Daemons

First apperance: Ultima I

Last apperance: Ultima IX



Description
Daemons... A race of beings from the deep pits of hell. They are full of deceit and malignancy, extremely intelligent, cunning and powerful to no end. It is as yet unknown if there is an actual limit to their powers. What IS known is that to battle a Daemon is either sheer madness or the act of someone totally convinced of victory. Daemons can not only can boast with powerful magics and physical attacks, they can posess their victim, twisting it to their ways, or gate in other daemons to assist them.

To make it short, these denizens of hell are among the deadliest of enemies. They are hard to defeat and leave behind no loot--only scars.

Usually found in dungeons, places of the dead or sites of strong magic. Daemons typically enter the world through the summons of a powerful mage via the Summon Daemon spell.

Evolution in the series
After their first appearance in Ultima I, Daemons appeared in every instalment of the series. However, they have to be divided in three classes, which appeared in the series.

The weakest class is the Imp. These small beings are easily vanquished.

Then come the normal Daemons, which are met the most often. They are powerful, and dangerous opponents.

Seldom seen are the Balrons, the most powerful Daemons. These Daemons lords wield the most power, and are next to impossible to defeat.

Notable examples
There are two Daemons which deserve mention.


 * The first is the Slasher of Veils in Ultima Underworld I. This Daemon, probably a Balron, is so powerful, that the Avatar has to use a lengthy ritual to banish it into the Void. Otherwise, all of Britannia would perish.


 * The other, much more famous example is Arcadion the Daemon (Actually the only Daemon in Ultima VII and VII/2). Imprisoned by Erethian the mage into a mirror, he convinces the Avatar to help him escape. Arcadion bonds with the Black Sword, which he only leaves in Ultima VII/2. A later meeting in Pagan reveals that he can't remember the Avatar.