Book One: The Great War
The Great War encompassed a cataclysmic time in ancient history when the Old Gods waged war against Yahweh and his brother, Devil, as they sought to invade the earth and control the souls of humanity.
During the nearly 100 years of the war, the angelic race was born, the Zodiac Clan was bound to the Rift Gates, the Old Gods were wiped out or enslaved, the Primordials were killed and imprisoned in Hell and Lucifer rebelled against his father and was cast out into Hell.
Below you will find the history from beginning to end of The Great War and its major events that helped shape human history for millennia to come.
The New Gods Emerge
Before the emergence of the two brothers, the earth dimension was ruled by many gods, spirits, and creatures of legend. Warring over the souls of mankind, the Old Gods were in constant struggle with each other over the control of humanity. Thousands of years ago, the dimensions pressed in on each other, allowing the travel between worlds for these ancient gods. It was this vulnerability that would allow the brothers to come forth and take the earth's dimension for themselves. Having outgrown their dimension, the brothers Yahweh and Devil were drawn to the conflict taking place among the Old Gods. They learned the great battles weren't merely for supremacy over each other, but for control of the human race and they saw the potential of the species. With their goals aligned, the brothers agreed to take the earth dimension for themselves, beginning The Great War that would last nearly a hundred years.
Fall of the Old Gods
Countless Gods and Goddesses fought in The Great War, all defending their dominions and human followers from the Celestial brothers Yahweh and Devil.
Many were wiped out; entire civilizations were lost and forgotten while others disappeared.
The greatest among the Old Gods, however, survived to be enslaved by the Celestials and bound to the earthly realm forever.
Taken completely by surprise, many of the Old Gods were unprepared for the power the brothers wielded against them. With the Old Gods divided, some dominions fell quickly to the brother's onslaught, while others called on ancient alliances to stand together against the coming storm. Those ancient gods who belonged to great families faired well in the battles against the Celestial brothers, driving them back and calling on their human followers to fuel their power.
The brothers would soon realize that the Old Gods would not die so easily, their power tied directly to their followers making them immortal. They needed a new strategy to combat the strongest of the Old Gods. Together, they created a new and powerful race: The Angels; an army of celestial warriors made from the very fabric of the earth dimension. They would wield this army in more ways than one; to destroy the Old Gods and convert their human followers. This strategy would prove catastrophic to the Old Gods, destroying some of the oldest gods in creation. But some of the Old Gods refused to bow before the onslaught. Many still had enough human followers to challenge the brothers and even their angelic army, refusing to concede defeat or even death. The brothers needed to devise a more cunning solution to contain these Old Gods; even harnessing their power for their purposes.
Creation of the Rift Gates
The brothers Yahweh and Devil were growing tired of the protracted war with the Old Gods and sought to bring it to an end once and for all. They needed to seal the dimensions so others could not come through and challenge them, and they needed to contain the Old Gods who refused to die. The Creation of the Rift Gates would be their final solution; massive supergates that would act as locks on the dimensional doorways, separating Hell, Earth, Heaven, and the other planes of existence forever. To power these gates, the Archangels; generals of the brother's army and the most powerful of the angelic horde, would bind the essence of the most powerful Old Gods they captured to the gates, tying them to the earth dimension forever. The rest they would cast into Hell, to a place of Devil's creation known as Purgatory. There the Old Gods could not reincarnate on earth, cutting off their power from their followers and fueling Hell itself. The brother's war was nearly won when a new threat emerged to challenge them and the angels.
Rise of the Nephilim
Over the decades the Great War raged, the angels were sent to Earth to convert humanity away from their 'false gods'. Appearing as human-like beings of white light, they sought to challenge the Old Gods' dominions by taking away their power source; the human souls of their followers.
What Yahweh and Devil had not foreseen was the temptation of humanity to their soldiers. Creating them to be loyal to their creators, the angels were supposed to be the weapons of the brothers in their war against the Old Gods. Instead, some of the angels came to know humanity and even some of the Old Gods themselves, and pity would take root within them. These angels would turn away from their creators, joining the Old Gods in their battle against the angelic army, while some grew a deeper connection to those they now swore to protect.
The Nephilim were born in a time of The Great War; the children of the angels who rebelled against Yahweh and Devil, as well as the humans and gods they coupled with. The Nephilim would prove to be a powerful new adversary for the brothers as they held both Celestial power and the attributes inherited by their human or godlike parentage. These Nephilim would soon join the fight and decimate angelic armies, alongside the Old Gods. This threat could not be allowed to continue, and the rebellious angels had to be brought to heel. Yahweh sent the most powerful of his children; The Archangels, led by the first of their creation, Lucifer, to quell the threat and capture the fallen angels. They succeeded, and the Nephilim were nearly wiped out. All but one family remained to stand against the brothers, and Lucifer himself was sent to destroy them.
Lilith & Sammael
Lilith's origins are something often debated throughout history. Some say she is the first wife of Adam; created by Yahweh to serve her husband until she refused to bow and was cast out to become the first demon. Others say she was an ancient goddess; a patron of witches and women and a protector of children from the greed and violence of men. None know the truth of her creation, not even she, but in the time of the Great War, she was the wife to a Fallen Archangel known as Sammael: The Angel of Life and Death.
Together they would raise many Nephilim children, keeping them safely hidden from the outside world and from the brothers who sought their destruction. Together, they shared powerful and ancient magics, teaching their children to harness magic and warcraft into one weapon to use against any who would harm them. Despite their best efforts to shield their family, Yahweh had grown powerful during the Great War and was now able to sense Sammael and his angelic offspring, ordering Lucifer to hunt them down and kill them all. As Lilith searched for a new home for her family, Lucifer arrived to find Sammael and their children preparing to leave. He did battle with them, slaughtering her children and Sammael. She felt their deaths and quickly returned home, but it was too late; they were dead and she found an archangel standing over their remains. She sought to kill Lucifer, calling all her power to her, she nearly succeeded until he cried out for help. His uncle, Devil, would arrive to enchain her; binding her magic and taking her to be imprisoned in The Dark Spire in Hell. Lilith was the last of the Old Gods to fall. The rest had either been slain, disappeared amongst humanity, or were now enslaved to the brothers and their purpose. All that was left was to activate the Rift Gates and reform the dimensions to the brother's desires.
The Reformation of Hell
Going by many names and encompassing the entire undersurface of the planet, Hell exists hundreds of meters below our feet and is only accessible through the Hell Rift Gate or teleportation. When the Devil took control during The Great War, he laid waste to the underworlds that existed before and reformed the entire landscape into The Rings of Hell.
Each ring is governed by one of Lucifer's Fallen Angel Generals, along with their lieutenants, demons, and cambions from that region of hell.
The Hissing Wastes
Ashes of Eden
A vast wasteland of ruins and desert, The Hissing Wastes was once the Garden of Eden; an experiment by Yahweh to create his race of humans. Beginning with Adam and Eve, his experiment would ultimately become his greatest disappointment when Eve was tempted to eat the Apple of Knowledge and encouraged her husband Adam to do the same. In theology, it is said that a serpent corrupted Eve into taking the fruit against Yahweh's wishes. That the serpent was either Lucifer or Lilith tricking this second version of mankind into sin when in truth, Adam and Eve were simply curious and wanted to know what would happen. This event would teach Yahweh that humanity was curious by nature and that by giving them free will, he would never be able to control them. In his anger, he destroyed the garden, sending Adam and Eve into the Hissing Wastes to wander for all time. And once his work was done, he turned his attention back to Earth, changing the foundation of his many religions to ensure obedience to him. The Hissing Wastes would later become the home of many mythological creatures and monsters, known as Primordials', that were banished from Earth, as well as a new home for the ancient temples of the Old Gods that were imprisoned or slain during the Great War.
Purgatory
Well of Sorrows
If you can somehow navigate the shifting sands and survive the great beasts that prowl the Hissing Wastes, you may find yourself at an ancient temple. In the depths of this temple, there is a deep dark pit, with a narrow stone bridge spanning its length. Known also as The Well of Sorrows by followers of the Old Gods, Purgatory is a prison for the Old Gods that could not be killed by Yahweh and Devil. This would also be the place where Yahweh betrayed his brother Devil and imprisoned him alongside the Old Gods for all time. The only way to access Purgatory is through the Purgatory Rift Gate which is bound to the water Zodiacs Cancer, Pisces, and Scorpio. Only one of these Zodiacs can open the way, and if they were all to die, it would seal Purgatory forever.
Countless Gods and Goddesses fought in The Great War, all defending their dominions and human followers from the Celestial brothers Yahweh and Devil.
Many were wiped out; entire civilizations were lost and forgotten while others disappeared into Purgatory.
The greatest among the Old Gods, however, survived to be enslaved by the Celestials and bound to the earthly realm forever.
Lilith's Keep
Death Valley
Death Valley was once ruled by Hades and Persephone, but after they died in The Great War, Lilith was given rule and guardianship of the entryway to Hell. Here she created the first of her vampyric children and set them loose in the world. With sharp black rocks, constant rain, and thunderstorms, her castle sits upon a cliff overlooking a great black sea where the River Stix begins. Souls are washed up from this ocean onto a black sand shore and taken to boats that will ferry them through the different realms of Hell, before arriving at the Pit.
It is here that Lilith created the first vampires, Kane and Abel, unleashing a new supernatural force onto the earth.
Once past her castle, the river itself passes through grey mists that signal the soul has entered The Ring of Limbo.
Ring of Limbo
The In Between
Ruled by Astaroth; The Harbinger of War and lord of serpents, he inspires hatred, fear, and violence in humanity and can compel the absolute truth from anyone who comes before him. As the lord of serpents, Astaroth represents the shedding of the old to reveal what lies beneath. None, not even his Fallen brothers and sisters can keep the truth from him, and he will often use the truth as a weapon to demoralize his enemies. Limbo is a place where new souls who enter Hell are sorted into the Hells Rings or left to wander the endless mists of Limbo for all time. Astaroth has the power to call forth any sin a soul harbors and will send the guilty in boats down the River Stix to their designated Ring. As you travel the River Stix through Limbo, you can hear the cries of those whose souls were undecided, lost in the mists of time. These souls were deemed neither evil enough for hell nor good enough for heaven, so there they remain until Astaroth sees fit to set them on the correct path.
Ring of Pride
Never Ending Day
Ruled by Aramea; Lord of Warcraft and Master of Weaponry, he inspires weapons of mass destruction. Pride represents an inability to reason other perspectives other than one's own, inflating a sense of one's worth. It is often said that pride goes before a fall as the prideful will resort to extreme measures to ensure they are always right and to exert their prerogative over others. Aramea feeds this need to be right in all things, encouraging violent reactions such as the use of catastrophic weapons like bombs to win. The Ring of Pride first appears as a glowing city; illuminating the horizon and almost inviting the prideful to come in. Once you disembark the boat, you are drawn into strange reenactments of your life where you exhibited pride, only this time, you are forced to live the disastrous consequences of your actions yourself. Watched over by Pride Demons, the damned souls are doomed to relive these catastrophic events again, and again and again, unable to break the never-ending loop. Pride Demons are the embodiment of Aramea's will. Their task is to create the unique realities that will govern the punishment suited to each prideful soul that disembarks on their shores. Drawing their victims into false illusions, they delight in distorting realities into horrific, never ending nightmares. Pride Demons are shape shifters that can appear as anything they want at will. From other humans, inanimate objects, and even animals, the shifters can assume any form to achieve their goals and provoke Pride and fear in their victims.
Ring of Greed
Mind Prison
Ruled by Berith; King of Necromancers and Black Magics, he inspires the insatiable need to grow one's power, even through abhorrent means such as necromancy and blood magic. Greed represents a desire to covet what others have and compels mankind to resort to any means necessary to obtain that desire. Berith encourages this desire by showing humans the result of ultimate power and feeding the need to attain it. This often leads to the self-destruction of the soul and their eternal damnation in Hell for the harm they cause others. The Ring of Greed will appear on the River Stix much like the Ring of Pride; as an opulent city glowing in the darkness. As the foundation of true Greed, the Ring of Greed invites the damned soul onto its shores and straight into a prison of the damned soul's own making. The soul can be bound or within reach of something they desire above all else; an object, person, magical item, and so on, but they are never able to reach it or if they do touch it, it turns to dust. Others will experience other scenarios that feed into their greed such as body 'modification' that turns to self-mutilation, an insatiable hunger that results in them eating themselves to death, and more. With their desire forever out of reach, the souls are often driven mad and will eventually end up in the Ring of Madness. Imp Demons govern the Ring of Greed by provoking greed in the human souls that reside there. They are often sent to Earth to entice more souls into Hell, but when in Hell, they torment the souls of the Ring of Greed.
Ring of Lust
Ocean of Nightmares
Ruled by Moloch; Lord of Desire, he Inspires domestic violence, especially against women and children by twisting love into obsession. Lust is the desire to obtain something we place a great value upon. Lust is often associated with sex and relationships, but lust for power, money, and even status can drive humans to despicable acts to obtain it. When lust becomes obsession, Moloch feeds into the fear of losing what we want, which often results in violence and abuse. The Ring of Lust is unlike the other Rings of Hell. Rather than a destination one goes to along the River Stix, the damned soul will wander an endless horizon of water, drifting into a hazy dream that feeds their lustful desire. Be it a romantic location, a coveted position of power, or even a literal pile of money one can dive into, the soul will venture into a dream that appears idyllic, to begin with but will soon turn into a nightmare. Unlike the Ring of Pride; which compels you to reenact horrific scenarios again and again, the Ring of Lust uses Desire Demons to elicit blissful states of calm and happiness before the damned soul acts out a violent desire. A husband kills his wife in a rage after sex, a CEO burns his own business to the ground, a mother smothers her newborn child, and more. Once the violent desire has been acted out, the dreams will begin again, and the damned soul will be compelled to act out their desires whether they want to or not. For some unfortunate souls, if a Desire Demon takes a liking to them, they will be dragged into a different kind of nightmare, forced to serve the perverted desire of the demons. Desire Demons take the form of Mermaids known as the Col that traverse the waters of the Ring of Lust. Their voices can lull their victims into a deep sleep where the Mermaid can then enter their thoughts and terrorize their victims. Sometimes the Desire Demons become hungry for something more and will drag their victims from their boats and down into the depths to mate and consume them. The souls inevitably return to the surface to begin the cycle again and the Col continue their torture of the lustful souls.
Ring of Madness
Battlefield Forest
Ruled by Asmodeus; Lord of Profane Science and Mysticism, he inspires mad science and the creation of monsters. He also inspires the perversion of nature and mutations, utilizing this inspiration to create new kinds of monsters in Hell, often working closely with Thammuz and Berith. Madness comes in many forms, whether a soul is already mad or driven mad by others, all end up in the Ring of Madness. Some souls from the other Hell's Rings may also find their way to the Ring of Madness which makes this ring the largest of the Hell's Rings. As the souls travel the River Stix, they will leave the lights of the cities behind and venture into a dark and endless forest. Shrouded in mists and with lights that disorient and lead astray, the souls that disembark these shores are left prey to the other rampant souls that stalk the forest. Twisting the souls into crazed monsters, the forests house all manner of creatures that Asmodeus will use in experiments; the most vicious of these souls are sent to Thammuz in the Ring of Torture to be transformed into Hellspawn. Many supernatural creatures are contained in this ring as many have human souls. Alongside humans, all must attempt to survive a never-ending gauntlet of violence and death in the Forest of Madness, and when they die, they are instantly brought back to begin the gauntlet again. 'Madness is doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result.' Modi Demons stalk the forests of the Ring of Madness. The Modi are a brutal race of giants that will kill or capture anyone they find in the forests, dragging them to a terrifying castle that is hidden amongst the trees. Serving Asmodeus, the Modi will drag victims to their lords keep to be dissected and experimented on until they die, appearing in the forest once more. The Modi themselves are the twisted abominations created by Asmodeus and now serve him in Hell.
Ring of Torture
Hell's Dungeon
Ruled by Thammuz; Lord of Mutilation and Torture, he inspires brutality in humans and the loss of morality that compels mankind to commit atrocities such as genocide. When people imagine Hell as the fiery pit of torture and despair, it is the Ring of Torture they are envisioning. It is in the Ring of Torture that the worst of souls go to be mutilated and tormented until they are all but unrecognizable. This is the birthplace of the Hellspawn; a vicious race of monsters that are nearly uncontrollable and are contained deep within the Ring of Torture. As you journey through the River Stix, you will see billowing smoke and a flaming red horizon. As you draw closer, the unmistakable smell of burning flesh, corpses, and sulfur will suffocate you as a towering structure looms in the distance. Screams and the echoed shouts of countless voices will assault your ears as the boat brings you closer to the blood-soaked shore. This is a place of unimaginable torment, the home of Thammuz and his demonic minions; the Zummaht. The Zummaht are a race of incredibly beautiful yet cruel creatures that are cousins of the Elves; except for their ashen skin and pale grey eyes. Despite their delicate features and lithe bodies, the Zummaht are adept at brutal torture; twisting the souls of mankind into animalistic monsters or just simply tearing them apart. They assist their master, Thammuz, in his pursuit of 'perfection' when it comes to the creation of an army that will serve Lucifer and the Fallen Archangels in the Apocalypse.
Ring of Betrayals
The Maze
Ruled by Belial; Lord of Lies and Deceit, he inspires betrayal and suspicion among humans and is known as The Great Deceiver. The Ring of Betrayals is the inner ring of Hell and is the last stop before The Pit; a great chasm that delves deep into the Earth. Circling the chasm, the Ring of Betrayals is ruled by Belial; the most trusted general of Lucifer's armies. He is the de facto leader of the Fallen Archangels, the general of all of Hell's armies, and the right hand of Lucifer himself. The River Stix ends here, the water of the river poring over the edge of The Pit and to the depths below. Surrounding the chasm is a great wall that houses the final ring and Belial's domain; a great maze that constantly shifts and changes at his whim. Thought to be one of the greatest sins one can commit, those who are betrayers are sent here to wander The Maze forever, preyed upon by Hellspawn, demons, and other humans trapped in The Maze. The Fallen Angels will sometimes use The Maze as a test for their soldiers; a battle royale that proves total loyalty and ruthlessness. In a cruel sense of irony, one can only survive The Maze if they commit the ultimate sin: betrayal, and survive the creatures that prowl around every corner. If a soul can resist the temptation to betray and willingly suffers in The Maze, Belial may remove their souls and send them to Limbo, but this is rare. The demons of Betrayals are vast and numerous, as are the beasts that Belial can call from the Hissing Wastes. Minotaurs and Chymera are a favorite of Belials, as well as Gorgons and Basalisks, but any demon throughout Hell can be called to The Maze to fight and die at the whim of the Fallen Angels. This is also the domain of Dagon, another Fallen Archangel who trains the most formidable warriors in Hell and tests them in The Maze.
The Pit
Journey's End
Encircled by The Devils Rings, at the bottom of The Pit, you will find The Dark Spire, the current home of Lucifer. Rivers of lava flow into The Pit, burning those who are entombed in the Pits walls and pooling in the center of the Earth. When The Pit is viewed from above, it appears like a flaming eye with The Dark Spire at its center and was once the home of Devil before he was betrayed by Yahweh.
The Dark Spire
Lucifer's Domain
The Dark Spire is a giant black cathedral that sits in the center of The Pit, floating above a great chasm of lava. Now home to Lucifer and the seat of his power, the Dark Spire is made of hardened volcanic stone, with streams of lava illuminating the walls and floors. It is a dark and foreboding place with little known about its interior as few have ever seen inside its walls. During the Great War, it was used as a prison for rebellious Angels deemed too dangerous to be kept in heaven's cells and also contained Lilith before her release by Lucifer.
A Brothers Betrayal
Before their emergence in the earth dimension, the brothers existed in a dimension of light and darkness, held in perfect balance with each other. Having come to earth, Yahweh soon realized that the power dynamic had shifted between them. Throughout the Great War, Devil had grown vastly more powerful; the darkness of humanity and even the Old Gods themselves fed him and grew his power beyond even Yahweh's. This would be the beginning of the rift that would divide the brothers, causing Yahweh to strike first, and strike hard at his brother Devil just as the Great War had ended. During the Reformation, Devil had depleted much of his power to reshape Hell and create the Underworld they had both desired. They had agreed that his dark power thrived there and that he would rule hell and the damned, while Yahweh would rule Heaven and draw on the power of light in the skies. This way, the souls of humanity would be divided between them, and both could tempt mankind to join them, but not directly take control over mankind. This was to be the peace between the brothers until Yahweh attacked. In Devil's weakened state, the Archangels, led by their father Yahweh would bind Devil to the prison he had created; Purgatory, sealing him in with the Old Gods for all time. This left Yahweh as the 'One True God' or 'The God' of the human race and the Angels, unmatched and unchallenged by anyone or anything in the Earth dimension. He had won the war and would now rule over all. Until his oldest and most beloved of children began a rebellion of his own.
Lucifer's Rebellion
The first among all angels, the leader of the Archangel generals and the Lightbringer, Lucifer was the strongest of the angels at the time of the Great War. His prowess led to the capture of the Zodiac Clan and Twilight Sisterhood. His leadership ensured the destruction of the Nephilim and his loyalty compelled him to follow his father, Yahweh, into hell to imprison his uncle, Devil. And yet throughout the Great War, Lucifer had begun feeling doubt. In theology, it is Lucifer's hubris that causes him to attack heaven and be cast out by his father, God. His inability to bow to mankind led to his fall. In truth, he never had much care for humans.
Whether they lived or died did not concern him. The cause for his rebellion was much closer to home. His doubts began during the Rise of the Nephilim; after watching his brothers and sisters die or be imprisoned for choosing a different path and the role he played in their downfall, all would culminate in a startling revelation that would lead him to defend his Fallen brethren: his father was afraid.
He asked himself how a being as immense as Yahweh would come to know and harbor fear. He would also wonder how long before Yahweh turned on him, or more of his brethren as he had done throughout the Great War. He never wanted to find out. Calling on his siblings and releasing those imprisoned throughout the war, Lucifer begged the angelic horde to side with him; to cast their father back into his home dimension and rule the earth dimension for themselves.
He offered them freedom and dominion so that their race could be at peace forever. But not all the angels agreed. The rivals to his plan, led by his Archangel Brother, Michael, refused to bow to him. They called him selfish and swore to stand between him and their father.
Heartbroken, Lucifer conceded defeat, not wanting any more of his angelic brethren to die, especially not for him, and he ordered his followers to stand down; nearly a third of heaven's host.
Brought before his father, Yahweh's retribution was swift and exacting. He stripped the guilty of their wings and cast them into Hell. There, they would languish with the damned, imprisoned, and tormented alongside the humans who had not fit into Yahweh's new world order. Deep in the pit of hell, confined to The Dark Spire, Lucifer would languish for centuries.
His hatred and anger grew until he became the monster we know in theology today. Over time, he would see the power he could draw from the most evil of mankind, assuming control of Hell itself, alongside his Fallen Angel Brethren. There he would rule for thousands of years, until the time of his Apocalypse; a war of vengeance that would see all Yahweh's prized destroyed and Lucifer's revenge complete.
A New Age Begins
Lucifer's fall into Hell marked the true end of The Great War. The old magics had diminished, many Old Gods were gone and this new God demanded to be worshipped above all else. His mandate, 'convert or die', had been carried to all corners of the world, and those who resisted were wiped out. Many would go into hiding, awaiting the day their gods would return and cast out the usurper. But for most, the tale of the Great War passed into legend or was forgotten entirely as a new age began. For the next two thousand years, Yahweh and his loyal angels would rule heaven and the earth, guiding mankind onto the path they desired as they controlled the destiny of the species.
But another war now brews on the horizon; The Last War that will throw the worlds into chaos one last time.
This is the way the world ends...
This brings us to the end of the Prologue and the beginning of the SIN Series!
You can learn more about the SIN Series and the creatures that inhabit the story by checking out the Compendium!
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