Branches of Hell on Earth

The Monarchy's influence towers before you. If you are hungry you will be fed, if you are thirsty they will lead you to fountains overflowing with wine. Just remember... the King and Queen make the rules here, and not abiding by their word can land a demon (or human) in grievous harm. Just stay in your place.

The Monarchy was the first branch of Hell on Earth to form and certainly keeps a big head about it. The 'royalty' of the court is blasphemous even to Satan, as each ruler is said to either speak for Satan or be a part of Satan himself. They huddle in their own kind of 'civilization.' On the outskirts of a large human city they settle in wait, hiding their home with strong magic. Only demons judged for their skills are given access to the world outside of their hidden home; they are set out into the world to spread havoc and bring back humans. Look out, city. These guys are zealous assholes.

The Boundary: He who controls the boundary controls the demons within it. In 2 A.B, Raja, the soon-to-be first king of the Monarchy, discovered an in-tact demonic rune, likely cast from Hell along with the first wave of demons. This rune gave the demon who found it enormous strength, and with it they used the rune as a power source for invisibility. While an individual demon can shroud the eye of humans, this powerful rune could shroud an entire plot of land from sight. And so the boundary was set on the outskirts of a human suburb and within easy travel distance of the city. It keeps any and all within it safe and causes humans to subconsciously feel the need to avoid it, though they have no idea anything is there at all. The barrier is permeable, but that doesn't mean the ruling class allows members to simply leave its safety without permission.

The boundary hides about five acres of land, mostly open shrubland, with the exception of a small abandoned house at its edge. This is a two story house with a chunk taken from the roof, and the walls themselves are set at a slant, as if the house intends to topple someday. The "throne room" sits upon this top floor, taking up the room for which the sun shines in. The throne itself rests amid a sunbeam. Only those in the good graces of the royalty are allowed to live inside the house, and are called the "Court." Otherwise, demons within the Monarchy have to figure out other means of housing. This usually ends up being burrows for low-class demons, and small 'houses' made of scrap human junk for those who are allowed to leave and return.

Government: The King and Queen rule all under the Monarchy, obviously. They make the rules and enforce them. There is no election; the King and Queen are tyrannical rulers who fight to keep their place. It's said that the King speaks for Satan, or is a part of Satan himself. The Queen in turn, by being chosen by the King, has some special part in Satan's so called "plan" as well. To become the new King you must either be the crowned heir of them or, as one may imagine a demon might do, plot an uprising to kill and replace the current monarchy. Sometimes, when there is no viable heir for the King, a princess may be crowned as heir to the Queen instead. Children of the King and Queen are princes and princesses.

Beliefs: Those who faction under the Monarchy naturally believe that Satan put them onto Earth to bring on the end of days. "He didn't kick us out," they say. "He put us here to serve him!" And usually, by extension, this includes serving the King and their Queen as they are a part of Satan's so called plan. Both Hellborn and Earthborn demons are forced to stay within the bounds of the Monarchy's home (outsiders may even call this a prison) unless they are ranked appropriately. Those who try to leave these bounds without permission will face punishment. Otherwise, those who are allowed to leave only do so to help the Monarchy's cause. 

Members of the Monarchy collect human souls. This is done by causing the human to become corrupt in any number of ways or exchanging a gift for the soul (see 'Gift Giving' in the general species guide). Currently they are working on figuring out how to turn the humans directly in demons, but nothing has come of this yet.

Laws:
1. OBEY THE KING AND QUEEN.
2. Pledge to act in accordance with Satan's will and spread sin to humanity.
3. Beget spawn that will be raised in line with the will of the Monarchy.
4. Stay within the barriers that hide the court unless ranked appropriately. 

Punishments:
Blasphemy: Openly refusing to worship or obey the will of Satan. Result: Offender will be re-educated.
Disobedience: Refusing to respect the position of royalty. Result: Getting expunged from the branch.
Wandering: Leaving the barrier without permission. Result: First offence is a warning, second offence one is labeled as a dissenter and may come before the king and/or queen for judgement.

Ranks:

Branch Member: An ordinary member of the faction with no outstanding tasks. They stay within the boundaries, tending to the needs of those above them and keeping their home in good condition.
Requirements: None

Acolyte: A member who has been acknowledged and granted permission to leave the home base; they are commanded to seek out and keep human souls. They are the true work force of the Monarchy, squatting in human homes. The weak will usually stick to the task of pretending to be a pet while secretly leading the human astray, while the revered acolytes are able to reveal themselves and cause the human to submit their soul to Satan.
Requirements: One piece of art that isn't a reference sheet

MORE TO COME

The forest is filled with demons. Watch your step. For those who turn their nose up at the squabbles of the human world the woods can be a great balm. And if a lost human comes trotting down the path, well... they won't be leaving. 

The Feral were formed out of spite. They refused to fall under the rein of the 'royal' Monarchy. Besides that they despised the crowded human towns and cities; they JUST got out of an equally crowded Hell, so why would they want to go right back? They are semi-organized, with their leader being called the 'Overseer,' as they oversee the loose operations to keep the forest-footed faction held together. While the Overseer will still keep their underlings safe and hidden... they're really no less ruthless than the Monarchy's tyrannical king. The Feral are just under a coat of different paint.

Though The Feral don't like humanity, occasionally a member who is displeased with the life style may break off and become the pet of a human.

The Territory: Unlike the Monarchy the first Overseer Agatha did not have the help of a powerful rune to hide their home. Luckily the Feral reside within a deep wood, the only signs of humans being the spread apart county housings miles from the edge of their territory. And, were they ever to feel too exposed, the presence of spiraling cave systems make a good hide out. The most the demons here have to fear are the bears and coyotes.

The Feral claims to own and patrol about twenty acres of land. However, as it stands this is likely exaggerated, the number being closer to thirteen or fifteen. Individuals and family units usually take residence somewhere within the vast expanse of territory and settle. They make dig burrows, live in caves, or build small houses out of natural materials like fallen logs and mud. The Overseer lives closer to the center of the territory at the mouth of a wide, squat cave. Those who desire more protection or a raise in rank live closer to this cave.

Government: The Feral are seen as a 'pack,' or a loose family unit. The weak obey the strong, and the strongest is always the Overseer. The Overseer keeps tabs on the territory and makes visits to pack members who request help or an audience. Anyone is free to challenge the current Overseer for this position, but it is not necessarily a glamorous position. While the Overseer helps their members they are also meant to be strong and violent, viciously keeping control of their members as they please. The Overseer does not need to be killed to relent their position, and may step down willingly only if their opponent is truly better than them. Children of the Overseer are not seen as anything majorly special, though the Overseer may show favoritism.

Beliefs: The Feral are not all Satan worshiping zealots like those in the Court of the Monarchy. Indeed, many of the Feral may be remorseful of being a demon. Not everyone who goes to Hell is a Satanic fiend. Because of this some members of the Feral openly dislike those from the Monarchy and try to keep their children away from them at all costs. 

The Feral simply want to live their lives, having lost their care for the apparently impending apocalypse long ago. This may seem nihilistic to outsiders, but it's how the majority feels. So Satan abandoned them. Who cares? To some they appear aloof with no sense of direction, but that's not all true. Living life to the fullest while avoiding the annoyances of humanity seems as good a direction to the Feral as any.

The Feral have various degrees of dislike towards humanity. Some hate them and will kill any who get too close, some dislike them and drive them away from the woods, and some are neutral to them and simply avoid them. Unlike the Monarchy those in the Feral do not care to actively corrupt or take the souls of humans.

Members of the Feral may come and go as they please, unless certain laws are broken. Canary is not a prison.

Laws:
1. The strongest will prevail.
2. Leave people be unless they have wandered into Feral territory.
3. Disagreements should first be settled between demons. Do not call the Overseer unless it can not be settled.

Punishment:
Frenemies: Becoming open friends with a human. Punishment: Being driven from the territory.
Being Annoying: Bugging the Overseer over something they deem stupid or unworthy of their time. Punishment: Extra chores.

Ranks:

Pack Member: An ordinary member of the faction. Has no outstanding skills. Usually stays closely within the territory and helps care for the group and environment.
Requirements: None

MORE TO COME