EME ATỌ

The Diaburuonu; The Damned

The worst of the worst in the infernal army. These were the irredeemable human folk, already sold out their souls and received their malevolent goods and services from the markets of Hell. Many spotted their dark gifts, some on their path to true demonhood. Humans becoming demons and dark deities unto themselves. The dark host was a sight even the blind could behold, for its evil was as ill-radiant as a baleful sun.

Even though they had not yet clashed with the Heralds of Light, the heat of the malignity could be felt unfiltered by the pious warriors. The sky churned at the wave of evil amassing under it, dark clouds blotted out the sun. The day darkened with deep rumbling sounds that normally heralded rain, flashes of sick orange lightening, a gloamy pall washed over the soon-to-be battleground. The grotesque chimera, hellion beasts and corrupted animals of the infernal were untroubled, but the true-blessed creatures in the war host of the pious were agitated. They had to be placated with prayers and other forms of soothing. They didn't need the awareness of men to feel the perversion prevalent in the environment.

The Diaburuonu, the damned, were the leading lords of profanity in all its dark glory and malignity. Sorcerers, witches, occultists, demi-demon gods, human-monster hybrids of all kinds filled the lines of the dark army. The priests, Magi and living saints had joined forces to combat these unnatural foes, canceling out evil magicks with the purity of their holy words, ken and faith. Man was supposed to ascend, to become more than human; but the men and women of Diaburuonu descended.

Seeking more in becoming less.

Some were transmogrified into half man, half beast hybrids—wereleopards, goat-headed man-beasts, Cambions, fish-eyed humanoids and a host of chimeric monstrosities that beggar belief. The Diaburuonu sported caprid and bovine horns, piscean fins, leonine legs, serpentine and piscean scales, hooved feet, multicoloured feathers, wickedly clawed digits, bat-like black avian wings, body fur, porcine snouts, and variedly coloured demonic eyes the sour colour of unfathomable evil and spiritual death.

Humanoid forms with animal heads looked like parodies of Egyptian gods. The sharp glint of razor-keen fangs and claws were conspicuous, the damned bared them in eager want for bloodshed. They screamed heresies, shrieked blasphemies, roared barbs, hissed poisoned hate-speeches; spitting all forms of vitriol against the Scions of Pentecost.

Accompanying the unholy horde above, harpies and other such once-human bird monstrosities could be seen. Many of the Sentinels of Piotr shut their minds to the psychic assaults of the demonic horde. They remained dauntless, adamantine countenance put up against the malign enemy steeled the hearts of their comrades beside them.

With every step, every progress made towards the Heralds of Divine Light by the infernal army, clearer detail of the ever-despicable enemy met the eyes of the faithful.

And yet they defied that evil, reflecting an even purer arrogance back to an enemy who took pride in its sins and damnation.