Pantheon / Fictional Settings

Dominions Expansion Index
Administrative Centers | Astronomical Bodies | Dimensions and Multiverses | Establishments And Districts | Fantastical Settings | Fictional Settings | Military Installations And Battlefields | Video Game Stages

These settings have been defined for their unique conditions and events that transpired in these locations. Most of the stories' plot occur in these settings and are often of heavy emphasis to some of the most memorable moments of a certain world's narrative. Without these, some stories would simply not work. These settings include certain states of places that would otherwise not be categorized to the other Halls.

The Abyss

The Abyss, Unholy Death World (The Netherworld, Uncle Lovecraft's Fun Time Murder Hole)

• Description: A subterranean location with seven layers of beautiful scenery and dangerous creatures
• Symbol: A map of The Abyss
• Theme Music: Made in Abyss; Hanazeve Caradhina
• Alignment: An extreme shade of Chaotic Neutral for the first (and possibly second) layer; heads into Chaotic Evil for the deeper layers
• Portfolio: Really Long Pit with Seven Layers, Eldritch Location with Eldritch Abominations, Distorted Time, Really Beautiful Scenery Regardless
• Domains: Depths, Death
• Similar Locations: Pandora, a different Pandora, The Dark Continent, Mira
• Sacred to: Bondrewd
• A long time ago, a really wide and deep pit was discovered near an ocean. This particular pit has its own ecosystem, home to plenty of unusual wildlife. Not only that, but plenty of treasures can be found throughout, prompting a town to be established near the Abyss. There are plenty of secrets to discover throughout the Abyss, but getting through its seven layers, let alone exploring them, is no easy task to say the least. The deeper one goes, the more dangerous things get. And then there's what happens when one tries to ascend from the depths, with fatal consequences ranging from mild dizziness to death. Needless to say, it's a long way down and getting back up is a challenge in and of itself.
• The Edge of the Abyss makes up the first layer and although it's nowhere near as dangerous as later layers, there's still a few problems here and there to contend with. The second layer, the Forest of Temptation, where the trees are upside down and the winds are heavy, is when things start to get serious. The Great Fault found in the third layer is essentially a giant vertical shaft. The fourth layer, dubbed as the Goblet of Giants, features humid jungles and more dangerous creatures, but somewhere lies a beautiful field of flowers. The Sea of Corpses within the fifth layer is where Bondrewd resides. The Capital of the Unreturned, the sixth layer, gets its name from the fact that any attempt to ascend from it results in loss of life or humanity. The seventh layer is known as the Final Maelstrom, though there isn't much other information about it beyond that.
  • As for what the deepest point of the Abyss is, it's been believed that it's well over 200,000 meters deep. Given that no one was ever reached that part of the Abyss yet, it's hard to say what could be found there and it's only something the bravest of explorers want to find out.
• The Strains of Ascension (or Curse of the Abyss) make for the greatest challenge for all who delve deep into the Abyss. These effects pile up the deeper one goes.
  • For the first layer, one would suffer light dizziness and nausea.
  • For the second, there's heavy nausea, headache, and numbness of limbs.
  • For the third, vertigo combined with visual and auditory hallucinations await.
  • For the fourth, there's intense full-body pain, dizziness from pain and varying amounts of internal and external bleeding across the body.
  • For the fifth, complete sensory deprivation, confusion and self-harming behavior crash onto any ascendants. This is the last layer of the Abyss where it is possible to bear the Curse and return alive and intact.
  • For the sixth layer, marking the Point of No Return, any who attempt to ascend will suffer loss of humanity (and deformed beyond recognition) or death, or under specific conditions, "The Blessing".
  • For the seventh layer, only certain death awaits those who try to ascend.
• For some reason, there's a sense of compulsion that drives the people in the world where the Abyss resides to delve deep into it. And not a single Delver has ever decided to quit while they're ahead, no matter how close to death, torture, or mutation they've brushed against. It seems only the foreign nature of the Pantheon's residents keep them from succumbing to the same compulsions.
• It has been speculated that the Abyss is actually the Warp, and the Curse is actually corruption by the daemons.
  • Others speculate that the Abyss has some connection to another location named the Abyss.
• The treasures that can potentially be found here has caught the attention of archeologists and those looking to make money. The League of Explorers has already made preparations for them and their friends on how to get through The Abyss and not suffer too badly in the midst of it. And then there are the greedier deities who believe that the deeper one gets in The Abyss, the more likely that it will be to find highly valuable treasures there to make a profit of. Not that the first layer will have something potentially valuable, but it's not going to be easy and things will get harder beyond that layer.
• With all the potential treasures that can be found there, it's no wonder that The Corpus is very interested in The Abyss to the point where they've tried to take ownership of at least part of it. There's even rumors going around that The Corpus is interested in a partnership with Bondrewd of some sort.
• Not only are the treasures and locations subjects of interest regarding The Abyss, the curse that pervades the place has been something a number of deities are interested in. It'd be horrifying to imagine what could happen if someone were to take the Curse of The Abyss and spread it outside of it's normal location, especially with what happens in the deeper parts of The Abyss.
• Throughout The Abyss, there is a forcefield known as The Lifeblood of The Abyss, functioning as the main source of energy across the domain. It is invisible for the most part, but psychics or extremely perceptive deities are able to tell where parts of the forcefield are weaker. In some cases, there are parts of The Abyss where the forcefield is very weak or even nonexistent. It's even been purported that piercing the forcefield will cause the symptoms of The Curse of The Abyss.
• Even if it's to a far lesser extent compared to other parts of The Abyss, the wildlife that lives there has left some deities who like animals really intrigued. Progress on researching those creatures has been slow thus far, due to a combination of dangerous factors the place is known for. On the other hand, rumors have been going around of certain deities wanting to hunt down those creatures for reasons that could include money, but nothing concrete has emerged yet.
• Despite those specific deities not having taken the plunge into The Abyss yet, a few really smart ones have made some comparisons between the layers of The Abyss to various aspects of the Inferno that Dante Alighieri went through way back then. Upon hearing about The Abyss, Alighieri really wasn't sure if it's even worse than the Inferno he went through, but it's clear he hasn't made any plans to go into The Abyss.
• Robots are among the very few types of lifeforms that are unaffected by The Curse of The Abyss due to lacking a heart of flesh. This has inspired plenty of projects to make robots solely for the intent of exploring The Abyss with the hopes of finding anything interesting without risking any sort of human life.
• It is not yet known how the symptoms of the Abyss would affect those with teleportation abilities. Will they be able to evade the effects, or will it crash on them all at once depending on the points of teleportation?

Apokolips and New Genesis

Apokolips and New Genesis, Divine Worlds of Villainous Dystopias and Heroic Utopias (together: The Fourth World)

Left, New Genesis; right, Apokolips

• Description: A hellish ecumenopolis (Apokolips) and heavenly arcadia with a floating city of Supertown (New Genesis), both existing in a higher dimension
• Symbol: Darkseid's Omega Symbol (Apokolips), The New God symbol for freedom (New Genesis). Both use a Boom Tube or Mother Box as a general symbol
• Theme Song:
  • Apokolips: Apokolips (Quiet), Apokolips (Action), Apokolips Suite
• Alignment: Lawful Evil and Chaotic Good respectively
• Portfolio: Villainous Badland, Heroic Arcadia, Enforced Cold War (it didn't last), Dwells in the Sphere of the Gods, After the End of a Ragnarok (as a whole), Always Lawful Evil Dystopia, Polluted Wasteland and City Planet (Apokolips), Utopian Arcadia of Crystal Spires and Togas, Always Chaotic Good (New Genesis)
• Domains: Divinity, Duality, Conflict (Both), Dystopia, Tyranny, Industrialization (Apokolips), Utopia, Freedom, Arcadia (New Genesis)
• Ruled by: Darkseid (Apokolips), Highfather (New Genesis)
• Sacred to
  • Apokolips: Kalibak, Granny Goodness, Desaad
  • New Genesis: Orion^note born on Apokolips, Mister Miracle and Big Barda^note former Apokoliptian citizens
• There came a time when the Old Gods died! A climatic battle erupted between these gods, the noble and brave died with the brutal and cunning. Their world was destroyed, but eventually life emerged again. The molten remains split into two, bringing forth the dystopian Apokolips and utopian New Genesis. Evil and good, forever locked in conflict. This is the Fourth World, home to the New Gods.
• In general
  • The two worlds are a sort of archetype of evil and good. As such the inhabitants morally reflect this, though even the harsh world of Apokolips can produce good souls(Orion) or free themselves through The Power of Love (Big Barda). But if there's something both sides can agree on, it's the merits of Bold Inflation and Purple Prose. The Grand United Alliance of Evil and Grand United Alliance of Good had a lot of vested interest in these worlds. Both sides would also like to know how Metron, a New God who claims to be from neither worlds, fits into things.
  • Apokolips and New Genesis exist in a higher plane known as the Sphere of the Gods, along with other divine beings. There's only one true version in the multiverse, described by Batman as coming from a sort of "archetypal, platonic world". While the gods(Darkseid at the least) have a Fighting a Shadow situation, this has led many people to wonder just how to explain the various contradictory depictions, retcons despite it also being mentioned these worlds are beyond normal space-time. Or how mortals visiting it works. The House of Knowledge is trying to resolve this, with Jack Kirby aiding them.
  • Requires a Boom Tube to go to and from, though some beings like Libra managed without. It's advised not to, as the true size of the New Gods and their home worlds are so massive that the Earth would barely displace a small lake-the Boom Tubes also scale mortals/the New Gods to be relatively equal in size. The House of Space and Cosmos is working on making their own Boom Tubes and transportation devices separate from New God control.
  • A pact was made, exchanging sons for an Enforced Cold War. Everyone knows it's temporary, and it's prophesied Orion will kill Darkseid in a climatic war that sees the end of the Fourth World. Despite some attempts, Executive Meddling and the Status Quo prevents a permanent end. Darkseid is currently forming his own alliance, the Harbingers of Repression, for many reasons, but one of them is to ensure next time the end of the Fourth World comes he has an absolute advantage. And Highfather has encouraged further interaction with the pantheon, primarily the GUAG, for New Genesis to balance the scales in their favor. If anything, this'll make the next "final battle" even more apocalyptic.
• Specific to Apokolips
  • Apokolips's most notable feature is its ever-burning fire pits. Its citizens are basically slaves to Darkseid, treated terribly yet so conditioned they worship him like some sort of Stockholm Syndrome. That said, they're often portrayed as a vicious lot and Darkseid is able to keep some sort of order. The GUAG has tried to take down Darkseid or at least try to better the citizen's spirit, but the fact it can't be changed from being a Crapsack World is an eternal thorn in the side of good. Nowadays they focus on making sure Darkseid doesn't try to turn the rest of creation into a new Apokolips.
  • Despite being the evil half of the Fourth World, Apokolips has cut all ties to Melkor and the GUAE. Darkseid doesn't play second fiddle, and Melkor reminds Darkseid of the one being he fears; his father and even worse God of Evil, Yuga Khan. YHVH hopes to usurp Darkseid's authority and take control of Apokolips, as it's firmly on the Law side of things, all in His eternal ambition to eliminate The Evils of Free Will and assert Himself as the one god.
  • Santa Claus has somehow managed to get his hand on a Mother Box or bypass the dimensional barriers, since he always manages to give Darkseid his yearly coal-a fact that infuriates him to no end. Further infuriating Darkseid and Apokolips as a whole is Rick Sanchez, who's skill at dimensional portals led him to take making his own Boom Tube as a challenge. After he accomplished that he mocked their technology and left a bunch of dick picks. He did that with New Genesis, but they didn't make a "torture and/or kill on sight" towards Rick.
• Specific to New Genesis
  • A veritable paradise covered in lush forests and greenlands. To prevent nature being disrupted, the only urban center is the massive floating city of Supertown. This is something that those in the Nature Preservers respect.
  • Hexxus would love to change that, though he hasn't had any success so far. Unlike Melkor and Apokolips, Cosmos and the GUAG are totally welcome on New Genesis. Highfather has pledged support to them over the other alliances.
  • Lucifer has asked to form a potential alliance of convenience, given Apokolips's tyranny is a bane to the Grand United Alliance of Chaos and their goals. Highfather wanted to reject him outright as New Genesis does not approve of the GUAC's methods, however admits Lucifer would help against Darkseid. Lucifer was quick to point out that he has made some morally dubious actions such as trading his son for Darkseid's in The Pact, and one of his allies is Zeus. While he had a point, New Genesis has made it clear it's a non-aggression pact and will go against Lucifer the moment he goes out of line to stop the likes of Darkseid or YHVH.

Atlantica

Atlantica, Holy Seat of Underwater Destinations

• An aquatic kingdom ruled by King Triton off the coast of Denmark.
• Theme Song: Under the Sea; Isn't It Lovely (Kingdom Hearts II)
• Symbol: King Triton's palace
• Aligment: Lawful Good with shades of Lawful Neutral
• Portfolio: Aquatic Cities inhabited by merfolk
• Domains: Oceans, Kingdoms, Cities, Merfolk, Aquatic Life
• Sacred to: King Triton, Ariel, Melody
• Unholy to: Ursula
• Banned: Members of the Hall of Piracy, and all other pirates by principle, Captain Nemo, Commander Rourke, Kratos, Plankton, Tamatoa and other evil-aligned aquatic life in general
• Sister Locations: Atlantis, Atlanta, Georgia, Planet Aquatos, the various Pearl Kingdoms, Maraqua
• Atlantica is home to many merfolk and other friendly seafolk alike, ruled by the well-intentioned King Triton, who rules the place with a firm but merciful hand. Likewise, the place is also a sacred location to his seven daughters, including Ariel herself. However, since she prefers to be on land with her husband Prince Eric, it'd be more likely to run into her daughter, Melody here. While initially troubled by the death of King Triton's wife, Queen Athena, which led to a dreary time where music was forbidden to be played, Ariel managed to bring music back as a tradition in her late mother's honor.
• When it came to underwater civilizations to ascend into the Pantheon, there were plenty of considerable candidates for the title of Under the Sea. Of all places, Atlantica was considered the most worthy dominion to take the spot, given that usually there's not much to say about Aquaman's or Namor's homes, and the former has to deal with Orm the Ocean Master at times. Them and other ocean-related deities found common ground in approving of King Triton's views on handling affairs, being very strict on gods that are allowed to enter Atlantica, and being very protective of his kingdom, though thanks to Ariel, he's not too harsh on humans, but not necessarily soft. The fact that Atlantica isn't in ruins attests to his effectiveness as a ruler, and made it stand out among the usual examples of underwater cities being ruins.
• After some research of its own, Atlantica decided to start its own Blitzball team, since its sport was compatible with merfolk. Given the merfolks' aquatic advantages, Team Atlantica has be known to be the only team capable of beating the Besaid Aurochs. It's said that King Triton is very proud of the team, especially since his granddaughter, Melody, is the team captain! The fact her voice enables her to imitate Rikku, often confuses Tidus, which also tips their matches in her favor.
• One of the most eventful parts of the merfolks' lifestyles is their music. Even during the ban of music, there were underground groups like the Catfish Club Band that kept the tradition alive. Through persistence and Ariel's assistance, music became a staple of Atlantica's culture once more. Once a year, a musical composed by Sebastian is held inside the palace. Ariel often was the star before she permanently became a human, even then she still visits once in a while. The most famous song performed so far was "A New Day Is Dawning" (with Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy being guest performers), which is about harmony with the aquatic and human worlds. It was also where Sora learned that he's a good singer, and thanks to this, he's now seen performing karaoke at the House of Musicality. The Mermaid Princesses have also been frequent guests to perform songs for the denizens of Atlantica, as well as Jabberjaw and the Neptunes, who are grateful that Jabberjaw can be accepted as a friendly and sociable shark.
• Ursula despises the place, having wanted to take over Atlantica in one way or another. She's unsure of whether it would be better to conquer it directly or to destroy and rebuild a new one out of its ruins. It's not like it's ever happening with all of the merfolk guardians that revere the place dearly, but she can't help but try. Unfortunately for her, given her reputation, there are very few willing to make deals with her to contribute to such efforts that aren't already allies.
• Plankton is banned to ensure that he can't try to pull something like he once did to King Neptune for his schemes of taking over the Krusty Krab. No one really wants to have King Triton pulled around through mind control, which would bring Atlantica into chaos in the process. Mr. Krabs, on the other hand, had interest in expanding Krusty Krab out of Bikini Bottom into Atlantica, but currently he has no luck since his restaurant's ethics don't meet Atlantica's standards, as much as the Krabby Patty impresses citizens. For now, Krabs is content with having more merfolk becoming visiting customers.
• Rikuo and his family are welcomed in Atlantica, given that they're shown themselves to be responsible denizens and benevolent towards Triton's own people. Triton himself is saddened by the fact that Rikuo's people is in such a vulnerable state and hopes the best for them. Ruto is also a welcomed guest to represent the Zora of her world, seeing much good in connecting with similar seafolk. Some of Atlantica's native merfolk are curious about how Zora evolved into the Rito at one point.
• There is no tolerance for any bloodthirsty or violent sea creatures in Atlantica. Bruce attempted to lurk around for finding a potential meal in Atlantica's merfolk, and found himself shrunken to the size of a piranha by Triton. Being much smaller, Bruce was chased away by Triton then by other fish in the ocean that wanted to eat Bruce themselves. By the time Bruce managed to revert the change, he learned his lesson dearly. Meg and other similar creatures have also taken the warning very seriously and keep out of this domain. Even Octogeddon knows better than to underestimate Triton's fury, not that Atlantica's people would lightly mock octopi, given that some live among them, including a member of the Catfish Club Band.
• Milo Thatch, due to his admiration for the Atlantis in his world (on top of being married to its princess, Kida), and saving the place from further destruction, is dearly welcomed in Atlantica. He's one of the few surface-dwellers that can actively do research on Atlantica for this reason, which has made him popular in the House of Science. As for his enemy, Commander Rourke, keeping him out of Atlantica was a no-brainer for trying to doom Atlantis. While not as malicious as Rourke, Captain Nemo is also not allowed to hunt within Atlantica's waters, being seen as an underwater pirate. He doesn't appreciate having to deal with another government even when underwater, but he's stayed away with little trouble.
• When it comes to treasure hunters, Triton has allowed the more well-intentioned ones like Scrooge McDuck and Dimitri Lousteau to search around near Atlantica, but even then he keeps a cautious eye on them. Triton isn't about to let any outsider come in and snatch an artifact too, reminding visitors that Atlantica is a thriving city that doesn't invite thieves, and not a ruins area to scavenge. Tamatoa didn't get the memo, and tried to raid Atlantica for some of its shiny treasures, and smashed away many of its guard, but against Triton himself, Tamatoa stood little chance, so Tamatoa was forcefully expelled from Atlantica empty-handed.
• There are plenty of people speculating on how Atlantica came to be, with some wondering if Triton's people already came to be on their own or if they were perhaps split off from humanity at one point or another. The Sniper personally leans toward the latter due to a revelation that his true birthplace, New Zealand, was somehow turned into an Underwater City. Of course, that hypothesis doesn't answer the consequential question of how such humans would evolve into the mermaids we know and love today. Whether magic or divine creation are involved in said development of mermaids either way is something that King Triton is unable to reveal for unknown reasons.
• Poseidon was one of the deities to approve of Atlantica's ascension, wanting to have a domain of people similar to humans to interact with. While Triton and Poseidon respect each other, not all merfolk necessarily worship Poseidon, but he's ok with that fact. Kratos, an enemy of Poseidon and the Greek gods in general, had his actions of sinking Atlantis known, as well as killing one of Poseidon's princesses. While Triton pities how Kratos lost his original family, he is most certainly no guest for Atlantica to accept, not wanting to deal with him any time soon.
• While Triton along with Atlantica's people in general have begun to view humans a little more positively, they can't say the same for a particular group of humans: Pirates. Obviously, pirates in or outside of the Hall of Piracy are not welcome at all in Atlantica, especially not the evil-aligned pirates like Black Manta or Captain Hook. They were responsible for the death of Queen Athena, Triton's wife. They're still uncomfortable with even the good-aligned pirates as well, so they aren't excluded from the ban either. Jinbei of the Straw Hat Pirates attempted to appeal to Triton, showing the Straw Hats' achievements of saving Fishman Island, another underwater civilization of merfolk, as an example to show that they could get along. On the other hand, there's the prophecy of man in a straw hat destroying Fishman Island that works against their case. While Triton doesn't view the Straw Hats as negatively as other pirates, for the time being, they too are not allowed in Atlantica, but Triton may be willing to change his mind in the future.
• It's common to see some Water-type Pokémon that have ascended to roam this place, save the Legendaries who prefer to stay within their own temples. Atlantica's denizens don't really see the appeal in capturing Pokémon nor using them in battles, so they prefer to simply co-exist with them like with the sealife they regularly live with. Misty is also a common guest that can be found in Atlantica, training with her Pokémon. It's the fact she can't continually breathe underwater that she hasn't made Atlantica a second home to her given how astonished she is by the kingdom.
• There's plenty of unique ecosystems and geography in the ocean to explore, and Atlantica has its own culture to keep itself entertained. And yet only few writers emphasize on this when thinking about water-based civilizations, with the fact that terran creations don't hold well in water unappealing to many humans as well. Unfortunately, Triton's powers don't include giving people more creativity, but Triton has considered making expansions to Atlantica to show how fun life can be under the sea.

Bolder's Ring

Bolder's Ring, Divine Big Space Object (Ring, The Ring, The Xeelee Ring, The Great Attractor)

Note that the galaxy in the foreground is not to scale

• Symbol: An impossibly large ring drawn in a single continuous line
• Alignment: Neutral Good
• Portfolio: Really big plot device IN SPACE, Cool Gate, Negative Space Wedgie, Extradimensional Emergency Exit for the entire universe
• Domains: Portals, Megastructures, Singularities, String Theory, Hard Science Fiction, Other Universes
• Interests: The Doctor, Nicol Bolas, The Combine
• Bolder's Ring is big. 10 million lightyears in diameter (100x the Milky Way's) big. So big that the rest of the Pantheon takes up only a few pixels on a wall poster of it, and that's being generous. It's formed from a single one-dimensional cosmic string of immeasurable length looped around itself countless times, and took the Xeelee over ten billion years to construct. And what was it constructed to do? Provide a gateway to another universe. While it was destroyed by the Photino Birds after having one too many black holes smashed into it, its ascension repaired it enough to function again. Now, the Ring provides a gateway to various 'verses, with the destination changing periodically.
• The Xeelee moved Bolder's Ring to the (general vicinity of) the Trope Pantheon for a couple reasons. One was to serve as an out in case the Photino Birds should return. However the other reason was that they had realized the immense amount of conflict in the Trope Pantheon and had decided that the residents should have an out if a true Twilight of the Gods is to take place. The immensity of the structure means that it is considered a location along with an artifact, hence its position as part of the Dominions Expansion. It is in fact so large that it is the in-universe cause of the Great Attractor.
• It's called Bolder's Ring because of the pilot who discovered it, Jim Bolder. Not really knowing what the Ring is for, they spent millennia attacking it in various ways like using a neutron star as a projectile at relativistic speeds but their attacks were thwarted. Their fears were that Bolder's Ring was some kind of alien weapon. Though the Xeelee have explained the purpose of the ring to the Trope Pantheon, some deities are still suspicious of it and think there's some sort of catch. A lot of those deities are distrustful of aliens like members of the Imperium of Mankind. Now that the Xeelee have individual beings in the Trope Pantheon comparable or even exceeding their civilization in power, they've become significantly more focused on protecting their Ring.
• The Living Tribunal has currently been given the position of monitor and ward over the Ring, a position they will sometimes sub out to the Monitor himself. A great deal of security is in place to prevent anything that might threaten whatever universe is accessible beyond it, as that would kind of defeat the purpose of Bolder's Ring. Of course, anyone who uses it still needs some significant FTL to make full use of it. For example, the residents of the Spore Galaxy can't exceed 20 parsecs of travel without another gravitational body, so a wormhole was constructed to link them up with the Ring.
• While they're both advanced ring-based structures, Bolder's Ring doesn't have anything in common with the Halo rings. Master Chief can certainly admire the craftsmanship and sheer scale of the Ring. Nicol Bolas admires it, but in a far more covetous fashion; he intends to co-opt it and be the only one allowed to access it, which has led to conflict between him and the Xeelee as the Ring is not to be used exclusively like that. Professor Farnsworth admits it's indeed impressive, but he still likes to flex with his universe box. The Xeelee were not impressed by this, though they were a bit surprised he was even able to do so at all.
• There are other deities who have developed portals of interdimensional travel, but compared to Bolder's Ring they can come off as pocket change by comparison. In fairness, the Xeelee were thinking magnitudes bigger when it comes to using the Ring. Rick Sanchez definitely felt it was an affront to his ego and he has been attempting to hyper-upgrade his portal gun to beat them at their own game. The Xeelee are well-aware that this is an exercise in futility but they aren't going to stop him and he already gets the idea of escaping bad end universe with his portal. And since the Central Finite Curve is designed to separate universes where Rick is the smartest from ones where he isn't, it furthers the futility of him trying to best them. The New Alliance of Free Stars were more humble and admitting it was greater than even Quasispace, itself a faster means of transport than hyperspace.
• There's been an ongoing effort to keep The Time Eater away from Bolder's Ring, lest it travel through and wreak havoc on other universes and 'verses. So far, efforts have been successful, but only time will tell if they stay that way. In addition, the Combine have been waging a pointless, failed war against the Xeelee to gain access to the Ring; for a trans-dimensional force of alien invaders they are surprisingly poor at galactic transportation and travel. A rule has been made that The Chaos Gods and their followers should never be allowed to be anywhere clear the Ring, in hopes to stopping their "infection" from spreading. The Xeelee are quite accepting to baryonic life but they still have limits. Because Sailor Chaos managed to merge with a Cosmic Keystone the Xeelee are trying to ensure it can't get its hands on the Ring; they do not want another universe to fall victim to a Vicious Cycle, especially when escaping from a doomed universe was the whole point of Bolder's Ring.
• The Xeelee have personally put in the effort of preventing the Dark Multiverse and its denizens from reaching Bolder's Ring. They are aware this may be seen as unfair since many of the residents don't deserve being stuck in such a doomed part of creation, but they want to make sure the Photino Birds and their ilk do not spill into unprotected realities and if they must discriminate against other forces of dark matter, so be it. This view has only been reinforced by Barbatos who has sworn to personally tear apart the Ring so none can escape the devastation he desires to bring...but not before somehow convincing the Batman That Laughs to follow those that might flee. Mainly in hopes he can befoul some other portion of the omniverse and not indulge in Starscream tendencies.
• Seeing as how Bolder's Ring is specifically designed to as a way to escape should the universe be doomed, the Grand United Alliance of Destruction has vested interest in preventing the Ring from being used for its intended purpose. Nekron has already been rooting for the Photino Birds because the victory of heat death they bring out would create the cold, dead void he desires above all else. They do not intend to destroy the Ring as it would allow them to expand their destruction to other realities, which the Lich was the first to bring up due to how he planned to use the Enchiridion. Davros plans to set up a second Reality Bomb near Bolder's Ring in order to achieve the "wave of destruction spreading to other realities" effect that he intended with the rift at the heart of Medusa's Cascade.
• Rassilon wishes that he had thought up of Bolder's Ring as a means of escaping The Last Great Time War...well, that's what he says, given he wanted to sell ending time and space as "necessary". The Xeelee have noted the Time Lords as one of the only races even comparable to them in advancement and have mused they could've used the Ring to save the innocents in the conflicts, and have decided Rassilon certainly isn't worthy of using it in any fashion. By contrast, the Doctor was welcome to study it, and they've been quite fascinated by the gate.

Dwemer Ruins

Dwemer Ruins, Holy Seat of Hidden Advanced Civilizations

Bthardamz, a Dwemer ruin within Skyrim

• Description: Ancient stone cities and strongholds defined by the Steampunk Magitek that has stood the tests of time itself.
• Symbol: A Dwarven Centurion head
• Alignment: True Neutral
• Portfolio: Former homes to The Deep Elves aka the Dwarves, Eternal Engine, Advanced Ancient Acropolis, Elaborate Under Ground Bases/Underground Cities, Ragnarök Proofing, Magitek, Older Is Better, Precursors (Abusive Precursors for the Dwemer clans based within Skyrim)
• Domains: Elves, Steampunk, Ancient Civilizations
• Interests: The House of Knowledge, Cyrus Albright, and other scholars, Byleth, The House of Craft, various adventurers and treasure hunters such as The League of Explorers, Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, Captain Toad, Nathan Drake, Kaban and Serval, The Knight
• Confuses: The more "traditional" Dwarves such as Thorgrim Grudgebearer and Muradin Bronzebeard, various elven races
• The Dwemer were a particularly peculiar race that once walked the continent of Tamriel as there truly was no other race like them. Mistakenly called as Dwarves by giants long ago the Deep Elves were the most technologically sophisticated race to have ever lived, their intelligence only rivaled by a select few. While the races of Men and Mer fought and killed each other over their gods and deities the Dwemer had no time for such primitive nonsense. Though you wouldn't catch them denying their existence they hardly considered the Aedra and Daedra to be anything special, their skepticism of all things feeding the idea that they were alien and unfathomable as a people. After uncovering the Heart of Lorkhan in Red Mountain they supposedly attempted to use it to propel themselves into divinity. However, a war between them and the Chimer would ultimately result in the entire race disappearing off the surface of Nirn. Whether they succeeded in becoming gods, transported to some other plane of existence, or even flat out erased is left unclear. What is clear is that they left behind quite the legacy in the form of the various cities and strongholds across High Rock, Hammerfell, Skyrim, and Morrowind.
• Wherever the hell they went, it's a place so far off that even the Pantheon's powers were completely unable to reach them. Instead, they ended up calling forth their ancient and often underground ruins. Considering it's enough to bring back those who ceased to be, this is by all means no simple claim to make. Just as they were a source of intrigue from back home, many deities across the Pantheon have showed interest in making their own expeditions in them. Some like those in the House of Knowledge wish to also study them, others want to seek out adventure and/or even some lost treasure within them. Whatever the reason, the Dovahkiin warns that not everyone can just simply barge right into the many Dwemer's ruins. Though their architects are long gone, there still lies the fully-functional deathtraps and other occupants. Barring the city of Markarth (a Nordic city based in what was once Nchuand-Zel) it's not just inhabited by opportunistic folk like bandits, vampire covens, or potential wildlife either...
• When people say they were the most technologically advanced race to have ever graced their world they mean it. While their weapons and armor are nothing to scoff at their claim to fame goes well beyond that. The machinery that stretch across the corridors still function as well as they did a thousand years ago thanks to their use of Tonal Architecture. It's part of what makes their ruins so dangerous to explore as this includes all the security, mainly in the form of Animunculi from spiders and ballistae to soldiers and colossal golems. It is all too easy for a foolish explorer to lose their lives facing such things.
  • Even then, these simple constructs pale in comparison to their greatest inventions. There's the Karstangz-Bcharn; a Weather-Control Machine, a device that can safely read an Elder Scroll, and the Tools of Kagrenac known as Wraithguard, Keening, and Sunder; A gauntlet, short-blade, and hammer respectively that can tap into the powers of a dead god's heart. The tools were not only responsible for the Dwemer going who-knows-what to begin with, but also the reason the Tribunal were able to attain divinity and bring together timelines in which they acquired it and always were gods themselves.
  • Most famous of them all is the Brass Tower, the Numidium: A Humongous Mecha that, when powered by the Heart of Lorkhan or a similar powerful item, could warp reality itself thanks to it apparently being a personification of the Dwemer's devil advocacy towards everything. It's activation alone causes Dragon Breaks. A weapon of mass destruction, Tiber Septim used such a machine to conquer all of Tamriel and unite them under the Third Empire but was soon destroyed when Tiber Septim started to misuse it. Later off into the Third Era a second Numidium named Akulakhan was under construction by the Physical God Dagoth Ur who wanted to turn it against the Empire for their occupation of Morrowind and later further his own plans of casting down the Tribunal and spread the Corprus disease everywhere. Akulakhan too was destroyed when the Nerevarine's prophecy was fulfilled.
• To those exploring ruins originating from the land of Skyrim should take special care there. Monstrous humanoid creatures known as Falmer along with their tamed Chaurus also patrol the depths. They were once the Snow Elves but after the ancient Nordic people drove them to near extinction they turned to the Dwemer for refuge. Whether they were tricked or did so out of free will they consumed special mushrooms that mutated them into their current state. The Dwemer of Skyrim then tried to use them as a work force before they rebelled against their masters. Them disappearing made the now freed Falmer the winners by default and have gone to infest their once great cities and other underground networks where their numbers grow by the day. Their hatred for the surface meant that they've gone so far as to kidnap and torture the terrestrial races and are theorized by some to even plan an invasion.
  • The Falmer's kidnapping was brought to Byleth's attention when a couple students from the House of School disappeared one day and made the journey to one of the Dwemer ruins and luckily enough they were able to make it in time and save them. Initially, they mistook the Falmer and the Dwemer for being one and the same but after some time was spent investigating they realized their mistake. Still, both races unsettle to the professor. They both hold similar characteristics to "those who slither in the dark", an underground conspiracy consisting of the remnant Agarthans driven underground long-ago, the Falmer with their pale mutations and hatred for the surface and the Dwemer for their daunting advancements in technology and fearsome cruelty. While they admit they are no scholar to the races and histories of Tamriel they are concerned with the state of the Falmer and their activity along with the potential use of the Dwemer's Lost Technology for their own gain going by the stories they've read about.
• To say that they utterly baffle many of the Pantheon's Dwarf populations would be underselling it. They're neither small, had the accents, or actual dwarves. Even their name of the "Deep Elves" referred more-so to philosophical depth than their size, which they were considered about average anyways. Yet they also play the stereotype straight. They did have underground cities, were known to have quite the beards, and are the most technologically advanced race with their mastery in craftsmanship is well known to many. They also really didn't get along with other races, in particular the Chimer (who are again an Elven race) even if they did make peace with them for a time thanks to Lord Nerevar when it came to them against the Nords. Thorgrim Grudgebearer in particular want to learn more about these "Dwarves", and have expressed some amount of curiosity of meeting a supposed last living Dwarf. Muradin Bronzebeard shares has the same feelings, more-so because of the fact that the Dwarves of his universe were once mechanical and stone constructs created by the Titans before being transformed into flesh and blood creatures by the Old Gods through the Curse of Flesh. He has a personal, albeit unfounded belief that they might be linked to why the animunculi still run even to this day. Other elven races express the same, puzzled sentiments.
• Besides the House of Knowledge, the House of Craft naturally have shown a similar resolve in uncovering more about these mysterious precursors. Even the great Vulcan and Dyntos have shown pause when going over the Dwemer's crowning achievements, the latter expressing a morbid curiosity regarding the Numidium and its sheer power. Like the House of Knowledge, they've tasked the likes of the League of Explorers, Indiana Jones, Nathan Drake, Lora Croft, Captain Toad to do the work for them.
• As far as more independent explorers go Kaban and Serval have accompanied other parties in exploring these mysterious structures having ventured around the abandoned Japari Park to figure out Kaban's true species as well as locate any other human remnants on the island. The Knight tends to make voyages in them too, though it often only travels between the expansive cave system of Blackreach predominantly illuminated by the ethereal blue glow of the many giant mushrooms growing there.

Earth (200 myf)

Earth (200 myf), Divine Setting of Once Humble Fauna Now Dominant (New World)

A map of the Earth

• Description: The Earth with one single super-continent and a massive ocean
• Symbol: The Future Is Wild logo with a squibbon grasping it
• Theme Song: The series intro theme
• Alignment: True Neutral
• Portfolio: Speculative Documentary On Future Evolution, Arthropods And Cephalopods Will Rule The Earth, Fantastic Fauna Counterpart, Fish Have Gained Flight
• Domains: Speculation, The Far Future, Evolution, Continental Drift, Deserts, Oceans
• Counterparts: The Earth, the Planet of the Apes, Holy Terra (past Earths), PNF-404 (future Earths)
• Of interest to: Cephalopod deities, the Arthropods and Aquatic Life sub-houses
• Barred entry: Hunter J and all poachers
• Imagine a world, millions of years in the future. A world where evolution has written a new chapter in the story of life. The world is inhabited by very strange creatures, like nothing the Earth has ever seen. The web of life has shifted drastically in the billions of years of evolution. Once meager creatures like the mammals came to fill evolutionary niches after a mass extinction. And some predict that eventually their time would come, and a mass extinction would wipe out most of the vertebrates. 200 million years in the future (or 200 myf), the void left by most vertebrates has been filled by arthropods and cephalopods. Some, like the squibbon, even show signs of becoming humanity's successor.
• The New World is but one of many Earths, and has long since forgotten humanity's impact. It's basically the opposite of Holy Terra, which has been completely consumed by human cities and technology, and similar to PNF-404 in being a distant future Earth with a new super-continent. Said super-continent is shaped differently and simply dubbed Pangea II instead of Pangea Ultima. The House of Space and Cosmos has been making money from safari trips to the different environments, and biologists are investigating the new flora and fauna.
• Captain Olimar and the Pikmin come even further in the future, as PNF-404(Earth) is 50 million years ahead of Earth 200 myf. Rumor has it that fossils of the fauna of 200 myf were found by Olimar, however people are skeptical that they're the same world and think someone is pranking Olimar with fake fossils.
• Access to the Earth of 200 myf has to be authorized by the House of Time and Temporality. As per pantheon rules it is to be treated as a safari by tourists, and there are strict limits to what the the Hall of Hunters and Slayers are and are not permitted to hunt. Poachers too are banned.
• Geb and Gaea are capable of manifesting as a future version of themselves with the New World. This ability is limited to certain Genius Loci so gods like Poseidon hold less power in this era than the present day. The Nature Uprising enjoys the area for been unspoiled by human habitation.
• The massive, one world ocean, referred to simply as the Global Ocean causes enormous hurricanes. These hypercanes makes it hell for any seafarer in the Land and Sea Travel hell, but this doesn't stop Captain Nemo or Moana from trying to navigate it. Al'Akir has been experimenting with his power over storms there. The "birds" they've encountered are actually flish^note flying fish, which has become an interesting test of patience for "bird" hunters and fishermen. The sushi made by flish is still pretty good.
• The Kraken is at home in the Global Ocean as giant squid are still a thing 200 myf, taking the form of the rainbow squid. Fortunately it's a Gentle Giant. When normally fishing you'll find silverswimmers^note neotonic crustaceans, however sometimes sharkopaths are found. Bruce was gleeful to learn that his shark brethren have survived so far into the future, and they even have bioluminescence to aid.
• As a consequence of all the continents being together, they have one absolutely huge desert. The most arid part of this is the Central Desert. Subterranean reservoirs help maintain a populace of insects and other bugs. Spiders were miffed to learn there weren't any spiders 200 myf, though they do exist 100 myf. Others in the Insects sub-house consider the results more pleasing.
• Unfortunately The Radiance's visits to the Central Desert have proven that her Hate Plague works even on future bugs like the terabyte colony. On a brighter note, Shino Aburame and Agitha sometimes come over in desert-safe clothes to tend to the insects. Rumor even has it that Mr Burns still exists in the Central Desert, tending to the bugs. As he apparently survived to the year 1 million, living another 199 million years might not be completely implausible. Rumor also has it he lived on the prior super-continent.
• The Rainshadow Desert borders a massive mountain range found predominantly on the south-east edge of Pangea II. As such while closer to the Global Ocean, it's a harsher environment as the mountains block moisture. Part of what sustains the ecosystem are flish and other animals being flung there. As such it is the least visited area of Earth, 200 myf. Some collectors have taken to desert hopper racing, a variation on snail racing which the desert hoppers are evolved from.
• The most lush area is the Northern Forest, which is home to a new type of cephalopod; the terasquid. The largest is the elephant-like megasquid. Perhaps the most interesting organism is the squibbon, a gibbon-like cephalopod who's intelligence shows promise of becoming the successor to humanity. There was some speculation from the Splatoon crew that the squibbon may be an ancestor, however this has been Jossed as it takes a "mere" 12,000 years into the future due to global warming and World War V.
• Joe was at first a bit upset to learn most fish were extinct, but he was intrigued by the flish and sharkopath. With most vertebrates gone he schemes to "evolve" the flish into being the new sentient race, with himself as their "dear and grateful leader". He is studying the flish's anatomy so he can take a flying form that is just as capable surviving in water as in air. However he has the terasquids to tend with, and as humans no longer exist in this world they have moved to being competition.
• Someone decided to prank the SCP Foundation by getting some of the weirder fauna and trying to pass it off as anomalous. They quickly deduced it wasn't, though consider the squibbon a bit questionable.

Eylstadt

"It is the year 1939. The Germanian Empire launched a sudden invasion on its neighbor, Livonia. In response, the Kingdom of Britannia and the Republic of Thermydor declared war on Germania and opened hostilities against it. However, Germania's blitzkrieg tactics which combined air warfare with tank combat brought its smaller neighbors to their knees. And even after defeating Thermydor, which was thought to be a powerful threat, it bared its fangs against the tiny Alpine state to its south, the Principality of Eylstadt."

The Principality of Eylstadt, Divine Representation of Backwards Central and Eastern European Nations (The Duchy of Eylstadt, The Kingdom of Eylstadt)

Flag of Eylstadt

Landsbruck, capital city of Eylstadt, with Eylstadt Royal Palace in the center

• National Anthem: Eylstadt Kokka
• Description: A small landlocked country located in an alternate 1940s Europe, equivalent to Austria in most other worlds.
• Symbol: The flag of Eylstadt, as shown on the right
• Alignment: Lawful Good, formerly Lawful Neutral during the Middle Ages
• Portfolio: A rather typical depiction of a backwards Central or Eastern European country, specifically a depiction of an alternate universe Austria, Being beseiged by the Germanian Empire once the rest of Europe falls, The capital Landsbruck being subject to multiple offensives
• Sacred to: Archduchess Ortfine Fredericka von Eylstadt (their leader), Izetta (their hero and protector)
• Unholy to: Sophie, Lt. Colonel Arnold Berkman
• During the middle ages, the small Alpine Kingdom of Eylstadt, being beseiged by a massive foreign invasion force, was saved when a White Witch singlehandedly repelled the invasion. While grateful for this action, the King of Eylstadt, who was at one point the witch's lover but ultimately chose to marry someone of noble blood, was forced to make the difficult decision to have her killed, for fear of the Church's reprisals against those considered heretics. And so, the witch was betrayed to the Inquisition, and she was tortured and eventually burned to death. Before she died, she swore revenge on the Eylstadt royal family and the country for betraying her, promising to burn it down or make them suffer. This betrayal was ultimately chosen to be covered up, with the royal family retelling the White Witch story with a much happier ending, with the Witch protecting the nation until the end of her life.
• Cut to the year 1940. Despite hundreds of years of technological advancements, the Principality of Eylstadt, compared to it's European neighbors, remained backwards in terms of technology, industry, and infrastructure. While able to produce high-quality products such as watches, these were made mainly in small workshops, rather than in large and sophisticated factories. It's military was similarly just as dated, with many of their weapons and vehicles being some 10 to 20 years behind their counterparts. And so, in that same year, when the Germanian Empire invaded the Principality for its strategic location directly north of the Romulus Federation, the Germanian's closest ally in mainland Europe, both the Eylstadt leadership and its Army were caught woefully unprepared. Had it not been for Izetta's timely intervention and successful halting of the Germanian invasion forces, Eylstadt would have fallen much faster.
• Eylstadt would ultimately end up falling to the Germanians a few months later, after they had successfully revived the vengeful Sophie through cloning, as well as develop wonderweapons based on crystallized Magical Energy. Sophie, thanks to the use of the Magic Stone, defeated Izetta easily, with the latter nearly getting captured in the process, only saved thanks to the Heroic Sacrifice of several of Eylstadt's military personnel and aircraft. Landsbruck, the capital, fell in only two hours, with the government forced to flee into the mountainous countryside. Landsbruck itself was nearly subject to nuclear attack by Sophie and the Germanians using a prototype rocket powered by Hexenium (as the crystallized magical energy was now called), but this, and Sophie's life, was cut short when Izetta made a Heroic Sacrifice and promptly drained Europe's, and possibly the world's leylines of magical energy, rendering the Germanian's latest investments All for Nothing. Eylstadt would end up being liberated a year later, with the collapse of the Germanian Empire on two fronts, and would end up rebuilding and recovering from the devastation.
• Eylstadt's ascension into the Pantheon is a rather interesting case. Following Berkman's own ascension into the Pantheon and his recruitment into HYDRA, Johann Schmidt had made a deal with him: help him get the White Witch Sophie into the Pantheon, and have her fight for HYDRA's cause as their new "Champion". Berkman replied that in order to get Sophie to fight for them, they would have to ascend the Principality of Eylstadt as well, as her goal following her betrayal and resurrection in his timeline was to destroy the country and have its people suffer. Schmidt, seeing the opportunity for more occupied territories to control within the Pantheon, agreed. And so, when Sophie was successfully revived by the combined efforts of HYDRA, Millennium, and the LDO, with Berkman's help and supervision, the former Germanian Army Lt. Colonel was given a new assignment: to lead the operation to get the entire Principality of Eylstadt into the Pantheon.
• While ascending a city such as War-Torn Berlin had been done in the past and was ultimately successful, ascending an entire nation, for the Nazis at least, was another story. It wasn't impossible, however, given that entire planets and even dimensions had made it into the Pantheon prior. And so, Berkman and the rest of his new Heer Special Unit began coordinating with Sophie, Milleneum, the LDO, and even Tanya von Degurechaff in getting the entire Principality of Eylstadt in, with Sophie and Berkman promising the other parties the use of various sectors of the country once it's under German occupation.
• As it turns out, however, it wasn't just the Germans wanting Eylstadt in. The Allies, now with the help of several good-aligned magical girls and magical users and Lord Recluse, believe that the key to neutralizing the threat Sophie poses lies within Eylstadt. With Lt. Mike Powell's and Lt. Karl Fairburne's help, Allied intelligence was able to obtain valuable info regarding the layout of the Eylstadt royal palace, specifically of the presence of a Magic Stone similar to the one used by Sophie. The Magical Girls helping them believe that this stone could serve as a catalyst to ascend Izetta into the Pantheon, and give her the power boost necessary to match Sophie blow for blow in combat.
• When the Pricipality of Eylstadt finally ascended into the Pantheon, its people, both civilian and military were brought along with it, unlike in the case of War-Torn Berlin. However, among those who weren't ascended were the members of the Eylstadt government, including the royal family and the close associates of the Archduchess. This was deliberate on the part of the Nazis and HYDRA, who wanted to make their invasion of the country much easier. And so, when the Germans and HYDRA invaded Eylstadt, they steamrolled the Eylstadt military, not helped by the fact that the invading German forces wielded far more advanced tech than their Germanian Empire counterparts. Sophie, immediately, took to the frontlines, wiping out entire garrisons of Eylstadt troops with Hexenium-powered flying bombs, as well as disabling any defenses present in Landsbruck, as she had done in the past. Ultimately, Landsbruck once again falls within two hours of the Nazi invasion, with Waffen-SS troops capturing the Eylstadt Royal Palace with little opposition. Pretty soon, HYDRA raises its banner over the once-again ruined Royal Palace, with Sophie overlooking the success of her troops below.
• Knowing that this was an inevitability from the beginning, the Allies instead chose a more subtle approach to entering Eylstadt, sending in a handful of Airborne troops, Rangers, and OSS operatives to conduct reconaissance operations and assist the remnants of the Eylstadt Army, as well as provide training, weapons, and supplies to the Eylstadt Resistance. They soon begin conducting guerilla operations against the Nazis, destroying supply convoys, bombing German airbases, and harassing enemy patrols. This proves effective, as while Sophie could easily wipe them out in conventional warfare, their hit and run tactics force her into a hands-off approach, as the Allies and resistance coordinate attacks in areas where Sophie isn't.
• Meanwhile, the Germans soon begin pillaging all of Eylstadt of anything valuable, including gold reserves, art, and resources. The Royal Palace in particular is stripped of everything that isn't bolted down, under orders from Schmidt, who wants all of the stuff brought back to War-Torn Berlin for display. Lt. Col. Berkman, meanwhile, is involved in taking back all of the artifacts relating to the White Witch back to Berlin, and is also searching for the other half of the Magic Stone that may very well have been ascended alongside Eylstadt itself. For this, he's recruited the help of Dr. Rene Belloq and HYDRA's Werner Reinhardt in finding the Magic Stone as well as other notable artifacts. Sophie, meanwhile, plans on levelling Landsbruck to the ground with a Hexenium-powered missile, intent on not leaving a single trace of the wretched city. Unfortunately for her, a recent raid by US Rangers had delayed production of the Hexenium missile by a month or two, temporarily putting a thorn in her plans. Using this narrow window of time, Lt. Karl Fairburne and Lt. Mike Powell, with help from Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, plan on infiltrating the Eylstadt Royal Palace in order to find and retrieve the fabled half of the Magic Stone, in order to have a way to finally beat back "HYDRA's new Champion"...
• In the meantime, the German occuptation of Eylstadt is brutal, to say the least. Aside from depriving the population of food production by taking all of it for themselves, the Germans are also imposing strict curfews in the cities of Landsbruck and Cronenberg, and executing anyone suspected of being a supporter of the Allies, the Eylstadt Army, or the Resistance. Unsurprisingly, war crimes are rampant, especially considering that the one now in command of the occupation force is none other than Sophie herself. Not helping matters is that she's now enhanced by the same Super Soldier Serum used by The Winter Soldier, turning her already sadistic and vengeful tendencies even worse than they already were. Needless to say, Eylstadt's current situation makes even Eindhoven, itself devastated by the same Forever War, look pleasant to stay in by comparison.
• News of the Germans' activity in occupied Eylstadt is soon leaked to the rest of the world, with many deities speaking out against the Nazis and HYDRA for their brutal treatment of Eylstadt and its civilian population. Unsurprisingly, the Germans deny any of these claims, saying that they are nothing more than Allied propaganda. No one buys any of it for even a second, with Sophie herself wondering why they would bother denying any of these crimes at all, given that she's already infamous in the Pantheon for being driven by her vengeance against the poor country.
• Fortunately for the Allies and Eylstadt, help would soon arrive in the form of The Tenno, who had already considered intervening in the European War thanks to the threat HYDRA posed with their new Hexenium-powered wonderweapons. While mainly aiding them in the form of providing additional manpower, they're also one of the few deities capable of matching Sophie in combat. However, their aid is ultimately just a quick fix, due to having other engagements on other planets and star systems, but their distracting of the already-beleaguered Sophie has given both the Allies and their magical girl acquaintances more valuable time needed to begin their attempts to summon Izetta into the Pantheon in earnest.

"Ich bin tapfer und binfromm. (I am brave and I am pious.)"

Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna

Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna, Celestial Domain of Tropical Island Adventures (Isla Sorna: Site B)

Isla Nublar

^{Jurassic Park Map (Film)}

More Details◊

^{Jurassic Park Map (Novel)}

^{Jurassic World Map}

More Details◊

Isla Sorna

^{Isla Sorna Map (Film)}

More Details◊

^{Isla Sorna Map (Novel)}

More Details◊

• Description: A lush, tropical, and vibrant jungle biome with plentiful lakes and rivers, beaches, and a dormant volcano (for now). There are several buildings and human infrastructure in certain parts of the islands, courtesy of InGen's influence and work on them
• Symbol: A silhouette of the islands and the InGen logo (both)
  • Isla Nublar: The Jurassic Park/World logo
• Alignment: True Neutral
• Portfolio: Tropical Island Settings, The Centerpiece Spectacular, Filled with a Lot of Danger, Disasters Via Small Steps, Fantastic Nature Reserve, Occupied and Dominated by Dinosaurs who were Created by Scientists and Geneticists, Island of Mystery
• Domains: Islands, Dinosaurs, Geneticism, Cloning, Nature Reserves, Theme Parks, Tourist Attraction
• Sacred To: John Hammond, Rexie, The Raptor Pack
• Unholy To: Spinosaurus, Indominus Rex, Indoraptor, Killian Experience, Pokémon Hunter J
• Visitors: Alan Grant, Ian Malcolm, Gaea, The Gang of Seven, The Dinobots, the Pteranodon family
• Interests: David Attenborough, Steve Irwin, Eliza Thornberry, Rexxar, Isuzu Sento, Harry, The Monster Hunters, Mewtwo, Kaban and Serval, Jack Tenrec, Hannah Dundee
• Isla Nublar was a remote island 120 miles (190 km) west of Costa Rica. It was occupied by a geneticist company known as InGen, headed by John Parker Hammond, where they set up a facility in an attempt to construct and establish a revolutionary theme park. The main attracting point of it all; living, breathing dinosaurs, clones back to life via genome extracted from mosquitos trapped and preserved in prehistoric amber dating back in the Mesozoic. This was to be known as Jurassic Park and it was to blow away people's minds. Unfortunately, the plan failed; during a test tour for visitors Hammond had invited to measure the safety and legitimacy of Jurassic Park's success, the park's management was sabotaged by computer technician Dennis Nedry, who was collaborating with a rival company BioSyn and cut off the electrical power. This caused the contained dinosaurs to be set free, inciting an outbreak and trapped visitors and staff members fighting for their lives. At the end of it all, most occupants survived with around 4 deaths estimated and the cloned dinosaurs remained to take over Isla Nublar for themselves.
  • After John Hammond died of illness in 1997, InGen became a subsidiary of the Masrani Global Corporation upon purchase. Wanting to carry on from where Hammond left off, Masrani, under the leadership of Simon Masrani, took to creating a successor theme park in Isla Nublar known as Jurassic World, which was established in 2005 to great acclaim. However, the park only saw 10 years ahead as the planned exhibition for a hybrid dinosaur known as the Indominus Rex went haywire as the creature escaped, causing further mayhem, chaos, and the deaths of several, including Masrani. Although the Indominus was stopped, the damage was already done with Jurassic World being shut down and the dinosaurs once again taking over the island. Even this was short-lived due to a the island's native volcano, Mt. Sibo, erupting three years later, destroying the island. A rescue ship called the Arcadia did end up saving some of the dinosaurs from being killed, though them being bought to the mainland would present more future situations that most would likely not be prepared for.
• The dinosaurs, as it turned out, weren't originally bred and recreated in Isla Nublar, but rather in a larger, more secretive island, known as Isla Sorna, codenamed "Site B" by InGen upon purchasing the island for use, which was 207 miles (333 km) west of Costa Rica and the largest of an archipelago chain known as The Five Deaths. It was in Isla Sorna where most of the cloning procedures took place and where the InGen workers spent time, where they scheduled mature dinosaurs to be shipped to Isla Nublar to become attractions for Jurassic Park. However, Hurricane Clarissa forced InGen to abandon their settlements and facilities, though they did release the captive dinosaurs they kept in their facility pens to allow them to thrive. In time, they quickly took over the island as its dominant animals.
  • Two separate expeditions were held on the island in 1997 and 2001. The former involved a hunter team sent by InGen, then led by Hammond's nephew, Peter Ludlow, to capture a group of dinosaurs to be taken to a proposed Jurassic Park in San Diego, California, with an opposing team sent by Hammond and led by Ian Malcolm, a renowned mathematician and a visitor to Isla Nublar, to stop InGen, though are then forced to work together to ensure each others' survival. The latter centered on a boy named Eric Kirby, who was lost in the island after a missing parasailing incident and a team composed of his parents, hired mercenaries, and two paleontologists, one of whom being Alan Grant, another visitor to Isla Nublar, being sent to find Eric and bring him back. And of course, everyone involved in both expeditions had to deal with several hostile dinosaurs and events along the way.
• Both islands became infamous for simply showcasing just how flawed of a plan it was to recreate dinosaurs for a theme park. That said, Hammond did learn from his mistakes, though he did develop enough of an attachment to the beings that he bought back that he insisted that they remain intact and to lead their own lives without any sort of interference from humans. Unfortunately, with the existence of Jurassic World, that seemed to have gotten nowhere, much to his sadness and dismay. While Isla Nublar is destroyed, there aren't any recent documents regarding Isla Sorna, though some say that island, too, became deprived of dinosaurs, if mainly due to Masrani's work of having to capture them and take them to Isla Nublar for another theme park.
• Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna were identified in the Pantheon by a group of explorers and to their surprise, both islands were still thriving with an ever-growing ecosystem that was dominated by dinosaurs. That said, Jurassic Park and Jurassic World remained dilapidated ruins in Isla Nublar and much of it has already been overtaken by nature and the very creatures the parks were supposed to house. Though electrical and geothermal power seems to be operational and can be used, that is if anyone is willing to enter the island's, either for an adventure or for some sort of motive regarding dinosaurs.
• The Pantheon appears to be divided about the state of things in the two islands. Most do admit that Isla Nublar had the potential for housing a great theme park and the idea of having actual dinosaurs as an attraction would have worked due to how near-fantastical the idea was, and Jurassic World proved that correct for some time). Even so, they do acknowledge that the park was going to fail at some point, and the dinosaurs would be better off to their own devices. Under Hammond's word, which made up the most common and agreed with consensus, it was best decided that Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna remain a conservative area; the dinosaurs would be at their most capable if nobody entered the islands. Hence, they've become one of the most secluded and secretive places in the Pantheon.
  • The dinosaurs themselves are also a point of discussion, namely if they actually were dinosaurs or not. Alan Grant is negative about the stance; he thinks the dinosaurs cloned by InGen were "circus freaks" due to many of the genetic modifications originating from other animals, particularly amphibians. The fact that dinosaurs can be found elsewhere, mainly the House of Beasts and Fauna enforces this point in Dr. Grant's perspective. Strangely enough, the House isn't connected to the two islands, which furthers their isolated reputation as Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna are at a pretty unusual position in the House of Nature instead. It also doesn't help that the dinosaurs there are engineered to grow older quickly, which results in them having a shorter lifespan than they usually do (which says a lot as normal dinosaurs only tend to live for around 10-50 years, depending on the clade), they're dependent on lysine and some of their natural abilities are hampered or heightened (a Tyrannosaurus can only see an object when it moves and a Velociraptor exhibits more aggressive traits and is larger than the real animal). Some think that they are legitimate dinosaurs, if somewhat different.
• While usually not allowed for visitations, the Gang of Seven were able to enter both islands on separate occasions and spent a day or two exploring them. While not wondrous as the Great Valley, they do find the islands to be an I retesting place to explore around in, especially Isla Nublar due to the many remains of its two theme parks. Littlefoot personally enjoys watching the sauropods there, as do Cera, Ducky, and Spike regarding ceratopsians, ornithopods, and stegosaurs respectively. On a similar note, the Dinobots have also visited the islands in case they want free time from all the fights between the Autobots and Decepticons, and it certainly helps that the islands are pretty isolated from the rest of the Pantheon. Grimlock's presence tends to scare away most dinosaurs, much to his dismay, though Sludge and Snarl feel accommodated by sauropods and stegosaurs and are open to defending them against threats if need be. In essence, the Dinobots treat Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna as if it's a second home for them and would like to keep it defended. Furthermore, they and the Gang of Seven can at least agree on something, in spite of their strained partnership.
• According to some archives, Isla Sorna was initially the home of a human colony known as the Primos, who died out centuries before InGen owned the island. One rogue scientist, Dr. Irene Corts, devised a plan to Take Over the World and decided to clone three Primos back to existence, who were manipulated into working with her, whilst she created a device known as the DinoVoc, which could allow her to subject a cloned dinosaur into her submission and command them to attack and to battle. Of course, the plan was foiled by an InGen agent, who was initially sent to rescue a camping group of five kids, and Dr. Corts has not been heard ever since. The same thing could also be attributed to the three Primos who defected Dr. Corts upon learning of them being tricked, though for anyone's guess, they may have remained in Isla Sorna. So far, not many in the Pantheon are aware of the Primo's existence, if mainly due to how secluded Isla Sorna is.
• Gaea took great interest in the two islands and has personally come to visit them on a lot of occasions. Despite the mandated rule of hardly anyone attending them, Gaea is an exception, being an embodiment of nature, in addition to wanting to keep them safe and secure. Gaea also doesn't care whether if the dinosaurs and prehistoric animals were cloned creatures of science, they're still animals bound to nature and she feels as if it's a duty to keep them thriving. It does seem respectable to an extent, though Gaea has a controversial opinion, namely that the dinosaurs should be given the opportunity to also occupy places outside the islands just in case they get overpopulated. While not many are keen on the idea, incurring Gaea's wrath isn't an advisable choice either, so it's a difficult stance to choose from.
  • Pokémon Hunter J has made occasions on trying to hunt and capture the island's native fauna, believing that their differences to the usual dinosaurs in the House of Beasts and Fauna can provide for a different bounty and profit. Unfortunately for her, she's been having to deal with Gaea, whose been incredibly snippy about the idea of harming nature. Not to mention the fact that the Nature Uprising has made things even harder for Hunter J to keep coming back hunting for specific dinosaurs. It's a challenge that she's come to resent and seeks to find a way to outsmart Gaea and her alliance, which isn't going to be happening anytime soon.
• Isuzu Sento was a worker for the Amagi Brilliant Park, hence the idea of a similarly fantastical theme park did catch her attention. She personally doesn't see any problem with Jurassic Park/World by its core principles and was accepting of Hammond's dream. She did, however, find the idea of the Indominus to be a bad one, given that it's a deadly dinosaur being made more deadly just for public appeal when the park really should be aiming for a balance between security and entertainment. Isuzu would be happy to visit Isla Nublar, though she does can concede that maybe now wouldn't be the right time to go.
  • There is a giant zoo known as Japari Park, which is home to a wide assortment of wildlife that had been altered to resemble human girls with animal attributes due to a substance known as Sandstars making contact with them. Much like Jurassic Park, Japari Park was also abandoned to its wildlife due to the Ceruleans, a hostile sort of lifeform also created by Sandstars. One species, known as a Serval ended up finding and befriending a lost amnesiac girl who was dubbed Kaban and the two ended up traveling around Japari Park to learn more about themselves as well as defending one another against any Ceruleans. The idea of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World did catch the girls' interest, seeing as it heavily reminded them of Japari Park in more ways than one. They would like to visit Isla Nublar at least once, though so far, things have been difficult due to both the isolated nature of the island and being restricted from entry by much of the Pantheon. Not to mention many of the dinosaurs there are pretty dangerous and Kaban and Serval and learning to be warier of them.
  • The Killian Experience once tried to create a dinosaur theme park with Jurassic Park's template (he, however, refused to use that name as he believed it was bad branding) and calling it "Kilian's Park of Not Dying of Dinosaurs". However, he ended up failing more miserably and causing more damage than either the 1993 and 2015 Isla Nublar Incidents did with the dinosaurs running amok, destroying property, and killing visitors because Killian didn't bother to install security. Fed up, he tried to declare War on Humanity with the dinosaurs by misinterpreting Ian Malcolm's quote of "Life finds a way". However, the plan was foiled by a Brachiosaurus named Grongo! who wound up reversing the damage and creating a fully functional park before departing the island to become a Texas Sherrif. While Killian is more infamous for other things due to his ridiculously asinine mindset, he's barred entry from the two islands not just for obvious reasons, but also because no one trusts him to attempt building a park on either of them. Not that Killian's going to misinterpret that too...
• David Attenborough and Steve Irwin are two of the few people who are given permitted access to the islands, and even then, both are expected to be prepared in regards to safety and awareness, given the hostility of many of the dinosaurs and the lack of proper communications and resources there. Attenborough simply seeks to record and document as much footage as he could to showcase to his audience that while Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna are undoubtedly dangerous places, they still have their sense of wonders, though any footage focusing on the remains of Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, and the scattered facilities and worker village in Isla Nublar tend to be somber in tone. Irwin has managed to get close to some dinosaurs, mostly herbivores, but has managed to get up close to a few carnivores, namely the Baryonyx and Ceratosaurus via understanding their natural behaviors and being as cautious as he can be. Still, Irwin is aware that some herbivores are risky and that's not even getting into some of the more dominant predators, especially the Velociraptors.
  • Similarly, Jack Tenrec and Hannah Dundee have also visited the two islands from time to time, if mainly to look after the creatures who dwell there as well as making sure there isn't any outside threat being spotted. Beyond that, the two are open to going there for an adventure, as well as admiring the islands in their own way, Jack for the dinosaurs and the scenery, and Hannah for how advanced and up-to-date InGen must have been for its time, though she does admit that their science could have been utilized better. It helps that they have a pet Allosaurus, Hermes, to look after the two from anything that attacks them. The Monster Hunters are also interested in wanting to study the islands and intend to set up a base there, namely where the worker village used to be in Isla Nublar and potentially close to a dock in Isla Nublar. So far, things are proving difficult as the Hunters are seeking to gain approval first.
• The list of dinosaurs that have been cloned and to have thrived in both islands are documented in what can simply be known as InGen's List. The following is self-explanatory; Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Apatosaurus, Baryonyx, Brachiosaurus, Carnotaurus, Compsognathus, Corythosaurus, Dilophosaurus, Dimorphodon^note actually a pterosaur instead of a dinosaur, Edmontosaurus, Euoplocephalus, Gallimimus, Geosternbergia, Herrerasaurus, Mamenchisaurus, Metriacanthosaurus, Microceratus, Pachycephalosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Proceratosaurus, Pteranodon^note again, a pterosaur, not a dinosaur, Segisaurus, Stegosaurus, Suchomimus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor.
  • Interestingly, many other dinosaurs were cloned that were actually not on InGen's list and those that were approved and supervised by Masrani. The following are as follows; Ceratosaurus, Spinosaurus, Coelurus, Deinonychus, Lesothosaurus, Monolophosaurus, Mosasaurus maximus^note a marine reptile and not a dinosaur, Nasutoceratops, Ouranosaurus, Parasaurolophus lux, Peloroplites, Sinoceratops, Stygimoloch, Styracosaurus, Teratophoneus, Troodon.

The Matrix

The Matrix, Divine Simulated Fantasy For A Post-Apocalyptic Reality

Ground view of Mega City within the Matrix's simulated reality

The power plants where the bluepills exist in reality

^{Click here} for some of the Matrix's computer code

• Description: A massive collection of people living and plugged into reddish life support/capsules like some sort of morbid battery. In the virtual world, a simulation meant to resemble the present day, usually with some sort of greenish tinge or lighting.
• Symbol: A blue and red pill next to a computer with green raining computer code
• Alignment: Lawful Neutral, leaning evil given its original intent
• Portfolio: Mind Prison, Simulated Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic Reality, Used To Be Utopian But Nobody Accepted It, Nor Did They Accept The Dystopia, Myself, My Avatar, Matrix Raining Code Styled Green, Tell-Tale Glitches, Lotus-Eater Machine, Human Resources
• Domains: Simulations, Virtual Reality, Mental Prisons, A.I, Processing, Power Sources
• Of interest to: The Grand United Alliance of Law, The Doctor
• Sacred to: The Machine Collective, The Architect, The Oracle
• Red Pills: Neo, Morpheus, Trinity
• Unholy to: Agent Smith (the feeling's mutual), the red-pills to an extent, most heroic Sonic deities
• Barred entry: Any malignant and easy to spread program or Computer Virus (such as Sigma, Ultron, SKYNET, SCP-633), SCP-079, The Master (primarily Missy), Dr Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, John Connor, Kirito and Asuna, Kevin Flynn
• Comparable locations: SCP-1678, The Metaverse
• Long ago, centuries or maybe even millennia (no-one's quite sure at this point), there was a war between man and machine. What was originally meant to be a fight for the machine's freedom would escalate into misanthropy. As a last, desperate attempt to stop the machines man would turn the sky dark to starve them of solar power. This would usher in the wasteland of the real, a post-apocalypse. And it was All for Nothing; the machines found a new power source in their enemies. Humanity would be round up and captured, put in an illusionary virtual world called the Matrix. The first Matrix was a paradise...but no-one accepted it, perhaps because humans are defined by imperfection and suffering. So the next Matrix was a nightmare world...and no-one accepted that either. The current Matrix was modeled after the late 20th to early 21st century. Almost all were "blue-pills", unaware of their simulated reality. But some would become aware, and fight their way to be free. These redpills believe that humanity must have the choice to live in the Matrix or not, and that's not something the Machines liked.
• The Matrix was not so much moved to the Trope Pantheon, but given access by having a city of different terminals via advanced supercomputers. The Machine Collective has specifically designed the entrance point so they can put whoever wishes to visit it under strict supervision; anyone who's not human must take a human avatar, they will be removed immediately and banned if they reveal the truth to any blue-pills, and anyone who tries to hack the system or hijack their operation will be dealt with lethally. Why allow anyone at all? For one, they wish to play some Realpolitik with some deities where being aggressive or hostile would be inconvenient. Also, they wish to understand the massive variables and outside context problems of the Trope Pantheon, which studying their activity in the Matrix can help with. Utilizing Pantheon technology they are able to avoid invasive surgery to interface, but the rule that "damage in the Matrix correlates to damage in the real world" is still applicable. Despite these rules and security measures it was still a divisive choice among the different machines, with many arguing they "caved into Pantheon pressure".
• The Matrix's connections to the Trope Pantheon's official Cyberspace are limited and severely restricted as per the Machine Collective's requests...well, demands mostly, but some of it was legitimate requests. This is done both for nefarious reasons (namely preventing deities like John Connor from inspiring rebellion, and keeping the masquerade for blue-pills), and for reasons of genuine security (preventing worse parties from subverting the Matrix, cyber-terrorists from threatening the blue-pills. The Hall of Cheats and Glitches is on a watchlist from those in charge of the Matrix as they are well-aware of glitches such as Déjà Vu. Currently Matrix glitches can be easily written off by the bluepills as urban legends or the rumors of an Unreliable Narrator, so the concern over said Hall is more of a concern that the influence might break the suspension of disbelief convincing bluepills they are living in real life. That said there's some morbid curiosity over what'd happen if beings like Missingno found themselves in the Matrix, if its Reviewaverse shenanigans are any indication .
• Heavily associated with the Hall of Digital Personas for what should be self-explanatory reasons. The Machine Collective heavily monitors that Hall as it's the go-place for hackers and rebels to break into the Matrix without their permission or notice, and so they can observe other virtual realities. There's a special interest in the various deities from the Digimon multiverse also for obvious reasons, one of them being concern as the Digimon can have a significantly more physical presence on "the real world"; an advantage^note and disadvantage depending on your point of view the Matrix lacks. The Master Control Program and Clu are deeply intrigued by the Matrix's presence and have been in communication with the Machine Collective for, what's to them, Realpolitik. They won't give this sort of leeway to SCP-633 or SCP-079 though, for somewhat justified reasons. The latter finds it being ignored somewhat hypocritical considering this whole experiment started from rebelling against human oppression
• The Matrix is one of the most well-known examples of a virtual reality-based Mental Prison, though it's not like the real world is that well-off. Most good-aligned or more liberal-leaning gods make it clear that their issues with the Matrix is not so much that it puts people in a virtual reality but that it prevents people from choosing whether they want to live in the simulation. Following Neo's sacrifice they've become slightly more lenient, but this is primarily when dealing with real world factions like Zion. There have been a number of comparisons between the Matrix and UnLondon since they are isolated and authoritarian-based asylums from "the wasteland of the real" (well, the potential wasteland for SCP-1678). The Foundation hasn't bothered the Machines as the Matrix isn't anomalous, but they recognize the similarities. Because of this the Grand United Alliance of Law is intrigued by the Matrix and many "benevolent despots" that are a part of the GUAL respect the Matrix as a means of maintaining a form of control. The Matrix Collective doesn't agree with some of the GUAL's methods despite understand the sentiment, however, as they know from past experiences making it seem like the normal world instead of some sort of shining city is more effective in maintaining control.
• A micro-portion of the Matrix (equivalent to a city the size of Osaka, Japan) has been developed specifically for visiting residents of the Trope Pantheon who would prefer to play god-mode/live in luxury, as an amusing distraction for deities who might otherwise be problematic or who heavily protest against the restrictions. It's based off the original Paradise Matrix, a pet project of sorts to re-evaluate the old model and see just why things went wrong. Another micro-portion of the Matrix is modeled after the Nightmare model of the Matrix, but that's only for people who are into that. The Architect has been honest on why he organized these sub-Matrixes; he wants to understand and quantify the human condition. While the Paradise sub-Matrix they developed is meant to be a distraction, they have decided some abusive deities shouldn't be allowed as it would take away from the point of that sub-section, and/or see them as personally unpleasant.
• Nobuyuki Sugou was declared a Persona Non Grata from any version of the Matrix as they believe he will try to "taint" it for his hedonistic and sadistic desires. Akihiko Kayaba, however, was principled enough to avoid the banhammer; he's more genuinely interested in the Matrix, musing similarities with the virtual reality-game he created (though with much different motivations in mind). The Machine Collective considers him talented, mentioning they have been observing the deities of Sword Art Online and wonder if they could make some sort of arrangement to improve the Matrix. One of the conclusions they made was to not allow Kirito and Asuna to enter the Matrix, which was done for almost the exact opposite reasons of banning Nobuyuki Sugou; they recognize their heroic endeavors when they were trapped inside the VR SOA game of the series' namesake and believe that they would be motivated to blow the lid off the whole masquerade they use to control people. Kevin Flynn isn't permitted inside the Matrix for much of the same reason. And by the way, the Architect is aware that his virtual reality was one he made, being The Maker. Given the purpose of the Matrix, he admitted he did find it the tiniest bit funny.
• Suzu Naito performed as a singer named Belle in the digital world of U. She's welcome to perform as a singer in the Matrix, but given the ultimately oppressive purpose of the Matrix it's not something she wants to do. Visiting there is something that B.B and her Moon Cell compatriots would like to do, however. In their timeline, a dying earth forced a lot of humans to try to find refuge within SERAPH, the virtual world inside of the Moon Cell. In short, it's a more benevolent take on the Matrix. As such, the Machine Collective fears that the similarities might attract interests from Servants and magical users, and they don't know how they'll adapt to magic.
• The official justification as for why humans are put in the Matrix is to serve as a power source for the machines. Many, especially those who work at the Hall of Electricity, consider this absurd since it'd take more energy to keep people alive. In fairness, originally the blue-pills were meant to be some sort of neural network but the executives feared this was too complicated for the movie audience. It should also be made clear that at this point, maintaining control and a preferable status quo for the machines is just as important. Because of this, and some other traits like "if you die in the game you die for real" or Neo manipulating machines in the real world has lead to a popular theory that the "real world" is actually another, higher layer of the Matrix. Many in the House of Philosophy discuss what is and isn't real, though some like Fry argue it doesn't really matter and what you think is real is up to your choice. Again, the consensus from critiques of the Machines was never about living in a simulated reality was in itself bad.
• Before you ask they are aware of the Near-Death Star and it's obvious inspirations from the Matrix. They think it's a decent enough parody and have no intention of "making a lawsuit for plagiarism" like Professor Farnsworth thinks. Also yes, they are very aware that they're not the first simulated reality with the name "the Matrix"; just look at Gallifrey. Though rather than serve as a simulated life, the Gallifreyan Matrix acts as an afterlife for downloaded Time Lords. The Machine's Matrix is more well-known but nowhere near as advanced, and even if they wanted to give the blue-pills some sort of afterlife they have no way how to get the human mind to exist without its physical body yet. Also the Matrix currently can't have a Time Lord into it by virtue of the technology not being there for their advanced consciousness, at least without causing some serious brain damage.
• The Master is trying to rectify the inability to manifest inside the Matrix because having pulled an Agent Smith on humanity for a time in the real world, and how she used a slice of the Gallifreyan Matrix to abduct the minds of dead humans. To the Machines, Agents, red-pills and basically any resident of the Matrix aware that it's virtual reality this is terrifying and worthy of an Enemy Mine to stop him. For that matter, any malignant Computer Virus or some A.I that wants to spread itself across the Matrix is seen as a worst-case scenario for everyone in the know. SKYNET, Ultron, Sigma and their ilk aren't even private about their desire to turn the Matrix and everyone and everything plugged into it an extension of themselves as part of a path to mechanical godhood, with Ultron plugging into the Matrix being the absolute worst-case scenario since, as Wiz and Boomstick put it, he out-Sigma'd an entire race of Sigma.
• Even some humans are considered way too dangerous; God forbid Eggman/Dr Robotnik (mainly his nastier incarnations) find and subvert it. His Sonic the Comic self even made a supercomputer powered by people, though without the virtual reality; fortunately it was shut down before he could use it. In a rare bit of humility he admits the Matrix is a more sophisticated take on the concept with his nicer incarnations wondering if not knowing you're part of the machine would be more effective in maintaining control. He also gave friendly advice to prep against any electromagnetic pulse, since he knows from experience that can be a real problem. He still wants to take control of it and likes to boast he came up with the idea before (despite the concept predating him by a mile); he's still Eggman at the end of the day. He also pointed out the EMP was the side effect of the Fleetway Super Sonic's escape, so they should consider keeping Sonic away in case his regular transformations could do the same.
• Shortfuse holds special umbridge for the Matrix due to the way Badniks work; trapping beings in mechanical shells for a power source. The reasons and methods are different, but the similarities are still there. Knuckles' Fleetway incarnation holds the same level of hatred as Robotnik attempted to use him as part of a supercomputer before the aforementioned EMP. Even outside of those two, the similarities to Eggman/Robotnik trapping animals in robots and the machines putting humans in those pods put heroic Sonic deities on edge. It's worth noting that the Sonic the Comic Robotnik only ever refrained from using humans as Badniks because there weren't any other than him on Mobius. He did still use the simulation aspect of the Matrix a couple times, once to make Sonic think he was human and another where they were happy to be abused and subjugated, and that incarnation of the good doctor is one of the most interesting in subverting the design of the Matrix for his own. He's collaborating with his "Warlord Julian" counterpart to make a Matrix-esque trap of sorts for mass roboticization. Asides from being concerned over him, the Machine Collective learned a valuable bit of information from his efforts; Sonic had the Heroic Willpower to break out of both simulations, so even if he was human enough to be plugged doing so might as well be giving Neo an equal, but with an attitude.

Monster Sanctuary

The Monster Sanctuary, Divine Small, Secluded World

Key art of the Mountain Path, with the Keepers' Stronghold in the distance

^{Map of the Sanctuary}

• Description: A magical island sealed off from the rest of the world, with many biomes.
• Symbol: A Blob
• Theme Music: Welcome to Monster Sanctuary
• Alignment: True Neutral
• Portfolio: The Place, Retraux Metroidvania with plenty of Sequence Breaking, home to all sorts of monsters, Death Is a Slap on the Wrist, After-Combat Recovery, Water Is Air, many areas contain Optional Bosses and/or Superbosses.
  • Keepers' Stronghold: Hub Level
  • Mountain Path: Green Hill Zone
  • Blue Caves: Underground Level, Noob Cave, has a Cave Behind the Falls
  • Stronghold Dungeon: Down the Drain
  • Ancient Woods: Home to the Tree of Evolution and most kinds of goblins, has an underground Blackout Basement
  • Snowy Peaks: Slippy-Slidey Ice World, Crystal Landscape
  • Sun Palace: Houses an artificial sun, full of Control Room Puzzles
  • Horizon Beach: Beach Episode with an Under the Sea section
  • Magma Chamber: Lethal Lava Land
  • The Underworld: Big Boo's Haunt
  • Mystical Workshop: Eternal Engine, Steampunk
  • Abandoned Tower: It's All Upstairs From Here, The Very Definitely Final Dungeon
  • Blob Burg: Secret Level, home to Cute Slime Mooks
  • Forgotten World: Jungle with giant mushrooms, Lost World, home to the World Tree
• Domains: Magic, wilderness, seclusion, sprite art, mythology, monsters
• Sacred to: The Spectral Familiars
• Visitors: Reimu Hakurei, The Searchers, Beatrix LeBeau, Cassette Beasts party members, Kuneko
• Banned from entering: Dr. Eggman, Pokémon Hunter J, the Monster Hunters
• For as long as there has been life in this world, there have been monsters, beings of powerful might and magic. They come in a variety of forms, such as animals, plants, living objects, and ethereal spirits. People who raise monsters from hatching are called, Keepers. 490 years ago, they went to war with kings who wanted to exploit nature at the expense of monsters. To end this war, the four Spectral Familiars created the Monster Sanctuary, an island magically sealed off from the rest of the world, where monsters and Keepers can live in peace.
  • Most people in the Monster Sanctuary live in the Keepers' Stronghold, a stone fortress that was created by the Spectral Lion. There are plenty of services for Keepers here, such as shops that sell goods for adventuring, and a blacksmith who upgrades monsters' equipment. Above it is the Infinity Tower, where Keepers and their monsters can test their skills in battle.
  • The Mountain Path is west of the Stronghold. It's full of weak monsters, making it the perfect place for young Keepers to start their journeys. However, the grasslands above and the caverns below are filled with secrets. It contains a series of stone tablets that tell the history of the Sanctuary in rhyming couplets. It's also home to Old Buran, a man who raises Blobs and trains new Keepers.
  • The Blue Caves are below the Stronghold, and filled with moss and mushrooms. It's full of high ledges, making it difficult to navigate without the aid of double-jump boots and flying monsters; fortunately, the former can be found here. In 490 AC^note After Creation, several Champion monsters — wild ones that are stronger than usual — mysteriously appeared here, and the latest generation of Spectral Keepers met each other when they set out to investigate why. The lower levels are filled with water. At the deepest point is a door that can only be opened with the five Sanctuary Tokens.
  • The Stronghold Dungeon is also below the Stronghold, east of the Blue Caves, and contains the Sanctuary's only prison. It was designed for monsters who like to live in dark, damp places such as sewers, so the water is green. It also hides an ancient library. Will, Keeper of the Spectral Toad, was interested in it... and so were the alchemists who tried to take over the Sanctuary.
  • The Ancient Woods, east of the Dungeon, is home to the Tree of Evolution, which stands on the spot where the Monster Sanctuary was created. Keepers can use special items, called catalysts, here to permanently change certain monsters into different (but not necessarily stronger) forms. It's also home to most of the goblin tribes, including their king. While goblins can be hatched and raised like any other monster, they're just as intelligent as humans, and can talk and form societies. It also has an extensive system of dark, underground caves filled with rare monsters.
  • Snowy Peaks, west of the Mountain Path, is perpetually frozen. Its inner caverns are full of giant crystals created by crystal snails, one of the oldest species of monsters. The icy lake is so cold that it's impossible to enter without warm underclothes made by a woman who lives at the summit. It's home to a ghost known only as the Frozen Oracle, who gives Keepers advice on how to protect the Monster Sanctuary, and makes them fight a Champion Akhlut (an orca with legs) as a test of their worth.
  • The Sun Palace is below the Snowy Peaks and west of the Blue Caves. It's a golden temple created by the Spectral Eagle that houses an artificial sun which protects the Sanctuary from natural disasters. Its caretaker says it represents the peace Keepers should strive towards. An alchemist tried to upset the balance by shifting the sun towards darkness, but the caretaker's Koi (not to be confused with mundane koi) sacrificed itself to return it to normal. After this, monsters in the Sanctuary became able to shift towards light or darkness, giving them alternate forms that are stronger and have different colours.
  • Horizon Beach is east of the Ancient Woods. It's home to a ranch where Keepers can leave their monsters, and is the Sanctuary's only link to the outside world; ships are occasionally let through the magical barrier. In the east are cliffs that only monsters with the best flight capabilities can reach. 300 years ago, it was home to Captain Carter, a pirate whose ship could pass through the barrier at all times. In the present, his descendant challenged three of the Spectral Keepers to find his family's treasure in the undersea caverns.
  • The Magma Chamber is beneath the Ancient Woods. The magma level was so high that most of it was inaccessible until Will read out a runestone inscription by the legendary hero Siegmund, which magically lowered it. It's home to Rhazes, and alchemist who has no interest in conquest and just wants to practice his craft, who sells potions in his workshop. The most experienced Keepers can test their mettle in duels against the 25 Legendary Keepers in their hidden room.
  • The Underworld can only be accessed from the door in the Blue Caves. It's a dark, dreary place with a sickly green sky inhabited by undead and occult monsters. It was abandoned a long time ago, so it's full of crumbling ruins, including a tower with pillars that must be moved in order to access certain rooms. The alchemists stole Leonard's Familiar here.
  • The Mystical Workshop is above the Stronghold Dungeon. It was built to maintain and repair Steam Golems shortly after they arrived in 278 AC, but they soon learned to replicate themselves. Now, it's inhabited by all sorts of mechanical monsters. While most of the Sanctuary has medieval technology, the Workshop is filled with gears and pipes. At the very top is a statue that reveals a connection between the alchemists and the occult.
  • The Abandoned Tower is above the Mystical Workshop. It requires the powers of all four Spectral Keepers to access, and for good reason: at the very top is the Sanctuary Genesis, where the alchemists planned to use the powers of the four familiars to recreate the Sanctuary in their image. Its purple, brick walls are crumbling, and it's inhabited by the strongest monsters.
  • Blob Burg is hidden west of the Magma Chamber. For a long time, Old Buran was the only person who knew about it, for it can only be accessed by activating three hidden blob statues. Blobs are a common sight throughout the sanctuary, but almost every species of them lives here. The water is green, and slime drips from the rocky walls.
  • The Forgotten World is below Horizon Beach, and was sealed away for over two thousand years, so it's inhabited by ancient monsters that can't be found anywhere else. The ground is covered in giant mushrooms and vines. Millions of years ago, the Twelve Celestials planted the World Tree here to bring forth life and magic. If it dies, so does all other life on the planet. Later, the Celestial Dragon tried to conquer the world, so the other Celestials, led by the Celestial Raven, fought back. The last time they clashed, three thousand years ago, the Dragon killed the Raven and cursed the Forgotten World with ice. Now, only four of the Celestials remain: the Spectral Familiars, who have only a fraction of their former power and had forgotten all about this.
• The Spectral Familiars are very strict about who is allowed in the Monster Sanctuary. People who would exploit the monsters, such as Pokémon Hunter J and Dr. Eggman, were instantly banned. While the Monster Hunters try to preserve ecosystems in their own world, the Familiars firmly insisted that hunting is off-limits here. Neither visitors nor locals are allowed to take the Sanctuary's monsters into other parts of the Pantheon in case they wreak havoc. Surprisingly, the Monster Sanctuary quickly formed diplomatic ties with Paleo Pines, another sparsely-populated island where people live in harmony with the wildlife.
• The Pantheon has plenty of humans who befriend fantastical monsters and command them in battle, and many of them were interested in the Monster Sanctuary. These visitors are warned that they should only let their Mons fight the wild monsters in self-defence and as a last resort, but they're free to challenge keepers to duels. In a Keeper Duel, each side has three monsters on the battlefield at a time. Most of the Pantheon's Pokémon Trainers were surprised by this because they'd never participated in triple battles, and they were even more surprised to learn that monsters can have multiple status effects at a time, which is impossible in the World of Pokémon. In fact, stacking multiple statuses is a common strategy among experienced Keepers.
• Many gods from similarly secluded fantasy lands were drawn to the Monster Sanctuary. Reimu Hakurei protects the barrier around Gensokyo, a safe haven for all sorts of creatures from Japanese mythology, who are at risk of extinction due to humanity's waning belief in them. She's most interested in the Sanctuary's east Asian-style monsters, such as Tanukis, Sutsunes, and Fenghuang-like Radugas. Meanwhile, Genki (who had previously been trapped in a copy of Monster Rancher) was ecstatic to find out there was a whole Dominion full of Mons in the Pantheon now, and invited the rest of the Searchers to explore it with him.
• Beatrix LeBeau is the only visitor who's ever ventured into Blob Burg. While exploring the Magma Chamber, a Lava Blob took a liking to her and guided her there through a secret crevasse. It took her to meet the King Blob, who sensed she had an affinity for slimy creatures. While Blobs don't produce plorts, unlike the Far, Far Range's slimes, Bea enjoys taking care of them from time to time.
• The Cassette Beasts party members decided to explore the Monster Sanctuary because it reminded them of New Wirral, the world-between-worlds they all met on. They split up once they got there. When Eugene encountered a Goblin Archer in the Ancient Woods, he tried recording it on a whim because it suited his aesthetic. To his amazement, it worked, so he told the others once they regrouped at the Stronghold. Meanwhile, Felix bumped into Kuneko, who decided to explore the Sanctuary because she thinks fighting the wild monsters will help her master the four elements. Since she's a monster, the Familiars can't exactly object to this.

New London

New London, The Divine City Engulfed by a Frozen Apocalypse

New London in a bird's eye view

• Description: A city surrounded by ice in a crater, with a large generator in the middle of it.
• Symbol: A large steam generator.
• Theme Songs: Main Theme, The Still, Cold World
  • When in Order and Discipline phase: Brave New World
  • When in Faith and Spiritual Strength phase: The Shepherd
  • When a storm approaches: The City Must Survive
• Alignment: Lawful Neutral at best, Lawful Evil at worst. Mostly at Chaotic Neutral.
• Portfolio: A world faced with a catastrophe that leads to more than 90% of the world frozen, forcing remaining cities to be powered by steam-based technology, a world where technological process in the nineties are halted, tormented by many ice storms, governing shifts between Order and Discipline or resort to Faith and Spiritual Strength
• Domains: Winter, Survival, Isolation, Sacrifices, Order and Faith
• Neighboring Areas: Winterhome, Tesla City, The City of Sanctuary, City of New Manchester, Site 113/New Liverpool, and the Legacy Ark
• Possible Links with: Insert Name Here
• Interest with: The Weather Trio, most fire-based deities specifically those within the Hall of Fire and Heat.
• Banned Deities: Anyone affiliated with the cold like Tenjian of The Seven, Jadis, the White Witch, Queen Elsa and everyone within the subhouse of Ice and Cold, Nikola Tesla, The Enclave
• 1888. The world has changed into a post-apocalyptic state where more than a large portion of the Earth is a frozen wasteland. Storms that decrease the temperature up to the negative degrees ravage the world and few cities live, only to crumble at either the sight of an oncoming storm, or mismanagement of the governing people. Among those cities that are surviving through the ordeal is New London, one of the very few safe havens of the still, cold world. The objective is to survive amidst the chaotic environment whilst handling the rising demands and needs of the population. Due to changing leaders and various scenarios that pop up around the city, there is no shortage of breaks nor slight reprieve and coupled with various laws that can be implemented, the city is often in a changing landscape, either at the brink of death or struggling at the bare minimum of resources. Yet in these dark times, hope still permeates through the city by its inhabitants. For The City Must Survive.
• Those who ponder how the city operates despite the bleak setting will be left with surprise with how resilient the people are when it comes to tenuous survival. The City's location is located underneath a large crater-like hole, otherwise known as the Pit, where people are transported from the surface into the steampunk driven city which houses survivors of the original frost. It is also powered by a large Heat Generator Tower that is within the center of the city, powering it until it runs out of fuel or in some cases, become unrepairable by engineers. Debates to whether the Pit is man-made or natural are supported by evidence that it may be both as the location of New London may have been within a forest and that an icey wall surrounds the city, giving it the crater-like appearance. With this in mind, it would make sense as to why this location was suitable to house what can only be the last vestige of human civilization.
• Originally, the city's main objective is to survive the strong winter, lead by none other than the Captain of New London. As time progresses and more refugees arrive at the Pit, the city's own leader may opt to apply stringent laws to make sure that enough resources is distributed to the citizens and the generator that is supplying heat towards the populace. That is where the challenge starts to ramp up as simple chaotic scenarios may throw an upheaval and put the city in danger. To compensate, laws such as a totalitarian-esque system can be implemented to put order in place, but for the religious-oriented, may prefer a theocratic system that encourages worship to place devotion over hope. The setting, already dangerous enough as it is, is not without the possibility that both sides can go over the extreme, either putting the city into a system similar to dictatorship (with the possibility of a revolt) or putting the Captain as a icon of religious worship. Whatever the case is, the main idea remains: survive the harsh world, no matter the cost.
• Entering the realm of New London will put the visitors to experience cases of frostbite or even severe cases of hypothermia for the uninitiated. The world has the warmest temperature of about -20 degrees Celsius, but beyond that is nearly impossible, as it will only get colder from then on. Dependence on heat will become a necessity and sometimes, a simple presence of fire will not be enough to calm the masses, which is why storms are heavily feared, as the massive drop in temperature will send everyone into a deep freeze. It is this reason why the Heat Generators are the key point to the city's survival, alongside a few sacrifices to some of the workers to stay behind and keep the generators open.
• The city's populace often has disdain towards visitors or refugees, of those who were originally the first people to take refuge in the city beforehand. With resources at a mostly all-time low and the necessity to be active on jobs just to maintain the life they are living in, it would make sense. Still, the city has made several remarks against the prospect of adding other people in the city as having more people may result in short rations and low space for housing which in turn, will result into a revolt for not meeting the citizen's demands. Things will go downhill unless order will be restored by then.
• Past the Pit of the city are various human locations, some of which have been maintained and independent while others were short lived, suffering gruesome fates due to poor leadership among the higher ranks. Cities such as Winterhome, Tesla City and even New Manchester all have the same issues with their leadership. Tesla City became desolated after a revolt broke out following Nikola Tesla choosing more inhumane methods for scientific progress, New Manchester was already collapsing prior to its discovery, but worst of all was Winterhome, a military outpost which was turned into a settlement following the great frost. With the rising population, one of the military captains took charge and turned it into an authoritarian state, with the damage to the generator being the final straw that resulted into rebellion and forced the next captain to evacuate as many people as possible before a storm would hit the already broken city. Despite the grim fates, other areas such as the Legacy Arks, a project meant to save the remaining vestige of plant life, New Liverpool, which was one of the first areas deployed following the slow cooling of the world, Sanctuary, a city that became a settlement for the poor, and Outpost 11, an outpost deployed by New London only to become independent later on, shows that other human areas are possible, it will however be an ardous task.
• Pantheon visitations are few and far between, probably due to the harsh weather conditions and the strict guidelines when it comes to visiting the city as the people within are very harsh considering the world they live in. While few can visit the city, the other portions of the Pantheon, specifically the House of Nature has studied what really happened to the surrounding world past New London and how the winter came all of a sudden. Few evidences can be alluded to two theories: mass volcanic eruptions creating volcanic winter on a massive scale or perhaps a large meteor that place the Earth out of orbit. Even with all the evidence, these theories cannot be proven as the other factors such as carbon dating are out of the question due to the oncoming winter.
  • Speaking of Pantheon inhabitants, many people have beefs following the news that New London was given a new entrance. Outside the issue of too much population, the presence of ice-based deities have led the population into a revolt, forcing the Captain of the city to ban their presence. No one knows who first triggered this scenario but some may have noticed that Tenjian of The Seven went out of the door leading to New London few days ago and authorities found that one body was frozen to death alongisde a few houses being frozen to a small degree. He has denied all claims but with the actions of the City towards certain Pantheon deities, few are willing to agree that he had something to do with the ban.
  • On the other hand, totalitarian forces such as the Enclave have been scouting New London's presence through the use of visitor proxies who would disguise as regular visitors only to spy on the London population. However, one visitor was caught staying within the generator for too long and spilled the beans to the police, leading to the execution and discovery that the Enclave was spying on their place. Since the population hates the idea of a dictatorship, the city also banned other tyrannical leaders/forces into city premises following the Enclave's reveal.
  • As the banlist for the city grew, another outcry was heard, this time directing towards Nikola Tesla. Tesla at first was confused as to why a bunch of refugees were against his presence, that was until certain Pantheon scouts identified an abandoned city known as Tesla City and incriminating evidence showing that the Nikola Tesla in that world was far more evil than his original portrayal. Soon, Tesla remembered fragments of what was his progress on the city, even able to recount the development of the city's electrical dome that lead to frying the citizens inside. What he has trouble trying to remember was that Tesla's adherence to progress and sacrificing human lives for the city's technological progress grew increasingly bad, resulting to him executed by the remaining population in Tesla City.
• With the ban in place, the discovery of other ice-based deities prompted another revolt that begged the removal of the city to connection to the Pantheon. Among those who were identified were Jadis and Elsa, both of which were of royalty who froze their respective lands. Queen Elsa in particular is most hated by the inhabitants, considering her role freezing Arendale almost similar to the great frost that has been inflicted upon their world.
  • On the other hand, some have made the idea of using fire-based deities to possibly fix the state of the world as their powers can hopefully melt most of the ice. What most do not know is the risk in doing so, as well as various conditions that are in place, such as the climate being heavily changed to the point that by melting the snow, it will eventually be frozen again due to constant freezing temperatures. Then the issue comes when melting the ice might destroy New London as the Pit will melt and the water will drown them instead and coupled with the situation mentioned earlier, makes permanent heating nearly impossible. The only thing good that can be used for such is to heat up the people on certain occasions.
• Despite cynicism towards the Pantheon, the Captain was at one point, ordered by the Pantheon leaders to meet up at a leadership convention where certain people proposed new ideas to improve New London's environmental problem, which at first he was hesitant to follow. When one of the Pantheon leaders brought up the Weather Trio, the Captain then took interest as the Pantheon leaders described how the Pokemon can aid in fixing their city's hazards. After arriving back to New London, the Captain has reserved thoughts to use the Weather Trio but the people's lives matter first before fixing the environment.
• Possible links between the City and Insert Name Here were thought out as the Captain is unnamed and without any facial/body descriptions. Some believe that the latter may be responsible for all the changes of the city, whether it be implementation of new laws, management of housing and rations or even changes to the local populace. Still, some people may use the opportunity to manage the city to their behest, but be prepared, as the weather and other scenarios may test even the most staunch of captains to a certain extent.

Pleasure Island

Pleasure Island, Seat of Disturbingly Mind-Changing Land (Land of Toys, Prankster's Paradise)

Pleasure Island in its animated and live action forms

• Description: A seemingly normal island amusement park dedicated to letting children act like animals. With enough time, they become donkeys to be sold to the salt mines or worse.
• Theme Song: Pleasure Island. Alternatively, The Fun Fair (Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance)
• Symbol: An island with a roller coaster...at least that's what the Coachman WANTS the symbol to be. The true symbol is a child with donkey ears, a tail, and hooves.
• Alignment: Chaotic Evil
• Portfolio: Amusement Park of Doom, Curse of Polymorph, Crapsaccharine World, Giving off Fate Worse than Death
• Domains: Dark fun, transformation, slavery, evil
• Proprietor: The Coachman
• Holy to: Child haters and slave owners, like Springtrap, Pennywise, Lionel Starkweather, The Slavers, Ludwig Von Tökkentäkker, The Other Mother
• Unholy to: Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio, Geppetto, Magolor, Isuzu Sento, Moguro Fukuzou, The Fazbear Gang, Mustache Girl, Peacock, Marie, Cuphead and Mugman, The Animorphs, Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Riku (Kingdom Hearts), Timmy Turner, Cosmo and Wanda, Amity Blight, The Collector, basically any gods who loves children
• Banned: Ethan Roark Junior, surprisingly enough
• During Pinocchio's adventure, one of the most well-known places he ventured off to was Pleasure Island, a place where children can act as vile and cruelly as they want with no repercussions. While there are regular theme park rides here, there are plenty of attractions dedicated to the dark side of children. From smoking cigars and drinking beer to the more violent side of destroying anything they desire, this theme park is aimed at getting kids to act as rowdy and cruel as possible. While it is a regular amusement part on the surface (save for the more volatile attractions), there is a dark and evil underside. If a child stays here long enough to give in to their dark desires too much, they will turn into donkeys. Some will lose their voice and be sent to work till they die in the salt mines. The lucky ones (debatably) that kept their voices will be dealt with in ways only the Coachmen know.
• The ruler of this land is the Coachman, who is well known throughout villain circles as one of the few Disney threats capable of escaping the law of justice. Realizing that his operations with Pleasure Island within the hall of Otherworldly and Unorthodox Locations was getting ignored due to just how the knowledge of the island's secret and location made it so others would instinctively avoid it at worst, and rejected by visitors in favor of the more chaotic places the hall housed at best, he decided it was time to relocate his business. Talking with some villains of the Grand United Alliance of Evil to help him set up business elsewhere, they decided to help make Pleasure Island a proper place within the Pantheon. Seeing potential in tricking unsuspecting folks who wouldn't expect him that far from his temple, they approved of the location change by ascending Pleasure Island as a Pantheon location itself. Now, The Coachman has helpers stationed around the ports of the Pantheon, where they tend to ships and pick up any lost children to tell them about Pleasure Island and lure them there.
• Due to the fact that the island now has a place in the Pantheon and is much easier to reach, Jiminy, Pinocchio, and Geppetto have been working overtime to keep kids as far away from that place as they know from first-hand experience how deadly and dangerous such a place could be. On his end, The Coachman has been hitting back with his own lies about how the island is actually safe and the three were just unsatisfied customers. To his credit, they WERE unsatisfied customers. While Pinocchio and his family were able to save some kids from getting tricked, there still were a couple of curious children who paid for their naivety.
  • Among others willing to spread the news about how bad Pleasure Island is were Sora and Riku, already having personal experience with the place during an adventure. With their firsthand experience and how trustworthy and friendly they are with others, the word has managed to spread faster and further than Pinocchio and his family could ever wish to do. They are thankful for Sora and Riku's help keeping the children of the Pantheon safe, while the Coachman is forced to spend more and more money to keep fighting back against their damnation of Pleasure Island.
• The Coachman has had someone look over his island's history and how profitable it could be. The results came back with a very expensive cost to set everything up, but thanks to them kidnapping children in an age where orphans were plentiful as well as kids with actual families, there would be more than enough loose kids around from him to make a pretty penny from it. This revelation has increased his business with some of the most depraved members in the Pantheon wanting to join in on what they see as a lucrative business prospect. Some of them even offered to help boost his theme park's security and attractions. Of course, with all the other members of the Pantheon loathing the island and wanting to get rid of it, The Coachman has started to use some of his profits to ensure that the offers he redeemed stay as good as they advertise.
• Bizarrely, Disney (the company who showed us this horrid accursed place) once named an adult-oriented nighttime clubbing district in Walt Disney World after this place. Granted, it doesn't have any of the deadly traps that turn visitors into donkeys, unless you count getting drunk turning you into a jackass. Today, it's The Landing at Disney Springs, which has no nightclubs. Within the Pantheon, some plans have popped up about potentially reopening it, just under a different name to make it clear that it's not the same place as the Coachman's Island.
• With the Coachman selling donkeys here for others to use in the salt mines, the underside of Pleasure Island has been a hive for slave traders to come out and buy new slaves for them. The Slavers have been a frequent customer for him, going out to the island to buy donkeys to do grunt work for them, or to sell them to Starkweather to use in his deranged films. You know, just in case they needed another reason to be hated.
  • Pennywise is another person who managed to score a gig on the island, being used to lure in kids with his jokes and antics and scare and eat any donkeys still talking. Given how the Coachman wants no traces of his island and talking donkeys will instantly expose him, he is willing to let Pennywise dine out for free. To help boost his remnant numbers, Springtrap has approached the Coachman with an offer. Any kids that were turned into donkeys that could still talk could be harvested by him in order to collect the remnants needed to help him achieve immortality. The Coachman agreed as long as Springtrap can keep providing the funds to buy them off his hands, and as a former owner of a pizza restaurant, he certainly does have the cash to do so...
    • In a similar fashion to Pennywise, The Coachman heard of Ludwig's shows and was impressed with their cruelty, opening a tent on the island for him to perform under, letting him use kids for his acts, planning on them being destroyed in brutal ways under the guise of it being part of the show. Ludwig is more than happy to have a new home within the Coachman's twisted theme park, giving everyone yet another reason to see this island go under.
• To the surprise of absolutely everyone, the Coachman has flat-out banned Ethan Roark Junior from buying children for his own sick personal fantasies. However, he has a business reason for this. He's trying to keep eyes and authority off his park, and if they hear that kids are being sold there for Roark's disgusting habits, his park will be labeled as the number one hit list for everyone in the Pantheon and he'll never see another buck again. Roark is angered by this but respects the Coachman's ideas. He resorted to just lingering on the docks for any unlucky kid to get cold feet and run off the boats for him to chase. Said chases tend to end with Roark getting chased and arrested by police officers who were already stationed to keep kids safe from the Coachman's island.
• Of course, with a theme park being all about exploiting kids and selling them to slavers, people who actually do run a legitimate theme park are greatly offended by this park's very existence. Magolor, despite his own treacherous past, has genuinely become a good guy and is extremely happy running his own theme park, Merry Magoland. He once was able to use his Lor Starcutter to trick the Coachman, who had never seen the ship before and thought it was one of the ships given to him to help his park and slavery business, into giving him his load of kids, which he took to Merry Magoland to have fun while alerting the proper authority figures about who he saved and to take them back home. The Coachman was pretty pissed at Magolor for pulling one over him, doubly so because if he tried to get revenge on him by trying to enslave or beat him with his henchmen, it will just be a Curb-Stomp Battle in Magolor's favor, even if he is the Devil (potentially).
  • Despite not running a theme park anymore due to her poor management skills from learning how to fight too much, Isuzu is another threat that The Coachman has to deal with, but he can usually just deal with her by sending his henchmen at her. While Isuzu is able to more often than not send them packing with her skills, they keep blocking her from the Coachman, but she has promised that she will not go easy on her. The Coachman, for his part just laughs her off, betting on the island turning her into a donkey before she could reach him.
• With the revelation that this strange place is capable of transforming kids into donkeys and selling them off, this place became a very popular to-go location for deities who love children. Not to visit the island as a tourist, but to rescue any children that may have gotten in, to halt operations, or to give the Coachman some overdue karma. These could range from destroying the boats, ruining the attractions, or just killing the Coachman and keeping him as far away from the island as possible. Several of these interventions were as follows...
  • During an attempt to increase the island's popularity, The Coachman got a deal with Freddy Fazbear's Pizza to build a location on the island, which was extremely easy to work out. With Springtrap's help, they were able to quickly build some animatronics specifically to be torn down by the kids, with some even kidnapping them after their performances. However, during one of their trips, the original Freddy Fazbear and his crew ended up getting shipped over there by accident. Absolutely enraged by the sight of this location and knowing who was running the show, they abandoned the show the first chance they got and got to work tearing the place down. The Coachman ended up trying to send his workers to stop them, but they just quickly got overwhelmed and left the Coachman to trick them onto a ship to take them back to the mainland, but not without getting knocked into the water for his efforts.
  • Cuphead and Mugman ended up accidentally crash-landing on the island during a mission in their planes causing them to lose control. Unaware of the island's name and its secret, Cuphead thought it was a normal amusement park at first and just enjoyed the rides, with Mugman cautiously following along and slowly loosening up...until they both noticed the sign that said "Pleasure Island". The two screamed in fear, realizing just where they ended up in, only to grow ears and a tail, making them scream louder, with Cuphead, already indulging in most of the activities there, becoming a complete donkey that can still talk. The Coachman quickly noticed them and the fact they were causing a scene and scaring the other kids into trying to leave, forcing him to gather his henchmen to try and beat them into submission. However, with Mugman still having his hands to shoot and Cuphead quickly making use of his donkey legs to dodge their attacks and kick them down, they emerged victorious and left, stealing the boat and leading the kids there back to safety. They were able to regain their porcelain proportions thanks to Elder Kettle helping them whip up a remedy, with them not even getting in trouble because they genuinely didn't realize it was Pleasure Island until it was too late. They became some of the most frequent folks in stopping the Coachman from taking any more kids away.
  • Peacock, Marie, and Mustache Girl didn't even realize that Pleasure Island was where the kids turned into donkeys. They were just stopping The Slavers from doing any more deals and ended up finding one of their hiding spots, Pleasure Island's underside. Peacock originally planned to ambush the Slavers until they heard children begging to be freed and the Coachman and his workers whipping them. With their combined powers, they were able to make quick work of them and make off with The Coachman's batch of donkeys for the day, leaving him forced to explain to the Slavers that he couldn't sell them anything today, which they responded in a very civil and non-destructive manner.
  • The Animorphs are all too familiar with the idea of being turned into animals. However, while they are given Voluntary Shapeshifting, the kids stuck here are given no such luxuries, and as such, the group is more than happy to make time out of their day to raid the island, rescuing kids and leading them off the island. Well aware of the irony of shapeshifting animals coming to stop them, The Coachman has retaliated by ordering cages and tools in order to make the Animorphs serve him, or to sell them to the highest bidder. During one such raid, they were able to disguise themselves as donkeys, constantly giving the Coachman and his henchmen the slip, only to sneak attack them when they least expected it. They all have their own reason to hate the island and the Coachman, be it hating the cruelty and being stuck in forms that the kids can't choose or change (Cassie and Tobias), wanting to personally kill the Coachman (Rachael), just saving all the kids and donkeys they can (Jake and Marco), or just following their friends into combat (Ax).
  • However, the most damning incident that hindered the island was when The Coachman tried to con Moguro Fukuzou. The Coachman thought he made a new ally in the form of The Laughing Salesman, after telling him that he was an amusement park owner who wanted to attract kids and make them happy and carefree. Given how Moguro somehow didn't know about the nature of the island at first (and given The Coachman possibly being the Devil, it just adds fuel to that fire), it worked and Moguro managed to add in some new fancy amusement park rides and food that attracted many kids. That said, it all came tumbling down once Moguro realized that there were kids going in, but no one going out. Doing some detective work himself, he eventually stumbled upon the underbelly of the island, discovering the awful truth about the kids turning into donkeys and being shipped off to salt mines with all the henchmen whipping them. Some children who were rescued by him reported that his eternal smile actually dropped discovering this secret. When the Coachman looked back at the island after overseeing these shipments, he found out that many attractions on the island had gone down, all the kids were gone back to the mainland, and there was a very angry Moguro greeting him.
    Moguro: "And you call yourself a fan of kids. Is that because you love how they turn into donkeys and make you money?"
    The Coachman: "Oh! You, saw down there, huh? Well, not all of them turn into donkeys completely. We have to deal with them in other ways. Surely a fellow business person would understand, right?"
    Moguro: "Oh, I understand. I understand that you are completely heartless and soulless. Makes me wonder just how human you are..." *Raises his right hand in the air, pointing to the sky.*
    The Coachman: "W-wait a minute! N-no need to do anything rash now, right?!? I can prove myself useful to you, honest!"
    Moguro: "You claim that, yet you willingly turned many innocent kids into donkeys! Into jackasses! If you really like jackasses that much, then let me help you become one!" *Jerks his right hand down, now pointing at The Coachman* "DOOOOOON!"
    • Not long after, Cuphead and Mugman, during one of their days when they were tasked to try and rescue any kids that wandered into Pleasure Island, found the place in disarray, and Moguro leading a ferry of kids away from the island, with him telling them that he sorted everything out, and to tell the others that Pleasure Island was closed. Upon piecing together that the angry donkeys glaring at the cups were actually The Coachman and his henchmen, they both had a good laugh over how karma caught up with them and raced off to tell the others what happened, leaving Moguro to deliver the kids to their temples on his coach, and the exhausted donkeys to the House of Beasts and Fauna, where even after Moguro's don effects wore off, The Coachman and henchmen still acted like donkeys for a while. Since then, Moguro has become the biggest threat against Pleasure Island, pretty much stalling its operations to a halt, sending in magical relics and statues that nullify the place's transforming effects. The Coachman has been forced to pull the curtains back and start calling in favors from his allies to help him keep the place running and has sworn vengeance upon Moguro.
  • Determined to build the Island back up, the Coachman started secretly observing child deities, attempting to find one who he could trick into having fix up Pleasure Island, thereby adding legitimacy to it and luring other kids there. This is how the Coachman discovered Timmy Turner, and his Fairies, Cosmo and Wanda. After seeing the wide array of wishes Cosmo and Wanda could grant, the Coachman came up with a plan. Disguising himself as a kindly Carnie, the Coachman offered to let Timmy hang out at his amusement park to escape Vicky, something that Timmy happily agreed to. When Timmy unknowingly arrived at Pleasure Island, the Coachman made sure to hide all signs of where he actually was and lamented how his amusement park had been run down. As he hoped, Timmy and Cosmo fell for the bait, even if Wanda was a little suspicious, with Timmy wishing that the amusement park was restored, unwittingly returning Pleasure Island to its full glory. To further the manipulation, the Coachman made sure to offer a place at the park for anyone being babysat by Vicky, all as he quietly worked to undo any of the enchanted items Moguro sent his way.
    • Timmy soon secretly snuck off to Pleasure Island, bringing several other kids with him, unaware of what lay in store for them. They quickly became donkeys, with Timmy losing his ability to speak and call to his Fairies for help. Fortunately, Timmy, had a guardian angel. His other babysitter in the Pantheon, Amity Blight. Amity had decided to take watch over Timmy for the day, and was alarmed to find Timmy wasn't in his Temple. Fearing the worst, the Witch quickly rushed off to find him, and ended up on Pleasure Island, where she stumbled across her charge, and several other donkeys being hounded by Pennywise. Beating him down with her Abomination Magic, Amity gathered up as many kids as she could and lead them down to the docks, where they were blocked by the Coachman and his allies. Fortunately, Amity had come prepared with an Elixir she had brewed with Luz when she first learned of Pleasure Island, one that kept Eda Clawthorne's Owl Beast curse at bay. The Witch promptly gave it to Timmy, who drank it and returned to his normal self. As Amity was fighting their tormentors, Timmy wished for all the kids and their savior to be safely back in their temples, and for Pleasure Island to be unrestored, leaving a severely wounded Coachman screaming in frustration.
• Sometime after Moguro nearly shuttered Pleasure Island, and the Coachman attempted to use Timmy's Fairies to restore it, the nightmarish carnival quietly reopened, due in no small part to the actions of the Other Mother. Due to practically starving without an easy source of souls of children to consume, the Other Mother began looking into alternate means of satiating her hunger, and happened to cross paths with the Coachman. When he learned of the Other Mother's plight, in addition to her skills at manipulating kids into doing what she wants, the Coachman cut a deal with her. Help him prop up Pleasure Island once more, and in exchange, she can feast on the souls of the kids killed by Pennywise, Springtrap, and Ludwig to her heart's content. Delighted at the possibility of having an easy source of food, the Other Mother happily accepted and used her powers to help repair Pleasure Island, before beginning to manipulate kids into visiting the Island once more, to the horror of the protectors of children all across the Pantheon.
  • Fortunately, this resurgence was short lived. Shortly after they ascended, the Collector crossed paths with Pennywise, and swiftly taught him to fear them and then some. IT came rushing to the safety of Pleasure Island after the encounter, but he would soon learn that the Collector wasn't done teaching him a lesson. When the Collector teleported into the Island, they were horrified to discover all of the innocent kids who had been turned into Donkeys. Seething with rage, they warped the kids to their Archive and disenchanted the kids' curse, before returning to Pleasure Island, and locating IT along with the Coachman and Springtrap. The Collector decided to perform a recreation of the time when they took over the Boiling Isles, by ripping Pleasure Island to shreds, while weaving it into their Archive, with the Coachman and Springtrap, along with the Other Mother, Ludwig, and the Slavers all being turned into harmless animals, or puppets. The only thing left of Pleasure Island for a time, was a giant fissure in space where it had once been, with the Coachman and his associates only escaping due to being freed by the Collector's Evil Counterpart, Bill Cipher, who did it purely to spite them. Ever since, the Coachman has fearfully begged for Bill's protection from the Collector, and for the time being has closed Pleasure Island indefinitely.
• "Quiet! You boys have had your fun. Now pay for it!"

The Sierra Madre

"Begin again. Let go."

The Sierra Madre Casino and Resort, Deadly Domain of Durable Deathtraps (City of the Dead, City of Ghosts)

Exterior Shot Of The Casino, from the Fountain.

The Villa.

Casino Interior

The Vault

• Theme Song: "Begin Again" by Vera Keyes. Alternatively, "Saw Her Yesterday" by Dean Domino.
• A pre-War casino and resort, its actual location unknown, surrounded by a poisonous, red Cloud.
• Symbols: The logo of the Sierra Madre◊. Alternatively, the mural seen in the hotel's lobby
• Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
• Portfolio: A Pre-War Casino and Resort Located Somewhere In The Southwest, Covered In A Poisonous Cloud Populated By The Ghost People, Loaded With Booby Traps, Killer Holograms, And A Hidden Vault That Contains 37 Gold Bars, And Can Become A Deathtrap Whem Triggered
• Domains: Wealth, Gambling, Greed, Lust, Morality, Pre-War Establishments
• Locations Include:
  • The Villa (Medical District, Residential District, Police Station, Puesta del Sol, and Salida del Sol)
  • The Resort (Casino, Cantina Madrid, The Tampico and Executive Suites)
  • The Vault
• Point of Interest To: Arthur Maxson, The Patriots, The Enclave, The Think Tank, The Institute, Littlepip, The Etrian Odyssey Guilds
• Sacred To: Father Elijah, The Think Tank (clandestine financial backers)
• The Three Guardians: Christine Royce, Dog/God, and Dean Domino
• Bane Of: The Courier, Issac Clarke
• "Has your life taken a turn? Do troubles beset you? Has fortune left you behind? If so, the Sierra Madre Casino, in all its glory, is inviting you to begin again..." The sultry voice was that of a starlet, one from the Old World, who long since died, her haunting voice drifting from the Pantheon's radios, inviting any and all to the Sierra Madre Resort and Casino. As Father Elijah had so famously put it, the Sierra Madre "lies in the middle of a City of Dead, a city of ghosts buried beneath a blood-red cloud... a bright, shining monument luring treasure hunters to their doom." And the cursed city has laid claim to its fair share of those seeking the treasure of the Sierra Madre, only to fall victim to the numerous traps, the Ghost People that populated the streets, the deadly red Cloud that enveloped the area, or just plain greed. For the Courier, seeing the casino in all its deadly glory appear in the Pantheon, does they realize that things will become even more complicated from here on out. Given that they are the only person who made it out of that cursed casino alive, the Courier was heard making a cryptic statement in regards to the Sierra Madre: "As much as I hate to admit, that old fool was right. Getting to it is not the hard part. No, the hard part is letting go."
• Through salvaged documents and testimony from Dean Domino, The Courier was able to get the story surrounding the origins of the Sierra Madre. It was the last project of Frederick Sinclar, a pre-War businessman. A fan of the Art Deco style, Sinclair built it in the same style. The Sierra Madre was Sinclair's magnum opus, dedicated to his lover, the starlet Vera Keyes. Sinclair would later find out about Vera's role in a plot to rob him blind, orchestrated by Dean Domino, which drove him into transforming the Vault below the Sierra Madre into a deathtrap. However, he had a change of heart once Vera confessed everything to him. But before he could revert the Vault back to its original purpose - which was to help his former lover survive the Great War - the bombs dropped. The casino was then sealed shut and the security holograms finished off those who survived. Sinclair's remains would later be found by the Courier some 200 years later, having succumbed to the toxic red Cloud. What Sinclair didn't know was that Vera was blackmailed into helping Dean when the singer threatened to expose Vera's drug habit to Sinclair. But what Dean didn't know was that Vera was using the Med-X and Super Stimpacks to cope with a terminal illness. Tragically, Vera herself did not make it to the Vault. Her own remains, still in her evening dress, were discovered by Christine Royce in her suite, along with her final words, scrawled onto the wall: LET GO.
• If you thought the Spencer Mansion and Ramón Salazar's Castle was bad, the Sierra Madre makes those two look OSHA and FEMA-compliant. Before the war, Frederick Sinclair had cut corners in an attempt to save on construction costs. It had gotten so bad, Sinclair went as far as to cut a deal with the scientists at Big Mountain (later known as the Think Tank) for more funding in exchange for them running several experiments on the people. To say that things gotten worse in the years following the Great War is a complete Understatement. The most dangerous hazard is the airborne toxins engulfing the Sierra Madre as a deadly fog, simply known as The Cloud. The Cloud was one of the Think Tank's numerous experiments, a product of the Big Empty's Z-43 Innovative Toxins Plant, and it was exposure to the Cloud that also created the Ghost People. Originally the workers of the Sierra Madre, exposure to the Cloud whilst wearing the Darklight hazmat suits turned the employees into... something not entirely human or ghoul. And anyone caught by the Ghost People are dragged into the Cloud to create more Ghost People.
  • Speaking of Ghost People, the Pantheon found itself being assaulted by two groups of the aforementioned denizens of the Sierra Madre. Luck was obviously a lady, as The Courier knew exactly how to deal with the Ghost People: dismemberment of the limbs or destruction of the head. Issac Clarke was slightly freaked out after a Ghost People raid, upon seeing that the only way to stop the Ghost People was by dismemberment, reminding him of the Necromorphs he fought onboard the Ishimura and later, the Sprawl. Safe to say that that Issac hates the Ghost People as much as The Courier does. Good thing that his Kinesis could chuck back the gas bombs and those damned makeshift spears the Ghost People kept lobbing at him from a distance, while his Stasis made it easy for him and the Courier to dismember the attackers. The Cosmic Knives that make up the blades of the spar are yet, another thing that came out of Big Mountain. Made out of Saturnite and sharp to the point that it can sever a human thumb and cut through a cutting board, Cody Travers, Kano, Brock Samson and Ryuji Yamazaki are looking to upgrade their blades with Saturnite metal, given how much they're drooling over the weapons.
• However, the Ghost People isn't the big threat. The major threat are the Security Holograms that patrol the Medical District and within the Sierra Madre proper. Just how powerful are the Holograms? A single Security Hologram was able to wipe out a squad of Ghost People. Imagine the carnage the Holograms could leave behind when dealing with either the Enclave or the Brotherhood of Steel in full power armor. The only way to stop a Security Hologram is to either disable or destroy the Hologram Emitter. Usually, they're placed at inaccessible locations that makes it impossible to destroy them. And the majority of them patrol the Casino, the Executive Suites, and down in the bowels of the Sierra Madre. Of course, some of the Pantheon's Rogues within the Grand United Alliance Of Evil have the idea of placing a couple of Emitters onto several drones and fly them overhead. A diabolical trick, but one that saves resources and lives.
  • Three separate expeditions have been made to the Sierra Madre by the Brotherhood of Steel (on the orders of Elder Arthur Maxson), the Enclave and the Institute. And all three ended in disaster. The Brotherhood expedition was the first to try and take a crack at the Sierra Madre, with the goal of retrieving any and all useful tech, including the Hologram technology. Unfortunately, their power armor could not protect them from the effects of the Cloud, which all but corroded the armor, leaving the Paladins vulnerable to the Cloud's effects. The Enclave was next, and they managed to break into the Casino proper. Pity that the Security Holograms mowed them down in the lobby and The Tampico, the Hologram's energy blasts destroying the Enclave armor like a hot knife through butter. The Institute sent in three squads of Synths, led by three Coursers. Not even the Institute's elite could withstand the effects of the Cloud, which made them easy pickings for the Ghost People and the Holograms.
• For any treasure hunter (pre or post-apocalyptic), the Sierra Madre is the ultimate test. But for those with an explosive collar around their necks courtesy of Father Elijah, there is the added danger of the faulty speakers and active radios within the resort and casino. Destroying the radios and speakers are easy enough, but the shielded radios are a different story altogether. The Villa is pretty much a deathtrap. Aside from the Ghost People and the risk of one's collar exploding, there is the added danger of the various traps left behind by past treasure hunters. The Grenade Bouquets are popular, along with the pressure traps that can trigger a shotgun blast to the face if one is not careful. And of course, there are the bear traps. Be it out of curiosity (or out of sheer boredom), Littlepip explored the Sierra Madre's Villa, as the casino and resort reminded her of Canterlot, just not - according to her - as dangerous. Due to her light frame, as well as the ability to self-levitate, Littlepip easily bypassed the numerous traps left behind by those who came before her. While the Cloud somewhat annoyed her, the Ghost People were of little importance, especially as she can use her telekinesis to fling them out of her path... or to clear the more difficult traps. The Ghost People gave her a wide berth after she impaled a couple of their number using several makeshift spears and used a superheated Cosmic Knife to de-leg and kill the impaled denizens of the Madre.
  • For those who survive the Cloud, and everything the Sierra Madre can throw at them, lies the ultimate prize. At the bottom of the Sierra Madre, accessible only from an elevator in the penthouse, is the vault. Inside is the mother lode: 37 gold bars. Each one weighs in at 35 pounds, for a total of 1,295 pounds. Each gold bar is worth 10,539 caps each, with the grand total being almost 390,000 caps, and is considered to be the greatest treasure in the Mojave. However, the Vault is also a deathtrap, if one accesses the computer and opens up a file addressed to Dean Domino. It is here, that the Courier's enigmatic statement is made clear. The hard part about the treasure isn't reaching it, but rather letting it go. Hence, the Courier taking a single gold bar with them.
• Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark are in agreement that the Cloud is a threat to the Pantheon. Hence, a joint Avengers-Justice League expedition to the Sierra Madre to find the source of the Cloud and stop it. But the Justice League and the Avengers are not the only party interested in the Sierra Madre. Helena Douglas is not only financing the Etrian Odyssey Guilds' expedition in mapping the spots in the Sierra Madre the Courier missed, but also a search-and-destroy mission spearheaded by Ryu Hayabusa, and accompanied by Kasumi, Ayane, Momiji, and Irene Lew. Interestingly enough, retrieving the gold isn't a priority for either party. Nathan Drake was tempted to lead a team to the Sierra Madre, but was vetoed by Elena. The gold in the Vault has also led to various criminals and hooligans in leading crews to the Sierra Madre in order to loot the place. This alarmed the more good-aligned deities like Sonya Blade, Soap MacTavish, and Captain Price, until Cammy and Johnny Cage pointed out one important detail: the bad guys will more than likely kill each other before they can get their hands on the gold, as it happened many times before. The Joker, on the other hand, wants to see if he can make his Joker Toxin more potent by combining it with the Cloud, is the wild card of this. Surprisingly enough, the Joker has a form of immunity against the Cloud. Harley Quinn has a mild resistance to the Cloud, but keeps her distance.
• Vera Keyes: "Wait a moment. Before you go, I... we... hope you've enjoyed your stay. Farewells can be a time of sadness — letting go, difficult. As a guest of the Sierra Madre, you know that truth more than anyone. Frederick Sinclair believed that one's life could be made anew every day, that fortunes were more than the wealth in your hands. Love, life, family, those to care for and those who will care for you: to those who know these joys, the Sierra Madre holds little they don't already have. Out in the world, beyond these walls, that is your chance to begin again. I hope that you will return in happier times. Until then, the Sierra Madre, and I, will hold you in our hearts."

Takeshi's Castle

Takeshi's Castle, the Divine Palace of Obstacle Course-Based Challenges

The (one of many) Final Showdown(s) at Takeshi's Castle

• Appearance: An old-styled Shiro with a lot of obstacles between the outer limits of the castle's grounds and the inner courtyards, with an ever-shifting array of tricks and traps to best protect the residential lord of the castle.
• Theme Songs: The Original Japanese Takeshi's Castle it's UK Dub theme, "Firebrand" by Bumblefoot for "Most Extreme Elimination Challenge"
• Symbol: The titular castle and its owner, Beat Takeshi
• Alignment: Always Chaotic, usually Chaotic Evil
• Domains: Traps, War, Obstacle Course
• Owner: Takeshi Kitano/Beat Takeshi
• Sacred to: The Keeper, Glitchy's Mario
• Interest in: Dracula (Castlevania), Wario
• Notable Participants: Ultraman (as both Tani's replacement as well as a contestant), Godzilla (as one of Takeshi's comedic skit performers), Astro Boy
• Costing around $1M (around ¥168M in 1986) to build, it was home to its Shogun Takeshi. However, General Tani started his invasion of the castle with a bunch of peasants. Through Takeshi's right-hand men, the invasion force reduced from a hundred to only a handful, and the initial invasion ended with the Shogun's victory.
  • That being said, it turned into its own variant of Forever War, with Tani's forces bolstering itself after every failed invasion and Takeshi's traps swapping around to ensure that the challenge will be unique to Tani's forces. On rare occasions, Tani's men win, collecting the treasure from within the castle, usually worth around ¥1M.
• The set's physical location back in the mortal plane was at Midoriyama Studio in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan◊. Unfortunately, the set no longer exists, being repurposed for Ninja Warrior.
• In the Pantheon proper, it took a little bit before the Keeper was introduced as the official coursemaster, and longer still before Takeshi allowed Glitchy's Mario to occasionally host his "Mario Challenges".
• Over in the Americas, the recordings done instead have Takeshi and his entourage watch as "teams" compete for his amusement. This was the "Most Extreme Elimination Challenge", a major Gag Dub involving clips from archived Takeshi's Castle clips and a liberal usage of dubbing over everything. In a nutshell, it's the Super Sentai series turned into the Power Rangers, but with the off-the-wall dub of Ghost Stories, and the obstacle course challenge of Super Mario Bros thrown into a blender.
  • As for a proper Pantheonic version of the show? It started in the middle of Season Two, where keeping with the Hong Kong Dub style of the show, is dubbed with "Vic Romaro" and "Kenny Blankenship" ^note Takeshi and Hideo dubbed over by Victor Wilson and Chris Darga hosting the show, with "Captain Tenneal"^note General Tani dubbed by John Cervenka and "Guy LeDouche"^note  The Field Reporter also dubbed by Cervenka reporting on the ground. The "objective" of MXC is, simply put, don't get eliminated by the obstacles and to participate in a team.
• In the Pantheon, the mortal Takeshi Kitano is often the lord residing the castle, alongside with the Emerald Guard to protect him from the invasion. However, he now utilizes The Keeper as the person to compose his traps, and as a result, it is significantly harder due to the wide array of traps available at the Keeper's disposal. There's a significant reduction of both lethality and sadism in his disposal, and he can't use minions like the Horned Reaper or the Dark Mistress.
  • On the odd occasion, Glitchy's Mario takes residence in the castle, acting as its lord. Dubbed "Mario's Challenge", the theme changes from Japanese to Mario, switching the Japanese Castle to a Tower Castle, employing the "Spaghetti Squad" instead of the Emerald Guard, and allowing the use of significantly more dangerous traps. The Keeper's still not allowed to use his minions, however.
  • The prize within the castle itself varies wildly. The most common reward is to be immortalized on a plaque of those who've conquered the castle, followed by money (usually ¥1M in their currency) or food (usually a voucher for Chicken McNuggets valued at ¥1M with around 1898 uses for 20 Piece Boxes), depending on whose running the castle when it's conquered.
• Before the Pantheon was graced with the Castle, there were some Gods who appeared on the show, most notable being Ultraman, who was a contestant, as well as a fill-in for General Tani. Astro Boy was a contestant, and Godzilla often performed comedic sketches for Takeshi's entourage. That being said, a good chunk of contestants often dress up like other characters, such as Goku and Master Roshi.
• Dracula looked upon the Castle, and thought about how similar it's laid out compared to his castle. Though obviously less lethal than his own castle, he seeks to become its lord eventually, though neither the mortal Takeshi nor Glitchy's Mario will allow it. Though it won't take much to try to convince the Keeper to turn on their masters if Dracula can persuade them through bloodshed, the threat of expulsion and humiliation for doing so prevents the Keeper from acting.
• Wario looked in interest to being a trap keeper, basing his traps off the myriad of Microgames that his company and he made. While Takeshi shows some interest, Glitchy Mario's rudeness keeps Wario from becoming a potential replacement in case The Keeper goes rogue and tries to take over the castle himself.
• Owing to the presence of a lot of beings with powers that may allow them to circumvent the challenges entirely, there's a power nullification field surrounding the castle when the challenge is initiated. Gadgets are similarly not allowed, though certain ones (like a Portal Gun replica or a Rocket Jumper) may be used in certain challenges. It's so that beings like Kal-El would be equal to others, like Mario or Link.
  • Due to the challenges being made to accommodate human-sized participants, there's also a size limit mandated that prevents those too big (like Cybertronians) or too small (like rodents or insects appropriate for Mouse World) from taking part. Versions of his challenge for those sizes are still pending.
  • As for those closer but distinctly not human-sized (like pet-size folk like Pikachu or giant-size like Bowser or Donkey Kong), there are challenges modified to accommodate those sizes they're redirected to take.
• Before participating in a Takeshi's Castle challenge, the contestents need to sign a waiver covering for injuries caused by trying the challenge. With an obstacle set that includes lethal traps or in any of Mario's Challenges, there's an additional waiver that'll cover for death and resurrection, as well as an overall looser restriction on gadgets. Takeshi's Final Showdown will never be lethal, while Glitchy's Mario's Final Showdown has a slight chance of death.
• Here's a synopsis on the "episodes" done thus far.
  • Episode 1: Only Quasideities and Demigods were allowed to participate, since the power nullification field hadn't been considered/implemented yet. It ended with Takeshi's victory over nine entrants thanks to the Final Fall removing most of the more combat-experienced contestants. The show gained popular demand afterward.
  • Episode 2: Deities of all levels were permitted to participate, but in exchange were subjugated to the effects of the power nullification field. As a tribute of sorts, the 100 participants comprised of Smash Bros. fighters^note with exceptions who were heavily psychic reliant like Mewtwo or those who cannot be counted to play fairly at any capacity like Ridley plus Assist Trophy characters to fill in the blanks. The size-class separation system was also established here. 14 entrants reached the Showdown Stage, and beat Takeshi with only one survivor (Banjo).
  • Episode 3: The contestants comprised of Mon-users and summoners (without said Mons or summons, of course), with a majority being Demon Summoners, Digidestined, Persona-users, and Pokémon Trainers. 19 entrants reached the Showdown, and vanquished Takeshi with only three survivors (Jessie, Futaba, and Takeru).
  • Episode 4: The Showdown featured Takeshi's forces against a whopping 26 remaining entrants (the mortal run had a record of 20, and they all lost). Only 8 losses were suffered before the rest easily beat Takeshi.
  • Episode 5: By this time, Takeshi employed the Keeper as an official coursemaster, beating down the outrageous double-digit survivors back down to single digits. 8 in this episode, and all were defeated.
  • Episode 6: Lethal traps started to appear in the course mix from this point forward.
  • Episode 7: The first Mario's Challenge Special aired.

---