These demons are the ultimate seducers. They can adopt a more mortal-seeming form, but many times they won't - they will use the target's own curiosity, their sense of exploring the forbidden, against them. The abyss is filled with mortals who thought they would be different, that they could sample the pleasures offered by the succubus and emerge unscathed.
There are few things more irritating when doing local image generation than getting an image that is so close to exactly what you want, but there is one or two small issues which render the image unusable.
For example, this image of Sylvanus Moondrop was, to me, excellent, save for one issue - Krea 2 made the arrowhead into feathers, like the fletching on the arrow. it's frustrating when it happens, but luckily, it is fixable. You can keep regenerating the image, but even with a fixed seed you may not get the exact same result. But there is another way.
What I use (and would recommend to others) is a local image edit model called flux.2 klein. Edit models are like using online models like nano banana or grok - they allow you to take an existing image, and make targeted changes. There's a few local image edit models available, to me, flux.2 klein 9B is the best choice, since it's fast, fairly accurate, and an open source creator has made using it super easy:
https://github.com/yanokusnir-ai/one-node-flux-2-klein
I show the process above. I started with the close to great image. In flux.2 klein I used what is called inpainting to highlight the area I wanted changed, then I prompted the model to change the arrowhead but keep everything else the same. The result was a corrected arrowhead and no other changes to the image. You can use image editing to make all sorts of changes to images, and you don't have to use inpainting - you can ask for changes like the color or style of clothing to change, to change a characters pose, to change the lighting, or background. It's a very versatile tool, and excellent for when your main model has added an extra arm, or you just want to change the composition.
Dawn broke on the quiet town of Highport and spilled into the lavish bedchamber. Saffiya woke slowly, dreamily, and stretched languidly, catlike. Goddess, what a night! Margaretta was everything she had hoped for in a lover .... everything she had desired. She glanced next to her, expecting her lover to be gone.
She was not. Margaretta was there, laying beside her, propped up on one arm and smiling. "Good morning, little one."
"You kept your word ...." Saffiya whispered, moving in closer and finding Margaretta's arms welcoming.
"Of course. My word is my bond, little one. My goddess abhors a broken promise, as do I" The two women kissed again, and made love once more as the sun climbed higher in the cloudless, blue sky.
As they dressed, they spoke. "I do not .... I do not know where we go from here, My Lady." Saffiya said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I thought, as I dreamed last night, that my goddess would warn me away from you. She has done so before, with other women."
"Our goddesses are lovers, sweet one. And as I bear you no ill will, Sharess will have no cause to protect you from me." Margaretta looked down for a moment, then produced another lovely red rose, a black silk ribbon tied onto the stem. "If you accept this, it is my promise that I will return. When you want to see me, place the vase where you keep the roses in the window of your room at the Raven's Wing. I will come to you that night."
Saffiya accepted the rose, smelt it, then kissed Margaretta again. "You trust me so easily, My Lady?"
"There are none else in this world who can summon me so, save the White Talon of my church, and my wife. Let us be an oasis of peace and love, Saffiya. I do not know what the future holds, but I do know I found passion, and love, and warmth in your arms last night. And I wish to do so again. And again."
Lord of the End of Everything. Scribe of the Doomed. Jergal was once the lord of the dead, the godhood now held by Myrkul, but apparently relinquished it willingly and now serves as the scribe of the dead, ensuring all is in order and recorded properly. He serves Myrkul, but does not take part in his schemes. He is, essentially, a fatalistic undertaker who strives for order in death. Myth says that he once held the combined godly duties now held by Myrkul, Bane and Bhaal.
These guys are HUNGRY. Seriously, they are like a cleaning system for a dungeon. They pick up coins, debris, skeletons, even the odd adventurer now and then. To me, these are one of the truly iconic DnD monsters. One coming at you in the dark, when all you can see is the skeleton inside, can be an eerie way to introduce them.
Sylvanus is a wood elf of the Elmanesse tribe, and has been a member of the Company of Eight for five years now. He is very gregarious for a wood elf, interested in other races and cultures. He also holds very strong political opinions, wishing to see Tethyr not become reunited, but rather an allied group of city states and regions, each independent but working together.
This brings him into frequent conflict with his fellow party member Marilyn Haresdown, who is a passionate advocate of a restored monarchy and a unified Tethyr. The two have had some epic arguments about this, though the two deeply respect each other as comrades. But they have diametrically opposed ideas on what is best for the future of Tethyr. How that will play out in the future is anyone's' guess.
In the original AD&D sourcebook Sylvanus was a fighter; I have under the rules we use (PF 1st edition) instead made him a slayer, as I think that is a better fit for him. He is reputed to have wandered far into the Forest of Mir, hunting drow, so a class which permits better tracking and stealth seemed like a good idea to me. Sylvanus is on good terms with all the members of the PC party, in particular with Roric, the ranger. Sylvanus is not a fan of Roric's half brother Tethirmin (the high druid of Mosstone) either.
The Frostmaiden. Lady Frostkiss. Auril is the god of cold and winter. She is one of the Gods of Fury, at least in theory serving Talos but in practice, they rarely cooperate, as Talos has betrayed each of them many times and only cares about increasing his own power - at the expense of his allies.
Auril is a cold, malicious power. She is fickle, vain, with an icy heart untouched by empathy or mercy. She loves toying with those trapped in a snowstorm - taunting them with visions of home and warmth before freezing them to death.
Auril has two primary avatar forms - The Icedawn, and the Frostmaiden. The Icedawn is the more enigmatic of the two forms, never speaking or casting spells, just a silent, gliding apparition of cold and death. The Frostmaiden is more vocal, malicious, and teasing, and has ultimate mastery over any cold-based spell.
When I first saw the original Dungeon Masters Guide for AD&D as a kid, I thought for sure that the red guy on the front was a demon of some sort. My mom did too, hence her displeasure at my playing the game 😅 But I learned it was actually an Efreet, a type of elemental jinn, and he just LOOKED demonic. He was, you know, still evil and red and fiery, but not a demon!
An order of Paladins and Warpriests dedicated to Helm, the God of Guardians, The Vigilant Eyes of the God are the protectors of the helpless, the downtrodden, those who are preyed upon by either man or beast. Some serve to protect holy sites and the pilgrims who visit them, others join adventuring parties who seek to combat great evils. Still others serve as knights errant, seeking to aid others in the name of their god.
Pictured here is Sir Janos of the order, protecting the villagers of Willowmere from the soldiers of Ernest Gallowglass, as the common folk rose up against his tyranny.
One thing I've noticed (and always appreciated) about the Realms is the vast pantheon of deities. I really don't like the attempts they've made in the past to consolidate the pantheon - Cyric, for example, was a horrid idea. Killing off Bane, Myrkul and Bhaal was just one of a bunch of bad ideas TSR came up with as the brought the Realms into the 2nd edition of AD&D. Don't try and fix what isn't broken, folks.
I do love the variety of nature gods and goddesses, however. The Faerûnian pantheon alone has three greater nature gods and a bunch of intermediate, lesser and demigods as well. They also cover the alignment gamut.
Chauntea represents agriculture, cultivated plants, farmers, gardeners and summer. She is good aligned, and represents humanity in harmony with nature and living with it.
Silvanus is neutral in outlook. He is the god of wild nature, of the deep woods where loggers do not go, of the cycle of life and death, predator and prey. He can be lived alongside of, but must be respected and any attempts to tame nature will lead to ruin.
Talos is the destructive side of nature. He is the god of storms, destruction, conflagrations, earthquakes and vortexes. He exists to show humanity just how fragile their position is and how nature can be a destructive force.
Details like this are one of the reasons the classic Realms will always be my favorite. Other worlds like Greyhawk and Golarion have large pantheons as well but to me, nothing comes close to the Realms.
Daughter of the Night Skies. The Lady of Dreams. Sehanine is one of the "big three" goddesses of the Seldarine and along with Hanali Celanil and Aerdrie Faenya, she forms the greater goddess (and ruler of the pantheon) Angharradh.
Sehanine is the goddess of mysticism, dreams, death, journeys, transcendence, the moon, the stars, the heavens, and moon elves. She watches over the dreams of the elves, sending omens in their reveries, and is the protector of the dead. A powerful goddess, she is the guardian of the spirits of the elven people, and works with human gods as needed when facing a common foe.
Aside from the Lords of the Nine Hells, these guys are at the absolute apex of the rigid, unyielding Devilish hierarchy. They are counterparts, in some ways to the Balor Demons, but they are a very different type of monster. Balors are combat machines. These guys are deadly in combat too, but it's their ability to summon allies which makes them really dangerous. Summon another CR19 devil, summon undead, and shape lemures into new, more powerful devils, and in short order a Pit Fiend will have a little army at it's command.
Pictured here is a Pit Fiend shaping a Lemure into a brand new Bone Devil.
Princess Laeliira looked out over her city, lost in thought. She had spoken to her mother, Queen of the city of Ust Natha, not fifteen minutes ago.
Betrothal. To an elf girl from Evermeet.
Laeliira knew a marriage would one day be arranged. She had thought it would be to a princess from another Drow city, or a powerful priestess. But she was to be given to secure a political alliance with their surface cousins, and perhaps a new future for her people. The Queen of Evermeet's own daughter ..... and quite a prize, if what her mother said was the whole truth. Young, beautiful, masterful with the sword and skillful spellwork .... much like Laeliira herself.
But still she knew anxiety. The males of the surface were uncollared and unruly .... was she truly expected to live in proximity to those beasts? Would her worship of Lolth make her a target?
Ammadil .... the name sounded sweet to her. The decision had been taken out of her hands, in any case. She would meet this princess, and would do her duty. The underdark had grown dangerous .... the hated Mind Flayers, the Aboleths, and that strange, alien new race had disrupted the balance of power and had driven other factions into territory that was traditionally theirs. The Orcish conquest of the northern dwarves had meant thousands of new slaves had been sold to the Duergar, empowering them further.
In several days she would meet this girl. And to aid her people, she would wed her.
The Lord who Watches. The Tenth Lord of the Nine. Gargauth is a demigod of betrayal, cruelty, political corruption and ill council. While his origins are uncertain, many tales have been told that he was once one of the dukes of Hell, banished under mysterious circumstances. Whether this tale is true or not is uncertain, as he seems to retain ties to his former peers. What is certain is that Gargauth is an ambitious, deceitful creature with an eye on ascending higher into godhood. His machinations have brought him into conflict with other gods of evil, in particular with Bane, whom he dares not challenge directly. Gargauth works in the shadows, always.
While his initial form is always one of wisdom, geniality and even kindness, as Gargauth develops influence over a ruler his form slowly morphs into his true appearance - a huge, diabolical form of unrepentant evil.
16 feet of power and disciplined might, Fire Giants are definitely the most militaristic and organized of the evil giants. They often bully smaller giants, such as hill giants and ettins, into serving them and weakening foes before they launch their own attack.
The princess Ammadil looked out over the beautiful city that had been her home for 75 winters. Leuthilspar was a place of splendor; the capital of Evermeet, there was no Elven city like it in Faerun any longer. Alive with magic, with laughter, with music.
Five days ago her mother, Queen Amlaruil, had summoned her to inform that she had been betrothed. It had been a formal summons, and one held before the Council of Matrons. It had been decided that her hand was to be given in a marriage of political necessity.
Her heart stilled for a moment when she had been told it was a Drow princess she was to be wed to. While the princess knew well of the recent rapprochement between their people, she was not aware that things were so far along. And in three days she was to meet her betrothed for the first time.
"Yes, My Queen." was all she could say in the meeting. But when she saw her mother later, at their evening repast, she had so many questions.
The princess Laeliira, she was named. Almost fifty years older than Ammadil. Was she beautiful? Yes, said her mother, smiling, she was exquisite. She was trained in both magic and sword, as Ammadil herself had been. Mother said the Drow princess was very excited to meet her. Her entourage would be arriving tomorrow and the princess herself two days after. The decision was final. Mother knew her darling daughter would do as commanded, do what was best for her people.
And so Ammadil looked out over the city she loved, knowing her life was about to change, irrevocably. She prayed to Hanali Celanil that that match was a good one. In just a few days, she would know.
The Lady of Mysteries has long been an enigmatic Figure worshiped throughout the Realms. To those who revere magic, there is none so beautiful as the Lady of Spells. In the wake of Mystryl's death and rebirth as Mystra, two rival spell-hurlers sought the favor (and some say even the hand) of the Mother of All Magic.
The younger of the two wizards was the brash and powerful Azuth, who delighted in the power and unbounded beauty of magic, while the older of the pair was the deliberate and introspective Savras the All-Seeing, who wasted nary a single spell and saw beauty in magic's precise application.
For years the duo fought with neither wizard gaining the upper hand. But both steadily grew in power. While Savras's careful preparation was usually enough to put Azuth on the defensive, the Lord of Spells battled back over time, demonstrating his superior mastery of the Weave. Azuth finally shattered his rivals defenses in a climactic battle that split a mountain and created a deep lake.
He imprisoned Savras's essence within a magical artifact of his construction that came to be known as the Sceptre of Savras. With this act he became the High One and the first Magister of Mystra, later to be sponsored by her to become a god.
Ever since Savras's loss, sages have speculated that the All-Seeing One must have foreseen his own defeat. If this is true, perhaps Savras planned his own defeat as a feint in a long-term ploy for victory. Only he can say, and he refuses to speak on it.
My players ran into a few of these when they were taking on some Moander cultists. Of course they LOOK like zombies, but when they weren't affected by channeling positive energy, and they couldn't be turned, there was a lot of confusion. It's a trick that is only likely to work once, but it was fun to see them scramble!
Dedicated to Lathander the Morninglord, the Order of the Aster is a group of paladins, cavaliers, and warpriests dedicated to serving the cause of good in Lathander's name. They guard shrines and temples, work with adventuring parties or military expeditions to combat evil, and some wander the land looking to do good in Lathander's name and promote his worship.
Pictured here is Lady Rosalind Morningstar, a paladin of the order. All knights of the order renounce their family name and take the surname of Morningstar, in honor of their deity.