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Note: A buttload of spoilers for You can be king again in this guide.
The main difference between this AU and the canon centers around the Seven Deadly Sins. The previous fic, You can be king again, was heavily inspired by Lark_1987’s One Hell of a Family (if you like fics that explore found family moments among the Sins, some sweet and adorable Lucilith fluff (and even angst), Hell’s lore and worldbuilding, etc. I cannot recommend their works enough) and are built on some of the concepts they’ve established. For example,
- Satan is already an established ruler of his own kingdom that is composed of all of impkind. Himself, however, is not an imp per say, but part of a dragon-like species called a “Balrog” (if you’re an LOTR fan, ykyk).
- This also applies to every other Sin. However, Asmodeus, Mammon, Beelzebub, and Leviathan are portrayed as young children when they first meet Lucifer. Belphegor is off doing her own thing but is just as old (if not, older) than Satan. There's a lot more to all of them than meets the eye in this AU.
(A little spoilery additional note: I've established in the previous fic that this AU Lucifer is invulnerable to angelic steel. That was not always the case. At the beginning of this story, he's currently in his weakest and is thus just as defenseless to the steel as angels like the exorcists and Adam. Something however, happens later... a lot, lot, later.)
- Hell is an already existing world that’s hinted to have existed alongside Heaven long before the Fall. Countless types of demons dwell in this world as well, terrestrial ones like the imps and hellhounds, aquatic demons like those in Envy, and avian demons such as the Goetia.
- Unlike the Lesser Key of Solomon, the Goetia are not fallen angels. Here’s an excerpt from Astaroth, a sort of ‘storyteller’ of sorts in the You can be king again story’s end notes, to explain it a bit:
"My kin had once been part of an enormous dynasty that was known for power and technology more advanced than almost any other. Yet much like all the kingdoms that once believed themselves to be eternal, the sins of our fathers and their fathers eventually caught up to the Goetia, resulting in our near and utter obliteration—and a profound fear in extinction. As such, the Ars Goetia have implemented countless policies involving precautionary heirs and arranged unions, ensuring that the royal bloodline will live on, for as long as the universe itself exists if they wish to. While they're not as close to the numbers they once had a long time ago, they nevertheless remain as one of Hell's most powerful and distinguished families in all of the Seven Rings."
- Lucifer and Lilith do not become immediate monarchs upon their arrival in Hell. Not the day after that. Not the month. Not even years. They’re also not quite lovers yet, seeing each other for now as dear, beloved "friends” (HAH) though there’s already hints suggesting otherwise. As described in the synopsis, they initially lived as wanderers or travelers for most of their time. They don’t have plans of conquest and ruling (yet) and are mainly just trying to survive and find a place safe enough for them to live.
Naturally, fate has other plans for the two most hated people in all of Creation. Including ones that will bring them glory… and ones that will bring them tragedy.