E. A. Koetting - staticfly.net

CHAPTER SIX
SERVANTS OF DARKNESS
One of the greatest attractions to the Dark Arts, yet at the
same time the greatest deterrent, is the human awareness of the
existence of malign and hideously intelligent demons. Their powers
seem too great to be controlled, their wit too sharp to be matched, and
their intentions too sinister to be predicted. They are the archetypes of
mortal fear and undying evil. They are the spiritual incarnations of
all things unknown. They are always there, hiding just beyond human
detection, tempting, prodding, and possessing the human race.
Fear of demons existed long before movies about exorcisms and
television shows about demon hunters were programming the masses
to either fear the fiends or to scoff at them. Parents prayed for salvation
from demonic retribution while wide-eyed children were kept awake
with fear long before the Dominican monks distributed the Malleus
Maleficarum.
Before the first alphabet was imprinted in clay or the first
symbol was etched in stone, men knew of the demons. No church needed
to direct their ears to the shrieking in the southwest wind, nor did the
people need a priest to show them the dead bodies of their diseased
neighbors. There was no big screen or TV set to dictate the shape the
devil would take when he was risen, yet he still would rise.
While some animals growl, yelp, or run circles at the coming of
the evil thing, humans tremble, having no defense against the
breathing darkness. Cultures and religions divided by miles of ocean
have all trembled at the mention of the damnable names of the demons,
sometimes driven to their knees in worship and sometimes in agony.
Their attributes rarely changing from continent to continent, their
powers constant throughout the world and their continuous compelling
effect on our history, demons have been the Black Magician's greatest
ally and constant companion, his guide through the realms of chaos.
The ambitious Dabbler may dream of summoning armies of
demons in a few words, the denizens taking shapes before him that are
as easily beheld as the latex monsters in his movies, and sending them
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