United Demon Realm

The unified kingdom comprised of all fifteen cities found in the Demon Realm.

Structure

The United Demon Realm is ruled by the Ascended Demon King, though each city aside from the capital  of Ae°calikaslavven is ruled by a Petty King and City Council. Smaller settlements around each city are run by mayors or even more informal leadership, depending on their size. 
Kings are responsible for the health and safety of their people - the Demon King in particular is expected to protect the entire realm. One notable threat in this regard are Champions sent by the Holy Divine Sacred Empire of Angelic Purification.

Culture

The Demon Realm is a hostile environment, with both flora and fauna being largely carnivorous and aggressive. As such, demon culture in general values survival fitness. Often, this translates as physical strength and endurance, but charisma, cleverness, and other traits which can keep a settlement safe are also highly regarded - though particularly when paired with physical strength and endurance.
Demon society tends to be more tolerant of violence than most, but this does not equate to approving of constant or mindless aggression. More commonly, this translates to duels as a way of settling more formal disputes and brawls being considered an acceptable response to purposeful malice of any kind. For example, if someone were to say they dislike physical contact, someone ignoring this preference is likely to find their own personal space invaded by a fist. 
However, demons also believe that the strong have a duty to protect the weak - particularly the strong that have accepted positions of responsibility. A ruler unable to protect their people, by whatever means, is unfit. There is no honor seen in defeating an opponent much weaker than you are, either - and no dishonor in losing to a clearly superior opponent.

Public Agenda

Lavven founded the United Demon Realm with a singular purpose - a better future for all demons, not just those lucky enough to be protected by a strong king. The Kings after Lavven have carried on that will - though some more actively than others.

Assets

• Metals
• Minerals
• Demon King's Army
• Greater Blessing of Ascension

History

During the Fractured Realm Ages, a young demon named Lavven's home was destroyed when it was caught up in the conflict between two kings. Lavven himself slipped through a rift into the Human Realm, where he was taken in by a kindly priest of a small town. There, he saw what life could be - agriculture, animal husbandry, and peace. It was a simple life, but one where the people living it didn't struggle for their next meal and rarely worried about the threat of war. 
It was the life he thought everyone deserved - and decided he would bring to his home realm. 
He traveled the Human and Elven Realm to gather allies and train in magic before returning home and finding a settlement to establish himself in. He quickly gained the influence he needed to gain an invitation to the Hundred Years Ball, and wished for the power to unite the Demon Realm. 
Begrudgingly, his wish was granted with the creation of the Thousand Caves of Torment - any who survived their perils would gain the Greater Blessing of Ascension, which would give them plenty of power to bring the Demon Realm together if they so chose. 
After his Ascension, it took Lavven roughly one thousand years to fully unite the Demon Realm - but unite it he did. Under his rule he introduced primarily agriculture and the beginning of animal husbandry, as well as other innovations he'd learned about in other realms. Lavven died of old age after passing the mantle of King on to his granddaughter, who built upon his innovations after him. 
Emerri's nephew Voune was the first Demon King to face a Champion from the Human Realm - and continued to face them every hundred years thereafter. It was his successor and previous General, Melik, who used cer Hundred Years Ball wish to ask for a secondary Realm Gate between the Human and Demon Realms and made the path from the newly dubbed Champion Gate to Ae°calikaslavven clear, so that Champions would not cause harm to citizens in their often destructive path. 
King after King continued to build off Lavven's ideals and innovations, though as the conflict with the Champions often included invading armies in the early millennia, demons gained a mutual though less vehement animosity for humanity. As such, Lavven's own connection to the Human Realm was quietly excluded by many, with several records of it being destroyed entirely. Still, demons are long-lived, and the information is not overly difficult to find for those looking in the modern age of demonity.

Territories

The United Demon Realm, as the name suggests, spans the entirety of the Demon Realm. It was first unified in a military campaign headed by Lavven, the first Ascended Demon King. For the next few Kings, the only requirement to rule was to Ascend successfully.
However, in later millennia, Demon King Merrae created the Secession Charter. This allowed for any city to declare its intent to cede from the United Demon Realm if they were unhappy with a King immediately after said King's Ascension. Merrae felt this could put an end to the complaints that it was unfair that cities had to rely on individual combatants rather than their own might when it came to the acceptance of a new King. 
The Charter laid out terms as such:

After a new Demon King has Ascended for the first time, the cities of the United Demon Realm have ten years to declare their intent to cede. The Demon King, before the first century of their rule is complete, must lay seige to each city that declares such an intent. Due to the great power granted by Ascension, a city intent on ceding does not need to hold their seige indefinitely - if they can prevent the Demon King from taking their castle for ten days' time, they will have earned the right to cede from the United Demon Realm. If not, they will remain part of the United Realm and fully accept the new Demon King. If the Demon King fails to lay seige to their city, they have won the right by default.
Ceded cities can be retaken by the successor to the King that lost them, via the same process. 

The military campaign newly appointed Demon Kings embarked on would later come to be known as their Reunification Campaign. Usually, this is started after the King has sorted out their new Court, which can take roughly 30-70 years, with 50 years being the average. Since its creation, no city has successfully ceded from the United Demon Realm. 
Due to the history of kings in the Demon Realm taking power through besiegement, this is not seen as an occupation - more of a formality.

Military

The Demon King's Army, headed by the Demon General, is headquartered at Ae°calikaslavven. Originally the city's militia, it is now the only trained formal army in the realm. Primarily, it marches with the King during their Reunification Campaign and out to meet Champions after they come through the Champion Gate. If the army and General can turn back a Champion without the King's involvement, it generally leads to less damage and a smaller clash of different kinds of energies. These can cause metaphysical damage to the realm and are the primary reason the deities and Entertainer promote inter-realm peace through the Hundred Years Ball.
The Army was formally established during the rule of Demon King Vaest, whose specific manifestation of Dominion allowed her to grant the soldiers around her a portion of her Tenfold Strength. 
Demon King Jurao's tenure as Demon General was the only one with an unbroken record for defeating Champions, earning him the moniker of Unbreakable Wall.

Technological Level

The Demon Realm is within its Iron Age, though thanks to siren engineering, there are some aspects of industrialization not common to that period in history. Demon metals and minerals are, in general, harder than other realms' without being much more brittle - this makes them often sought after for weapons and dwarven machinery.
Demon access to blubber from the Troll Realm, and their ability to refine it, has given them the biggest advantage in trading with the Siren Realm compared to other nations and realms.

Religion

Most demons believe in the demon pantheon, but few are actively religious. All demons have a patron deity, however, this is determined by the circumstances of one's birth, rather than choice:

• Maenscul - born outside within the bounds of a settlement on a sunny day
• Vouscu - born within the home (the most common patron)
• Nosu - born outside of a settlement or camp at night
• Iescula - born during a siege
• Vislaelos - born on Rainbow Day
• Soken - born in a smithy
• Naosuli - parent dies during childbirth
• Carmesso - born outside on a rainy day (day or night)
• Mahen - born outside within the bounds of a settlement on a clear night
• Enaroy - born in a beast hunter camp
• Sciekles - born on a recent or famous battlefield
• Aeganes - born in a dueling ring

While demons believe they are "born under the gaze" of their patron, most put little stock in who that patron is outside of specific professions and social positions.

Foreign Relations

The safe Human Realm Gate connects to Vede, a country with a population composed mostly of Imps, who are decried as "tainted" by the Holy Divine Sacred Empire of Angelic Purification for their demon ancestry. Vede is a member of the Strongarm Coalition - spearheaded by the pirate nation of Asalban and the powerful naval force of Erei, the Coalition seeks to defy the Empire's trade embargo on the Demon Realm. The Gate to the Elven Realm being located within the Empire's borders makes obtaining elven goods very difficult, but not impossible. 
The Demon Realm has good relationships with both the Beastkin Realm and the Troll Realm. While the complex politics of beastkin kingdoms are often confusing, the Demon Realm conducts most trade through the Four Paws - the more moderate and stable collection of nations in the Beastkin Realm. Trolls, on the other hand, have very straightforward politics - the island on which the Realm Gate sits is considered neutral ground for all parties wishing to conduct trade to gather.

Laws

While laws are created by the Ascended King and their Court, they are documented in the temples of Vemera, Goddess of Judgment. Courts are often dedicated to her, and built near her temple - if not within it. However, while King can make realm-wide laws, each city can and does have its own set of laws set by their Petty Kings to better meet the needs of their people.
The law is enforced by the City Guard, under the purview of the City Council. If the Council disagrees with a particular law set by a ruler, they may choose not to enforce it - or simply lessen the punishment. Due to the distance between cities and differences in local laws, leaving the city in which one has committed a crime is often all that is necessary to escape punishment. Provided one has not offended so greatly that word is sent to other cities as well, though there is always the option of taking up residence in a smaller settlement outside a city. Attempting to survive in the wild alone is almost impossible, making it a last possible resort rarely even considered.
Demon laws tend to revolve more around protecting public works than private property or individuals - such as preventing damage to farms, production animals, or infrastructure maintained by the city. Those with significant private property are expected to be able to protect it themselves, and demons' culturally high tolerance for violence means there are few laws protecting individuals as well. 
The punishments for the laws that do exist tend to be swift - and usually geared toward the offender physically repairing the damage done. If the damage cannot be repaired, the punishment becomes harsh instead. Payment cannot be offered in lieu of labor, as demons do not believe this will convince the offender not to repeat their damaging actions.

Agriculture & Industry

The Demon Realm's agricultural and animal husbandry ventures are almost reaching self-sufficiency, though the cities closest to Ae°calikaslavven are much further along in that venture than those more distant.

Education

Most common people in the Demon Realm are illiterate, though temples to Nosu found within Vouscu's city temples will freely educate anyone with the time and inclination. This offer usually extends more to adults than children, who are not usually inclined to go into temples in general. 
Nobles, by contrast, are usually well-educated by various tutors - often members of Nosu's faithful, though not always. This includes general education, such as reading, writing, and arithmetic; as well as whatever more specific education their family deems important. Noble families tend to place higher importance on carrying on certain legacies they're known for, most tracing their heritage back to an unascended king defeated by Lavven or one of their court members. 
Trade guilds are fairly common, and many common people begin apprenticeships at a young age. Often, children enter the same profession as their parents due to the ease of being accepted as an apprentice, but demons do not culturally maintain close ties between parents and children. As such, there is no social pressure at this level to join the same profession as their family - it's simply the most convenient option in most cases.

Infrastructure

Cities are all built within their own walls, with a separate wall built around castles, and a third wall built around farm and ranch land outside of the cities.
Aquaducts, sewage systems, and roads can all be found within all cities. Most long-term travel is done via rivers, so there are no land roads linking the cities together. Dwarven cliff trollies are often utilized for getting from the bottom of a canyon to the top, where most cities are built.
Realm Gates are permanent portals between different realms, and the only way to reach them outside of slipping through a rift by mistake. Within the Demon Realm are four Gates - two for the Human Realm, one for the Beastkin Realm, and one for the Troll Realm.

Mythology & Lore

A long, long time ago, Maenscul decided to create a people for the land they watched over as the sun. They reached into the clay of the land, building dolls that resembled themself a little and giving them the power to move.
But under Maenscul’s heat, the dolls soon dried, becoming statues. So they turned to Carmesso, and asked her for help. In return for dominion over the weather, she planted three pools inside of them - pools that became hearts, pumping blood through the clay forms to keep them from drying out.
Maenscul was happy to watch their creations move, but they were still not satisfied - their dolls were just dolls, and they did not mean to craft tools. So they came to me, and asked how to make their dolls a people. So I crafted heads onto the dolls, and put a spark of celestial power inside - giving them souls.
This is how demons came to be.
-Nosu, Deity of Wisdom

Divine Origins

Belief in the demon pantheon has existed as long as demons can remember, though different deities have come to power over time. Various deities have also seen their popularity wax and wane as their domains became more or less prominent in general or regional society. 
Teachings vary by deity, each having a different relationship with their specific priesthoods.

Cosmological Views

A Deity is born from a piece of a Primordial breaking off and attaching to a celestial body - the realms formed as a result of the power of the deities. This is why the realms are so different from each other - their ruling and/or creator deities being born from different primal aspects that are not uniformly found across the realms. 
First Generation demon Deities are born from one of five primal elements - Sky, Spirit, Water, Fire, and Earth. As such, these are the elements that created the Demon Realm - with Sky, Maenscul and Vouscu's primal element, having the largest influence.

Worship

Supplicants to a particular deity are expected to reach the nearest temple to said deity - often located outside the safety of city walls - and then pass a trial set by the temple's High Priest to earn the right to ask the deity for their favor. As such, only those in dire need seek to pray to the deities for help directly. 
However, one does not need to pass a trial in order to give an offering - either at a formal temple, during a festival, or within the home. However, this is seen more as a way to build a good relationship prior to needing a deity's assistance rather than as a way to ask for aide. Many do so in case they are unable to make it to a temple in a time of true need, or at least to keep the gods from disliking them.

Political Influence & Intrigue

Vemera's priesthood has the most influence over the management of the realm - being the judicial and civil administration branch of almost every city. However, Vemera's faithful rarely take an active role in leadership or attempt to drive change, preferring to simply interpret and carry out the laws created by the King and local rulers. 
The Ascended Demon King maintains regular direct contact with Maenscul - a practice that was instituted to ensure the Greater Blessing of Ascension would not be abused for inter-realm warfare. However, Maenscul does little more than listen and occasionally advise the King, preferring to allow their mortals to rule themselves as they see fit. 
Great Temples, located in various cities throughout the realm, tend to have a significant influence over the city they are attached to - however, they have no formal role in the governance of the city itself.

We will stand together

Founding Date

1 UR

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Capital

Ae°calikaslavven

Training Level

Trained

Veterancy Level

Veteran

Leader

Jurao

Leader Title

Demon King

Founders

• Lavven

Head of State

Jurao

Head of Government

Jurao

Government System

Monarchy, Elective

Power Structure

Federation

Economic System

Market economy

Gazetteer

Ae°calikaslavven - "Lavven's Hope"

The capital city of the United Demon Realm, ruled by the Ascended Demon King directly and founded by Lavven. A hub for innovation, particularly in public works. It's often abbreviated to Caslavven.

Mesescima - The City of Blacksmiths

Far to the north, Mesescima is the oldest city in the Demon Realm. Its patron deity is Soken, God of Blacksmithing. The smiths of Mesescima are, rightfully, considered the best in the realm - and those smiths not born into the city often make the journey to visit Soken main temple.

Lajaonar - The City of Medicine

Southeast of Mesescima and still far north of Caslavven lies Lajaonar, build within the bones of a trollish leviathan that slipped partway through the Boundary before being split asunder. It is also the city nearest the Troll Realm Gate, and has the main temple to the deity of medicine.

Mavasnier  - The City of Commerce

To the northwest is Mavasnier, the city next to the Beastkin Realm Gate. Due to the enthusiastic and thriving trade practices of their beastkin neighbors, Mavasnier has the same robust and enthusiastic approach to trade, and houses many small chapters of beastkin guildhouses. It has the main temple for the demon deity of commerce.

Messaonars - The Old Bulwark

To the southwest lies Messaonars, an old city famous for its solid stone walls covered in Stranglehold Vines. It's also known for being one of the more traditionally-minded cities in the realm. It has the main temple to Iescula, Goddess of Sieges.

Coujieul - The Crossriver City

Located in the most central position in the Demon Realm, where many smaller rivers flow into one, Coujieul is carved into the cliff face of a river canyon. Anyone traveling north to south or vice versa passes through this city, which is why it houses the main temple to Porscil , the Deity of Travelers.

Gnomesaroy  - The Fighting City

To the west, near the safe Human Realm Gate, Gnomesaroy sits at the bottom of a dry canyon bed. It contains the Grand Arena, which hosts the inter-realm Strength Tournament and is dedicated to Aeganes, the Deity of Combat.

Engapylao - "Dried Meat"

Originally established as "Hunter's Rest", the intended residents of the Beast Hunter city quickly applied their affectionate slang for hunters past their prime to the settlement founded as a refuge for them. Naturally, the main temple to Enaroy, the God of Beast Hunters, can be found here.

Naovojo - The Living Mausoleum

The residents of the city of Naovojo are dedicants to the demon Deity of Death, Naosuli. Their temple is also a grand mausoleum, housing the bodies of any who wish to be interred there - interment being a rare practice in the Demon Realm. Of particular note are the bodies of every Ascended Demon King and their children.

Noskanar - The City of the Giant Tree

It is believed that one of the seeds from the gargantuan trees of the Beastkin Realm washed upstream from the Realm Gate, taking root and growing into the large tree that would one day be home to this city and its famed wyverns.

Gaevoyga - The City of Black Water

To the northwest of Messaonars is Gaevoyga, the city on a cliff next to the black water lake it takes its name from. It is known for its dedication to Vemera, the Goddess of Judgement, and has the most robust court system in the realm.

Mesmavas - City of Music

In the river canyon south of Lajaonar lies Mesmavas, a city famous for its singers and musicians. It has the main temple of Sciekles, the Goddess of War - and the secondary domain of music.

Scagesmaes - City of Rejoicing

Scagesmaes was founded by a devotee to Cegae, God of Fire, who built a temple to him before her settlement - and that dedication has never waned. Scagesmaes is known for having some of the best cooking and most passionate dancers in the realm, all in celebration of Cegae's power.

Naengaquena - City of Artisans

South of Mesescima lies Naengaquena, the city famous for its artisans of all stripes - and for being the fondest of change and experimentation. It is the seat of the main temple to Mahen, the Deity of Artisans.

Mesgaesculs - City of Hot Springs

South of Ae°calikaslavven sits Mesgaesculs, the city famous for its plentiful hot springs. It has a somewhat negative reputation as the most laid-back of all the demon cities, and has the main (and only solely dedicated) temple to Vislaelos, the God of Romantic Love.

Currency

Currency in the Demon Realm is known as scales, largely due to being made from leather and the most common denominations being made from fish leather. It is minted in the triangular shape of a scale with a leather embossing press and treated with a guarded chemical formula which turns a secondary chemical mixture blue when they come in contact with each other. As metals are abundant, leather has always been viewed as denoting wealth - though when traveling outside of their home realm, demons often exchange metals for their equivalent currency. 
Higher denominations are made of harder-to-find leathers, and are organized as such:

• King Scales - lowest denomination, made of River King leather
• Eel Scales - worth five kings; made from eel leather
• Bird Scales - worth five eels or twenty-five kings; made from bird leather
• Rodent Scales - worth five birds, twenty-five eels, or one hundred twenty-five kings; made from the leather of small mammals
• Hound Scales - worth five rodents, twenty-five birds, one hundred twenty-five eels, or six hundred five kings; made from the leather of mid-sized animals
• Beast Scales - worth five hounds, twenty-five rodents, one hundred twenty-five birds, six hundred five eels, or three thousand one hundred twenty-five kings; made from the leather of large animals

Each scale is roughly the same size but dyed in different colors for easy identification without taking a close look at the individual seals pressed into each coin. The wide bases of the scales are fitted with small loops by the cutting press, and scales are often strung together for easy carrying.

Major Exports

Beastkin Realm

• Troll goods
• Inspired and Arcane Triad goods
• Metals
• Weapons (metal-made)
• Produce
• Meat

Troll Realm

• Beastkin goods
• Inspired and Arcane Triad goods
• Metals
• Medicines

Human Realm

• Beastkin goods
• Troll goods
• Oil (refined from blubber)
• Metals

Major Imports

Beastkin Realm

• Produce
• Furs
• Feathers

Troll Realm

• Fish leather
• Blubber
• Aquatic plants

Human Realm

• Siren goods (mainly machinery)
• Elven goods (mainly convenience items)
• Kinfolk goods (rare, mainly herbs)
• Entertainment goods
• Furs
• Leather

Deities

• Aeganes
• Carmesso
• Cegae
• Enaroy
• Iescula
• Maemavul
• Maenscul
• Mahen
• Naosuli
• Nosu
• Porscil
• Sciekles
• Soken
• Vasculas
• Vemera
• Vislaelos
• Vouscu

Location

Demon Realm

Official Languages

• Demonae

Related Traditions

• Royal Trials

Related Professions

• Beast Hunter

Controlled Territories

• Ae°calikaslavven
• Gaevoyga
• Mesescima
• Noskanar

Notable Members

• Jurao

Related Species

• Demon