Welcome to Hell Box Set: Paranormal Romantic Comedy

by Demelza Carlton

  Homusubi

  Homusubi, whose name is made up of the kanji symbols for to shine and force or power, is known in Japanese culture as the god of fire.

  He's one of the Dynameis, the choir of angels who take care of the elements, and he's responsible for the volcanoes on the western side of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

  Imps

  Imps are a race of small, demon-like beings who were resident in Hell before Lucifer got there. Led by an imp named Sptlk, they specialise in creating illusions so realistic, they can even fool angels and demons.

  Lucifer has an arrangement with them for their assistance in running some of the lesser punishment levels of Hell, as their illusions reduce the number of staff and the power required to exact punishment on the souls confined to the first four circles of Hell. The imps' voyeuristic tastes are reflected in the payment they receive from Lucifer for their services – he allows them to watch his conquests.

  Jehanette

  Known to most modern readers as Saint Joan of Arc, the patron saint of soldiers and France, the girl's name in her own time was Jehanette.

  Born in 1412, Jehanette grew up in the village of Domremy in Champagne, France. From an early age, she was visited by Saint Michael, Saint Catherine and Saint Margaret, but it wasn't until 1428 that they instructed her to go to the aid of King Charles VII of France (then known as the Dauphin, as he hadn't yet been crowned) and assist him to take back his kingdom from King Charles of England.

  She earned the name of the Maid of Orleans after she led a small army to lift the siege at Orleans in 1429. Following several more victories, she stood at Charles VII's side at his coronation in Reims.

  Taken prisoner by the English during a battle at Compiègne, she was imprisoned in Rouen. Following several months of imprisonment, Jehanette was tried for heresy and condemned to death in 1431. The next day, she was burned at the stake.

  In the present day, she is a messenger angel (Malakhim) who assists Saint Michael the Archangel.

  Jezebeth

  Jezebeth is a demon of falsehood and lies, which is why she naturally excels at public relations and graphic design in the HELL Corporation. Except for the unfortunate James Pond campaign, which brought Mel to Lucifer's attention.

  She's particularly skilled at possession and she prefers to take over humans when they're at the peak of fury. Naturally, that makes her perfect for her role as a harpy who tortures damned souls in Level Seven.

  As the wife of Geryon, she takes her dominatrix role seriously – both at work and at home.

  Kasyade

  Kasyade is one of the fallen angels guarding the gates of Dis and he often passes the time by playing poker with Merihim and Asmodeus, the other fallen angels on guard duty.

  Kasyade means both observer of the hands and covered or concealed hand or power. So while he's the dealer and generally the one who watches his fellow poker players for untoward behaviour, he's definitely demonic in cheating whenever no one else is looking.

  Koyane

  Ame No Koyane No Mikoto, known in the present day as Koyane, is one of the kami or deities of the Shinto religion in Japan. He's one of the four kamis of the Kasuga shrine in Nara, and he may have human descendants.

  One of the Hashmallim, he's the angel who advises the Emperor of Japan and other leaders in eastern Asia.

  Lilith

  Lilith is the leader of the harpies in the seventh level of Hell and the demon of waste. When on Earth among humans, she amuses herself by searching for children to kidnap or kill.

  In many religious sources, Eve (or Khavah in Hebrew) is supposedly the wife of Adam, who is described in Islamic, Christian and Jewish creation myths as the first man. Yet in early versions of the Jewish Talmud, Eve is Adam's second wife. The story runs that Adam was created from clay alongside Lilith – his first wife.

  Like a far more modern woman, when Adam decided he was superior to his wife, Lilith told him to get stuffed. She wasn't the submissive sort. Then she left him for Lucifer. Though both she and Lucifer corrupt many lovers as the desire takes them, she still considers the Lord of Hell her personal property.

  Lilith is Lucifer's mistress and one of the senior demons in Hell, which naturally entitles her to be one of the senior managers in the HELL Corporation. She's also Mel's boss, inventing odd tasks to make Mel's work day Hell and deriving considerable enjoyment from it.

  What neither of them counted on was that Mel and Lili, as she's known in the office, look similar – making Mel very much Lucifer's type. As he's had Lili for millennia, his eye is most certainly caught by the fresh-faced angel.

  Lucifer

  The mythical figure commonly known as the devil and the prince or lord of Hell has many names. The most common ones are Lucifer, Iblis and Satan (also spelled Shaitan or Shaytan).

  Lucifer’s name means lots of things:

  light of the morning

  morning star

  son of the morning

  daystar

  shining one

  son of the dawn

  light-bringing

  None of these meanings match the concept of a dark, demonic figure and that’s because, according to various religious sources, Lucifer was a Seraphim – one of the highest choirs of angels. He was reputedly as close to perfect as an angel could be:

  “…the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” – Ezekiel, 28:13

  He is believed to have fallen from his exalted position through pride. Christian Biblical sources indicate he wished to be worshipped as a god and Heaven objected to this. He was thrown out of Heaven by the archangel Michael, which was a calculated insult, as archangels are a much lower choir of angels than the Seraphim. According to Saint Jerome, the name Lucifer is what the devil laments losing in his fall from Heaven.

  Jewish sources suggest he was cast out of Heaven because he was envious of Adam, the first human man. Adam had been granted dominion over Earth and Lucifer refused to bow in homage to the man.

  In Islam, the Qur’an indicates that Iblis, as he is known, was banished from Heaven because he wouldn’t bow before Adam. Iblis isn’t confined to Hell in Islam – instead, he spends his time tempting human beings away from the true path of their religion, thereby condemning the erring humans to Hell.

  Aside from his supposed perfection and six wings that marked him as a Seraphim, Lucifer is described as being able to change his form and appearance. He’s reputed to be able to appear as a snake, a dragon, a cormorant, an angel with dark wings and a demon in various shapes.

  He’s portrayed in all of these forms in art throughout the ages – though few chose to show him in his initial perfection, preferring to give him one of his more bestial forms to match the dark soul within.

  Christian sources suggest that he actively tries to subvert humans and win their souls through trickery so that they can worship him in Hell, as he’s reputed to have tempted Jesus during his time on Earth. Some Christian works, like Dante’s Divine Comedy, suggest that Lucifer is confined to Hell for eternity.

  Conversely, Islamic sources indicate he only tempts humans to reveal their true nature, as he has no power over those who are true to their religion.

  In the present day, Luce Iblis is the overbearing, alpha-male CEO of the HELL Corporation. A superb body, an apt mind and a penchant for power make him hard to resist, but he is a fallen angel and synonymous with evil in many religions. As a villain, he comes equipped with a fiery underground lair and myriad minions with a capacity for violence and pain.

  Whether he’s a villain or a possible hero who can win the angel he’s set his sights on, though…only one thing is for certain: he's a sexy devil to watch out for.

  Megaera

  Megaera is one of the three Dirae. Megaera's name means grudging or jealous rage. In Hell, she's one of the guardians to the gates of Dis and she's responsible for torturing the inhabitants of Level Six.

  Megaera not only works in Hell, but occasionally mans the reception desk for t
he HELL Corporation. She was the receptionist on the day of Mel's interview and grudged the angel everything from information to common politeness to a smile.

  Meness

  Meness, also called Menuo in Lithuanian, is known as a moon god in the Baltic region. His preferred mode of transport is a chariot pulled by grey horses. After a lengthy courtship, he married Saule, the Baltic sun goddess, but he was unfaithful to her with the morning star and punished accordingly.

  Both Meness and Saule are Dynameis, angels responsible for the moon and sun, respectively.

  Mephistopheles

  Mephistopheles means doesn't love the light. This isn't entirely accurate, as Mephi's greatest desire for centuries has been a tropical beach holiday with her husband, Beelzebub. There's no love lost between her and Lucifer – she feels her husband has as much right to be Lord of Hell as Lucifer does, though she invariably rules the roost where her husband is concerned.

  She's the demon who tempted Doctor Faustus and made a deal for his soul. It's made her a formidable personal assistant to Lucifer in the HELL Corporation, as she's the expert on legal contracts with humans. From occupational health and safety to sexual harassment in the workplace, Mephi knows what Lucifer can and can't get away with. But, Lucifer being the Lord of Lies, he manages to get away with it anyway.

  Merihim

  Merihim is the dark prince of pestilence, but in the HELL Corporation he's known as Merih, the manager of the Public Health Unit. He has a bit of a crush on Mel.

  He's one of the fallen angels guarding the gates of Dis and he often passes the time by playing poker with Kasyade and Asmodeus, the other fallen angels on guard duty.

  Michael

  Saint Michael the Archangel is one of three archangels mentioned in the Christian Bible, together with Raphael and Gabriel. In the Qur'an, only two angels get mentioned – Michael and Gabriel.

  Healer, protector and leader against the armies of Satan, Michael's name means he who is like God. He's described in Christian, Jewish and Islamic religious texts and he's believed to be the angel responsible for Satan's defeat and banishment from Heaven.

  He's suggested to be the leader of the Seraphim, but also just the Archangel in charge of the lowest level of angels, those who have no other choir.

  Michael is described in several sources as the rescuer of faithful souls. He's reputed to have stood guard over Moses' body and over Eve's body, too. He fought Samael (described in some sources as a fallen angel, who grabbed Michael's wings and tried to pull him down with him when he fell) for Moses' body.

  In the Catholic faith, Michael has the interesting task of giving souls near death the chance to redeem themselves in their last hour. Seeing as he's usually in the right place at the right time, he also brings newly-dead souls to judgement at the gates of Heaven. This is consistent with his depiction as the leader of the lowest choir of angels, who fulfil similar roles in guiding souls to their final judgement.

  Michael has a reputation as a heavenly physician. He's believed to have appeared to the Emperor Constantine at Sosthenion, south of Constantinople.

  Egyptian Christians placed the Nile under his protection, as this river was so important in their lives.

  Michael is frequently portrayed in religious art in armour and armed with a sword – sometimes with or without flames.

  In Lucifer's war against Heaven, Michael was the leader of the armies who opposed him, as well as the one who personally dispatched Lucifer to Hell.

  In the present day, Michael is an archangel – one of the guardians at Heaven's gate who stands in judgement over souls who wish to enter. Clad in armour and bearing a flaming sword, he makes quite an impressive guard. Since he banished Lucifer, he stands guard to make sure the fallen angel doesn't return to Heaven.

  However, there is another side to Michael. He's Melody Angel's younger brother – and he's very protective of his sister. He and Raphael met as brothers in arms during the Heavenly War against Lucifer and it's hard to say who's more important to him – Raphael or Mel. Both he and Raphael are united in their mission to protect Mel at all costs.

  Minos

  As Saint Peter is believed to judge souls at the gates of Heaven, so Minos is the man who hands out accommodation assignments in Hell.

  Minos was a legendary king who appears in many stories involving other, equally mythical characters. There are so many of them that there may have been more than one man with that name, so archaeologists are uncertain whether Minos was really a name or the title of the king – but the Minoan civilisation was named after Minos by an early 20th century archaeologist, Sir Arthur Evans.

  Around 4000 years ago, the decentralised cultures on Crete formed a new political system, headed by a single person – their king. Large palaces were constructed, which were for administrative and storage purposes as well as living spaces. Roads were built between their cultural centres, which exhibited set class structures…and the beginnings of an established bureaucracy.

  This king – the legendary Minos – brought about peace, prosperity and the political system that supported it. His navy was the first of its kind in the ancient world – or at least the first documented navy. To put this into perspective, this was before the Trojan War.

  Minos' kingdom was modern-day Crete and there are still ruins from his reign dotted around the island. The earliest known buildings from the Minoan civilisation are around 4000 years old. For around 500 years, the Minoan civilisation was one of the most advanced of its time, as evident by its art, written language, functional indoor plumbing and structures that have withstood centuries.

  Minoan cities were open to the sea and their pottery has been found throughout the Mediterranean, indicating that they traded far and wide, presumably by sea. Minos lived in Knossos, the largest Minoan city, where he was reputed to hear leadership advice from Zeus. This he translated into legislation and a complete constitution for Crete.

  To reward him for his good judgement throughout his life, Minos was made the judge of the dead in the Underworld, possibly with his two brothers. According to Virgil, he decided who went to Elysium or Tartarus.

  In Dante's epic Christian poem, The Divine Comedy, Minos judges souls in Hell. He has a very long, serpentine tail which he uses to indicate the level number the damned soul belongs to. He'd wrap his tail around himself the same number of times as the level number.

  Minos in Hell is every bit the retired, wise ruler, whose wisdom was derived from divine advice. Seeing as divine advice to rulers is definitely Mel's speciality, who better to have been his advisor? So when he sees Mel again after thousands of years, he doesn't recognise the young, modern woman…but he's never forgotten the angel who taught him how to rule.

  Like many of Hell's denizens who date back to the time when all human souls were confined to the Underworld, Minos is neither demon nor damned – his immortal soul has taken on the job of judgement. Though he's kept very busy, he does find time to leave Hell on occasion. When he does, he meets up with Saint Peter and Saint Michael the Archangel, both colleagues in their roles as final judges of human souls, and the three find a quiet spot to enjoy a barley beer or six.

  Some of the Greek legends surrounding Minos are far from the benevolent ruler who united the communities on the island of Crete, which suggests that there was more than one Minos…or the man was both brilliant and a complete nutter. Ancient historians like Plutarch support the theory that the benevolent Minos was the ruler who started a navy and wrote the laws; but that the original Minos' grandson gave rise to some of the more colourful legends of the time. The following legends pertain to Minos' grandson, who is presently one of the denizens in Hell.

  Minos was the stepfather of the Minotaur. The sea god, Poseidon, was angry that Minos hadn't sacrificed a bull to him, so he made Minos' wife, Pasiphae (the daughter of the sun god, Helios), fall in love with the bull. With some help from Daedalus, she managed to somehow seduce the bull and conceive a child – the half-man, half bull known as the M
inotaur – the Bull of Minos.

  Minos didn't like the Minotaur much, so he ordered Daedalus to build a palace to hide the creature. The result was the Labyrinth. A less than grateful ruler, Minos then imprisoned both Daedalus and his son, Icarus, so they couldn't tell anyone else how to get through the Labyrinth.

  One of Minos' sons, Androgeos, attended the athletic games held by King Aegeas of Athens. He was so successful at the events that the local competitors conspired to murder him. When word of his death reached Minos, King Minos declared war on Athens.

  On the way to Athens, Minos besieged the coastal city of Megara. Megara's king, Nisus, had an unusual gift: as long as he retained a lock of red hair, which he hid under the rest of his white hair, his city would be safe.

  Minos seduced his daughter, Scylla, who cut off her father's lock of red hair so she could offer it to Minos. Her father died, Megara fell…and charming Minos drowned the treacherous Scylla.

  Minos did reach Athens and he conquered it, too. He required that Athens send him seven of their best young men and women every 7-9 years (sources are a little hazy on precisely how many years), which he then sacrificed to the Minotaur.

  On the third such sacrifice, Theseus volunteered to go. With the assistance of one of Minos' daughters, Ariadne, and a ball of string, Theseus found the Minotaur and killed it, thus ending the slaughter of Athenian children.