Daemons

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 possess 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 installment of the series except Ultima VII (with the exception of Arcadion via the Forge of Virtue expansion). Daemons and Gargoyles appear as two separate races/monsters in Ultima VI, so the lack of Daemons in U7 and SI is curious. It's hard to know whether we were meant to think they are indeed the same race or not.

In the core series, Daemons can be divided into three classes:


 * 1) The weakest class is the Imp. These small beings are easily vanquished.
 * 2) Then come the normal Daemons, which are met the most often. They are powerful, and dangerous opponents.
 * 3) Never seen after Ultima IV are the Balrons, kings among Daemons. These infernal lords wield the most power, and are next to impossible to defeat. More under Balrons.

In Ultima Underworld II could be seen more varieties of Daemon:


 * 1) Hordlings were the classic red-hued daemons that hang around pits of fire. In at least one instance, a Hordling disguised itself as a human.
 * 2) Despoilers were green-hued daemons that were visible around swampy areas. Many of these were non-hostile entities.
 * 3) Destroyers were black-hued daemons, and the most powerful variety available.

In Ultima IX the daemons have been given the ability to gate in a hell hound whenever they are engaged in battle. This gating gives the daemon invulnerability while the hell hound is alive. To defeat the daemon it is necessary to kill the hell hound first.

Lore
''Very strong, agile, and smart, daemons have repertoires of magic that include summoning other daemons and possessing their opponents. They are extremely hardy and difficult to kill even if incapacitated. Daemons fly and can easily manage to cross rivers or shallow waters, although they are seldom encountered in mid ocean. When daemons possess another creature, they disappear into that soul, leaving neither trace nor treasure.''

-from "Book of Lore", Ultima V

''This most wicked and formidable of foes is not to be underestimated. Overwhelming strength, skill and intelligence make daemons nearly unbeatable. Possessing magical powers rivaling the most powerful of mages, the daemon can summon hordes of his brothers to assist him in killing or possessing his victims. Being already undead, the daemon has little fear of death. You are forewarned!''

- from "Compendium", Ultima VI

Notable examples
There are four 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 second, much more famous example is Arcadion the Daemon (Actually the only Daemon in Ultima VII and Ultima VII Part Two). 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.


 * Third is Virtuebane. This Daemon can be seen in Ultima IV in the ruins of Magincia, and speaks of how the city was destroyed by him and his kind for its Pride.


 * Fourth is Balinor, who served the Shadowlords and appeared in Stonegate in Ultima V. Balinor demanded that the Avatar answer a riddle before being allowed to pass.