What is the World of Hellmouth

The World of Hellmouth is a world filled with fear, dread and unsettling realities. The World of Hellmouth is an apocalyptic puzzle of timelines and possibilities. In this newly constructed world, 120 years after the Great Cataclysm, those who survived are at ripe old ages and now have children and grandchildren growing up in a very different world than the one they remembered.

The new generations are growing up in a world where their cultural history has seized to exist. The only thing they can look back to with certainty now are the last 120 years after the Hellmouth opened. Magic and dragons, giants and steam-powered technology are all new and exciting, and also frightening and alienating.

The gothic horror genre predominantly makes up the tapestry that is The World of Hellmouth, but the setting is nothing more than a wrapper of sorts, that quietly smothers all other genres. The difference though is that gothic horror literature is often a world where the general population is completely unaware of the supernatural phenomena that exists and shares the same world with them. In The World of Hellmouth, all the people are very aware of the morbid reality they now face.

The World of Hellmouth entertains the idea of mixing components of literature from the Renaissance, such as books and plays like Dr. Faustus, Macbeth, Paradise Lost and even the Arthurian legends. It intertwines folk tales, mythology and lore that go back to the times of the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Celts and Norse.

Furthermore, it draws on imagery from more modern references: from the height of the high action pulp fiction, to the bravado of silver age heroics; from the retro-futuristic genre of steampunk, to the ultra-futuristic dystopian cyberpunk genre.

For unity, one thing remains constant, no matter what historical source inspires its content: wrapped around every tale is an air of horror inspired by the force known as the Hellmouth.

The current direction of Hellmouth projects concentrates on the continent of Uropia. This map shares similarities to Europe but has been modified, not only by the Great Cataclysm, but also as an intentional, conceptual choice that allows writers to use the new map freely without the preconceived notions that might have been present if a modified map of Europe was actually used.

Regardless of this accepted reality—as dark and impossible as this kind of world seems—the common men and women of the world have come to terms with their environment. They come together in communities, have children and witness deaths, both natural and grotesque, but most importantly are the value of living for today and looking forward to the next day, one day at a time.

Then there are the not-so-common men and women. These individuals refuse to accept their world as it is. They struggle to bring about the possibility of more glorious days; abolishing evil where it lurks, leading relief armies to battle across blasted lands, defending cities from offended dragons—these figures are called Prodigies and are the new heroes and villains of Hellmouth.

The Rough Beginnings

The World of Hellmouth is a startup idea with many “learning steps” to take along the way that all have a potential financial lose if the business model is not effective enough to break even. Believe it or not, this project is more than anything a project of love. Years have gone into its creative development including a hefty financial commitment. My desire to see starting writers and artists have a place to launch their ideas and build up their portfolio is a top priority! Any profit this project may make will be re-injected into the funding of new works, either print or web based.

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