The Encyclopedia

On Battling Demons

A story from Kerinziela ; Provided by Mathcat

On Battling Demons

~Written by Kerinziela “Kerin” Ithalenia Merivale, a student of Ekaira

Demons are, thankfully for us, extremely unimaginative. This doesn't mean they aren't still dangerous, but it gives us more ways to fight back. Very young ones will even blindly copy the form of their opponent, though not very well. There aren't many of the young ones left, but if you've ever wondered why some demon-fighters carry shinks or toads around, this is one reason why. A demon-turned-shink can still breathe fire, but now you can outrun it. You'll be down a shink, but if things are that dire, it would be dead anyway, as would you. I haven't figured out yet if demons lose the ability to shapeshift as they grow older or if they just choose not to. For our sakes, I hope it's the former.

I mentioned fighting back. Yes, it's possible, and more so now than it was before. A demon will respond to any action on your champion’s part by attacking, but that's all they can do. They can use magic to boost their attacks, but they can’t poison, heal, or perform any of the other helpful magic spells our creatures can learn. With the right set of attacks and battle trinkets, you too can have a champion demon-fighter.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Fluffy Demonbane and other creatures who have fought to keep what is left of our world safe from demon attacks, we now know more about fighting demons and can teach creatures to fight more effectively. Each creature used to be limited to a single physical attack and one of four spells (poison, blind, heal or improved defense), but now every creature knows up to four attacks and spells, many of which can blind, stun, char, or otherwise make a demon’s day more unpleasant. Some of these are, of course, more useful than others, but we have also recently discovered a way to teach any creature new attacks. Yes, you too can have a flame-thrower cornstalk or a stunning (literally) shink.

To begin with, you’ll need a champion. I’ve had good luck with arcane dragons, but you can make anything work with enough time and patience. You probably don’t want to start with a plant (Flop isn’t particularly useful, as demons have no sense of humor), but there’s no one right choice. However, you’ll definitely want something with at least one attack that actually does damage (you cannot frustrate a demon into giving up, no matter how well your creature can dodge and defend) and – at least to start with – one healing attack. I recommend a creature with an attack that both heals and does damage, like an arcane dragon’s Soul Sap attack. This will help reduce (though not eliminate) how much time and money you spend on healing. Your champion will heal over time, but I still recommend getting a backup battle champion as soon as possible. Attacks that prevent a demon from attacking, like Tanglebrush and Enchanted Chains, are also invaluable, especially when combined with Soul Sap. If you’re wondering about the colored boxes you see around attacks in various reference guides, that refers to the type of magic damage an attack does. The colors are the clan colors. Gray indicates a neutral attack or something like a basic healing spell.

Once you win a few battles, you’ll start collecting a decent chunk of battle totems (also called battle trinkets or battle stones, depending on which reference guide you’re reading). These either boost a stat (indicated in all battle stone guides by a red background for attack, a green background for defense, or a blue background for speed), replace a spell or attack (a yellow background), or add a special attack (a purple background). Speed is especially important, as it increases the chance that your creature will dodge an attack. Also, be on the lookout for tickets, as battle totems you get with these are extremely powerful. If Veridan ever offers you a battle totem that you recognize as a ticket outcome, take it. If you have no use for it, someone else certainly will.

Attack replacement spells are not listed with the rest of the battle stones, but can be found in your inventory guide in the Battle section. These can only be replaced, not removed, but don’t worry about using up your one copy of something. Both these and special attack totems (and tickets) will drop more frequently as your champion gains experience and can challenge older, more experienced demons.

Special attack trinkets are all worth trying at least once. I personally favor Orb of Plutas, which reduces a demon's attack, defense, and speed while doing massive amounts of dark magic damage. Armor of the Drachenlieche is almost as good, but only reduces a demon's attack. These can be switched out like any other battle totem, so feel free to play around with possibilities.

I wish you good luck and successful battling. May your champions serve you as well as Fluffy Demonbane did me.