The Blood Cult/On Daimons
Collected correspondences of Macal Kandurell and LouisOlivier Chenier
Daimons, ah, that's a tricky subject, some would behead you for have a certain stance, others would for you not having it. In the end... Daimons are strong creatures, whose origins are still not quite clear to me, but by all accounts they seem to be lacking our gift of intelligence that the gods have blessed us with, and for the most part seem rather ignorant which leads me to believe they were not raised by the gods, or at least, not by Hiacaotl and Jacotl as humans were.
As for their coming here... I can only hope it was the renewal of the fourth cycle and the aversion of the fifth, the gods levelling out the balance for the ungiven blood of the last ages...
If they are to be helped or to be fought... I believe the decision to be a purely strategical and political one. If they remain, they will continue their bloodshed until we can establish regular sacrifices... If are repelled, many lives will be lost fighting them.
My personal experience shows me that when you offer them to further their goals, they can make great resources available to fufill yours, so a mutually beneficial arrangement can be done with them, but then again, you can also gain the favour of the other realms by converting the daimon followers.
No matter the camp taken, though, we cannot bind our faith with theirs, as we will outlast them and we would not want to be targeted by the grand purge to come.
LouisJoseph Chénier (Priest of The Blood Cult)
Information on daemons appears to be hard to come by, but after a brief study of all available works (as well as some practical research at a nearby Daemon Temple), I have revisited the copy of your manuscripts at the Temple of Rebirth and formulated this theory.
The Gods have had many attempts at creating true life - that is, humans - and as a result of their failures we see the animals around us today. It occurs to me that Hiacotl and Jacotl, those whose presence is most closely tied with the material world today, are perhaps offering them as a test of humanity. The Gods created many creatures throughout time; is it so surprising that all have not yet been revealed?
What interests me in particular is where the Xenotls went in their time of hiding. After being driven out by the Xelatl, they surely fled to some place. Is it not possible that the Netherworld, spawning pit of these daemons, was that hiding place? The Xelatl seemed to have an insatiable urge to create, and tried again and again even when their previous creations had failed. Now, the first records we have of the Xenotl attempting creation is that of true humanity. This was a success largely because it mixed Xelatl and Xenotl blood, it seems, rather than relying upon either. However, it seems surprising that for a first attempt, the Xenotl fared so much better than the Xelatl.
I propose that for the majority of the fourth age, the Xenotl hid in the Netherworld, waiting for an opportune moment to have vengeance. They surely must have experimented with their own creations - these were the daemons which Beluaterra is now plagued with. Obviously they failed; through envy, misfortune or otherwise I cannot say. Any guess I make would be mere conjecture.
Jacotl and Hiacotl now seem to be testing humanity with this invasion. It offers much opportunity for sacrifice, and allows us to prove our worth over these inferior creations. The daemons are, of course, lesser; they are not balanced by Xenotl and Xelatl blood, and have not had nurturing from Hiacotl and Jacotl.
In conclusion: Ultimately, the daemons are lesser creatures, and therefore should be destroyed where they hinder the progress of the Blood Cult. They are, however, creations of the Gods, and their existence provides much opportunity for sacrifice. They should be used to further the Cult wherever possible.
I would value your opinion of my research.
Macal Kandurell (Knight of Ukh)
What you say is of great interest, and wisdom. It seems clear to me now that it is indeed the Netherworld that was the hiding place of the xenotl during their time of exile. However, your words have arisen ideas in me, they were of great inspiration... These daimons, they hold so little with us... Nor or speach, our culture, nor our looks, shapes, soul. They have next to nothing in common with us... That they be the creations of the xenotl seems doubtful. With my experiences, though, your account seems to best fit other creatures... Those who claimed themselves masters of the Netherworld, and allies of humanity of the distant past: The Undead, keepers of the defunct. With this taken into consideration, it would seem more probable that the daimons, indeed, are the creations of the xenatl, and it's their abilities to self-propagate and mortality (the daimons do appear to have some temporary mortality, it is unknown whether only their greater daimons revive or if they all do) combined with the undead's need for order and intellect that would have bred us. This would also explain why the daimon god (albeit a minor god) Arcane is a xenatl, unless I have misidentified his origins.
With this reasoning, one would think that this is not a test at all. It would seem that, with the lack of blood, the xenotl have become weaker, and that this daimon incursion is indeed the xenatl taking over...
LouisJoseph Chénier (Priest of The Blood Cult)
