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Post by Admin on Jun 8, 2005 0:53:31 GMT -6
As with every fantasy RPG, we have our own setting and mythology in the QoD that not everyone is going to be familiar with. I mean, we have demons living in Hell, under a shaky monarchy. You'd be crazy if you thought that didn't have some impact on your character. Of course, with some races, crazy is requirement!
The Setting
The History of the World (from a demon's perspective)
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Post by Admin on Apr 17, 2011 20:18:59 GMT -6
Hell
Hell is a fairly large realm, full of diverse environment that often seem to defy logic. It is circular, surrounded by the impenetrable Abyss, with the Frozen Waste at its borders. At the very center of Hell lies the city, Pandemonium, where the Queen and her court reign.
The Black Forest
A thick, primeval forest, which shares its borders with one side of the River Styx. It is so-called due to the thick canopy of trees, which block out what little sun shines in Hell. Many creatures live in the Black Forest, often looking like a demonized version of forest creatures found on Earth. One does not want to go a-wandering in the Black Forest alone.
The River Styx
A burning, flaming river that flows along the border of the Black Forest and Blasted Desert. It begins in the craggy, jagged peaks of the mountains in Hell, and spills into the Abyss. Some say the Styx is made entirely of flame, while others say that molten rock is at it's core. However, few can get close enough to the Styx without hideous burns, and few know the truth. Some flame-resistant and heat-loving creatures live in the Styx and require special care once fished out of its fiery depths.
The Blasted Desert
A huge, barren wasteland of ever-shifting sand, rock worn smooth by the winds, and inescapable heat. Few call the Desert home, but those that do jealously guard its secrets. It is said that long ago, an ancient civilization once existed in the Blasted Desert, and the ruins still hold glorious treasure waiting for the intrepid and determined demon to find them.
The Frozen Waste
Like the Blasted Desert, the Frozen Waste is barren and uninhabitable to most demons. However, as its name suggests, the Frozen Waste is covered in snow and ice from its proximity to the Abyss. Many lands end in frozen sheets of ice and snow - the Forest with trees and foliage frozen solid, the Desert with scatterings of snow and glittering with ice, and the River Styx, with a red glow beneath the thick, glacieral ice. Strange creatures wander the Waste, mutated and corrupted by the Abyss, driven mad by the ceaseless yet indecipherable whispers. Abyssal wells hide within snow drifts and sheets of thin ice. It is a treacherous land, full of maddening, ancient mysteries.
Abyss
Surrounding the realm of Hell is the ever-present darkness. It is the absolute nothingness - so profound it has been known to drive even the strongest minds mad. It is said that once the Abyss was worshiped by demons everywhere, but no evidence supports this rumor.
The Asylum
Where do you send Fallen Angels who can't function in Hell's society? Why, to the Asylum, of course! Situated at the edge of the Frozen Waste and the Abyss, an entire garrison of Constructs keep an eye on the most insane and mad Fallen in Hell.
The Crater
The last stand of Lucifer. The center is still full of barely-congealed blood and molten rock, and noxious gasses fill the air. The aftermath of the Final Battle of the Second War remains as fresh today as it did when it was first created.
Pandemonium
The ancient, ancestral capital of Hell. It was the center of the Empire when Lucifer took over, and it remains so now. Like Hell, Pandemonium is fairly circular, with districts separated by race and class. Slums and ghettos make up most of the outer limits of the city. The roads wind through the city, like a Mayan or Celtic circle.
Marketplace
Straight down from the Palace lies the Marketplace, home of the Merchants and Guilds (and supposedly the Thieves' Guild). Here, one can buy anything. The City Library resides near the Marketplace, which is presided over by the intelligent and beautiful Duchess Tre'Maya De'Velt.
Gardens
Surrounding the Palace are the Gardens, where the nobility make their home. Large manors and townhouses sprawl around the Palace, with trees, flowers, and ornate brush decorate the streets. There are several parks, where nobles may walk, and one in particular where huge, outdoor galas are held.
The Palace
Built in the crater of a mostly-dormant volcano is the Imperial Palace. It's towers and spires are built from the bones of the mountain, towering high above the city. Currently, the Palace is slightly off-center and caved-in from the destruction of the Palace Library.
The Throne Room
Here sits the Throne of Hell, carved from stone found in the Abyss by Lucifer himself. Many state matters are decided here.
The Ballroom
The floor is carved from a single piece of marble that has since been cracked during the battle between the late General Zarek and the now Nyxereos. It has been in disuse since that day, gathering dust...
The Queen's Tower
The highest tower, with only a single room at the top, it holds the Queen's apartments as well as her own personal playroom. Few are allowed in here, and fewer still are willing to breach the Queen's privacy.
The Palace Dungeon
If there was one place you never wanted to visit in Hell, it is here. This is where the worst criminals in Hell are held and tortured, food for the Leccubi.
The Ruined Library
Where once the great library of Hell stood, now is rubble. Caved in during a spell by the late adviser, no attempt has been made to clean it up or repair it. Some say that doing so would compromise the structural integrity of the Palace.
The Barracks
Not necessarily a part of the Palace proper, but an outside offshoot. This is where the Elite and much of the army stay, quartered until they are needed. The training grounds are also here, and some nobles find entertainment in watching the Elite spar and train.
The Armory
This is where all the weapons Hell has to offer are stored. All types of weapons with all types of properties are housed here, like the Elites, until they are needed.
Palace Gardens
Only the highest of nobles get apartments here. Some secluded sections hold carnivorous plants, and enormous insects roam, protecting the flowers they call home.
Mortal Realm
Sometimes it becomes necessary for demons to travel outside of Hell. While the world is big, the places of demonic influence are not, and are often highly contested by Angels. A wise demon will keep a low profile when on the Mortal Realm, lest any Angel feel the need to exert holy wrath on it.
The Gate
The portal between Hell and the City, it is in a small, out-of-the-way alley where not even the most desperate of homeless hide. Many demons find the rancid smell of rotting garbage to be the best thing about the Mortal Realm.
The City
One of the only places in the Mortal Realm which have a proportionately high percentage of demons and other evil creatures, and proportionately low percentage of Angels and holy beings. Human remain largely unaware of demonic presence, but there are always those who are willing, for the small price of their soul, to work with the denizens of Hell.
Cathedral of Broken Dreams
The home of Logos - the first Angel. No demon or Angel comes here without good reason, and few make it out alive.
Shattered Hearts Club
A club which caters almost exclusively to demons. One must be in the know to get in.
The Seventh Circle
A fun little coffee shop, which cashes in on the high amount of wicked activity in the City with its name and the fact its open all night.
Hell's Highrise
The building where the Queen resides when in the Mortal Realm. There is no way in or out unless one can fly, or the Queen lets them in. It is hidden from the eyes of all that is holy.
The Bookstore
A little bookstore run by a little demon, where those who know the proper arrangement of words and phrases can find just about anything.
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Post by Admin on Apr 18, 2011 1:04:34 GMT -6
History of the World (from a demon's perspective)
I will be as brief as possible to spare you boring details and allow you more freedom for character creation, but keep in mind, this spans several millenia.
Fall of Lucifer to Coronation of Ereshkigal deLucifer
Hell was originally comprised of only five races: Devils, Nightmares, Rachets, Devilcats, and Demonlings. Unfortunately, Hell was ravaged by war and chaos, with all the races vying for control and supremacy. Every race has their own story about why the wars began, and at this point, one story is as good as any other.
Eventually, Hell was united under the Devil, Satan.
Lucifer was the Tempter of Man and the Judge of Souls. He was to spend his days in Hell with a small contingent of other Angels, and was mostly content. He and his Angels were on relatively good terms with the demons of Hell, as well as most of the races on Earth. However, Lucifer fell in love with the Kitsune Queen, who bore him a daughter. When Lucifer's petition to bring his love and child to Heaven was denied, he went a little mad.
More than a little.
Lucifer became the first Fallen Angel, quickly followed by those who had been with him from the beginning, and challenged Satan for the throne of Hell. Needless to say, Lucifer won, and Hell came under his control. The Fallen Angel was quick to subdue any dissenters, and quick to declare war on Heaven.
The war that followed was a long, brutal, bloody affair that left both sides exhausted, depleted of forces, and weary of battle. It was Gabriel who first suggested the Armistice, a suggestion that was quickly accepted.
This was about five thousand years ago. During this time of peace, many more Angels Fell and found welcome in Hell, and the Kitsune people split in two, the Kitsune of the Light, who remained true to their origins, and the Dark Kitsune who rejected the light and followed Lucifer into Hell. It was in this time that Ereshkigal was born (1800 years before the start of the game) to the same woman who bore Lucifer's first daughter. Unfortunately, the Kitsune Queen died in childbirth, forcing her older daughter to evade Angels and Light Kitsune to bring her youngest sister to her father.
Three hundred years ago, 4700 years after the Armistice, war broke out between Heaven and Hell once more. This time the war was shorter and more vicious. In the final battle of the war, Lucifer and Gabriel met on the battlefield. What happened after remains a mystery to this day, for everyone on that field died in a cataclysmic explosion.
Raphael, the Archangel of Healing, called for a truce this time, garnering the support of the remaining Angels, a truce Hell was reluctant to allow.
Ereshkigal deLucifer was crowned Empress and Queen of Hell.
Coronation of Ereshkigal deLucifer to Present Day
Ereshkigal was far from being a perfect Queen. She was prone to eluding her guards and running away to the Mortal Plane, only to be hunted down by her irritated subjects and forced to resume her responsibilities. For the most part, Hell was ruled by the High Court rather than its Queen.
In this time, many of the demons closest to Ereshkigal were proven to be traitors. Plots to overtake the throne were hatched on a daily basis. Some even came close to succeeding.
The one that came closest was an Angel by the name of Rashiel who's initial goal was to destroy General Zarek. In the process, he killed the General and managed to somehow exile Ereshkigal from Hell. Without a ruler of deLucifer bloodline on the throne, a creature awakened - a fail-safe of sorts. Going by the name of Regent, he gathered those most loyal to the Queen in hopes of finding her and setting Hell right again.
Ereshkigal was found, her control over her power broken. Regent is trying to help the Queen regain control, but plots for the throne continue... with more persistence than ever.
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