Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Mist-Bound Oct 23, 2008 1:28:17	One of my favorite 3rd party settings was a little gem by Mongoose Publishing called "Infernum". Inspired by a variety of things, including Doom, Hellraiser and even Planescape & Ravenloft, Infernum was set in a Hell inspired by the Abrahamic version, yet its own unique place. It was the first setting I'd ever seen, until 4e, where epic was actually integrated into the core system- the three races (Humans, 9 Breeds of Demon, and Fallen Angels) were handled as 30 level classes. So, with 4e rolled out, I've naturally been interested in trying to convert the setting for use in my own 4e games. I've created some (apparently) balanced conversions of the 9 Demon Breeds, so now I'm wondering if folks would like me to put my thoughts towards using Infernum in 4e down onto this topic? If yes, my list of details currently consists of: Origin of the Infernum, Location of the Infernum, Demon Psychology & Physiology, Timeline of the Infernum, Geography of the Infernum, Factions of the Infernum, and General Integration Notes. Are there any details to cover that I've missed? For the curious, here are my "4e conversions" of the demon breeds. Please comment on how to balance them; this is the very first edition where I've tried to homebrew rules, so I'm worried that they're all overpowered. Artificer (no, not the class- this is an iron-plated, dwarf-like demon) http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1103756 Beast http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1103869 Deceiver http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1103882 Fiend http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1103883 Hulk http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1103884 Imp http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1103887 Malcubus http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1103891 Slaver http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1103893 Stalker http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1103894
#2 Mist-Bound Oct 23, 2008 16:23:35	No one's said anything, but I thought I might as well make a start on things and see if that attracts interest. These are the 'general Infernum questions' that come to mind- point out questions that I might have missed answering. What is The Infernum and The Pit? In general, the two terms are used interchangeably in reference to the home of the hellkin (the native sentients, also known as "demons"- though that is technically a social rank). Technically, however, The Pit refers to the hellkin homeland -due to it being a 2400 mile deep crater- while The Infernum refers to hellkin society and those it governs. Most mortals, however, generally use the term "Hell" for this purpose- which tends to be considered "lowbrow" by the hellkin themselves. Where did The Pit come from? In the original, monotheistic setting, The Pit was created after Lucifer and his renegade angels were defeated by the loyalist Hosts. When they were cast out of Heaven, they were hurled into the place that would become Hell- a barren and inhospitable 'proto-Earth', populated solely by Spawn. They struck with such force that they carved a massive, roughly conical crater into the very rock- this is The Pit. Beyond some tweaks for 4e's pantheistic setting, this is pretty much suitable as-is. What are Hellkin? A perversion of life, an abomination in the eyes of all gods regardless of alignment. When the First Fallen recovered from their defeat, they were consumed by rage and resentment, and vowed that they would topple those who had cast them out- but first, they needed an army. Through methods best left undescribed, they coupled with the Spawn and torturously shaped the resultant creatures into what are now called Hellkin, a race (well, technically, nine races) of slave-warriors. Unfortunately for the First Fallen, the Hellkin turned on their creators, and those who didn't flee were eaten alive by their abused children. What are Spawn? "Spawn" is a generic term, plural and singular, for a wide variety of freakish 'proto-life forms', condemned to the Nowhere place that became Hell once God (or, in 4e's case, the Gods) perfected mortal life. Spawn come in many varieties, of which only a few are described (Hellhounds, Riding Spawn, Obsidian Sharks, Tentacled Horrors, Gorgoths, Hellworms), but all are essentially mindless and, compared to the inhabitants of The World, physically crude. What is Iliaster? As with the place that inspired it, the Infernum is a place of suffering and pain for the souls condemned there. But what purpose to their pain if the hellkin have no allegiance whatsoever to the concept of religion? Iliaster is the purpose, the reason behind the agonies of the damned. Iliaster is a substance that is, essentially, the very essence of a soul- a kind of liquid Astral matter, in 4e. When tortured, souls give up iliaster, and hellkin are fed on iliaster, as well as using it for their industries and sorceries. The hunger for iliaster is a very strong driving force amongst hellkin, but that I'll discuss as part of demon physiology. What are the types of Iliaster? *Plasmic Iliaster (generally called "Plasm") is a thin, watery, pale yellow iliaster that is the 'base product'- this is what pours from a soul's wounds when it is tortured. Plasm is the hellkin equivalent of unwatered gruel- nourishing, but not especially tasty. Those who are rich will never take plasm straight if they can; they prefer to soak meats and, sometimes, vegetables in it, to add texture and flavor. *Strain is a coppery iliaster that is secreted by souls undergoing immense physical effort- "strain gangs", souls condemned to intense physical labor, are a common sight in the Pit and serve two purposes at once; the production of Strain, and the accomplishment of work. Strain is no more nourishing than Plasm, but is far tastier- however, there is a risk that a drink of Strain will plunge the drinker into a berserk frenzy. Strain is rarely drunk; it's primary use is as an industrial reagent, alloyed to metal to increase durability, and used as fuel for mechanical and bio-mechanical engines. *Agony is a deep, rich, ruby-red iliaster. Like plasm, it comes from souls that undergo phyiscal pain- Agony, however, requires the souls be kept conscious and in intense pain. Agony is considered the equivalent of fine wine amongst hellkin, and is five times more nourishing than plasm. It also has medicinal uses, as those who drink it heal much, much faster than normal. The intense pleasure that it induces, especially as it heals injuries, means that those whose wills aren't strong enough can suffer bouts of intense masochism in response to a draught of Agony. *Sorrow is a clear, shockingly bitter iliaster that is produced by intense psychological torture. It is incredible difficult to produce, as a result, and the consumption of Sorrow is the closest thing that hellkin have to a religious sacrament. As with Strain and Agony, consuming Sorrow requires a strong will; a being that resists feels an intense surge of euphoria, while those who fail to resist Sorrow's effects are overcome by deep misery, one of the few things that can actually inspire such feelings in hellkin. A hellkin who fails to master a draught of Sorrow is quickly slain by any others who witness this moment of weakness, as they view such an event. Sorrow is the most nourishing form of iliaster; ten times more potent than Plasm. What are the Great Houses? Hellkin society is fundamentally feudal at its base, with stronger demons lording over the weaker. The Nine Great Houses are the oldest and most powerful 'families' of the Infernum, and consist of: House Astyanath, The Cruel, whose symbol is a Flayer House Carthenay, The Hoarders, whose symbol is a gagged, bald, male human head with a coin covering each eye House Glabretch, The Putrid, whose symbol is a distorted piece of rotting, stitched leather House Haimon, The Deathly, whose symbol is a rough half-circle shape of dripping slime with six curved horns jutting from its upper half and a ring of nine nails embedded in the slime House Lictat, The Usurpers, whose symbol is an exaggerated silhoutte of a stereotypical demon House Oblurott, The Gross, whose symbol is a mouth-shape with a lolling tongue House Riethii, The Seducers, whose symbol is a rose with long thorns House Sturrach, The Bloody, whose symbol is a spike-knuckled iron glove clenched into a fist House Zethu, The Unveilers, whose symbol is a nine-pointed star in a circle
#3 Mist-Bound Oct 24, 2008 4:41:54	With those out of the way, thought it was time to start getting into the meat of things. How was the Infernum made? If you're like me, you're doubtlessly leery of sticking with the basic Infernum background, which is heavily orientated towards a monotheistic setting with at least some resemblance towards the various Abrahamic religions. However, the core of Infernum -angels fought a civil war and the losers tried to breed warrior-slaves for vengeance, only to be devoured by their own creations- is very much usable So, what is needed here is merely a change of window dressing. You might replace the names of Lucifer and his fellows with homebrew names, or simply decree that time has resulted in the loss of their identities- a few of the most important may still be remembered by their titles, but otherwise who they were has passed from mortal knowledge. Lucifer might be an "Archangel", an evolved form of Angel that approaches godly power, or it might have been an Exarch or Godling whose identity was now lost. The next element is to decide precisely what faction -or factions- amongst the celestial hosts (by which I mean both the angels and the gods) Luficer fought against and lost, as well as what motivated Luficer and why the survivors were spared. This is an element DMs will have to decide for themselves, as it's one of the most flexible elements. Where is the Infernum located? Where in the multiverse the place called Hell is located is another major element in incorporation. Before we go ahead, I would first make my recommendation that anyone who includes Infernum in their 4e settings extract the Abyss and the Nine Hells of the 'core' multiverse first. The two places (or, rather, their inhabitants) are quite redundant with the hellkin, who can fulfill both the 'raging beasts out for destruction' and the 'dark temptors offering prizes for mortal souls' angels, and one can never predict what a given individual will be doing. But, that's off topic. One option for the location of hell, which sticks closest to the original fluff, is that it's located on an "OtherWorld", a parallel dimension (or even an neighboring planet, if you want to borrow from Abeir & Toril) that was created by the gods or the primordials before or when The World itself was created. In fact, the world that became Hell might have actually been an attempt by the gods to replicate the efforts of the primordials, and their failure to do so may have been what led to the god/primordial wars. DMs can surely think of other possibilities for this train of thought. Alternatively, the Infernum might be located within an Astral Dominion, either created specifically as a prison to hold Lucifer and its renegades, or converted to that purpose. It may be a crater in some obscure and hard-to-reach portion of the Shadowfell. It could even be down in the Elemental Chaos, replacing the Abyss. And this should provide some basic ideas on how to include Infernum in your D&D setting's cosmology. In my next post, I'll start actually detailing the Infernum- its layout, its timeline, its calender and other such details.
#4 addle-cove-anarchist Oct 26, 2008 13:27:39	this could be nicely integrated to already complex Baator in that way it's interesting
#5 Mist-Bound Oct 26, 2008 13:47:46	You know, I can see that people have been looking in- I'd appreciate the occasional comment, please. Anyway, here's the geography of Hell. General Overview Any place called Hell is guaranteed not to be a pleasant place, and the Pit certainly lives up to the expectation. It is a barren, alien place, a land of darkness and flames; the Pit is a giant crater into the earth, as if seeking to burrow away from the ever-present, oppressive miasma of the Lethe Clouds. These yellowish-purple clouds are vaporised water from the river Lethe, carried up the Pit by the wind convections of the Morningstar's passage, and they still retain the potent memory-sapping properties of that water. There are no stars here, no moon, not even a sun- the Morningstar is a great orb of mystical flames generated by arcanotech devices in Pandemonium. The native life here is strange and vile to mortal sensibilities, and fresh water is a thing of precious rarity. Mortals can survive in Hell, but it is neither easy nor pleasant, for the most part. Hell is divided into the Nine Circles, nine bands of settled terrain based around the Pit itself. The first and ninth circles are on level ground- the rim around the crater and the crater's floor respectively. The other seven circles are on the crater's walls- some quirk of gravity orientates it, bar in a 15 mile wide circle directly centered on Pandemonium, so that "down" is towards the steeply sloped walls of the crater. The Circles are, in numerical order from First to Ninth; Emptiness, Tempest, Tears, Toil, Slaughter, Industry, Delight, Malebolge and Pandemonium. Emptiness All of the Circles are named after their most defining feature, and Emptiness proves how apt this is. Emptiness is a vast, barren desert of fine ash-colored dust, marked only by the few pitiful demon strongholds, boulders of debris hurled here by the impact of the Fall, and the strange Brass Pillars, whose origin and purpose is unknown, even by those in Hell, though it is rumored that it is somehow tied to the Clocks of Hell in Pandemonium. Then again, infernal rumors also claim that Lucifer is still hiding in Pandemonium, that Mount Zeberrok, the tallest mountain in hell, is actually the blade of a sword, and that said Clocks really run backwards. Life in Hell is at its hardest here; there is almost no water, rain is a rarity (and usually dangerous, given the nature of the clouds), shelter requires digging caverns or finding a rare valley, and few edible plants and creatures (or plants and creature, period) dwell here. It's searing hot during the 15 hour long day, and freezing cold during the 33 hour long night. Even the demons don't really want Emptiness, which is why most non-slave mortals dwell here; it's hard, but it's relatively safe. However, one shouldn't get complacent; the Brass Pillars distort space and time, which means that hellgouts (where hell is temporarily connected to a position in the mortal world- which usually results in said location being pulled completely into hell), planar portals and soul fields (areas where souls materialise in hell) are most common in Emptiness. Thusly, all of the Great Houses maintain some presence here, and there is a... tendency... for independant and outcast demons to congregate in Emptiness; this way, they can both escape the Houses and acquire the precious souls that they require. Natural dangers of Emptiness consist of sinkholes, which are usually inhabited by flesh-eating insects called "Firmites" for extra measure, scarstone fields (scarstone is a stone infused with raw iliaster, rendering it razor-sharp and far stronger than ordinary stone; scarstone fields are usually concealed beneath a thin layer of grey dust, and someone who falls into one usually ends sliced to ribbons), Lethe fogs, sandstorms, dehydration and starvation. Tempest Tempest is a single immense mountain range, and the combination of steep peaks and the Morningstar's passage whips up constant winds, whose screams have earned them the nickname "Banshee Winds", and low temperatures- Tempest is the coldest place in the Pit, until one reaches the river Cocytus down in Pandemonium. The atmospheric currents also whip up near-endless lightning storms for extra nastiness. Environmentally, Tempest is the place least suited for hellkin; they are adapted for heat and fire, and the cold, windy mountains are thus repulsive to them. However, Tempest is fiercely contested; untold numbers of fortresses and dungeons and bastions, collectively known as the Inferno Line, throng Tempest, the legacy of the First Fallen. Tempest was intended to be the first line of defence against a retributive attack, and the fact it controls access to the rich soul fields of Emptiness means that hellkin fight constantly over claiming it. Primarily, though, Tempest belongs to House Lictat, and is home to the House's primary estates. They have claimed a good portion of the Inferno Line, though there is still much to explore, much to conquer, and many secrets of the First Age to uncover. Most fortresses and other demonic settlements here burrow into the mountains and the earth below, for shelter from the cold and the lightning. Those few that remain entirely exposed are invariably positioned close to Phlegton, the first of the five Great Rivers, a massive river of molten iron that is vomited from a huge volcano and which squirms and crawls down through the mountains into deeper circles. Hellkin settlements huddle close to the banks of obsidian and glass, seeking to stay close to the familiar warmth. Natural hazards of Tempest consist of avalanches, snowstorms, the maddening wails of the Banshee Winds, hailstorms, stonings (where scree and small stones are carried off the mountains and hurled down like rain), windstorms (which can blossom into fully fledged hurricanes and tornadoes), and lightning storms. Tears Tears, the Third Circle and the final component of what is known amongst the hellkin as "Upper Hell", is one of the lushest, most fertile regions in Hell, matched only by the Seventh Circle in Lower Hell. Positioned in between the ice and sleet of Tempest, and the heat of the Middle Circles, the conflux results in plenty of moisture and a temperature ambient to the prolification of life. Of course, temperature still fluxes between unpleasantly cold and damp and unpleasantly hot and humid, depending on which way the wind blows, but what do you expect in Hell? Because of the frequent innudations, Tears' most defining feature is, quite frankly, mud. What isn't bog is swamp, what isn't swamp is marsh, and what isn't any of the three is river. A great system of canals and waterways is the primary method of transport, and some have even gone so far as to 'install' specially warped souls into areas of the network to control the water levels. As well as the mud underfoot, one must also deal with the weather, which is usually unpleasantly wet. As well as conventional rain, storms occasionally drop hail (blown down from Tempest) or gouts of vile slime and corrosive chemical muck lifted from the Acheron, the Great River of foul waters and liquid filth that forms an unofficial border between Upper and Middle Hell. Phlegton also passes through Tears, but does so via a great subterranean channel. Tears is divided between three of the Great Houses. It should surprise no one that the gluttons of House Oblurott and the disease-crafting House Glabretch are two of those houses, but the third is the oddest of all; the death-obsessed House Haimon, whose estates incorporate the Plain of Bones, the sole area in Tears that isn't mud. But, then again, House Haimon is notorious for its vast quantities of souls, so it makes sense that they would want to stay as close to Emptiness as possible. The primary hazards of Tears, beyond the risk of a hailstorm or acid shower, are getting lost, getting bogged, or drowning. The first two are particularly lethal; because of its fertile nature, it is in Tears where Spawn first begin to prolifigate. Emptiness is too barren and Tempest to inclement and cold for them to grow to any great size or numbers, but Tears allows for both. Spawn come in all shapes and sizes here, from blind, mindless, carnivorous child-things to the giant Gorgoths. Oblurott hunts and farms them for their tables, and Glabretch traps them for raw materials, but generally they are left to run rampant, and the risk of being attacked by Spawn is the chief hazard of Tears. (The other Circles will be detailed in seperate posts)
#6 Mist-Bound Oct 26, 2008 14:17:13	this could be nicely integrated to already complex Baator in that way it's interesting Didn't realize someone else was finally posting. How could Infernum be integrated into Baator? Because, personally, I don't see it.
#7 Mist-Bound Oct 26, 2008 20:15:18	To continue where I left off... Toil The Fourth Circle is how many imagine Hell; volcanic wastes and rocky badlands, great mountains of basalt and other volcanic slag material vomited upon the earth's surface. Here, untold millions of demons and damned work near-ceaselessly, digging out endless amounts of metal ore and oil and coal. If iliaster is the lifeblood of the Infernum, then the produce of Toil is its meat and drink. Toil is a hot, stifling place, where one feels as though the very earth was pulling you down (and in some places, this is literally the case). Workers bore endlessly into the bedrock, beyond the influence of the Clocks, so that there are many tunnels where time ceases to work or starts working... "wrong". Once, all of the Houses shared Toil amongst themselves- it was too valuable, and too unstable, to fight over. Now, however, that tenuous peace has been broken- since the uprising of the Free City Heresy, the demons of House Zethu have reconsolidated themselves here, pushing aside and stealing many of the mines and territory originally claimed by other Houses. For now, fear of just what sorcerous and techno-arcana horrors the Zethu may still have up their sleeve has prevented any major action, but the other Houses are not likely to tolerate such behavior for long. The Acheron passes through Toil, where it is used as a dumping ground for various wastes. The Phlegton also passes through Toil, where it is mined in some places, but mostly it is used to fuel the furnace dams of the Lethe. Once, this Great River of forgetfulness flowed all the way down into Lower Hell, but now it is dammed in Toil and boiled to produce the Lethe Clouds in Emptiness. House Carthenay supposedly has control over the dams, but their penny-pinching nature means that maintenance is far down on their list of priorities, and the damns are growing run down and unstable... The biggest threat in Toil are bands of wandering hellkin, who may attack for some distraction from their endless labors, or have been driven mad by overwork. Alternatively, they may accuse a group of unfortunates of being spies and saboteurs. Worst of all, they may try to enslave apparently free beings and force them into working the mines. There are also some geographic hazards, such as earth tremors and lava fields, but the worst of these are mystical in nature. Crushing stones are boulders so impregnated with malice that they deliberately try to fall on any living creature that comes close. Fell Oil is a kind of mystically tainted petroleum that flows like an ooze and tries to drown creatures. Leaden zones are areas of mystically increased gravity; the more evil a being who enters, the harder they are pulled to the ground. Slaughter As has been made quite clear by this point, the hellkin named their Circles after their most distinguishing features. Emptiness is an apparently endless wasteland of barren dust and blank sky. Tempest is lashed by eternal storms and winds. Tears is... admittedly, more poetic in name than the others, for the rains that soak it can be considered the metaphorical tears of all those who have fallen into Hell (and it is also where the suffering of souls truly beings). Toil is a place where demons and damned alike are united in suffering, laboring for eternity. So what does it say that the Fifth Circle, out of all of the bloody lands of Hell, has been called "Slaughter"? When the First Fallen began breeding the hellkin for their planned destiny as the cannon fodder of the next War in the Heavens, it was here in Slaughter that they tested their prototypical progeny. Untold billions of demons perished here, entire breeds were wiped from existence as failures, and all under the impassive gaze of the renegade angels. When the hellkin rose up and rebelled, and the Houses were formed, they decided that Slaughter would be the new place to settle military disputes. Now demons march in legions to their doom, sacrifices to the insulted pride or wounded ego of demon lords in the other Circles of Hell. Slaughter's terrain is a stark example in contrasts. Here, the land has been torn open by the artillery and spells and sheer fury of demonic combat. There, the land is lush and thick with foliage, nourished by the spilt ichor and decaying corpses of countless demons. A fortress is raised, strong enough to last thousands of years, then is torn down in about a week. It is no surprise that the Styx, the Great River of blood, rises from Slaughter. Only two groups of demons truly call Slaughter home, though the Glabretch and the Church of the Morningstar both have territory here. The mercenaries, as close to free and proud as a hellkin can be whilst remaining alive, and the Bloody House, House Sturrach, a clan of demons who believe wholeheartedly in the concept of military pride and valor and to whom "might makes right" is the truest saying. Behyond the risk of becoming a casualty of some conflict, even accidentally, there are other hazards to Slaughter. Beyond the risk of stumbling across a lava field, which (especially if newly made) may still be gouting magma, there are also the risks of multitudes of carnivorous Spawn (particularly near the Styx's upper banks) and plants, as well as haunted battlefields and the occasional batch of blood mist, which induces psychotic fury in those who inhale it. Straying too near Golgotha, once the capital of the arms trade and now a Free City, is also suicidal- Golgotha's arsenal is terrifying, even to hellkin. Industry It is presumed that, once, Industry had the same landscape as Toil and Slaughter, but it's impossible to say. What Industry now looks like is a nightmarish cityscape- almost the entirety of the Circle is buried under industrial complexes (in various states of decay and usage) and habitats and other buildings. The Phlegton once flowed here and was used for iron and heat, but now it is too cold and slow to flow fully, due to the heat sapped out of it higher up. Materials must thusly be brought down from Toil, a slow, risky and expensive process. The other Great Rivers also flow here; the Styx is used to generate power for dynamos, while the tired Acheron serves as the sewer system for the Circle as a whole and the city of Dis in particular. Once, Industry belonged to House Zethu, but it was here that the Heresy began. From mighty Dis the heretics came, burning, killing, looting, and the sorcerers of the Unveiling House fled in terror at their approach. Now, armies of demons lay seige to Industry, whilst inside the heretics grit their fangs and struggle desperately to survive. Dis is crammed to bursting, now more than ever, and which faction will win this battle is an answer no demon can answer. The future of Hell has always been tied to Industry, but now that tie is more apparent than ever. Most of the hazards of Industry are political- the risk of being mistaken by one group (the Houses or the Heretics) for the forces of another, or of being betrayed by an apparent ally for some reason. Environmental hazards are comparatively few, but include acid rain and a kind of rust-fungus that attacks living flesh.
#8 Mist-Bound Oct 26, 2008 20:52:36	Delight After the ruined cityscape of Industry, and particularly the battered lands of Toil and Slaughter -indeed, the whole of Upper and Middle Hell- Delight is a tremendous shock. Bar the inexplicable Blasted Desert, whose true secrets are unknown even to the hellkin, and Lake Inferno, which is the largest opening to the Sunless Sea (a subterranean ocean of magma and flames) in the Pit, this Circle is composed entirely of jungles and forests. Not surprisingly, it is here that Houses Astyanath, Carthenay and Riethii have their estates. As the name suggests, Delight is devoted to the pursuit of pleasures; carnivals, gambling, drugs, carnality, banquets, balls, dances, festivals, you name it, it's here. Consequently, entertainers are sarosanct in Delight, and an unjustified assault against them is just asking for trouble. If the group is popular enough, every demon in the Circle may start gunning for your heart on a platter. The hellkin proudly declare Delight to be a place of pure paradise, and for them, this is so. Mere mortals, unless they have proven sufficiently corrupt as to blend into demonic society, may form quite a different opinion. In Delight, the Agony flows like water, and don't forget that mortal flesh, sometimes served still-living, is a demonic delicacy... Delight is one of the few places in Hell where open warfare is forbidden... though this does not mean that you're safe. Political attacks, assassinations, even random muggings, all of these are a danger. To say nothing of the dangers of a pleasant stroll through the Wood of Suicides, where the mutant trees cast psychic palls to induce suicidal despair in sentient creatures, or of offending one of the many noble demons and promptly being skinned alive and nailed to a framework for a new building. Malebolge After the lush verdanity of Delight, the Malebolge is a harsh return to hellish normality. Truth be told, even demons find it hard to live here; the Malebolge consists of a number of basalt mountains, so large that the Morningstar must squeeze through them each "dawn" and "dusk". This, naturally, triggers all manner of seismic disturbances, and fills the air with a variety of noxious and downright poisonous fumes. So why do the demons dwell here? Because it is here, in nine of the ten valleys that lead to Pandemonium, that the Great Citadels of the Nine Houses were built. These fortresses, unmatched in size or complexity, were created by Lucifer's most important angels, and now serve as the homes for the Lord of each of the Nine Houses. Unable to take Pandemonium, and unwilling to share it, they sit here and brood, weaving their endless plots to overthrow their rivals and to expand the power of their Houses. Meanwhile, their innermost court dances to their every whim, while each secretly plots to one day take power for themself. Pandemonium The lowest Circle of Hell, to reach Pandemonium one must first cross the 15 mile wide Cocytus, the Great River of grinding black ice whose chill is colder than any demon's heart. Then, and only then, can one enter the infinitely wide City of Chaos, where the streets and the buildings can literally move around you, so that you can close your eyes and wind up somewhere else by the time you open them again. Here is the political game at its finest, where the Nine Houses do their politics. Here are the mysteries of Hell, with secrets from the very founding of the Infernum hidden for the clever, or just plain lucky, to discover. Here is the ultimate prize; the Throne of Angels, the never-claimed symbol of leadership over all Hellkin. This is Pandemonium, the black heart of Hell.
#9 addle-cove-anarchist Oct 28, 2008 19:31:50	Didn't realize someone else was finally posting. How could Infernum be integrated into Baator? Because, personally, I don't see it. it can, some of it, cause our Baator is somewhat different
#10 Mist-Bound Dec 16, 2008 17:17:22	I was curious; does anyone want me to continue with this idea, or should I just leave it to rot?
#11 Mist-Bound Jan 05, 2009 17:35:49	I've been thinking on this subject and I just couldn't stand to to leave this off half-finished. So, here's a list of future postings from me; if you think of something I've missed, then please let me know so that I can take care of it. "Demonology 101" Demon Anatomy Demon Psychology "Demonology 102" Demons, Poison and Disease Demons and Undeath "Demonology 103" Demon Culture/"What do demons do?" "Rats in Hell's Kitchen" (Mortals in Hell) Mortal Survival in Hell Mortal Culture Non-Human Races in Hell "Lords of Hell" (Demonic Factions) House Astyanath House Carthenay House Glabretch House Haimon House Lictat House Oblurott House Sturrach House Riethii House Zethu "Leaders of the Shadows" (Mortal & Outcast Factions) Early Tribes The Branded Knights of the Harrowing The Free City Heresy Mercenaries "Other Strangeness" Abhorei, Benandanti and Brokenlanders Infernum and the Greater Cosmology Portals, Gates and Hellgouts
#12 Mist-Bound Jan 05, 2009 19:38:10	Demon Anatomy This is a subject that can really grow complicated, given the fact that 'demon' (in the sense of the creatures created through the union of fallen angels and spawn) actually covers nine related species, all of which are physically distinct from each other. Instead, this will focus on brief details of common anatomical features. All demons are, by default, bipedal quadrapeds with an epidermis, central nervous system and endoskeleton. This layout varies from individual to individual, and grows only more unique as the demon ages and its body restructures itself, a process that is at least partially under the demon's conscious control. The demon's internal systems are generally describable as "crude, but effective"- in fact, in some cases, they can be so crude that it's amazing that they function at all. While the precise layout and array of internal organs varies from individual to individual, all demons share a general arrangement that is more or less identical to the humanoid norm- albeit with certain differences. The demon's nervous system is somewhat less efficient than that of a mortal, which means that their sense of touch is rather underdeveloped compared to that of a human. However, primarily, this inefficiency is in regards to physical pain, which leads some scholars to believe it was deliberately designed by the First Fallen- demons are immune to petty discomforts, and can (admittedly with the aid of redundancies, like layered bones and supplementary organs) fight on unhindered by what would be greivous damage to a mortal. The demons of House Astyanath, in fact, have developed a system of mutations that allows them to completely rewire their nervous system so that "pain signals" are automatically directed into their pleasure centure- these "Joyous Legionaires" are the House's military force. The demon digestive system is also quite crude. To put it politely, it's entry only- demons were only intended to consume iliaster, so there are no natural exits from the stomach. Demons can still consume other materials, for taste rather than nourishment, and the stomach utilises the same process (which can be roughly likened to an arcane furnace) to disintegrate whatever was taken in, though this can take days or even weeks, which means most demons will usually throw up anything that was too hard for them. As a consequence of their distinctly un-demonic eating habits, House Oblurott has thusly developed a well-established practice of implanting extra stomaches and excretory organs to cope with their massive intakes of solid food- failure to do so generally leads to the Oblurott literally exploding as they gorge themselves on more than they can physically hold. On the subject of food, the demon's need for iliaster certainly cannot be understated. Calling it a need is almost an understatement- it's an obsession, an addiction, a craving, all rooted in a very real and very desperate physical basis. While demons can store iliaster in certain organs to feed upon, they must still consume iliaster every infernal day (48 hours). Failure to do so leads to their body literally devouring itself from the inside out- a single missed feeding will leave the demon near-crippled, color leeched from its body and exhausted by the draining. A second missed feeding results in an agonising, but mercifully quick death as the body disintegrates. By consuming too-small amounts of iliaster, the demon can stave off the end, but they will still die. Recovering from the weakness of a missed feeding (known as Dissolution) requires a massive intake of iliaster. Demon reproductive organs are, likewise, non-existent. With the exception of the Malcubi (which is gendered like any mortal creature), and the Deceiver (which, if it chooses to identify itself with a gender, irrevercably transforms from its base asexual state to a fully functional member of that gender), no demon has anything resembling sexual organs by default, and likewise they do not identify themselves as either male or female. When a demon does begin to identify itself as a chosen gender, its flesh reshapes itself into sterile, almost vestigial organs of the appropriate state, but only those demons who manage to perform certain geomantic rituals can gain the ability to propogate like a mortal. Demon Psychology The mentality of demons is at once alien and familiar when studied, and many scholars of such obscure subjects relish debating over whether a given aspect of the demonic psyche is something natural to their species, or was artificially induced by the First Fallen. Regardless of where it came from, these are the facts on how a demon's mentality differs to that of, say, a human or a dwarf. Demons feel all of the same emotions that mortals do (more or less), but they feel them much more intensely than the average mortal does. Demons are also far more in tune with their instincts, and thusly they are often motivated and controlled as much by their feelings as by their conscious desires. When a demon is angered, it is compelled to strike, when joyous, they revel in it. This not as straight-forward as it may seem at first to be- demons can (and, if successful in life, generally do) learn to temper their urges and they can be torn by emotional conflict as any mortal. Still, any who would interact with a hellkin should always keep in mind that a metaphorical explosion is always possible. Many of a hellkin's emotions are darker in hue than those of the normal mortal's, and this in turn colors their behavior. The sense of empathy is distinctly underdeveloped in a hellkin, and in fact the average demon is, in human terms, a sadist- the sight of a creature in pain, no matter who or what, fills them with joy, perhaps tinged with relief that they themselves are not the one in pain. Most scholars agree that this was deliberately installed by the First Fallen- what is the use in a warrior-slave that can feel pity for its enemy? That can be persuaded by compassion to spare its foe's life, or to even not fight at all? Where is the point in a sword that grows sickened and tired of slaughter? Demons can learn to feel empathy and sympathy, but it takes time and effort for them to do so, and they must be taught. This lack of empathy, coupled with the aforementioned need for iliaster, not only drives the Infernum's obsession with the suffering of souls, but also explains much of the ruthlessness involved in demonic interaction. Every other demon is not only a competitor for precious iliaster, but also a source of it. Coupled with the "Might Makes Right" philosophy that is actively endorsed by Infernal culture, and their own intensity of rage and hatred, and it is not surprising that few demons have any qualms about cannibalising the fallen, or devouring weaker allies to gain greater personal strength. Trust is not a common commodity in demonic culture. In fact, a number of the various positive emotions are, due to various circumstances, almost impossible for demons to grasp, and so many deny these even exist. Trust and friendship are the most obvious, but love is another, and its absence may stem from the very way demons are born. As is explained in further detail in Demonology 102, demons are adults in practically every way from the moment they first crawl from the spawning pit. They have no parents, and while they technically have siblings, in the form of other larva that emerged from the same progenitor, there is no innate recognition between two "kin". Born (or perhaps "hatched" would be a more appropriate descriptor) with an innate knowledge of how to move, speak, use their abilities, what they are, and the details of iliaster, they have no need for a tutor or mentor figure, and are very much alone from the moment they come into being. No parents, no siblings, no friends, no allies of any sort... and all of this coupled to the aforementioned desperate need for iliaster. Is it any wonder that demons find the idea of caring for another being as much as for your own self to be incomprehensible? Note, however, that incomprehensible does not mean "impossible to feel". It's a rare thing, but hellkin can feel love, can learn to trust, can start to see, however faintly, the world in a way that mortals generally take for granted. For all that they manage to live without such feelings, however, hellkin subconsciously realise that something is missing, and it is believed that this may be one of, if not the, root causes for their denied envy of mortal kind.
#13 Mist-Bound Jan 06, 2009 16:56:13	Demons, Poisons & Diseases As the demonic anatomy is so resilient compared to mortals, and because a demon is fundamentally a spark of divine energy shackled in a crude shell of flesh, hellkin are fairly resistant to most earthly poisons, though this is not a total immunity and there are many venoms native to the Pit that are all too lethal towards hellkin. Diseases are another matter. Until the rise of House Glabretch, sickness was unknown amongst the hellkin. To this day, bar certain breeds that have been deliberately modified by the plague-magicians of the Putrid, mundane diseases from the mortal world have no effect on hellkin (magical diseases, though, are another matter). Unfortunately, the various plagues and pestilences unleashed in Hell are quite happy to attack mortals as well. Such poxes include Claggy Vein, which causes the victim's veins to fill with a substance resembling greasy white putty or corpse fat, Seeping Sanies, where the brain stews in its own juices and vile pus seeps from the eyes, nose, ears and mouth, and Ember Tumors, a chicken-pox like disease where the lumps visibly glow in the dark. Demons and Undeath It is a fairly well known fact amongst scholars of the occult that the mortal essence is composed of three things; the flesh, the soul, and the anima. Undead are created necrotic energy infuses either or all of these three facets of mortality. Yet, amongst the hellkin, this simple arrangement is distorted- some scholars believe that demons have only two components, flesh and soulk, and that this is why they must continually drink iliaster- to restore the damage caused by the strain moving the body causes the soul. The relationship demons have with undeath may support this theory. Only two types of undead demon have ever been proven to exist. Firstly, corporeal 'automaton' type undead, such as skeletons- these, however, have always been raised deliberately by necromancers and such individuals have always reported that doing so was harder than if a mortal body had been the focus. Spontaneous creation of such undead is an event that has never been documented. The second type are the elders of the necromantic House Haimon; the pinnacle of the House's racial mutation chain is instinctive knowledge of a special ritual, which bears some similarities to the ritual of lichdom. By performing this ritual, the demon dies and rises as a self-aware corporeal undead version of itself. They gain no particular powers from this state, but are no longer consumed by the need to feed upon iliaster, which means that they view this state as a blessing.