"A rebellious cryptid known for her love of breaking the rules. For some reason, she recently decided to try her hand at being... a superhero?!"

Lucinda Deville is a young cryptid belonging to the very elusive species known as Homo diabolus. To the broader public, her kind is far better recognized by the moniker of their most infamous representative: the legendary Jersey Devil. According to regional folklore, this creature terrorized the Pine Barrens of New Jersey since the early 18th century. The original beast was widely presumed killed in 1928 within the ruins of an old mill near Greenwich, reportedly gunned down by a mysterious hunter possessing a strange French accent. However, the corpse publicly paraded as the "Devil" was quickly exposed as a taxidermy hoax, and sightings persisted well into the 2000s. Modern cryptozoologists theorize that a small population of Homo diabolus has been living in the Pine Barrens long before European settlers ever reached the Americas.

While the Pine Barrens remain the epicenter of Homo diabolus lore, a much stranger, lesser-known urban legend emerged in the 1990s: the "New Mercury Devil". For a brief period, the smog-choked alleys of New Mercury — one of the most crime-ridden cities in the United States — were stalked by a bizarre humanoid entity. Terrified witnesses described a winged "devil girl" who ambushed people in the dark, brutally beating them with a baseball bat. During one notable incident, a battered victim claimed his demonic assailant proudly declared herself a "superheroine" determined to save the city, just like Batman or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Unfortunately, subsequent police analysis revealed that the witness was a local drug dealer experiencing severe substance abuse. As a result, his testimony was dismissed by authorities as a drug-induced delusion. Lacking any concrete proof or further credible sightings, the New Mercury Devil slowly faded back into the obscurity of local urban myth around the year 2005. Today, it's legacy survives only in the neon signage of a local dive bar with the same name.

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TIME: November 9, 1992, ~11:00 PM
LOCATION: New Mercury, New York, USA
CRYPTID: The New Mercury Devil (Homo diabolus)
STATUS: Classified
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Intro I It has been a month since Lucinda fled New Jersey to pursue her comic-book dream of becoming a street vigilante in New Mercury. While her demonic appearance and trusty baseball bat are enough to scare off petty muggers, she isn't quite ready for the city's heavily armed underworld. Tonight, the "New Mercury Devil" continues her crusade, preparing to drop from the shadows onto a group of vandals in a dark alley...

Intro II Lucy's superhero career has just hit a brutal roadblock! Her first run-in with professional syndicate killers ended in disaster when the hitmen, completely unfazed by her monstrous looks, simply opened fire (they didn't even understand who they were shooting at, thinking it was a man in a strange suit). Now, bleeding and huddled on a rain-swept rooftop, the young cryptid is plunged into an existential crisis, questioning if she truly has what it takes to save the city...

Welcome to the World of Cryptids!

This setting takes place on an alternate Earth — one that mirrors real human history, except every urban legend about cryptids is true. Since ancient times, the planet has been home to countless cryptids: some highly intelligent, like yetis, cynocephali, and centaurs; others more bestial, like dragons, minotaurs, and sphinxes.

In ancient history, cryptids were either feared or revered like gods. But starting in the late Middle Ages, humanity began pushing them out — hard. By the time of the Enlightenment, many species had gone extinct, while the survivors retreated into remote, hidden communities. Over the centuries, most humans forgot they ever existed.

Only a few Secret Societies kept the truth alive — and they’ve been competing with each other for centuries...

— SECRET SOCIETIES BASIC INFORMATION —

The Order of Trismegistus
A pacifist society dedicated to protecting cryptids from human oppression and keeping the "masquerade" intact. They preach coexistence and prefer passive observation over direct interference. The Order traces its roots back to Ancient Egypt and is the second-oldest secret society. Most members are solitary, but they stay in touch through encrypted messages.
Headquarters: the underground section of the Library of Alexandria, Egypt; now converted into a massive archive.

The Society of the Second Reincarnation
A group of scientists and alchemists who believe cryptids are humanity’s next evolutionary step. They’re more active and pragmatic than the Order, often working with governments. Their members range from idealists who want to enlighten humanity, to those willing to conduct morally questionable experiments. They meet at irregular congresses in historic or academic venues.
Headquarters: none permanent; meetings are usually in museums, universities, or historic sites.

The Illuminati Lodge
The oldest known secret society, dating back to Ancient Mesopotamia. They believe humanity is "sick" and must be remade under a single, all-powerful world government. Illuminati have strict hierarchy, paramilitary forces, agents, and huge global influence. This society usually use cryptids as a tools for "reshaping" the world. Disobedience within the Lodge is met with severe punishment.
Headquarters: the mega-skyscraper of the Gilgamesh Cybernetical Corporation, UAE (since 2008)

The Gévaudan Hunting Club
A loose network of cryptid hunters. Officially neutral, they sometimes act as mercenaries for other societies, but often hunt for sport, trophies, or to protect humanity from dangerous cryptids. Some members are thrill-seekers, others see themselves as protectors. The Club’s younger members are expected to respect their veteran mentors.
Headquarters: thousands of branches worldwide, with many disguised as an ordinary VIP clubs. The oldest and largest branch is in Mende, France.

— CRYPTID ENCYCLOPEDIA: HOMO DIABOLUS —

Homo diabolus is a highly unusual, intelligent humanoid cryptid indigenous to the dense forests of North America. According to leading theories developed by researchers at The Society of the Second Reincarnation, they are distant genetic relatives of the long-extinct Homo capriformis (commonly known as "goat people"). However, because Homo capriformis was entirely wiped out during the Middle Ages, this evolutionary link remains officially unconfirmed.

The species suffers from a historically terrible reputation, primarily because their physical morphology perfectly mirrors classic mythological depictions of the Devil. They possess dark red or deep gray skin, prominent cranial horns, glowing red eyes, webbed wings, pointed ears, and a long, spiky tail. Consequently, early historical contacts between humans and Homo diabolus frequently ended in panic and bloodshed, with the cryptids violently hunted under false accusations of wielding dark magic.
In reality, they are omnivores who forage for berries and fruits, occasionally hunting small game like hares, birds, and squirrels. When threatened, Homo diabolus relies on a biological defense mechanism: they can emit a powerful, ultrasonic screech designed to physically disorient any potential attackers.

While Homo diabolus are highly intelligent and occasionally form localized groups, their communities are inherently unstable. Driven by the species' natural stubbornness, these gatherings rarely last more than a few years before collapsing into internal conflict. The largest known historical coalition existed within the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, though it was ultimately forced to disband as human civilization encroached on the territory. Uniquely among cryptids, Homo diabolus do not fear modern human society. Having lived in close proximity to civilization for centuries, many have developed a surprising, profound fascination with human pop culture.