a house divided against itself

Demons are perhaps among the most fracticious and argumentative beings in the universe, constantly pitting themselves against one another as, if not more, eagerly than they do other beings. They have argued and fought against each other for so long that for many conflict is now a way of life rather than guided with a purpose. There are however four main philosophical groupings of demons in the infernal host.

These divisions, or factions, are banded together by a loose purpose and a certain set of shared beliefs, guided in some cases by a single Prince of Hell, or multiple Princes. The demons who take part in the factions know that at some point the factions will clash in a bid for total command of Hell. Some have already begun using the Earth in order to take a "First Strike" capability when the battles begin.

The Lucifereans

Leaders: Azazel, Mephistopholes, Corassus, Baal-Berith, Lilith

The Lucifereans are a group of demons united by their shared belief that Lucifer is the 'God' of their race and that they must both honor him and aid him in his quest to remove the humans from the world in order to restore it to Edenic perfection. The Lucifereans believe that once humanity has been eliminated, Lucifer will return to Heaven as the new God and rule over a glorified and perfected Earth. They are simultaneously among the most violent and most subtle of the demons.

The dominant goal of the Lucifereans is to find a way to free Lucifer from his cage, a feat they cannot figure out how to accomplish.

The Devourers

Leaders: Aztor-Inari, Agaliarept, Marchosias, Demandred

Of all demons, those that adhere to the Devourers are perhaps the most nihilistic creatures in the Universe. Like the Lucifereans, they desire humanity to be wiped away from the earth. Unlike Lucifereans, they want the Earth to follow humans into the dust, and then the rest of the Universe. Their overriding goal and purpose is to bring about the end of all things. They loathe God and all of his creations, viewing all of creation as flawed, of which the only way to fix it is to tear it all down and burn it to ashes. Out of those ashes they will rebuild a new world, a new universe.

The Penitents

Leaders: Penemue, Valac

The smallest faction of demons, and arguably one that does not even exist, are those who understand that something has gone horribly wrong and know themselves as part of the problem. These demons adopt a penitent stance, striving for redemption in hopes of ascending back to being angels or to gain the peace of Heaven. Whether or not this faction truly exists is a matter of some debate, but the two leaders, Penemue and Valac, are considered aberrations and weak, even if they've demonstrated they are as strong as any other demon. Most of the demons that join the Penitents remember what it is to be human and are the most likely demons to deign working with angels.

The Ascendants

Leaders: Ishmael, Phenex, Rahab, Orobas

Ascendant demons believe that God and his angels have had their time and that Lucifer was a failure unable and incapable of leading who coudln't inspire the other demons or keep them aligned as a cohesive force. Instead of seeking to free Lucifer, each and every Ascendant believes they are heirs to Godhood, and seek to become Gods by capturing enough mortal faith and souls in order to ascend to that rank where they will then create their own universes. Their only real interest in humanity is in the power of their souls and in grasping as much power as they possibly can in order to bring about their own apotheosis.