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N I H I L I S T I C F U N D A M E N T A L S

O F T H E D E M O N L O R D S A N D N I L

Written by Seditionist Romero
Edited by Heresiarch Nariah d'Iasani

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.:| Table of Contents |:.

|Page 4 - Overview Page 9 - Lord Ashtorath |

|Page 5 - Thoughts on New Celest Page 10 - Supreme Lord Luciphage |

|Page 6 - Lord Baalphegar Page 11 - Conclusion: Our Place |

|Page 7 - Lord Gorgulu Page 12 - Appendix: Nil Survival |

|Page 8 - Lady Nifilhema |

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Gratitude to Great Heresiarch Nariah, my mentor,
for quite forcefully making me pen this to paper
for your well being.

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Overview
========

The teachings within this book shall inform you of the individual Demon Lords
and Lady of Nil, Their tenants, and practical ways in which to worship Them and
further Their goals. Because each is unique in Their philosophies All are able
to tie into our daily lives so that we might worship Them through our acts and
further Them and ourselves in our studies of the Taint, Magnagora, and Nihilism.

One must understand that through the Demon Lords and our servitude,
there is a sense of self-worship. The Taint allows our forms to
specialise, to evolve, to grow better and it is the taint that has made our
Demon Lords and the plane of Nil what it has become. By Their
example and philosophies, we too can transcend via the Taint and become greater
than our mortal shells would normally allow and through Their gifts is it
possible.

Three Demon Lords and the Demon Lady, and of Them all, Supreme Master
Luciphage controls the plane, using patience and ruthlessness to plot
the end of the oppressive Supernals on the plane of Celestia.

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Thoughts on New Celest
======================

Our enemy, New Celest, is not necessarily our enemy out of sheer need,
as the Taint and the Demon Lords would take all that would bow and
submit to Their superiority. This submission needs only happen once and should
the Taint be brought to the Celestians and their ignorance be gone, then they
too shall join the Fold. So one must constantly seek to draw others to the
Magnagoran cause.

However, this short writing is to allow one to understand the true
nature of the Celestians and their supposed justifications for their
attempted genocide of our people, the Viscanti and those others Tainted. It has
been said that they will kill even children with no regard and that the Tainted
should be purged. There is no redemption and their blinding Light of Ignorance
knows nothing but the empty path they follow.

Their Supernals and the propaganda that surrounds them teaches those of New
Celest to pursue justice, grace, healing, knowledge, and control of the realms
and extermination of the Taint. However, these teachings lack purpose and even
what little semblance of sense lies in these teachings, they already exist
within the teachings of Nil in a far more detailed manner.

The New Celest, who pursue justice blindly, follow Lord Ashtorath,
unknowing that our Lord of Rage teaches us to strike down our enemies
ruthlessly. And while those Tainted are true to the teachings and call
it for what it is, Vengeance or Justice, the Celestians simply call it
Justice. A flowery word for bloodshed and attempted genocide, for
Hatred, and the desire to kill youths and elderly alike. This desire for
Justice is the same as the desire for Vengeance, we simply call it
something else.

The Dominator teaches us to take those of lesser wills and draw them
forth to us to give them purpose and direction, to better those as He
betters us with the gifts of Power in exchange for humble servitude. New Celest
attempts the same, enslaving villages and keeping them ignorant and without
knowledge. They force their 'religion' of blindness upon those unwilling souls
and deny them their right to the gifts of the Taint.

The Lady of Pain teaches us to inflict pain upon ourselves and others so that
we might grow stronger and sense the beauty in that which is life. The
Celestians do much of the same thing but inflict pain in ignorance and hatred,
attempting to destroy that which they will never know.

The Devourer shows us to devour and destroy in the hopes of emerging
into something better and while Celestians would destroy all knowledge
simply to be free of those that would oppose their feeble minds. They
would not devour knowledge, power, or essence, but simply toss it aside in
waste and hope to bury it so that none other may know its power. They preach
Suppression instead of giving into the Desires as is taught.

Even when their own Raziela gave into the Taint and its power, only to
have it ripped away by her fellow ignorant Celestians, they still depict
themselves as holy and teach their young and old that the lie that Taint is
evil. The Prince of Dark Fate teaches one how to use manipulation in a way that
does not hinder knowledge, rejected feeble 'boundaries' and seeking the higher
path. To ascend mortality, one must throw away mortal boundaries.

And thus one should see, the similarities between our path of knowledge and
theirs of ignorance. It is truly a fork in the road and while we see the same
landmarks on the trail, their path ultimately leads them away from the final
goal of ascension.

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Lord Baalphegar

Prince of the Dark Fates

Keeper of the Web of Despair

~~~Prior to Nil~~~
Unlike the other Demon Lords of Nil, the previous title of Prince
Baalphegar is not publicly known, save that He was called Lord
Baalphegar. It is attested that this is not even His true name and that

He has masked Himself and hidden that through time. Prior to the Taint, Lord
Baalphegar was the teacher of the Fatalists and worked most commonly to decipher
the Fate's riddles and at times aided Magnagora. It is said that when the Taint
was unleashed, Lord Baalphegar was possibly not even there, leading some to
believe that He knew of the events to come and perhaps even aided their
completion.

~~~Brief Overiew~~~
Now called Prince Baalphegar, He is the Lord of the Dark Fates and is
most commonly associated with the symbol of a spider. From what is known He is
the least changed by the Taint. One could genuinely argue that He was not Prince
before the Taint and it is quite possible His weaving plans sought to place
Himself higher might have succeeded.

~~~Philosophy~~~
Considering Prince Baalphegar's symbol alone might prompt one to think
of His entire concept. Weaving, planning, trapping, and destroying are
the central parts of a spider's life and so therefore extends the
philosophy of Prince Baalphegar. One can respect the tortures of pain or the
ravages of rage but ignorance is a far worse punishment. Knowledge, not just for
the sake of knowing, but for the sake of being. Under the Prince's teachings,
knowledge is not something that betters one's life, it is what makes one's life.
You are what you know and you will only be as great as what you know. One who
knows all and sees all will conquer all, destroy all, and be all.

Knowledge alone is not good enough, for one may know that each morning
the fly buzzes through the window in search of the day's meal but to not react
to such is a waste. Prince Baalphegar teaches that one must build a web to
entangle and capture the fly and destroy it. Of course this has two meanings, a
physical entrapment through which one uses their knowledge to capture, detain,
or destroy your enemy. Or a mental
entrapment to which one weakens the emotions, knowledge, or morale of
another so that they are incapable of action.

Prince Baalphegar is said to plot for hundreds of years and know the
fate of all things and when entering His pit, the one who would seek
servitude is symbolically blinded as none may look directly upon the
true face of the All-Knowing Demon Lord and even His voice is lackluster and
without much identification and leads one to believe that not one will know
exactly who or what He is. He uses His knowledge and secrecy to manipulate the
Fates themselves and to bring forth His will.

Powers associated with the Prince are mental ailments that cause the
person to be anti-social, outright confused, or incapacitated. Studying these
ailments and their effects can be applied to situations outside of combat and be
used to affect the ongoing events of the world around which in effect weaves a
trap.

~~~Practice~~~
Lord Baalphegar teaches to entrap all like a spider, constantly weaving and
working one's way through their friends, enemies, allies, and lesser creatures.
A studious nature, though not openly should be given away as His followers
should either be contemplative and observant while hoping to pick up on queues
from their fellows about them, or a be known as a socialiser and confidant,
drawing in information from conversation, gossip, and rumour. Those who can do
neither and are too shallow or inept will not do well or understand the depth of
this practice. A lot is based on the mental and emotional aspect of things as
that is where the Prince's powers lie.

On the mental and emotional level, one would consider paranoia, fear,
love, lust, hatred, ignorance, and intelligence to draw forth reactions or
inaction from their enemy. The key element of the Prince is to know what others
will do before it is done, and while others do not have access to the Fate's
prophecies as He did, one can easily make this a sort of sixth sense with enough
practice. Study the likes, dislikes,loves, hates, thoughts, feelings, emotions
of one's enemies and work to draw it in. Use lust and love through the use of a
temptress to bewilder the enemy and have her whisper nothings in his ears and
draw him to a place of your desire, or better to convince him that his teachings
are wrong over time like a slow poison. With hatred, draw forth an excitable
enemy into an ambush and do away with him swiftly. Watch those that emerge
around you who are ignorant and outdo them, set-up others to fail so that you
might do well and shine.

Manipulation is a simple thing but it can have far complex reactions
than combat, and it is truly an art to capture the greatest effect. The sad
look of a lover can draw forth action, the cry of a baby can bring forth food,
the scent of death can draw vultures, a cry for help can bring allies. Consider
your actions carefully and work to know the
reactions of others. One does not need to be at the forefront as the
Prince is never at the front, but one can pull the strings and weave the traps
to make the plan a success before it even happens.

Ultimately, none of this matters if you are found out. If you are
revealed as the weaver of this web, if the spider is seen setting his
trap and those who are set within are not consumed, turned, or brought
from ignorance, they will bring those to you who will destroy you. Thus the
need for subtlety, masks, and patience. The spider makes his nest, captures his
prey, and then dismantles his nest and devours it, leaving behind no trace of
his presence.

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Lord Gorgulu

The Devourer of Souls

Of the Thousand Hungers

~~~Prior to Nil~~~
Before the Taint affected Shallamar, the king of the realms was the
Peacemaker by the name of King Gorgaliel of the Holy Emanations. The
King loved everyone as His flesh and sought to better the realms. He was
married to His queen and had a large court of competent emissaries, scholars,
and worked in line with the Supernals of Celestia. However, when the Taint came
forth, the most affected of all the Holy Emanations was the King Himself and He
became Lord Gorgulu, the Devourer.

~~~Brief Overiew~~~
Twisted by the Taint, Lord Gorgulu's entire form is a pus-filled sac of juices,
appendages, tentacles, and bile. His 'body', if you would call it that, has no
regular shape. Neither His form nor mind withstood the onslaught of the sudden
tainting of His lands and His abilities are no where close to what they were
before, to our knowledge. Without His prowess that He held as King, Gorgulu
simply appeases His constant hunger instead of being the continued leader,
Supreme Lord Luciphage having took His place.

~~~Philosophy~~~
Perhaps it is some odd desire that the Devourer possesses and some
twisted love that He wishes to bring to His flesh those all that He
deems His subjects. Nevertheless, His desire to consume is never-ending and
bottomless. Desires, hunger, and greed are His major tenets for not simply
life-force but for power, lust, gluttony, and all manner of vices. However, one
does not simply feed just for the sake of it, instead one feeds to better
oneself. Constantly the Lord Gorgulu is adding to Himself: bodies, people,
things that He consumes are added to the hulking, seemingly senseless form that
is Gorgulu, becoming one with him and the taint.

A sense of self-worship lies within the Devourer's teachings, be it from
fulfilling one's goals, sex, arrogance, money, and outright any over indulgence
should be satisfied to the point that the overindulgence allows one to empower
themselves. Ownership and greed are a large part of these teachings, not just to
take what one needs to survive, but to take what one needs to -excel-.

Within His teachings, one must not just feed their hunger, they must
push it, take more and allow it to grow. Should the soul wish for blood so that
it may grow in power, do not simply give it what it wants, but give it more and
grow stronger.

However, a careful balance must be applied as Lord Gorgulu is the most
confusing of the Demon Lords, seeming to hold no real agenda. And while some of
his followers claim that He whispers to them or offers them dreams, they
typically seem to hold no meaning. Those most devoted to Lord Gorgulu are
overtimes driven to the brink of sanity.

~~~Practice~~~
Through these teachings one learns to consume and empower. However,
there is an odd balance that occurs as the need to keep the hunger for
the things that destroy a follower and the things that empower a
follower conflict. And, while one surely cannot choose their vices or
addictions, they must be regulated. Weed or alcohol being an example
that slows the mind and hampers progress and while a follower may wish
to indulge in these things, the teachings or inner desire to take their fill
and more, can certainly set a follower of Lord Gorgulu back or outright
embarrass them.

Besides control, there is no real manner to worship or service to the
Lord Gorgulu as He is unlike any other Demon Lord. His tenets are
without apparent direction, He seemingly has no ultimate goals or desire for
power or station. He simply exists in a void, empty and constantly hungry to
consume all that is offered to Him. Sacrifices to the Lord should be
particularly careful should the Nihilist be involved as the Lord will take all
that is given to Him and then more as is His nature. Caution is given to those
offering to Him when using one's own body.

Communion might be done where one intentionally sits aside after
overindulging oneself within a state of ecstasy and high at the moment
of abundance. This would involve the follower to take its fill of
something and then seek to converse or meditate to gain some direction
or closeness to their Lord beyond what He usually offers, though caution is
offered here once again for those of weak mind or stomach for if one is
successful, they might not like nor understand what is seen or heard.

The soul and form should be a fire, constantly hungering only to burn up what
is within to make one stronger, only to need more fuel to
constantly burn, and when the fire is large enough, it should consume
all there is around so it shall reach the Cosmic plane itself and burn
those wretched oppressors from their 'palaces.'

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Lady Nifilhema

Lady of the Iron Maiden

Queen of Insufferable Cruelty

~~~Prior to Nil~~~
Once called Queen Nifilhema, the Demon Lady of Nil is yet another who
has seen little transformation from Her original state. Beautiful, yet
scarred due to the anguish amidst the loss of her King, the Lady shows
us the tempting allure and the pain and suffering that is so intertwined into
Her studies. While once studying only the aesthetic and only engaging on outer
body, the Taint brought forth another side to the great Lady of Nil and awakened
Her to a discipline of strength,
willpower, and emotion.

~~~Brief Overiew~~~
Having suffered the loss of Her King as both His mind and body were
'destroyed', Lady Nifilhema was saved from being changed by the Taint by the
Duke. Her pit is equipped with spikes that jut through the flesh and She is
known to commonly tie passion with pain.

~~~Philosophy~~~
The Taint enlightened our beautiful Lady of Nil, taking away that
shallow love for the aesthetic that She held as a 'Holy Emanation' and
replaced it with a deep love for the mortal and emotional. Pain, like
the beating mortal heart, is involuntary. It is as natural as a smile
that perks on your lips upon an amusing moment or a frown amidst a
disappointment. Without valleys, the peaks of life do not exist.

Why would one seek to revel in the natural sensations of the body? Why
would one seek to make it an art? Beyond the simple aspect of inflicting pain
upon your enemies to bring about suffering, pain itself is an aspect of growth.
Physical growth itself is comprised of muscles being strained, fatigued, and
pained to the point that the body responds to|the need. Physical pain drives one
to new heights and lows, from the utility of torture to draw forth answers or
change opinions, to the pain of your lungs to tell you to swim up for air or
slow down in your running.

Pain also draws forth a reaction, holding one's hand over fire or being flayed
for punishment. Pain is a tool to change behaviour in the
unknowing or the unwilling or perhaps the very willing and knowing.
Discipline comes with pain, does not a metal need to be cast into fire, melted
and then beaten to a sharp point to be of use?

Immunity is eventually built to physical pain, a dull feeling washing
over those that commit pain upon themselves or one another so that the
senses due no respond to the violence and the body does not collapse as it once
did. Strength is within pain and eventually perfection. In this perfection, in
this ability to stand strong even through pain is beauty and that is where the
nature of the art comes into play.

Of course pain has its other purposes, including mental anguish and
pain. Heartache, loss, and depression are all sorts of mental loss that exist
and can drive the person to new lows or inspire them to new
heights. Jealousy, determination, and drive come from heartache as a man
catches his lovely wife at the hands of another, the heartbroken is moved and
forced into action.

~~~Practice~~~
To follow the Lady's teachings, one must learn to inflict pain not only upon
one's self but upon others. Intentionally and unintentionally, with and without
regard should be the motivating factors when studying the path of Lady
Nifilhema. A constant study should be given to the reactions of people to the
actions of pain whether it be on a mental or physical level.

One should disregard their wants be it lust, hunger, regard for safety
or any manner of things so that their bodies know the physical and
mental pain to be inflicted.

Along with the common ideas of pain and strength comes dominance as
taught by our Supreme Lord. Through our Lady and Her path of Pain,
things as varied torture to withholding oneself from a lover to cause
them to be lustful are different pains and inflict a dominance on the
sufferer, allowing one to assume control of them. Because those who
desire to escape pain are more willing to give into the will of the one giving
them the feeling, doling it out allows one to take control.

As for the person who does not fear pain, but revels in it, no weakness will
find them and they will not be easily dominated. So say those on behalf of the
Lady's art, one can be a slave to the primal instincts of the mind and snatch
the hand back at the briefest discomfort, or will they can close their eyes and
let it wash over them and so that your body and mind can begin to transcend
weakness.

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Lord Ashtorath

Duke of Inescapable Damnation

Commander of the Carillon of Screaming Hatreds

~~~Prior to Nil~~~
Before His time as the rageful Duke of the Plane of Nil, the Lord
Ashtorath was the emissary and diplomat between the Divine, the Fates,
and those of Shallamar. He was known for his charm and His voice,
capable of wooing even the Divine. And yet He loved Queen Nifilhema and could
not have Her. When the Taint came, it is said that He shielded Her and that is
why Her form remains mostly unchanged.

~~~Brief Overiew~~~
Within the Pit of Inescapable Damnation resides our Duke. His form
nearly within a constantly enraged state brings both awe and fear to
those who would worship or know Him. Easily the strongest of those in
brute strength, the Duke longs to take Nifilhema for His bride still and
displace Luciphage as the leader of Nil. At times it is said He is calm and the
former charm is returned if but only briefly.

~~~Philosophy~~~
Anger is a primal emotion, drawn forth by the reactions of others and
cast out on the world around to attempt scare off enemies or destroy
Them. The products of anger are fear, destruction, respect,
determination, fervour, duty and revenge as all these things can be
drawn up at a moments notice with the proper application of anger and
show of rage.

Beyond the howling and chest banging, all might have the desire to
utterly destroy their enemies and cast them aside as if they were
nothing and through this destruction comes fear. Fear, another primal
emotion, stems from respect or hatred to one's temper. After some point that
the victim knows the disciple of Lord Ashtorath, one will either bow to the
sheer might of the disciple or run in horror at the oncoming attacks.

Fear is used by the mentor and parent to draw forth reaction and correct
misbehaviour and through the threat of rage, action is quelled and admiration
and respect for this dormant power can be gained. With these emotions to fear,
one can be promoted to do better and motivate
themselves to rise above such base instincts, thus making themselves
stronger and drawing forth a larger rage of their own.

These base emotions of fear and rage draw forth a sense of motivation
that stirs the individual into action. And the Lord would teach that one should
weight themselves properly, know their power, increase it, and act so that all
might fear your rage and hate your power.

~~~Practice~~~
With determination from dormant rage comes vengeance and zealotry, a
desire to push forth the desires of the Fold and destroy the ignorant
enemies who would do harm to those among the Engine. With these ideas in place,
one could simply work as a warrior to better their body and
engage in acts of war upon the enemy.

One must not forget the threat of rage is nearly just as great as the
rage itself, the teacher and mentor who you know as so calm could easily snap
and one will never know till they face the Iron Cross.

With the ideas of determination and dormant rage in mind, the two
obvious sides of the practice for Lord Ashtorath remain seen and that is a path
of spontaneous flashes of anger to drive home your desire when you see fit. Or
use a blade and shield, whipped about on the battlefield to destroy morale as
well as the enemies of the Lord and his followers.

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Supreme Master Luciphage

Master of the Tainted Reign

Dominator of the Midnight Legions

~~~Prior to Nil~~~
Luciphage, the Lord of Compassion of the Holy Emanations was His
original title. He was a mediator for the people of Shallamar and had
everyone's best interests at heart. He was known to separate Himself
from the others and teach - perhaps He was building an army.
Nonetheless, with the spread of the Taint, the usual solitude of the
Lord Luciphage was broken and He now sought to rule Nil and the stronger beings
which survived the Taint.

~~~Brief Overiew~~~
Now known as the Dominator of the Midnight Legions, our Great Lord took hold of
Nil once the plane was Tainted. Emerging from a position of an advisor and
teacher, He used the knowledge of His previous position to take control and set
himself as Supreme Lord of all. His current plots hope to undo the Supernals and
their weakness as well as bring souls to His fold to enact His will. He is known
to be patient and ruthless while at the same time allowing the other Demon Lords
to act as they wish as long as they do not get in His way.

~~~Philosophy~~~
The Supreme Master is patient and ruthless, perhaps drawing on His time spent
as a mediator to truly know the best way to manage His subjects. These two
teachings of inaction and harsh action teach that one should only act out when
they are certain of the effects and should do this acting to the best of their
ability.

One might ask why the Supreme Master lets His fellow Demon Lords run
rampant without much regulation and even might ask why He lets His
common followers such as the Nihilists and others do as they please. His
patience is eternal and those pacted to Him have their souls are bound to Him
with such and should one fail and their souls be unworthy to ascend and become
their own, He will surely claim them. And thus He
waits, should one prove themselves a loyal follower worthy of
transcending to a higher power or should one fail and be claimed as a
weaker soul to serve for eternity. He continues to allow the Demon Lords and
others to manifest their powers, to pursue their own agendas, to seek what they
will and allowing one to worship one's desires and in one's growing power to
ultimately worship Him.

Balance is the primary tenet of the Supreme Lord, teaching one that only
through the usage of all the tenants of the other Lords can one truly reign
Supreme, however one must balance these teachings. Wrath, pain, hunger, and
knowledge form ambition and drive to push the Engine of Transformation forward
and bring forth the required result of spreading Taint and Magnagoran control
over the whole of the Basin and bringing more souls to the worship of Supreme
Master Luciphage.

Dominance rounds Him out, this drive and ambition brought forth by the
sum of all the Demon Lords teachings leaves a sense of control as
knowing the field and excelling it, comes with a certain authority. The Supreme
Master, knowing all fields, and while not necessarily being the 'best' at them
has such a dominance and authority that -none- would question Him. Who will try
His wrath, who test His hunger, who will doubt His intelligence, who would
question His use of pain? None. And that is why He is Supreme Master. His
balance and perfection, His patience and ruthlessness creates authority and
through it is leadership, control, and power.

~~~Practice~~~
The key elements of practising the teachings of the Dominator are
dominance, balance, patience, and ruthlessness as well as the teachings of all
the other Demon Lords to a degree. Society itself seeks to divide and place
those who act into certain categories be it a warrior, a scholar, a politician,
but to serve the Supreme Lord is to be all these things. To excel on all
battlefields and control one's fate.

Dominance is behind the battlefield and giving simple orders, commands, and
decrees. Any brute can shout commands, any member with a bit of rank can call
forth others to do their will, but true and utter dominance is beyond someone
nodding and following through. True dominance is the utter surrender of will
even through coercion, magic, or some willingness of the person on account of
controlled emotions.

As a follower of Luciphage, one must recognise the need to submit just
as one does to the Supreme Lord, to the greater beings and commanders.
Only through one's submission to a greater soul than yours can one truly begin
to understand the key elements of domination and the inner most feelings of the
soul. There is comfort in submission, the thought that the path is not entirely
in one's hands and at the total will of
another. It is an intimate experience between the Commander or Teacher
and the student or recruit, who bends and bows to that greater will.
There is knowledge and power to be had in submission and rewards should one
kneel to the appropriate master.

Understanding this loss of will allows one to understand their thralls
and the others who submit. Dominance is more than orders, military
constructs, iron wills, forceful words, and harsh threats. Within
submission and dominance, one can find love, hate, respect, fear,
devotion, loyalty, honour, ambition and a multitude of other things that that
mortal or immortal forms seek out of other beings or within each other. It is
through these emotions that one can seek to bend others through our will and
bring them to one's philosophy, cause or even to the Gates of Magnagora or the
feet of the Supreme Master. Do not just consider the forceful but consider the
emotional and devotional aspect of the servitude as well as the transcendence.

Nearly all seek to rise, and through the journey to transcendence all
shall gain their own lot of thralls as well as their own lot of masters.
Despite the greatest doings or the greatest doings of any lot or the Demon
Lords, He is the Supreme Master of all. In servitude of the great Master one
should bring forth souls to themselves and the Lord by taking proteges, by
leading new citizens to Magnagora and drawing forth those to do greater things
themselves just as the Supreme Master does, one will gain power and pass on
power to aid the Taint and the Lord.

Through His works, learn of the balance, dominance, of all the paths of
darkness, and press forward in all manners. For He, the greatest of all our
Lords, allows His servants to bring forth others to -their- will, the most
merciful of the Demon Lords who would allow His own servants to transcend to the
highest of heights and stand alongside Him at His very side... as long as you
remember it is -He- who is supreme.

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Conclusion:

Our Place in Magnagora
======================

Beyond what I have said here and taught, there lies a vast knowledge to be had
in the teachings and practices of our Great Demon Lords, for even I just a
student to ones greater than I give you simple examples while those around me
live it. I ask you now to examine your surroundings and look closely to all that
goes on around you. The arrogance of your enemies and allies, the emotions of
family or friends, and the aspirations of your guildmates all lend to some
manner of the Demon Lords teachings.

Through Knowledge, one would know Lord Baalphegar and seek out His
teachings and practices. They might rise to be great scholars of renown,
working through the city ministries to drive forth the Engine through culture
and politics.

Through Pain and Hate, one could zealously push the beliefs of the Taint and
the Engine on our enemies or lead the armies of Nil to conquer the realms.

Through Hunger, one can consume and grow, spreading the Taint endlessly to the
lands around Magnagora. As long as our ambitions and our desires know no bounds,
then we may all claim the transcendence beyond the Fate's lesser plans for us.

Through Dominance, we become the masters of our destiny and desires,
controlling all that we wish and suppressing the rest.

Our role in Magnagora, beyond the roles of Priests and scholars as we
would be deemed, are warriors, politicians, designed for greatness by
the very will of the Demon Lords.

Keepers of the Black Tomes engage in more scholastic pursuits. Unholy
Speakers are the orators and 'charmers' of the group. Guardians of the
Dark Fates are the warriors.

At first, one might say how can these three different fields comprise a single
organisation that has one focus and one mindset?

That answer is easy and it comes down to one concept: Religion. We are
all here because we have faith in the powers and knowledge of the
tainted plane of Nil. Our Faith within us tells us that we must serve.
This faith, this affection, this mindset within us draws us to the
Tainted Plane of Nil. We are the keepers, warriors, and priests of Nil
and the Demon Lords.

While others may examine Nil or its occupants, none within Magnagora can know
Them as we do. From our pacts with the Demon Lords to the bonds of our own
thralls and servants, our purpose is unified through these three paths to the
same common goals.

- To protect the Tainted Plane
- To know all 'forbidden lore' of this realm
- Use our dark knowledge against those would restrict it
- To convert and draw forth more to serve the will of the Demon Lords
- Fuel the engine that is Magnagora
- If enlightenment fails those and they are unable to join our Fold,
then free those from the shackles of ignorance and grant their souls
to the Demon Lords

Discipline and respect is required of those who are the Keepers of the
Tainted Plane and our duty is truly a dark blessing. Let the Demon Lords be
exalted and their enemies destroyed.

With these objectives in mind, those of the Nihilists might rise to
great heights so long as we remember the things that bind us. No matter our
path or Demon Lords, we all in some way seek the same things of ascension,
power, and to gather forbidden knowledge.

Further knowledge beyond this simple manual of the Demon Lords may only be
obtained by investing further into the arts of our particular pactholder and
seeking to understand the motivations behind the simple ideas and ideologies
that surround them. As each Demon Lord possesses a strategy that may guide us to
greatness and a life philosophy that
merits studying. To know these things, to understand them, allows the
Nihilist to be the greatest of all in Magnagora and through them, we
might steadily rise to heights with their powers as our tools.

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Appendix: A Guide to Surviving Nil
==================================

By Seditionist Romero

=Introduction=
To the first-time traveller, Penitent, or Urth who has been deemed
worthy to grace the lands of Nil, this guide should work to present to
you a hierarchy as well as a survival guide to surviving the cosmic
plane attached to the Megalith of Doom.

The Nihilists guild are the protectors of this plane and known as a the
guardians of the Demon Lords that reside there. However, no matter the
connection to the plane, any mortal through the Portal of Fates cannot bear the
Taint and cosmic winds of the plane without possessing some knowledge in planar
studies. This should be priority as one's body will quickly wither under the
scorching winds and the cosmic bursts without this knowledge and fitness.

Upon arriving, the Planar traveller would be at the Megalith of Doom.
For those who are not certain how the Megalith of Doom would exist on
multiple planes, it is a Nexus of Power and resides on many planes,
particularly Prime, Elemental, Cosmic, and Astral. Because these planes do not
exactly touch and some are not adjacent, it takes some
maneuvering to get about from plane to plane with the Megalith.

=The Citizens of Nil=
The lowest of the inhabitants and servants to the Nihilists are the imps of the
plane. It has a vaguely humanoid shape with black skin, horns, and long claws.
They are not bestowed with many powers but are most numerous and will attempt to
defend Nil to the death.

The second among the citizenry are the fiends, beautiful and asexual.
They are seducers, known to lure the enemies of Nil to their death with their
dashing looks and sharp teeth. The soft exterior is matched with an inner fire
and will to destroy those in opposition to the Nihilists.

The third, demons, are the second most common among the realms,
numbering in as both demons and archdemons. However, the demons are the most
'regular' of the citizenry. The lesser demons stand at seven feet tall with huge
wings and tails. Their red eyes contrast sharply with their black skin and they
are known to have many afflictions and powers at their disposal for the defence
of Nil and their masters.

Archdemons, the greater of the demons, have been warped and evolved to
defend Nil beyond even regular demons. The Taint shows clearly on their form
with great tumours evidence to their constant evolution. Extra limbs and
tentacles writhe out from their forms dependent on the study of their masters as
they seem to take on forms that their Nihilist summoners have pacted to. They
tower at ten feet tall with massive wings and several are known to defend each
of the Demon Lords.

=The Lords and Lady of Nil=
The Demon Lords reside in pits each outfitted in a design pertaining to Their
philosophy and equipped with what some would call either traps or winnowings,
small afflictions that will keep out the unworthy or hinder those who would harm
Them.

From the Mists of Nil, the plane is split into four sections of
elemental lands to reflect the Lord of the area.

Residing within the Deserts of Nil, Lord Ashtorath holds the Himself
within the pit of Inescapable Damnation on the eastside of the Plane.

His holdings include the Tower of Tempestuous Rage and the afflictions
cast upon those entering are the flames of hatred and the fear of His
damnation. One intending to enter Lord Ashtorath's Tower should be
familiar with the Rubeus ritual to fight back the fear and should carry along a
frost vial to beat back the flames of hatred.

Further north on the north-eastern side or the fields of Nil, empty and with
twisted, black grasses absent of animals save spiders who take up residence
along the structures and fence posts. Within these lands, Lord Baalphegar takes
up His residence in the Pit of Dark Fates and The Strands of Accursed
Connivances. Baalphegar's spiders and plans weave forth entangling traps to
capture those who would come in. Writhe to escape at first. However, Baalphegar
is never to be seen within His pit and His true from is not known. Instead,
should one wish to speak with Him they should open the black tome and be ready
for the incoming fear sparked by its contents. He will also blind the trespasser
with said contents to ensure that His form is truly hidden. Once again, Rubeus
to fight back fear or sitting in one's place to fight back the primal urge to
run. Also faeleaf should be brought to cure blindness.

On the north-western side in the swamps of Nil, Lord Gorgulu's swelling mass
has taken up residence in the Pit of a Thousand Hungers and further within the
pit one can find the Caves of Mouldering Slimes. Upon entering the pit, the
invader will be soaked in acids that cause bleeding, stench, and stupidity. A
good bath will rid one of the stench, chervil or clotting for the bleeding and
pennyroyal to clear out the obscene thoughts that the 'most tainted' of the
Demon Lords will imprint on you.

On the west side in the wastelands of Nil, Lady Nifilhema takes up Her
haven in the House of Excruciating pain in the Pit of Insufferable
Cruelty. Upon entering the Pit, be prepared to be tortured beyond your
wildest imagination to the brink of near surrender. One should expect to clot
often or bring along the herb chervil to aid in the process. To personally see
the Lady, one should enter the iron maiden and endure further torture until you
are tossed out before the Lady Herself.

With these four Demon Lords taking up Their homes along the plane of
Nil, one might ask where our Supreme Lord lives. Should one bear the
torture and pain of Lady Nifilhema and grovel at Her feet, She will
bestow a deadly kiss which will cause the target to suffer moreso. Only the
most strong and prepared will survive such an encounter and from there, you will
be released into the darkness and eventually stumble through to the labyrinth of
Supreme Lord Luciphage. Likewise, submitting before the Prince or Duke can take
you there. One should follow the maze in an anti-clockwise motion until they
happen upon His throne room.

There are no afflictions here save the previous task, but to leave, one should
grovel and show Lord Luciphage the praise He deserves in order to be free of His
presence.

This concludes the survival guide to Nil, you know the Lords and
citizens of the plane and how to survive their ire and winnowing. Good
luck to those who would use this better their understandings and study, and
destruction to those who think such simplistic teachings here would save them
from the vengeance of the Nihilists.

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