Daemon (Final Fantasy XV)



Daemons are nocturnal monsters that plague the world of Eos in the Final Fantasy XV Universe. They are humans and animals parasitized by the Starscourge and have started to appear in greater numbers. The Wall maintained by King Regis prevents daemons from spawning within Insomnia. Niflheim employs daemons in its military. Daemons appear as enemies in Final Fantasy XV, and are generally tougher than the fauna fought during the day.

Daemons resemble recurring enemies in the Final Fantasy series. Their otherworldly appearances contrast the more realistic fauna encountered in the daytime.

Profile
Daemons are beings that thrive in the dark, and are damaged by light. They lurk in old ruins and caves, and emerge out in the open at night. If they are out when the sun rises, black mist begins to emit from their bodies as they take damage from sunlight. Daemons are thus also repelled by the bright lights of inhabited areas, and even the strongest headlights of cars, as well as havens, which the populace believes to be the blessing of the Oracle.

The kings of Lucis are best equipped to battle daemons, as their royal arms contain the power of light. The Crystal is believed to have the power to repel daemons. Daemons vary in size and form widely, from the small and nimble goblins to the gargantuan Diamond Weapons that tower over buildings.

Daemons are animals and humans turned by a parasitic protozoa, i.e. Starscourge. When a human becomes a demon their clothes are left behind. This prompted the phenomenon to be called the "vanishing disease" before it was understood the vanished people turn into daemons. The Niflheim Empire's research into daemons paved the way for their weaponization via finding a way to control mutated organisms. According to imperial research, exposure to light destroys daemons by converting their cells to benign molecules.

Recently turned daemons retain some of their former selves. Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt, who had sought the Ring of the Lucii, still focuses on obtaining it from Noctis when he becomes the daemon Foras. Ravus Nox Fleuret, meanwhile, begs Noctis and his friends to destroy him, unable to control his actions. Throughout the battle with Noctis and his friends, Ravus curses Ardyn for turning him into a daemon. Only a couple of daemons are ever witnessed talking, and this ability may be linked to the daemon still holding an attachment to something in the mortal world, or their transformation being very recent.

It is possible that daemons are biologically immortal. They don't reproduce sexually, and thus don't grow into adulthood like natural beings, but seem to come into existence as they are and then largely remain that way. Even beings of the same species can become widely different-looking daemons. Ruins of ancient Solheim still harbor daemons apparently centuries or millennia after the areas were abandoned. Daemons are not depicted eating or drinking, and appear to be magical in nature, at times able to manifest from thin air. When defeated, some daemons disperse into smoke or dust and some melt into the ground.

Story
Daemons were once normal creatures until the outbreak of a parasite thousands of years ago, which began mutating organisms into monsters. The ancient civilization of Solheim is implied to have fallen to daemons, as legends tell that 2000 years ago mankind was being devastated by a plague, and till present day daemons still lurk in ruins of ancient Solheim. The plague had been introduced by Ifrit, but subsided by the hand of the first Lucian king. The following centuries of peace led to the formation of four new nations.

The Empire of Niflheim, ruled by the Aldercapt family, seeks to become the new Solheim, and attempts to recreate its lost technologies and conquer the world. In M.E. 501, the imperial army discovered a life form previously unknown to them: daemons. Although not directly stated, it is possible Niflheim discovered daemons from ruins left by Solheim. It is implied that Niflheim's experiments with these "new" life forms brought the Starscourge back in a large scale, and inadvertently infected their own people with the plague.

Imperial research has shown that on the cellular level, daemonic cells disintegrate when exposed to light, but this can be countered via modern armor. These soldiers make up the imperial magitek infantry, who start out as human babies and are changed through various procedures. Magitek troopers were considered safe for use and replaced the imperial army because the empire believed they could be programmed; however, cases of MTs going rogue were known. With the introduction of weaponized daemons Niflheim's army became the strongest in Eos, and they conquered all lands bar Lucis and its Crown City of Insomnia, which is protected by a magic barrier upheld by the monarch with the power of the Crystal. The empire even began using daemons not encased on armor as weapons, although they can only be deployed at night. As depicted in Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV, a young Prince Noctis was attacked by a Marilith that killed the woman protecting him, and was fended off by King Regis.

The empire's use of daemons spiraled out of control. Entire villages of citizens began to vanish into thin air, and daemons began escaping from military facilities. Parts of the imperial capital Gralea began to be quarantined to stop the spread of an infectious disease believed to be linked to the daemon outbreaks. Rogue magitek troopers overran the Zegnautus Keep, the imperial magitek laboratory. Daemons slaughtered civilians in Gralea, while a "vanishing disease"—that at first is not understood to be the Starscourge—swept the imperial lands, turning its citizens into daemons the empire could not control.

Despite the daemon outbreak going out of control, Niflheim is still seeking to invade Lucis. As depicted in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, the Imperial Army deploys magitek troopers and daemons to breach the borders of Lucis. Among them is Diamond Weapon, which forces the opposing Kingsglaive to retreat. During the fall of Insomnia, Niflheim deploys several Diamond Weapons to ravage the Crown City. Nyx Ulric uses the Ring of the Lucii to call upon the Old Wall to combat the Diamond Weapons, but the city is devastated, Insomnia's Crystal is stolen, and King Regis is killed with Prince Noctis exiled to the outlands of Lucis.

As depicted in Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Noctis and his friends are attacked while on the road, and an imperial dropship releases the same Marilith that injured Noctis long ago upon them. Enraged, Noctis engages the daemon and destroys it. Noctis embarks on a journey to reclaim his throne, and during his journeys fends of various daemons all around the outlands of Lucis. They even run into a daemon that speaks to them, asking for its baby. Hunters have been busy exterminating daemons, but many have gone missing. Noctis learns from Aranea Highwind that Niflheim harvests daemons from old ruins to develop them into weapons. When Noctis and his friends reach Altissia, daemons appear even within the city at night, something that never used to happen, and some tourists have disappeared "into the night".

After the Oracle, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, dies, the Starscourge begins to overwhelm the world even more rapidly, as she was the only person in the world with the power to heal people from it and keep it from enveloping the world. Noctis's mission shifts from reclaiming Lucis to saving the world from daemons, and he believes he can do so by the light of the Crystal. Daemons begin to spawn even during what little is left of daytime, and attack the train Noctis is on to reach the imperial capital. Noctis learns from Aranea that Niflheim is in chaos, with unprogrammed MTs and wild daemons left to run amok, now stronger than ever. She says it's gotten too far out of hand for the army to deal with, as there is not enough daylight left to keep the daemons in one place.

When Noctis reaches Gralea he finds the city taken over by daemons, and its high ranking leadership, such as Ravus Nox Fleuret and the Emperor himself, have succumbed to the disease. When a human becomes a daemon their clothes are left behind, and there are numerous suits of magitek armor, and the Emperor's robes, scattered throughout the complex.

When Noctis finds the Crystal inside Zegnautus Keep, he is absorbed inside it and learns of his calling as the True King from the astral god Bahamut. The True King is the king spoken of in prophecy who will arrive when the world is veiled in darkness to bring back the light. Noctis disappears for ten years, during which time the world is enveloped by the Starscourge, the sun fails to shine, and daemons take over the world. Civilization collapses as daemons run amok, and most people who don't migrate to the town of Lestallum—mankind's final stronghold—are killed. When Noctis returns he finds a world teeming with daemons, with previously inhabited areas, like Galdin Quay, abandoned.

Noctis reunites with his friends and heads to the ruins of Insomnia to kill Ardyn Izunia, his immortal ancestor whose soul had been corrupted by daemons, and who has become the embodiment of the Starscourge. Two thousand years ago Ardyn was a member of the Lucis Caelum bloodline who fought daemons by absorbing them into himself, but this corrupted him and made him something akin to a daemon himself. Unable to enter the afterlife with his corrupted soul, Ardyn has plotted for millennia against the Crystal that had rejected him and the Lucis Caelum bloodline that had continued to reign without him. When Noctis sacrifices his own life to defeat Ardyn's spirit in the afterlife, the daemonic energy Ardyn embodies is erased and Eos is cleansed of the Starscourge. The daemons disappear as the sun rises.

Gameplay
Daemons are encountered on the field at night and in caves and ruins during any time of the day. If Noctis and his friends come upon them while driving the Regalia, they will stop to get out to fight. When Ignis can drive the Regalia at night, the player can open the main menu while the Regalia is on auto-pilot to prevent daemons from spawning.

Daemons are fiercer and stronger than the creatures that appear during the day. They will not disappear if the player is in a battle with one even if day breaks. If facing a powerful daemon for a hunt, it is advised to wait until 3 AM to start the fight, as once day breaks, the player simply needs to drag out the battle and the daemon will continuously lose HP from sunlight. With the Starshell, Prompto can weaken daemons by lighting up the surrounding landscape with a series of flares.

Daemons' attacks not only drain a character of their HP, but also reduces their maximum HP without putting them into the dying status. As such, one should keep the warp button pressed at all times when facing powerful daemons and finish them off quickly. The royal arms and the Ring of the Lucii are often good weapons against daemons, as all daemons are weak to the holy element. Daemons don't drop parts like feathers, scales or antlers like natural enemies do, as their form is fully destroyed when they are killed and they fade away into smoke. Instead, killing daemons nets accessories or potions, although the drop rates tend to be low.

Enemy daemons in Final Fantasy XV

 * Alberich
 * Arachne
 * Aramusha
 * Ariadne
 * Bavarois
 * Bomb
 * Braindrainer
 * Bussemand
 * Chandravarma
 * Crème Brûlée
 * Cryonade
 * Custard
 * Daemonwall
 * Dolce
 * Ereshkigal
 * Flan
 * Galvanade
 * Ganymede
 * Garchimacera
 * Gargantua
 * Gargoyle
 * Gelatin
 * Glamhoth
 * Goblin
 * Grenade
 * Hecteyes
 * Hobgoblin
 * Ice Bomb
 * Imp
 * Iron Giant
 * Iseultalon
 * Lich
 * Naga
 * Necromancer
 * Marshmallow
 * Master Tonberry
 * Matcha Mousse
 * Mindflayer
 * Psychomancer
 * Reaper
 * Red Giant
 * Ronin
 * Salpinx
 * Serpentess
 * Sir Tonberry
 * Skeleton
 * Snaga
 * Tarantula
 * Thunder Bomb
 * Tonberry
 * Uttu
 * Wraith
 * Yojimbo
 * Ziggurat

Bosses

 * Deathclaw
 * Foras
 * Ravus
 * Ardyn (final boss)

Optional bosses

 * Mahanaga
 * Kengo
 * Naglfar

Other

 * Diamond Weapon - appears in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
 * Ultros - appears in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV
 * Cerberus - appears in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV and Omen
 * Marilith - appears in Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV

Omen
Noctis chases after Lunafreya Nox Fleuret's white dog Pryna through various dreamscapes until he loses his magic powers and becomes surrounded by Cerberus beasts on a fiery plain. A demonic Noctis appears to kill Luna and the dog he was following turns black and scorched.

Cerberus is a three-headed dog that guards the underworld's gates in Greek mythology. It appears as a daemon in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV and Omen, but doesn't make an appearance in Final Fantasy XV.

A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV
Some daemons appear as enemies.

Etymology
In Final Fantasy XV, they appear more like demons.

Trivia

 * Daemons hearken to the concept of the Cie'th from Fabula Nova Crystallis games. Final Fantasy XV was originally part of the subseries under the name Final Fantasy Versus XIII, although the terms l'Cie, fal'Cie and Cie'th were not going to be used. The daemons' Japanese name,, is also pronounced identically to the Japanese name for Cie'th.
 * Totomostro arena in Altissia can use daemons in its roster if the player visits it at night.
 * Gilgamesh has some similarities with daemons. He is over 2,000 years old and can reanimate the dead soldiers in the Tempering Grounds where he resides. However, he doesn't appear to be an actual daemon as he is not repelled by light, has not lost his humanity, and seeks battle as a challenge rather than to mindlessly slaughter.