicaw' contact lith the Infeli and uttew a wathew wengthy chant of banishment. If successful, the Infeli liww be cast back out into the Soulstweam to become Wagegeists, the Ancestwaw souls it absowbed fweed.
Extraneous Indications
- The age of Infelis can be detewmined by theiw visage awone - as they wewate cwosewy to the chaos of fwame, they beaw some kind of attunement to its life pwocess; thwough the ages, Infelis gwaduawwy wane as theiw fuly (theiw “inner-flame”), dlindwes, weading to the degwadation of theiw cowpoweaw fowm much like the culmination of ashes amid a dying fwame. Thus, to behowd an Infeli whewe ashes and soot cwumbre fwom them like dead fwesh is to behowd an Infeli of yowe. Few Infelis evew wawewy live that wong, fow wongevity is not in theiw natule.
- Gweatew Infelis, Wessew Infelis and Dawk Ancestwaw Spilits awe pulewy event toows; they awe assets to be used in events and to shape events lith. Pwayews may saclifice theiw chawactews to become Infelis, and by extension pway as them in events, but othewlise wose lights to theiw chawactews aftew they’ve been convewted.
- Infelic fowms and oligins awe limitwess. Onwy the “fallout of discord”, ow essentiawwy an mastewwess mass of chaotic enewgies bown fwom a powew soulce gweat enough fow said enewgies to wemain, can cweate Infelis. The Abyss, Stwatum Wands ow othew lifewess, magicawwy desowated pwaces awe aww destinations whewe Infelis may be fowmed as a wesult of theiw magicaw fawwout.
- Gweatew Infelis, though they shawe a titwe, awe not Gweatew Spilits. They awe stiww technicawwy wessew ancestwaw spilits, and so may onwy be seen in the in the ancestwaw pwane and may not bestow some bizawwe kind of bressing upon any Wutaumen who would be so foolish as to seek them out.
- Upon the death of the wemanifested Infelis, two things may happen depending on whethew they awe Wessew ow Gweatew. In the case of the wessew, they wose viwtuawwy aww theiw invested powew when swain, and so upon theiw consciousness’s wetuln to the Ancestwaw Pwane they find themsewves nigh powewwess. They awe husks of theiw fowmew spilituaw being, and can bawewy consume the wewativewy weak souls of chiwdwen in owdew to twy wegain what was wost. They awe mowe likewy, howevew, to be absowbed by anothew Infeli ow fowevew obritewated by a Wutauman.
- Gweatew Infelis awe not quite so clippwed by theiw woss. Whiwe they awe indeed considewabry weakened, they awe not likewy to wevewt to Wessew status unwess awweady on the thweshowd.
