Interview With Sylvanna Valac (Patreon)

King Gilgamesh asks: Lady Valac, what was it like living and participating in the great war and were you there during the outrage of the heavenly two?

Sylvanna says: The Great War was an apocalyptic multi-dimensional conflict waged by the Three Great Powers – the White City, the Girgori and the Demon Empire. I was from the very beginning and am one of the few survivors who now remembers the totality of the war. One each side were hundreds of Archangels, Cadre and Demons wielding world-ending powers – along with armies numbering in the billions. The war spilled across numerous Planes of Existence and extra-dimensions, burning entire realities and driving whole species to extinction. Both sides used enormous and powerful sorceries, warping Time and Space with little care – where billions died and were resurrected within hours only to die again within the same day.

There has never been an official count, and due to numerous temporal paradoxes and universes lost to the Void, there never can be: but most mythohistorians estimate the total loss of life numbered in the quadrillions.

As for the uniquely violent conclusion to that uniquely violent conflict – yes, I was there. I was there as millions burned to death in Ddraig’s fire and millions more drowned in Albion’s venom. I was there when vile Beelzebub cried out in despair as he was folded out of existence and corrupt Saraqiel was blasted onto ashes. And I was there when the Empyrean Light that birthed our mythos was sentenced to primal Death.

And I fled.

So momentous was the Outrage of the Heavenly Dragons that the last battlefield of the Great War has been spatially and temporally locked out of Eternity. Evermore does history know it as the Final Gloam.

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Vedrfolnir The Visionary asks:

Greetings, Lady Valac.

As a principal figure and direct adjutant unto Satan Wrath, I would inquire: by what measure doth Devilkind dispense justice when one of thine own commits grievous crimes against humanity? Is judgment rendered in truth, or doth power alone decide the guilty?

Saylvanna says: I reciprocate your greetings, dear Visionary.

To answer your question: first, you must understand, there are no such things as crimes against humanity in our laws. Just as there no such thing as crimes against Devilkind. There are only crimes against the Crown Princes. Our entire Empire revolves around them and their dread will. Our kind are not beholden to principles or ideology; we are beholden to people – our Dark Masters. Right and Wrong, Good and Evil – it is whatever they deem appropriate for us.

However, following the Civil War, the Crown Princes adopted numerous isolationist policies to focus on rebuilding our dying species. As such, much interest and investment were lost in Humanity. And, following the Divine’s decision to abandon the mortal planes of Earth, much of the supernatural was sequestered away from Humanity. The Satans were of the same mind for Devilkind. But to a much harsher degree – as they had no desired to invite further conflict by meddling with Humans and summoning another pantheon’s ire. As such, we have strict death penalties for those who egregiously make harm upon Humanity – for it is counterproductive to the Crown Princes’ wills.

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Skadarken asks: Lady Valac, what were your thoughts upon being offered the role of tutoring the newly crowned Lord Wrath in the arena of Law? Has there even been a case you wish you had never brought to the attention of the youngest Sin? And speaking as an unrepentant gossip, how did you avoid being devoured by Lady Tiamat so far?

Sylvanna says: I was delighted by the trust placed in me by the Crown Princes – being able to tutor the mind and perspectives of a Crown Prince is a claim very few in our Empire can boast of! And Lord Ichigo himself possesses an incredible studious and sharp mind. I am told he performed exceptionally well in his mortal studies, and I am not surprised, he is remarkably intelligent. Aside from his own brilliance, I can see that Lady Lucifuge’s tutelage has greatly helped him acclimate to our society’s ways and means.

As for your other question, no, there has never been a case presented before the Crown Prince that I did not deem vital for his education. Even if he had dispensed judgement in a way I had not predicted, such is his right and prerogative. The Crown Prince is our protector, our guardian lord who burns away our foes and keeps our hearts warm with anger. I am merely his guide and aid, and I will always bow before his judgement.

Regarding the Lady Tiamat; I have never had the honor of meeting her, and I think we both would prefer to keep it that way.

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SaberofRed asks: Lady Valac, I was wondering if you could enlighten us on the perspective of the nobility at the time of Sirzechs and Ajuka's birth. Two beings born as Demons with unprecedented power. We know that they eventually led the civil war, but in those early days what was the consensus around those two as an outsider? Were they more feared or admired?

Sylvanna says: An excellent question, and one that has been thoroughly written about and explored by historians delving into the biographies of Lord Ajuka and Lord Sirzechs.

It cannot be overstated how chaotic and fragile the Empire was following the immediate aftermath of the Great War. Nearly all of our forefathers were dead, and of the Crown Princes, only the Sin of Sloth, Belphegor remained. The Demon Astaroth had been slain in the Great War and the Demon Gremory had been grievously injured and had sealed itself away – as such, both Houses were left vulnerable to the surviving Demons.

So when, within the same exact year, two Demons were born into existence, rather than artificially created through the Rite of Hell, it sent shockwaves through our crumbling society. Many of the surviving Demon, including the Sin of Sloth, rightfully feared the two young lords and demanded that they be handed over into their custody. Luckily, it was the immense hand of the Great King, Zekram Bael, who protected Lord Sirzechs and Lord Ajuka in their youth. Giving them the time they needed to grow into their powers, so that they could protect themselves.  

For my own part, I had met both young would-be Crown Princes and was astonished that two children, not even a dozen years old, had powers that dwarfed mine; I who had lived for millennia. But, alas, at the time I was embroiled with inner-House strife with my siblings over control of House Valac. Otherwise, much like the Great King, I would have readily seen the future of our kind in the two and would have supported them from a much earlier time.

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Mand’alor asks: My most fine lady; what in your opinion would be the worst pantheon to wage a war against as of the current moment and why?

Sylvanna says: An interesting question, and one I am not fully equipped to answer as I cannot claim to have full knowledge of the military capabilities of all the known Pantheons. And I am quite sure that there are many unknown Pantheons that the Crown Princes keep knowledge of to themselves. However, it is widely accepted that it is most unwise to challenge the might of the Vedic Pantheon or the Chinese Pantheon.

Well, I suppose the Divine Pair are the ones that absolutely nobody wants the attention of – but scholars have been debating for millennia without consensus whether they constitute as a pantheon or not.

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John Alton asks: Lady Valac, as the Underworld's leading expert in both pharmaceuticals and poisons, what ingredients or components are the most interesting examples of the difference between poison and medicine is a matter of dosage?

Sylvanna asks: Oh, a magnificent question! I wish my children were as inquisitive as you! They always seem to run away when I begin to talk about alchemy.

As to your question, my dear sir Alton, take the Alsoodiv Flower found commonly through the Underworld. A small, five petal purple thing that is rather innocuous and unnoteworthy. However, when heated with bonefire – a specific type of undead flame – its nectar becomes pearly white liquid that can be used as a wonderful sleeping aid and minor sedative. Provided it is diluted in the right amount of water. No more than fifteen milliliters per one cup of water. At twenty milliliters, the minor sedative will have the patient sleep for several hours. At twenty-five milliliters the patient will fall into a magical induced coma for at least a week. And any more than thirty will result in death.

Another example is the powdered horn of a Bivex – a large, four-legged carnivorous mammal with immense forward pointing horns. The horn of the Bives, boiled under at least one hour of moonlight, is an excellent remedy for indigestion and abdominal cramps. Boil it under sunlight and it causes your heart to explode.

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TCMad asks: Lady Valac, thank you for taking some time out of your schedule to answer some questions. As you are a highly esteemed member of the Ministry of Law and a widely respected alchemist, might you share with us some intriguing cases where both fields intersected?

Sylvanna says: The pleasure is entirely mine, thank you for showing an interest in my work.

Regarding your question, let me point you toward the specific case of Gainrich Guild vs Kaivern Gamigin. To elaborate, the Gainrich Guild is an alchemical guild – one of several throughout the Empire – and they had entered into a contract with Lord Kaivern Gamigin, the grandson of the Pillar Lord Gamigin. The stipulations of the contract stated that the Gainrich Guild had exclusive rights to gather alchemical ingredients from the Nightmore Forest within Lord Kaivern’s territory.

However, the Nightmore Forest is a rather magical place: you see, it only exists during the night – during day hours, the forest disappears, replaced instead by a deep lake. Any ingredients taken out of the forest must also be bound with specific spells, otherwise, they too would disappear when the night ends. Spells the Gainrich Guild did not have access too, but Lord Kaivern did – and he did not feel the desire to share his magical knowledge. Not without an exorbitant fee.

Feeling themselves duped and trapped in an unfair contract, the Guild sued Lord Kaivern, and the case was eventually brought before His Highness. Lord Ichigo, in his wisdom, deemed it was the failure of the Gainrich Guild to have not properly studied and surveyed the magical nature of the forest before signing a contract with Lord Kaivern, and that the young lord was under no duty to offer his magical knowledge of how to deal with the forest for free.

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Thunderreborn asks: Lady Sylvanna Valac, Lord of the Sixty-Second Pillar. Thank you for granting this lowly one an opportunity to ask a few questions. As the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Law, has there been instances where Lord Wrath had to mediate between the Shinto pantheon and Devil society? If so who did Lord Wrath side with and why? Would you have agreed with Lord Wrath's outcome? As the preeminent alchemist across countless dimension, have you seen Lord Wrath's self-regeneration and if so were you able to convince Lord Wrath to allow you to experiment on him? If not, what would you test on him, if given the opportunity?

Sylvanna says: Thank you for your question, I do appreciate this opportunity to speak with the public.

To clarify a matter, the Ministry of Law strictly deals with matters within the Empire. Matters regarding outside powers and other Pantheons fall to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which falls under the august authority of our beloved Lady Lust, Serafall Leviathan. Nonetheless, Lord Ichigo’s personal and familial connections with the Shinto Pantheon are well-known, and it is not unusual for him to be a point of contact between us and Her Majesty Yasaka. However, these matters tend to be those of most import.

Other, smaller issues and points are left to armies of delegates and ambassadors for both sides. Also, to be clear, the Sins themselves are not subject to the various ministries of the Empire – they sit far above them. Rules for thee, not me, as you mortals are wont to say. As such, Lord Ichigo may negotiate with any of the pantheons as he deems fit, acting as a representative for the collective will of the Crown Princes. They are ever of a unified mind.

Regarding your other question – I am aware of Lord Ichigo’s legendary self-healing prowess; however, I have never seen the Crown Prince injured in my life. I dare not imagine what monstrous force would even be capable of such a thing. And no, I cannot say I have asked permission to take a sample from his sublime body. Demons are not like you and I. There is as much Will in a single drop of their blood as there is in the rest of their mind.

I would rather not take such a risk – especially not with a Demon Lord as powerful as Lord Ichigo himself.

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Ismail Abdelazim asks: Your terrible nobleness, It is currently said that you work for his highest eminence, the crown prince of wrath, what does his wrathfullness think of devil laws in comparison to the human world laws that he has already experienced, and does he think of changing them at all?

Sylvanna says: His Highness… he shows a certain, let us say, disdain for the finer nuances of laws. He is appreciative of their necessity but his mood often sours when faced with the endless mires of legal jurisprudence. Which is understandable, he is Wrath, not patience. Nevertheless, he has done a remarkable job so far managing the Ministry of Law and I am certain he will only continue to improve in the future.

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PP092: Your beautifullness, i wish to know but one thing from your millenniums of knowledge and life in the Underworld...A trait you wished the current sins had kept from their predecessors?

Sylvanna says: Beautiful? My, my, flattery will get you everywhere, my young friend.

If I am being honest, the current Princes are favorable to their predecessors in virtually every single way imaginable. Although… I must admit there was far less paperwork back in the day. Never once did I imagine I’d have to fill out a form to authorize murder… how times change.

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Inferno asks: Great lady valac, your ancestor the original valac had venom/poison capable of rendering worlds uninhabitable till this very day,where then does he's Venom rank when compared to the World serpent Jörmungandr, The 8 headed terror Yamato-no-orochi and the Lord of Supremacy Albion

Velkra7 asks: Lady Valac, what was the greatest toxin ever devised by your ancestor, the demon Valac? Did it ever create a poison so potent that it could reach beyond time and afflict even a true immortal?

Sylvanna says: Father was his own greatest toxin, capable of poisoning the very fabric of Time and Space with his Demonic corruption. Over the course of the millennia and through the Great War, he had numerous poisons which he had assimilated into himself, including a sample of the World-Serpent’s venom. However, from what I had gleaned from studying the remnants of his corpse, he had not fully managed to replicate Midgardsormr’s ability to murder even the Divine. I believe his venom could have weakened them, perhaps even forced them to retreat into the Fourth World – but anything more than that I believe would have been impossible for Father. Of course, the obvious caveat being whether he could poison them in the first place – perhaps some of the Lesser Divine could have been envenomed by him, but all of the Greater Divine would have been firmly out of his reach.

However, having seen first hand the Vanishing Emperor in his Outrage, I can confidently say that Father was nothing more than a crawling maggot before the endless might of that legendary Dragon.

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NASUVERSE Recovering asks: Did you know that you–or your name to be precise–have an Expy in Horror Human Movies? Like Valac–spelled as Valak. What are your thoughts on that?

Sylvanna says: Really? I am showing my age, but I am quite behind on the modern trends. I never seem to have time for myself lately. Nonetheless, I am quite happy to know that my name and House live on in the imaginations of mortals. Horror movie you say? I will have to find the time to see this!

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Sam asks: Tell me Little Sylvia. What are your plans regarding Demonic descension?  Are you ambitious enough to become a true demon or are you content to stay as the lap girl to the ginger?

Sylvanna says: Apologies young sir, but I believe you are quite confused. I am Sylvanna Valac, Sylvia is my granddaughter. Also, there is no such thing as Demonic descension. Becoming a Demon is a matter of cutting one’s Node of Existence. I believe Uncle Mephistopheles gave a lecture on the subject some years ago, but the record of it should be archived by Lord Serafall.

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Veteran Ahosei asks: Lady Sylvanna Valac - if, hypothetically, you are allowed to change or add a rule in the Devil Empire as you wish, what rule would it be?

Sylvanna says: Well… it is a bit embarrassing to admit, but we Devils are rather behind you Humans when it comes to the complete horizontal integration of the Pharmaceutical, Insurance and Healthcare industries. It would be nice if I could own insurance companies that force patients to buy from my pharmacies so that I could set egregious and predatory prices on medicine and own the hospitals and clinics - this way there’s no room for patients to negotiate or shop for alternative and more affordable health care.

Alas, being the Sin of Greed and overlord of the Ministry of Finance, Lord Ajuka has a tight hold on government monopolies for such things.

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Father of Time and Harvest: Lady Valac, before you’re Son’s marriage, have you laid (sex) with him?

Sylvanna says: That’s an oddly personal question. Oh dear, are you another one of those perverse love slaves of Lady Serafall that got loose from the pens? Don’t worry dear, we’ll get a screen in front of you quick enough so you can happily return to worshipping our Lady Leviathan.

In the meantime, to answer your question – I have never lain with any of my children. I have my wonderful husbands who have ensured I’ve stayed satisfied through the ages.

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Sylvanna says: Well, this has been absolutely delightful! I haven’t sat down and done an interview in centuries! I really must thank all of you for your time and your questions. And apologies to everyone whose questions I could not answer. Alas, time is of the essence, and duty demands I be elsewhere now.

Please enjoy your stay in the castle, and if you have any allergies, do let the chefs know. Due to House Valac’s unique palate, they can be rather zealous with the exotic spices. Oh, and I would caution you to avoid the gardens – everything there is quite lethal to you humans.