The Darkness Below

The Darkness Below is where mortals end up after death when they have committed great acts of sin in life. It is also where demons live, though separately from the mortals.

The Darkness Below is deemed as a place of great suffering, relative to The Mortal Plane and The Garden Above. It is as far away from Ethereosa as possible, and many denizens live in constant unease and pain. It's regarded as being in a state similar to a perpetual Great War; with factions forged from common bonds and circles, and bloody, violent clashes between them arising over limited resources, differing ideologies, etc. This occurs mostly in the human side of The Darkness Below, but to an extent factional conflict exists in the demon side as well.

Demons can enter the human side of The Darkness Below, but humans cannot enter the demon side.

## Geography and description

The Darkness Below is a giant, winding labyrinth that only demons and long-suffering humans can properly navigate. In its center is a giant lake of fire, separating the two sides- the human side and the demon side- and the unbearable heat of which grows worse the closer you are.

The architecture of the demonic side is close to that of the spiraling, arched theme of the angels' architecture, only made out of the resources The Darkness Below provides like hellbrick and deathwood. Humans build out of the same materials, but in a different, more practical style. The humans live in more roomy, flat caves that are almost reminiscent of plains, while the demons have to make do with smaller, more cramped tunnels thick with deathwood forests. Still, there are some wide chasms found on the demons side, where most of their cities are built.

In the center of the demonic side is Pyrkagia, the capital of the demons, which surrounds Exousian's large sprawling mansion. One must be careful walking in Pyrkagia; although the hellbeasts that Ethereosa created to torture inhabitants have been since mostly tamed by Exousian, they still harbor dangerous, predatory natures, and they are found all throughout Pyrkagia and surrounding areas digging through trash and pestering locals for food. Pyrkagia has tall buildings and is very wide, and would be perpetually dark if not for the magical purple lights pulsating above the streets like stars.

### Flora and fauna

Deathwood forests and winding prickly briars are found throughout The Darkness Below. Deathwood forests grow inferno fruit, which demons tend to love and the sinful humans eat reluctantly, even though it tastes bitter to them.

Hellbeasts are the primary fauna found in The Darkness Below. They can come in all forms; as wicked hounds, as bears, as goats, as any unholy creature, really. They can even be a hybrid of two or more creatures, though this occurs rarely. They share the same general body plan of dark skin, scales, and/or fur, and red or orange blazing eyes. They all have sharp and/or poisonous teeth. Demons tend to keep them as pets.

## History

The Darkness Below was built by Ethereosa and her angels in preparation for The Great Purification. It was meant to be an eternal punishment, with hellbeasts, fire, dark winding tunnels, thorny undergrowth, and other hazards and unpleasantries. But Exousian has since reformed it into a more tolerable, tamer version of its old self, although it is still not nearly as pleasant to live in as The Garden Above or even The Mortal Plane.