[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/2uOkEFf.png[/img][/center] [center][/center] [i]Loom, 2018. A western european city lost in the darkness and filth of humanity’s worst. Many wayward souls have been lost to its influence over the years. Their careless lights snuffed out and never resurfaced through numerous mysterious events, their unfortunate lessons never used to warn the brazen. All residents were threatened by this fact causing their numbness to increase. Their ‘danger sense’ dulled as Holly’s mentor would say. The phrase caused the blond haired woman to huff, her fingers intertwined with a cigarette. After another quick puff, the in-training homicide detective pushed the addictive habit to the side and continued to pour over her cold case files. Her blue eyes flicked over the building pile of missing persons over the last few years. No trace left behind. It all seemed to create the illusion they didn’t want to be found or were never meant to be. The nicotine essence poured from her lips into a few rings. She didn’t believe it for a split second as she reached for another manilla folder, pouring through the copied files for missing connections. She just needed one trace. A small clue she vainly hoped she missed first time through them. Most the department already thought she was crazy for requesting the large stack of files, especially going the extra length to secure evidence they were connected and get permission to reopen them from the lockers. No one was that dedicated unless they expected a promotion out of it. Then again, few Loom Police were made like her anymore. Whatever grim shadow shrouded the filthy city ate away their devotion to serve and protect a long time ago. Placing her bitter criticism to the side, Holly’s eyes began to burn from her focus. Her lids closed as she leaned back. Her right hand placed the paper back upon the scoffed coffee table before pausing to rub them. The woman felt tittering between reality and fiction lately. She couldn’t fathom why she continued to push herself this hard, her bizzare dreams the only true motivation. Even her best friend thought she was becoming slightly obsessed. Maybe she was, she didn’t fucking know anymore. Her fingers continued to gently coax the pain away as she sleepily peered through the cracks of her fingers. Her attention drifted over to the beeping green numbers: 3 AM. The woman detective closed her tired eyes once more, shutting out the facts surrounding her, before giving in. It was time to call a night. Her figured rose to her feet as she paused, her figure bent at waist to snatch the empty pizza box and pop cans scattered throughout her work space. She hadn’t even had time to cook a proper meal during the week which meant she expected to see those extra pounds later down the road. Discarding her conscientiousness of her weight to the side, the detective moved through her apartment’s mess and toward the nearest trash: a bag sitting near the kitchen counter. A knock at the door interrupted her from hightailing it to bed. She stood there, staring for a moment at the source and frowned deeply in annoyance. [i]Who in their right mind would be calling at this time of morning?[/i] Only silence answered her, gradually drawing her curiosity into the surface and refused to simply ignore it. She sighed then pushed through to the door. Her hand pressed to the surface while she lifted on her tiptoes to glimpse through the peephole, noticing no one on the other side. Her expression scrunched up into confusion as she lowered herself back down on her heels. That’s when the cold shivers on her spine crawled along her skin causing her eyes to drift behind her. Her eyes widened. A dark creature bore a curved smile. Welcome to Essence of the World: Flesh Reborn[/i] [hr] [center][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/170231-essence-of-the-world-flesh-reborn-adv-int-check/ooc]Advanced Interest Check[/url][/center] [center][url=https://discord.gg/sH4H7Md][u]Essence of the World: Flesh Reborn Discord Server[/u][/url][/center] Welcome to Essence of the World: Flesh Reborn. An alternate universe taking place in present day, where humans live their day to day lives, completely unaware of the things lurking in the shadows. Monsters, Celestials, Wizards, and Lovecraftian Cults. Be it urban legend, or a biblical tale, it exists here. Inspired by many paranormal and fantasy stories, series and movies, such as the SCP Foundation, Supernatural, World of Darkness, the Witcher and Hellboy to name a few. We will be taking part in the lives of humans, and even some of these supernatural beings as the secrets of the world slowly begin to unravel towards the attention of the ignorant public. This is a sandbox RP that will allow players to both explore the world and even add their own lore into the mix, creating a greater and richer world than before. Choose whatever route you wish. One of a Hunter living in secret and keeping the hidden world invisible to the public, an Angel attempting to guide human society like a puppet master, or a Demon, feasting on the souls of the weak and seeking greater power for their personal gain, or even just a regular person, ending up in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Whatever floats your boat. But remember, every action you take has consequences. [hr] [center][h1]Genesis - Article 1:1[/h1][/center] [hider=Genesis][i]At first there was nothing but a dark empty void.. A space deprived of an essence where neither light nor darkness were absolute, where the concepts of good and evil were just as ghostly as morning fog reaching everywhere and nowhere at the same time. A space where even life and death themselves held no meaning as there was nothing to be alive or dead. And then there was a spark. As the non-existent and the existent whirled and whirled around each other for what seemed like an eternity there came a point where they stretched out, distanced themselves and eventually... parted. A line was drawn between them at that moment and in that line the first creation was born – Aaurus, the Origin. He who would later be called God, the Creator of All. And create he did, because he had the entire void in his hand, a space so full of paradoxes that only needed to be separated and shaped into existence. He created lands, oceans, light and darkness, life and death. And then he created angels and he created demons – beings selfless and beings selfish. To each a home – one soaring high up in the cold sky, and one deep, deep inside the warmth of dirt. Yet, even if he was the first Creator, he wasn’t the only one. Life itself started recreating itself and with it death naturally followed. The beings alive gave birth to happiness, sadness, love, hate, and above all – meaning. And for meaning they fought. The Origin observed the tiny creatures as they loved and hated each other, as they fought and attracted death upon each other, and he failed to understand them. His own core was that of the void - it was deprived of emotion and as such what he saw puzzled him for the first time in his existence. As he watched and watched and watched there was one thing that he thought he finally started to understand, and that thing was what was called “intention”. It seemed that the newborn creatures had something he lacked and Aaurus was curious to understand what it was. What he did next changed him forever. He focused his gaze on one being, one demon, called Lucy and his gaze never left her. As he watched on her endless cycle of life and death he understood that there was only one way to understand Life’s creations and it was to merge with them. Instead of separating this time he did what the void had once done and merged his existence with that of Lucy. He gave away half of what he had been to her and acquired half of what she had been. The two beings had formed an union and they celebrated it with the creation of a new race – the humans. Those would be the true divine offspring, combining within themselves everything good and evil at the same time. They would be set on the Surface, the no-man’s land that appeared between Heaven and Hell, a truly marvelous place that neither demon nor angel could truly appreciate. With that final creation Aaurus and Lucy reached an agreement - they had interfered enough. Whatever their offspring were about to do from now on was truly curious to observe and way too complicated to comprehend.[/i][/hider] The creation of the world and its inhabitants is one of many mysteries that continue to puzzle those in religious circles today. Of course all of the scientific circles take on the one and only theory of the Big Bang as the true fact of our creation, though there are those that say otherwise.[/hider] [hr] [center][h1]Earth - The Surface World - The Beacon of Normalcy[/h1][/center] The human world is in many ways what we consider to be normal in our own minds, but it’s just as alien to other, outworldly beings as their worlds are to us. Humans continue to wage war with paper currency, words, and the false idea of freedom, with the ever looming threat of Nuclear Apocalypse. But that has never stopped anyone from going about their lives. Something humans seem to have in spades. Ignoring danger as if it was never truly there, numbing their carnal instinct to survive by self indulging in selfish vices. In going so, they are easily influenced by the media, made to ignore the ideas presented by others, and take the deaths of their kin with apathy. That is their nature, selfish, boring beings that choose to waste their lives away. But there are a few, an odd few that find something meaningful to strive and work for. [center][h2]Loom[/h2][/center] [hider=Loom][center][img]http://essence-of-the-world.weebly.com/uploads/1/9/8/0/19808675/8599281.jpg[/img][/center] The city of Loom is located in Western Europe, Eastern France. Despite being within french territory, it is in fact an English speaking city primarily, and French second. But regardless of its geological position, it is still a city that attracts people from all over the world, and its not because its a famous tourist spot. It boasts a population of four and half million people, almost double that of Paris, and consists of several notable sectors, separated by their purpose and use. Though the most notable things about the city are its occupants. While the majority of the city’s population is Human, there are other elements that exist outside of their perspective, sticking to the darker and damper crevices of the city. [hr] [center][h3]Notable Areas[/h3][/center] [hr] [u][b]Business District[/b][/u] The majority of the city’s wealth congregates here. Multi-million euro corporations buy and sell assets by the second, as their high rise company HQ’s rise higher and higher into the sky, their glass walls gleaming in the light of the sun. The security and police presence of the area gives its residents a semblance of peace as they look down on the poorer denizens of the city, with no worries of the troubles happening below. The Citadel is also located here, an important historical landmark of the city. [u][b]Entertainment District[/b][/u] The Entertainment District is a place tends to be relatively calm by day, but bustling with life by night. Almost all of the city’s nightlife happens here, from prestigious nightclubs, to the less tasteful and dangerous host clubs and casinos. And in its darkest depths, gangs and organized mafias, plot against each other for “control” of the territory, luckily keeping their business to themselves. [u][b]The Residential[/b][/u] Simply referred to as the Residential, this section of the city bears the old and new of the city. Apartment complexes and small shops and businesses line the streets like beehives, with life coming and going from each and every building. [u][b]The Slums[/b][/u] The decrepit image of the slums can be a depressing assault on the eyes, with it’s crumbling buildings and even small shanty towns scattered around the outskirts. Crime for the sake of survival is common place here, along with the general scum and villainy. [u][b]The Suburbs[/b][/u] The quiet and well kept suburbs surround the outskirts of the city like a border, with urbanizations and privately constructed areas resting under background cityscape. All the buildings range from 2-story middle class housing, to private multi-floored escapes worth in the millions. [hr] [center][h3]Supernatural Locations[/h3][/center] [hr] [u][b]The Citadel[/b][/u] A tower of intricate gothic design that stands at a whooping 700 meters tall slap-bang in the middle of the city, is said to have been built in the 12th century, around the time of the city’s founding. How a building so tall could have been erected at that age is one of the greatest mysteries for architectural historians, and may perhaps remain so indefinitely, as no one is allowed to enter the building apart from a select few. Or that is what is known about the building publically. It is in fact, the Passage to Heaven’s Gate, with an interdimensional rift located at the top floor of the building, the Gate itself. This Citadel is a home away from home for many Angels that reside here on Earth, and also the place where the Angelic Council resides for minor portions of time, returning to Heaven after their weekly sermons. The Citadel acts as an Academy for the newly born cherubs that are found among humanity, raising them to adulthood, and training them in their genetically gifted talents until the time comes for them to serve the Council for the rest of their mortal lives. [u][b]The Underground[/b][/u] The Loom Underground is an old abandoned metro system that links the entire city together, with multiple points of entry. It is mostly used as a refuge by the homeless, who build small outposts across the city to congregate and get together into small communities, looking out for each other. But despite that, the Underground is still a dangerous place, as the deeper you go, the more deplorable and dark it becomes. At its depths, after the first 2 levels, the Underground twists and contorts into tracks that lead to nowhere, or train tunnels that go for miles into a seemingly dark abyss, becoming stranger and more abnormal with each level, where gravity itself begins to twist and change at will. It is said by Demon Hunters that the Underground goes as far as 10 levels down, reaching a central catacomb of track that all link to a large auditorium, with a bottomless pit in the middle. A sole striking red-headed woman sits at the edge, playing a golden harp, and stops hapless fools from jumping into the pit. It is said to be Hell’s Gate, and the Woman, it's keeper. [u][b]The Hunter’s Lounge[/b][/u] An old bar hidden away in the slums of the city, it's a place of respite for many humans with the knowledge of the Secret World and its horrors. It is ran by an ex-member of the Catholic Templar Order, a rugged man called Fuse by the visitors. It is considered to be neutral ground by the many supernatural seeking factions of Loom, and no business between the factions can be conducted there. Fuse himself is a relatively laid back man despite his experienced and lumberjack-esque appearance, treating guests with a smile and a first round on the house for fresh faces. Breaking the rules of his Lounge however, does not simply mean a ban, but the possibility of death. And considering the talents and skills of his visitors, death is a just punishment. [u][b]The Goblin Market[/b][/u] Located behind a magically sealed door under the Loom Bridge, the Goblin Market is where creatures of all shapes and sizes dwell and sell supernatural goods to those willing to make purchases with their strange currencies. Anything here could be sold, from magical artifacts to enchanted weaponry.[/hider] [hr] [center][h1]Heaven - Once Paradise in Ruins[/h1][/center] [hider=Heaven][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/d4NPePo.jpg[/img][/center][/hider] Heaven once stood proud as the perfect creation of Aaurus. Or so the Angels that inhabited it once believed. A place of Paradise. Now it’s a place of ruin, nothing but an old memory of what once was thanks to the Great War from under a thousand of years ago. Heaven consists of floating islands high above the clouds, with no ground in sight below them. Each island is relatively small and isolated, containing a single portal door that leads to another island nearby, though it tends to be somewhat random, making navigating the landscape difficult. However, they all lead to a massive central island, what the Angels call Nidelhold, believed to be the old capital of Heaven. While the city is abandoned, the members of the Angelic Council remain here, plotting the future of humanity. [hr] [center][h1]Hell - A Place Born of Decay[/h1][/center] [hider=Hell][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Bw75dFE.jpg[/img][/center][/hider] Hell was born from the body of the first living being created by Aaurus. Lilith. A goliath of flesh and bone. But her form and purpose was a mistake, a miscalculation in the eyes of Aaurus. So he destroyed her, and used her body to build the very foundations of Hell, and from there, work outwards. Hell is a ravenous landscape surrounded by volatile weather, and powerful, hungry beings that seek to increase their power through your sacrifice. The atmosphere is heavy here, and the sheer concentration of Demon Essence is enough to drive even ArchAngels mad and wither them to nothing but bone. It is split into 5 realms, under the control of powerful Demon Lords that wage war against each other constantly, battling for supremacy and Hell’s Throne, formally seated by Mephistopheles. [hr] [center][h1]Common Intelligent Races[/h1][/center] [hider=Common Intelligent Races][center][h2]Humans[/h2][/center] Humans are considered to be the weakest race of the main three. Easily influenced into the wims of both Angels and Demons through illusions or mental manipulation, or other magics. Physically they are just as weak, but their advantages come from their sheer numbers, their technology, and those born with magical affinity (which are very rare cases). [hr] [center][h2]Angels[/h2][/center] [quote=Councillor Gabriel][i]It is said that once upon a time angels and demons were created by the same creator. I do not know if that is true, because they seem to be so fundamentally different, but let me tell you young ones what I do know about the history of our race. The one history that does matter still. During the Great War between the angels and demons Heaven – the majestic clouded kingdom our ancestors called Home, was destroyed. The Angels sought refuge on the Surface, where mankind dwelled. Of course, being as diverse and unpredictable as they are, humans had various reactions to us coming down to their land – fear, hatred, awe… some of our kin were sent to oblivion while others were held in the high respect they deserved. Yet, as much as they tried to resist humans were never as powerful as we are, and even as they sought the help of demons that only back lashed on them, leaving behind a plague of tainted beings that walk the night. The angels who now felt responsible for the fate of those foul beings made it their ultimate goal to protect the humans from both the demons and their own mistakes. The angels then specialized in different spheres of service for the humans, building their hierarchy that would ensure for a just world. A world where everyone has a place and where everyone knows what is expected of them. Yet angels couldn’t live on the Surface as they did in Heaven. The lure of human emotions reflected on them and they became enticed with this new species and seemed to catch up on what made humans human – diversity. The result of this is you, my dear fledglings, for you are not as close to our original ancestors as you might believe to be. You were created through a union of angels and humans and you hold a mind and personality of your own – something our ancestors didn’t have. Your lives will be only slightly longer than a human’s, and yet you are not entirely human either. As you explore your neighbor and compare him to a human being you could easily spot one difference – you bear wings. And this is the only true difference between you and humans . Hahaha, I see you’re surprised and not all too comfortable with the idea of being compared to the lower beings, but are you aware why I say that? No? No wonder, each of you has qualities much beyond the capabilities of a human – regeneration, resistance to illnesses, mind control, nature manipulation, matter creation… flight. But imagine, if you even could, that you would one day lose your wings. Yes.. what would happen is that you will lose all your super-human abilities as well. The reason for this horrible fate is simple – angels cannot recreate. They weren’t given that power. Human offspring is truly unique and vastly independent of their parents, but angels aren’t. What happens when one of us dies, dear students, is that our souls return to the void where they came from only to re-enter the world later on. What this means is that each of you carries the angelic soul of one of the original angels – on your back, in your feathers. Now, you are well aware that all your memories are stored in your feathers as all of you should be asked to leave a feather in the Book of Fate at least once by now for the Council to inspect. You should be wondering then, how come you don’t remember that you’ve lived on this world before. The reason is simple and you can see it when you take a look at your neighbor’s wings. They’re all different, do you notice? The specializations your ancestors underwent are clearly imprinted on your immortal souls. They are all changed by the way your original specialized ancestors lived. You are all different. Your original ancestors weren’t. What do you think would happen if you could suddenly remember the origin of everything, hundreds of thousands of years ago? You would most likely break. This is why those memories have been locked away by the Council. Now, each of you could try to remember their past lives, if you’re so eager, but I strongly suggest you stop before you go mad and are no longer fit to fulfill your holy duties. And yet.. if you do still try, and succeed in remembering even only 50 lives back, you could maybe become a part of the Council. If you have proven yourself to be objective enough in your judgments you will be one worthy of following and we all will devote our lives in service to your judgments. The Council is indeed the most powerful entity in our hearts and our loyalty is with them before it is with any human kingdom or family. It is the ruling force that follows through the education and rising of new angels, making sure they fulfill their duties… and punish when needed. The core of the Council are the seven Archangels, the seven unchanged by time. You will probably never catch glimpse of them in your lifetime, because they still inhabit Heaven, and are rarely concerned with anything we find important. Yet, as the true objective ones, their opinions cannot be ignored, even if only a few Clairvoyant and some high-ranked Pure or Greys could ever communicate with them. So in case your fate is ever important enough to concern the Council, you would do best to look for any of the angels with blinding-white robes and a ruby tiara on their foreheads. Us, the normal Angels, have a relative freedom of movement and action, as long as we serve the greater good, never put our personal interests before the humans’ and never neglect our duties. Depending on how you perform you might be punished. Self-sacrifice is often the worst possible crime you can commit, because it leaves you unable to serve and is hence devilishly selfish. And the most severe punishment for egoistic actions isn’t death, but an eternal immobility trapped in onyx until the Council decides your powers are for some reason needed and release them. Let me assure you, this is not a decision often made. Now let me welcome you into our ranks as you are now officially one of us servants.[/i][/quote] Angels come from the ruins of Heaven, formally their home prior to the Great War that nearly wiped them from existence, and caused the death of the Keeper of their Gate, Caine, leaving the gate into their world forever open. Angels look just like humans, save for the wings attached to their back that they can hide either within their bodies, or though the use of illusions. Not all of them are dashing and their looks vary as much as the humans’ ones do. Still, they could be distinguished by the weird vibe they give you, the energy you feel them emit, and their vibrant or overly serene nature. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. The highly specialized physique of the Battle angels means their bodies are perfectly adapted for their tasks – they are athletic, fast and strong and tend to have bigger pupils that reflect light in the dark just like a cat’s. Miracle angels, on their part, often use simple spells and tricks to catch the eye and convey their holy messages. They often make people turn in confusion trying to understand why the person they just passed by seemed to catch and reflect the light. On a physiological level angels are once again pretty much like humans. They won’t die from a single gunshot, but they will sustain serious damage and will be unable to fight after a few. [hider=Angels] [center][h3]Angel Classes[/h3][/center] [hr] [u][b]Weather Angels[/b][/u] Inhabit one specific region each and care for the weather to be the way it should. They are considered to be directly linked with nature as they rarely leave their territories or meddle with politics and are emotionless enough to kill by the hundreds which doesn't seem to affect their wings. Held with fear and respect and usually avoided, they are beyond even the Council's reach. If they chose to fight they are almost certain to win – at the cost of great human casualties as well. Their wings are tainted by the nature force they are a link to. [u][b]Guardian Angels[/b][/u] Guard the beings chosen by God to do great deeds. They act as shields for the humans they protect, absorbing almost all their injuries and even possibly death. Guardians are much more perceptive and understanding of human’s emotions, can sense danger better than anyone else, can see auras but they are better at avoiding than confronting danger. They are closer to humans than anyone else and have developed the ability to hide their wings from sight. They might be born connected to a being or be assigned to serve one by a Clairvoyant. [u][b]Battle Angels[/b][/u] Exterminate demons and even humans or angels, if necessary. Have great physical power and stamina, almost unlimited uses of their bodies - from healing their bones to controlling the droplets of their spilt blood. They are almost indestructible as long as long as they are conscious but hold no magical abilities – hence why they are usually dismissed as primitive but feared none the less. Usually independently hunt for crazed vampires or werewolves unless a Clairvoyant assigns them with a special mission. [u][b]Tamer Angels[/b][/u] ‘Tame’ demons into submission and have semi-control over them. They rarely fight and would rather watch at a distance. Despite being physically weaker they could single-handedly control armies.. or even the foe themselves. Toying with the minds of their puppets leads to some developing a rather twisted nature and trying to control even humans or other angels. [u][b]Miracle Angels[/b][/u] Care, that the humans don’t stop believing in God. They’re beautiful, majestic, charismatic and can use all kinds of impressive, flashy magic like bending light or shaping matter. Miracles aren't usually involved in physical conflicts as their life is mostly spent among humans. Their magic is impressive but relies strongly on illusion – often times the matter they create dissolves after a while. When in danger they could use those illusions to help them scare off the foe or escape. They are usually the most beautiful and their wings are usually the most awe-inspiring. [u][b]Clairvoyant Angels[/b][/u] Have visions of the future and use it to advise the Council on their future actions. Their physique is barely a little bit more sturdy than a humans but their visions might help them avoid danger. They are the most respected type, no matter of their age and due to their low numbers very well-protected. [hr] [center][h3]Angelic Hierarchy[/h3][/center] [hr] Angels have wings of various colours and numbers, that signify their position in the Heavenly hierarchy as well as their social status among their kin. [u][b]Archangels[/b][/u] While only a few remain in existence, they are the purest form of celestial known to lesser beings. Their wings are so bright that they can burn the eyes out of the skull of a man. Their powers are what a human would see as godly, able to materialize objects from thin air, existing in multiple places at once, and being near all knowing. They are never to be trifled with, and never disobeyed. [u][b]Seraphim Angels[/b][/u] Seraphs are the second most powerful of the hierarchy, flaunting their six perfectly white wings and displaying abilities of multiple breeds. They tend to hold high positions of command and administration among the Angels. [u][b]Pure/White Winged[/b][/u] The Pure are Angels who were conceived during a Human child’s birth, replacing the fetus’ underdeveloped essence with their own near instantly. Their beautiful white wings glisten in the light once revealed, and carry a status of royalty among the rest of their ilk, having academic privileges in the Citadel from youth and entitlement to higher positions in the future. [u][b]Grey/Nephilim Angels[/b][/u] The Nephilim a human-angel hybrids that are rare occurrences in nature, with the Angelic essence manifesting itself inside a random human between the ages of 5 and 24. The older the human, the more likely they are to become a Grey, as their essence is more developed and resilient to outside forces. The grey wings are caused by the angelic essence disappearing, as the human one takes its place within the wings. These angels tend to be a little less privileged, as they usually tend to already be adults and there is little point in educating them under the Council. [u][b]Dark/Black Wings[/b][/u] Looked down upon by the other Angels as bearers of their ancestors sins who must absolve them, the Black Wings probably have the worst of it in Angelic hierarchy despite them not being the lowest in the tree. Racially discriminated and ignored, the Darks are left to their own devices on Earth. [u][b]The Fallen[/b][/u] Angels who have lost their wings as capital punishment for unspeakable crimes, left to wonder the Earth as mortals.[/hider] [hr] [center][h2]Demons[/h2][/center] [quote=Unknown Demon Family Gathering]Your mother told me you were considering going to the Surface for some inexplicable reason. Now let me tell you this straight-on – don’t poke your nose there. Yes, I’m serious Mairick, don’t give me that idiotic smirk of yours. You might think you’re a big fly here but you know angels have been training to kill us for thousands of years and they’ve, believe it or not, become quite good at it. You might have realized that if you had the brains to ask someone more experienced than you who remembered the Great War. Heck, even you could probably remember if you weren’t busy scratching your ass half the time. Nowadays the young angels are taught to hate and kill abnormal beings on sight, resulting in both blind submission to “the Council” and unwavering belief in their own powers and righteousness. The arrogance that sprouts from that is based on the ignorance of the real demons being at least just as powerful as the angels. Furthermore, in order to keep the low-class angels submissive the Council created the image of demons as vicious monsters, while concealing the truth about the real demons being held in the same respect as angels and on the Surface are being feared or even secretly protected by the Council themselves! Haha can you imagine the looks on their faces if they were to find out some of the decisions made by their great leaders were influenced by the very same beings they hunt! See, this is the risk of believing in authority. You become a winged brainless vegetable, a dog and nothing more. Of course, you always need rules, but you also need personal freedom. If my kingdom is to one day be ruled by a reckless and ignorant fool like you, then I would have to agree that the time to change leaders has come and accept any consequence – even if my land has to go to the incubus tribes of mirati. Us demons don’t follow a strict hierarchy, and our abilities and shapes vary greatly in compare to the angelic ones. When an angel dies their immortal souls are passed on, but their memories are usually locked away from them, giving the children skill, but no personal experience greater than a lifetime. In comparison a demon has to spend their life in one form and when they have experienced it fully and learned all about it they participate in a ceremony. In that their bodies are cut open to possibly allow for a higher being to rise from the shell, their memories intact. Participating in the ritual is both an honor and a risk because often times the process is rushed by an impatient or greedy demon and the result isn’t a metamorphose but death. Are you listening, Mairick! No-one will be able to save your sorry-ass if that were to happen and you’ll free a space for another demon to be born in Hell. Listen, we’re not all that different from angels, despite what anyone will tell you. The major difference between us is our perception of growth, development and death. Demons accept death as a necessary evil to evolution and to making their offspring stronger, IF they survive. Angels deny and resent death, clinging to the idea of eternal selfless perfection, yet it catches up on them too, one way or another. Truth is, our bodies are much more flexible with living conditions than theirs – try shoving them in an oven and see if they can last longer than three days before they melt to ashes. Then again, that’s a stupid example because instead of killing them it would be much more beneficial to you to help yourself to their flesh and blood and consume the energy they waste with their existence. So let this be a friendly warning, stupid son. I am much more aware than your mother that you need to follow your own path, but don’t get ahead of yourself. There is the time for everything and if you do want to try your luck up there - do so. But make sure you’re prepared and sure of what you have to gain if you do.[/quote] A paragraph wouldn't be enough to list all the species of demons and their appearance as they could be anywhere between everyday-looking objects to dragons. What we could explain is what we know about the species that threaten us most - the vampires and werewolves. Both species share the common characteristic that they're very hard to kill. Often to achieve that angels resort to using fire and dismembering as the body can't repair beyond a certain point. However despite being extremely strong and fast those demons also have weaknesses and could be stopped with the right tools and sufficient knowledge. - Even though they heal rapidly, silver and gold have been known to cause their skin to burn and slow down the rate of which the demonic cells heal. - Prayers uttered by an angel are known to cause great irritation and, depending on the strength of the angel, even cause death. The method seems to occasionally work for humans as well and using it is encouraged when facing a demon but weapons are still known to work better. - Blessed objects such as crosses and holy water could work if one was to come by ones blessed by a Miracle angel. Unfortunately it will have no effect on the demon if he is still young and his soul is mostly human. - In olden times Sun was said to purify all evil but we now know it has a minimal effect on the demons. Hunters still researching the matter claim it has to do with angels leaving Heaven and depriving it of what some mockingly call "a holy filter". [hider=Demons] [center][h3]Demon Classes[/h3][/center] Demons are widely diverse, almost as diverse as the humans. However unlike humans not every single demon is unique. They can still be classified based on shape, appearance and abilities and both mankind and celestials have devoted centuries on researching and listing different species in hundreds of tomes. Currently most of that knowledge is held in the Citadel, some of it still available to humans within more secretive circles. And while humans have since forgotten the importance of the knowledge of hellions who they haven't interacted with for thousands of years, they still remember the two large classes that define the demons. [hr] [u][b]Surface Demons[/b][/u] There are very few species of demons that are currently found on the Surface. For the most part those are vampires and werewolves. Those are the leftover demons whose existence the Council didn't manage to completely erase after the Great War. The reason was simple - they were fickle. The nature of those two species allowed them to infect the humans with their demonic plague, turning them into something stronger than a human but weaker than a demon. Most consciousnesses crumble under the initial contact, leaving the newborn demon an empty shell consumed by dark urges but some have been known to have preserved their sanity. The Council have tried to systematically hunt down any infected human, often not caring if the infected is still sane or not. The demons roaming the Surface are, in comparison to the hellions, almost impotent. While still fearsome to humans the surface demons present almost no challenge to the highly specialized Battle and Tamer angels. That's why in recent years some of them have started teaming up and forming cults and sects aiming to summon hellions in search for power. One of the Council's most recent tasks is to sniff those gatherings out and swiftly dispose of all their members, be they infected with a true demonic virus or just with the demonic ideas. [b][u]Hellions[/u][/b] The inhabitants of Hell. Those are all the demons human kind once knew existed and feared. The hellions vary so much in shape and size that it might be impossible to type an individual demon at first glance, even if you know what to look for. All human mythologies combined might still not be enough to explain the full complexity of Hell and to anyone who tries to face a hellion is likely to perish before they even realize what they're up against. [b][u]The Protected[/u][/b] "The Protected" are a special type of demon, not based on their species or shape, but on their social status. Those are either hellions who have established themselves on the Surface or infected humans and families who have proven their sanity and hence gave the Council no reason to dispose of them. They are called "Protected" because the Council ensures they be left alone as long as they don't cause any trouble.[/hider][/hider] [hr] [center][h1]Factions[/h1][/center] While Angels and Demons tend to have relatively similar cultural and ethical norms amongst their kind, humans differentiate themselves as well as their beliefs immensely from each other, separating into entire groups of ethical, political, and social sects that have an ultimate goal for humanity as a whole. These groups may ally with each other if their objectives meet a common ultimatum, while others will turn to violence against one another through differences in opinion. [hider=Factions][center][h2]Bureau of Paranormal Investigation and Containment[/h2][/center] Also known as “The Bureau”, this French Government funded group dedicates its existence to the investigation, study and containment of paranormal activity within the confines of Loom. Highly secretive and illusive, they manipulate the media from behind the scenes to hide the paranormal from the normal, even applying drugs to witnesses to manipulate their memories, and in extreme cases, doing what we would consider to be unethical, or even monstrous, in order to maintain normalcy. Though despite their efforts, things still tend to leak. The Bureau on certain occasions work together with the Angelic Council when their missions have a common target. But they have been known to show hostilities towards them as well. Making their relations relatively neutral in consideration of their previous engagements. [u][b]Investigation[/b][/u] The investigation portion of the Bureau consists of former police and private investigators who have been recruited upon witnessing or surviving a paranormal anomaly, and their skills being evaluated as useful to the Bureau. The majority of their work involves in inspecting crime scenes, following up on possible leads to the creature responsible, and finding them. Should their skills be insufficient in containing or destroying the being, then the job is passed on to Containment. [u][b]Containment[/b][/u] The containment portion of the Bureau consists of former military personnel and special forces who have been hand selected from various sources for the purposes of containing or destroying highly dangerous paranormal entities. [hr] [center][h2]School of the Maga-Arcane[/h2][/center] The School is an educational and secular entity that is on an invitation only basis. Inviting magically gifted humans into the school to train them in their inherent gifts, away from the prying eyes of the world. Hidden away in an unknown location, they segregate themselves from the outside world, believing that their gifts do not belong outside the walls of the School, and must remain a closely guarded secret from the public eye. On rare occasions, they aid the Bureau with their skills with containing the paranormal, as their goals tend to be at least somewhat similar in nature. [hr] [center][h2]The Illuminati[/h2][/center] The Illuminati, also referred to as the Illuminates, are a group of 13 corporate leaders that control the world through the use of financial “aid”, manipulation of technological advancements, violent military action and blackmail. They own a conglomerate of Mega-Corporations that all hugely benefit the respective services that they sell and produce. They are considered to be nothing but a myth. [hr] [center][h2]The Hunters Guild[/h2][/center] Though there are many self proclaimed Demon Hunters who work independently, many flock to the Guild. The Guild, formally known as the Templar Order from a bygone age, is an organization lead by noblemen of various rich and royal families dedicated to the eradication of Demon kind across the world, through the use of their own mages, and skilled combatants on a hefty payroll, alongside their own technologies that employ magical properties. They are known to have a close allegiance with the Angelic Council, and view the Bureau with a slight disdain due to their ethical inclinations of containment first.[/hider] [hr] [center][h1]Character Sheet[/h1][/center] [hider=CS][code] [b]Name:[/b] [b]Age:[/b] [b]Gender:[/b] [b]Race:[/b] [b]Sub-Class:[/b] [b]Description:[/b] [b]History:[/b] [b]Abilities/Skills:[/b] [b]Notable Belongings:[/b] [/code] [b]Name:[/b] Full name of the character and/or any aliases they go by. [b]Age:[/b] Years of existence. [b]Gender:[/b] Sex of the character. [b]Race:[/b] Origins. Human, Demon or Angel. [b]Sub-Class:[/b] What type your character is. May not apply if you’re a normal human. [b]Description:[/b] What your character looks like, what types of clothing they wear and identifying marks. [b]History:[/b] Summary of their lives to present day, including details over key aspects of their lives, motivations, and any important points for plot. [b]Abilities/Skills:[/b] This includes magic spells to learned skills, each one needs to be noted about when they were learned in the history. Even briefly. Any magical or supernatural abilities need to be detailed about what they do and include their limitations. [b]Notable Belongings:[/b] This section includes anything out of the ordinary, from weapons to supernatural items or property owned.[/hider] [hr] [center][h1]Rules[/h1][/center] [list] [*]The current GM is [color=ed1c24]Synthorian[/color], his word is law. [*]This RP does have a story and plot, but there is plenty of downtime in between for slice of life, to run your own sub-plots and relationships. [*]High Casual to Advanced writing standards. [*]Don't be afraid to collaborate with other players. Collaboration is encouraged here. [*]Try to post at least once every two weeks. Let the GM know if life is in the way. I will understand. [*]Post unapproved Character Sheets into the OOC. Once approved, post them into the Character thread. [*]General RP rules apply. No Mary/Gary Sues, No Metagaming, Godmodding, or the like. [*]If you have a question, please do not be afraid to ask. Message me on the [url=https://discord.gg/sH4H7Md]RP Discord[/url] or shoot us a PM on the site. [/list] [hr] [center][h1]Active Cast[/h1][/center] [hider=Active Cast][center][color=ed1c24]THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO ACCEPTED CHARACTERS.[/color][/center][/hider] [hr] [center][h1]RP Recap[/h1][/center] [hider=Recap][center][color=ed1c24]WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT THIS?. THE RP HASN'T EVEN STARTED YET.[/color][/center][/hider]