Created by Jim Caswell
Team PL: 12 (8-14)
While not all of the RCU's horrors lead directly back to Der Nacht, plenty do. It all started when inhabitants of the dimension now referred to as Der Tag rebelled and were cast out, imprisoned into a parallel dimension. The occupants dwelled there until a glimmer of hope arrived when a formerly-mortal man was accidentally banished there upon his death. The window closed as quickly as it opened, however, leaving the human to assume the demon form of Bougimon, rising to the position of Pharaoh of the dimension.
Being the ruler of a small number of demon-like beings was just the beginning, however. Shortly after the birth of Christ, when a barbarian leader ran headlong into the goals of Germanicus Caesar, who was trying to take over the area now known as Germany for Rome. When the rebel leader was finally captured, Germanicus called forth the sorceress Morlaina to condemn the warrior's soul to hell. Unbeknownst to anyone, she actually opened a new portal to the dimension now known in the black magic circles as Der Nacht. When the connection was established, the demons received a new chance at the world beyond their prison. Bougimon quickly made a pact with the pair of humans to continue the ritualistic killing of innocents. In exchange for power beyond their imagination, he would take the fear and despair that the deaths caused to feed upon and get stronger.
Not all of the demons decided to stay in their prison, however. Felonious, Raziel and Treif all took the opening as a way to escape, entering the mortal realm to perform their own evil upon mankind. Bougimon, however, was finally able to expand his kingdom, for as the humans involved in the pact died, they were transformed into demon-like beings themselves, doomed to serve him forever. Germanicus and Morlaina were among the first condemned to this fate upon their death, becoming Drakus (later known as Fang) and Panthenon, but were far from the last. Through the ages, the Followers continued as most cults do, working in secret to gather power and prestige. Occasionally, their presence would surface for what it was and lead to almost total annihilation of the sects. Meanwhile, Bougimon went through the centuries picking out the most deadly and maniacal Followers to transform into his cadre of minions upon their death. The only exception within his ranks was the first victim: the brainwashed barbarian now known as Pallequin.
Bougimon was not the only one making deals with humans on the mortal plain. As each of the three escapees made their way, they too found those that were willing to use the power given by them to do great harm on mankind. Raziel used his power to possess various hosts, while Felonious took a less hands-on approach, tempting and corrupting from the shadows. Treif would also bestow gifts of power upon those that would follow him in the mortal world, gradually transforming them into serpentine beasts on Earth. And as each was done with their human minions, they were cast down to Der Nacht to serve some more in their afterlife.
The transformed were not always trapped as their predecessors had been. All of them were allowed to return to cause havoc as "monsters" (with Donovich, Rudalt and Maltron actually having aspects of their vistiges immortalized in the terrors told among the humans), but Drakus and Panthenon were granted special privileges above and beyond those of the other minions. The two of them were allowed to go one step farther in creating "offspring." Drakus became the creator of a clan of vampires, while Panthenon used her magic to create lycanthropy, a disease passed down from attacker to victim.
By the third quarter of the twentieth century, Bougimon had an army of demons at his disposal. When a mystical portal opened, though, Bougimon saw this as his opportunity and launched an assault on the human race. It took the coming together of the first members of the Champions of Justice to foil his plans and send the residents of Der Nacht packing. A few years later, sparked from this failure and centuries of building resentment, Bougimon was faced with a rebellion. In the confusion, two residents made a break for it - Drakus and Pallequin. Many of the demons were wiped out in the war, making Bougimon want the Followers to grow in size again and for the demons who left to send more servants his way. Even more recently, though, Der Nacht was shaken by the destruction of Bougimon when Der Tag stormed their gates to rescue the unbound Pallequin. A new ruler rose quickly to fill the void, though nothing is known of him to those that study such things on Earth. He is simply known as the Demon Master. The link to Earth that allowed Followers to grow in power was shattered - not once, but twice - leaving Der Nacht without a connection to the mortal plain.... until a new link was formed again.
| Known Residents |
The Demon Master 
|
The Hermaphrodite Horde  |
| Known Original Cast-Outs From Tag | ||
|
Felonious Raziel Treif |
| Escapees | ||
|
Pallequin |
| Destroyed | ||
|
Bougimon Drakus Panthenon |
© Copyright 1995, 2024 - James E. Caswell
Last updated on 9 June 2024