I want to blame “The Good Place” and “Supernatural” for my approach to devils in Whispers of Erosia.

Actually, “Acquisitions Incorporated” deserves some of the blame, too.

This has been something I have been thinking about for quite a while. Traditional Dungeons & Dragons has always given devils personality, elaborate hierarchies and an unhealthy fascination with contracts. But I wanted something a little different.

Something less Dante’s “Inferno” and more supernatural corporate bureaucracy.

I did not want every infernal bargain to revolve around selling your immortal soul. I wanted something smaller, more personal and potentially much more interesting.

What if a devil only wanted a tiny piece of the emotional energy generated by something you desperately wanted? And what if collecting enough of those tiny pieces could earn that devil a promotion?

Do I have your attention?

Hi, I’m DM Ookami, and in this development blog we’re talking about one of my favorite groups of fantasy encounters: devils.

Admittedly, this probably would have made a better Halloween post. Unfortunately, I was busy finalizing my class and subclass designs. So, let’s talk devils.

Devils are not demons

First, we need to establish something important. In Erosia, devils and demons are not interchangeable. They do not share the same origins, and they certainly do not follow the same path of development.

Demons emerge through metamorphosis. Their existence is tied to the Gelkin life cycle, progressing through the Chrysalis stage before potentially transforming into demons.

Devils are born from unresolved emotional energy.

Imagine decades of jealousy, grief that never found resolution, anger passed down through generations or longing that was never acknowledged.

In Erosia, emotions can leave a tangible impression on the world. Most eventually fade, change or find resolution. Others linger, accumulating enough emotional energy to develop a will of their own. Eventually, that energy can manifest as a devil.

Often, the result is a small infernal creature known as an Imp.

Poof.

Congratulations. Your unresolved emotional baggage has developed horns, wings and a terrible attitude.

OK, perhaps that does not sound especially terrifying. But consider a creature born from generations of resentment. It has no inherited understanding of mortal society or morality. Its existence began because an emotion refused to disappear.

Now imagine that creature discovering it can grow stronger by encouraging similar emotional experiences in others. That is where things become interesting.

For more about the distinction, visit the Fiends of Erosia section of the Bestiary.

What does a devil actually want?

This is where another part of Erosia’s development began falling into place. I have been working on the idea that a Whisper can function as a form of emotional currency.

A Whisper is a fragment of emotional resonance released when sincere feeling becomes consequential. It might emerge from a confession, an act of devotion, a difficult decision, fulfilled ambition or a long-awaited moment of closure.

Most importantly, a Whisper is not a soul.

Someone who offers a Whisper of grief does not lose their ability to mourn. Someone whose fulfilled desire produces a collectible Whisper does not surrender their capacity to love or want something again. A Whisper represents the emotional consequence of an experience, not ownership of the person who experienced it.

This is where my affection for “Acquisitions Incorporated” comes into the picture. I remember watching the adventures at PAX, enjoying the personalities of Jim Darkmagic, Omin Dran and the wonderfully ridiculous idea of running an adventuring company like a business.

There is something entertaining about treating supernatural power as something that can be negotiated, divided into shares and managed through contractual agreements. The idea of claiming a small portion of someone’s soul always amused me.

But I did not want the soul. I wanted the emotional consequence.

And suddenly, infernal contracts became much more interesting.

Welcome to the infernal economy

Imagine a small Red Imp born from unresolved longing. It encounters someone who desperately wants the courage to confess their feelings to another person.

The Imp offers assistance. It can provide confidence, create an opportunity or help the mortal overcome an obstacle. In exchange, the Imp requests a small portion of the emotional resonance released when the agreed condition is fulfilled.

That payment is called a Pathos-Toll, a central concept in Erosian infernal contract law.

The mortal accepts the bargain. The Imp provides the agreed assistance, and when the fulfillment condition is met, the emotional consequence may release a Whisper. The Imp collects its payment.

Nobody sold their soul. Nobody lost the ability to feel. The person receiving the confession is still free to refuse. But the Imp has gained something valuable.

Now imagine hundreds or thousands of similar transactions. Devils specializing in envy, anger, sorrow, grief and desire could build entire enterprises around fulfilling contracts and collecting compatible emotional resonance. The more successful they become, the greater their potential for advancement.

In Erosia, a devil does not necessarily profit from making you miserable. It profits from fulfilling an agreement that produces the emotional resonance it needs.

Of course, that does not mean every devil has honorable intentions. An especially manipulative devil might recognize exactly which circumstances would produce the most valuable emotional consequences. But even a genuinely helpful devil could profit from a successful bargain. That creates a more complicated relationship between mortals and the infernal.

Hell has a middle management problem

This brings us to another influence: “The Good Place.” I have always enjoyed the idea of a supernatural bureaucracy. Not merely a hierarchy of increasingly powerful monsters, but an actual organization with specialized jobs, competing interests, professional responsibilities and ambitious employees.

I wanted Erosian devils to have careers. Not every devil needs to be a general commanding an infernal army. Some should be accountants, investigators, negotiators, legal scholars or enforcement officers. And every one of them should have ambitions.

Within the developing Devils of Erosia, I have started establishing several infernal professions.

Whisperbrokers specialize in appraising and exchanging emotional currency. They understand what a collected Whisper is worth and whether its holder has the right to trade it.

Clausekeepers interpret contracts, investigate disputed agreements and determine whether their terms have been fulfilled.

Markhounds track missing debtors, stolen Whisper Vessels and individuals connected to unresolved infernal obligations.

Pathos Bailiffs enforce judgments and carry out the decisions of recognized infernal authorities. Their authority is limited by the terms they are entitled to enforce.

Above them are increasingly influential devils, competing courts and the mysterious Crowned Devil.

Imagine an Imp that has spent years collecting Whispers, completing assignments and developing its professional reputation. It believes it has finally earned a promotion. Its supervisor disagrees.

The Imp files an appeal. The Clausekeeper reviewing the case discovers that three Whispers were incorrectly credited to another department. An investigation begins. Somewhere, a Markhound is dispatched to recover a missing ledger.

And just like that, we have an adventure. No invasion from Hell. No ancient prophecy. No apocalyptic threat.

Just an infernal accounting discrepancy that is about to become everybody’s problem.

Everyone wants a promotion

Another question I wanted to address was how Imps become greater devils. I did not want them simply growing stronger because they had survived long enough or killed enough adventurers.

In Erosia, promotion involves accumulating compatible emotional resonance, developing an identity and eventually becoming capable of sustaining a greater infernal form. The Whisper Ledgers, Imp Promotion and Infernal Companies rules explore that progression.

Red Imps may become Heartbrokers. Green Imps may become Mirror-Claimants. Blue Imps can develop into Lamenters, while Orange Imps may rise into Cinder Judges. Black Imps have their own darker possibilities through Pallkeepers.

These paths reflect the emotions that originally gave the Imps substance. But their professions create additional possibilities. An Imp born from grief might become an investigator. One born from envy might develop an extraordinary talent for negotiation.

Its origin influences its nature, but it does not have to determine every decision it makes.

Promotion is not simply about becoming bigger and stronger. It is about becoming someone.

Someone with ambitions, responsibilities, professional rivalries and perhaps a supervisor who keeps taking credit for their work. Apparently, even devils cannot escape office politics.

Every office needs a Crowley

I should probably acknowledge another influence from “Supernatural“: Crowley.

I have always liked the idea of an infernal character whose greatest strength is not necessarily overwhelming physical power, but intelligence, political influence and an intimate understanding of how the system works.

A character who recognizes that controlling the contracts can be more valuable than controlling the armies.

Erosia offers plenty of opportunities for that kind of personality. Imagine a devil who has spent centuries building alliances between rival infernal courts. One who controls access to valuable Whispers, understands the weaknesses in countless agreements and knows exactly which obligations everyone would prefer to keep hidden.

It does not need to be the strongest devil in the room. It simply needs to understand who owes what to whom.

If it ever becomes inconvenient to eliminate that devil, its enemies might discover that doing so would invalidate half the contracts supporting their own authority.

That is the kind of recurring antagonist I enjoy. Someone the party might hate, occasionally depend upon and perhaps even find themselves defending.

What does this mean for players?

Naturally, the next question was how all this could influence actual gameplay. Elaborate lore is entertaining, but I want these ideas to create meaningful choices for players.

What if a Pactsworn character could summon an Imp associated with their infernal patron? Not simply a familiar that follows instructions, but a companion with an emotional identity, personal ambitions and its own reasons for wanting the Pactsworn to succeed.

What if that Imp’s emotional resonance influenced the spells and abilities available to the character? What if a Hollow-Souled adventurer inherited traits connected to a Markhound or Pathos Bailiff?

These questions have already inspired optional rules, including Chromatic Imp Companions, Devil Patron Agendas and Infernal Covenants, and Infernal Heritage Expressions for Hollow-Souled characters.

One of the possibilities I find most appealing is allowing an Imp companion to earn a genuine promotion during a campaign. Imagine spending months adventuring alongside a small, argumentative, ambitious Imp. Over time, it becomes an ally. Perhaps even a friend.

Eventually, it earns enough recognition and compatible resonance to become a greater devil. What happens to that relationship? Does it remain loyal? Does it offer the character a new bargain? Does it become a rival or potentially a patron?

Or does it finally get that corner office it has been complaining about for the past 15 sessions? Those are the kinds of stories I want these systems to support.

Are Erosian devils evil?

Some certainly are. Some exploit grief, anger and desperation. Others manipulate circumstances to produce valuable emotional consequences without much concern for the people involved.

But I do not want every devil to be an irredeemable monster. An Imp born from sorrow might eventually learn compassion. A Heartbroker might genuinely enjoy helping people find happiness, even while profiting from fulfilled desires. A Clausekeeper might care more about maintaining the integrity of an agreement than whether the person involved is mortal or infernal.

A Markhound might discover that the individual it was sent to apprehend has been wrongfully accused.

These possibilities make devils more than enemies waiting to be defeated. They become characters who can negotiate, cooperate, manipulate, betray or surprise the adventurers who encounter them.

Sometimes you fight a devil. Sometimes you outsmart one. Sometimes you make a bargain. And sometimes the devil offers exactly what you need at a price you are perfectly willing to pay.

Just remember to read the contract.

What is next?

What began as an effort to give devils more personality has developed into an expanding system of emotional currencies, infernal contracts, professional hierarchies and optional character rules. And I am still exploring the possibilities. There are courts to establish, rivalries to develop, powerful devils to introduce and plenty of room for recurring characters who might become allies, enemies or something in between.

I particularly like the thought of an infernal official appearing unexpectedly during an adventure, politely introducing itself and informing the party that their previous arrangement is now under review.

Or worse, that they have been selected for an audit.

My goal is to make the devils of Whispers of Erosia feel like inhabitants of a functioning supernatural society, not simply another collection of monsters waiting behind a dungeon door.

Because in Erosia, desire is power, emotions shape reality and even the smallest Whisper can carry enormous consequences.

Somewhere in an infernal office, an ambitious little Imp is probably wondering whether this month’s collections qualify it for a promotion.

Until next time, keep exploring and keep imagining.

Never sign an infernal contract without reading the fine print.

Especially if the devil assures you it is just a formality.

DM Ookami
Whispers of Erosia: Second Bloom Edition

Explore the Tome: Devils of Erosia · Whispers · Whisper ledgers and infernal companies · Pactsworn.