The Incursion
Hell
Hell exist beyond the human comprehension of existence; a space squeezed into the cracks and crevices of the world. If one is to look hard enough, one might find one of these "windows" into the other space or, if one is unlucky enough, even a door. Hell is a chaotic place where the laws of reality hold no sway. Few have ever traveled through the doors, and even less have found their way back.
The true nature of Hell is unclear. Certainly it is known to be the home of multitudes of demons, and while it is traversable it is a near death sentence to enter. Those who have made it back with their sanity mostly intact are often silent, refusing to discuss the events inside. Those whose minds are broken spew nonsense words and phrases and almost always turn up dead within a month.
What little information has made it onto pages and history books describes landscapes that writhe like living flesh, mountains that walk, rivers of black water that peels flesh from bone. We know of the demons as well which roam these lands, but among them names have arisen:
Psellus. Whose horde is destruction. Who controls the elements. Who rules the skies and subterranean realms of Hell.
Lanterne. Who is temptation. Who calls demons of every seduction to them.
Occulta. Who is Tyranny. Who relishes in the ruler and hates the servant.
These "demon lords" seem unable, or unwilling, to enter the world and prefer to send their demonic servants to deal with mortals directly.
What We Know
"It all seems to trace back to Alex Ferminder. Since they vanished, we've seen nothing but black clouds and lightning to the south. I swear to the Sovereign they had something to do with this." ~ Orien Alexander, Headmaster of Alabaster Academy
When the southern regions were covered in thick black clouds, everyone thought the Miasma was back, that thick cloud that surrounded the ancient capital. Soon, however, it became clear that this was something entirely different. A few ambitious Outriders struck out into the darkness, never to be seen again. Then the first wave began.
Marching like the dead come back to life, demonic creatures emerged from the darkness. They swept over the first towns and cities with very little resistance as people were caught completely unaware. The death toll is yet unknown but the land was not given time to recover. Swiftly, the families banded together, presenting a united front against this incursion. Resistance pushed the demons back into the storm, but this victory was short lived.
From this point, the Incursion became a full fledged war. The frontlines have turned into great muddy plains of barbed wire and corpses. The forces of Hell, as it became known this was in fact an invasion by Hell, have had no end to their supply of monstrosities, possessed war machines, and mortal servants (both alive and undead).
The Incursion dragged on for years and eventually the strain of war began to weigh too heavy on the families. Tensions flared and skirmishes began again on the territorial borders as every side began to struggle for supplies.
In recent years a new, and wholly terrifying, tactic has emerged from the demonic front. While the fighting continues in the trenches and ruins on the frontline, troops of soldiers have been appearing in various settled areas via demonic transportation magics, ransacking towns, killing everyone in their path, and then returning to their masters after some unknown goal is finally accomplished. These smaller attacks have set the families into true disarray as panic has flooded the populace, knowing that at any moment, demons might appear in the town square.
The Forces of Hell
Possessed
The possessed are the grunts of Hell. Mortal creatures (human or otherwise) who have had their autonomy taken from them. A demon has infested their body and puppets them to murder their friends and allies. From the rare cases that a Possessed has been captured, the demon will flee the body, allowing brief conversation with the victim before their untimely demise.
Demonic War Machines
A mockery of the vehicles of Maret and Laguerre, these terrifying machines have no pilot, and instead are controlled by a demonic being living within the metal of the machine itself. To an unprepared force, even one of these is more than a match for a hundred men.