A Dagger to Heaven

- Ultimate Lore Collection -

Welcome to Soulvira! This website is used as a reference, archive, and universal management system for all the lore and characters in my ADTH universe. Feel free to take a look around, just be sure to check the disclaimer first!
- (Starlight) Wintertine

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Lore

This section refers to a timeline of canon events. For basic character information, please visit the “characters” section. For information on locations and how forces of Soulvira interact, please visit the "worldbuilding" section.


Table of Contents (click to advance to a certain section):


Pre-Story

These points include a few of what I find to be the more important character backstories. Arabella and Semiazas’ are critical for the basis of the story; therefore, incredibly important to look at!

Verdelet's Beginnings

Verdelet is born as the youngest of two siblings; his birth was surprising as his black fur was unlike that of the brown and white of his parents.
Bleating Heart was in a time of crisis, as there was a shortage of food and Adrienne was demanding a special sacrifice in celebration of the Moonlit Ceremony. As a result, Verdelet was malnourished and mistreated by his family because of the panic and every-man-for-himself mindset that continued to grow among the residents.
As Verdelet grew to a teenager, it became apparent that an extra, smaller horn started to grow from the center of his head. His family supposed that such an oddity would be pleasing to Adrienne, and to Verdelet’s horror, suggested that he sacrifice himself for the good of the village. Desperation had become too much for them. Instead of focusing his anger on Adrienne, Verdelet became defiant toward Kiriah. He knew that ungulates (her descendants) were commonly sacrificed, but it was usually feral prey and not sentient species. As the villagers turned against him, Verdelet cursed Kiriah and wondered why she would let one of her children suffer so, why she couldn’t provide them with something that Adrienne would find appealing…
Anger and resentment fuelled inside him, but little did he know if he patiently complied he would have a glorious destiny as Kiriah's chosen, glorified for the unbearably hard choice of sacrificing his life for the good of others. Alas, his fear and anger ultimately fed him the desire to be a demon and reject Kiriah when the time came to choose. Verdelet later regretted his decision, but there was nothing that could be done. He would forever be “sacrificed” whenever summoned, using the same dagger that killed him, instead of securing a place by Kiriah’s side, as was meant to be.

Arabella's Possession

Arabella and Shivram meet, are charmed by each other, and eventually plan to be married.
Despite Shivram’s ease of traversal among Bleating Heart, Arabella feels bad for his loss of eyesight and starts to think about what she could do to help him. After hearing stories of a many eye-bearing demon (Pestilence) in Piercing Pines, Arabella becomes determined to harness the power of this demon in as safe a way possible.
Arabella reviews and discusses SoulSpeak texts with Shivram under the ruse of becoming more prepared against demons as exposures rise. Shivram becomes deeply interested in the way that mortals, spirits, angels, and gods interact.
Arabella travels to a clearing and attempts to summon Pestilence, but messes up the ritual due to her lack of experience, and becomes possessed by Grimm. She fights against his influence throughout the next few days with enough effort that Shivram becomes concerned and confronts her, knowing that something is wrong.
Arabella grabs Shivram, and thanks to Shivram’s familiarity of spiritual texts, he realizes that some demonic force has taken hold upon her, although he does not know how (and never will until much later). With tears in his eyes, Shivram smiles and tells Arabella that he loves her and knows what is about to happen is not her fault. Arabella proceeds to slit Shivram’s throat in an act of demonic rage.
Arabella spirals into despair but cannot undo Grimm’s possession. She becomes a bounty hunter to fulfill his desires of chaos and pain.

The Rise of Semiazas

Shivram is approached by Farren in SpiritHaven. Shivram hesitates to follow Farren to BoneHaven, and instead explains how he wants to find a way to find what demon possessed Arabella - and how to get revenge.
Farren is intrigued by this request (but says nothing and his expression doesn’t change, so Shivram isn’t sure what he is thinking). Farren leads Shivram deep into SpiritHaven, and for a long time Shivram thinks that Farren is bringing him to BoneHaven anyway, but soon they arrive at a pulsing rift of deep red, and Farren leaves.
Shivram enters the rift and finds himself on the outskirts of Hell. As he wanders, Furfur approaches him and offers to aid him in his quest, simply to toy with him a bit out of boredom. At first suspicious, Shivram agrees, knowing a demon on his side would ultimately be of benefit.
At this point Shivram had become a demon himself and renamed himself “Semiazas”. He gains reputation in Hell through his size and cunning and soon becomes a demon lord. Furfur remains his faithful advisor, and the only one that knows of his plan and past.
Upon realizing he gained a shapeshifting ability in this new demonic form, with the special aid of Farren, Semiazas is able to travel between Heaven and Hell as an “angel”, recalling SoulSpeak texts that spoke of Errol’s trickery.
Uziel (Semiazas) gains a place at Adrienne’s judgment panel. Nile befriends him, but she doesn’t know that Uziel doesn’t share her affection (his real affection is to Arabella).
His plan as known to others is to destroy Heaven from the inside out by convincing souls to join him and become a demon. While this is partly true, Semiazs’s actual purpose in doing this is to gain forces who know of ways to combat demons so that he can find a way to defeat Arabella’s possessor.
Furfur sees Semiazas’ plan as a great way for him to destroy Semiazas later and become a demon lord himself after they already had an army summoned. So he continues advising Semiazas, done toying with him and becoming more serious this time.
Furfur finds out through other demons that Grimm is the one controlling Arabella. Semiazas continues his efforts and gains an infamous reputation throughout both the spirit and mortal realms.

Lekan's Trickery

Alinta’s parents are killed by a demon when she is little, causing her to fend for herself. She struggles to find a job in Spearfish Cove, a town where everything is very expensive, and often has to resort to stealing from merchants to support herself.
One Moonlit Ceremony as a young adult, Alinta meets Lekan in her dreams. He offers her all the money she could ever need, as long as she repented and never stole anything ever again. She accepts and later receives an offer to work at a profitable fishing business.
But at the market stall, Alinta sees an interesting armband with hanging pearls within reach, and thinking she could sell it for some extra cash, takes it without thinking. She realized too late her sin. She had stolen something… and that armband looked exactly like one of Lekan’s.
Alinta couldn’t enter Heaven because she had broken her angelic promise. She still received the profitable job but became a demon after a work-related accident sent her to SpiritHaven.
She later meets Verdelet and the two latch on to each other as friends and moral support, especially since there were naturally very few "good" people in Hell.
As she gets used to being a demon, Alinta's personality eventually does a complete turn as she becomes less cautious and more sassy and confident, although she retains her morals.

Main Character Introductions

This section refers to the basis of each main character's quest and how they met each other.

Nevaeh's Status

Upon much worship, faithfulness, and a passion for good, a young adult of Barren Wanderings named Nevaeh is chosen to become one of Khephri’s priestesses. She is given a scarab amulet that helps harness her new-found power of light.
Nevaeh travels throughout many villages, seeking demons to destroy. With her new-found status and constant exposure to demons, she becomes slightly mean and arrogant, although her cause does not diminish any less.

Kai's Curse

Nevaeh visits Piercing Pines and attempts to preach effective demon-removing strategies among the residents, who are in higher spirits due to the Moonlit Ceremony. She stays for a while due to the common appearance of Pestilence, who can be destroyed by her light.
Nevaeh travels to the forest at dawn and finds someone laying on the ground in ripped clothing and covered in scratches. He shakily introduces himself as Kai and promptly asks Nevaeh to forget about him. Immediately and paranoidly suspecting demonic involvement, Nevaeh hounds him until he tells her more about his situation. Kai explains that he comes to the forest to hide from the other villagers his curse of turning into a were-dragon during the fullness of any or both moons; he is therefore seen as lesser to other residents because of his absence and lack of anticipation for the Moonlit Ceremony, although the residents don’t know about his condition.
Kai recognizes Nevaeh as a priestess to the god of transformation and pleads for him to help her. Nevaeh replies that she doesn’t have that kind of power, but reluctantly allows him to follow her as an accomplice as she travels to different towns. Although she finds him a bit of an annoyance, she assumes that she will be able to find a cure for his curse by herself despite no input from Khephri.

Alinta's Summoning

Nevaeh and Kai travel to Bleating Heart after they receive word of a summoned demon there. Nevaeh and Kai stayed in the town for days as they searched for clues to where the demon had gone, where it was, etc. Kai didn’t hesitate to look at the artisan’s crafts despite having hardly any money.
Kai is horrified at dusk one night, because he hadn’t realized that one of the moons was full (only both moons being full are generally acknowledged, and Kai was having fun actually being accepted among villagers for once). Nevaeh, annoyed more than anything else, tries to hide him in an empty barn, relying on his self-control to stay hidden, but when Kai “turned” he bursts through the barn walls and becomes a much more vicious creature than Nevaeh had expected. The villagers are terrified, but Nevaeh runs after Kai as he flies to a clearing usually used for hunting (deer and rabbits scatter at his sight).
As Kai terrorizes the local wildlife, and Nevaeh fails to control him, Alinta suddenly bursts through the trees and sends fire straight at Kai, sending him fleeing deeper into the forest. Alinta laughs and comments on how cute she thinks Kai looks, but stops when she sees Nevaeh.
Nevaeh, seeing her powers of light didn’t work too well on this type of demon, went to slash Alinta with her serrated forelimbs instead. But Alinta is incredibly agile and dodges all her attacks, laughing, thrilled with the sudden chase.
Nevaeh stops for breath, and Alinta once again comments on how cute Kai’s curse makes him to her, and suggests joining Nevaeh’s side. Nevaeh is furious, but ponders that perhaps a demon, when properly controlled, could give her better advice on what is happening in Hell and how other demons interact and can be destroyed.
After studying some of Bleating Heart’s archived SoulSpeak texts, Nevaeh finds a way to create a sort of timed summoning for Alinta so that Alinta could stay in Hell to receive information but then come back later for a short amount of time to report.
In later days, Kai is neutral toward Alinta and even interested in her, as she is a demon, which is a burden sort of similar to having a curse, he thinks. Alinta tries befriending/flirting with Kai, who is at first wary of her interactions, but he slowly grows fond of her to the point where they become a sort of couple, though Kai isn’t one for much physical affection. Alinta tells Kai her backstory and Kai becomes wary of angels. Nevaeh is very annoyed and sometimes furious at these interactions that she thinks causes Kai to stray from spirituality, but due to her “deal” and Kai’s fondness of Alinta, she hesitantly allows him to summon Alinta more often.

Quick Storyline Points

These are general guidelines for events in a timeline not very well defined yet. This is the rising action, climax, and eventual resolution; therefore, highly important to the story!

Verdelet's Return

Adrienne requires another special sacrifice in honor of the Moonlit Ceremony. Alinta brings Verdelet back with her, and his blood is used as a replacement for the sacrifice.

Sheldritch's Game

Nevaeh and Kai arrive in Spearfish Cove to stock up on resources. Alinta returns from Hell with news of an entity near the Copious Depths who provides divination to those who beat her card game. Sheldritch challenges Nevaeh, threatening to take Kai’s eyes while attempting to convince Nevaeh that the destruction of her cursed friend would be beneficial to the world. Nevaeh eventually wins the game, and Sheldritch tells Nevaeh and Kai of Semiazas’ plan to gain an army in Hell - and how to summon him.

Kai's Bounty

Kai becomes a bounty after villagers learn of his curse; Arabella repeatedly attempts to kill him but stops after she learns of Nevaeh’s cause of eradicating demonic forces, sensing a light of hope in her desperate situation.

Uziel's Exile

Lekan becomes aware of Uziel's lies as he searches through heavenly records, failing to find mention of him, and Uziel is promptly exiled from Heaven (yet it is still unknown that he is Semiazas). Nile is deeply distressed as she hears this news.

Semiazas' Confession

Nevaeh, Kai, Alinta, and Arabella summon Semiazas in an attempt to stop his influence on spirits. Semiazas tells Arabella that she was just as beautiful as he imagined (as he was mostly blind in his Shivram form), and Arabella, confused, angrily states that she doesn't need another demon chasing after her. Semiazas confesses that he is really Shivram, and the two enjoy a heartfelt reunion. Arabella convinces Nevaeh of Semiazas' intentions to help stop her possessor, and although Nevaeh is confounded by the lengths Shivram went to, even disrupting the balance of heaven itself, she begrudgingly stops herself from attempting to outright destroy him on the spot.

The Succumbing

Semiazas visits Sheldritch in an attempt for info on Grimm’s possible KeyTrait, but loses one of his eyes upon losing the match. Semiazas challenges Sheldritch once more but loses yet again, Sheldritch can now fully see but Semiazas reverts to spirit form and is sent to SpiritHaven.
Devastated once again, Arabella wins out over her possession and dies from accumulated trauma, joining Shivram in the edges of SpiritHaven.

A Parting of Ways

Furfur takes over Semiazas’ army in Hell and becomes a demon lord; he proceeds to terrorize Grimm and other demon lords.
Kai becomes cured of his curse by a blessing from Khephri.
Nevaeh continues to fight demonic forces, leaving Alinta permanently summoned and Kai with her.
Nile leaves Heaven to search for Uziel in SpiritHaven, unaware that he is already with the one he truly loves.

Characters

This section refers to basic character information and art. For character lore, please visit the “lore” section. For information on locations and how forces of Soulvira interact, please visit the "worldbuilding" section.


Click on a character's icon to be brought to their respective page.

Nevaeh

Basic Info

Name: Nevaeh ("heaven" spelled backwards)
Species: Ker-Kin (Praying Mantis)
Character Traits: Serious, Unyielding, Easily Annoyed
Height: 5'7"
She is a priestess of Khephri and her goal is to cure the world of demonic forces; she often cures villagers from possession/disease/etc. Her scarab amulet concentrates her power of light, and she doesn't back down from a fight. She is comrades with Kai.
She cannot fly, but spreads her wings to look more powerful and intimidating. When not outstretched, the wings fold up against her back.
She identifies as aromantic!

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Kai

Basic Info

Name: Kai
Species: Err-Kin (Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko)
Character Traits: Nervous, Wandering, always has his eyes looking like that^
Height: 5'11" (Normal); 6'6" (Were-dragon)
Kai is a slightly outcasted villager of Rusted Claw that has a curse; his curse is transformation to a were-dragon during either full moon. He is neutral towards demons and seeks a cure for his curse. He is comrades with Nevaeh and associated with Alinta.

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Alinta

Basic Info

Name: Alinta (meaning "fire, flame")
Species: Err-Kin (Horned Lizard) Demon
Personality Traits: Sassy, Confident, Fun-loving
KeyTrait: Claws
Height: 5'9"
Additional Info: She became a demon due to a backfired deal with Lekan at Spearfish Cove (so she actually isn’t really evil). She can spit fire occasionally and is an excellent swimmer. "Savage" is her favorite word and is spelled on her shirt in SoulSpeak.
She has developed an affinity with Kai, flirting with him or showing off often, yet respectful of his space and able to have meaningful conversations with him.
Since she is a demon, by nature Nevaeh does not approve of her, but admits she can be helpful at times, especially as a messenger of what is happening in Hell.
She is good friends with Verdelet.

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Arabella

Basic Info

Name: Arabella (meaning "yields to prayer")
Species: Kir-Kin (Sheep)
Height: 5'6
She is Grimm's vessel of pain and chaos, acting as a bounty hunter in her spare time. She is covered in scars. She was originally a kind-hearted villager of Bleating Heart engaged to her true love, Shivram. However, in attempting to give Shivram a way to see, she tried summoning Pestilence but messed up the ritual and instead got herself possessed by a sadistic demon lord, who forced her to kill Shivram and other ungulates in an act of defiance towards her god, Kiriah. Arabella is level-headed and is only taken over by Grimm at certain times, especially when she gets emotional, which is why she tries her best to keep herself calm or occupied despite all she's been through. She loathes Grimm and hopes for a way to release her curse, but any attempts are met with a slash appearing somewhere on her body and a burst of insanity.

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Shivram

Basic Info

Name: Shivram (meaning "Lord Ram")
Species: Kir-Kin (Ram)
Height: 5'10"
He was a villager of Bleating Heart, born blind but could still make out vague shapes and colors. He mainly used a heightened sense of hearing, smell, and touch to get around. He almost always keeps his eyes closed. The tear in his ear was from his childhood days when he accidentally ran into something sharp. He was engaged to his true love, Arabella, but she became possessed by Grimm and ultimately slit his throat during an event of demonic rage.
He eventually became Semiazas in order to find a way to stop Grimm's possession...

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Verdelet

Basic Info

Name: Verdelet (meaning "Master of Ceremonies")
Species: Kir-Kin (Goat) Demon
Personality Traits: Tired, Regretful, Articulate
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
KeyTrait: Heart
Height: 6'1"
A demon tasked with helping mortals with sacrifices and summoning. His blood can be used for sacrifices if an offering is unavailable (hence the dagger in his chest). He tends to speak very fancily. He is good friends with Alinta.
Amidst a time of desperation for a "special" sacrifice, Verdelet, as a young adult, was chosen to be sacrificed to Adrienne because of his black color and strange extra horn. Anger and resentment fueled inside him, but little did he know if he patiently complied, he would have a glorious destiny as Kiriah's chosen. Alas, his fear and anger ultimately fed him the desire to be a demon and reject Kiriah when the time came to choose.
Design Note: The horn growths are uncomfortable but grow back whenever broken off. He also has some along his back; feel free to play around with that.

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Semiazas

Basic Info

Name: Semiazas (meaning "chief of fallen angels")
Species: Kir-Kin (Ungulate) Demon Lord
Alignment: True Neutral
KeyTrait: Eyes
Height: 15 feet
His cover-up goal is to destroy Heaven from the inside out, but he actually has other plans... He disguises himself as an angel named Uziel to accomplish this.
He was originally Shivram.
Design Note: The "ribs" on Semiazas are just wool markings.
His eyes are black with a golden horizontal rectangular pupil.
He wears chains as a reminder to restrain himself from sinful distractions to his cause.

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Furfur

Basic Info

Name: Furfur
Species: Kir-Kin (Goat) Demon
Alignment: Neutral Evil
KeyTrait: Tongue
Height: 2'6" on all fours, 4' standing
He is Semiazas' advisor but plans to destroy him and become a demon lord. Although he looks cute, small, and floofy, he can open up a demogorgon-like mouth that can swallow souls of the living. He can alter his voice, switching between a cuter voice, his normal one, and a deep, terrifying voice depending on the situation.Design Note: He can freely stand/walk on either two or four legs.

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Grimm

Basic Info

Name: Grimm
Species: Ari-Kin (Canine) Demon Lord
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
KeyTrait: Collar
Height: 8'
He delights in pain and suffering, using his giant claws to rip apart his victims. He can spew forth seemingly endless minions from his cloak, referring to them as his "children". He uses Arabella as a vessel of chaos and pain, especially against ungulates.Design Note: His smaller arms can reveal themselves or retreat at will.

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Sheldritch

Basic Info

Name: Sheldritch (combination of "shell" and "eldritch")
Species: Err-Kin (Demonic Water Dragon)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
KeyTrait: ???
Height: 20 feet (shell)
She lives deep below the Copious Sea in a cave-like lair. She has great wisdom and limited divination abilities, but passerby can only receive her insight if they beat her in a game of cards that she designed herself; the loser is cursed to give one of their eyes to the other. Because she lost her two actual eyes to these matches, she plays hoping that someone with eyes big enough for her will show up and lose the game. She keeps smaller eyes in her neck to show off.
How does she know what is happening around her if she doesn't have vision? She instinctively knows what cards are being played and her bioluminescence gives off a little echolocation as well. Her sense of smell is quite amazing; she can tell gender, species, and more of creatures that visit her. Unfortunately, though, the size of their eyes is something she has to guess at; often she assumes they are large enough to fit her out of desperation; any denial to that claim is seen as a lie until she gets her claws on them for herself.
Design Note: The octopus tentacles in her mouth can show or retreat at will.

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Pesitlence

Basic Info

Name: Technically it doesn't have one, but many people call them a "pestilence"
Species: Err-Kin (Snake) Demon
KeyTrait: Teeth
Length: 10ft
The most common adversary of Nevaeh. It possesses or bites people to give them a disease where eyes cover their bodies; the disease will eventually go away in direct sunlight, but the effects cause the victim to go insane and seek darkness.

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Lekan

Basic Info

Name: Lekan (meaning “my wealth has increased”)
Species: Err-Kin (Snake) Angel
Height: 7’
He is the manager of Heaven and all its occupants. Mortals can sign a contract with him to receive lots of a certain type of material riches, but if they ever steal anything they can never enter Heaven (think of it like a deal with the devil, but with an angel instead). He worships Errol; he's very cunning, especially with his contracts, targeting people he knows who might break it (so only the most worthy make it to Heaven).Design Note: He has a pair of smaller arms coming out of his chest that he uses to hold items such as scrolls with.

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Uziel

Basic Info

Name: Uziel (meaning "strength"/"power")
Species: Kir-Kin (Urial Sheep) Angel
Height: 6'4"
An angel Semiazas disguises himself as to convince souls to join his army in the underworld. Not even the gods know who "Uziel" really is.
He is one of the angels on Adrienne's judgement panel.

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Nile

Basic Info

Name: Nile
Species: Ari-Kin (Cat) Angel
Character Traits: Kind, Playful, Curious
Height: 5'6"
She hailed from Barren Wanderings while alive, so she worships Khephri. She really likes Uziel and wants to develop an affinity with him, maybe even to the point of love. She died as a relatively young adult while trying to save a goat in the herd she was watching over from a severe sandstorm. She was given the power to control sand and wind in her angel form, saving others from the same fate.

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Khephri

Basic Info

Name: Khephri
Species: Scarab Beetle God of Transformation, Integrity, Lightning, and the Sun
Alignment: Neutral Good
Height: 30 feet but can shrink to 7 feet for better involvement with mortals when necessary
He called Nevaeh to be his priestess. He seeks order in the universe and believes in the triumph of good over evil.
Sometimes lightning can be seen crackling along the spines on his arms and tail.

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Kiriah

Basic Info

Name: Kiriah (pronounced "keer-eye-ah")
Species: Deer Goddess of Purity, Love, Beauty, and Wisdom
Alignment: Lawful Good
Height: 30 feet but can shrink to 7 feet for better involvement with mortals when necessary
All of her descendants (ungulates) are historically used as sacrifices because they are so pure. She chose Verdelet as her "chosen one" (hence his three horns and tufted tail) but cannot allow him in her kingdom since he turned away (she is incredibly sad about this but loves him anyway).Design Note: Her eyes are pure white and pupiless (but not blind).

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Errol

Basic Info

Name: Errol (meaning "nobleman")
Species: Eel God of Cunning, Gluttony*, Adaptability, and Knowledge
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Height: 30 feet but can shrink to 7 feet for better involvement with mortals when necessary
People pray to him when in need of food and hold literal feasts as well as feasts of knowledge in his name.
He has a high metabolism, so he is quite thin, even with ribs showing, despite eating a lot at one time. He usually eats with his regular mouth, but the maw on his chest can devour things as well.
He is well known for his deviousness and teaches trickery to anyone who needs it, whether for a good or bad purpose.
*"Gluttony" in this sense doesn't only apply to food - it applies to any hearty (and usually worldly) desire for something.

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Adrienne

Basic Info

Name: Adrienne (meaning "dark")
Species: Vulture Goddess of Death and Judgement
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Height: 30 feet but can shrink to 7 feet for better involvement with mortals when necessary
She and a panel of select angels are the final judgement call for deciding whether a spirit becomes an angel or a demon. Her wings of black fire are a portal to Heaven (her right side) and Hell (her left side).
She often demands sacrifices and pulls the choicest bones for her ever-growing collection.
She wears multiple bones with symbols etched onto them to represent different forms of death common in the universe. The deer skull has a dagger representing sacrifice, because ungulates are often used for that purpose; the canid skull has a candle representing old age, because even the most powerful creatures succumb to it eventually; the ribcage has "x"s representing famine and hunger, because you can feel the pain of it in your chest; the wrist bones have drops of blood representing murder/self-harm; and the snake skull represents disease and failed medicines.
Design Note: Her pupils are x-shaped.

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Farren

Basic Info

Name: Farren (meaning "journey ready")
Species: Ari-Kin (Bat) Spirit
Height: 7'
He acts as a guide for deceased souls across the spirit world; anyone who refuses his guidance will be lost in the vastness of it. It is unknown whether he cannot speak or does not by choice. He is widely accepted to be a subordinate of Adrienne, even bearing a ribcage from her collection, but his true loyalty remains unclear. The ribcage and earrings are the only physical parts of him, and his body feels like a cold breeze when touched.Design Note: The upper part of his body is transparent (so mess with opacity).

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Worldbuilding

This section refers to information on locations and how forces of Soulvira interact. For a timeline of canon events, please visit the "lore" section. For basic character information, please visit the "characters" section.


Table of Contents (click to advance to a certain section):


General Population / Lifestyle

Species

Any real-world animal species are included in this universe as anthropomorphic, sapient entities very similar to humans. All species can eat both meat and vegetation, although preferences will vary depending on the species. Any mortal species that would be able to fly in the real world cannot in Soulvira (which makes flight as an angel appear enticing); this is demonstrated by most wings evolving as extra feathers or membrane on the arms. In some cases (especially among insects), wings are retained on the back and can be raised as a display. Any mortal species that would have venom or poison in the real world does not in Soulvira.Physical abilities of different species are not a reason for discrimination, as they are mostly seen as an extra trait that ultimately doesn’t matter as much as intelligence, craftsmanship, or religious devotion. Additionally, most residents of Soulvira agree that weapons such as daggers and bows are more clean and efficient than claws or teeth, anyway.Although a species can be referred to as their specific name (ex. goat, wolf, etc.), the more common way in Soulvira is to recognize the god that is said to have created their lineage. Arthropods are known as "khe-kin" (recongizing Khephri), ungulates as "kir-kin" (recognizing Kiriah), reptiles and fish as "err-kin" (recongizing Errol), and birds as "adr-kin" (recognizing Adrienne). Other species (predatory mammals, etc.) are known as "ari-kin" (a mix of different gods). Racism against a certain kin, while rare, is usually due to a hate of the god of their kintype.Feral animals exist in Soulvira as they do in the real world, retaining the traits they would otherwise have. "Kin" is further preferred for sapient species as the same specific species name is retained for both sapient and feral.

Lifestyle

Residents of Soulvira live in crafted communities such as villages and towns. They have a variety of professions. Soulvira's technological advancement is minimal; however, science is often viewed as of lesser importance than religion. Medicine is mainly seen in the form of herbs and similar concoctions, with most doctors versed in minor surgeries as well. Very little war takes place between communities or areas, as all martial efforts are focused on demons or enemies that are very specific people.

Transportation

Transportation is often simply walking, especially in areas where an animal or cart would be too hard to weave around obstacles. However, residents of Scarred Peaks revere yaks for their wool and textiles, being well versed in difficult terrain, and load carrying. Differently, residents of Radiant Dunes utilize camels for long distance travelling and oxen for load carrying. Horses and/or carts are mainly used on Ambletread Passage.

Language

Every species in Soulvira can speak the same language, dubbed “CommonSpeak”. However, spirits and occasionally angels and gods speak in an ethereal language dubbed “SoulSpeak”, and its writing is often used in religious ceremonies. SoulSpeak follows the CommonSpeak format, simply having a different symbol and sound for each character. The chart for writing in soulspeak is as follows:

Additionally, there are certain words or phrases that are frequently used in CommonSpeak:

PhraseMeaningExampleOriginSimilar toModern Alternate
Ari-ireWishing a dreadful or urgent death on someone"Adri-ire, you disgusting vermin!"A mix of Adrienne and "ire" (meaning "anger")"curse you"Adrienne's ire, ex. "May Adrienne's ire be upon you, disgusting vermin!"
Erro-vourWishing for plenty or success"Erro-vour our hunt will yield enough for the entire week!"A mix of Errol and "devour""I hope" or "with luck"Errol devours, ex. "As Errol devours, our hunt will yield enough for the entire week!"
KiriDear companion or lover"My kiri, the moons themselves don't compare to your beauty."First letters of Kiriah"beloved", "darling" 
NyxeMinor exclamation"Nyxe, that looks pretty bad."Nyx means "night"  
KhexVulgar curse"Khex, I didn't mean to-"Essentially crossing Khephri's name out  

Art

Art in Soulvira is commonly used to express praise towards higher beings or warnings about demons. Art can be painted on canvas, inked, drawn or woven as a mural, or physically created in works such as statues or architecture. Craftsmanship for jewelry, weaponry, and clothing are also generally in high demand, with (usually costly) apparel mostly sourced from suppliers in Spearfish Cove and religious or functional products supplied from craftsmen in Bleating Heart. Infrastructure and architecture workers in Barren Wanderings are arguably supreme compared to other towns.

Murals are commonly created in a straight-lined, simplistic, flat style (example below).

Additionally, there are a few common symbols in art associated with different meanings in Soulvira:

Religion

Very nearly all residents of Soulvira are religious, as gods, angels, and demons make their presence known often. Gods they worship can be based on kintype, personal beliefs, location, or a combination of factors. Most residents have a single God they primarily worship but respect and praise the others as well. Priests and priestesses often travel between towns to preach and are generally accepted and respected by the community.

Locations

Soulvira

The plane on which mortals reside. All habitats are supported on it. Two moons orbit Soulvira, but appear to almost always have differing phases. The fullness of both moons is celebratory and required for some rituals; this event is called the Moonlit Ceremony.

Scarred Peaks

A mountain range scarred with charred grasses and black stone. Mountainous game animals are abundant here, travelling the sparse forests and ascending the rocky ridges - with hungry souls in pursuit.

Bleating Heart

A village well known for its craftsmen and hunters. It is a romantic place that also tends to be more art-centered compared to other villages. Ungulates make up the majority of the population. Most residents worship Kiriah but offer sacrifices to Adrienne to make up for the deaths of the prey they hunt for fur or food.

Radiant Dunes

A hot desert with sparse vegetation and assorted canyons. It tends to sparkle in the gleaming sunlight, often attributed to Khephri.

Barren Wanderings

A village that excels at sandstone construction and herding. Most residents worship either Khephri or Errol. It is one of the more spiritual villages.

Brazen Ascent

A sacred pathway deep within Barren Wanderings that displays bronze angelic figures. Residents of Barren Wanderings often come here to pray.

Copious Depths

An ocean filled with abundant sea life, often attributed to Errol.

Spearfish Cove

A trade-centered village best known for its fishermen, seafood, and merchants; expensive goods are abundant here. Most residents worship Errol.

Piercing Pines

A dense forest, infamous for its reputation of demonic occurrences and curses.

Rusted Claw

A rather poor village that has no specialization, but is toughened by the nearby demonic occurrences. Most residents carry a weapon on them.

Ambletread Passage

The longest paved path across Soulvira's landscapes; smaller paths break off of this main road to lead to other points of interest.

SpiritHaven

The place where souls go after death. It is a vast and barren landscape, with ever-shifting white sand and a hazy sky whose color changes between light blue and a deep black. Occasionally white mist flows through the air.

Heaven

“Heaven” is a generalized word for any of the highest realms a soul can achieve access to. This includes BoneHaven (the realm of memorial), SolHaven (the realm of light and transformation), PureHaven (the realm of love and purity), and FangHaven (the realm of knowledge and plenty), all led by their respective gods. Each entry to each realm begins with a pulsing void hidden deep within SpiriHaven, black for BoneHaven, gold for SolHaven, white for PureHaven, and green/blue for FangHaven.

Hell

Hell is the place where souls denied access to Heaven reside. Its entrances are pulsing red voids, one in BoneHaven and another in [a secret place]. It is a habitat that shifts from burning to freezing temperatures, and all kinds of dead, poisonous, and supernatural plants and fauna reside there. Landscaping can range from sand to forests to open clearings of charred grasses. While some parts of the realm are bathed in bloodshed and chaos, other parts have created a twisted form of government among the residents and are relatively peaceful.

Spirits

When a mortal soul dies, its intelligence and soul is crafted into a spirit, often looking like their physical body and sometimes even still wearing the clothes they died in. Spirits cannot interact with anything but other spirits.

Judgement

Spirits are judged in BoneHaven by Adrienne and a select group of angels that vary per case. Depending on the spirit’s actions and beliefs, they can choose a realm of Heaven to go to or they will be sent to Hell, either way in which they will receive physical forms. Occasionally, some will choose to wander SpiritHaven and stay forever as spirits instead.

Demons

If deemed unworthy to go to Heaven, deceased souls will be transported to Hell and receive a new form; many often take on a new name as well to remove themselves from the shame of their mortal life.

KeyTraits

When a demon first takes on its new form, one of its physical features will be unconsciously labeled as a KeyTrait. If this bodily feature (it can be anywhere from a heart to a tongue to horns or claws) is completely destroyed, the demon will revert to its deceased soul form and be sent beyond the edges of SpiritHaven.

Immortality Conditions

In Hell, demons will always physically regenerate (including KeyTraits), even if ripped apart by other demons, making endless suffering a possibility as most demons who reside there are sadistic, cruel, or simply bored.
In Soulvira, demons can be “killed”, or sent back to Hell, through various means that are largely dependent on the nature of the demon, though most can be damaged with natural weapons. Their body dissolves into smoke when killed.

Summoning

Demons can be summoned to the mortal plane through a variety of ways and mediums, but generally a summoning circle will be necessary. Most demons are summoned through concoctions of gorey (eye of a goat, etc.) or hard to find items, and therefore hardly ever require actual living sacrifices. Although the summoner can inquire of the demon to submit to a certain task, the demon has no actual contract with the summoner and can ultimately do what it pleases. Most of the population believes that demons are to be avoided, or occasionally used for service; very few actually worship them, summon them, or create cults in their name.

Demon Lords

Demons that have exceptional power or intelligence will be labeled and generally accepted as demon lords. Demon lords have higher control of the community of Hell and may entice bands of followers to their name. Demon lords are not created or inherited, they are simply a demon that the community views as most influential and/or powerful.

Angels

If deemed worthy to go to Heaven, deceased souls will be transported to a realm of Heaven of their choice and receive a new form, are rendered effectively immortal, and enjoy peace, prosperity, and glory alongside their God. Unlike demons, they don't often take on new names.

Appearance

Angels often look similar to their mortal form, but sport various amounts of feathered wings as a symbol of passing Adrienne's judgement. They may also have extra eyes or a change of color/patterns. They do not have halos.

Permissions

Angels are free to travel throughout the many realms of Heaven, but ultimately get called back to the realm of their original choosing.
Angels cannot enter Hell and can only enter the mortal plane if a god sends them; however, once sent they can stay as long as they choose. Angels are often called to appear to mortals to bring messages, increase faithfulness, and occasionally to fight summoned demons (although most would prefer their peaceful life in Heaven).

Gods

The immortal Gods of Soulvira were the first entities created in all the realms, and they in turn created all species and life on Soulvira after their own image. This was done to populate the realms and provide the gods with a source of companionship, entertainment, caretaking, and further creation.
Gods have great wisdom and can see everything that goes on in the mortal realm, but they cannot see everything in their own spheres of Heaven, relying on messengers to deliver angelic news as they focus more on mortals.
Gods can visit any realm, but often stay in their respective sphere of Heaven. They usually don't interact with mortals in anything but dreams, and even then only occasionally.
Residents of Soulvira worship gods to prove that, in their limited time as a mortal, they choose to serve and acknowledge a higher purpose over their own temporary desires. As a reward for their devotion, Gods will often, either directly or indirectly, bless mortals in ways that correspond with the type of God they are. Gods can alternatively bring about curses to those who defy them.

Disclaimer

Please read each section of the disclaimer carefully.


The information and art in this website pertain to the story/universe “A Dagger to Heaven” (commonly shortened to "ADTH"), owned and created by me, Wintertine (previously known as StarlightWolf07).
Credits for specific elements designed by others will be referenced in their respective section.
Content Warnings:
Some art and designs may contain blood, gore, or themes that may be triggering to certain phobias (such as ommetaphobia). Otherwise, everything on this website is SFW. If the stated content warnings bother you at all, I would recommend not viewing this website.
You may NOT:
- Attempt to republish information as your own (including making a copy of this website/file, changing things, and reposting).
- Act like the characters or universe is your own.
- Heavily reference your own assets (universes, stories, characters, etc.) on anything in this universe.
- Use anything on this website for commercial, AI, or malicious purposes.
You may:
- Share this website's link with others.
- Create fan art/stories/animations with proper credit (a simple “The [characters/universe] belong(s) to Wintertine” and possibly linking this website will do). Please ping me; I’d love to see it!
- Share suggestions with me (my contact info is on the home page).
As of right now, this website is the final say in and most accurate depiction of ADTH characters and lore.Thank you for reading the disclaimer. I hope you enjoy my creation!

Fanart

This section is a gallery of ADTH creations by other artists. I absouletly love and appreciate every piece! If you want your art put here or taken down, feel free to contact me!


Development

This section is a breakdown of ADTH's development, including unused aspects and characters. Due to a loss of files many months ago, I couldn't quite grasp the time each character was created, so this is very roughly in order. Enjoy!


Table of Contents (click to advance to a certain section):


Character and Lore Development

July 2023

To begin, we must address the first character in ADTH's existence - Verdelet. I have been a fan of demonic creatures, especially goats, for a long time, and when I saw another artists' demon goat character, I had to make my own. You could say that Verdelet was created out of jealousy - but he remains one of my favorites to this day.
Here's a clip from an earlier backstory I gave him:
"Verdelet was originally your average black goat, and his color marked him for sacrifice to a demonic god. Accepting his fate, he was blessed to become an anthropomorphic demon with human intelligence."
Little did I know that he was the beginning of a much larger project to come.

July - November 2023

Semiazas was created to be the "demonic god" that Verdelet was sacrificed to. At this stage he was truly evil, and his Uziel form was to bring souls to destruction. I doodled Furfur on my phone later and made him into an actual character, a cute yet monstrous advisor.
Semiazas was the official start to the ADTH universe. His Uziel form inspired the name. I still don't know exactly what I meant by "A Dagger to Heaven". Is a dagger being thrown at heaven? Gifted to heaven? Was I comparing heaven to a dagger?

November 2023 - January 2024

Nevaeh was created out of a play on words. What if a praying mantis was a priest or priestess? Get it? Praying mantis? Anyway, her story was that she wandered around villages fighting demons. I was originally going to give her a necklace with a cross on it, but I changed it to a scarab beetle to reference the Ancient Egyptian scarab-headed god Khepri.
I immediately had an urge to create Kai after I discovered what a satanic leaf-tailed gecko was. I then decided to give him a curse, and place him as Nevaeh's companion.
They were originally supposed to be in love! But I didn't really get into that and made them simply companions (and I made Nevaeh aromantic, partly because I had recently found what aromantic was and partly because I was confident that her arrogant personality would be a fun addition to her aromantic side).

January - July 2024

This timeframe is a flurry of character and lore creation. January - April was especially a hustle of adopting and coming up with new characters for this universe, mainly for fun as I had new design ideas. (Fun fact, Errol was created during a sleep study as I was reading a National Geographic book about predators such as the moray eel!) At this time backstories became more formalized to what they are now. It was really interesting how, with each character I created, other character's backstories began to make more sense. July, however, was when I created Grimm, Arabella, and Shivram. Finally, the reasoning for everything was established; before, the story and characters were kind of doing random things as they felt like it; but with the creation of these three characters, the main story of Soulvira was sewn together.
A few months afterward, I began working on this lore collection website. I had originally created it in the form of a google doc, but then I realized that a website would make traversal easier (and more fun!).

Unused Characters

Name: Svalinn
Creation Date: March 2024
Description: Turtle god of protection and distraction. Much larger than other gods (100 feet tall!).
Reason for Discard: Strange combination, dislike design and lore.

Name: Seraphina
Creation Date: June 2024
Description: A canine (dog) guardian angel.
Reason for Discard: Unfinished and lack of plausible lore.

Name: Aero
Creation Date: July 2024
Description: A flying fish angel.
Reason for Discard: Didn't like him that much lol-

Name: Kalloll
Creation Date: July 2024
Description: A shrimp villager who is adept at divination using the stars. Also a poet.
Reason for Discard: I had thought that maybe the ADTH universe could be a story he was writing, and based Nevaeh off of his wife, another praying mantis. But I think I like Soulvira better as an actual world. Additionally, I already had created a character fluent in divination (Sheldritch).

Name: Lint
Creation Date: July 2024
Description: A lizard child spawned from the flames.
Reason for Discard: It'll hopefully be a long time before Kai and Alinta have to deal with something like this.

Name: [unnamed]
Creation Date: September 2024
Description: A shapeshifting praying mantis demon, hired by Semiazas to be the target of Arabella's bounties (so actual people don't get hurt).
Reason for Discard: Unsure? Perhaps I was hesitant because I already had a praying mantis character.

Logo Development

March 2024

September 2024

February 2025

January 2026