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Pantheons & Named Examples of the Seven Types of Demons

by Shannon

Not each of the seven types of demon has a named individual representative, but several do; Havard mentioned these in his list. Saasskas is a hissing demon, Alphaks and Razrog are roaring demons. Atzanteotl is a screaming demon. Ranivorus is a howling demon. Hircismus is actually called a "shaggy demon" and described as a "huge, hulking brute...covered with long, shaggy hair. Its long arms dangle and drag like an ape’s; its hairless face is covered with pulpy, smooth, glistening flesh. The eyes roll madly. The fat, slobbering jowls quiver since Hircismus giggles constantly....Beneath Hircismus’s shaggy hair are short, stiff poisonous spines.... Dangling from Hircismus’s belt (his only garment) are dozens of animated undead heads which gape and roll their eyes in eternal horror." A unique form, not fitting any of the seven common types, he seems more like Orcus or Demogorgon in this regard. Or perhaps we've discovered another type in the "shaggy demon." That could be interesting.... (Say, Havard: What's the citation to Hircismus' being a groaning demon, please? I'm overlooking it.)

I don't think canon contains individually named examples of the other types of demon – croaking demons, whispering demons, or groaning demons (but see my note on Hircismus above and Havard's classification). Also, Nyx is awfully like a whispering demon in appearance, just without the horns or wings; but her goals and behaviour are decidedly not demonic.

I don't know that the presence or absence of these named examples helps much with additional canonical background about the types of demons or any canonical pantheon, though one can certainly invent anything one is inspired to (say, deciding Atzanteotl created or is served by all screaming demons in your version of Mystara, for instance). Canonically, demons are chaotic beyond imagining; they're not prone to cooperation save in the most Byzantine, treacherous, deceitful, and self-serving ways.

The Names of the Types of Demons I shan't post the artwork here because I don't want to violate any rules about copyrighted material, but if you can find the relevant art from the Immortals Rules and Wrath of the Immortals you'll be a long way to seeing the idea behind the demons' nomenclature.

Some demons – notably those who are also true immortals – seem to have their own unique forms. Orcus and Demogorgon explicitly do, and perhaps Saaskas, Bielgorna, et al. may as well. The standard forms of demons, however, correlate with the adjectives assigned to them, and suggest they probably do make the characteristic sounds for which each is named, in some cases the rules explicitly state the demon makes the affiliated sound:

• A screaming demon is "part bird and part man in form, standing over eight feet tall on stork-like legs. Powerful claws adorn humanoid arms. Its feet are taloned. Its large feathered thirty-foot wingspread provides quick flight. If the air demon can gain surprise, it swoops down on one opponent. Lacking surprise, it screamsin birdlike fashion as it dives to the attack." Aliases for "Screaming Demon" are "Air Demon" and "Winged Fury."
• A croaking demon is a "foul, slimy monster [that] looks like a giant humanoid toad, standing about seven feet tall [with a] ten-foot-long magical tongue." Aliases for "Croaking Demon" are "Swamp Demon" and "Gobbler."
• A howling demon "has a wolfs head with long, sharp horns; a large, muscular body, but normal human legs. It stands about nine feet tall. It has four arms; two long arms are attached at its shoulders and end in crablike pincers, and two smaller human arms protrude from its chest. The small arms are used only in normal activities, never in melee.... It often howls whenever...attacks miss." Aliases for "Howling Demon" are "Fire Demon" and "Four-Armed Horror."
• A groaning demon "is a tall humanoid with the torso and arms of an ape, a boar's head, and goat-like legs. It stands ten feet tall. Its favorite weapon of terror is its groan, a nightmarish, resonant sound which causes its victims to shake uncontrollably, effectively paralyzed...." Aliases for "Groaning Demon" are "Forest Demon" and "Biter."
• A hissing demon "appears either as a twenty-foot-long, giant, poisonous snake or as part snake, part humanoid. In snake form, it may either bite or spit poison.... The water demon's semi-human form is a six-armed female human torso (about seven feet tall) atop a ten-foot-long snake's body. Each of the six arms may wield any one-handed weapon, and a wide variety of weapons are often used...." Aliases for "Hissing Demon" are "Water Demon" and "Destroyer." (While this demon is not explicitly noted as hissing, spitting is of course often accompanied by a hiss.)
• A roaring demon is a "fearsome, fanged demon [with] a twelve-foot-tall human body. Sharp horns protrude one foot from each side of its head, and huge, leathery wings rise from its back. It is a reasonable creature, and rarely attacks by surprise, preferring to allow its victims a chance to surrender totally and unconditionally. If refused, it usually roars. This roaring instantly summons one or both of two special weapons...." Aliases for "Roaring Demon" are "Mountain Demon" and "Manslayer."
• A whispering demon "is never found with others of its kind, nor with hissing demons. It prefers to act alone or as the companion of another powerful demon. Its natural form is that of a human female with small horns and great bat-like wings, but this form is rarely seen. It prefers to appear as an extremely seductive mortal, either male or female and of any race, as suits its goals. The charmer seeks to dupe its victims by convincing them it is good and innocent, sometimes pretending to be a captive. It relies on false appearances and treachery. Rather than fighting for itself, it usually relies on a powerful companion or mistakenly beguiled allies to do the fighting for it." Aliases for "Whispering Demon" are "Charmer" and "Grey Deceiver."

Thus, only the croaking demon, hissing demon, and whispering demon are not noted explicitly to make their eponymous sounds. However, Croaking demons are "giant, humanoid toads" and of course toads croak; hissing and spitting go hand in hand, as noted; additionally, hissing demons are serpentine, and serpents are known for hissing. Whispering demons and hissing demons are explicitly described as female (though whispering demons may take male forms), and that gender is reinforced by their not consorting together. The whispering demon's ways may be, I think, fairly said to invoke what we might conventionally call seductive, feminine wiles, which, combined with its penchant for hypnotically charming victims, all go naturally with whispering.

I hope that additional detail may help with your understanding of the various types of demons.