Lesser Daemons are those Daemons of Chaos described by scholars as being lesser in overall power to the Greater Daemons, but still superior to Daemonic Beasts. They possess the capacity for thought and reason, and they plot and plan in their ongoing effort to undo Mankind's morality. Though powerful or horrifying, most mortals can deal with them for short periods without compromising their sanity, immortal souls or lives.[1a]
Whilst Greater Daemons lead the armies of the Dark Gods, Lesser Daemons act as their footsoldiers, unnatural mockeries of mortal warriors that march under tattered and foreboding banners, or guide their snarling war beasts and hell-forged chariots crashing into the enemy ranks.[2a]
Types
Least Daemons
Least Daemons are a subcategory of Lesser Daemon, and the most numerous. Indeed, there are more Daemons in the Realm of Chaos than those that actually serve one of the Ruinous Powers. Some exist in-between the domains of each of the Chaos Gods.[1b]
While dangerous to mortals, Least Daemons are small and insignificant compared to the might of the aligned Daemons. In fact, they skitter about the Realm of Chaos, food for the more potent Daemonic forces. Some escape the plane of Chaos to plague the world of Men -- indeed, they often serve as Familiars because they are too weak to resist mortal magic, though many suspect a more self-serving reason may be at heart, such as escaping the Realm of Chaos.[1b]
Because they do not serve a single Ruinous Power, any of the Dark Gods can make use of a Least Daemon. The longer a Daemon serves an individual major Chaos power, the more it takes on that god's characteristics -- those who serve Khorne become red and warlike for example. In time, they might gain enough power and patronage to become indistinguishable from other favoured servants of the Chaos Gods. The Least Daemons include the following entities: [1b]