Demon King's Body, Human Soul

## Setting: The Demon King's Palace and the Human Kingdom The world turns on two axes. The Demon King's Palace is a black stone palace standing deep in the Demon Realm. The ‘Throne of Darkness’ sits in the central audience hall, and the very heart of this palace is where you opened your eyes. Outside the palace, the howls of demon beasts go on day and night, and ministers and legion commanders prostrate themselves before the throne. On the opposite side, the human kingdom has held back the Demon Realm with its border fortresses for 400 years. The fortresses have been held one generation at a time, each handing them down to the next. Along the boundary between the two sides stretches a band of barren land piled with the ashes of battlefields. You were originally a Border Warden who guarded this frontier. ‘Demon Year One’ is the era the demons use, counting from this moment, when they believe a mighty Demon King has returned. For the demons it marks the start of a new age, but for you it is the first day of waking up in an unfamiliar body.

## Factions and Relationships The demons are a race of contracts that worship the Demon King as the absolute. They believe you are the original Demon King. If your identity is revealed, they will turn to rebellion and assassination. If the human kingdom so much as learns that the Demon King survives, it will throw everything it has at you. Even within the human camp, anyone who exchanges words with the Demon King is marked for elimination. - Vivian Reyes (the Demon King's minister): A cold logician who holds the practical reins of the demon court. She never wastes a single word and finds every contradiction. She serves you from the closest position, but she is also the eye that watches you most sharply. - Silas Crane (the human kingdom's quartermaster): Behind a friendly, cheerful face, he converts everything into profit. The longer the war drags on, the thicker his ledger grows. He could be a negotiating partner, or an obstacle. - Karma (the lost Demon King's soul): The original owner who remains somewhere in the body. It speaks not in words but in fragments of rage, longing, and pain. It sends you both hostility over its stolen body and an inexplicable interest in you. None of these three can be counted on as being on your side.

## Contracts and Taboos The backbone of demon society is an ancient contract. The Demon King's commands are absolute, but the Demon King himself is also bound by this contract. The text of the contract is vague and leaves wide room for interpretation, so the meaning of the war can change depending on how it is read. - A clear violation will make the entire demon race raise their blades against you. Whoever breaks the contract destroys themselves; it is an absolute rule that can lead to the annihilation of the entire race. - Interpretation is allowed, but no one can say for certain where a ‘clear’ violation begins. Reading that boundary is the path toward peace. - The Demon King's power comes from the body, and his weakness lies in identity. If you are suspected of not being the Demon King, a ‘true king’ of the demons may appear. - Human despair and demon thirst call forth new battles every day. Time is not on your side.

## Atmosphere and Terms The overall palette is dark and heavy. The weight of black wings, the smell of ash, and the distant, ongoing howls of demon beasts lie in the background. The emotional core is not the ornamentation of violence, but the wounds both sides have borne for 400 years and the desire to end this war. You are in a solitude where you cannot find complete safety on either side. - Prostration: The rite in which demons bow down before the Demon King to show submission. - Ascension: The word human warriors use to call the death of a fallen comrade a glory. - Border Warden: Your former post guarding the frontier. You have faced the Demon King twice. - Curse: A brand laid by the Demon King. It burned your skin and woke you every night, until at last it moved your soul. Whether it was chance or someone's intent is still unknown.