Vishrak

A Vishrak demon was a species of demon that possessed the power of glamour. Due to their nature, Vishraks were a symbol of worship, although their ‘followers’ typically intend to bind the demon to their service rather than just worship it freely.

Physiology & Powers

A Vishrak’s true form is hard to define as they possess the power of glamour, making it possible that even their natural state is just a form that they project. However, at their peak, they possess superhuman strength surpassing that of a Slayer. Their ability to glamour can allow them to appear before others as the person their ‘target’ most desired; at their peak, a Vishrak using its glamour could appear to be different faces to a group of people. It could manifest as a person’s true desire even if the subject was unaware of their feelings for the person in question; a Vishrak once confronted Cordelia Chase and his glamour caused him to automatically assume the appearance of Doyle before Cordelia was even consciously aware that she was attracted to Doyle.

As an extension of their powers, Vishraks were hard to kill, with particular rituals being required to ensure that physical death would be permanent, although the process required to ensure a true resurrection was still complex and the demon would be weakened for several decades until it was ready to attempt it. One such ritual was shown that required the Vishrak to kill twelve humans, each with a different zodiac sign, and absorb their energies into itself within a lunar month, but this ritual required it to form a pact with a human ‘servant’ so that it could draw on the human’s energy for itself until it could maintain an independent body. During this ritual, the Vishrak’s glamour abilities would be weakened, requiring the demon to be presented with a template to shape their appearance through conscious thought at first, although its power would grow over time. Even once the ritual was complete, the Vishrak would be required to spend a day and a night in its new body until this form became permanent, during which time certain rituals could be used to bind or kill the demon so long as the other parties had access to the demon’s original form.

Notable Vishraks

• Yunk’sh

Appearances

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