Angels and demons are two sides of the same coin, really. Demons are just fallen angels. The PCs might play either, and in the time since the cataclysm the difference between the two has blurred. Renegade angels use their powers for everything from creature comforts to efforts to enslave humanity or even destroy the world. Some demons have taken the opportunity of the cataclysm to repent and fight again for righteousness.

Even among the “good” angels, there isn’t much of a consensus. There’s no longer any reason to try to protect souls, since when a mortal dies their soul will simply be lost to the same oblivion which destroyed heaven and hell. Some angels continue to fight in the name of good for its own sake or out of habit, others fight for guilt, and some don’t fight at all.

The defining aspect of both angels and demons are their wings; minus those, they appear distinctly human. Since mortals can’t see the wings, though, angels and demons pass for human without even trying. The wings are highly individualized, with the caveat that an angel’s wings are always light and a demon’s dark. Other than that, they may be feathered, bat-like, skeletal, or even wing-shaped tendrils of light.

Kenuchi’s swordsmanship attained such perfection that he actually transcended mortality, becoming a god. His followers run the gamut from strictly-regimented soldiers to chaotic barbarians. Some follow his tenets more closely than others. Kenuchi’s priests are almost entirely composed of duelists who have dedicated themselves to mastering their chosen weapon. A number of craftsmen also follow Kenuchi, less interested in his skill at swords than his dedication to his chosen discipline.

Kenuchi’s charge is given by the Five Doctrines of the Sword:

1. Never refuse a challenge. If you believe you will win a fight, it is your duty to teach your opponent so that he may improve his own skills. If you believe you will lose, then embrace the opportunity for learning.
2. Seek out challenges. If you always stick to what you’re sure you can do, you will stagnate.
3. Fight fairly. Do not hold back, for doing so would only deprive your opponent.
4. Do not fear death. The path of the warrior is the path of death. It is not a goal, either to be attained or visited upon others, but it nonetheless is the inevitable outcome.
5. Do not kill needlessly. The true test of skill for a warrior is the judgment, ability and restraint to turn a killing blow into an incapacitating blow.

The second and fifth doctrines are the most sacred to followers of the Sword Saint. It’s worth noting that the third doctrine is not intended to forbid “dirty tricks;” indeed, they are as important to have in your arsenal as any of your other skills. Rather, the third doctrine commands that you fight to win and that you respect your opponent.

The third doctrine is, however, more literally adhered to by Kenuchi’s non-martial followers. Related to the first and second Doctrines, they feel it is important not to sabotage the crafts of one’s competition. Success in the marketplace should be attained on your own merits, not by devaluing the work of others.

Kenuchi’s holy symbol is a simple sword, and he is also associated with owls and ants.

The elves are a warrior people, and fighting is very important to them. They practice a martial art of their own development called “capoeira*,” which emphasizes graceful mobility, dodges and kicks. Often times, the elves go into battle with small drums secured to their chests. Even as they lash out with their legs, their hands busily drum out a beat to demoralize their foes and bolster themselves.

Battle is a long, drawn out affair for the elves. Blades attached to the soles of their shoes deliver shallow cuts, slowly bleeding their enemies. This is in stark contrast to the human barbarians, which favor powerful blows which rarely connect, but often kill on the first hit.

The human barbarians actually enjoy fighting the elves, as they are a masochistic culture. To them, pain is strength. Most of their customs involve tests of endurance to see who can withstand the most pain for the longest. Their marriage ceremony culminates with the husband and wife choking each other until one passes out.

The most dedicated of their warriors undergo the ritual of Kardak, thrusting their left hand into a bear paw-shaped mold filled with molten iron. Afterwards, they are anointed as priests of Magdar, and adamantine claws are attached to the iron forever grafted to their hand.

*Capoeira is a Brazillian martial art. Go check out some youtube videos of it.

Encounters with the Barbarians of Mosh’tardin

One of the PCs gains the respect of an elder human barbarian. After several nights of revelry, the elder invites the PC to undergo the Kardak. Not accepting would be taken as an unrivaled insult to the barbarians.

The PCs are asked to capture one of the rare silver-pawed monkeys from the Mosh’tardin forest. Naturally, they run afoul of the elvish barbarians in attempting to do so.

The greatest of the Astral rivers is called Styx, and it is unique in that it touches each and every one of those worlds. Infinite in length, none have ever seen its source, but all will ultimately travel to its end. Whenever any sentient being dies, its soul flows into the Styx. These countless souls give the river a haunting blue glow.

The last world the river Styx flows through before its final destination is a realm of purity and goodness known as Celestia. Here, celestial gatekeepers monitor the waters of the Styx and help the good and deserving souls out to live in harmony for the rest of eternity.

Those not lucky enough to stop in Celestia eventually come to the final stop of the Styx… the nine layers of Hell itself. Each successive layer is almost like a finer and finer sieve, so that each damned soul is removed at the appropriate layer.

The worst of the worst make it through the first eight layers to the burning lake in the center of hell in which resides the dark lord of all devils, Asmodeus.

Encounters with The River of Souls

The Styx is an epic river, and the sorts of stories it facilitates are similarly epic in nature.

Somehow, a truly evil soul escapes the Styx in Celestia and begins wreaking havoc there. He helps other damned souls into Celestia, overthrows the powers there, and pushes the good souls down into hell. It’s up the PCs to stop him and set everything back to the way it should be.

Sometimes, souls miss their stops. The PCs need to travel to Celestia to get the aid of one of history’s greatest heroes, but they find out that he’s not there and is in fact mistakenly imprisoned on the eighth layer of hell.

Most people are just supporting characters. Even kings and entire kingdoms might rise and fall just so that one of The Storyteller’s protagonists gets the motivation they need to to continue on.

Chronicler priests are some of the greatest historians the world has known, for the church takes it upon itself to meticulously record everything in an attempt to figure out what The Storyteller’s story is all about. They each have various reasons for doing what they do; to understand, to predict the future, some might believe it’s the only meaningful thing one might do, to keep the story interesting for fear that if The Storyteller becomes bored It will stop and they’ll all cease to exist, and some actively work against The Storyteller for their own reasons.

Encounters with The Chroniclers

An monk of the Ecclesia Fabulum begins following the PCs around, believing them to be some of The Storyteller’s protagonists.

An abbot believes the PCs are not fulfilling their part in the story and tries to get them to go after what he believes is one of The Storyteller’s antagonists.

The PCs need to know something which happened long ago, and learn that the Chroniclers might have records of it. Alternatively, they may need help figuring out what’s happening now and the Chroniclers might be able to assist.

On the cusp between this world and the next there is a great, sprawling city known as Mourngate. It is here where all souls go to be judged and sent off to their final rest, and sometimes loved ones come here to be with their recently departed.

Most of the time, the cases are swift. A being called The Arbiter judges the soul as wicked, pure or conflicted. The wicked are sent off to the hells, the pure to paradise, and the conflicted to purgatory, where they will not have the fruits of paradise but nor will they suffer the tortures of damnation. Though this process is swift, the sheer bulk of souls waiting to be judged means that it can take a long time for your turn.

The Arbiter’s judgment is not final, though; any may appeal for a trial, with all the trappings. If the appealer can convince an angel of their plight, the angel will represent him in court. Otherwise, they’ll usually have to work out a deal with a demon to represent them. In return for getting them off of an eternity of punishment under someone else, the appealer might agree to only a few thousand years of punishment under the demon representing him before going to purgatory.

Encounters with Mourngate

A celestial messenger contacts the PCs, asking them to come testify against a villain who they killed.

The PCs must help a recently-deceased friend find counsel for his trial.

A PC cannot be raised because he’s been deemed wicked. He has been granted an appeal, and he and the rest of the PCs must work to clear his name.

It wasn’t that long ago when they first came to Dominus. Fifty or sixty years at most. There are even some who remember when it all started, when the rifts first opened. Stories differ about who came first; there are those who claim the demons came and pillaged the land, and the angels appeared to stop them. Others say it was the angels who came here, seeking a new staging grounds for their assaults into hell.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter. Most every land now belongs to either the demons or the devils and, though the angels would claim otherwise, life under either isn’t particularly better or worse than the other.

The angels have established a grand city around what used to be the Vatican City of Dominus. Redubbed Sanctus Dominus, it is a sprawling fortress with high walls over which can be seen the many ivory towers. For the most part, Sanctus Dominus is a fairly peaceful place. As the stronghold of the angels, it is one of the few places the demons rarely dare attack, and when they do they don’t get very far.

The angels were created as soldiers by a besieged God, and they behave as soldiers behave. Though ostensibly good, they have little tolerance for those who do not follow their stringent ways. The demons force people into slavery, and the angels allow so little freedom that it is a stretch not to call it slavery. It is particularly vexing to the angels that the nature of man is unpredictable; demons are evil, angels are good, and men it seems may be either or neither. Even more bizarre, the nature of a man can change, the good can fall and the evil be redeemed.

Most people sought sanctuary by the angels, content to accept virtual slavery over literal slavery. Some even sided with the demons, often out of a desire for vengeance for perceived wrongs. A few, however, chose neither side. They hide in the shadows, keeping their heads low and watching for opportunities to strike back. These men and women formed the many resistances.

For the longest time, the resistances were disorganized pockets which often fought amongst themselves as much as the outsides. This has changed in recent years, though, as new goals have been presented to rally the resistances. The latest research by experimental theologians suggests a startling discovery: the demons won. They killed god. That is why the war was allowed to spill over into our world, and it will never end.

This has lead to two new strategies for the resistance fighters, and three new coalitions.

The Resurrectionists want to bring god back to life. They are by far the largest of the three coalitions, and are even beginning to gain support among the angels.

Next are the Neo-Deists. They are lead by a man named Joseph Carnegie, a man who is convinced that the only solution is to create a new god. Namely, him. The last one let this happen, and if they resurrect him the same thing will happen again. Carnegie was one of the experimental theologians who first discovered the truth about god, and he is perhaps the most brilliant human mind to ever live.

He’s created a machine which will take a soul, whether human, angel or demon, and infuse it into someone else. He uses this machine to empower his own followers and himself, but he has a bigger target in mind. He believes that somewhere in heaven god’s soul still exists, even if god’s been killed. He intends to find it and take it for his own, elevating himself to godhood. Unfortunately, the only known rift to heaven is in the heart of Sanctus Dominus.

Finally, there are the Nihilists. They have taken a different lesson from the revelation of god’s death: the immortal can be killed. When an angel or demon dies, it is just its flesh which is defeated. Its immortal soul returns to its home realm and it lives anew, ready to continue the fight. The Nihilists seek a weapon which can destroy the soul, hoping to end the war through sheer attrition.

When its terrible hunger wells up, Unicron reaches out to the worlds of the mortals. It cannot go there directly, but it can play in the dreaming minds of the insane. There it delivers unto them terrible inspirations to create a type of artificial life, a being known as a starforged. The starforged, in turn, act as agents of Unicron and work in secret to summon him, to feed upon the world.

It so happens that on this world, there was a man the legends call Shaynis. Shaynis was an artificer of the greatest caliber, and none since have ever matched his ability. None could have suspected, though, that Shaynis got his inspiration from his dreams, from Unicron.

Shaynis was no fool, however, and saw Unicron’s plan. He used the knowledge that had been gifted upon him to create another line of beings, like the starforged, but in these he imbued the eternal light of goodness. He dubbed them the lifeforged, and set them to their task of preventing Unicron’s summoning.

The first and greatest of the lifeforged was known as Primus, and he lead the rest in battle against their kin. Collectively, the lifeforged and chaosforged were known as warforged, for they were forever fated to be locked in bitter war with one another. The lifeforged fought a losing battle, though, and were forced to the edge of extinction.

As the starforged prepared to summon Unicron, Primus rallied the few remaining lifeforged to stage a final, desperate attack. All seemed lost, but things are not always as they seem.

The great dragon god Bahamut had been following the plight of the lifeforged, and saw that they were a noble people fighting a selfless fight. In the darkest hour, when only Primus remained, Bahamut intervened. He transferred a bit of his divine essence into Primus, elevating Primus to the status of a god.

Even so, the battle was hard-fought, for Unicron had already begun to enter our world. Primus only barely managed to banish Unicron back to its foul home, and used the remaining bit of his power to destroy the spark of life animating the starforged. Spent, Primus faded away from the realm of mortals, to the realm of the gods.

In time, new artificers would find the inert warforged, star- and lifeforged alike, and learned to create new ones. Most of these new warforged worship Primus, but a few have rediscovered and reclaimed the banner of Unicron, which they believe to be their true father.

The mantles of starforged and lifeforged are a thing of the past, though, for modern warforged are all physically the same. Some choose to go by the old names, but most don’t even know of the names, never mind their significance.

Those devoted to the Dissonant Chorus come from all walks of life, but it is especially popular amongst the poor, the wretched and the hopeless. They believe that life is naught but misery, and the end of life is something to look forward to.

To them the afterlife is a glorious song your soul joins after shucking its mortal shell. However, one must be ready to join the song when they die; otherwise, they will be cast out and given a new, chaotic, miserable life. As such, adherents spend their lives learning to be in tune with The Voice.

The churches of the Dissonant Chorus are defined by a large, spacious hall designed with acoustics in mind. The overall shape is not entirely dissimilar from a massive flute, and when an entire congregation sings together it can often be heard for miles around.

They frown on instruments, believing such implements to be crutches for a weak soul. The only instrument a chorus-member needs is their voice.

They sing hymns without lyrics, characterized by long, drawn-out notes and a slow melody. The songs of the Dissonant Chorus are often hauntingly beautiful, and wealthy members of society often leave large donations to the church in return for having a congregation sing at their funerals.

There is a small sect within the Dissonant Chorus known as the Entropic Enclave which takes the teachings of the church a step farther; they seek to reunite the entire world with the Voice of Creation once more. To this end, they seek out an artifact known as the Apocalypse Chime; it is said that the tone of the chime is capable of unmaking reality and purging the chaos from the Voice once and for all.

The Enclave is fairly obscure and completely unknown to the general congregation, and even to most of the clergy. It is a shameful secret the heads of the church wish to keep under wraps, while trying to root out and destroy its members.

They do not believe the Apocalypse Chime exists, but if it were ever found it would provide them with a serious dilemma. On the one hand, they truly believe that life is misery and death a blessing; on the other hand, they fear the ramifications of the chime.

Destroying so many who are not yet in tune with the Voice could prove catastrophic, creating even more chaos, dissonance and misery than already exists. Or it’s possible the Chime might drown out the Voice, replacing it with something else, something worse.

The Matiks, as they are known, worship irrational numbers as gods, believing that the fact that such a number can not be written down explicitly is proof that they are divine entities unable to fit in the mortal realm. Their primary god, Apeiron, is the number pi, the ratio between a circle’s circumfrence and its diameter. They also worship the square roots of prime numbers and other irrationals.

Some of their most popular gods include:

Apeiron (pi), the Overgod, the Champion of Logic. All Matiks worship Apeiron, though some more so than others. In particular, Matik priests and scholars are most likely to be devoted primarily to Apeiron. Apeiron is ever present and represents the many cycles of life, such as the seasons and of life and death.
Portfolio: death, knowledge, life, logic, mathematics, weather

Shivani (√2), the Nurturer, the Lover. Shivani is largely worshipped by those Matiks wishing to have children, by farmers, but most Matiks pay her at least some respect on a regular basis.
Portfolio: earth, fertility, love

Theoris (√3), the Innocent, the Jubilant, the Trickster. Theoris is usually represented as a child, a care-free god capricious as the zephyrs which are his domain. Matiks devoted to Theoris are usually entertainers of some variety, and Matiks beseech Theoris for his favor at celebrations and holidays. Theoris is also known to play tricks which, while being innocent in intention, often turn out to have bad results for those involved.
Portfolio: alcohol, celebration, humor, pranks

Abdalla (√5), the Quester, the Seeker, the Traveler. Few worship Abdalla in general, and those that do include adventurers, missionaries and sailors. More often, those about to take a long journey, particularly at sea, or undertake some difficult or dangerous task seek Abdalla’s guidance.
Portfolio: luck, travel, water

Serapsis (√7), the Ender, the Destroyer, the Judge.
Serapsis is as close to a “devil” figure as the Matiks get; he is not truly feared in the traditional sense, but is seen as a stern, harsh and impartial judge.
Portfolio: harvest, fire, law, punishment

This is but a small sampling of their gods. There are quite literally an infinite number of them, and the Matiks are always seeking out new ones. Discovery of a new irrational number is a cause of joy and celebration among the religion.