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→Goat Men ''(Aries Vehemens)''
Like most of Baal’s spawn, the bestial Aries are incredibly strong and agile. Be especially wary of their archers, for they are renowned for the accuracy and power of their great bows. Fleet of foot, they may try to evade an unwary foe and then attack from a different angle.
====Spitting Terrors ''(Bestia Acerbus)''====
After an especially violent battle, Baal enjoyed celebrating with his Brothers by holding a disgusting feast of blood, human flesh, and other Hellish delights. The Bestia Acerbus are the descendants of doglike creatures that lived by feeding upon the remains of Baal’s nightmarish feasts. The variety of vile substances that the creatures consumed, along with their close proximity to the Lord of Destruction, twisted and warped the viscera of these Hounds of Hell. This diabolic species is capable of spitting up a variety of caustic fluids and projecting them a considerable distance. Packs of these terrors are especially devastating, as their bile has been known to eat through the strongest of armor and poison the most hearty men.
Great care must be taken when within the lair of these Bestia. Their venom retains its potency for a considerable amount of time and puddles of it may be found everywhere. When killed, the beast’s inner toxins eat through the now-dead flesh, leaving a dangerous trap for those foolish enough to tread upon the corpse.
====Horned Demons ''(Impetum Cornuta)''====
<p style="text-align: right;">(Page 56)</p>
{|align="right"
|<center>“Strange and strident. It<br>
shrilled terror to the ears that<br>
heard it through the hall’s side<br>
wall, the grisly plaint of God’s<br>
enemy, his song of ill success, the<br>
sobs of the damned one<br>
bewailing his pain.”</center>
<p style="text-align: right;">-Beowulf</p>
|}Used as living siege engines, there are numerous accounts of these juggernauts smashing into the lines of the Seraphim and leaving only death and ruin in their wake. The skull and the single large horn in the snout of the demon are unnaturally durable. The Horned Demons prefer to wait until a clear path is available and then they charge towards their victims at incredible speeds. Be wary of this initial charge! It is far better to deal with these creatures in close quarters or with magic.
===Diablo, Lord of Terror ''(Metus)''===
Using illusion and fear as their greatest weapons, the attendants to Diablo are formidable adversaries. They prefer to wait for their opponent to display a moment of weakness before they attack. Equally dangerous in the dark or in your dreams, they are the fears of man made flesh by Diablo’s will. These nightmares lurk at the edges of mortal perception from the moment that you take your first breath - and they long to be with you when your take your last.
====Winged Fiends ''(Alae Nefastus)''====
<p style="text-align: right;">(Page 57)</p>
Some people are so hungry for power and knowledge that they are willing to sacrifice their humanity to the Lords of Hell in exchange for gifts that inevitably turn against them. One such group, a dark cabal of wizards, decided to take the power of creation into their own hands and magically created a race of creatures to act as servants and messengers. Using infernal abilities granted to them through their arcane pact, they formed small bat-winged imps that they believed would prove useful in carrying out deeds that were too trivial for their own efforts. Each of the sorcerers created an entity that reflected his magical specialization. The creatures thus created were small, nimble
and possessed an unnatural cunning.
At first the corrupt sorcerers were overjoyed at the success of their experiment, but they soon began to notice that the Alae did not serve them as loyally as they had hoped. The creatures had taken to secretly feeding from the very essence of their masters, weakening them and eventually killing them. The sorcerers tried to destroy their creations, but the fiends banded together to combat them. The Winged Fiends had been secretly breeding outside of the sorcerer’s domains, and swarms of them attacked, killing their former masters. To this day, the descendants of these creations terrorize the countryside.
Do not underestimate these foul demons. They are physically weak, but posses great speed. Many of them possess unearthly abilities reflecting the powers of their creators and they also enjoy using their razor sharp claws and hooked wings to tear the flesh from the faces of their victims.
====Scavengers ''(Maleficus Vorax)''====
Maleficus Vorax are the smallest of a related group of demonic creatures that feed upon carrion, mostly the remains of victims killed by their larger cousins. Unlike most scavengers, however, they are extremely aggressive and will not hesitate to attack anyone hapless enough to encounter them. They have powerful legs which they use for swift springing attacks, striking at vulnerable faces and throats. Their primary weakness is their voracious appetite; the smell of death may drive them into a feeding frenzy where they will stop their attacks to feast upon remains that are nearby.
====The Hidden ''(Metus Occultus)''====
<p style="text-align: right;">(Page 57)</p>
The Hidden are the bogeymen that haunt our dreams and live in the nightmares of children. Although they dwell at the edge of the Physical and Ethereal Realms where they remain unseen by mortal sight, they can quickly manifest and strike those that appear vulnerable. Metus Occultus and others of their ilk feed on the essence of fear. When wounded, they will seek to retreat back into the Ether to heal themselves. It is important to note that even while invisible the creature exists partially on the Physical Realm, and can be affected by spells and weapons.
====Gargoyle ''(Signum Vitiosum)''====
In ages past, it was customary to decorate buildings with stone statues of demons that were enchanted to serve as guardians and protectors of those within. The misshapen figures of the statues were designed to taunt and anger any demons that attempted to gain entrance. Diablo worked to unlock the wards that protected these granite images, and eventually was able to gift them with a Hadean life. The Gargoyles arose from their captive sleep and swooped down to prey upon those whom they were created to protect. Naturally, the remaining statues were immediately destroyed, but there are Signum that escaped and continue to terrorize the innocent to this day.
The act of transforming from flesh to stone allows the creature to heal any wounds that it has suffered, so it is best to either avoid these demons entirely or to hunt them down until they are dead. Do not allow them to flee, for they will soon return in full force.
==Librarius Ex Horadrim - Book One==
<p style="text-align: right;">(Page 61)</p>
===Of Heaven And Hell===
====THE GREAT CONFLICT====
Since the Beginning, the forces of Light and Darkness have engaged in an eternal war: The Great Conflict, whose victor will rise from the apocalyptic ashes to hold sway over all creation. To this end, the Angels of the High Heavens adhere to strict militaristic disciplines. Seraphim warriors strike at the enemies of Light with swords imbued with righteous wrath and justice. The Angels believe that only absolute discipline can properly restore order to the myriad realms, while the demonic denizens of the Burning Hells hold that absolute chaos is the true nature of all things.
The battles of the Great Conflict rage across both time and space, often infringing upon the very fabric of reality itself. From the Crystal Arch at the very heart of the High Heavens to the arcane Hellforge of the Underworld, the
warriors of these eternal realms journey to wherever their timeless conflict carries them. The legendary deeds of the heroes of the realms beyond elicit both veneration and insight.
The greatest of these heroes was Izual, lieutenant to the Arch-Angel Tyrael and bearer of the Angelic Runeblade Azurewrath. He once led a fierce attack upon the Hellforge as the creation of the dark demonblade Shadowfang was nearing completion. His quest was to destroy both wielder and weapon - a charge that he was destined never to complete. Izual was overcome by the legions of chaos and, tragically, was lost to the Darkness. His fate stands as
testament to the fact that Angels and Demons alike shall fearlessly enter into any domain - so long as their hated enemies dwell within.
<p style="text-align: right;">(Page 62)</p>
Although the Great Conflict burned hotter and longer than any of the stars in the sky, neither side could gain dominion over the other for long. Both factions sought some way to turn the tides of the war to their favor. With the
ascension of Man and his mortal realm, the Great Conflict ground to a mysterious halt. Both armies paused in a breathless stalemate, waiting to see to whose side Man would eventually turn.
Mortals had the unique ability to choose between Darkness and Light, and it was held that this would be the deciding factor in the outcome of the Great Conflict. Thus, the agents of the nether-realms descended to the mortal realm to vie for the favor of Man…
====THE SIN WAR====
The coming of the Great Conflict to the mortal realm is known as the Sin War. Angels and Demons, disguising themselves while traveling amongst men, attempted to secretly lure mortals to their respective causes. Over time, the forces of Darkness discovered that mortals responded much more to brute force than to subtle coercion, and so began to terrorize Man into submission. The Angels fought to defend humanity against this demonic oppression, but all too often their austere methods and severe punishments succeeded only in alienating those whom they sought to protect.
The violent battles of the Sin War occurred often, but they were seldom witnessed by the prying eyes of Man. Only a few “enlightened” souls were aware of the supernatural beings that walked amongst the huddled masses of humanity. Powerful mortals arose and accepted the challenge of the Sin War, allying themselves with both sides in the Great Conflict. The legendary deeds of these great mortal warriors served to earn both the respect and hatred of the netherworlds.
Although lesser demons kneeled before those possessing power and
strength, they also cursed the very existence of mortal man. Many of these
fiends believed that the deadlock brought about by the emergence of Man was
a perverse offense to their “higher” role in the great scheme of things.
This jealousy of Man led to harsh, atrocious acts of violence by the demons
against the mortal realm. Some men learned of this deep hatred and used it
against the denizens of the Underworld. One such mortal, Horazon the
Summoner, delighted in summoning demons and then breaking them to his
will. Horazon, along with his brother Bartuc ,were members of the Eastern mageclan
known as the Vizjerei. This mystic clan studied the ways of demons and
had catalogued their lore for generations. Empowered by this knowledge,
Horazon was able to take the work of the Vizjerei and pervert it for his demented
purposes. The denizens of Hell sought revenge against this bold mortal, but
Horazon managed to keep himself well protected within his arcane sanctuary.
==The Great Conflict==
