Earth

"The sum of our joy and our suffering, thousands of trusting religions, ideologies and economics, every hunter and gatherer, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and champion, every young couple of lovers, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every ethics professor, every corrupt politician, every "superstar", every "supreme leader", every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there - in a speck of dust suspended in a ray of Sun."

- Carl Sagan.

The Earth is a planet created by God with the aid of many lesser creation deities that respectively supports a large variety of life, including bacteria, humans, vegetation, and even intelligent animals.

Overview
It is the only planet to hold more than one pantheon on it. It is one of many planets within the Human Realm. The planet is nearly 5 billion years old and is located in the Solar System, within the Milky Way Galaxy. The Earth is characterized by its extensive bio diversity and it's range of environments across the globe, each of which have come to be inhabited by the Human species. Entities like angels and demons can manifest on Earth via possession in the use of vessels. Others can appear physically by assuming human form.

In the history of the Earth, biodiversity has gone through long periods of expansion, occasionally punctuated by mass extinction events. Over 99% of all the species of life that ever lived on Earth are extinct. Estimates of the number of species on Earth today vary widely; most species have not been described. Over 7.3 billion humans live on Earth and depend on its biosphere and minerals for their survival. Humanity has developed diverse societies and cultures; politically, the world is divided into about 200 sovereign states.

Description
Humans are the dominant species on the planet. They are often considered as one of the greatest creations of God, and unlike angels and demons, they are neutral in the war between Heaven and Hell, not including hunters whom are aware of the supernatural occurrence. Though many humans worship God and believe in the existence of Heaven and Hell as well as the occult, most remain unaware of the many supernatural entities roaming the planet.

As humans roam the Earth, so do monsters. Monsters often spend their time preying or toying with the humans, seeing them as nothing but playthings or food. While they are only known through legend, the monsters keep their existence secret by hiding themselves or posing as humans. Over the ages, humans have come to worship various Earth Deities who either rule over the planet as gods, or are themselves embodiments of the earth which may manifest either as life giving motherly figures or destructive beasts.

Humans believe the Earth to be an oblate spheroid, flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator. Modern calculation estimate the Earths width to be 12,756km at the equator and 12,714km from pole to pole and this rounded up to 13,000km. However, it is revealed by Odin that the Earth is far larger than humankind believes. He elaborates that satellites and modern technologies can only perceive a fraction of the Earth, and that its true size is hidden by mystical barriers that create a mass illusion of the Earth being smaller than it actually is.

During the ancient times of man, when the Convergence first set upon the orbital rings of the planet, various realms that housed creaures and beings of mythical lore overlapped with the material plane of the Earth allowing them safe passage unto the planet and establish contact with mortals for the first time. The overlapping of these realms, which were akin to discs, molded the Earth on a more metaphysical level which further explains as to why the Earth is much larger than it seems. Vast portions of the Earth are unable to be reached unless accessed through specific gateways that connect these hidden locations to the rest of the planet, remaining otherwise invisible to humankind.

History
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void; the planet was in a disorganized state like a flaming ball in space, the world was chaotic, lifeless, strange and ultra hot, it was a ball of molten rock orbiting a newborn star. The spirit of God breathed upon the face of the flaming abyss. Until then, another planet began to approach the Earth, its name was Theia, approximately the size of Mars and, it was going faster than a bullet towards the planet and the planetary collision was inevitable, with the two spheres colliding and Theia being totally destroyed and Earth getting twice as small.

After the collision between the two planets, the Earth began to stabilize and, in time, the debris around the Earth ended up merging into a white sphere of rock and stone that orbits the planet to this day, the Moon. Over time, several asteroids and meteorites began to fall on planet Earth, with each containing at least a drop of water. Over the course of millions of years with the Earth being bombarded by asteroids, the planet was covered by a large ocean of water, those were the primordial oceans.

Within the first billion years of Earth's history, life appeared in the oceans and began to affect the atmosphere and surface, leading to the proliferation of aerobic and anaerobic organisms. Some geological evidence indicates that life may have arisen as much as 4.1 billion years ago. Since then, the combination of Earth's distance from the Sun, physical properties, and geological history have allowed life to evolve and thrive.

Much of the Earth was molten because of frequent collisions with other bodies which led to extreme volcanism. A "giant impact" collision with a planet-sized body is thought to have been responsible for forming the Moon. Over time, the Earth cooled, causing the formation of a solid crust, and allowing liquid water to exist on the surface. In this time period, Angels and Demons were able to manifest in their true forms and one angel was even said to have kept a dinosaur as pet.

During the dawn of creation, it is said that when Cain murdered his brother Abel out of rage and jealousy, the Earth itself was said to be cursed with Abel's very blood, which was spilled from the massacre. The emergence of the first murder committed by Adam and Eve's first born, would later spread throughout the land and infect those who possess a darkness within their hearts.

Biblical Account
According to the Bible, the Earth was intended by God to be the pinnacle of Creation and a symbol of his dominance over the forces of Chaos. However, due to the sins of mankind the Earth became tainted by corruption, transforming the harmony in nature into a viscous cycle between predator and prey, death and survival. Now the Earth serves as the battleground between Angels and Demons for the eternal souls of mankind.

Shortly after humans were banished from the Garden of Eden, Cain murdered his brother Abel out of rage and jealousy. The Earth again became cursed, this time with Abel's very blood. The emergence of the first murder committed by Adam and Eve's first born, would later spread throughout the land and infect those who possess a darkness within their hearts.

Eventually, the descendants of Adam and Eve became so numerous and sinful that God sent down a deluge known as the Great Flood, sparring only Noah a swell a few other faithful humans and 2 members of each animal species, because they had sought refuge in Noah's Ark as God had commanded. The Flood lasted for 30 days and 30 nights, during which the Earth was sent into turmoil and upheaval that shook it to its very core. When the waters finally retreated, the landscape of the Earth was completely transformed, and a new beginning for life on Earth commenced.

Aztec Account
According to the Aztecs, in the beginning the universe was just a giant empty Void hovering over primordial ocean that was home to the Primordials. Of the three reptilian brothers, Cipactli was the least enthusiastic about the arrival of gods into the cosmos. Whenever the deities made anything, it would fall into the ocean and Cipactli would devour it completely.

The gods were forced to come up with a plan that involved Tezcatlipoca luring Cipactli to the surface by using his leg as bait. This resulted in the deity losing the limb in the process, but in turn the four gods attacked and killed Cipactli, afterwards turning his body into the Earth. However Cipactli isn't fully dead, so the gods have vowed to offer him blood sacrifices continually least he return to wreck havoc upon the gods once again.

Nations on Earth

 * Agartha - A kingdom within the Hollow Earth.
 * Akkad - An ancient Mesopotamian empire.
 * Assyria - A major Mesopotamian kingdom and empire.
 * Atlantis - Ancient island-empire in the Atlantic Ocean.
 * Australia - A sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania.
 * Avalon - An Enigmatic kingdom of the Fae that is believed to be ruled by Morgan Le Fay.
 * Aztec Empire - An alliance of three city states.
 * Babylonia - An ancient Akkadian speaking state and cultural area.
 * Brazil - Largest country in South America.
 * Canaan - A Semitic-speaking civilization and region in the Ancient Near East.
 * China - A country in East Asia.
 * Egypt - Ancient empire who used to be ruled over by a Pharaoh in North Africa.
 * Estonia - A country on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe.
 * Finland - A Nordic country located in Northern Europe.
 * Germany - A country in Central and Western Europe where the Norse live.
 * Ghana - A country along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean, in the sub region of West Africa.
 * Greece - A country located in Southeast Europe.
 * Hungary - A country in Central Europe.
 * Inca Empire - The largest empire in pre-Columbian America.
 * India - A country in South Asia where Hinduism is a major religion.
 * Iran - Also called Persia, a country in Western Asia.
 * Ireland - An island in the North Atlantic, separated from Great Britain, where the Celts live.
 * Israel - State of the Jewish people of God, which was ruled by Jewish kings like Solomon.
 * Italy - Italian Republic, where the Roman Empire was and where Rome currently is.
 * Japan - An island country of East Asia in the northwest Pacific Ocean.
 * Korea - A region in East Asia.
 * Lemuria - Ancient continent-empire in the Indian Ocean.
 * Maya Civilization - A Mesoamerican civilization developed by the Maya peoples.
 * Mexico - Country located between the United States and Central America.
 * Mu - Ancient continent-empire in the Pacific Ocean.
 * Pohjola - Ancient pre-Finnish nation ruled by Louhi.
 * Roman Empire - Ancient Mediterranean empire.
 * Russia - A transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia where the Slavs live.
 * Samoa - Independent state of Samoa.
 * Saudi Arabia - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
 * Sumer - One of the earliest known civilizations in Mesopotamia.
 * Teotihuacan - An ancient Mesoamerican city.
 * Turkey - A transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia.
 * United States - North American nations, currently the only superpower of Earth.
 * Vainola - Ancient pre-Finnish nation ruled by Väinämöinen.
 * Vietnam - A country in Southeast Asia and the easternmost country.
 * Zothique - Future continent known through the words of Clark Ashton Smith.

Other Locations

 * Primordial Waters - The rings of water that were around the globe.
 * Hollow Earth - A space within the Earth that houses civilizations unknown to outer Earth.

Quotes

 * "Look at this point again. It's here, it's our home, it's us. In it, everyone you love, everyone you know, anyone you've heard of, every human being who ever lived, lived their lives. (…) There is, perhaps, no better demonstration of foolish human presumption than this distant image of our tiny world. For me, it highlights our responsibility to be kinder to each other, and to preserve and protect the "pale blue dot", the only home we know today." - Carl Sagan.


 * "This planet is beautiful in a trillion different ways. The last perfect handiwork of God. And yet, it's a world full of gods and monsters. Overseen by angels and terrorized by demons. All kinds of unnatural things running amok amongst humanity in the darkness and on the other side of the curtain. Hate to say it but if it was just us living out normal lives like on TV... it'd be boring." - Steven A. Starphase.


 * "Why? Why would I want to destroy this stunning thing? Beautiful in a trillion different ways. The last perfect handiwork of God." - Lucifer professes his love for Earth.


 * "Beautiful, isn't it? God's last handwork and the most radiant jewel among his creations. By the Source, just looking at it makes me sick." - Azathoth.


 * "And God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good." - Genesis 1:31.


 * "So many things have happened on this planet, I've witnessed so many things... I remember being on the beach, watching the waves of primordial waters and those fish came to the surface, and my older brother telling me "don't hurt the fish, Gabriel, big plans for the fish". I remember Cain and Abel and of the Great Flood, the firmament opening up and covering the planet with water again. I remember the Tower of Babel. This planet carries so many stories, it was supposed to be just another planet in the Universe, but it became the stage for the greatest events in the Universe." - Gabriel during the Apocalypse.


 * "The world of uncertainties. Earth is a place where everything is a mystery and nothing is concrete. As Solomon said, everything is an illusion! Order, chaos, neutrality, the universe that changes or the observation of humanity that changes the universe? What if God was in fact just another one of the Canaanite gods and all of a sudden we put him above all others? And if the Earth was indeed a flat disk until Eratosthenes came along and said "hmmm, it's a ball" and boom, the Earth turned into a circular and round sphere. Who came first, God or humanity? What is truth? Maybe we will never know. This is the world of uncertainties." - Virgo Durand Leroy.

Trivia

 * Most ancient peoples personified the Earth through various goddesses, for example: Asherah, Astarte, Inanna, Ishtar, Gaia and Terra, and so on.

Image Sources

 * (Planet Earth.png) Planet Earth by michalmarekk
 * (Bluemarble3k-smaller-nasa custom-644f0b7082d6d0f6814a9e82908569c07ea55ccb-s800-c85.jpg) Photo of Earth by NASA
 * (The Planet Earth.jpg) The Planet Earth by shumworld
 * (Earth and City Lights.jpg) Earth and City Lights by shumworld
 * (The Earth.jpg) Photo of Earth from Space by ???
 * (Earth.jpg) Photo of Saturn by NASA
 * (19605.jpg) Photo of a Solar Eclipse by ???