Erinys

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Erinys
An erinys makes a new convert for Hell.
(Creature)

Erinyes (sing. erinys)—also known as fury devils, the Ash Wings, the Fallen, fallen angels, the Furies of Hell,1 or simply the Furies—are fiends created in mockery of the angelic form with a beauty that belies their utterly sadistic, evil nature. They are the avengers and executioners of Hell.234

Appearance

An erinys resembles an angel possessed of a darker beauty than their heavenly counterparts. The devil's hair is always black, a pair of dark feathered wings sprouts from their back, and their eyes are normally dark, but apart from this their features resemble a beautiful mortal human. So close is the erinys's form to that of the heavenly host that erinyes sometimes pretend to be angels in order to trick and entrap mortals, since few would believe that such a divinely beautiful creature is capable of harbouring such pure evil.3

While the first erinyes were colloquially called the daughters of Eiseth and were directly connected to the Queen of the Night, erinyes created since are of any gender expression.35

Habitat and ecology

Erinyes fly over the infernal city of Dis.

Erinyes congregate near their immortal patrons, the Queens of the Night. The Widow's Cry, home of Eiseth, houses the largest legion of erinyes in all Dis.6

While most other devils are created from mortal souls, erinyes can be sculpted from the essences of fallen celestials that have been turned away from the path of good.2 Some are promoted from lesser devils,3 but only if that devil had a spark of piousness in its past existence,2 Others are created from orts spawned from the souls of persecutors and torturers.3 Sometimes, an erinys is created from the soul of a fallen priest or other such soul which once harboured a trace of the divine.7

To create an erinys from celestial essence, the essence is impaled atop one of the razor spikes of Dis's rooftops and left for 150 years to be scoured by the harsh winds and tormented by the city's avian devils. Because in their previous celestial form many erinyes had to serve mortals, they possess a raging hatred for them.7

Erinyes are often active in the Universe, where they are a favoured summons of jilted mortal mages who want remorseless vengeance. Offering an erinys a holy object or pious mortal to corrupt or destroy is often enough to secure a summoned erinys' services.2

Erinyes hate all mortals with a fiery passion, often because in their previous celestial form many erinyes had to serve mortals.7 They enjoy few things more than using their angelic appearance to pose as a divine emissary in order to entrap and damn a mortal, body and soul intact and tortuously confused, directly to Hell.2

Abilities

Most erinyes wield flaming longswords and longbows that shoot flaming arrows with deadly accuracy. They can see through and create illusions, instill supernatural fear in their victims, teleport, summon barbazus, and smite their foes with an unholy blight of cloying dark miasma. Their most distinct ability is to weave ropes from their own hair, which they can animate to ensnare their victims.3

Notable erinyes

See also: Category:Erinys/Inhabitants

References

  1. Paizo Inc., et al. “Appendices” in Villain Codex, 247. Paizo Inc., 2016
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 F. Wesley Schneider. “Devilkind” in Princes of Darkness, Book of the Damned Volume 1, 30. Paizo Inc., 2009
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Logan Bonner, et al. “Monsters A-Z” in Bestiary, 89. Paizo Inc., 2019
  4. Note that the proper singular of erinyes is "erinys", but Pathfinder First Edition used "erinyes" as both singular and plural.
  5. In the non-canon Pathfinder First Edition Bestiary 75, erinyes were described as always appearing female. This limitation was explicitly and retroactively removed in the Pathfinder Second Edition Bestiary 89.
  6. F. Wesley Schneider. “The City of Dis” in Princes of Darkness, Book of the Damned Volume 1, 24. Paizo Inc., 2009
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 F. Wesley Schneider. “Devilkind” in Princes of Darkness, Book of the Damned Volume 1, 28. Paizo Inc., 2009
  8. Erik Mona, et al. “Chapter 2: The Inner Sea” in Campaign Setting, 70. Paizo Inc., 2008
  9. Sean K Reynolds. Asmodeus” in Mother of Flies, 69. Paizo Inc., 2010
  10. Amber Stewart. “The Outer Sphere” in The Great Beyond, A Guide to the Multiverse, 32. Paizo Inc., 2009
  11. F. Wesley Schneider & Jerome Virnich. Terindelle (Erinyes)” in Hell Unleashed, 56–57. Paizo Inc., 2015