Hell and Heaven
A theory on the nature of Heaven and Hell by the archmage Talbeln Veridimus.
Presentation
Heaven and Hell 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, 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", they actually exist side by side. Both Heaven and Hell are truly immense worlds, arranged in layers, also called "levels" or "circles".
Heaven is a realm comprised of "positive" energy, inhabited by beings that are halfway between energy and matter. Likewise, Hell is a realm of "negative" energy, where the dominant lifeforms are 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 their inhabitants is that they resonate on the exact same frequency as the souls of humanoid beings. In both Heaven and Hell, a soul become 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.
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 state similar to the residents of that realm. However, it is also possible to travel to Heaven or Hell by other means, such as Astral Projection. This can be incredibly dangerous however, 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.
Harvesting Souls
both Angels and Demons are strangely fascinated by souls. 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 such as Succubi develop a taste for eating damned 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.
Opposing energies
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. 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 Archdevil 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. _________________
Angels and Demons are typically very difficult to destroy; under normal circumstances, they can not be destroyed on a physical plane of existence. There are some exceptions, but for most purposes, the demon you see on Felarya is not the "real" creature, but instead merely a physical manifestation of it. Destroying a demon or angel's body on Felarya will disperse it and return it to its native realm. Some demons or angels have special circumstances under which they can be permanently destroyed, even in a physical realm, but they typically guard these secrets jealously. Many demon hunters find themselves "destroying" a particular demonic enemy several times, before they manage to find out the secret to the creature's true destruction; a demon "killed" in the normal fashion may still return to the physical plane after it recovers from the experience and gathers enough power.
If you really want to kill an angel or demon, the surest way to do so is in Heaven or Hell; but venturing into these realms to do battle with the entity is extremely dangerous, as they have homefield advantage. In addition, Archangels, Archdukes, and royalty of Hell have nearly god-like power in their native realms. Becoming a ruler of a circle of Hell yields tremendous powers while in that realm, which is why so many Demons try to climb to the top of the hierarchy.
Someone who rules a Hell plane may even be able to change the laws of the plane to their whims; challenging Queen Faldhatée in Erebus or Queen Arsinoë in Acheron is typically a huge mistake. It is where they are most powerful, and unless you have an entire army or epic levels of power at your disposal, you just aren't going to stand much of a chance. They are more likely to find the challenge amusing or hardly notice it at all than to take it seriously; Queen Faldhatée has been known to continue tending her garden while would-be attackers spontaneously explode. Many conflicts in hell involve a lot of politicking, backstabbing, and trying to make yourself look better while making your rivals look bad. Trading favors is a common practice, and only those who have built a massive power base even dare to challenge one of the rulers; this process usually takes millennia, although some "rising stars" have been known to shoot towards the top of Hell's hierarchy in mere centuries. Unfortunately, you can fall just as quickly as you rise, and when you're on the top everybody wants to drag you down.
In contrast, Heaven is much more orderly and less cutthroat than Hell; however, Heaven has its share of mavericks as well. In addition, there are some angels who are downright ruthless, particularly among the Guardian Angel and Avenging Angel classes. Overall, Angels are a single species, much like Demons are the species of which Succubi are a subspecies. Although individual angelic subspecies exist, the distinction is fairly meaningless among Angels themselves. Angels have a class-based hierarchy, split up into orders that they belong to. It is possible for an Angel to transition from one order to another, but for the most part, once they get into the class they prefer they stick with it.
As a result, Fallen Angels tend to be loners, and not very nice beings. Most of them manage to survive by developing a reputation for excessive vengeance; messing with one of the Fallen often leads to retribution far beyond the offense being meted out. Curiously, given their status as outcasts in Hell, Fallen Angels do not associate much with their own kind as one might expect them to. They tend to be extremely solitary individuals, and avoid socializing with others when at all possible; it's rumored that one of the circles of Hell is ruled over by a Fallen Angel, who no one has even seen (let alone spoken to) since the Tenebrous War... just as an example of how reclusive they can be.
It's worth repeating that Fallen Angels are not Demons, and Ascended Demons are not Angels; magical effects that specifically target Angels will not work on an Ascended Demon, nor will a circle of protection against Demons stop a Fallen Angel. However, effects that work specifically against Unholy or Holy creatures will have the appropriate effect on them. Summoning a Fallen Angel has been the last act of many careless mages, who failed to make that important distinction.
It is also possible, by uncertain and unnatural means, for a Angelic/Demonic hybrid to be created. These creatures are called Nephilim, and they are far beyond rare. The exact number of these creatures is unknown, as they typically learn to do a very good job of concealing their true nature from others. Nephilim are creatures that should not exist, and as such, neither Demons nor Angels accept their presence (as always, there are some exceptions, but they are few and far between). There are no general species-wide traits common among Nephilim; each of them is a unique creature, and they can occur in any form or level of sentience.
The only thing that can be said to be universally true regarding them is that they are typically very disorderly beings, constantly torn between their conflicting Angelic and Demonic natures. In addition, they often have strange properties and powers, which can sometimes be passed on to their descendants (Nephilim are capable of breeding with both Angels and Demons). Be warned: Anti-Angel and Anti-Demon wards have no effect whatsoever on a full-blooded Nephilim. Angels or Demons with suspected Nephilim blood are often treated as outcasts much in the same way the Fallen and Ascended are.
Finally, both Heaven and Hell have beings that act as psychopomps; these are low-ranking Angels and Demons who act as "guides" to bring souls to their respective realm. They are often the "working class" of Heaven and Hell, and they do much of the hard work that keep their realms populated with souls. Occasionally, these beings come into conflict with one another over a particular soul while "on the job", but typically, there are mutually agreed upon rules that define which side a particular soul belongs to, and who is sent to collect it. These beings are the Angels of Death, Shinigami, Valkyrie, etc. sort of beings, and take various forms depending on the culture of the person they've come to collect. (Have fun making up your own orders of psychopomps; it will be interesting to see what sort of cultural entities exist on Felarya Very Happy
