- Demons (Shannara)
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Demons is a common name for many different creatures in the Shannara series of epic fantasy[1] novels by Terry Brooks. The 'true' demons were sealed long ago within an alternate universe, named the Forbidding; this prison is 'maintained' by the Ellcrys, a sacred Elven tree; if she dies, the Forbidding fails. The Demons first threatened the Four Lands when the Ellcrys began to die in The Elfstones of Shannara, but were defeated by the united efforts of the Bordermen of Callahorn, the Elves, Trolls, Dwarves, Allanon, the Elfstones wielded by Wil Ohmsford and Amberle Elessedil. These same Demons played a central role the High Druid of Shannara trilogy, where they attempted to break free of their prison once more (see below).
In addition, the Shannara prequel novels of the Word/Void and The Genesis of Shannara series contain demons (uncapitalized in the texts) of an apparently different origin: they are former humans who have sold their souls in service to the Void.
Contents
The Dagda Mor
The Dagda Mor Shannara character
An Andy Simmons painting of Allanon facing down the Dagda Mor inside of Paranor.First appearance The Elfstones of Shannara Last appearance Died at the hands of Allanon during the Siege of Arborlon Information Species Demon Gender Male Loyalty himself Magic item or equipment his "Staff of Power" The Dagda Mor is a fictional character and the antagonist of the epic fantasy[1] novel The Elfstones of Shannara, by Terry Brooks. He is the most powerful Demon that is locked inside the Forbidding. As such, he is their leader[2]—most of the others obey him out of fear, with a few notable exceptions, such as the Reaper. He channels his magic through his "Staff of Power";[2] this staff allows him to "ground" his magic, similar to Mareth from First King of Shannara.
Appearance
The Dagda Mor was described this way in The Elfstones of Shannara:
At a distance, he might have passed for [a man]. ... He walked upright on two legs, and his arms were only slightly longer than those of a man. He carried himself stooped over, his movement hampered by a peculiar hunching motion--but the dark robes that cloaked him made it difficult to tell the cause. It was only when close that one could see clearly the massive hump that crooked his spine almost double at the shoulders. Or the great tufts of greenish hair that protruded from all parts of his body like saw grass. Or the scales that coated his forearms and lower legs. Or the hands and feet that ended in claws. Or the vaguely catlike muzzle that was his face. Or the eyes, black and shining, deceptively placid on their surface, like twin pools of water that hid something evil and destructive.[3]Role in The Elfstones of Shannara
When the Ellcrys began to fail, the Dagda Mor, the leader of the Demons, used his sorcery to escape the Forbidding with two of his subjects (a Changeling and the Reaper). Seeking to gain revenge on those who imprisoned him, he set out to ensure his victory by sending the Reaper to murder the Chosen. He also set his sights upon Allanon, for Allanon was the only one who could match his power. After all of the Demons broke out, starting the War of the Forbidding, his Demon brethren attacked and slowly pushed the Elven army and their allies back to Arborlon. When the Ellcrys' rebirth was close at hand and the Demon mass had stalled, the Dagda Mor mounted a giant bat to do battle against a Roc-mounted Allanon. Both mounts eventually perished, and the two matched their sorcerous powers on the ground; using his Druid Fire, Allanon managed to kill him.[2]
Changeling
Changeling Shannara character First appearance The Elfstones of Shannara Last appearance Killed by Eventine when the Changeline attempted to murder him. Information Species Demon Loyalty Dagda Mor Magic item or equipment It could transform into any sort of creature The Changeling is a fictional character from The Elfstones of Shannara, an epic fantasy[1] novel by Terry Brooks. As its name suggests, the Changeling could mimic the appearance of any living thing.[2] Though he "had been denied the full use of his powers [while in the Forbidding]"[4], he was one of two Demons Dagda Mor brought out of the Forbidding to help him; this was due to how "the possibilities were endless. All things, whether human or animal, fish or fowl, no matter their size, shape, color or abilities — he could be any of them."[4] His true appearance is entirely unknown.
Role in The Elfstones of Shannara
After breaking out of the Forbidding, the Changeling infiltrated Arborlon to become Dagda Mor's personal spy. After killing Went, the old Elven groundskeeper, to observe the palace, he eventually took the form of Eventine Elessedil's wolfhound Manx.[2] For a long time afterward, the Changeling fed information to the Dagda Mor regarding Allanon's plans. After a time, the Changeling decided to kill Eventine. He killed both of the king's personal guards, Rhoe and Dardan, and then went after him. After the King escaped his bed and went into the hallway, he found that the doors were jammed shut. He picked up Dardan's short sword and managed to stay alive long enough for rescuers to arrive; at that moment, the King killed the Changeling while it was distracted.[2] The Changeling accomplished its last mission, though: King Eventine later died of the injuries that had been inflicted by the Changeling.
The Reaper
The Reaper Shannara character First appearance The Elfstones of Shannara Last appearance Killed by Wil Ohmsford when he was attacked to the face with the three blue Elfstones. Information Species Demon Loyalty Dagda Mor, but only out of whim The Reaper is a fictional character from The Elfstones of Shannara, an epic fantasy[1] novel by Terry Brooks. The Reaper was known for its killing, being described bluntly in Elfstones:
"If the Changeling was to be judged dangerous, the Reaper was ten times more so. The Reaper was a killer. Killing was the sole function of its existence. ... [It] feared nothing. It was a monster who cared nothing for life, even its own. It did not even kill because it enjoyed killing, though in truth it did enjoy killing. It killed because killing was instinctive. It killed because it found killing necessary."[5]Unlike almost all of the Demons that were trapped behind the Forbidding, the Reaper served Dagda Mor "out of whim and not out of fear or respect."[5]
Appearance
The Reaper's appearance was that of a tall ("almost seven feet tall when it rose to its full height"[5]) figure clad in a cloak and hood the "color of damp ashes"[5]. It had clawed hands, and despite its appearance moved with the "ease and grace of the best Elven Hunter."[5] The only part of the Reaper never seen by anyone alive is its face, as it only reveals to its victims just before their death.
Role in The Elfstones of Shannara
The Reaper was dispatched by the Dagda Mor for several missions, among them killing the Chosen. When it was discovered that Amberle Elessedil was still a Chosen, he followed her and Wil Ohmsford to the Bloodfire. During the journey, the Reaper killed the 'original' 6 Chosen, a patrol of Elven Hunters, a band of Rovers, the entire garrison of Elves that were stationed at the outpost in Drey Wood, the six Elves that had been sent to protect Amberle, and, lastly, the mutant Elf Wisp. However, when Wil Ohmsford aimed the blue Elfstones at its face (not its body), the Reaper was finally killed.[2]
The Moric
The Moric is a Changeling demon; it is capable of assuming not only the form but the personality of those who it imitates. Its true appearance is unknown.
When Grianne Ohmsford was sent to the Forbidding, the Moric took her place in the Four Lands. Setting out to end the Forbidding once and for all, the Moric assimilated an Elven Druid and set out to manipulate the Federation into destroying Arborlon, in order to destroy the Ellcrys tree. However, despite its possession of Sen Dunsidan, the Moric was tricked into returning to the Forbidding, where it met its end in the jaws of a dragon.
Tael Riverine
With the death of the Dagda Mor, Tael Riverine, Straken Lord, is the most powerful Demon within the Forbidding. Seeking a way to escape the realm of the Forbidding, he manipulated several treacherous Druids in the Four Lands opposed to the current Ard Rhys (High Druid), Grianne Ohmsford in an attempt to break down the walls of the Forbidding. He provided Shadea a'Ru with a powerful potion known as 'Liquid Night', which he convinced her would send Grianne into the Forbidding, where she could not escape from her banishment. However, he withheld an aspect of the magic: by sending Grianne to the Forbidding, a Demon would be transferred to the Four Lands, where Tael hoped that it would find a way to destroy the Ellcrys, freeing the Demons. After the switch, he sent out his Trackers to find Grianne Ohmsford, and they captured her and brought her to him. After testing her several ways, he deemed her fit to bear his children; but she managed to escape his castle with the help of an ex-tracker. Though he searched for her, he was unable to find her before she escaped the Forbidding.
Appearance
Tael Riverine is a Straken, and as such, he is a powerful wielder of magic, perhaps even more powerful than Grianne Ohmsford.[citation needed] His appearance is that of a tall, muscular man with dark black skin. Spines extend from his body from everywhere but his head, and he wears an outfit of several weapons strapped to his body. He has cold, ice-blue eyes.
Demon Species
Aside from powerful demons such as the Straken Lords, there are also Demons that are far more common, and exist in larger numbers.
Furies
Furies are Demons that have gone mad with bloodlust. They were described graphically in The Elfstones of Shannara: "They were grotesque creatures, their bodies a sinuous mass of grey hair, their limbs bent and vaguely human, their multiple fingers grown to claws. ... [Their faces] were the face of women, their features twisted with savagery, their mouths...the jaws of monstrous cats."[6] These creatures came from the Forbidding with the help of the Dagda Mor. These creatures were trying to destroy Allanon during his first encounter with the Dagda Mor.
Demon-wolves
Demon-wolves were referred to in The Elfstones of Shannara as being "things that were wolf-like, but much larger, and with faces that appeared grotesquely human as they lifted in the moonlight, long teeth snapping."[7]
Role played
In The Elfstones of Shannara, Demon-wolves gave chase to Allanon, Wil and Amberle as they fled her home, Havenstead. They would have caught Wil and Amberle if they wouldn't have been 'whisked away' by the King of the Silver River; Allanon managed to escape them, though it is not explained in the novel how he did.
Dragons
Two Dragons appeared in different parts of the Shannara series: one appeared in The Elfstones of Shannara at Halys Cut and was killed by Allanon; the other appeared in the High Druid of Shannara trilogy, when it was drawn to the Darkwand by the flashing lights the staff gave off. That dragon was not killed, however; it last appeared at the end when it was 'toying' with the Moric.
Demons of the Word & Void and The Genesis of Shannara series
In the novels of the Word & Void and The Genesis of Shannara series, the prequel novels to the entire Shannara series, different demons appear, and they are also seeking to destroy the world. These demons are former humans who accepted an offer of service to the Void. They are described in Armageddon's Children as being a "new demonkind, one born of the human race",[citation needed] and distinctly separate from the demons that appeared in The Elfstones of Shannara. When they first accepted the offer to join the Void, they began to shed their human-form, becoming less and less human. Eventually, they were stripped down to a hard, winged husk similar to a bat, which becomes their 'true-form'. In the Word/Void series, set in the late 20th century and early 21st century, demons covertly work to cause discord among humans, striving to set into motion the events that will cause the Great Wars; when they come about, these wars eliminate most of humanity. The Genesis of Shannara trilogy, set eighty years after Angel Fire East, demons now dominate the planet and they have enslaved many of the remaining humans. These demons command legions of "once-men", humans who choose to join the demon's army and began to grow insane, changing mentally, psychologically, emotionally, and physically. These legions are used to overwhelm the remaining human strongholds when they are found. The demons also have begun to breed new demons by experimenting upon human children.
A special form of Demon is a Changeling, which are identical to regular Demons, albeit their unique ability to effortlessly and rapidly change forms; they can shapeshift in a matter of a few seconds. One of these Demons infiltrated the Cintra and spied on the Elves for an unknown period of time; the final form he took was that of the historian Culph. He was killed by Kirisin with the Elfstones at the end of The Elves of Cintra. Another example was the Klee, who was tracking Hawk in The Gypsy Morph. The Klee took on the form of persons known to its targets in order to lure them away from safer locations.
Some demons prefer to cast away their human appearance, assuming a more lethal demonic form but forgoing the ability to blend in amongst the populace. An example is Delloreen of Armageddon's Children and The Elves of Cintra, who shed her human appearance to become a 10-foot-long (3.0 m) wolf-like demon because of her desire to kill Angel Perez.
The most powerful of the demons of this time is Findo Gask, who is unlike his contemporaries in that he kills and triggers chaos out of pure curiosity, not hatred. He is the primary antagonist of the novels Angel Fire East and Armageddon's Children. Other notable demons in these series include Delloreen and Tragen (Armageddon's Children); Penny Dreadful, Twitch, and the Ur'droch (Angel Fire East); Stefanie Winslow (A Knight of the Word); and Nest Freemark's father in Running with the Demon.
References
- ^ a b c d Speakman, Shawn (2008). "Terry Brooks' official website". Archived from the original on 2008-04-23. http://web.archive.org/web/20080423001005/http://www.terrybrooks.net/novels/index.html. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gong, Minnie (2007). "The Elfstones of Shannara Character List". The Shannara Files. http://www.alitheia.org/shannarafiles/Elfstones_ABC.php. Retrieved 2008-04-08.[dead link]
- ^ Brooks, Terry (1982). The Elfstones of Shannara Pg. 8
- ^ a b Elfstones Pg. 10
- ^ a b c d e Elfstones Pg. 11
- ^ Elfstones Pgs. 57-58
- ^ Elfstones Pg. 109
Novels of Terry Brooks’ Shannara universe Book I Book II Book III Book IV Word & Void: Running with the Demon A Knight of the Word Angel Fire East The Genesis of Shannara: Armageddon's Children The Elves of Cintra The Gypsy Morph Legends of Shannara: Bearers of the Black Staff The Measure of the Magic Prequel to Shannara: First King of Shannara The Original Shannara Trilogy: The Sword of Shannara The Elfstones of Shannara The Wishsong of Shannara The Heritage of Shannara: The Scions of Shannara The Druid of Shannara The Elf Queen of Shannara The Talismans of Shannara The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Ilse Witch Antrax Morgawr High Druid of Shannara: Jarka Ruus Tanequil Straken Legacy of Shannara: The Wards of Faerie TBA TBA Other Shannara products The World of Shannara Shannara PC Game Dark Wraith of Shannara Indomitable Shannara on Wikipedia Shannara task force — Characters — Creatures — Places — Objects — Related articles Categories:- Shannara characters
- Shannara creatures
- Fictional demons
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