Azarath (Ultimate Earth)

Azarath was an interdimensional realm that existed between the planes of known reality.

Origin
It was once a veritable paradise with blue-green skies and crimson clouds. The streets were paved in solid marble and the buildings were accented with columns of pure gold. Hundreds upon hundreds of years ago, a mysterious woman known as Azar convinced a group of Earth humans to abandon the ways of man and embrace a world of peace and prosperity. Whether Azar was herself a native of Earth, or whether she originally hailed from Azarath itself has never been revealed. Leading her charges from Earth to Azarath, she guided and taught them the ways of peace for more than two centuries. These men and women established the Temple of Azarath and formed a mystic society. Ages ago, they decided to purge their bodies of all evil.

Using mystical incantations, they exorcised the darker passions from the souls and cast it out beyond the Great Door into Limbo. These discarded dark emotions did not dissipate into the ether however. They coalesced and merged together, flowing between the endless dimensions beyond the Great Door. In another dimension, these dark forces were summoned during a mystic ceremony and they took physical form for the first time. This being called itself Trigon and proved to be an incomprehensible strong and powerful inter-dimensional demon of the highest order.

After serving as the spiritual leader of the people of Azarath for more than two hundred years, Azar passed away. When she died, her name, title and spirit were passed along to her own daughter, who in turn shepherded the people of Azarath for an additional three hundred years. Following the tradition, the second Azar's daughter (also named Azar) assumed the role of spiritual leader and continued to guide the people of Azarath into the modern era.

Arrival of Raven
Over two decades ago on Earth, a woman named Angela Roth had fallen in with an occult circle. Though they were rank amateurs in the field of Satanic ritual, they nevertheless attempted to summon the Devil. What they succeeded in conjuring was far worse. Trigon emerged and took Angela Roth as his bride. He left her pregnant with his child then abandoned her, patiently awaiting the day when he could call his offspring to his side. Trigon manipulated the priests of Azarath to journey to Earth in search of Angela Roth. He knew that the mother of his soon-to-born child would be safe under the care of these pacifists. They found Angela and brought her to Azarath where she was renamed Arella (the Messenger Angel).

Not everyone in Azarath was pleased to know that the wife of Trigon was among them. But Azar and High Magistrate Coman realized that should the child of Trigon be allowed to grow on Earth, her existence would threaten all life on that planet, and indeed, the entire universe as well. Shortly thereafter, Arella gave birth to a daughter who was provided an Azarathian name - Raven. From the very moment that Raven was born, the entire reality of Azarath changed forever. Raven once described the moment of her birth and its effects on Azarath. "Its emerald skies turned black as death itself. The sweet smell of Gossamer became the pungent odor of Brimstone. Our world shook and rumbled with protest. And peace turned to fear. Life became death."

The Magistrate of Food Production, Juris, felt that Raven's existence threatened the sanctity on all life on Azarath. To safeguard his people, he elected to break Azarath's most sacred law - the taking of a human life. Snatching Raven from her nursemaid, he attempted to hurl the child through the Great Door into the Limbo realm separating Azarath from other dimensional worlds and planets. Upon opening the door however, he exposed himself to the incomprehensible power of Trigon who disintegrated him with a mystical magical blast of golden glowing energy. Raven however, was unharmed.

Azar took it upon herself to personally raise Raven. Aware that Raven possessed the power and ability to freely control and manipulate emotions, she realized that the only way to safeguard the child was to deny her the power and ability to feel any emotion. She mentored Raven for ten years before old age finally caught up with Azar and she passed away. On her deathbed, Azar gave Arella the duty of continuing Raven's education.

Over the next several years, Raven felt her father's evil influence slowly growing inside of her. When she was eighteen-years-old, she entered the Temple of Azarath, opened the Great Door and encountered her father for the very first time. This meeting prompted Raven to manifest her soul self for the very first time - that part of herself that was of her father. Realizing the danger that Trigon truly represented, Raven fled Azarath and came to Earth where she sought help in one would day that become a great battle.

Points of Interests

 * Temple of Azarath: The Temple of Azarath (also referred to as simply Temple Azarath) was more akin to a city than an actual temple. This was wear the people of Azarath lived and prayed. Raven was born and raised here, and her mother Arella stayed her for a period of time as well.
 * Great Door: Within the Temple of Azarath there stood a giant portal to the nether-realms. It was here that a concerned Juris attempted to expel the infant Raven into the ether. Upon opening the door however, the power of Trigon disintegrated him, but spared the child.
 * Tomb of Azar: This was the resting place of all those who went by the name of Azar. It was located near the Temple Azarath.