Here's a question. What all can you do with a demon bound to an item or person? That is... some things are explicitly defined, such as learning the demon's powers if it's bound into you or using the demon's might for enchantment spaces in an item.
Other things, though:
Can an item with a demon bound into it be used as an arcane connection to a demon? What about an item that previously had a demon bound to it, and how long does it remain connected to the demon if so?
Can a demon be Summoned (as per the Goetic Art) from within an item its bound to, and if so, does it return to the item when the Summoning is over and it's banished?
Do Ablation or Commanding work on bound demons? And if so, would it use the normal might (as if the demon were within a summoning circle) or double might?
Can someone Perdo Vim a demon that's bound into something, to kill it? Would Demon's Eternal Oblivion or Exorcise the Filthy Spirit work, or would another variant be needed?
If a demon is bound into an item and is being used to grant a person magic resistance, does that mean (because of the way penetration is always less than or equal to might) that the demon can't harm the wearer with its powers, such as Xaphan heating up a metal object he's bound into? Can a demon use its powers to destroy an item its bound into?
Lots of questions... just curious what people think. A lot of these apply to magical and faerie spirits as well.
Finally, one last thing... if a demon is summoned with Scouring, what Hierarchy should it have, and does that count against the usual (Summoning Total/2) Might that Scouring summons?
My instincts say that the item /is/ the demon, as long as it is bound to it. So yes, I'd say the object itself is an AC to the demon bound to it. If you managed to release the demon from bondage, I wouldn't agree that its former prison is still an Arcane Connection to the demon, though, because demons don't generally leave physical traces. To get an AC to a demon, you pretty much have to learn its true name.
I don't know... I could see situations where it would be interesting if it could, and others where it would be interesting if it couldn't. I'd say it depends on the demon. Maybe the demon can respond if it wants to respond, but doesn't have to? If banished, I'd say it must return to its prison, but if the Summoning isn't strong enough to control it, it may be freed.
I'd say yes, with double Might. You'd have to summon the demon with the Summoning Art to use normal Might, even if you set the item in a circle.
I imagine you could, since the thing is a demon trapped in a physical form.
Interesting. In my own saga, I might rule that a demon could use effects with a Personal range to avoid its own resistance, but that otherwise it could not. I like the idea of a demon killing the person it possesses to take over the body.
Yes, any demon with a Hierarchy score effectively has a higher Might Score with regard to summoning. I'd imagine any demon caught in the scouring net would be fairly low in the hierarchy, though.
I do not think a written contract would be anachronistic per se, It is possible the merchant would not be used to them if he was illiterate or did not have a servant to read for him, but contracts go back at least to the roman empire:
<from Wikipedia, so you know it's good>
I would probably allow it, because it's mythically appropriate, but maybe the demon had to write its true name on the document? That's an interesting hook for a future story, if the Tytalus still has the page or a copy of it falls into enemy hands.
Uses for demons? Destroy them with glee in the name of the Lord.... Or your personal advancement: no conflict of interests here. After our long standing covenant was destroyed by demons (tell me about a 5 or 6 dice botch in a Vim spell....) our group has developed the maniac effect of destroying a demon as soon as the discover that one is there. even if it is in the middle of Paris. Honest.
The character did not have the best perdo vim score and the demon was pretty darn powerful (in fact it was the high might example demon from the core book). But the PC did have a monster rego mentem total and a spell (blindfold of will) that makes a target incapable of reacting to or acknowledging the presence of the caster.
The magus studied the art of memory and then used a creo mentem ritual to memorize a casting text for a high level circular ward against demons, one that he would have significant difficulty casting himself if it weren't for the casting tablet. (I have a house rule that ring/circle wards don't need to penetrate)
He also commisioned the creation of a level 2 version of demon's eternal oblivion with seven points of spell potency from a surly Iberian flambeau. He mastered this spell for penetration.
The contract was fixed as a permanent AC, a represntation of the demon's form was used as a sympathetic connection
the demon was siitng in his house one day and was unexpectedly zapped by the blindfold of will spell making his mind was unable to react to the magus casting a powerful ward around him.
The magus then rested and recovered from casting the ward as the demon helplessly tried to escape from his confinement.
The next morning the magus returned and cast his tiny little level 2 demon's eternal oblivion 30 or 40 times until the the demon ceased to exisit.
The character then checked this challenge off of his to do list and took a season off before begining to plot his next performance of tytalian badassity.
There is no longer any demon.
The contract however I'm certain is sitting in the character's old sanctum and is available for use as a plot hook in the unlikley event that some one/thing could get there.