Haidia: The Demon Underworld

[Zieg dil' Tulfried]

Region Name: Haidia (Hay-de-uh)

Table of Contents
I. Location
--A. Portal Description
--B. Portal Emergance
II. Race Percentage
III. Main Locations
--A. Vainta
--B. Hrenta Nodos
--C. The Labyrinth
--D. Great Cave Town and Haidia Forest
--E. Vla’toros
IV. Special Groups
--A. The Demon Army
--B. Deimis
--C. The Six Elven Weaponsmiths
V. Demon History
VI. Dwarven History
VII. Vampire History
VIII. Human and Elf History
IX. Creatures
--A. Flame Dragon
--B. Haidian Bats
--C. Magim Beasts
--D. Vampiric Dragon
--E. Tromboli
X. Demon Rankings
--A. Royalty
--B. Military
--C. Commoners
--D. Criminals
XI. Main People
--A. Theos kar’ Atron
--B. Rakthean dil’ Taros
--C. Johannan ag’ Tranta
--D. Zaketh ag’ Dinmos
--E. Trakos vlor’ Kinron
XII. Calender

I. Location:
Haidia is not located on the surface of Althanas, but rather deep in it’s core. A massive magic powered force field keeps the heat and magma away from the continent, but the temperature of Haidia is warmer than elsewhere on Althanas. This force field is powered by a massive crystal located atop the Magi Tower in the Haidian Forest.

You can only get to Haidia through one of five portals located around Althanas. One is deep within Concordia forest. Another is found on the southern tip of snow-covered Salvar. Another portal is in Raiaera, and has not yet been activated by demon or otherwise, due to intense observation by the High Elves. The final portal is located in western Alerar, in an area run down and abandoned by the elves. The newest portal is located in southeastern Corone.

A. Portal Description - The portal is a large archway covered in ancient runes of magick. Noone knows how it works, only that they do. The magic used has been forgotten. The portal is white, while the markings are blue. On one side of the portal is a panel that sticks out from archway. The panel contains information about the final destination as well as the ability to lock the portal. However, only those who have the proper access code can lock it however. When a person enters the portal, their mind goes blank, a sign of transportation and when they regain thought, they are at their destination. It is said this is because the portal causes intense pain to those who travel and only by 'numbing' the brain can a person endure it.

B. Portal Emergance - The portals exit at one of 4 locations around Vainta, about 1 mile away, except for the Corone portal. It is situated halfway between Vla’toros and Vainta, along the main highway in Haidia. They are arranged like so:

X-------X
----V----
X-------X

X=Portal
V=Vainta

II. Race Percentage:
Demon 75%
Dwarves 20%
Other 5% (Elf 1/6, Human 1/6, Vampire 2/3)

III. Main Locations:
A. Vainta (Vai-en-ta) - The center of the demon civilization, Vainta is the home to most of the demons. The Demon Army is run from this town, as Vainta also holds the castle of the demon lord, Theos kar' Atron(Thee-os). Filled with shops and houses, like any other town, it is bustling with trade and commotion. Crime is relatively low in this town, as the criminally adept demons usually steer clear of Vainta and The Demon Army. Vainta is mostly forbidden to all races except demons. Any who have business in Vainta may enter, but must first obtain a visa from a demon outpost just outside of Vainta. Any others found there will be tossed into the Labyrinth, the castle’s dungeon.

B. Hrenta Nodos (Ren-ta No-dos)- The crime infested pit of Haidia, Hrenta Nodos, or Nodos as the locals call it, is run by the darkness-hoarding group known only as Deimis (Dee-mis). The locals of Haidia steer clear of this place, unless they are in need of Deimis’ services. The Demon Army mostly leaves this place alone, unless they are investigating a crime. Hrenta Nodos accepts all races, as long as they are willing to pay for services performed by the demons.

C. The Labyrinth- The dungeon of Vainta, the Labyrinth is filled with traps and puzzles, and only those who are physically and mentally skilled can escape this horrible place. Guards watch from all directions as the prisoners attempt to escape. Those who do manage to get away are allowed to leave Haidia without challenge.

D. Great Cave Town & Haidia Forest:
The dwarven city that now lies free from all dwarves and the great forest at the center of the continent. The city is a great wooden city, which is now being held by the vampires. They hold it not as much as a city, but as a vampire haven. Any vampire found around Althanas is invited to come live in this haven. Because the sun does not reach down in the core of Althanas, even the most sunlight sensitive vampires can find comfort in this place. The forest is the only source of vegetation and oxygen in Haidia. Standing tall in the center of the forest is the pillar with the jewel that protects all of Haidia from the massive heat and magma. The forest also holds many mysteries unknown to all who live in Haidia.

E. Vla’toros:
A racially mixed city, Vla’toros was once a humble town at the far rim of the cave in which the nation is situated. However, the presence of a Flame Dragon nearby forced the people to find different surroundings. While the dragon burned the town above, the people of Vla’toros made a home in a cluster of caves beneath the main large one. Considerably smaller than the main cave, this group of caves is just as tall as a two story building, or thereabouts. Dera’losta’nofa, Dera for short, is the leader of this small group of elves, humans and demons. One of the six Elven Weaponsmiths, Dera enjoys the fact that this small town can overcome of the differences of the races.

IV. Special Groups:
A. The Demon Army- The Demon Army are the protectors of Haidia. The High General is Rakthean dil' Taros (Rak-th-ein), an impressively strong demon who can take care of many challenges himself. The army consists of roughly 14,000 demons. The Demon Army does not have to obey the crown, Theos, as the founders of Haidia have given them separate authority. ((Zieg is a member of The Demon Army.))

B. Deimis- The “scum” of Haidia, Deimis controls Hrenta Nodos, as well as all crime in Haidia. It is run by Trakos (Trak-os), publicly, but it is rumored that Theos himself controls Deimis to get rid of those in his way. Deimis accepts business from all sorts of people and races. However, those there will be quickly grabbed but the “security” if they appear suspicious.

C. Six Elven Weaponsmiths- Scattered across Haidia are six Elven Weaponsmiths who profess the art of making demon blades. Surprisingly the strong blades that the elite warriors carry are made not by demons, but by the six elves. These elves are very difficult to locate however, but they often come to great warriors of any race and reward them with demon blades of power. These weapons are only as strong as their wielder though so they cannot overwhelm the user.

V. Demon History:
Two thousand years ago a great war raged across Althanas. The demons were attempting to destroy all of Althanas and conquer the world. All of the races of Althanas banded together and halted the invasion forcing the demons to reside in the core of the world. They created four portals and placed each one, inactive, in each of the continents of Althanas. The demons were greatly weakened by the failed invasion and split into two groups, those who wanted to continue to fight those above them and those who just wanted peace in their new home.

Those who wanted peace created the city of Vainta, and they flourished for many years. Those who wanted to fight built the city of Hrenta Nodos, however they continually fought among themselves, and the city never grew to more than a few scrawny buildings. However, the quiet would not last for long. Apparently, the land of Haidia was actually inhabited by a group of unknown dwarves that attacked the growing demon civilization. The demons from the two cities came together once again and destroyed the dwarven army. The victory boosted the morale of all the demons and the two groups began to converse once again. The warring group was content because they had earned this place while the peaceful demons were glad they had all settled down.

The demons built up Hrenta Nodos and it became larger and more sophisticated, although it never grew as large as Vainta. Centuries passed and the groups began to form what is know seen as Haidia. Hrenta Nodos became a mercenary’s guild, due to the warlike nature of the inhabitants while those in Vainta became more of a merchant’s town. However, the Vainta would always despise those of the world above for splitting the demons and would decree that all non-demons were forbidden from the town.

VI. Dwarven History:
1000 years before the Demon War, a single family of dwarves, Flor Flatfoot and his wife, Sio and their two children, Fron and Squi, were exiled from the other dwarves on the surface world. These dwarves had questioned the dwarven rulers and the throne did not let it continue. However, the dwarves were an honorable race and would not kill fellow dwarves, so the Flatfoot family had been exiled from the kingdom.

Dwarves naturally loved caves, and the Flatfoot’s were no different. They sought after a cave where they could live out their lives. They searched through all of Althanas, until they found one that was extremely large. It appeared to go on forever. The dwarven family entered the cave and journeyed deeper and deeper into its massive depths. The trip took many days and when they finally did reach the final room they were nearly out of food.

The final room was larger than any other room in the cave. In fact, it was larger than the entire rest of the cave. Magma flowed freely in the room and the heat would be unbearable for all but the dwarves. The dwarves loved the cave, so they worked to make it their home. They found a massive forest in the center of the cave, so the Flatfoot family, cut down the trees and made high bridges over the magma, as well as a house for themselves. They also began to make a large pillar in the center of the forest. Once it was finished the dwarves placed their family jewel on the top. Unknown to the dwarves, the jewel was a frost jewel and it began to cool the large cave.

The dwarves settled and a civilization began to form. Other dwarves were exiled for various reasons and found their way to the cave, almost as if they were drawn to it. For the next thousand years, the dwarves worked to build a civilization.

Then the demons came. The now large dwarven civilization investigated the demons and found that they were invading the dwarf’s home. They mobilized for war, picking up their weapons and training for war. They attacked the demons and they were defeated brutally. The demons captured some of the women and children and took them for slaves. Even today there are still slaves in some of the homes of the demons, however the dwarven race is slowly falling out of Haidia.

VII. Vampire History:
Vampires were the first inhabitants of Haidia. They have always been here and it seems as though they will stay here forever. The vampires that live in Haidia were once very solitary creatures keeping away from one another except to breed. The vampires of Haidia feed on the blood of those who live in Haidia. Mostly they feed on the Flame Dragons of the area. Their strong teeth pierce the dragon’s thick, scaly hide very easily. The vampires lived very peacefully and very alone.

This all ended when the dwarves arrived. The vampires were always curious creatures and investigated the new smell. The dwarves were very friendly and often conversed with various vampires. Some vampires enjoyed these talks and came often. However there were various vampires whom didn’t trust the dwarves and kept away most of the time. However the friendship between the dwarves and vampires ended when the demons came and destroyed the dwarves. The vampires saw the power of the demons and retreated back to the upper part of the cave. They came together for the first time and discussed what to do. The vampire’s power was limited and they knew that there was nothing in their strengths that could defeat the demons. The vampires did know that they needed to have a place to gather if needed.

Those who did not trust the dwarves, suggested their town. They wanted to show their power over the dwarves. The other dwarves agreed out of respect for the dwarves. The vampires took the Great Cave Town as their own. Many of the vampires entered the town and made it their home, feeding on the land beasts, while others stayed with the dragons, and continued feeding on them. Some vampires have encountered the random humans and elves scattered about, and have bitten them out of curiosity. They now crave their blood and seek it out when it is near.

VIII. Human & Elf History:
The human and elf history in Haidia is very vague. All that is known is that some humans and elves were sent to Haidia with the demons after the war. They lived in constant fear of the demons finding them and killing them so they were constantly on the move.

IX. Creatures:
A. Flame Dragon - The massive beasts that stays in the upper part of the caves, the Flame Dragons are actually quite intelligent. The dragons tend to hide their intelligence, but these beasts can talk in human tongue and can perform simple mathematical calculations. The dragons roust together in a small cave that comes of the main cave of Haidia. The dragons tend to leave those on the floor of Haidia alone, only occasionally coming down to feed or sleep. They are large in size, and tend to have bright red scales and leathery wings. The Flame Dragons feed on the Haidian Bats.

B. Haidian Bats - Haidian bats are like normal bats found around Althanas. However, the Haidian bats have become so dependant on the frost jewel that protects Althanas, they can only be found around the jewel. They feed on small bugs that are attracted to the jewel and are usually eaten by Flame Dragons.

C. Magim Beasts - The Magim Beasts are the main land creature in Haidia. The Magim beasts look like beefed up versions of wolves. The Magim Beasts have wings, but normally they keep to the ground because they eat the worms that are found under the surface of the continent. The special feature of the Magim Beasts is their resistance to magic. Magic has virtually no effect on them. Because of this, the Magim Beasts feel every ounce of heat that is normally covered by the frost jewel. The Magim Beasts are quite territorial and if they find any creature in their territory they will not hesitate to attack.

D. Vampiric Dragon - The Vampiric Dragons are those who have been bitten by the vampires. They are mentally insane, for they cannot understand the change. They only live for a few days after being bitten and have extremely dark power. They eventually kill themselves, unable to overcome the madness. While living, the Vampiric Dragons will destroy anything that threatens them.

E. Tromboli - The Tromboli are large spider like creatures that roam Haidia forest. They have razor sharp spikes up and down each of their eight legs. The Tromboli web is very dangerous, because in addition to being sticky, they give off a glorious scent that draws in who smells it into the web. Only the strong willed can control their senses.

X. Demon Rankings
A demon's rank is easily determined by his middle name, which is followed by an apostrophe. The ranks are used for royalty and military uses mainly. Rarely other titles will be given out for special people. The ranks are as followed:

(Demon Name - Human equivalent)

A. Royalty
kar' - King / Queen
kin' - Prince / Princess

B. Military
dil' - High General
ag' - General
din' - Commander
tal' - Captain
ran' - Lieutenant

C. Commoners
alo' - Blacksmith
tor' - Merchant
ago' - Explorer / Cartographer
dla' - Royal Guard
dos’ - Carpenter

D. Criminals
vlor’ - Thief Master
trol’ - Assassin
teif’ - Thief
abon’ – Mercenary
zleen’ – Murderer / Traitor

XI. Main People:

A. Theos kar' Atron

Race: Demon
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 398 lbs.
Age: 521

Appearance: Theos is a very heavy-set demon, having eaten too many chicken legs. He wears a large royal blue silk robe, tied loosely around the waist by a brown silk belt. Attached to his belt is a waterskin filled with ale, that he often drinks from. He wears comfortable leather boots and a gaudy gold crown upon his head. He has a very slouched stance and rarely stands to his full height.

Attitude: The king of Haidia, Theos rarely takes no for an answer. He can be very persuasive, using threats and other methods to get his way. Though he drinks very often, his mind is never in the gutter, and he doesn't seem to be affected by the alcohol. He does not approve of those who defy him, and he does his best to have them removed. The only person who has the ability to get under his skin is Rakthean dil' Taros, the General of the Demon Army, over whom he has no power.

Other Information: Theos holds half of the power in Haidia. He is a ruthless demon, that lets noone get in his way. He rules with an iron fist and it is said that he uses the minions of Deimis to control his subjects. He seeks to oust Rakthean from command of the Demon Army and take control himself. However, he cannot do this directly, for fear of upsetting the people.

B. Rakthean dil' Taros

Race: Demon
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 342 lbs.
Age: 479 (DECEASED)

Weapon: A large, double-bladed, prevalida axe
Armor: Full Prevalida Demon Armor, impervious to all elemental attacks

Appearance: This muscular demon is the exact opposite of Theos. He always stands straight and proud, and has not an ounce of fat on his body. The demon wears full dark green prevalida armor, that covers his entire body. His prevalida axe is strapped by a leather strap across his back.

Attitude: Rakthean is all about honor and pride. He does get agitated when things don't go his way, but he never lashes out at subordinates unless they deserve it. The one that gets under his nerves is Theos kar' Atron, the king of Haidia. The two of them are constantly arguing and constantly on the other's nerves.

Other Information: The High General of the Demon Army, Rakthean is a no nonsense demon. Since he holds half the power over Haidia, he always listens to requests, then makes a decision based on the information he has. Rakthean takes his position very seriously and uses his troops to the best of their abilities. He is a strategic mastermind and never let's anyone forget it. Passed away recently.

C. Johannan ag' Tranta

Race: Demon
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 270 lbs.
Age: 390

Weapon: Titanium Scythe with a liviol handle
Armor: Full Titanium Demon Armor

Appearance: Johannan is quite thin for a demon. His scythe is strabbed to his side, and deep dark red armor covers his entire body. He appears to be incredibly intellegent, and someone you wouldn't want to mess with in a fight.

Attitude: Johannan is an intellectual and quite proficient at strategy. The opposite in nearly all respects from Zaketh, the Demon General uses his intellect, rather than brute strength to win battles. His comrades, Zaketh, Zieg, and Rakthean all respect him for his abilities.

D. Zaketh ag' Dinmos

Race: Demon
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 421 lbs.
Age: 510

Weapon: Liviol club with mythril spikes
Armor: Full titanium body armor

Appearance: Zaketh is a short stout demon, with a thick head. Orange Demon armor covers his body and his liviol club is stapped to his waist. His brute strength is evident by the size of his body.

Attitude: Zaketh is a demon that thinks before he acts. He lets his strength do his talking and is the exact opposite of Johannan. He often lets his emotion get the best of him and rushed into things head first.

E. Trakos vlor' Kinron - The crime overlord of Haidia, Trakos has immense power in the "underworld" of the realm. The demon is very shifty and never stays in one place for longer than a day. He has many underlings and is quite rich. It is said that he takes his orders straight from Theos himself, but it has yet to be proven. His middle name, 'vlor, is not a normal rank and translates roughly into Trader's Talk as 'thief master'

Calender
The Haidian calender has 10 months, and each month has 30 days. Because of the lack of actual days and nights, everything is very symmetrical on the calender. The current year is 1742 D.W., and this is based upon the beginning of the first Demon War. The Demon War began on Dlero 1, 1 D.W.

Months
Dlero
Kalando
Rekat
Flero
Rostak
Theano
Everanto
Tealo
Tiampo
Deratho