Seconded. Came here to say just this very thing. Abbadon, this is your baby, do what you will. I appreciate this gift, and will not complain. Thank you~
OH MY YISUN! Could that be Himself?
We, simple Angels, never had a chance to take a glimpse at the most ferocious our elder brothersisters have fought.
It is said that even the ebon Devils fear His might.
When I was fighting at the edge of the Void, repelling the Hot Black Flame in its hideous form, I couldn’t even dream of approaching the frontline where Himself stood glorious in His unbound mastered form.
It was all the same tempting and horrifying to take a glimpse. An even more cruel fate would have awaited me if I had marched along those who fought Himself and His Devils.
Fear not, oh Abaddon, for Yabalchoath’s backstory is so delectable that we are enraptured.
I am more startled by the revelation that Preem Nand was wed to the mighty Ebon before he ascended to his Sphinx-hood, and note with fascination that a Gold was clever enough to both betray an Ebon and parley himself into a position of tremendous might.
Yeah, devil power rises and falls by color, but Preem Praman Nand is ebon (but with a gold mask?) and wields power notably greater than other ebons we have seen. He’s grown up quite a bit since the time shown here. But why do you think he betrayed CC? Is that stated somewhere?
Oh thy majesty, Thief-Queen, Night-Walker, Life-Plucker! Hundred-handed goddess of burglars! I pledge my life to thee! All my riches are thine! All my body is thine! All my soul, my Art, my flame is thine! At your command, I will sail a hundred oceans, climb a thousand mountains, scale a million walls and take a billion treasures! No lock, no guard, no sorcery or science shall bar my mission! Oh my Queen, I pledge my life to thee!
Interesting. Evidently, the key that her husband wields was not the one that she stole. Presumably, they were aligned with one of the other members of the Seven, to receive such a boon. Incubus or Mottom, perhaps?
I do not believe that is a key. Certainly, there would be no reason for her to lust after a key if such a tool was already in her possession (well, her husbands’, but from the picture here it is evident that she was the dominant one in the releationship). It is more likely that what resides upon Praman Nand’s forehead is merely a high quality ley-stone.
My guess is that she stole the key thinking to use it to defend herself against retaliation… and only then discovered that Zoss’s keys don’t work for devils: They were created by and for the “weak flames” — servants and perceivers.
In the Guild, we didn’t speak the name of this one. The novitiates had their rumors: if you did, the torches would all go out. Say her name and your blood would boil out of your eyes in the night, or your skin would be peeled off for her scratching paper. In truth she just kept stealing all our maps.
It seems as though these things remain the same across all guilds. Once I took drinks with an initiate of the flesh cutters guild; a young pree sure that speaking that name would bring ill fortune in the battles to come. Considering that his ribs were evacuated from his flesh by a war devil the next day, i’d say that battle is its own ill fortune.
Hah- the terror on Princess’ face is delicious. How much they must regret having dismissed Cio as “Little Flame”. I do wonder at how Praman Nand achieved his new form, especially since the colour of his Mask (if that is indeed a Mask and he is indeed a Devil) didn’t change. Perhaps we shall learn more of the Hollow soon enough.
And we get our first glimpse of Himself, wrapped in chains, pierced by vacus needles, in a sarcophagus, guarded by the Heretic Court.
Who is this He (Himself) you speak of? Where have we heard of Him before? I am a bit behind on the studies of the Lore… could you point me in the right direction?
Oh, brothersister! I was about to scold you for letting this Concordance think that a Devil could have anything to do with Royalty and God, but maybe your understanding of the Liturgy is far more greater than mine…
Or you’ve spent too long meditating in the Void instead of fighting the Hot Black Flame.
Devils are liars, and so, famously, was YISUN. We of the Concordance are not. There is only one amongst the Aeons who truly understands Royalty, and that is Metatron 1. Though I hear his student and disciple, Juggernaut Star, is almost as perceptive as the Witch in Glass herself.
Of course, I am merely an ascetic warrior who has condensed as the Wheel turns. Perhaps the insights of a repeated attempted seducer of Queens, one who is still mere Vapour, are greater in acts of holy foolishness.
This is a well of knowledge I did not know existed. You have my utmost gratitude, kind angel!
Now I can progress in my journey on the path to wisdom, however foolish this ambition might be. (And I’ve heard it said to be -very- foolish. I always wonder why…)
Probably the Heretic’s Council is concerned with anything that might end up with excessive force dropping by to tell them Deal With This. Or perhaps just with contests among devils, and recordkeeping thereof.
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Mammon found some post-negotiation strategy, such as killing the other party, to reduce the cost of the price of godhood.
So the great sphinx was one a stubby biped.
Curious.
Though if one assumes the little mushroom like thing in her hand to be the key, the thing Nand’s forehead wouldn’t be, non?
I imagine that demons understand better than most that fire never can be satisfied, but this Court thought more that Yab would be so busy with her current schemes that they need not keep such a close eye on her. Fire tended by the careful feeding of logs is very different from fire with a precariously positioned can of oil at hand. The rate of burn is what was mistaken.
I think it was a bit foolish of Ciocie to attribute to naivety that which can be better explained by laziness.
Besides this Heretics Court seems more a place for bragging than law (what use do demons have for law?). While it might be some of a bother socially and the seed of feeble assassination attempts, I doubt there would be serious legal repercussions to a black demon with the power of a key crossing the Heretics Court. It probably would have been less so than the path she actually took which would have encouraged the Court and anyone else who happens to hear (say like Mammon) to interfere before her power was firmly established. But it’s more fun, I suppose.
Despite the horror of your own suggestion matching that of our dear Ebon friend here, I believe I made my case clear on the last page. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gugkjEfIB8s
As an ardent plunderer of various vaults, tombs and treasure holds myself I too have tempted by such a glorious prize as the hoard of one of the Demiurges themselves. But I never considered myself either brave enough, or foolish enough, throw away my life on such a doomed venture.
Dear Yabalchoath must either have been monstrously confident or completely blinded by her own pride to try such a thing. And for such foolishness I praise her, for the world is built on the back of great fools!
No need to apologise for all the exposition, it’s all great stuff. Who’d have thought Devil’s had a ruling body? I’d love to know more about its members; interesting to see that Him (was that his name?) is still canon.
Also interesting to see Praman Nand before he became a sphinx. I guess Gold Devils being female is the standard rather than the rule?
When the armor of an Angel in the physical realm is defeated, the essence of the Angel returns to the Void until a new vessel is forged. Angels can only be truly defeated in the Void, and even then they do not truly die, but are reincarnated after a time.
Not ALL but AL. In Arabic, that prefix is no mere quantifier, but instead a definite article. Allison is not ALL-GOD she is THE GOD.
Incidentally, since Al-YisUn is her true name and YisUn is synonymous with I, her true name is “The I” which puts her on the level of Himself with regards to name-power.
I have always felt a great deal of contempt towards Mammon that I do not harbor against the other demiurges. Anyone who buys their glory has no glory at all.
That’s fair. But I tend to see it more as… power is power.
Consider what he must have offered in exchange. What would convince someone – by carrot or stick – to willingly /relinquish/ a Key of Kings. The skill necessary to line up the deal so that it would cut through the other party’s resistance.
It wasn’t with a sword, but he still took his weapon and SLICED
You don’t suppose that all of Allison’s crew will find themselves to be foils, of one sort or another, to a corresponding member of the quirky miniboss squad that is the Demiurges, do you?
No, I don’t. Not unless Allison keeps picking up more people along the way, as it’s only four of them against seven of the Demiurges right now. For that to be feasible, the crew would need to grow by at least two members (allowing Allison herself to act as foil for one of the Demiurges)
How does one purchase a key? What could hold value greater than 1/7th of the entire multiverse? (Some theories come to mind.)
For those holding contempt against Mammon for buying his godhood: How do we know that Mythopoeia doesn’t demand a merchant god? Perhaps it is a cosmic position to be filled. Perhaps that particular key compels itself to be sold should the price be right.
Do the other six have equally varying ways that they came to hold their keys? We know Mottom attained hers by secretly killing her husband…
Remember that there are many more keys than those of the seven, and for each there was a demiurge who created it. It’s entirely possible that the bearer of a key foresaw the reign of madness to come and thought it wise to sell their stake in it and hide themselves in some quiet, unconquered world.
It was related to me that satisfaction is the first chasm over which the road of power runs. Yet all men must eat. Your appetite is the bridge, and must extend until it is wider than satiety.
No apologies needed for too much backstory. I feed of lore!
Seconded. Came here to say just this very thing. Abbadon, this is your baby, do what you will. I appreciate this gift, and will not complain. Thank you~
The lore and backstory is what I love the most about this comic. It makes it feel so real.
Such delicious indulgence. There is nothing whatsoever to apologize for.
I’m lovin it! One page for a new Demiurge hardly seems indulgent! Plus the lore is great!
Looks like those warrants aren’t quite enough to provoke 82 White Chain to attack another member of the party.
The warrants are likely invalid, as they are for Ye’re Yabalchoath, a name which has been taken and no longer exists.
‘ye’re’ is ‘you’re’ in heavily accented english
black masked demons only have one name, obviously
Ye’re is just black tongue for you’re I believe. I try not to mix with such vermin.
Pretty sure “Ye’re” is “ye are” is “you are”. preetty sure.
Us devils talk weird.
Y is in fact a miswritten Thorn, not Yankee, so ye are is Thee are, which is a grammatical mangle of Thou art.
The sentence is banishment, so be executed at her discretion.
OH MY YISUN! Could that be Himself?
We, simple Angels, never had a chance to take a glimpse at the most ferocious our elder brothersisters have fought.
It is said that even the ebon Devils fear His might.
When I was fighting at the edge of the Void, repelling the Hot Black Flame in its hideous form, I couldn’t even dream of approaching the frontline where Himself stood glorious in His unbound mastered form.
It was all the same tempting and horrifying to take a glimpse. An even more cruel fate would have awaited me if I had marched along those who fought Himself and His Devils.
It is
HAIL YABACHOATH
Great Yabachoath has stolen from my master, and yet even I am compelled to PRAISE her!
Fear not, oh Abaddon, for Yabalchoath’s backstory is so delectable that we are enraptured.
I am more startled by the revelation that Preem Nand was wed to the mighty Ebon before he ascended to his Sphinx-hood, and note with fascination that a Gold was clever enough to both betray an Ebon and parley himself into a position of tremendous might.
A formidable fellow indeed.
Yeah, devil power rises and falls by color, but Preem Praman Nand is ebon (but with a gold mask?) and wields power notably greater than other ebons we have seen. He’s grown up quite a bit since the time shown here. But why do you think he betrayed CC? Is that stated somewhere?
“Forgive me for the backstory, I am about to inflict.”
Oh thy majesty, Thief-Queen, Night-Walker, Life-Plucker! Hundred-handed goddess of burglars! I pledge my life to thee! All my riches are thine! All my body is thine! All my soul, my Art, my flame is thine! At your command, I will sail a hundred oceans, climb a thousand mountains, scale a million walls and take a billion treasures! No lock, no guard, no sorcery or science shall bar my mission! Oh my Queen, I pledge my life to thee!
Her majesty is akin to that of Nocturnal, of Mephala, of mistress Boethiah. Truly she is one to be worshipped.
praise Yabalchoath!
And praise backstory! It is delicious.
Interesting. Evidently, the key that her husband wields was not the one that she stole. Presumably, they were aligned with one of the other members of the Seven, to receive such a boon. Incubus or Mottom, perhaps?
It’s not confirmed that what’s in his brow is a key.
I do not believe that is a key. Certainly, there would be no reason for her to lust after a key if such a tool was already in her possession (well, her husbands’, but from the picture here it is evident that she was the dominant one in the releationship). It is more likely that what resides upon Praman Nand’s forehead is merely a high quality ley-stone.
My guess is that she stole the key thinking to use it to defend herself against retaliation… and only then discovered that Zoss’s keys don’t work for devils: They were created by and for the “weak flames” — servants and perceivers.
Learn all you can of the Hunger of devils. I go humbly before them, a supplicant, even now
To be a figure of some majesty
and live under the whim of council is a pain.
All but the truly wild must bear it.
In the Guild, we didn’t speak the name of this one. The novitiates had their rumors: if you did, the torches would all go out. Say her name and your blood would boil out of your eyes in the night, or your skin would be peeled off for her scratching paper. In truth she just kept stealing all our maps.
It seems as though these things remain the same across all guilds. Once I took drinks with an initiate of the flesh cutters guild; a young pree sure that speaking that name would bring ill fortune in the battles to come. Considering that his ribs were evacuated from his flesh by a war devil the next day, i’d say that battle is its own ill fortune.
Apologies are for the feeble and irresolute.
Oh, what envy towards Preem Nand do I feel. It grows hot within me.
Don’t be sorry. It’s about time we had a good backstory dump!
Preem Nand really let himself go after this.
Please sir I want some more.
oh my
Praman Nand was way hotter back when.
History is nothing but a tally of the self-inflicted owns of devilkind.
Hah- the terror on Princess’ face is delicious. How much they must regret having dismissed Cio as “Little Flame”. I do wonder at how Praman Nand achieved his new form, especially since the colour of his Mask (if that is indeed a Mask and he is indeed a Devil) didn’t change. Perhaps we shall learn more of the Hollow soon enough.
And we get our first glimpse of Himself, wrapped in chains, pierced by vacus needles, in a sarcophagus, guarded by the Heretic Court.
Who is this He (Himself) you speak of? Where have we heard of Him before? I am a bit behind on the studies of the Lore… could you point me in the right direction?
http://killsixbilliondemons.wikia.com/wiki/Himself
Read, and learn oh foolish student. And remember, others call Himself by that name- so what must he call Himself?
The secret name of god, is I.
Oh, brothersister! I was about to scold you for letting this Concordance think that a Devil could have anything to do with Royalty and God, but maybe your understanding of the Liturgy is far more greater than mine…
Or you’ve spent too long meditating in the Void instead of fighting the Hot Black Flame.
Devils are liars, and so, famously, was YISUN. We of the Concordance are not. There is only one amongst the Aeons who truly understands Royalty, and that is Metatron 1. Though I hear his student and disciple, Juggernaut Star, is almost as perceptive as the Witch in Glass herself.
Of course, I am merely an ascetic warrior who has condensed as the Wheel turns. Perhaps the insights of a repeated attempted seducer of Queens, one who is still mere Vapour, are greater in acts of holy foolishness.
This is a well of knowledge I did not know existed. You have my utmost gratitude, kind angel!
Now I can progress in my journey on the path to wisdom, however foolish this ambition might be. (And I’ve heard it said to be -very- foolish. I always wonder why…)
Even Princess Mamoru Moonshine is afraid.
Curious how Devil law works, where one has to seek official permission to commit a felony.
Also, dat chitinous ass.
Please, sir or madam.
It is called a thorax. DAT THORAX.
I wonder. Just how madcap does a caper need to be, before it requires the approval of such an elite and honored assembly?
Probably the Heretic’s Council is concerned with anything that might end up with excessive force dropping by to tell them Deal With This. Or perhaps just with contests among devils, and recordkeeping thereof.
Human beings are advised to avoid reading the kinds of warrants here mentioned – at least, unless they have no desire to sleep soundly ever again…
Apologies for backstory should only be made when the backstory is not awesome.
Just saying….
So apparently you CAN put a price on godhood.
I guess only Mammon knows what that number is though, unless he’s a haggler of divine skill.
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Mammon found some post-negotiation strategy, such as killing the other party, to reduce the cost of the price of godhood.
It depends on the god.
Bought with what? That we are not told.
To apologize you must continue overindulging.
Such long, flowing hair!
So the great sphinx was one a stubby biped.
Curious.
Though if one assumes the little mushroom like thing in her hand to be the key, the thing Nand’s forehead wouldn’t be, non?
True ambition is never satisfied.
It is an infinite Want.
I imagine that demons understand better than most that fire never can be satisfied, but this Court thought more that Yab would be so busy with her current schemes that they need not keep such a close eye on her. Fire tended by the careful feeding of logs is very different from fire with a precariously positioned can of oil at hand. The rate of burn is what was mistaken.
I think it was a bit foolish of Ciocie to attribute to naivety that which can be better explained by laziness.
Besides this Heretics Court seems more a place for bragging than law (what use do demons have for law?). While it might be some of a bother socially and the seed of feeble assassination attempts, I doubt there would be serious legal repercussions to a black demon with the power of a key crossing the Heretics Court. It probably would have been less so than the path she actually took which would have encouraged the Court and anyone else who happens to hear (say like Mammon) to interfere before her power was firmly established. But it’s more fun, I suppose.
Is Yabalchoath flipping off the slave with his back to us?
I think she’s just playing with her hair. You can see her index finger’s extended as well.
She is twirling her hair between two fingers. She has five fingers for each thumb, so it may look strange to your eyes.
Ah yes, I see now. Though her compulsive rendering of rude hand gestures shall no doubt make it into my own “embellished history.”
“How large is Mommon’s Treasure Fortress?” “Bigger than gods.”
I’d be more mad about the exposition if it didn’t all look gorgeous and unbelievably bad-ass. Note to self: exposition is forgivable when righteous.
Whoa, Praman was so small. I hope this means we’re gonna find out how he became possessed soon.
Also, Praman was pretty attractive before he turned into a giant sphinx. Damn.
Just started reading this, God damn its so good.
Cio’s husband was quite the looker back then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bINYgVtRVjU yabalchoath theme
Despite the horror of your own suggestion matching that of our dear Ebon friend here, I believe I made my case clear on the last page.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gugkjEfIB8s
And a theme for the Cio that is…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RabdQXrAgk
As an ardent plunderer of various vaults, tombs and treasure holds myself I too have tempted by such a glorious prize as the hoard of one of the Demiurges themselves. But I never considered myself either brave enough, or foolish enough, throw away my life on such a doomed venture.
Dear Yabalchoath must either have been monstrously confident or completely blinded by her own pride to try such a thing. And for such foolishness I praise her, for the world is built on the back of great fools!
There is no such thing as overindulging on backstory.
There is, but when the backstory is interesting enough it is no longer backstory. It becomes only story.
So Preem Nand was not always a quadrupedal bloke. The plot thickens.
The mask remains the same, but the form behind it changes. We have seen this several times.
No need to apologise for all the exposition, it’s all great stuff. Who’d have thought Devil’s had a ruling body? I’d love to know more about its members; interesting to see that Him (was that his name?) is still canon.
Also interesting to see Praman Nand before he became a sphinx. I guess Gold Devils being female is the standard rather than the rule?
You are a terrible liar. Your love of backstory has been noted and reported to the proper authorities.
I love the backstory. She’s such an interesting character.
How interesting! Her Husband appears to be a gilded devil, is he still one now? The mask certainly fits…
Backstory is what we crave with such a rich mythos, fill it in as you see fit. Bow to nothing but your muse, we shall follow
I still wanna know the details of her re-naming. She ticked SOMEONE off.
WOO! SARGATANAS REPRESENT! ‘God’s Demon’ was an awesome damn book!
“I’m goin ta Hell! Who’s comin’ with me?”
In the panel showing the Heretic’s Court, is that Sargatanas on the top right?
How might Cio react to being told her old self was adorable?
AL-YIS-UN, King of Kings, gets a chair (and a warm blanket).
The rest sit on the floor.
Well, she’s also the one who was most recently almost-dead-from-blood-loss.
–and she did call this inquest into session.
What makes a throne a throne?
“What makes a throne a throne?”
The Royalty of the posterior it supports, of course.
Wait a second! I thought I read somewhere that 81 (not a typo) White Chain died breaking up some kind of organ-smuggling ring?
armed only with a washing pole, yes.
When the armor of an Angel in the physical realm is defeated, the essence of the Angel returns to the Void until a new vessel is forged. Angels can only be truly defeated in the Void, and even then they do not truly die, but are reincarnated after a time.
Good lord Abby, I fear how you can make her EVEN sexier with the next page!
That bottom panel, though…
Allison is the only one sitting in a chair.
Destiny is a persistent suitor.
Ya mean “ALL-YIS-UN” Right?
Naw.
Not ALL but AL. In Arabic, that prefix is no mere quantifier, but instead a definite article. Allison is not ALL-GOD she is THE GOD.
Incidentally, since Al-YisUn is her true name and YisUn is synonymous with I, her true name is “The I” which puts her on the level of Himself with regards to name-power.
You mean Alice-UN, right?
someday someone’s going to be very confused by us all butchering her name.
What makes a throne a throne?
The seat, or the seated?
Does either matter, when all others sit below?
Way of the multiverse, I guess: even in a world ruled by demigods, the financial industry still finds a way to buy their way to the top.
The gods may have conquered life and death itself but even they cannot escape the power of the Coin.
I have always felt a great deal of contempt towards Mammon that I do not harbor against the other demiurges. Anyone who buys their glory has no glory at all.
You shut your thirty-seven beaks and shut them good.
That’s fair. But I tend to see it more as… power is power.
Consider what he must have offered in exchange. What would convince someone – by carrot or stick – to willingly /relinquish/ a Key of Kings. The skill necessary to line up the deal so that it would cut through the other party’s resistance.
It wasn’t with a sword, but he still took his weapon and SLICED
Not all glory is found in smashing in stealing.
There is room for persuasion and trading.
At the least, it will keep you from my goblet, a little longer.
You don’t suppose that all of Allison’s crew will find themselves to be foils, of one sort or another, to a corresponding member of the quirky miniboss squad that is the Demiurges, do you?
No, I don’t. Not unless Allison keeps picking up more people along the way, as it’s only four of them against seven of the Demiurges right now. For that to be feasible, the crew would need to grow by at least two members (allowing Allison herself to act as foil for one of the Demiurges)
The legend tells of Seven Sins
and a black emperor for each.
Seven virtues might be hard to assign.
Lol Whit Chain. Love that last panel.
Her husband was pretty hot before being turned into a giant cat…
Still kind of sad AL-YISUN didn’t obliterate Mother Om in this telling. Perhaps the Lord of Ledger will not fail to test the successor.
I love how her hair forms a cape!
Backstory as in lore or backstory as in Big Cio’s butt on the last page
So, questions…
How does one purchase a key? What could hold value greater than 1/7th of the entire multiverse? (Some theories come to mind.)
For those holding contempt against Mammon for buying his godhood: How do we know that Mythopoeia doesn’t demand a merchant god? Perhaps it is a cosmic position to be filled. Perhaps that particular key compels itself to be sold should the price be right.
Do the other six have equally varying ways that they came to hold their keys? We know Mottom attained hers by secretly killing her husband…
A key is one 777,777th of the universe.
Allison’s key being the exception and special.
Remember that there are many more keys than those of the seven, and for each there was a demiurge who created it. It’s entirely possible that the bearer of a key foresaw the reign of madness to come and thought it wise to sell their stake in it and hide themselves in some quiet, unconquered world.
Interesting theory… Perhaps we shall see.
Maybe he bought it before the war. That’s my theory anyways.
Guess she got a little big for her britches.
Also, she used to own slaves.
Well she is a demon and she was working in a brothel/slave market when we met her. What did you expect?
Guess she got a little too big for her britches.
Also, she used to own slaves.
Hey you changed the favicon.
I was going to ask about that
Eightfold first I thought I saw…now Forge?!
It was related to me that satisfaction is the first chasm over which the road of power runs. Yet all men must eat. Your appetite is the bridge, and must extend until it is wider than satiety.
One could say that Yabalchoath’s warrants are… outstanding.
May our ledgers become ocean! May our margins see Centauri!
I quite like Yabalchoath!
Overindulge! Regret nothing! Ask no forgiveness!
I quite like her taste in concubines. Tantalizingly androgynous.