Demon Lords

Ascension

Can you even imagine what one must do to in order to command respect from demons? How horrible one must be to cause fear in them? How depraved one must be to stand out as an exemplar among them? What atrocities one must commit such that the Abyss itself in its infinite layers pays attention?

— Vorelshik, herald of Demogorgon

In the abyss might makes right and chaos reigns supreme; there is no "general case" for ascension, and a Demon Lord is any being that can rule and maintain full control over a layer in the abyss. However, ruling a layer is impossible without possessing great power to begin with, and maintaining control over it is preconditioned.   One must be powerful enough to create their own layer, or usurp it from its previous ruler. Furthermore, one must be able to defend it from adjacent lords; many aspiring demon lords carved their own layer, only for it and them to be consumed and absorbed by a mightier neighbor in mere moments.  

Recognition by the Abyss

The most arbitrary and vague precondition is that the abyss itself must “accept” the demon lord. The criteria for acceptance, if any exist at all, are unknown, but a demon lord must be an exceptionally evil being, even among demons. A demon lord’s evil is exceptional not only in its magnitude, but also in nature; their quirks, desires, and obssessions must form a unique mix, either one that the abyss hasn’t tried yet, or one greater than what already is.

Deification

Demon lords are for most intents and purposes deific beings; even the lowliest of demon lords are Demi Powers and thus unable to pass through the Divine Gate, but can grant their followers spells and bestow them with boons through the followers’ empyrean conduits. The principal difference between demon lords and gods is that a demon lord does not play a cosmic role, but that is not to say that gods and demon lords are mutually exclusive groups; exemplary of this fact is Lolth, which is both a goddess and a demon lord.   Like all fiends, killing a demon lord is impossible outside their home plane. Demon lords, however, are an integral part of the abyss as much as their layer is; even if a demon lord is slain within their own realm, which is a feat on its own, their anchor to the layer must be shattered as well or they will simply reform. The nature of a demon lord's anchor is their best kept secret, and can be a literal anchor, the foundation rock of their layer, a Profanity, a phrase, an idea, or any other object, abstract or real.   Demon lords are the absolute, total, and utter masters of their layer. All demons that live within in answer to their every whim, and the demon lord may shape their layer as they see fit at any moment without any sort of effort.

Notable Demon Lords

• Lolth, perhaps the most dangerous of the Demon lords.
• Orcus, the once powerful demon-lord.
• Demogorgon, the prince of demons, who works closely with Tharizdun.
• Baphomet, the Demon lord of Minotaurs.
• Ba'al Or, lord of all balors and holder of the first light.