Rogue Rider

  Drekevac—Spindly, long-limbed, oversize head, fangs as long as a human’s forearm. They enter buildings through open windows and sicken humans with their breath. Ufelskala score: 4

  Fallen angels—Fallen angels fall into two categories: those who have entered Sheoul, and those who have not. Angels expelled from Heaven face two choices—they can enter Sheoul and become the most powerful of demons and lose all hope of ever returning to Heaven, or they can reside in the human realm and pray to someday earn the opportunity to return to Heaven. Ufelskala score: Varies except for those who have entered Sheoul—these fallen angels are ranked as a 5

  False angels—Males and females alike are flawlessly beautiful. Highly sexual, they enjoy pleasures of the flesh, but they are very particular in their choice of sex partners, and will only engage in sex with the most attractive humans and human-appearing demons. A cunning and easily bored species, they make life interesting for themselves by tricking humans into thinking they are true angels, and then leading the humans astray from their chosen religion and into another. Ufelskala score: 3

  Gargantua—Massive, rare demons that live in the deepest ocean trenches and come onto land once every hundred years to mate. Mostly, they scavenge the carcasses of large mammals and fish that sink to the ocean floor, but they have been known to hunt squid and octopus, as well as to sink ships and devour the crews. Ufelskala score: 2

  Gerunti—Thirty feet tall, Tyrannosaurus rex jaws and claws as long as a man. Only a handful are believed to still be in existence, a result of long gestation periods and high infant mortality rates. They live underground in mountainous regions in the human realm, coming aboveground to gorge themselves on humans and animals once every fifty years. Ufelskala score: 3

  Ghastbat—Demon bats that feed on living flesh. Their sharp teeth and claws can penetrate the toughest hides. The spikes on the ends of their leathery wings are often used to pry off scales of larger creatures with plated armor in order to get to the soft flesh beneath. Ufelskala score: 1

  Grim Reaper aka Azagoth—Very little is known about Azagoth, except that he lives in a realm of his own, inaccessible to most. He is the father of all Memitim angels and is rumored to be the Four Horsemen’s father as well. Ufelskala score: Unknown

  Griminions—Servants to the Grim Reaper. Believed by some to function for demons as angels do for humans… escorting the souls of dead demons to Sheoul-gra. Ufelskala score: Unknown

  Guai (gwah-eye)—An Asian species, approximately four feet tall, stocky, and resembling a wild boar on two legs. Omnivores, these demons hang out near rice paddies, where they raid rice fields and eat the occasional snake or rat. Ufelskala score: 1

  Harpy—Best described as a “winged woman,” or as a cross between an eagle and human female. Human-size, harpies have the legs and talon-tipped feet of eagles, and wings instead of arms. Clawlike hands extend from the tips of their wings. Harpies are social creatures, living in groups in large wilderness areas, feeding on demon prey species. When females reach maturity at the age of one hundred, they can take human form once every ten years to mate with a human male. She will then lay a single egg, which will hatch two years later. The eggs, believed to impart immortality if eaten, are highly prized by some demon species, and have become a black market commodity. Ufelskala score: 1

  Hell stallion and hell mare—Black, horselike creatures the size of Clydesdales. These demon equines are carnivores that spit fire and kill with razor-sharp hooves. Few species can tame and ride hell stallions and mares, but once these horses give their loyalty, it is given for life. Ufelskala score: 2

  Hellhound—The size of a buffalo, hellhounds are massive black canines with paws the size of dinner plates, glowing red eyes, and a mouthful of bloody teeth. Unlike Earthbound canines, hellhounds have catlike retractable claws, which they use to devastating effect. Their main method of killing involves first raping their prey, and then disemboweling it and feasting while it still lives. Notoriously hard to control, hellhounds must be handled only by a professional—hellhounds are known to turn on their handlers with terrifying frequency. Ufelskala score: 3

  Huldrefox—A seasonal and social demon that emerges from Sheoul in the fall to raid farmers’ fields ready to harvest. They especially enjoy gourds. They are a fragile, nonviolent breed, but with six-inch fangs and clawed hands and feet, they are capable of defending themselves when necessary, and are extremely protective of their young, flossa, which emerge from eggs after six months. Ufelskala score: 1

  Imp—Around three feet tall, these demons are the worker ants of the underworld. By far the most common demons, they are treated more like beasts of burden than equals. They are thin, hunched over, with big heads and eyes that are disproportionately large for their faces. They eat anything they can put into their mouths. They breed like rats, giving birth to litters of four to eight young, most of which will not survive to adulthood, as they were considered a prey species by many demons. Harmless to humans. Ufelskala score: 1

  Isfet—An unusual race of demons, all of whom are enslaved by the Neethul. A tall, thin species with unusually large eyes and long fingers, their skin changes color in reaction to their environment. They are unique in that they are incapable of learning the complexities of any language but theirs, and no one can speak their language fluently. Ufelskala score: 1

  Judicia—Justice demons. Humanoid in appearance, with dark hair, green skin, and white antlers. Males always wear long beards. Females shave theirs. Some justice demons work within the Sheoul penal complex. Others are summoned by private individuals or species and breed councils for matters of justice. Justice demons possess the power of mind to inflict painful punishment as they see fit. Ufelskala score: 1

  Khilesh devil—Looking like a cross between an alligator and a gorilla, this predatory species hunts in packs, often killing more than necessary. Their favorite food is Umber young, but they will kill any helpless demon unlucky enough to cross their paths. Khilesh devils live in Sheoul, but usually hunt in forests aboveground. Ufelskala score: 3

  Khnive—Summoned demon tracker bound by its master to do his bidding until the spell times out. They smell strongly of decay, and resemble giant, skinless opossums. When not being forced to track, khnives roam Sheoul in packs, scavenging for other species’ leftover kills. Ufelskala score: 1

  Lava beast—Elephant-size demons that live within volcanoes. They are the only known species that can survive exposure to hot lava. Orange-red and black in color, they can blend into cooling lava flows. Thought to be the physical incarnation of evil humans killed in natural disasters, lava beasts feed on the negative energy produced by a volcano’s destruction. Ufelskala score: 3

  Leonine beast—Believed to be the first demons created as a cross between humans and animals. Some demon scholars are certain leonine beasts are the result of a failed attempt at creating lion shapeshifters. Whatever their origins, they resemble lions, but are capable of walking upright. None exist in the wild—these creatures are kept only as pets by the most wealthy and powerful demon lords. Ufelskala score: 2

  Mamu—An Australian desert-dwelling species of man-eating, shapeshifting demon. These tall, pointy-headed ugly demons hunt for solitary humans. They can disguise themselves in many forms, from animal, human or inanimate object. Crude clubs are their weapons of choice. Ufelskala score: 5

  Mara—Humanoid demons that can reside in either the human or demon realm. Voracious carnivores, these demons are responsible for negatively impacting the human realm’s animal population through massive poaching. When threatened or hunting, they sprout an extra set of sharp teeth, and their jaws unhinge for greater bite damage. Each Mara is a carrier of a disease unique to that individual… which means that the antidote resides with him as well. Ufelskala score: 4

  Moraki—Spiderlike demons the size of a small car. Their bodies consist entirely of bone and teeth, and the clacking noise they make is said to drive some demons mad. Their bones are coveted as weapons—a club made from a Moraki’s
leg can fetch top dollar at any demon market. Being struck by a Moraki-bone weapon renders most victims temporarily confused to the point that they will attack their own allies in battle. Ufelskala score: 3

  Nebulous demon—These rare, malevolent spirits suck souls out of humans. They are shapeless, appearing as patches of fog or steam. Some breeds take only the souls of those who are comatose, while others prey mostly on children, the mentally ill, and the elderly, leaving them alive, but with no sense of right and wrong. The human souls are stored within the demon, providing it energy for as long as the human body lives. The souls can only be freed by killing the demon. Ufelskala score: 4

  Neethulum—An extremely intelligent and cruel race who breed, raise, train, and sell other species as slaves and food. Their uncommon beauty has given rise to the rumor that they are descended from fallen angels. They reside wherever they want to within the vast confines of Sheoul. Ufelskala score: 5

  Nightlash—Humanoid, with clawed feet and sharp teeth. Very tall, often topping seven feet. They will eat anything they can catch, and they hunt in family packs, mainly because they are all inbred. There are no social taboos with these demons. They reside only in Sheoul, usually the colder regions, but they consider all of Earth their hunting ground. Ufelskala score: 4

  Null—The rarest of demons, void of life and souls. They exist as shadowy creatures with gaping maws and jagged teeth. Often bound to demon holy places, there is no known weapon against them. Ufelskala score: 4

  Obhirrat—Among the most hideous, vile demons in existence. At around seven and a half feet tall, these snouted beasts have foot-long claws they click together when agitated, beady, red eyes, snakelike tongues. Their skin is transparent, revealing their primary means of defense: flesh-eating maggots that squirm constantly beneath the skin. Few can look upon an obhirrat without becoming nauseous. Ufelskala score: 3

  Oni—These rather stupid demons are troublemakers. The party animals of the underworld, they eat, drink, and have sex to excess. Onis may live in the human realm or the demon one, but they are always present at the sites of natural disasters, and they love to hang out in places where diseases reach epidemic proportions. Ranging in size from half that of a human to three times the size, they also vary in color, from pale peach to bright pink to blue. Their three fingers and toes on each hand and foot end in sharp talons. They boast three eyes, a flat face, and a gaping mouth full of fangs. Ufelskala score: 3

  Ramreel—Rumored to have been created from human and goat stock, these burly, small-eyed demons with curled horns tend to make their living by hiring themselves out as guards. As small kids, they train with blade weapons, giving them a head start in the crowded but lucrative security market. Ufelskala score: 2

  Rusalka—Freshwater species that can shapeshift into fishes and frogs. Rusalkas are female, pale green in color, with green hair. They are perpetually lonely, and they lure human men into the water to mate with them. Unfortunately, their partners always drown after they give up their seed, leaving the Rusalkas lonely once more—that is, until their eggs hatch nine months later. Despite the fact that they always kill their partners, Rusalkas are not evil; they never intend to drown their partners, and they always forget that it happened, so they can’t learn from their mistakes. Ufelskala score: 1

  Seminus—A rare, specialized breed of incubi. Members of the breed are exclusively male, with the exception of a half-breed named Sin, who is the only known female Seminus. As a ter’taceo species, they appear human. As incubi, they are always attractive, and their sexual pheromones can loosen up even the most prickly females. At one hundred years old, Seminus demons gain the ability to shapeshift and impregnate females of other species through a maturation process called s’genesis, which also causes them to lose any sense of compassion and rationality unless they are bonded to a life mate. Because individual Seminus demons are raised by different species, their Ufelskala scores vary wildly. Ufelskala score: Varies

  Sensor—Ter’taceo demons who live and work with humans in order to seek out and destroy the infant half-breed offspring of humans and demons. Though their natural form is humanoid, their skin begins to deteriorate after too much time in the human realm. They must return to Sheoul every six months to endure a two-week regeneration ritual. Ufelskala score: 2

  Shapeshifter—Shapeshifters (as their own distinct species, as opposed to a demon who can shift his shape) are human-animal hybrids and differ from weres in two main ways: 1) Shapeshifters turn into true animals, not human-beasts; 2) Shapeshifters can shift at will and are not affected by the full moon. All true shifters have a telltale birthmark, a red, star-shaped mole behind the left ear. According to the Daemonica, the demon bible, shapeshifters, like turned weres and vampires, have human souls. Ufelskala score: Varies

  Silas demon—The mercenaries of the underworld. These pale white, eyeless demons live in Sheoul, in large communities where no other species is allowed. They sell their war services to the highest bidders as groups, not individuals, and they will destroy anything and anyone they are paid to kill. Their clothing is made entirely of the hides and skins of their victims. Ufelskala score: 4

  Skullboar—Named because this carnivorous piglike creature’s head resembles a skull covered by only a thin layer of gray skin, the skullboar is a favorite game animal in the soggier forests of Sheoul. Its body is protected by inch-long quills that, if used as weapons, will burrow deeply into the victim’s flesh until they reach a vital organ. Killing and dressing these creatures requires skill—and protective armor. Tastes like chicken! Ufelskala score: 1

  Slogthu—Apelike demons with long, tufted ears. They often have exaggerated underbites, overgrown lower fangs, and patchy fur. A cold-weather species, they live high up in mountains or in icy regions of Sheoul. They are extremely dexterous, famous for their finely woven garments and rugs. Omnivores, they prefer their meat cooked. Ufelskala score: 1

  Sora—Red-skinned, attractive, black hair and tiny black or white horns that change shade with their mood. Often described as looking like cartoon devils. Very sexual beings, they rarely form pair-bonds and usually have multiple partners composed of several species, though they can only breed with their own kind. Ufelskala score: 1

  Soulshredder—Both feared and respected throughout Sheoul, Soulshredders are vicious even by demon standards. They feed off pain, misery, and terror. They rarely kill outright, instead spending years, even decades, haunting and torturing their victims. They resemble skinned gargoyles, with membrane-thin wings, serrated talons on red, scaly paws, and barbed penises. Ufelskala score: 5

  Spiny hellrat—Similar in size to muskrats, these scavengers populate Sheoul by the millions. Supposedly tasty, they are considered by many demons to be food only “poor demon trash” would eat. Their spines, about as long and thick as a hedgehog’s, are venomous, as is their bite. Ufelskala score: 1

  Trillah—A sleek, catlike species. Tall, toned, and graceful, they have bronze skin in the summer and a velvety coat of golden fur in the winter. One of the few non-ter’taceo species visible at all times to humans, they were forced into Sheoul when the human population grew too large for Trillahs to remain out in the open. Though Trillahs are not evil, they resent mankind for their banishment to Sheoul. Ufelskala score: 1

  Umber—Humanoid bodies with gray skin, charcoal hair, and gunmetal eyes. Very gentle, cave-dwelling species. They are good judges of character, having a natural ability to sense evil and good inside someone, and depending on their level of skill, Umbers can lessen or even remove the darkness-guilt that weighs an individual down. Ufelskala score: 1

  Vampire—It is believed that vampires were created from fallen angels. Any vampire may turn a human into a vampire, but after a population explosion in the Dark Ages, followed by a vampire civil war, the Vampire Council was formed, and rules were created to regulate not only turnings, but behavior in general. Many of the popular vampire legends are true, but vampires do not believe that their souls are doomed. They live with the belie
f that if they willingly walk into the morning sun, their souls will be carried to Heaven for judgment before God. However, any vampire killed in any other manner is doomed to suffer eternal torment in Sheoul-gra. Ufelskala score: Varies

  Subspecies: Daywalker—The existence of vampires who can walk in the daylight has not been confirmed, but reports of these vampires have been increasing, most notably since Pestilence’s Seal broke. RUMOR ONLY.

  Vapor wraith—Ghostlike demons whose origins and habitats are unknown. They are never seen except when bound by a spell to an object, usually Harrowgates. Their height can vary from twelve feet tall to fifty feet and they have a mouthful of shark-sharp teeth and claws that can grow up to seven feet in length. Ufelskala score: 3

  Viper ghoul—Ill-tempered, nasty, man-size reptile that resembles a cobra that has been dead for a month. Viper ghouls are easily controlled by sorcery, and are often summoned by humans who play with black magic without fully grasping its power. The results can be deadly. Ufelskala score: 2

  Were-beasts—Weres are humans who shift only during the three nights of the full moon. They turn into large, two-legged, furry beasts with both human and animal features. Only a few species of were-creatures are known to exist: werewolves (who call themselves wargs) werebears, and wereleopards, though werewolves are the most common. There are two classes of were-beasts; those who are born weres, and those who are turned after being bitten. Born weres, especially wolves, tend to live in packs, while turned weres usually lead solitary existences. There are rumors of a rare breed of werewolves called feast wargs, who change during the new moon instead of the full moon. It’s said that feast wargs were bred by demons to hunt regular wargs. Ufelskala score: Varies

  Q&A with Larissa

  I love getting questions from readers, so when I decided to put together this compendium, I asked my readers what they wanted to know. Here are some of the questions I get asked the most, as well as a couple of curveballs!