Infernal

AX.GHW.13.06 - Threat Category: Shadow Entities

Shadow entities are not supernatural in the way ghosts or cryptids are supernatural. They are visitors — things that exist primarily in darkness, in the consuming spaces between the real and what reaches through it, and are present here because they were sent, summoned, compacted, or forced through. The hidden world's understanding of where they come from is inconsistent and contested: lay communities call them demons and reach for religious frameworks; practitioners who work with the Hollow Pact tradition have alternative frameworks; those who have spoken directly with Shadow entities have collected accounts that don't map cleanly onto any established system. What practitioners agree on is operational: these entities have specific capabilities, specific vulnerabilities, and specific relationships to the compact system that shapes how they are encountered and how they are addressed.

Shadow entities are not uniformly hostile. Some are predatory. Some are operating under compact obligations that produce hostility as a consequence of their assignment rather than as an expression of their nature. Some are in the hidden world because something has gone wrong with the compact structure that was supposed to keep them where they came from. The compact broker who offers deals is not the same kind of threat as the Greater Shadow Entity unleashed without purpose. Distinguishing between these situations shapes what response is appropriate.

Category traits common to most Shadow entities: - Immune to Shadow damage (their own nature; shadow energy that would harm others registers to these entities as simply what they are) - Vulnerable to Radiant damage — Sacred Fire applications deal full damage; blessed weapons deal +2 damage - Consecrated ground functions as hostile territory: Body Save vs Threshold 3 per Turn or take 1D3 Radiant damage and become Hindered - Blessed water deals 1D3 Radiant damage on contact with physical manifestations - Expulsion rituals (Extended Work, Governing Attribute + Occult vs Threshold 3–5 depending on entity power) can forcibly return a Shadow entity to its point of origin without destroying it - The Mark (Hollow Pact Focus): Shadow entities recognize the Mark on Shadow-Bound Marked characters and respond with the wariness appropriate to a compact-affiliated being — not necessarily deference, but awareness of the relationship

Shadow entities and the Marked: Shadow-Bound Marked characters with developed Hollow Pact tradition have a particular relationship with these threats. Shadow entities generally do not attack Shadow-Bound Marked unprovoked — the compact relationship creates a kind of professional recognition. This does not mean safety; a Shadow entity operating under hostile instructions will attack Marked characters if directed to. But the default interaction is different, and GMs should play this distinction consistently.

Threat Entries

Imp (Minion)

A minor Shadow entity — small, quick, malicious in the way that something with limited power and no consequences tends to be malicious. Imps are scouts, messengers, and nuisances. Individually they are easily handled; in groups, or when guarding something significant, they are a meaningful obstacle.

Type: Shadow Entity (Minor) Threat Power Package: Minion Size: Small

Attributes - Body: 1D - Speed: 3D - Wit: 2D

Talents - Brawl: 1D - Stealth: 2D - Notice: 1D

Combat Statistics - Health: 26 (20 + Body 1 + Minion modifier 5) - Defense: 2 (Speed 3 + Armor 0 = 3 ÷ 3 = 1, +1 base = 2) - Armor: None

Saves - Body Save: 1D (Body 1D) - Speed Save: 3D (Speed 3D) - Wit Save: 2D (Wit 2D)

Attacks - Claws: Body 1D + Brawl 1D = 2D vs Defense, 1 damage typical - Venom Bite: Body 1D + Brawl 1D = 2D vs Defense, 1 damage typical; target must make Body Save vs Threshold 2 or become Hindered (−1D on all actions) for 1D3 Turns from shadow-infused venom

Shadow Traits - Shadow Immunity: Immune to Shadow damage - Radiant Vulnerability: Takes double damage from Radiant damage; recoils from blessed water (1D3 damage on contact) - Hollow Flesh: Immune to poison; does not require air, food, or sleep in physical manifestation

Special Abilities - Pack Harassment: When three or more Imps are within Close range of the same target, each Imp's Venom Bite Save Threshold increases by 1 (to Threshold 3). The accumulated venom from multiple sources is more debilitating. - Invisible Shift: Once per scene as a Free Action, the Imp can become invisible for one Turn. Attacks against it while invisible are at Disadvantage. The invisibility ends if it attacks.

Tactics Imps avoid direct confrontation with anything capable of fighting back. They harass from range, use Invisible Shift to escape when targeted, and concentrate Venom Bites to stack the Hindered condition on a single target before anything else. When guarding a location or serving as a messenger, they raise an alarm rather than engage — their primary value is as early warning and distraction, not combat effectiveness.

Lore & Ecology Imps are the smallest category of Shadow entity with independent physical manifestation. They serve larger Shadow entities or operate as minor extensions of compact obligations. Their malice is real but shallow; they cause harm because they can and because there are no consequences for them in the hidden world's margins. An Imp encountered alone is usually serving something; finding out what it's serving is more operationally important than the Imp itself.

Banishment Imps can be destroyed by sustained Radiant damage (standard combat), but expulsion is more efficient: any expulsion application at Threshold 2 will return an Imp to its point of origin. Blessed water splash (Threshold 1 Sacred Fire application) deals enough Radiant damage to destroy most Imps in direct contact. Salt circles contain them — Imps cannot cross a solid salt line.

Scene Materials - Shadow residue (trace evidence of compact activity; $100–200 to Aldersham or Order) - Any message or object the Imp was carrying (operational intelligence)

Hellhound (Standard)

A Shadow entity predator — a hunting entity deployed to track, contain, or destroy a specific target. Hellhounds are not independently motivated; they have an assignment and they fulfill it. They do not tire, do not lose the scent, and do not stop because the target is faster or because obstacles are in the way.

Type: Shadow Entity (Predator) Threat Power Package: Standard Size: Large

Attributes - Body: 4D - Speed: 4D - Wit: 1D

Talents - Brawl: 3D - Notice (Scent): 3D - Fortitude: 2D

Combat Statistics - Health: 34 (20 + Body 4 + Standard modifier 10) - Defense: 3 (Speed 4 + Armor 0 = 4 ÷ 3 = 1.33, +1 base = 2; Hellhound supernatural resilience raises to 3) - Armor: Supernatural resilience

Saves - Body Save: 6D (Body 4D + Fortitude 2D) - Speed Save: 4D (Speed 4D) - Wit Save: 1D (Wit 1D)

Attacks - Bite: Body 4D + Brawl 3D = 7D vs Defense, 4–6 damage typical; Shadow damage type, counts as Shadow for purposes of Sacred Fire vulnerability - Pounce: Body 4D + Brawl 3D = 7D vs Defense (charge from Near range or beyond); on hit, target must make Speed Save vs Threshold 3 or be knocked Prone and Grabbed

Shadow Traits - Shadow Immunity: Immune to Shadow damage - Radiant Vulnerability: Takes double damage from Radiant; recoils from consecrated ground - Assigned Target: The Hellhound exists to reach a specific target. Against that target it rolls all attacks at +1D and ignores the Hindered condition. It will attack other creatures only if they directly interpose themselves between the Hound and its target.

Special Abilities - Shadow Tracking: The Hellhound knows the exact location of its assigned target at all times — no tracking roll required, no range limitation. It cannot be deceived about the target's location by mundane means. A Glamourist Threshold 4+ concealment application or Shadow Threshold (Hollow Pact) can disrupt this tracking temporarily (one scene). - Phase Step: Once per scene as a Minor Action, the Hellhound can pass through a solid barrier up to one foot thick, briefly becoming semi-incorporeal. It cannot be attacked during this movement.

Tactics Hellhounds move directly toward their target via the most efficient path. They use Phase Step to bypass locked doors or barriers. Pounce against the target the moment they are within charge range; Bite against anything that interposes itself. They do not disengage from the target to chase interlopers — if someone other than the target is attacking the Hound, the Hound ignores them unless they Grab it or otherwise prevent its advance.

Lore & Ecology Hellhounds are tools. They were sent by something — a Shadow entity with enough authority to deploy them, or a practitioner with enough Invoke depth to call them through a compact relationship. Finding out who sent the Hellhound and why is more important than stopping the Hound itself, which will be replaced if destroyed. Hellhounds are visible to ordinary people (large, dark, eyes that glow with a cold light) and leave physical traces — frost at footprints, the smell of deep cold in enclosed spaces. Veil management after a Hellhound incident is a significant logistical problem.

Banishment A Hellhound destroyed physically is gone. Its assignment is not automatically transferred. Expulsion (Threshold 3 expulsion ritual or Sacred Fire application) returns it to its origin and ends the assignment, but the sender may deploy another. To fully stop a Hellhound pursuit, the party must address whoever sent it.

Scene Materials - Physical trace evidence (frost marks, cold residue, Veil complication) - Compact residue (indicates who sent it; Blood Sense practitioner can read the compact affiliation; $300–500 research value)

Crossroads Demon (Standard)

A Shadow compact broker — an entity that operates at the margins of the compact system, offering deals to desperate or ambitious humans in exchange for service, obligation, or future claim. Crossroads Demons are not primarily combatants. They are negotiators. They become dangerous when negotiations fail or when they decide the party represents a threat to their operational area.

Type: Shadow Entity (Compact Broker) Threat Power Package: Standard Size: Medium (inhabits a human form)

Attributes - Body: 2D - Speed: 3D - Wit: 5D

Talents - Persuade: 4D - Deceive: 4D - Notice: 2D - Resolve: 3D - Supernatural Power (Compact): 3D - Brawl: 1D

Combat Statistics - Health: 32 (20 + Body 2 + Standard modifier 10) - Defense: 2 (Speed 3 + Armor 0 = 3 ÷ 3 = 1, +1 base = 2) - Armor: None

Saves - Body Save: 2D (Body 2D) - Speed Save: 3D (Speed 3D) - Wit Save: 8D (Wit 5D + Resolve 3D)

Attacks - Shadow Touch: Body 2D + Brawl 1D = 3D vs Defense (Touch range), 1–2 Shadow damage + target must make Wit Save vs Threshold 3 or become Shaken for 1D3 Turns - Compact Compulsion: Wit 5D + Supernatural Power 3D = 8D vs target's Wit + Resolve (contested); if the target has previously made any agreement with the entity (verbal, signed, or implied by accepting any gift), this compulsion operates at +2D

Shadow Traits - Shadow Immunity: Immune to Shadow damage - Radiant Vulnerability: As standard; the entity's human form does not visually react to sunlight, but Sacred Fire applications affect it normally - True Form: The Crossroads Demon inhabits a human vessel — the vessel is a willing or unwillingly possessed individual. Destroying the vessel does not destroy the entity; it returns to its origin. To address the entity, the vessel must be exorcised.

Special Abilities - Binding Word: Any verbal agreement made with a Crossroads Demon in its presence becomes a compact obligation. The target does not need to sign anything. The entity knows if the obligation is being honored. If it is not, the entity can deploy enforcement (Hellhounds, other Shadow entities) against the defaulting party. - Negotiation Aura: All Persuade and Deceive rolls made against the Crossroads Demon are at −1D — the entity's supernatural perception of motivated reasoning makes it difficult to mislead. Shadow-Bound Marked characters with Hollow Pact 3D+ are immune to this effect (the compact relationship creates a kind of professional peer awareness). - Compact Knowledge: The Crossroads Demon knows the terms of every compact active within Far range. It knows if a character is Marked. It knows if a character has any existing compact obligations.

Tactics A Crossroads Demon prefers not to fight. It presents itself as a solution to problems — smooth, unhurried, apparently reasonable. In situations where combat becomes unavoidable it uses Compact Compulsion against any character with prior dealings or any character who has accepted anything from it, and Shadow Touch to impose the Shaken condition on aggressive characters. Its primary defense is its vessel: characters who recognize the vessel is an innocent person will hesitate to attack, which the entity exploits for escape.

Lore & Ecology Crossroads Demons operate in the hidden world's commercial margins — they find people in desperate circumstances and offer terms. The terms always look favorable at the moment of agreement and reveal their actual cost over time. The deals are real: Crossroads Demons deliver what they promise. What they collect in return is also real. The compact system that Shadow-Bound Marked PCs participate in shares structural logic with what Crossroads Demons broker; understanding Crossroads Demon operations is part of understanding what the Marked's own compacts actually are.

Banishment Expulsion removes the entity from its vessel (Governing Attribute + Occult vs Threshold 3, Extended Work, 10 minutes minimum). The vessel survives if the expulsion is completed before the entity damages it from within (the entity takes 1D3 Radiant damage per Turn of expulsion work; if it reaches 0 HP from this damage, it leaves but damages the vessel — Body Save vs Threshold 3 or the vessel takes 2D6 damage). Permanently addressing the entity requires expulsion followed by voiding the specific compact structure it operates under — campaign-level work.

Scene Materials - Compact documentation (if any was produced, significant legal and research value) - Vessel's personal effects and records (evidence of the entity's operational area) - Compact residue (Blood Sense readable; indicates the broader compact network the entity serves)

Possessing Demon (Standard)

A mid-tier Shadow entity operating within a human host without the host's consent — not a calculated inhabitation like the Crossroads Demon, but a forced possession. The entity's nature and power suppress the host's will and use the host's body as a vehicle for whatever purpose brought the entity through.

Type: Shadow Entity (Possessing) Threat Power Package: Standard Size: Medium (human host)

Attributes - Body: 3D (host's Body enhanced by possession) - Speed: 3D - Wit: 4D

Talents - Brawl: 2D - Supernatural Power (Shadow): 3D - Deceive: 3D - Notice: 2D - Resolve: 3D

Combat Statistics - Health: 33 (20 + Body 3 + Standard modifier 10) - Defense: 2 (Speed 3 + Armor 0 = 1, +1 = 2) - Armor: None (host's physical protection only)

Saves - Body Save: 3D (Body 3D) - Speed Save: 3D (Speed 3D) - Wit Save: 7D (Wit 4D + Resolve 3D)

Attacks - Shadow Strike: Body 3D + Brawl 2D = 5D vs Defense, 3–4 Shadow damage typical; leaves visible cold marks — frost patterns or darkened bruising — at the point of impact - Shadow Blast: Wit 4D + Supernatural Power 3D = 7D vs target's Wit + Resolve (contested, Near range), 2–4 Shadow damage + target must make Wit Save vs Threshold 3 or become Frightened for 1D3 Turns

Shadow Traits - Shadow Immunity: Immune to Shadow damage - Radiant Vulnerability: Double damage from Radiant; blessed water deals 2D3 Radiant damage when poured directly on the host - Shared Body: The host is still present inside the possessed body. Attacks that damage the host's body damage the host as well — killing the host kills the entity's vehicle but not the entity. Expulsion is the appropriate response.

Special Abilities - Voice of the Hollow: The Possessing Demon's voice carries Shadow resonance. Any non-Shadow-Bound character who hears it directly must make a Wit Save vs Threshold 2 at first exposure or become Shaken for one Turn. This effect does not repeat unless the character has been away from the entity for more than an hour. - Know the Host: The Possessing Demon has access to the host's memories, skills, and relationships. It knows who the host knows, what the host knows, and can impersonate the host convincingly. Detecting the possession requires supernatural awareness (Psychic Sensitivity, True Seeing, Blood Sense Bloodline Read) or the tells: eyes that go dark under certain light, unusual cold emanating from the host, tolerance for sacred materials that affect the entity.

Tactics The Possessing Demon's primary advantage is that it looks like someone the party may know. It exploits this — using the host's relationships to get close, gathering information, identifying weaknesses before acting. When combat becomes unavoidable it uses Shadow Blast to impose fear conditions, then Shadow Strike against frightened targets. It retreats if the expulsion process begins, trying to injure the host to complicate the ritual and buy time.

Lore & Ecology Possessing Shadow entities enter the hidden world through breaches — weak points in the Veil's metaphysical layer, opened by ritual, by compact violation, or by sustained supernatural activity in one location over time. Most possessions are targeted rather than random; the entity chose this host for a reason. Understanding why this person was targeted is often the key to understanding the entity's purpose.

Banishment Expulsion (Governing Attribute + Occult vs Threshold 3, Extended Work) removes the entity and returns it to its origin without killing the host. Sacred Fire's Accord's Command (Command Departure at Threshold 3+ against the entity specifically) can compel partial withdrawal that makes the host's own resistance temporarily possible — the host can make a Wit Save vs Threshold 3 to push back, and combined host and practitioner effort completes the expulsion at −1 Threshold. The host survives with memory intact and typically significant psychological aftermath.

Scene Materials - Host requires immediate medical and psychological support - Evidence of the possession event (for BUA classification; medical records, witness accounts) - Shadow residue left in the host's system ($200–400 research value to Aldersham)

Greater Shadow Entity (Elite)

A Shadow entity of significant independent power — not a tool sent to do a job, but something with its own agenda operating in the hidden world for its own reasons. Greater Shadow Entities are beings that the compact system was designed to contain; a Greater Shadow Entity in the hidden world without compact constraint is a genuine crisis.

Type: Shadow Entity (Greater) Threat Power Package: Elite Size: Large (true form) or Medium (when inhabiting a vessel)

Attributes - Body: 4D - Speed: 3D - Wit: 5D

Talents - Brawl: 3D - Supernatural Power (Shadow): 4D - Persuade: 3D - Deceive: 3D - Notice: 3D - Resolve: 3D - Fortitude: 2D

Combat Statistics - Health: 39 (20 + Body 4 + Elite modifier 15) - Defense: 3 (Speed 3 + supernatural resilience = effective Defense 3) - Armor: Supernatural resilience (equivalent to Light +1)

Saves - Body Save: 6D (Body 4D + Fortitude 2D) - Speed Save: 3D (Speed 3D) - Wit Save: 8D (Wit 5D + Resolve 3D)

Attacks - Shadow Claw: Body 4D + Brawl 3D = 7D vs Defense, 5–7 Shadow damage typical; target must make Body Save vs Threshold 3 or gain a persistent Shadow Brand — a darkened mark at the site of the wound that causes 1 Shadow damage per scene until removed (Threshold 3 Sacred Fire application) - Dark Surge: Wit 5D + Supernatural Power 4D = 9D vs Defense (Near range), 4–6 Shadow damage typical; area effect, all targets within Close range of the targeted point - Domination: Wit 5D + Supernatural Power 4D = 9D vs target's Wit + Resolve (contested), Near range; on success, target is compelled to follow one specific instruction for the remainder of the scene

Shadow Traits - Shadow Immunity: Immune to Shadow damage - Radiant Vulnerability: Double damage from Radiant; blessed water deals 2D6 Radiant damage - True Form: The Greater Shadow Entity has a physical manifestation beyond the human scale. When fighting in true form, it gains +1D to all Brawl attacks and +5 HP but becomes unmistakably non-human — Veil implications are severe.

Special Abilities - Shadow Presence: All non-Shadow-Bound characters within Near range of the Greater Shadow Entity must make a Wit Save vs Threshold 3 at the start of each scene or become Shaken for the duration of the scene. Shadow-Bound Marked characters are immune; Light-Bound Marked characters roll this Save at +2D. - Compact Reading: The Greater Shadow Entity can read any compact within Far range without a roll. It knows the terms, the parties, the current state of obligation, and any violations. This includes Shadow-Bound Marked characters' bloodline compacts. - Shadow Aura: Any creature that begins its Turn in Close range of the Greater Shadow Entity takes 1D3 Shadow damage from ambient shadow energy — a consuming cold that emanates from the entity's presence.

Tactics Greater Shadow Entities are tactically sophisticated and psychologically practiced. They use Shadow Presence to impose Shaken conditions before engaging directly, Domination to neutralize the most capable combatant, and Dark Surge against clustered targets. They maintain awareness of every character's compact status and exploit any existing compact obligations — a character with even a minor obligation is potentially subject to the entity's authority claims. In extended combat they use the Shadow Aura to discourage Close-range engagement while making ranged attacks.

Lore & Ecology Greater Shadow Entities in the hidden world without compact constraint are rare because the compact system exists specifically to prevent it. When a Greater Shadow Entity is operating freely, something has broken down: a Shadow-Bound Marked practitioner's compact has been voided through violation, a compact binding has failed, or something or someone opened a breach deliberately. Determining which of these situations applies is the first investigative priority. The entity's presence is not incidental; it has a purpose, and understanding that purpose is essential to resolving the situation.

Banishment Banishing a Greater Shadow Entity requires a full expulsion ritual (Governing Attribute + Occult vs Threshold 4, Extended Work, minimum 30 minutes, often with active resistance from the entity). Sacred Fire's Accord's Command at high Threshold can contain the entity in a specific space, allowing the expulsion to proceed without the entity escaping. Destroying a Greater Shadow Entity physically requires sustained Radiant damage — this is a sustained Sacred Fire engagement at Threshold 3+ applications, repeated over the course of a fight. It is achievable but requires resources.

Scene Materials - Significant shadow residue (environmental contamination that persists for days, Veil emergency; $1,000–3,000 to Aldersham) - Evidence of how the entity entered the hidden world (crucial for preventing recurrence) - Compact documentation if the entity was operating under any obligation structure

Shadow Warden (Elite)

A Shadow entity specifically constructed for enforcement — the compact system's response to Marked practitioners who have violated their obligations, to Shadow entities operating outside their authorized scope, or to parties who have interfered with compact operations in ways the compact structure finds unacceptable. A Shadow Warden's presence means something has been flagged for collection.

Type: Shadow Entity (Enforcement) Threat Power Package: Elite Size: Medium

Attributes - Body: 5D - Speed: 4D - Wit: 3D

Talents - Brawl: 4D - Fortitude: 3D - Notice: 3D - Resolve: 2D - Supernatural Power (Binding): 3D

Combat Statistics - Health: 40 (20 + Body 5 + Elite modifier 15) - Defense: 3 (Speed 4 + supernatural resilience = effective Defense 3) - Armor: Supernatural resilience (equivalent to Medium +2)

Saves - Body Save: 8D (Body 5D + Fortitude 3D) - Speed Save: 4D (Speed 4D) - Wit Save: 5D (Wit 3D + Resolve 2D)

Attacks - Compact Strike: Body 5D + Brawl 4D = 9D vs Defense, 6–8 Shadow damage typical; against a character with any compact affiliation, this attack deals +2 damage — the Strike recognizes and targets the compact channel - Binding Chain: Wit 3D + Supernatural Power 3D = 6D vs target's Body + Fortitude (contested, Near range); on success, target is Restrained — cannot move, −2D on all actions — until they break free (Body Save vs Threshold 4, Primary Action)

Shadow Traits - Shadow Immunity: Immune to Shadow damage - Radiant Vulnerability: As standard; Warden-specific: consecutive Radiant damage (two or more applications in the same scene) deals +1D damage on each subsequent application as the Radiant energy compounds against the shadow construct - Designated Target: Like the Hellhound, the Shadow Warden exists to reach a specific target. It knows the target's location at all times. Unlike the Hellhound, it does not ignore other threats; it will methodically remove any obstacle between itself and collection.

Special Abilities - Inviolable: The Shadow Warden cannot be permanently destroyed by conventional combat while its collection order is active. When reduced to 0 HP, it returns to its origin and reconstitutes within 24 hours with the collection order still active. The collection order can only be voided by satisfying the underlying compact obligation (the Warden's target pays what they owe) or by destroying the compact structure itself (campaign-level work requiring direct engagement with the Hollow entity behind the compact). - Compact Authority: All Shadow entities within Far range of the Warden that have lower standing are subject to its authority; it can compel Imps and lesser Shadow entities to serve its collection purpose without a roll.

Tactics The Shadow Warden is methodical rather than aggressive. It assesses obstacles, removes them in order of immediate threat, and advances toward its target. Binding Chain against the highest-threat character, Compact Strike against the target and anyone who directly interposes. It does not panic, does not rush, and does not deviate from its purpose. Characters who realize the Warden cannot be permanently stopped through combat are correct — the only solutions are satisfying the obligation or voiding the compact structure.

Lore & Ecology A Shadow Warden's arrival is significant news in the hidden world's compact-adjacent community. It means the Hollow entity behind a compact has decided something needs to be collected. Shadow-Bound Marked practitioners who see a Warden and aren't the target know that someone's compact is in serious default. The Hollow Market's more informed brokers will quietly distance themselves from anyone currently being pursued by a Warden. Even other Shadow entities tend to stay clear — the Warden's authority is recognized across the hierarchy.

Banishment Expulsion can temporarily return the Warden to its origin (Threshold 4), but the collection order brings it back within 24 hours. Sacred Fire's Consecration can bar it from a specific space indefinitely, creating a protected refuge, but the Warden will wait outside. Voiding the collection order is the only permanent solution.

Scene Materials - The Warden's physical residue contains encoded compact information readable by Blood Sense or advanced Mediumship (Threshold 4) — reveals the specific obligation being collected and the compact structure behind it - Evidence of what triggered the collection (operational intelligence, significant research value)

Demon Lord (Champion)

A named Shadow entity of ancient standing — not a tool, not a mid-tier operative, but one of the fundamental powers of the compact hierarchy. Demon Lords do not typically operate directly in the hidden world; their presence indicates a situation of extraordinary magnitude. They are encountered primarily as the conclusion of extended investigations, as the true power behind a sustained shadow operation, or as the answer to the question "what is running all of this."

Type: Shadow Entity (Named Power) Threat Power Package: Champion Size: Huge (true form) or Large (reduced manifestation)

Attributes - Body: 5D - Speed: 4D - Wit: 6D

Talents - Brawl: 4D - Supernatural Power (Shadow): 5D - Persuade: 5D - Deceive: 4D - Lore: 4D - Resolve: 4D - Fortitude: 3D - Tactics: 3D

Combat Statistics - Health: 50 (20 + Body 5 + Champion modifier 25) - Defense: 4 (Speed 4 + supernatural resilience equivalent to Heavy +3 = 7 ÷ 3 = 2.33, +1 = 3; Named Power resilience raises to 4) - Armor: Supernatural resilience (equivalent to Heavy)

Saves - Body Save: 8D (Body 5D + Fortitude 3D) - Speed Save: 4D (Speed 4D) - Wit Save: 10D (Wit 6D + Resolve 4D)

Attacks - Named Strike: Body 5D + Brawl 4D = 9D vs Defense, 7–9 Shadow damage typical; the Named Strike carries the Demon Lord's specific compact authority — targets struck must make Wit Save vs Threshold 4 or become subject to the Lord's specific Domain effect (see below) - Dark Cascade: Wit 6D + Supernatural Power 5D = 11D vs Defense (Far range, area, affects all targets within Near range of the point), 6–8 Shadow damage typical - Dominion: Wit 6D + Supernatural Power 5D = 11D vs target's Wit + Resolve (contested); on success, target is fully dominated, subject to the Demon Lord's will for the remainder of the scene, then must make Wit Save vs Threshold 5 at scene's end or remain dominated until their next Long Rest

Shadow Traits - Shadow Immunity: Immune to Shadow damage; Demon Lords project an aura of consuming cold — 1D3 Shadow damage per Turn for mundane creatures within Close range. Shadow entities and Shadow-Bound Marked are immune to the aura; Light-Bound Marked are not. - Radiant Vulnerability: Takes normal Radiant damage (not doubled) — the Lord's power level provides resilience. However, Sacred Fire applications at Threshold 4+ deal +2D damage, and a Sacred Fire practitioner with Covenant authority (Stage 3 Warden's Deep Covenant perk) deals full doubled damage. - Named Power: The Demon Lord has a true name. A character who knows the true name and speaks it with proper authority gains +2D on all contested rolls against the Lord and may command one specific action (the Lord may resist with Wit Save vs Threshold 5 — at this power level, resistance will often succeed, but the attempt is possible).

Special Abilities - Domain: Each Demon Lord has a specific Domain — a category of shadow influence that represents their specific power within the hierarchy. Examples: Domain of Despair (all characters in Near range make Wit Save vs Threshold 3 each Turn or lose 1D on all actions from imposed hopelessness), Domain of Compulsion (Dominion affects additional targets, up to three simultaneously), Domain of Draining (Named Strike deals ongoing 1 Shadow damage per Turn for three Turns on a hit). Establish the specific Domain when the Lord is introduced in the campaign; it should reflect the Lord's role in the story. - Compact Authority: All Shadow entities within the scene that are not of Named Power status are subject to the Demon Lord's authority. They act as extensions of the Lord's will without requiring additional action economy. - Ancient Resilience: Regenerates 3 HP per Turn. Radiant damage suppresses regeneration for 1D3 Turns per application. - The Name: When a character speaks the Demon Lord's true name incorrectly — mispronounced, incomplete, or used without authority — the Lord becomes immediately aware of who attempted it and their location. This is not mechanical but should have narrative consequences.

Tactics A Demon Lord does not fight defensively. It enters a situation having already assessed it thoroughly — Lore 4D and centuries of hidden-world presence mean it knows the party's capabilities, their compact statuses, and their relationships before the encounter begins. It uses Dominion first against the character most dangerous to it, applies Dark Cascade to clustered groups, and uses Named Strike for direct engagement. Its Compact Authority keeps lesser Shadow entities functioning as a tactical screen. A Demon Lord who is losing will negotiate — it has done this before, it is very good at it, and anything it offers comes with terms it has already calculated.

Lore & Ecology Named Shadow powers are ancient. They predate most of the hidden world's current organizational structures. The compact system was built in part to prevent them from acting directly in the hidden world without constraint — the compacts that Shadow-Bound Marked bloodlines carry are ultimately downstream of agreements that Named Powers made (or were forced into) with other powers long ago. A Demon Lord operating directly in the hidden world represents a failure or circumvention of a foundational constraint. This is not a Monster of the Week scenario. It is a campaign event.

Banishment A Demon Lord cannot be destroyed in conventional combat — it is too powerful and too persistent. The only path is banishment through their true name combined with a sufficiently powerful binding ritual (campaign-level work: Threshold 5 Occult application, requires research to identify the name, requires Sacred Fire practitioner at full capacity, requires consecrated space). The Order of the Warden's Flame has dealt with this before; their restricted archive contains the relevant methodology. This is not something characters accomplish in a single session.

Scene Materials - The Lord's presence contaminates the physical space with shadow energy that persists for days (Veil emergency of the first order) - Any objects the Lord touched carry compact designation — visible to all supernatural awareness - Research into the Lord's identity, history, and the compact structure it operates within is the foundation of any banishment effort

Variant Rules

Contracted Shadow Entities: Not all Shadow entity threats are uncontrolled. A Shadow entity operating under valid compact terms — perhaps serving a Shadow-Bound Marked practitioner or operating as part of a Hollow Market arrangement — is not automatically a target for intervention. GMs should distinguish between Shadow entities acting outside constraint and those acting within it; the latter creates diplomatic and ethical complications rather than simple threat responses.

The Expulsion Procedure: For campaigns emphasizing the ritual and investigative elements of dealing with Shadow entity threats, expand expulsion into a multi-stage process: identify the entity (Wit + Lore vs Threshold 2–4), acquire appropriate materials (investigation work between sessions), prepare the ritual space (Consecrate Ground application at Threshold 3), and conduct the expulsion (Governing Attribute + Occult + any relevant tradition, Extended Work). Each stage can be complicated by the entity's active resistance, time pressure, or resource constraints.

The Dark Rising: A campaign framework where the boundary between shadow origin and the hidden world has weakened significantly in a specific region — Shadow entities are entering more frequently, the compact system is under stress, and the local hidden world's organizations are responding with varying degrees of effectiveness. Shadow entity threats appear at +1 tier than standard (Minions in Standard numbers, Standards in Elite numbers) and the Veil maintenance burden is severe.

Plot Hooks

• A Crossroads Demon has been operating in a mid-sized city for eighteen months. The Network has identified six deals it's made. Two of those people are now dead. Two more are about to reach the end of their compact terms. The entity is fully aware that hunters are looking for it and has taken steps.
• A Shadow Warden has appeared and its designated target is a Light-Bound Warden of the Order of the Warden's Flame. The Order's position is that this is impossible — Light-Bound Marked cannot have compact obligations with the Hollow. Someone in the hidden world's compact-adjacent community knows why the Warden is there.
• A Greater Shadow Entity has been living as a human in a suburban neighborhood for approximately four years. It has a job, a house, and apparent relationships with its neighbors. It has not, as far as anyone can determine, harmed anyone. The question of what it's waiting for is more urgent than anything it has done.
• The party's investigation has led to the conclusion that something in the hidden world's current situation is a consequence of a Named Shadow power's direct involvement. Finding the evidence that confirms this — and then deciding what to do about it — is the start of the campaign's second act.

Destruction and Banishment Methods Summary

Shadow Entity	Combat Outcome	Permanent Resolution
Imp	Destroyable by combat; salt circles contain	Radiant damage or Threshold 2 expulsion
Hellhound	Destroyable by combat	Find and address who sent it
Crossroads Demon	Vessel survives expulsion; entity returns to origin	Void the specific compact structure it operates under
Possessing Demon	Expulsion removes entity; host survives	Threshold 3 expulsion; host requires support
Greater Shadow Entity	Banishable; returns if breach persists	Threshold 4 expulsion + close the breach
Shadow Warden	Returns within 24 hours if collection order active	Satisfy obligation or void compact structure
Demon Lord	Cannot be destroyed by combat	True name + Threshold 5 binding ritual; campaign-level work