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Primal Daemon — Description

Though the birth of a Primal Beast is a rare occurrence, it is clear by the scars they leave behind that it isn't rare enough. A single one of these abominations can cause terrible death and destruction, and rarely are they put down before they claim a few souls. This, of course, leads to the question: if Primal Beasts are such a problem, why don't folks destroy the Eitr pools and dragon carcasses that cause them? It seems like a simple, and obvious, fix to the problem. All one has to do is eliminate the mutating source and the issue should be over. Such ideas can only come from those who haven't seen a dragon carcass or ever tried to get rid of a body. As it turns out, it is very hard to do, especially when said body is bigger than a house. Many of these corpses were created during the dragon hunts, and thus had trophies stripped from their hides. Then the scavengers took their share and the elements had their way, but even then, there is still more left. Pieces linger, unwanted parts remain to taint the soil. Even the ravenous Academy that can pick a dragon carcass into nothingness cannot achieve this feat overnight. And all the time it sits there, the Eitr within leaks out and corrupts the land.
After the corpse has been allowed to sit and rot for long enough, it doesn't even matter if you get rid of it, for the Eitr has already established its presence. And once these pools form, good luck being free of them. This isn't some pit of Rot that you can chuck a Yellow Bile flare into and let burn into nothingness. It is a Godly Fluid, which means it is resilient and toxic. Most villages lack the equipment necessary to harvest this fluid safely, and even if they did, now what? What do you do with it? You can't just dump it somewhere, because you would just be relocating the problem. Smart folks would say you sell it to the Academy, make some good coin from the whole affair and be free from its presence. Because nothing solves this problem better than giving a load of mutagen over to the organization accused of purposefully trying to recreate Primal Beasts and who straight up leave pools of Eitr lying around because they want to see what crawls out of it. One may see the problem here. So it would seem that until a better, more widely available, solution is found, the Primal Beasts may continue to be the rare disaster that plagues these lands.
Amongst the horrid abominations born from this primordial fluid is the Primal Daemon. Once an Ivory Angel before it fed upon the Eitr, and those that survived this exposure turned into these draconic things. Their origins can still be seen in their general shape, for they still resemble Ivory Angels quite a bit. However, that pale exoskeleton has turned bronze in color. More spikes emerge and the teal traces of Eitr can be seen in their flesh. Antenna shaped like horns and their abdomen elongates to take on the appearance of a tail. Primal Daemons look very much like a mantid that wished to become a dragon, and it isn't seen better anywhere else than in their "wings."
Like Ivory Angels, the "wings" of a Primal Daemon are actually their scythe-like claws outstretched and held wide. But their mutation has allowed their version to get close to the real thing. The unfolding of their claws reveal extra long spines, while the base holds an Eitr-filled organ. With a quick flick of these blades, they activate the fluid and ignite the Primal Flame. What is born are fiery wings, creating a fabulous and deadly display. While this may seem like a warning sign to those who approach, it actually serves as a potent weapon.
The claws of an Ivory Angel are already incredibly sharp, but the addition of Primal Flame to the blades of these Daemons makes no material safe from them. Blazing hot, their wings slice through nearly everything. The intense fire instantly cauterizes the wound, which luckily prevents fluid lose, but also dampens regenerative properties. The sheer heat can ignite more flammable materials, quickly setting ill-prepared foes ablaze. Their extra wing spines can also channel Eitr to launch burning needles of energeiai. They shoot out like deadly darts, piercing through multiple foes as if they were nothing. Their own reinforced claws, stabbing tail and ravenous jaws add to the arsenal, making any close combat incredibly risky. Those safe from the flames may still perish when the Primal Daemon chews through your throat.
Though this may seem more tame compared to other Primal Beasts, it is only because not all has been revealed. As it turns out, these Primal Flame wings can do more than just cut and burn. The Primal Daemon can channel the fire and use it as a form of propulsion. It isn't enough for true flight, but it hardly matters with how high these beings can jump. They launch themselves into the air and then come hurtling down as a blazing razor disc, shredding through foes. This boosting also works well on the horizontal plane, as it blasts forward with astonishing speed. Their weapons may seem basic, but foes rarely have a chance to properly deal with them when the monster skewers them in the blink of an eye. Primal Daemons are ludicrously fast, using their Primal Flame to enhance their movements and attacks. The swirling flame further obscures vision and makes it hard to read their tells, often leading to a fatal mistake. And with these burning hot blades, it only takes one slip up before you are seared in half.
Primal Daemons become a problem because their new weaponry calls for lots of fuel. Ivory Angels are content to scavenge and wait for an opportunity, but the Primal Daemon has been robbed of that luxury. It is forced to become more active, more aggressive, as it needs more food. But these are not mindless rampages they go on, for they are smart in their movements. Primal Daemons typically ambush prey, striking from above or using their speed to execute targets before they are even aware of the danger. They know well to conserve their energeiai, so they often avoid full blown conflict unless forced to. What often happens is that they drop in, claim their prey and then blast away with their flaming wings. This has led to the image of these fiery monstrosities flying away with their victims, like some terrible daemon claiming a soul. With shredding mandibles and a great hunger, very little is left of prey. Combine this with their speed and smarts, and it may seem like villagers are vanishing into thin air.
Primal Daemons may not be as explosively destructive as a Primal Cyclops or insanely deadly like a Primal Gorgon, but they are not to be ignored. Their small attacks can quickly add up, and their speed makes them harder to pin down. Efforts to slay them may only push them to new territory and new victims. They do well at avoiding hunting parties and know when best to strike to scatter their numbers. Going against a Primal Daemon isn't a full blown war, instead it is a long, exhausting hunt. Except, it is the Daemon that is doing the hunting. They dash about with their wings to confuse the senses, even lighting fires as distractions. They feign attacks, test defenses and then wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. Slayers may not even realize they lost til they turn around to find most of their party butchered.
With their speed and smarts, the Primal Daemon is a fascinating subject for the Academy. With the creature well aware of its limits and hunger, it seems best for training or, at least, bargaining. A good supply of food and interesting prey can keep them in line, and if done long enough, the Daemon may understand who fills the dinner bowl. It is the same relationship that has been rumored to exist deep in the wilds. Some believe that certain villages are under the protection of an old Primal Daemon. The ritualistic offering of flesh quells its hunger, and has been going on long enough that it understands the deal. It will kill any who dare threaten this supply of food, which seems like pretty decent protection! But as the Academy would find out too, the Daemon isn't doing this out of love and it is smart enough to feel cheated. Failure to provide the offerings when expected will cause the creature to lash out, and their blades make these tantrums extremely deadly. A missed feeding, or even a late one, can result in damage and death as the Primal Daemon punishes those who failed. When you see these instances enough, you begin to understand that some of these villages are more hostages than worshipers, feeding the beast so that their necks are spared.
Though the keeping of Primal Daemons in Academy facilities or territory is seen as dangerous and incredibly risky, plenty are willing to play that game. There is the hope that some better understanding could be made between man and mantid, and these creatures could one day be utilized as guards and assassins. But even if that time is far off, there is also the interest in studying its use of Primal Flame. Finding ways to channel the energeiai like it does with its flaming wings could lead to incredible gear and construct designs. Antiquaries have shown plenty of hypothetical uses for such a mechanism, but everyone knows the real story. All you have to do is flip over an Antiquary's notepad to see the doodles, the dream of running around with fire wings. A fantasy for sure, but such yearnings is key to the determination of the spirit and the drive to research really weird stuff.
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And here is the last of the Primal Beast batch! May feel like a bit of a step down from "kills you with one look" butterfly, but I just thought this thing looked so cool that I should save it for last.