Underworld

The Underworld was created by DC after the Mortals of Vertgate decided to overthrow him. It was created as a safe haven for himself. A world where he and he alone had complete control. The entrance to the Underworld can be found hidden away in Vertgate. Specifically, it can be found in the cave that once housed the source of his power. The Underworld can be accessed by pretty much anyone at any time, but chances are they won’t be able to find their way out once inside.

This realm is commonly referred to as “hell” by Mortals, although the Mortal version of hell is vastly different. They see it as a place where they go to be tortured for all eternity. DC does not like this, as he sees his domain as a place where he can be worshipped by his followers, relish in his accomplishments, and escape Mortals. It’s not hell to him; it’s home. It functions more as a home than anything else.

DC’s realm is an endless expanse of dark caverns that twist and turn; creating an almost inescapable maze. The terrain seems to rearrange itself continuously. This only adds to the complete and utter confusion of the place. On top of being dark, the populous areas of the Underworld are completely filled with a deep, thick, red smoke. Not only does this make seeing things that much more difficult, but it also prevents living Mortals from breathing easily. DC loves his fog, and it can be found in abundance whenever he’s in the area. The realm shifts and warps as a means of warding off intruders. It will not do this when he’s present in an area.

All creatures found in the Underworld are part of DC’s Hivemind. Since their souls have already been torn from their bodies this place more or less acts as a storage area for DC’s toys and trophies. Bodies of infected creatures are strewn all about the realm. Some of these bodies are “inactive”, meaning DC has removed his Magic from them. These bodies are usually in various states of decay, since his Magic is the only thing preserving them. This realm is brimming with Red Magic. It’s in the air, ground, and bodies of whatever poor unfortunate soul happened to end up there. A Mortal will not survive long in this place if they manage to get inside. Not unless DC wants them to.

The Underworld is split into several “sections”, all of which have a different function. These sections are not obviously apparent to the average person. The realm is constantly twisting, turning, and rearranging itself, so these places often melt together into one giant confusing mess. The only time they’re ever separate is when DC is in them, at which point the terrain rearranges itself properly.

DC spent almost 200 years trapped in the Afterlife. During his absence, Demons began to take residence in his domain. These Demons are far nastier than Demons in the overworld because of all the Red Magic in their system. Demons cannot be assimilated into the Hivemind, seeing as they have no Mortal body, so any Demon whose soul is strong enough to survive here is a force to be reckoned with. That being said, upon his return DC has taken to exterminating these pests. Demons can be found here, but they’re few and far between.

## **Farlands**

The Farlands are the uninhabited part of the realm. It’s infinite in size, so obviously there’s quite a bit of nothing. The Farlands are made up of nothing but a deep reddish black stone. No smoke can be found here, as it dissipates the further away you are from the center. Technically speaking the entrance to the Underworld is part of the Farlands as well. It has less Magic and no smoke in order to fly under Mortal’s radar. It’s not connected to the rest of the Farlands, however.

Once inside the Farlands, the Magic causing the world to warp dispels. Navigating this area is simple, but getting to it in the first place is almost impossible. You’re likely to die or get caught before getting to this point. Even if you do manage to get here, there’s nothing for you. The only inhabitants are the occasional stray Demon or a mangled dead body that DC particularly disliked.

## **Stockades**

 This place is nearer to the center of his realm. The Stockades are where DC keeps members of his Hivemind when not in use. It’s rows upon rows of bodies, all standing idly. Many are chained to the floor or otherwise restrained, while others are adorned in eloquent and lavish outfits awaiting orders. Most, however, just look like normal people with red markings. The Hivemind will not move unless directly puppeted by DC. If you happen to see someone here moving, it’s safe to assume DC needs them for something.

Each body seems to have it’s own designated space. Beings in the Hivemind are in neat rows and all of them have at least 10 feet of space between them. Occasionally there will be an empty space, but with the sheer amount of people here it’s difficult to find one. That, and anyone who dares step foot in this place will immediately be attacked by everyone in the vicinity.

Members of the Hivemind have three “ranks”, each of which can be easily determined just by looking at them. There’s the undesirables: people who DC has no use for, but have been assimilated anyway. Drones: General use individuals. People who DC will send out to do his bidding. Finally, there’s Trophies: People who DC has “won” in his game. Their bodies are put on display for DC’s amusement. Trophies are not used outside of the Underworld.

## **DC’s Temple**

The center of the Underworld is a massive castle-like temple made of jet black stone and lined with gold and glowing red rocks. Banners and statues with his likeness on them are strewn everywhere. Smaller shrines and temples can also be found here, each with a different purpose; although that puropus is not known by anyone other than DC. To give you an idea of how big this place really is, his temple is almost its own realm entirely. It could very well be considered a plane separate from the Underworld.

Inside of the temple is lined with white flooring and red carpets and rugs. The walls are black, much like the exterior, but they have far more gold and red lining than the outside. Many walls have hieroglyph-like inscriptions decorating them, all of which tell the tales of his accomplishments. These hieroglyphs will change and warp, much like the rest of the realm. Unlike the other places, though, these hieroglyphs will continue to warp even if DC is in the area.

DC’s Temple has pretty much everything you’d expect a castle to have. The most notable room is the throne room. It’s a towering, empty room with nothing inside of it other than pillars, a red rug leading to his throne, and stained glass windows depicting his likeness. It’s created to be a very intimidating and daunting place that can hold a lot of people at once. It’s also created to be very dangerous. Hidden traps and drones lie in wait here, waiting for anyone who dares enter unannounced.