History
Imps are, unlike the common idea of the evil demons and devils, regarded as more or less nuisances to be dealt with. They are characteristically the mischievous troublemakers throughout history, playing pranks on humans by stealing children, cursing livestock, and making life harder than it has to be. They are created in the Nine Hells, where human souls go to be torn apart for their misdeeds. From the shreds of human soul matter, a lemure is born, void of anything resembling its former shape or mind. They usually remain this way until a greater archdevil declares it as his own property, giving it purpose and finding its use. It then becomes an imp. Imps serve as the servants for all the castes of Hell, themselves being among the lowest rungs. They thus get their licks in when they can on humans.
Society
Originally promoted as battle fodder, imps who live beyond their use are often bullied by higher-level devils. Because of their ease to deal with compared to more powerful fiends, they are often summoned to the world of mortals to act as familiars for spellcasters. If the imp's summoner dies without dismissing the imp, or the summoner breaks any of the contract's rules, an imp will break the contract and psychic bond. In those cases, an imp may stay in the mortal world indefinitely and unchained, free to cause mischief. However, an imp's primary goal in contracts is to obtain the soul of a mortal, as the captured soul displays merit among other lesser devils. Some imps make contracts in exchange for souls to offer their earnings to the devils they serve, particularly any of the Lords of the Nine.
Imp Names
The true names of imps are kept as less of a secret than those of other devils, as they tend to welcome any summons to the mortal plane. Some accrue a variety of names to conceal their true name, using them to play with humans and wanna-be summoners. Their names are often derived from Infernal and are not divided by gender.
Names: Invidoo, Druzil, Cespenar