Chaon (Kay-on)
Kalos hoped he redeemed himself in death. That despite all his faults and all the wrongs he did, he could find a peaceful afterlife. That the Raven Queen would grant him mercy for his final rest. His hope died when he heard the sentences from the Mortens, her loyal followers. He was numb as he was corralled with the others who'd been sentence to Chaon. Chaon. He knew that he made mistakes but he didn't think he caused that much trouble before the end. And yet here he was with other lost souls, many of whom had to be dragged to their destination and pushed through the portal. He walked through like an automaton and found himself in a serene peaceful forest. At first, he thought the Mortens lied to him or played a cruel joke. This wasn't Chaon. It felt more like Archaon or Iekon. Perhaps he did find salvation in the end. He walked through the forest, trying to find his way through the natural maze the trees made. But his hopes were dashed once again as a large black and red creature with barbs and thorns along its body erupted from flames. Two large ridged black horns came out the back of their head. And fiery orange eyes gazed into Kalos's soul as he stood in shock. Behind him were gateways that people walked through, transforming into the most hideous of demons. No... No, this couldn't be his fate. The demon must've read his mind because they let out a barotone laugh, breath of brimstone hitting his face and making him wince. "Did you think that you had redeemed yourself, little Paladin?" It asked, crouching from it's towering stance to be at eye-level. "Oh you did... well, I'm afraid that you are sorely mistaken. The ruin you caused. The hurt you left behind. It was enough to deem you unworthy of the heaven you sought all your life." It motioned to the false heaven behind Kalos which vanished from his view. "You are stuck here. Your sins laid bare. But do not worry because you will continue the work you began in life." It grinned at him and he felt his whole world crashing down. "Welcome to Chaon, my fellow sinner."
Geography
A supermassive rift exists at the center of the Chaon, serving as it's dark heart of malice. Dotted around this realm are an infinite amount of domains tailored to the sins of mortalkind. Here, the chaotic fiends known as Demons fester and are born anew. And Demonic Lords battle for control of sections of the domains or even for the domain itself. Once in a while, a new Demon Lord rises that unites them enough to go on a profane Crusade against the forces of good or some other foe but it isn't long before the Demons back to squabbling once again. The notable regions are based off the seven original sins.
- The Palace of Lust: Too many have forgotten that Lust is not just based around physical desire as first sights of the Palace of Lust made apparent. While yes, there are pleasure gardens where one could sate all their carnal desires, there is so much more. Those who fawn over knowledge, willing to go down the darkest paths, find themselves in the endless libraries, pushed to go deeper and deeper. Adventurers who believe themselves incorruptible are often tempted by these halls and drive to ruin by what lies in them. For those that enjoy the thrill of combat, they find themselves in the arena, where they can battle until the end of days again and again against any foe they want.
- The Fields of Wrath: Those who let their anger drive themselves to ruin may find themselves here. Demons of Wrath fight endlessly, hoping to keep their rage going until they are finally unleashed during Chaon's next Crusade. Countless demons and even Lords have fought here and died there as it is the anvil upon which the strongest are formed. Even Barina the Horse Lord makes her way here to fight against the Demons, seeking any foe that could offer her a challenge.
- The Halls of Gluttony: While Lust is known to be excessive, gluttony is what happens when one lets their desire go to the point of wastefulness. Cannibals who gourged themselves on others of their own kind or noble lords of greed who held onto deposits of food that their subjects could've had to the point where the food rot and famine swept the land. It is also home to those who were enemies to nature, who cut and cut away at the land until it was too much and far too late to save what remained. It is said Heralds of Nero the Ravenous reside here.
- The Towers of Avarice: Those who let Greed consume them until they lashed out at others for it are known to find their way here. These towers built out of precious metals and materials are where the sinful demons and spirits of greed make their home. Where they collect and collect to their heart's content. But they are never satisfied, not truly, and they go out and claim even more or even fight amongst themselves for what they wish. The most ancient Demon Lords reside in the towers, their hoards swelled with conquests of eons past but always eager for more.
- The Mirrors of Envy: Envy is where the broken demons are reforged into what they are meant to be. Envy demons are known to take the weakest and the ones who don't try hard enough and forge them into something greater. Metallic glass is scattered across a barren field where these demons are able to look at the lives they could've had or look at the ones they left behind and see how they live without them. For some, this breaks them further until they finally shape up or become envy demons. Or it drives them, empowers them and invigorates them so that they may finally be pushed to give ruin and reclaim all they lost. Envy demons are the most envious of all in this place as they look at these demons they help and wish that they could do the same. And the lucky ones are those who are driven to act instead of sit in their envy. Demon Lords who have been usurped but not killed reside here, stewing in their anger.
- The Pits of Sloth: When the drive for ruin is no longer enough, this is where those demons reside. Many sloth demons are those who first became demons and are broken by this, residing in deep pits filled with a number of demons. Other demons come back and pluck those they need, using them as tools for whatever schemes they may have. However, some demons delve into the depths and grab the oldest sloths, either to reinvigorate their drive or to probe them for what they know. Former Demon Lords reside here, broken and unable to keep their strength. Some stay here until they fuse into the realm while others might one day regain their ambition.
- The Gates of Pride: Pride is the start of the fall. And as such here is where Demons are born. Spirits who refuse to repent for their actions come here to be born anew as demons. And the most ancient and powerful Pride demons guard these gates as they are both tools to transform and tools to escape Chaon and allow the Demons to escape out to the Astral Paths and other worlds. Another notable feature is that this region has spots that replicate Archaon and Iekon, almost like they're laughing at the souls that they tempted into ruin and making them despair until they finally succumb and become demons. Many major Demon Lords call this region home as this is where they begin to rise their power base, recruiting recent conversions and old demons alike.
History
Chaon came screaming into existence like the rest of the realms during a time before mortalkind. The most ancient and alien demons staked their claim and slumbered. They had no reason to fight because they were assured in their power and did not need to stoke their sins. That all changed when mortals gained souls and the gods of evil stoked the ambition of these fallen souls. The ancient lords were whipped into a frenzy and the fallen souls of mortals were as well, resulting in Chaon becoming the chaotic realm it is today. But the gods of evil who were once many soon fell away, sealed or disposed of by the gods of good and neutrality. Yet the Demons didn't stop their fight, not against good during the Blood War, not against their fellow fiends, and not against the X'ith'ila even as they lost. Even as many more demons become sloth and begin to question their purpose, Chaon's rift still burns like a beating heart. An ever-constant presence that will not stop until it brings ruin to the universe.
Alternative Name(s)
The Great Rift, the Rift of Chaos
Type
Plane of Existence
Inhabiting Species
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