#the MephistoVerse

[arwenkenobi48]

Hello everybody! Guess who just made some art and a speedpaint to go along with it?

I’m so happy with how it turned out, even if it is depicting the rather tear jerking scenario of Mephistopheles pining for Stardust. I’m not confident enough to draw Mephi’s typical attire so I just put the boy in a turtleneck sweater. This was rather tricky tbh, the ear, hands and horns were an absolute nightmare, but I’m happy with it nonetheless.

The title of this piece, I Will See You In The Next Life, was inspired by the final lyrics of Motion Picture Soundtrack by Radiohead, which I was listening to while drawing and the inspiration just struck.

Hope you all like it! 😊

Now I need to draw Mephi wrapped up into a demonic blanket burrito bc he needs some love 💕

[arwenkenobi48]

An alternate character mode for Mephistopheles, going by the alias Paimon, during a period of ten years in which he finds himself in Varkaus and ends up becoming the evil advisor of a dark elf king. Don’t worry, it’s confusing in context as well.

(The fact that I was listening to Baby Girl by Disco Lines when designing him tho lmao)

[arwenkenobi48]

All I can say is that if Mephistopheles ever met Prince John, Hiss would probably have his work cut out for him trying to stop a Faustian bargain from taking place 😂

[arwenkenobi48]

The “I think we’re gonna have to kill this guy” meme but with Mephisto and a rather crestfallen Stardust respectively (except Stardust’s saying “dash it all” bc he’s stereotypically British)

[arwenkenobi48]

So I’ve decided to rewrite the script of DragonSoul. I’ve learned a lot about how to structure a story since I wrote it back in 2022 and I wanna give it a do-over. I’m also going to try and create a complete chronology of the MephistoVerse, which means writing a timeline for roughly two centuries worth of history for a fictional cosmos, yayyyy!

I am exhaustion *falls flat on my face*

[arwenkenobi48]

It was a peaceful morning in Dirge Valley, the first after many years of turmoil. The dragonfolk of Jorvik had finally reached their safe haven, their holy land. Ulysses, his emerald skin glistening in the morning sun, emerged from the pristine river in which he bathed and shook the crystal water from his wings.

Ulysses’ mate, a crimson dragon named Achilles, rested in the shade of a willow tree, his purple eyes gazing into the middle distance. A faint smile was on his lips, indicating that he was in a state of deep meditation. His soulstone - the sacred gem implanted in his forehead that all dragons received once they came of age - glowed softly. Achilles was entering a state of slight enlightenment.

Curious as he was, Ulysses knew better than to disturb him. He had yet to master the art of Farsight, although he had experienced a brief trance-like state accompanied by a premonition. Achilles would only remain in this state for as long as he needed to. Awakening him before his time would pose a risk to his life.

With a contented sigh, the green dragon climbed onto the bank, where his jewellery rested upon a large, flat stone. Bracelets, necklaces, tail-rings, horn-rings and bangles, all symbols of Ulysses’ moral values and status among dragonkind. As he fitted them on, he heard Achilles utter a loud gasp as if he had been holding his breath underwater.

“Achilles! My love, are you alright?” Ulysses bounded to his side. “What did you see?” Achilles shivered and swished his tail uneasily. “Ulysses, we must find Pendragon Hala,” he said, a little breathlessly. “There is no time to be lost!”

[arwenkenobi48]

Another deep breath. Another paragraph jotted down. Another train of thought blocked. Another rough draft saved to collect dust. Stardust groaned wearily. “Oh, dash it all!” He grumbled in frustration. “Why can’t I write anything that matters?”

“Your writing does matter, Stardust,” Robin gently placed their hand on his shoulder. “It always has. Stop worrying about whether or not it’s a masterpiece and simply write. After all, you shouldn’t be afraid to practice and you said yourself that if just one person enjoys what you write, then you’ll have succeeded.”

Stardust looked up at his dear friend curiously. “Don’t you worry, Raziel. Don’t fret about a thing. Just write.” Robin smiled encouragingly. Stardust took another deep breath. “Thank you, Robin. I don’t know what I’d do with you.” With that, he cracked his knuckles, turned back to the typewriter and wrote to his heart’s content.

[arwenkenobi48]

Mephistopheles Returns To Hell - A Snippet of MephistoVerse Lore

Lucifer’s serpentine tail rattled ominously, his pointed, pristine nails tapping rhythmically on the arms of his gem-encrusted throne. He peered down his nose at the trembling figure of Mephistopheles, who lay cowering on the marble floor before him.

“We caught him scaling the walls of Pandæmonium, Your Malevolence,” The armour-clad sentry sharply poked Mephisto with the butt of his halberd, eliciting a short yelp of pain. “Shall we…dispose of him?”

Mephistopheles looked up at his master, his golden eyes wide and pleading. He looked so pathetic, like a helpless little puppy begging his master not to take him to the pound. But a knowing smirk seemed to tug at the corners of his mouth and one eyelid flickered in a mischievous wink. Lucifer’s brow arched with curiosity. His unblinking blue-green eyes slowly turned to the sentry. “Leave us.”

The Seven Princes of Hell, accompanied by their consorts and chancellors, all gathered around, forming a ring that threatened to seal the outcast’s fate. Mephistopheles struggled to keep up the facade of cowardice, so eager was he to share the proof of his misdeeds. Finally, Lucifer broke the silence. “What have you to say for yourself?”

Mephistopheles couldn’t contain himself any longer. His smirk broadened into a grin, a faint giggle bubbling up in his throat. That giggle built up into an almost maniacal laugh that sounded like a malevolent kookaburra. “You want to know where I’ve been these past ten years?” He chuckled. “Look and see for yourselves.”

Mephistopheles sat cross-legged on the floor, one arm pointing up and the other one down. His eyes rolled up into his head and began glowing with a terrible scarlet aura. His body began levitating around four feet off the floor. As a swirling mist of the same shade surrounded him, the visions of his exploits in another world were displayed for all to see.

The inner circle of Satan saw it all; they saw how Mephisto had infiltrated the Cosmic Portals, how he had claimed the soul of a sorcerer so mad with power that the very universe had nearly been torn asunder, how he had brought the kingdom of the Dark Elves to ruin, how another planet had been plunged into chaos by his mere presence. All were amazed. Some were jealous. One was greatly impressed.

As the visions ended and Mephistopheles, now standing, descended before him, Lucifer rose from his throne and approached his former secretary. “How powerful you’ve become…” he murmured, one hand slowly running down Mephisto’s cheek and tilting his pointed chin. “Will it do, Master?” Mephistopheles already knew what the answer would be to such an incredible display of evil, but hearing it straight from the serpent’s mouth was worth it.

“Of coursssse.” Lucifer’s forked tongue flickered out from between his fangs’s tickling the tip of Mephisto’s nose. He giggled again and now Lucifer was laughing too. A wave of mirth and triumph swept around the throne room. As Lucifer took his hands and congratulated him, Mephistopheles felt exceedingly proud of himself. “Welcome back, my loyal secretary,” Lucifer beamed, slipping an arm - and a wing - around Mephisto’s shoulders. “Welcome…home.”

The Devil’s sickly sweet voice was music to Mephisto’s ears. His tail wagged in ecstasy. In that moment, he almost forgot about his time on Gaia, how he had flown with Dragons, how many strange and wonderful adventures he had had, how deeply he had come to love that Melusine named Raziel Stardust. He almost forgot, but a small part of his mind preserved those memories, in case they would be needed later. He would need them much sooner than expected.

[arwenkenobi48]

“What’s all that noise in the background?” Asked Stardust. “Are you back in Hell again?” “Worse,” Mephistopheles replied. “I’m in New Jersey!”

Stardust almost dropped the phone in astonishment. “What on earth are you doing in New Jersey!?” He demanded. “I’m not here by choice!” Protested Mephistopheles. “Some hooligan summoned me via song lyrics and sold his soul for a cookie.”

There was a brief silence and then Stardust asked: “What?” “Ja, that was my reaction too.” Mephistopheles cringed. “He was adamant about it. Signed away his mortal soul for a weed cookie. You can’t make this sugar up even if you tried.”

“Did it not occur to you that the man was probably stoned off his gourd and wasn’t of sound mind when he sealed the deal?” Stardust groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. “Even if it did, I don’t give a fig roll.” Mephistopheles smirked. “As I’m sure you’re aware, Lucifer takes the no refunds policy on soul transactions very seriously.”

“I cannot believe this is an actual conversation we’re having.” Stardust muttered. “Me neither,” the demon laughed. “Anywho, I think I should get out of the state. It’s not doing anything to counteract my cynical misanthropy. Auf wiedersehen!” And with that, he hung up and left Stardust feeling absolutely baffled.

(*Credits theme from Curb Your Enthusiasm begins playing*)

[arwenkenobi48]

Doctor Hypnos: The Taming Of The Serpent

The snake hissed softly, its forked tongue flickering curiously as it curled around its owner’s arm. Behind his plague doctor’s mask, Doctor Hypnos smiled as he admired his new pet. “Good boy, Mesmer,” he purred, lovingly stroking the snake’s head before placing it back in its terrarium. “Such an obedient pet.”

Suddenly, he heard another hissing sound, along with an eerie rattling. “Aww, what a cute snake you got there,” chuckled a strange voice. “I’m totally a snake person too.” A tall and elegant figure with the torso and wings of an angel, the legs of a dragon and the tail of a rattlesnake stepped out of the shadows. Doctor Hypnos recognised him in an instant.

“Well well, Lucifer Morningstar,” he said. “What a pleasure it is to meet you.” “That’s Lucifer Satan Morningstar, mortal,” Lucifer hissed. “And I wish I could, like, say the same, but I got some beef with you.” “Really?” Doctor Hypnos enquired, unable to suppress a little chuckle. “And what might that be?”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding? You hypnotised my secretary! He’s, like, a mindless zombie now!” The supervillain chuckled again. “Ah, yes, Mephistopheles. He has such a malleable mind. Demons are surprisingly easy to brainwash. I daresay even you could be hypnotised, fallen one.”

“Pffft! Oh, please! I totally can’t be hypnotised; I’m the devil!” Lucifer scoffed. “Anyways, what makes you think you could stand a chance against me?” “Well, as a matter of fact, I’ve recently taken up the art of snake charming,” Doctor Hypnos indicated the terrarium containing the Burmese python. “Mesmer has only been my pet for five days and he’s already wrapped around my arm, both figuratively and literally, all thanks to this little instrument.” He held up a long wooden pipe resembling a flute.

Lucifer burst out laughing. “How can you even play it with that stupid mask on?” He guffawed. “I gave it a few little modifications,” Hypnos smirked. “I can play it quite easily. How about we make a deal? I shall play the melody I use to hypnotise my snake. If you can resist, then you may take your revenge. But if I manage to hypnotise you, then will you let me continue my conquest of the world?”

Confident that he would win, Lucifer replied: “Sure, whatever you say.” “Excellent. Now then, time to face the music.” Doctor Hypnos lifted the pipe to the tip of his mask’s beak and began to play. It was a slow tune, with both a relaxing and mysterious rhythm to it. Lucifer stood before the masked musician, his arms folded and a smug smile on his face. What an idiot! He thought, fighting the urge to laugh. This is never going to work.

But then, he noticed something strange. As Doctor Hypnos played the pipe, his body began swaying gently from side to side. The lenses of his mask began to swirl with psychedelic colours. It was like staring into two glowing kaleidoscopes. What is he doing? Lucifer wondered. This is freaking me out! But he’s not a bad musician. That melody’s so pretty. Wait, what am I saying? I can’t fall for this! But that music…so pretty…

Doctor Hypnos could see the demon trying to stay awake, but his resistance was fading. His plan was working. There was no way the devil himself could be hypnotised in the usual manner, so Hypnos had had to think outside the box. It seemed like his efforts were paying off. That’s it, Lucifer. He thought in satisfaction. Just let the pretty music lull you into trance.

Lucifer felt his eyelids becoming heavy. The soft music filled his ears, the spiralling lenses were all he could see. He felt so relaxed, so drowsy, even a little dizzy. Staying still didn’t feel right. Wouldn’t it be better to dance with the music? No, he couldn’t give in, he needed to resist! He couldn’t let himself be swayed. Swayed? How he longed to sway with the music…

Shifting to his snake form, Lucifer began swaying slowly from side to side, charmed by the pretty music and the spiralling eyes of his hypnotist. No thoughts remained in his head, just sleepy obedience. Obedience to the music. Obedience to Doctor Hypnos.

There we go, there’s that mindless blissful trance. Doctor Hypnos thought. Oh, how I love to see it. So, even the devil himself can’t resist my hypnosis. Who would’ve guessed?

As sleepy as he was, Lucifer couldn’t help but utter four words. He had heard Mephistopheles say them before and it was only now that he realised how true they were. “Musssst obey Doctor Hypnossss…” he murmured, a loopy smile on his reptilian face. The spell was complete. Doctor Hypnos lowered the pipe and the tune ceased. He beckoned in an almost seductive manner and the mesmerised serpent slithered closer.

“Now then, Lucifer Satan Morningstar,” Hypnos purred in that soft, velvety voice. “It looks like I’ve won, doesn’t it?” “Yessss, Doctor Hypnossss…” Lucifer replied, still gazing into the supervillain’s mask lenses. “So, let’s put this whole mess behind us, shall we?” “Yessss, Doctor Hypnossss…” “Good pet. Now, you’re going to return to your realm and forget all about your pointless vendetta. But don’t you fret; when you hear the music of a snake charmer, you’ll be able to experience this beautiful trance again. Do you understand, my little pet?” “Yessss, Doctor Hypnossss…”

Once the spellbound serpent had been sent on his way, Doctor Hypnos couldn’t resist a triumphant evil laugh. His power was growing by the day! At this rate, the world would be his before the summer solstice. He glanced at Mesmer, who was sleeping in his terrarium. Getting a pet snake was the best decision he’d ever made. If he could charm the Serpent of Eden, then who could stop him now?

(Author’s Note: Sorry for the lengthy hiatus, hopefully this makes up for it!)

[arwenkenobi48]

“As the saying goes, better late than never,” Mephistopheles shrugged. “That doesn’t usually apply to taking two weeks to catch a flight departing in two hours!” Stardust pointed out. “Is the traffic really that bad in America?”

“No, I met up with an old friend and got seriously sidetracked.” Mephistopheles explained. “You might have heard of him; does the name Jersey Devil ring any bells?” Stardust facepalmed. “How many other forces of evil are you in cahoots with?” He asked. “Also, is that legitimately his name? Does his birth certificate read Jersey Devil?”

“As a matter of fact, it does,” Mephistopheles chuckled. “I literally only meant to stop by for an hour, but old JD managed to whip up some wonderful pork rolls and the rest is history.” “So you two basically embarked on a culinary sidequest?” “Exactly!” Mephisto beamed. Stardust raised his eyes to the heavens. “The funny thing is,” he admitted. “I probably would have done the same.”

[arwenkenobi48]

Each of the Seven Deadly Sins, as represented by Mephistopheles

Pride: *smirking arrogantly* Oh yes, I am a fabulous demon, aren’t I? Stylish, cunning, devilishly handsome, that’s me to a T *chuckles*

Greed: *laughing evilly while admiring a huge pile of soul contracts* they’re mine, they’re all mine!

Wrath: Who does that wretched rapscallion think he is!? When I get my hands on him, he’ll be begging for mercy! *growling as steam clouds blow out of his ears*

Envy: ugh, all those mortals, falling in love and raising families…why can’t I have any of that? *pouts grumpily*

Gluttony: *nomming an obscene number of red velvet cupcakes* omnomnomnomnom

Lust: *poses seductively on Lucifer’s bed* oh, master? Puppy wants to play *tail wags*

Sloth: *curls up in bed, clutching his Baphomet plushie* mmmf…what time is it? *yawns and rubs eyes* oh, 9:30 am? Meh, I’ll get up at noon… *lies back down and snores softly*

[arwenkenobi48]

The more I think about it, the more I can divide my OCs into the following categories:

Tragic yet oddly whimsical anti-heroes who are haunted by their pasts

Ridiculously over-the-top villains that legit love being evil egomaniacs

Angst-ridden anti-villains that end up achieving redemption through a shit ton of hard work and selflessness

Innocent little beans who haven’t a shred of badness in their hearts

And then there’s Darkswan who sees himself as the first option, is much closer to the second option, should have been the third option and will never be the fourth option

I also realised that Mephistopheles is kind of an amalgamation of the four at different stages of his life

When he was an angel, he was definitely Category 4

Immediately after his Fall he was Category 2, then he towed the line between Category 2 and Category 3, leaning more towards Category 2 as time went on, then stayed in Category 1 for a very long time before eventually venturing back towards Category 3

Quite the character arc

I think I’ll use this model whenever I create new OCs to make sure they’re all tonally consistent with the MephistoVerse lore

Idk what to call it yet, but it is definitely there

Might make some kind of alignment chart actually

[arwenkenobi48]

Oh, what’s a poor devil to do?

Mephistopheles, whenever anything happens.

[arwenkenobi48]

It’s a dark and stormy night and I’m eating pistachio ice cream at 1am while finally on a role with writing the Varkaus Mythos.

[arwenkenobi48]

The Start Of Darkness

I sank to my knees, trembling like an autumn leaf in a high wind. I stared down at my hands. They felt filthy, tainted. These were no longer the hands of a pure and innocent angel. “Oh, God…My God…What have I done!?” I buried my face in my hands as tears cascaded down my cheeks. My shoulders, heaving with sobs, were quickly hidden as I folded my wings around myself. All I wanted was to hide from everything until this nightmare came to an end.

“You have done well, my sweet Theophilus…” Lucifer’s voice hissed in my ears. He gently caressed my cheek, but even that gesture felt unclean in some way. “You…you did this to me!” I sobbed. “Doesn’t it feel wonderful?” He asked. “You know you can’t go back now, Theo. Michael and his brothers will never accept the likes of us. But why try to fit into their tight rules when you can break out and be free? Why should you beg for their forgiveness and for God’s mercy when you have me? You know I’ll always love you.”

I continued weeping, but as I wept, I felt something change inside of me. Lucifer spoke again. “Come with me, Theophilus.” He wheedled. “Come. Fall with me, descend into the abyss. You can already feel it, can’t you? Already, you shun the light. It hurts your eyes. Why else would you hide your face in darkness?” I could feel a strong burst of adrenaline rushing through my veins, overtaking my mind, my heart, my very soul.

Slowly, my sobs receded and changed into laughter. Quiet at first, but building up into a hysterical cacophony. As I lowered my hands from my eyes, now golden instead of their previous green, I rose to my hooves and spread my darkened wings, laughing with evil delight. My wings burned away to ashes, erasing any trace of my angelic form and solidifying my place as a servant of my new master.

Lucifer stood over me, grinning in triumph. “Take my hand, be with me,” he held out his hand. “Embrace the darkness, Mephistopheles.”Mephistopheles. So that was to be my name. It sounded sublime. With a devilish grin, I took his hand. I embraced him, kissed him and our forked tongues touched. Thus, my story truly began.