User:Vp1940/God's Demon

"God's Demon" is the first of three planned novels depicting the unique vision of Hell as developed by world famous artist Wayne Barlowe. This particular version of Hell was first introduced in Barlowe's imaginative collection of paintings Barlowe's Inferno, and further expanded on in the followup collection Brushfire: Illuminations from the Inferno (the later consisting mainly of portraits of characters presented in God's Demon).

Though the particular details of Barlowe's Hell have changed slightly from Barlowe's Inferno through Brushfire, by the time God's Demon was published they were ironed out into a more cohesive narrative. An example being the main protagonist Sargatanas, who is described in Barlowe's Inferno as being the "Revealer of Hell" and answerable only to Astaroth and the "Darkness which lies under all of Hell". Whereas in God's Demon, Astaroth is more a mentor figure than a superior, and there are several other Demons Major who outrank Sargatanas. There is also the finalized ruler of Hell Beelzebub, not the vague Darkness under Hell. The subtle changes are many, but not breaking, and shows just how much time Barlowe spent in refining his world.

Though heavily inspired by Paradise Lost and other medieval depictions of Hell, God's Demon is a wholly unique outlook in that it presents the Demons in a constant state of petty warfare and internal bickering. In fact the human element often gets crushed under the political narrative of the Demons, until thrust into view again deliberately.

Overview of Barlowe's Hell

Barlowe's Inferno

The first of Wayne Barlowe's published books on his vision of Hell. Many of the basic principles and characters which appear in God's Demon originated here. The book was a collection of original artwork by Barlowe, with a loose narrative of his imaginary visit to the Inferno, and he artistic recordings within.

Pre-Lucifer Fallen Angels

It is stated that Hell being used by God as a place of punishment and imprisonment predates Lucifer's war by a considerable amount of time. In God's Demon there are a few beings which are stated explicitly as predating the fall, most of which find their way into the events of the story.

• Lilith

• The Watchers / The Grigori - The Grigori, or Watchers are among the earliest heavenly sinners (though Barlowe never specifies their particular sin, we must only conclude its the traditional view of breeding with humans) who were cast down to a then nearly vacant Hell. These titanic winged creatures were so massive that long after they fell, their enormous corpses formed literal mountains on the infernal landscape. The Monastery of Azazel, a church constructed upon the fallen Watcher of the same name, is depicted in Barlowe's Brushfire. Another Watcher, the only one mentioned to still be alive directly in God's Demon, is trapped in a living prison under Dis itself. Referred to as Semjaza, most likely a variation on the Watcher Samyaza, his torment was so profound that Beelzebub symbolically built his Keep above the prison, and Semjaza's wails trembled the city periodically ever since.

• Moloch

Demonic Hierarchy

Barlowe's Hell is a very structured place in a military sense. All demons have a place and rank, seemingly in accordance to their position in Lucifer's army before the Fall, though rank can be gained and taken away in Hell itself by the various Demons Major to their underlings.

Supreme Ruler Lucifer

One of the most unique aspects of Barlowe's Hell is that Lucifer, supreme ruler of the Fallen, is completely absent from the story. After instigating the war in Heaven for reasons not completely specified, he was thrown into the Pit with the rest of his army, where according to various eye witness accounts, his meteoric descent lit up the sky and and could be seen across nearly all of the Inferno. It is this brilliant display that makes it all the more puzzling that he was never seen since. Various search parties from many Demonic kingdoms had been sent out in search of his landing area, but none were ever successful. The only known facts about him post-Fall is that he remained intact, and had some private time with his former lover Lilith before he gave Beelzebub the ruling power in Hell in his stead, along with Lilith herself as a gift to Beelzebub.

After these events he disappeared, his destination unknown. Its believed among the remaining Demons Major that he is alive and well, and that his power is still supreme. Though it has been thousands of years since the Fall during God's Demon, most demons still do not act against Lucifer's law. The powerful Beelzebub is the only among them to break the letter of Lucifer's law for selfish purposes, but even in this instance it's heavily hinted that Beelzebub still fears Lucifer should he ever return, but proceeds with the seeming knowledge that Lucifer won't be back, at least any time soon. Lilith also makes mental note that her safety is only guaranteed because Beelzebub would have to answer to Lucifer it if were otherwise.

No other reference is made to Lucifer throughout the story, except that even Sargatanas still considers himself loyal to Lucifer, and that if he were to return and order Sargatanas' campaign to end, he would obey. There is not one reference in all of God's Demon which infers Lucifer's word is anything but supreme in Hell.

Prince Beelzebub

Beelzebub is the pro-tem ruler of Hell. Regent of the Infernal Empire and Founder of the Order of the Fly. He's quite literally the Lord of the Flies, being composed of tens of thousands of large flies, each with a face of an angel still in the Above as a defiant mockery of the war. Beelzebub is wholly unique in God's Demon for several reasons. The first of which is his appearance, which by all accounts changes every time he materializes himself by forming together the flies which compose his body into a solid form. He also has the power to form seemingly any shape he chooses with the flies, including mimicking other Demons, and being able to form himself and split his consciousness in more than one place at a time, even cities apart. His power is beyond all demons in Hell save for Lucifer himself. Beelzebub is in fact not a Demon Major by the technical definition. He was created by Lucifer, not God, before the war as the perfect subordinate and loyal right hand man. Little is known about Beelzebub's appearance in the Above, only that his choice of personal mutilation to become the Lord of the Flies was a chilling transformation and statement of his power immediately following the Fall.

He was given command of the fallen demons in Lucifer's absence and rules Hell with an iron fist. He claims to not be held accountable to Lucifer's laws regarding demon civility toward other demons because he is not a Demon Major. Lilith is his royal consort and technical slave, a gift from Lucifer upon his departure, though Beelzebub shows great affection for Lilith, bordering on love. His rage and general emotions all revolve around Lilith and his control of her.

Demons Major

The Ruling class of Hell are represented in the Demons Major. These extremely powerful beings, usually hero Seraphim from Lucifer's army transformed by their chaotic descent, exhibit extreme intelligence and abilities. The most notable of which is their ability to control to a degree their entire physical body. This shape-shifting ability is not always under their complete control, as at times their appearance can shift independent of their own thoughts, depending on mood. Its suggested that the ability is not without confines either, at no point does any Demon Major take the form of anything pleasant, and they do not try to mimic their appearance from the Above, but whether this is personal preference or not is never entirely clear.

The only common characteristic among the Demons Major, and in fact all demons in Hell, is the hole in their chest through which the victorious Seraphs ripped out their hearts before casting them into the Inferno. These holes often glow and flair up when emotions get high within the particular being.

• Sargatanas

Demons Minor

Whereas Demons major were the angelic equivalent of Generals, demon minors were the true soldiers. They all had rankings. everything from below brigidier general would be included in Demon minor.

Role of Humanity

Souls as a Natural Resource

Souls are used as a resource in the fact that they can be made to take on anyshape their overlords wish, most often it is of bricks.

General Hannibal

He is first seen as another nameless soul working on a statue, when he shows some aspect of his former self(unbeknownst to him) Sargatanas gives him back his memory of his former life as Hannible and the permission to create an army of souls

Plot Synopsis

Sargatanas, after the fall, landed in an essentially barren part of hell, with one of the angels that was under him in heaven landing close at hand, over time those two make a circuit of the territory that Sargatanas has claimed as his own, with other fallen angels joining him as they fell into his territory. The story starts a long time after this, Sargatanas has built a massive city that is the most tolerant in all of hell. Sargatanas starts to believe that there is a way for them to regain their place in heaven, assuming that just because they were cast out doesn't mean that they are not watched. In that idea he starts making changes to his city to show the heavenly watchers that he, and by extension his people, have changed. Beginning with the "salvation" of Hannibal. Giving him leave to create an army of souls to use as a spearhead in a war with Dis and Beelzebub. Another step is recreating as close as he possibly can heaven in a secret chamber, with angelic script over the walls, murals of experience from heaven. Throughout the war, it is learned that Lilith has fallen in love with Sargatanas. When she escapes Dis, she goes to ADAMANTINARX for refuge and witnesses Sargatanas' transformation after he prays to God. He does not completely transform back into his true Seraphim form, but as close as his current form will allow. In a final battle at the war gate of Dis, Hannable leads his army of souls into the sanctum of Beelzebub's fortress, but find him absent. It is at this time that Beelzebub is at ADAMANTINARX recapturing Lilith. Because of this, Sargatanas finds him flying back to Dis. In the ensuing battle, Beelzebub lets loose the only watcher that is mentioned to still be alive. Trying to use it as a weapon, Beelzebub finally loses it when Sargatanas breaks his concentration by using a blitzkrieg attack that "kills" Beelzebub, but in the process Sargatanas is mortally wounded. When his guard is finally able to locate his body, after the now freed watcher has moved on; they witness Seraphim coming down from above to welcome him back into the fold, for having fought for the good in them, he earned his place among them once more. The book ends with the "author" (the angel that landed close at hand with Sargatanas in the fall) finishing retelling the story and explaining how the war will go on because of districts that know nothing of the true cause of the war.