THE ORDERS OF DEMONS:

Wara
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Thar

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Chell

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Zor

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Veyr

Kuurat Veyr
A huge undead centipede, constructed from the bones of dozens of men and inhabit
ed by a conjured spirit. It is capable of speech, more intelligent than most hu
mans, and shockingly fast. Its many eyes allow it to see all around itself, and
it can smell human souls so there is no hiding from it. Its bones are magicall
y-strengthened, impervious to fire, and cannot be cut or broken by any normal me
ans. Its skulls are the only vulnerable part, and it can only be killed by dest
roying every one of them (though each skull lost will diminish its abilities sli
ghtly). It fights by lashing out with its spiked tail, or by simply trampling i
ts foes underfoot. It is tremendously strong, and its slightest touch inflicts
crippling pain. The Empress' armies exploit this ability, as well as the aura o
f dread which surrounds the creature, to weaken the enemy and keep them from fig
hting back effectively. The creature can only created or repaired by the Empres
s herself, as there is no other sorcerer powerful enough to wield such magic.
The Kuurat Veyr is able to communicate with other spirits, and as such has acces
s to knowledge not available by normal means, including the ability to predict t
he future.
Liy Wara
Liy Wara are minor spirits, often used as familiars. They typically possess fro
gs or toads, though small snakes are not unknown. They possess human-level inte
lligence, aided by their ability to commune with other spirits, can see outside
the visible range, and are able to communicate telepathically with mortals (typi
cally this requires eye contact, but sorcerers can be reached from miles away).
The Liy Wara, and its host animal, are almost immune to magic, but can be easil
y killed by any physical means. As a result, they will not typically fight unde
r any circumstances.
Zoun
The Zoun is an enormous beast of the Western plains. It somewhat resembles a cr
oss between a bear and a crocodile, but with enormous bat-like wings. It is lar
ge enough to easily pick up a bull and throw it with one hand. It has incredibl
y sensitive hearing, stinks overwhelmingly of dirty water, and can shoot iron-ha
rd quills from its barbed tail. Zoun are thought to be related to dragons. The
y appear to be about as intelligent as humans, though they do not appear to comm
unicate and have no discernable culture. They are almost unstoppable in battle,
thanks to their formidable physical and supernatural abilities. Their gaze can
literally destroy the soul Of any mortal daring to make eye contact while their
very proximity saps the vitality of any creature nearby. Zoun can smell magic,
hate every expression of it, and are entirely immune to all its effects - even
the Empress herself can't cast spells on a Zoun.
Jeyn Wara
Another minor demon, the Jeyn Wara prefers to possess spiders and scorpions. Th
ey have most of the same abilities as the Liy Wara, but are slightly more intell
igent. In addition, they are able to imbue raw natural elements with a semblanc
e of life, creating small, obedient elementals for a short period. Unlike the L
iy Wara, they are not immune to magic, though elemental expressions thereof tend
to have little effect upon them.
Arak Thar
Arak Thar are a slightly more powerful form of spirit, frequently summoned by so
rcerers seeking a fearsome guardian or companion. They inhabit skulls, usually
but not necessarily human, carved all over with intricate sigils and runes. The
y levitate and are constantly aware of everything around them. Arak Thar radiat
e an aura of manifest evil, which they can intensify to such a degree that it be

comes physically harmful. They can speak every language, and if they bite the w
ound will never heal. All of a Arak Thar's supernatural abilities are suppresse
d by direct sunlight.
Arak Zor
The Arak Zor are monstrous skeletal warriors constructed by the Empress of the W
est and her sorcerers. They are typically constructed from the bones of bulls,
horses or ourtiks, rearranged into a humanoid shape. They stand, on average, ei
ght feet tall, but yet move with a grace achieved only by the greatest human swo
rdsmen. They are immensely strong, and their construction makes them resistant
to most weapons, but they can be damaged and killed. Arak Zor typically wield a
claymore with great skill, handling the heavy sword as though it were a sabre.
Like most spirits, they are completely aware of everything around them, and so
cannot generally be surprised. They have been known to bury themselves in the e
arth and wait patiently for enemies to approach, and are strong enough to tunnel
through the earth by hand.
Ourtik
Ourtiks are man-sized predatory reptiles that roam the western plains, typically
in packs of a dozen or so. They are similar in body shape to a small, wingless
Zoun, resembling a long-legged, bipedal crocodile. Their bite delivers a poten
t poison which causes temporary muscle spasms and, if untreated, a lingering dea
th. They are stronger and much faster than a man, and display a vicious, predat
ory intelligence on a similar level to most apes. They have extremely keen hear
ing and sense of smell, can readily learn to understand spoken commands, and are
capable of amazing stealth. These qualities have led some barbarian tribes to
domesticate them as hunting 'dogs'.
Garran Veyr
The most favoured of the Empress' warriors are chosen to become Garran Veyr, sha
ring their minds and bodies with powerful demons. They retain their own conscio
usness, but their personality, emotions and motivations merge with the spirit.
Though they appear pallid, emaciated and sickly, the union grants them superhuma
n physical prowess, as well as knowledge beyond all human possibility. They gai
n the power to maim and torture with a glance, while their touch sucks the life
force out of their enemies. They serve as both commanders and shock troops in t
he Empress' armies, and typically go into battle unarmed and naked to preserve t
heir inhuman agility.
Arak Veyr
Leaders of the Arak Zor, Arak Veyr are around a foot taller and much more powerf
ul. They wield long, double-ended spears, but have no real need for weapons. T
hey are strong enough to literally tear a man's head off with one hand, but even
more terrifying are their magical powers. They can summon other spirits, inclu
ding creating Arak Zor, shoot lightning from their fingertips, and teleport acro
ss any distance with pinpoint accuracy.
Tan Wara
Another minor spirit, the Tan Wara inhabits flying insects. While it lacks the
knowledge and perception common to most demons, it has the more directly useful
ability to shoot painful electric bolts at its master's foes. Because they are
almost impossible to detect, Tan Wara are often used as guards and assassins.
Hormu
A close relative of the Ourtik, hormu are smaller - around the size of a chimpan
zee - and winged. They are less intelligent than their larger cousins, and lack
their stealth and poisonous bite. Furthermore, their relatively small wings an
d heavy bodies make them slow, clumsy fliers. As a result, they typically feed
on carrion, though flocks have been known to attack lone humans and animals.

Arak Chell
The Arak Chell are usually constructed from the bones of wolves, goats and lynx,
arranged into a human-like structure. They are man-sized and serve the Empress
as footsoldiers where she is unwilling to sacrifice human soldiers. They are t
ougher than humans and much more agile. They typically wield machetes and javel
ins. Like all the Arak and Kuurat demons, they can communicate telepathically w
ith other bone demons, as long as both possess at least one bone taken from the
same source. Like the weaker Arak Thar, they are greatly weakened by sunlight.
Thelok
Resembling a reptilian analogue of a hare, thelok are commonly hunted for food b
y both plainsmen and residents of those cities which border on the western plain
s.
Wara Pol
Among the only spirits able to manifest without a living host, the wara pol typi
cally appear as floating points of light. However, they are able to cloak thems
elves in illusion, disguising themselves as any creature or object up to roughly
the size of a horse. The illusion is only visual, though - the wara pol cannot
produce sounds or smells, and its disguise will fade away if touched. They fee
d on the life force of the dying, but have no way to kill directly. They have t
he usual perception and knowledge of most spirits, and can communicate telepathi
cally with any creature that can see them.