[hider=As Above/So Below][center][color=gold][h1]AS ABOVE...[/h1][/color][/center] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fc/72/ba/fc72ba654948f6b5f859c7a75d014cc7.jpg[/img][/center] [hr][hr] [center][color=red][h1]SO BELOW.[/h1][/color][/center] [center][img]https://cnet3.cbsistatic.com/img/3g3h4pMUwozWrc1NXK8jb5f5Q4A=/936x527/2016/05/03/fcca5e98-5ade-4d50-8083-85f076f03239/doom-ryanwatkins-hellvista.jpg[/img][/center] [hr][hr] [center][h2]AS ABOVE/SO BELOW[/h2][/center] [center][b][u]Premise[/u][/b][/center] The forces of darkness have taken over the planet. You can choose to fight against the forces of darkness as a surviving human or a lower ranking Angel who has remained behind to keep aiding humanity, or simply ignore it completely and focus on surviving to see another day. You can also play as a demon, one of their human slaves or accomplices and help your side win the war and finally extinguish the light forever. [center][b][u]Location[/u][/b][/center] The roleplay takes place in New York City, or what's left of it anyway, which is currently under the rule of the Archdemon Gressil and his legion of three hundred thousand demons. Combat in this city is conducted gorilla warfare style by the forces of light, as an all out assault on Gressil himself would be suicidal. (Also, this will probably be a multipart thing where players will slowly fight either against each other on opposite sides or just try to stay alive long enough to see one side win) [center][b][u]Story So Far[/u][/b] Lucifer/Satan and his seven Archdemon lieutenants have broken free from Hell taken over the Earth above, enslaving most of humankind while simultaneously turning most of the planet's surface into a barren wasteland. Those human's that avoided being twisted into demonic shells of their former selves, the Corrupted, or turned into slaves and forced to work in Lucifers new unholy empire, either willingly submitted to his rule or fled into the remote corners of the Earth and formed small resistance groups to fight back against the Prince of Darkness and his demonic hordes. In response to this, Lucifer had his lieutenants corrupt the souls, minds, and bodies of the human slaves living within his domain. What this corruption brought forth were some of mankind's worst nightmares. Wendigos, vampires, zombies, and all manner of other terrifying creatures from legend and myth. He then sent out these creatures, these abominations, to hunt down any remaining opposition while his empire continued to establish itself on the planet. It was at this point that the forces of Heaven intervened. Legions of angels from all three of the Divine Spheres were sent down to the burning world below and told to wipe out these beasts in order to halt the advancement of Satan's empire. And they did. Millions of demons and beasts alike were slain by their hands and it was this event that turned the tide and gave humanity a fighting chance. Before a majority of the angels were recalled to Heaven however, their mission having been completed, they taught human's how to hunt and kill demons as well as the beasts they created. They also showed them methods for resisting their corruptive nature and attacks. The human's took this knowledge and used it to fight back against their oppressors, slowly waging a war of attrition against the enemy. A war which was aided greatly by those Holy One's who remained. Especially those angels that bonded with various human's, an event in which both the angel and human create a spiritual/symbiotic link and gain strength from each other, making them into champion's who wield the might of Heaven itself on Earth. Since then the fighting hasn't stopped. It may only be a skirmish here or there, but it slowly continues as neither side can seem to gain any ground over the other. As for God, he has decided to remain neutral in the ongoing conflict for some odd reason. It's almost as though he's sitting back and waiting to see the outcome. To see which side wins. Regardless of if all this is just a test, punishment, or all a part of his divine plan, the world has gone to hell and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Will you their savior? Or their destroyer? The choice is yours. [/center] [hider=Lore] [hider=The Angelic Hierarchy]The hierarchy of angels within Heaven is much less convoluted, for the most part anyway, than the hierarchy the demons abide by, although no one is quite sure why this is. Regardless of the reasons for the differences between the two, there are nine different ranks, or orders, that are spread across three different spheres with the first being the one in which the highest ranking and most powerful angels reside. To make it easier to visualize, I have provided a list of the Spheres and ranks below in descending order. [u]The First Sphere[/u] [i]{The Angels of the First Sphere serve as the heavenly servants of God the Son incarnated}[/i] [b]Seraphim[/b] - The Seraphim are the highest ranking and most powerful order of angelic beings in heaven, as well as the only one's, other than the Cherubim and the Thrones, who are closest to God. The Seven Archangels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, Jegudiel, Selaphiel, and Barachiel also come from this rank. This used to include Lucifer before his rebellion and banishment to Hell as well as the demon Beelzebuth, who is considered to be a prince of the Seraphim according to many witchcraft litanies. Both of whom had their former positions filled by other Seraphim. As for their appearance, the Seraphim are fiery six-winged beings with two wings that cover their faces, another two that cover their feet, and another two they use to fly. [hr] [b]Cherubim[/b] - The Cherubim are the second most powerful order of angelic being in Heaven that reside around God's throne. They only leave their maker's presence when absolutely necessary, such as when He ordered them to drive back the demonic hordes overrunning Earth. As for their appearance, Cherubim have four faces: one of a man, an ox, a lion, and an eagle. They also have four wings covered with eyes, a man shaped body that appears to be made of molten bronze, and the feet of an ox. [hr] [b]Thrones[/b] - The last order of angelic beings in the First Sphere are also the one's that represent God's justice and authority. Don't let their appearance or numbers fool you however. There may be only twenty-four of them left in Heaven and they may look like elderly men, but they are still powerful celestial beings that should not be underestimated. [hr] [u]The Second Sphere[/u] [i]{The Angels of the Second Sphere work as heavenly governors of the creation by subjecting matter and guiding and ruling the spirits}[/i] [b]Dominions/Lordships[/b] - Dominions, also known as Lordships, are a group of angelic beings that regulate the duties and responsibilities of angels below them. Although they are the most powerful group of beings in the Second Sphere, they rarely show themselves to humans. In the rare times they do appear to humans however, they are described as divinely beautiful humans with a pair of feathered wings, much like the common representation of angels, but can be distinguished from other groups by the orbs of light seen fastened to the heads of their scepters or the pommels of their swords. [hr] [b]Virtues/Strongholds[/b] - Virtues, also known as Strongholds, are angels through which miracles and signs from God are made manifest in the world. Their appearance is not known by mortals as they have not yet physically manifested in a way that is detectable by the human eye. [hr] [b]Powers/Authorities[/b] - Power's, also known as Authorities, are angels that maintain order in the cosmos by supervising the movements of celestial bodies and opposing evil spirits who seek to use the matter of the universe for malicious purposes or abuse it in some way. As warrior angels, Power's appear as soldiers wearing full armor and a helmet, while also being equipped with defensive and offensive weapons such as shields and spears or chains. [hr] [u]The Third Sphere[/u] [i]{The Angels of the Third Sphere function as heavenly guides, protectors, and messengers to human beings}[/i] [b]Principalities/Rulers[/b] - Principalities, also known as Rulers, are a group of angels responsible for protecting and guiding nation's, groups of people, or institutions such as the Church. They preside over the bands of angels and charge them with fulfilling the divine ministry. There are some Principalities who administer and some who assist. The Principalities are seen wearing a crown and carrying a sceptre. Their duties-besides the one's already stated-include carrying out the orders given to them by the upper sphere angels, bequeathing blessings to the material world, and overseeing groups of people as stated previously. They are the educators and guardians of the earth and like beings related to the world of the germinal ideas, they are said to inspire living things to persue things such as art or science. [hr] [b]Archangel[/b] - Archangels, completely different from the Seven recorded in the Third Sphere, are the guardians of nations and countries, and are concerned with the issues and events surrounding these, including politics, military matters, commerce, trade, etc. Some mortals make a distinction between archangel (with a lower-case a) and Archangel (with an uppercase A). The former can denote the second-lowest choir (arch-angels in the sense of being just above the lowest Choir of angels that is called only "angels") but the latter may denote the highest of all the angels (i.e., Arch-angels in the sense of being above all angels, of any Choir. The seven highest Seraphim, Michael, being the highest of all after Lucifers removal from Heaven). [hr] [b]Angels[/b] - Angels, also called Malakhim, are the lowest order of celestial beings, and the most recognized. They are the ones most concerned with the affairs of men. Within the category of the angels, there are many different kinds, with different functions. Some angels are sent as messengers to humanity while other's act as personal guardian's. [hr] [b]Personal Guardian Angels[/b] - Personal guardian angels are not of a separate order but rather come from the order of Angels. It is a common but mistaken belief that they are assigned to every human being, Christian or not. In truth they guard people they are assigned to or the one's they choose themselves and will generally stick with that person until they pass on. [/hider] [hider=The Demonic Hierarchy]The demon hierarchy is similar in structure to the angelic one, but more convoluted as demonic ranks have never really been easy to study or categorise even for the best remaining free minds that the world has, due to the lies and misinformation the demons spread about their own power structure on a daily basis. The best thing we have to compare it to, is the angelic one, as that seems to be how it functions at the most basic of levels only with Lucifer at the top instead of God and the Archdemons acting as his servants, much like the Seraphim. No one knows the exact ranks within the Unholy Spheres, but most assume they are opposite, demonic versions of the Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, etc, found in the three Divine Spheres. [/hider] [hider=Immortality, A Study of Angel's, Demon's, and Their Essence]While angels and demons both are immortal, there are some major differences in how it works on both sides. You see angels who are still loyal to God can be slain by someone wielding enough demonic or unholy power, but instead of being completely destroyed, their essence-or soul if you will-returns to God in Heaven where he will then cause it to coalesce and reform into the being it was before, making death nothing more than a temporary inconvenience for the angel or angels in question. The same principal is not true for demons however. While demons are immortal, in the sense that they can't be harmed or killed by anything less than divine/holy power, that doesn't mean they can't be slain. As a matter of fact, death for a demon or demonic being is much worse than it is for an angel as when they are killed, their essence is literally burned out of the fabric of reality itself since they have been cut off from God and cast out of his presence. Death for a demon is complete and utter annihilation with no hope of rebirth. This hasn't stopped Lucifer and his lieutenants from trying to recreate the rebirth process their divine counterparts go through however. If anything, it's fueled it. But so far all their attempts have proven to be unsuccessful. It should also be noted that demons and angels are neither male or female, as they are spirits, and simply appear as such only out of personal preference, or in the case of demonic beings like succubi or inccubi, to further their manipulations. [/hider] [hider=The Triune Realms of Heaven]When many beings say Heaven, they generally refer to it as a whole. In truth, Heaven is not just one infinitely large area floating outside of our universe, but a realm made up of three different and separate layers or rings in which angels from different spheres, as well as human souls, reside. As with the Angelic Hierarchy section above, I shall provide a list of the different layers of Heaven here so it is easier to visualize. [b][u]Laetitia[/u][/b] [i]{The Third Layer, Meaning Joy}[/i] Laetitia is the third layer of Heaven and thus the first place all human souls and angels see when entering the realm. Is is a vast expanse of garden's, plains, and groves through which small bubbling streams flow. At its outermost edge one can peer over the side and gaze down at the universe below, which appears as a massive, shimmering, translucent globe filled with an innumerable amount stars and galaxies suspended in the vast emptiness of space. It is here that the Angels of the Third Sphere reside. It is also here that seven gold gateways, similar to those in Reliqua, can be found and used for travel. [hr] [b][u]Reliqua[/u][/b] [i]{The Second Layer, Meaning Rest}[/i] The second layer of Heaven where the Angels of the Second Sphere reside along with human souls who preferred to live in a city/urban environment rather than the rural environ of Laetitia, Reliqua is a large rigned city made of pure white marble that floats on a sea of light and is connected to the Third and First layers by series of fourteen golden gates, seven on the inner part of the realm and seven on the outer, which act as a means of instantaneous transportation. [hr] [b][u]Amare[/u][/b] [i]{The First Layer, Meaning Love}[/i] The first layer of Heaven where God and the angels of the First Sphere reside. At the center of Amare is a massive circular temple where God himself watches over his creation from his crystalline throne, which sits in the midst of the Sea of Glass among the Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim, and the Seven Archangels. Surrounding Amare is a large, multi-tier, city made of pure gold that reflects the glory of its maker and paved with streets made of all manner of precious stones. The souls of those who wished to be closest to God after death, along with many angels of the First Sphere, can be seen in this area along with various golden gates. [/hider] [hider=The Triune Realms of Hell] [b][u]Dolorem[/u][/b] [i]{The Third Layer, Meaning Sorrow}[/i] The outermost layer of Hell, Dolorem meaning sorrow, is just a few hundred thousand miles beneath the Earths surface. It is within the vast and lightless labyrinth that the lowest ranking demons of the Third Sphere once resided, forced to wander about utterly blind and unaware of what was around them while every evil deed they ever committed flashed before their eyes over and over again for what would have been all eternity had Lucifer not broken free. This layer, like the other's, is almost completely empty now, save for the soul's of the human's that were condemned to this place. The reason the demons did not take these souls with them to the surface is simple... They like to wander the Earth freely, knowing that the beings they hated so much are now trapped in the dark prison they once shared for so many year's. [hr] [b][u]Ira[/u][/b] [i]{The Second Layer, Meaning Anger or Wrath}[/i] A large flaming cavern to which the lightless tunnels of Dolorem eventually lead. It was here that the demons of the Second Shpere resided before their breakthrough to the surface world above. As with the Third Layer the human souls that were sent here are still trapped, left here to burn eternally for their sins. At the center of Ira is a massive pit with a rune covered circular gate at its center that leads to the first and final layer of Hell, Caligo. [hr] [b][u]Caligo[/u][/b] [i]{The First Layer, Meaning Darkness}[/i] The first and final layer of Hell, Caligo, is a bottomless well of everlasting darkness and silence reserved for Lucifer and his Archdemon lieutenants. It was here that they floated for millennia as the seeds of their work in the antediluvian world took root on the surface. This place is empty now, and unlike the other layers, no human souls are kept here. It is a prison for the Archdemons and their leader, no one else. It can be accessed from Ira but is blocked by a large, circular, metal gate that has Celestial symbols inscribed on it's surface. [/hider] [hider=Vampires, Wendigos, and Other Beasts]WIP[/hider] [hider=Magic]Doesn't exist unfortunately, despite mankind's best attempts and pleas, God has not seen fit to allow mortals to have that much control over his creation.[/hider] [hider=The Demonic & Angelic Alphabets]WIP[/hider] [hider=Bonding]WIP[/hider] [hider=Lucifers Lieutenants, The Seven Archdemon Prince's of Hell and Their Earthly Realms]WIP[/hider] [/hider] [/hider]