1. (Deity, Entity) In the depths of hell lies an entity known as the Atrocy-- or sometimes as the Mother Atrocy to differentiate her from the fragments of herself seeded into the material world during the Demon War. The Atrocy is said to be formed of congealed hatred, boiled off from souls who have passed through hell, or were banished there, or leaked down into the dark pits of hell from the living. The Atrocy is deeply intelligent, though its singlemindedness and unambitious nature can lull a foe encountering it into a false sense of security. In Hell, it may be experienced as a vast ocean of burning hot liquid metal, scarlet red, filthy with coal and ash around its shores. It readily buds off small units, each of which may be called an Atrox, but are collectively still known as Atrocy (see. def 2.)
Atrocy stranded outside of hell speak of the Mother Atrocy as a goddess, and may be known to pray to her. It is unknown to what extent the Atrocy in hell is aware of her disembodied fragments in the material plane, or how much she cares about their plight.
2. (Minor Hellspawn) In the Midalrealm, the pieces of the Atrocy (singular unit, Atrox) encountered take on a shape roughly humanoid, with a surface that resembles crushed burning coals. These are, however, mere fragments of the true Atrocy, which is a singular being residing in Hell. There, its form is that of an enormous shapeless mass of burning liquid. (see def. 1.) When the demon portal Azag Baba was opened, the singular Atrocy fragmented itself into smaller units to pass through the opening-- many of these remain, wandering the surface of Tel and the Abyss.
When the portal was still open, the individual Atrocies acted in unison, part of a singular mind, connected telepathically to the mother mass in Hell. When this connection was severed, however, the individual units ceased to share a hive mind, and began to develop independently.
While not strictly unintelligent, they seem to lack common sense, as though existing on the material plane is still somewhat foreign to them. Some seek to merge with others of their kind, forming into a larger, more powerful Atrox, while others seem to wish to preserve their individuality. If sliced apart cleanly, two halves can usually form themselves into two much smaller Atrocies. The burning fluid inside of an Atrox is also called Atrocy, though it is known more commonly a Demon's Blood, and upon the death of an Atrox, it solidifies into a hard, dense, red metal, which is highly sought for making weaponry. (see def. 3) Atrox are unphased by being pierced, and often bludgeoning seems ineffective as well. While they can survive bifurcation in ideal circumstances, their bodies will fail and die if too much of their inner Atrocy is exposed to the air.
Cut off from Hell, Atrox will eventually perish and solidify without a supply of elemental ignistic energy. This can be acquired through magical means, or simply by spending time in or around open flame. Other than this need, Atrox require neither sleep nor sustenance. They cannot speak, and have no natural senses other than truesight. Some rectify their insensate state through the use of Thrûmic Orbs.
3. (Material) Atrocy, perhaps more commonly known as Demon's Blood, is a hard, dense, scarlet red metal. Archaic highelven names for the metal include Aesatarôcsén, and Aesbaël. This material flows as a burning hot liquid under the crusty exterior of an Atrox, and is a small portion of the gargantuan fluid mass of the Mother Atrocy who resides in Hell. (see def. 1.) Atrocy is said to be a sort of congealed elemental hatred. The superstitious will say that carrying a weapon made from Atrocy will make the wielder paranoid and irritable. It is also said to grow somewhat warm in the hand when used to cause bloodshed.
Apart from its extreme tolerance to heat, and the way it readily takes and holds an edge, Atrocy is highly sought for imbuing with magic, as despite being a metal, it originates in a living creature, making it naturally adept at holding magical energies.
