"The Devil himself, which is the author of confusion and lies."
Robert BurtonMusings on Legions and their Origins
It is not enough to comprehend those depraved enough to be cast down from the Tyrant’s Realm, or even the abominations that have unearthed themselves here. One must document these things – these musings – or be lost completely from infernal history.
I have taken it upon myself to consolidate some of the scrawlings of my fellow archivists. It is a daunting thought to consider how few and far between we are. Many things that linger in these shadows are consumed whole by their lust for power and only leave recollections of their glorious pursuits and bloodied victories.
Worse off – perhaps – are those things that care not at all for power, eaten alive by the abyssal maw of Pandaemonium, leaving not even ambition in their wake. For to linger down here is to lose sense of time, place, and finally: self. It is to rot unburied, and to walk in a limbo slumber alongside death but never embraced with it.
It is well known that if you cannot rule Hell, you will serve. Your servitude does not end with your demise, for many know of the Necromantic Arts. So long as your bones hold form, and perhaps not even then, you will march on.
[h3]The Chthonian Crawlers[/h3]
The Chthonian Crawlers are such creatures that linger between places. For a thing to be
Chthonic, it is of earth or soil. Etymologically “in, under, or beneath the earth”. Perhaps these things have always existed here, then.
“
They have burrowed holes through my cellar and the beams supporting my chamber. I have seen two of them in the dark: small shiny eyes; long, fleshy torsos; tentacled, or wired with the legs of a spider. Their skin shimmers from the light of my study. They click some with their mouths, and I hear the sound of earth rubbing itself. My liege, grant me the manpower to exterminate these beasts before they grow too numerous.”
-- A private letter from Cleric Maximus to his Lord Patron, the Baron Sitri
[h3]Hell Spawn[/h3]
Likewise, in the same pile of tomes, I uncovered mentions of similar creatures in Warchief Bhelplenar’s “A Step Towards Infernal Order”. Spurious rumors suggest that these pests of Pandaemonium were once Mortal, who thought themselves bold enough to engage in a deal with a devil for some irreverent benefit.
“
When I could see my enemy’s wings, I bellowed. It was one of my best: coarse and guttural; and it shook the specks of ground floating in the light escaping the gaps in the sky. A wave of javelins rose from our arms then some of those beasts fell. They turned, tumbled, plowed Hell’s brown crust as their bodies stopped. But most of them didn’t. Most took our saddened weapons from the air and turned their tips down.”
-- From Warchief Bhelplenar’s “A Step Towards Infernal Order”
[h3]Legion of Lemures[/h3]
A flurry of creatures that I have only had the displeasure of seeing once – from a great, safe distance, mind you – was the
Legion of Lemures, under the relentless whippings of the Dragon Knight himself, Archfiend Astaroth.
“
From their many mouths spread words of disinformation and discontent. They are the lords of the lowest class, considered much like swine to other demons. Unhappiness emotes from their mouths in broken, irresolute speech. And it is their inability to communicate all they gather with their eyes which keeps them so.”
-- From an unspecified human author, whose works are collected under the title “Inquiry of the Unknown”
[h3]Plague Bearers[/h3]
Some archival texts suggest that, on some rare occasions, the Dark Majesty might orchestrate the release of Hell-bound creatures of blight and sickness to infest the mortal world.
Plague Bearers, they are called. They are the Priest-Lords of the scourge, the demonic underlings bred in a lung’s final death rattle.
"
Let us pepper the earth with these bearers of sickness, these priest-lords of disease. Let us divide the humans between those ascending and the rest. Petty battles between wings and horns no longer excite me. Let us hasten the formal event."
-- A private letter from Cleric Dorev to Lord Lucifer
Ten Thousand Screaming BastardsWhile the Lemures appear in droves, the only way to describe
Ten Thousand Screaming Bastards is by likening their arrival to a natural disaster. They are a screeching, wailing tidal wave upon the horizon – small figures only barely distinguishable among a simple, terrifying palette of red. To fall beneath their approach is to be dashed upon a thousand sharp, screaming rocks.
"
In my visions, I witnessed a battle in which we were washed away by the rising tide of red flesh. I was lifted atop the pricking nails of a thousand hands, and you, my lord, were being torn apart at the mouth and neck. These visions bode not well, my lord. I have troubled sleep. "
-- A private letter from Suffragan Letor to Bishop Maddox of the First Level before their untimely departures during the Stix Incursion
There is much more to document. Many legions are vastly more powerful than those captured above. I am restless in my pursuit of knowledge, or to understand what maybe was never meant to be captured.
Perhaps these infernal ramblings are the first sign of insanity. Is that what they say? To talk to yourself i the first sign? With that in mind, perhaps attempting to make documents and compile information on these abhorrent creatures is the last sign of sanity.
Until Next Time,
X
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If you've made it this far, thanks for following along. I intend to share more posts like this, detailing the development process as it unfolds and exploring the unique challenges the privilege of re-imagining a cult classic like Solium Infernum for new (and old!) audiences holds.For now, you can join the League of Geeks Discord community for all the infernal news and discussion.We're currently LIVE with a Next Fest Demo! You can actually play Solium Infernum for a short time! If you're reading this post-mortem and you wanted to be the first to know about any updates, we definitely encourage you to hop in the Discord. More information will come soon!P.S. You can support us and our re-imagining of Vic's "diamond in the dark" by downloading the Demo and/or Wishlisting Solium Infernum on Steam, if you haven't already. Both downloading the Demo and Wishlisting tells the all-great Steam algorithm that people like what they’re seeing and gets us in front of more eyes.https://store.steampowered.com/app/1893810/Solium_Infernum/
What was once part of you is now of me. Look into the liquid and see what squirms beneath its surface. In my body swim the little creatures made from your flesh. You put them inside of me, and now I must let them grow. Do not look at me with disgust when you have finished. It is because of you that I take this shape. 
Under a bowl of glass lie the remains of the first attempt in non-sentient demonic manufacturing. The blackened heart is from a premature Son of Typhon who never grew to fruition yet retained baseline biological function. The heart was a scientific anomaly of its time and has grown in cultural and spiritual popularity. It now represents the potential of all demons against the place from which they were shunned: a place where they will later stage a spiritual assault. 
Upon this pillow lies the point of power twice removed from a demon of voracious greed. Rest well, those who have withered from Orgoglio’s touch. This is the sign of his sleep. 
50,000 heads have fallen under the weight of this hand. Now it sits, old and yellow, under a glass bowl on the shelf in my study. For what purpose do we seek out these things? Why do others want him? I must finish transcribing the inscription from its base. An answer -- I am sure -- rests there, but it assuredly is not the one I seek. 
The weighty obsidian stone was etched in carved symbols, projecting a menacing aura. During the ritual, vague piping could be heard when smothered with sacrificial blood. Those who heard the piping felt a great palpitation, and then - woosh! Somehow we were in two places at once. 
I’ve spent the better part of fourteen days running my fingers over the filigree of this tiny, metal cube. I’ve found one dial, I’ve turned it, and I’ve opened one of its sides to reveal a smaller cube trapped inside, but I cannot seem to set it free. Perhaps what’s said of its origin is true, but even if it were handcrafted by Lucifer himself its effects do me no good from where I stand. 
I will attempt to separate the hearsay from the reality, as one would call it, for some of these items are truly power-full while others are simply trinckets built upon culture and mystycism. Take for example the Greed Talisman, who took sentient form while under the possession of Xlatroph and who systematickally destroyed X--’s war council on the eve of his infamous defeat: This is hearsay. 
