Re: Sympathy for the Devil (or, Anomalous Monsters in RL)
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 12:02 am
and''Those dead which go to the 666 layers of the demonic abyss become manes. The most evil of them are confined in the tiers of flames of Gehenna."
MM page 17''Certain manes will be used to form shadows or ghasts (qqv), depending on the greatness of their evil in material life. "
''The lemures are the form which the dead whom inhabit the Nine Hells are put in.''
''After being in hell for a time certain lemures will be chosen to form wraiths or spectres (qqv).''
He's absolutely right about imps.
MM page 54''An imp is created from a larva."
Ditto quasits.
MM page 80''The quasit is a larva changed into a minor demon form to serve as familiar to a chaotic evil magic-user or cleric.''
EDIT Found the missing link:
Page 80 describes quasits being changed to manes or larva if they haven't done enough eeeevil by the time their mortal masters die, instead of being promoted to a Type 1 or 2 demon.
So a possible chain goes:
#1 Evil Guy, being really selfish and nasty, dies...
descent into Hades, becomes a LARVA
Nabbed by night hag, traded to demons.
LARVA changed to QUASIT by Demon Lord
QUASIT goes to serve CE spellcaster, steals his soul at his death and returns to the Abyss/
Recycled into LARVA or turned into MANES if it hasn't been active enough in its vileness, or rewarded/promoted with transformation into a TYPE 1 or 2 demon if it has pleased its dark master.
So, I had misremembered how it works in the MM. Thanks for pointing that out, Five!
OI was likely mixing Planescape stuff up with this earlier material.
It's actually:
#1 evil guy dies
Lawful evil types probably go to the Nine Hells, where they become lemures.
Some may be promoted to wraith or spectre, later.
Chaotic evil types probably go to the Abyss, or else to Gehenna if they have been especially horrid, and become manes.
Some get turned into shadows or ghasts.
MM P 59"The larvae are the most selfishly evil of all souls who sink to the lower planes after death. They abide in the gloom of Hades, controlled by the night hags."
This is the material from which quasits and imps are made.
I was mistaken. It's not manes and lemures at all.
The MM also describes the origins of ghosts, but doesn't mention if they ever pass through an outer plane. I rather like the idea they do not, but remain trapped, unable to pass on.
And if a ghost kills a human or demihuman, that victim is forever dead.
Ghosts=hardcore!
MM page 23