The Narga

Sigils of The Narga - artwork by Thomas Kobula

The mightiest of demons are the nine lords and ladies of Ruin, also called The Narga. They are rulers of their hellish prison, with power to rival the Greater Gods. Because of this, no amount of spellcraft is enough to sustain them outside of Ruin; they are simply far too potent. Instead, they rely on cultists to do their earthly bidding. Much like their divine counterparts, each of The Narga has great influence over certain facets of life, though they tend to be twisted reflections or cruel contradictions to natural order. In further mockery of the gods, The Narga can invest their champions with fell blessings. Folk who choose to worship the nine are usually lost and broken individuals; perhaps they despise the gods for a perceived slight, perhaps they seek the fulfillment of despicable desires, many fear death and seek to prolong their existence or bargain for a place of import in the nine hells when they die.

The nine Narga are:

Demon Lord/Lady
Gorgos The Bloodletter		• Influences – Bloodlust and Murder • Hell – The Corpse Yards • Gorgos is depicted as a giant horned beast, drenched in clotted blood, cruel weapons clenched in his fists. Gorgos appeals to killers, addicts of violence, and folk goaded by uncontrollable fury. The only thing he wants from his worshipers is rivers of spilled gore.
Zeleel The Whore		• Influences – Lust and Greed • Hell – The Palace Of Unending Delights • A many-breasted harlot bedecked in silks and jewels, Zeleel at-first appears a welcoming mistress. Yet she is gluttonous, self-indulgent and never satiated in her desires. As are her cultists, who seek to attain more, always more, regardless of the inevitable cost.
Phlemortis The Corpse King		• Influences – Corruption and Decay • Hell – The Festering Domin • A bloated, corpulent hulk, some wonder how anyone could wish to beseech Phlemortis’ blessing. Yet there are those who seek only to watch the world rot, to spread misery and loss, to break down what is. In Phlemortis they find a kindred spirit, and the power to achieve their goals.
Victrix The Flawless		• Influences – Perfection and Deviant Inspiration • Hell – Paragon's Lament • Androgynous, with skin of cold marble, and a perfect featureless doll’s face, Victrix is the embodiment of all that is considered unattainable. The most demanding Narga, Victrix is never pleased with their worshipers. Cultists of Victrix are few in number, but thanks to the grueling demands of their patron, they are considered the most driven and skillful of all ruinous acolytes.
Whalash The Shadow		• Influences – Concealment and Lies • Hell – The Voiceless Gloom • A living darkness, cloistered within his lightless realm, Whalash calls to the liars of Scy’kadia. Those who wish to stay hidden, removed from the consequence of foul deeds, may find themselves embraced by the most evasive of demon lords.
Lokus The Cackler		• Influences – Chaos and Insanity • Hell – The Profane Carnival • Forever-laughing, despite his mouthless visage, The Cackler is a maniacal being who revels in anarchy. He finds entertainment in confusion and seemingly-meaningless torment. Thus, he attracts cultists with little obvious motivation beyond a streak of infernal madness.
Droqomet The God Bane		• Influences – Domination and Slavery • Hell – The Kingdom of Chains • It is easy to understand why some mistake Droqomet for the king of all Ruin. This winged tyrant lords over a domain where souls are forced into every form of servile degradation imaginable. He exerts his power through rulership, and many are the would-be despots who've sought to share in his spoils.
Trarchor The Mind Flayer		• Influences – Nightmares and Mutation • Hell – The Shivering Void • Trarchor is an ever-changing representation of Magic’s power to pervert nature and fate. It’s arcane tendrils probe mortal minds for their worst fears and predictions, before making those horrors manifest. Trarchor’s followers consist of folk who wish to dispel dread and hopelessness by inflicting it on others, more often than not through use of sorcery.
Juryath The Immovable		• Influences – Permanence and Invulnerability • Hell – The Plain of Denial • There are mortals who believe they have it all, leaving them with but one concern... loss of all they have achieved. Monolithic and unmoving, Juryath promises the blessing of stagnation, immortality sans development, leading desperate souls who fear change to fall at his immense feet.

Demons

Demons are ancient shards of Magic driven mad and given myriad lethal forms. Some are smarter or stronger than others; these are called greater demons or arch demons, second only to The Narga, often serving as their generals. Most hellish fiends are simply called lesser demons, yet despite the name, they remain dangerous, even to hardened adventurers. Though confined to their prison realm, demons are capable of reaching into Nether and abducting lost souls. Others manage to manifest in the mortal plane, so long as there is enough Magic present to sustain them. All demons, without exception, desire carnage, perversion, and desecration of the natural order.

The very lowliest demons are called imps. Imps are generally as tiny as pixies. They are cruel, like all demons, but can be sustained with less Magic, making them ideal familiars for ruinous casters.