Walpurgis - A Night for Demon Lords

31st of the 10th Cycle

There were once three moons - sisters named Aria, Sonnet, and Canon.

They rode through the heavens in their silver carriage, illuminating the night sky with their divine splendour, taking turns every new night. Oh and they rode, chasing the loves of their lives, the morning stars.

But there were little happy endings in Teyvat. Competition and envy grasped the hearts of the three sisters, and so they went to war. Their sovereign carriage was overturned, and the Sky bled in their divine war.

Canon withered away, falling to dust as she descended from the heavenly plane. Her remnants were spread across Teyvat by the Thousand Winds, and sprouted plague and damnation where they fell. Her defiant curse, the last fleeting gift of a dying god - and humanity suffered. Infestation and blight spread across Teyvat, and the mighty empire of man of encompassed the great continent fell like a house of cards.

Humanity was brought back to the Age of Steel, and petty kingdoms and lordships grew from the corpse of the empire. They looked up at the Sky, and thought the worse was over.

Sonnet fell from the Sky, her divine corpse held together in her defiant cry. Her song washed over the seas and mountains as she fell, a great ball of silver wrought in empyreal flame. She struggled and raged, and when she hit Teyvat the destruction left in her wake turned water to ash and soil to stone. Man, still wiping the sweat off their brows, looked up to see another all-encompassing fire.

Humanity was brought back to the Age of Bronze, and primitive tribes of man lived in the shadows of giants.

Now, only Aria was left in the lunar carriage, limp and bleeding. As the night turned to day, her dying thoughts were those of once joyful times and remorse. She reached for the morning stars, and as always, they were just out of reach. With the last of her strength, she taught her song to the wolves, avowed her regrets to the stars, and shed a final tear. And so the last moon goddess died, her remains still hanging in the Sky.

It can still be heard, the song of the wolves - the mournful tunes they howl when Aria's corpse illuminates the night. It can still be seen, the morning stars shining in grievous lament, as Aria's corpse dips below the horizon.

Havria recalled this, for it was the bedtime stories of many an infant god - she was no exception. She looked up at the stars, and saw the Welkin Moon, Aria's body still shining with divine glow. Havria shook her head, this was no night for sad thoughts, for it was the night of Walpurgis, and jubilee was the order of the day.

The marble towers of Celestia were lit with aurulent flame, their splendour like candles reaching above the sea of clouds. Cerulean lights hung in the air, acting as lanterns illuminating the long bridges of the divine kingdom. Wind spirits darted to and fro, singing songs of glory and legend, plying their trade of lutes and lyres.

It was a night of jamboree, unofficially celebrating the ascent of the 14th Overseer of Celestia. Havria had left her abode early in the night, intent on enjoying the festivities inconspicuously - and she did. Barbatos had outdone himself, his legions of wind spirits ensuring there was no inch of Celestia not without song.

That was not all, spirits also carried around platters of ambrosia - the food of the divine. Little balls of gold that could sustain a deity of days and with a taste nothing could match. Nectar, too, flowed endlessly - gods and spirits held out mugs of crystal to constantly be refilled by the golden beverage.

But that was not what Havria was here for. She spotted a stall, dainty and comfortable, decorated with red banners and Liyuean script. Yes, Walpurgis was a special night, why not treat herself to special food? Mortal food. Mondstadter, Liyuean, Inazuman, cuisine from all the mortal kingdoms were available.

This was a privilege only available on Walpurgis, for the spirits of the Human Realm were only allowed into the Divine Realm on this night alone. And they brought with them the greatest treasures of Teyvat, things that not even gods could enjoy usually. Foremost was human cuisine.

Divine, Havria thought as she inhaled Liyue's golden shrimp balls. Next was Inazuma's renowned snacks, and then Mondstadt's cold cut platter. She enjoyed all of them with gusto, and especially appreciated how perfectly seasoned they were. She would know.

A bell was heard, loud and ringing. Havria sighed, alas, this moment of joy could not last forever. She finished her food and started towards the great hall in the distance.

As she made her way through the crowd, her comparatively humble linen toga began to weave itself into another. A resplendent silver dress, weaved of silk and saline crystals. Her divine ensemble shimmered under Aria's light, turning her into a beacon of splendour.

She was no longer just another lesser god or spirit enjoying the festivities, but a true god of Celestia. And people bowed and knelt in respect and fear.

The great gates of the House of Lords yawned open, and the herald called -

"Now entering - Havres, Lord of Salt! Rank 64, the Duchess of Saline Halls!"

It was clear that the previous Overseers of Celestia spared no expense in ensuring the House of Lords was worthy to seat the greatest deities of Teyvat.

Massive braziers of auric flame hung from one side of each of the twenty ivory columns, lighting up every part of the great hall and engulfing the ballroom in brilliant glimmer. On the other end of the hall were two staircases that wrapped around the room and met on a higher mezzanine that overlooked the entire hall. A great podium sat on the mezzanine, where the Overseer usually reigns the hall from.

Two carmine rugs ran down the staircases and joined at the centre of the hall, giving it an 'o' shaped look. 72 pennant banners emblazoned with the arms of all the Lords dangled gently from the walls, swaying in illusory wind. Stained glass windows depicting ancient divine legends were concealed by curtains of woven gold, adorned with fine patterns and jewels.

Hanging from the very centre of the domed ceiling was a grand chandelier dripping with flaming cerulean lustres. To the sides of the hall were many curtained archways leading to private rooms for the Lords to negotiate and… other things.

The House itself was built on the central island, which was the island mortals generally referred to as 'Celestia.' For their purposeful ignorance dictated that they did not know of the true size of the Divine Realm. Here was neutral ground, on which no weapons were allowed - unless they were symbolic ones. This absolute peace was strictly enforced by Lord Marbas, Rank 3 of the House of Lords.

This law dictates that other than previously designated servants and attendants tied to the House, the Lords could only bring themselves and one other person - whether they be a servant, a friend or a partner.

Havria, or Havres now that she was going by her divine name, brought only herself. She was a reclusive goddess who didn't have many friends, but respected nonetheless for her sheer impartiality. See, without any friends in the House of Lords, she could be trusted to be entirely neutral - making her the foremost candidate in arbitrating disputes and witnessing contracts.

This was how, that despite being 64th of 72, her word still held significant power. That and the fact she still had 20 legions of daemons under her command, and despite that being a far cry from her once 36 legions, it was not an insignificant number. Daemon was a catch-all term for lesser deities and spirits, demons included.

"Lord Havres, it has been some time since we last met!" A handsome man called out to her. With a head adorned with flowing gold hair and the wings of a crow, he was a striking sight. Lord Naberius, Rank 19 and Marquis of Golden Hells.

She offered an amiable smile, "Indeed it has, I wasn't to imagine you would attend so early!"

"Well, unlike you, poor me has to continue forging connections to stay afloat." He returned the look graciously, speaking with undertone.

Indeed, for what he said was banter, but what he meant was that he had need of her reputation as a neutral party. Naberius was likely trying to make a deal with a less than amiable party. It was no problem, she had done this many times before.

"Of course!" That was tacit agreement, "I myself was planning to make myself a wallflower this night, for politicking isn't for me." That was a hidden message, for him to seek her out later.

"Your beauty is one to behold, my lord. It would be a shame to not take part in festivities, this is the Walpurgis Night, no? None other like it, you should enjoy yourself." Meaningless pleasantries expected of him, she thought. Next would come what he really wanted.

"May I be your first dance of tonight?" There it was. Havres sighed internally, she really hated politics.

"Lord Morax! I must really thank you for the wondrous cuisine you had prepared. Liyuean food is truly one to behold."

"Oh it's no issue. In fact, it were the spirits who petitioned me to allow it. You should thank them instead."

Morax, Rank 15 and Count of Saffron Amber. He was once Rank 21, but has since risen some. Ranks were very stagnant, and they didn't convey true levels of power. For example, she was a duke at Rank 64, while Morax was a count at Rank 15. However, rising six ranks was still a great achievement, for Ranks rarely changed, Morax was the first in thousands of years.

It was mostly because of the Archon Wars, but still.

Speaking of the Archon Wars, it was then that she had lost much of her armies. 16 legions lost, it was an unprecedented disaster for her. It was that reason that she had cut all ties to lick her wounds. For centuries after her grave defeat, she remained bitter, secluding herself in her demesne. Sal Terrae could've held, for all her perceived weakness she was still a god.

She had blessed the mortal Sal Dynasty into demigod-hood, and their last king repaid her gift by stabbing her in the back with her own sword. Oh her fury was unbound, and she razed Sal Terrae to the ground for their sin of deicide. Alas, laws were laws, and she left the Mortal Realm entirely as a defeated of the Archon Wars.

"Are all the Archons attending today my lord?"

Walpurgis was the one night for all 72 Lords to gather. While attending wasn't compulsory, being absent without cause was essentially social death. Archons were the one exception, for they had duties in the Mortal Realm and could be excused.

"I am afraid I do not know. We hardly keep contact with each other anymore after the Cataclysm."

"A shame indeed, remember that one Walpurgis where Barbatos brought a mortal to attend?"

Morax nodded his head in amusement, "I wonder what tricks he'll pull this time."

"With luck, none. For all this is Walpurgis we all know the true purpose of this gathering."

The ascent of the 14th Overseer, they all knew. As for what happened to the 13th Overseer, well, they don't talk about that.

…

What happened to the mortal? They spontaneously combusted into flames after seeing too much divinity.

Havres laid on one of the couches that were placed against the wall.

The night was still young, and Lords were still filtering into the hall.

"Now entering - Barbatos, Lord of Wind! Rank 6, the Duke of Hymnic Tempests!"

Havres rose and bowed, as did many of the lower ranked Lords in the hall. Higher ranked Lords like Morax and Naberius just inclined their heads in Barbatos' direction.

Why was she, a duchess, bowing to a duke? That's because Barbatos was Rank 6. She began to break down his full title.

First, 'Lord of Wind.' The 'Lord' title was his Authority in the Mortal Realm, in this case Wind. His peerage was 'Duke,' this was his standing in the Divine Realm. Lastly, he was 'Rank 6.' This meant that specifically within the halls of Celestia, only five gods ranked above him.

Thus, if they were in the Divine Realm, Havres and Barbatos would be of the same standing. In fact, if they were in the Divine Realm, even mighty Morax would have to bow to her, for he was merely a count while she was a duchess. But in the House of Lords, on Celestia? Barbatos was ranked far, far, far higher than her.

Not that he acted like he was Rank 6, in any case. Every Walpurgis he always shows up with some prank or trick. Indeed, everyone in the hall was mentally bracing themselves for whatever Barbatos was going to do next.

"Why are you all looking at me like that? I am quite insulted, do you truly think so low of me?"

"Yes." Morax said dully.

Everyone looked away. For Morax would be the only one to dare speak back against Barbatos so bluntly.

"Well," Barbatos laughed, "unfortunately I will not pull any tricks this night. For are we not all celebrating our new Overseer?"

Havres sighed, leave it Barbatos to not care of social customs and taboos.

"Now entering - Beelzebub, Lord of Storms! Rank 1, the Queen of Empyreal Darkness!

All commotion suddenly died in the hall. A brief pause - and immediately the entire room knelt. The only ones who didn't were Agares, Marbas, and Barbatos - all higher than Rank 10, they just bowed slightly. Barbatos gave a jaunty wave.

Ignoring his immaturity, she returned to her own situation. No one dared move from their position as Beelzebub scanned the hall. Havres inclined her head upwards slightly, discreetly looking at the Rank 1.

Havres had never seen Beelzebub before. See, this was the first time Beelzebub had set foot on Celestia as far as she knew. She had only become a member of the House of Lords 500 years ago, much less Rank 1.

How was this possible? The previous Rank 1 was Baal, Beelzebub's sister. When Baal died in the Cataclysm, she made her sister kill her and usurp all of her Authorities. And just like that, Beelzebub skyrocketed from a minor deity, not even a Lord, to Rank 1 and Queen. Technically, this was both Beelzebub's debut as both Rank 1 and a Lord of Celestia.

"Rise."

They rose, and Havres could catch a better view of the Queen. Long purple hair ran down her back, reaching to her ankles. Her eyes were sharp, gleaming with violet thunder. She wore matching resplendent purpure robes, overlaid with cold steel. Overlapping bronze plates covered her battle dress, and sheathed at her side was a sword.

Havres knew of it, it was Baal's sword before it was Beelzebub's. The infamous Musou Isshin, created from Baal's divine might. A blade so sharp there was nothing it couldn't cut. Baal was a ruler, and in her hands the Musou Isshin was her symbol of power.

Beelzebub was a warrior, in her hands the Musou Isshin was a symbol of fear. Dozens of gods have fallen before its cutting edge, endless tides of the Dark Sea were pushed back by its unrelenting power.

And it was not meant to be brought to Celestia, for it was a weapon. But as she strode forwards, none dared tell her that. Not even Marbas, who made that law. For Beelzebub was two gods in one, and none here could match her might alone.

Already, Havres could see some lower ranked Lords inching towards Beelzebub, hoping to gain her good favour.

"Now entering - Asmodeus, Lord of Law! Rank 32, the Queen of Divine Scripts!"

While she was not of any particularly high Rank, many bowed their heads in respect regardless - even Beelzebub. That's because there was one title not mentioned, not that the herald could be blamed, there was a specific format to the listing of titles that he had to follow.

Asmodeus was the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. She wrote and upheld the word of law, and none defied her, not even Rank 1. And that was because she commanded 72 legions of daemons, and was also the greatest supporter of the 14th Overseer.

She and Marbas met and moved into one of the side chambers. No one batted an eye, for Marbas was the previous Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, before passing on the title to Asmodeus.

Havres took another swig of wine.

"Now entering - Paimon, Lord of Void! Rank 9, the Queen of Astral Expanse!

She strode into the room not missing a beat. Her white robes contrasted greatly with her shimmering mantle of space and stars, every step struck with authority. Paimon was the most powerful Lord in the room, her divine kingdom was unmatched in size and splendour. Her armies, 200 legions in total, were larger than any two other Lords combined.

She marched up the stairs to the mezzanine, attracting the gaze of everyone in the hall. She put one hand on the railing, and lifted a glass of gold nectar with the other.

"By my authority as the 14th Overseer of Celestia, I hereby declare this Walpurgis Night commenced! A toast, to the glory of our names!"

Havres lifted her glass of wine, and toasted.

The music started, and the tables of food were pushed to the side to make space on the ballroom floor. The Lords soon started partnering up, or simply began to dance with their brought companions. From the corner of her eye, she saw Barbatos outstretch a hand to the Rank 2, Agares; what a madman.

Asmodeus emerged from the side chamber and took Paimon in arm, while Morax was approached by the Rank 70, Seere. It looked like of the seven Archons, only three had attended.

Havres watched as Naberius approached her, offering a hand.

"May I have this dance, my lord?"

"Very well."

They swept onto the dance floor, time for business.

It was late into the night, but the festivities still haven't stopped. For Walpurgis was to continue until the Sun rose into the Sky once more. The previous Walpurgis continued until noon the next day, in fact.

Now it was midnight, and Havres was satisfied at successfully brokering another deal, this time between Naberius and Rank 12, Sitri. She was hopping from table to table, sampling bite sized pieces of delectable mortal food. Human cuisine has come a long way from 2,000 years ago, during the Archon Wars.

Havres heard the gates open once more, as naturally moved to catch a look. She saw many others do the same. See, the moment the Walpurgis Night officially starts, the gates would be shut, and only be opened when the Night ended. The only people to have the authority to open the gates in the middle of a Walpurgis are the Lords.

Which means that there was a latecomer Lord who had just arrived. Being absent is one thing, but being late? Gods don't do things halfway, if you are to be absent, you should have a reason. But if you are late, it means you were always intending on attending and should've cleared your schedule beforehand, there is no excuse for being late. Thus it wasn't just an insult to the host, but an insult to every attending Lord as well.

Havres listened in rapt attention as the herald's booming voice announced the latecomer.

"Now…?"

There was pause.

"Fo-Forgive me! Now entering - Astaroth, Lord of Time!"

Havres had to do a double take, what?

"Rank 28, the Duchess of Primordial Hierarchy!"

Astaroth marched into the great hall, a cloak of concept trailing behind her. Her divine halo was in the shape of a gold ticking clock, her dress of bronze shimmered in the chandelier's light.

Havres knelt, Morax knelt, Beelzebub knelt. For if Paimon was the most powerful Lord in the room, Astaroth was the most powerful god. An honest and true Elder God, no less, and one of the founding gods of Celestia. Hers was a scale beyond theirs, her power beyond imagining.

Yet she was never present, for this was the first Walpurgis she had attended since the first Walpurgis. Younger gods were told bedtime stories of Astaroth, she was essentially a living divine myth.

"Apologies for my tardiness." She spoke, and honestly, Havres expected more. A voice like Morax's perhaps, or Paimon's - one that commanded authority.

Instead, Astaroth's voice was like that of a mother's to a group of children. It seem she wasn't the only one to think that, too.

"Honoured mother, how blessed we are to be in your presence!" Barbatos outstretched his arms, gesturing to everyone in the hall.

"Of course you are." She responded smoothly, "But I have come with more concerning matters in mind."

Paimon coughed, "My lord, I was intending on… announcing that after tonight. We wouldn't want to ruin the Walpurgis, would we?"

"..."

Astaroth stared down the Overseer, and Paimon stared back, neither backing down. Havres swore she heard someone suck in a breath, she felt the same sentiment.

"Very well," the Elder God relented, "I trust your judgement, Overseer. I will take my leave."

Astaroth spun on her heel, and began to leave just as fast as she came.

"My lord, perhaps I could occupy a moment of your time?" Beelzebub called out.

The god in question turned her head to the side, before responding.

"Beelzebub, yes? I was fond of your sister. Come, walk with me."

The Rank 1 followed the Rank 28 out of the hall like an eager puppy. The gates shut with a mighty thud in their wake, and Paimon breathed a sigh of relief.

"My lords!" Paimon caught the attention of all in the hall.

"We approach the end of this sublime night, and so I have an announcement to make!"

They listened in rapt attention, for all knew that this announcement was important enough to have Astaroth attend, even if for a brief moment.

The Overseer breathed out.

"A moon ago, the Firstborn of Astaroth, Kairos the Undying Wind, was murdered by a mortal. It has come to my attention that said mortal has crushed the Madman's Skull, and is now the first Hierophant in history!"

…

Pandemonium ensued. Lords screamed over one another, struggling to have their voices heard. Havres saw Morax by the side, deep in thought, and Barbatos near the back, looking on in amusement.

Havres knew why this was paramount news, the birth of a Hierophant was exactly the thing that the House of Lords were trying to prevent for their entire history. For a Hierophant meant that they were no longer invincible to the Mortal Realm.

"They are still young, we must smother them while we still can!"

"Seconded! If we wait too long, we will lose this opportunity!"

"A Hierophant is still a mortal, did we not swear to protect the Mortal Realm when we became Lords?"

"Indeed, what threat could the Hierophant really pose? We are gods!"

"Silence!" Paimon thundered, "It pains me to say, but we will take no action! For the Hierophant was raised under Lord Astaroth's blessing!"

…

Havres shook her head, they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. A Hierophant could pose a significant threat to them in the future, but Astaroth is a significant threat now. Their hands were tied, and not to mention Paimon.

Millennia of politics have honed Havres mind to see the undertones and between the lines. It was clear that Paimon had her hands tied too, for she did not want to expose the existence of a Hierophant at all.

Indeed, the Overseer probably intended to keep the Hierophant as a secret card to use in the future, but Astaroth had ruined that plan by revealing the 'concerning matter.' This forced Paimon to take it into her own hands to announce, for if Astaroth announced it, Paimon's position as Overseer would be greatly weakened.

Now that Paimon said she would announce it, she had to. Because if she didn't, her position as Overseer would also be greatly weakened. Havres idly watched as the Lords bickered with each other like children, and smothered a giggle. She did not know if this was what Astaroth intended, but it was amusing nonetheless.

It did not matter if the Hierophant became the bane of Celestia, for Havres was a negotiator. She would ride the waves as she always did.

If it were to the waves of destruction, then she simply had to reinforce her boat.

Notes on Walpurgis:

1) Titles and Legions

To make things clearer, there are 72 Lords on Celestia (I'll get back to that), and each of them has 3 titles.

First is "Lord of XXX." This title dictates what they rule in the Mortal Realm, so basically what they are god of. If you are wondering why everyone says "my lord" when clearly some gods are female, that is because gods have no gender, they simply make themselves look like they have a gender.

Second is "Queen/Duke/Count of XXX." This is their peerage, the Divine Realm isn't just Celestia, and this title is what they're are lord of in the Divine Realm, very similar to real life. E.G Duke of Lancaster, Count of Kent. If you think their titles make no sense, like what the fuck is "Astral Expanse" or "Divine Scripts" or "Saffron Amber" then that's what I was going for. I wanted to make it clear that there is a difference between gods and humans, so I chose purposefully strange names for their titles.

Lastly is their Rank. This is basically just who stands above the other specifically in Celestia. In Celestia a lower Rank king is below a higher Rank count, but once they leave Celestia and enter the rest of the Divine Realm the king is back above the count.

Legions are the armies each god commands. "Daemons" ARE NOT demons, but demons ARE daemons. Daemons basically include every minor deity, such as spirits, fairies, demons, adepti, youkai, et cetera.

2) Havria/Havres

Havria is the God of Salt, and made an appearance in name during Zhongli's Story Quest, the Historia Antiqua Chapter. I won't say too much about it, because you likely already played it.

It is said that Havria died during the Archon Wars, so why is she alive here? Well, I am going along with my plot point that a god being killed does not equal a god dying. When Havria was stabbed, her physical form died, and her consciousness returned back to her divine form in Celestia.

Next is why I made a difference between "Havria" and "Havres." That's because Havres is the name in the Ars Goetia (I'll get back to that) and Havria is a corruption of the name. Going with this, mortals in Teyvat confused the name Havres for Havria because Havria sounded more 'human.' Same goes for Asmoday/Asmodeus, Istaroth/Astaroth, even Orobashi/Orobas.

3) Inspiration

My largest and most obvious inspiration is the Ars Goetia and the Lesser Key of Solomon. These two books are also where Genshin gets the name for their gods, so I just went along with it. All the "Ranks" and peerages come from these two books, I didn't make them up myself.

My second inspiration is the Korean web and light novel Dungeon Defense. The synopsis is essentially a poor schmuck gets isekai'd into the body of the second weakest Demon Lord, Rank 71 Dantalion. Now he has to stay alive at any cost, navigating Demon Lord politics and escaping heroes. If you enjoy politics, backstabbing, philosophy, war, sex, and pure insanity, I highly recommend you read both the web novel and the light novel, they are both very different experiences.

Lastly, Walpurgis Night by Xomu. I wrote this chapter while listening to that song.