Tales of Sosun: Tahlor

In a world where humans and demons co-exist, Tales of Sosun: Tahlor tells the story of Ro'ark, Son of Gorgo; Swordsman Fido; and Ethel the Merchant, fighting to reap what they truly think is rightfully theirs. Tahlor is a competition held in Sosun, a world governed by demon gods, in which various races of humans and demons exist. It is a publicly acclaimed event that runs for six months, spanning across every corner of Sosun, as a part to celebrate Sosun's god and god of all demons, Beherit. Anyone is legible regardless of race, gender, age, culture or god, with the only exception that Demon Gods are not allowed to partake. Tahlor's objective is simple—every decade, Beherit will hide her talon (claw) somewhere in the vast expanse of Sosun. The first to find (or the first to touch) Tahlor would be crowned the champion, and be granted any wish the champion has. The only wishes not permitted are 1.) overthrowing Beherit as the God of Demons, 2.) dissolving the structure of the demon gods, and 3.) destruction of all living things. This leaves a vast array of possible wishes—riches beyond imagination, a prolonged life, the healing of any ailment or disease... even becoming a god. A coalition made in strange circumstances and wrought with distrust, the trio will soon learn that the world has more to offer than their ambitions. Tahlor is set in the world of Sosun, presided by eight demon gods in an ancient world. The three's identities are intricately woven into their gods and their culture, and Tahlor will soon push not only their powers, but also their resilience.

Sosun

The world of Sosun is presided by seven demon gods, with an overarching god of all gods, Beherit. Demons here do not have connotation of evil; rather, it is an umbrella term that specifies creatures that have access and harness a natural, elemental power, and can access the mirror world of Ferno, where all demons are birthed. Sosun can therefore be called the "human world", where the human race reside. While demons are born under a specific elemental power to a god, the human nations of Sosun each follow a single god. While all demons defaultly have access to their respective elemental power, a few skillful humans can access this power through training... some even by birth.

Demon Gods

Sosun is overlooked by six demon gods, with Beherit as the god of all gods. Being a demon god is more akin to a title than the borne right to rule; while there may only be seven demon gods, different demon gods may replace some demon god at any point of time. The title to a demon god is achieved through defeating the previous demon god; any demon or human may challenge this title, though "human" demon gods are (quite unsurprisingly) extremely rare. The overtaking of a demon god is seen as a natural process, and is neither encouraged nor prevented.

Beherit, God of all Gods
Also the God of Space, Time and Creation, Beherit is responsible for the birth and death of all living creatures, as well as celestial bodies. Beherit holds the key to the balance of the world, and is culturally worshiped at the birth and death of things (older scriptures also refer to Beherit as the God of Fertility). Unlike other gods, Beherit has no physical form, and does not show herself with the exception of the shedding of her talon for Tahlor. It is said that Beherit takes the form of a bird. She is generally worshiped alongside the worshipping of individual gods. Beherit is the only god to hold the title of Beherit, God of all Gods.

Gorgo, God of Fire
Also the God of War, Destruction and Wrath, Gorgo is worshiped for victory in any and all altercations, and channels the elemental power of fire. Whether by fate or luck, successors of Gorgo are usually temperamental, and Gorgo has had many demons that held the title. As of the 100th Tahlos, the current Gorgo is named Omun, a baphomet wielding weapons of flame. Omun has been Gorgo's longest successor yet, and is faithfully worshiped by Sosun's nation of Ignis, known to be the most volatile and conquest-loving nation of all Sosun's nations. Omun as a Gorgo has been the most feared god yet, mostly due to his tendency to turn a blind eye when Ignis demands war with other nations. 

Leviathan, God of Water
Also the God of Purity, Peace and Envy, Leviathan is worshiped by the nation of Aecor, whose natives are (quite rightfully) made up of sailors and fishers. Known to be peace-loving, and the god who visits Aecor annually to guide its people, the current Leviathan is named Lotann, a large demon serpent said to dwell in the depths of the ocean. Leviathan is seen as the most "peaceful" god, whose title has been passed down to Leviathan's most loyal and capable successor rather than fighting for the title. Comically, Omun is always in friction with Lotann, reflected by the tensions between Ignis and Aecor's population.

Mammon, God of Earth
Also the God of Wealth, Humans and Greed, Mammon oversees the largest human nation in Sosun, Terra. The current Mammon is named Gaia, said to be a large turtle, thought to be the very island of Terra itself. Mammon is largely dormant and only interferes with human life in dire situations, which may give the illusion that natives of Terra do not worship their god. Gaia is also said to be an extremely ancient demon, having known Beherit from the beginning of time. Due to the god's dormancy, followers of Mammon must be devout to harness the power of earth.

Lucifer, God of Light and Darkness
Also the God of Vengeance and Pride, Lucifer is the only god to hold this title. Lucifer is said to take a human form with two heads, one of which are awake depending on the time of day. Lucifer presides over the island of Dies (Di-yes), a small nation mostly made up of monks and their families. Followers of Lucifer are famously known to be devout to their god, but the nation is mostly in isolation. Lucifer is known to be extremely involved with his followers, rumored to even live amongst them as a human. Lucifer is also one of the oldest demon gods, besides Beherit and Terra.

Beezlebul, God of Spirit
Also the God of Wind, Living and Gluttony, the current demon god of Beezlebul is named Vayu, said to be a hivemind of sylphs. Beezlebul's followers have no nations, but rather clans of nomads that practice a religion of magic. Those who worship Beezlebul are said to be masters of demons, able to summon them from the demon world Ferno to become their familiar. Due to their victinity with demons however, worshipers of Beelzlebul are greatly feared from suspicions of overtaking the human world. Some clans have been "cleansed" by other nations from this fear.

Asmodeus, God of Nature
Also the God of Animals, Harvest and Lust, the current demon who holds this title is Artemis, a demon that takes the form of a deer. Asmodeus is known to be a god worshiped only at harvest, though presides over no nation. It is said that Artemis lives in the forest amongst the animals, and that all animals worship Asmodeus in some shape or form. While Asmodeus is not a commonly worshiped god, she is known to be generous to those who celebrate her existence. Many farmers pray to her for good harvest.

Belphegor, God of Knowledge
Also the God of Enlightenment and Sloth, the current demon who holds this title is the demidemon Scientia, daughter of the first Belphegor, as well as the third demon to hold the title of Belphegor. As a half-human, she presides exclusively over Doctrina, a small island dedicated to scholars and philosophers as a school of sorts. Scientia herself is a teacher in Doctrina's school, as a preacher of Belphegor's religion. Her humanity makes her accessible to human governments, and she is often the mediator between the two races.

Tahlor

Tahlor is an event held every ten years to celebrate Beherit, the God of All Gods. At the year's first full moon, lasting six months, Beherit hides her talon within the expanse of Sosun for anyone to find. The first to find (or the first to touch) the talon is crowned the champion of Tahlor, and Beherit would grant the champion any wish. While the event is seen as controversial to some, it is seen as the world's natural evolution. Wishes have varied from infinite wealth, eradication of disease, requited love, or even long lives. Those who participate in Tahlor have extreme determination to reap their reward, for Beherit can grant them anything.

While there are no rules of who can participate (with the exception of the demon gods, who are barred from participation), most nation officials do not participate as it is generally seen as a way to go against their god's order. There is a stereotype that Tahlor's competitors are evil, or worshipers of Gorgo or Mammon. A variety of races of all shapes, sizes and power have won Tahlor, and their wishes have made changes to Sosun minuscule and large. Tahlor's last champion has wished for the ability to master alchemy, which Beherit granted through Belphegor. 

Cast (Protagonists)

Swordsman Fido
Fido is a follower of Beezlebul, and the last remaining member of Torjyre clan, formerly known for the ability to wield demon swords. Having been cleansed by militants of Ignis, Fido has sworn vengeance ever since. His wish upon winning Tahlor is to severely punish those responsible for the genocide of his clan. Quite-footed and a lone wolf by nature, Fido had hoped to rely on his intelligence to win Tahlor. His connections allow him to move fast and without a trace; he infamously resents company, but the bards say that it's because he's afraid of losing those he loves, so he tries not to get attached to other people. He wields a demon sword Fabio, whose personality is the opposite of every aspect of his master.

Ro'ark, Son of Gorgo
Ro'ark is the demidemon son of Omun, the current Gorgo, expelled from Gorgo's palace for his temperament and brashness (even by Gorgo's standards). Determined to prove his worth once more, Ro'ark has vowed to overthrow his father and become the new Gorgo. While he has created an alliance of his own demons who hail him as Gorgo's rightful heir, Ro'ark's wish upon winning Tahlor is to become Gorgo. Ro'ark has competed in Tahlor for centuries and have come extremely close to winning in many instances, with his impulsivity and distrust being his downfall. Hotheaded and thick-skulled, Ro'ark is determined to make this his last Tahlor once and for all. He has a skull familiar named Calvaria.

Ethel the Merchant
Ethel is the covert follower of Prudentia, the former Belphegor banished by Beherit herself for encouraging humans to transcend into demons. While legend has it that Prudentia has been banished to the darkest depths of Ferno forever, followers like Ethel know that she lies in the dark, waiting to overtake her sister Scientia. Ethel has usurped the powers of a demon, giving him access to Ferno, with a cost that he smugly keeps quiet. A former follower of Leviathan, Ethel's wish upon winning Tahlor is to reinstate Prudentia as the rightful Belphegor... but even then, the snake-eyed merchant might have plans of his own, independent of the very vulnerable Prudentia.

While the three started out alone, unlikely circumstances have brought them together, while fending off militants of Ignis under Omun's command, who wanted to test his son. Forming a reluctant pact, the three agrees to find Tahlor as a team, deep down knowing that only one of them could be crowned champion.