I’ve been putting off making this thread for a while now simply because I thought that, like how my brain usually works, I would think of an answer to my question late one night when I was half asleep and it would be THE answer to my problem. That was, indeed, wishful thinking. I’ve been pondering it for a long, long time now and have still come up with nothing. I’m not sure the right way to explain this, but I’m going to try: I need a way to kill “angels”. Bear with me here, the angels are hardly that, more evil little demonic things that run around shoving their hands in peoples insides and fiddling with their hearts or doing something that I called “casting” where they look into your soul through your eyes. It’s far less odd and stupid sounding in my plot so far, I swear! The climax of the first part of the story is that my main goes crazy and kills a whole bunch of these “angels”. So it's a pretty major part of my plot. That is currently empty. That’s where I hit my problem. How to kill these things?! Here’s the deal, I know that there is going to be someone who reads this and automatically thinks something along the lines of “it’s your story, it should be your decision.” “well it’s really up to you.” “You don’t need to be asking for other people’s opinions, you need to answer these questions yourself.” And yes, I get that…but right now I need ideas, raw as they may seem. Something to spark my brain back into thinking…I honestly welcome ANYTHING. (ALSO, just thought of this, it doesn't necessarily have to be something that is "real". By that I mean that it doesn't have to be something that people at one point in history thought worked etcetera) Hopefully someone has a brilliant idea?
Hmmm, Would you like just the ideas, or should I include directions to take them in. Do "angels" have physical bodies? do they fly with wings? I would have fun with giving them physical bodies, that can be destroyed, but that wouldn't really kill them. A sword can cut their heads off, or maim their wings but they regenerate or regrow. This would help add the physical act of killing. But to give it some kind of extra difficulty you have to do something more to kill it. Like garlic, or maybe a magical chant, or setting provided some machine or device to radiate it into oblivion. If you want to keep the tech down perhaps something mythic/fantasy you can create a counter ability that parallels your "casting". Perhaps one of your characters can be trained to either overcome casting, or have a counter for when they try to do it that causes them to die. You can also go with the rare metals route. Werewolves are susceptible to wounds caused by silver. You might find and element or metal that you feel is opposite to your angels. Clay or ceramic born from the earth are able to overcome the power of those that fly. Or maybe you'd like glass or crystal weapons, use reflections to counteract their casting. There really is a lot to work with. Good luck.
To know how to kill something, you have to find out the source of its power, right? SO, what do these angels run on? Are they physical or spiritual? Are they biblical angels or more like furies or whatnot?
This was EXACTLY what I needed!!! I read this, sat here for a minute and immediately scribbled out an idea, sort of a hybrid of what you guys suggested and things that I had already thought about, and BAM. I have my plot locked down. Thank you so much! You guys helped me out of a major rut
I've heard of salt being used to ward off "evil spirits" so perhaps something made out of rock salt, could be used as a weapon. Research into protection from "evil spirits" in different cultures might be a helpful place to look. Check out ancient civilizations to modern superstitions. There are a ton of interesting ideas out there and maybe you'll run into something that clicks. All I've got is the salt thing. Edit: Oops looks like while I was typing you got your answer.
The easiest way I can think of is to have a way of binding them/incapacitating them, and then banishing them using a certain incantation. Otherwise, to have a knife that has been forged by the forces of good, many millennia ago, that can actually kill an angel by turning them mortal once they are stabbed. Or something like that.
*Cough* Ahem! ... "The power of Christ compels you!" (I honestly wish vampires were real for the express purpose of using that line) Salt doesn't ward off evil spirits, it contains them. A salt circle will keep them on the side they're on. A stake, blessed by Saint Michael, forced through the heart. But, then, maybe you don't want to copy Fright Night, heh.
@crucifiction: or "The Golden Child", or "Beowulf" or many other stories which use piercing of the heart by a sharp object the only way to kill a monster . You say that salt doesn't ward off evil spirits, but in Chinese feng shui, salt is used to scrub down objects in order to purge them of negative energy. Superstitions are many, varied and contradictory, no one "school of thought" is "accurate". So they could use a salt weapon to ward off evil spirits, why not?
I'm talking specifically about a stake blessed by Saint Michael, which was used in Fright Night, not just any stake. And yeah, there are other varieties, but salt is more popularly used in salt circles to create a shield against negative energy. It's not so much a ward as a general protection. A salt weapon, which might be effective, would be incredibly weak. They could do what they want, though, you're right. *Shrug*
Another idea would be that they have to be hit in a very specific place (Like Achilles from The Illiad), not easily accesible. (For example, your need to pierce them through the kidney or something)
What's really funny, is that I kind of combined all of these before I even read most of these The weak spot is the eyes. She throws shards of a broken mirror at them while they are trying to cast her. It kind of reverse casts and then BOOM. Dead. Thanks guys
Well if the evil creatures have some kind of intrinsic power that makes them what they are than you can also give that same power to your protagonist and thereby avoid the religious requirements of the more common christian beliefs. There are a few ways to do this. Granted power, Acquired power, and Saddled Power. All of these options can also add diversity to your story as well as plot twists and character depth. Granted Power: Born with it, like Superman....He just has it and may or may not know why. Acquired Power: He got it. Maybe got lucky with a careless monster and killed it with its own weapon, now he has a supernatural weapon or artifact that gives him his power. Saddled Power: Similar to granted power, but more like a toture than a gift. It was given to him and he didn't want it, like a vampire or werewolf bite...Either way it will be used to his advantage.
How about fire? Any physical being can be destroyed by it. It is effective and cleansing. Historically used by the clergy to to purify the souls of sinners (according to certain misguided notions). It would certainly be a descriptive feast. The scent of burning flesh, skin that bubbles and peels and tthe accompanying screams of your victim.
Honestly, I would not make it very complicated. When these demons/angels are interacting with humans and want to harm them, they must assume a physicall body that can be killed by physicall means like guns, knifes, broken necks etc. After they are killed, they just die and stop existing or they will be reborn in Hell or whatever place they come from.
An important question to consider is whether you want a way to kill them on an individual level, or to block their entire dimension. I won't go on more since you said you've figured something out already.
