If you were to ask any random person what they thought the most dangerous thing out there was, you'd get one answer far more than the rest: Demons.
No one knows who summoned the first demon, nor how they learned how to do so in the first place. Records date back to Ancient Greece, but, even then, the tablets make no mention of the invention of the summoning circle. Even the myths treat the knowledge as something any fool who found the right teacher could learn. One thing is certain: their recklessness and greed had altered the fate of humanity forever.
Demons were no mere myth. These monsters have been recorded throughout history, offering up their mystical powers in exchange for human souls. Perhaps a farmer, jealous of their more successful neighbor, summoned a demon to send a plague on his crops (or outright kill him in secret). Or maybe a scholar, desperate to prove their thesis, used a demon to create evidence for them (whether its real or not). Or maybe even a desperate athlete succumbed to their desires and was granted false strength to become famous. No matter the circumstances, the ending's always the same: their deals are discovered, leaving the demon the only victor.
More modern demon summonings were less dramatic than the stories of old. At most, you'd see some idiots on the news getting arrested after robbing someone with the help of a demon. More often, you'd hear about dumb teens summoning demons to cheat on tests or drunk college students doing it on a dare. Perhaps that's why, despite demon summoning being illegal, it was rare for anything to be done about it.
That was, of course, until one fateful day when a man named Isaac Clerval got it into his head that he should be the "Supreme Leader of the World" in his own words. Though his rhetoric was laughable, his methods were anything but. He'd managed to gain the assistance of an incredibly powerful demon, one who could paralyze whole swaths of people.
As he marched through the eastern coast of the United States, he rapidly gained more followers. Though they would later claim to be either hypnotized or fearful for their lives when put on trial, they were so loyal at the time that they would summon their own demons on Isaac's orders, further adding to his forces.
Though brutal, his campaign was short-lived. Very quickly, the rest of the world united to stop this threat, as he was vocal about conquering the entirety of Earth. It took only three months for him and his demon army to be defeated. Some claimed that divine intervention helped speed things along, but there are few sources for these claims.
Never before in all of recorded history had demons caused a disaster of this level. In the wake of Isaac's failure, swift action was taken against demon and all who would deal with them. Any reported suspects would be dealt with swiftly, and, even if they were found to be innocent, the process caused immense stress. But, surely, it was worth it for the ultimate goal of eliminating demonkind from Earth.
An aura of fear had fallen over the world as more actions were taken against any suspected demon activity. To help combat this, several world leaders agreed to force some positive news by creating the Humanity Perfection Campaign. To show that the world was much better off now than it was previously, they would find and showcase the top talent that humanity had to offer. These chosen few would be known as Ultimates.
Scouts were sent out all across the world, searching for those who had some exceptional skill to advertise or, at least, foster until it was worthy of bragging about. Those who were willing to pay an exorbitant fee were able to submit applications directly, though there was no guarantee that they would succeed.
Regardless of the method, there was only one other requirement: their talent must not have come from or been boosted by working with a demon. The program was started to show that humans would never need demons. Many higher ups would have preferred that potential Ultimates have no contact with demons whatsoever, but this was the compromise reached after much debate.
The search focused on young adults, as they were both less likely to have summoned a demon (mostly due to them having less time being alive) and more impressive to talk about. These Ultimates were held up as the paragons of a new generation, one which would finally lead humanity out of an age of demons.
…Of course, there's no such thing as perfection, especially not when it comes to humanity. The Ultimates had been given impossible expectations to uphold. Four years have passed since the start of the Humanity Perfection Campaign. Soon, a select few would be tested. Should they succeed, perhaps a future beyond perfection would be possible.
But, should they fail, their doom would be certain.
[The following is an excerpt from the introduction to A Field Guide to Demons, a book which has been banned.]
…cannot go into the specifics summoning in this book, as it is illegal. However, should one have their mind set upon making contact with a demon, the information is out there in this age of the internet. You would not have to look far. Just know that the specifics of the summoning circle you construct must correspond to what the power the demon in question has.
Each demon has a handful of powerful magic, fueled by their own soul. They can increase this power by taking the souls of humans that they make deals with. Power is the one thing all demons care about. They know exactly what they are worth, and they will not take kindly to being lowballed. Keep this in mind should you ever willingly summon one. Your very essence is on the line.
It need not be so dire, however. Though the stories tell of wicked men attempting to gain limitless power through such summonings, the reality is that few are willing or able to pay the price. Many call upon demons for more mundane reasons, where the cost is not nearly as high. Demons are skilled at carving out miniscule portions of the soul, and some may even ask for material goods instead. I myself have heard tell of someone summoning a demon to pet sit for them in exchange for a few hours-worth of their soul. Who better to trust then someone as loyal as a demon?
Demons come from another realm entirely. Little is known about it, though it is rumored to be very cold. Regardless, demons cannot exist in our world without either a summoning circle or a human having made a deal with them. I've heard tell of demons who have already accepted one deal making another while already summoned, but the chances of running into a demon at all are slim. If you want a demon to do something for you, you'll have to summon them yourself.
Be aware that, whatever your reasons, the act itself is taboo. Though the demon cannot leave the summoning circle until a deal is made, there is no going back once a deal is struck. There are no known ways to return the demon back to whence it came before it completes its end of the bargain. And, until that point, your body will be marked with the demon's sigil, and all who see it will know exactly what you've done. It is in my best interests not to inform you that you should keep this sigil covered or hidden, so I will not say that.
Beyond all else, know that demons are selfish. They only care about you because you agreed to give them something. Our lives are otherwise meaningless to them. Should you ever go back on a deal, then there is little you can do to save yo...
[The rest has been torn off.]
A/N: Hey, it's been a while since I've written anything. I've had this idea for a story swirling around in my head for the past few months now. I only just now got the courage to write anything up and post it. I hope that you found the premise interesting! I'm pretty rusty from not writing anything for, like, more than a year.
There are some questions that I want to cover that I couldn't fully answer in universe, so I'll answer them here.
Didn't you have another story? What happened to that?
I'm gonna be honest: I lost a lot of motivation to write (in general, not just for that one). I'm not sure if or when I'll go back to it. I'm still fairly proud of what I managed to write, but I'm pretty sure that my writing would suffer going forward without proper impetus. So, for now (and maybe forever), that story's on hiatus. I'm really sorry about that.
Why are you making another story then?
I want to write something fairly different than what I was working on before. I had a lot of fun coming up with ideas, and, once I worked up the nerve to write this prologue, I could feel myself getting energized. I'm hoping that writing this will help get me back in the groove. It's probably not great that I'm admitting that I may not actually finish this story either, but I want to be upfront about that, at least. Stories like these are a ton of work. I don't blame anyone who realizes partway through that they've bit off more than they can chew.
…Wait hang on, neither of those were relevant to this story. Let's get onto that, shall we?
What are the rules for submitting?
Please PM the filled out character form to me with the title IH – Character Name, Talent. Try to keep it all in one thread if you need multiple PMs to send everything over, but I know this website can be finicky. This isn't first come first serve, so feel free to take your time. The due date has been extended to February 20.
How many character slots are there?
Either 15 or 16. It depends on the characters that I get. Who knows? Maybe that number will go up. OoooOoOoH… (spooky).
Can I submit multiple characters?
Sure. No guarantee they all make it in. I usually like to source characters from as many people as possible to get as many different ideas to mix, but I'm totally fine with accepting multiple characters from the same person. I'm probably not going to accept more than two, though.
Does this take place in any canon Danganronpa?
No. It's a wholly original universe. There's no Hope's Peak or Tragedy or anything else of the sort. It's also not connected to my other story.
Does my character have to be Japanese/American/any specific nationality?
Nope, this is a worldwide affair. The only restriction I have is that your character knows English. This is just for communication purposes. Note that the Humanity Perfection Campaign doesn't require Ultimates to know English, but, for this story, Ultimates who know English would be specifically sought out.
Does my character have to have history with demons?
Nope. In fact, it'd probably be easier to justify them having never interacted with a demon at all. The only thing that's necessary is having some sort of opinion on them. Otherwise, it'd be like someone in the real world not thinking anything about, say, nuclear weapons. Plus, there will be at least one character who's a demon in this story.
How long has the Humanity Perfection Campaign been running?
About four years, give or take a few months. It started very shortly after Isaac Clerval's defeat, about a month or so. Your character could have been scouted during any time in that period. They could have been an Ultimate from the very beginning or just recently joined up.
Are there any restrictions on talents?
Not really. If your character's talent is something negative, you might have to explain why they were chosen a little more. But, if you think you can make it work, then go for it. Talents that were in canon Danganronpa are allowed, so don't worry about that.
…That's all I can think of. Don't be afraid to message me if you have anything more specific to ask. I'm happy to answer anything important that I missed. You can copy and paste the form from my profile. Make sure you delete the parentheses when filling out the form, since that'll make it easier to read through. That's all from me. I hope you have a good day, and please take care of yourself!
SYOC Form
-Basics-
Name:
Age: (around 18-25)
Gender/Pronouns: (All genders are welcomed)
Sexuality: (All sexualities are welcomed and encouraged)
Height and Weight:
Blood Type:
Ethnicity:
Nationality: (No restriction on where they're from)
Languages: (English is a requirement for communication)
Talent:
-Appearance-
Physical Appearance:
Normal Outfit:
Sleepwear:
Other Outfits: (Optional)
-Getting to Know You-
Personality: (As much detail as possible helps for getting a feel for the character)
Likes: (Give at least three, as well as brief explanations as to why)
Dislikes: (Give at least three, as well as brief explanations as to why)
Hobbies: (Anything outside of direct application of their talent. Optional)
Fears:
People They'd Like:
People They'd Dislike:
Romance: (Are they interested in romance at all? What kind of people would they fall for?)
Physical Disabilities: (Optional)
Mental Disorders: (Optional)
-Backstory-
History: (Detail helps, so that I can understand why your character is the way that they are. If you're not sure what to include, try to cover how they got their talent and how they became an Ultimate at the very least.)
History Summary: (A one to three sentence overview, hitting what you consider the most important bits)
Important People in Their Life: (Family, friends, or enemies. You don't need to list every family member, just the ones that you think are most important for their backstory.)
Pets: (Optional)
Goals for the Future:
Secrets:
-Dialogue-
(Please answer the following questions in character, and please be honest. It'll help me get a feel for their voice.)
Please introduce yourself:
What's your favorite season, and why?:
What do you think the point of life is?:
Could you trust someone that's betrayed you in the past?:
What's your sleep schedule like?:
-Setting Specific-
Opinions on Demons:
Dealing with a Demon: (What would your character want if they summoned a demon? How much would they be willing to give away in order to get it?)
Thoughts on Being an Ultimate:
-Killing Game-
Potential Motives: (At least two would help for flexibility)
Preferred Role: (Order Victim, Killer, Survivor. Or no preference)
Items on Hand: (Put anything here that you would absolutely want your character to have on them during the game. I'll do my best to work it in. Weapons would be allowed.)
Participating in a Trial:
Execution Ideas: (Don't worry if you can't think of anything. I struggle with it too. Optional)
Mastermind: (Would you mind if your character was the mastermind? You don't need to justify it.)
Traitor: (Would you mind if your character was a traitor in some way? There's no guarantee that there will be a traitor, but I'm checking just in case.)
POV Character: (Would you mind if the perspective shifted to your character at some point during the story? Again, no need for justification.)
Potential Character Arc: (I'm interested to see how you think your character could develop. I'm not necessarily going to take this into account, but it's good for extra ideas.)
-Other-
Ban List: (Is there anything that you really don't want your character doing/involved in during the story? As long as it's not killing someone, I'm willing to try and accommodate.)
Other:
Submitted Talents (Note that these aren't accepted characters, just ones who have been sent to me)
Olympic Athlete
Inspector
Debt Collector
Archer
Ventriloquist
Confectioner
Horse Archer
Cultural Affairs Coordinator
Storyteller
Voice Actress
Strategist
Mixologist
Tiktokker
Puzzler
Cybersecurity Specialist
Stage Magician
Skateboarder
Conversationalist
Power Washer
Sniper
Urban Explorer
Goldsmith
Seamstress
Tattoo Artist
Ghostwriter
Knife Thrower
SFX Makeup Artist
Go Grandmaster
Assistant
Beekeeper
Libero
Mercenary
Vagrant
Mortician