Ur-Daemon
The Ur-Daemon were chaotic creatures from another valence who invaded Elanthia about 105,000 years ago. It is not known for certain how they gained access to our world, though myths have long suggested the blame lies in some fashion with Eorgina and Fash'lo'nae. These primordial "daemons" were later interpreted by the Elves as being extra-planar entities, whereas their oral traditions attested to shadow monsters devouring the forests. These were powerful demonic entities which fed on both the natural mana foci as well as the life's essence.
They were driven back by the Drakes in a thousand year war, which blasted the landscape for hundreds of miles in the last battle when their remaining portal was collapsed. It is thought there were multiple such gateways ripped open through some cosmic violence, suggesting there was widespread vulnerabilities in the veil at the time.
Other extra-planar intruders are associated with this same period of instability, including: the Great Elementals, the Vvrael, the Vishmiir, and Althedeus. The Eye of the Drake was a powerful artifact which was designed to seal off the world from the interdimensional rift leading to many other planes of existence. Theology holds that following the destruction of dragon rule, the gods associated with the moons (Arkati) inherited the world and brought life back from brink of annihilation. The historical period is generally referred to as the Age of Darkness.
Historical Ur-Daemon
It is not necessarily known that the "Ur-Daemon" correspond to a single kind of entity, or if there were heterogeneous hordes of major demonic in a single mass slaughter. The blood of a purported Ur-Daemon was collected from Teras Isle by the Palestra Blade Aralyte for her ritual to defeat Althedeus, a demon supposedly born of the chaos from the Ur-Daemon War. These have been visioned as enormous floating squids, essentially black tentacled monsters, but other lore attributes them as having limbs with six fingered claws which is reflected in one of the constellations.
While the official lore has nothing in the way of religions specifically devoted to the Ur-Daemon, there have been some demonic cults related to theology surrounding the First Age cataclysm. With a modernization of the I.C.E. Age lore surrounding The Dark Path, their idiosyncratic beliefs regarding "Ka'Daena" and the "Gates of the Void" can be twisted to reflect the Ithzir "Grak'na'Den" and Tehir "Maw of the Void." The Broken Lands can be interpreted with Althedeus replacing the imprisoned Kabis, with The Dark Path treated as a cult of Shadows with an odd theology of Eorgina.
Possible Individuals
- Marlu - Believed by some to be an Ur-Daemon who sought asylum with the Arkati.
- Kharuugh-Ur - Non-canonical Ur-Daemon who killed the non-canonical Drake Shu'raax.
Contemporary Extra-planar Beings
Demonic Cults
- Disciples of the Shadows
- The Dark Path
- Marluvian cultists
Temporal Anomalies
Temporal disturbances sometimes reveal scenes of the Ur-Daemon War. These provide glimpses of the otherworldly monsters as they actually existed.
Below Melgorehn's Reach
When Elithain Cross was confronted in 5114 Modern Era, temporal anomalies showed a scene related to the Ur-Daemon and Vvrael.
The air grows warm and ethereal lights drift through the area like ghostly white smoke. Among the pale mist, images form and shift, first depicting a sky filled with ancient Drakes, their fiery breaths pouring out to burn a gnarled black Ur'Daemon that floats through the air like a giant squid, and then next an Ashrim ship gently floating on the waves as fires rage on the distant land.
Planar Shift Distortion
This is what you see when you look into the rift opened by the sorcerer spell Planar Shift (740).
A collage of images fills your mind as you peer into the depths of a shifting twilight grey rift. You gaze unwaveringly, transfixed by the jumble of historic images racing across your consciousness. Massive winged beasts, reptilian in nature, flit through a flame-ravaged sky, locked in battle with otherwordly creatures. Soon enough, the scene changes to one of serenity and peace, various humanoids emerging en masse from caves. That image, too, fades and is replaced by a great amalgamation of humanoids, all different races standing across a great decaying battlefield juxtaposed to zombies, banshees and other abominations. But, after only a few seconds, that scene too disappears as quickly as it entered your now reeling mind. Just as it seems the jumble of images will stop, they start again, in quick succession like a seamstress wielding her loom. An eternity of tranquil images passes you by, only to be suddenly, and devastatingly replaced by a crude half-elf leading an army of humans towards a small town. But alas, as the story gets interesting, all the images fade and you avert your gaze.
Artifacts
Wehnimer's Landing Museum (Circa 5101 Modern Era)
(veil iron obelisk)
The obelisk is black, so dark it seems to absorb the light. A band of glyphs is carved around the middle. You find them incomprehensible and strangely disturbing. Though black velvet ropes prevent you from approaching the obelisk too closely, you feel a slight chill emanating from it. A small plaque stands on a tripod just inside the ropes.
>read sign
It reads:
The Ur-Daemons
>read plaque
It reads:
Recovered from the ora mines in Rhoska-Tor, this strange artifact is thought by some to be an Ur-Daemon relic.
External Links
Rough account of the Ur-Daemon War
Marlu's Profile
Elanthian Times, Volume 3, Issue 2