Do you prefer feet, or hands?

-The Snow Queen

......... Could I have some context for this question please?

-Kay

I'm trying to decide which I prefer. I think hands are the obvious choice, but perhaps that is only because feet are so often hidden. Although they are much less dexterous, they are constantly stabilizing and navigating terrain that we are only aware of in our periphery. 

-The Snow Queen

I um, I think both your hands... and feet... are equally well sculpted. I haven't really thought to place one above the other?

-Kay

Okay imagine that we swap them. Actually, we could pretty easily do more than imagine that!

-The Snow Queen

I don't know if I like this hypothetical.

-Kay

Looking through the collected notes from the good old HeadMaster, I still puzzle over how much time and energy he invested into the creation of "The Snow Queen".

Taking and converting a human warlock into some kind of synthetic life form is so absurdly difficult I wouldn't have thought it possible without seeing the schematics myself.

Although she was clearly made to create and interface with an even LARGER construction, the "Infinity Brain", that construction isn't all that much better than the God arm I dug up. A bit better maybe. 

There's a note that could clarify things, if I let myself believe it. "The spatial weight of Magica cannot be sustained within our limited dimensional environment past a certain threshold, collapsing the threshold should result in pushing past the impassable. Properly harnessed there would be no limits. I must be there to guide this as otherwise unknown variables will enter into play. Ascension into a true Higher Realm is attainable."

Was he trying to make her into some kind of God or something?? He really was insane!

-Notes by the Demon Master Bael

What did Gerda even see in that guy? I know he was "just a friend" but, you know...

-Consort Beckett

Well, he's extremely smart, I know that demonic script and crystalline computation can be very hard to grasp, and he's actually added new techniques to both. Also, he is a very handsome man, objectively. Additionally, I know they grew up together. I think he also represents a lot of complex failures and successes for Gerda, that may be hard for her to untangle.

-Queen Augustine

... Still! I don't care for him.

-Consort Beckett

Yeah, fair.

-Queen Augustine

Although many things are traded in the Demonic Realm and bartering is not uncommon, the primary currency is Favors.

Favors are exactly what they seem, and can be traded with other Demons, they can be added to other Favors, and they can be slowly paid back or added to. Demons seem to have an incredible ability to remember "owed Favors" and decades can go by before they are cashed in. Demonic Masters accumulate Favors endlessly by their underlings in exchange for protection, food, training, etc.

A True Favor is bound with energy to have a deep connection to the Demons very essence. Possibly because they are so energy filled, binding vows are extremely powerful to a Demon. 

In this small way Humans are "less trustworthy" than Demons, in that they can easily break their vows with very little consequence.

-Notes on Demonic Society, by the High Priest

Hxw strong are you, Cezar?

-Cez

Um. I guess I'm a bit strong. I could be stronger though! WAAAY stronger! Ahahaha!

-Cezar

But it would "stress you out", right?

-Jahi

That is true! That is true. Very true.

-Cezar

The average Human simply does not know, or does not care, that every moment of every day magica flows through their minds and bodies.

There are a variety of benefits this grants them. They are healthier, stronger, heal faster, have less illnesses, have less ill effects during pregnancy, need less food, and live longer. They also can learn to externalize this energy and cast spells or enhance their fighting prowess. 

But this is not how it SHOULD be. Fundamentally Humans have been changed, and their destinies subverted. Their achievements are cheapened and made lesser.

To make matters worse, their magica rich flesh is the perfect food for Demons, turning all Humans into prey.

This "blessing" is neither appreciated, nor does it actually help them. It is a curse that is woven into the fabric of their reality.

-Musings on humanity, by The Snow Queen

Imagine if, every day, you could just spend time at home with your loved ones and cook, and clean and take care of little mundane things. Wouldn't that be so nice? Like, forever and ever!

-Cezar

... Cezar no offense but I would go completely insane and start burning things past the second week.

-Jahi

Does magical research count as "little mundane things" in this scenario?

-Scrambles

Yxh!

-Cez

The "Perfect Demon" is one that uses every advantage to gather power, favors, and to slowly but steadily climb up the social power scale. The goal should always be the next rung, not looking too far ahead or becoming complacent with where one is currently.

In practice most Demons simply do not have the intelligence, energy regulation, or patience to continue their climb indefinitely. Most stall out, spinning their wheels in a grinding war of attrition that results in decades going by with very little change in power or position, or a slow descent into impdom.

The pyramidal shape of power also only allows so many Demons to exist at the top, so if too many Demons climb too quickly then a certain amount of "pruning" must occur, at the behest of the reigning Demon Masters.

Once the Demonic population passes a threshold of power and numbers then a certain amount will be sent out into the Human world, to flourish and die, and then the cycle begins again.

This system has allowed for a stable Demonic population to exist for hundreds of years, slowly cycling power up and out, while the Demonic Masters remain stable in their control.

It will do, for now.

-Notes on The Age of Sloth, by the Demon Master The HeadMaster

If a lesson or philosophical truth is learned but it does not benefit you, then you should unlearn it as quickly as possible lest it poison your future. 

-The Demon Master Jern

Better yet, make sure your enemies learn it so they will crumble under the weight of its significance.

-The Demon Master Buzhum

I do not have a complete picture, but it seems like the Head Master had a very VERY long term plan that he was steadily moving towards. He had managed to complete many of his goals, the first of which was to attain complete mastery over the other Demon Masters. Then it was to create a series of devices that culminated in the Snow Queen. She was to be used to create something called "the Infinity Brain".

The next step is hard to entirely decipher as much of his work was in code, but it seemed like he wanted to use the Infinity Brain to create a filter that would allow Demons to passively gain magica like Humans do?

Why? To what end? To grow endlessly stronger? There is also something about "the worlds beyond our world" that he thought Demons could do something to called "terra reforming". 

I do not understand these goals, but he was inscrutable, possibly insane. 

-Notes by the Demon Master Bael

You are not better than me. You are not superior to me. In a way you are less "real" than I am, for I will be the master of my own reality, and you only a member of the audience in yours.

-The Snow Queen

Um, are you taking to me, Cynthia?

-Kay

No sweetie, don't worry about it.

-The Snow Queen

Although I prefer to leave Dzu to their own devices, I could not help but send one of my students to analyze their sword. 

It is a remarkable device. I do belive it is directly connected to a sub realm. The energy it emits comes from that realm. 

How they managed to collect and fill that realm with such energy I do not know.

I do believe I know the source, as the potency of it is only matched by one other.

I do not fear Dzu, but I am wary of that weapon.

Still, they are very useful and make my own tasks easier with their presence.

-Notes by the Demon Master, The Head Master, collected by the Demon Master Bael

The sky is endless here. I feel like I will fall up into it. Why does it need to be so big? What's out there?

I'm already so small, I don't need to feel smaller. I try to get used to it, but a part of me wants to find a deep cave and disappear into it.

Hungry and alone, and scared. Maybe when I am an imp things will be simpler...

-Masterless Demon Fetan

She was born a healthy weight, a healthy size, all red and wrinkled and sticky... and I am filled with the strongest sense of love and despair.

I did not know it would be this way, to feel like I am at the edge of a great and endless pit.

She is so infinitely fragile. I have woven every spell of protection I can, and the doctors assure me that she is hitting every milestone, and Beckett is always here and always so full of patience... but I did not know it would be this way.

I take care of a CITY! I have defeated DEMONS AND MONSTERS! And yet. And yet!!

I cannot face what would become of me if something was to happen to her. And yet I cannot look away.

-Diary of Queen Augustine

My love and my anger are entwined, both cause me pain and yet are my only reason for continuing.

I am worried that one of them will snap, and the other will not be able to sustain my actions any longer.

I know I need more than this. But this is all I can manage, at the moment.

-The Slayer Nina

It disgusts us how wasteful Demons are with their finite, precious, infinitely valuable energy.

Not just the common Demon, for that we would understand. Even though they have so little they do not have the COMPREHENDING of how to truly utilize it. They dribble and drain it away in a thousand small ways. The tell-tale glow in their eyes or around their bodies of a slow leak, of energy forever lost on pointless expenditure. (We have witnessed lesser Demons use their energy to FLY instead of WALK what would have been only a few steps up!)

But even the Masters waste and spend their energy as if it is INFINTE. Every drop must be used expeditiously and to a purpose. Instead of a beam of raw power, use instead a line with which to dissect. 

Use energy to deflect energy. Use energy with the understanding that the pressure it exerts is its force divided by the area it connects with. Use the minimum amount needed to finish the JOB.

Do they not understand the difference between a Pillow and a Pin? Which would you rather lay your heads upon...

-Internal Memo from the Demon Master Buzhum

My thoughts are SO LOUD I can't shut them up but I'm doing EVERYTHING that I'm told and Saint Vau likes me at least I LIKE HIM! I REALLY like him. When I'm around him I feel more grounded. I'm not crazy but I feel sane. I held his hand yesterday. I only realized that the voices had stopped roaring when I did that. 

The Doctor said that it's normal and to not worry. To just focus on what we need to accomplish. Don't let my fears get in the way don't let my ANGER get in the way!! GOD WHERE IS ALL THIS ANGER COMING FROM??

I need to see Vau. We can kill something together. That's the absolute best way to calm it all down. To have no thoughts at all.

-Demon Slayer Gerda

Through hidden informants I have learned that the play "The Entire and Complete History of Demonkind" has a runtime of several hours and three intermissions during which the audience is asked (forced) to give (positive) feedback. 

While some of the play is clearly built on deep and even hidden truths, much of it is symbolic and/or terrible rhyming verse. 

As the play progresses things become increasingly skewed towards the viewpoint of the Demon Master Sangui, and the final act entirely revolves around her gathering all Demons and Humanity to her, finding a way to merge with them all as a kind of liquid, and then ushering a new golden age with her as all things.

Truly horrifying and hopefully entirely delusional.

...There was a bit with a comical Angel Dog that I could not help but laugh at, I am sorry to say.

-Notation on Demon Master Activities by the Demon Master Dzu

Sooo... he's gone! Is that bad? Does it matter?

-Ms. Ferret

It does not matter any longer. As long as we keep him away from Gerda, he can do no harm. Even if they come into contact with one another, we have solutions.

-The High Angel

Huh. You sure he can't do anything?

-Ms. Ferret

We allowed him leniency out of respect, and that leniency was rejected. We will not be so respectful when we next encounter Mr. Crow.

-The High Angel

Although extremely hard to procure, it has been shown that young Demons are far more Magica than they are flesh.

Imagine a delicate and ripe fruit. Although it gives the appearance of solidity, if you squeeze it will yield completely.

As a Demon ages it is able to compact and refine its own energy into an increasingly dense structure. 

Still, even solidified Magica is still Magica, and in turn it is weak to disruption by Magica. 

The purity of Magica needed does increase in relation to the refinement of the Demonic form.

-Notes on "Demonic Flesh; Methods for Efficient Vivisection" by the Head Scientist Priest