Malevolent and ruthless, demons are some of the most horrifying terrors plaguing the Realm of Mythoss. Unlike the Impure, which were created by Helyos in his twisted plan to destroy the good denizens of the Realm, demons come from another plane of evil altogether. They have been brought into the Realm through magical means, summoned to spread havoc and spoil all they encounter.
In this “Races of Mythoss” article, we will explore these demonic creatures large and small, understanding that we have only begun to see the foul beings that have entered Mythoss from hellish places too terrible to comprehend.
A Pair of Demons and Some Bloodthirsty Armor
The first two demons who appeared in the Mythic Legions line were the “brothers”, Azhar and Zazhar. Reading their bios, we discover that not only are they leaders in the mysterious Circle of Poxxus faction, once raised by that dark being himself, but at one time these two demons were one malevolent entity!
Once an all-powerful demon king of the Netherrealm, the mighty Azahazzar was split in two when Poxxus summoned him into the world of Mythoss. Zazhar and his brother Azhar are the malicious result of that split. These demons are the central powers behind The Circle of Poxxus, and they have spent many years searching the world for the legendary talisman said to be the key to freeing their master and the ancient evils from their eternal imprisonment.
These characters' bios go on to further explain each of their unique powers:
Imbued with the gift of creation, Azhar has the power to create life where none exists, while his brother, Zazhar, is cursed with the power to destroy life with a mere touch - a chilling reminder of life's true frailty.
Still bitter that they are only half of the demon they once were, Azxhar and Zazhar aggressively fight for the return of Poxxus in hopes that they may one day be restored to their former self.
In addition to these twin demons, the first Mythic Legions wave also including a “character” that was tied to their demonic powers. While not a demon itself, the story of the “Blood Armor” is as such:
One of the first to receive Illithya’s gift of eternal life as a vampire, the brutal knight Lord Edsekk became one of the first generals in Illythya’s Brood. As centuries passed and the tedium of immortality set in, Lord Edsekk was no longer satisfied with the vast powers bequeathed to him as a vampire. Edsekk's ambition drove him to seek out the dark sorcerers Azhar and Zazhar and strike a deal to obtain more power. He bartered the lives of one hundred of his men to the agents of Poxxus for an enchanted suit of armor that possessed immense power and near invulnerability. What Edsekk did not know was that he had been tricked into wearing a suit of armor infused with a parasitic spell that slowly consumed his lifeforce, causing him to vanish from inside the armor. The Blood Armor, known to the people as Vorgus Vermillius, now roams from victim to victim, leaving behind only the memory of the warriors it devours.
So this character ties into the Illythia’s Brood faction, as well as the Circle of Poxxus, and it explains how this demonic suit of armor came to be!
The Advent of Decay
The largest Mythic Legions wave to date, Advent of Decay featured 43 new figures, including a new member of the demonic forces of the Circle of Poxxus – Xarria. Her storyline connects her with the demonic brothers from the first Legions wave and establishes some ambitions of her own:
A lesser demon from the same Netherrealm that was once home to the great demon king Azahazzar, Xarria is one of the top generals in the Circle of Poxxus. With a gift for casting dangerous and exotic spells, Xarria’s power rivals that of faction leaders Azhar and Zazhar. Often at odds with the powerful pair, she is careful not to reveal her true ambitions in the event that Poxxus returns and restores Azahazzar to his true form.
The Rise of Arethyr
While not technically listed as a “demon”, the fiery Arethyr certainly looks the part with his head wreathed in flames as he sits atop his steed, Aethon. Additionally, Arethyr not only keeps company with orcs and goblins in his namesake "Legion of Arethyr" faction, but with demonic forces as well, as we will see in a moment!
Previously banished by the heroic beasts of Mythoss, Arethyr’s return brings forth a new breed of demonic characters as well, all of which were introduced into the line in the same wave as the Arethyr himself. The first of these is the red-skinned Belphegorr.
In his years of banishment from Mythoss, Arethyr did not sit idly by waiting to be set free. Instead, he enlisted the help of the demon Belphegorr. A native of the prison realm, Belphegorr's ability to tear portals into the fabric of reality has afforded him a position of honor at Arethyr's side. When he was ultimately released, Arethyr acknowledged Belphegorr's role in weakening the barrier back to Mythoss, which sparked a bitter fued between the newly-crowned Dark Prince and the Legion of Arethyr's general, Gorgo Aetherblade.
Joining Belphegorr in the Arethyr wave were the Helphyre Demons and the "whirlwind" terrors led by Malephar! Their bios, which are presented below, detail not only these monsters’ histories, but they also shed some light on the return of Arethyr and a rift that has been created to allow these horrors to enter Mythoss!
Little is known of how the four ancient evils of Mythoss were vanquished or where they were sent, but if the foul creatures that returned with Arethyr are any indication, it was truly a hellish destination. The grotesque helphyre demons are prime examples of the dark nature of Arethyr's prison realm. Dark mirror reflections of the bog goblins and their kin, the helphyre are a far more beastly creature. If their fiery broiling plasma vomit isn't terrifying enough, their painfully poisonous skin, nails, and teeth keep even the bravest warriors at bay.
The terrible ritual that brought Aethyr's return also caused a rift between dimensions, allowing ghastly creatures from dark realms to travel through a void and into Mythoss. Thus Arethyr returned, bringing with him a horrific infestation of creatures known as lesser demons. Flying in by the hundreds, these demonic dervishes are like wild whirlwinds armed with gnashing teeth, razor-edged pitchforks, and poisonous barbed tails. The most wretched of these airborne devils is Malephar, the commander of the swarm. Bringing a modicum of order to his army's unyielding chaos, Malephar deftly sharpens his brethren's menace into a brutal weapon of destruction.
Future Demonic Horrors
As the ancient evils begin to rise, you can expect there will be more terrible creations who will make themselves known to Mythoss, and who the goodly warriors of Mythic Legions will need to contend with in order to bring peace back to the Realm!
Published on 06.22.21