On Rakshaal, Demons, and Etherial Planes

A tidbit from Steph about the Rakshaal:

"Demon" implies "underworld", or alternately "hostile/aggressive entity that inveigles or harasses other sentient beings". It depends on whether you're talking about fallen ideals or angry nature spirits. The Rakshaal have their reasons to be angry, but it's not because a god has ordered them to bedevil (no pun intended) the inhabitants of Elanthia. Their reasons are their own, and that makes them not truly demonic, IMO.

The Rakshaal do not come from the Elanthian underworld, but they do come from the plane that is parallel to the Elanthian underworld. And since Eisa is a plane of darkness, yes, there are definitely demonic influences there.

It's a fine line to walk. Most people will look at an Ilorax, say "Rakshaal = demon", and that's fine. So long as my story people know better, and can convey that in some reasonable fashion, that's all I care about. :smiley:

To answer your question: yes, we have a cosmology. :smiley: Which reminds me that maybe I can do a piece on Ascendants sometime. That would be fun.

Steph
HJ Lead Designer
 
I have always thought since the beginning that stoy line, roleplaying and tieing everything together in HJ has been astonashing, but can they put it in action?
 
*sigh*

Well, I can deal with a few demons. I mean, Angel (the show) kicks(ed... :(2) ass, and it had demons in it.
 
This is like the whole is someone Oriental, Asian, Japanese, Chinese, etc and so on.

In a video game or work of fiction if there's a malicious corporeal being from another plane standing in front of me and my goal, then by the monomyth's own creed I have to slay the demon. So that makes it a demon. Fancy smancy name it all ya want.
 
This is like the whole is someone Oriental, Asian, Japanese, Chinese, etc and so on.

In a video game or work of fiction if there's a malicious corporeal being from another plane standing in front of me and my goal, then by the monomyth's own creed I have to slay the demon. So that makes it a demon. Fancy smancy name it all ya want.

qft
 
Now I'm going to go make a spree of quests to make sure everyone knows they're not demons!

Thanks. I'm sick of "demons". Seriously. If there's a wicked lookin', flesh eating man-beast in front of me, I call it either A: Beast, B: Monster, or C: Thingy. Oh, or D: Ugly, but that's just if it understands me. You know, gotta make it feel bad . It's my job.

Again, I never actually called them demons. I just inferred that there were demons, which is different, because I recognized that the things the bit was about weren't them. Also, "Rakshaal"? Aren't those the cat people in D&D with backwards hands? Maybe I'm just... I don't know, mixing the words up or something.
 
Dude, a Kodiak would maul a black bear to shreds. It's be like watching a chimp tear a monkey in half, only with claws instead of thumbs. Wow, that's violent...
 
Honestly this isn't even worth arguing about. I know they're not demons and that's all that matters. If you want to think they are, well feel free. :smiley:
 
"Yo Daax? Wanna go kill some demons today? Oh the lores going on about how when they're not here they're not demons, but they look like demons. They taste like demons. They give xp, just like demons!" Ahh the in game rants I can already feel'em.

Regardless, they're demons. There's no point to argue because giving something an alternate background while filling in every other previously known stereotype for an already created fantasy archtype, seems like an excuse to call the same ol thing something with a new name.
Like humans, dwarves, and elves and any slid into combo inbetween.
 
Regardless, they're bears and chimps. Plus, Black Bears have proven they can hold their own.

*cough*Primates*cough*

Also, while a black bear might(but I doubt it) be able to hold it's own against a brown bear, I seriously doubt it could do much against a Kodiak. As there's no real way to prove it either way, however, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

One thing I don't get though: How do you know they stick to the stereotypes about demons, or whatever? I mean, all I got from that was that they were from an alternate plane, not that they were evil... 'Course, I read it a few days ago, so I guess I really shouldn't say anything without re-reading it, but... *shrug* Ehh, whatever.
 
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