The world Bishop lives in is one that exists between ruination and salvation brought on by the invasion of Hell, an event they call the “Calamity”. This event left the world in ruins with most countries losing close to half of its population, cities, and territory in the attack and if it were not for the magic society revealing their existence to the world, normal human society would have been exterminated. This is the history and the current state of that world.

The Calamity and the Revelations War:

There was no warning, no darkening clouds or prophets predicting the coming of Lucifer and his armies, just wave after wave of demons flooding the world when December 12, 2012 came around. Conventional weapons had little to effect against the demon horde, so mankind was quickly pressed up against the wall however not all of mankind was defenseless.

Sorcerers and witches, individuals long demonized and scorned by religion or scared societies, emerged from their hiding places to fight the demonic horde with their magic and alchemy giving man a new weapon and hope. Years passed and with the use of Magitech, a union of modern science and magic, mankind fought back against the legions of hell to take back their world. This was the start of the Revelations War, the ultimate fight for survival.

Magic Society:

The magic society lived in the shadow of mankind, never interacting with them or caring for their world. As far as they’re concerned, they’ve left us behind to pursue greater things. They think themselves better than mankind and that their knowledge and abilities would overwhelm regular men, sparking fear and animosity which then in turn lead to another “witch hunt”. This potential second hunt would not end well for mankind since the destructive properties of magic surpass normal convention. The damage caused by a single bomb a mage could do to an entire city block in about the same amount of time.

This doesn’t make mages invincible though as they need to be able to see what happens, so a blinded mage or a sniper could defeat them.

The governing body of the magic society is a group they call the Counsel of Six which functions similarly to a parliament. Six houses representing the six major elements of Earth, Fire, Air, Water, Light, and Dark, come together to discuss and resolve major issues. At the time of the Calamity, the Counsel was divided when it came to whether or not they should intervene. It wasn’t until the Rome and the Vatican had fallen that one house, the house Water, ignored the Counsel and revealed themselves in Venice.

Soon the other houses joined the fray, with the only exemption being the house of Light which remained undecided. The other houses joined forces with the United Nations, which then became The World Alliance, bringing the gift of their knowledge with them. The joining of the two worlds ignited the flame of hope in the people and gave them the strength to fight back.

Magic and Magitech:

Magic is a force of nature that existed since the dawn of time. In the early years of human history, people have tried to harness this power using various methods, incantations, sigils and runes, rituals, and offerings, even prayers to higher beings is a way of trying to invoke magic. While many shamans and sorcerers practiced this art, not all were always successful due to the abstract nature of magic and with the rise of religion; mainly Catholicism, many magic users were branded and killed. The rise of technology, science, and mathematics also contributed in forcing magic into the shadows.

Wizards and witches practiced in secret until they were successful in harnessing magic and were able to use it practically. They lived in plain sight using enchantments and complicated spells to deceive regular men and as technology developed so did magic however, this society vowed to live in secret for eternity. They would not interfere with regular men no matter what happened, even if regular men were threatened by extinction the oath would be upheld. Whether this was out of bitterness of fear was unknown and forgotten.

This oath was only broken when the Calamity struck, and their own existence was threatened since the demonic horde would eventually turn their fangs towards them. Magic alone could not stop the demons and so they removed the veil and came into the light. Their gift was the knowledge of magic and from it, mankind’s sword and shield Magitechnology, was born.

Magitechnology is powered by aether, a form of power that exists in all things and is emitted by living creatures. Prior to the Calamity the population of magic users was small due to majority lacking natural affinity to aether however, this changed after the Calamity when individuals with latent affinity to aether that suddenly became aware of the presence of this mysterious power. This event was called the Awakening where mankind as a whole gained the potential to use magic, although to wield the power required proper guidance which was provided, and regulated, by the magic society.

City Life:

With the creation of magitechnology, man was not only able to fight against the demons but also rebuild their lives. Improving the defenses of each city and finding a way to sustain the population was the first priority for most countries, and while each country has their own methods and designs to defending themselves, they all have an anti-demon wall which surrounds the city effectively turning them into fortresses.

The walls were constructed designed to repel demons and their magic. Lesser demons stay away although those that made contact are obliterated on contact while stronger ones are kept at bay. Heavy artillery is perched at the top and the bottom of the wall, while troops were stationed inside and could be deployed at any moment, while several armed units patrolled the area 24/7. Defenses include but are not limited to turrets, missile launchers, drones, golems, and various military vehicles all made using cutting edge magitechnology.

Several defense towers are strategically placed inside every city and, just like the wall, have shelters and soldiers placed inside. They also serve as the hub for police activity and where criminals are imprisoned, unless they are deemed too dangerous in which case they are sent to the dedicated prison. Their primary role however, is to serve as pillars for a powerful magic barrier that covers the entire city in the event of a full invasion. Also, these towers are to remain the tallest structure in the city and no other building is allowed to reach even half of its height. There is no set height limit between cities since the size of the towers varies from city to city.

While the living conditions have improved, not everything is alright. Outside of the city walls are slums and they’re present in every city. They’re made up of refugees from fallen cities, criminals, and unfortunate souls who lost what they had in the city. The slums do not have the convenience of magitech to support their daily lives, so a lot of people turn to begging or crime to put food on their plate. While the officials of each city have a policy to let people in whenever they have the capacity the chances of this happening are very small and when it does only a handful of refugees are able to enter, and the rest are thrown out. Those who sneak in and caught are quickly detained and depending on what they did while inside they will either be thrown out or imprisoned.

Religion:

Almost virtually abandoned by the world. With the appearance of demons, people lost faith in beings such as gods and goddesses and instead have turned to magic. A few place and societies still hold faith although the number of followers is very little.

Outside of settlements, those who have abandoned mankind have turned to praising and serving powerful demons. There several demons who have a following around the globe though most remain to one area however, there are three that are incredibly active and trying to expand their influence. The queen of Yomi, Izanami in Japan; the wolf demon Fenrir who wanders Europe; and the harvester demon called the Grim Reaper in the Americas. Between those three, Fenrir is the biggest threat because of his sheer size and unpredictability while Yomi is the least threatening as she seems content to rule her little area of the world.

There are whispers of a demonic being thought himself Lucifer appearing in the ruins of the Vatican alone however, no one has confirmed this.