Infernum: Teacher of Songs. (F/M. Freeform but using established setting.)

[Lustful Bride]

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.~Dante's Inferno
In one self-place; for where we are is hell, And where hell is, there must we ever be. All places shall be hell that is not heaven.~Dr. Faustus
“The path to paradise begins in hell.” ~Dante Alighieri

Time has little meaning to those with immortality. Especially when trapped in Hell. In some ways mortals are blessed in that their time is limited before they are transformed by death. It forces them to get their affairs in order. But when you are immortal, you have all the time in Creation to sit on your heels and feel sorry for yourself.

Such is the case with the Angel Zophiel. Though it would be better to call her ‘Fallen Angel Zophiel’.

She was known in her people’s tongue as the ‘Teacher of Songs’. Because when the time came for humanity to be created, the Garden of Eden had to be perfect. Every animal on Earth had to be ready, they each needed their own perfect song. From the Whales that swam in the ocean, to the buzzing of honeybees, to the sound of Robins and Woodpeckers. Every animal of Creation that could emit any type of sound had to be taught by Zophiel. So that when the time came, they could all sing in perfect harmony for Adam and Eve, the two perfect creations built by the Creator.

It was a great honor to bestow upon anyone. She wasn’t even the greatest singer in the Celestial Choir, yet Father had chosen to task her with the grand work or helping build the Garden! All of Humanity would know her work, even if they did not know her name. But it wasn’t enough for her. Why should she waste her songs on short lived animals and those…pathetic sacks of flesh and bone? It wasn’t fair. It felt more like a punishment to her. It was a waste of music, of her power. But no one would understand her, they only kept telling her that she should be honored to have the task, and what a great deed she was doing.

The only one who understood her was the Archangel Lucifer, Father’s favorite…well former favorite. Adam and Eve seemed to have taken all the attention from the Creator, and only Luci seemed to understand it. He spoke to Zophiel and told her of how right she was, how unfair Father was for spending so much time crafting an entire universe for humanity. An unworthy, disgusting, species. He even suggested that perhaps God planned to replace all of His Angels with humans!

So did the serpent whisper into Zophiel’s ear, as he did with many others who would come to join his side of the war.

When the time came and Lucifer’s armies rose up to take the Silver city, Zophiel was among the traitors, singing marching chants for the legions, and deafening some of her own brothers and sisters from the Choir so that they could not hear Father’s orders.

Then came the defeat at the hands of Michael. The legions of Lucifer were broken, and they all fell from Heaven like the falling stars humans love to watch.

It was as she fell all the way from Heaven to Purgatory, to Perdition, that Zophiel began to see the errors of her ways, saw how destroyed the Silver city was, realized how many of her friends she’d killed, how many songs were now gone forever from Creation, that she screamed out one final time.

“Father!”

She felt true pain for the first time when she hit the floor of hell, a pain that hurt even more than being struck by the swords and blasts of fire from her fellow Angels. More and more Fallen landed around her, and each one began to see what they had done.

Unlike all the others who fell to perdition, Zophiel didn’t raise her fists to blame God. Instead, the very first thing she did was cry, her tears turned to steam upon hitting the dirt of Hell, as she wailed and screamed, sobbing, and pleading. She begged for Father to forgive her, she knew that she’d done wrong, but she swore she’d never do it again.

There was no answer. God would not speak with her or any of the others.

Everyone who fell that first day, cried, especially Lucifer. They might deny it to their final days, but she would not. She isn’t sure how long she cried, but she wept until someone finally came to collect her. Some days she wonders if all of the waters in Hell are really just the collection of all the tears of Angels, still flowing across Hell as an ocean of sorrow.

Lucifer, the ever enterprising and cunning, tried to turn this into a positive. They might have been cast out of Heaven, but who needed it? They now had a kingdom of their own to rule as they sought fit. They didn’t need God, they needed nothing but themselves! They would build a kingdom greater than anything Heaven had to offer. All of his followers were only too happy to forget about their defeat, and soon Lucifer was King of all the dirt that the Fallen had inherited. The only one who didn’t cheer was Zophiel. She cried and wailed and collapsed to the ground, hitting herself with broken fists over and over again as she demanded to go back to Heaven, how she wanted to see her Father again, even if He would smite from afar for it.

The other Fallen looked at their former comrade with disgust, and hate, because she was the only one brave enough to declare what they all felt inside. Their entire rebellion was born out of a temper tantrum, that exploded into the fires of war, and they denied it with all their hearts….all save for one.

“We have to stop! Father needs to see we understand we were wrong! Maybe he will forgive us if we do?” Zophiel had said to the Legions around her, each one turning away from her and heading to where Lucifer declared they would build their new city. Soon Zophiel saw that only she felt this way, and began to leave to find her own path, only for Lucifer to try and tempt her one final time.

Lucifer promised Zophiel so much, if she’d come with him and the others. That they could build a paradise together, make a better heaven than the Silver City. They could do it all in defiance of God and show that they were superior to Him and all of His creations! God did not love them, so they had no responsibility to love Him or His meat puppets. He had shown the limits of His mercy when He’d banished the Fallen to Hell. Lucifer asserted that God had never loved them to begin with, and only cared about His next toy, the next distraction before tossing the rest aside. They were just the latest example.

But all would be made right, if she would just take his hand and follow him back to the others, then they would forget about her lapse in judgement.

But Zophiel had already seen what happened when one listened to him, she’d already been fooled by his lies. She’d done this to herself, and uttered out one final thing to him, before she took to the skies.

“Father never stopped loving you, even as He threw you down here.”

She’s been out there since The Fall, and has never once risen her hands against God. She learned her lesson the first time and accepts that she is damned. She no longer keeps track of time, and focuses on making up for what she’d done. From time to Time Lucifer sent an assassin after her, hoping to erase any trace of the one who turned her back on him, yet Zophiel survived. she always survived. Much as she might sometimes wish to be extinguished from Creation, she always survived to fight another day.

As the eons passed, (or was it millennia?....a century? A year?...its so hard to tell…) her memories began to fade, in part thanks to the damnable Miasma that Lucifer pumped into the skies, so that all damned would forget the sins that brought them to Hell in the first place. She forgets what real food tasted like, what fresh air really means, she forgets the names and faces of those who had been her brothers and sisters. More and more of the Silver city fades from her mind, she can’t even remember the songs that she used to sing, only that they were there. 

The worst part of it all is that she knows she is forgetting things. The memories are so close, yet out of reach. Like a song that you remember the rhythm of, but not the sounds or the lyrics to. It infuriates her, and she wishes she could fly up all the way to Heaven. But she’s seen other (newer) Fallen try, only to fall right back down.

So she makes her peace with her lot in life, she travels her territory, practices her songs, prays to God, maybe cries for an hour or two, and then does it all again the next day. Each day blends into the other, with only occasional moments of note coming from watching the light of another Fallen Angel come down, or dealing with trespassers in her land. Demons caught traveling in her territory wind up dead, while Humans, Fallen Angels, or Damned souls tend to go unbothered. Zophiel has learned to let of her hate for humans, but she wont necessarily go out of her way to help them.

The demonic denizens of Hell know better than to travel through her lands. The rocky valley she spends most of her time in has many peaks that reach up into the miasma that chokes all of Hell, giving her plenty of places to hide, to watch intruders, and choose the perfect moment to strike. But some still try their luck, and fall into her killzone.

Many an enterprising demon has tried to buy passage through her lands, very few earn it. But those that do bring her information about the current status of Hell, news of Fallen Angels, or some supplies she cannot make herself, in exchange for safe passage or information from her many flights. It feels wrong to work with the mutated, malformed, spawn of Lucifer and his traitors, but she needs things, especially now as the situation  in Hell is changing rapidly.

The machines of Hell are breaking down. Human souls are rebelling against their demon masters, they are breaking free of their bondage and there are tales of humans carving out victories against the legions of Hell. There were areas where Demons now had to tread carefully, as the humans would butcher them if they were found.

Resistance was coming from everywhere these days. Free tribes of humans living out an existence in the upper circles, an entire fortress of religious humans calling themselves the ‘Knights of the Harrowing’, have defeated armies of demons in open combat. Humans recently trapped in Hell have decided to fight against the demons when they learn that they can never go home. Even damned souls slipping free of their chains, only to then use them to strangle the nearest demon.

Its almost comical, a place born out of rebellion against God, now faces a rebellion at the hands of God’s most favored creation. As news of the fighting reaches her, and the great houses themselves seem to be in conflict, Zophiel ponders on if this is a sign from Father. Perhaps the time has come for her to take action?

She’d avoided doing anything beyond occasional recon flights beyond her territory, since Lucifer established his home city.  So she has been out of the loop for much of the major events in Hell…but maybe that should no longer be so?

But what can Zophiel do? She is no great leader, no skilled warrior, no mystic or learned one. She’s just a Fallen Angel who can occasionally make pretty sounds.

The thoughts refuse to leave her, even as she begins to travel farther and farther from her home when she flies out across the skies. Her light path takes her to parts of the First Circle that she has not seen in over a year, maybe more, and she spots something odd.

In her flights she has roamed far and wide, seen many nightmarish creations, buildings designed solely for torture, and some of the worst atrocities hell can think of. Yet on today's flight, she spots a simple, square, brick building. Its mundane design and construction style is unlike anything Zophiel has seen in Hell before. Not to mention how it is leaning against one of the Brass Pillars that reach up into the infinite Sky of Hell.

It wasn't there the last time Zophiel flew by, and curiosity gets the better of her as she goes in for a closer look. There are lights coming from within, she can occasionally spot figures moving by the windows, and hears the sounds of others inside. It is populated for sure. Yet it doesn't look like it belongs in hell.

On the outside of the building Zophiel can see symbols etched onto it.

1772 Chalmer St.

What a strange name. What does it mean? Why should she even care? Its none of her business....yet....she'd been asking Father for a sign for so long....maybe this will be it?

So she scrambles about to find a way in, or to learn more about the inhabitants, and gives them quite the scare when one of them spots her on a still functioning security camera.

Strangely, telling the humans 'Be Not Afraid' seems to not work? Strange creatures these humans. But if Father put her on this path, then she will see His will done. 


Alternate scenario also involving the Teacher of Songs finding a path to redemption. Its in its own section because it is a little convoluted and this should make it easier to understand, but it is very much connected to the rest of the topic up above. 

The Repentant. (This is a fully OC faction set in Infernum that still requires some fine tuning, but I'd be happy to discuss it with any prospective partner. ) 

Angels still fall from Heaven and into the Inferno now and again, and this has been happening since before physical time itself (and time ticks ahead so painfully slow in Hell. Even a minute is an eternity.) and eventually some might begin to breed with themselves, create nephilim with damned soul/humans trapped in hell, or even with demons.

Enough of them regret falling from God's love, and began to band together in the outskirts of Hell, where with enough time they built their own sanctuary from Hell's torments (essentially picture it like a Fortress Monastery in 40K, all of the Gold and fineries and prayers and hymns included.) It is a blessed respite from all that hell has to offer, and has allowed a new species to begin forming from the mix and match of all these races coming together, and the preference for certain traits (ironically a reversal of what happened with the demons, as it feels like Infernum all but clearly states that Hell's menagerie of nightmarish demons was born out of incest for countless generations).

Leading to an interesting subspecies that can only be described as 'Demons desperately trying to be Angels'. (I'm pretty much thinking of the aesthetic of the Exorcists/Exterminators in Hazbin Hotel, as I like that interesting line the toe of looking demonic and angelic in equal measure).

They call themselves 'The Repentant', for they know they are drowned in sin, but seek to be better, and to earn their way into Heaven one day. Be it from good service to The Lord, or just from opposing the forces of Hell however they can.

They are essentially just Demons who dress themselves up in the finery of Angels, and practiced half remembered rituals for so long that it has changed their appearance to something halfway between both. More like Man than most would care to admit, but still missing the spark of that bit of God's power which makes the immortal soul such a highly sought after resource in Hell.

Strangely, despite all this, they are actually finding some success in creating wards to keep out demons, using magic to heal rather than to hurt, as well as creating a species of Gargoyles to help protect the Monastery. Their society views itself as one eternally under siege. All work must be put to the good of the Monastery, of the community, or in battling the hordes of Hell.

That they have held out this long is proof to many that God is truly on their side, and that one day they shall be redeemed and allowed to return into His holy embrace. But the oldest members, some of the original founders, and most battle-hardened veterans of The Repentant have their own personal doubts.

In private they whisper that this might be it. This is as good as its ever going to get, a small eye of peace in the storm that is the Inferno. They aren't fighting for a chance at Heaven anymore, the Lord has shown that He cares not for their plight or repentance. For some this is very disheartening to think about, while for others it lights an even stronger fire in them to give their all in protecting Sanctuary. If this is truly the only safe place in Hell, then they will gladly face oblivion to keep it safe.

Though it isn't as completely desperate as that. Many demons see them as deluded fools and feathered freaks pretending at being Angels, so their extermination is actually not a priority a the moment. A few other factors also help to keep Sanctuary from being under siege.

1) They are on the outskirts of Hell and have little in the way or resources that the Demons want beyond souls of the living and dead within their walls, the farms they use to feed the living and escape the sensation of hunger, and the mines that they use mostly to keep their weapons and buildings sound. It's nothing compared to the vast stretches of wealth the rest of the Inferno has. Coming out this far to wipe them out would be an expenditure of resources and armies that they can't afford, since doing so would leave them vulnerable to strikes by a rival, with little return on investment from what is around Sanctuary, especially as actually taking the Monastery would be a prolonged siege and battle against actual Angels, their Nephilim, humans, and Gargoyles. It would be possible, but a pyrrhic victory. Any survivors could fly away and begin waging a guerilla campaign against them for generations to come.

2)The Crusader Knights known as the 'Knights of the Harrowing" trapped in Hell are closer to the main heart of Hell and tend to draw more attention to them through more bold and loud actions. Sanctuary does what it can to keep the knights in the fight, as they act as a first line of defense, if the Knights fall, then it become more likely that Sanctuary will be all the easier to vanquish in time.

3) Despite Sanctuary being a start act of defiance against all of Hell, and occasional raids by the Repentant actually striking hard blows against the various Lords of Hell, the demons are all too self-serving to ever take the time to form a campaign against them. The time they could have done so was when Lucifer was still around, but after his silence, it just isn't going to happen.

If the demons could all organize and strike at the Angelic Holdout, they could silence the Choir forever, smash Sanctuary into dust and scatter the survivors to the four corners of Hell. But none of them is willing to swallow the cost in blood and coin, let alone willing to trust the other lords of hell to not fuck them over.

4) There might be some evidence of divine providence helping them along. Perhaps Heaven has not forgotten them? First it was Lucifer secluding himself away from Hell for so long. Then The Crusader Knights arrived with their own fortress in Hell. Then the Hell lords began to intensify their own infighting. Then more modern humans began to sometimes arrive (such as one crazy 'Mah-Rine' with a boomstick) and shared knowledge and machines.

To top it all off, more Angels (True Angels, not just halfbreeds) have been found and brought to Sanctuary. The latest of which being one of the original 'First Fallen', supposedly the Teacher Of Songs herself. So maybe....just maybe, they can actually stand a chance at salvation.

It was by pure luck that the Repentant found Zophiel, in both that they had been patrolling in the right part of Hell, and that her own actions in protecting the humans at the building were loud enough to bring them in to inspect what Zophiel was up to. 

Zophiel could have left the humans to die, but something tells her that she has the power to help them, and with that power she must act. She makes contact with them and tries to help the humans survive, but their arrival does not go unnoticed, and bands of demons begin trying to take the building in the name of their local warlord. The structure alone is a fine prize, but the human souls within are an even better prize. Hell always has more room for victims, especially if they are still alive.

Zophiel actually manages to really hold her own against the demons, more so than even she would have thought. She'd spent so long in hiding that she has forgotten she's one of the First Fallen.

If she'd followed Lucifer long ago she'd have been a Duchess of Hell, with the personal power to back it up. Now she's turning that level of power against demons as she punches them hard enough to splatter them (Doomslayer style), or screams at some and makes their organs burst, or slices some apart with her wings, impaling others like her wings were a scorpion's stinger.

But by the numbers of demons, and her own lack of practice she is being worn down as they keep swarming her and getting in individual punches, kicks, bites, stabs. Still, she refuses to give in and keeps on fighting, swearing her vow to protect the humans and punctuating it with a loud shout to the heavens, which catches the attention of a passing flight of The Repentant, who dive in to help her.

The Repentant come swooping in, dive bombing the demons and spearing them with righteous fury, forcing them to retreat or be slain, while Zophiel is able to catch her own breath and nurse her wounds

When the battle is over, the Repentant are going to make the building into an outpost for their kind, while putting the humans somewhere safer. But they very much want the Teacher of Songs to come with them, and join their struggles against Hell.

Having finally found a chance to start undoing the damage she did, she agrees, and follows them back to their stronghold, where she becomes a member of their group.

The leader of the flight of Repentant who helped Zophiel also finds himself fascinated with her, and begins finding reasons to see her again in between his regular duties. 


TLDR: I'm looking to play as a Fallen Angel within the setting of Infernum, an RPG set within the damned circles of Hell itself. But with the caveat of instead of playing the system that is present with Infernum, I'd like to find a better system to play with. The one that comes with Infernum is...kind of clunky and an Angel should not have to waste precious magic just to fly. Thats a real bad oversight in my opinion.

 So if you are interested please send me a PM and lets talk things over.