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Demon (lore)

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For other uses, see Demon (disambiguation).

Demons are a race in the Dark Souls universe.

Description[]

Most demons in Dark Souls have demonstrated to be intelligent enough to craft their own equipment using archtree wood, titanite and demon bones, and none of them ever used weapons forged by other races. Despite their blasphemous birth and hideous appearance.

Lore[]

Dark Souls[]

Bed of Chaos

Izalith and her daughters became the Bed of Chaos and mother of the demons.

After Izalith found an immense and powerful Lord Soul near the First Flame and, together with her daughters won the war against the Dragons and she built their civilization underground[1]. They continued to experiment with the power of fire and souls and at a certain point, driven by ambition and arrogance, Izalith tried to create a "First Flame" of her own, using her own Lord Soul as a basis to make a power similar to the primordial force that had brought life into the world[2][3][4]. The experiment, however, was not entirely successful because the result was a Flame of Chaos, an unstable power that the witch was unable to control. Izalith herself was initially consumed by it and became a beast of chaos fire along with two of her daughters in the process transforming themselves into a "Bed of Chaos"[3][4]. This creature, fueled by the power of the Flame of Chaos, became a seebed for a new life form: Demons[3].

Ceaseless Discharge

The very first demon, even if deformed was the son of Izalith.

The first demon who manifested itself was the youngest son of Izalith. He was a younger brother of the other witches who gifted him a magic ring to protect him from the lava that tortured him[5]. However, the still unstabilized Flame of Chaos led him to transform into a monstrous demon and drop his ring, leaving the flames of chaos to burn him constantly as he couldn't control them[6], while also generating another distorted Centipede Demon. He was a younger brother of the other witches who gifted him a magic ring to protect him from the lava that tortured him[5][7]. Despite the first distorted creature created by the Flame of Chaos, Izalith and her daughters managed at a certain point to stabilize the new power they had created and began to generate the first real demons[8], life forms with stable bodies and capable of control the flame of chaos within each of them. These new creatures were not absolutely beastly but rather, they learned to coexist with the already present society of Izalith, becoming "demon priests" of the Flame of Chaos and even going so far as to learn the primordial flame sorceries from the Lord and her daughters[8][9] and the city of Izalith expanded to accommodate its new citizens, building structures for the demons on its borders[10].

Demon Firesage

The first demons became the fire priests of Izalith.

At one point Izalith, aiming to gain greater control over the Flame of Chaos, lost control of the power again. This time however she failed to bring it under control: Chaos engulfed the Lord and her daughters before scorching their city with them[11][12][13][14]. Izalith and her two daughters directly involved in the experiment were left permanently scarred, reduced to a monstrous lignified creature anchored in the throne room at the center of the city[15]. Of the daughters of Izalith, few managed to escape. Quelaag and her sister's lower bodies were molded into deformed demonic spiders and the flames of chaos engulfed them but they managed to escape the city and survive on its borders, carving out a domain for themselves[16]. The only other survivor, who managed to avoid the corruption of chaos and retain a normal body, was Quelana, who remained in self-imposed exile around the ruins of her country for centuries[17]

Demon Ruin

Izalith is reduced to ruins infested by the demons.

The collapse of the society of Izalith, left without their Lord and devoured by the out-of-control Flame of Chaos, pushed Gwyn to wage war against the chaos demons that were now free[18], developing weapons and fighting techniques strong enough to face the size of their new enemies[19] and sending his Silver Knights to Izalith[18][20]. During the war their armor and weapons were charred black[18] but despite their strength Gwyn's knights failed to defeat the demons or destroy the Bed of Chaos[21], ending up retreating and only managing to banish the demons underground while also enslaving some lesser demons who would become servants of the gods[22][23]. At some point after Gwyn linked the First Flame and Gwyn's firstborn son was dethroned and exiled [24], nearly all of the other deities abandoned Anor Londo[25]. Despite the conflict many demons survived and during all this time the Bed of Chaos continued to generate new demons and, with no leadership present in Anor Londo and the Silver Knights remaining relegated to protecting the city of the gods, some lesser Capra and Taurus demons[26] began to rise to the surface, making their way through the ruins of the Undead Burg[27].

Chaos Bug

Izalith reduced to a Chaos Bug.

When a Chosen Undead was able to ring the Bells of Awakening, overcome the challenges of Sen's Fortress and reach Anor Londo thus being rewarded with the Lordvessel, they would be guided by Kingseeker Frampt to find immense souls to fill the receptacle and link the fading First Flame to succeed Gwyn in his sacrifice[28]. The Undead would thus have delved into the dangerous and pestilent Blighttown[29] until they reached the edges of the ancient domain of Izalith. Here their path would be blocked by the half-demon daughter of Izalith Chaos Witch Quelaag but, after killing her, the Undead was able to gain access to the Demon Ruins. Making their way through the demons that infested the area, they reached the lost city of Izalith and the throne room where Izalith, turned into the distorted Bed of Chaos rested, still fused with her two daughters and her original body reduced to that of a Chaos Bug under all her roots[30]. The Chosen Undead thus challenged and killed her to obtain her powerful Lord Soul[31]. The destruction of the original Flame of Chaos ended Izalith's misery, but it also marked the beginning of the end for the demons who, without the Bed of Chaos that had spawned them, began to become a dying race[32].

DS1 Quelaag's Sister full

Quelaag's Sister becomes a seedbed for demon eggs.

Quelaag and her sister who managed to escape the city of Izalith after it was devoured by the out-of-control Flame of Chaos. Although the lower half of their bodies was transformed in a chaos spider they managed to carve out a domain for themselves on the edge of the realm of Izalith[33], near what was called Blighttown. While the older sister maintained control over their refuge thanks to her strength, the younger one, who was a Fire Keeper and had an immense amount of humanity within her, began producing eggs by the dozen, until they covered their entire lair[34]. In time, the Undead exiled to the depths of the Undead Burg and who had ended up in the rotten Blighttown[35] chose to serve the Flame of Chaos and the two demonic daughters of Izalith of their own free will[36].

Crag Spider

The new chaos demons created from the evolution of Quelaag's Sister eggs.

As a symbol of their dedication they became Egg Burdened, welcoming the parasitic eggs produced by Quelaag's sister into their bodies[36][37][38]. In this way the eggs would hatch inside them, first producing Vile Maggots which would then develop into Giant Mosquitoes and ultimately into a smaller insectoid type of demons: the Cragspiders[39][40] Quelaag's plan, with the help of her sister, was therefore to reproduce in miniature a version of the Bed of Chaos that would use humanity as fertilizer for eggs and the undead as hosts to create new, albeit lesser, demons. To receive help in their goal they even created the covenant of the Chaos Servants[41], which would welcome servants of the Daughter of Chaos with the aim of accumulating humanity by killing other Undead which they would then give to Quelaag's sister and in exchange get the chance to learn their pyromancies and a shortcut to their hometown of Lost Izalith [42]

Sanctuary Guardian

The chimeras created in Oolacile mixing life forms.

The sorcerers of Oolacile, capable of manipulating the forces of nature[43] with knowledge and means that not even the sorcerers of Vinheim were able to replicate[44], created the Sanctuary Guardians, an amalgamation of traits from several animals like lions, goats, scorpions and birds[45][46], to defend the Sanctuary Garden of their country[47]. Although these creatures were not created by the Bed of Chaos and therefore cannot be defined as "demons", the process with which they were obtained, mixing characteristics of different animals thanks to the sorcery of souls and life, makes them very similar to the demons of chaos, produced by a flame created in imitation of the First Flame[45].

Dark Souls II[]

16068301691 e96817109f o

The remnants of the Bed of Chaos below Eleum Loyce.

Despite the fact that the Bed of Chaos had been destroyed by a Chosen Undead, a fragment of the Flames of Chaos managed to survive and drifted to settle underground in the far north of Drangleic. Here it reformed as an expanse of fire, lava and roots and started to give birth to atrocities and monsters that cursed the region, leading people to flee in fear[48][49]. Eventually the Ivory King and his knights managed to eliminate the demons that arose from the Old Chaos and drive them back into the depths. The sovereign, thanks to the power of his soul, thus built the kingdom of Eleum Loyce over that land and erected an immense cathedral, a fortress city and a Garrison Wall above the Chaos, in an attempt to contain it and its horrors with all his efforts, even going so far as to use the power of his own soul to stem his raging flames[50][51][52].

However the flames of Chaos would not be sated and over time the Ivory Knight was drained of his vigour and, sensing the degradation of his power[50] he decided to plunge into Chaos' heart in an attempt to reduce its flames alone [48] but was devoured by the chaos, becoming an empty husk controlled by it[51]. After their King was consumed by Chaos, many of Eleum Loyce's faithful knights decided to follow him and put him out of his misery[48] but their souls too were corrupted by the flames[53], leading them to lose all sense of purpose and being and leaving them driven only by the urge of expuning any who might disturb the flames, even if they were former compatriots[54]. With their armor charred and burnt black by fire and still burning in agony they remained as empty shells controlled by the Chaos alongside their once-proud king[55].

CotIK location Eleum Loyce

The kingdom of Eleum Loyce was built to contain the Old Chaos.

As a last resort to stem the advance of the Chaos that couldn't be contained, the decision was made to "flung open" the ivory gates of the fortress of Eleum Loyce. Alsanna, as the heiress to her Lord's wishes and in reverence of the apocalypse, devoted herself and the power of her Dark Soul to a ritual in the hopes of appeasing the raging flame[48][56]. As a result the entire land of Eleum Loyce grew cold and lifeless turning into a frigid expanse, in an attempt to freeze Chaos along together with the entire country, thus sacrificing it[57][58]. The Knights of Eleum Loyce thus remained to watch over the Garrison Ward faithful to the King's final order of containing the Chaos waiting patiently for a new leader strong enough to guide them into its depths, while Alsanna remained in prayer inside the Cathedral over the depths to continue the ritual to keep the Chaos contained[48]. Thanks to the long efforts of the Ivory King and his knights first and the freezing ritual of Alsanna after, the fragment of the Bed of Chaos was contained and repressed until a Bearer of the Curse managed to destroy the knights of Eleum Loyce and their King corrupted by the flames of Chaos in its depths, bringing them under control to the point that they were eradicated, as Drangleic never saw the presence of demons again.

Dark Souls III[]

This section lacks sources and needs expansions before being considered useful and complete

Following the awakening of the Ashen One, the Flame of Chaos had not survived, making the ancient Demons a dying race. The ruins of Izalith are littered with huge pile of corpses of ancient Demons, most of them belonging to lesser Capra Demons and Taurus Demons, while few surviving specimens roams aimlessly a world that has no place for them: these beings, called Stray Demons, look like their ancestors only superficially since their body is smaller and made mostly by rock, wood and lava (much like the Bed of Chaos). It must be noted that the Batwing Demons, a lesser breed of ancient Demons, were unfazed by the Chaos Flame's extinction and kept their duty as "ferrymen" for the ones that will follow the legacy of Gwyn (thus proving a deep connection between their kin and the Gods).

Theories[]

  • It is possible to theorize that Izalith, in her experiment to create a new First Flame with the power of her Lord Soul, used the Dark Soul as an added element and because of this Demons and Humans share traces of a connection. In fact the power of weapons infused with the power of chaos scales with humanity like an Abyss-tainted weapon[59]. In addition Chaos Flame Embers are able to infuse weapons with the power of the flames of chaos but are also augmented by humanity[60]. Another sign is that Quelaag's Sister was able to become a Fire Keeper despite being corrupted by chaos, allowing her body to become the host of an immense mass of humanity[61] and she's able to regain her power and body, debilitated by a blight, by feeding herself with humanities[62]. In addition the majority of demons encountered possess humanities, either because they gained them to absorb their power or because they possessed them but either way implying a compatibility between demons and humans[63]. The use of this unique soul by Izalith would be motivated by the equally unique properties of the Dark Soul, by the fact that it is capable of generating life[64] and by the fact that it is a potentially infinite fuel because even by splitting into each new human generated it never lose its power.

Known Chaos Demons[]

Trivia[]

  • In the region of Drangleic several creatures are addressed as "demons" despite the fact that they are not part of the life generated by the Bed of Chaos:
    • The Covetous Demon was once a man whose deep affection for Queen Mytha was unrequited. Despire this he nver left the queen and, entranced by some perversed love, he started to devour all thing and even humans in an expression of desire, gorging himself to the point of transforming into a monstrous creature[67].
    • The Demon of Song was once a man that was unable to resist the temptations of the flesh and developed a taste for humans, to the point of of transforming into a monstrous creature[68]
    • The Smelter Demon was a mass of iron, one of the constructs given life by the Old Iron King when he obtained the power to grant life to heaps of iron and molded a great array of metallic automatons with a soul [69]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. ↑ Opening (Dark Souls) dialogue.
  2. ↑ Quelana of Izalith dialogue: "… Say, you. I have a request, but… My mother, Izalith, was once one of the primordial Lords. She found a soul by the First Flame and became a Lord with its power… And then, my mother tried to light a Fire of her own with that power… She couldn’t control it. The Flame of Chaos engulfed my mother and younger sisters and made them into a seedbed for grotesque life."
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lord Soul description: "Soul of the Bed of Chaos that is the mother of the demons. One of the Lord Souls that was found at the beginning of the Age of Fire. A witch tried to make a “First Flame” from a soul and created a warped beast of chaos fire. That power that became a bed for all the demons is sufficient to occupy the Lordvessel."
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chaos Storm description: "Art of the Flame of Chaos which consumed the Witch of Izalith and her daughters. Erects localized chaos fire pillars. The ambition of the witch who tried to make a “First Flame” birthed a seedbed for grotesque life and a Flame of Chaos."
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Orange Charred Ring description.
  6. ↑ As stated by Miyazaki in the DS1 Design Works interview: "All demons are born from the fire of chaos, but he [Ceaseless Discharge] was the first, born so long ago, when the fire wasn't yet stable. He possesses it, but he can't control it and it burns him constantly. Despite his size, he's actually the youngest of Izalith's children, he stands gazing up at the ruins where his sisters live. The only source of comfort in his pitiful, painful existence is the belief that they are watching over him."
  7. ↑ Orange Charred Ring#Availability
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Demon's Catalyst description: "The Demon Priests of the Fire were the first Demons and the last users of fire sorceries; these were magic from the time when the Witch of Izalith had not yet been devoured by Chaos and in which there were not yet the arts of pyromancy".
  9. ↑ Izalith Catalyst description.
  10. ↑ Demon Ruins#Location and Lost Izalith#Location
  11. ↑ Quelana of Izalith dialogue: "Pyromancy is the art of fire, the art of lighting and controlling it. But, listen. Remember only this: Fear fire. Those who forget that fear are consumed by the fire, and lose everything. I don’t want to see something like that again…"
  12. ↑ Quelana of Izalith dialogue: "Hmm... I have a favour to ask... My mother, The Witch of Izalith, was one of the primeval Lords... Her power came from the soul that she found near the First Flame ...She focused this power to light a flame of her own, but she failed to control it. The Flame of Chaos engulfed Mother and my sisters, and moulded them into deformed creatures. Only I escaped, and now I am here. But my mother and sisters have been in anguish since. I beseech you. Free Mother and my sisters from the Flame of Chaos. I cannot do it myself; I lack the strength, and the bravery... But you... I realize what I am asking. But please, free their poor souls... Mother's ambitions were misguided, no doubt, but surely a thousand years of atonement is enough!"
  13. ↑ Chaos Storm description.
  14. ↑ Cornyx of the Great Swamp dialogue: "Heed my words, Unkindled One. Fear the fire. The home of pyromancy, Izalith, was scorched by the very fire it created. Undoubtedly, it was a flame of chaos, tangled by a witch's hand. But who's to say that this Bonfire's flame is any different."
  15. ↑ https://darksouls.fandom.com/wiki/File:Tree_Beast.png
  16. ↑ Soul of Quelaag and Chaos Blade and Quelaag's Furysword description.
  17. ↑ Quelana of Izalith dialogue.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Black Knight Shield description.
  19. ↑ Black Knight Greatsword description.
  20. ↑ Silver Knight Shield description.
  21. ↑ Although the city of Izalith was destroyed, the demons and the Bed of Chaos remain active during events of Dark Souls
  22. ↑ Demon's Spear description.
  23. ↑ Batwing Demon#Location
  24. ↑ Soul of the Nameless King and Lightning Storm and Golden Crown and Ring of the Sun's Firstborn description.
  25. ↑ Ring of the Sun Princess and Darkmoon Seance Ring description.
  26. ↑ Demon's Greataxe description.
  27. ↑ Capra Demon and Taurus Demon location.
  28. ↑ Kingseeker Frampt dialogue.
  29. ↑ Blighttown Key description.
  30. ↑ https://darksouls.fandom.com/wiki/File:Chaos_Bug.png
  31. ↑ Lord Soul description.
  32. ↑ Soul of a Demon description.
  33. ↑ Soul of Quelaag and Chaos Blade and Quelaag's Furysword description.
  34. ↑ Fire Keeper Soul description: "The soul of a Fire Keeper is a vessel for humanity, and this doesn’t change within their bodies. There are countless humanity wriggling under the entirety of their skin, so their form becomes a most disgusting thing. As for her, they materialized as countless eggs. For those eggs are all a cradle of humanity."
  35. ↑ Blighttown Key description.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Egg Vermifuge description: "Very bitter acorn. Removes the parasitic egg from the body. The egg-bearers are those who serve the Flame of Chaos of their own free will and the eggs are a symbol of that. Thus, this acorn is even a forbidden fruit, but everywhere there is a reason to forgive a taboo."
  37. ↑ Poison Mist (Dark Souls) description: "Enjii, who has now become Undead and been burdened with eggs, apparently serves a grotesque young lady whose language can’t be understood."
  38. ↑ Egg Burdened are located in Quelaag's domain near the eggs of her sister.
  39. ↑ The Cragspider(混沌の病み人, lit. Diseased of Chaos" have a misshapen body with spider legs and fly wings but also dozen of beady eyes and humanoid arms complete with five-fingered hands, plus they can breath fire implying both their origins from humanity and their connection to the Flame of Chaos and Quelaag'sister.
  40. ↑ Cragspider#Attacks
  41. ↑ Servant Roster description: "List of the attendants who serve the Daughter of Chaos, the egg-bearer Enjii’s Princess, which he manages. Those who have offered lots of humanity to the Daughter and relieved her pain seem to obtain a high evaluation from Enjii. … It doesn’t appear to have much meaning though."
  42. ↑ Chaos Servant#Benefits
  43. ↑ Oolacile Ivory Catalyst and Repair description.
  44. ↑ Cast Light description.
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 Guardian Soul description.
  46. ↑ Sanctuary Guardian#Description
  47. ↑ Sanctuary Guardian#Location
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 48.4 Alsanna, Silent Oracle dialogue
  49. ↑ Ivory Straight Sword description.
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 Crown of the Ivory King description.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 Soul of the Ivory King description.
  52. ↑ Garrison Ward Key description.
  53. ↑ Loyce Soul description
  54. ↑ Charred Loyce Greatsword description
  55. ↑ Charred Loyce Set description
  56. ↑ Soul of Alsanna, Silent Oracle description.
  57. ↑ Ivory Warrior Ring description.
  58. ↑ Rampart Golem Shield description.
  59. ↑ Quelaag's Furysword and Abyss Greatsword description.
  60. ↑ Chaos Flame Ember description: "Ember required for weapon ascension. Chaos Flame Ember is an art of the lost city of Izalith. Handled only by blacksmiths knowledgeable in ancient methods. Chaos weapons are demon weapons augmented by humanity which inflict fire damage."
  61. ↑ Fire Keeper Soul description.
  62. ↑ Chaos Servant mechanics and Eingyi dialogue.
  63. ↑ Chaos Witch Quelaag#Drops and Stray Demon#Drops and Taurus Demon#Drops and Asylum Demon#Drops and Capra Demon#Drops and Ceaseless Discharge#Drops
  64. ↑ Ringed Knight Paired Greatswords description.
  65. ↑ Demon Titanite and Titanite Catch Pole description.
  66. ↑ In an interview Miyazaki stated: "I always thought of the painted world as somewhere where things go to escape, and the bird men but no different. They were originally designed as worshippers of the Goddess Velka whose bodies were warped by their devotion. I think this obsession makes them really interesting characters."
  67. ↑ Covetous Demon Soul and Bone Scythe description.
  68. ↑ Demon of Song Soul and Key to the Embedded and Spotted Whip description.
  69. ↑ Smelter Demon Soul and Smelter Demon Set and Aged Smelter Sword and Smelter Sword description.
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