Imp
General
- Classification
- Demon (Sapient)
- Faction/Affiliation
- Burning Legion, Independent
- Homeworld
- Twisting Nether
- Area(s)
- Various
Turn your back on these tiny terrors at your own risk.”
Imps were a type of lesser demon that were spawned by imp mothers in order to carry out her bidding. While they were unremarkable and weak on their own, large numbers could prove to be a nuisance and a danger if they were underestimated.
History
Imps have been known for as long as the chaotic realms of the Twisting Nether have been known, and like their mothers, they did not seem to have an explicit homeworld as they were instead spawned fully-formed from portals opened in their mothers' bellies. Because imps were weak and widely considered to be "lesser" demons, they were frequently assigned the grunt work of more powerful demons and were considered to be largely expendable.
When their mothers joined the Burning Legion, this tendency continued, though some imps also found themselves in the service of mortal warlocks as they were among the easiest demons to summon from the Nether.
Description
An Imp Consort by Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Imps were diminutive, wiry creatures with long noses and ears, tall horns, and jaws of sharp pointed teeth. They were bipedal with lanky arms, and also had a whip-like tail they used for balance. Parts of their bodies were covered in fur, and they were agile and quick-footed, unlike their mothers.
Imps could come in a wide variety of colors, even from the same imp mother, and their did not appear to be much rhyme or reason to what color they were spawned save perhaps the energy that went into their creation. Imps were capable of speech and were free willed and sapient, though they were normally at baseline loyal to their mothers, either through fear or respect. Individual imps could become remarkably ambitious, which could get them far if it didn't get them killed first.
Abilities
All imps were capable of phase shifting back to the Twisting Nether if they were on another plane of existence, which gave them an easy means of escape if it was needed, though going from the Twisting Nether to another plane was more complicated. They normally needed to be summoned as a typical imp lacked the ability to open portals on their own, but they were capable of rudimentary fel magics such as fire bolts, which they could hurl at enemies as a means of self-defense.
Variations
Beyond typical imps, several other variations of imp existed, some of which being natural progression for an imp, while others served their mother in different ways.
Dread Imps
A Dread Imp by Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Otherwise known as fel imps, dread imps resulted from imps that managed to amass a sizeable amount of their own power (albeit relative to an imp) without suffering death. They were larger than their kin, with thicker, more ornate horns, longer fangs and claws, and thicker scales on their bodies. Some of them also grew wings, and they were most commonly seen as companions of powerful warlocks where they had the protection to amass their own strength. Some dread imps were still in the loyal service of their mothers, and had ultimately performed efficiently and admirably enough to amass a degree of favoritism and strength, which allowed them to lord over their kin.
Imp Consorts
Imp consorts were pseudo-clones of their mother and, unlike their brethren, did not possess free will. They had all of their mother's memories, personality traits, and ambitions, and served as close guards and majordomos of the one that spawned them. Due to their nature, imp mothers were limited in the number of imp consorts they could have at one time, with even powerful imp mothers generally having under ten. However, they were also a safeguard: if an imp mother was permanent killed, one of her consorts could mutate into a perfect replica of her, and spiritually continue her ambitions in all the ways that mattered. Imp mothers could readily consume their consorts in order to reacquire the energy they possessed and assimilate any memories they had amassed while apart from her.
Imp Handmaidens
Imp handmaidens were the only variety of imp that presented as female. They were few in number when compared to the rest of their kin, and they directly served their mother and the various imp consorts in whatever way they deemed fit. Their primary role was to amass souls and energy from recesses the imp mothers could not reach themselves, during which they would grow in size to eventually be consumed by the mother before they became too powerful to be a threat. If an imp mother and all her consorts were permanently destroyed, or if an imp handmaiden could somehow flee their mother, they could, in time, grow to become a new imp mother.
Known
Named
Statblocks
| Warcraft Creature Types |
|---|
| Aberration • Beast • Celestial • Construct • Demon • Dragonkin • Elemental • Fey • Giant • Humanoid • Monstrosity • Ooze • Plant • Undead |
| Demonic Creatures | |
|---|---|
| Sapient | Annihilan • Antaen • Aranasi (Spider Demon) • Asura • Darkglare • Ered'ruin • Felsworn (Fel Orc • Felblood Elf) • Flamekin • Imp Mother (Imp) • Inquisitor • Jailer • Man'ari (Brute • Doommaiden • Wrathguard) • Mo'arg (Brute • Fel Lord • Felguard • Gan'arg) • Overfiend • Nathrezim (Tothrezim) • Sayaad • Satyr • Terrorfiend • Wyrmtongue |
| Non-Sapient | Bilescourge • Darkhound • Felbat • Felbeast • Felhound (Charhound • Felstalker • Gloomhound • Xhillag) • Felsaber • Helboar • Infernal (Abyssal) • Nightmare • Ur'zul • Vilefiend |
