Backstory:
Spoiler
In another reality lies a barren world, a world of Demons.
Cold, near lifeless, and ruled by a tyrannical lord, the world was often in a perpetual state of conflict. Not true war, the lord would never allow such. The fighting was often wild, raucous, and excessively violent. This was merely the way of things, conflict in all forms integral to their being.
And while the lord allowed such fighting, they still heeded his orders, whether from he directly, or his numerous children, his advisors, his Deadly Sins. However, despite the eternal conflict amusing him, he found himself wanting… more. A desire for more conflict, more lives to play with, more land to conquer, as he had once done so very long ago.
He consulted his Sins and asked for each to look into solutions. Such a goal resonated greatly with many of them, for they knew such a thing could easily feed their own desires as much as their father’s. Thus, in a rare instance of cooperation, the Sins researched, toiled, and pried. And eventually, they found a solution. A window. One which could allow them to view other worlds.
The lord was pleased with such a creation, and immediately set to searching the multitude of realities, looking for the perfect place to start. Several candidates were eventually found by the other Sins. The lord chose a blue ball known as Earth.
Humanity interested and amused him in equal measure. They seemed to lack the magic inherent to their kind. They seemed so uniform, so helpless, yet they created things to overcome their weaknesses. Such ingenuity reminded them of themselves, in a way. Such a smaller scale, but there was definitely room for such beings as a slave race. Yet he also saw their indulgence and disgust of sin in equal measure. Such a sight made the king laugh for the first time in centuries and solidified his want for these pink, fleshy primates.
And with a word and a snap of his fingers, he ripped asunder the veil between their realities, and within moments, their armies surged onto Earth on every continent, swarming everywhere at once. The initial attack tore apart civilian and military alike. Lesser demons could fall to conventional means, but anything higher merely laughed at such attempts.
The subjugation of humanity was complete within naught but a couple dozen hours.
Humans were forced into slave labor, camps and mines that broke both body and soul as they worked to appease their new overlords. The mere thought of resistance was tantamount to death.
And yet, deep within a mine, one day, somebody snapped. It was common knowledge to the Demons that these humans were just as fragile in mind as they were in body. The quartermaster usually disposed of them in short order, their higher status leaving any kind of retaliation useless.
They appeared, their cat o’ nine tails lashing out. But this merely made the man angrier, as even as the numerous blades of the whip tore open his skin, they threw a punch. A surge of light flashed, and the demon’s face was crushed in a single blow.
Other miners stopped working for once, looking to the one who had struck a quartermaster dead. His arms still glowed, as a set of gauntlets finished forming into place. The first Figment had been awakened, and it changed everything.
Other instances of similar feats occurred. People forming weaponry that could kill higher demons, entire sections of mine being freed. Resistance forming.
And as word of such things reached the ears of the lord, he did not scowl, or rage. No, he smiled. Perhaps these humans were a far more interesting opponent than he believed they were. He quelled some rebellion, of course, but he left some alone. He wanted to see the potential of them, to see what they could truly do.
And the true nature of them became revealed in time. Figments grew in increasing numbers, and soon, the lord of demonkind had the conflict he truly desired from this venture.
Those who wielded Figments were known as Slayers to both human and demon alike. Countless followed in their wake as they exhibited far more power than an average human. War soon followed, as Figment users went from dozens to hundreds to thousands strong, with millions more normal humans behind them.
One by one, the lord’s Sins fell, the humans taking more and more ground. After the Sins fell, the humans reconquering their lands in near entirety, the lord finally took the field.
Hundreds of Slayers died from a single blow from his might. Yet even as he ripped through their ranks, wounds piled onto him. Many of his hundred arms fell apart, one by one. And yet all the while, he laughed. This is what he truly wanted. A challenge, something he had not had for a near eternity. Even as their thrashing limbs bled oceans of lifeblood, he was satisfied.
The lord’s life was ended on that day. Of the Slayers, who had reached ten thousand strong at the time, their numbers were cut to double digits. Yet it was done. The lord of demons had been slain by human hands, and the Sins and remaining demons banished back to their world, their connection that was forged by the lord snapped with his end.
Millennia have passed since these times. Talk of demons relegated to myths, fairy tales and boogeymen for the general populace, even the very idea of Figments lost and forgotten.
But underneath the veneer of normalcy now in place, the Slayers still exist. Orders, Secret Societies, and secretive branches of many governments still carry true Slayers, wielders of Figments. Portals still open from that barren world, emissaries and scouts sent by the still living Sins. Demons have been seeping back into the world, and their numbers are growing. And thus, these groups are now searching, scouring the globe for new recruits, new candidates for harnessing Figments.
The city of Ortus is the most active hotspot for demonic incursion in recent years. Ortus is one of the oldest cities in the world, moving between countless cultures and societies over the years. And unbeknownst to many, it is built atop the very site where the war ended, where demonkind's leader fell.
The veil between worlds is thinner here, a fact exploited by the demons. In short, it is the current frontline, and where much of demonkind's attention is currently focused on.
The veneer of normalcy is well kept, as many Slayer groups operate from here. But the demons too work in secret, amassing followers and cults.
And in time, war will come, and humanity must be prepared for it.
Concepts:
Demons: Demons are creatures sourced from another reality, countless in shape, size, and intelligence. Demons come in four categories: Lesser, Average, Higher, and Lords
Spoiler
Lesser Demons: Primarily animalistic, the equivalent of attack dogs in terms of usage, However, do not think “lesser” means they aren’t a threat. A lesser demon could easily still rip apart steel as easily as a sharpened axe cuts wood. While they are universally unintelligent, they are the most highly varied in terms of form, ranging the entire gamut, from something that almost resembles an earthborn animal to masses of carnivorous sludge. They are the most unpredictable in terms of abilities, as despite the title, Lesser demons can contend with those higher up on the food chain, depending on the demon in question. Most notable about them is that Lesser demons are able to be killed utilizing conventional weaponry.
Average: are one step up. They are at least sentient, if not sapient, but otherwise are not too different in terms of power than a Lesser, the main difference being their capability to use magic outside of simple biological weaponry. Like Lessers, they can still be killed via conventional weaponry, but are significantly more resistant to it, making it mostly impractical to engage in such ways without overwhelming firepower.
Higher Demons: are well respected and feared. Highly intelligent and cunning, Higher Demons usually are those who lead incursions onto Earth, and are the equivalent of mankind’s own commanders and generals. Extremely dangerous, even to Figment users, most Higher Demons are masters of magic, capable of levelling the likes of an entire building with little effort. It is rare that they take the battlefield, but multiple Slayers are highly recommended. Higher Demons are near impervious to conventional means, as they regenerate far too quickly to be killed.
Lords: are, as the title implies, the current leaders of the demons. These include the likes of the Seven Sins along with legendary demons even older than they, who fought alongside the now deceased king during his initial conquest of their world. Supremely powerful, as a single Sin could easily contend with a small army and deal with Figment wielders with little effort without high coordination between them. Conventional weaponry barely even scratches them, and nothing less than a Figment can do real damage.
Such an opponent should not be taken lightly by anyone.
Figments: Figments are an extension of a Slayer’s own soul made physical, and each takes a shape of an object unique to the wielder. Whether it be something conventional like a sword and shield, or something seemingly obtuse, like a weaponized umbrella or a mop that extends into a whip, their forms are as endless and unique as the demons themselves.
Along with these weapons, Figment wielders unlock some form of new ability unique to each individual. This could be anything from super-speed, to more advanced powers such as matter manipulation. Although these powers tend to be relatively weak and limited at first, but as a Figment Wielder grows stronger, so do their abilities
Each possesses an active and an inactive state, the inactive state often being something small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, such a small jewel, a marble, even something as simple as a rock. Like the active state, this varies from person to person.
Theoretically, anyone can be a Figment wielder, but the process of awakening such a thing is difficult naturally, usually only conjured in times of great strife, be it physically or mentally. Groups that utilize Slayers often have their own unique ways of triggering such things as well, varying immensely but still serving the same overall purpose.
While the capabilities of each Figment differ, each still provides a small assortment of enhancements to the individual uniformly, such enhancements growing over time as the Slayer learns to master their Figment.
Spoiler
Physical Enhancement: Figment wielders upon awakening are given a bevy of upgrades to their body comparative to a standard human. Higher strength, faster speed, faster natural regeneration. At first, such things may be quite easy to hide, as said bonuses start out quite small. However, a Slayer grows with their Figment, and in time, wielders may find themselves capable of feats no human could ever hope to accomplish. The strongest Slayers are known to be able to lift cars, outspeed Olympic athletes, and regenerate from lethal wounds in mere days.
Demon Slayer: Figments have the natural capability to negate the natural regenerative properties of more powerful demons. This does not just apply to the Figment itself, but any tool that the wielder uses, allowing more defensive Figments to still be capable of doing damage.
Spirit-Sense: Figment wielders can naturally detect the souls of other beings, be they human or demon. Slayer groups often use this to search for good candidates for Figment awakening, but it can also be used to rout out even disguised demons.
Soul Strength: A figment is nigh indestructible, a bladed figment will never dull, a shield will not be dented, a gun will not jam. The only way a figment can be destroyed is by killing the Slayer themselves. On a Slayer’s death, the figment will dissipate immediately.
Recall: A figment can never be lost. It’s wielder instinctively knows it’s location, or any subdivisions of it, and can recall it to themselves at will.
Setting:
Setting is near modern day, akin to the concept of a School-based anime, switching between both slice of life and action regularly.
Location is centralized to a single city rather than a world-spanning journey. (MORE INFO COMING SOON!!!!)
Main antagonists are the Sins and other Lords as they attempt to disrupt life on Earth. Control of Demons/Sins is allowed, but creators of the RP must be spoken with beforehand.
