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tsuru_sanThe first serious pithy post about some of my Bible-based stories. So this post is about how I'm defining demons for my fictions, the structure of Hell, bio of Asmodeus, and the anatomy and background of demon wings.
The info here also applies in my demons and angels NaNoWriMo novel which will henceforth have the title Beings of Renown (there will be a novel post next week! ^^).
And on with the post. Art is worksafe, but dial-up peeps might have a hard time loading it all. Sorry for the size of the colored images.
demons: some definitions
devil: n. pl. devils - specific term referring to any demon who was born in Hell.
-"the Devil" is one of many titles held by Lucifer, the ruler of Hell, although Lucifer is not technically a devil since he was once an angel.
Fallen: n.
- specific term referring to a demon (or demons) who was at one point an angel but Fell from grace.
- "Fallen" is always capitalized.
- usually used in the plural (i.e. the Fallen) even when referring to a single demon (i.e. one of the Fallen)
demon: n. pl. demons - general term that may be applied to either a devil or one of the Fallen.
the structure of Hell
In many ways, Hell is something of a perverted mirror image to Heaven, a twisted reflection of sorts. Like Heaven, Hell is a massive, massive place that is separated into seven levels. While in Heaven the seven levels are stacked one on top of the other, Hell has circles. These circles are ruled by a Duke + Marquis team.
The hierarchy of Hell:
-Lord Lucifer as Ruler of Hell
-the Seven Archdemons (aka "Lucifer's Seven")
(there is one of them for each capital sin (Pride, Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, Greed, Envy), and they are a demonic version of the Seven Archangels who represent the seven capital virtues)
-Dukes (there are seven, one for each circle of Hell)
-First Class Marquis
(seven, one to serve under a duke in each circle)
-Second Class Marquis (sometimes called Middle Class Marquis)
(easily a couple scores per circle; theoretically a second class marquis can become a first class marquis by defeating a current first class marquis, but this has never actually happened)
-general lesser demons
-imps (formed from collectives of sin; many are not even sentient)
The First Circle of Hell is run by Duke Haurus and beneath him, Marquis Rosier. In the Second Circle are Duke Murmur and Marquise Mezodokl*. Duchess Belphegor and Marquise Belial run the Third Circle. In the Fourth Circle, Duke Agares is in charge, and Marquise Leviathan serves under him. The Fifth Circle is headed by the corpulent Duke Uvall, and up until around the 1500's Marquis Kalzaron* had worked with him until Kalzaron decided to abdicate his position and go to Earth instead. Now the Marquis commanding in the Fifth Circle is Vercickal*. The Sixth Circle is lorded over by Duke Astaroth and Marquis Marchosias.
(* asterisk marks demons I've made up)
Finally there is the Seventh Circle, the rounded City of Dis at the center of Hell. Here authority is mostly split between Lucifer's second in command, Duke Beelzebub, and his third in command, Marquis Asmodeus, the Marquis of Shadows, named such for his ability to bend and form darkness to his will. Unlike the previous circles, Dis is not a place to conduct torture or house damned souls but rather a place to conduct business. Here all the bureaucracy and maintenance for Hell as a whole and the Infernal Affairs on Earth is done. Dis also has other features though including a thriving marketplace, gambling houses, brothels, and high class living quarters. The architecture varies widely, and depending on where one is, the view could be medieval castles, Arabian market squares, or New York style skyscrapers.
bio of Asmodeus
Asmodeus is one of the most powerful demons in Hell, second only to Lucifer and Duke Beelzebub. Besides being Marquis of the Seventh Circle of Hell and the Marquis of Shadows, Asmodeus is also the Archdemon of Lust. Asmodeus is a smooth talker and an evil bastard.
Now rather than write out a bio, I've decided to post an excerpt from Beings of Renown in which Asmodeus appears. (He actually hijacks half a chapter as well as gets a few mentions elsewhere). In this excerpt Cineead, my demon protagonist, is musing in Hyde Park in London, England when Asmodeus shows up. Cineead is also a Marquis but of a much lower rank than Asmodeus. Due to his control of hellfire (a skill that only Lucifer and Beelzebub are more adept with), Cineead has the special title "Marquis of Flame".
"[...The first clue that Cineead had that he was no longer alone was the shadows. They'd swayed back and forth in rhythm with their objects at first—trees, bushes, whatever—but now they were practically writhing in a most unnatural fashion, mutating and twisting in shapes that their original objects couldn't possibly have. The Marquis stood frozen still as he ran through the list of demons capable of producing such an effect without revealing their presence or aura, and really, it was a very, very short list. In fact, when it came down to it, there was only one demon who could twist shadows to his will just by being in a place.
"Figured it out, have you?" a voice called out genially from the bench that Cineead had recently vacated.
The demon immediately recognized the newcomer's voice; it was silky and commanding with just a hint of a sibilant hiss. Turning quickly on his heel, the Marquis of Flame went down on one knee before the Marquis of Shadows. "Marquis Asmodeus," Cineead murmured differentially, his head bowed. "How fares my Lord on this most despicable day that the arrogant God of Hosts has, in poor taste, laid upon the world?"
Asmodeus chuckled heartily at the address. "Ah, my decorous servant! How formal you are!" Shadows curled at the demon's feet and shook happily at the sound of their Master's rich and melodious laughter. "Rise, Marquis Cineead, and come sit with me. There's no need for you to bow and scrape for I am not here to rebuke you; I've brought you new orders."
"Orders, sir?" Cineead got hesitantly to his feet and gingerly took a seat beside the other Marquis. Asmodeus was decked out as he always was, covered from head to toe in a black robe with lightweight, ash-darkened armor on his chest and forearms, and the dark colors contrasted sharply with the Archdemon's chalky pallor. He almost seemed to be an inverse, dark and perverted, of how an angel would garb itself.
Most notably on the dark armor were slight scale patterns that added to Asmodeus's snakelike demeanor. This serpentine style also contributed to certain rumors that surrounded the Archdemon and accompanied him everywhere just as his shadows did. According to some, Asmodeus had been the serpent in the Garden of Eden who had orchestrated the fall and sorrow of man. Of course, this claim had never been proven, and Asmodeus seemed to like it that way. Although many had asked, the Marquis of Shadows had neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, and probably the only people besides Asmodeus himself who actually knew the truth were God, Lucifer, and possibly Beelzebub.
Cineead, personally, thought it was a grand scheme. The controversy added to the hazy aura of mystique that Asmodeus happily cultivated around himself, and by not refuting or accepting responsibility for the apple incident, Asmodeus was able to gain respect for doing the deed without solving the mystery of his potential involvement. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.
As far as Hell's leading figures went, Asmodeus was one of the better demons to run into. As long as he wasn't bringing some nasty punishment and as long as you weren't a boor, the Archdemon was a fairly easygoing guy. Although he enjoyed a good mass disemboweling as much as the next demon, Asmodeus's tastes usually ran more towards quality over quantity. The Marquis preferred refinement rather than pure blood and guts (unless those guts were artfully arranged). Any knuckle dragging lackey could tempt a human and succeed, but only the truly talented demon could do it with style, and Asmodeus had plenty of that. As the Archdemon of Lust, he had arranged some of history's most extravagant sexual scandals that mortals had remembered for centuries. The Marquis was also known for teasing out Archangel Raphael in what many of Asmodeus's compatriots vocally condemned as a very risky, high stakes game of metaphorical chess. Thus far the Archdemon had evaded a smiting, and he seemed to enjoy engaging the angel in battle.
Mostly though Asmodeus was in charge of the City of Dis. While Beelzebub, as the Duke of the Seventh Circle, had more say in the City's goings-on than Asmodeus, he was often busy assisting Lord Lucifer and so the City's maintenance usually fell to the Marquis of the Seventh Circle instead. Rather than seeing the responsibility as a burden, Asmodeus took great pleasure in keeping Dis running smoothly, and since Beelzebub didn't really want to deal with those duties, everyone was happy. The lower marquis of the Seventh Circle in particular loved this arrangement because Asmodeus was a much more personable boss to answer to than Beelzebub. Cineead had to agree with them on that point. He'd served a brief stint in Dis once as a favor to Duke Uvall, and the Marquis of Flame had found Asmodeus an incredibly tolerant superior. Despite the Archdemon's laidback attitude, work always got done exactly when it was supposed to be (or else). On the whole, Cineead found Asmodeus to be quite a creative demon though not one you wanted to piss off.]"
And some snippets to go with the five head shots...
1. The room went quiet and the marquis and marquises shrank back from the clearly furious shadow master. Red eyes glittered viciously as Asmodeus's face twisted into a scowl while shadows writhed angrily at his feet.
"Someone had better speak up and explain this. Now."
2. The archdemon's mouth grew and split into a grotesque grin, and he flicked his forked tongue. When Asmodeus ripped someone's intestines out through their mouth, he did it with a smile.
3. Asmodeus was charismatic and very persuasive when he wanted to be, and he was the Archdemon of Lust for a very good reason. On an embarrassingly large number of occasions, the Marquis had made even the most pious of priests spread their legs and beg for it.
4. [Asmodeus and Beelzebub arguing in Lucifer's throne room.]
A: Look, it's bad; I don't know who riled the hellfire up, but it's causing a ruckus in the market, and I could really use your help for once, you bastard.
B: Impossible. Lord Lucifer will be back any moment, and I must speak with him.
A: Ugh! You're completely useless.
B: To you, perhaps. ...now fix it in five hours.
A: *glare* How?! Hellfire's not exactly my thing...
B: I don't care! Just do it!
A: *throws arms up in frustration* Alright, alright, I'll fucking fix it! And I'll only need two hours! *slams door shut as he leaves*
5. Sometimes Asmodeus thought about the Fall. He tried to ignore it, but somehow even in Hell, the Archdemon could still be reminded of Heaven every century or so. Left cold and melancholy, Asmodeus would go down to some of the lower circles and torture damned souls until he felt better.
note: like most demons, Asmodeus's claws grow into talons when he is angry or agitated.
Line art for Asmodeus's formal wear when he's busy being the Marquis of the Seventh Circle. (Though normally his wings are not corporeal and his claws are shorter.) Besides the scale pattern on his armor, Asmodeus's garments are relatively simple.
Alas, his face sucked in this one so I erased it. This drawing will be fixed and colored eventually...
What Asmodeus wears when he's not working. Unlike a lot of high-ranking demons, Asmodeus is not ostentatious in the way he dresses nor does he need to be. The shadows that follow him around make it immediately obvious who he is.
Asmodeus off duty and toying with some shadows.
the anatomy and background of demon wings
There are two kinds of demons: those who Fell from Heaven and those who were born in Hell. Demons who were born in Hell, besides tending to look less humanoid than their Fallen brethren, always have black, bat-like wings.
Demons who Fell from Heaven will have either the black, bat-like wings or black-feathered wings. Those with bat wings were the angels who Fell the farthest and/or hardest (metaphorically speaking). These demons were usually high-ranking angels (Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim) who became particularly cruel and heartless after the Fall.
Demons with black-feathered wings are usually the Fallen of lower ranks (usually those under Thrones). However, the Fallen who retained some of their angelic traits and who are not quite as tainted by sin as their comrades may have black-feathered wings.
To avoid awkward collisions and whatnot, most demons keep their wings dematerialized and out of the way.
*All the Archdemons, Dukes, and First Class Marquis have black, bat-like wings.
wing detail
wings half-folded from front
wings half-folded from back
wings spread
This weekend: Raphael and some angels/heaven background as well as fics!
Oh, also there's a swing dancing thing this Saturday at my university. I think I may go even though I can't dance... XD
The info here also applies in my demons and angels NaNoWriMo novel which will henceforth have the title Beings of Renown (there will be a novel post next week! ^^).
And on with the post. Art is worksafe, but dial-up peeps might have a hard time loading it all. Sorry for the size of the colored images.
demons: some definitions
devil: n. pl. devils - specific term referring to any demon who was born in Hell.
-"the Devil" is one of many titles held by Lucifer, the ruler of Hell, although Lucifer is not technically a devil since he was once an angel.
Fallen: n.
- specific term referring to a demon (or demons) who was at one point an angel but Fell from grace.
- "Fallen" is always capitalized.
- usually used in the plural (i.e. the Fallen) even when referring to a single demon (i.e. one of the Fallen)
demon: n. pl. demons - general term that may be applied to either a devil or one of the Fallen.
the structure of Hell
In many ways, Hell is something of a perverted mirror image to Heaven, a twisted reflection of sorts. Like Heaven, Hell is a massive, massive place that is separated into seven levels. While in Heaven the seven levels are stacked one on top of the other, Hell has circles. These circles are ruled by a Duke + Marquis team.
The hierarchy of Hell:
-Lord Lucifer as Ruler of Hell
-the Seven Archdemons (aka "Lucifer's Seven")
(there is one of them for each capital sin (Pride, Lust, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, Greed, Envy), and they are a demonic version of the Seven Archangels who represent the seven capital virtues)
-Dukes (there are seven, one for each circle of Hell)
-First Class Marquis
(seven, one to serve under a duke in each circle)
-Second Class Marquis (sometimes called Middle Class Marquis)
(easily a couple scores per circle; theoretically a second class marquis can become a first class marquis by defeating a current first class marquis, but this has never actually happened)
-general lesser demons
-imps (formed from collectives of sin; many are not even sentient)
The First Circle of Hell is run by Duke Haurus and beneath him, Marquis Rosier. In the Second Circle are Duke Murmur and Marquise Mezodokl*. Duchess Belphegor and Marquise Belial run the Third Circle. In the Fourth Circle, Duke Agares is in charge, and Marquise Leviathan serves under him. The Fifth Circle is headed by the corpulent Duke Uvall, and up until around the 1500's Marquis Kalzaron* had worked with him until Kalzaron decided to abdicate his position and go to Earth instead. Now the Marquis commanding in the Fifth Circle is Vercickal*. The Sixth Circle is lorded over by Duke Astaroth and Marquis Marchosias.
(* asterisk marks demons I've made up)
Finally there is the Seventh Circle, the rounded City of Dis at the center of Hell. Here authority is mostly split between Lucifer's second in command, Duke Beelzebub, and his third in command, Marquis Asmodeus, the Marquis of Shadows, named such for his ability to bend and form darkness to his will. Unlike the previous circles, Dis is not a place to conduct torture or house damned souls but rather a place to conduct business. Here all the bureaucracy and maintenance for Hell as a whole and the Infernal Affairs on Earth is done. Dis also has other features though including a thriving marketplace, gambling houses, brothels, and high class living quarters. The architecture varies widely, and depending on where one is, the view could be medieval castles, Arabian market squares, or New York style skyscrapers.
bio of Asmodeus
Asmodeus is one of the most powerful demons in Hell, second only to Lucifer and Duke Beelzebub. Besides being Marquis of the Seventh Circle of Hell and the Marquis of Shadows, Asmodeus is also the Archdemon of Lust. Asmodeus is a smooth talker and an evil bastard.
Now rather than write out a bio, I've decided to post an excerpt from Beings of Renown in which Asmodeus appears. (He actually hijacks half a chapter as well as gets a few mentions elsewhere). In this excerpt Cineead, my demon protagonist, is musing in Hyde Park in London, England when Asmodeus shows up. Cineead is also a Marquis but of a much lower rank than Asmodeus. Due to his control of hellfire (a skill that only Lucifer and Beelzebub are more adept with), Cineead has the special title "Marquis of Flame".
"[...The first clue that Cineead had that he was no longer alone was the shadows. They'd swayed back and forth in rhythm with their objects at first—trees, bushes, whatever—but now they were practically writhing in a most unnatural fashion, mutating and twisting in shapes that their original objects couldn't possibly have. The Marquis stood frozen still as he ran through the list of demons capable of producing such an effect without revealing their presence or aura, and really, it was a very, very short list. In fact, when it came down to it, there was only one demon who could twist shadows to his will just by being in a place.
"Figured it out, have you?" a voice called out genially from the bench that Cineead had recently vacated.
The demon immediately recognized the newcomer's voice; it was silky and commanding with just a hint of a sibilant hiss. Turning quickly on his heel, the Marquis of Flame went down on one knee before the Marquis of Shadows. "Marquis Asmodeus," Cineead murmured differentially, his head bowed. "How fares my Lord on this most despicable day that the arrogant God of Hosts has, in poor taste, laid upon the world?"
Asmodeus chuckled heartily at the address. "Ah, my decorous servant! How formal you are!" Shadows curled at the demon's feet and shook happily at the sound of their Master's rich and melodious laughter. "Rise, Marquis Cineead, and come sit with me. There's no need for you to bow and scrape for I am not here to rebuke you; I've brought you new orders."
"Orders, sir?" Cineead got hesitantly to his feet and gingerly took a seat beside the other Marquis. Asmodeus was decked out as he always was, covered from head to toe in a black robe with lightweight, ash-darkened armor on his chest and forearms, and the dark colors contrasted sharply with the Archdemon's chalky pallor. He almost seemed to be an inverse, dark and perverted, of how an angel would garb itself.
Most notably on the dark armor were slight scale patterns that added to Asmodeus's snakelike demeanor. This serpentine style also contributed to certain rumors that surrounded the Archdemon and accompanied him everywhere just as his shadows did. According to some, Asmodeus had been the serpent in the Garden of Eden who had orchestrated the fall and sorrow of man. Of course, this claim had never been proven, and Asmodeus seemed to like it that way. Although many had asked, the Marquis of Shadows had neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, and probably the only people besides Asmodeus himself who actually knew the truth were God, Lucifer, and possibly Beelzebub.
Cineead, personally, thought it was a grand scheme. The controversy added to the hazy aura of mystique that Asmodeus happily cultivated around himself, and by not refuting or accepting responsibility for the apple incident, Asmodeus was able to gain respect for doing the deed without solving the mystery of his potential involvement. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.
As far as Hell's leading figures went, Asmodeus was one of the better demons to run into. As long as he wasn't bringing some nasty punishment and as long as you weren't a boor, the Archdemon was a fairly easygoing guy. Although he enjoyed a good mass disemboweling as much as the next demon, Asmodeus's tastes usually ran more towards quality over quantity. The Marquis preferred refinement rather than pure blood and guts (unless those guts were artfully arranged). Any knuckle dragging lackey could tempt a human and succeed, but only the truly talented demon could do it with style, and Asmodeus had plenty of that. As the Archdemon of Lust, he had arranged some of history's most extravagant sexual scandals that mortals had remembered for centuries. The Marquis was also known for teasing out Archangel Raphael in what many of Asmodeus's compatriots vocally condemned as a very risky, high stakes game of metaphorical chess. Thus far the Archdemon had evaded a smiting, and he seemed to enjoy engaging the angel in battle.
Mostly though Asmodeus was in charge of the City of Dis. While Beelzebub, as the Duke of the Seventh Circle, had more say in the City's goings-on than Asmodeus, he was often busy assisting Lord Lucifer and so the City's maintenance usually fell to the Marquis of the Seventh Circle instead. Rather than seeing the responsibility as a burden, Asmodeus took great pleasure in keeping Dis running smoothly, and since Beelzebub didn't really want to deal with those duties, everyone was happy. The lower marquis of the Seventh Circle in particular loved this arrangement because Asmodeus was a much more personable boss to answer to than Beelzebub. Cineead had to agree with them on that point. He'd served a brief stint in Dis once as a favor to Duke Uvall, and the Marquis of Flame had found Asmodeus an incredibly tolerant superior. Despite the Archdemon's laidback attitude, work always got done exactly when it was supposed to be (or else). On the whole, Cineead found Asmodeus to be quite a creative demon though not one you wanted to piss off.]"
And some snippets to go with the five head shots...
1. The room went quiet and the marquis and marquises shrank back from the clearly furious shadow master. Red eyes glittered viciously as Asmodeus's face twisted into a scowl while shadows writhed angrily at his feet.
"Someone had better speak up and explain this. Now."
2. The archdemon's mouth grew and split into a grotesque grin, and he flicked his forked tongue. When Asmodeus ripped someone's intestines out through their mouth, he did it with a smile.
3. Asmodeus was charismatic and very persuasive when he wanted to be, and he was the Archdemon of Lust for a very good reason. On an embarrassingly large number of occasions, the Marquis had made even the most pious of priests spread their legs and beg for it.
4. [Asmodeus and Beelzebub arguing in Lucifer's throne room.]
A: Look, it's bad; I don't know who riled the hellfire up, but it's causing a ruckus in the market, and I could really use your help for once, you bastard.
B: Impossible. Lord Lucifer will be back any moment, and I must speak with him.
A: Ugh! You're completely useless.
B: To you, perhaps. ...now fix it in five hours.
A: *glare* How?! Hellfire's not exactly my thing...
B: I don't care! Just do it!
A: *throws arms up in frustration* Alright, alright, I'll fucking fix it! And I'll only need two hours! *slams door shut as he leaves*
5. Sometimes Asmodeus thought about the Fall. He tried to ignore it, but somehow even in Hell, the Archdemon could still be reminded of Heaven every century or so. Left cold and melancholy, Asmodeus would go down to some of the lower circles and torture damned souls until he felt better.
note: like most demons, Asmodeus's claws grow into talons when he is angry or agitated.
Line art for Asmodeus's formal wear when he's busy being the Marquis of the Seventh Circle. (Though normally his wings are not corporeal and his claws are shorter.) Besides the scale pattern on his armor, Asmodeus's garments are relatively simple.
Alas, his face sucked in this one so I erased it. This drawing will be fixed and colored eventually...
What Asmodeus wears when he's not working. Unlike a lot of high-ranking demons, Asmodeus is not ostentatious in the way he dresses nor does he need to be. The shadows that follow him around make it immediately obvious who he is.
Asmodeus off duty and toying with some shadows.
the anatomy and background of demon wings
There are two kinds of demons: those who Fell from Heaven and those who were born in Hell. Demons who were born in Hell, besides tending to look less humanoid than their Fallen brethren, always have black, bat-like wings.
Demons who Fell from Heaven will have either the black, bat-like wings or black-feathered wings. Those with bat wings were the angels who Fell the farthest and/or hardest (metaphorically speaking). These demons were usually high-ranking angels (Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim) who became particularly cruel and heartless after the Fall.
Demons with black-feathered wings are usually the Fallen of lower ranks (usually those under Thrones). However, the Fallen who retained some of their angelic traits and who are not quite as tainted by sin as their comrades may have black-feathered wings.
To avoid awkward collisions and whatnot, most demons keep their wings dematerialized and out of the way.
*All the Archdemons, Dukes, and First Class Marquis have black, bat-like wings.
wing detail
wings half-folded from front
wings half-folded from back
wings spread
This weekend: Raphael and some angels/heaven background as well as fics!
Oh, also there's a swing dancing thing this Saturday at my university. I think I may go even though I can't dance... XD
no subject
Date: 2007-12-09 01:13 am (UTC)