So what do demons do all day

[Zendragon]

I am making a timed module. There are lots of demons involved and are scattered around a castle, both inside and atop the castle. Due to a curse, these demons can't leave the castle area. I have a rotating guard shift, but nothing else. So the question is what do demons do in their off time? There are no primes to torture and no end in site for the curse to be lifted.

 

[DamionW]

Honestly I'd imagine them killing each other. Have you developed a reason they can't?

 

[I'm A Banana]

Defenestrate.

 

[DamionW]

Defenestrate.

SAT word!

 

[Imret]

They rage, howl, and strike the walls of the castle in frustration. They stalk, torment, and mutilate lesser demons while hiding from more powerful demons. They plot to find a black-hearted sorceror to shatter the curse and release them. They try to lure humans inside. They leave guard duty to do any of these things because demons don't care about orders.

Imagine building a five hundred foot wall around a maximum security asylum. Then, give every inmate an edged weapon, from pen-knives and letter openers (dretches, other low-level demons) to axes and chainsaws (balor, anybody?). Evacuate the staff. Open all the cell doors and run like hell. That's pretty close to what you'd get.

* Obviously, I'm not suggesting that all asylum inmates are demonic, or that demons are insane, or whatever wacky PC dung you want to find in my post. I'm just suggesting that the actions of demons, left to their own devices, would greatly resemble unmedicated psychotics by being based on alien, violent thought processes most people can't even begin to understand.

 

[Shemeska]

I am making a timed module. There are lots of demons involved and are scattered around a castle, both inside and atop the castle. Due to a curse, these demons can't leave the castle area. I have a rotating guard shift, but nothing else. So the question is what do demons do in their off time? There are no primes to torture and no end in site for the curse to be lifted.

When you say 'demon' I assume you mean Tanar'ri or any other chaotic evil outsider native of the Abyss. If you just mean 'fiend' in general, you'll have -vastly- different reactions from Baatezu, Yugoloths, Gehreleths/Demodands, Rakshasa, etc. My answers pertain to Tanar'ri and other Abyssal denizens only:


What is binding them to the site, and are they summoned or actually there physically (like if they had gated, planeshifted, or used a portal)? Given their nature, being confined and controlled even in a slight way would drive them nuts (not that many could tell the difference). If killing themselves was an option to escape being thus bound, they'd slaughter one another with glee, and then kill themselves.

If the binding would prevent that sort of easy way out, they'd act to amuse their own whimsy, but in as unorganized a fashion as possible. If they could summon more of their kind, they would, even if only to have something to fight or f*ck. Those last two things are probably at the top of the list of fun things to do while bound to a location on the prime material plane.

They'd first slaughter everything that wasn't also Tanar'ri, then they'd go about redecorating their surroundings (which would be somewhere between destroying it, piece by piece, and making legitimate but horrible and bizarre changes to the place), then they'd probably split their time between screwing themselves and each other, and torturing or killing one another. The only thing to take them away from this general scheme would be anything mortal wandering into range that they might use first to escape being bound to the place, and if that wasn't possible, they'd screw/torture/kill the mortal.

The above mentioned ideas will vary depending on any specific subtypes of Tanar'ri, or non Tanar'ri chaotic evil fiends, involved. A glabrezu will react differently to this than a bunch of Vrocks, and a group of Bebeliths will react differently than any Tanar'ri, etc.

 

[Shemeska]

Defenestrate.

Yes, the Czech demons have a habit of that in the fiend quarter of prague Or something like that.

 

[Zendragon]

There is a Balor that kind of keeps everyone in check. They do get to release their rage every once in a while against some devils. Can't give too much away though.

 

[jgbrowning]

Think Zen state.

But bad.


joe b.

 

[Ripzerai]

There is a Balor that kind of keeps everyone in check.

Who keeps the balor in check?