One Sylish Devil
17 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Devil May Cry, Games Tags: Devil May Cry, game, Games, Xbox 360
On Demons and Style
It is normally not the place of humans to inquire into the affairs of devils, but, as a former member of the latter party, I have developed quite an extensive knowledge of their inner workings. Perhaps then, in sharing my experience, I can better help those of weaker flesh rebuke the evil of demons, should the Hellgate ever be opened again. One can hope, at least. Until such time, let my ramblings serve at least an amusement for those with the patience to listen.
To start with, let me explain the hierarchy of demons. To the victor, go the spoils, so to speak, and with demons it is no different. Only the strongest demon rises to the top of the pack, though not is it often that one can do so on its own. Oft requires a demon a multitude of underlings; an army, so to speak. Though, correctly, it is a legion of demons, just as a group of crows is called a murder, or a school of sharks, a shiver. Within each legion there can only be one leader, one who is not only stronger than the rest, but one that differentiates itself as a cut above the common hellspawn. Determining which devil is the leader can be bloody and epic, though this is the exception. How, then, do demons choose their leaders? Is it democracy? No, for every demon would only vote for itself. No, my friends, the selection of a leader hinges something far less tangible: Style.
Most demons have measurable strengths; they are durable, powerful, magical, or agile in ways that can be tested in battle or expressed in grand displays. But the one thing that cannot be quantitatively measured is, perhaps, the most important. What is style, anyway? Who decides what is stylish? It cannot be measured on a scale, nor quantified. Often, leaders of demons define their own style, yet it is those which follow it who assign such style a value. The style of one demon is never quite the same as the style of another demon, yet there are similarities that repeatedly arise between demons of the same legion. Just as people from one region of the Earth tend towards certain cultural definitions, demons of Hell do much the same.
In this way, style serves as not only an indication of personality, but also as a binding by which legions, usually made up of unrelated souls, define themselves. The most stylish individual, as regarded by its peers and underlings, is most often, then, the one to rise to the top and assume the role of leader, provided it is indeed among the strongest, as well. Exactly what is considered to be stylish is often open for interpretation, yet no demon, once it has beheld the presence of a stylish individual, would argue the point. As such, style is a complex social measuring stick, though far be it from me to compare demonic hierarchy with civilized society as we know it.
Key to note, here, is that style, among demons at the least, is often not defined until it has been created. There are, as with any culture, certain individuals who possess an inherit sense of style. They do not view themselves through another’s eyes, for they are confident and certain of their own abilities that they have no concern regarding the opinions of others. They make the impossible look easy: Their sense of style clings to their every move and exudes an aura of effortlessness that would cow a lesser creature, and illicit respect and awe from anything remotely equal to it in power. If one demon attains this level of style, it may be just stylish enough to unite the legions of Hell, and to once again unleash war on mankind.
-C. Python
