Waking up has never felt so bad. Not even after… well, you Fell. At least then it was just a general sense of listless depression. Now you're opening your eyes to the day where you'll have to leave the majority of your family behind, all to… to what?

Save a sister who, by most accounts, is beyond saving? You can hear Mika in your head already, chastising you for thinking that you could ever hope to redeem the First to Fall. Still, it's not like you have a choice. It's either go to her now and gain the aid of a powerful devil in the process or wait for Helel to come to you.

…ruining Fi last night was fun, but now you really wish you'd just slept beside your scalekin girls for one last night before leaving.

Breakfast is a somber affair, but Mei's cooking does at least make up for it a little… until you remember this is the last of it you'll be eating for a while. Goddess, you hate this morning.

Once you've got yourself fed and the morning settled, it's time to make some decisions. Namely, who to take with you. There's a bit of back and forth, some arguing, a bit of reminding certain members of your harem that they're pregnant and Pandemonium apparently messes with the aging process of monsters that you'd rather not risk without knowing more, and a bit of tears.

In the end Sybil, Ju, and Evara stand triumphant. Sybil's not about to let you march into the devil's nest alone, and with Sera leaving she'll need you by her side anyways. Ju's children are mostly self-sufficient, and the triplets can be kept in line by Mei. Eva trusts Soniel to keep an eye on her sister, and isn't about to pass up a chance to see someplace new.

Asteria has the house to take care of, Liane, Fi, Merin, and Ilyen are pregnant, Echo is… Echo, Eluvi can't stand the idea of leaving her hoard alone for an indeterminate amount of time, and Fenri… well, it takes quite a bit of convincing to get her to stop trying to come along. She's keeping your bed warm for your return, and you feel immensely guilty every time she looks at you with those watery blue eyes.

"You have to try and find a way to get back before the chicks hatch." Rosie informs you as you help her tidy up her nest, her belly already being pretty noticeable despite it not being a week yet. "And, like, you have to bring them tons of tasty devil candies. I know they have the best stuff down there."

You laugh and kiss the harpy goodbye. "I promise I'll find them… and you," you note, seeing the look in her eye, "—the best snacks I can."


More troublesome than your fiancées are your daughters. Partially because you can't stop picking up the littler ones to cuddle, and partially because the older ones are arguing vehemently with you about why they're not allowed to come. Some bring up the idea of wanting to tag along with you, but realize quickly enough they might not be the best pick. The others, however…

"—and without mother, you'll need someone who can interpret magic." Zaphi finishes her diatribe, grinning as if she's actually won while puffing out her chest and now sizeable belly. You don't know if she's trying to subtly win you over more, but you assume not.

"Mmm… I can do that myself, though." You note. "Also, you're pregnant, which is why I'm not taking your mother. The answer is no, Zaphkiel."

"Wh… but…" Zaphi opens and closes her mouth, trying without success to find a way to argue the point.

"I'm not pregnant." Tia notes hopefully.

"True," you agree, crushing her hopes a moment later. "But your master apparently has an inkling I'm going somewhere and told me you're not allowed."

How the woman managed to slip a note into your robes while you were last in Skask without you noticing is beyond you.

Tia pouts, and Ava steps forward. "I'm not pregnant, and I'm strong. Not as strong as mother, but strong enough to take care of myself."

You open your mouth to reject her… then pause. She's not wrong — she's neither pregnant nor bad in a fight. "…fine."

Her face lights with excitement while the rest of her sisters pout twice as hard. You spend the next few minutes rejecting each of them in turn, before…

Io stands before you, holding a piece of parchment. She nervously hands it to you, then stands there fidgeting nervously.

Reasons you should take me

1. I look like a demon and can blend in

2. I'm not as strong as Cami or mom, but I know magic and am stronger than most of the rest of my sisters

3. I'm really quiet and listen well

4. I need to go to help write down what happens

5. I'll cry really hard if you say no

6. I won't stop until you come back

"..."

You look up at the crossbreed, who looks hopeful and fearful in equal measure. "...alright, Io. You and Ava will join me — but if I tell either of you to do something and you hesitate for even half a second I will find a way to kick you back here and ground you until you're my age."


"One moment." Sybil hums as she goes to the chapel, then returns with a bundle. "Your mix-blooded girls made this for you. It is... very artistic?"

That's certainly a way to put it. It's an idol that sort-of resembles you, but half-melted and with horns. You look up to ask Sybil what it's made of, then notice it seemed to move as soon as you weren't looking. When your gaze goes back down, it's changed to resemble a draconic woman with orcish tusks who only slightly resembles you.

"Uh..."

The priestess sighs. "No, I don't know how they made it. They won't tell me, either."

The idol seems to stare at your very soul...

Syncretic Idol — An idol made by the various crossbreed daughters. It appears to be a monstrous woman (who may or may not be Ariel, it can be hard to tell…) composed of the traits of every monster species aside from the Eldritch. Its features shift when no-one is actively watching it. Once every two months, the idol anoints an unborn monster child (chosen by the players) with its blessing, transforming their nature into that of a crossbreed of the parents.


You thank your daughters for their weird gift. They refuse to tell you how it was made, which is… concerning, but you know they wouldn't make something dangerous. Probably.

Liane gets a hold of you next.

"I finished what I was working on, by the way," She says as she passes you a scroll. You unroll it, revealing it to be a spell of some kind...

Mother's Nature — This spell allows one to decide several factors of a monster child's birth. The caster may choose which parents' species is dominant (possibly causing the child to be born Beloved) and how long it takes them to gestate and age (either the natural Beloved time or accelerated monster time). Whatever the case, the sire's traits still shine through somewhat — if the child would have originally been a Fallen they still possess incestuous leanings just towards the Sire, for example. This spell cannot be used on a crossbreed or to make a child become one.

"...how did you manage this?" You ask, bewildered.

"Madame Eona mentioned she was born from a spell like this, didn't she?" Liane notes, smiling. "I found the original and made some adjustments. If you want to use it now..."


You quickly work out how the modified spell works and run it by your various lovers. They're the ones birthing the girls, after all — they should get to choose. The monster girls seem less interested, surprisingly.

"You're the sire, she'll take after you." Ilyen says simply.

"Like, I just want them to be able to fly with me, so…" Rosie shrugs.

The Beloved girls all take a while longer to consider it.

"… I mean, it doesn't matter too much to me, but…" Fi frowns. "I won't lie, sometimes I do sort of wish I could have halflings with you. Not that I don't love Vati, but… I dunno. It's hard to put into words."

"I know what you mean." Merin comments. "It does kind of suck not being able to share some things with the girls, like flying and growing the way they do."

Liane places her hand on her chin, thinking. "But wouldn't we just be splitting the difference between the children? Some of them won't be able to share the same things the others do."

"Yeah, but on the other hand… I mean, we can only have so many Fallen before someone starts to notice something." Fi replies. "Someone who might not appreciate that there's half-a-hundred of them flying around out of nowhere."

"…that is true…" Liane grimaces.

In the end, they all decide to have Beloved children, erring on the side of caution. It's a difficult choice to make either way, but that's motherhood for you.


Saying goodbye to your family is one of the hardest things you've ever had to do. Sure, it's not forever, but… this'll probably be the longest you've ever been apart from them. Losing Heaven was awful, but in the end you only really had Mika and Kyna. The rest of your sisters were indifferent to you at best, or simply didn't have time for you.

Here, though? You have so many who love you, and who you love in return. Mother, this is awful.

Everyone gets an extra long hug and enough kisses to last a lifetime. You promise the triplets you'll find some way to get them a present for their coming-of-age even if you can't make it, and let them know you're so, so proud of them. Even if they are a trio of little menaces.

Sera says her goodbyes as well, wishing you all the best. She leaves the doll you gave her in her childhood with Kali for safekeeping, trusting the scalekin to protect it alongside the rest of her hoard. For some reason that's what nearly breaks you.

Eventually, the sun gets dangerously close to its zenith, and you're forced to turn your back on everything and everyone you love… with the exception of a scant few. Your chosen party trudges into the wilds, far from your home. You don't want this gate opening anywhere near the homestead if it's going to alert your sisters upstairs…

--

The seven of you sit in a clearing far, far away, idling the time away. You're doing a fair job of hiding your grief, you feel. Worry helps with that, actually. You're about to walk into Pandemonium itself. Legends about about Asmodeus's realm, but you've never—

There's a sudden cracking noise, as if someone is pulling apart a pane of glass with their bare hands. In the middle of the clearing a thin red line appears, widening and pulsing like a beating heart until a pair of lavish crimson doors stand before you in the clearing, looking completely out of place.

Ow! What the hell was that?

You jump as a voice echoes in your head — not Sidon, this time, but…

"H—" Your aunt's name catches in your throat, and you grimace as you recall that you can't actually say it.

Hecate?

There's no answer.

There we are! Sidon's cheery voice pierces your mind a moment later. Come on in, dear.

You place both hands on the elaborate golden handles of the doorway, then turn to your group. Everyone nods, so you turn and open the door to a place you never thought you'd step foot in…


Owowowowow!!!

You wince and hold your head as your aunt's presence briefly flares through your consciousness once more, along with a measure of the pain she's apparently feeling. It's agonizing, like feeling someone stomp on your bare spine.

What the… HEY!!! Who's the moron who broke my world-boundary?! If I ever get my hands on… oh! Oh, my. Well that's actually not too badly done. A bit… amateur, but—

You sway and begin to fall, unable to discern much of the world around you and certain you're about to slam into the floor, then…

…then you're enveloped in a feeling that can only be described as homely. You feel warm, and your head is resting on something indescribably soft… you close your eyes for a moment, just basking in the sensation, wanting to drift to sleep and never wake…

"—el?" Someone is shaking you, which is awful because you're super comfy right now. "Ariel, dear, snap—"

More shaking. You grumble and wriggle around, trying to get comfy despite whoever is ruining your good feelings right now, then—

"—ah. Woops."

You find yourself staring at the near-perfect features of a devil. Her eyes meet yours and she smiles. "Sorry, Ariel. I panicked a bit when you fell and forgot to… ah, reel in a bit of my natural charm."

She winks at you and you find yourself swallowing reflexively. Goddess, she's beautiful. Even that wink is just subtly… perfect. Perfect timing, perfect speed… you didn't even know there was an optimal winking speed, for Mother's sake! Her everything is like that, and it all seems so… effortless, like she's not even trying.

"Wow, I got you pretty bad, didn't I?" Sidon giggles, a little cascading melody that waltz around your mind with abandon, and you nearly melt. This is an Archdevil? No wonder they can apparently turn even the most stalwart of paladins. Wait, is this how everyone else feels around you? That would explain the stares… "Come on, Ariel. Up you go."

You're lifted from what you only now realize was her chest and feel like you've just lost something terribly precious. Sybil and Ava have you up, and you can finally get a look at your surroundings.

"Welcome to Pandemonium." Sidon says warmly.

It's not nearly as horrific as you expected. It's not horrific at all, actually — more otherworldly, if you had to choose a specific word. The sky is a mix of pinks, reds, and similar shades, all of which stream and whorl around and through one another. There is no sun that you can see, though you do see what you at first mistake for a moon, before realizing…

"Is that an island in the sky?" You ask, not daring to look in Sidon's direction for the moment.

"Is it that surprising? Heaven is in the sky too, isn't it?"

"It is, but…" You find yourself trailing off as your gaze wonders downwards. You're in a courtyard of some sort — well kept, too. The architecture looks like a more… thin and metallic black version of what you're used to in Heaven, making it seem like a more menacing visage of your ancient home.

Curving black gates and a spiked fence surround the courtyard, but beyond them you can see that the land eventually terminates into empty space, beyond which you can see similar floating estates.

"The other Archdevil Houses." Sidon explains as she follows your gaze. "The highest of the high, surpassed only by—"

Your gaze snaps back upwards, towards the island you thought was a moon. "Asmodeus."

"… I was going to say the Infernal Throne, but yes." Sidon finishes.


"I take it the 'lesser' houses are below us on islands of their own?" You ask, finally risking turning towards the Archdevil. Her smile widens a little when she meets your eyes and you feel your heart skip a beat.

"Yes and no. It's called the Infernal Hierarchy for a reason, dear. As you go further down you'll reach the less-established Houses, and the lower ones often have to share land. There's also… well, more 'hidden' locales, but we can discuss those later."

"Was this all made by the Goddess of Sin?" Ju breathes, staring out at the endless sky.

"If you believe her telling of it, yes." Sidon replies chipperly. "Though she never revealed how it was done. One must simply assume that creation is the privilege of a Goddess."

"She probably based it on Heaven." You mumble, glancing around. Asmodeus was Seraphina once, if your looks into your Mother's memories and theories with Tamael are to be trusted. It's probably some sort of… messed up longing for what she's lost. "But I don't know how either realm was made, so… perhaps not?"

Sidon shrugs. "You'd have to ask one of them, and Asmodeus isn't telling regardless." Your eyes wander to the estate behind her, which is predictably styled like an inverse, gothic version of Heaven's own buildings. "My home is your home, as they say. Shall we?"

She bows and gestures for you to go first, and you take your first steps in the place you'll be staying for the foreseeable future.

--

"—and these are the kitchens. They're enchanted, so you can order whatever whenever. Oh, but if you get anything spicy be sure to ask for mild. Pandemonium spices are… a bit more than most mortals are used to."

Sidon points to her left, indicating the kitchens in question. "I'll save your rooms for later, when you're actually using them. Now, where else… oh?"

The Archdevil's eyes widen in surprise as a half-naked woman stumbles sleepily into the kitchens from another entrance, mumbling to herself as she works in the enchantments. The woman doesn't seem to notice your group.

"Is that…" Eva narrows her eyes a moment. "…a Sunkissed?"

The woman freezes, then looks up at you, allowing you to better discern her features. She is indeed elven, and her features are sort of… familiar. Her narrow-pupiled yellow eyes are distinctly Sunkissed, however, and then it hits you.

"You're Naamah's mother, I take it?" You ask the elf, and her face immediately brightens. The more you look, the more certain you are — white hair, golden eyes, elven ears… your several-times-great niece may not be identical to her mother, but she clearly inherited plenty of the smaller details.

"You've met my little ray?" She asks, gliding over to you. "Are you friends? Lovers? She does not get out much, so I worry. Ah, that reminds me…?"

The elf turns towards Sidon, who nods in confirmation. "She is due to return… within the next few days, depending. But before that…"

Sidon gently takes your shoulder and you feel an involuntary shiver run down your spine. How is she doing this to you?

"This is Ariel, our guest." The elf's eyes widen. "Ariel, this is Agneya, Naamah's mother and my daughter's lover."

"You are an angel?" Agneya asks, excitement burning in her eyes.

"Fallen." You reply, almost hating to disappoint her… but perhaps unsurprisingly, considering where she lives, she doesn't seem to mind, simply waving a hand dismissively.

"Bah! You are a Daughter of the Sun." She takes your hands delightedly. "It is an honor to meet you, Lion of the Goddess."

You blink at her use of your full, original (albeit translated) name. You rarely interacted with Sunkissed yourself, but you do recall now that they know the ins and outs of your native tongue, making them unique among pretty much all Beloved save the church's highest echelons.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. Your daughter was…" You search for something appropriately nice to say. "Memorable, though I only knew her for a brief moment."

"She is a monster." Agneya replies. "But she is my monster, yes?"

That, at least, you understand.


You part from Agneya and continue the tour.

"I'm surprised to see a Sunkissed living so… happily here." Eva comments as you pass by several servants — all of whom are also not Devils, you notice, being a mix of monsters and Beloved.

"I was expecting more…" Sybil begins, then cuts herself off, seeming embarrassed.

"Slaves? Rape pits?" Sidon asks, then laughs. "This is an Archdevil's House, Sister Sybil. If I did have any of those, they'd be hidden out of sight. They're terrible for the image."

"Do you have any?" You ask, frowning. None of these women look like they're slaves, but…

"No." She assures you, shaking her head. "Most of us don't, actually — at least, not in the sense of slavery you're used to."

"That's less than reassuring." Ava notes as Io ducks beneath a doorway, making Sidon wince.

"My apologies, Io dearest. I've never had guests as tall as you before, and should have the doors fixed by… oh, tomorrow at the latest. Just have to remember where I left my Estate Key…" Her eyes lose focus for a moment before snapping back to reality. "Ah, and I should explain what I meant earlier."

"Outright slavery, like what you see many Brutes partake in? That is… frowned upon." Sidon begins. "I know you likely have many ideas of what devils are and how we behave — not all of which are unfounded or unreasonable — but we do have standards and morals of our own. Slavery as you know it is seen as barbaric and a sign that someone is too unskilled or repulsive to win someone else's service in our more traditional manner."

"Seduction." Ju affirms, and Sidon wiggles her hand in a noncommittal gesture.

"Temptation would be a better word." The Archdevil replies. "Which is where the slavery distinction comes into play — Ariel. You've had an… unfortunate brush with my unrestrained allure."

That's certainly a way to put it.

"Imagine if I were to expose your average village girl to that constantly." You do, and realize that this poor hypothetical girl would basically be putty in Sidon's hands. She nods as your eyes widen. "She'd be willing to do whatever I wish, so she wouldn't be a slave by most definitions…"

"…but she may as well be." You finish for her.

"Exactly." Sidon's ever-present smile turns somber. "There is not a devil in Pandemonium who would call themselves evil, dear — but that does not mean our morality is entirely compatible with your own. Remember that — a devil may be entirely sincere in her dealings and still drag you into damnation."

Her words hang heavy on your group as you walk down the hallway. Silence reigns, only broken by the sound of your footsteps on the soft red carpets of her estate. You approach another set of doors.

Sidon coughs, as if to clear the air. "…so these are the baths—"


The tour concludes at your rooms, which are spacious enough to fit your entire cottage into. There's a single, massive bed, along with several vanities, pillows strewn tastefully about the room, and a desk for personal use. All of it shares the generally gothic aesthetic of the estate itself.

"I assumed you would want to share, and I wasn't sure exactly how many you'd be bringing along…" Sidon hums as she looks over the room. "…but I imagine this will serve well enough, no?"

"It will. Thank you."

"Of course." Sidon smiles and gives you a quick hug. Why does she smell so nice? You can't quite place it, but it's just a little spicy and just a little sweet and you know you've smelled something like her somewhere—

"Ariel, dear. I'm flattered, but I really must get going." Sidon giggles.

You flush crimson as you pull back from her chest. "Right. Sorry."

She departs and you feel simultaneously unburdened and robbed.

"So." You cough, turning to your harem. "This is hell."


Your group quickly finds room for each person's individual things — Io monopolizes the desk immediately for writing, but other than that everything is pretty haphazard.

You also have Sybil look over you, just to be absolutely sure Sidon didn't bewitch you somehow.

"…I can find nothing out of the ordinary." Sybil says as her holy light fades from your body. "If she has laid some sort of curse on you, it's a very powerful and subtle one."

"Hm." You frown. "None of you seemed as…"

"Enamored?" Sybil offers.

"Sure, as enamored with her as I was."

"She's certainly something else." Eva admits. "If I didn't already have you… well, I'd probably stick around here with Agneya. Have no intention though."

Ju nods. "Being around her reminds me of my training, where our masters would drug us and test our resolves in the face of their best attempts at seduction… but then, so does being around you."

You blush. "Well, I'm glad I can serve as a buffer for whatever Archdevil magic she's pulling. Or… training, or whatever it is."

Actually, your modified Crest might be helping them on that front too. Excellent foresight, past Ariel.

"If I may…" Sybil clears her throat. "Assuming she is trustworthy, which is admittedly a very generous assumption… she did say you received an 'unfortunate' exposure to her allure."

"Right, and she said she forgot to hold back when I fell earlier." Which reminds you, Hecate is apparently up and about in your soul right now. Or was, at least. Might need to look into that. "Maybe it was that, and got a full blast of it since she was touching me?"

"Since you had your face buried in her tits and wouldn't get off her for the world, you mean?" Eva giggles. "Yeah, that might have had something to do with it."

You throw a pillow at her halfheartedly, which she ducks beneath. "Lesson learned, I suppose. Don't touch the Archdevil too much."

"You mean don't worship the Archdevil's giant tits too mu—"

This time, you throw the pillow with malign intent. The elf fails to dodge.


You're eventually invited to a late lunch, which you accept. The dining room was part of your tour, so you make your way there with minimal fuss. Sidon herself has yet to arrive, but Agneya is there, atop the lap of a woman who can best be described as an inversion of yourself.

She's a devil, natural born — but instead of the usual darker-toned horns and wings, she has pure white ones. It's a rather novel sight, truth be told. If you weren't in Pandemonium you might have assumed she's a white dragon from a distance, but the lack of scales is a dead giveaway.

Like Naamah, she resembles your angelic siblings a great deal, and judging from how Agneya is sitting in her lap…

"That's Lailah." You nearly jump from your skin as Sidon slides by you to take a seat at the table's head, gesturing for you to sit beside her and across from the ivory devil. "My daughter. One of them, at any rate."

Lailah nods to you in greeting, her face unreadable. "A pleasure."

"Likewise." You say as you take your seat and your party does the same. Io and Ava jockey for the spot next to you, but you put a stop to that and have Ava take a seat, promising Io the spot during your next meal. "Ah, this is my daughter Avariel, and that's Io…"

You go down the line, introducing your family to Lailah. She looks noticeably less guarded now, and it takes you a moment to place why — once you broke up the argument between your girls you seem to have won a bit of approval from the devil.

A set of salads are brought out — colored normally, to your surprise.

"House Stolas cultivates many Gaean foods, so I bought some off of them for today." Sidon explains, seeing your expression. You recognize the name as belonging to a high-ranking devil, though you can't quite recall what she's known for.

It's delicious, though there's a noticeable bite to it. It's not quite spicy, but it's more aromatic than you're used to. Something to do with the soil, or just Pandemonium itself? You can't help but think Luna would find it very interesting.

You make small talk as the meal goes on, mostly discussing your children because they're the best. Lailah, in return, talks about her own daughters, of whom Naamah is only one. From what you gather, the young devil is effectively the Soniel of Lailah's brood. It's… surprisingly nice, talking with a devil about your family. It feels natural, which… makes some sense, admittedly. For her part, the devil seems to find the conversation enjoyable as well.

Eventually your meal is wrapped up, and Sidon claps her hands together.

"Now!" She exclaims, her tone serious. "For the reason you're here."

Lailah's mood noticeably drops, though she steels her expression immediately after.

"Helel." You reply. "My sister."

"Indeed." Sidon replies. "Tell me, what do you know about her?"


"Well…" you begin, listing off everything you know from the stories Mika told you as a girl. Which admittedly isn't a ton. "…and she never said as much, but I think they're twins."

"Oh?" Sidon asks. "Why is that?"

"Helel looks exactly like her, other than her hair being white where Mika's is gold… just, you know. Much more…"

"Cold?" Sidon asks, and you nod. "How do you know what Helel looks like?"

"We met, once. In… my mind, or my soul?" You shiver at the memory. "She's not all there."

"Ah." Sidon nods now. "Yes. She got a pawn close to you first, didn't she?"

"Yes. You said earlier that devils aren't evil, and I can see what you meant, but Helel… it was like manipulation and cruelty were just what she was, like she couldn't fathom anyone else acting on anything other than those traits."

"That is… not entirely inaccurate." Sidon half-confirms. "I take it she also set up the situation so that no matter what happened, she won?"

You nod, not wanting to divulge the fine details of your chat with the First-to-Fall or how she used your sister and rapist as some sort of deranged bait for you.

"Mm…" Sidon closes her eyes. "Do you know why she was able to talk to you like that, Ariel?"

"…I have an idea." You admit.

"Oh?" Sidon hums, then leans back in her chair. "Share it, please."

"There's some sort of Eris corruption inside all angels. I think she used that somehow."

"That is correct." Sidon sighs, then leans forward. "Do you know the exact nature of that corruption?"

"…no." You whisper, though in your heart of hearts you do. You've got every piece of the puzzle, even if you don't want to accept it.

"Do you know what lies at the heart of every dungeon, Ariel?" Sidon pushes. "What the nature of the so-called daughters of Eris, the monsters the church refer to as 'Eldritch' is? Do you know what each shares in common with you?"

You don't answer.

"What I am about to tell you is something I heard from my own mother. Ages ago, at the beginning of the Divine War, Eris tore asunder three of Fera's greatest totems — the Insect, the Flower, and the Fungus. In response, once the war ended, Fera repaid her in kind. The Goddess of Chaos was torn asunder and her greatest fragments sealed beneath the earth."

A cruel spectral hand, reaching out from the center of the earth to tear your soul apart.

"But such an act cannot, by its very nature, be cleanly done. Pieces of Eris — her blood, bits of her divine flesh — spilled down to Gaea, where they gestated and became the Eldritch. They can never truly die, for their nature is as divine as it is corrupt."

A chitinous monster, reborn within a half-canine shell.

"…but far worse than either of those was her spiteful foresight." Sidon continues. "She left behind pieces of herself in her sister's womb, so that in the event she fell she could be reborn through her most hated sibling's children."

A thousand maggots wriggling in your soul, whispering their loathing for your Mother and everything she is.

"It is not simple corruption that lies within the angels, Ariel. You bear within you a piece of Eris herself."


You feel as though you've been defiled — which, you suppose, you have. You just never knew it.

"Then… every single one of us…?"

"Yes." Sidon nods. "I'm sorry, Ariel. But you have to understand what it is that makes you Fallen to understand what the danger with Helel is."

You swallow and gesture for her to continue.

"I consider myself to have two main purposes, Ariel — first, I keep Pandemonium and my family in check. Second… I keep Helel's fragment contained. Her obsessive lust for Asmodeus is what caused the shard to bloom, and I have taken pains to keep her access to the Goddess controlled — if she is kept apart for too long it risks her taking drastic measures, and being near Her too often will agitate the shard."

You feel vaguely guilty despite yourself. "And then I came along, looking like Asmodeus."

"Yes." Sidon says simply. "You are… essentially identical, save that you lack her wings and horns."

"But… I don't have any wings anymore, and my hair, and… I've changed a lot since she last saw me."

Sidon closes her eyes. "She watches you any time you aren't under your Mother's aegis, Ariel. It has not changed her opinion of you — if anything, she sees you as a tantalizing twist on her favorite person. But worse than that is that her fragment recognizes that you now possess a nascent shard of divinity. That is why I had to rush to bring you here — you've unwittingly awoken a monster far, far worse than Helel herself."

Sybil blanches. "You cannot mean…"

"If we cannot get Helel under control, her shard will consume her. It will drive her to seek the rest of its kin, and then…"

"The Sealed Goddess will be sealed no longer."


"No pressure, huh?" Eva asks with her usual levity, though you know her well enough to see the tension in her features. You suspect the real purpose of her statement was to ease your mood, which you're grateful for.

"Only a little." Sidon winks. She has pretty eyelashes, you just noticed. Honestly, you never really though about how nice eyelashes look on some… wait, Eris. Focus.

"So… what do you need me to do?" You ask Sidon. "I'm pretty good in a fight these days, but Helel is probably a bit too far beyond me."

"She is." Sidon confirms with a shrug. "Ideally, it won't ever come to direct conflict like that. At the moment she's most likely unaware you're here. I'm not Justicia, but I'm strong enough to at least… confuse any attempts to scry you, shall we say. It won't fool her forever, though."

"You're prepared, I see." Ju comments.

Sidon shakes her head in response. "This is a trick I developed to obscure someone else entirely, actually. It just so happens to have some use here and now."

She says it as if it's unimportant, and you almost gloss over it mentally… but out of the corner of your eye you see Lailah's lips twitch downward. Huh.

"That still doesn't answer what you need me to do." You remind Sidon, and she shrugs.

"Truthfully? I'm not entirely certain. I know you can 'redeem' others, Ariel. I'm hoping we can draw on that magic to at least quell Helel's shard for a time."

Your stomach twists at the mention of the shards, and you find yourself asking a question before you even realize it. "Is Eris my sire? If her seed or whatever it was lingered in my Mother…"

The air goes still as your lovers all take a collective breath. Sybil outright flinches in sympathy. Sidon sighs and lowers her cup, closing her eyes.

"No, Ariel. Eris is not your sire." She says after a moment. You feel your heart soar for a moment, then the other theory you have comes to mind.

"…you weren't actually confused about our relationship, were you?"

"No." Sidon admits truthfully. "Well, not entirely. I… admit I was a bit excited to speak with you and let slip something that I'm not supposed to."

"So… Asmodeus, or Seraphina… she's my sire? All of our sire?"

Sidon nods, smiling sadly at you. "Yes. I suppose re-introductions are in order, hm?"

She reaches out to hold your hand, her warmth spreading into you through the slight contact. "I'm Sidon, your big sister." Her free hand gestures towards her daughter. "That's Lailah, your niece. You've already met one of your great-nieces, Naamah. The others are out at the moment, but—"

You don't really hear her from that point on, to be honest. A single subject consume your mind, an image of a woman whose face you only know from a mirror. Your gaze turns towards where you know the floating island above sits, and you can't help but wonder… does she know you're here? What does she think of you? Can you maybe visit—

"Ariel." Sidon's voice is firm and breaks you entirely from your thoughts as a consequence. "It would be best not to dwell on that subject for now. The only person Helel watches more than you is her sire. If you two were to be in the same place at once…"

You swallow a mixture of resentment and sorrow. "Right. Sorry."

The Archdevil — your sister, Goddess if it isn't strange to think of her as even more closely related — smiles sadly. "Don't apologize, Ariel. I know how you feel. Every devil does, to some degree."

"That's… this is the bond?" You frown, surprised. "No wonder some of my daughters are so fixated on me."

"Mmm… yes and no." Sidon shakes her head. "You're probably suffering it a bit more than a born devil would, for a few different reasons. Firstly, Asmodeus is a Goddess — any bond she exerts is going to be an order of magnitude more powerful than a typical devil's. You also didn't grow up with it, so it's standing out more prominently for that. Finally… some girls are just more strongly affected than others."

You think of Tianshi, Zaphi, and Fiona. Part of you is mortified at the thought of obsessing over your own sire to that degree. The other part feels like it's only natural."…yeah, I can see that."

"You'll get used to it." Sidon pats you on the back and grins. "Trust me. I've had some experience with that myself. And don't feel like your daughters are forced to love you now or anything — you're rather charming on your own."

You cough, embarrassed. "Thanks."


"Why is this such a big secret?" Eva asks, frowning. "Surely it can't hurt to tell the Fallen who their sire is."

Sidon grimaces. "You haven't met many Fallen, have you?"

"Just that one." Eva grins and flicks a pea at you. You snatch it out of the air and chew it spitefully.

"She's very much the exception, I assure you." Sidon informs your lover. "Though I suspect she may have an inkling of why herself."

"…early on, I don't know how I might have responded." You admit. "I resented Mother, and if I'd known there was someone else out there 'responsible' for me? I don't know how the bond might have worked with that, but I could see myself doing something spiteful. Several somethings, maybe."

"There is that." Sidon confirms. "Not to mention if it ever got out in full thanks to a resentful or careless Fallen it could cause quite the stir among the church… and likely Heaven, if what I've been told of the angels is true."

A bit of that old spiteful bile rises inside you at that thought. Imagine how many of those arrogant witches back home would react to knowing they're just as 'dirty' as you?

"Do any other Fallen know?" You ask, and Sidon nods.

"Helel, obviously. The other eldest Fallen — those being the ones old enough to remember the Divine War — know as well but they're not in any position to spread the word."

You feel a surge of concern for these sisters you've never met. "Why not?"

"They're… sealed away, and have been since before even the first Archdevil was born. Their shards aren't as powerful or active as Helel's, but it was deemed wiser to not risk anything."

Your dinner sits heavy in your stomach. "I see."

"If it's any consolation, it is my understanding that many of them chose imprisonment themselves. " Sidon says softly. "Perhaps if your powers do work on Helel we can see about freeing them as well, hm?"

That's… heartening, at least. "Anyone else?"

"If one looks deep enough they don't need me to confirm their lineage for them. Nobody has ever come forth with their personal revelation though, so… who knows?" Sidon rings a little bell, and a host of devils comes to sweep away your plates. "Now then. For now, I'm going to prepare our approach towards Helel. As I said, you have some amount of leeway in moving around while you're here. I suggest taking in the sights down below. There are quite a few things worth seeing for a visitor. If you're not interested… the baths are rather nice, if I do say so myself."


"Do you know where House Valac is located?" You ask Sidon, thinking it might be nice to see what Sial's been up to.

"Valac was raised up recently, as I recall." The Archdevil replies. "It should be… oh, three or so generations down?"

She looks to Lailah, who nods. "You were considering having their heir apparent's child."

"Ah, that's right. Sial, yes?" She hums happily. "Sweet girl. Hardworking, too… oh."

Her face twists into a grimace once more. "That was the House that Helel assaulted, wasn't it?"

"Yes. The head was returned unharmed physically, but mentally…" Lailah shakes her head. "She hasn't been seen publicly for some time. Sial has been handling affairs in her place."

Well, damn. "Could I get directions, please?"

"Of course." Sidon replies, waving a hand. A young rabbit-girl maid rushes off to retrieve said directions. "Just try not to push things, hm? I don't want to agitate the poor girls."


"You're sure you want to stay?" You ask Ju and Sybil.

Sybil answers with a nervous smile. "You must remember that I was often told bad girls were taken away to Pandemonium as a child, to keep me from misbehaving. I… need some time to adjust, I think."

"I would like to partake in your sister's training ground." Ju adds, pointing to one of the areas you were shown during the tour. "Should you expect combat, you know where to find me."

Ava walks towards you, but a glare from her mother stops her dead in her tracks. "You too, Ava. I will not have you slacking as if this were some rich Balvarien woman's vacation."

You vaguely recognize Balvarie as the ancestral homeland of the Delaroux family, and can't help but picture your sister-in-law on vacation here, attempting to acclimate to hellish fashion. It's an amusing picture that somewhat offsets the somber truths recently laid at your feet.

Ava looks like she wants to argue, then realizes it would be a very, very bad idea and trudges over to her mother's side.

That leaves Io and Eva to accompany you, both having been provided with large, batlike Spawn with pitch-black fur pale white eyes to ride upon. "What are these?" Eva asks their handler.

"Nosferatu. Nosferatus, if you're just referring to one of them." The devil replies as she hands the reins to your elfin lover. "They're not nearly as nasty as they look, I promise. The handler at House Valac will know how to take care of them when you arrive."


You don't need a nosferatus, as you have your own wings. True to the handler's words, the weird hell-bats aren't nearly as aggressive as their appearance suggests. In fact, if your sense of their emotion is correct, they seem to enjoy just flying and following the pretty lights of your wings.

The view of the land below House Sidon is breathtaking. Whereas the sky above only had a single island, lower Pandemonium is absolutely thrush with them — though few even approach the size of Sidon's. Far, far below you can see solid, unbroken ground covered in myriad colors, the most prominent of which are soft blues and turquoise.

As you descend you realize that these belong to the native flora of Pandemonium, and the rest of the colors are the various buildings that populate the 'ground floor' of this realm. You're tempted to check them out… but you have something more important to deal with at the moment.

House Valac is on the smaller side, though there's clear signs of renovations being done on the estate. Whereas Sidon essentially lives in a small palace, Sial's abode reminds you of the Silverwell estate — larger than most commoners would dream, but nothing spectacular by the standards of the wealthy.

There's some surprised gasps as you come in for a landing at the stables on the island's edge, and the women who rush out to greet you are all but scraping as you approach. You're confused at first, then you realize they must have recognized Sidon's sigil on the nosferatus' saddles.

Reverence gives way to confusion when they see you're not a devil — or anything they recognize, at least. It vanishes when they see Io, though.

"Honored guests. We weren't expecting a visit from House Sidon. If you would excuse us, we'll send word to our mistress?"

"Please do." You tell them with a smile. A couple devils burn crimson at the sight. "If you could tell Sial that Ariel wants to speak with her, I'd appreciate it."

If they were surprised and confused before, they're absolutely shocked now. The stablemaster's jaw drops for a full few seconds before she turns to the nearest attendant and snaps at her. "What are you waiting for? GO!"

After that it's just a matter of waiting. The nosferatu are presented a bucket of a thick red liquid, which they drink by extending long tongues and draining it dry through that. It's… rather unsettling, but the little happy mewling noises the monsters make almost offsets it.

"Is that blood?" Io asks, curiosity filling her features.

"Pardon?" The stablemaster jerks, having been distracted. "Ah, no. They're herbivores. It's a mixture of juices, pulp, and a few other things they like."

The stablemaster rubs one of their ears affectionately and it chitters in response. "If you could give my regards to the Sidon stablemaster I'd appreciate it. It's not often we get bats of this quality stock."

"You're keeping them?" Eva asks, and the woman shakes her head.

"No. But it's understood that if someone sends a bat, you can use them to breed a few of your own. Should be able to get a couple of our girls pregnant before you're due to leave."

In the back of your mind you realize that these things are spawn, and most likely breed with… best not to think too much about it.

"I'll pass it on." You assure her as you studiously direct your attention anywhere other than the monster bats and their potential breeding practices.


It isn't long before several well-dressed servants arrive to escort your into the estate proper. Aesthetically it's a lot 'softer' than Sidon's home. The general cutesy aesthetic Sial writes in clearly came from somewhere — there are more pinks than reds here, and the decorations often have little hearts hidden in them.

There are more devil servants here than non-devil ones, oddly enough. You can't help but wonder what that might mean, culturally speaking. Are they 'lesser' family members? Distant cousins?

You're led to what looks like an atelier, and when you step in you see a familiar red-haired devil. She looks… frazzled, a bit worn down, and rather overwhelmed. Her desk resembles her, with bits and pieces strewn all over the place.

"Ariel!" She says, gesturing for you to take a seat. "I wasn't expecting you… well, at all."

"Sorry for the abrupt visit." You take the seat she indicates, Eva and Io sitting on either side of you. "I got dragged here by Sidon, and she suggested I look around. Since you're the only devil I know…"

"It's no trouble," the devil lies. "I've always got time for you, after what you did for me."

"…I don't think you do." You tell her, concerned. "When did you last sleep?"

"I have spells for that." She answers immediately, as if she's been questioned on this before.

"Magic is never a substitute for natural processes." Eva notes, frowning. "You really should rest."

"I can't." Sial says simply. "We just moved up in the Hierarchy, and mother isn't feeling well, and my sisters are useless, and I barely know what I'm doing, and—"

As she talks her voice gets more frantic, and you realize with some shock that you've unwittingly just walked in to act as a release valve for all of her pent-up frustrations.

"—and my bitch of an aunt knows mother isn't feeling well so she's hovering around the place like a vulture, and—"


You just reach out and pull the young devil into a hug, motherly sympathy rearing its head at the sight of her condition. Her head rests against your chest and she goes still for a moment, then…

…well, she cries. It's not the first time you've comforted a crying girl, and it probably won't be the last, so you just keep doing what you're doing, gently rubbing her head and back as she lets it out.

"I'm sorry," she keeps muttering in between sniffles. "It wasn't supposed to be like this, I thought everything would be—"

"Hush." You tell her. "It's okay."

She continues to hiccup into your chest for a while before finally calming, and you're able to get to the heart of her problem… which, to be fair, you already sort-of knew about.

"It's mama." She tells you. "Helel took off her Crest, but… I don't know. She's not taking it well. I don't know how to explain it, exactly."

Damn, you wish you'd brought Sybil. She's better at diagnosing magical ailments than you are. Still, you do know how to use Helel's Crest. Maybe you can take a look at it as a preliminary measure?

You offer as much, and Sial looks both grateful and guilty. "You've already done more than… well, than most devils would accept. I'm willing to, but you shouldn't feel—"

"That's good enough for me." You tell her. "Come on. Let's meet your mom, hm? If you're going to hang out with Kyna in the future it's only proper your respective parents' meet, after all."

Her eyes light up a little at the mention of Kynael. "Has she been back to visit?"

"Once, for my birthday." You admit. "Only briefly, though. I suspect she wasn't entirely truthful about having my elder sister's permission to visit for it."

She giggles a little before remembering the situation at hand, then leads you to her sire.

Valac's room is… not a mess, exactly. The servants clearly clean here, and it resembles what you'd expect from her daughter's sense of aesthetics. Still, the room has a sense of… listlessness, a distinct feeling like whoever resides within simply doesn't care.

It's an image reflected in the woman herself. Valac is beautiful by all objective measures — in fact, she somewhat resembles Lailah, enough that you wonder if you're not more closely related to Sial than either of you realized. Slightly tanned skin, long blonde hair, and a spade-tipped black tail adorn the buxom devil. In place of her horns she has a pair of batlike wings atop her head, matching the ones on her back.

The problem with her is that her eyes are just… broken. You remember seeing similar looks on woman who had been held captive by gnolls for an extended period of time, and for a moment you worry at what Helel might have done to her… but no. Something tells you your elder sister wouldn't have particularly cared about Valac enough to visit that kind of attention on her.

"Mama?" Sial asks, her voice trembling. The older devil looks up, her eyes focusing for a brief moment… before her gaze wavers and falls, something akin to shame and torment on her face.

"You shouldn't be in here, Sial." Valac says, her own voice breaking.

"I've found someone who might be able to help, mama." Her daughter answers, with equal measures of pain and hope. Sial looks up at you and you feel your own heart breaking. Poor girl.

You stride over to Valac, and only then does she really seem to notice you. Her breath stops for a moment and awe animates her otherwise broken features. "My Goddess?"

"No, Valac." You tell her, not wanting to lie. "My name is Ariel."

Her face falls and you wince in sympathy. "Ah. The angel my daughter met. I suppose you must be here for thanks?"

"No." You say, feeling something odd as you look at her. Some part of her is… wrong. Like something has been taken from her. You pull out the diamond spectacles you borrowed from Liane and gaze at the devil…


Your eyes follow the tell-tale signs of magic in the body, focusing on where a Crest would be. It's… difficult, to be honest. Devils use so much more magic on the regular than Beloved do that it's hard to track exact features. It'd almost be easier to look for an absence of magic.

Actually… that gives you an idea. Valac is clearly missing something, you just need to find what. The problem is that Helel is clearly more clever than your average Crest-wielder, because you're not seeing—

—there. Right there, on her throat. It's tiny, miniscule even, but you can feel where someone slid out something. Likely a Crest. It makes sense she'd put it on the throat, like a collar to assert dominance over those she binds. The closer you look, the more you realize how rough this process was — again Helel's lack of care shows itself, as you spot the problem.

"Sial, dear? Could you go retrieve my daughter?" You ask her. "I think she may be able to help."

"A-alright!" Sial says as she dashes off. You feel bad about lying to her, but you'd feel worse if she were to hear what you're about to say.

Valac looks at you, confused. "Your daughter can help better than you?"

"That was a fib." You admit. "I found what you're missing, Valac."

"Ah." Her eyes water and she smiles a forlorn, heartbroken smile. "Terrible, isn't it?"

It is. Truthfully, you doubt Helel did it intentionally, again mostly because you doubt she cared enough about Valac herself to do so. Still, the First-to-Fall managed to unwittingly develop the single most terrible affliction a devil could imagine.

She broke the Bond.


"Can you imagine it, Fallen?" Valac asks. "To look upon your daughters, who you once loved more than life itself, and feel only love's absence?"

You shiver. "I'd rather not."

"Well, take my word for it." She replies. "It's terrible. I can barely face them now. I still… feel for them, but I can't pretend to feel the same. If they knew… it would break their hearts. I can't do that. I won't. It is better that I remain out of sight, and eventually out of mind."

"Do you feel the same towards your sire?" You ask, and she nods.

"Everything the Bond gave me is gone, angel. My mother passed years ago, and my love for her is fading. It's almost worse than losing what I hold for my daughters."

This is… you don't know how to fix this, or if it even can be fixed. How does one fix love? You'd need to be some sort of Goddess. No wonder she'd clearly been hopeful when she thought you were Asmodeus. One of your sire's epithets is the Goddess of Love, after all…

Love. You know Love. You feel it every day, for every one of your fiancées and children. You're overflowing with Love. Instinctively, you know you can share that Love, and reignite the faded spark in Valac's heart. All it would take is a little push, a little reaching into who you are…

In the back of your mind you understand that doing this will be like lighting a beacon. It will not immediately alert Helel, but it may mean her shard is harder to calm in the future. Is it worth it to call upon Love for this lowly devil you barely know and risk your sister's salvation?


There's still a little spark left for you to blow on. You're not a full Goddess, so you can't create something where there is nothing. If you wait too long — long enough to subdue Helel, perhaps — there might be nothing left for you to restore.

You consider taking her out of Pandemonium first, but chances are Helel will be able to feel your intercession either way. From everything Mika has said of her, you're pretty sure Helel has some way of keeping an eye on former thralls.

And in a way, you feel… not responsible, exactly. But Helel only targeted Valac because of you in the first place. Even if you bear no real fault for what happened, you want to be a part in fixing it. It just feels… right.

You apologize under your breath to Sidon, then reach into your boundless Love…

Every little smile and giggle, from childhood to adulthood. Every little bashful glance as an adult, every caress, every kiss. That feeling that arose within you at being accepted for what you were. The moment you laid with a woman you loved for the first time. The knowledge that you will always have a family to return to, and they will always have you.

The smell of perfumes and incense, the warm glow as you rub their pregnant belly, the first time your daughter held your finger.

A red-scaled dragonling holding your hand gently as she walks you through your first consensual act of receiving, Tamael crying as she realized she wasn't alone any longer, your Mother mourning your loss, Kynael breaking out because she was worried about you—

Love pours from you in a torrent, flooding the spark of Valac's Bond and feeding it into a roaring inferno.


Your vision refocuses. You hadn't even realized you'd zoned out as you had — channeling numen like that is an entirely new experience, and one you clearly weren't prepared for.

Valac is lying on her bed breathing heavily, her eyes wide. Sial rushes in, Io right behind her. "I got… mama?!"

The devil rushes to her sire's side, panic clear on her features. "Mama, are you—"

Valac grabs her daughter's face and pulls her into a deep, intimate kiss, tears pouring down her cheeks. Sial squeaks in confusion and shock, but returns the kiss in earnest, her own tears joining the downpour.

Io looks at you hopefully as the sounds the two make get progressively more arousing.

"Let's, er… give them a moment, okay?"


"—and then they started kissing, so I thought that's why you called for me." Io finishes explaining herself, both sheepish and disappointed.

"I… that's fair." You sigh, reaching up to torment her horns. She shrieks and 'mah's' in protest. "I didn't expect them to react quite like that."

The two of you stand awkwardly outside for a while before she gets bored and pulls out her little booklet so that she can write whatever it is she insists isn't ready for you to see yet.

Eventually the sire and daughter finish and you're called back in. Io pokes her head in too, curious to see the aftermath.

Valac already looks more alive. Hell, if you hadn't seen the empty, broken thing she was before you'd have never believed it existed. She's just barely covered by a thin sheet, and her daughter's head lies atop her ample thighs.

"I owe you a great deal, Fall… Ariel." The devil corrects herself. "More than I can ever repay. My darling Sial has already promised you her aid while you stay here," she teasingly prods her daughter's cheek. "… but know that you have my official support as well, for as long as I draw breath. I will never forget what you have done for me."


Valac and Sial get cleaned up and make their way to the atelier. Valac frowns at the mess. "My poor darling. Have you not been sleeping? I know that smell of that spell."

"I… no, mama."

"Well, go get some rest." Valac commands. "It's getting late anyways. Incidentally, we do have guest rooms, should you wish for a place to rest. Our hospitality is nothing compared to House Sidon's, of course, but you are welcome to stay nonetheless."

"I'll consider it, thanks."

She nods gracefully as she begins cleaning the atelier, glaring at a single letter in particular. "Hmph. Gremory thinks she can harass my baby girl while I'm indisposed? I think it's time I reminded my sister of why I got the estate and she's still landbound…"