Infernalis - A Hierarchy of Demons

Though they may seem wild and chaotic (and in truth, they certainly are), Demons also have a hierarchy by which they operate. It is not a construct of society or logic, but an immutable part of their being, forcing them into an eternal contest of strength, wits, and the unrelenting drive to raise their own station at the expense of others. This organization is known as the Infernal Hierarchy, and a Demon's place in it determines their power.

When a Demon is spawned, it comes into being with a number. The higher a demon's number, the less powerul the Demon is, and the lower the number, the stronger the Demon. The only way a Demon can rise in power is to wholly consume the essence of a higher-ranking Demon - their body, memories, and even personality. In doing so, the Demon's number rises to that of their prey. However, they do not only inherit the power of their prey's former number, but also imprints and fragments of their memories and personality. In this way, higher-numbered Demons are almost immortal amongst their kind, as the higher the number and power of the Demon consumed, the more powerfully it will imprint upon its new host. The cruelty of the Infernal Hierarchy ensures that even when Demons of weaker numbers triumph, that victory is short-lived.

Infernalis - Devils That Dwell Among Us

 The Demons first arrived during an event that would come to be known as the Infernal Incursion. It is still unknown exactly what caused the Incursion event, though a number of high-ranking Demons are suspected as culprits. The exact motivation behind the triggering of the Incursion event is also unclear, though it is believed to be part of some larger infernal power play, introducing living mortal souls to mix as some form of trick or advantage in a grander scheme. Whatever the cause may have been, the results have been clear - a partial merging of the mortal and demonic planes, an overlap allowing Demons to escape the tortures of Hell and find greener pastures preying upon the living. Millions upon millions of Demons swept from their home and into ours, bringing with them chaos, destruction, and a total upheaval to the world as it existed before. To many religious types, this event was the prophesied end of days, the scouring of the sinful from the world. For a time, lots of people bought into that idea. Wars raged against supernatural creatures once thought to dwell only in heavy-handed morals and nightmares. Famines and disease killed nearly as many.