Difference between revisions of "Hell and Heaven"

Revision as of 02:49, 6 August 2008

Under construction ( contr C - contr V at this point )

Heaven and Hell, at least the versions Felaryans are familiar with, are realms that exist within the same universal array as Felarya. While each has its own unique properties, they are somewhat similiar because of their relationship to one another; not only do the realms sit in diametric opposition (with Felarya "between" them), but they each have a unique polarity of sorts.

While it is convenient to describe "Heaven" as being a "higher plane" or "above" Felarya, and Hell as being "lower" or "below", for all intents and purposes they actually exist side by side with Felarya. Both Heaven and Hell are arranged in layers, also called "levels" or "circles" (more on those later). Note that Heaven is not "The Heaven" and Hell is not "The Hell"; one will find neither the God of All Creation in Heaven, nor Satan residing in Hell.

Instead, Heaven is a realm comprised of "positive" energy, inhabited by beings that exist in a sort of quantum state, halfway between energy and matter. Likewise, Hell is a realm of "negative" energy, where the dominant lifeforms are quantum beings comprised of negative energy/matter. This species of positive beings are called Angels, while the species of negative beings are called Demons.

One of the more interesting properties of Heaven and Hell (and the beings residing there) is that they resonate on the exact same frequency as the souls of humanoid beings. In both Heaven and Hell, a soul is a physical object, one that Angels and Demons can easily see and touch; and even outside of their respective realms, an Angel or Demon can perceive the soul within a creature and interact with it, although with greater difficulty. (As a sidenote for Zoekin, this explains how Menyssan was able to see and recognize Tanya's soul hiding inside of Sonya.

differnet point

This resonance leads to some fairly interesting effects; because both Heaven and Hell are physical realms, it is possible to travel there physically via dimensional magic. Use of such magic effectively "translates" a human or other being into a quantum state, much like the one the residents of that realm exist in. However, it is also possible to travel to Heaven or Hell by other means, such as Astral Projection. This can be incredibly dangerous, because the inhabitants of these realms are capable of perceiving and interacting with astral constructs the same way they can with souls. Many people exploring Hell astrally have found themselves captured by a demonic creature, and few of them have returned.

The resonance also leads to a strange fascination with souls on the parts of both Angels and Demons. In fact, they model large parts of their societies after mortal cultures and mythologies, which is why the realms of Heaven and Hell are so familiar to people from different cultures. Angels and Demons "collect" the souls of the dead (it could even be called stealing) and bring them to their native realms. The primary reason for this is due to their fascination with mortal cultures, but also because when mortal souls resonate in a particular fashion, they give off energy that is very pleasant to Angels and Demons, and contributes to the overall stability of their realms.

For example, Heaven is composed of positive energy; Angels therefore collect the souls of "good" people, which they find pleasant to be around. In Heaven, a person is free to pursue their interests and do whatever they enjoy; this sense of satisfaction radiates throughout the realm, and provides a form of sustenance for Angels. In Hell, it's the opposite; Demons are more interested in "evil" people, and often torment "damned" souls to bask in the energy given off by their suffering, which is very pleasant and calming to them. This energy provides all the "food" they need; however, some Demons develop a taste for eating the souls of the "damned", which they find both nutrious and delicious. ^_^

In general, one will not find "good" people in Hell, or "evil" people in Heaven; Demons have very little interest in true innocents, unless it's to corrupt them as a hobby. Likewise, Angels have no interest in souls overflowing with negative emotions- souls strongly aligned with either end of the morality scale will always find their way to the "right" realm, unless there is some external factor preventing it. Conflict sometimes does arise when "borderline" cases are involved, however- souls that straddle the line are fair game, and skirmishes and even wars between Demons and Angels have arisen over famous souls that are too close to the middle to call.

Because they style themselves after elements from mortal cultures, it is possible to find a wide variety of familiar places and personalities in both Heaven and Hell; there is a Valhalla in Heaven, for example. In fact, you can even meet "Thor" there; however, it is not the actual Norse God Thor, but a powerful warrior angel who styles himself after the mythlogical figure. Hell is full of demons, both minor and major, who take on the roles of gods of the Underworld and Darkness. The most powerful of them carve out niches among the nobility of Hell, and create their own subregions that they rule over... beneath the watchful eyes of the true rulers of Hell, of course. Sometimes, a demon pretending to be a "Dark God" is destroyed, and another demon will take the identity for themselves; this can lead to some fierce rivalries, when inheriting a cult of worship. There have been several Hecates, for example, leading to much infighting both in Hell and among sects of mortal followers.

not holy or unholy

The positive energy of Heaven is typically referred to as "Holy", while the negative energies of Hell are "Unholy". It is possible to draw on either of these energies to power magic, but they interact with one another in an extremely volatile manner. Because they are aligned in an opposing manner, as a general rule "Holy" energy will weaken a Demon, and "Unholy" energy will weaken an Angel. However, there are numerous factors involved, including the relative strength of the spell vs. the power of the Demon or Angel. The weakest angelic and demonic entities are vulnerable to strong curses and blessings, respectively; however, to injure an Archangel or Archduke of Hell would require a tremendous amount of Unholy or Holy energy. Not only are such beings capable of resisting the effects of the opposite energy, but they can even overwhelm it with their own Holy/Unholy aura.

Also, because they are a source of such energies themselves, the most powerful Angels and Demons can be used as a source of power by the magic of their followers. In effect, higher-level Angels and Demons can grant the prayers of, and bestow blessings or spells upon their followers. Thaumaturgy-based magic often relies heavily upon contracts with angelic or demonic creatures, but is very risky; those who deal with Holy or Unholy beings often find themselves being altered to suit that entity's purposes.

Angels and Demons are not capable of existing in physical realms in the same state they exist in their own realm; upon travelling to Felarya, for example, a Demon has to actually change quantum states to be able to maintain a presence in that realm. This takes a great deal of energy, and is a constant drain on the Angel or Demon; they are not naturally part of Felarya's plane of existence, and the world rejects their presence. This is why Angels and Demons often only come to Felarya for limited periods of time; it is difficult for them to maintain a physical presence there, the same way it is difficult for a human to keep a muscle tensed for very long periods of time. "Banishing" an Angel or Demon is basically a matter of making it too difficult for them to maintain a physical form, which results in them being ejected back to their natural realm.

As a general rule, the more powerful the demon and/or the more efficient it is with its energy, the longer it will be able to remain on a physical plane. The very weakest of angelic and demonic creatures are capable of physically manifesting only for a few seconds at a time (Shoulder Angels and Devils fall into this category); this time can sometimes be extended if they attach themselves to a mortal soul and siphon energy from it. In addition, some Demons and Angels are capable of possession, entering a mortal creature and temporarily fusing themselves to its spirit or soul. In this manner, they can escape the constant pressure the physical realm applies to send them back home; an Angel or Demon who possesses a creature can effectively remain on that plane until they are exorcised or banished, or the host manages to rid themselves of the influence. _________________