Summon Monster

One pitch a day: in August of 2011, I dedicate twenty minutes each day to writing an « elevator pitch » for a story or a game.

The shaman of a primitive tribe on the verge of extinction manages to perform a powerful ritual. He can now use his staff to conjure a strange species of demons. These creatures come from another plane of existence. They look quite strange (what with their odd eyes and clothes), behave like they are afraid (a pretense to put would-be masters at ease) and know all manners of bizarre tricks (including useful knowledge). The demons learn to speak the language of the tribe, then explain that the spell took them away without notice from their otherworldly hell. They beg for a way out.
Of course, the queen of the tribe denies their request and makes sure these dangerous entities are properly enslaved. She orders the shaman to conjure an army of demonic servants in order to wage wars against enemy tribes. Soon, an empire is born.
At some point, the entities rebel.
These things use a different name for themselves.
They call themselves « humans« .