the world for sinners

from /hhg/ Helluva Hotel General #911
talking about helluva boss ep 7 - part 8
https://pastebin.com/FR7dBC8E
-------------
Bit of a dark idea I had to flesh out the world for sinners

Despite what many would think, Pentagram City DOES in fact have laws. Most of them only exist to enrich the coffers of municipal governments, which are frequently broken. A few however, stand out as being unbreakable. In order to keep the gears of hells social structure turning, the various lords and princes of hell, under the auspice of Lucifer himself, elected to create a paramilitary service in order to keep the population in check. By today, over years of various consolidations and mergers the organization is now known as the Pentagram City Metropolitan Police Force.

Unlike what the name suggests, however, the PCMPD was not set up like a traditional police force. Although they did partake in investigations and law enforcement, this was mostly in service of various patron overlords who acted as a combination of shareholder and bureaucrat. Precincts and counties are established not as subdivisions for political representation but as a more official and "civilized" way of designating administration. Although each precinct will have varying laws depending on which overlord, prince or warlord is governing, most will have a significant degree of overlap. Usually the PCMPD can be found breaking up homeless camps, "managing" potential rival businesses and enforcing draconian petty laws.

The actual makeup of the PCMPD, despite pulling from individuals across thousands of years of human history is actually relatively uniform, by design. Getting in requires proof of previous military and/or law enforcement service, with a combination of both being preferable. Individuals within the PCMPD are generously rewarded for their service, receiving condominium housing that is usually far away from the gang wars and chaos of Pentagram Cities civilians, as well as a generous wage and insurance benefits. For many, joining the PCMPD is usually their only way out of the squalor, decay and violence of hell.

Cont.
-
The combination of isolation from the general population, coupled with the relative mono-culture and extensive privileges granted to PCMPD officers fosters a significant "us and them" culture within. By design, this leads to members gradually losing any sense of empathy for their fellow man.

However, being within the PCMPD is absolutely not a guarantee whatsoever and promotions come just as easily as termination. Although inter department competition is relatively subdued compared to other businesses in hell, there is still nonetheless no promises that you will be kept on board. This leads to officers being absolutely willing and able to do anything to stay within the organization. This, in tandem with the aforementioned in-group/out-group culture allows for PCMPD officers to fulfill their true purpose.

It is no secret that slavery is the lifeblood of hells economy. Without a permanent, disposable unpaid workforce, hells economy would grind to a halt overnight. Vox Industries, as an example, utilizes slavery for over 80% of its total workforce, mainly within its various sweatshops across hell. Valentino's Valiant Enterprises, as another, mostly relies on indentured servants and debtors as fresh inductees. The worse the sinners credit score, the more likely they are to participate in one of VVE's notorious snuff films.

It would come as no surprise then that most sinners forced into this program would try their hardest to leave something as monstrous as this. Despite what you would hear from the Velvet Media Corporations various journalistic groups, most Overlords are actually incapable of plugging these leaks on their own and require significant assistance from outside groups. Exactly the role the PCMPD was created to fulfill. Within the overlords various territories, the PCMPD will set to work. Sinners incapable of paying off debts, the homeless or even those who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
-
>catching slaves
>supporting corporate overlords
>"us and them" mentality
So, like the vast majority of the US police force, condensed and without any pretenses to "serve and protect"?
---
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/643545780967309333/907057323044929576/1636328399074.png

It doesn't matter how an officer feels about this, they know, consciously or not that their job depends on doing whatever is asked of them. Their motto, "To Enforce and To Maintain" is a deliberate, mocking twist of the traditional motto "To Protect and To Serve". Indeed, the PCMPDs goal is simply to act as modern slave drivers for hells elite.

Even more, the organization has rightfully been given a nickname by Pentagrams sinners, Buffalo Soldiers, named after the all Black members of the US 10th cavalry regiment.
Their job, especially during their early days as free Black Men was to enforce the will of DC in the USA's Indian territories. Today, the PCMPDs apt nickname accurately describes the formerly oppressed being turned on those who needed to be oppressed.

For an officer of the PCMPD, life is not easy. Many can easily remember their first years in hell, the uncertainty, fear and pain. Hearing stories of their fellow man being abducted in the night, sold off into chattel slavery, ripped apart by angelic blades or simply crushed under the grinding weight of hell.

Overwhelmingly they came from extreme poverty, living in cars, crammed into cellars with a dozen others or even making due with a sheet of corrugated metal and a tarp resting against a wall. Untreated PTSD, drug and alcohol abuse and emotional disorders are rife in both recruits and within those currently serving. Despite nominally possessing a union, it serves no purpose other than to simply exist on paper. They all carry the knowledge that one refused order or even hesitation will result in immediate termination, sometimes in the most literal sense.

Being a Buffalo Soldier is not an easy life, but for many, its the best chance they have.
-
And now this is threadcanon.
This is cool and good job on the text and the logo

By the way, how do the natives play into this? Can they become slaves or officers as well? Or is this just a sinner run kind of deal with the exception of the higher ups.
-
Imps are fully welcomed to join and in many cases will actually get preferential treatment, as the organization in its modern form was spearheaded by Satan himself. Hellhounds on the other hand are far closer to sinners in how well they're treated, but its still marginally better.

Imps are most commonly found in bureaucratic and investigative positions, usually in homicide division, financial investigation or straight command. Hellhounds, due to their tanky physique and strength are the preferred members of the PCMPD SWAT unit. Per say if someone like Sir Pentious was tearing it up in one of Vox's area's the SWAT unit would be sent in to rectify the situation.

Sinners are a mixed bag, usually you can find them almost anywhere but they mostly are doing more mundane on the ground activity like patrol or traffic work.
---
This is cool and I like
But I'm pretty sure Viv probably didn't put in any kind of police force in Hell. Might be wrong though
---
Also forgot to mention since I'm a dum bass. The sigil you see on the PCMPD patch is of Seir. Seir in the Ars Goetian mythology can appear anywhere on Earth in a matter of moments, bring wealth to the conjurer and help find hidden treasure or help in robbery. Although technically not evil, he's indifferent to evil itself.