This Idea started to swirl about today and has taken some serious form for itself, So I thought I may as well come here and try to develop it.
For those not familiar with the word,
A Wiki Link
In short:
Quote:
A quibble is a common plot device, used to fulfil the exact verbal conditions of an agreement in order to avoid the intended meaning.
Now, what does this have to do with the a story? Well, as the wiki article mentions, Quibbles are often used in fictional 'Deals with the Devil' in order to ensure that the person entering the agreement won't really get what they want. From this, I came to the concept of the story of a minor daemon, in the employ of hell, freshly created to be yet another doer of minor evil things around the world. Being a raw creation, devoid of memory or identity, our newborn (And, sadly, as yet unnamed) creature must be introduced to its duty by an older, more experienced being (an easy source of aid and exposition, as well as a potentially useful way to bring the reader into part's of the story's world)
The situation set before the young daemon is this:
--God is a completely enigmatic figure, and as far as anyone can tell is beyond any limit which can be comprehended.
--From this far off position of power, God has a tendency to create various constructs, each (generally) governed by a series of definite and logical rules. Once these constructs are in place, they are generally allowed to carry on as their rules would dictate. Why God does this, is unknown.
--The universe as we know it is governed by physical laws, and all that formed within it was the end result of them. (Cosmology as it is known, Natural Evolution, Etc.) Though it is thought that God may have made the initial setup with certain end results in mind.
--Both 'heaven' and 'hell' are part of another, distinct construct, in which laws dictating existence are very loose and arbitrary. To us, it would appear rather mystical and bizarre, but to its residents it is all rather normal.
--God has allowed those in heaven and hell to be aware of its existence, in a very definite and irrefutable way, while still leaving its nature and motives unknown.
--From this, God has willed that residents of Heaven and hell play a part in creating the mythologies of cultures within our reality. How they shall do that is dictated by the leaders of the two realms, with Lucifer on one side and [unchosen angel] on the other. (Their plans are mutually agreed upon, and managed by a large supporting staff which serves under each of them. Neither is inherently 'good' or 'evil', they just play roles in their work) However, while in our universe, they become bound to yet another very complicated and arbitrary set of laws.
--What is special about these laws, is that they apply to any given individual by their precise interpretation of the meaning of the laws. By translating them to differing languages, and then twisting the definitions of words in creative ways, they can bend laws in order to ease their actions in our world.
So, in his day to day life, our little protagonist will be faced with some small religious event which requires a daemonic presence. However, in going about his tasks he will inevitably end up faced with a situation which goes against some law. He must then quibble his way around the word of law in order to complete his goal. However, at the same time there may be other daemons working with him, or angels competing against them which will require more complicated solutions. If two daemons are Quibbling in contradictory ways, both quibbles may backfire and leave them in a rather bad situation. Likewise, one may need to quibble a law around in order to stop an opponent from doing something, then taking advantage of the situation before they can quibble back out again.
The general feel of the story would be a lighthearted one, often played for either warm laughs or dark humour. To support that, daemons will generally be drawn with soft, curved features (Generally associated with 'cuteness' and good things) whereas angels will be very sharp and angled (A general look of hostility of danger) Just to mix things up a bit. But to take that even farther, (if/when)ever the story takes on the perspective of an angel, the opposite will be true. Appearances of individual characters will also very greatly when viewed by humans.
Potential characters, beyond the two already mentioned include-
In hell, other minor daemons who become acquaintances of the main character, and greater daemons who they work under.
In heaven, a few particular operators who have an odd habit of meeting up with the protagonist time and again.
And on Earth, a mix of religious figures, paranormal investigators, and rational sceptics, who find themselves the subjects of his work.
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