Your hive has evolved into an malevolent, otherwordly, intelligent entities, born and corrupted by the deepest and darkest emotions of all mortal creatures. While becoming a Daemon remains a choice for you, these beings regard you as their own, irrespective of your form.
You wield the power to supernaturally sense, shape and manipulate four pivotal emotions: Anger, Pleasure, Despair, and Change. These emotions can be naturally siphoned and extracted without any limits or adverse effects on yourself, drawing them from all mortal and even immortal creatures. You can accomplish this through physical contact for a swifter extraction, or by merely having them within your field of view, albeit at a slightly slower rate than the former method. Through this power, you can craft Daemons according to your preferences. Although Daemons might share many characteristics, no two Daemons are entirely alike. This diversity spans across three broad categories of Daemons: Daemonic beasts, Lesser Daemons, and the most formidable of all, the Greater Daemons.
The quantity and variety of Daemons at your disposal are directly linked to the reservoir of Emotions you've accumulated. In a single day, you could manifest an entire battalion of approximately 500 Lesser Daemons like the fearsome Bloodletters by harnessing anger, while a month's accumulation of that same emotion could yield the creation of a mighty greater Daemon like the Bloodthirster. Daemons possess an innate capacity for growth, their overall power and might increasing proportionally with the passage of time. You also have the option to deliberately and voluntarily through physical contact infuse a Daemon with the core emotion that birthed them, progressively augmenting their power until they attain their Exalted forms. These Exalted Daemons stand as significantly enhanced iterations in every conceivable aspect compared to their standard counterparts. A solitary Exalted Daemon has the prowess to subdue an entire battalion of their regular counterparts with ease. You can toggle on and off an ethereal gauge, visible only to you, that provides a visual representation of your accumulated emotional resources, serving as a guide for your creations.
To the Daemons, you are the unchallenged sovereign, your word a law they are bound to uphold. This devotion knows no bounds, extending to Daemons of all intelligences, awareness, and inherent natures. Regardless of their complexity, every Daemon consciously and unconsciously recognizes you as their supreme leader, driven to unconditionally fulfill your commands until the very limits of their eternal existence. You can still command them like RTS units, assume direct control, see everything they see, or otherwise act like a true hive mind if you wish, but you don't need to hold their hand about every little thing if you don't want to. The depth of your intervention at your sole discretion.
Daemons, posses both intelligence and independence of thoughts, and can even exhibit the emergence of distinct personalities, especially with the lesser Daemons and higher. Each Daemon is dangerous and formidable, that a rare few mortals can even hope to meet in combat and not die or get mind enslaved instantly, each one is fueled by a different core emotion that let them posses distinct strengths and capabilities over each other. Those borne from anger flourish in the midst of warfare, harnessing unparalleled combat prowess that escalates with each battle and every life they claim. On the other hand, those empowered by pleasure specialize in the intricate arts of beguiling seduction, wielding the uncanny ability to bend wills and dominate minds through their enchanting presence alone. Able to transform mortals into mind-numbed slaves with a mere gaze upon them.
Conversely, Daemons rooted in despair emanate a virulent influence, propagating their malevolent plagues and diseases throughout the land. Their very poisonous essence becomes a conduit for abominable and deadly afflictions that sow decay and suffering. While the Daemons of change embody an unparalleled mastery over magic and knowledge that transcends conventional understanding, while also excelling in trickry and scheming to further their devious agendas.
Unburdened by the shackles of sleep, sustenance, or respiration, never tiring Daemons are immortal beings, remaining impervious to the passage of time, and eternally resilient. True death eludes them, as their physical manifestations can be destroyed, only for them to reform after a short period of time. Only you possess the authority to permanently extinguish their existence, achieved by invoking their one true name with the intent to kill. This closely guarded secret is known solely to you, as their names are revealed to you with the creation of each Daemon. Every Daemon you bring into existence shares a unique bond with you that transcends the boundaries of dimensions. Unrestricted by the limitations of mortal planes, they are perpetually anchored to your presence, enabling them to traverse any realm with seamless ease. This bond serves as a conduit that defies the confines of space, granting your creations the ability to move unhindered across the vast tapestry of existence.
A Daemon, regardless of its type, can voluntarily radiates an aura of chaos that consumes the minds of mortals, driving them to madness. This influence intensifies the more powerful the Daemon is, to the point where a mere gaze upon a Greater Daemon would fracture a mortal's psyche, plunging them into instant madness. As their creator, you remain immune to the chaos aura and any other innate magical or esoteric influences that they possess, unaffected by their effects in any capacity.