[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/AOcfrh7.jpg[/IMG]

The underworld. On Earth, this is a scary place, of fire and evil. Everyone is terrified of falling to this level, and so try their very best to do good in order to be taken to Heaven instead.

Well, you screwed up, didn't ya?

One way or another, you have found yourself right in the center of the underworld! There are other "new souls" with you, half of them about ready to pee themselves, all staring out at the lava pits. Damn, it really was hot down here. 

Surprisingly, it... wasn't that bad looking. In the distance, you can see a large building standing over everything, almost like a huge town hall or something. Scattered about for miles were salons, theaters, restaurants, and even apartment buildings! Was this really the hell people talked about? Why did they make it seem so bad? Your eyes dart over to the man who had greeted you. He probably knew something, right?

[hider=Hell?]
You decide the best thing to do is ask about your new home.
[color=cornflowerblue]"Ah, no no no! This isn't hell."[/color] Though he was adamant about this, his uncaring and smoothly sleepy voice definitely threw you off. [color=cornflowerblue]"Or, at least not the kind of hell you think of. This is the underworld, it's where all of you humans and animals from Earth go when you pass away. We know dying is a bit of a shocker, so that's why we tried to replicate your Earth the best that we can."[/color] He gave a little grin, waving a hand out towards the bustling city beyond.
[color=cornflowerblue]"You see? There are many stores and places for entertainment. You do have to work here, still, in order to have money to spend on these things. Everything is pretty cheap with our Mon currency, cheaper than the Deeds in heaven, at least. Since you're dead, you don't really need to eat or drink, but many souls do because they like the taste. The only thing you really need money for is the entertainment and a place to stay. You probably also noticed we don't speak the same language, yet we understand each other. This is called "Soul Speech." Every soul can speak and understand it!"[/color][/hider]
[hider=Location]
[color=cornflowerblue]"As far as exact location, it's difficult to explain. The Underworld and Heaven are located on an ethereal plain, where we are with Earth and yet not. Think of it like a plastic layer on top of Earth, where we are existing in the same place but we simply don't see each other. The Soul Portal is sort of like a hole in that plastic, allowing souls who leave their earthly bodies after death to go through into our plain.

The Underworld is on a lower level, with Heaven being built above it. Ah, here, I'll sketch it for you."[/color]

He kneels down and sketches out the image in the red dust of the Underworld, labeling things in a recognizably feminine handwriting.
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/ifGrdKf.jpg[/IMG]


[color=cornflowerblue]"Right now, we are at the [b]Soul Portal[/b]. As I explained, this is where you and all souls come through once their bodies expire. There is only one, and it is indestructible for this reason. No one can destroy it, ever.

Right down here is the [b]Entry Road[/b]. This is the road we'll take to get to the Underworld itself. It gets a lot of use, as you can imagine, since thousands if not millions of new souls walk down it each Earth day. On either side of it are the [b]Lava pits[/b]. They look imposing, but actually they are simply the Underworld's natural heating system. Without it, we would be frost bitten! From what I hear, Heaven is quite chilly for this reason.

Next is the [b]Entertainment District[/b]. This is the place run by Gluttony, remember? It has everything you could desire— restaurants, clubs, bars, theaters. It is rumored that there is a 'red district' which offers mostly illegal activities that would be banned on Earth, but in the Underworld most anything goes. No one really knows where it is unless they're a part of it though.

Around this in semi half moons is the [b]Residential District[/b]. It's still being built, since there are more souls than workers, but luckily most of the souls aren't permanent so people living there change daily and free up space. Still, be careful, you could get hurt in the construction areas. If you need a place to stay, just come to me, it's my job to take care of you after all.

Ahead of that is the [b]District headquarters[/b]. This is where the Sins like me and their close secretaries live and conduct business. It's fairly informal, so if you need one of us scheduling an appointment last second is good enough. Be warned, though, that you might not get in. We do have a lot of people to counsel. Lucifer is the only sin not available to you to speak directly unless with good reason.

Then further to the side are [b]Hell's Gates[/b]. This keeps intruders from Heaven from busting their way in, as well as monitoring who leaves. It's always protected by many guards. If you ever wish to leave, simply let filing know. We won't stop you, but you might get sent to [b]purgatory[/b], where souls who are deemed unworthy by the Archs are sent until they are purified enough for Heaven. It's far tucked into a corner away from civilization, I've never been but I've heard stories of it being absolutely freezing to the point it burns, and there is no light. You can't hear anyone else's voice, you are made completely alone.

Oh, and Heaven. Heaven also has a sentry gate, [b]Heaven's Gate[/b], of pure gold. Unlike ours, their Gate isn't for defense but rather to sift through who wishes to enter, and the judgement Angels decide whether a soul may enter or be sent to purgatory. There's a path called [b]Wayward Road[/b] that connects the two gates, but it is constantly shifting and is near impossible to navigate without a guide. It's at a constant of being every season at once: bright sun-like light like in summer, the red leaves of autumn fallen off bare trees, snow and fog like in winter, and flowers clinging on the trees or poking up around the path like in spring. We otherwise don't know anything about the inner workings of Heaven, since it's such a well kept secret."[/color]
[hider=Soul Portal]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/VZHilcL.jpg[/IMG]
[/hider]
[hider=Entry Road]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/lqqXUXW.jpg[/IMG]
[/hider]
[hider=Entertainment District]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/57Eyqd6.jpg[/IMG]
[/hider]
[hider=Residential District]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/NSgsuvB.jpg[/IMG]
[/hider]
[hider=Wayward Road]
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/Tv3ip3m.jpg[/IMG]
[/hider]
[/hider]
[hider=Living]
You prod more about the place.
[color=cornflowerblue]"Um, well, lets see... Oh. The underworld is run by seven sections, each with a different sin as the head. For example, my name is Belphegor Sloth. I take care of the soul division, or the section involved with taking in new souls like yourself, helping them along, and taking care of you all while you're here. Leviathan Envy is the person you want to talk to if you have proposals on something to bring down here, or if you want to speak with the head of the underworld— she mostly deals with paperwork, poor thing, in the filing division. Asmodeus Lust is in charge of relations between souls and demons, or the integration division. That division mostly deals with what you would call 'civil law', marriage proposals, religious practices, all that stuff. Beelzebub Gluttony is in the entertainment division, so she works mainly with the restaurants and other fun places like that. Mammon Greed is in charge of the monetary division, he is working with the banks and the underworld treasury to make sure everything in the economy is running smoothly. Then the last two are Satan Wrath and Lucifer Pride. Wrath is with the security division and runs our military, police force, and all else to protect the underworld— he's kind of our boss, always checking in on us. Lucifer is the head of state, though, he is above all of us. He's kind of the general peacekeeper of things, and gives the executive orders down to us.

The demons? Oh, they won't hurt you. They're souls, too. They just decided instead of being reborn after their hundred years of rest in the underworld they wanted to stay and work here. From living down here, you kind of just develop those demon horns, maybe a tail or yellow eyes. You know. But after the 100 years down here, that appearance of yours will return to normal, so you won't be able to tell you've drowned or were stabbed. Then you are just sent back into a body up on Earth until you die again... it's a pretty sad cycle really.

Us sins just happen to be the eldest souls here, so we are stronger than others... What? You know you get powers if you become a demon, right? No? Well, you do... Huh? What do you mean, I'm not telling you my powers!

Cars are still used here as well, but it's fairly rare. Public transportation is the go to really. And... well, I really shouldn't tell you this, but drugs and alcohol are still effective on souls. Besides alcohol, however, most low level drugs have to be taken in much larger doses to get the same effect. Bars are everywhere, but drugs are available only in the Red District... if you can find it."[/color][/hider]
[hider=Lore]
You decide to ask the messy haired male about the background of the underworld.
[color=cornflowerblue]"Hm? The history? You're a curious one, aren't you?"[/color] He gave a half-fast smile.
[color=cornflowerblue]"Well, I suppose I should start with this: The angels are demons too. Shocking, I know. But trust me, I'm telling the truth. See, for some reason the 'angels' were actually mutated demons. Their powers weren't like ours, and instead of horns or claws they got these weird bird wings. But, they thought that made them better. So, they took off and made up "Heaven." Yeah, good luck getting in there. Their standards are ridiculous. They're just a bunch of stuck up mutants. But the archs are the worse of them. They're seven of them too: Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Uriel, Chamuel, Jophiel and Raguel. I don't know their jobs, and they got rid of their surnames so that's about the extent of my knowledge. If you've ever heard the terrible stories about hell and the seven deadly sins, it was made up by them to spite us. They even named the 'things you shouldn't do' after us and our personalities. Cheap move, honestly, but we can't really change your opinions now.
Every now and then they try and attack the underworld to 'save the souls', but really all they do is send the ones they capture to purgatory until they are worthy of heaven. Sick bastards, if you ask me."[/color]
[/hider]
[hider=Species]
You seem confused with all the talk of angels and demons. Belphegor gives a warm smile.
[color=cornflowerblue]"Right. You don't know the species. Here, let me explain.

[b]Souls[/b] are the general term for everyone living on this plain, no matter what species they are. There can be animal souls as well, and sometimes they can even become a demon or angel themselves! It's extremely rare though, since they have to have a higher intelligence level than any other typical animal soul. They can even take on a humanoid appearance if they gain enough magical and intellectual influence. No souls can die, but they can be injured to the point that they fall asleep- similar to a coma in the Earthly world. Eventually they'll awake and be healed by the Underworld's magic, but it's still painful. All souls are able to speak to one another without the restriction of language, and after 100 years of rest they can return to an Earthly body.

[b]Humans[/b] are what we all started out as. Being human merely refers to the fact that you have been in an Earthly body at least once. As far as records show, there has never been a soul that wasn't originally human. Humans tend to be forgetful, and often push this life of the Underworld out of their minds. Most are frightened when they return like you have as if they have never seen the place, so we call them 'new souls' even if they have died hundreds of times. Humans retain the appearance of how they died— shot wounds, blue lips, burnt skin— it doesn't hurt, but is merely their appearance. The magical energy in the Underworld slowly repairs them back to normal, but it takes a long while. 

After a century rest, many souls return to Earth as Humans again. But some choose to stay and work primarily in the Underworld. These are called [b]Demons[/b]. Demons aren't harmful though some can be frightening in appearance. Some dislike humans, but for the most part they are well integrated. Demons have their 'demonic' features from the same magic that repairs your wounds, it being an overexposure to said magic which creates these little anomalies like horns and tails. The longer a soul resides here, the more distinguished these features can grow. However, along with these features come powers. Most are minor, like telepathy and the like, but those with major powers are called Sins.

[b]Sins[/b] are highly powerful demons, who are charged with running and protecting the Underworld. Each Sin has strong powers and abilities, as well as a Sacred Weapon to increase said abilities in battle— you don't need to know anything else, for your own sake.

Alternatively to the dwellers of the Underworld, there are [b]Angels[/b]. Angels are mutants, as I've said before, with powers of light rather than the offensive dark magics demons hold. They bear bird like wings on their shoulder blades, and are usually quite vain. Angels believed they were better than demons, and thus split away to create a purer Heaven in which only perfect souls could be a part of. Though they try, they cannot deny their demon heritage, as when they grow angry their demonic features are shown in true light. Heaven is mostly filled with angels, but a few lucky humans managed to squeeze their way in.

Just like with Sins, Heaven has leaders as well. They are called [b]Archs[/b]. We obviously don't know much about these secretive people, except that their goal is to destroy the Underworld and take control, but we won't let that happen. Archs are extremely powerful angels, a tie with the Sins' magic. They even have Sacred Weapons of their own!

Finally, there are [b]Fallen Angels[/b], the rarest of the species. These are angels who have left heaven, rogues you could say. Some stay here in the Underworld while others simply roam about. They usually aren't troublesome, but a few have been known to bother humans on Earth which makes our job more difficult. They have been banned from Heaven, but other than that they are still angels in all regards."[/color][/hider]
[hider=Rules]
[color=cornflowerblue]"Oh, sorry, but I kind of have to read this to you...

Ahem, um
1. All general rules apply.
2. No fighting OOC. IC is obviously alright, but take any other battles to PMs. Mild gore is alright in IC fights. Cursing is also accepted. If things get sexual, fade to black.
3. Only one sin per person as long as places are available. Multiple characters are accepted, but try to use different species. It's no fun only have demons. It should lean heavily on humans, though. Angels and Archs may not get as much rp time.
4. No OP characters. Sins and Archs are super powerful beings, but they are equal in power with each other.
5. All humans' appearances reflect how they died. Sins/Demons have stereotypically demonic features, while Archs/Angels have bird-like wings and stereotypically angelic features. (Archs/Angels become demonic looking in anger.)
6. This is player-based, free roam. I won't control you, but may nudge you if you are drawing something out too long.
7. Please write at least one paragraph with decent grammar. Please use colors that are easy to read.
8. Please allow others to post. Don't "speed-post" if possible, give others a chance to reply as well.
9. Be creative! Please don't use the same power twice. Post all sheets in OOC for approval.
10. If you are going to not be active for whatever reason, TELL US. If you quit, don't fade away but let us know as well. It just makes things hard if you don't.
11. Rules can change at anytime."[/color]
Belphegor stops with a frown, as if to ask 'what does this even mean?'[/hider]
[hider=Forms]
[color=cornflowerblue]"Oh, sorry, one more thing! Fill this out? It's needed for the filing division."[/color]
[hider=BBcoded form]
[noparse]
[image— for now, any media accepted]
[b]Name[/b]:
[b]Nickname(s)[/b]:
[b]Gender[/b]:
[b]Sexuality[/b]:
[b]Age of Death[/b]:
[b]Occupation[/b]:
[b]Species[/b]:
[b]Appearance Description[/b]: (optional. Secondary appearances also go here)
[b]Personality[/b]: (write at least a paragraph, please.)
[b]History[/b]: (Optional)
[b]Powers[/b]: (For demons or angels, one or two minor power(s) such as telepathy or flying. For Sins or Archs, a major power such as fire manipulation and one or two minor powers.)
[b]Sacred Weapon[/b]: (Archs/Sins only. A weapon in which they use to amplify their distinctive powers. Try to match them to their characters!)
[b]Other[/b]:[/noparse][/hider]
[Hider=Form Skeleton]
Name:
Nickname(s):
Gender:
Sexuality:
Age of Death:
Occupation:
Species:
Appearance Description: (optional. Secondary appearances also go here)
Personality: (write at least a paragraph, please.)
History: (optional)
Powers: (For demons or angels, one or two minor power(s) such as telepathy or flying. For Sins or Archs, a major power such as fire manipulation and one or two minor powers.)
Sacred Weapon: Archs/Sins only. A weapon in which they use to amplify their distinctive powers. Try to match them to their characters!)
Other: [/hider] [/hider]

[color=cornflowerblue]"That's all for now! Be sure to ask if you have any[/color] [b]questions[/b] [color=cornflowerblue]or whatever else down below!"[/color]