Valley of Aram

The Salma Vaasa (Vaasa for short - this word means 'consumer') is an incredibly minor demon. While they can be incredibly large and powerful, they are overall considered to be much more similar to a simple magical beast than what we typically view as demons. Perhaps the main reason they'd even be called demons would simply be because they are from the demonic planes. They are often actually considered pests in their home realms - while others consider them quite useful.

A very general description would be "a six limbed dog". To be much more precise:

Generally, they range more closely to forms of sight hounds (greyhounds, borzoi, saluki, deer- and wolfhounds, afghan hounds), though they can vary. It would, however, be very rare to find one that is more mastiff-like (thick, rounder - less elegant) - one might find this in the kennel of a demon who breeds them as a program.

They tend to have longer faces, mouths filled with needle-like teeth (teeth that make little to no true sense, often, unlike a real canine), large eyes with pinprick pupils and no whites - that range in any colour under the sun. Their fur tends more toward long and flowing, but it wouldn't be odd to see a short furred Vaasa. Their tails, limbs, and bodies tend to be very long - sometimes gangly.

The most obviously not dog-like feature of this creature, though, would be their legs.

The first set would be more closely compared to arms: Battle hands, as they're referred to, with massive human-like hands at the ends, claws of considerable length, and, in general, the arms follow human proportions in regards to the length of the upper and lower arm (unlike a true canine, which has a shortened upper arm, elbow against the body).

The second set (placed almost directly behind the battle-limbs) once more can be described as human-like - in fact, they are generally the same size as a human's - on such a large creature, they in fact look stunted, as if chopped off a humanoid and sewn to the beast's sides; these are called caster hands, and for Vaasa that have harnessed magic, these are key to their spellcasting.

The third set, the hind legs, seem almost like normal dog paws, but for the addition of a fifth toe - 'thumb' - and claws that tend more toward sharp than dull; the extra digit rarely seems to be of use.

There seems to be no sexual dimorphism.

Are they intelligent? The answer to this is yes, and no. Like any species in general, Vaasa range in intellect from 'stupid dog' to 'are you sure it isn't human?' - and that range would simply be for the magically disinclined of the species. Those that are able to harness magic easily surpass the intellect of a simple beast, and can often be considered the equal of any humanoid mage. Unsurprisingly, these casters are rarely able to be kept in servitude as a pet or trained animal.

While some make claims that the less mundane Vaasa could almost be a different species, it isn't at all uncommon to have mundane and casters in the same litter.

A Vaasa is silent; it does not growl, it does not bark - and it most certainly does not speak. Body language in general is a commonly accepted communication, even among the most beast-like of the lot. The more intelligent beasts have been seen to communicate with hand signals - often incredibly complicated, akin to a drow or human's sign language - using their caster hands. Magically inclined Vaasa have been known to be able to communicate telepathically, but this skill rarely comes easily.

Something some may have noticed, as mentioned earlier, is that the Vaasa has a mouth of fairly nonsensically sharp teeth - like needles, albeit a fair bit thicker. Generally, this would mean their teeth are likely fairly useless outside of being painful to have inflicted upon oneself - and this is very true. So what do they eat? That all lies in their name - Salma Vaasa, the Magic Eater. Magic, then, is their main meal. This can be obtained in multiple different manners - from feeding on the essence of a powerful being, absorbing it from a highly magical environment, or even simply devouring smaller creatures, such as Faeries - in fact, Fey magic is often the most sought out meal for a Vaasa, with chaotic magic in close second. Perhaps their least favourite meal would be a fellow demon's magic.

Vaasa can not see or simply know a being or object is magic - while they may often have a feeling that something is magic, they must scent it. Scenting, however, does not involve their nose, though the organ is just as powerful as any true hound. Instead, it involves getting close to the object of their attention, and scenting it with an organ in their mouth, similar to male animals scenting females in estrus.

This organ, depending on the individual Vaasa's intellect, can be quite precise. At the very least, it tells the Vaasa if there is, indeed, magic to be had. At an extreme, though, it can not only tell that there's magic - but how powerful, the type, the supply; in the case of objects or spells, it could have the same effect as a wizard's spell to decipher what it does.

Vaasa are only capable of having markings like an actual dog or wild canine might have. Stars, stripes, balloons, rainbow gradients - these won't happen, unless someone literally painted it on.

Mundane vaasa generally only range in 'natural' colours - white, brown, black. They can be auburn shades, blonde shades, and even go toward the 'blue'-greys.

Magical vaasa can be any colour under the rainbow, and any colour combination, outside of a rainbow gradient. They are coloured this way since birth (once their fur grows in, of course).

Vaasa tend to be Chaotic Neutral, though magical ones can vary between Evil and Good - though good vaasa would be incredibly rare due to circumstance. One obtained and raised outside of any demonic realm influence could possibly obtain this alignment.

A while back, I opened a thread in order to make a FAQ about Vaasa. Here's the results, for your reading pleasure and informational needs.