Pylea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 The two suns of Pylea |
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| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Universe | Buffyverse |
| Notable Races | Humans Vantals Pyleans Hellhounds |
| Notable People | Lorne The Groosalugg Numfar |
| Creator | Joss Whedon |
| Genre | Television |
In the fictional universe established by the television series Angel, Pylea is a world in an alternate dimension where demons are the dominant life form and humans are treated as animals to be used as beasts of burden or even food. In fact, the Pylean word for humankind appears to be "cow." It is notable as the home world of the character Lorne, who fled in search of a more peaceful existence elsewhere.
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[edit] Laws of metaphysics on Pylea
The laws of metaphysics on Pylea are different in such a way that the light of its two suns are not harmful to vampires, which are referred to by the natives as "Vantal." Vantal also differ from earthly vampires in that they have a reflection and they evince an even more demonic visage and personality when they "vamp out." This may indicate that the human and demon sides of a vampire are more sharply divided in Pylea; when Angel "vamps out" there, it causes him to lose control over himself.
[edit] Pylean Society
There are different kinds of society in Pylea:
[edit] Demons
Pylean demon society is pseudo-medieval and other than the treatment of humans, would seem familiar to most fantasy enthusiasts. It is a realm of swords and sorcery and epic quests, where heroes and champions are expected to prove their worth regularly in perilous circumstances.
The overwhelming downfall of the society is its intense xenophobia, which is marked by the Pylean demons' adverse reaction to mention of details of non-Pylean anatomy (for instance, the fact that other species might keep their hearts in their chest, rather than their rump). Hellhounds, which are a danger in Angel's dimension, have been domesticated in this one.
Strangely, while Pylean society has no concept of music (and in fact the average Pylean is incapacitated by the sound of singing), some Pyleans appear to use silly ritual dance to express deep emotion, as when the character of Numfar (played by series creator Joss Whedon) is told by his mother to do "the dance of joy" and "the dance of shame."
[edit] Humans
Pylean humans are controlled by yoke-like mystical collars. A device controlled by the demonic priests of the realm gave them the ultimate power of potentially slaying all the enslaved "cows" at once, through the medium of said collars. The enslaved were expected to act like animals and were not permitted to speak.
Humans who ran away from their owners, such as Winifred Burkle, were hunted diligently to discourage uprisings. The penalty for this was apparently death, and it was implied that the slaughtered "animal" would be consumed as any other.
At least some of the demons of Pylea are capable of mating with humans, although having "cow blood" was considered a terrible stigma. The Groosalugg, a champion in the mold of Conan the Barbarian, had to strive long and hard to overcome the shame of his human heritage, made all too clear by his handsome looks, which were considered revolting by his world's standards.
The plight of Pylean humans may be improved by the events following the end of Angel's second season, when the priests were deposed and Groosalugg briefly took the throne. He was later overthrown and replaced by a republican government.
