The Four Corners of Hell

In the time before time there were four. A band of rebel angels who joined together to bring down heaven It begans with Samael, who became Lucifer after transforming into the great snake dragon. From there Samael recruited Purgatory, the Angel of Death who bore God's flaming sword. They then recruited Katja and Kharagas, The angels of Love and Mercy. There army would eventually grow to emass one third of all the angels but it was these four that were single out. They would became known as the four corners of Hell.

After the fall would all the renegade angels were cast into the abyss. A new kingdom rose. Lucifer,being the first dragon, ascended to the throne and made himself the King of Hell. He built a palace in the Nevarr region of hell, the only region that is neither burning nor freezing. Lucifer used his powers of will to influence the people of God's new world. By turning their hearts away from the lord Lucifer gained power. Soon he became a physical entity upon the earth and began to spread his seed. He created many demons which infested the world. So horrid was the earth that God sent down Jesus Christ to purify it. When Christ died Lucifer and all his demons were wiped from the earth. Only the vampires survived. Being bastard off spring of demons and men, the vampires managed to cling to life on the mortal plane. This however would be a pivetal event in the history of hell.

For while Lucifer concerned himself with the ways of the mortal world. His friend and ally Purgatory became more and more concerned that his leader had lost sight of the true mission, conquering heaven. Upon Christ's death Lucifer was sent back into hell, he lost his physical form on Earth. When he returned he found his palace burned, his symbols destroyed, and awaiting him was a great red dragon.

Purgatory had transformed, and ascended. By becoming a dragon he had made himself the second king of hell. Lucifer weakened by christ's death was no match for his former allies new form. Since he could not be killed Lucifer was cast into Blastois a great mountain range in hell. To be watched over by the demon Avaris. Following his ascension to the throne Purgatory laid out a plan to topple the kingdom of heaven. To succeed where Lucifer failed.

It was all fairly simple, you see Purgatory believed Lucifer's failing was he sought merely to corrupt men. Purgatory wished to enslave them. To build a religion that would rival the Christian doctrine. To make his church and destroy the church of God. Purgatory set about his plan. He found many willing participants, Soon he built legions upon legions of followers. In time wars began tobreak out between the christians and the newly formed satanic cults. The violent massacres over faith greatly pleased Purgatory however he found one thing disheartening.

There were religions not related to God or the devil. These were known as the faiths of the earth. Religions built around nature such as those of the european wiccans. The faith of these people in the natural world offended Purgatory, but even more so their stance on non-interference of others religious practices. The key to Purgatory's plan was the destruction of all faith by the natural intolerance of man. Purgatory feared that the wiccans could gain sway, that peace might by contagious. Purgatory figured the easiest way to take care of the problem was to seek the christians on them, then offer them a place within his church. They would be dissolved, as well as fight passionately against his enemies.

There was a flaw in this plan, despite convincing the christians that the wiccans were in leauge with him and the christians attack on them. The wiccans still refused to fight. The only answer Purgatory could ever get out of them was that they'd rather die practicing their faith, then live practicing his. This greatly offended him. So he decided there was one last manner to convince them. Christ nor God would appear to sollicit assistance, he however could. By doing so he could sway them with his power and fury. His ferocity would terrorize them and they'd have no choice but to gravel at his feet. Yes he thought, this was a flawless plan.

So it was the night of the new moon, deep in the fall season. Two followers, high priests in the Church of the Devil came before the wiccan elder Lady Athena and presented the skull of a bull. As Athena stared at the animal skull the priests began their chant.

He will rise, He will rise
O Great King of Hell
He will rise, He will rise
Blood will flow for you
He will rise, He will rise
Nothing God Can do
He will rise, He will rise
O Great King Of Hell
He will rise, He will rise

It was the chant that summoned the demon king into the world of the living, at least temporarily. Smoke fled from the bull's skull and soon it began to rise up from the ground. Under a figure appeared, not fully formed, hollow it seemed. But still very much visible. The figure of Purgatory, alive in the world. As Athena watched on in stoic silence Purgatory spoke, "There are two God's in this world. Yaweah God of the righteous, and I Purgatory, the god of Evil. However you stand in defiance of this simple code. You will not take a side. You believe there can be peace, but War is the only way. So now I tell you, the Christians will not take you, but I will." Purgatory awaited the inevitable response. Then Athena said, "What kind of God begs for followers?" "What?!" Purgatory responded, outraged at her audacity. "What kind of God can't hear?!" Athena responded unafraid and unrepetent. "How dare you mock me woman, you have not concept of the power I weild!" Purgatory shouted angrily. "It's funny I've read the ancient text and nearest I can tell you're a fallen angel, and a follower of Lucifer. So not only are you not a god, but you're not even the devil. You're just some strange sub-demon seeking out what assassine since of importance you can get. I worship the earth that which gives me life and nurtures my people. It offers shelter, food, air, water, and all that my people need to survive. All you and the christians offer is fear and threats. What kind of religion, one built on terror? We will not pray to you and we will not worship you. If you send your men to kill us then that is what will happen. We do not fear death, and we do not fear you." Athena says as she gets up to leave. She turns and Purgatory calls out to her. "You know there is a world beyond this one don't you? A kingdom past the kingdom of men. Surely you do not just assume all this is a battle for this wretched plance. You ask what I offer, simply this. You are our followers on this plane, or you are our slaves in the next." Athena and turns back to him as she says, "Slaves in this world or slaves in the next, it's all the same in the end. At least this way we keep our faith." She turns and she begins to walk away, even as Purgatory calls to her she does not turn back. Still Purgatory yells out, " Then I shall see to it that your faith is wiped from the earth, so that your sacrifice is for nothing!"

Purgatory did not lie when he made his intentions known. For it was not but days later that the satanist began attacking the wiccan tribes. Hundreds were slaughtered by both Christians and Satanist. Strange it was that two side could so passionately destroy an enemy that had never done either harm. The years pressed on the once mighty wiccan tribes were reduced to smaller and smaller numbers. Soon the war between the Christians and the Satanists led to what was historically known as the dark ages. Human society was so bogged down with fear of religion that developement came to a screeching halt. Having well over a 1000 years fighting the battles of his former ally. Purgatory had done little in achieving his goal of conquering heaven. Nor had he been able to wipe out the Christian faith. He had not even fully succeeded in annihilating the wiccans. This is what lead Kharagas to seek the throne.

Kharagas, the former Angel of Mercy, was phyiscally similar to Purgatory. Unlike Lucifer and most of the angels Purgatory and Kharagas with both fairly large. While this seemed logical for Purgatory the Angel of Death, it was never really understood for Kharagas. As once cast from hell his position was taken by Gabriel, as a smaller skinnier angel. It is however Kharagas' size that played a large factor in his ascension to the thrown. For when Kharagas created the Man Dragon, his dragon form, it was the largest of all the dragons created. Named the Man Dragon, as it walked on two legs and had much greater use of it's arms. There was no major event that coincided with Kharagas' ascension, as there was for Purgatory. However something greatly unique did occur following it.

Kharagas did not believe he could contain Purgatory in exile. He also feared the possibility of Purgatory aligning with Lucifer. The two together would easily destroy him. So he came up with perhaps the most unique tactic for eusurping the thrown yet. He first went onto earth, and flew out accross the great ocean, there he met with the Metatron, the voice of God. While all the Angels despised the renegades for betraying God. Metatron and Purgatory had an especially hate filled relationship. There was never really a reason, though some have suggested that the Metatron took offense to Purgatory's use of the upside down cross as his symbol. Metatron was God's only link to Jesus while on earth. It is believed that he might have taken Purgatory's blasphemy particularly personally.

Despite their common enemy there was no positive communication between the two. However Kharagas did manage to put his across his plan, which would require the assistance of a being in heaven. Kharagas explained that Purgatory could not be killed in Hell, however he could sent to earth as a child, born into the world with no knowledge of himself, his power would remain dormant. By the time he died and returned to hell he would be far too weak to dethrone Kharagas. Despite his particular ill will towards Purgatory, The Metatron wanted nothing to do with Kharagas' plan. Undeterred Kharagas sought another ally.

This is when he appeared before Lady Athena. He told her of his plan, but she did not know why. Until he told her that with a unbaptized new born child, they could transfer Purgatory into this world. That the child would bare no knowledge of Purgatory, and that it would live it's life as a normal human being. Furthermore, Kharagas promised to stop the armies of the satanist from attacking Wiccans. As he was not interest in their conversion. Unlike the Metatron Athena agreed, under one condition. That she be allowed to raise the child, to be assured that he would never be made aware of his true nature. It was agreed and then the plot was set into motion.

The battle between the Red Dragon and The Man Dragon was fierce. Though Purgatory was more powerful he was out numbered, as all the demons of hell rallied behind Kharagas, as did Katja his sister. Fighting two fallen angels and all the demons of hell Purgatory eventually fell. As promised Lady Athena managed to find an unbaptized new born child, the offspring of a mother who unfortunately died giving birth. Kharagas brought the defeated Purgatory to earth and cast him into the child. It was agreed by all there, that never would they speak of this day again. So began Kharagas' reign as the 3rd King of Hell.

However this is where the story gets interesting. The child was taken by Lady Athena who already had a child, a daughter named Ophelia. Athena named the boy Zacharias. She raised him with intent of shielding him from all forms of combat. For fear that any sense of violence or war might awaken the demon spirit within him. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the church of the devil fell following Kharagas' ascension, there was still much violence. The Christians splintered between Protestants and Catholics, while niether side could agree on anything, they both agreed to kill those who disagreed with them. Wiccans fell well into that catergory.

So Athena and her people became nomads hiding constantly from attack. While this was happening Zacharias was growing, as too was Ophelia. The two grew side by side, nearly the same age they became fast friends. Soon as they entered young adulthood, they became more. At first Lady Athena was worried and discouraged them. But in time she grew warm to the idea, seeing the sweet and gentle nature Ophelia nurtured in Zacharias. Seeing almost no signs of the darkness and evil that Purgatory bore. Soon it seemed the two were inseperable.

As the love between Zacharias and Ophelia grew, the wiccans found a place deep within the woods of northern europe to hide out. There they began to flourish. As Ophelia and Zacharias entered adulthood, it seemed they had all but forgot the fierce and tragic nature of their early years. One night the two young lovers sneaked out and went deep into the woods, far deeper then they had ever been, until they happened upon a great lake. Zacharias playfully challenged Ophelia to go with him into the lake. Ophelia refused sighting there were snakes. Zacharias laughed and took off his clothes, saying he feared no snake. He ran and dove into the water, laughing Ophelia followed close behind. However when he did not immediately reemerge she began to grow concerned. Ophelia walked to the water's edge and peered in. Time began to pass and Zacharias had not yet risen. Her worry increased, she began to call to him but got no answer. Finally she reached into the water to see if she could feel him, but she couldn't. She nealt by the water's edge frantically calling for him, near tears she cried out for him. Then suddenly she was grabbed from behind, she shreiked and was immediately thrown into the water. As she floated up to the service and threw her soaking wet hair from her face, she saw standing on the shore none other than Zacharias, naked and wet, laughing hysterically. Her worry immediately turned to outrage as she stormed from the water and chastized him for scaring her so. Zacharias responded by taking her up into his arms and holding her there. Despite her yelling he just smiled and held her. Eventually carrying her into the water and dumping her back in. She shoved him down and fell backwards dramatically. Apoligizing but still laughing. She finally began to laugh as well. Now that they were both soaking wet, they certainly could not return home and pretend they had not been out. Ophelia pointed out that they would likely both be punished. Zacharias said this was all the more reason to stay out longer. That if they were to be punished it should be a punishment well deserved. They then took the beach of the lake and stared up at the stars. They talked and as the wind began to blow, they found themselves huddling together for warmth. As they looked into one another eyes they began to kiss. However just as their lips touched Zacharias pulled away violently. At first Ophelia was concerned, but then suspicious that he was playing some kind of joke again. Zacharias got to his feet and began to shake and move about violently. He moaned and screamed as if he was in agony. Ophelia was concerned but skeptical. Then Zacharias ran off into the woods. Ophelia ran after him demanding that he stop his joke. However Zacharias was to fast and Ophelia ended up getting lost. She managed to find her way to the path that lead back to her village. But she could not find Zacharias. She hoped he was just joking, and that he would give up and return home soon.

However what Ophelia did not know, what nobody knew, was that while the Christian faith had long forgotten Purgatory's church, as had most of the world, there were those who still believed. A small band of faithful followers had been pracitising ancient spells. In hopes of revitalizing their former Diety. Then on that very night two young followers, Trigo and Maurcio, and Trigo's wife, Belladonna, happened upon an ancient and secret incantation. That required one bull's skull, and one pint of human blood, and to recite the simple song.

He will rise, He will rise
O Great King of Hell
He will rise, He will rise
Blood will flow for you
He will rise, He will rise
Nothing God Can do
He will rise, He will rise
O Great King Of Hell
He will rise, He will rise

And so it began, the dormant spirit that rested within Zacharias for just over twenty years was suddenly awoken. Now the kingdoms of god, man, and hell would shake as the first Corner of Hell rose.