Back in 1994, I was living in Tifton, broke, just started a new job, and knew no one there at all. I did have a desktop computer, and I had a lot of time on my hands. I remember the day was cold and wet. I turned my heat on when I started seeing my breath inside.
Anne Rice had done amazingly well reinventing vampires, so I decided to reinvent a monster. Which? Werewolves? I thought about it. Zombies? No. Vampires again? No, please. Mummies? For the love of Anubis, no, no, no!
Demons?
I watched the sleet pound the windows and turned up the heat. Okay, supposed Demons possessed people, but exorcism doesn’t do anything to them, and never did. Demons know there are no gods or goddesses. So far so good.
Can they die? Kinda. If they aren’t inside of a host they black out into a super cold and totally dark place. How long? Every time feels like forever, but then they are reincarnated back to earth, and they are weaker than when they left. They have to find a host, and soon, or they get black zapped again.
I needed a name. I looked around my tiny apartment and saw the box some cookware came in.
“Regal.” The Demon Regal was born.
Regal is old, over eight thousand years old. He was there in the beginning of Demons, and was there when Atlantis fell. His host was murdered, and he got zapped, but returned in good order and found a host.
He killed the Demon Barbos, who had killed him, and now the two are enemies.
Demons possess people by getting them to surrender control of their bodies and mind to the Demon. They can manipulate memories. They can control parts of the mind through memories. All humans can resist minor Demons. Some can resist stronger minor Demons, but Regal can possess any human at will and nothing can stop him.
Some Demons, like Regal are kind to their hosts, and try to make their lives better. The Demon Vodun has a team of hosts that run a Yoga studio. The most they have to do is eight hours a day of possession, or Yoga, like a regular job with full benefits. Vodun punishes disrespect harshly and ruins the lives of humans who do not hold up their end of the bargain.
The Demon Isere is the most liked Demon as far as humans go. Much younger than Regal or even Vodun, she helps her hosts live a much better life.
This is how stories are invented and evolve.
Questions?
Take Care,
Mike