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Post by Snoe on Dec 15, 2016 21:05:55 GMT
The initial idea revolves around something called the Ars Goetia, what that is exactly is an old book detailing a list of 72 demons and their hierarchy in Hell.
Look it up it actually exists. Likely fiction but who knows with those crazy old demonologists back in the day.
This is where I add my twist to it. Say these demons existed and we're sealed away by this Solomon character but in the year 2018 they were released upon the modern world along with real magic.
These demons were kings generals and nobility of their kind so they would begin to take over our world or have done so very quickly.
That is the spark idea
This will be a relay and I'm looking for a maximum of four writers which is pretty standard considering the beastly amount of text that goes into relays.
OK so now we customize or alter the ideas presented;)
Who's in and what would you like to see?
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Post by Snoe on Dec 15, 2016 21:15:04 GMT
Note if you read the list of demons in the Ars Goetia I would also like to point out we'll be taking liberties with appearance and abilities and some may never appear in the story. But you could also choose one as your main character if you so wish.
I call Asteroth
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 15, 2016 21:16:39 GMT
Oh yes, I have heard of this. It's been a while, though.
I'm in if you'll have me, but what do you mean they begin to take over our world? By force with a supernatural war, or they can exist in incorporeal form and possess the forms of human royalty and military leadership? Or is it a different world altogether? Or mayhaps they simply begin to bring about chaos as they are meant to do?
And how far along would we be in this release of demons; are the at the epoch of the demon-age, or are we starting from an established point where demons have already ruled for an indeterminate period of time?
I like the idea of a 'Knights of Solomon' kind of faction that has been dedicated to battling the demons since the time of Solomon or something similar, but for now I have questions before I can give somewhat interesting ideas. I certainly hope to in the future.
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 15, 2016 21:22:28 GMT
And I really like the idea of Sitri; I call Sitri as a multipurposed shapeshifter. I'm not sure if their ability to shapeshift into a beautiful and charming man is restricted to a beautiful and charming man or if that's just their preferred form, but as Sitri, I do not differentiate between my shapeshiftiness.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 15, 2016 21:39:26 GMT
I would say that the 72 would have mercurial firms but they possessed the proper and desirable host body. They appear human but can reveal a humanoid version of their demonic appearance or go full beast at will.
I'd also say that the demons don't all work together well thusly how they were sealed away so the methods of taking over would be different from onto to another. And let's say that human governments were almost wiped out and replaced by this point.
The Knights of Solomon could be Templars Free masons paladins Basically anti-magic soldiers that led many wars throughout the ages to remove magic from the world. Salem the Crusades the Inquisition etc...
The war itself would likely be over but a second one of rebellion should just be starting. Some people getting used to the demons and magic the world settling into a new way just before shit hits the fan.
OR we could have the Demons just starting out from nothing to take over the human world. Learning organizing teaching humans how to use magic again in their personal armies.
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 15, 2016 21:51:12 GMT
I really like the idea of the demons being heavily rumoured to exist, but nobody actually knows if they do exist. The type of story where they obviously do exist, but the ones who do believe in them are generally considered to be relatively unhinged i.e. conspiracy theorists, the believers of the paranormal, 'heretics' of the Church, etc.. I particularly like the idea of the Christian Inquisitions playing a role in this.
For example, an 'apocalyptic event' was predicted to occur by the paranormal believers and the unhinged of sorts, but then the demons inconspicuously arrived in the world, only a doomed few actually believing in them. I just love the idea of Sitri seducing powerful leaders or targets of importance while they remain woefully unaware that the 'crazies' that they had dismissed as delusional were actually right, and they're slowly and subtly leading up to said apocalyptic event, which could be a war or it could be something else.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 15, 2016 22:38:28 GMT
Sounds epically insidious. And as for the gender of our characters opposed to their origin myth let's say it's flexible. Sitri could shape shift into anyone I'd imagine though having a preference for beauty.
And Asteroth I was thinking more along the lines of Dragon prince rather than simple reptile manipulation. The former of a pretty boy blonde but natural form warping toward a dragon.
We could start small our characters discovering the new world gathering their knowledge and rekindling old rivalries and relationships with their unleashed kin. While the Knights of Solomon secretly hunt them and the world carries on without a clue until it's much too late.
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 15, 2016 23:14:18 GMT
My thoughts exactly with the shapeshifting. Although even though Sitri would be much more proficient in shapeshifting than Asteroth, all demons classically have the ability to teleport across multiple planes of existence, and anywhere they want on one in particular. That'd be cool.
But Asteroth is yours; I'm sure that you can take liberties where you may with him in that particular sense, as I will do with Sitri. Although Sitri themself, though typically described as male, would likely have no gender at all; that would fit the idea of a shapeshifting demon much better.
And that beginning sounds suitable; would we as demons have interacted with each other before or is this the very first time that we're interacting with the world? Personally, I'd rather allow for a small amount of acclimation so that I'm not constantly confused with everything happening around me.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 15, 2016 23:40:35 GMT
I'd say it depends on when the demon was captured I'd say that Asteroth was sealed away sometime during the Crusades.
Also if they had worshippers possibly they have seen glimpses of the world through them. Witches etc... so they know a little and learn quickly.
I'd agree with some teleportation. Let's say to devoted shrines or glyphs placed by the demons themselves or their believers. Using earth's ley lines as a means of transportation.
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 15, 2016 23:52:46 GMT
Going off of Sitri and their...dealings themselves, I'd suspect that they were sealed away sometime during the end of the Renaissance or the Inquisitions.
And yes; worshippers and witches would definitely know of their existence. I very much like the idea of witches knowing of their existence, but the witches are ordinary people in a sense; they're 'touched' by magic and the spirit world, but they don't have green skin and wear cloaks. I just remember reading a fanfiction where the Avengers found out that Darcy was a witch. Nothing major, just:
"Hey, you're a witch?"
"Yeah. It's just a thing."
"Oh. Cool."
Possibly not as blasé, but they can hide in plain sight. Like psychopaths, but not nearly as...psychopathic.
I like the idea of ley lines as a means for transportation; I call Stonehenge for mine. Although if their followers or a sufficiently powerful witch has the will, they can be summoned anywhere as a partial mode of transportation.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 16, 2016 0:48:39 GMT
Ooh old domains and possessiveness I like that idea. Old demons wanting to reclaim their old stomping grounds.
Witches should certainly be humans just gifted ones any magic user or practitioner wouldn't be obvious. But they'd have gifts... maybe depending on their lineage and which demon their family worshipped centuries ago or still.
Asteroth would have his home near Rome.
And I'm thinking his initial host would be either a model or actor. Someone in line with his vanity and it's a good cover for travelling and having 'fans'.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 16, 2016 1:06:19 GMT
Oh and maybe some demons will lock down their ley lines to their rivals?
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 16, 2016 1:22:53 GMT
Actually, come to think of it, Stonehenge wouldn't be all that symbolic of Sitri. If she was imprisoned in the Renaissance, she may have been situated in Italy as well, perhaps.
Oo, no; I have a better idea. The island of Antirhodos off the coast of Alexandria. Antirhodos is the location of the royal palace of Cleopatra, who was renowned throughout history for her exotic beauty and seduction. Sometime around the year 365, Antirhodos sunk due to an earthquake; the island currently lies around five metres or sixteen feet underwater, in the Mediterranean Sea. And in conjunction with the history of seduction surrounding Cleopatra, the Mediterranean Sea is pretty damn blue, more blue than most other seas, and in Dante's Divine Comedy, he associated the sin of lust with the colour blue.
All of this fit together pretty damn well on reflection. So yeah, I'm going with Cleopatra's palace. Or the ruins, at least.
And for the witches, lineage and which particular demon is important, of course. Some are more inclined than others, of course. Sitri not only had the power to control lust and love, they also had the ability to know every secret that one wished to hide. So along with magical skills and potential reality warping on a very small scale as per usual with magic, Sitri's 'descendants' are known to be preternaturally beautiful and unprecedentedly skilled at both reading people, and manipulating people. Whether they choose to do this is up to them; I wouldn't like all of her descendants to be manipulative in that sense, and I like the idea of well-meaning and empathetic descendants as well. But the fact remains that even if they don't like to deceive people, when they do nobody can turn on the charm and read people as if they were a book like they do.
What do you suppose Asteroth's 'descendants' skills would be? Sitri will call them descendants rather than disciples or anything like that, but you can obviously call them whatever you wish.
Hmm, Sitri's initial host would be somebody of absolutely supermodel-good looks, for sure. But on top of that, they would also have an aura about them that draws people to them; an aura that says they're dangerous and charismatic, the type of aura that turns people into putty in their hands. I have a few ideas for the most 'popular' hosts that they would inhabit for both genders; they would have multiple, but much prefer a specific form over another.
Leaning towards Kiera Knightley, but I'm still on the fence.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 16, 2016 1:48:23 GMT
Historically Asteroth is known as the prince of accusers and inquisitors. As well as gifting others with the ability to manipulate snakes. I'd say his defendants would be lawyers detectives interrogators 'snakes' people that have a knack for breaking others down and picking them apart to get what they want. As an actor he'd have access to his followers through lawyers consulting him on various movie contracts.
His personal abilities are more physical in nature his form and conjuring other reptile.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 16, 2016 2:15:08 GMT
Ooh and what if some government organizations were built to cover certain mystical locations. Say the Pentagon was a giant summoning sigil a pentagram. The master seal for these demons until it was attacked! And smaller places like Stonehenge and CDIC buildings Demons trapped within the Ley lines and the reality beneath them.
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 16, 2016 2:23:26 GMT
I'm sure you mean the CDC, correct? It'd be an interesting story for sure if the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation had a stake in this somehow. But that is a good idea; a very good one. No government has any idea except when the demons are finally unleashed onto the world in droves. You know, hypothetically.
I'm struggling for Sitri's host profession; actor/actress was perfect until you locked it down. I have several ideas, though; Sitri was also known to court chaos and trickery. If they worked in the Pentagon or the CDC or the White House for whatever reason, then it would help to strengthen their power considerably. Lying in wait and opportunistically waiting for their chance.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 16, 2016 2:30:52 GMT
Fashion designer,or owner of a cosmetics line or both, while also supermodel? Big name brand. And this is where we can take liberties with reality they don't need to exist currently they can be our own alternative versions of earth. Say your host had two forms each owning a massive beauty based corporation. Like Prada and Cover Girl. Or take it one step further and replace Hugh Hefner with a younger beautiful young man and run that industry as well as working as its top female star?
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 16, 2016 2:47:34 GMT
I was imagining businessman/businesswoman to an extent, but that works pretty damn good. I like the idea of something like Victoria's Secret in a sense, and being said supermodel in female form...
Hmm...all of this is interesting. Very much so.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 16, 2016 3:32:43 GMT
I know, its interesting seeing all that one can infiltrate in the human world and slowly spread and take over little by little and eventually battle over control of your own domains with other less cooperative beings. Kinda like a crime Noire story with supernatural abilities.
For NPC purposes, I'd say Lucifer is unseen and mysteriously not present perhaps having never been sealed away or ruling the underworld. Baal would be a world leader of sorts as would Beelzebub or young budding politicians. Both would be vying for the support of their supposed underlings. UNLESS someone chooses the Lord of High Places (Baal) or the Prince of Lies (Beelzebub)
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Post by Snoe on Dec 16, 2016 3:57:06 GMT
Asteroth would look like
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 16, 2016 14:38:18 GMT
Given how similar quite a few of them are to each other, I'm wondering how incorporating some of them into each other would go; I'm already taking liberties with Sitri, Beleth, Asmodeus, Dantalion in the sense that most of them have extremely similar anilities, but seem to stop short to allow for the others.
Sitri and Beleth apparently work together anyway, with Beleth being the female of the two. So I'm imagining one being with the same powers; not necessarily omitting them from existence, though. It's a tricky thing in its entirety. They'd probably be mysteriously not present as well, though.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 16, 2016 14:39:30 GMT
I figured Asteroth would be a pretty boy because with 'his' history Asteroth began as a Babylonian/Sumerian Goddess Astarte and Astoreth And Ishtar. So it's a very old demon. MAYBE demons changed things up between host bodies. Perhaps the flesh eventually burnt out. That said a lot of the old gods and Kings were likely demons like your cleopatra. Some older than others.
So I'm thinking that about the time the people this demon cared for stopped believing in her. So He became something angrier. I thought that'd be a fun fact for you and that Sitri and Asteroth would have common ground in that area.
Beyond that I was thinking on my characters overall goal and I'm thinking it's tracking down the Knights of Solomon to prevent being sealed again.
And agreed some may not be present at all. Your thoughts?
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 16, 2016 18:33:54 GMT
Sitri will likely be very wary of the Knights of Solomon, but I doubt they'd be able to do much themselves on their own given their position in the world. I like the idea of the descendants not blindly obeying them, in the sense that they have the courteousness to ask them to do stuff rather than command, and that they would respect their wishes should they refuse to do such things. I like the idea of such a character defying expectations and stereotypes by being courteous rather than controlling and manipulative.
They would certainly help with Astaroth's search in ways that they could, while simultaneously retaining their mortal image, the same as Astaroth, I'm sure. Such a battle of espionage would be very interesting.
I'm still wondering how two different forms as two different people would be effectively portrayed; I'm wondering if it's a good idea at all, to be honest. I have a few good scenarios in my head, but unless they can split their form into two different consciousnesses, I'm not sure if it will work. They'd have to live two separate lives given their prospective professions. Perhaps I should simply agree on one.
I like the idea that your character would be bitter at their lack of belief; it'd probably provide quite a good motive and background. I like the idea that a large amount of people would have believed in their existence, so to speak, but only a small amount of people would have actually believed IN them, if you know what I mean, and they'd be content with that in a sense. Like now; even if the entire world believed in them, she'd only trust a small amount of their believers. This small amount of concrete believers would be much more inclined to their favour, and if they stopped believing in them, they would be much more likely to take notice or issue with that. They value a strange form of trust, so to speak, rather than the large congregations of believers that a great deal of other demons favour.
I like the idea that they would be much more considerate and possibly even concerned about the ones they deemed worthy, and the rest of the world including the believers she seems unworthy would be worth very little, and she would have no qualms about using them as pawns.
Hat do you suppose your Astaroth's views and preferences for believers are?
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Post by Snoe on Dec 16, 2016 19:09:17 GMT
In regards to your characters dual existence would it be far fetched to have a willing host capable of acting without the demon while the other is a husk? Say the leader of a coven of supermodel witches.... yeah that sounds weird but supermodels do have secretive lives and unnatural physiques lol
Astarte was a benevolent Goddess in ancient times fertility sexuality and war. So much that Athena was based upon her, so as times changed and deities became demons Astarte like you said became bitter, that was the change to the cold calculating Athena(I think it was Athena that cursed Medusa with the snake hair thing and also notice the snake motif there) and further more upon becoming Asteroth giving up on the majority of mortals and reveling in mortal pursuits until being hunted down by the first Templars during the Crusades. Perhaps Asteroth was the first prisoner due to Ave and renown. That would make the Prince of accusers very angry so he/she would care for their descendents in an Athenian way wisdom power though as the years pass growing weary and rebellious of human law a twisted version of her old beliefs.
Asteroth would also have a thing for pretty blondes lol
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 16, 2016 19:46:40 GMT
The descendants would be unnaturally beautifully by definition, but I'm not entirely sold on the idea of not controlling such a position. It would certainly work effectively, but Sitri would likely want such a lifestyle for themself in terms of supermodel-y stuff. If a position was to be delegated, it'd likely be the CEO position itself which they would assist a 'worthy' descendant with. That sounds like it may fit.
Sitri themself would likely have been more invested in mortal pursuits than the others; due to the nature of their powers, they'd likely be more hedonistic than many of the others, and so their time spent with said mortal pursuits will have been more than usual. Because of this, it's plausible that their affection of sorts for their descendants would be more amplified than most other demons, owing to their increased interaction with them. The Renaissance was supposedly the height of human expression; being imprisoned at the end would make time for a hypothetical decline in said expression.
And why pretty blondes? Does this have some contextual significance or an original preference? I'm not sure of a preference, myself.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 16, 2016 20:15:46 GMT
Perhaps that's how Sitri finds their defendants by going into that business under the guise of the model. And I see your point Sitri was the demon they blamed for public nudity lol
As for Asteroth every incarnation Astarte Ishtar Astoreth was depicted as a tall blonde and the Demon was purportedly vain so having a fixation on their original self image seemed appropriate.
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 16, 2016 20:35:59 GMT
I like to think that Sitri wasn't technically responsible for that for the most part; they lowered their inhibitions, but didn't explicitly make them take their clothes off in many scenarios. They'd probably get irritated were they straight out accused of that; eye rolling to her extreme. They'd see it merely as humans taking their own course, and blaming it on them when their sense of shame returned because they don't like the idea of being responsible for such inhibitions. Humans like to think of themselves as civilised; so much so that they desperately ignore and refute any reminder that they are ultimately animals of carnal emotion and impulse. They find the entire concept hilarious.
Except for intentional psychological degradation, that is. Then it's them. They can be protective and fond towards their worthy descendants, but put lightly, everybody else can go fuck themselves.
I don't know; I like the idea that the descendant's natural charm and ability to read people and situations gives them a natural flair for business as well as sheer charm itself. I like the idea that they sought out some worthy descendants and intended to reward them for their loyalty over the centuries upon their return, upon the condition that they assist them with their 'integration' into the mortal world, so to speak. And potentially with their search and protection against the Knights of Solomon. A mutually beneficial partnership; appropriate seeing as how they're more affectionate and even protective towards their descendants they deem worthy.
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Post by Snoe on Dec 16, 2016 21:23:36 GMT
I sense that being a running joke amongst demons. Their own myths coming back to bite them.
We can play it a little by ear if nothing really sticks. I'd say Asteroths followers would be more proactive though few in number.
So what we have next is how magic functions in this reality. I'd like to say witches gain their power from the demon or deitie they worship and that without them much of that power was drastically reduced. Now that they're free witches and sorcerers would have much more to draw on if they're worthy of being given such a boon.
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Post by Alexodia on Dec 16, 2016 22:01:09 GMT
Drawing power from the demon they worship implies that the more powerful demons will subsequently have the more powerful followers; which makes sense, of course, but it will be interesting to see how the lesser demons handle such things. Effectiveness will also be key; power on its own isn't everything.
I like the idea that their powers without the demons influence is reduced to not being able to actually warp reality or readily influence the outside world, but their power is quite potent in itself to the point that it is clear that it isn't just conjecture. I was thinking that their base power revolves around the idea of probability and the influencing of events and people; using spells and enchanted items to increase good fortune or reduce negative feelings/increase positive ones, healing, emotional peace etc.; the list goes on. I like the idea of subtle magic like that.
With the influence of their demon however, their Power could extend to the point that they could do something similar to the magic found in Harry Potter, actually; I like the idea of not having to use wands for their magic, but study and practice could mean that they could cast spells mentally that carry out the smaller-scale effects, and they may need longer time frames and hand gestures or incantations of sorts for the larger scale magic. The extent to which magic could be performed isn't fleshed out as of yet; I doubt there'll be the capacity to destroy cities or anything like that, but the more powerful magic could extend to dimensional magic; I really like the idea of Doctor Strange's Mirror Dimension as a potential use.
Although this is all relatively quick; your thoughts?
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Post by Snoe on Dec 17, 2016 0:45:51 GMT
Agreed without the demon or deity to source raw power from the most a witch can do is tug at the strings of the world like you said minor influence and tricks. A demon can cut and re-tie those strings into knots summoning creatures raising dead bodies etc... If you don't mind the analogy. With the added power witches would be somewhere between there. So while demons break laws of nature witches can bend and alter them. Or at least in my opinion. But no atom bomb level power.
It also makes me wonder about other supernatural beings... or would they be demons and possibly followers of the mortal variety given gifts.(historically speaking)
The Knights of Solomon on the other hand would have a very different set of abilities. Perhaps weapons and spells that consume magic rather than transform the energy into something.
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