FDL = Former Demon Lord
CDL = Current Demon Lord
CG = Chief God
For untold eons The Underworld was a place of torture and punishment for the wicked, and a haven for the legions upon legions of horrors constructed from the very wellspring of evil, and the negativity of all life.
A place of chaos.
A place of despair.
A place of darkness.
A place of The Void.
In the first instances of the FDL’s fall, the exit points to The Underworld were sealed. All infernal magic was severed, and all portals that allowed exit ceased to exist.
After the CDL’s decree to take upon the suffering of all innocent mamono, the absolute next thing she addressed was the primary wellspring from which all former demon lords took their seat of power.
Upon her entry into The Underworld, the CDL offered the separate powers within The Underworld a chance to embrace her rule, and swear full allegiance.
Even now, no one knows for sure how many of the powers in The Underworld refused to submit. But all stories agree; the CDL’s rule was contested by enough of the Powers for both sides to see fit to strike a bargain in a summit whose quill strokes cut The Underworld realm Minauros into several pieces from the power within the treaties signed there.
In the end, The CDL agreed to relinquish six of The Nine Realms to the remaining Powers. They in turn agreed to cast themselves, and their realms into The Void, and allowed any wicked entity to remain behind if they desired to.
Today, the main piece of The Third Realm of the Underworld; Minauros, still receives a steady influx of wicked souls from the other realms that were lost to The Void. Many pieces of Minauros were transformed into other demon realms within their own pocket planes. The most prominent being Wonderland.
The remaining Powers of The Underworld who swore allegiance to the CDL retained their horrific forms, their memories, and took positions of rulership within The Underworld Realm. However their own past wickedness was not forgotten and they are now collectively known as The Wardens of The Endless Prison in the Realm formally known as Dis,
Elevated, to delay their own sentence, and condemned to never leave until the last prisoner pays their penance.
Meanwhile the CDL took residence and transformed the Realm of Avernus and renamed it Royal Makai.
The Three Realms of The Underworld can be described as such.
Royal Makai (Formally Avernus)
Royal Makai, alternatively translated as the Royal Mamono Realm or Royal Monster Realm, is the seat of the CDL and the deepest, darkest mamono Realm in the Monster Girl Encyclopedia world. Upon seizing the seat of power of The Underworld the CDL extended her influence to the remaining three realms, changing them forever.
What was once Avernus, an infernal realm of fire, desolation and despair, quickly became Royal Makai. A realm diverse and more friendly to the mamono who were no longer manifestations of evil and mindless violence.
The mamono energy now found in Royal Makai is so intense that the monster girls are driven to new heights of power and lust, while the mana corruption will sap the humanity of even veteran heroes.
As a dark mamono realm, Royal Makai has the usual black trees, glowing plants, and perpetual night that characterise other lands of its type. Despite its deleterious effects on humans, the place is extremely comfortable for monsters, and trade and tourism flourishes with renewed paths and portals that lead to and from its borders.
This first Realm has since grown and spun off many pocket dimensions and lesser Realms, ranging from fantastical undead kingdoms, underwater fiefdoms, to verdant plant and farming nations.
Royal Makai, and its many offshoots is the primary destination for most worthy Petitioners of The Underworld.
The Endless Prison (Formally Dis)
The Endless Prison is an unfathomable structure that spans an entire realm that is said to be near-endless. What was once a city of glowing hot iron and brass, filled with smoke and screams of the wicked now lies cold. Its oppressive silence now broken only by the sounds of clattering chains, soft footfalls of the guilty, and the whispering winds echoing throughout the streets.
Here, the sentient wicked entities of all existence within the MGE universe end up within its walls and halls. Some inhabitants are still alive, but brought here due to their heinous crimes against the innocent..
For many prisoners, there is no end to their punishments as their crimes were judged by the former CG, with the sentence spanning eternity.
For other prisoners, their punishments are exponentially proportional to their crimes. A murderer of innocents may find themselves reliving every single life that was affected by their cruelty with the pain of their actions multiplied, and coupled with repeating the life of the one they murdered after each individual affected life again and again.
Such Prisoners in the era of the CDL also find themselves needing to traverse across the entire prison for each day of life they must re-live, making their penance last eons upon eons for a single year of life re-lived….all the while carrying the weight of their crimes around their neck. The more they endure their punishment, the more their burden increases as regret upon regret is chained to their feet.
Wonderland (Also; Minauros) .
At a glance, this mamono realm appears to be bright and rich in nature, and the towns are lined with lovely, fantastical structures, but at the same time, there are plants and structures with something off about them, and objects that seem out of place scattered everywhere. A giant castle based on red and white is situated in the middle of the kingdom where the Queen of Hearts lives.
Since it exists in another dimension even from Minauros, one can't enter without the assistance of the Queen or one of the monster residents. Some people carelessly fall asleep, and wind up there before they realize it. Some people get lost on the road, and arrive there after wandering aimlessly. Some people chase after Wererabbits that head off somewhere as if suddenly lured by something. Due to the Queen's prejudice, whim, and arbitrary decisions, many human men and women, monsters, and couples are invited to the kingdom a bit coercively.
Alternatively, Minauros can be described as an endless bog of vile pollution, broken occasionally by serpentine ridges of volcanic rock, deserts of mud and oozing black soil, pockmarked by bubbling fumaroles and mud geysers.
It is the site where all the wicked souls of the lost six realms surface from the fetid swamps. They slowly trudge to the City of Chains that connect to The Endless Prison where they are lifted from the swamp to be judged for their crimes.
The Void
The Void is a place where the primordial concept of all evil is said to have originated.
There is no account of anything ever springing from The Void, and all that enters is presumed to be lost forever.
Inhabitants of The Underworld can be classified into nine categories.
Null = Null is a designation given to a prisoner who has surrendered their consciousness into annihilation to allow their essence to be rebirthed into a mamono
Prisoner = Prisoner is a designation given to a Petitioner who has led a life of wickedness and is to serve a sentence/punishment befitting the crimes it committed.
A Prisoner can choose to forfeit their consciousness to annihilation and allow their essence to be rebirthed into a mamono. Many of the wicked inhabitants during the age of the FLD are classified as either Prisoner or Null.
Petitioner = Petitioner is a designation given to a deceased entity that falls under the jurisdiction of the CDL. These entities can be any living sentient being within the MGE universe. It should be noted; the CG rejects all mamono Petitioners, and all non-mamono Petitioners who are/were bound to mamono from the CG’s Afterlife Realm of Paradise.
For most, Petitioner is considered a temporary designation as the entity awaits judgement. For some, Petitioner is considered a semi-permanent designation reserved for those who lived a life of indifference and selfishness, but not a life of cruelty or evil.
Civilian = Civilian is a designation given to a Petitioner who led a life judged to be good, or a Petitioner who proved themselves in the Afterlife. They gain full access to one of the Mamono Realms of The Underworld as a free individual to spend an eternal life that is free from the harshness of the world of the living.
Citizen = Citizen is a designation given to a Petitioner who led an exceptional life, or a Civilian who toiled in service in the Afterlife and proved themselves worthy.
A citizen enjoys several benefits Civilians do not, but also takes on responsibilities that must be taken seriously or risk having their new designation revoked. They are allowed magical and/or combat instruction / training. They are granted servants, and many other small favors that allow for a life of ease and luxury.
Honored = Honored is a designation given to a Petitioner who led a life that was defined by altruism, good deeds, and kindness, or have toiled to prove themselves worthy in the afterlife.
They are the lowest ranking designation that are allowed positions of leadership within The Underworld as they have proven themselves worthy time, and time again in life, or in the Afterlife. As such, they are entrusted with even greater authority, power, and comfort in the Afterlife. Such a designation is not an indication of nobility as the living would know it- simple peasants and beggars have been known to be blessed with the Honored designation.
Defender = Defender is a designation given to a Petitioner who not only led a good life, but lived protecting others. They are almost always soldiers who served the CDL, but even a simplistic farmer or beggar can be found amidst their ranks.
Not every Defender is granted a position of authority or power, but all defenders are allowed Magical or Combat training above all Designations below their own standing.
Hero = Hero is a designation given to a Petitioner who led a life that was known amongst the living as an example of virtue, courage, and of all things good. No Petitioner can earn a Hero designation in the Afterlife. They are a special class that acknowledged a life’s purpose to serve others above himself/herself.
Not every Hero is a warrior of exceptional quality, or a specimen of uncommon physical or magical strength.
One of the most well-known heroes of the Underworld was a simple trader who risked, and ultimately sacrificed his life by misdirecting Order soldiers off the trail of mamono children refugees, saving hundreds of innocent lives.
Archon = Archon is a designation that can only be earned in the Afterlife. They are the Nobles who directly serve the higher powers in the Afterlife Mamono Realms, proving themselves as servants of the people, rather than themselves.
They are tireless in their efforts to further the virtues of Love, Peace, and Life; serving not only their patron, but all who would seek their assistance despite their past or standing.
Ultimate fate of Null
A prisoner within The Underworld can either choose to fulfill its penance and sentence, or surrender their consciousness to annihilation.
A prisoner who successfully fulfills its sentence is allowed to be rebirthed with its consciousness intact, or continue to work and strive to earn a permanent Civilian designation with no chance of further progression.
When a wicked entity surrenders their consciousness to annihilation, they cease to exist much the same way the former monstrosities under the FDL were annihilated and reformed into mamono.
The essence of the wicked entity returns to the CDL and is repurposed to be birthed into a new mamono creation.
The CDL has no ability / authority to alter the sentence or punishment If a prisoner’s sentence was levied from the former CG. The only choice such prisoners have left is to keep their consciousness and suffer for eternity or surrender their consciousness to annihilation.
END RESULT
When the CDL took her mantle she changed the balance and the supernatural nature of the Afterlife she had dominion over.
1) When the CDL took upon the mantle of being the Demon Lord, she not only changed all monsters into mamono, she also changed the face of the entire Underworld.
The Underworld became a place of eternal comfort to those who were worthy due to the CDL having no authority to send her charges to the Afterlife Paradise Realm that was the CG domain.
All wicked entities still end up in The Underworld, but are under a different application of justice, punishment, and authority.
2) The former Powers of The Underworld will pay penance for their crimes AFTER all other wicked entities have paid for theirs.
The former Powers that served the FDL committed unfathomable and innumerable crimes against existence. However, they were not under the CG jurisdiction or authority and therefore were not judged until the CDL received their vows of fealty. Their current punishment is to oversee the Endless Prison as The Warderns until the last prisoner is set free by annihilation of their consciousness, or successful atonement of their wickedness. Only then, will they be presented with the same options as all petitioners.
3) Inhabitants of The Underworld have several designations depending upon how their lives were spent in either the living world, or the Afterlife.
An inhabitant of The Underworld can effectively live in superior comfort to what one would expect in the land of the living.
A Civilian in The Underworld will find that effort and intention is multiplied many times over from what they were used to in the land of the living.
For instance =
A farmer Civilian will find that maintaining a farm will be five times easier in The Underworld than in the land of the living. The ground is soft to the plow, the rains come when they are needed, and the yields are incredible with no spoilage or rot or pests to spoil crops.
Unless they are prisoners, the frailties and weaknesses of living flesh have passed away. There is no sickness, deformity, injury, or other failings of the flesh and the land of the living.
4) The other Six Realms of The Underworld and the Former Powers that threw those realms and themselves into The Void are lost forever.
The Void is a plot device that effectively “AUTHOR LEVEL” erases whatever is cast into it.
End V.2.0