With great Power comes great corruption

Princes of Hell

After Lucifer fell, he brought with him a host of fallen angels, which became the first demons. These fallen angels, along with the first human souls captured by Lucifer, became known as the Princes of Hell. Each Prince rules, or commands and controls, one level or layer within the demesne of Hell. These demons are potent and powerful agents that serve as the hands, fists, and eyes of the Morningstar, as well as enforcers of their own personal agendas. Some adhere to the goals of Lucifer which were given forth in the Luciferean Manifesto such as the eradication of humanity, war on heaven, the freedom of Lucifer from His prison, and the replacement of God. Others tend to their own amusements or agendas, amusing themselves however they please with whomever they please.

When they have possessed human hosts, Princes of Hell can reveal their true nature by revealing the livid, nearly neon yellow of their eyes.

Because the law of Hell is that 'Might Makes Right', these demons are generally obeyed out of fear and dread, as they are the strongest and it is the duty of the strongest to oppress the weak. At least, that's the official party line. The Princes may or may not adhere to this philosophy, and who can tell them otherwise?

It is known that the Princes have a unique bond of sorts, regarding one another almost as family, with all of the nuances and complications thereof.

Knights of Hell

The second generation of demons were born of human souls dragged into the Pit after the fall and there tortured, maimed, and in some cases simply talked to, for so long that those human souls became twisted, warped, and broken. After the conversion process is finished, these newborn demons were trained in all the arts of war and command, leadership and discipline, and in the personal exercise of power. The Knights represent the second most powerful tier of demonic entities and typically serve as the left or right hands to the Princes of Hell.

The presence of a white-eyed demon is usually an indicator that something is amiss or that heavy powers are being brought to bear for or against something in particular. While the Knights may answer to the Princes, they are an independent lot. Some Knights aspire to rise to the rank of Prince themselves, and thus represent a danger to the Princes of Hell and other demons who may get caught up in their schemes. The Knights take oaths of loyalty directly to Lucifer, and it is said have ways of contacting him that are unknown to the Princes.

Within the Knights of Hell, there only a handful of demons of the Commanders Caste known as the Generals. If the Knights do have their own agenda within Hell's hierarchy and demon ranks, only the Generals could confirm and shed light on what those goals may be or how they intend to achieve them.

Crossroad Demons

Crossroad demons are perhaps some of the most friendly and familiar demons that can be encountered by humans, but this should not fool anyone. A Crossroads demon is in sales. Their entire point of being is to lure more souls to Hell, by contractually bargaining for the souls of human beings. Offering something the human wants in exchange for their soul, the Crossroad demons usually come from the "Tempters" caste and are perhaps the most human and most relatable of all demons.

The tradition of Crossroads Demons stretches back in time to the very first roads that were traveled. Ever since those early days, with a bit of luck and some magic, a person can enact a spell which calls the demon to the crossroads and then strike a bargain there. Crossroad demons are the third most powerful tier of demonic entities and have red eyes, a color which blots out the entire eye with a rich blood-red color that almost seems to glow.

"Common" Demons

Common Demons, sometimes known as black-eyed demons due to the ability they have to make their entire eye go midnight black, are souls of humans which were likely recently converted into demons and have yet to climb the ranks of power on their own. While not as 'dangerous' as their more powerful rivals, they are by far the most numerous types of demons and are generally willing and able to work together to achieve the goals, orders, or missions which they are assigned from above or wish to undertake on their own.

Black-eyed demons are almost always eager for advancement, for more power and control, and so they watch their superiors, waiting for those superiors to make a mistake or expose a vulnerability that can be exploited.

Climbing the Ranks

It is possible, if unlikely, for a demon to move up the ranks in Hell's hierarchy. Doing so involves either being promoted by a higher ranking demon, or by taking the souls of other humans and breaking them. The conversion process gives the demon a link to that soul, which in turn bolsters its own power, albeit in a very minute and incremental way.