just Rin

for SAHU: do you ever miss Argyle? Or wonder how he's doing back in the city while you're exploring Hell?

to Mephistopheles: how's being the mayor of Hell treating you? any insights into your little climb to power? >:D

for Fibble: is there anything you like doing when you're not on the run from a hellspawn or getting beat on by Sin? Like hobbies or the like :D

(and lastly to promiscuous... are you free tonight- I mean what who said that 👀👀 haha 👀 are you free for dinner- WOAH WHO SAID TJAT)

The outside world, its problems, and the hero are back in action!

The world beyond Earth Hell appears calm, as if nothing has changed, but that only seems so on the surface. After Sin's removal from power, the Sins, eager to gain as many souls as possible, began to influence the lands beyond Hell through their connections. This primarily involved illegal activity, which gained momentum over the course of a couple of years, developing into entire underground dens and criminal gangs, intoxicated by their permissiveness thanks to contracts with the Sins and demons*. Corrupt authorities overlooked their activities, and it seemed things would only get worse… until a hero appeared out of nowhere!

Sahu also holds an important position in the AU – he cleanses peaceful lands of criminals, though he regrets the bloodshed. In his early 20s, he even served as sheriff in a particularly troubled area and came out unscathed. Society isn't bothered by his personality contrast: his transformation from a good-natured pacifist to an instant killer who ignores wounds. The murders of smugglers and criminals are encouraged, as the safety of ordinary citizens has been precarious in recent years.

But despite the general approval, Sahu hasn't established any comradeship with anyone. His eccentricities are obvious in close contact, and he can react to everyday things as if he'd just been released from the basement where he'd been kept his entire life. And that's hardly the truth. Sahu doesn't remember his entire childhood, and his guardian, Argyle, who excelled in surgery, explains this by citing amnesia due to a physical trauma he suffered during those years. And the "triggers" Sahu has lived with his entire life are also consequences, only they were channeled in the right direction. At least that's what Argyle says. The "hero's" life spiraled until one day Argyle gave him a particularly important assignment. Where did he get the information about this assignment? Who knows, Sahu's guardian always planned ahead, and whoever got the information about Earth Hell from can only guess. Sahu's mission was to go to Hell, learn more about the bigwigs there, relay that information, and, if possible, kill those bastards. This was shocking to Sahu, but he couldn't disobey due to his strict upbringing and duty.

Before the journey, the hero was warned that he would have to walk after disembarking the train, and for good reason… Earth Hell is invisible from afar and appears as a mirage only upon approach (thanks to Sin and Phil's pact). From afar, it's just a vast, empty space, overgrown with evil legends: gunfighters and wanderers avoided this doomed place.

And even having information that there is a prosperous and a less prosperous part, he wandered into the wrong place.

"Understanding the Beauty of Birdcage"

Sahu ventured into the depths of Birdcage, hoping to find help or learn more. But he found nothing but slums and gangs. After several days there, he grasped the core principles: first, this place doesn't care who you are or where you're from; it will drag all your humanity into the dirt; second, alone, you're an easy target. And he cemented the second lesson. His appearance as a city boy from a wealthy family easily gave him away against the dusty landscape. And he miraculously avoided a bullet to the head when he simply ducked.

The noise attracted nearby vagabonds, who decided to rob and kill the stranger. But before the shooter fled, Sahu remembered him, and then a fight ensued. Thanks to his triggers he won, but due to blood loss, he managed to lose his balance and fall into the river. A tragic end for a hero… but no. Someone pulled him out of the river and, at the same time, from the afterlife.

When Sahu awoke, he was greeted by a pleasant young man who tended to his wounds and brought him back to his senses. He was the first living creature in Birdcage who hadn't tried to kill him. According to Clash they were at an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere — an abandoned place he and his friend had recently discovered. Clash wasn't fazed by Sahu's awkward questions and responded to them more comfy than the outsiders. A simple conversation of everyday matters distracted the hero from his recent trauma. The "savior" even shared his biography, although in such a dangerous place, trusting strangers is life-threatening.

Clash was born in Birdcage, but was unable to find companions or close friends due to his naive, good-natured nature. Such sentimental qualities repel most, searching for subtext within them, terrifying them, and for years they viewed him with suspicion. Clash wandered the Birdcage until he found a companion — the only one unafraid to trust. The idea of ​​such a friendship touched Sahu, who had no companions or particularly warm, close connections (Argyle was not the stereotypical abusive father and had never used violence against Sahu; he was emotionally withdrawn and weak as a parental figure). Even he himself opened up a little to his new acquaintance.

They chatted for a long time about various things until the comedy peaked: Clash's friend — the same shooter who had practically finished off Sahu — came up to the second floor, mired in semi-darkness. He immediately lost his cool and was about to interrogate the hero, but Clash held him back, assuring him of Sahu's trustworthiness and kindness. Sahu nodded helplessly, feeling the metal barrel of the gun pressed against his temple, biting the inside of his cheek to hold back his triggers.

Clash's best friend had a negative attitude toward Sahu. The irony was that the wounded former sheriff had nowhere else to go, and his steed remained in the same area where he'd clashed with the bandits. Clash allowed him to stay there as long as he wanted, even if his friend objected. Trash refused to introduce himself to Sahu in any way — he avoided his company and ignored him, wandering off during the day. Such a crude nickname embarrassed Clash, but Trash didn't give it up simply because it had kept him alive in Birdcage for years, no matter how bitter it sounded.

Trash isn't a name, but a nickname he earned in the orphanages he'd been in. He was a hellborn who, as is usually the case, was simply dumped into an orphanage without even a name. Eyes like his are considered a sign of low birth, descended from a lesser demon, which only made his life more difficult. There was simply no chance of finding a family. Because of bullying, he was sent to other orphanages (they exist in the circles of Betrayal, Gluttony, and Deception), but each time the situation worsened, as did the abuse from his peers. It all ended with him simply being thrown out onto the streets at sixteen. He had no choice but go to the Birdcage.

Most hellborns survive in Earth Hell by making contracts with demons — they give them their souls, and in return, the demons provide them with protection and a stable life. These are usually working relationships, but the catch is that after death, once in Hell, the hellborns continue to work for them, which lasts forever. For example, Skitzo made such a contract with Idolatry, but Idol is loyal and treats him well. In other cases, demons are cruel to those who are half-human. Since childhood, Trash had been haunted by the thought of ending up in Hell due to his origins, no matter how hard he tried to improve, and the idea of ​​selling his soul to some demon was even more frightening. Years before meeting Clash, he had screwed up, done the worst things in his life (developing an addiction to the taste of human flesh), worked as a mercenary, and when everything seemed to be at rock bottom, Trash met him. Since then, the former (or not quite) mercenary has viewed Clash as family and cherishes him.

So far, Sahu has struggled to establish a normal relationship with Trash, but he doesn't blame him. He's wary of Sahu's friendly gestures, seeing him as a city boy who will betray them at the first opportunity. The hero is recovering poorly from his serious wounds, but he tries to help them both to compensate for his presence in someone else's home (his city upbringing is taking its toll). Sahu has also started keeping a full-length diary, recording all his observations for Argyle.

Smol Sahu for bonus.

bonus x2 hero's rescue

/guys, you weren't waiting for this in vain

A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE SHERIFF AND WHY YOU SHOULD TRUST HIM

Skitzo is the sheriff of the Circle of Betrayal, the one who maintains order in the city and does everything possible to ensure its residents remember their place and the name of his horse.

A random and mysterious individual suffering from a multitude of triggers, just like in canon, and performing the functions of "killer" perfectly but not as a sheriff. Skitzo was appointed to this position by Idolatry simply because he killed Idolatry's hound with his bare hands as a strange, homeless teenager. Idolatry was impressed by this brutality and realized he would make a fine town watchman, and since then, he has been known and feared within and without the circle.

The sheriff is truly a busy man: his job is to police the city streets, even when the main danger is himself. During his shift, the city seems to die out becoming quiet for fear of encountering him and getting shot in the head for making noise. Crime is rare in Betrayal, as guilty criminals and thieves are punished cruelly and bloodily; Skitzo is selective in his executions. Then the city's residents — both mortal and demon — take to the streets and gather to watch the bloody scenes, for this is one of their pastimes. Even if they fear the sheriff, it doesn't diminish their thirst for cruelty.

Part of Skitzo's job is also to resolve conflicts within the circle but… the citizens prefer to resolve all conflicts among themselves, because if the sheriff is brought in, there's a high chance he'll kill both parties indiscriminately. Therefore with a completely free schedule, the sheriff is a frequent visitor to the saloon, and his appearance is difficult to predict. So the patrons sit as quietly as possible, knowing his triggers, and the bartender (the pig-bartender from the episode "Wild West") has become so accustomed to the goings-on in Betrayal that he's accustomed to his visits and isn't afraid.

Like in canon Skitzo has one flaw: he's practically mute. In the AU this is due to the advanced aphonia he's suffered from since childhood. His voice has lost its resonance and now he can only whisper. Even so, he's not very talkative, and few have heard his quiet hoarse speech. Besides his voice, another flaw is the fact of his origin: he's a hellborn (his past is murky and unknown, but one could assume the "perverted creator" from canon is his father who went out to get milk). But he's clearly not traumatized by a "sad past"; he's simply an odd character.

A good owner deserves a good horse, and Skitzo acquired one thanks to Idolatry. This breed of hellish beasts whose appearance almost perfectly mirrors that of horses, is common throughout Hell on earth, but not everyone can train them and caring for them is difficult: these "steeds" require fresh blood, are aggressive, willful and would rather devour their owner than obey commands. Skitzo wouldn't have earned the title of "Sheriff of the Year" more than ten times if he hadn't been able to accomplish the impossible — tame such a beast. His horse is "Forget-Me-Not," a demonic mare capable of revealing her body as a hideous flower of flesh, bone, and teeth. In her demonic form, she is a creature with a bare skull, protruding ribs, and the grotesque features. He has inherited the most stubborn and unpredictable demonic creature, which either disobeys him or begs for attention. He named the horse "Forget-Me-Not" because of her terrifying appearance, which breaks the psyche of mortals. The mare roams freely and comes running when he calls her—she dislikes being confined to buildings and smashes everything in her path, and also loves to devour living creatures.

LITTLE DOG

The peaceful days in the Circle of Betrayal are constantly disrupted by a bandit – Little Dog!

This young man came to Hell a couple of years ago, constantly looking for an opportunity to commit robbery and challenge the Sheriff to a duel. No one knows who or what Little Dog is – a demon or some other creature – but the fact remains that after each death, he returns to a random respawn point close to Betrayal. Little Dog never remembers the moment of his death, is completely lost in time and feels like he's only been in Hell for a week. Skitzo finds this criminal both annoying and amusing – the Sheriff hates noise, but oh, how sweet it is to kill a noisy bastard with memory lapses. He's not bothered by Little Dog's constant respawns; it's become routine for him.

Little Dog is mischievous and reckless by nature, looking for ways to trick someone but only to fall for it himself and pay with blood. He's not afraid of demons, seemingly accustomed to them, considering them his equals and having the audacity to rob them. He's interested in the sheriff simply because Dog considers him an easy nuisance due to his oddity (Dog genuinely believed him blind at first). His memory fails him after the murder but he remembers some facts about Skitzo. With each death, Little Dog forgot his past life before Hell and all that remained of his memories was his real name (Matthew) and something personal. And if Dog realizes this, well, he dies a painful death before the next cycle.

To the townspeople Matthew or "Dog" has become both a legend and a local idiot, this clearly flatters Dog's pride as he's become so popular within a week of his perspective. He lives for a maximum of five days before being killed and beginning the next cycle.

WORM FROM ISSUE 1 WHO ARE YOU

/When resources are limited and you want to write lore, you can look at characters for a single episode.

Trematoda is the leader of the "Worms" and an Skitzo's old friend. Trematoda has a strict personality as a leader. He's often overwhelmed with work, which makes him particularly irritable and he takes his anger out on his subordinates.

"Matt" is a shorthand he allows only Skitzo to use so his voice doesn't strain. In reality, Matt can only be open with him because of their long history of friendship. Trematoda has known Skitzo since childhood, when demon lived on the ranch. Even before his illness, Skitzo would sometimes wander past demon territory, even if it was risky. They met by chance but young Matt warmed to the hellborn, considering him a friend. Even when the hellborn lost his voice, Matt communicated with him years later. Trematoda still doesn't know the full truth about why his friend lost his voice back then. He is rude, but can occasionally show concern or compassion. This is rare among demons so he often suppresses it, as such soft emotions are comparable to those of mortal weaklings. 

Since Matt is an overworked person, he rarely crosses paths with his old friend, so in their free time they both indulge in various things —chilling in the saloon, fishing, and at the sheriff's house where situations like the one in the pic unfold:

No, Skitzo isn't depressed, he's just a slob at home and Trematoda being a "kind soul" helps him sort out all the junk.

For fun I drew all three of them from this post and now for some facts about each:

Skitzo can read and write, the problem is his illegible handwriting. Since Mephistopheles obliged the Sins to report on the goings-on in Hell, Idolatry demanded that his sheriff write reports; he even has a whole separate book for it. And when this book falls into the hands of Idolatry's secretaries, they are highly likely to kill themselves.

One day Little Dog asked Skitzo to become his deputy, and the hellborn agreed to let him work as a stable boy for a while. Dog's first task was to feed Forget-Me-Not… Matthew disappeared in two bites.

Trematoda had the misfortune of living on the border with Birdcage, and his new hobby became shooting criminals who wandered onto his property.

are we perhaps allowed to draw our own OCs in ITD western au... i've been wanting to draw virgil or frannia in that au for a while and wanted to ask ab it

Of course!! I'm so glad someone could be interested in this AU. I'll be waiting for the results, hehe

Flowers.

AU Backstory: As in canon, the events had the same beginning: Sin, the embodiment of all evil created Hell and with it the Sins. Centuries in Hellfire passed quickly, and at one point he grew bored. Sin became interested in seeing how people could degenerate and break among their own kind — suffering not from hellfire but from the lives they'd broken. Sin had seen mortals broken before but he wanted to have a hand in it. In large numbers and for a long time (he also became interested in politics yeah).

With this mindset he brought the Sins to the surface giving them no choice. There in the wasteland a large state quickly grew, later dubbed Hell. Sin himself ruled over all his domains while the Sins as before had no rights, now dwelt in mortal form. Sin had no problem with the human body while his servants suffered — human bodies weakened them cuz human flesh was a cage limiting their strength. However at that time Sins returned to Hell with the Boss's permission, and the process occurred as follows: the mortal body was unconscious while the consciousness transferred to the Hellish body => when the consciousness in the mortal body, the Hellish body slept. Speaking of the effect of mortal bodies on the Sins: they felt the pain of the Boss's violence more acutely, they developed a sense of fear and their psyches became more receptive, despite being hellish creatures. Sin out of a thirst for power broke them and reveled in it.

The tyranny lasted for a long time and the state had long since transformed from a "neutral" state into the center of all human filth: injustice, crime, corruption, and so on. Even then other territories which had pretended Hell didn't exist began secretly collaborating with it, which only increased its influence. Even then the state disappeared from maps—specifically, by that no one would know about its core of illegality and permissiveness, so that high-ranking officials could gather any connections and amuse themselves.

Returning to Sin — he had lost his influence. Living among mortals he had become addicted to gambling, and then the Devil himself aka Mephistopheles entered the game. His goals were typical: to take Hell from the careless Sin, who had become interested only in human affairs while the demons amused themselves in the underground Hell turning it into a bloody scrapyard. The "Boss" became intoxicated with power, completely stripping the Sins of their right to choose and thoroughly breaking every subordinate. Mephistopheles wanted to bring order to all this chaos… and he also had his own dark agenda.

Mephistopheles crushed Sin in a game of poker — the boss wagered his power and both Hells in the heat of the moment. And when Mephis received Sin's powers, he was about to banish the former ruler of both Hells. Sin though damned laughed heartily. Since the Sins were created from his body they too had lost their powers, meaning they were now forever trapped in human shells. Sin disappeared, while Mephis remained in genuine shock,and the Sins were in hysteria and despair.

Both Hells remained with Mephistopheles — he brought order to both and made the earthly one even better (in a negative sense). But now the Sins ruled their "circles." Even in human bodies they could acquire abilities — by absorbing a huge number of souls but this took a long time. A century passed and the Sins fought off others — they couldn't bear life in mortal bodies, yearned for their native hellish area, found a way to commit suicide. For others this was treason and idiocy. But the remaining Sins continue to rule Hell alongside Mephistopheles, live quite comfortably.

SINS, GEOGRAPHY AND HOW SIN IS LIVING NOW:

Idolatry aka the mayor of "Betrayal." An icon of slay and the Eating Disorder. A selfish drama queen with sky-high self-esteem, whose city is designed to be as opulent as possible — all for the sake of the investors he attracts. He was once worshiped — he was held up as an idol but time passed and he became useless to Sin. So he transformed the testosterone-fueled muscle mass (former Idolatry) into the personification of "heroin chic" with a face that's pretty by Hell's standards. Idolatry responsible for half the economy in Hell cuz his territory is the only one where mass murders don't occur and everything is quiet. All thanks to Skitzo as sheriff who performs spectacular public executions of the guilty ;)

Gluttony. A damn capitalist with a vile character who plunders the citizens and the people from outside. He easily deceives those in power outside Hell because he can put on a show and earn a fortune without doing anything. Gluttony also has a whole bunch of mercenaries — “Worms" who carry out every order. But he doesn't get along well with the other Sins (except Deception).

Promiscuous [art by @kakavakakkakava]. Oversees brothels within and outside the state and under her the prostitution situation has become far worse than before. She harvests the strength and souls of prostitutes and their clients, feeding on sexual energy and filthy desires. Promiscuous is the only one of her colleagues who leaves the state borders for negotiations. She is sighted but wears a blindfold to savor the taste of others' lust and energy (in the portrait, she is blindfolded for appearance's sake). Also is a lookist and values ​​people and demons only by their appearance and body. Bestie w Idolatry.

Deceit. He doesn't look human due to the large number of souls he's consumed. Deceit inherited the territories of those Sins who chose to leave this world for good. His colleagues have plenty of work so he graciously took the lands and cities for himself. Even with such a vile appearance Deceit inspires trust in mortals — he knows how to win them over, convincing them that he's safe and reliable. And his "charms" work. His territory includes both a large casino and a bar of Intoxication (this fool underestimated his semi-mortal body and simply died from a huge amount of alcohol on a bet). Deceit is friendly to all the Sins often inviting them over for tea but only Gluttony accepts.

(At this point comic readers might be stumped. Sorry guys I can't get my hands on the printed comics right now but my hyperfixation is in full swing. So I've been scouring every corner of the internet for information. Consider this a departure from canon.)

Geography of Hell. It's fun to remember topographic maps from school. There will be revisions no matter what.

Beyond Hell's borders are otherworldly territories/wastelands that ordinary Hell residents will never see.

"Birdcage" clearly confuses you, so I'll cut to the chase.

Occasionally word of Hell would leak out to the common folk, and from there human trash would flock to the state. Some would bribe their way into power, others would find a place to live in the slums. But mostly they were rejected. The bandits couldn't return — they would be killed to prevent further Hell revelations so they settled on the outskirts of Hell, which would later be called the "Birdcage". This area encircles the northeast of the state, covering it like a dome hence its name. "Birds" are the lowest social class, either criminals from other lands or hellborn* rejected by society and left to survive in the Birdcage. Gang shootouts, murders and massacres constantly occur there. Birds are hated by everyone who can.

Regarding the inhabitants of Hell as a whole: the state is populated by mortals, demons and the hellborn. While Sin ruled many demons surfaced directly into the state. Either for the spectacle or they were also bored (along with them the state was populated by a HUGE number of hell birds). Some demons hid well among humans, while others immediately gave away their appearance with their completly pale skin — a distinctive feature of evil in this world. True to their nature they mingled with mortals and thus the hellborns were born. Hellborn inherit only physical differences from a demonic parent (such as pupil-less eyes, etc.), but essentially they remain mortals whose lives are shortened by half due to physical and mental illnesses. In Hell they are slightly higher than the Birds in the social hierarchy, but they are rarely accepted by humans or demons simply because they live short lives.

About Fibble and Sin:

Like a canon he became bound to Fibble by fate and abuse. In this AU Fibble is a mortal with a murky past, or rather, he was an angel. Yep he's the angel Sin deceived - Phil. He asked Phil to hide God's gaze from Hell on earth, the angel complied and was reborn as a mortal. But they remained bound by a pact and Sin became something of a familiar for the former angel.

(Damn how much fun he must have to torment an ex-angel.)

Sin dragged Fibble on a journey through various lands for "his own purposes" until they ended up in Hell where the story unfolds.

Here are a couple of illustrations of these idiots.

Omg that was long but I hope you found it interesting. I'd like to add that the story will unfold in Hell and simultaneously in the Birdcage just from different characters' perspectives. There will be separate posts about Skitzo's lore later cuz there are so many additional details that have stretched out the Sins lore for a long time, and a post about the Birdcage itself.