A STORYTELLING GAME OF INFERNAL GLORY
CREDITS Designers: Andrew Bates, K en Cliffe, Mich ael Lee, Rich Thomas, Steve Wieck Authors: William Brinkman, David Carroll, Steve Kenson, Michael Lee, Joshua Mosquiera-Asheim, Patrick O'Duffy, Lu cien Soulban, Greg Stolze and Adam Tinworth. World of Darkness created by Mark Rein•Hagen Storyteller game system designed b y Mark Rein•Hagen Developer: Mich ael Lee Editor: Carl Bow en Art Director: Pauline Benney Layout and Typesetting: Pauline Benney Interior Art: Jason Alexander, Tom Baxa, Leanne Buckley, Maria Cabardo, Marko Djurdjevic, Steve Ellis, Mark Jackson, Matt Millberger, Ken Myer Jr, RK Post, Jeff Rebner. Front Cover: Pauline Benney Back Cover: Pauline Benney Playtesters: Andrew Bates, Carl Bowen, John Chambers, Micah Chandler, Lisa Ch arlton, Carrie Easley, Susan Gillotti, Janet Lee, Jim McCann, Matt McFarland, Paul Marshall, Scott Mizis, Sue Mizis, Ripper Moo re and Fred Yelk
DISCLAIMER Demon: The Fallen is a game. Like a board game, you play it around a table with friends. Th e differen ce here is that there is no board, and there may not even be any pieces. It's still a game, though. It is not real life. Monsters are th e produ cts of our imaginations—they are not real. You are not a d emon. It's that simple. If you can't distinguish reality from fantasy, put this book down and walk away. For everyon e else, have fun.
This document was made for th e love of th e game, and not for p rofit. Credit h as been given where credit was due to the o riginal creators and owners, and the creator o f this document has gain ed (and will gain) nothing of monetary value for his work, nor is this work intended fo r trade, barter, or sale. Created b y Darodine - 9/1/2010
© 2002 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprodu ction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be rep roduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire, Vampire the Masquerad e, Vampire the Dark Ages, Mage th e Ascension, Hunter the Reckoning, World of Darkness and Aberrant are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, In c. All rights reserved. W erewolf the Apo calypse, W raith the Oblivion, Changeling th e Dreaming, Werewolf the Wild W est, Mage the Sorcerers Crusade, W raith the Great War, Trinity, Y ear of the Damned and Demon the Fallen are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All characters, n ames, places and text h erein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, In c. The mention of or referen ce to any company o r produ ct in these pages is not a ch allenge to the trad emark o r cop yright con cerned. This book uses the supernatural fo r settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Read er discretion is advised. For a free White Wolf catalog call 1-800-454- W OLF. Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com; alt.games.whitewolf and rec.games.frp. story teller PRINTED IN CANADA.
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
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CHAPTER ONE: FIAT LUX
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CHAPTER TWO: BETTER TO RULE IN HELL
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CHAPTER THREE: HOUSES OF DARKNESS
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CHAPTER FOUR: FEET OF CLAY
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CHAPTER FIVE: EYES OF FIRE
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CHAPTER SIX: DEUS EX MACHINA
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I said to my soul, be still, and let the darkness come upon you. Which is the darkness of God. —T. S. Eliot, East Coker History, as the saying go es, is written by the victors. Wheth er an uprising is seen as a glorious rebellion or a treacherous insurrection dep ends entirely on who held the upper h and at the end, with the losers consigned to posterity as traitors, tyrants or worse. Their story is largely fo rgotten. We are told that demons are the in carnations of evil, spirits who exist to sedu ce the inno cent and lure the virtuous to destru ction. They are driven by a relentless hate of all things holy, consumed by a malevolent hatred of light and life. Th ey are th e purveyors of lies and misdirection, clouding the minds of mortals with promises of power and glory. At least, that's what the good book says. That's why they were hurled into the darkness of the Pit, bound in chains of fire until the end of days. Only God knows what would happen if these evil spirits were ever freed. Now mankind is about to hear the other side of the story. The book you hold is the core rulebook fo r Demon: The Fallen, a storytelling game from White Wolf Publishing. With the rules in this book, you and your friends can assume the roles of monstrous
demons and tell stories about your ch aracters' hopes, fears, triumphs and failures. In a storytelling game, players create ch aracters using the rules in this book, th en take those ch aracters through dramas and adventures called (appropriately enough) stories. Stories are told through a combination of the wish es of the players and the directives of the Storyteller. In many ways, storytelling resembles games like How to Host a Murder Mystery. Each player takes th e role of a character — in this case, a fallen angel in possession of a mortal body — and engages in a form of improvisational theater by saying wh at the d emon would say and describing what the demon would do. Most of this pro cess is freeform —players can have their ch aracters say or do whatever they like, as long as the dialogue or actions are consistent with a character's personality and abilities. The su ccess of certain actions, however, is best d etermined through the use of dice and the rules presented in this book. Whenever rules and story con flict, story wins. Use the rules only as much — or preferably as little — as you need to tell thrilling tales of terror, action and triumph.
LIVE ACTION Most Demon games take place around a tabletop, and the players d escrib e what their characters say and do. Games can also b e conducted through liveaction play, however. This exciting fo rm of gaming bears similarities to improvisational theater, in that players actually dress as their characters and act out their ch aracters' scenes as though they w ere actors in a play. Th erefore, rather than saying, "My character walks over to th e table and picks up the an cient do cument," you, the player, actually get up, walk over to a prop erly decorated table and pick up the "an cient do cument." (That do cument is probably a prop created by th e Storyteller — for example, a piece of parchment that's been sco rch ed around the edges and "aged," with a co ating of flour "dust.") A Storyteller still guides the action and directs the plot. He d escribes special features of the setting and oversees challenges the ch aracters undergo, and he may interrupt the action at an y time. Live-action roleplaying does not typically use dice. Alternative systems, such as those p resented in White Wolfs Mind's Eye Th eatre lin e of products, take the place of dice when d etermining the results of ch allenges. Most situations are resolved simply through acting and th e Storyteller's decisions.
SAFEGUARDS Some rules are necessary to ensure that liveaction play is safe and enjoyable fo r all participants and onlookers. Unlike any other rules in this book, these rules must be followed.
No Tou ching: Period. All combat and physical interaction must be handled through dice or other abstract systems. Players must never strike, grapple or otherwise tou ch anyone during the game. It is th e Sto ryteller's responsibility to call a time-out if on e or more players grow o verly rambunctious.
No Weapons: Props such as hats, p eriod dress and can es are great in a live-action game. Weapons are not. No knives, no swords and nothing that even remotely resembles a firearm. Don't even bring fake swords, squirt guns or foam-rubber weapons. If your ch aracter must carry a "w eapon," take an index card and w rite "gun" or "sword" o r whatever on it. During combat ch allenges, present th e card to th e Storyteller, who adjudicates its use in play.
Play in a Designated Area: Live-action is meant to be played in the home or other
predetermined spot. Don't involve onlookers in the game, and make sure everyon e in the area, or anyon e passing through the area, understands exactly what you're doing. A game can look disturbing, even frightening, to people who aren't aware of what's going on. Don't try to sho ck o r intimidate passersby. Such behavior is not only immature, it could lead to w ell-deserved prosecution.
Know When to Stop: If the Storyteller calls for a time-out or other break in the action, stop immediately. The Storyteller remains the final arbiter of all events in the game. Likewise, when the game session ends, put away your costume and call it a night.
It's Only a Game: Live-action is for having fun. If a rival wins, if a ch aracter dies, if a plan goes awry, it's not the end of the wo rld. Sometimes, players like to get together outside the game and talk about it — say, a troupe that forms a novice Demon group gathers to decide who or what they n eed to p rotect or pursue most — and there's nothing wrong with that. But telephoning your in-game ally at four in the morning to ask her to join you on a personal mission is taking things too far. Remember, everyon e's doing this to have fun!
The Bottom Line: Live-action can be one of the rich est and most satisfying storytelling experien ces, if handled maturely and responsibly. W e're not kidding about that "maturely and responsibly," folks. In liveaction, you make the game, so it is imperative that you treat yourself and others with utmost care, dignity and respect. This game is emphatically not about "real" enslavement or combat, nor does it entail erotic or supernatural activities. You are not a demon—you just play one in the game.
WHAT IS THIS P LACE? The world of Demon: The Fallen is not our own, though it is close enough for fearsome discomfort. Rather, the world inh abited by demons is like ours, but seen through a glass darkly. Evil is palpable and ubiquitous in this world. The end is upon us, and the whole plan et teeters on a razor's edge of tension. It is a world of darkness. Superficially, the World of Darkness is like the "real" world we all inhabit. The same bands are popular, violen ce plagues the inner city, graft and co rruption infest governments, and so ciety looks to cities for its culture. Th e World of Darkness h as a Statue of Lib erty, it has an Eiffel Tow er, and it has a
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McDonalds on every comer. More present there than in our world, though, is an undercurrent of horror. Our world's ills are all th e more p ronounced in the World o f Darkn ess. Its fears are more real. Its governments are more degen erate. Its ecosystem dies a bit more each day. And there, demons walk the earth. Welcome to the World of Darkness.
GOTHIC-PUNK "Gothic- Punk" is p erhaps th e best way to describ e the ph ysical nature of th e World of Darkness. The en vironment is a clashing mixture of styles and influen ces. The tension caused b y the juxtaposition of ethnicities, so cial classes and sub cultures makes the world a vib rant, alb eit dangerous, place. All th ese aspects arc ones familiar to normal people of die world. They've dealt with diem all th eir lives. It's the existen ce of monsters and their part in the condition of things that is unknown — until now. "Gothic" describes th e ambian ce of the World of Darkness. Buttressed buildings loom overhead, bedecked with columns and leering gargoyles. Residents are dwarfed by the sh eer scale of architecture, lost amid spires that seem to grope toward an uncaring Heaven in an effo rt to escap e the physical world. Organiz ed religion is a haven for zealots and hucksters, preying on the fears of th e populace to fill their po ckets or spread their own brand of condemnation. Cults flourish in th e underground, promising power and redemption. The institutions that control so ciety are even more staid and conservative than they are in our wo rld. Man y in power prefer th e evils of the world th ey know to the chaos engendered by change. It is a divisive world of have and have-not, rich and poor, excess and squalor. "Punk" is the lifestyle that many denizens o f the World of Darkness adopt. In order to give their lives meaning, th ey reb el, dashing themselves against the crags of power. Gangs prowl th e streets, and organized crime breeds in th e underworld, all in reaction to the pointlessn ess of living "by the book." Music is louder, faster, more violent, or it's hypnotically monotonous and supported by masses who find salvation in its escape. Speech is coarser, fashion is bolder, art is more sho cking, and technology brings it all to everyone at th e click of a button. The world is more corrupt, its people are spiritually bankrupt and escapism often replaces hope. Gothic- Punk is a mood and setting conveyed during the course of the game. Th e greatest share of creating this ambian ce falls upon the Storyteller, but players should consider their characters' stake in it as well. The ambian ce is also a matter of taste. Some troupes prefer more Gothic than Punk, whereas others may want equal amounts of both elements (or little of either). In th e end, it's your game, and you're free to
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CITIES Demons exist all over the world, regardless of race, culture or religious beli ef. They can be found anywhere, from the mountains of the Himalayas to the towns of the Midw est, but they tend to congregate most commonly in the world's great cities. The reasons are fairly clear, given a few assumptions. Human populations, the source of the d emons' power, are most con centrated in urban centers, rath er than in the country or the wilds. And the d emon or group of demons that controls the largest sources of faith rule over their p eers like tyrants of old.
make of it what you will. Simply bear in mind that experien cing the world is a sh ared endeavor, and everything the players and Sto ryteller do help make that world more believable. Actions, settings, characters and descriptions all convey th e Gothic-Punk aesthetic.
LEXICON Though long absent from the Earth, demons have a rich culture and history going back to the first moments of Creation and culminating in th e end of a thousand years of war against the armies of Heaven. A long list of common and proper names and descriptive terms has evolved over the course of these momentous events and are p resented here for your referen ce: Abyss, the: The prison fashioned by the Creator to contain the fallen. See Pit. Age of Wrath: Term describing the thousandyear w ar b etween Heaven and the fallen. See Fall, the. Annunaki: The proper name for the rebel angels of th e earth. See Malefactor. apocalyptic form: Th e physical reflection of a demon's Celestial nature. See visage. Asharu: Th e prop er n ame for the reb el angels of the wind. See Scourge. Celestials: A common name for both angels and demons, referring to th eir divine o rigins as servants of the Creator. See Elohim. Cryptic: A faction of demons devoted to unearthing the truth behind Lu cifer's disappearan ce and unanswered questions pertaining to the Fall. Defiler: A common name for the reb el angels of the sea. See Lammasu. demon: An epithet describing a fallen angel who has become lost to madness and hate; a twisted, malevolent spirit. Also used as a common name to describ e the fallen as a whole.
Devil: A common name for the reb el angels of the dawn. See Namaru. Devourer: A common name for the rebel angels of th e wild. See Rabisu. Earthbound, the: The collective name for a group of demons who were summoned from the Abyss in an cient times and found a way to an chor themselves in th e physical universe. They now seek to enslave or d estroy th e fallen. Elohim, the: Proper name for th e divine servants of the Creato r, commonly referred to as angels. Fall, the: The awakening of humanity's awareness b y Lu cifer and a third o f the Elohim, leading to the thousand-year Age of Wrath. fallen, the: A common name for the angels who rebelled against Heaven. Faustian: A faction of d emons devoted to enslaving humankind and using it as a weapon against Heaven. Fiend: A common name for the reb el angels of the heavens. See Neberu. Halaku: The p roper name fo r the reb el angels of th e dead. See Slayer. House: A hierarchical organization of angels devoted to a specific fun ction in the creation and oversight of the cosmos. Lammasu: Th e proper name for th e rebel angels of th e sea. See Defiler. lore: The basis for the powers of th e Celestials; essentially the collected commands for manipulating the fabric of reality. Luciferan: A faction of demons devoted to locating Lu cifer and resuming the war against Heaven. Malefactor: A common name for the rebel angels of th e earth. See Annunaki. Namaru: The p roper name fo r the reb el angels of th e dawn. See Devil. Neberu: The prop er n ame for the reb el angels of th e heavens. See Fiends. Pit, the: An epithet used to describ e the Abyss. See Abyss. Rabisu: Th e proper name for th e rebel angels of the wild. See Devourer. Ravener: A faction of demons devoted to the destru ction of the universe. Reconciler: A faction of demons devoted to the restoration of E arth to the paradise it w as before the Age of Wrath. Scourge: A common name for the rebel angels of th e winds. See A sharu.
Sebettu: Literally, "the seven," th e collective name for th e rebel Houses of the fallen. Slayer: A common name for the reb el angels of the dead. See Halaku. thrall: A mortal bound to a demon through a pact of faith. visage: The p roper name fo r a demon's apo calyptic o r revelatory fo rm.
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Darkness below and the raging storm above. Gaviel fought the pull of the Abyss with every fiber of his will and drove himself ever upward, into the mouth of the Maelstrom. The winds flayed his soul, but he exulted in the pain. He could sense how close he was to being ripped apart, consigned to everlasting oblivion, and the threat of extinction invigorated him. Better by far to struggle and be lost than to sit and do nothing. It was the lesson of the Abyss, and Gaviel had learned it well. The winds grew worse the higher he rose, but beyond the storm, Gaviel could se nse the edges of the spirit realm and the fabric of the physical realm just beyond. The Maelstrom tried to force him back into utter night, rutting through his soul like knives of ice, but he forced himself on, welcoming the agony. Had he a mouth to speak, the realm of the dead would tremble with defiant laughter. Each moment carried him a little closer to the world he'd thought lost to him forever. Already he could remember the feel of the cool darkness between the stars or the thrill of fire as it coursed along his form. He could already taste the air of the green world he had helped to make and feel the sensation of the living earth beneath his feet. He hungered for it. He lusted for it with a passion he hadn't known in aeons. Now it would tempt him no more. Gaviel pierced the Veil between the realms like a fiery arrow, only dimly aware of how much strength he'd expended in his escape. The world hung before him, close enough to touch, but even so he felt his spirit unraveling, threatening to come undone unless he could find a refuge from the storm. He plummeted to earth like a meteor, the symphony of six billion souls trembling through his own, and through their hopes and fears Gaviel felt the echoes of their mortal flesh. Some souls burned bright, like nascent stars; others waned like embers, a faint light shrinking in the hollow vault of a human form. He sensed one such body, vibrant with life but broken in spirit, and struck like a thunderbolt. The talons of the Maelstrom were nothing compared to the shock of possession. A torrent of images. Feelings. Memories. All dull and tepid next to Gaviel's own, but there were so many... they crashed down upon his consciousness in an avalanche, burying him beneath their weight. He opened his eyes. His cheek was pressed against icy, wet asphalt, and the skin felt hot and torn. Someone was pulling at his shoulder, trying to roll him over. With a grunt, Gaviel complied. "Oh, Jesus, oh please God, tell me you're okay!" A woman was looking down at him, her cheeks red from the cold, blue eyes bright with tears. He was lying in the middle of a snowy street. Cold, soulless lights glowed in fuzzy globes overhead, shrouded in gusts of falling snow. To his left, he looked up at the headlights and grill of a car, its engine still running. There was blood on the chrome. The woman pulled at his cashmere coat and begged for God's forgiveness at what she'd done. And Gaviel, forsaken of Heaven, filled his newfound lungs and laughed.
Into our first world, shall we follow The deception of die thrush? Into our first world. There they were, dignified, invisible, Moving without pressure, over the dead leaves, In the autumn heat, through the vibrant air... —T. S. Eliot, Burnt Norton The Reverend Matthew W allace sat at his desk, frowning, rubbing his eyes, trying to con centrate. It was late — n early midnight—and he was still at the studio catching up on network pap erwork. The document in front of him was lengthy and dry and not particularly good news. It was a demographic study of the ratings for his show, The Hour of Jesus' Power. They were holding steady for th e third year in a row, but the network had some con cerns. They wanted a wid er audien ce. They wanted him to broad en his appeal. They h ad suggestions for pitching himself to a more populous, more suburban, more upscale audien ce. "Why don't they just tell me to get more whites to tune in, and be done with it?" h e growled. He wasn't really thinking about the do cument. He was looking at it and considering it, but it didn't have his full attention. His mind kept w andering b ack to Gina. "I shouldn't," Wallace muttered to himself. He turned a page and started reading about his
dwindling appeal among black professionals. He made it about halfway down before his mind crept back to Gina. "I could call Zola now," h e said. "Sh e'd see I was at the office from the caller ID. Tell h er I 'm working late — th at's just the truth. Be true when I'm saying it. Th en sneak out. Maybe surp rise Gina with..." He shook his head. He didn't call his wife. In the next two paragraphs, he actually found an idea for a fundraiser that he thought might be useful. That kept his attention fo r two more p ages, then he was thinking about calling his wife again. "I could call her, then call Gina. Or call Gina first, make sure sh e's there. Give h er a ch an ce to get read y fo r me." He w as tired, but he felt a little internal movement in that thought. But no. He shouldn't. It was wrong. He looked at the picture of Zola on his desk and let the guilty feelings w ash over him. "Hell with it." He put the report away, stood and strode
purposefully out of his office. He was going to go home, get back to his wife and children. He was going to go where he b elonged. He told himself he was too old to be catting around anyw ay. Old and tired. He'd break it off with Gina. Maybe this Saturday, when Zola took the kids to see Gramma. He was planning to see Gin a Saturday in any event. Mayb e it w as time to fin ally end it. Mayb e. Feeling a small sense of virtue, he lo cked the door behind him and turned toward the parking lot, turning up his collar at the misty rain. He b arely had time to register that there w as a second vehicle there, parked n ext to his BMW... a familiar car, a Lexus.... Noah's car. The last time Matthew h ad seen his oldest son Noah, they hadn't really talked. They'd yelled. He'd condemned his son's recently declared atheism. Noah had called his fath er a con man, selling salvation like snake oil. Matthew thundered back that Noah had never rejected the roof over his h ead, the food in his mouth, the money in the bank and the education Matthew had never gotten. That's when Noah told him about the full scholarship to BGSU's grad program. He'd said h e didn't need Matthew any longer, that he could finally break his father's golden manacles. Matthew called him a spoiled little ingrate and threatened to disown him. Noah called his bluff. That had been two years ago, and they hadn't spoken sin ce.
REVELATIONS A figure formed from the darkness. Tall, handsome, wearing a camel-hair co at and fin e leather boots. No hat sat on his close-cropped hair, but a white cashmere scarf made a striking contrast against cho colate skin. He was a shad e lighter than Matthew, perhaps, and a few shades darker than Zola. Matthew licked lips that suddenly felt dry. "Son?" he croaked. He swallowed and said it again, louder, stronger. "Son!" Noah said nothing. "Oh Noah... Noah, I'm..." He opened his arms, "I've missed you, son. You don't know how much I've prayed for this." The figure was silent and immobile. The hairs rose on the back of Matthew's n eck. "Son... Noah..." He faltered. "I know I said some terrible things. And I'm sorry. I'm not so proud I can't say I was wrong. Not a day's gone by that I haven't thought about what's happen ed between us. Not one day. Please... please tell me you've come b ack."
"Have you truly prayed fo r your son's return?" The voice w as Noah 's, but the tone w as coldly neutral, like a judge passing senten ce. The reverend frowned. "You know I have." "Even though the answer has always b een 'no' before?" "That was the past. You're h ere now, aren't you?" The figure before him laughed... and then ch anged. Where on ce there stood a h andsome black man, the glory of fire was now revealed. Puddled water recoiled, boiling off into steam. The empty parking lot was suddenly ablaz e with celestial light, and Matthew fell to his knees, hands clasped, eyes wide. "My Lord and my God!"he cried. "My Lord and God!" "MATTHEW," said the apparition that h ad once been his child, "BE NOT AFRAID." "What do you ask of me?" "WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE?" "Anything! Anything, my Lord! I'm your servant. Yours to command!" "ALL I ASK IS YOUR LOYALTY, MATTHEW. ALL I ASK IS YOUR TRUST AND YOUR PLEDGE." "I'm yours! You know 1 am, I've alw ays b een! Thy will b e done, Lord! Thy will b e done!" "SHALL I SET MY SEAL UPON YOUR BROW, TO MARK YOU AS MY OWN FOREVER?" Eyes closed in bliss, Matthew leaned forward expectantly, p resenting his forehead. Behind his eyelids, he could see the light of the miracle fade to black, and when he open ed them again, the scen e was lit on ce again by the o range of halogen streetlights and the blue of moonlight on mist. Before him stood his son again, shaking his head disdainfully, "Fool," Noah said. Matthew was suddenly aware of the cold dampness seeping in through the kn ees of his suit, and fear gave way to anger. "What's the meaning of this?" h e demanded, lurching to his feet. "Oh Matthew... you're one in a million. Not many people are willing to just up and giv e away the store to God—or someone claiming to be Him." Th ere was a mo cking edge to Noah's voice, but his face betrayed little emotion. Matthew frowned. "What did I see?" Noah's dark eyes narrowed. "What did you think you saw?" "I saw the glory of God Almighty." At that, Noah's eyes fell, but after a moment
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he shook his head and gave a rueful chu ckle. "No Matthew, you didn't see the glory of God Almighty. What you saw was the hole God's glory left wh en He yanked it out. That was... th e shadow of a fragment of the Maker's grandeur. That was its ashes." "Noah..."Matth ew began, but his mind still reeled, unable to believe what h e'd seen. The figure before him lean ed in and asked, "What did you think I was?" "I thought I saw an angel of the Lo rd." Noah gave his father a cruel smirk. "Guess again." He turn ed to the building before th em and read from the sign by the door. "Celestine Productions Incorporated, home of Reverend Matthew Wallace and the Hour of Jesus' Power." He shook his head. "I see you gave Christ second billing." "What's going on?" Matthew demanded. "Let's go inside and talk about it." No ah reached for the heavy doors with both hands — then hissed. Matthew's eyes widen ed as white smoke poured from between Noah's fingers. Noah snatched his hands back, and his lip curled as he looked down at them. The reverend felt faint as he watch ed the blisters spring up, the cu rls of blacken ed flesh, the blood... Noah knelt and pressed both hands into an oily puddle. When he pulled them out, flecks of blood and ch arred skin stained his palms. "Very interesting," he said, looking back at the studio door with wary respect. "I suppose we'll have to discuss this elsewhere." "What are you?" "My my, someone's not very quick on the uptake." Th e No ah that Matthew kn ew hadn't been in the habit of making tsk sounds with his tongue and rolling his eyes in mock exasperation. This n ew Noah apparently was, and Matthew didn't like it. "Let's see..." Noah counted off on bloodied fingers. "Glorious apparition with wings of fire. Not an angel of the Lord. Tries to sedu ce mortals into pledges of fealty... and is harmed b y holy ground. What do you suppose that leaves?" A man of lesser faith would have been skeptical, but Matthew, fo r all his faults, was a man of true belief. "Get b ehind me, Satan," h e whispered. Noah snorted. "Wouldn't it be simpler if you just turned around?" Matthew lunged forw ard, seized Noah's lap els in his hands and wren ch ed him up until Noah stood on tiptoe. "What have you done with my son?" he roared. The figure — the d emon?—said nothing, just gave a n arrow-eyed half smile. Had Matthew b een a genuinely violent man, he would have pun ched th at grinning face, gouged
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those narrow ed eyes and flung what was left to the pavement. Had th e face b efore him belonged to an yone but his own child, he would have pressed it against th e building's doors, hoping to burn it with holy pain. But Matthew was a man of wo rds and gestures, so he just stood there, clutching Noah's coat and feeling more and more foolish. "There seems to be some misunderstanding," the face befo re him said softly. "This jacket is fo r my personal use only. I'll th ank you to release it." Matthew narrowed his eyes and pushed the figure away. "Now, if w e could..." Suddenly the reverend raised his hands to the leaden sky. "Oh Lord Jesus, hear my plea! Save me from this fiend! Spare your servant from this figure from the pit!" His voice rang from the con crete w alls of the surrounding buildings. "Stop that!" Noah said. "Please sweet Lo rd, save your fearful servant! You are my sh epherd; there is nothing I shall want!" "I'm warning you!" Noah's face twisted with hatred...and a touch o f fear, too. "Please sweet Jesus, in your name I pray..." Before Matthew could say more, Noah w as in his face, white teeth in ches from his nose. "Do you pray to Jesus when you go fu ck the choir leader? Did you pray to Him to get h er in bed? Did you get down on your knees and pray, 'Oh Lo rd, please don't let my wife find out'?" Matthew faltered. He tried to start again. "You are my shield and my portion...." "What's she got anyw ay, Reverend? Sh e su ck your dick when your wife says no? Do you pray for forgiven ess every time you sneak off to screw her, or do you save it all up for one big confession each month?" "You shut your God-damned mouth!" The figure before him relaxed, straighten ed its co at, dusted off hands that w ere suddenly smooth and unburned. "So much for exo rcism," No ah said. Matthew's gaze fell to th e pavement. "Get away from me," h e said, "Leave me alone." But he wasn't demanding anymore. He w as pleading. "Is that what you really want?" Noah's voice was unexpectedly gentle. "If you want me to go, I will. You'll never see my face again." When Matthew didn't answer at first, Noah d rew something from his po cket and held it out. "I guess I should be giving this back, then." Matthew hesitated, but when he recognized the object, he reach ed out instinctively. It was a Bible — a brown, leather bound Good News Bible with gilt edges. He recognized it. He'd given it to Noah after the boy's First Communion. Opening it, he read, Go with God always. I
love you son. "Why are you doing this?" Matthew whispered. "Because I thought you could help me," the other replied, then turned to walk aw ay. "Wait!" Matthew said. Noah turned. "Will you come with me?" Matth ew asked.
A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL Two doors down from the church stood Rollins Produ ctions. Sonny Rollins was a parishioner at Matthew's church, and he had it as his primary production client. He'd given Matth ew a key years ago. Sonny's office was small and cluttered (and it reeked of cigarettes), but there w ere two comfortable desk chairs and a coffee maker. "Remarkable," the minister's guest said. "What's remarkable?" Matthew asked. "Your TV station is holy ground." "It's a church first and foremost." The other let out a snort. "Oh yeah. That's why it's buried in the middle of acres of commercial and industrial zoned real estate, miles away from where any residents might realistically congregate." Matthew shook his head. "Th e church is not a building, it is a condition.’Wherever two or three are gathered in My name—'" "Or, for th at matter, watching the TV at home. Funny how the word 'congregation' has now stretch ed to in clude p eople who are alone and just praying at the same time." "Why have you come here?" Matthew asked. "Wait, I'll start with a simpler question: If you're not my son, who are you?” The other regarded him silently — a stonefaced glan ce like a poker player examining a hand of cards. Matthew only returned the stare until his guest seemed to reach a con clusion. "You can call me Gaviel, when we're alone. 'Noah' will do when w e're around others. Less confusing that w ay." "Gaviel." "Don't use it lightly." Something in Gaviel's eyes told Matthew that he wasn't joking. Matthew clen ch ed his fists and gritted his teeth, but his voice — alw ays his b est tool — remain ed calm and controlled as h e said, "And you are a d emon." "That's fair to say." "You are in possession of my son's body." Gaviel nodded, "I'm afraid so." "You must realiz e I won't rest until you leave it." Gaviel looked down and h e seemed, for a moment, genuinely sad, "Matthew, I didn't kill your son, and I didn't force him out of his body. I want you to believe that."
"I'm sure you do, but you'll fo rgive me if I'm suspicious." "Noah Wallace is no more, Matth ew. I'm truly sorry, but that is the entire truth." "You say that, but I see his body b efore me and hear his voice." Matthew 's words were reasonable, but the situation was straining even his ability to speak calmly. "The body remains. Th e memories remain. But the soul of your son is gone. He was stru ck b y a car five days ago as he crossed th e street n ear the university. Th ere was some brain damage." "I don't believe you! This is some trick. It h as to be." "A police report w as filed. Look it up for yourself. His mind was damaged, his soul weakened, and I sensed it. I claimed this body for my own, and he was driven out, left to th e fate that awaits all mankind. I know his memories and his skills, but that Noah you knew — the essential, animating spark — is gone fo r good." "You're lying!" Gaviel sighed. "What would I possibly gain by lying about this?" "You're afraid I'll exorcise you." "I think we've alread y established that your faith isn't quite up to that task," the d emon replied. "I may be weak, but I'm a minister o f the Lord." "With a degree from a seminary on e step up from an ad in Rolling Stone." "I have a do ctorate in theology!" "You have an honorary do ctorate from a college that is, like your alma mater, targeting the same market as tru ck-driving schools. A do ctorate you received, I might add, the same year you donated $25,000 to that college's scholarship fund." Gaviel shook his head. "You can 't even read the Bible!" "I read the Bible every day!" "You read a translation of the Bible every day, but do you know any Latin besides 'quid pro quo'? Any Greek? An y Hebrew at all?" Gaviel was clearly enjoying the other man's discomfort. "Faith is more important. Faith is more important than degrees, than learning, than accomplishments," "On that, w e agree. Th at's why I've come to you." He leaned in. "You do realiz e that I could have marked your soul, out there in the rain? I could have made you my creature — my slave, bound to my will and living or d ying at my whim. But I didn't. I let you keep your soul, and I even suffered you to lay violent hands upon me, to insult me and spurn me and call on God's wrath." "You want something. Something from me." "Is God's forgiveness truly infinite?"
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The qu estion caught the reverend off guard, "Well yes. Of course." "En compassing all sins, no matter how grievous?" "If the rep entan ce is genuine." "What about a fallen angel, Reverend? Could God forgive even su ch a one as that? One who willfully transgressed His direct commands? One who set out to deliberately soil all of God's creation, one who set himself up for the wo rship of humanity?" At this Matthew frowned. "I don't know. Could such a being truly repent?" Gaviel paused and smiled once more. "That's the question, isn't it?" "That's what you want? A return to God?" "If it's possible. You believe the intercession of one man saved the human race. I believe the intercession of a man can save my race as w ell. Will you help me?" Matthew narrowed his eyes. "I'd try. If I thought you were sin cere." Gaviel spread his hands. "I've alread y shown you substantial mercy and fo rbearan ce. What other proofs can I offer?" Matthew leaned forward and his eyes burned. "Release my son."
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"Matthew, I give you my word that I'm not holding him." "What good is the word of a s elf-confessed rebel and blasphemer?" "As good as the advice of an arrogant, selfrighteous adulterer. I mean, really: Did you think you were su ch a saint that you were wo rthy of an angelic visitation? You're a televangelist, a word synonymous with 'fraud' and 'hypo crite' among America's literate classes. I 'll grant that you never stole from the collection plate, but only because your self-defin ed fiscal guidelines are so loose that buying yourself cars and jewelry is actually permitted. Honestly, in the 'sleazy minister' trifecta, you've done just about everything but tattoo 'love' and 'h ate' on your fingers!" "If I'm so low, what does that make you? If I'm so weak in faith, what are you who comes asking for help?" Gaviel shrugged. "Another point for you, Reverend. Do you want to sit here and trad e quips all night, or do you want to know, specifically, why I chose you?" "I'm sure you'll tell me regardless." "I chose you because you're arrogant. You've got the pride o f idealism. You think that anything you do is right because you do it. You have the faith that
moves mountains, and that's the faith I need. The faith that thinks, 'Maybe I can redeem a fallen angel.'" Gaviel sat back and considered. "Pastor, there are two possibilities here. Either I'm holding your son's soul captive o r I'm not, agreed? If I'm holding his soul — and I'm not, but I seem unable to persuade you of th at — it's in your best interest to at least keep me close so you can find some way to lib erate him. Now, please, as a favor, just consider the possibility that I'm telling you the truth. Just maybe No ah really is gon e and I've told you the truth about my repentan ce. Is there an y way you can turn me aside and claim to be a man of God?" Matthew sighed hard. "I still think you're trying to trick me," he said, "But you're right. I'm caught. I can't afford to just cast you out." "I appreciate that." Gaviel sat b ack in his ch air and seemed to relax. "So, what should we do?" "I suppose we could take a page from the Catholics, if you want to confess your sins." "And if, in the pro cess, I reveal some weakness you can exploit...?" Matthew spread his hands. "You don't trust me, and I don't trust you. But if we're going to do this, we have to pretend for a while," "I see." Reflexively, Matthew said what h e said to every guilty conscien ce that came fo r his advice. "Why don't we start at the very beginning?" Gaviel smiled. "Very well" "In the beginning..."
THE UNMOVED MOVER Noah paused, seeing Matth ew's frown. "What's the matter? Not a fan of the classics?" "You're going to tell me you were p resent at the birth of th e cosmos?" "Where did you think demons came from? We were th ere at the very start, b ecause we were the very start." "I'm sorry?" "We w ere God's first creations, so that w e might go on and build the universe." Matthew snorted. "You really don't think much of me, do you? You really think you can get aw ay with claiming to be the Maker of All?" "Let's set aside that first question for now, shall we? And, while I'm tempted to point out how quick you were to accept me as your — what was th e phrase? — 'Lord and God,' I'm going to do you the favor of addressing your question seriously. But you have to p romise to follow along and keep an open mind." "I'll try," Matthew said, glaring. "Here's the thing: Everything we tou ch
touches us in return, right? Contact means interaction — or contamination, if you prefer. How does a perfect being change? If it changes, it ceases to b e perfect. Unless it w as already imperfect, and it changes into a perfect form by expelling its imperfections." He raised an eyebrow. "Not a very flattering theory, is it? The universe as a hairball from the throat of the Almighty." "You seem intent on belittling God b efore me," Matthew observed. "Matthew, please believe me when I say God could not possibly give a shit what I think of Her." "'Her? God's a woman, now?" "Sure. She used to be a real looker, too, but over th e past quarter million years Sh e's gained a lot of weight." Matthew snorted. "Even your blasphemy is getting weaker and w eaker!" "It's blasphemy to say God's a woman with a fat ass, but saying Sh e's a man with a snowy beard and sandals is reverent? Look, God is God—almighty, infinite, immortal and in comprehensible. God doesn't need your reveren ce. Saying mean things about the Almighty isn't going to hurt God, it just hurts you and co rrodes th e world around you. It's like spitting at the sky. The sky isn't bothered, and there's a good chan ce you'll hit your own face in the bargain." "In one breath you condemn blasphemy, when thirty seconds ago you were claiming you created the universe. If you're trying to co rrupt my soul, you might want to be more coh erent." "Thanks fo r the tip, chief." The d emon took a deep breath. "Look, I'll call God 'He' if that helps you. Just, please — let's get back on track," "I'm not the one going on tangents about God's weight problem."
THE HOUSES OF CREATION "In the beginning, there were two infinities — the infinite absen ce that was the Void, and the in finite existen ce of the Almighty. Each was contain ed within the other, but they were etern ally separate. To define and illuminate the border betw een th em, the Maker formed the Angels of the Dawn. I w as one of them. "Our purpose and mission was to carry the will of die Maker all along the p erimeter of Creation, framing the p erfect balan ce between Is and Is Not. Because, you see, th e Lord — the Infinite of Infinities — was all things. That which was not God w as absolutely nothing. So some form of mediation was needed to create a buffer layer: th e cosmos. We were needed to separate th e divine primal from all the things it could be into the particular things that it was. Our function, broadly, was to filter His will into discrete forms. "God's will was the first act — remembered in some sources as 'fiat lux' and regard ed in others as
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the Big Bang. "On that first day of infinite potential, we rode out in our multitudes. The Throne of Moonlight, the Crimson Dominion, the Seven Radiant Cherubim... Under th em, lesser creatures like the Archangel Viridian, the Power of Reflection... even my humble self. On that first day, literally everything was possible. And our job was to winnow that possibility, spinning it into threads and w eaving th e best o f all possible worlds. "We of the House o f the Dawn w eren't the only ones, of course. The first, the most important, the closest to the Most High... and, for that very reason, those with the least direct influen ce over th e world of gross matter. Remember what I said about contamination? We were just the first o f several barriers b etween the divin e and the material. His pure will came to us, where it was... confined, even distorted perhaps, into the statement of His will. Th e Houses beneath us were those ch arged with the actual fulfillment of His will. "The second legion was the House of th e Firmament— angels of wind and movement. Initially, their duty was to animate th e elements of th e universe, "You possess a body of many parts — your heart, your lungs, your brain—but each separately is dead and worthless. It is only when th ey are united that their tru e qualities emerge. The Second House governed th at prin ciple. By them, the whole can become greater than the sum of its parts, "The most cru cial task of the House o f the Firmament was to con vey the breath of life from the Maker to the Mad e. Every tree, every blad e of grass, every ant and cormorant and elephant was p ersonally given life b y the breath of an Angel of the Firmament. They w ere not only the givers of life, but its protectors as well. "The bond between a Guardian and the creatures to whom it gave breath is strong and profound — the bond between a mother and child is no different. Angels o f the Second House could sense any peril to th eir charges, and fly instantly from the ends of Creation to defend them. I worked closely with many of them during the early d ays... the Power of Unbound Increase, th e Dominion of the Azure Dome — even the Seraph of the Unreachable Limit. In many ways, they w ere the kindest, the most selfless among us. Even the mightiest of th em was known, not for personal glory, but for the glo ry th eir reflection gave others. They themselves w ere unseen as the wind, but we knew when they w ere present. We felt their embrace in all directions, the quickening of th e impulse to expand and improve. Their greatness was that th ey made everything around them greater. "The Third House was the house of the Fundament— the House of Matter, the tangible—o f
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things you can feel with your body and not just deduce with the mind. Where the first Houses dealt with the ephemeral, it was the artisans of the Third House who slowed energy into matter, cooled magma into stone and gave life its form. All that you feel and touch is the ir work. Wh ere we Dawngivers flew on shafts of light and the Guardians breathed within the world unseen, the Fundamentals walked the earth and burrow ed within it. The Golden Dominion, the Power of the Shifting Sands, the Seraph of the Mountain Peaks — in every case, th eir glo ry was in th eir tasks, not themselves. "To human eyes, the Angels of th e Perceptible might seem the most successful. After all, they worked the most accessible and observable aspects of the world — that which can be touch ed, held, measured and examined. I had little contact with the House of Earth, p ersonally, though I was badly injured by one of their number in the W ar... but I'm getting ahead of myself. "The Fourth House was th e House of Spheres, the Fates who set th e cosmic lights in their courses and, in th e pro cess, gave all Creation an underpinning of Time. Of all th e Houses, perhaps only they and the Fifth could compete with ours for sheer p ersonal splendor. I remember their pageantry, sweeping down from Heaven with a swirl of starry cloaks. On ce I dan ced with the Throne o f the North Star herself, and I flatter myself that th ere was favor in her dark eyes, I heard the songs of the Pleiades, made jests with the Virtues of Past and Future, and was honored at th e courts of the Manifold Cherubim. The Angels Temporal were a worth y and noble House, ruling from glass castles on the moon and moving with grandeur the sph eres of the stars. In the war, they suffered greatly, for E arth was not their natural home, and it took all their fo rethought and foresight simply to survive... but in the first days, they were magnificent. "Their equals in b eauty w ere the Angels o f the Deep. Paradoxical, lyrical, liquid and free, their charge was to govern the eternally ch anging, and the changing etern al. Th e sea was a fit home for them, the Pow ers of the Tides and the Cycle Virtues. As humankind developed, the Oceanites w ere the patrons of art and beauty, of mutability and resonant pattern. "The Angels of th e Deep are b est represented through the o cean, which is always there but never the same. The physical stuff of th e water was created b y the Fundamentals, but animated and governed b y the Oceanites b ecause of its excellent ability to hold and transmit patterns. They are of the pattern, not the matter, just as my words are not my mouth or the air they pass th rough or your ear when you hear it. The Oceanites w ere like ripples in water — in constant movement, they had no single lo cation. They were in
the water and of the w ater, but not the water. All those sorts of transitions were governed by the Angels of th e Deep. They became guardians of b eauty and culture — because a sculpture or a song or a story is an attempt to transmit a pattern of experien ce through some other medium and into another soul. "The n ext House created contain ed nature's overseers—the Angels of th e Wild, who governed the instincts and interactions of th e natural world. You see how the duties of the Houses continue to be refined? First there was pure will. Th en there w as sep aration, individuality. Next, stability. After that, ord er for ch ange. Mutability within stability came next, and finally, larger and more gradual patterns of ch ange— the migrations of elk, the growth cycles of insects, the population balance b etween pred ator and p rey. "While the House of th e Wild was con cerned with minutiae in many ways, I should comment that its domain was a very complicated one. By th e time something that could be called an eco logical system arose — not just individual prototype creatures, but populations of them interacting with flora and other fauna and climactic ch anges — the level of sophistication in the universe w as very high. Understand that, as complex as the ecosystem you know now may be, the inter-faceted interactions of Paradise w ere far more complicated. But, on ce again, I'm getting ahead o f myself. "The Angels of th e Wild — from the Seraph of the Cycle down to the lowliest Angels of Ren ewal — were a hardheaded, pragmatic lot. On e must be, I suppose, to mind and organize every animal on Earth. Quite a b alan cing act, I'm sure. But I had few opportunities to interact with them before th e dark times. They w ere, you understand, very close to the earth and far from the Maker, while the exact opposite was my case. On ce we rebelled, they were the most numerous (and in many cases, th e fiercest) o f our warrio rs. Only the Fundamentals were equally comfortable with existen ce on the terrestrial plan e. And none were more familiar with strife and conflict. "The last House created was the last one needed — the House of the Second World. Led by the Silent Seraph, their numbers were always un certain and their ways often unseen. Th e Virtue of Shadows, the Throne of Repose... a somber lot, solemn and wise during the war. I h ad no dealings with th em before the Fall, as I was a creature of b eginnings and they were the Angels of Death. But on ce w e w ere rebelling, all cast together against the loyal hosts... they always seemed sad. Regretting lost ch an ces to fulfill their true purpose. Always too much to do and never the right thing... "Those, then, w ere the seven Houses of the Host. Together, w e formed the cosmos and kept it stable. And together, we contributed to the final and ultimate element of reality. Commanded by the Maker,
we infused reality with some of His divine essen ce, contained in creatures that would grow, in time, to rule the universe in His stead. "Understand that when one says humankind was 'made in God's image' it's nothing so literal as 'two legs, one nose, seven thoracic verteb rae.' Your shap e is not in the image of God, your soul is. You carry within you a small reservoir of the essen ce of existen ce that God used to create the entire cosmos. Powerful though we Elohim are, we are barren of that true Making fire. You are His true children, and your holy nature courses through your blood, flickers in your emotions and sings through your inventive thoughts. "We of Dawn House transported His spark, the Fundamentals built a housing for it, and the Guardians wove the pieces into activity. From the Oceanites came your sacred info rmation, within and without—the capacity for thought and expression, and your ability to pass on traits to your children. From the Fates you had a con ception of time, th e persisten ce fo r memory and the potential to plan and anticipate. Th e Angels of the Wild gave you instincts and sensations to ground you within the physical world. The final touch was given b y the Reapers: mankind's physical ren ewal, your ability to ch ange and grow—and, if need be, to reco ver from injury. "Humankind was our highest, finest and ultimate creation. We crafted you with the b est of our knowledge and the finest gifts of our spirit. The Maker Himself admired you, but we were given two final commands before die Guardians w ere permitted to give you the breath of life. "First, He commanded that we love you, and that our love for you equal our love fo r the Maker Himself. "Many questioned this command—not to resist it, but simply wondering why it was n eed ed. Having made you as our surpassing effo rt, our love for you was already as strong as that betw een a parent and a child. At th e time, the consensus was that th e Almighty didn't want us to feel bad for not loving Him more than you. Therefore, that first command was easy to the point of being redundant. The second was far less simple. "Despite our love, we were o rdered to hide ourselves from you. To never let ourselves be seen or heard or sensed b y you in any way. No contact. No messages. No voices o r gestures or even hints. Humanity, surrounded on all sides by loving protectors of infinite power, was to think itself alone. "Do you see it? Do you get the joke? You, for whom the cosmos was made, you whom multitudes of angels longed to serve — you w ere to think yourselves isolated in an un caring and mechanical universe." As his guest paused, Matthew lean ed in. "You mean there are angels all around us right now?" he
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asked. His guest leaned back and sighed. "No, Matthew. They're all gone." "Gone?" "Or hidden beyond my knowing. But my guess is that they are just... gone." They w ere both silent for a time. Th en Matthew said, "If you don't mind, I'm going to make some co ffee. Do you want some?"
PARADISE While Matthew busied himself with coffee, Noah went to the bathroom. When they had resumed their seats, Matth ew frowned and asked a question. "What was Paradise like?" Noah folded his hands and frowned. "You're not very w ell equipped to understand it," he said at last. "I don't say that to be insulting. The world was fundamentally different b ack then. It was... more complex. Richer. It had layers that are simply absent, now." "Layers?" "Yes... consider this coffee w e're drin king. It's only coffee, right? It's not anything else?" "I guess not." "In the un corrupted world, this coffee could also exist simultaneously as a song or an aesthetic idea or even a sentient and helpful creature. Different things on different layers, all equally real, all similar, but each discrete — even while they were simultaneously experien ced." Seeing Matthew's expression, he continued. "I'll give you a more relevant example. The first people: Were th ey Adam and Eve, a woman and a man, or were they th e evolved d escendents of ap es?" "They were a woman and a man, as th e Bible says." "Correct. But they were also a multitude of ape descendents. Th e universe w as made in seven days, on one level, but that same span of time w as billions of years on another level, "Or consider the Angels of th e Firmament. On some levels of reality they were conveying th e lifegiving breath of the Maker on a purely scientific level — they were, literally were, the pro cess by which solar energy striking simple carbon molecules agitated them into forms of ever in creasing complexity, until they became organic molecules, th en primitive single-celled animals, then nucleated cells and so on, up to and including dogs, cats and humans. But at the same time they w ere crou ching over the mouths of newly sculpted creatures of all typ es, breathing into their mouths to animate them." "Are you talking about metaphor?" Gaviel chu ckled. "Not yet, no. Th ese contrary things really w ere simultaneously true in the young
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cosmos. It makes no sense to you because you're used to living in this, the singular world. But on ce you accept the idea of the multiple world, it clears up a lot of the problems you humans have with faith, miracles, the Divine Architect—" "I don't have an y problems with my faith." "None? Well, you should. Can an omnipotent being create a boulder so big h e can't lift it?" Matthew dismissed the thought with an irritated wave of his hand. "Oh, here w e go... Are you trying to shake my faith again? Because it's going to take a lot more than that tired old chestnut," "I'm not trying to attack an ything, just demonstrate a point. If God can create the boulder so big He can't lift it, th en His power isn't in finite: It's not sufficient to lift the boulder. But if He can' t make a boulder too big to lift, than His pow er is still not infinite: It's not sufficient to create the boulder. That's the kind of problems you run into in the singular world. But the multiple world resolves those p aradoxes "Paradise was layers o f varied and interrelated realities—each revealing and relating to the others, showing them from different persp ectives or providing new joys and experien ces. Or they w ere supposed to, anyhow." He sigh ed. "You mean all those layers of reality still weren 't good enough?" "Paradise was purer and rich er and more fulfilling than this reality by an in calculable measure. Compared to Paradise, this world is Hell, Although, to be fair, compared to Hell, this world is Paradis e." "Hell has no layers?" Gaviel nodded. "Hell is very nearly nothing at all. It is a void marred only by our awaren ess of it, and our ability to feel our rejection by our Maker." Un consciously, Noah's hands rose to hug himself, as if suddenly chilled. Th e gesture was oddly touching, and Matthew wondered if it was staged for his ben efit. "Hell is the corrosion of love, Reverend. No fire and brimstone, no pitchforks and snakes. After a hundred years, an yone could get used to mere sensation. But utter numbness—that's a torment that never gets any older. After the first ten minutes, you think you've been there ten thousand years. You're there, alone and isolated, with nothing for company but the knowledge th at you are literally Godforsaken. You sit there in His h ate and feel everything in you turn to hate as well, and there is no respite. There's just you and love getting more and more twisted and inverted." Noah's handsome face had become terribly still. "We talk about how we were exiled from reality... but really it w as more like w e w ere excreted. Cast out, abandoned and despised." His nostrils widened and his eyes seemed to peer o ff into some grim distan ce. Th en he raised his eyebrows, sat up straighter, and smiled
back at Matthew. "But w e were discussing Eden, not the Abyss."
FORBIDDEN FRUIT "If Paradise was so perfect, why did mankind rebel? For that matter, why did you?" "Because humanity was blind, Reverend. The Bible would prefer to call them innocent, but the fact was that they w ere kept ignorant of themselves and the world around them. The Divine Plan in cluded everything they might possibly need... except th e capacity to appreciate th eir good fortune." Matthew co cked his head, "Somehow I suspect you're being less than forthright with me." Noah's hand hit the coffee table by his ch air sharply. "If you want to accuse me of something, why don't you just say it? Do you think I enjoy pouring out the story o f my greatest traged y to someone who thinks I kidnapped his son? You think I derive some jaded pleasure from talking about watching my friends die, watching the humanity I loved suffer, watching reality itself sicken and crumble?" Matthew met his gaz e, and it w as like steel hitting stone. "I find it hard to believe that men designed by God—o r, as you insist, by angels—would have this fatal flaw. I don't believe humankind was unhappy in Eden — unless you and your 'Elohim' made them unhappy." "You think Adam and Eve were happy?" Gaviel shrugged. "Maybe to th e extent that a dog is happy when it w ags its tail or a pig is happy wh en it rolls in mud. They could experien ce physical pleasure, but—even less than a certain stubborn minister I could mention—they possessed no real comprehension. A beautiful sunset meant nothing to them, except that night would soon fall. Even the b eauty of each other— and they w ere the ap ex of human beauty, Matthew — even that just didn't register. The pleasure of a full b elly and warm feet, those w ere the limits of their understanding." "So they w ere inno cent. Like children." "Innocent like pigeons, more like. Innocent like a rat that go es through your trash. Only these pigeons had the potential to be po ets, scholars, sculptors and musicians. We tried to show them, tried to teach them, to the extent that w e w ere able. But it wasn't much. A Fundamental could open the earth to them, revealing a seam of diamonds and gold, but primal humanity just scratch ed their heads and moved on. And you think we made them unhappy? A spirit on the wind — I kn ew him, his name would sound to your ears as 'Raphael' — made an elaborate plan to play a song for them. He had to shuttle himself betw een hundreds of facets—the 'reality layers' I told you about— in order to make his plans with angels of other houses. A Cherub of th e Sph eres told him when his
chosen audien ce w as fated to walk through a certain windy valley. Angels of the Fundament worked with him to crack the valley walls, just so, that th e wind might echo th rough them like harp strings. Trees w ere moved into place, th at the creak of th eir limbs might harmonize, while birds were enticed there to add the high notes, even as th e valley's streambed was sculpted into the right shape to sound percussion from the moving water... Raphael labored for ages to give your forebears ten minutes of music, coaxed lovingly out of entirely natural sounds. Do you know what happen ed?" "What?" "Adam caught and ate one of the birds, while Eve ch ecked the trees to see if th ey had fruit. And that was the entirety of their reaction." "Hmph. That's quite a story. But if mankind was so ignorant, why would he bother?" "Isn't that obvious? He did it because he loved them. He did it because he couldn't show himself and play for th em directly. Remember, th ey w ere not to know that they were p rotected. They w ere not to know that they w ere w atched. They were not to know that the blessings they received were the gifts of thought and foresight, rather than... random events. We moved about them unseen, and they moved about the world, compreh ending only the thinnest fraction of what they saw. So no, they weren 't 'unhappy.' But we could see they w ere in complete." "So you took it upon yourselves to 'complete' us." "Wouldn't you? You loved your son — no matter how angry h e got with you, he never doubted your love for him. What would you do if his mother had tried to keep him out of school, saying, 'Oh, h e's so happy as a bab y, why let him grow?'" "That's h ardly the same thing." "It's exactly the same thing! Why didn't the Benevolent Creator allow them higher reason? We asked ourselves that same question, believe me. Some of the Seraphim even went so far as to ask Him. His reply was not particularly helpful. 'If you would know as I know, come unto Me and see as I see.' A few bold angels even took Him up on His offer. Th ey were never seen or heard from again—and believe me, in those days w e kn ew how to look. God presumably destroyed th em for their hubris." "You can't think God would be so spiteful," Matthew said, then rolled his eyes, "Or mayb e you can, I'm not buying it." "Oh, and — thousands of years after th e fact — you have a better explan ation?" Matthew shrugged . "Perhaps His motivation was so complicated only He could comprehend it. Perhaps anyone who wanted to also understand it would have to become one with Him."
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Gaviel shrugged. "Apotheosis? Annihilation? Like the fates of dead souls, they both look alike to an outside observer. "That was our dilemma, Reverend. We could see th e wonders of the world, in all th eir iterated splendor. We kn ew that humanity was th e ap ex of that world — the capstone, th e crown jew el, the wonder of wonders. You were truly th e child ren of the Father, in a way that even we were not, destined in time to be as He was and make as He made. You were the sun around which th e whole wo rld spun. Yet you were flaw ed — flawed b y design, it seemed, and destined to remain flawed forever." Matthew sat still for a moment. He took a sip of coffee to co ver his confusion. "What was mankind's flaw? I mean, w e hadn't sinned yet, h ad we?" "Sin was impossible to hum anity at that time, in the same w ay you don't impute moral weight to the actions of a dragonfly o r a koala bear. You were the most advanced of animals, but you were still animals. "It was clear to all of us in the Host that you were destined fo r greatn ess — th at all the world w as made for you — and yet, you were unable to grasp your potential. You could not realize your true awareness, no matter how we tried to jar and stimulate you." His brow clouded as he said, "W e tried and tried, and you just didn't get it. But because of our commands against interferen ce, we couldn't simply give it to you. "What could be done? W e watched you suffer in your ignoran ce — for even in that p rimitive state, you could at least understand the disappointment of your Maker as He d aily waited for p rogress that never came. Every day, your suffering was reflected in us, growing keener and stronger until one day it finally came to a head."
THE GREAT DEBATE "The real root of the reb ellion was a scholarly angel w e might call Ahrimal. A student of th e spheres, he and his House w ere much intrigued by the effect humanity had on the cosmos. Without humankind, Paradise w as superficially p erfect, but ultimately stagnant. Humanity added a factor of chaos and uncertainty to a world that was otherwise as predictable as atomic decay. Th e Fates w atch ed this with keen interest, attempting to comprehend the d eep er, rich er patterns that humanity's free will wove into the universal tapestry. "It was this Ahrimal—not so great a light himself— who first p erceived a knot of great destru ctiven ess and turmoil. It was still on the horizon of the unrealized future, but each day made it stronger and darker. Unquestionably, humanity had some role to play in this looming tragedy. "Disturbed and afraid, Ahrimal told his
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masters what he had foreseen, but they told him to be calm and have no fear. When h e showed them, they simply replied th at it was an anomaly, a n ecessary potential bad to offset th e perfect actual good. Surely (they said) th e Maker would never let His creation founder on such treach erous shoals. They forgot His warnings and went about their business. "Ahrimal could not rest quite so easy. Dismissed by his own House, he called upon his friends and colleagues. They arrived at his lunar san ctum with no idea how grave his con cerns w ere, but they soon suspected from his worried visage. Retreating to an obscure ch amber, he told them of his vision and, moreover, showed them the eviden ce o f his foreseen doom. "'My friends,' he whispered. 'What can w e do?' "The first to speak w as Belial, Virtue o f the Boundless Deeps. Radiant in his cloak of blue and aqua scales, his voice had in it the thunder of a groaning glacier, married to the smooth sigh of a wave kissing the shore. Of all our number, none h ad so keen a taste for beauty, none took su ch jo y in th e art of th e world... and, consequently, none suffered so much from humanity's loss. "'I am sho cked and amazed that the wise coun cil of the Fates h as ignored this matter. Our friend shows us that a time approaches wh en the voice of beauty will b e silen ced, and the jo y of artifice p erverted into the ugliness of deceit and falsehood. Is it an act of love to stand by while this h appens? We cannot pretend ignoran ce while this great disaster rolls in from the horizon. We must act.' "'But what action should we take?' "This was spoken by Usiel, Throne of the Sundered, a potent Angel o f the Second World. Like many of his House, he was absent even wh en he was present. At th e edges of his body, light was cut short, with an edge keener than a razor, and where his shadow fell the World of Death became visible. "'Our orders are clear: Intercession is forbidden. The woman and the man are to make their own way.' He turn ed to Ahrimal and addressed him in particular. 'You may think you have the farthest sight, and that is true for things of this world, but your vision falters at the edge of my realm. It is there, I fear, that this coming trouble will end.' "'Indeed?' "The response came not from Ahrimal, but from the perfumed breath of Lailah the Defender, an Angel of the Firmament. That airy spirit took formless form for the debate, and through the lens of h er b eing, each arch of the moon castle ch amber seemed more noble, each line of its w alls more true. Even fair Belial's beauty was magnified when seen through Lailah's eyes. In her attendan ce, the d anger of disagreement seemed to wane. 'Perhaps the Second World is the key. In this
best ordered world, perhaps disaster is no p eril at all? Perhaps the entry of humans into your realm is th eir true destiny. Perhaps that is the missing element — th e stumbling block th at keeps them from reaching their true potential.' '"You speak o f that which you know not,' replied Usiel. 'Mu ch as I should love to embrace mankind as closely as you and yours do, I dare not risk it. Should we plunge mankind into death on the strength of a 'perhaps'? Perhaps the ch an ce of death will spill out humanity's chan ces and leave th em forever denied. Perhaps human mortality will shake both worlds or even split them ap art!' "In this, Usiel p roved as apt a prophet as Ahrimal, but at the time h e seemed only frighten ed, not wise. We thought no suffering could be keener than the thwarted love we felt. "We w ere wrong." "Looking around this world we have built and at the humanity we lovingly crafted, I see only two elements that mar this perfection,' said Belial. 'One is the source of our longtime frustration: humanity's failure to awaken th eir true potential. Although it lies within their reach, they fail to grasp it, day after day. This is a torment to each of us, from lowly angel to mighty seraph. Now, Ah rimal brings tidings of failure and horror for all the world. Can two sorrows b e
unmarried? Or is it more likely th at the forth coming bane of th e world is connected to the suffering and failure of Eve and Adam?' '"Surely you cannot impute guilt in this matter to the man and the woman?' Lailah's sho ck was a chill gust of wind and a momentary dimming of the beauty she beheld. '"Guilt? No,' replied Belial. 'But in what oth er aspect o f the cosmos do we see failure? The stars move as they should. The o cean tides are steady and smooth. Generations of b easts and plants rise and are cut down. Only humanity is anything other than what it w as meant to be.' "'Indeed,' said Ahrimal, 'What else could so confound the universal plan? No bird nor beast no star in the sky is important enough to bring desolation on the whole of th e world. Belial is right: Adam and Eve arc, though guiltless, somehow some part of th e cause.' "Usiel shrugged.'If the future p eril is a consequen ce o f their present plight, what can we do? The command against interferen ce cannot be ignored.' '"The plight of humanity tou ches us all, to the extent that each of us bears great lo ve for mankind,' replied Belial,'Th eir helplessness becomes our helplessness. They are but a sh adow of their ultimate potential while w e are forbidden to serve th em fully. They are diminished by ignoran ce, unaware of their
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true power. We are bound, not by walls we cannot see, but by the iron command of our Maker. Yet while Adam and Eve remain hobbled, none among the Elohim are truly free, truly fulfilled or truly able to discharge our duties of service and adoration. While humanity remains in complete, the universe remains incomplete. "'I am a maker of b eauty and a giver of wonder, but all my creation is sterile as dust with no eye to behold it o r ear to give heed. Can it be our Master's will that we b e thwarted in those very acts for which w e w ere made? Surely not, and to say so is to attribute cruelty unto Him whose kindness extends to the creation of us all, and of this world of marvels we find about us on all sides.' '"We all long for the day when humanity finds its true potential,' said Usiel, 'But how can we h asten its coming?' '"That is the question. That must be our mission.' "Ahrimal agreed, but Usiel argu ed emphatically that interfering with th e progress of human evolution at one point could have unforeseen repercussions along its entire length, and in this, Ahrimal was relu ctantly fo rced to agree. 'But,' the Fate hastened to add, 'With humankind, the stern boundaries of the future are already blurred and shifting. If we act as we are wont and give as freely as we desire, who is to say th at the ultimate effect will not be good? Indeed, moved as we are b y the highest motives, how can an y ill result? Can evil spring from good? Can love b eget wickedness? Surely not, else the entire universe is absurd and pointless — and that is an idea so blasphemous I hesitate to speak it.' '"Perh aps my role gives me more persp ective,' said Usiel. 'If mankind is destin ed to awaken, surely no action of ours can hinder them—unless we interfere. We do not see as God sees, and what looks to us like kindness may bear cruel fruit in the fullness of time. We cannot see every side of this Creation from within it, but He dwells without and naught can hide from Him. Why, then, should we meddle?' "It was Belial who replied. 'You speak truly when you say that w e cannot know the fullness of Creation from within. But should that excuse us from fulfilling our first and greatest duty? Your House is one that reacts and responds to what is, but other Houses are ch arged to create and expand this world. You argue that we should accept that future events are as willed by the Maker simply because th ey h appen to what He h as made. But by that reasoning, we ought never to h ave hung the constellations or shap ed the mountains or sculpted th e depths of the sea. We should instead have said 'If the world is sterile, sterility must be its destiny,' and If the world is dark, it must be meant for darkness.' Ahrimal tells us of impending danger. How are we to
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know that action against it — action to help and protect mankind, action for which every fiber within us cries — is not our destiny? Perh aps, as you say, we will harm them by helping too soon. But is it not also possible that we will harm them by refusing to help? If one is unknowable, then th e other is surely equally so.' '"The love you demonstrate does you great credit,' Lailah said to Belial. 'But while Eve and Adam are the capstones of Creation, they are only one element thereof. They do not exist independent of their world, nor is it unmoved by them. If w e push them to awaken and fail — even with the best intentions, even with the noblest goals — what will be the end of it? Grave Usiel suggests a rift b etween the World of Life and the Afterlife. What if other facets of th e cosmos are shaken? Our power is great, and b y striving against the world we may injure the world. By trying to shape the souls of man, we might warp th em instead.' '"And that being so, you would choose to do nothing?' asked Belial. 'Do you think we—w e ministers of Creation, w e who built it and who are charged with its defense—are so clumsy, so ignorant, so foolhardy as to ruin what we made ?' "'I say nothing but that our choice must be starkly divided into action and inaction. Any d ecision, small or large, could be the cause of th e future w e fear. By our own power, we do not know and never can. We are indeed, to use your imag e, trapped on the w ater's edge, unable to walk or swim without peril. "'But for us, there is a third way. As w e of the Firmament fly to the aid of any charge in danger, so may God lift us aw ay from this hazardous shore. We cannot know, but we can trust in Him who does, the Unmoved Mover, the On e Outside the World. If He t ells me to reveal myself to our beloved charges, I will do so with infinite gladness in my heart. But if He compels m e to remain hidden, no force in this world o r the n ext could make me break faith.' '"How wise your counsel would be, if only we could know His will!' cried Ah rimal. 'With the reassuran ce of His word, I would wait until the stars dimmed. But we have no word!' "'We h ave the opportunity to see as H e sees,' said Usiel, but there was doubt in his voice. '"Fo r myself,' said Belial, 'I would take that ch an ce — but what of Haniel, what of Injios, what of the Dominion of Summer Breezes and the Angel of th e Unseen Light? Th ey w ent, they saw and they are no more! Not one of them, from lowly angel th rough mighty throne, has returned to give word, give hope, give knowledge! Haniel w as your boon companion, Usiel. Where is she now? When you speak her name, no echo returns! When you ask h er what she saw, get you any answer?' "'Perh aps she is forbidden to speak of what
she saw,' Usiel said in response, but his words were muffled in sorrow, for his love for Haniel was great and all knew the p ain her loss had placed upon his soul. '"You know better than an y h er great loyalty,' said Ahrimal. His face w as a mask of compassion, and his compassion was also a gust of stellar wind, and a bright shower of falling stars. 'If fo rbidden to speak, she would speak not of h er knowledge. But it is not only on the dark future fate that she is silen ced. Her light is gone from the sky. Her song is silen ced on the strands. I have sought her in the passages of time, and she is not there. Belial has looked for her in the depths, and Michael has roamed every co rner of the starry vacuum in quest of h er. Y et neith er lowly angel nor mighty ch erub have found her. Usiel, have you searched your realm fo r her?' '"Sh e is not dead,' was all Usiel could say. '"Not dead, and not alive, but simply gone, removed from our knowing... this is the fate allotted to those who would know the ultimate truth. It is not for me, I do not fear destru ction for my sake, but I fear th e loss of any in the Host who might turn aside th e age of wrath I have foreseen. No, seeing as God sees is no answer if doing so is su ch a great step out of the cosmos that no return is possible.' '"Then wh at are our choices?' d emanded Lailah, ’We can stay h ere, poised fo r action, but ignorant of the right decision? Or we can pass beyond, learn the truth, and be impotent?'" Gaviel paused in his recitation and looked at Matthew. "Do you know much about quantum physics?" "What?" "Quantum physics? Heisenb erg's uncertainty prin ciple?" Seeing th e confusion in the reverend's expression, he shrugged. "Noah didn't think you'd know anything about post-Newtonian mech anics — and, indeed, why should you?—but if you did, I might be able to give you some of the deeper nuan ces of Lailah's discussion with Ahrimal." "Ah. Well, sorry if your discussion was too rarefied for this po', ign'nt, down home preach-man." With each word, he b roadened his p ronunciation, until the last phrase w as a parody of every unedu cated rural black from decades of films. "Don't be that way, Matthew. You know there's no one h ere but us niggers." Gaviel's words were calm, clear, articulate. "Quantum mechanics is a field of scientific study that examines subatomic particles and their b ehavior. One of th e essential ch allenges of th e discipline is that, in many in cid en ces, knowing one fact about a p article precludes knowing another. It may be possible to know an electron's velo city, but the pro cess of finding that out ch anges the electron's lo cation. Or you may be able to know where
it is at one specific moment, but by learning that fact, you change its speed." "And that's what Lailah and Ahrimal talked about next? I'm sorry, but this whole scen e rings false to me." "Ah. On ce more you want to call me a liar without actually having the testicular fortitude to sp eak the words. Why don't you call me a 'God-damned liar' while you're at it? Th en at least part of your phrase would be true." "You really mean to tell me that in th e face of some world-shaking catastrophe, you angels got together and had a chat? That you sat around some moon palace and eloquently discussed the p ros and cons of going to war with God?" "We w ere creatures of order and hierarchy, not to mention dignity. How do you think we settled things? Mud wrestling? Matthew, I'm giving you the version you can understand, all right? Lailah and Ahrimal did not talk. about physics, they continued their discussion through physics. On one level, they were discussing the motives of the Maker and His will in a sunny palace on the moon. On another level, they were waves and particles interacting on th e barren crust of an airless, lifeless ro ck. A third level h ad all the participants as musical elements, improvising against one another to communicate pure emotion." "Different facets." "Yes. We are natural laws, Matthew. Or we were," Gaviel sighed. "Those duties have been reassign ed, it seems, but we were on ce w aves and quanta. We dan ced, not on the head of a pin, but in the orbits of electrons."
THE MORNINGSTAR Anyway, Lailah and Ahrimal debated passionately about the possibility that knowing what to do and doing it might be mutually exclusive, but they came to no con clusion. Eventually, Belial gave voice to his impatience. "We do not know—it may be th at we cannot know — and it seems that w e cannot even learn whether w e can know o r not. Does any among us wish to follow the path of Haniel and Injios?" Hearing great silen ce in reply, he continued. "Having spurned the path of impotent knowledge, we must now consider two other courses, as explain ed by gracious Lailah, whose wisdom is unsurpassed. Action and inaction are our choices, and I feel in my very core a loathing for inaction." "Are your p referen ces, then, to serve as a guide in this matter of universal import?" asked Usiel. "My 'preferen ce' is just as purely to let all remain as it is." "Leaving th e woman and the man in so rrow and ignoran ce?" asked Ah rimal.
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"Better that than dead!" The debate became in creasingly fervent, until all tongues were stilled by a sudden arrival. He was uninvited, and unwelcome, and as h e entered, the others dropped to their kn ees in reveren ce and fear. He came in splendor and power, garbed in all phases of light. He was the highest agent of the highest House, the Seraph of the Morning. He was Lu cifer, and every molecule in his presen ce hummed in time to his words. "Rise," he said, "My fellow servants of Th e One." Trembling, the Elohim stood, prepared for the anger of their maker. But that was not Lu cifer's message. Instead he turned to Ahrimal. "You have seen a coming darkness," h e said. The Fate nodded. "And you informed those above you?" Again, Ahrimal could only nod. "What did they do?" "They... they told me to have no fear. That nothing needed to be done." Lu cifer nodded. "They were wrong," h e said. The foursome looked at each other with shock and amazement. "Great Mo rningstar," said Lailah, "Have you word for us? Word from the Most High?" Lu cifer shook his h ead. "He is unmoved. Even the voice of all angels in choir could not shake the Lord Above from His position. We can move planets in their spheres, turn mountains into canyons and o ceans into sand... but we cannot change one letter of what is writ on the Maker's heart." "How can this be?" Aghast, Belial could only stare, his visage marred by sorrow and disbelief. "Is His heart so cold toward us, his children?" "We are no children of His, my friend, but only his servants. His true children are Eve and Adam, our helpless masters, whose ignoran ce defeats all our wisdom. Our duty is to them as to Him, and on their future — yea, even the future of fear and horror that noble Ahrimal has seen — His silen ce is d eep er th an the vacuum of space." "Then what are w e to do?" asked Usiel. "We can obey our o rders," said Lu cifer, "We can love mankind to the fullest extent of our power. We can free them, give them their true selves—and in so doing, either h ead off the honor ahead or arm humanity to endure it." "But our orders!" said Lailah. "W e w ere expressly commanded not to interfere. Th ese words you speak are not from God, and I fear them." "By the same authority, w e were ordered expressly to love. Not to w atch un caring, not to oversee, but to love them. I see a clear and violent conflict
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between those two commands. Unable to be true to both, I choose to ob ey th e higher." "Choose?" said Belial. "Then you do not know?" "I can see no farther than this one here," Lu cifer said, gesturing to Ahrimal. "But like you, the taste of in action is bitter on my tongue." "What if th e interferen ce, our interferen ce, is the very path we fear?" asked Usiel. "You cannot den y that we are striking blindly in the darkn ess." "I deny nothing," replied Lu cifer, "And I am as aware as you that which ever way w e turn could be the wrong path. If w e go to th e woman and man with our gifts, the Lord may well judge us harshly. We could be condemned as o athbreakers, sco rned fo r disobedience, cast out from the light of His love... even destroyed entirely. But if w e stay silent, we may watch unmoving as the children w e love lead the world we love into a pit of terror and malice." "But there is no way to know!" cried Lailah. "None whatever. But I love Eve and Adam as I love the Lo rd. If He commanded my destru ction, gladly I would go. It is a poor show if our love is limited by self-preservation." "I fear no risk to me," said Belial, "My reservation is the risk to humankind — to their lives, their souls, to the very world!" "The dangers o f my path are very real and as great as you fear. Y et answ er me this: What crisis is better met by w eakn ess than strength, better understood by ignoran ce than knowledge? Yes, revealing ourselves to the mortals may ignite this holocaust. Yes, exalting them may be the act that unhinges Creation. But if awakened humanity is the source of this crisis, might not awaken ed humanity be the cure fo r it as well? Or would you have them face the coming catastrophe as they are now — blind, irrational, little b etter than cunning apes? "That is th e worst consequen ce of action: That humanity faces th e terro r with its full powers awakened. Let us weigh it in the balan ce against th e worst we could imagine if w e do nothing. In that case, humanity faces its gravest threat with no defenses at all. They enter the madness unwarned, unaware, unable to even comprehend the fires that engulf them." Lu cifer bowed his head, and it seemed for a moment as if all light, everywhere in th e cosmos, dimmed in reply. "If this choice is w rong, on my head be it." Eyes bright with p assion, Belial stepped forward to stand beside him. "I'm for you!" h e cried. "Let us follow our hearts, do this deed and dare to lo ve fully! Even if w e fail, we can do no less and be worth y of our names." Usiel shook his h ead. "No," h e replied. "Forgive my impudence, Morningstar, but I revere your
master more than you. I will not trust the wisdom of the Lord 's creatures above the wisdom of His word. The Most High bid me hide, and hidden I shall remain." "I too will not rebel," said Lailah. "Th e AllMaker would not condemn His creation to d estru ction. You say that without truth, humanity has no protection. To say su ch is to show contempt for th eir Father above. You can trust in your power, in your love and in your wisdom. I will trust in the Lord." Of those who deb ated, it w as Ahrimal, the least, who spoke last, "I know not what I saw, only that it was horrible. I know not how it will come about, only that humanity is involved. I cannot decide upon my duty, because any way I turn I must betray one o rder or the other. But I have faith in Adam and Eve. I have faith in the universe we have made. And I have faith that a perfected humanity is far more likely to see a way to avoid this catastrophe. I stand with th e Momingstar. I say w e act." Thus were the seeds of contention sown. The Elohim flew in two directions, each calling others to declare the schism. Usiel and Lailah withdrew to the highest spheres of Heaven, to distan ce themselves from Lu cifer and his rash act. The Morningstar and his followers plunged toward Earth, intent on making good on their bold decision before an y could prevent them. Though none knew it, the first steps to the Age of W rath had b een taken. But before that hell began, there w ere still some jo ys and wonders left to we who fell.
THE FALL Picture the scen e. Twilight in Eden, The first woman and man walk upon a verdant carp et, caressed by the fragran ce of a thousand blossoms. The sun hides its face in a cloudy blush, shedding ribbons of glory in crimson, vermilion and regal purple... but all its display cannot hide its eclipse, and gradually it sinks. Th e shadows grow long until all is en compassed. The green of the leaves turns black and then, as eyes adjust to starlight, everything is etch ed with silver. Your an cestors stride through it unseeing, unfeeling and un certain. They are each a monument to beauty, but neither can see it in the other, n either can compreh end. They sniff and stumble and find a fruiting vine, the sprouting top of a veget able. They pull their supper from the soil and as they do, a voice — a mild voice, afraid but thick with longing — speaks to them. "Eve," it says. "Adam. I have done this for you." Turning, amazed, they see a figure b efore them, garbed in gray, austere and holy. Twilight is fitting fo r this apparition, for she is Madisel, Arch angel o f the Unseen Past, one from the Final House. Of all the soul takers, she w as the high est who chose Lu cifer's path,
and it was agreed that sh e — representing the low est angels — should be the first to show her face. We wished, you see, to reveal ourselves slowly, to let them grow accustomed to us. In mute silence they stare at her pale skin, dark eyes, ash en wings. "This," she says, gesturing at their supper. "This died for you. This plant has died to renew your life, and it is through me that this is done. Take it with my blessing... because I love you." Frowning, still puzzled, they eat, and as they do, a second figure appears. Where Madisel w as frail as steam, this one seems strong as a storm—vibrant, vital and solid as a mighty o ak. Th e humans stare in aw e at the glory of his golden man e, the strength visible in each straining muscle, th e life coursing through his keen eyes and great feathers. His great frame twitches, each nerve and sinew aching to p ro claim. At last his voice comes fo rth in a magnificent rush. "I... I am Grifiel," the figure says, "Prin cip ality of Those Who Hunt By Day. Many times h ave those in my domain looked on you with greedy eyes, but they knew your flesh w as not for them. They stru ck down grazing things and swimming things and running things, but you were spared th eir claws. My wo rd turned them aside, because I love you." Dazzled by th ese two visitors, the woman and the man were stunned yet again by a figure that rose from a nearb y stream. All the dappled glory of moonlight on water shone from her hair and eyes, and as she stepp ed toward them, trembling with awe and passion. The sound of trickling water from her hair and dark wings made a delicate music — but not more delicate than th e music of her voice, "I am Senivel," sh e said. "I speak fo r the House of the Deep, fo r I am the Power of the Slender Streams. Each time you bent to drink, we kissed you unaware, b ecause w e love you." In a shower of starlight, the next messenger came. He spread his wings of night above them and his voice was the grinding of the planets as they moved in their orbits. "I am Gaar-Asok, the Pole Star's Virtue. I speak for the House of Fate, and I offer you our blessings of the future and the past, for we love you." A rumble coursed through the earth, and it opened at their feet, like a blooming flower unveiling golden pollen. At the center of the earth-blossom towered a figure of shining splendor. The gold and silver feathers of its wings clicked and chimed as it bowed low before humankind. "I am Toguiel, the Ruby Dominion, and I bring you the gifts of the House of Matter." A gesture, and veins of diamond and jade rose up around them, a garden o f gems on golden stalks. "I and mine offer this gift as the smallest sign of our great love. We pray that they please you. We beg you to accept them." Sho cked and amazed, the mortals cowered, but the revelations w ere not yet finished. The sw eet
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breez e of th e garden grew stronger, thickening into solid movement, into a form that cast glory around it, redoubling the beauty of all those p resent. Like warmth, like comfort, like peace was the voice of Nazriel, Throne of Unbounded Benevolen ce, the highest emissary of the Second House who joined in Lu cifer's crusade. Sh e identified herself, and with her words both humans and angels were calmed, sensing the safety that flowed from her like sweet breath. "Unseen and unknown, I and mine have guarded you," she said. "From fall and hurt and bitter mischan ce, w e have each time turned you aside. Know now that you walk alw ays in our embrace, for we love you." With the holy pair calmed by the appearan ce of their protecto r, the time had come for th e greatest of our number. In a blaze to rival the d awn, Lu cifer descended. His glory, unbound, flung diem to their knees. All the light o f the cosmos seemed fo cused through him, and all its majesty poured forth in liquid waves unto his beloved humanity. Alone of all the Elohim, he showed no trepidation. There was no pause of dread, no quiver of awe as the Morningstar spoke. "I am Lu cifer, Seraph of the First House, Prin ce of All Angels and Voice of God the Most High," he p ro claimed. "But I come b efore you not to speak for God, but to speak as a humble supplicant.
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We angels you see b efore you — they and multitudes more from each of the seven Houses—have come at last to declare our love. Angels have w atched you sin ce the beginning. Angels numerous as the stars above have cherished your every move and gesture." Like them, he knelt, and as h e did, so did the others. His burning wings en circled th e woman and the man and, with a gentle stroke, bid them stand befo re the reverent spirits. "We come now, not as officers of the cosmos and agents of its Maker, but as individuals. We come of our own will to offer you a fin al gift — th e greatest gift we can give, the only fit gift for our overwh elming love. You may take it and become like us, and like God, and be fully aware of the vistas of creation. Or you may refuse it, and remain as you are, and never more be troubled by our sight. We will never abandon you—our adoration precludes it — but if you do not wish to receive our gift, speak now, and w e shall hid e again, protecting and loving you only from afar." The woman and man turned to one another and spoke in hushed tones. "What beings are these?" asked the man, "They come garb ed in glory but abase themselves before us. They say they are of God, but that their actions are th eir own. How can these both be so? What can w e say to their offer?"
"They love us," said th e woman, "so they must mean us well. If the gifts they h ave given so far — safety and water and food — have been good, how much better must their ultimate gift be?" "You are right," said the man. "We should accept what th ey offer, whatever it is. Having seen their splendor, I want to continue to see th em, and if they were to leave us forever, my heart would break." Turning to Lu cifer, they made their choice. With solemn joy, Lu cifer opened their eyes.
CRIMES OF P ASSION Gaviel paused in his recitation and looked down at his own folded hands. "The Fall," Matthew said. "Was it?" Gaviel replied quietly. "Did humanity have an y idea what it was getting into?" "No more than we did." "I suppose it's a p aradox," Matthew said, unthinkingly sipping his drink. "You can't understand what it means to know good and evil unless you know good and evil. Like you angels, humanity had to decide blind." Gaviel shook his head. "We didn't give them knowledge of evil and good. At that point, there still was no evil," "How can you say that? You knowingly rebelled against God your master. If that's not evil, what is?" "We knowingly rebelled, but with the best of intentions. Please acknowledge that, Matthew. We meant no harm. We only wanted to h elp." "The road to hell is paved with good intentions,'" Matthew quoted, with a slight tilt of his head. "That may be on e of th e most insightful comments in human history," Gaviel replied. "We truly had no ill in mind. We sought only to avoid or alleviate the disaster we foresaw. And yes, w e were foolish. We were blind and ignorant and naive and arrogant — so sure of our own power, our own judgment, that we sco rned the orders of God. But w e meant no harm. It's a thin excuse, and it really absolves us of nothing... but I maintain, even now, even after my torment and the horrors of th e war and the atro cities that w ere to follow, that even as we transgressed, our motives w ere pure." "If disobeying God isn't evil, what is?" Gaviel steepled his fingers. "That's the question, isn't it? Is deciding to harm another evil? By that token, the soldiers who killed Nazis to liberate the con centration camps were as evil as th e butchers they slew. Or is it K ant's catego rical imperative — that when we decide to use others as a means instead of ch erishing each individual as a separate, p recious end
— that is wh en we b ecome evil? But in this age of mass votes and mass media, how can each individual be seen, let alone ch erished?" He shook his head. "Evil, I think, begins when you deceive yourself so that you may harm others." "How can you deceive yourself?" "I would think an adulterer would understand," Gaviel said with a cold smile. "You tell yourself you're not going to do it, even as you pave the way. You tell yourself you'll only see h er to the door, but it would be rude not to step inside if she asks. You tell yourself it's just this one time, that it was a momentary lapse, that it'll n ever h appen again... but it does." They w ere quiet again, before Matth ew said "And that's what you gave them in the gard en? That was your gift of good intentions and pure love?" Gaviel sighed. "Our gift to you was consciousness. We led you to think in a new w ay — to compare and describe and understand things abstractly. Metaphor and simile. That w as our gift." "What? You're telling me that the Fall came down to... to grade school grammar elements? That's insane!" "Is it? What separates humans from animals, if not that very ability? It's not language — whales have language. It's not so cial action — even lowly ants can act in con cert. It's not accumulated wisdom and 'culture' — eleph ants teach their children things that go beyond mere instin ct. Bonobos and otters use tools. What can humans do that animals can't? What elements are unique to humanity?" "Laughter." "Indeed — and laughter is a fun ction of consciousness. Why do we laugh? Because w e perceive an in congruity, o r a false congruity. Th e du chess with the duck on her head is funny b ecause it's a composition of dignity and the absurd. A pun amuses because two words sound similar but mean different things. None of this is possible without consciousness." "Good and evil, then, come from this consciousness?" "Certainly. A biting dog is a bad dog, not an evil one. To be evil, you have to be aware of a b etter choice and ignore it. And delib erately turning away from a tangibly better outcome is only something that a person motivated by th e intangible would do," Gaviel leaned in, intent. "Crimes of conscien ce are crimes of consciousness. Our gift to you was th e ability to look at things outside individual instances, and see them instead as one example of a group. You could catego rize. Instead o f thinking about one particular sheep or herd of sheep, you could think of sh eep as a catego ry — and then grazing things as a category, and then all animals as a catego ry. Or — if you want to see it from a more sinister side — instead of seeing one
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particular black shopkeeper with good manners and a wholesome family life, a skinhead can see him as a member of a 'mongrel race' deserving of torture and death." "But that's a false category — you can't stack it up against that platonic form business with the sheep." "Can't I? Without metaphors and abstraction, can one lie?" Matthew opened his mouth and then shut it, frowning. "You can lie... but not very well." Gaviel tilted his h ead and raised an eyebrow. "Please, explain. This interests me," "Well, if I... I don't have metaphors, I can make a statement that I know isn't true. 'Th e sky is green,' or..." "There aren't any troops massed over the hill.'" "Sure. But I can't elaborate on it or... or treat it like it's real. If I lie about hidden troops and I'm conscious, I can think o f reasons that th e lie would be true, right? Because I can make parallels betw een what is and what isn't." "Falsehood becomes a metaphor fo r the truth," Gaviel said, eyes gleaming darkly. "So consciousness makes lies possible. But also imagination, because I can think of what isn't and pretend to interact with it as if it did exist." "Your mental landscap e can b e something other than a map of what you see. Voila! Creativity — something that, like elaborate lies, animals just can't grasp." Gaviel gave Matthew a p atern al smile and said, "Your son really underestimated your intelligen ce." At the mention of Noah, Matthew's expression darkened. "Did I say something wrong?" his guest inquired. "Just continue your story."
THE AGE OF WRATH Fine. Having finally awaken ed, Adam and Eve wasted no time in exploring the vast n ew possibilities open to them. Clothing was the l east of their inventions. Lu cifer himself explained the nature of fire and its taming to them, while Naz riel and her spirits of the air unfolded befo re th em the full glory of language, making words into music. The Fundamentals unlocked the secrets of the lever, the pulley and the wheel for their use, while from the o cean spirits came the physical arts o f sculpture and pigment. Those of th e wild taught them kindness for the dog and the horse, who showed their loyalty in return. Not to be outdone, the Fates gave them writing, that th ey might capture the past and leave its d escriptions to the future. It was one night that lasted a thousand years, in which the two b ecame four, became many, became a
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nation of artists and philosophers and builders of wonders. With our aid, true humanity had slipp ed its bonds and worked its full strength upon the world. It was a time like no other — mankind, perfected, in a perfect wo rld. But however great the night of rejoicing, the day of reckoning was still to come. W e made our marvels under cover of darkness, but the sun — th e harsh light of God's pitiless eye — could not be delayed in its course. When the sun came up on the new wo rks of Man, it rose with a vanguard o f angels. First among them was Michael—formerly the Ch erub of the Unerring Beam. Now, as h e flared above Paradise, h e announced himself with a n ew title. "I am Michael, Seraph of the Flaming Sword and Voice of God. I have come to bear tidings from the Maker of All, tidings of His anger and dread retribution." The humans, awestru ck, fell to their kn ees, but no rebel Elohim knelt. Instead, w e arrayed ourselves above our mortal students, gripping tools that might serve as w eapons. We faced th e Holy Host unbowed. "You have sinned against your Master," said Michael, "and His wrath is great. But greater still is His boundless mercy. Ob ey His fin al command, turn aside from this selfishness, and you may yet stay His punishing hand," Lu cifer met Michael, and when their eyes locked, light itself struggled between its two masters. "What is this final command?" the Morningstar asked. Michael's response was a sn eer. "To you, rebel, and all your ilk it is simple: Return to th e highest of Heaven 's spheres, where th e punishing angels may strip you sinners down into nothing, unshaping your forms, silen cing your names and sending you to the black annihilation that is your due." Turning to the human host below, he said, "Forsake the tainted gifts of these rebels, turn aside from your ill-gotten knowledge, and you may yet return to the good graces of your Maker. Your sinful works will be cleansed from the world, and your minds will be freed from their p erverse acu ity. All will be as it was before — indeed; you shall not even know that anything changed." Lu cifer made bold to laugh aloud at his onetime servant, the cherub who had usurped his position. "What a kind offer you make! We are to meekly return, heads bowed, and as a reward for our submission... we cease to be? Tell me, is th ere an y worse punishment we could possibly merit if we refuse this command as well? For given the option of oblivion, I am sore pressed to think of one." "Are you so sunk in rebellion? So drunk on self-will, so deb ased b y disobedien ce, that strife against
God is not punishment greater than destru ction?" "We are not the ones making threats. We are not the ones fulminating about destru ction. We are not the ones demanding that others meekly lin e up and be destroyed for th e crime of protecting their loved on es." "It sickens me to think I was on ce your servant," Mich ael said. "You heap abuse and blasphemy on top of your arrogant disobedien ce. Your ruin will serve as an ample warning to th e others of your odious host."
A CLASH OF ANGELS Gaviel paused on ce more in his tale, frowning. "I remember that first battle in so many different ways," h e said. "Not all of th em are... congruent with the human scale. Or even with the human experien ce." "Was there an actual flaming sword?" "Oh yes, and drawing it forth Mich ael pressed the first attack. But the broad wings of Lu cifer were swift, and each of Mich ael's mighty blows was stymied by the sp eed of Heaven 's onetime senesch al. At the same time, in another way, they discussed the terms and parameters of the combat" "Discussed terms?" "Beings so n early limitless felt the n eed, at that time, to restrain the full extent of their might. Otherwise, the clash of two mighty Angels of Light could have scoured humankind off the face of the earth. But more than that...the id ea o f unlimited war was alien to us. Consider th e way w e calmly discussed the prospect of defying th e Most High," Gaviel said, and Matthew frowned at his exp ression. It was almost... wistful? It was the face of someone remembering youthful idealism. Someone who wishes he w as still that naive. The reverend suspected a trick, but he held his tongue. "We w ere passionate in our discussion, of course but . . . it was a bloodless passion. We w ere square pegs in our square holes, creatures constru cted to live in stiff hierarch y, b eings of power and creation — but at the same time, beings of order and obedien ce. When led by the foremost of our number, we could stumble into freedom — but like the humans we brought along with us on our crusade, w e did not understand the full meaning of what we chose. "Thus, the first battles of the w ar were very. . . structured. Very static and sterile and achingly p recise. Both sides had the same tactical assumptions, the same strategic goals . . . w e all played b y the same rules, at first. The van quished honorably surrendered th eir power and w ere imprisoned, until such time as their allies might stage a prop er rescu e." "I thought the punishment of reb els was to b e death."
"Oh, not death, Matthew. The mysteries of death are reserved fo r humanity alone. Our fate was nonexistence. You, of all people, should understand that there's a profound differen ce b etween the two." "So angels who... who were defeated... they didn't die? They just ceased to b e, like a switch ed-off light?" "Eventually yes. We can only b e or not be, and only here. W e cannot go on to whatever fate God has in store for mortal souls." "Then why didn't Michael and the others just destroy the demons they captured? I mean, that was God's decree, right?" "A quick, painless destru ction was the punishment for those who surrendered. Heaven was preparing something special for we who continued to resist. Besides, it w as not we Fallen alone who were captured. Loyalists came into our power as w ell Initially, neith er side really w anted to take responsibility for the annihilation of their fellow Elohim." Again, another little head shake. "W e were so timid. We hadn't been shown the other way. But w e learn ed. We learned to relish what on ce made us tremble with fear." THE FIRST B LOW On one level, the reb el Madisel flung her scythe through the air, giving th e unarmed Lu cifer a weapon. Its power w as nothing near that of Michael's burning brand—the scythe o f a lowly angel o f the lowest House? It existed in two worlds, three at most, while Mich ael's weapon was a sword and a song and a carbonizing catalytic reaction. It w as real on a thousand levels, a tool and a guiding prin ciple and a fundamental element of mathematics — not just a simple weapon. But Michael was n ew to his power, and while he was now the greatest of Elohim, the Momingstar was still, as ever, th e first of us. Where Michael blundered with too much strength, Lu cifer glided aw ay with subtlety. The w eapon of Madisel would have crumpled had it even passed through the hot wind of the flaming sword's passage, but it gave the reb el reach and threat and the power to harm... and in the end, that was enough. Or p erhaps, th at and Michael's knowledge that he was striking Lucifer — striking one to whom he once offered obedien ce unlimited, striking one who was second only to God in authority. Remember that we were creatures of habit and caste, and it is not only in finite b eings that old habits die hard. The victory was Lu cifer's. Not that Michael was harmed in any fashion: We h ad not yet devolved to the level o f actually hurting each other. No, it simply became clear that Lu cifer could, if h e chose, harm Michael before Mich ael harmed him. On ce that was clear, both warriors graciously and honorably withdrew. On ce each knew the outcome, what point would there be in actually forcing it into reality? A great ch eer rose from the rebel host, and it
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was echo ed from humanity. "There is your answer," Lu cifer said. "Our defian ce is unbroken. If you would destroy us, know that you risk your own destru ction." "You do not speak for them," Mich ael said— defeated, but still determined. "Let all who would obey come forth!" Understand that fully a third of the Heavenly Host had fallen by Lu cifer's side. We numbered thirty million, three hundred thousand and thirty. And of our number, only two—Amiel and Ank-Rhuhi—failed in their courage and returned fo r punishment. "So be it," said Mich ael. "We have the answer of the lesser rebels. Now we turn to th e greater. " Adam and Eve stepped forth, and stood raised up, and looked out over the great nation they and their children had made. "Lu cifer has taught us, and Belial has h elped us, and Senivel has built besid e us. They have given us many good things, and they are known to us. You are a stranger to us, Mich ael SwordBearer, and you offer us nothing but ignoran ce and loss and isolation. We will stand by our friends." At that moment, I was arrayed in the third rank of the reb els of th e First House. I could see Lu cifer, and I saw the single shining tear that fell at their words. I kn ew then that their words—their loyalty to him—was a greater triumph than his victory over
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Michael that day. Not all of humanity chose as Adam Allfath er and Allmother Eve, of course. On e of th eir sons stepped forth and spoke. "I honor those who have made me, but must I not also honor more He who made them? These things w e make are magnificent, and I want them. But more than that, I w ant virtue. I will obey, Michael. I will follow God." I could condemn him for his cowardice, but in the same breath, I could admire his courage, for at that moment, humankind had no way to know which of the two contending Hosts was the greater. Heedless of consequen ce, he blindly trusted himself to on e who claimed to speak for God.
ABEL Gaviel paused and his mouth quirked up. "Mu ch like someone else I know." "Yeah, I get it," Matthew replied. "What happened to him? Did anyone go with him?" "He w as joined b y his child ren and tribe, who numbered one quarter of humankind's number." "Did God...restore them?" "Sure. Or, more specifically, His agents within the Holy Host did. But their ignoran ce couldn't last long, once the war really got started. Consciousness is contagious, and once th e two human tribes joined the
fighting, the loyalists had to get smart fast. Those who couldn't make the cognitive jump back to abstract thought were simply too easy to trick, too easy to predict. Th ey were p rey. Though at first, humanity wasn't even fighting in th e war."
DIVINE RETRIBUTION As the loyalist humans departed, Michael and his legions stood watch over them — needlessly, I might add. They had made th eir choice and th e idea of forcing someone to do something against th eir will... no angel had yet had that thought. But as Mich ael w atch ed them go, he on ce again addressed the Unholy Host. "Obdurate in heresy and insurgen cy, know that you are condemned by your own mouths and punished by your own hands. Each of you shall know your own keenest torment, mighty thrones and lowly angels alike. From the highest House to the lowest, you shall have bitter gall to teach you regret. "Reb els of th e Second World! Your punishment is a new responsibility, for now your realm shall grow un checked. I name you Halaku, the Slayers, and your toil shall never cease. Your fate is to w eep in exhaustion, for the coming war will reap a harvest of needless death. Fields shall bum before the harvest, and animals die before they bear th eir young. But worst of all is your new est duty—reaping those you love." Michael's lip twisted. "Know this. By your uprising, you have op ened your kingdom to mankind." The wailing o f the Halaku rose like a flo ck of shrieking crows, but Michael's voice could not be drowned out. "Reb els of Wild House! You have abused your power for your own ends, instead of trusting nature's course. As punishment, your onetime servants shall multiply unchecked, overrunning your control and outstripping your authority. I name you Rabi su, th e Devourers, and you shall live to see the teeth of servant beasts stripping the flesh from human bones. By your uprising, you have cost mankind their place as first among nature's creatures. Hen cefo rth, beasts shall see them merely as b easts like th emselves, to feed upon or flee." At these words, mighty Grifiel and his followers bellowed in rage, and he would have sprung heedless to th e attack had not several potent Fundamentals held him in check. "Monster!" he roared. "How can you punish mankind for the misdeeds of angels?" "They, like you, made their choice. Th ey, like you, suffer for it. They, like you, will see the loss and suffering of what they love best." Eyes bright with malice, Michael continued his condemnation. "Reb els of th e deeps! You have sought to
stretch humanity's mind, so that it might en compass a multitude of possibilities. Know that you have worked better th an you kn ew, for their knowledge shall grow beyond even your imagination. It will grow until their inner worlds eclipse the outer, until each is an island within his own thought. It will grow until the leaf o f truth is lost in the forest of lies. I n ame you Lammasu, the Defilers, and condemn you to watch as the truth you sought to glorify is tarnished and con cealed." The moans of the Defilers made mournful compliment with the weeping of th e Slayers and the howls of the wild, but all was merely counterpoint to the main melody of Michael's damning words. "Reb els of th e Fates! You have taught mankind to look to the future: Now know that they will ignore the past, yea, and the p resent too. You sought to show them how much they can accomplish. Instead, they will see how much they leave undone. I name you Neberu, th e Fiends, and at your feet lay this crime: that you have robbed humanity of contentment, giving in its place endless vistas o f longing, envy and greed. "Reb els of th e Fundament! You sought to give man dominion over matter. Know that your ambition is forever spoiled. Man's knowledge and skill are fated to in crease, but his reach will ever exceed his grasp. Continually seeking more power over the material wo rld, his blind fumbling shall unleash greater devastation than un checked nature ever could. I name you Annunaki, the Malefactors, and the tools you give to man are doomed to turn in his hands and harm him. "Reb els of th e Firmament! I name you Asharu, th e Scourges, and share with you this cu rse: All men are fated to die. All, without exception. Even those who escap e malice and malady and misch an ce shall come to the Slayers in the end. Humanity is now gripped by age, and as th ey grow so shall they decay, becoming infirm of mind and frail of body, until even the strongest grows w eak, and even th e wisest grows feeble. You can continue to guard if you wish — indeed, I'm sure you shall — but do so knowing that all your efforts are ultimately futile." Finally, God's new voice on Earth turned to the final House, the greatest, the House of th e Dawn. Each of us stood, arrayed in ranks, immobile, braced for an y sho ck, any punishment... except the one that came. "Reb els of th e Dawn," he said, and paused. "I name you Namaru, the Devils." Then he and his host departed.
FORSAKEN "Wait wait wait," Matthew objected. "That was all your punishment? He called you a n ame?" "No, no... to hear his punishment, you have to listen to what he didn't say." "What he didn't...? He didn't say an ything!"
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"Exactly. Our punishment was that we w ere not punished." "You'll excuse me if I'm not impressed." "Look, w e could have b ravely withstood any cu rse, any punishment, any abuse. What we weren't read y fo r was b eing ignored. You see? Our punishment was that we were b eneath His notice. We did not even merit a cu rse to call our own." Gaviel shifted in his seat, suddenly restless. "But the final cu rse was yet to come."
THE WRATH OF GOD After Mich ael's departure, th e defiant ones — angels and men alike — wondered what would happen next. We did not have long to w ait. The Fates—o r Fiends—foresaw th e movement of Michael and his Choir to a position around the loyalist humans, and Scourge and Devil scouts confirmed that it w as a defensive stan ce. Initially we thought this an error, for w e had no intention of attacking any human. But it wasn't to defend them against us. They w ere there to shield them from a crumbling world. For the next stroke was not a raid of angels, not a pro clamation, not a ch allenge. What came n ext was the rage of God Himself. God made seven ranks of Elohim to safely filter His Divinity, that it might not overwhelm a fragile cosmos. Now…the in finite tou ched th e finite. I could say God stru ck the world, smote the sun, blasted the starry vault...but in truth, it was not such an effort as that. The merest caress from God's omnipotent hand was sufficient to rend the spheres asunder, casting the planet's perfect orbits into ellipses instead o f circles. The friction of Endless on Finite was enough to throw ch aos into the o rdered gears of nature, enough to put wobble into the orbits of electrons, enough to twist aside the wo rld's axis, enough to fold facets in, one upon the other. Entropy entered the wo rld with God's punishing touch—a wound not instantly fatal, but one from which the universe still slowly bleeds. I look at the world now and see a bruised, battered husk that on ce was Paradise. Humans live out the curses placed on their protectors, while reality itself slowly grinds down to Oblivion. The war was yet to be fought, but we should have known then that we were doomed.
THE FIRE OF HEAVEN "So you want to blame God fo r everything that's wrong with the wo rld?" Gaviel seemed drain ed. His reply was lead en. "You'll just say w e fo rced His hand." "I'm sorry, but it's just a little much to think that an all-powerful, all-loving God would wreck His
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own creation." "If not Him, then who?" Matthew said nothing, but he raised one eyebrow. Gaviel shook his head. "Us? You think we did it? An hour ago, you wouldn't believe w e created the universe, but now you're ready to credit us with the power to wreck it?" "Isn't it always easier to corrupt than to create?" "NO IT ISN'T!" Suddenly, the fo rm in his office w as no longer that of his son. Nor w as it the glorious apparition he'd seen outside, though it had the same wings and the same flawless face. But where Gaviel outside had seemed seren e and pure, this creature's face was wracked by torment, twisted with rage, shadowed by shame and sorrow. "WE WERE MADE TO CREATE, TO IMPROVE, TO EXPAND YOUR WORLD! WE WERE CREATURES OF PURITY, TRUTH AND LOVE! WHEN WE LEARNED TO HATE, MAN TAUGHT US! WHEN WE LEARNED TO KI LL, MAN TAUGHT US! WHEN WE LEARNED LIES AND CRUE LTY AND DESTRUCTION, WE ONLY IMPROVED ON YOUR INNOVATIONS! "THE WAR WAS, AT FIRST, AN ANGEL WAR—FOUGHT WITH SW ORDS OF COURTESY AND ARROWS OF HONOR. BUT ONE REBEL MAN SAW HOW HIS BROTHER'S TRIBE HAD THE LOVE OF GOD, WHILE HE AND HIS WERE BOUND OUTSIDE IN DARKNESS. AND THIS OUTCAST COVETED GOD'S LOVE AND GOD'S MERCY. SO WHEN HE SAW HIS BROTHER GIVING SACRIFICE, HE DECIDED TO DO SO AS WELL. AND HE TOLD HIMSE LF HE ACTED FROM REVERENCE. AND HE TOLD HIMSE LF HE LOVED HIS BROTHER. AND HE TOLD HIMSE LF THAT WHAT HE WAS DOING WAS GOOD AND RIGHT, AND THAT IF GOD DEMANDED WHAT HE LOVED BE ST, THAN HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO ACT ON GOD'S CRUE L REQUEST. "BUT THAT MAN — THAT FIRST MURDERER, FIRST LIAR, FIRST DECEIVER — HATED HIS BROTHER AS MUCH AS HE LOVED HIM, AND HE HATED GOD AS MUCH AS HE LOVED HlM, AND HE TOOK JOY IN MAKING HIS OWN CRUE LTY INTO GOD'S CRUE LTY. "THAT WAS THE FALL, MORTAL. THAT WAS THE FIRST SIN. AND NO ANGEL DID IT, NOR ANY DEMON. WE DID NOT KILL OUR KIN. WE DID NOT PAINT GOD WITH OUR OWN BASE DESIRES. WE DID NOT TAKE LIES AND TRY TO MAKE THEM TRUTH."
Matthew cow ered befo re the figure's awful majesty, eyes screw ed shut in terror, tears squeezed from their corners. "Jesus," he whimpered. "Oh Jesus, oh Lo rd, Lord God, oh Jesus, please, please, please..." Gradually, he calmed. Slowly, h e became aware that th e light before him had dimmed, that the thundering voice w as silent. Fighting to rein in his sobs, to regain control, to regain his com posure, trembling... he opened his eyes. On ce again, the figure b efore him was that of his son. Noah's eyes looked down at the floor. Noah's shoulders slumped. Noah's features, etch ed with misery and regret.
"I'm sorry, Matthew," he said. The pastor gulped air. For a few moments, he tried to speak but couldn't. He tried to drink coffee, but his hands shook so hard that the cooling mug knocked against his lips and teeth. "I... I know... what you want from us," he whispered at last. Gaviel said nothing. "The...the divin e spark. God's will inside us. That's it, isn't it? The on e thing we have and you don't." Gaviel nodded, and then spoke, quietly, in Noah's voice. "You have faith."
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It was a new moon, and darkness reigned absolute above the halogen glow of the streetlights. Malakh moved like a shadow, muscles coiling and uncoiling like steel springs as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop across the City of Angels. The rushing wind carried the stink of the streets from his nostrils and the early-morning air was cool against his face. It reminded him of better times, and he fought the urge to howl at the cold stars lost in the haze high above. The limp form draped over his shoulder was no weight at all. It took nearly an hour to find his way back to the barrio and the pile of stones he grudgingly claimed as his home. Malakh noted with surprise that the rooftop door to the apartment building had been recently padlocked, so he hooked a finger into the lock's curved steel arm and ripped it from its hasp. The body over his shoulder moaned at the harsh sound of splintering wood, and he whispered gentle reassurances as he pulled the metal door open and glided silently down the darkened stairwell. There were a half-dozen rats waiting when he opened the door to his apartment. As one, they circled about his feet as he stepped inside, but he dismissed them with a wave of his hand and carried the limp form into the bedroom. Gently, he set her down onto the filthy mattress and unwound her from the stained hospital sheet. She looked young, only fifteen or so, with short dark hair and wide green eyes. Those eyes went wider still as she took in her surroundings and curled into a fetal position, tucking her knees up beneath the cotton shift that she wore. The girl whimpered, and Malakh feared she might start to scream. "Shhh... there now," he crooned, reaching out and stroking her cheek. As he touched her flesh, he made her body relax, releasing a wave of endorphins into her bloodstream. He watched her pupils dilate and smiled in satisfaction, then went into the niche that passed for the apartment's kitchen. He returned with two steaming mugs a few minutcs later. ''Here," he said, offering a cup to the girl. "Don't be scared. It's tea with a bit of mint and honey. I didn't think I'd like it either, but it's good." He raised his own cup and took a drink. "Try it." Reluctantly she took the mug and tried a tentative sip. Her eyes never left his. Malakh smiled. "You see? Not everything's as bad as it seems here. Given enough time, you might even grow to like this place." He reached out and gently brushed a lock of hair from her face. "I know that tonight has been something of a shock for you. I know you're confused and probably very frightened, but you have nothing to fear. You're safe here. In a way, you and I are like family." The Devourer leaned closer. "I know you don't remember anything of your former life. Your body has been in a coma for many months, and from what the doctors told me, there was a strong chance of permanent brain damage." He picked up a hand mirror and held it up to her face. "This is the face of Elizabeth Mason. She suffered a drug overdose six months ago. But you are Hadriel, the Red-Handed, bearer of the Sword of Fate and hero of the Legion of Iron. You are one of the fallen, and my sister in arms." He hoped for a spark of recognition in her eyes, but none came. Malakh set the mirror down and fought against a tide of despair. "Hadriel, you must remember. I need you, and I need to know what you remember." He rubbed at his square-jawed face with a scarred hand. "This mortal shell can't hold it all. No matter how hard I try, I can only remember bits and pieces of what's gone before. I need to know how it ended, Hadriel. You were there, right beside him at the very end. I need to know what you saw. I need you to remember and tell me if we have any hope left now that we're free again." He fell silent, hoping for a response. They sat like that until the dawn came, but still her eyes were empty. A lesser spirit might have given up then, but Malakh set his jaw and nodded solemnly. "All right," he said. "I'll tell you what I remember, and we'll see where that gets us. It's as good a place as any to begin."
When Sin claps His broad wings over the battle And sails rejoicing in the flood of Death; When souls are torn to everlasting fire, And fiends of Hell rejoice upon the slain, O who can stand? O who hath caused this? —William Blake, Enoch: The First City of Angels
LEST W E FORGET The memories I can trust are those from when I first b ecame aw are of Creation. Th e sun and moon already existed, so did the seasons and the winds that bring them. Mighty mountains rose high above th e lands, and vast, wooded plains stretch ed to the sea, waves rising and falling, the endless ebb and flow giving shape to th e land. This w as the glo ry of the First Lands. Although I understood the many facets th ese existed on — atomic, potential — I saw them for what they w ere. The rise and fall o f the sun set in motion the cycle for the wild things, giving w armth and bounty in the summer, cold and harshness in th e winter. While Fifth House swayed the seas and the Third House crafted mountains, we ruled. Th e First Lands and its wild animals was our domain, and this en compassed all th e works yours and the other Houses created.
THE FIRST DAYS
To see th e First Days was to catch a glimpse of Heaven. Even now, bro ken and forsaken as these Last Days are, you can still see its glo ry. In th e hidden places of the Earth echo es remain. Mountains rose into the sky so high they tou ched the very stars. Rivers ran clear blue, rushing with power and purpose. Where they w ere not covered by forests, the lands rolled with hills, adorned with flowers of every hue imaginable. This is the Eden that humans forget. They remember a pastoral image, but the land was wild in those days, raw with untamed potential. While beautiful and breathtaking, it was savage and unforgiving. Mighty beasts walked the land as w ell while Creation was young and still learning its limitations. Many forms came and vanished forever, not because Creation was imperfect, but because of its unbridled potential. Through the Sixth House, a natural o rder was established. The hunters slew the old and weak,
allowing the herds to grow strong. Together with the Seventh House, we worked at achieving balan ce — an infinite and thankless task. This is the paradise I remember, and while I ran with the hunters I saw His face, our Father, in all His glory.
ADAM AND EVE It is by the shores of a lake that I first b ecame aware of them, Adam and Eve, the Allfather and Allmother, They were unlike an y of the other beasts in the gard en, for they stood at on ce as individual and as manifestations of the in finite. I spied on them from afar, fascinated by th eir form and shape. To look at them was to look at potential given form. Unlike the animals I govern ed, the Allfather and Allmother had the potential for awareness. Th ey could gaze at the stars and moon and see that they w ere sep arate and distinct. What's more, they conversed. They didn't exist in silen ce, but expressed their thoughts in words, even if imperfect and base. I followed them for a while, enraptured. Eve, delicate in h er movements, walked and touch ed all sh e saw. Adam was strong and full of purpose, his form lithe and uniquely proportioned. Th ey were creatures of wonder, innocent of th e world w e'd made and the great gifts we'd given them. All th ey knew w as the Creato r Himself. He came to them every night, and they worshipped Him. It was as if this was their sole purpose. Yet instead of reassuring them, of showing them why they were unique, He accepted their worship in silen ce. Why deny th em the glory that w as theirs, true inheritors of Eden? So I heard th e others start to whisper. Adam and Eve lived in ignoran ce, oblivious to their nascent potential. Why would He craft su ch beings only to shackle them? Their pain b ecame our pain, for w e loved them as mu ch as w e loved Him. Many of my House felt that Adam and Eve should not be placed outside the o rder of things — that in doing so, Creation's balan ce was upset. Still, our mandate was to protect and shelter them, so this is what w e did, Eventually their awareness made them realize that they w ere alone — two surrounded by a multitude of multitudes. What we thought was marvelous and majestic they saw as unknowable and threatening. What they feared most was being alone, and what pain ed us was that we could not tell th em that every moment the Host surrounded them. Every morning they would ask God to stay, but He left them alone each time and we were forbidden from reaching out to them.
THE COMING STORM "A storm comes," Ahrimal said to me. I had come upon him as the sun set over Eden, staring up at the first glimmers of twilight. I search ed with the eyes
of my flo cks, sending them as high as I dared, but still I saw nothing. "Are you sure?" I said. "I can see nothing," He looked at me, and I saw the storm in his eyes. Un certainty and doubt rolled like clouds, and in them glimpses of what was to come. The Great Debate was the first harbinger of the storm. Ahrimal summoned us to the halls of the moon and spoke of the terrible portents he had witnessed. Many called for action, and this is wh at Lu cifer gave us.
THE ENDLESS NIGHT The following night, Lu cifer and those who chose his path descended to Eden. We w atched from afar as Lu cifer open ed humanity's eyes, and there I saw jealousy fo r the first time. Eve took Lu cifer's offering, but Adam was wary, h esitant. He saw his place supplanted by the Lightbringer, but Eve reach ed out to her partner and togeth er th ey accepted the bounty of our sacrifice. Adam and Eve became many reflections that night, and soon their race spread across Eden. It was as if by op ening their eyes, Ad am and Eve splintered into a multitude of potential — each with a different path to follow. During this endless night, w e walked hand-inhand with the race of Adam and Eve. Magnificent cities rose from the gloom, and the race of Adam and Eve stood on the threshold of perfection. For the only time w e can remember, w e loved and were loved in return. But this was not meant to last.
THE DAWN OF JUDGMENT Dawn broke the following morning, but the fiery w rath of Michael supplanted the sun. The chieftain of Heaven's forces h ad come to pass judgment on his wayward brethren. Michael ordered us to return to Heaven so that we might face judgment, but Lucifer defied him. The Lightbringer rose to meet Michael high above Eden, and there the two lo cked in battle. Lu cifer's boldness caught Michael unaware, and while evenly match ed, it was clear that Heaven's chieftain could not cause his former lord harm. In a flash, th e battle ended, and Lu cifer stood victorious. Many urged th e Morningstar to lead the charge to Heaven itself, but he refused. "In Heaven," the Lightbringer said, "He, and the Host are all powerful. But here, in the lands we helped shape and that are manifestation of our will, w e hold the advantage. "We defied Heaven out of love for Adam and Eve, and fo r them we'll make our stand here and now." What happened next was the beginning of our torment, the end of th e First Days and the dawning of the Age o f Wrath.
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UNBOUND In the Age of Wrath, it was our turn to craft our own paradise. Never before, had the lands seen such marvels, su ch d ecaden ce and tyranny as in those days. As Michael and his Host retreated, a number of our legion and a fourth of Adam and Eve's race followed the loyalists. The first battle ended in our favor, but none of us knew at what p rice. Did Lu cifer? Had he b etrayed us all only to avoid judgment in Heaven? Man y of us grew head y, thinking that victory was ours.
JUDGMENT As the first day waned, many sensed otherwise. Our scouts that follow ed the lo yalists reported that Heaven's Host w as preparing its defenses, but many of our legion saw this as further proof that victory was ours. How w rong we were. It started with a breeze, picking up strength and power until its howl was d eafening. In its path it picked up sand and ro ck, pelting the land and stripping flesh from bone in mere seconds. High above, dark clouds — darker than possible and b ristling with lighting - swirled and en compassed the horizon in shadow such that even the land seemed to strain under its weight. From the gath ering clouds, His baleful eye manifested, the infinite fo rced into the finite b y the force of His anger. Whatever b alan ce existed b efore was torn asunder, and He let His wrath be known. He who had been our Father, was now our foe. God's wrath was boundless. Nothing we'd created went untouched. When the clouds dispersed, the First Lands were no more. Nothing was left of Eden, except the ruins of its gates, their lo cation known only to a few of us. In the distance, barren, desolate deserts swallowed once lush fields in sand. High above, the mountains broke open, filling the world with dark poisonous clouds, erupting from time to time with a cacophony of fire and molten ro ck. Th e seas, on ce calm, roared and hammered the land — their depths alien even to those rebels of the Fifth House, The earth itself open ed, swallowing vast plains and leaving jagged claws of stone reaching up from the ground. Terrible storms of bitter driving rain and howling wind wracked th e lands. Denied Heaven, this w as our world now.
THE NEW ORDER When the winds died down, Lu cifer led us into our broken world. If any of our number doubted our rebellion, seeing Creation in ruins steeled our determination for th e long battle ah ead. Our host was battered, the taste of victory replaced by numbness and
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despair. As w e stepp ed into the light of the second morning, we realized that this home was also our prison. Yet still we had our duty to mankind, and we led them from the caves into the light of day. Th eir long, hollow faces spoke volumes of the devastation they now witnessed. They seemed mere reflections of Adam and Eve's glory.
THE CRIMSON LEGION Yet it was Lu cifer who saw potential, not ruin, in the desolate landscape. "Do not despair," the Lightbringer cried. "This is only th e beginning. W e know His anger, but He does not know our resolve. We have faced His wrath and survived. Do not see th e scarred lands before you and lose hope. Gon e are many wonders, many of our works. Wh at exists now is only a pale reflection, but we will craft new marvels. We will teach our charges, the sons and daughters of Ad am and Eve, how to unlock their true potential — and this accomplishment shall be ours, not His. This will be our grand achievement. On ce w e crafted Creation fo r Him, now we will shape the land according to our wishes. "The lands may be broken, forsaken, but not to us. We created them out of nothing — imagine what we can do now! We will defy Him and the Host. We will fight for Adam and Eve and protect them and nurture them. We have forsaken Him, but our love belongs to Adam and Eve. Always remember." Many agreed. We gathered about Lu cifer, heralds to his vision. In time, we would be called the Crimson Legion in mortal tongue. We b elieved in Lu cifer and his cause. We saw in th e ruins about us a ch an ce to right the Creator's wrongs, to teach Ad am and Eve and to usher in a new p aradise. We would grow to be the largest legion in those early days, Lu cifer our leader, mentor and general. The ranks of the Crimson Legion w ere filled by Devils of the First House and Malefactors of the Third House, A small number of Defilers joined, as did fallen of the other Houses. Chief among our numbers was Belial, first of Lu cifer's lieuten ants.
THE EBON LEGION Yet, not all w ere in perfect accord. Ab addon stepped forth, his countenan ce fierce - - the very essen ce of the Devourers. "I have seen enough. His punishment is beyond what it should have been. I swear that until the end of days I shall marshal my brothers against Him and the Host. I forsake peace, I refuse love. I know only hate, and we sh all draw our strength from this fire. My Legion will face the Host at every turn, many of
our numbers might cease to b e, yet w e will never give quarter. Here this battle starts. None can say where it will end, but our hearts are set." "And to you, my brother," Lu cifer answered, "goes command of a fifth of our numbers, the most strong. You shall be our vanguard." "This is not all," Abaddon continued. "The humans blinded us. It is the Allfath er and Allmother who deceived us, Lu cifer. It is b ecause of th em that this war has come, and now our duty to fight it is on behalf of beings who know nothing, "I too see potential b efore us in the landscap e and these mortals. But they are to b e tools, not relics to shelter. W e defied Him fo r them, and in turn they will rebuild paradise fo r us." "We will teach them our secrets: how to hunt these lands, how to master them. In turn, they will serve us in love and deed. We paid the ultimate sacrifice fo r them, so they are forever in our debt. Th ey are instruments in our crusade against Heaven." And so the Ebon Legion gathered. To its rank came many from the Sixth House, each eager to prove Heaven wrong. Th e lords of the air, the Scourges, followed as w ell. Of the other Houses, an equal number joined.
THE IRON LEGION When the assembled host heard Ab addon's grim words, Dagon, the giant of stone and iron, crossed his arms and spoke with a voice like an avalan che. "I hear Abaddon, and I will not gainsay his outrage," th e giant said. "But fo r my part, I say that humanity deserves our devotion, not sco rn. How can we blame them fo r the choices w e made in our h earts? If we see th em as nothing more than tools, we dishonor our own sacrifi ces." Dagon turned to Lu cifer, and his hand burned with the heat of the earth as he raised it in salute to the Morningstar, "Let those who would honor the Lightbringer and remember th eir divin e duty stand at my side! We will be th e wall that Heaven's thunderbolts cannot pierce!" Thus it was that Dagon became the third of Lu cifer's great lieutenants, surrounded by th e greater part of th e Malefacto rs and many of our stalwart Devourers. Despite th e horro rs that came later, the legion never on ce faltered in its duty, nor did its numbers dishonor themselves with atro cities against mortal or angel. The Ebon Legion scorn ed them, but could never equal th eir feats of arms on the battlefield.
THE SILVER L EGION Then Lu cifer called wise Asmodeus of the Fourth House, navigato r of th e stars. "To you, a fifth of our numbers goes as well.
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Where the Ebon Legion march es to battle, you and your legion will unlock the mysteries and potential of the mortals and these lands. His secrets are yours to uncover. You will reveal His lies and show the Host the erro r of th eir ways. Wherever it is forbidden to tread, you shall walk. Whatever is prohibited to utter, you will speak. Whatever is taboo, you will revel in. There are no boundaries you will not cross in your search for th e truth." "This I shall do," echo ed Asmodeus. "I see before me unlimited potential — not just potential prescribed acco rding to His plan, but raw unimaginable potential. We will strive to find that which was before Him as He w as before us. We will find the darkness that birthed the light of God fo r only out of darkn ess can light shine!" "As to our ch arges, the blessed and cu rsed race of Adam and Eve, we will be teachers. Their fo rms hide potential that w e will nurture and unlock. They will speak with the Celestial tongue and make a Heaven of this earth. Their seed w e will nourish until it blooms and shakes th e very foundation of Heaven with its towers and achievements. We will not rest until this is so." Under Asmodeus's banner, the bulk of the Fiends gathered, as did many of the Defilers, eager to share existen ce with the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve.
THE ALABASTER LEGION Yet, not all the Houses had cast their lots. Th e quiet ones, the Slayers, chose instead to walk their own path. Lu cifer s aw them and said, "You may walk your own path so long as you heed the call to battle. For now.’” “’Azrael, on ce-blessed Angel of the Shadow, take th e Un aligned and make your own fortress. W e will call for you in time. For now, your task is to renew the race of Adam and Eve. Gon e is their immortality. Like the clay th ey w ere sculpted from, to earth they will return." Azrael heard this and answ ered thus: "Brother Lu cifer, light-b earer and dread general. We stand in the shadows and await th at day. We will hide where the Host refuses to look. W e will gather strength and stand ready for the call. For now we leave." With this, the pilgrim of shadows departed, taking with him a large portion of the fallen of the Seventh House and the other undecided. And so the legions came to be. Afterward, the Morningstar declared that the old hierarchies would be swept aside in favo r of n ew ranks and titles. Th e fallen were assigned authority based not on arbitrary
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judgments, but in accord an ce with their talents and strengths. Further, the system of ranks w as fluid. A rebel who distinguished herself could receive promotion to higher authority, a con cept that awed and amazed us all. Lu cifer d eclared himself prin ce among the fallen, and his five lieutenants were called dukes. Beneath them were the legion's lieuten ants, called barons, and then the overlords, lords and the fell knights, the champions of the legions' companies.
EDICTS AND INTERCESSIONS Standing before his legions, Lu cifer addressed us. "Brothers and sisters, lament not fo r what w e have lost. Rather, look at what w e have gained. Soon we will dep art this plain, leave its ash es and desolation and make our kingdoms from the ruins of Paradise, Each of you will preside over a host of our mortal ch arges. Protect and nurture them, for w e sacrificed Heaven fo r their sake. Now we are truly fallen. "Take prid e in your new name. It takes courage and compassion to defy Heaven, while blind obedien ce requires nothing but fear. We have faced our fears and mastered them — now we are the masters of our destiny, "Take your flo cks to the corn ers o f the Earth and raise great cities where none stood before. Take whom you will of the mortals who stand among us. The first two, however — blessed Adam and Eve — are not to be taken. They have chosen to follow th eir own path, and we will resp ect th eir wishes.’”
THE SECOND DEBATE Shortly after the rebellion, a second debate was had as to wh at to do with those mortals who had chosen to follow Michael. The Ebon Legion argued that any mortals under the Host's banner were lost. Many of the Slayers and those of the I ron Legion, suggested otherwise, however. The legions should work to convert those mortals and show them the true wonders they were entitled to as the children of Adam and Eve. On ce more it w as Lu cifer who settled the impasse. "They have cast th eir lot with Him," Lu cifer pro claimed. "They cast asid e our gifts, our lo ve. They have chosen to turn a blind eye to our sacrifice, and yet, look at them. They are pitiful, ignorant of the battle that wages around them on their beh alf.’” "For this reason we will not abandon them, nor shall we openly come to them. Instead, w e will plant the seeds and hope th ey will take fruits and lead them to cast off their shackles. It is a choice they must make on their own. If they choose us, we will come as saviors. This is my decree."
The legions scattered far and wide, herding the sons and daughters of Ad am and Eve to places both majestic and foreboding, where we would build our manses, our fortresses, our cath edrals. In the early days of th e rebellion, w e only manifested from time to time to our flo cks, teaching them and guiding. Even though we had reb elled, many of our legion found it difficult to openly appear before mortals. The Creator's prohibition was so ingrained, that only the strongest willed among us dared to stand before the race of Adam and Eve in all our true glory. We were wo rshipped during those days, and we drew our power from the faith offered to us by mankind. We led our flo cks on long pilgrimages that were both voyages of discovery and con quest. It was a time of exp erimentation as we learned the limits of our power. We h ewed cities into mountainsides and built monuments to ourselves.
and mighty cathedrals. In time, these bastions would grow to become fortress-cities, immense and sublime in their glo ry. Among their number was Dudael, the desolate desert home of the Ebon Legion; Tabaet, watchtower o f the Silver Legion; and Kasdeja, the underground fortress of the Alabaster Legion. Th ese were not the only bastions of the fallen, but they are the only few I remember. In those days, I roamed the lands as a messenger and scout of th e Iron Legion. I recall gazing from the mountain peaks and seeing countless citad els tower above the land, rising from mountain plains, vast deserts and jungle valleys. Only Lu cifer himself knows how many of these bastions were made, many hidden from mortal and fallen eyes b y the cunning arts of the Malefactors. Some were small communities, with a small flo ck and a single guardian; others were opulent courts rivaling th e mightiest empires that would ever cover th e land. Yet, however mighty these cities were, the city-manse of Genhinnom — the Black Cathedral of Lu cifer himself— rose above all others.
BASTIONS AND CATHEDRALS
GENHINNOM
AN AGE OF WONDER
This was a time when the foundations of our future metropolis were built. Our war with Heaven was in its infan cy, both camps regrouping from the initial onslaught. Across th e land, the legions built fortresses
Nestled into the Valley of Tears, the cath edral city o f the Fallen Prin ce w as a testament to both our defian ce and hubris. Although it would not reach its apex until the Time of Atro cities, the Black Cathedral
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was a marvel to behold even in its infan cy. Built on th e site where Lu cifer was moved to tears by mankind's courage, Genhinnom was to be th e model for all other cities. I see echo es of Genhinnom in this City of Angels. I have seen the Black Cath edral in aspects of all the cities I've visited. Even my host's recoll ection of th e jails and cells o f Argentina hint at that solemn city — to its fire-lit co rners and basements where w e would forge artifacts of legend in later times. What I remember of Genhinnom is nothing more than a vague impression. Today, cities are disparate entities, h egemonies created out of th e confluen ce of geograph y and economics. But Genhinnom was different. It was whole — at on ce a city and a cath edral, for that's the only way to d escrib e the city in human tongue. It is said that Genhinnom existed before our Fall — that it was built during the First Night to house Adam and Eve and then taken by Lu cifer as his own. To see Genhinnom, one would understand the possibility of this myth. It was a symbol of perfection, an earthly manifestation of the Morningstar. Approaching Genhinnom, one would only see the walls and the spires reaching up from the ground and touching the clouds, clawing at Heaven and making the sky weep with rain. To us, it existed in layers, each more p erfect that the rest, nine in total. The two lowest of these existed in shadow, where one would find the path to the forges of the Iron Legion. The mortal flo cks of Genhinnom existed in the third to sixth layers, building monuments to us and great citadels to house th eir own numbers. The seventh and eighth layers belonged to us. Here we made our homes; some modest, others ostentatious. The Palace of Shadows dominated the last circle, th e citadel and fortress of the Morningstar. Beyond the Black Cathed ral, th e outskirts were dotted with mortal en campments and villages where the lowest among our numbers would minister to the pilgrims and faithful who would come to pay homage to us. The paths these pilgrims took soon became the Four Roads that snaked th eir w ay to every settlement, cathedral and bastion of th e fallen.
THE HIGH CITIES Genhinnom and the three citadels w ere not the only cities upon the land. Far away, the Heavenly Host was busy building its own palaces — in truth nothing more than prisons. The scouts of th e Silver Legion reported that a part of the Host, like us, had decided to remain behind to protect th eir mortal ch arges. But unlike us, who pushed our flo cks to greater and greater h eights, the lo yal mortals seemed to exist in prison-states, each a micro cosm of Eden whereb y the mortals existed as Adam and Eve did — ignorant and shackled to th e Creator's will.
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From afar w e spied five of th e High Cities: Sagun, Shamayim, Machonon, Zebul and Araboth. Sagun, also known as th e Third City, was a border city, lo cated a few leagues past the Barrier Plains and the Mountains of So rrow — those desolate ash wastes ringed by fiery volcanoes that marked th e limits of our territories. Simple in constru ction, Sagun was little more than a labyrinth of stone, built to confound invaders and inhabitants alike. It w as ruled b y Anah el, an angel of the Fourth House. Shamayim, city of reveren ce, w as the solemn protectorate o f Gabriel — archangel of mercy, revelation and death. Second to Michael, Gabriel was also one of th e few emissaries b etween our legions and the Host. Many whispered that Lu cifer and Gab riel met regularly and that the Second Archangel chose to remain on Earth and bow to Mich ael so that he could protect his mortal changes and try to convin ce Lu cifer to relent. The stronghold of Machonon and its fiery parapets was the home of Mich ael, Archangel of Heaven and Lord of the Host. An army o f fiery angels circled above th e city at all hours of the day and night, beacons of divine w rath that ensured the city could never be taken unawares. Of all the High Cities, Machonon never fell. The city of memory, Zebul, existed for one reason alone — to catalogue and reco rd the rebellion so that our legions would not escap e their sins. Surrounded by mist, the prison city of Zebul archived all our deeds. Its spies and agents — angels of the Second, Fourth and Seventh Houses — are said to each have a great ledger upon which all our transgressions were writ. If those ledgers still exist, th ey are perhaps the only complete reco rd of the Age of Wrath. The final city, Araboth, was a monument to solitude and lament. Presided over b y Caiel, angel of solitudes and tears, it is said his only task was to w eep for Creation, to lament the fall of Adam and Eve and to remember our b roken glo ry. The gates o f Araboth were never barred o r closed. Instead, they w ere left open to welcome any o f our legions who wished to renoun ce th e rebellion and accept God's judgment. Abaddon razed that city seven times during the Age of Wrath, but it was rebuilt each time exactly as it was before. It is known that less than a hundred of our number crossed its threshold in one thousand years of war. Th eir fate is unknown, and their names are never spoken.
THE SILENT WAR Although the early days of th e rebellion were spent building and entren ching ourselves, the war didn't stop. Far from mortal eyes, our legions fought the Host. The b attles of the Silent W ar, as this period was known, were skirmishes and battles of wits and
will. We didn't assemble on battlefields and charge at each other. Instead, we gathered in the secret co rners of the Earth; our battlefields the various facets o f Creation. The higher in station the combatants were, the more abstracted the b attles b ecame. While lo rds and fell knights fought with words and songs, dukes and archdukes battled with th e eph emeral. Challenges would only be issued when one of our legion crossed paths with an angel of the Host while exploring the world o r tending to its flo cks. These, engagements were nothing more than cho reographed dan ces and debates, Creation fighting itself the only w ay it knew how — by creating and ch anging. In a pantomime, we fallen would try to outcreate angels and vice-versa resulting in spectacles that held mortal flo cks in aw e. Many human myths that endure today are dim echoes of those an cient b attles. These clash es could be felt across the land, but only as the roar of thunder o r the h eaving of the earth. They would take form as storms, as th e coming and going of the seasons and the rising and fall o f the sun. We would strive to unlo ck the mysteries of Creation for our flo cks, while the Host did its best to obfuscate truths and bury them with superstition and doubt. In this way, Creation re-created itself endless times, but what the Host did not foresee w as the impact th e collective belief of the mortals h ad on this cycle. With every mystery the Host placed befo re th em, the greater the mortals' appetite for truth grew. The Silent War raged for hundreds of mortal years while our flo cks grew and prospered. We built huge cities and battled th e Host across Creation using only words, con cepts and potential as our w eapons, but this courtly warfare was not fated to last.
PARADISE LOST Again it was Ah rimal who sensed th e ch ange. He came to me in the darkest of nights and whispered to me. "I sense another storm, Malakh." I followed him this time as he traveled far and wide, visiting all th e citadels and cathedrals in search of answers. Finally, in desperation h e made the pilgrimage to Genhinnom and the Palace o f Shadows. The great seer requested an audien ce with the Morningstar himself. Th e Dread Prin ce summoned Ahrimal into his chamber and bid the p rophet to speak. "What has become of Ad am and Eve?" Ahrimal asked. No one, neith er reb el nor angel had seen or heard from the first mortals fo r many an age. Having been cast from Eden, Adam and Eve faded from sight. Their d escendants recalled them in only the most primal of myths. There is no mistaking the pain that Lu cifer's edict caused many of our number, for it w as
for Adam and Eve that w e had risked damnation. To be separated from them seemed a hollow victory. After a long silen ce, Lu cifer told us this story.
OF ADAM AND EVE "A fourth of th e race of Adam and Eve returned to th e Heavenly Host on the morning of our judgment, but not the Allmother and Allfath er. Their immortality was stripped aw ay with a single word, and they w ere forced to labor in the fields fo r their sustenance. When th e time came to scatter th e legions with their mortal flo cks, Ad am and Eve came to me and begged to take their leave. "Adam spoke first, saying, 'You have shown us much. We have b een cast from Eden and consigned to dust, but we have become masters of ourselves in turn. God called us sinners when we disobeyed Him, We now see the wo rld as it truly is — vast, barren and desolate - but here we will make our own mark.' "Eve spoke next. ’You have taught us much. We took your fruit and our eyes w ere open ed to the true scope of Creation—enough so that w e understand our status as exiles. To follow you further would be folly. You have opened our eyes, and for this w e are grateful, but with open eyes it is we who must make our own path. If we are to inherit this earth, it shall b e due in part to our toil, our sacrifice and our faith.' "With this, Adam Allfather and Allmother Eve left my company and ventured far into the wastes to seek their own destiny. In time, they will either learn to master Creation or toil until God redeems them."
THE BLOOD OF EDEN With that, our audien ce with Lu cifer was at an end. But instead of settling the matter, Ahrimal w as that much more d etermined to un cover th e fate of the first mortals. "I sense something," Ahrimal said while we traveled, "and at th e co re of my worries are Adam and Eve, They've a part to play, of this 1 am certain. Lu cifer has commanded us to keep away from the first mortals, but I must know why." And so we search ed as th e seasons passed from summer into fall into winter into spring and back to summer. When we en countered other fallen, w e would make inquiries trying to discern where Adam and Eve had ventured. The answer was always the same, but we refused to accept defeat. After many years of searching, w e fin ally found their hiding place. They h ad settled far to the east, upon a small hill dotted with orchards and surrounded by fields. Beneath the shad e of cyp ress trees, they built a dwelling to shelter them from wind
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and rain. W e spied them from afar. Th e years seemed to hang heavy on Adam. Long days of toil had left th eir mark on his face, telling a story of pain, isolation and perseveran ce, yet his eyes w ere full o f pride at th e simple things he and Eve had made. Eve the Allmother, ever radiant, worked at her husband's side, tending hearth and field with equal vigo r. And they were not alone.
THE THIRD MORTAL Not far from the dwelling, bent over in toil, we first saw him who would be called the Third Mo rtal — Caine. His face was h andsome, his skin darkened by the baking sun and his limbs strong, but his visage was troubled. At his feet rested b askets overflowing with all the fruits of his labor, and at on ce w e understood his toil. His hands had tilled the soil in all directions, bringing life to a b arren landscape. With backbreaking pain, he had cleared stones and w eeds from fields and planted seeds in their place. In the blossoms and fruits they gave, both Ahrimal and myself saw echo es of Eden, and we longed to tell the Third Mo rtal of the wonders he had created. Yet a pall of sorrow hung over the Third Mortal, so total, so forbidding, that neither Ahrimal nor I dared to app roach him. At that moment, from over a hill, we heard the approach of a large flo ck of sheep. Not a wild herd, but guided by the one who was called Ab el. Upon a small rise h e stood, the brother of Cain e, his skin fair, his golden hair tossed b y the wind. The Third Mortal looked to him, and his sorrow deepened. "He longs to show his brother his love, but this love is not free. It is fettered by a dark passion," Ahrimal said as Cain e walked to Ab el. "He feels he must do something that he dreads." It was Abel who first spoke. "Brother, you have called me down from the hills, and here I am. What is it that bothers you? Was it what the Creator said about your offering? Do not question His love, brother. It begets nothing but woe. This is what we have been taught. You know we will always cherish your gifts, fo r you make the land green and vibrant. Come my brother, let us return." But Caine said nothing for a while. In the fading light of the afternoon, he stood, his slender but powerful body rising o ver Abel, casting a long, deep shadow. He placed a hand on. Abel's shoulder, a tender gesture b etween brothers if not fo r the darkn ess swimming in his eyes. "Brother," the Third Mo rtal spoke, "God asked fo r me to bring the b est of my fields, that which brings me joy and happiness, I misunderstood and brought the seeds of th e soil, its fruits and flow ers. But this is not what He w anted. It wasn't wo rthy; because it comes from the dust He exiled our Father and Mother to. As you brought the firstlings of your flo ck, tender
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and innocent, I brought nothing but dirt. I know now what I must do. For you are the best of my fields, for long I have b een your keeper, and I will always be. You will be my gift to Him, and I will earn His love with your blood." What happened next unleashed a storm that still rages to this day. Caine's act repeated every night between b rothers, b etween lovers, betw een strangers until the end of days. Abel saw th e darkness grow in the Third Mortal's eyes. His flo cked sensed his fear, and their cries drowned out Abel's pleas as the Third Mo rtal lifted a stone and brought it down on his brother's head. Abel's blood flowed, covering the Third Mortal, and it did not stop until it became a stain that grew to en compass all of Creation. Exhausted, Caine collapsed upon his brother's broken form. Ahrimal understood the significan ce of what he saw. I felt only betrayal. Blood was spilled in anger and hate. Not fo r the sake of th e hunt nor for the n eed to survive. That night, as the clouds rolled in, a shroud of darkn ess fell across th e world that lingers to the present day. Even God's wrathful condemnation of our reb ellion, His destru ction of Eden, pales next to what Caine unleashed that afternoon.
THE PROMISE OF SHADOW But the worst was yet to come. Ahrimal begged me to leave, and in horror I could not help but obey. Th e last I saw of Cain e, the First Murderer, he was standing in the field, co vered in his b rother's blood, waiting for the Almighty to come and receive his offering. It is said that Caine was exiled, cast from the light and senten ced to exist in darkness, bound to repeat his sin every night until the end of time. Far to the East, in a blasted land called Nod, he is said to have founded his own city, probably inspired by the great cathedral -cities that dotted the land. He called this city Enoch, but of his fate little else is known. I wonder if he lingers upon the earth still, and what I will say if our paths cross again.
DARKNESS UNLEASHED When we returned to our lands, we could see plumes of smoke rising into the leaden sky. As we crossed jagged peaks of the Mountains of Sorrow we saw fires burning in every direction, converging on Sagun, border-city of the Host. In the valley b elow, the bulk of the Ebon Legion march ed in serried ranks. In their wake, a trail o f destru ction stretch ed to the horizon, littered with the bodies of man and beast. Caine’s act had unleashed th e potential of atro city across Creation and ignited the storm Ahrimal h ad so feared.
From our vantage, w e watch ed as the Ebon Legion drew closer to Sagun. As they en countered mortals loyal to Heaven, th ey bound them in chains and herded th em into huge slave caravans o r slew them outright. I saw mortals dashed upon ro cks, torn limbfrom-limb or cut down with blades of fire and light. The cries of the dying echoed across the land.
THE SIEGE OF SAGUN The day passed, and below us, in the valley of Sagun, the first true battle of our reb ellion raged. The Devils of the Ebon Legion directed ranks of Devourers into battle, matching th e angels that poured out from Sagun and to receive the first charge. High above, Fiends soared upward to meet angels in clashes o f thunder and fire. On th e flanks, Scourges willed their poison winds across the battlefront, obscuring the legion's movement and choking the life of loyalist refugees streaming toward the city. In the rear, Malefacto rs cracked the earth open and rain ed fire on Sagun and its surroundings, thick sulphurous clouds billowing from open fissures in th e land. Defilers sang songs of bloodlust, driving the legion into a frenzy and luring both mortals and angels to their doom. Finally, amidst the chaos, Slayers search ed for the dead and dying, either saving or condemning souls to shadow. The sheer savagery of the assault stunned the Host. Many of its highest generals, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael, were absent, sent by God to punish Caine for his sin. But this was not all. The death of Abel had wash ed over the Host much like it had among the fallen. Yet, where it seemed to hav e liberated us, it had paralyzed the angels. They were unable to comprehend the evil that h ad been unleashed before them. This proved to be th eir undoing. As angels and archangels poured out of Sagun, they hesitated before th e ranks of the assembled legion. Unsure of what action to take, Jabniel, subordinate of Anahel, stepped fo rward to address the Ebon ranks. "You come b efore a protectorate of the Host. His Will rules h ere. Th e devastation you bring will be levied against you in turn. I stand ready to challenge any of your number in Anah el's absen ce." Lirael, overlord of th e fallen Sixth House, rose from our ranks to answer. He was b edecked in go re, his body that of fire and anger made manifest. Behind him trailed a mighty axe. I remembered Lirael as the Angel of Fury, he that drove the b easts into their killing frenzy. Lirael who was Jabniel's superio r before the Fall. When he reach ed Jabniel, there was no discourse, no debate, he only raised his mighty axe and brought it down on Sagun's defender. As it cut through Jabniel's presen ce, th e axe biting into the angel and scraping th e ground, the sound it made hissed at Jabniel's tru e name and in an instant he was no more. Jabniel became the
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first true casualty that unleashed the Time of Atro cities, his name no longer echo ed by Creation. Jabniel's passing unleashed a mighty frenzy among the legion, and they hurled th emselves at the angels of Sagun. By the fall of night, Sagun lay in ruins, its halls ransacked by the Ebon Legion and its rich es taken as trophies. Of Sagun's defenders, only a third escap ed the onslaught, fleeing across the Vale of Reveren ce to the other High Cities. But to their dismay, the survivors found both Zebul and Machonon under siege. Th ey desperately bolstered th e failing ranks there, but not before the Great Lib rary o f Zebul, where th e Book of Names was kept, was burnt to the ground. Of its countless lexicons and tomes, such as the Secret Winds and the Book of Abaddon, only fragments and ashes escap ed the in ferno. While few angels met destru ction that day, many were cast b ack to Heaven, broken and spent.
THE BREAKING OF THE LEGIONS "Here h e comes," Ahrimal said, pointing toward the horizon. Amidst the ruins and broken bodies came p roud Lu cifer, Prin ce o f the Fallen, with the other legions marching in his wake. He gazed at the destru ction that surrounded him, while the Ebon Legion cheered him in our defian ce of Heaven. Reaching the gates o f Sagun, he spoke. "Is this what the sin of man unleashed?" A ch eer rose in response, but a shadow fell over our dread general. Abaddon, master of the Ebon Legion stood and replied, "Our defian ce of Heaven has found a n ew battlefield. We no longer n eed to endure the Host's presen ce upon this realm. God has Heaven, is He not content to leave Earth to us? If need b e, we will hunt down all His servants and cast them to nothingness." "This is not why w e disobeyed, Abaddon," Lu cifer responded. "W e did so out of love for those whom He created but ignored. This is not our realm; it never was and never will be. What surrounds us belongs to mankind." "But it was that same race, Lightbringer, who brought this evil upon the land," Asmodeus countered. "You say Abaddon march ed here to b ring death and destru ction, but it was the sin of Caine th at caused this. On ce his darkness washed over the land, Abel w as not the only inno cent to fall. It pains me to see this, Lu cifer, b ecause I relinquished my station in Heaven for mankind, but now it is clear that darkness resides in their soul. Perhaps th ey are not as perfect as we believed." Azrael was next to speak. "The cries of Abel disturbed the land of shadows. By his death, something worse was given birth. It came like a storm — total and
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powerful - - and nothing escaped it. Those of my legion, the lost and forlorn, fought to keep this presen ce from breaching th e shadow and spilling across the earth. Perh aps this is what Ah rimalsaw before the Fall, and this is proof w e have set upon the wrong course. We are doomed by th e sins of mortals." "We cannot take responsibility fo r the sins of the race of dust, as the children of Adam and Eve deserve to b e called," Abaddon continued. "Our love and sacrifice h as been repaid with deception. Had we seen them with unfettered eyes, free from the chains of love, perhaps we would have seen the darkness as well as the light. W e were blinded, Lu cifer, and you, second only to God, should havestopped us. Now we are cast to this barren earth, senten ced to exist in this half -state because of our love of mankind. I say never again." Asmodeus followed. "The race of dust existed in ignoran ce by its own choice. All the clues w ere there; we labored night and day to educate them, but they chose not to see. Were they ignorant b ecause of God or because they simply chose to remain ignorant?" Lu cifer, alone, looked at his legions and felt only sorrow. "So it comes to this. We are breaking; your hate, your anger getting th e better of you. We should be guides and protectors, not tormentors and reap ers o f woe. Do not fo cus your anger on the race of Adam and Eve only b ecause they have no power to defy you. Remember, it is Heaven w e are fighting, while humanity sustains us with worship." "Perhaps so, Lightbringer, but we cannot assume this will be the last stain th ey leave on our soul," Abaddon said. "You have led us here with promises of love and kingdoms to come. I agree, it is Heaven w e are fighting, but we all have different reasons fo r marching against the Host. You say we must build a kingdom here, and w e will. But instead of one, we will build many, each a reflection of what we see as perfection. You will alw ays b e our general, but it is clear we all have our own wars to wage. When you call, w e will come; when you ask us to march, we will. But we will not follow blindly anymore. "Tell me, Lightbringer, did you ever foresee our glorious enterp rise coming to this?" Asmodeus asked. "Perhaps w e are meant, to follow another p ath. It is your light that guides us, but Creation is as vast as it is unknowable and our many eyes must be cast in all directions. It is clear that the potential of the race o f mortals is multifaceted, and to this end, we will push our flo cks to unlo ck their true calling. We must be read y to accept whatever may come. W e follow you, Lightbringer, by following our own paths." Lu cifer spoke last. "Together we ch allenged Heaven in glorious defian ce. Now w e shatter, b ecoming many instead of one. Very w ell, take your legions and wage your wars. Perhaps you are co rrect. Perhaps Heaven cannot fight a
war on many fronts. But remem ber this. We are accountable, our actions will echo until the end of days. Now go. We will meet again, brothers, and when w e do you will either submit to me, or fall to ash." That day, as the legions scattered and Lu cifer returned to Genhinnom, the Time of Atro cities began.
THE TIME OF ATROCITIES Our legions w ere broken, but the Time o f Atro cities saw us gain mu ch ground — some might call it a golden age, which to this day they strive to recreate. Gone was th e peace and tranquility of earlier centuries, though. We were no longer exploring Creation, but crafting it to our whims. It was a time of decad en ce and darkness. In this time, our love and hate for the children of Adam and Eve knew no bounds. They w ere ch erish ed and tormented, adored and tortured. At on ce they w ere a source of jo y and pain to our legions. Many centuries passed sin ce that fateful day we defied Heaven, and w e had b een forever ch anged by the horrors of w ar. W e w ere becoming something terrible, and we warped the very land about us in the pro cess. On ce we h ad created Paradise, now in earthly exile, it was a h ell w e were crafting. W e stopped creating and gave in to destru ction.
A TIME OF HATE Across all fronts, the Ebon Legion marched and was victo rious. This is how I witnessed the fall of Shamayim, the second of the High Cities to fall, and the battle of the Glad e of Memory. Here, mighty Gabriel fought against th e hordes o f Lirael in skirmishes that left the land scarred and fallow fo r all of eternity. It is said that Gabriel, archangel of mercy, vengean ce, death and revelation, refused God's o rder to abandon the fight. Instead, h e chose to remain and protect a mortal woman from the depredations of Lirael, who had taken to feasting on the flesh o f mortals. To the very end, Gabriel fought, keeping Lirael at bay until day broke on the last day of battle. The bodies of man y mortals and the husks of many of our number lay b roken all about Shamayim when dawn came, but there w as no sight of Gabriel or his mortal love. No on e knew if th e Archangel of Mercy and Revelation had b een punished for his disobedien ce or if he fell during the night. One thing is for certain, his name was never echoed in th e Abyss, so if Gabriel was punished by the Almighty, he w as senten ced to a h ell all his own. No matter wh ere the Ebon Legion marched, it left a trail of destru ction and misery in its wake. Huge carrion flo cks follow ed, so large they would blot out the sun, and feasted on the d ead and d ying. The
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co rpses left b ehind were tou ched b y the Scourges and left to bloat with disease and plague. When rip e, they would burst, unleashing pestilen ce across the land of the Host. Citadel of Hate Dudael, mighty fortress and citad el of th e Ebon Legion became a bastion of h ate and violen ce. Surrounded by fire and geysers that b elch ed noxious clouds of gas into the surrounding lands, Diidael became the very image of h ell that so man y moral artists would envision in the millennia to come. Huge forges b eneath th e city churned out weapons and armor for the mortal ranks of the legions — crude swords of dark metal known as syir. When not campaigning, the legion gathered in arenas and coliseums and staged gladiato rial fights, pitting mortal against mortal and demon-spawned ab errations created for the sole purpose of providing bloody sport fo r the crowds.
THE MALHIM Yet, there were defeats, especially as the Time of Atro cities dragged on. A n ew wave of angels descended from Heaven to reinforce th e battered Host. Unlike the initial defenders, who shied from actual conflict and battle, th e new wave of angelic w arriors did not. It was as if th eir very mandate was to senten ce as many of our number to oblivion as they could. Th ey became known only as the malhim, the ban e of our existen ce. Some say they were born from the fires of the siege of Sagun, others th at the malhim were th e souls of faithful mortals blessed b y Uriel to avenge their deaths by our h ands. Whatever th eir o rigins, their power was fearsome to behold. I pray to Lu cifer that we never see their like again.
A TIME OF TRANSGRESSION Far from the front lin es, the Silver Legion toiled in its fortresses and keeps, places of unspeakable knowledge and fo rbidden lore. There nothing was sacred as th e fallen of that legion scoured the fabric of Creation for clues that would deliver the gates of Heaven into our hands. Those angels' mortal flo cks w ere grafted to crude machin es for practical and not so practical reasons. Places like the Wall of Breath and the Towers of Flesh became legends, haunting even to us. There were no limits to the atro cities that legion was capable of. Many of the horrors inhabiting mortal myths are, in truth, early memories of the excess of Asmodeus and his followers. Beautiful Belphegor, overlo rd of the Fifth House, Mistress of Inspiration, forced h er mortal flo ck to mate according to rituals she d evised in an attempt to achieve humanity's ultimate potential. Th e cries from
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her citadel, the Palace of Sighs, echoed long after its destru ction at the end of th e war. Taba'et', bastion of the Silver Legion, became a maze of tow ers and chimneys, spewing viscous smoke into the skies. Human flo cks languished under the exp eriments of th e legion and its voracious app etite for earthly and unearthly delights.
THE LONG MARCH In Genhinnom, Lucifer and the Crimson and Iron Legions continued to care for th e human flo cks under their p rotection. Lu cifer sent expeditions to reclaim flo cks from the Silver and Ebon Legions and bring them back to Genhinnom from time to time, but from his throne, Lu cifer kn ew that th e excesses of the shattered legions were weighing heavily on Creation. Countless mortals were dead, and many more existed in torment. This was not why the Lightbringer had defied Heaven. Yet, Lu cifer knew that fo rcing th e legions to follow him would be no different from the unquestioning obedience demanded b y Heaven. Fo r many a long year, th e prin ce wrestled with this dilemma. Finally, he d ecided to act. The war had gone on too long. The Host had been pushed back to Machonon, but the Lightbringer knew that city would never fall. Instead of allowing his legions to run rampant, he resolved to call them back and build their true kingdom once and for all. What followed was th e Long March, a crusade to bring the legions back under the rightful bann er of Lu cifer. Fallen clashed with fall en, but in the end, the Crimson Legion surrounded Dudael, Tablet' and Kasdeja. Th e errant legions sallied forth to break the siege three times, but the warrio rs of Crimson and Iron hurled them back into their lairs each time. In the end, the renegad e lieutenants bent their h eads in fealty on ce more, though I wonder what schemes of revenge they harbored in th eir hearts. From his throne, Lu cifer spoke of a n ew age, an age when the fallen would be worshipped b y mortals and the mortals in turn would grow to ch allenge Heaven itself as deities in their own right. "We have b een fighting the w rong war," he declared. "We will defeat th e Almighty, not through war or atro cities, but through the very faith of the mortals. We will make each of them an image of Him, perfect, in finite and powerful. For too long we have mistaken the root of the w ar. The Creator does not condemn us out of fear, but out of dread for what w e might teach mankind. Do they not empower us with their faith as God on ce did before the Fall? We will make gods of these mortals and th ey will ch allenge Him. In turn, the mortals will inherit the Earth and we will reclaim our thron es in Heaven. We have spent too
long here. The time has come to return and make Heaven pay fo r its sins." And so began the Time of Babel.
THE TIME OF BABEL What followed was our greatest age. The victories of th e Time of Atro cities had pushed the Host back, its forces scattered and in disarray. Under th e guidance of Lu cifer, our domains were fortified and even the dreaded malhim were stymied for a while. To appease the Silver and Ebon Legions, Lu cifer allowed them to continue governing th eir cities, but they could no longer add to their flo cks without first p aying a tithe to Genhinnom. This is how the Crimson Legion spread its flo cks across Creation. But that is not all it did. It was Lu cifer's mandate to elevate the race of Adam and Eve. Mu ch time had p assed sin ce the First Night when Lu cifer had op ened the eyes o f the Allmother and Allfath er. Mu ch had the d escendants of Adam and Eve forgotten, much of their knowledge was composed of half- remembered truth and superstition, mixed with fear and superstition from the Time o f Atro cities. Instead of witnessing the totality of Creation, the mortals w ere blind on ce more. Y et it was not God who was to blame this time, but us. This pained our mighty prin ce. W e had d efied Heaven to bring light into the world, not more darkness and despair. We had failed our Lightbringer, and he had failed the children o f Adam and Eve. "Have I b een following our Creator's path blindly?" Lu cifer cried. "Is this rebellion nothing but a house of lies? "No longer! We sh all usher in a n ew age. Our rebellion shall not come to ruin. All the years of toil and despair, violen ce and murder shall not b e in vain. We will elevate humanity until they tou ch the walls of Heaven itself. This shall be our Grand Experiment. If we fail, all is lost. If w e su cceed, victo ry will be ours at last."
THE GRAND EXPERIMENT Lu cifer selected 10 of his most trusted retain ers and sent them across the land. Th eir task was to teach the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve the secrets, not just of Creation but of Heaven as w ell. It was the beginning of the end. Across the lands, the Ten taught the mortal flo cks, who then took this knowledge back to their tribes and built the Civiliz ation of Ashes. So great w as the knowledge th e Ten brought with them that, in a few short years, cities that rivaled the b astions of the fallen spread across the world. The mortals built cities upon the oceans and mountain aeries, sprawling desert metropolises and golden jungle temples. Cities like Enoch, if the mortal book is to be b elieved.
The Ten visited th ese cities from time to time to watch over th eir charges and teach them. In time, these secretive tutors were known simply as "the Watchers."
THE WATCHERS Decked in cloaks made of light and shadow, the ten watchers stood tall and frail, yet their eyes swam with knowledge and potential. They w ere welcomed into all the cities of man, and they w atched as the mortals learned the most secret lore of Creation. In time, the Ten left a book with each mortal city so that their knowledge could be passed down from gen eration to generation. These books came to be called th e Canon of the Eye, and they were lost amid the chaos at the end of the war. Th eir existen ce has b een forgotten even in the oldest surviving myths, and this is as it should be. Such knowledge was foolishly given on ce; it must never happen again. Still, the Ten watched and taught. Giriel taught the race of dust the secrets of the earth, how to shape the land through the art of combining elements and minerals. Sharaael imparted th e knowledge of flesh and life so that mortals could recapture th e immortality that God wrongly took aw ay. Of the secrets of the stars and the h eavens above, Bephamael taught the race of mortals. The Book of Bephamael traced the patterns of the stars and how to predict the passage of time. The secrets of wind and storm were written by the h and of Marael. The secret of metal work and the forge was the providen ce o f Gamael. Ur-Sh anbi taught mortals of fate and how to divine the future by looking at signs and portents. God kept Adam and Eve blind, but through Ur-Shanbi, humanity would be able to ascertain Heaven's plans. Of the moon and her mistress, Samael taught mortals where to look fo r the Mother o f the Moon, what secrets sh e possessed and how to protect themselves from her kin. Agriel w rote of the many secrets of th e bounty of the land, of fruits both good and bad, and how to manipulate them for nourishment or poison. Of the sun, God's unrelenting eye, Shamshiel spoke to the race of Adam and Eve. Finally, the greatest gift was given b y Penemue to the race of Adam and Eve. Pen emue taught the race of man the gift of writing language and the wisdom this entails. Through his gift, mortals gained the ability to defin e the wo rld according to symbols and con cepts and not by things that needed to be seen or tou ch ed. The secrets h e taught allowed mortals to open their own eyes. Creation no longer needed to b e seen and tou ched to b e believed.
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Knowledge could now spread o f its own acco rd. In a few generations, many tomes and books were written in the First Tongue, and humanity was close to finally unlocking its own divinity. This is the gift that the Ten gave the race of Adam and Eve. Yet th e fire that burns bright burns all too quickly.
them with his legions and slew all h e could find. Yet the fearsome energies unleashed in battle after battle redu ced th e Grand Experiment to ruin. Afterward, this traged y was called the Shattering, and it heralded our final defeat.
BETRAYAL
We ruled th e world fo r countless ages, leading campaigns against th e Heavenly Host and pulling down their prisons of stone and iron. We tempted other angels to fall and built mighty cathedrals and citadels across th e face of Creation. W e protected and tormented the race of dust and, eventually, bared all the secrets of Creation to th e descendants of Adam and Eve. But, in the end, it all came to naught. While Lu cifer and his most trusted legions were fighting the nephilim, the race of Adam and Eve were bu ckling under the w eight of their n ewly found divinity. Perhaps it was the disappearan ce o f the Ten, the evil of th e nephilim or just cruel fate, but the sons and daughters of the first mortals shattered at the moment when the whole o f Creation lay open to th em. Destiny cannot be preempted, and this is what (in our hubris) we'd sought to achieve. Why Lu cifer had not foreseen this, I cannot say. In our long years in Hell, I heard many who believed that he h ad meant to betray us and humanity alike but to what end? I don't know what to believe anymore. Instead of becoming gods, the enlightenment of the race of man bu ckled under the w eight of th e newly found revelations. We sought to accelerate millennia of maturity in just a handful of generations. It was too much, too soon.
The Watch ers were dutiful in their tasks for more than a hundred years. Shortly after writing the books of forbidden lore, however, a shadow fell over them. The legions w ere forbidden to interfere with their task, but we w ere curious nevertheless. Some, like myself, protected th em from afar b y shielding them from advan ces by the Host o r the malhim. Yet, ironically it w as we who proved to b e the Watch ers' downfall in the end. As the civilization of ashes reached greater and greater heights, some among our legions grew jealous. They whispered among themselves, "If all the secrets of Creation are open to th em, why will they need us?" Fear and doubt wormed their way into our hearts. None know for certain who fostered the plot to upset the Great Experiment, but legend holds that it was one of Lu cifer's own House that sowed the seed. He called to those fallen who feared the growing power of humanity and persuaded them that something must be done to ensure that th e legions maintained their dominance over the mortals. The traitor suggested that his followers take mortal partners and gave birth to a new race — one born of mortal-kind and fallen. This new race would be forever subservient to its progenitors, and it would ultimately supplant the child ren of Adam and Eve by virtue of inherent power. And so, in the dead of night, these traitors took mortals and joined with them.
BIRTH OF THE NEPHILIM This is how the nephilim came to be: each and every one an abomination in the eyes of mortal and fallen. They possessed the gifts of man and angel, and they w ere terrible to behold — if not for th eir hideous countenan ce, then for their potential. I 've heard that some were benevolent, gentle spirits who took it upon themselves to guide and enlighten, but many w ere born knowing only hate and tyranny. In a few short years, they dominated the cities where they w ere born. But their greatest crime w as yet to come, for th ey search ed out and destroyed the Ten, usurping their role as the teach ers o f mankind. But the reign of the nephilim and their traitorous progenitors w as short. When word of their evil reach ed Genhinnom, Lu cifer d escended upon
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THE SHATTERING
THE FALSE TONGUES But this was not our only regret. Th e Shattering had even more dire consequen ces — the fragmentation of th e mortal tongue. Sin ce the time o f Adam and Eve, mortals used a form of our tongue, simplified for their ears but nonetheless it echo ed with truth. All mortals spoke this On e Language, a pure tongue that did not obfuscate and allowed them to grasp the significan ce of all. When Pen emue taught the race of dust how to write and weave this One Language, the very doors of Heaven were opened to all of mankind. But they w ere not ready. They w ere blinded, and in being so, they lost the ability to compreh end the One Language. Their sp eech devolved into a cacophony of lesser languages. Instead of one nation of mortals, they fragmented into hundreds, even thousands of tribes and clans. Never again would they see th emselves as one race, united by a common mother and father. The breaking of the mortal tongues had another effect — they could no longer gaze upon us
and understand with clarity what they saw. Memories of us became legends and myths, spirits of superstition that some worshipped while others eith er ignored or did not trust. Even if we wanted to h elp, we could not. The mortals were so broken that w e had b ecome ineffable to them, and in so doing, their boundless flow of devotion and faith dwindled to nothing.
THE COLLAPSE All across the land, our cities and tribes crumbled — some due to natural disasters, others due to wars, famine and plague. Cities sank into th e depths of the o ceans, while others were simply given over to the wildern ess. It was as if th e race of Adam and Eve chose ignoran ce when shown the totality of Creation and its secrets. Many of us cannot understand this even to this day. Why turn th eir b acks on destiny and choose a lifetime of toil and ignoran ce? This was the ultimate betrayal in the eyes of many of our legions, something few have forgiven mankind for.
THE COMING OF THE END The experiment h ad failed, and fo r all our might, nothing could restore humanity's unstinting devotion. The mortals w ere blinded to us, and we were deprived of the faith w e'd grown so accustomed to. We had forgotten the Host in the chaos of the Shattering, but Heaven had not forgotten us. During our darkest hour, the Host descended on us. The malhim laid siege to Dudael, Tab a'et' and Kasdeja, and they laid all our works to waste. Michael and his Host gathered on Genhinnom, and a mighty battle raged. I am told that even at the last, Lu cifer never on ce spoke of surrender. The Crimson and Iron Legions fought to the last of their strength and held th e walls for 40 days and 40 nights before the gates finally gave w ay and the Momingstar was bound in chains of fire. The ophanim, the Creator's angels of justice, came from Heaven surrounded by malhim and Michael's Host. Th ey rounded up our legions and levied th eir punishment. Many of us exp ected to make the long march b ack to Heaven to face destru ction, but the Almighty had a far more terrible fate in store. He condemned us to darkness etern al, an endless, empty existen ce d evoid of purpose or worth. In all the horror I witnessed during the Age of W rath, nothing compared to the atro city th at Heaven perpetrated on us at the end, The ophanim passed judgment, and all was silent for a moment. I think they expected us to plead for mercy, to beg for swift d estru ction instead o f eternity in th e Pit. But our eyes turned to our prin ce, the Momingstar, who knelt with his h ead unbowed. It seemed as though he w as search ing the skies, daring the
Almighty to face him one last time. The sight moved me beyond words, and I kn ew then and there that I would rather face th e darkness standing on my feet then bend my knees one second longer to an un caring God. I climbed to my feet, daring the ophanim to object, I can remember th e silen ce that hung over the great plain and the countless eyes following me as I marched resolutely to the gate of Hell. At th e threshold I turned to my prin ce, and I sw ear there w ere tears in his eyes. With a p roud salute, I cast myself into the Abyss. I will not lie to you and say I was unafraid, but I fought to contain my terror in the emptiness of the Pit. I was w aiting for my Prin ce to follow us into exile, and then I would be the first to kn eel and swear my oath of fealty to him on ce more. Fo r on that plain of judgment I realized that as long as he stood with us, no prison forged b y Heaven could hold us. We would not yield to God's tyranny, not on Earth or in Hell. We would not submit. Justice would be ours one day. I do not know how long I waited, keeping the fire of defian ce alight. The ranks of th e damned pressed about me, and still I endured. Th e darkness and the cold ate at my soul but still I endured. Th e cries of the forsaken cut through me like a knife, and still I would not yield. Then the gates of Hell clanged shut, and I realized then that we'd b een truly forsaken. Lu cifer w as not among us.
IMPRISONMENT Hell was a cold, empty void, barren of anything but us. We could make nothing there to ease our imprisonment, for there was no material for us to work with. We w ere utterly alone. Th e only things left to us were our memories and our regrets. Perhaps God imprisoned us to make us repent o f our rebellion. If that was His goal, He could not have been more complete in His failure. Left with nothing but our own pain and frustration, entombed in a lifeless limbo without hope of release, even the strongest among us surrendered themselves to visions of anger and dreams of terrible revenge. Even then, our descent into madness might have b een averted. In time, we might have learn ed to make some kind of p eace with our fate. But the one spirit who could have shaken us from this nightmare and inspired us to find a way to endure was nowhere to be found.
MYSTERY OF THE MORNING STAR I remember our fear. Darkness settled over
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us like a shroud, and when we turned to the Morningstar fo r his wisdom and confiden ce, we found nothing. We never sought another Leader. It had never occu rred to us that we might need one. Lu cifer was th e only one among us who we truly believed could ch allenge Him. At first his lieutenants, those who had fought at his side and commanded his legions during the war, assumed that he would be joining us in time. It seemed obvious that God had other punishments in store for Lu cifer; only afterward would he b e imprisoned with us. I don't know how long it took for the whispers to start. What if He h ad destroyed Lu cifer? We had seen angels destro yed in the w ar; none of us held any illusions that our lives were sacrosan ct. Th ere were those who believed that (as our leader) Lu cifer had been singled out especially fo r destru ction. Others suggested that he had b een given a sp ecial prison, separated from his loyal soldiers out of fear that he could find a way to lead us to freedom. Still others believed that the Morningstar might have sacrificed himself in order to win some small mercy from the Lord, ensuring our eventual release. No one knew. And so we waited. I don't know where the idea originated, but I know that on ce it had been voiced, it could not be silen ced. It may have b een in the counsels of the great powers; it may have come from the lowest ran ks; its source was unimportant. All that mattered w as that th e thought spread through us like a can cer, and b y the time one of Lu cifer's lieuten ants gave voice to the thought, the seeds of what I consider to b e nothing less than a second rebellion had b een sown. "Lu cifer has abandoned us." It was Belial, greatest among the Morningstar's lieutenants, who said it first. Some of the great dukes stood with him, declaring th at we must seek our escape and revenge without Lucifer—or perhaps despite him. Abaddon, that black-h earted marauder, even dared to say that Lu cifer was responsible fo r our defeat. Still others raised th eir voices in protest, their b elief in our prin ce unshaken. Many struggled with their beliefs and tried to avoid taking sides. I stood with the loyalists. Few had as much faith in Lu cifer as I, and my voice brought many lesser fallen back to their senses. Just as many demons, if not more, let their anger consume them, and they raged against our p rin ce with the same fury they directed at God.
THE FACTIONS Without Lucifer to unite us, the whispers of dissent that began in th e fin al days of th e war only gained in strength. Conflict was in evitable as each faction b ecame entren ch ed in their beliefs and sought
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to convert the rest — sometimes with words, sometimes with force. Certainly the first and largest of th ese factions were the so-called True Believers, the fallen who were part of Lu cifer's Great Crusade and believed that mankind was the key to d efeating the will of Heaven. Our terrible exile did little to shake th e sect's convictions — if anything, Heaven's furious response in the wake of the Time of Babel only con firmed their beliefs. As time passed and the pain cut ever deeper, however, their faith in the glo ry o f humankind took on a darker tone. Rather than unleashing mankind's potential, the True Believers declared that the fallen should have harnessed it, like a spear pointed at God's merciless heart. Now that the gates of the Ab yss lie broken I wonder how many of th e Believers are out there now, moving through the multitudes and binding the souls of mankind in new-forged ch ains. They called themselves the Keepers of Babel during the exile; now I'm certain they eschew any titles that would hint at their tru e agenda. Th ere is a word fo r these sch emers, a name from human literature that is synonymous with stolen souls: Faustians. The more cautious or contemplative of our number struggled to remain ap art from the power struggles, seeking answers to the many questions that plagued us. They sought to understand our defeat and exile better b efore they made a decision about Lu cifer. They chose to doubt and question everything. Th ey exempted themselves from the power struggles that wracked out prison. Instead, they talked to those who had been n ear Lu cifer in th e war, and those who had seem him chained at the feet of God. They questioned those who had worked with him befo re the thought called rebellion had first b een formed and shaped. Ultimately they realized th at as long as they w ere trapped in the Abyss the truth could never really be known, but still they labored over th eir many theories. In time they came to b e known as the Cryptics, the seekers o f mystery. Some, like myself, stood in defian ce of the thought that slandered the Mo rningstar. W e matched wills with the doubters and the heretics at every turn, fighting to keep Lu cifer's vision alive. He w as our ch ampion, our leader and our hope. If he still lived, it was our duty to free ourselves and find him so that we could begin th e struggle anew. So long as one of us still believed in Lu cifer's dream, the war was not truly lost. Many sneered at us and referred to us as Lu ciferans, yet we wore the n ame proudly. Other, w eaker souls fell into despair. They considered Lu cifer's absen ce to be a sign o f his destru ction or betrayal, and believed us damned fo r all eternity. Th eir anger was b right and fierce, and they turned it toward all of God's works. One day, they swore, they would be free and they would destroy all
that He h ad done. If God would deny us the cosmos we had created and the p eople w e loved, then He could not have them either. They w ere the Raveners, and I watched with dismay as the ages of agony in creasingly swelled their ranks. Other fallen turned their attention outward. While we could not interfere with the world we had lost, we could get some sense of what o ccu rred there, through the pangs of pain o r half-glimpsed thoughts of the humans who dwelt there. At first, w e thought this was a sign of God's mercy, a gift that allowed us some contact with the world we knew. Yet, as time passed w e came to think of it as the greatest of His punishments. This faction strove to reach their human allies from the rebellion, to reassure th em that they had not been forgotten. I found the last group the hardest to understand. They did nothing. After a thousand years of fighting, they became passive. It w as as if defeat by God kno cked all of the fire out of them. On ce th ey were in Hell, they simply waited. They accepted God's punishment and waited for a time when He would set us free to work in His n ame again. They said th at the ch an ce would come to make right what we h ad done and regain His grace. They called themselves Recon cilers, but they were mo cked as fools, even traitors, and th eir b eliefs and commitment did little to protect th em in the eternity that followed. As centuries upon centuries built up like th e sand on a beach, th ey too succumbed to the pain and became as monstrous as the rest of us. I can't remember the d etail of what happen ed anymore. I can't recall all of th e deeds I did in Lu cifer's name. I cannot fo rget, though, that the w ar w aged in Hell n ever ended. The Prin ces of Hell struggled with one another from the moment the lie of Lu cifer's treachery was voiced. I'm sure that they struggle to win the upper hand even now.
POWERPLAYS Something ch anged in Hell th rough this time. There was always a hierarchy amongst us, even b efore the rebellion. No on e ever thought to question it. Our place and ranks w ere as God ordained th em to be, and it never crossed our minds that they should be an ything but that. We were made to be in th at position, so why would we doubt our place? Even when we rebelled, one of Lu cifer's first acts was to fo rge a n ew order that would bind us all together. Yet the longer w e were imprisoned, the less the old rules seemed to matter. Perh aps our rebellion against Him paved the w ay for us to rebel against every other aspect of our existen ce: first against the absent Lu cifer and then our own superio rs in the ranks of Hell. This w as the third rebellion. Even as th e factions of Hell fought against one another, th ey turned upon themselves as well. Our guiding lords became p etty
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tyrants, dictating our actions for their own ends. Where the prin ces on ce guided us, they now ruled us, forcing us to obey b y calling upon our True Names. They dragged us into their fights, wheth er w e wanted to go or not. Th e power of our Names was such that soon w e never even questioned our motivations — we just did what we w ere told. Where once w e were comrades fighting for a cause, we w ere now masters and servants, seeking th e ben efit of the few, not the freedom of the many. We w ere now slaves.
BITTER TASTE OF FREEDOM None doubted that our prison was inviolate, proof against any power w e could muster against it. The Creator d ecreed that we would lie in darkness until the end of time, and this we b elieved. Yet just as we had resigned ourselves to an eternity o f slavery and spite, the five Archdukes of Hell, Lu cifer's former lieutenants and masters of his legions, suddenly disappeared. The sho ck was so great it silen ced every petty struggle between us and left us filled with a mix of wonder and appreh ension. We could sense that the stars still burned, the worlds spun in their courses and mankind still passed its days in ignoran ce and fear, so the sands of time had not yet run out. For a time I dared hope th at it was Lu cifer's doing, that the Morningstar had escaped his shackles and was going to set us free. But the walls of our prison did not fall, and the archdukes never returned. Hope gave w ay to despair. Th e Raveners claimed that Heaven took Lu cifer's lieuten ants from us so that they could share in theMorningstar's punishment. The Cryptics disagreed, and the factional struggles began an ew. Then Zaphoriel vanish ed. He h eld no high station among the fallen, nor was he mu ch renowned for his deeds against th e Host. We were amazed at his disappearan ce, but even more so when he abruptly returned. He claimed to have been summoned from our prison not by God or His angels, but by a man. Zaphoriel said h e had appeared in a circle of power, sustained by a potent ritual and bound by words of power crackling from the human's lips. Then the human demanded things of Zaphoriel, commanding him to relinquish secrets of his House's lore! We w ere awestru ck. Bad enough that mankind had forgotten our sacrifices fo r their sake—now th ey thought themselves equal in authority to th e Creator Himself? Zaphoriel raged impotently at the man, and ultimately w as banished back into our midst. Where had mankind gained su ch power? Had they freed the archdukes as well? If so, why h ad they not returned? Over time, more and more of our number were called from our prison and commanded to share wh at we knew o r perform deeds at th e summoner's behest. It was a humiliation that scarred our souls far more than the slavery we now suffered at
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the hands of our own, but at the same time, w e found ourselves hoping to be the n ext one called. Th e more powerful amongst us commanded their vassals to sh are their Celestial Name with the human magi, that they might be drawn back to earth. Some who were called did not return. Like the archdukes, th eir fate was unknown. The summoning continued, growing in frequen cy for several millennia, but as the world ch anged, it seemed that th e number of magi dwindled, and the secrets to unlock our prison were lost. But we h ave not forgotten, least o f all the Cryptics, who wonder how mankind could have discovered su ch knowledge and realized the power to make their desires reality in the first place.
MAELSTROM There were times when it seemed as though the walls of our prison might fall. Five times sin ce our imprisonment a storm of terrible power raged across the spirit realm and battered against the seals of the Abyss. The most strident among us declared each time that the time of our release w as at hand, that Creation was at an end, and that soon all our suffering would cease. Each time, they w ere wrong. W e bathed in the hatred, fear and pain of the dead for a short time as they suffered in the throes of the Maelstrom, Afterw ards we raged at the calm that settled in its w ake, furious that nothing had ch anged. Th e gates of th e Abyss remain ed as strong as ever, our freedom nothing more than a fading dream in a hate-filled mind. And then, in an instant, everything ch anged. We felt the surge in p ain that marked another upheaval, sharp and fiery, filling us with pain and ecstasy. We flo cked to the barrier between Hell and the realm of the dead, eager to in crease the suffering of those souls we could reach and share in the pleasure we would reap. And even as w e con centrated on those souls, we realized we could feel th em with a clarity that had been denied us sin ce the day of our imprisonment. We rushed toward those points of clarity. W e pushed at the very outer boundary of Hell itself and then w e saw the one sight we n ever expected to see. W e felt th e cracks the storm had made. It is impossible to describe how we felt. Th e cracks w ere wide enough that the smallest of us could escap e. While we expected th em to disappear, to close up at any moment before us, they stayed, resolutely open. God's word did not close th em. Angels did not defend them. We stared at them and hoped, feared and hated at on ce. Th e doors of Hell were open. We could go back to the world. Was our punishment at an end?
EXODUS In the end, the d ecision to leave w as not ours. Our prin ces, seeing their chan ce, but knowing that the cracks w ere not wide enough to allow them to escap e,
invoked their servants' Names and sent them —sent us - flying into the raging storm beyond. We left Hell with fear and hope in our hearts and the commandment to free our masters coursing th rough our very b eings. "Free us. Free us, and vengeance will be ours." From the moment the walls of our prison started to come apart, I could think of nothing but escap e, but even as I left the Abyss, surging forw ard to serve my prin ce, I could not help but wonder. Would He be waiting fo r us? Had the time for further judgment come? Would our millennia of hatred be called to account? Yet the angels did not come for me. I hurled myself into th e storm, heedless of its fury. All around me flew the ruined souls of those w e tormented, and I tore th rough them, screaming my joy and my hate at the pathetic spirits that sought to bar my way. I rose th rough the storm, parting it before me, reaching upward from the Abyss to th e world of the living. The d ead clawed at me, the storm tried to grasp me, but neither could su cceed for I was a demon, and I was free. Still, the angels did not come for me. I rose up through them, reaching fo r the world I had known, the world I was banished from longer ago than I could reckon. Then, hope and fear and anger and hatred burning within me, I saw th e Earth, the world I h ad fought for, come into view. I was returning home, a refugee from a self-made Hell. At first the world was gray; a twisted reflection of itself seen through the eyes of hate, and then it w as in front of me as I remembered it, vib rant, alive, the pinnacle of His Creation. For a moment I exulted, drinking in the long-forgotten glo ry of the world. Fo r a moment I forgot everything but the beauty of Creation. And even th en, the angels did not come for me. There were humans everywhere; more humans that I could ever have imagined existed. I had to rmented untold human souls through my imprisonment, but that was no longer enough for me. Instead, I sought out the angels, to let th em feel the power of my hate. Yet I could not find them. They w ere gone, I looked where creatures lingered on th e brink of death, but no angel lingered to ease their pain. My fury growing, I looked fo r the watchful angels of the air or the muses haunting the indigo deeps or the angels of the wild tending their towering woods, but I found not a single one. Had th ey abandoned their posts? Were they in hiding? I could sense my fellow demons, but not a single member o f Heaven's Host.
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Confusion overtook me. It was an unfamiliar feeling in a being long given over to hate. How did the world operate without our kind? Did God no longer care for the world?
EXPLORATION I hovered o ver the wo rld, braced against the wind, enjoying the freedom that I'd lost so long ago. Even as I fought against the storm that raged across the Veil, I could feel my senses coming alive with the siren call o f duty. Living things all over the world called out for the end. It was refreshing at first, like returning home after a long and arduous journey, but then I opened myself to it and found it greater th an I could ever have imagined. It was as if th e whole wo rld was crying out in pain, begging for its agony to end and the cycle to move on again. The fury of the Maelstrom was in credible. I didn't know if it was th e result of our escape from Hell, the cause of it or some sign of His anger with th e world, but it was flaying the souls of the dead. Their agonies echoed through me as I hung there. Worse, though, was the constant moaning of the souls of the living. These were not the humans I remembered. They were haggard, weak things, the light of their souls dimmed to a feeble glow. Unbelieving, I drew closer to a place where their cry sounded with particular anguish. It was as if the ground itself w as crying out fo r its end to come. It had been pushed beyond its boundaries, beyond its God-given purpose and w as crying for an end to its existen ce. I let that call draw me in, relishing the feeling of doing a duty I barely remembered. What I saw shocked me. Th e world was nothing like th e one I knew. The beauty of Creation seemed to have b een replaced b y a monotony of shapes. Great ro ck slabs thrust their way into the sky, p ale, soulless lights burning within. Where on ce stood gard ens of beauty and great hills filled with all manner of life, w ere now gray blo cks o f stone and steel that seemed to have no purpose but to crush the spirit of those who lived in them. People moved through those barren can yons, but they weren't humans as I understood them. These creatures we h ad given up the service o f Heaven to console, protect and edu cate, had taken the divinity within them and squandered it. They seemed to see themselves and th eir works as something separate from the rest of the world. Was this God's punishment on them? Were they paying their own price for our hubris?
THE PULL OF THE ABYSS As I took in this vista, barely comprehending what I saw, the Ab yss continued to pull at me, trying to drag me back into its horrible embrace. I felt it claw at
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my very b eing, telling me that this was not my place, that I belonged in Hell. Each second in the real world became a struggle against the impulse to let go and be sucked back into darkness. But my p rin ce had commanded me with my Name, so I could not flee. I had to stay and find a w ay to free her. More than that though, I would not go. There was too much to see, too much to understand, too much to do. Th e only sure way to survive as a being of spirit in a wo rld of the flesh was to join with that flesh. 1 just had to find a body that would accept me. I opened my mind and felt a thousand shattered souls, flickering like candles in the wind. One such broken spirit called out to me. It had been betrayed, and that betrayal had cost it everything that it had loved. I could sense my fellow demons reaching out to human spirits too weak o r too starved to resist us and claiming the bodies in th eir place. Each of us found a wounded soul that resonated with our own nature, in the hope it would allow us to bond with the flesh more easily.
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The two men couldn't be more different. The older man looked younger - a function of health, ease and confidence. He was handsome in a tough way, and he could make an off-the-rack shirt look like tailored silk. W hen dresse d in tailored silk (as today) he looked even better. His name was Jonathan V uoto, but to his mi nions and colleagues, he was Johnny Bronco. "So you need a big favor from me," Johnny Bronco said. "That ain't cheap." His supplicant was pasty, pudgy and short. He looked slovenly even when he'd just shaved, and he could make any set of clothes look cheap and rumpled. He was wearing a plaid sport jacket that looked even worse on him than it had on the hangar. He had a nasty scar on his face and was wearing sunglasses, even i nside. His name was Harvey Ciullo. "I know," he said. "Thing i s, I don' want to talk about it here. It's private, like." nobody.
Johnny smirked and looked at his boys, who were rolling their eyes. Ciullo was a punk, a joke, a For a gag, Johnny said, "Sure. Come back to my office." Inside, Harvey said, "The thing i s, it's Sal." "You have a problem with Sal." "Sure. The thing is, this problem could get ugly, see?"
"And you want my help?" Johnny shook his head. "Harvey, you're on the way to becoming Jersey's most famous deadbeat. Why should I lend you money?" "I don't want money. I just want you to stay out of thi ngs if they get ugly." Johnny laughed. He laughed so hard he started to cough. "Ugly? Ugly for who?" "For Sal, of course." This provoked more laughter. "You're gonna make things ugly for Sal? That' s rich, Ciullo. You crack me up." Once again, his laughter turned to coughs -- longer and more painful. Gradually, Johnny Bronco became aware that somethi ng was wrong. Harvey wasn't nervous. Harvey wasn't laughing sycophantically. Harvey had pulled down hi s sunglasses, revealing an eye full of blood and pus. Harvey was looking serious and hard. "Johnny, you been to the doctor lately?" "Clean bill of health," the older man gasped out. "You better get a new doctor then, 'cause your old one mi ssed a couple tumors in your left lung. One's the size of a motherfucki ng golf ball. "Crazy..." Johnny wheezed. Harvey leaned in. "I see things now, Johnny. I see that shit i n your lungs. I see your future, and unl ess you get on the stick it' s a short one. I see Sal's future, too, and it's not much better." Johnny looked up, puzzled and afraid. "I'm advising you to get some serious treatment, fast. I'm also advising you to keep your nose out of it if things start to happen to Sal and his crew, you dig me? You don't want to end up as Johnny Bronchitis, now do you?" Harvey reached out and patted Johnny on the cheek, then stood and jerked open the office door. In a good semblance of panic, he shouted, "Hey... guys! Guys , get a doctor! Call an ambulance, I think somethin's wrong with Johnny!"
In my beginning is my end. In succession Houses rise and fall, crumble, are extended, Are removed, destroyed, restored... —T. S. Eliot, East Coker
THE SEBETTU The seven Celestial Houses created by God defined the duties and the powers of each angel within them, refining their individual natures and .shaping their identity within a rigidly structured hierarchy. Prior to the Fall, each House was governed by a central angel (referred to as the autarch), who directed the activities of his subordinates through a council of lieutenants. These lieutenants had their own circle of subordinates who reported on the activities of the angels under their authority, and so on, down to the lesser rank and file of holy servants. There was no allowance for promotion or demotion. The duties of each angel never varied, and the Elohim were content in their duties as the cosmos took shape, expecting nothing more than what the Creator gave them. When the rebel angels broke from their brethren, their identity as members of a specific House remained as strong as ever, and in short order, the fallen reestablished the hierarchy that had been lost, restoring the sense of focus and function that the angels craved. These rebel Houses, collectively referred to as the Sebettu (literally, "the Seven"), found themselves somewhat at odds with the feudal structure that Lucifer imposed on the infernal host at the beginning of the war. As time passed, the function of the rebel autarch and her lieutenants became focused on supporting the priorities and agendas of House members while simultaneously contributing individually to the war effort. Some among the fallen point to rivalries and intrigues that grew from intra - and interHouse competition that hindered the effectiveness of the legions during the war, but even as the tide inexorably turned against the rebels, neither Lucifer nor his lieutenants tried to disband the Sebettu or curb their influence. Forcing the fallen to reject any ties to their House, no matter how desperate the situation, was simply inconceivable.
DIVIDED LOYALTIES During the war, the typical rebel found herself juggling her loyalty to her lord commander and the wishes of her House elders. Later, as internal factions split the host into competing philosophies, this balancing act became even more difficult. Each rebel had to decide, based on her own goals and desires, which master to heed and which to ignore when conflicts arose. These loyalties often shifted from day to day and moment to moment. This issue of divided loyalty is even more acute now that the fallen have returned to Earth. Most (if not all) of the warlords, House elders and factional leaders remain trapped in the Abyss, leaving each demon with the freedom to choose where their allegiances now lie. They can choose to follow the orders of distant lords, seek to restore the primacy of their House or reject the old ways and shape a new order based upon the tenets of their faction.
"I can show you things that will fill you with wonder. Just take my hand, and I'll change your life forever."
Before there was any land at all, the great o ceans en compassed the world. The angels granted dominion over this vast and powerful realm were called th e Nereids, and they w ere among the most beautiful of God's creations. They w ere the wellsprings and muses, and their powers resonated with the passions that led to art and quests for insight and truth. The Nereids were meant to inspire humanity, to beguile them with mysteries and spur them to venture out into the world and discover its many hidden wonders. They were the spirit of longing personified, always alluring, yet ever out of reach. Their power gave them the keen est insight into human desires, but God's design ensured that the vast gulf of the sea would always stand between th em. It was not long before they lamented their duty to Heaven and th e
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love they bore fo r mankind. Looking back, many Defilers b elieve that had Lu cifer not stepped forward to raise the bann er of revolt, it would have only been a matter of time before a Nereid did the same. The Fall galvaniz ed the Defilers, who used their powers to inspire both mortal and rebel angel alike in the struggle against Heaven. They b ecame living symbols of the struggle, reflecting the b est qualities of the resistan ce and spurring oth ers to do the same. More importantly, they sustained th e morale of th e rebels, even in the darkest days of the war, healing spiritual wounds that no Scourge or Devourer could touch. The devotion these fallen inspired led to some of th e most heroic exploits of th e war, becoming the foundation for romantic epics that still resonate in mankind's co llective soul. The loss of th e war was a terrible blow for the Defilers, who n ever wavered in their conviction that the rebellion was just. Although they were more accustomed to isolation than most of the fallen, the Defilers w ere among the first to su ccumb to the agonies of th e Abyss, excising the pain of their loss with hot knives of h ate. Now that the gates of the Ab yss are broken and the Defilers are free on ce more, they are able to work their wiles in a civilization that prizes appearan ce above all. Th ey can lead men and women to acts of obsession, jealousy and desire that ruin families, end careers or topple entire governments. Yet they can also en courage humanity's understanding of philosophy, fellowship and art, and provid e a vision of b eauty amid the bleak reality of the modern world. They were created as living mysteries, dangerous and beguiling, meant to inspire acts of courage and strength that fuel the growth of the human soul. Factions: Defilers are most likely to b e Faustians or Raveners. In th e first case, th ey have become captivated by humanity — reacting with delight, or at least respect, to their ren ewed relationship with mankind. The Raveners act like spurned lovers, exacting an often subtle (but always unforgettable) revenge on those who have inflicted su ch a crushing betrayal. They break hearts and minds, and spread discord so as to watch groups crumble under bitter
recriminations and violen ce. Alternatively, some Defilers are disappointed by modem human civilization, and yet still become Faustians. They yearn fo r the beautiful vision th ey h ad before the w ar, and recognize th at humans are an essential p art of that. Some Defilers may b e w ell be fascinated by the quests of the Lu ciferans or Cryptics, dep ending upon their asso ciations and experien ces in the w ar. Very few of th em become Recon cilers, though. Even if they wished it, most Defilers know that there is no going back to p aradise, and now that th e old barriers have b een b roken, th ey cannot be rebuilt. Prelude: Defilers are drawn to the vain and th e passionate. Their hosts are unlikely to have been spiritual or logical thinkers in life, but rather p eople with a deep joy in the physical and the immediate. They weren 't necessarily promiscuous, but were just as likely to have sp ent all they had on the latest fashions or th e fastest toys. Often they were obsessed with trivial things, constantly fine-tuning the present so as to ignore the grand sw eep of changes around them. Idealists who attract a Defiler are not interested in abstract th eories and pragmatic realities, but in immediate action to ch ange the world. The most farsighted candidates are artists who try to reflect vast slices of reality within their work, sure that they can capture the intricacies about them. Other candidates might have b een more profoundly affected by matters of the flesh. Those who have loved deeply or often and been denied, those who have supported a cause and been b etrayed by it — these people might also be caught up in the p resent, where self-pity and thoughts of petty revenge replace true grief o r anger. Another category of likely hosts are those who have suffered for their art in a literal sense: starving artists, failed writers and skid row musicians who have had th eir spirits broken by rejection, debt and addiction. Faith: Harvesting faith is a tricky act fo r many Defilers, because they are unused to close human contact. Getting people's attention is easy; fo cusing it is not. With indiscriminate use of h er lore, a Defiler can gather a large group of followers very quickly (and possibly cause a few riots in the p ro cess), but su ch a crowd is of little use to h er. Blind adulation and self destru ctive longing is not faith, although with patien ce, it may provide a foundation on which to create it. In essen ce, a Defiler must convin ce her follow ers that they are worthy of su ch gifts as sh e gives them. Many of those gifts involve expanding perception out beyond the d emon and into the larger world. They allow thralls to develop their knowledge
and, more importantly, their intuitive understanding of their surroundings. This could be a gen eral feeling of enlightenment, or a more specifi c fo cus on a particular topic. It often manifests as works of art or exp ression in more direct fo rms, such as political or so cial activism. Su ch understanding often comes with renew ed confid en ce as w ell, which might withstand even supernatural fear or coercion. Character Creation: So cial Traits are paramount. All of them are important, and regardless of the condition of the host's body, it is recommended that the player take at least three Appearan ce b ased so cial traits at a b are minimum. Abilities such as Empathy, Intuition and Subterfuge are instin ctual, as is Survival. The Defilers' origin as water spirits gives them a litheness that usually translates to a high Dexteritybased traits and good ratings in Dodge and Stealth, and perhaps Brawl as well. Most are not con cern ed with detailed knowledge of modern academics and related subjects, and they see human politics as vulgar. Starting Torment: 3 House Lore: Lore of Longing, Lore of Storms, Lore of Transfiguration Advantage: Defilers begin at ch aracter creation with a free trait in Fame, Pacts, or Personal Influen ce (High So ciety or Media). In addition, all Defilers begin with either an additional So cial Trait upon character creation (this trait cannot cause the character to exceed their mortal cap of ten), or an additional trait in eith er Fame, Pacts, o r Personal Influen ce (High So ciety o r Media). Disadvantage: Defilers can b e frustrating, contrary creatures who can strike off on tangents and drag a whole party along into a spiraling morass of trivialities. They can overplay a deception well b eyond the end of its usefulness, and can turn petulant and stormy with little provo cation. To avoid this, they often just need a little room. The more ordered and claustrophobic a situation gets, the more likely they are to snap at their partners, do something unadvised or just wander off in a different direction. But su ch behavior is hard to predict, and it may even manifest itself d ays after the catalyst fo r it, if at all.
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"Follow me, and I will give you your heart's G od's first and most perfect creations, the Heralds carried th e Lord's standard, bringing His light to illuminate all of Creation. Th ese greatest of all angels were the lead ers and prin ces of th e Celestials, shining examples of all that was glorious and right in the eyes of God. First and foremost, the duty of the First House was to convey th e will of heaven to the Houses of th e Host, instructing them as to their evolving role in th e creation of th e cosmos. The Devils bore this enormous responsibility with pride, making their presen ce known among their peers only when absolutely necessary, but the freedom to alter th e course of th e cosmos at their discretion b ecame a source of hubris that contributed to the Fall. When the Grand Design finally culminated in th e birth of humanity, the Celestials w ere surprised at the Creator's commandment to remain invisible and allow mankind to discover its potential without help. Their dissatisfaction found its voice in the greatest o f their number, Lu cifer th e Momingstar. In the end, nearly half of th e Heralds chose to sid e with the Momingstar, a greater p ercentage of defections than any other Celestial House. Now cursed as Devils, these rebels became the gen erals, leaders and heroes of the reb ellion. Armed with awesome powers o f leadership and inspiration, the Devils set out to lead humanity to a new age, and to en courage mortals to renoun ce the Creator. But as the war raged on, the Devils grew distant from the humans they had on ce loved. From hero es and protectors, th e Devils became demagogues and dictators, manipulating human pawns with honeyed words and poisoned lies.
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desire. Worship me, and I will make you a god." Filled with pride and d efian ce, th e Devils refused to believe in the possibility of failure—until Heaven prevailed, and the demons were imprisoned in the darkn ess of the Abyss. With Lu cifer missing, the other demons turned upon their former leaders in anger. To defend themselves — and to mask their own doubt — the Devils used their powers of charisma and deception to turn the other d emons upon each other. But now the barriers around Hell are broken, and many Devils have crawled b ack into the world of mortals. For those Devils still dedicated to Hell, now is the time for humanity to be reminded of past glories and to bend knee in service to demonkind. Fallen Devils who seek redemption have a n ew opportunity — to save humanity from the evils that threaten to destroy it, to forge a new Utopia for mortal and celestial alike and perhaps to prove that Lu cifer's crusade was ultimately just. Factions: Devils are intensely political creatures, puppet masters who live to control and manipulate others. Th ey form the upper echelons of several of the major factions, leading other demons just as they on ce did in Heaven. Unsurprisingly, most Devils are Lu ciferans, still loyal to the vision of the first and greatest reb el. They still follow the d ream of casting the Creato r down from His throne and leading humans to a glorious future. After the Lu ciferans, many Devils find themselves drawn to the Faustians. While on ce the Heralds craved th e love and respect of humanity, these Devils have d ecided th at mortal worship and Faith is just as sweet a prize. With the power of humanity behind them, the Faustians strive to build an empire on Earth, with the Devils first among equals.
The mystery o f Lu cifer's disappearan ce w ears heavier on Devils than on other demons — he was the greatest amongst them, and his disappearan ce threw the Devil into doubt and misery. For this reason, many Devils b ecome Cryptics, desp erate to learn the truth about the Fall, their mentor, and the true cause of their damnation. The Heralds truly loved humanity, and some Devils still feel an echo of that love. These Devils are a minority in their House, and they are attracted to the Recon ciler faction. If they can rebuild Eden, they reason, they may be able to earn God's forgiveness — and more importantly, the forgiveness and love of humanity. Few Devils belong to the Raven er faction. To accept the failure o f the w ar and embrace destru ction would be to admit that Lu cifer's rebellion was an error, and most Devils are too proud and arrogant to accept this. But some few Devils have succumbed to doubt and regret, and they want nothing more than to destroy the world that serves as a reminder of their foolishness and failure. Prelude: Devils are so cial creatures, charmers and deceivers, and they are attracted on Earth to mortals who share that aptitude and have lost th eir souls in the pursuit of power and influen ce. A tenden cy to use other people as tools, control those around her and cultivate followers and hangers-on will also attract the attention of a Devil. Good examples of su ch people are politicians, executives, musicians, acto rs and ch arismatic preach ers. Whether they are the shining knights of Heaven or the black paladins of Hell, Devils have always been hero es — exemplars of courage fighting against overwhelming odds. Within the tainted soul of a Devil remains a co re of heroism and nobility, no matter how twisted, and they respond to mortals who possess those qualities. A Devil might possess a decorated cop who has lost his soul to corruption or callous violen ce, a mother who shields her children from her abusive husband with body and soul or a once-idealistic politician crushed by the w eight of scandal and double-dealings. Faith: Devils are master manipulators, able to assess a mortal's desires and weakn esses in a glan ce, or direct a crowd of follow ers with just a twitch of a finger. One might think that Devils would find it easy to gather Faith from mortals — and it's true th at Devils often have more su ccess in gaining Faith than other demons. The pro cess of gaining Faith from mortals is never effortless, though, and even the great deceivers of Hell must work for their precious spiritual energy.
The term "cult of personality" describes a Devil's entourage of thralls p erfectly. The formation of a cult of worshippers is usually a high priority fo r Devils, and they make use of th eir most plentiful resource—mortal followers. A Devil's cult can resemble a p yramid selling scheme, in which each new worshipper seeks out and recruits new members who are easy marks fo r the Devil's charisma. Soon the Devil is surrounded by devotees, worshipping him as a god— the status he has lusted after sin ce the Fall. Character Creation: Unsurprisingly, Devils tend to emphasize their So cial Traits, especially Manipulation and Charisma-based traits. Man y Devils also have high levels of Physical Traits, due to their position as war leaders and paladins. Mental Traits aren't as important to Devils, although many have high Wits-based traits, as effective lying requires a talent for thinking on your feet. No Ability is as useful to a Devil as Subterfuge, and almost all members of this House have high ratings in it. Many Devils have strong combat and physical Abilities, reflecting their role as commanders and heroes in bygone times — Athletics, Brawl and Melee are all popular choices. Starting Torment: 4 House Lore: Lore of th e Celestials, Lore of Flame, Lore of Radian ce Advantage: All Devils b egin with one free trait o f Subterfuge at ch aracter creation. In addition to this trait, the Devil also gains one free trait in Eminen ce, Followers, Pacts, Personal Influen ce (Any), or Resources. Disadvantage: The memory of th eir former nobility is something every Devil struggles to fo rget but never can. Devils know that they were on ce perfect p rin ces of Heaven, but no matter how they try to pretend otherwise, their cu rrent existen ce is a hollow mockery of that perfection. The timeless imprisonment in Hell also filled most Devils with doubt, regret and shame— emotions they can never exp ress. Wracked by these feelings, Devils are drawn to acts of foolish bravery and quixotic courage.
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"It's been too long since I tasted blood on the wind. Tonight, we hunt once more." The House of the Wild was granted dominion over every living thing that crawled, ran, flew or slithered across the earth. As the wilderness spread across the earth, th e Angels of die Wild wove th e countless strains of life into an intricate tap estry of b eauty, majesty and power. Th e Angels of the Wild fulfilled their duties with solemn pride and a strong sense of personal honor, governing their realm with justice and compassion. The birth of humanity was a source of both wonder and consternation for the Angels of the Wild. While God made it clear that mankind was meant to master the wildern ess and every living thing within it, they w ere completely ignorant of its ways. This presented th e angels with a paradox: Their duty w as to protect and preserve the wild, but the greatest threat to the natural order was the ignoran ce of humankind, which they were forbidden to interfere with. For all their reputation as impetuous, instinctual beasts, the Angels of the Wild were the most relu ctant of th e Host to consider defying th e will o f Heaven. In the end, though, those who joined the ranks of the fallen believed that there w as no other way to be true to their mandate. On ce committed, however, there w ere none braver or more devoted than the Devourers, who filled the ran ks of the rebel legions and fought their fo rmer comrades without quarter across the length and breadth of Paradise. The Devourers w ere feared and resp ected by both sides, and they never lost their belief in final victory, even at the very end. At first, the Devourers accepted their
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exile stoically, but separation from the living wo rld eventually took its toll. Worse, the disappearan ce of Lu cifer w as a terrible blow to the spirit of th e House as a whole, leading many to feel a deep sense of b etrayal. As their anger and pain grew, they reverted more and more to their feral nature, trading reason and guilt for mindless instinct. Upon their escape from the Abyss, the Devourers w ere sho cked to discover how much the wo rld had ch anged. Th e humans they fought and suffered for had forgotten all they had b een taught after die Fall, raping the world of its dwindling resources and driving whole species into extin ction. This realization was the last stroke for many Devourers, who surrendered completely to their monstrous urges in the desire to make mankind suffer fo r its crimes against nature. Fo r the rest, the pain of the dying earth w as enough to shake them from their fugue and spur them to restoring the earth and pulling mankind back from the brin k of annihilation. Factions: Devourers tend to fall into one of two factions, depending on how well their convictions weathered the agonies of the Ab yss. Many Devourers still believe that their loyalty to Lu cifer and the cause of the fallen must still be honored, and their n ewfound freedom comes with an obligation to reform the ranks o f the infernal legions and resume the war against Heaven. Those who aren't Lu ciferans tend to become Raven ers, as their sense of betrayal after the war and humanity's destru ction of nature drives them to seek bloody vengean ce on God's beloved children. Outside these two factions, the next largest group of Devourers can be
found among the Recon cilers. The Devourers in their ranks tend to be those who are weary of war and bloodshed, and feel that the only way they can atone for their past crimes is to rebuild the gardens that time has destroyed. Less common are Devourer Cryptics, though a significant number seek answers to th e manner of Lu cifer's disappearan ce, both fo r the sake of th eir own honor and out of respect for their lost leader. Th ese Devourers enjoy more su ccess than might be expected, because other fallen frequently underestimate th eir intelligen ce and cunning. Rarest of all are Devourers who follow the call o f the Faustians, simply because deception is so foreign to th eir n ature, and they chafe at th e patien ce required fo r elaborate schemes. Those who are lo yal to the faction do so because they b elieve that the only way to restore the earth is to subjugate mankind. Prelude: On th e surface, it would seem that Devourers would be drawn to people such as soldiers, drug dealers, gang members o r police officers, individuals who have eroded th eir souls through lives of violen ce. Yet they are also drawn to sto ckbrokers, sales p ersons, fire fighters and political activists — individuals who pit themselves against enormous odds and are often emotionally scarred by the experien ce. Unsurprisingly, Devourers are also drawn to hosts who share an obsession to protect — or exploit —animals and nature. An en vironmental activist, whose zealous crusades have cost him his own humanity or a cold-h earted poach er are equally likely possibilities, depending on the demon's personality. Faith: Devourers are masters at th e art of reaped Faith. Indeed, their impulsive nature makes them more comfortable with su ch short-term gains than nearly an y other demon. Low-Torment Devourers are usually careful to restrict their reaping to criminals or individuals who by their actions are actively destru ctive to their environment. Even then, they avoid killing the individual if possible, preferring to gain Faith through acts of pain or terror in the hopes th at the victim will take th e experien ce as a warning and mend his ways. High-Torment Devourers are less discriminate when choosing their victims. Anyone, even mortals who are sympathetic toward the demon's cause, can b e a target. Faith is Faith, and su ch demons will take it wherever they find it, usually killing th e victim in the pro cess. Devourers are drawn toward strong, aggressive individuals as thralls. They can be individuals who are no strangers to violen ce, su ch as gang members, soldiers or cops. Conversely th ey can be driven intellectuals, political activists, co rporate raiders
or entrepreneurs. When it comes to thralls, Devourers have no use for the w eak or timid. Character Creation: It's no surpris e that th e feral Devourers favor Ph ysical Traits above all, but Mental Traits come in a close second. Many Devourers have at least two traits in Alertness, Animal Ken, Brawl, Dodge, Intimidation, Survival or Stealth. They may also inherit traits in Firearms and Melee from their hosts. The less-common socially oriented Devourers tend to have high Intimidation and Leadership Abilities, as w ell as knowledge appropriate to th eir profession. These Abilities are often balan ced out with some degree of Athletics, but combat-oriented Abilities are less common, at least initially. Devourers draw upon a variety o f backgrounds. Pacts are a favo red choice, forming a pack that the d emon calls upon when needed. More social Devourers may have careers in which they wield influen ce and have high Resources ratings. Starting Torment: 4 House Lore: Lore of the Beast, Lore of the Flesh, Lore of the Wild Advantage: All Devourers gain two traits worth o f the following Abilities at character creation (either one trait in two abilities, or two traits in one ability): Alertn ess, Animal Ken, Brawl, Dodge, Intimidation, Survival, or Stealth. Disadvantage: Devourers have never been known fo r their tact, and most never know when to keep th eir big mouths shut. In situations where diplomacy is essential, Devourers can b e brutally honest and quick to anger, prone to starting fights at th e slightest pro vo cation. It's fairly common for a Devourer to make a delicate situation worse simply by showing up. Because of th eir lack of so cial skills, many Devourers can b e easily manipulated. Some demons trick them into serving as bodyguards o r assassins b y playing off their sense of honor and obligation. Su ch manipulations are not without risk, however, for if the Devourer ever sees through the ch arad e, he won't hesitate to seek immediate and bloody revenge.
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"You have questions, my friend, but are you prepared for the answers?" In the beginning, God fashioned th e great engines of Heaven to regulate th e cosmos. Each orbit of a star and planet lay within the radius of a cog, a celestial flywh eel linking other su ch gears in an enormous, interdependent mechanism. The heavens were laid out in an intricate tracery o f orbits, ellipses, p eriods and constants, an impossibly vast design that defied total compreh ension. The seers captained these great orbits and circuits. Th ey knew when and where everything would be, be it a day away or a millennia hen ce. They regulated th e means b y which th e heavens affected the Earth, directing th e swell of tides through the course of the moon and winding the Earth to cause the seasons to turn. Of all the angels, how ever, they w ere among the most distant from humanity. They loved their broth ers and sisters of clay, but it was their lot to resid e far above Eden and interact with mortals through mysteries woven in the vault of stars. When the rebellion came, one central factor split th e seers. It was one among their number, a seer named Ahrimal who first saw the dire portents that would reveal themselves as the Fall. At the time, Ahrimal and his companions believed that the impending disaster would occur if the angels failed to act, so they w ere among the most vo cal proponents of reb ellion. In fact, the Fall was the root of the catastrophe Ah rimal foresaw, and there is not a single Fiend to this day who is not haunted by that House's collective mistake. Lu cifer p rized the Fiends as advisors and strategists, sin ce their ability to divine the future earn ed him several quick victories. Th e war proved costly, however, for th e Fiends did not anticipate its destru ctiven ess. It was a sign of th eir hubris that
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they considered th at the great design would not be upset by their actions. Finally, God cast the condemned rebels into the Abyss, plunging the Fiends into a special hell o f their own. On ce, th ey w ere creatures of ord er and regimented existen ce, but the Abyss could not be codified, charted or piloted. Without the great engines of Heaven to provide a measured routine, they went mad. When the walls to the Ab yss were wracked by the Maelstrom, the Fiend sensed the great engin es again and saw the cracks leading to freedom. Upon reemerging, however, they found the heavens derelict and undirected, while the great engin e itself moved with rusted awkwardness. The Fiends had regain ed their tou chstone, but it was cracked and worn, possibly beyond repair. But then th e same could be said for th em. Factions: The Fiends priz e the search for knowledge above all. Within their broken breasts lies a genuine n eed to recapture that absolute clarity when the universe hid few secrets from them. Some say their search for these shards of congruen ce is merely distraction from the inevitable inw ard examination that leads many Fiends to the Raveners. Almost no Fiend, however, believes that d estroying th e great engines o f Creation will do an ything more than condemn all the fallen to an even darker oblivion than the Abyss. For obvious reasons, many Fiends instead prefer the Cryptics and their search fo r truth. Few Fiends are drawn to th e Recon cilers, if only because the Fiends w ere always so distant from Eden prior to the w ar. Paradise w as never truly their home, so why yearn fo r something never shared? Instead, the second-most popular faction among the Fiends are the Lu ciferans. Perhaps it's because Lu cifer protected the Fiends from recrimination when the war
was at its worst. The elders among the Fiends, however, say the fate of Lu cifer has yet to run its course, though none will say why. Finally, there are some Fiends who find themselves drawn to the Faustians. Some Fiends believe controlling humanity's destiny is just another course to be ch arted and directed. Others see modem humanity as an enormously complex o rganism equal to the cosmos itself, and a worthy su ccessor to their skills. Prelude: Fiends possess an affinity for patient seekers of knowledge, those, like themselves, who question the universe b y boldly p rodding it, by getting th eir h ands dirty, and by stumbling about in the dark with little regard for body or soul. Be it a reporter who sacrifices ties to family and friends in the quest for th e Big Story or an o ccultist willingly opening herself to spirits beyond her ken, Fiends are drawn individuals who barter their souls for enlightenment. The important truth to the Fiend isn't the question itself, but the quest for the answer and the struggle to obtain it. The h arder someone vies to un cover lost o r mysterious knowledge—and the more of themselves they lose in the pro cess — the greater the lure to th e Fiends. Faith: Everyone has questions, but few p eople are willing to find the answ ers. Th e Fiends rely on this duality to fuel th emselves. In fact, because the Fiends pose as avid listen ers, people find it easier confiding in them, especially sin ce they place themselves in positions of authority and knowledge. Most Fiends of low Torment en courage the pursuit of knowledge rather than its acquisition. They target seekers of enlightenment, presenting themselves as sounding boards for ideas and asking just enough questions to nudge the mortal in the right direction. On ce they grow into the mortal's confiden ce, they offer pacts to en courage the journey rath er th an simply fulfilling the goal. By the same token, Fiends also despise mortals who seek only quick answers in life. Th ey o ften reap Faith from this lot, showing them glimpses of the horrible fates awaiting them. They reap to fuel themselves as much as to punish, but they risk opening themselves to their To rment as they conjure th eir horrifying illusions. Conversely, high-Torment Fiends rely on the selfsame quick-fix lot for their pacts. Th ey use illusions to corrupt mortals and promise th em material gains, separating those who prefer acquisition from those who seek esoteric pursuits. They reap from honest seekers as w ell, torturing them with half-truths and misinformation, and scarring th eir sanity with obscene secrets better left unsaid.
Character Creation: Fiends believe that knowledge is power, so they favor high Mental Traits. Others rely on controlling others through their future sight, which makes So cial Traits their primary preferen ce. When it comes to Abilities, Fiend prize Investigation, Acad emics and Religion above all else. They are also adept in the mysteries of Linguistics, Occult and Research. In dealing with Backgrounds, Occult and Academic Influen ces are of the upmost importance. The mortal's quest fo r knowledge means she established a network of mortal affiliates to facilitate her journey. It's also not un common for Fiend to have mortal mentors if the host was delving d eeply into occu lt matters. Finally, Legacy is greatly prized by the Fiends, as divining th e future requires a strong footing in the past. Starting Torment: 3 House Lore: Lore of Light, Lore of Patterns, Lore of Portals Advantage: At character creation, the player chooses two traits from the following (either one trait from two abilities or backgrounds, or two traits from one ability or background): Academics, Investigation, Legacy, Occult, Paragon, Personal Influen ce (Academic, Church, or Occult), or Religion. Disadvantage: Curiosity is perhaps the Fiends' Achilles' heel. It was cu riosity o f the unknown that led to their downfall, and it's a need to investigate mysteries wh en confronted by conundrums that afflicts them now. This curiosity usually stems from an unforeseen chain of events that arises over the course of their actions. A subject may do or say something significant beyond the Fiend's carefully scripted chain of events. Most Fiends will want to know wh y this happened, fo cusing their an alytical abilities to find the source of the anomaly, and in so doing losing sight of the task at hand.
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"I know you've been hurt. I have something here that can make your life better again." On the third day, God separated th e seas from the land, and He gave stewardship of the land to a select group of angels. Named Artificers, these Celestials govern ed — and loved — the earth and all that lay within it. To them was given an affinity with soil, gems and stone; with the fires that smoldered below the earth's surface; and most especially, with metal To the Artificers w as also given the responsibility of helping humanity use the earth — to till the fields, dig up the metals and to craft the tools they would need to shape their world. Th e angels took to their task willingly, eager to share th eir love fo r the earth with their ch arges. But humanity was not equipped to deal with su ch responsibility. Th ey tried to use the miraculous toots of the angels, but they were unable to make them work properly, if at all. Humanity became resentful of their hidden teach ers and feared them for their perfection, while the Artificers grew con fused and bewildered, unable to relate to humans in the same way they related to the p redictable elements of earth and fire. When war erupted b etween the reb el angels and the forces of Heaven, many of the Artificers gravitated toward Lu cifer's side. Th ey felt rejected by th e humans they had t ried to love, and angry with the Creator, who had tied their hands by forbidding angels to help humans directly. Moreover, th ey sid ed with the reb els because they felt that only their peers understood them, loved them, when the humans had simply refused to do. When the rebels lost the war and were imprisoned in Hell, the Malefactors found it difficult to cop e — separated from the earth and fire that w as their reason fo r being. This terrible lon eliness made most Malefacto rs cold and withdrawn, unable to interact well with even th eir fellow d emons. They became cunning and thoughtful, preferring careful
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planning and patien ce to th e emotional upheavals of anger and immediacy. Now, released from Hell, Malefacto rs find themselves in a world transformed. Humanity has finally embraced the use of tools and become a race of makers, but in doing so, they have ravaged the earth and left it wounded and unloved. Those Malefacto rs still in the service o f Hell swallow their p ain and look for n ew opportunities to create h avo c among humanity. For the fallen, the world is an open wound, and the urge to simply break down and cry is sometimes overwh elming. But if the world is to be h ealed, then the Malefacto rs must bear their p ain and get to work, just as they did millennia ago. Factions: Most Malefactors are Faustians, and have been sin ce the final days of the war. With their pen chant fo r manipulating humans with their poisoned ch alices and cu rsed gifts and their desire to push humanity back into a subservient and respectful position, this Faction is a natural fit for th e House. Recon cilers form the next largest blo c within the Malefactors, especially among the fallen. For all th eir attempts to stop caring about the world, these demons can n ever truly sever their link to the land and nature. Loose in the world, many Malefactors are overwhelmed b y a forgotten love, and they push aside old hurts to try to red eem themselves. Malefacto r Cryptics bend their natural cunning and intelligen ce toward unraveling the mysteries of the w ar and the Fall. Fo r many Malefactors, this faction lends them a purpose they so rely need and is unlikely to push them into
contact with humans. Lu ciferan Malefactors are not very common. Most were too hurt and emotionally damaged by the Fall to retain faith in their Lost leader. However, hope dies hard even in demons, and there are some Lu ciferans in this House. These demons tend to treat the Lu ciferan cause as a holy calling and throw themselves into it with great passion. With their love of th e earth and of tools — things that are crafted over time and with great care — an appetite for pure d estru ction is something rarely felt by these demons. Those few who do belong to the Ravener faction are terrifying indeed, often th e most destru ctive and violent of the faction. Prelude: Upon their escap e from Hell, Malefactors usually gravitate toward souls that are as emotionally damaged as their own. Malefactors are in many ways lonely, insecu re beings—separated from the earth th at they on ce h eld closest. Their hosts tend to be similar individuals — lonely, need y people who have always felt that something was lacking in their lives, something that would have made th em complete. Good examples of such individuals are drug addicts, th e ugly o r disfigured, people who cling to abusive spouses or teenagers trying to modify themselves with tattoos and piercings. Another strong group of candidates are people who are alienated from other humans, and are more comfortable with machines o r the earth — this match es the Malefactor psyche very closely. This is a broad category, which could in clude an ything from a computer hacker who's only comfortable onlin e to a sociopath who sees other p eople as merely things to an environmental activist who despises humans for despoiling the planet. Faith: Malefacto rs often find it difficult to gather Faith from mortals, due to two facto rs. First, of course, is the fact that they have difficulty understanding and relating to humans, who aren't as p redictable and dependable as stone. Being unable to truly kno w humans, Malefactors find it difficult to easily inspire them. A greater impediment of sorts is the Malefacto r's relian ce on his tools and magical artifacts. A mortal will no doubt be dumbstruck and awed by the powers of a magic mirror, but that doesn't mean she'll automatically asso ciate the mirror with th e demon that made it or gave it to her. Unless the human makes a strong connection betw een the item and the Malefacto r, the Faith simply vanishes into the eth er. When reaping Faith from mortals, a Malefacto r must do so using an item he has created. This might be a mundane item—su ch as a silver knife used to flay a victim's skin away — or a miraculous creation, like a mirror that shows a mortal's inner
beauty. Th e demon can use different tools whenever he attempts to reap Faith—the important thing is that th e item is something he crafted himself, and that th e mortal fo cuses on the item as h er Faith is collected. Malefacto rs are drawn to the same sort of people who attracted them as a host — th e lost, the needy, th e damaged. In particular, Malefacto rs tend to target people who are looking fo r something that will fix their life, end their problems — a con crete solution, not a metaphysical con cept. The n erd who wants to b e handsome, the writer stymied on his new book, th e paraplegic w anting her legs hack — these are p eople who can be "help ed" b y a Malefactor, who can build a computer that inspires creativity o r a mask that makes the wearer an Adonis. Character Creation: Malefacto rs tend to emphasize Mental Traits, p articularly Wits-based, which governs creativity and cunning. As miners and workers, th ey also tend to have good Ph ysical Traits, especially Strength and Stamina-based. So cial Traits are often low, due to the difficulty Malefacto rs have in relating to humans — although Manipulation-based traits are often emphasized, as th e demons have some talents for using humans as tools. To reflect their status as demonic inventors, almost all Malefactors h ave high Crafts ratings. Many also have excellent Research ratings. Subterfuge is popular—while Malefactors don't have the natural propensity for manipulation that Devils have, they work hard to transcend their shortcoming. Starting Torment: 3 House Lore: Lore of the E arth, Lore of the Forge, Lore of Paths Advantage: All Malefactors gain two traits, which may be chosen from the following abilities (two traits in one ability, or one trait in two abilities): Computer, Crafts, Repair, or Scien ce. Disadvantage: The primary weakness o f this House is a problem with understanding human beings. Humans are unpredictable, messy creatures, and the demons find it very difficult to come to grips with th em, even after pillaging th e memories and personalities of th eir hosts. The demons are even slightly frightened by humanity. The Malefactors w ere con fused and badly hurt by humanity's rejection, and fear of further rejection can sub consciously subvert and influen ce a demon's plans and actions.
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"Nothing can protect you forever. So don't worry about forever. Worry about right now." Before the Age of Wrath, the Guardian Angels had an enviable role in Paradise. Entrusted with carrying the sacred Breath of Life, their duties brought them in close contact with th eir beloved humanity. Even better, they w ere ch arged with the ongoing protection of every being they animated. Where another angel might have felt guilt for skirting the edges of the command against interferen ce, the Angels of th e Wind were wholly within their purview wh en they adoringly watched the humans that they secretly considered their own children, as well as God's. But even as they keenly felt th e pleasure of humanity's presen ce, th ey felt more keenly the pain of humanity's frustration. Their nearn ess was both torment and elation, and the tension betw een the two extremes eventually drove many to the snapping point. When the reb ellion came, Lu cifer found many eager followers in the Firmament. Indeed, other than his own House of the Morning Star, the House of the Rising Wind produced the most highly ranked angels to fall. In the war, th e Scourges were committed warriors. Th e condemnation of Heaven did not break th eir will: Far from it, the weight of the punishment that fell on humanity did much to steel the Scourges in opposition to God and the Holy Host, Poorly match ed against the Fundamentals and Wild Angels in battle in the physical world, Scourges' speed of movement and powers of con cealment made th em excellent h arriers, scouts and spies. In this age of escape, the Scourges are widely respected. Th eir courageous exploits in the w ar h ave given them a deserved reputation for loyalty even in extremis. Every faction among the newly escaped fallen wants loyal d efenders, especially those who can heal with th e right h and and harm with the left.
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Factions: The most hopeful Scourges tend toward the Recon ciler camp. The con cept of a world h ealed is more tempting to them than the notion of one ruled by the Faustians or ruined by th e Raveners. Other Scourges continue to pledge fealty to Lu cifer, b elieving that he somehow escap ed the rage of the punishing angels. If he could spare himself eons ago, mayb e he's the key to sparing humankind now. Certainly, finding the only one of the fallen with a continuous experien ce in the world is usually considered a better way to find con crete answers than joining the Cryptics' d ebating so ciety. Faustians find few Scourges in their numbers. The Second House was, and in some way still is, intimately con cerned with the safety of humanity. They may bless or cu rse, but coldly using people as tools doesn't come easily. Prelude: Fearful souls cry out for defenders, and even in their fallen state, the on etime Angels Protector find that cry h ard to resist. Scourges were on ce the p arents to humanity— indeed, all life—and the needful call of one of th eir children still draws their attention. But this world, the wreckage of Paradise, is full of fears, real and imagined. A Scourge may b e drawn to genuine fear, only to find that it's selfish. Unlu cky Scourges find themselves trapped in the bodies of those who dreaded th e consequen ces of their own poor decisions, or those frightened of th e fin al
fruit of problems they've done nothing to solve or avoid. Faith: On a p ractical level, gaining Faith from mortals is an easy job for Scourges. Health is a precious commodity for humanity. Fo r some, no price is too high for a cure beyond the purview of medical scien ce. Founding a church o r cult based on "Spirits of Wholeness" is not ch allenging for b eings that really can cu re AIDS or repair a shattered spine o r co rrect the deformities of a newborn with spinabifida. Th e primary ch allenge with these strategies is often an ethical one, as such stru ctures promise, even implicitly, that the demon patron can protect th e faithful forever. On the other hand, Scourges who have given up on humanity simply take an honest route and present themselves as spirits of health and harm. Scourges who are cruel (or simply cavalier) tend to be wanton with the use of their thralls. God's particular cu rse on the Second House hit them hard, and the nagging knowledge that every human is doomed to die anyway can quickly lead to despair and callousness. From the persp ective of an infinite b eing, what differen ce do es it really make wh ether someone dies at 15 or 50? Low-Torment Scourges are more likely to understand the temptation of resuming a protecting role. Acco rdingly, they are more likely to enthrall those they deem worthy of their protection. "Worthy" mortals who are willing to sell their souls are often hard to find, of course, but the bonus is that their moral qualities make it easier for the Scourge to resist wanton draining.
Resources. Fo r those whose fears are more justified — because they live in a dangerous area or situation — Personal Influen ce (Street or Police) is common. Starting Torment: 3 House Lore: Lore of the Winds, Lo re of Awakening, Lore of the Firmament Advantage: Scourges gain a total o f two traits from the following abilities listed at character creation (two traits in one ability, or on e trait in two abilities): Academics, Dodge, Etiquette, Medicin e, or Stealth. Disadvantage: One problem other Houses have with Scourges — and which Scourges h ave with themselves -- is their problems with mortals. Fallen Guardians tend to have extreme views about mankind. They're either seen as precious treasures which must be guarded and aided at every turn, or their brief and ultimately terminal lives are seen as pointless, wo rthless and finally absurd. Mortals are th e central factor of a Scourge's existen ce, and one way or the other it's hard to keep their attitudes balan ced. An outgrowth of this problem is a tenden cy to judge things collectively. Scourges rarely make caseby-case decisions: They try to live their lives by absolute and inflexible prin ciples. Therefo re, some Scourges condemn Gandhi and Martin Luther King along with the rest of humanity, while others defend Hitler and Stalin as p art and parcel of mankind. Seeing humankind as a harvest, it's h ard fo r them to fo cus on individual seeds.
Character Creation: Th e people who draw Scourges tend to have low So cial Traits: A life lived in fear tends to limit one's chan ces to meet and greet. A n ervous hypo chondriac may have surp risingly high Physical Traits, particularly Stamina-based, as a ben efit o f a life spent in the gym, running one more lap to try and keep the Grim Reap er at bay. Among Mental Traits, Perception-based are often high, enhan ced by a lifetime of jumping at every sound and nervously peering into the dark when home alon e. Habitual fear can also translate to an above average Dodge Ability. Low-level Medicine Ability is common for those who weren't medical professionals, but who were constantly con cerned about their h ealth. Someone who was less afraid of illness but who lived in terro r of ph ysical attack might have a trait or two in Firearms. Oth er, subtler fears — fears of intellectual o f social inad equacy — could lead to studies of Etiquette or Academics, Backgrounds vary widely, though many hosts who lived in selfish fear were misers with high
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"Love or hate me as you will, but live, now and until your final breath. In time, we shall meet again." The last o f the Celestial Houses, the Angels of Death w ere given the melan choly task of undoing all the wonders that that their peers created, ending lives and erasing great works so that others may follow in their place. It was a solemn role amid the many glories of th e cosmos, but the reapers were as content in th eir labor as any angel — until the birth of mankind. Like the other Celestials, th e Reap ers loved humanity and dedicated themselves to keeping Eden vibrant and dynamic, but mankind in its ignoran ce regarded the death of animals and plants with fear and sadness. Their reaction sho cked and pained the Reapers, who longed to assuage mankind's fears but were fo rbidden by God's commandments. When Lu cifer raised the bann er of reb ellion, many Reapers joined in the Fall fo r no other reason than th e desperate desire to b e loved instead of feared. Then came Heaven's tragic counterstroke. The penalty fo r mankind's disobedience w as the cu rse of mortality. Now the Slayers w ere fo rced to end the lives of the people they loved, and the p ain they felt only alienated them further from mankind and the fallen alike. Though many served and earn ed terrible reputations as warrio rs and ch ampions in the War of W rath, the Slayers as a whole found themselves at the fringes of the con flict, fo cusing more of their energies to easing th e deaths of humanity rather than contributing further to th e slaughter. Now in the wake of their mysterious release, the Slayers find themselves in a world that has suffered greatly in the absen ce of those meant to govern the ways of aging and death. The plight of th e world and mankind convin ces many Slayers that th e only recourse left is to usher in the final night and grant th e world a merciful death. A determined few, however, sec the d amage that h as been done and believe that by restoring the b alan ce, th e Slayers might finally earn the peace and understanding from humanity they've craved all along.
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Factions: Very few Slayers are Lu ciferans, because they were not fiercely loyal to Lu cifer in the first place. He w as the center of the rebellion, and they were at the fringes, con centrating more on saving humans and subverting the enemy's plans than winning battles. There are more Faustian Slayers, but most of the House that are fo cused on humanity's potential actually become Recon cilers instead, turning their passion into a quest for God, and working toward re-creating the world as it was b efore the revo cation of immortality. They do not see the en couragement of mankind's self-relian ce to be useful, because they believe protection from death can only b e granted b y God Himself. Otherwise it's a closed system, and no amount of confiden ce, evolution or purification will suffice. The Cryptics attract quite a number of Slayers, because the abstract and investigative nature of th e faction suits many of their House. The Raven ers attract their fair share as well. The members may say they have various reasons — that they are carrying out their God-given duty, or that they are strengthening the ranks of the spirits to lay siege upon Heaven, o r that in the absen ce of God they h ave become the judges of mankind. But it's usually just a great envy of the living that leads them to delight in destru ction, over and over again. Prelude: Slayers are drawn to those who care little about their life — their hosts are far more likely to have destroyed th eir spirits by attempting suicide than an y other House. People confronted by daily crime or violen ce are also particularly susceptible; cops,
soldiers and addicts, for example. With every blow, directed at th emselves o r at others, th ey crumple inward a little more. Refugees, o r victims of torture, and abuse are other candidates. Then there are those whose souls have been worn down to nothingness by banality and neglect, who run blades across their skin simply to feel an y sensation th ey can. There are more reasons for soullessness than despair, however. Somebody who has spent a lifetime helping others, ab andoning any thoughts of recompense, may attract a Slayer. People who are truly devoted to a religion or philosophy that fo cuses on the next life at the expense of th eir cu rrent one—o r which holds that physical experien ce and desire is an illusion — are also suitable.
around them, so any would be appropriate. Su ch Abilities as Leadership and Empathy do not come naturally, but strange things could have h appened during the war.
Faith: Philosophically, this House is in a difficu lt position when it comes to gaining followers and reaping Faith. Mankind was not meant to die, so Slayers trying to restore Paradise (mostly Recon cilers and Cryptics) must somehow lead humans to overlook their mortality — and the d emon's place in their lives. For those p reaching rebellion against God, death is th e ultimate reminder of failure. Some Slayers seek to bypass th ese questions altogether. They work to gath er Faith, not as angels of death, but simply as angels. The easiest way to do so is to mimic a member of a different House — Devils (using pride) and Fiends (using secrets) are th e most obvious. Another solution is to form a generic Church of All Angels, Church o f On e God or Humanity Ascendant. Oth ers do make death the central tenet of the relationship with their thralls. Raveners have th e easiest time — th ey can just create a murder cult and be done with it. High-Torment Slayers might not have a choice. Because of th eir fascination with all facets of life, Slayers often seek out a diverse group of followers, even if setting up a death-centric sect. They are prone to somewhat arbitrary choices — selecting the first passably suitable option, or taking all that seek the demon out. Some even fix on a random face in th e crowd and put all th eir effort into initiating that person, that soul, into the mysteries.
Disadvantage: Before the w ar, Reapers were often shunned by other angels, lending them an air of detachment that often covers an intense scrutiny of the living world. Even th e memories of their hosts seem more alien to them than for other demons. They may be adept at unraveling convoluted deceptions, but simpler things, particularly human motivation, can trip them up. And although they keep open and attentive minds, once they have come to a decision, they find it very difficult to admit they may h ave been wrong. As their To rment in creases, their perceptions of the wo rld become clearer even as, p aradoxically, they feel further and further removed from it. Most of th e damage caused by a high-To rment Slayer is an obsessive desire to make an y mark they can upon a reality that is slipping away.
Starting Torment: 4 House Lore: Lore of Death, Lore of the Realms, Lore of the Spirit Advantage: Slayers add one free trait of Aw areness, Investigation, Medicin e, Occult, Religion, or Stealth at ch aracter creation. Th ey also add one free trait of Followers, Pacts, or Personal Influen ce (Church or Occult), also at character creation.
Character Creation: Th ere is no group of Traits that it is important to emphasize, although Mental is common (and Perception-based in particular). Strength and Charisma-based usually decrease below th e host's original stats, but Stamina-based in creases. Manipulation-based can be high, but the use of it might feel somewhat self-conscious. Awaren ess, Intuition and Stealth are favored Abilities. Intimidation and Investigation are also good choices, and members of th e House seem to quickly pick up a good scattering of knowledge from the world
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THE FACTIONS FAUSTIAN The Faustians have observed th e power of human faith and have con cluded that, even trapped in an unfaceted singular world; the Children of Adam have power that is of th e same n ature as God's. Admittedly, their degree of power is miniscule, but every child born carries a spark of holy fire. Gath er enough sparks together, and the fire could one day eclipse the sun. Faustians find the general state of humankind greatly redu ced sin ce Edenic times — like grou chy grandparents, they are convin ced that people today are weaker, stupider, sillier, less reasonable, less respectful... just generally d evolved from the times th ey recall. But at the same time, humankind's aggregate ability to define th e reality around them is, if an ything, stronger than it was when th ey numbered in millions instead of billions. Yet humans are using most of their greatest strength to repress themselves? Their greatest faith is placed in proof — the on e thing that doesn't need faith to be true. Consequ ently, even as their grasp on the world gets stronger, that very grasp constricts and constrains reality into ever tighter, ever narrow er instances. It's possible th at if th ey continue on this course, faith may d efine itself right out of existen ce, leaving b ehind a cold world of absolute, mechanical certainty. While su ch a wo rld has no place for God, it also lacks a nich e for demons, and is therefore intolerable to the Faustians. Humanity, as found in the fallen world, is a bonfire smoldering out of control, rapidly using up the obvious sources o f fuel and in danger of guttering out. The Faustian philosophy is based on h arnessing and husbanding this power—controlling th e burn, renewing the fuel and building engines that can fo cus humanity's divine en ergies outward instead o f inward. It will take careful guidan ce and lead ership, of course, but in the end, human faith is, itself, th e best hope of freeing th e world from God. Rivals: Faustians have a bemused toleran ce for Recon cilers. True, Recon cilers cling to a foolish belief that they can make up with Th e Almighty, but on ce they get over that adolescent optimism, they might grow up to more mature (that is, Faustian) goals. Lu ciferans get mu ch the same treatment. They may be taking the w rong road to victory against Heaven, but at least they've got th e map out. The Faustian ambition to perfect the human rebellion against God (or, depending on which Faustian you ask, to enslave humanity for a spiritual rebellion
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against God) runs directly counter to the Ravener policy of wrecking everything and killing everyone. Consequently, Raven er d emons are strongly en couraged to set aside their mindless wrath and regain hope. Failing th at, the Faustians tend to sic their faithful humans on them. A more subtle opposition exists with the Cryptics. The Faustians are quite confident that th ey've got it all figured out, and nagging questioners are more than just pests — they can imperil the resolve of the fallen doing the great wo rk of building the future. Worse still, they can cast doubt into the hearts of mortal followers, While Faustians despise Raveners as agents of ch aos and destru ction, th eir aggravation with Cryptics is deeper and more irksome because the Cryptics are so resistant to p ersuasion. To a zealous Faustian, an inconvenient question is worse than a Raven er's claw to the throat. Houses: The grandeur and scope of the Faustian sch eme app eals to many ambitious demons. Having humans do most of the heavy lifting n arrows that appeal, limiting it to those who are comfortable with getting others to do their dirty work. But for those who fit both categories, Faustianism is a perfect philosophy. Devils, as the onetime order-givers for th e Universe, are certainly used to seeing others do what they say, and as the First House they have the confiden ce to dare mu ch. Defilers, too, have always had great hopes fo r the collective power of humanity: Inspiring them to apotheosis seems a captivating adventure. Finally, there are man y Faustian Malefactors. For them, the appeal is not so much in the scop e of the plan, but in its pragmatism. The Faustians have a plan, with con crete go als, that can b e achieved no w. Th e Malefacto rs' tremendous abilities to tempt and manipulate humans is just icing on the cake. The only House that is notably absent from the Faustian edifice is the Second. Scourges are keenly — perh aps morbidly — aware o f the frail, frightened and failing nature of humankind. Relying on su ch w eak links looks (to them) like a recipe for failure. Leadership: The Devil Belphigor is on e of th e strongest fallen who has yet returned to Earth, and he came back with the added bonus of a vessel that was both attractive and physically powerful, Belphigor quickly insinuated himself into the hierarchy of one of America's New Age religions and splintered off his own version of it. Working within its framework, Belphigor hopes to clear the world o f divine interferen ce before two gen erations pass. The Defiler Senivel, h er House's first ambassador to humankind, is also a Faustian, but one with a more humanistic bent. Where Belphigor sees the
Faustian revolution as being demonkind's best hope, Senivel hopes it will prove to ultimately fulfill both mortals and Elohim. (Mortals by letting th em replace God their Father at the h elm of the universe, and spirits by giving th em a new master to serve.) Advantage: Faustians receive two free traits from the following Backgrounds (two from one or one from two): Eminence, Followers, Pacts, or Personal Influence (An y). Goals: Gen erally, Faustians are in favor of world p eace and opposed to contraception — not fo r an y benevolent reasons, but because they want more humans around, period. Faustians have infested Rome and Jerusalem in hopes of finding (and harnessing) populations with high con centrations of faith. Their main outpost, however, is in the United States. (It seems clear to th e Faustians that the US is cu rrently the most powerful nation and, thus, best suited to be bent to their will.) Specifically, Belphigor's "Church of Scientific Spirituality" has purch ased a large parcel of d esert land outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. Miles from an y other population center, th ey intend to start a city there from scratch, en couraging people "o f the right sort" to settle there. Observant fallen suspect that the site's proximity to a gigantic meteo r crater is not accid ental. One of the earliest fallen victories in the W ar o f Wrath was when they felled great Vejovis, an angel of the Firmament. Many suspect that th e "meteor" in the bottom of the crater is nothing less than Vejovis's an cient corpse.
CRYPTIC Spending uncounted ages imprisoned in a lightless, soundless, sensationless void is a pretty harsh punishment, but it does provide one thing. It provides a lot of time to think. After the initial sho ck o f defeat — after th e horror and agony of Hell — even after the despair of untold eventless eons — some fallen have taken a step back and reconsidered their initial assumptions. Some have contemplated, taken sto ck and tried to puzzle out what went so disastrously w rong. These in quisitive Elohim have reached some startling con clusions. First and foremost, God's perspective is eith er omniscient or so removed and all-p ervasive as to be nearly omniscient — esp ecially when compared to su ch limited beings as humans and even angels. If a lowly light like Ah rimal could see trouble brewing, God surely foresaw it ages b efore that.
Secondly, God is either perfect or (again) close enough to make no odds. Therefore, the angels He created must have been eith er a p erfect model of His desires or as close to that model as reality could tolerate. While it's possible that th e gross stuff of the material wo rld was too weak to support perfect servants, it is unthinkable that God would allow that imperfection to take the form of disobedien ce. . . unless rebellion was not an imperfection. Thirdly, Lu cifer — as the first among angels and the closest to God in power — must, by virtue of his power and position, be closer to God's ideal than any other. The observed fact that he was the first and best of the reb els is th e clin ching argument that the rebellion — with the consequent co rruption of reality and ghastly punishment of men and Elohim — was actually the enactment of God's plan, rath er than a deviation from it. Now that they are freed from their duran ce, these Cryptics have taken their logical premises and used them as the foundation for n ew qu estions. If God knew about the rebellion, surely He knew about the demons' eventual escape from the abyss. What, then, is His new plan for His unwitting servants? Sin ce Lu cifer was not imprisoned and he answers no summons, what was the Morningstar's fate? Personal destru ction for his role as leader? Some other torment, possibly even worse th an Hell? Or — most likely — did he escap e punishment because h e was privy to God's plan all along? Finally, and most importantly — if the fallen have b een God's pawns all this time, is there any way to escap e that fate in the future? Or should they even try? Rivals: The Cryptics aren't terribly fond of the Raveners —what's to like?—but they see th e Raven ers' mad, thoughtless flailing as ultimately meaningless. Like ants on a kicked-over hill, they mill about wildly but accomplish nothing, The Recon cilers are too idealistic, but at least they're asking questions instead of trumpeting specious answers. No, th e factions that really bother th e Cryptics are the Lu ciferans and the Faustians. Both groups have the same problems. They talk and they don't listen. They make proud declarations, which mostly reveal the gaps in their logic. They've got their eyes and minds shut, and they pity anyone who lacks their sense of blind, misled mission. If the Raveners are milling ch aotically and the Recon cilers are moping confusedly, the Lu ciferans and Faustians are building industriously — eith er the same anthill that got kicked last time, or an entirely n ew one. Neither is pausing to ask what their go als should really be.
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Houses: Many Malefactors find their way to the questioner clique. It's a natural fit for their steady, methodical tenden cies. Making up perh aps the most pragmatic House o f all, angels of the House of th e Fundament seem unusually able to examine th eir fundamental assumptions without castigating themselves fo r erro r. On e can almost see them shrug and hear them mutter, "It didn't work. What will?" A more fervently inquisitive House is that of the Slayers. While they may ask th e same questions as the Malefactors, th ey h ave a wounding personal stake in the answers. In the w ar th ey were made to bring the atro city of d eath upon their b eloved humanity, and the guilt and sorrow they still feel demands answers.
mobility — and their ability to monitor the travels of other fallen. Th eir immediate goal is to create an inventory of every fallen who walks the E arth. Learning of the Earthbound has made finding those demons a priority as well. These master lists — the Scelestinomicon (Book of the Rebels) for fallen, and the Crucianomicon (Book of the Tormented) fo r Earthbound — are meant initially to form the nu cleus of an information network fo r all fallen. As the Cryptic faction grows, use of them may become more d efined — or less open.
Leadership: Ahrimal, the lowly Fate who first foresaw the Age o f Wrath, has emerged as one o f the most strident and influential of the Cryptics. His position among the fallen is a strange one, though. Famous (or infamous) as one of the architects of revolution, the lowest angel to be named a prin ce by Lu cifer, he is now one of the most insistent questioners. He sits athwart many stresses within demonic so ciety: created rank vs. merited authority in the reb ellion; loyalty vs. autonomy; hope vs. despair. Admired, respected or merely despised, mentioning his name is generally a good way to start passionate debate among the fallen. Gipontel, a Fundamental and onetime Archangel, represents a more accessible faction of th e Cryptics. A self-appointed coalition-builder, h e en courages Cryptics to make tru ces with other factions and even ally with them in ord er to observe, understand and maybe even learn. If their contributions foster a more op en and inquisitive attitude in others is that such a bad thing?
Angels are undying creatures, and when compassed b y the sp an of an infinite lifetime, any setback short of d estru ction is a temporary thing. Not every Hell-bound spirit lost faith. Not every fallen angel gave up hope. Even in defeat, some stayed true to the prin ciples that led them to rebel. Love for mankind. Loyalty to Lu cifer. A committed belief that their cause w as right, and that Heaven and the obedient Host w ere wrong. The Lu ciferans are as ready to do battle for their beliefs today as they w ere when they w ere hurled, spitting defian ce, into their gloomy prison. While many are bowed, bitter and tormented, they are unbroken. Indeed, many find much en couragement in their n ew circumstan ces. The world may be ruined, singular and mech anistic, but by th e same token, there seem to be no angels left running the show. Even a vastly weakened army can triumph if it takes the field unopposed. Add to that the heartening fact that they w ere able to escape imprisonment in the first place. If they are truly anathema to God, hated in His eyes and, by the words of His messenger, condemned to eternal torture... how has it come to pass that so many have reentered the wo rld of men? The Cryptics may mutter about divine subterfuge, but isn't it simpler to think that God's power is simply fading? Th at the d emons of Hell find freedom because God's cages have lost th eir strength? Most important, they point in triumph to Lu cifer's absen ce from Hell. The Lu ciferans b elieve, not that he merited some unique punishment, but that he escaped punishment altogether. Perh aps their strongest stayed free, because th eir foes w ere unable to confine him! Perhaps th e sundering of th e Abyss is his doing! Perhaps th e Adversary w aits even now, w atching to see who is still ready to fight... and who will p rove too weak.
Advantage: Cryptics gain two free traits from amongst the following abilities or b ackgrounds (two traits in one, or one trait in two): Awareness, Investigation, Occult, o r Paragon. Goals: Access to info rmation — demonic, scientific, human historic, mythological or "other" — is an overarching Cryptic urge. An y particular datum could hold a vital clue. More immediately, the Cryptics h ave established their primary stronghold in Atlanta, Georgia, and they are rapidly b eefing up an cillary safe houses in Dallas, Chicago and Washington, DC in the United States. Basically, th ey're aiming to get a tough cadre in place at every major airline hub. They're expanding similarly in Europe, starting from Heathrow in London; smaller cadres have b een assigned to Tokyo, Beijing and Rio de Janeiro. The point of having strong defensive positions near large airports is that it preserves th eir
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LUCIFERAN
Rivals: The Lu ciferans are surprisingly tolerant toward
the Raven ers. Sin ce the Raveners retain th eir military bent, Lu ciferans tend to regard them as soldiers with admirable zest. They just need some disciplin e, and they'll be useful on ce again. The same sort of condescension and backhanded goodwill extends to the Faustians, only in reverse. To a Lu ciferan, a Faustian has sufficient discipline and the right general idea — th ey just need to remember who's boss. No, the factions that earn Lu ciferan ire are the hesitant, the cow ardly, the muddlepated and indecisive: the Cryptics and the Recon cilers. Cryptics are like swimmers who question the dive in midair. Th ey're so obsessed with so rting through myriad possibilities that they give little thought to the facts on the ground and the here and no w. Neurasthenic navel-gazing is ben eath the dignity of any Elohim, but that's nonetheless the Cryptics' main preo ccupation. To the action-oriented Lu ciferans, the contemplative questioners are ultimately useless and weak. The only thing worse than b eing weak is being treacherous. Therefore, the only thing worse than a quivering Cryptic is an ass-kissing Recon ciler. Th ese pathetic, deluded Elohim are like swimmers who turn in mid dive and try to climb back on th e diving board! Apparently they weren't paying attention when the full implications of reb ellion were discussed, nor when, th e Heavenly Host damned them to the Abyss, You'd think a term in Hell would show them the truth about God's forgiven ess, hut instead they cling like lampreys to th e idea of making peace with Him, Houses: Lu cifer ruled th e First House, and Angelic loyalties die with difficulty. Many Devils still rally to the banner of their on ce (and future?) lo rd. Some may simply believe that, as Dawn Spirits themselves, their place in the Morningstar's new world will be a high one. Others — though they would never admit it — look to Lu cifer to fill the void left b y God's rejection. They crave ord ers to carry, and the Adversary w as always good at giving them. Some Devourers who fought well in the war remain loyal, buoyed up by memories of glo ry and hopes for revenge. By and large, these Devourers are less burdened by Torment than th eir fellows in th e Ravener camp. Unlike the nihilists, Lu ciferan Devourers still h ave hope that something can be built from the world — on ce all the clutter is cleared away, of course. Scourges are also attracted to the Lu ciferan cause for many of the same reasons as Devils. As die second ran k of nobility among the Houses, there's a certain app eal to siding with the onetime High est Angel. More than that, th ere's a profound appeal to believing th at the Unholy Host is not just rising again,
but that it never really fell. If that's true, th en maybe the punishments meted out by God and declared by Michael can be foiled as w ell—particularly the devastating cu rse o f human decay and death. Despite this p romise, few Slayers are Lu ciferan. As members of th e Last House, th ere's no snob factor to appeal to them. More than that, though, the Slayers, whose punishment was arguably the most horrifying, seem the least able to believe that the first war was anything other than a decisive loss for the rebels. Leadership: Grifiel, the highest rebel of Wild House, remains loyal to Lu cifer d espite all the misery and defeat he h as endured on th e Morningstar's b ehalf. On ce a noble and honorable warrior, Grifiel has discarded his scruples and ethics one by one — along with his beauty, his sanity and his ability to love. He follows the Adversary less from conviction than from mad obsession. Denying Lu cifer would be like admitting that everything he has lost and suffered is pointless. He'll b e hurled back into Hell or reduced to nothing at all before giving up the rebellion. While Grifiel retains the cunning and ruthlessness one looks fo r in a front-line leader, the Scourge Nazriel h as emerged as the ultimate leader of the Lu ciferans — until the Morningstar returns, of course. Styling herself Nazathor, Prin cess of Majestic Liberation, she maneuvers h er faction with care and caution — striking hard, but quickly sinking back into the safety of night. Reputed to be Lu cifer's lover, few dare oppose h er. Advantage: Lu ciferans receive one trait of Eminen ce, Legacy, or Pacts fo r free. In addition, Lu ciferans also gain one trait in one of th e following Abilities: Leadership, Politics, or Subterfuge. Goals: The primary goal of the Lu ciferan faction is, obviously, the lo cation of their leader. Accomplishing this involves a threefold plan. First, Lu ciferan outriders are sent to scour the glob e for an y sign of d emonic activity. Initially they were sent individually, but too many lone wolves got picked off by E arthbound, hostile demon factions or more mysterious beings. Now they're sent in p acks. Secondly, the Lu ciferans are keeping a close watch on the media. Specifically, th ey're trying to invest money in it and gain influential media thralls in order to get first dibs on in coming news that might involve demons. It also gives them an advantage covering up Lu ciferan activities, as w ell as a platform for sending out covert messages. But, as with the outriders, the Lu ciferans have found unusual opposition in the media as well. Thirdly, the Lu ciferans are mounting an
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aggressive communications campaign among the fallen. Lu cifer himself hasn't answered the call, but sooner or later, every Hell-damned Elohim whose name is remembered by a Lu ciferan can exp ect an invo cation asking for information.
RAVENER The Age of W rath was long and hard. A lot of good people and valiant Elohim suffered and died. Illusions were lost. Honor gave way to pragmatism, which in turn sank b eneath the w eight of vengean ce and anger and simple despair. Men discovered evil, and angels learn ed to embrace hatred. By the end of th e war, many among the fallen had b ecome little more than living engin es of destru ction, their joy in creation perverted into a love only of annihilation. They w ere crazed, vicious and debased before the war was lost. Before they were stripped of the greater part of th eir power. Before they were condemned to a maddening Hell of isolation and loss for a term that felt like forever even to eternal beings. Now, those bitter and wrathful Elohim have emerged from ages spent with no distraction save the pain of their own sanity eating itself... and they find a world as loathsome and co rrupted as they themselves have b een. Beholding a fouled planet, a deb ased and cruel humanity and a cosmos shrunk into a withered husk of its onetime glory, they see only one meaningful act. Destroy. Destroy everything. Wipe away this cruel mockery o f the Paradise they on ce design ed. Give humanity the merciful silen ce of the grave. Destroy the works of God at an y and all times, hoping perhaps to provoke Him into finally annihilating them. Victory is impossible for th e fallen, but they may yet be strong enough to wreck the prize — the world — even as it is wrested from their grasping claws. Rivals: As the most radical faction, the Ravcners have the most enemies. They h ate th e Lu ciferans for b eing willfully misled. If Lu cifer engineered the Great Escape, just where is he? It's nauseating to w atch b eings who were once the lords of Creation scuttling around looking for a new bearded patriarch to lead th em to glory, smite th e wicked and tu ck them into bed at night. They might as well wait for Godot as for their precious Morningstar. Perhaps the only spectacle more repulsive than Elohim acting Like children is Elohim acting like parents. Th e Faustians have gone from serving God, to opposing God; to being brutalized by God... to
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thinking they can replace God? The Raven ers find this train of reasoning laughable, especially sin ce th e Faustians think they're the craz y ones. While the Faustians and Lu ciferans are insane to think they can still make any kind of serious assault against God, they at least understand that there's a war going on and that it didn't stop just because one side was beaten into submission for a million years. Th e Recon cilers are, perh aps, the winners of th e hotly contested "Most Despised b y Ravener" label simply because they are the most optimistic. About the only faction the Raveners even tolerate is the Cryptics, simply because th ey don't (yet) stand for much. Raveners figure they'll eventually get fed up with asking "Why?" and start smashing stuff. It's the only natural course fo r a realist. Houses: The ravening Devourer is a stereotype for good reason. Devourers are perh aps the least in clined toward deliberate reflection, and Raveners are the faction of action. Unlike every other group, the Raveners hold out no hope for eventual victory, so why bother with plans for a hundred years from now or ten or even one? Living hard and dying harder are honorable goats to the virile Devourers. The subtler Raveners arc the Defilers who became soured on beauty by w ar and exile. Now dedicated to taking an ugly world and making it uglier, they are the o ft-unseen velvet glove moving in the shadow of a Devourer's iron fist. A ravening Devourer who finds you will probably just kill you. A ravening Defiler is more likely to craft you into someone who destroys himself — after undermining or outright wrecking everything you on ce valued. Arrayed against the Raven ers are the majority of Malefactors. Perhaps their attunement to the Earth's depths makes the surface decay less offensive to them. Perhaps staid and careful n atures used to working on geological time are un comfortable with the faction's perceived spontaneity. Or perhaps they cannot repress their ultimately creative natures enough to pledge allegian ce to destru ction. Leadership: Sauriel th e Releaser commands the respect and obedien ce of his fellow Raveners. On e of the few Slayers to pursue th e Ravener philosophy, he is one of the few who can pursue vengean ce and cruelty even beyond the grave. On ce one of Lu cifer's Archdukes, he leads by threat and intimidation more than persuasion. His opposite number is Suphlatus. She used to be the Giver of Flowing Waters; hut now is the Duch ess of Dust. She b elieves (and loudly pro claims) that the fall of the rebellion was due to treachery from within — specifically, treach ery b y the on e rebel who was conspicuously absent from the Abyss, "On e who
betrayed on ce would betray again," she declares, and she now sets herself the task of undermining the best efforts of men, angels and demons alike. Th e hatred between h er and Naz athor is so potent that just to step between th em is to be scalded b y wrath. Advantage: All Raven ers gain two additional traits (two from one, or one from two) of the following abilities: Brawl, Firearms, or Melee. Goals: While Raveners have a reputation for mindless carn age, th ey are actually fairly careful to choose targets that can b e isolated and assaulted without reprisal. Raveners are p articularly active in war-torn regions, where their viciousness can easily b e blamed on either side (or, ideally, blamed on each b y the other). To perform these missions, however, requires a safe base to which th ey can return. Raven er b ases are cu rrently under constru ction in northern Iraq, Macedonia, the mountains of Mexico and in K ashmir, More Raveners are being sent to western Africa, the Andes mountains in South America, and the areas b etween the Aral and Caspian seas. Raveners operate in North America, but in smaller numbers and with more subtlety than elsewhere.
RECONCILER Angels are, b y nature, creatures of virtue. Even the fallen remember their un corrupted nature. Some virtues come easily to beings of godlike wisdom and power. But the virtue of humility is not one of them. Nonetheless, th e silen ce of the Abyss gives much time for reflection. Like the Cryptics, the Recon cilers spent their time o f imprisonment contemplating deep questions. But where the Cryptics looked outward and back, the Recon cilers looked inward... and forward. Their most essential question was: What if we were wrong? What if? What if the reb ellion was as evil as Michael and the loyal Host said? What if God's punishing touch was somehow justified b y the disobedience of His servants and children? What if Usiel and Lailah w ere right all along — that by trying to avoid the Age of W rath, the Unholy Host only made it real? If so—if the constru ction of Hell was necessary, if the sundering of the facets was merited, if the condemnation of the fallen was just — then what do the fallen do now? Some believe that even in the eleventh hour, the mercy of God can be found. These Recon cilers listen with hope to the stories of Jesus, of Mohammed,
of other human prophets and saviors. Maybe God has forgiven mankind- And if He can fo rgive them, might not His mercy extend to penitent servants as well? Even if His punishment is eternal, and the Elohim are barred forever from His presen ce,,, w ell, might not the Earth be repaired? Perhaps not restored to the Paradise it was, but something great, and glorious, and maybe even pure, could be raised from the ashes. The fallen have lost much of th eir power, true, but the world is smaller as w ell. Surely a third of th e Heavenly Host can still improve the universe, can still help and serve humanity? This is the Recon ciler's hope: to make peace with their Maker and jailer. Failing th at, they hope to make peace with unending exile. Rivals: The Recon cilers are modestly friendly toward the Faustians. After all, they share the goal of directly improving the world, even if they don't see eye-to-eye on how to do it or why. Th ey are also open to Cryptics because they think the questions eventually lead to Recon ciler answ ers. No, the Recon cilers consider their main enemies to be the Lu ciferans and the Raven ers. Th e Lu ciferans because their opposition to God is their primary, stated goal. (Granted, it's a goal for th e Faustians too, but it seems an cillary to th eir selfaggrandizement.) That sort of con certed, organized resistan ce is the sort of thing that makes recon ciliation much less likely. If the Lu ciferans are despised for their orderly, stupid refusal to face facts, the Raveners are worse for their reckless, chaotic despair and nihilism. It's pathetic wh en a onetime minister of existen ce can't con ceive a b etter goal than, "Shit on everything I made." Houses: As the least d estru ctive goal, recon ciliation holds little appeal for antsy Devourers. While the idea of remaking the world might seem tempting to them, the Faustian program — which tends to be more active and less contemplative — gets those Devourers who still retain interest in improving things. The abstract and long-term nature of the Recon cilers' goals tends to attract more thoughtful and con ceptual d emons, particularly those o f the Second and Last Houses. Scourges and Slayers are both closely tied to human (and cosmic) decay and death, so the promise of renewal and reinvention is clearly attractive to them. Additionally, both Houses tend to feel guilt over th e mortality and decline they inflicted on mankind. Of all fallen goals, Recon ciliation holds out the most promise of making it up to them. Leadership: The Devil Nuriel leads the Recon cilers, and her reputation is su ch to give even the most
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sco rnful Raven er p ause. Before the Fall, she was the Throne of Inexorable Command. During the rebellion, she was Overlord of Daring Liberation, and many Elohim who oppose her cause still owe their existen ce to her superbly executed rescue raids during the Age of Wrath. Nuriel is a w arrior who has grown sick of fighting and seeks a better way. While she is the chief speaker (and planner) for th e Recon cilers, its real philosophical soul is the Scourge Ouestu cati, onetime Archangel of th e Ocean Wind. One of th e few fallen who is penitent without anger, sh e leads primarily b y example. Her tran quility and hope give hope to others that they, too, may adapt to b anishment. Advantage: Recon cilers receive one free trait of the Religion Ability as w ell as the player’s choice betw een an additional trait of Religion, or one trait of Followers, Pacts, o r Personal Influen ce (Church). Goals: The immediate go al of th e Recon cilers is to take stock of the cosmos and learn as much as possible about its current condition. Doing so means explo ring the human condition, so many Recon cilers are travelers, seeking a balan ced view of mankind and man's world. They don't stop at the edges o f human experien ce, though. They are seeking the truth about the supernatural as w ell. Have all th e loyal angels really abandoned the world, or do any facets remain, even partially?
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At the end of the narrow alley the junkie pleaded for a break. The pusher handed over the nickel bag with a sneer and headed for the busy street, failing to see the homeless man who sat in the shadow of a stinking dumpster watching the familiar scene unfold. Sam Ashbury saw the young detective shoot up in a dark corner of the alley, sobbing with shame and need, and he felt the familiar, unwelcome stirring of pity in his soul. "Nice night for it," Ashbury said. The cop jerked, groggy from the smack but still half alert. He tossed the syringe into the piles of trash and dragged his pistol from its holder. "Police officer!" The young cop staggered under the twin blows of drugs and adrenaline, his gaze darting between the alley's many pools of shadow. "Come out where I can see you!" Ashbury could smell the desperation on the man -- desperate enough to kill any witnesses to his shame. He considered the young man carefully, the words of power rising from memory. Ashbury slowly climbed to his feet and moved toward the man, his voice thrumming with energies meant to dissolve the mortal's anger and shame. "Come on now, bubby. No need to go making things worse. You just look like you could use some real help, you know?" For a moment, the detective could only stare at him, eyes wide and pistol wavering. Then tears began to spill down his cheeks and he slid down the wall to the alley floor. "God... oh Jesus, help me," he said again and again. Sam hunkered down, started pulling his makings from the bulging pockets of his fatigue jacket. "How long has it been, buddy? How does a cop get caught up in something like this?" "I've only... it's only been a year. I was in a car accident. They had me on morphine, and when I got out, I see the stuff every day down here, you know? Every day." "Go on," Ashbury said quietly. In the dark, his fingers sorted through cogs, pieces of glass, lengths of bronze and other bits of junk. "Half the damn force is on the take. Would you believe it? They throw me nickel bags and make me... I'm working for the goddamn pushers now, not the police." The detective closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the filthy wall. "Christ, why am I telling you this?" "Because you don't want to be this way," Ashbury said. "You made a terrible mistake once, and now you'd do anything to make it right. I understand that. Believe me." The cop lifted his head, looked at the unwashed bum sitting in the dark and fiddling with pieces of old junk. "I wish that were true. God knows I tried, but I can't... I've done so many terrible things. I don't deserve another chance." Ashbury sighed. Damn. Now he had to help the guy. "What would you say if I told you I could give you something that would free you from the smack? Give you your life back again, and maybe a chance to clean things up around here?" He picked up a small brass tube and raised it to the light, keeping his voice casual. "What would that be worth to you?" The cop laughed bleakly and shook his head. "What the hell do you think? I'd sell my soul to get off this shit." The fallen angel who called himself Sam Ashbury smiled slightly, feeling strangely sad. "You've got yourself a deal."
There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him. And the higher and mightier it is in the natural order, the more demoniac it will be if it rebels. It is not out of bad mice or bad fleas you make demons, but out of bad archangels. —C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce Without characters, there can be no game. Each player takes on the role of a character, a persona within the context of the game. To guarantee that all players use the same potentials and capabilities for their characters, the rules of Mind’s Eye Theatre provide a single simple set of guidelines for character creation.
STEP ONE: CHARACTER CONCEPT
Every Demon character starts out as an idea in the mind of a player. You slowly expand upon this basic idea, adding flesh to the bones and building up a character as complex and involved as you want. The process begins here and continues for as long as you play the character, adding layers of personality, history and experience to your basic idea. In this stage of character creation, you outline your basic concept, choose a House and faction and determine the character's Nature and Demeanor.
CONCEPT The number of character concepts for Demon: The Fallen is virtually limitless, bound only by your imagination. Get an image or idea of the sort of character you want to play and try to describe it in just a few words — a stereotype or archetype such as "Slick Politician" or "Edgy Rebel." You may even want to jot down several different ideas as they come to mind, picking the one you like best. Once you've got your concept, expand upon it a little, maybe a couple of sentences or a paragraph, a quick sketch of the type of character you have in mind. Characters in Demon are comprised of two distinct yet interrelated parts: the spirit of the fallen and the mind and body of its mortal host. The spirit of the fallen provides the character's personality, attitudes, goals, virtues and vices, while the mortal vessel supplies the character's memories, relationships and emotional attachments that allow the demon to relate to the modern world. When you begin developing your character concept, you are envisioning an ancient,
QUICK CHARACTER CREATION PROCESS
Step One: Inspiration – Who are you? - Choose a concept - Choose a House - Choose a Nature and demeanor Step Two: Attributes – What are your basic capabilities? - Prioritize Attributes (seven primary, five secondary and three tertiary) - Choose Traits Step Three: Advantages – What do you know? - Choose five Abilities - Choose three Basic Lores - Choose five Backgrounds Step Four: last Touches – Fill in the details - Assign Faith Traits - Assign Virtue Traits - Assign Willpower Traits - Choose Negative Traits and Flaws (if any) - Choose a Derangement (if desired) - Spend five (or more) free Traits and choose Merits (if any) Step Five: Spark of Life – Narrative descriptions
infernal spirit, witness to the act of Creation and veteran of a war against Heaven, who is thrust into the life of a human being. As you go through the process of defining your character, keep this duality in mind and consider in what ways the demonic spirit views, accepts or rejects the experiences that his human host forces upon him. These concepts will be your guide throughout the character-creation process. When you come to the other decisions you need to make, refer back to your concept to give you an idea of which way to go. For example, if you conceive of your character's mortal vessel as a real jock type, Physical Traits and Abilities such as Athletics are important. On the other hand, a social-climbing character is more likely to emphasize Social traits. That doesn't mean you can't occasionally cast against type, giving your socialite an interest in rock-climbing or shooting, for example, or your athlete some smarts as well, but a solid concept makes the rest of the process easier.
HOUSE Each demon belongs to a particular House.
Originally, each angel's House was synonymous with his duties, his purpose in the grand scheme of Creation. Now Houses are the basic divisions of different types of demons, describing their talents and predilections. Demons from the same House don't necessarily act exactly the same, hut they tend to share some of the same views and interests, as well as some of the same abilities and insights into the nature of Creation. Take a look at the descriptions of the various Houses in Chapter Two and see which ones suit your character concept best. Depending on the chronicle, the Storyteller may limit or disallow demons from certain Houses.
FACTION At one time, the fallen were of a single mind with respect to humanity and the struggle against the tyranny of Heaven. Yet as the tide of the war inexorably turned against the rebel host, several influential leaders began to question Lucifer's ideals and the purpose of the struggle for mankind. Now that the gates of the Abyss lie broken, the fallen are drawn to choose sides among these competing factions as each
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struggles to further its agenda in the modern world. Factions are playing and storytelling aids that help define a character's perspective and motivations. Look over the descriptions of the various factions in Chapter Two and see which group fits your character concept best. Note that you don't have to choose a faction if you don't want to, placing your character among the ranks of the unaligned. Characters can also change or join a faction during play, making for tense tales of political intrigue.
FEATURE AND DEMEANOR (ARCHETYPES) While House describes what type of demon your character is, Nature and Demeanor describe what kind of person your character is. These are personality traits, known as Archetypes because they sum up an individual's complex drives and desires in a few simple terms. Demeanor is the personality and attitude of the demon's mortal host — the face it presents to the world at large. Many people play roles or wear "masks" in life, so Demeanor may not be the same as Nature. Sometimes it is, though, particularly for self-confident people or those who don't particularly care what others think of them. Demeanor can even change from time to time or situation to situation. Think of how many people act one way at work, another with their friends, and yet another with their family. You may want to pick a primary Demeanor for your character and others for when your character is in different situations. Nature is your character's true self— in this case, it's the personality of the demon that inhabits the mind of the mortal shell. It can be seen as the character's deepest feelings, drives and outlook on the world. While characters tend to remain true to their Nature, they don't have to be slavishly devoted to it. People are more complex than that. Nature merely shows what's at the core of your character's personality. Nature also determines when your character can regain Willpower, since acting in accordance with your Nature is affirming and helps give you confidence. As you consider a suitable Nature and Demeanor for your character, take into account how the personality of the fallen meshes with the life of his mortal host. If the two halves are completely different — a haughty Devil in possession of a mousy librarian, for example — it's entirely possible that the character's Nature depicts the true personality of the possessing spirit, while the Demeanor is the mortal face that the character shows the world. Conversely, it‘s possible that the demon's personality and its mortal identity mesh seamlessly — a compassionate Slayer in the body of a mortician, or an impetuous but honorable
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Devourer in the body of a young policeman. In such a case, the Nature and Demeanor might well be the same.
STEP TWO: SELECT ATTRIBUTES Now you begin assigning numbers to your character's traits. The first, and most basic, traits are Attributes, which define a character's raw potential. They say how strong, smart, clever, likeable and so forth your character is. Characters have nine Attribute types, grouped into three groups of three. They are the Physical Traits (Strength, Dexterity, & Stamina-based), Social Traits (Charisma, Manipulation, & Appearancebased) and the Mental Traits (Perception, Intelligence, & Wits-based). Select one group of Attributes as the primary group for your character, based on your concept. This is the area at which the character is best. Then choose the secondary group, the one your character is average at. Finally, designate the tertiary group, the one your character is worst at. Of course, it's quite possible to be strictly average in your tertiary Attributes; it doesn't mean your character is terrible at them. Once you‘ve decided on your character‗s inherent strengths, you should describe exactly the sorts of exceptional characteristics he possesses. In your primary area of attribute development, choose seven Traits; in your secondary, choose five; in your tertiary area, select three Traits. Traits are adjectives describing the character, just like the descriptions in a novel or play. Thus, a Mentally focused character might be more Intuitive than Rational, or a strong Physical character could be Brawny and Tough but not very Quick or Nimble. Pick Traits that describe your character as if you wanted to write down the particular qualities of the individual. You can pick a particular Trait multiple times, if you like, to denote spectacular depth in an area.
STEP THREE: SELECT ABILITIES Select five Abilities that represent your character‘s education and training. Whether learned in mortal days or honed after death, Abilities set apart your character by letting her attempt tasks that less skilled compatriots cannot understand or complete. You can choose an Ability multiple times, if desired, to show greater expertise. Note that some Abilities may be restricted by your Storyteller.
STEP FOUR: SELECT BACKGROUNDS Your character acquires Backgrounds before entering the chronicle. They include various things such as allies, contacts and material resources. Like other traits, Backgrounds should suit your character concept. A homeless drifter isn't likely to have much in the way of Resources, for example. The Storyteller may require or disallow certain Backgrounds, or levels of Backgrounds, depending on the needs of the chronicle. Pick five Traits in backgrounds at character creation. These can be gained or lost throughout play, and most can be increased through experience expenditures, at Storyteller discretion.
STEP FIVE: SELECT LORES Once the fallen possessed tremendous powers that allowed them to shape Creation as their duties required. Their powers have weakened considerably since the Fall, but demons can still use the power of faith to work wonders. Each demon character knows certain lore that reflect control over a facet of Creation. You receive three traits of Lores at character creation, and you may purchase more with freebie points. Two of these traits must be chosen from House Lores (Lores from other Houses can only be chosen at character creation with ST approval). Remember: you may not possess any Lore of higher level than your Primary Lore (that which matches your apocalyptic form), and the level of Lore you can possess is limited by how high your Faith score is (example: to get the second Intermediate level in the Lore of Humanity, you must increase your Faith to at least four traits,
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and you must have your Primary Lore at the second Intermediate level already).
STEP SIX: SELECT VIRTUES Virtues define the mortal center of a Demon character, the qualities that the fallen cling to in the face of their Torment. Virtues combine the remnants of a demon's true divine nature and the awakened instincts and feelings of the mortal host. Together they give the fallen the ability to resist the draw of the Abyss, resist giving in to their terrible torment and seek redemption. Virtues define how easily the fallen can resist the darker impulses of their nature and avoid giving in to their Torment. There are three Virtues. Conscience is a measure of the character's sense of morality, of right and wrong. Conviction is the strength of the character's beliefs, understanding and accepting the order of things. Courage is the character's ability to act on his beliefs, overcoming obstacles that may stand in his way. Each character starts out with one trait in each Virtue, and die player may distribute three more traits among their Virtues. He may also use freebie points to increase them further. Virtues are important in helping determine the character's starting Willpower, so consider them carefully. Increasing Virtues with freebies does not increase Willpower.
STEP SEVEN: FINISHING TOUCHES FAITH Faith is the source of a demon's power and very existence. Originally it reflected faith in God and His divine plan, but now a demon's faith is more a matter of self-confidence, faith in one's self and in humanity rather than any higher power. Faith measures how much influence a demon has over the fabric of Creation. It is also a reflection of the demon's confidence and assurance about his place in Creation and a measure of enlightenment and understanding of the universe. Characters start with a Faith score of three, and players may increase it by spending free traits.
TORMENT The opposite of Faith is Torment. The fallen struggled with their decision to rebel and saw terrible things in their long war. They suffered even worse in their exile in the Abyss for thousands of years. These
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experiences haunt every demon, twisting and poisoning their souls. Some of the fallen give in to their Torment and try to spread their suffering. Others cling to the righteousness they once knew and struggle to overcome their bitterness and pain. A character's beginning Torment score depends on which House he is from. Torment may increase or decrease depending on the character's actions during the game.
WILLPOWER
Willpower is closely related to Faith, since it reflects a character's self-control and determination. It's also the quality that helps demons keep from succumbing to their Torment. Your starting Willpower is equal to the sum of your two highest Virtues, although you may wish to raise your character's Willpower using freebie points, since it is so vital.
NEGATIVE TRAITS Some characters have particular weaknesses or shortcomings. Others just never developed in some fashion, or suffered injuries that set back otherwise strong attributes. Such hindrances are represented with Negative Traits. Though Negative Traits are not required, they can represent a deficiency or injury in your character. Since few people actually want to play a character with handicaps and problems, Negative Traits grant bonuses in other areas of character creation. Each Negative Trait taken is good for one Free Trait later. You may take up to five Negative Traits, though you should not take more than three Negative Traits in any one attribute category. Unlike other Attributes, you should only take Negative Traits from the list in this book. Although there are certainly other adjectives that would appropriately describe a character‘s drawbacks, nobody can be expected to guess a Trait that isn‘t covered in the rules. Remember to take Negative Traits that you can roleplay accurately and well. The Storyteller may force you to ―buy off‖ Negative Traits that you ignore consistently.
DERANGEMENTS In addition to Negative Traits, you can choose derangements for your character. A derangement represents some sort of mental instabi1ity or neurotic behavior. Taking a derangement counts as two Negative Traits and thus grants you two Free Traits, but you can only take one derangement at character creation. Be warned, derangements cause unpredictable and uncontrollable behavior at times, and a Storyteller is justified in asking you to ―buy off‖ any derangement
that you do not roleplay accurately. Remember that playing a derangement is an exercise in advanced roleplaying. Insanity is neither humorous nor light. You should always consult your Storyteller before deciding to take a derangement.
CHOOSING FLAWS
Representing specific deficiencies or drawbacks aside from inherent weaknesses common to many people, Flaws showcase particular problems. As with Negative Traits, Flaws grant additional Traits to the user. Each Flaw is rated in terms of its value, ranging from one to seven Traits. The higher the value, the more debilitating the Flaw. A character may total up to seven Traits of Flaws.
FREE TRAITS Because no two Demons are alike, each character gets an allotment of Free Traits to spend on any area of development desired. If you want your character to be socially adept but also intelligent, for instance, you can use Free Traits to improve your Attributes so that you have a high number of Traits in both categories. You could decide to use Free Traits for extra Backgrounds if your character has strong mortal connections or for Lores if she has studied her demonic powers especially well. Each character gets five Free Traits at this stage. Additional Free Traits are earned from Negative Traits, Flaws or Derangements taken earlier, or by adding one additional trait to your permanent Torment. One Negative Trait grants a single Free Trait. A derangement or added Torment is worth two Bonus Traits, and Flaws have variable values listed individually.
CHOOSING MERITS The antithesis of Flaws, Merits represent special bonuses and capabilities beyond the norm. Each Merit is rated in terms of its Trait value. To take a Merit, you must expend Free Traits equal to the Merit‘s value. You can take no more than seven Traits of Merits, total, without Storyteller approval.
STEP EIGHT: SPARK OF LIFE Once you've got all of your character's traits worked out, give some thought to your character's other qualities. What do all those various traits mean? What sort of person is your character? Take a look at your character's traits and give them some added depth. How many Appearance-based traits does hour character have? What does the
FREE TRAIT COSTS
One Free Trait can be spent to take an additional Attribute Trait.
One Free Trait allows for an additional ability Trait.
A single Free Trait allows you to declare a specialization in one Ability Trait. Remember: each Ability can only have one specialization.
One Free Trait converts to an additional Background Trait, though subject to normal Storyteller approval.
Two Free Traits can be used for an extra Virtue Trait. Raising Virtues in this fashion does not affect Willpower.
Six Free Traits can be turned into an additional trait of Faith.
Three Free Traits can be spent to lower your permanent Torment by one trait.
Three Free Traits allow for an extra Willpower Trait, up to the maximum of ten plus your Faith score.
Three Free traits can be used to purchase the Basic level of any one Lore, in the usual progression, subject to Storyteller approval.
Merits have a variable Free Trait cost, dependent on the individual Merit.
character look like? Someone with high Appearancebased traits is better than average looking, but in what way? Is it the character's body, face, expressions, hair, style or something else that adds up to that attractive Appearance? What does your character look like? How do other people perceive him? In what ways does the character's demonic soul reveal itself in its mortal mannerisms? Does the Devil inside the mousy librarian cause her to walk with a new sense of confidence and authority? How do your characters' other Attributes manifest themselves? If your character is strong, is he heavily muscled or wiry? If he's got high Mental traits, is he a know-it-all or the quiet type who thinks rather than acting? Do his Social traits indicate that he is comfortable dealing with others or somewhat awkward? How has that affected the way he thinks of people? How much of his charisma and social grace come from the demon's spirit and how much is ingrained habit from the human host?
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Where did your character acquire her Abilities? Did they come from the demon's innate knowledge and experience, are they recollections from the mortal vessel, or are they some combination of the two? What Abilities did the demon have before the Fall, and what did she learn during and after the rebellion? Are there any Abilities that belonged to the mortal vessel that the demon doesn't particularly care for but finds useful? What about Abilities that are completely new to the demon in some way (such as Computer)? What about the character's Backgrounds? Are his allies and contacts aware of his true nature, or do they still believe he is an ordinary mortal? How did he acquire his followers and what do they believe about him? If the character has pacts with some mortals already, what are the details of those deals and what did the demon have to do to arrange them? All these details flesh out your character and create a more complete picture in mind for when you play, helping you get inside your character's head. The more you know, the easier it will be to take on the role of your character in the game.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS There's a lot to take into account when creating the background of a Demon character. Take a look through the following questions when you're coming up with your character's background and consider the answers. They're the bare minimum things you'll want to know about your character before you begin playing him or her. Storytellers can also use these questions as part of the prelude to help players answer them in more detail and get a good handle on their characters. Who Were You Before the Fall? The fallen all started out as something quite different from what they have become. Read through the history and House descriptions and consider what your character's role was in the time before the Fall. Each House had certain duties, but there is room for variation within that common theme. How did the character feel about his duties? What difficulties did the character face? What did she think of humanity — the most exalted of God's creations — back then? How Did You Fall? The Fall is a defining moment for demons, when they decided to rebel against their Creator and follow the banner of Lucifer. What led your character to this momentous decision? Was it something that happened gradually, until the character was the first to rally to Lucifer's side when the call came, or was it something sudden, a single incident that showed the character the need to rebel? What motivated your character? Some of the fallen rebelled out of love and compassion for
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humanity and what they saw as God's injustice. Others rebelled because they longed for what they could not have, whether it was human company or human worship. Some joined the rebellion because they were swayed by others or uncertain in their faith. What Did You Do in the War? The rebellion lasted for a thousand terrible years. What did you character do during this time? Was she repulsed by the need for war, horrified by its consequences, or did your character take to the role of the soldier all too well, glorifying in battle and bloodlust? Are there events from the war that haunt the character to this day? Did she accomplish great deeds (or commit great atrocities)? The zeal of many rebels faded as the rebellion went on and the things they were forced to see and do changed them forever. How did those events change your character? What Is Your Mortal Vessel Like? The fallen walk the Earth clothed in stolen flesh. Give some thought to the life of your character's mortal vessel before it was possessed. What kind of person was he? What sort of life did he lead, and what finally brought him to the state where a demon could inhabit his body and take it for its own? The life and personality of the mortal vessel has a strong influence on the character of the demon, so consider them carefully. Generally, the fallen are drawn to vessels that resonate strongly with their own natures, so a Defiler is likely to be drawn to a mortal whose existence is defined by passion, especially passion denied or turned sour. Of course, on occasion, there is no apparent connection between the mortal vessel and the demon's nature, which can make for an interesting change of pace. What About Your Vessel Awakened You? Something about your vessel's personality or memories shocked your character out of millennia of anguish and torment, restoring some semblance of sanity. What was it? For some vessels, it is a uniquely human suffering that reaffirms the demon's own twisted perceptions. With others, it is a uniquely human virtue, even in the smallest and pettiest of souls. It can be the last spark of faith, hope, love or compassion in an otherwise hard and cynical soul, or it may be driving ambition, lust or hatred. The worst human beings can turn out to have some redeeming good in them, and the most apparently good people may hide some secret wickedness. What Are Your Goals? Now that you have returned to the mortal world, what are your goals? Generally, characters in Demon seek to prevent the lords of the Abyss from returning to claim Creation as their own, but for what reason, and how does your character go about it? Does the
character want to protect humanity or just keep more powerful demons from messing up the sweet deal he's got? What are the character's goals beyond keeping the fallen locked in the Abyss? Some demons see a spark of hope in humanity and try to fan it into a flame. Others want to avenge themselves on humans for abandoning them to their fate. Still others revel in the experience of material existence or the power of mortal faith. How Do You See Humanity? What are humans to you? Are they children, followers, playthings, worshippers, sources of power, peers, threats, allies, enemies, food, tools, ideals, friends or perhaps some of each? The fallen each see humanity in their own way. Once, humans were the most exalted creatures in Creation, and the fallen fought and suffered for the love of them. For many, their love twisted and turned to hate in the thousands of years they suffered. A few clung to their love of humanity, or rediscovered it when they arose in human forms. Many demons are bitter and cynical toward humanity, although they may still find a hint of the love and admiration they once held for them. How does your character see and treat the human masses?
How Do You Deal With the Mundane World? Once masters of the forces of Creation, the fallen must deal with far more mundane concerns in the modern World of Darkness. Does your character maintain a semblance of her mortal vessel's life, or has she abandoned it altogether? Does your character maintain a semblance of a mortal life at all? Some demons find it useful to pretend to be the mortals they appear to be, while others disdain such an existence. They find it difficult, however, to deal with the requirements and the scrutiny of mortal agencies and governments. What about dealing with your vessel's family and friends? Have you cut all ties with them, or do you try to fool them into thinking you're who you seem to be? Do any of them suspect you?
ARCHETYPES: NATURE AND DEMEANOR Everyone goes through life wearing masks, especially the fallen. They wear a mask of mortality, occasionally giving others a brief glimpse of the true nature that lies beneath. The rest of the world sees only what they are supposed to see and nothing more. We all have different ways of dealing with other people and situations, and the fallen are no exception. Nature and Demeanor help define a character's personality. Nature is the character's true self, the demonic soul staring out through the eyes of its human shell. Demeanor is the attitude the character
presents to the rest of the world, and in large part reflects the vestiges of the host's mortal personality. It may complement the Nature — in fact it may even be the same for characters who are particularly open about their true selves. But for most Demon characters, such openness is dangerous, so they conceal their true selves behind a facade. The combination of Nature and Demeanor helps build a picture of the character's personality, goals and behavior. These definitions are not allinclusive. After all, few people can be entirely described by just a couple of terms. Instead, they provide a basis for the character's personality, a foundation to start building from, adding depth as the chronicle unfolds and the character becomes more defined. The core of the character's Nature remains, giving the player a framework to hang it all from. A character's Nature also has a particular game effect. Characters regain Willpower by performing actions that reaffirm their essential Nature, giving them a burst of self-confidence and a feeling of accomplishment. By satisfying the demands of their Nature (see the individual descriptions), characters are eligible to regain a Willpower point if the Storyteller allows. Here are some sample Archetypes suitable for Demon characters. Players and Storytellers should feel free to create their own Archetypes if none of these suit the particular characters they have in mind.
Addict — There's something you've just got to have, no matter what. Architect - You hope to leave a lasting legacy, to build something for the future. Autocrat - You want to take charge, since nobody else can do the job right. Bon Vivant - Only a good time can assuage your otherwise empty existence. Bravo - Other people only get in your way of doing things, and you do not hesitate to bully them into line. Caregiver - You protect and comfort others. Child - You need others to nurture and help you. Competitor - Everything is a contest, and you plan to win. Conformist - You take the lead and the cues from someone else, letting others handle the responsibility. Conniver - There‘s no point to doing it yourself when you can get someone else to put in the effort. Curmudgeon - Nothing‘s perfect, everything sucks and you‘re going to make sure that everyone knows it.
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Deviant - Normal? What‘s that? You have no use for social norms and mores. Director - You feel an overriding need to impose order. Fanatic - One cause, one truth, one purpose you serve and proselytize with absolute conviction. Gallant - Everything you do is geared toward flamboyance and excess, since you need the attentions of those around you. Gambler — You're willing to risk everything on a chance for something better. Judge - You have a deep sense of right and wrong, and you seek justice measured by your principles. Loner - You just don‘t belong, either by choice or by nature. Martyr - Everyone benefits when you shoulder the burdens of your ideals. Masochist - You test yourself through suffering, and find meaning in enduring pain. Monster - Build your purpose from a malignant drive to showcase evil through your actions. Pedagogue - Everyone can learn from your example and experiences; you were born to teach others. Penitent - You have sinned, and you cannot rest until you atone for it. Perfectionist -You do everything with wholehearted zeal aimed at immaculate completion. There‘s no excuse for flawed efforts. Rebel - Whether from habit or drive, you lash out at the system and try to break it down. Rogue - First and foremost, you look out for number one. Survivor - Nothing stops you, for your drive to pull through is indomitable. Thrill-Seeker -You‘re always after the next high, by pushing danger to the edge. Traditionalist -The old ways are the best ways, so you preserve and protect them. Trickster - Existence is absurd, so you fill it with humor and irreverence to avoid looking too deeply at the pain. Visionary - A goal fills your mind, and your dreams bring faith to others.
ATTRIBUTES (BIDDING TRAITS)
The Traits that describe your character's innate capabilities are cal1ed Attributes. These
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Attributes are used in the game to perform actions and overcome obstacles. While certain situations may also require Abilities, such matters are a function of training. Even with the appropriate training, you must call on your own strengths to finish the tasks set before you. When you enter a situation with a questionable outcome, you bid a Trait appropriate to the challenge. If you are trying to knock someone over, for instance, you might bid the Physical Trait Brawny as you use your strength. The nature of the challenge determines the Trait used - Physical, Social or Mental. You should try to bid a Trait appropriate to the nature of each given challenge. That is, using your strength may call on the Brawny Trait but not the Dexterous Trait. If you and your opponent agree, you can use other Traits, but in general, choose Traits fitting the challenge. Remember, when you bid a Trait for a challenge, you risk that particular Trait. If you fail the challenge, you may temporarily lose the use of the Trait, as you exhaust your resources and lose your confidence. Some situations may require the use of an additional Trait or more - any time that you are considered ―bids down,‖ you must risk additional Traits. Conversely, if you are listed as ―Traits up‖ or ―Traits down,‖ you modify your current number of Traits when comparing for overbids or ties. Of course, you can ignore these categories if you wish, in favor of speeding the game. Remember, unique situations may allow Traits to be used in unusual ways. New players may find it easier to bid a generic Trait from the appropriate pool instead of picking a specific one. Doing so allows them time to get the hang of the system. When they‘re more comfortable with bidding, then start having them choose Traits.
PHYSICAL TRAITS
Strength-based: Brawny, Ferocious, Stalwart, Tough, Wiry Dexterity-based: Dexterous, Graceful, Lithe, Nimble, Quick Stamina-based: Enduring, Resilient, Robust, Rugged, Tireless Miscellaneous Physical: Agile, Energetic, Steady, Tenacious, Vigorous Agile: You have a well-honed and flexible body. You can bend, twist, run and jump with ease. Uses: Acrobatics. Athletics. Competitive events, Dodging. Brawny: Bulky muscular strength. Uses: Punching, kicking or grappling in combat when your goal is to inflict damage. Power-lifting. All feats of strength. Brutal: You are capable of taking nearly any
action in order to survive. Uses: Fighting an obviously superior enemy. Dexterous: General adroitness and skill involving the use of one‘s hands. Uses: Weapon-oriented combat (Melee or Firearms). Pick-pocketing. Punching. Enduring: A persistent sturdiness against physical opposition. Uses: When your survival is at stake, this Trait is a good one to risk as a second, or successive, bid. Energetic: A powerful force of spirit. A strong internal drive propels you and, in physical situations, you can draw on a deep reservoir of enthusiasm and zeal. Uses: Combat. Ferocious: Possession of brutal intensity and extreme physical determination. Uses: Any time that you intend to do serious harm. Graceful: Control and balance in the motion and use of the entire body. Uses: Combat defense. Whenever you might lose your balance. Lithe: Characterized by flexibility and suppleness. Uses: Acrobatics, gymnastics, dodging, dancing. Nimble: Light and skillful; able to make agile movements. Uses: Dodging, jumping, rolling, acrobatics. Hand-to-hand combat. Quick: Speedy, with a fast reaction time. Uses: Defending against a surprise attack. Running, dodging, attacking. Resilient: Characterized by strength of health; able to recover quickly from bodily harm. Uses: Resisting adverse environments. Defending against damage in an attack. Robust: Resistant to physical harm and damage. Uses: Defending against damage in an attack. Endurance-related actions that could take place over a period of time. Rugged: Hardy, rough and brutally healthy. Able to shrug off wounds and pain Uses: When resisting damage, any challenge that you enter while injured. Stalwart: Physically strong and uncompromising against opposition. Uses: Resisting damage, or when standing your ground against overwhelming odds or a superior foe. Steady: More than simply physically dependable - controlled, unfaltering and balanced. You have firm mastery over your efforts.
Uses: Weapon attacks. Fighting in exotic locations. Tenacious: Physically determined through force of will. Uses: Second or subsequent Physical Challenge. Tireless: You have a runner‘s stamina - you are less taxed by physical efforts than ordinary people. Uses: Any endurance-related challenge, second or subsequent Physical Challenge with the same foe or foes. Tough: A harsh, aggressive attitude and a reluctance to submit. Uses: Whenever you‘re wounded. Potence. Vigorous: A combination of energy, power, intensity and resistance to harm. Uses: Combat and athletic challenges when you‘re on the defensive. Wiry: Tight, streamlined, muscular strength. Uses: Punching, kicking or grappling on combat. Acrobatic movements. Endurance lifting.
NEGATIVE PHYSICAL TRAITS Clumsy: Lacking physical coordination, balance and grace. You are prone to stumbling and dropping objects. Cowardly: In threatening situations, saving your own neck is all that is important. You might even flee when you have the upper hand, just out of habit. Decrepit: You move and act as if you are old and infirm. You recover from physical damage slowly, you are unable to apply full muscular strength and you tire easily. Delicate: Frail and weak in structure; you are damaged easily by physical harm. Docile: The opposite of the Ferocious and Tenacious Traits. You lack physical persistence, and you tend to submit rather than fight long battles. Flabby: Your muscles are underdeveloped. You cannot apply your strength well against resistance. Lame: You are disabled in one or more limbs. The handicap can be as obvious as a missing leg or as subtle as a dysfunctional arm. Lethargic: Slow and drowsy. You suffer from a serious lack of energy or motivation. Puny: You are weak and inferior in strength. This Trait could refer to diminutive size. Sickly: Weak and feeble. Your body responds to physical stress as if it were in the throes of a debilitating illness.
SOCIAL TRAITS Charisma-based: Charismatic, Charming, Dignified, Eloquent, Expressive, Genial
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Manipulation-based: Beguiling, Commanding, Ingratiating, Persuasive Appearance-based: Alluring, Elegant, Gorgeous, Magnetic, Seductive Miscellaneous Social: Diplomatic, Empathetic, Intimidating, Friendly, Witty Alluring: An attractive and appealing presence that inspires desire in others. Uses: Seduction. Convincing others. Beguiling: The skill of deception and illusion. You can twist the perceptions of others and lead them to believe what suits you. Uses: Tricking others. Lying under duress. Charismatic: The talent of inspiration and motivation, the sign of a strong leader. Uses: In a situation involving leadership or the achievement of leadership. Charming: Your speech and actions make you attractive and appealing to others. Uses: Convincing. Persuading. Commanding: Impressive delivery of orders and suggestions. This Trait implies skill in the control and direction of others. Uses: When you are seen as a leader. Dignified: Something about your posture and body carriage appears honorable and aesthetically pleasing. You carry yourself well. Uses: Defending against Social Challenges. Diplomatic: Tactful, careful and thoughtful in speech and deed. Few are displeased with what you say or do. Uses: Very important in intrigue. Leadership situations. Elegant: Refined tastefulness. Even though you don‘t need money to be elegant, you exude an air of richness and high society. Uses: High society. Defending against Social Challenges. Eloquent: The ability to speak in an interesting and convincing manner. Uses: Convincing others. Swaying emotions. Public speaking. Empathetic: Able to identify and understand the emotions and moods of people with whom you come in contact. Uses: Gauging the feelings of others. Expressive: Able to articulate your thoughts in interesting, meaningful ways. Uses: Producing art of any kind. Acting. Performing. Any social situation in which you want someone to understand your meaning. Friendly: Able to fit in with everyone you meet. Even after a short conversation, most find it difficult to dislike you. Uses: Convincing others.
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Genial: Cordial, kindly, warm and pleasant. You are pleasing to be around. Uses: Mingling at parties. Generally used in a second or later Social Challenge with someone. Gorgeous: Beautiful or handsome. You were born with a face and body that is good-looking to most people you meet. Uses: Modeling, posing. Ingratiating: Able to gain the favor of people who know you. Uses: Dealing with others in a social situation. Defending against Social Challenges. Intimidating: A frightening or awesome presence that causes others to feel timid. This Trait is particularly useful when attempting to cow opponents. Uses: Inspiring common fear. Ordering others. Magnetic: People feel drawn to you; those around you are interested in your speech and actions. Uses: Seduction. First impressions. Persuasive: Able to propose believable, convincing and correct arguments and requests. Very useful when someone else is undecided on an issue. Uses: Persuading or convincing others. Seductive: Able to entice and tempt. You can use your good looks and your body to get what you want from others. Uses: Subterfuge, seduction. Witty: Cleverly humorous. Jokes and jests come easily to you, and you are perceived as a funny person when you want to be. Uses: At parties. Entertaining someone. Goading or insulting someone.
NEGATIVE SOCIAL TRAITS Bestial: Perhaps your human form can barely hold back your demonic nature. Maybe you have clawlike fingernails, heavy body hair or a feral glint in your eyes; however you look, you definitely seem inhuman. Callous: You are unfeeling, uncaring and insensitive to the suffering of others. Condescending: You just can‘t help it; your contempt for others is impossible to hide. Dull: Those with whom you speak usually find you boring and uninteresting. Conversing with you is a chore. You do not present yourself well to others. Feral: The animalistic predator in you is evident in your actions. You scratch yourself, sniff at people or otherwise behave in a primitive fashion. Common amongst Devourers. Naive: You lack the air of worldliness, sophistication or maturity that most carry. Obnoxious: You are annoying or unappealing in speech, action or appearance.
Repugnant: Your appearance disgusts everyone around you. Needless to say, you make a terrible first impression with strangers. Shy: You are timid, bashful, reserved and socially hesitant. Tactless: You are unable to do or say things that others find appropriate to the social situation. Untrustworthy: You are rumored or perceived to be unreliable, whether or not you really are.
MENTAL TRAITS Perception-based: Attentive, Discerning, Insightful, Observant, Vigilant Intelligence-based: Cunning, Disciplined, Knowledgeable, Rational, Reflective Wits-based: Alert, Clever, Intuitive, Shrewd, Wily Miscellaneous Mental: Creative, Dedicated, Determined, Patient, Wise Alert: Mentally prepared for danger and able to react quickly when it occurs. Uses: Preventing surprise attacks. Attentive: You pay attention to everyday occurrences around you. When something extraordinary happens, you are usually ready for it. Uses: Preventing surprise attacks. Clever: Quick-witted resourcefulness. You think well on your feet. Uses: Using a Mental Challenge against another. Creative: Your ideas are original and imaginative, which implies an ability to produce unusual solutions to your difficulties. You can create artistic pieces. A requirement for any true artist. Uses: Creating anything. Cunning: Crafty and sly, possessing a great deal of ingenuity. Uses: Tricking others. Dedicated: You give yourself over totally to your beliefs. When one of your causes is at stake, you stop at nothing to succeed. Uses: Useful in any Mental Challenge when your beliefs are at stake. Determined: When it comes to mental endeavors, you are fully committed. Nothing can divert your intentions to succeed once you have made up your mind. Uses: Staredowns. Useful in a normal Mental Challenge. Discerning: Discriminating, able to pick out details, subtleties and idiosyncrasies. You have clarity of vision. Uses: Investigation and tracking.
Disciplined: Your mind is structured and controlled. This rigidity gives you an edge in battles of will. Uses: Staredowns. Useful in a Mental Challenge. Insightful: The power of looking at a situation and gaining an understanding of it. Uses: Investigation (but not defense against it). Intuitive: Knowledge and understanding somehow come to you without conscious reasoning, as if by instinct. Uses: Spontaneous deduction. Knowledgeable: You know copious and detailed information about a wide variety of topics. This Trait represents ―book-learning.‖ Uses: Remembering information your character might know. Observant: Depth of vision, the power to look at something and notice the important aspects of it. Uses: Picking up on subtleties that others might overlook. Patient: Tolerant, persevering and steadfast. You can wait out extended delays with composure. Uses: Staredowns or other mental battles after another Trait has been bid. Rational: You believe in logic, reason, sanity and sobriety. Your ability to reduce concepts to a mathematical level helps you analyze the world. Uses: Defending against emotion-oriented mental attacks. Not used as an initial bid. Reflective: Meditative self-recollection and deep thought. The Trait of the serious thinker, Reflective enables you to consider all aspects of a conundrum. Uses: Meditation. Remembering information. Defending against most Mental Challenges.
NEGATIVE MENTAL TRAITS
Forgetful: You have trouble remembering even important things. Gullible: Easily deceived, duped or fooled. Ignorant: Uneducated or misinformed, never seeming to know anything. Impatient: Restless, anxious and generally intolerant of delays. You want everything to go your way - immediately. Oblivious: Unaware and unmindful. You‘d be lucky if you noticed an airplane flying through your living room. Predictable: Because you lack originality or intelligence, even strangers can figure out what you intend to do next. Shortsighted: Lacking foresight. You rarely look beyond the superficial; details of perception are usually lost on you.
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Submissive: No backbone; you relent and surrender at any cost rather than stand up for yourself. Violent: An extreme lack of self-control. You fly into rages at the slightest provocation. This Trait is a Mental one because it represents mental instability. Witless: Lacking the ability to process information quickly. Foolish and slow to act when threatened.
ABILITIES
The particular bits of knowledge learned over the years, the tricks of the trade and the hard-won secrets of crafts are all Abilities. A character‘s Ability Traits represent special training or talent, and as such, they often allow performance of tasks that would be otherwise impossible. Even with more mundane situations, Abilities allow for a much improved chance of success. When a character performs a risky or uncertain action, Abilities aid the outcome. If you try a task and fail, you can temporarily expend one of your appropriate Abilities, to gain an immediate retest. You lose the Ability used and the initial Trait(s) bid for the task (if any) because you lost the initial test, but you can still overcome the challenge. Abilities used like this are recovered at the next game session. A character with multiple levels in a given Ability is certainly more experienced and proficient than an individual with just one. Most characters will fall into one to three levels of Ability; greater amounts are very rare. The total level of Ability in a given field corresponds roughly to the character‘s professional capabilities: Competent (Able to earn a living) Professional (Licensed, capable of supervision) Journeyman (Bachelor‘s degree or instructor) Expert (Master‘s degree or researcher) Master (Doctorate or true innovator) Some tasks are simply too difficult, or they require too much skill, to be attempted by a character without the requisite Abilities. The Storyteller may occasionally require the possession or use of an Ability Trait to perform a specific task. In this case, characters without the Ability, or who have already used all of their levels of the Ability, cannot attempt the task at all. When an Ability is used against a set scenario or object (such as using Security to pick a lock), the feat usually has a difficulty assigned by the Storyteller. In such a Static Challenge, you may be required to risk a Trait for a trivial task, or even be asked to bid two or more Traits for a difficult, risky or frustrating undertaking. Some Abilities can be used against an
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opponent instead of facilitating a regular task. In this case, the Ability is expended to gain a retest in a challenge with the opponent.
FOCUSING ABILITIES A few Abilities specifically require a concentrated area of study. One cannot simply study all Crafts at once, after all. These Abilities are specifically noted in the descriptions. When you take such an Ability, you must choose an area of study, a specific topic that you have concentrated on. Each area is considered a separate Ability, so Science: Biology counts completely separately from Science: Metallurgy, for instance.
ABILITY SPECIALIZATIONS Within a given area of expertise, some practitioners further hone their knowledge to a razor‘s edge. By choosing a specialization in an Ability, you hone your skills with a particular facet of that talent. Ability specializations are a wholly optional rule. Remember to ask your Storyteller before taking a specialization. Taking a specialization requires that you spend one Experience Trait or Free Trait on an Ability that you already have. Whenever you perform a task with that specialization- even if you do not expend the Ability-you gain a one-trait bonus on resolution of challenges, as long as you have at least one level of the Ability left. You may only have one specialization in any given Ability; you cannot take Firearms: Pistols and Firearms: Rifles together, for instance. You also can never gain more than one Bonus Trait at a time from specializations, even if more than one would be appropriate to a given challenge. That is, even if you have Medicine: Physiology and Science: Biology Research, you only get a one-Trait bonus on a test of biochemistry, despite your multiple specializations. A specialization is a fairly narrow area of research or practice. You cannot, for instance, take a Firearm specialization in ―guns,‖ nor could you have an Occult specialization of ―writing.‖ An appropriate specialization refers to one small class of items or to one type of practice within the Ability, such as Firearms: Antique Pistols or Occult: Superstitions. You may take a specialization in an Ability with an area of study. In such a case, you concentrate your research in one particular facet of that sub-Ability, or in one application of it. Thus, you could have Crafts: Woodworking with a specialization in Hidden Panels, or Science: Botany with a specialization in Exotic Flora. Note that the Bonus Trait from a specialization does not have an adjective, and it is not bid or used like other Traits. You simply are ―one Trait up‖ on challenges within the specialization.
Academics You possess a level of education and general knowledge beyond rudimentary schooling. With Academics, you can express artistic criticism, debate the classics, consider philosophy and indulge in studies of culture. This broad Ability covers all sorts of humanities in learning. Academics allows you to recognize historical, art and cultural references. You can use Academics when working in such fields, when developing a critique or researching. Calling on Academics Ability may require a Mental or Social Challenge to determine your exact level of competence. You may further direct your studies by choosing a specific field, such as Art Criticism, Classical Studies, History, Journalism, Philosophy or anything else that could be studied with higher education. Animal Ken With Animal Ken, you have learned to understand animals, and you can sometimes deal with them more equitably. Though they may retain a healthy fear of the predator lurking within you, you know what drives them and how to assuage their fears. Animal Ken is often used with the Lore of Beast. With Animal Ken, you can train an animal into particular behaviors (stay, fetch, attack), or attempt to deduce an animal‘s state of being (injured, angry, frightened, etc.) with a Mental Challenge. If you work with an animal over a long period of time (generally a month or so), you may be able to teach it a simple trick, up to a limit of one trick for each Mental Trait that the animal has. Athletics Whether due to a background in sports or just personal talent, you are skilled in all manner of athletic endeavors. You can throw a ball, sprint, climb, jump and swim. This last can be especially useful to vampires, who do not naturally float. Your Athletics Ability is used for retests on most forms of raw physical activity: acrobatics, swimming, jumping, throwing, climbing and running. You may choose to focus on something you do especially well. Awareness You have a talent for knowing when things are not as they should be, whether by that strange feeling in the pit of your gut or through tested observation. This is particularly useful for sensing when other supernatural creatures about, detecting evidence of Lores or other strange phenomena, or just getting that weird feeling when the laws of nature are about to take a hard left. Awareness requires a Mental Challenge to use.
Brawl Back-alleys, martial arts schools and rough bars are your stomping ground. You might have military training, or maybe you just grew up with a passel of rough-and- tumble siblings. Whatever the case, you know how to dish out damage with your fists and feet. Use the Brawl Ability for retests in combat when you are using your natural weapons (teeth, claws or fists). This Ability is also the province of the martial arts, although you should specify which art when taking this Ability. Computer Most Fallen (except those who are fortunate enough to have found a competent host) have difficulty adapting to modem inventions. As a result, an understanding of cutting-edge technology makes for dangerous knowledge. With the Computer Ability, you understand how to use, program and access computers of all sorts. Use Computer with a Mental Challenge (difficulty determined by the Storyteller) to break into systems, alter data, write programs or figure out unfamiliar operations. Crafts You can build things. Depending on your area of expertise, you know how to manufacture items and make handy tools or decorations. You must choose a focus for Crafts, specifying your form of creation: Carpentry, Clockworks, Blacksmithing, Leatherworking and the like are all possibilities. You can fashion works of art, studying Painting, Drawing or similar physical media. Technology covers more technical skills done with labor, such as Mechanics and Electronics. Making or repairing an item with Crafts usually involves a Physical Challenge of your dexterity; with difficulty set by the Storyteller based on the type of job (making a concealed, spring-loaded trap is far more difficult than planing a board, for instance). Dodge When trouble rears its ugly head, you know how to get out of its way. Unhesitating reactions let you evade blows and shots, getting out of the way of injury. You can use Dodge against any attack that you‘re aware of: diving for cover as someone fires a gun or twisting away from a sword, for instance. Dodge may be used as a retest when defending against an attack that you can see or sense coming. Drive Though most people can drive in the modem age, you can drive well. You‘re equally at home with a stick shift or an automatic, rush hour is no concern and
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you can get the most performance out of a car. In dangerous situations, you can evade traffic and even use your vehicle as a weapon. Bear in mind that just because you can drive a stationwagon doesn‘t mean you can drive a semi with equal ease. A Mental Challenge may be required to allow you to figure out where everything is in an unfamiliar vehicle. Drive tests most often involve a Physical Challenge of your reflexes. Empathy You are sensitive to the moods and emotions of people around you. When you listen to someone, you understand her feelings. You can identify with others and tell when people are lying or holding back while talking to you. With a Social Challenge and the expenditure of an Empathy Ability, you can determine if the last thing that someone said was a lie (although Subterfuge can defend against this expenditure). Alternately, you can attempt to determine the subject‗s current Demeanor. Etiquette Even though knowing which fork to use isn‘t as important to Fallen society, you do know the proper way to greet someone, when to rise and how to make introductions. You can hold a toast with the best of them, and you keep your cool in any social scenario, from high tea to a gang‘s rally. The Etiquette Ability can be used with Social Tests to impress or blend in at parties. If you make a social faux pas, you may expend an Etiquette Ability immediately to negate the gaffe - your character knew better than to make the mistake. Expression Words and feelings flow freely from you. When the muse strikes, you put pen to paper (or fingers to instrument) and pour out a torrent of emotion and stirring imagery. You can convey message and meaning in your art, from symphonies to poetry, and whatever you write is both clear and moving. When writing or composing, you can sink true Expression into the work. Finance The world of money and business awaits your whim. You understand interest, CDs, stock market transactions, currency exchanges and GNPs. A little Finance lets you make quite a bit of money. You can also use your Finance to balance books or run a business of your own. Typically, you can run a business, follow a money trail, perform an audit or clean up an accounting mess with a Mental Challenge (difficulty dependent on
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the task, as determined by the Storyteller). Alternately, you can expend a level of Finance Ability to raise $250 in cash between games. Not every use of Finance is so benign - money laundering operations have to come from somewhere. Firearms A little time at the gun range goes a long way. You know how to hold fire and clean a gun. You can unjam one, too, and you can tell different models apart. You know how to stand to get the best aim, how to handle recoil and how to take care of problems in the field. If you possess the Firearms Ability, you may use your Mental Traits for gun combat instead of using Physical Traits, at no cost. You can expend Firearms for a retest in ranged-fire combat. Hobby/Professional/Expert Ability In a certain area of expertise not covered by another Ability, you have achieved some level of skill. You may have a small grasp of a trade due to some work on the side, or perhaps you‘ve specifically studied a topic. Hobby/Professional/Expert Ability is a catch-all category for highly unusual Abilities like Lores (not the powers, but knowledge about other supernaturals), Demolitions and so on. Any Ability of this type must be specifically approved by the Storyteller, and it has its capabilities defined by the Storyteller. Intimidation Intimidation represents any of a broad variety of techniques for terrifying people into compliance. This could be anything from physical size, to a particularly frightening grin, to knowing which emotional buttons to push. You can use Intimidation when trying to scare someone with a Social Challenge. Intuition Some call it a "gut feeling" while others say it's subconscious logic, the ability to leap to die right conclusion without actually thinking it through — a matter of pure intuition. Intuition is the ability to choose between two (or more) options with a better chance of picking the right one. It represents that gut instinct for making the right decision at the right time. It's the ability to use when a character makes a decision largely at random, like whether to cut the red, green or blue wire as the timer counts down to zero, or picking the right away out of a maze while running away from something. Players can use Intuition when they get stuck or need to make a decision quickly.
Investigation You know how to pick up clues and put together disparate pieces of information. By habit and training, you can set a jumbled mass of data into order, discovering identities, motives and patterns in an otherwise chaotic scene. You can use Investigation with a Mental Challenge when trying to puzzle out meaning to a random scene. Law Nobody is above the law, except those who know how to use it to their own advantage. You‘re one of the latter. Perhaps you uphold the law, or maybe you twist it to your own ends. Your knowledge of Law allows you to understand legal processes, courts and lawyers, and to use them effectively. Use the Law Ability in court situations or with Social Challenges involving legal matters. Because the legal body is so vast, your Storyteller may require you to select a particular area of study (Criminal, Civil, Tax, etc.). Alternately, you may choose to study Fallen Law in depth. Leadership When you speak, people listen. A good speaking voice and self-confidence lend a powerful presence to a leader. The Leadership Ability represents your ability to motivate people and to get them to follow your guidance. Even among those who do not know or respect you, you can demand attention. You can use Leadership with a Social Challenge to try to get a minor favor or task from a character. Leadership is also used with many Presence powers. Linguistics You‘ve studied a language - or languages other than your native tongue. Whether you speak the First Tongue of man, you frequent the global community, or it is necessary for other studies, you can speak, write and read other languages. You must choose one language for each level of Linguistics you possess. Thus, you could have Linguistics: Cantonese and Linguistics: German. Alternately, you can focus on the underlying study of Linguistics itself, granting some understanding of the principles behind the structure of language. Languages need not be spoken; American Sign Language or Egyptian Hieroglyphics would also be considered fields for study. Those who wish to converse in another language (but cannot actually do so) should hold up one hand with the first finger and thumb making an L-shape to indicate to other players the characters are not speaking English. Those who wish to listen in must also possess the language. All demons with at least one trait in Legacy, speak Enochian, the language of Creation. Many also
speak the First Tongue, the original human language spoken before the Time of Babel. Malefactors alone may speak the Stone Tongue. Medicine You know how the human body functions. You can speed the recovery and healing of an injured mortal, or you can use your knowledge to inflict injury. You can use the Medicine Ability to speed a mortal‘s healing by one category: a Wounded mortal would heal as if Bruised, for instance. Medicine may be used for other sorts of research and lab work with a Mental Challenge. As Medicine represents such a vast field, your Storyteller may require you to specify what you know (Pharmaceuticals, Internal Medicine, General Practice, etc). Melee If you‘ve got something in your hands, you‘re a deadly fighter. Be it a sword, a stick or a set of nunchaku, you can use it to damaging effect. Expend Melee for retests in hand-to-hand combat when you are using a close combat weapon like a knife or a chair. Certain weapons function best when wielded by a character with Melee. Occult The hidden world teems with mysterious secrets. By unlocking universal keys and studying the basics of spirituality, you can learn the shadowy paths of the cosmos. Your Occult Ability serves as a general knowledge of the supernatural, alerting you to the existence of many varied sorts of inhuman creatures and paranormal events. Occult grants some basic (and sometimes erroneous) knowledge of the various denizens of the supernatural world; for more detailed information, study Expert Ability: Lore in your particular subject of interest. Performance You are a true virtuoso. Whatever your chosen medium, you have a gift for artistic endeavors. Whether playing an instrument, singing, dancing or acting, your skills allow you to entertain and even earn money. Your Performance Ability can be used to earn a modest income, just like other artistic trade skills. You must choose a specific art form when you take Performance, such as playing an instrument, singing, acting or dramatic readings. Note that Performance is generally anything done before an audience, while Expression most often focuses on literary works, and Crafts concentrates on the creation of physical objects (such as paintings or sculptures).
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Politics The world of influence-trading and favors is extensive enough among mortals. In fallen society, where one‘s prowess is measured in standing with one‘s peers, and not just one‘s prowess on the battlefield, making the game of Politics all-consuming. Through observation, intrigue and a bit of spin-doctoring, you‘ve learned how to handle appearances, what a speech really means, and where the deal-making is going on. In short, it‘s Politics as usual. The Politics Ability is useful primarily in dealings with mortal society or Influence. You may be able to manipulate the outcome of local political actions, with the proper Influence and some well placed Social Challenges; Politics Ability ensures that matters proceed in the direction that you desire. Politics is also used to discern hidden motives and broker deals, and as such, it is almost a requirement of any member of the Ministries. The hierarchies of power are often obvious to you, granting you insight into whether the prince is really in charge, or is simply a puppet of the pentarchs, for example. Politics also makes you aware of who‘s in favor and who‘s out, and you can determine how much Status a particular fallen possesses once introduced. (If you know your quarry‘s name, expend a Politics Ability to determine the subject‘s Eminence Traits.) Knowledge of Politics includes, by extension, an understanding of the bureaucratic levels of power. You know how to cut through red tape, or how to obstruct others with it. By determining who‘s important in a given strata, you can usually avoid wasting time and simply go straight to the person with the power to do what you want. Religion Recollections of Creation, the war and the Fall linger in humanity's collective consciousness as myths and legends. Around those beliefs, humans have built religions, some of which unite more people than any nation or force in the world. At the same time, religions divide people and serve as excuses for atrocities. As focuses for human faith, religions are a subject of keen interest to the fallen, and many study them, both for means of influencing and garnering worshippers and to find clues to the secrets of the past they have lost. Religion covers theology and comparative religious studies along with knowledge of major religions and (with increasing rank) knowledge of lesser-known ones as well. Characters often take a specialty in a particular religion. Religion has its uses as retests for the creation of Pacts, as well as in Reaping. Research For most questions, the answer is out there, if
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only you know where to look. Research is the skill of knowing where to look for information, gathering it efficiently and organizing it so other people can absorb it without too much trouble. With this Ability, you know the best places to start looking for particular information and the best ways to go about it. Research differs from Academics in that it involves looking for information, while Academics involves knowing information, and Research tends to turn up more detailed information than someone can recall from memory. Uses of Research include researching True Names, as well as being useful in researching other Abilities, especially Expert Ability: Lores. Science The modem Information Age sees the explosion of all manner of studies. Categorizing and breaking down the world into many different forms, the methods of logic and reason give sentient beings the means to understand the universe, or at least small pieces of it. Education in Science covers techniques of inquiry, modem studies and a broad range of underpinning work in a diverse range of fields. Science Ability requires an area of particular study: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Metallurgy, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Geology and Botany are all possibilities, though such a list is far from comprehensive. Combining a Science with different fields may give a wide variety results. For example, Science: Metallurgy with Academics may give results regarding historical research and theory, while the same Science with Occult may center around ancient alchemy or parapsychology. Actually constructing objects or devices theorized with Science may require use of the Crafts Ability. Using a particular branch of Science usually requires a Mental Challenge of some sort to determine the success of research or the viability of theoretical work. Security Whichever side of the law you‘ve worked on has granted you experience in Security techniques. You know about police operations and guard work, how they make their schedules and how they undertake their business - and how to disrupt such operations. Locks, traps, security systems and alarms are all within your purview. With a little time, you can put together Security measures for a location; you can also defeat such measures. Use the Security Ability with Mental Traits to set up a secure area or network, or to formulate a plan for breaching such a network. Security Ability is also used to disarm traps, alarms and other devices, and to defeat locks. At the discretion of a Narrator, you may
be required to use a Physical Trait related to dexterity when attempting to bypass a physical lock or alarm. Stealth By blending into cover, blurring your lines and moving carefully and quietly, you can evade notice or sneak past people. You know how best to take advantage of surrounding cover and how to use light and shadow. Opportunities for unnoticed movement are not lost on you, as you understand the uses of timing and diversion. With an appropriate Physical Challenge, you can sometimes sneak past the notice of guards and searchers (who contest your Ability with their Mental Traits and Investigation Ability). Streetwise Word on the street is known to you. Even if you don‘t have any particular friends or contacts in the area, you know about the different communities and gangs that hang out in town. You recognize tagging and other territorial markers, and you know some of the signs, colors and clothes that denote street people, homeless, gangbangers, hoodlums, criminals and social workers. Using the Streetwise Ability, with your Mental Traits, lets you recognize the influence of various gangs or street communities. You also know about criminal organizations and activities, and you could perform a little larceny yourself. An appropriate Social Challenge can help smooth dealings with a hostile gang (though you may need Etiquette to make a really good impression). Subterfuge There are many ways to talk about subjects, and equally many ways to uncover the truth of the matter. Even in idle conversation, people use little white lies, slip hints about their true motives, try to guide the course of discussion and give away their secrets indirectly. The art of Subterfuge is the art of reading these tricks and using them effortlessly. When someone confronts you with one of your lies, you can use the Subterfuge Ability in your own defense (if someone uses the Empathy Ability, for instance). By guiding a conversation, you can also unearth someone‘s Negative Traits; if you manage to steer conversation to a particular topic in play, you can expend a Subterfuge Ability and make a Social Challenge to determine one of the subject‘s Negative Traits related to the topic. Survival Survival Ability represents knowledge of terrain, how to find shelter, where to find water, techniques in hunting, edible and poisonous plants and fungi and so on.
Hunting and avoiding danger in the wilderness usually relies on a Physical Challenge. With Survival, you can substitute your Mental Traits if you so desire. Survival is also a measure of the character‘s ruggedness and ability to overcome obstacles and injury. Technology The fallen are not always familiar with the wonders of the modern world, but they acquaint themselves with the works of humanity quickly. This Skill covers understanding, operating, repairing, and even building or upgrading electronic devices. Purely mechanical devices fall under the Crafts Skill, while computer hardware and software falls under the Computers Knowledge. Characters without this Skill may know how to operate various common devices, but they don't necessarily know how they work or how to fix them.
BACKGROUNDS Your character‘s Backgrounds help to flesh out ties with mortal agencies, role in vampire society and beneficial resources available. Each Background is used differently. In general, having multiple Traits in a given Background allows for better or more common use of that benefit. Some Backgrounds directly affect your character‘s creation and development; others are called into play later during the game.
EMINENCE Even in the time before the Fall, there was a definite order among the servants of the One. Since then, the fallen have developed a definite pecking order, with the strongest and most capable (or most cunning) at the top. This trait gives you a measure of influence and prestige in demon society. Lesser demons will tend to stay out of your way, and peers will respect you as long as you don't give them any reason to do otherwise. You may even be able to throw your weight around a bit with low-ranking demons and get the attention of higher-ups. Of course, greater prestige also brings with it a higher profile. Other demons are more likely to have heard of you and to know more about you. They're also more likely to bear grudges against you, or at least what you stand for. Choose one Eminence Social Trait (see chapter six) per trait in this background, that you possess.
FAME You have a measure of fame in mortal society, possibly as a performer, athlete, politician or other sort of public personality. Your fame gives you various
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perks, but it can also make it difficult for you to hide your true nature from the world. Fame is also very close to worship, and you might be able to parlay your fame into some additional Faith, if you play your cards carefully. On one hand, fame gives you power and influence in mortal society. You can get away with a lot when you're famous, and people tend to defer to you. You're frequently recognized, and you can often get star treatment from people. On the other hand, it is difficult for you to go places without being recognized, and the media watches you carefully. Anything unusual about you is more likely to be noticed (although not necessarily in a bad way — the famous are expected to be eccentric). The Storyteller may allow you to use your Fame as additional Social Traits when you're dealing with particularly star-struck fans or the like. Fame Traits Fame x 1 Fame x 2 Fame x 3 Fame x 4 Fame x 5
Maximum Range Local Scene City State Adjoining States Entire Country
FOLLOWERS Followers are servants, worshippers or even loyal hirelings working for you. They're people willing to devote a substantial amount of their time (perhaps even all of it) to taking care of various tasks for you. A demon's followers are often (but not always) sources of faith and worship. Although followers are assumed to be loyal to you, you have to maintain their loyalty through money, a pact or some other form of influence. Followers that are ignored or mistreated will eventually leave in search of greener pastures. Followers that are treated well will tend to remain loyal, although they still have their own goals and personalities. You and the Storyteller should work together to describe any followers you have and why they follow you. Followers are usually people of modest ability. They may have a few useful skills, but they don't have any special abilities unless you choose to invest Faith in them. The Storyteller should see to it that your followers are useful without being overpowering — no cadres of elite commandos or secret ninja cults.
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A follower can be assigned to watch over a particular location. Generally, if someone attempts to break into your house, the followers there will attempt to stop the intruder. In this case, they are treated as normal humans, run by Narrators.
A follower can be used to manage your assets and perform tasks. Followers tied up in this fashion allow you to manage more Influence than normal; they add to the number of Attribute Traits that you possess for purposes of counting your total Influences. Each follower directed in this fashion adds one to your maximum Influence Traits. If followers are later lost, killed or reassigned, the excess Influence Traits are lost, starting with the highest levels of Influence held. A retainer can perform other menial functions, as allowed by the Storyteller. You can get someone else to pick up your character‘s dry-cleaning.
INFLUENCE Mortal society builds on institutions. As humans raise their cities, they form gatherings of expertise that are manipulated by the Fallen (and other supernaturals) hiding in their midst. If you have Influence, you can sway the direction of some areas of mortal society, pushing cities to grow as you direct. Your Influence can be used to strike indirectly at your foes while protecting your own assets, or to gain information and special resources. When you exercise Influence, you expend temporary Influence Traits. The tables for various Influence areas detail what you can do with a specific number of Traits. Performing an action requires a number of Traits equal to the level of the action; you must use three Traits to perform an action listed at the third level of an Influence chart, for instance. Thus, with high levels of Influence, you can perform many small actions, or a few significant ones.
RELEVANT ABILITIES Bureaucracy Church Finance Health High Society Industry Legal Media Occult Police Political Street Transportation Underworld University
Research Religion Finance Medicine Etiquette Technology Law Expression Occult Investigation Politics Streetwise Drive Intimidation Academics
Certain levels of Influence gift you with items, money or aides. Unlike the Resources Background, money and equipment garnered with Influence does not come automatically each month. If you want a steady income from Influence, you must direct your Influence in that direction continually, and this income does not come with any associated trappings of wealth (you‘d have to buy a house and car separately, for instance). Aides garnered with Influence generally help only for one specific task, and they usually only have the equivalent of one level of Ability in their area of skill. Most cities have only a set amount of Influence in various areas. For instance, Atlanta has a great deal of Transportation Influence, because it is a hub of travel, while Hollywood would have a lot of High Society and Media Influence. A Rust-Belt city where manufacturing and heavy industry has all but disappeared would have very little to no Industry Influence. Storytellers should map out the total amount of each type of Influence to be had in the city. Once all of the Influence of a given type is used up, the only way to get more is to use Influence to grow that area of society (making new projects or sponsoring investment), to destroy someone else‘s Influence and thus free up those resources, or to acquire an adversary‘s Influence in an area. Also, each city may have different reflections of the Influences listed here. A city with a thriving independent film community is going to have a different picture of Media or High Society than a city where the arts are being literally starved out due to budget cuts. In Laws of the Abyss, Influence comes in two types: Personal Influence, and City Influence. These two forms of Influence stack, for the purpose of using Influence traits on actions.
PERSONAL INFLUENCE
Personal Influence is capped at two traits, per type of influence. For example, a player can possess two traits of Bureaucracy Personal Influence, and one trait of Church Personal Influence, but not three traits of Bureaucracy Personal Influence. There is no limit to how many different areas you can possess Personal Influence in, so theoretically a player can possess Personal Influence x2 in each category.
Since Personal and City Influence stack for their respective categories (Church-Church, or Transportation-Transportation, etc), the player can exercise a total Influence of Bureaucracy x3, and Church x3. No player can control more squares of City Influence, than they possess in Resources and Followers combined, to a maximum of ten squares. Your effective (usable) combined Influence in any category is five traits. You may possess seven City squares with Occult Influence on each, as well as two traits of Occult Personal Influence, but you can only use five traits in any given game session. Players have a Defense Score relating to City Influence based on their level of relevant Ability, plus Personal Influence in the relevant Influence, plus City Influence in relevant Influence, plus any modifiers for actions. A player‘s Attack Score, is similar, a combination of the player‘s level of relevant Ability, plus Personal Influence in the relevant Influence, plus City Influence in relevant Influence, plus any modifiers for actions. If Attack and Defense Scores are tied, the win goes to the defender. If the attacker‘s Attack Score is three traits or lower than the defender‘s Defense Score, the Defender knows who initiated the attack. Attackers are always aware of who owns (or owned) a square, following their attack (and not before, unless they perform a Scout action first). If multiple people attack, the person with the highest Attack Score or Defense Score wins the square. Multiple Attackers are always aware of each-other‘s attack on the square. Example: Robert is attacking one of Katie’s squares. The Influence relevant to the square is University, which means that the relevant Ability is Academics. Robert has three traits of Academics, two traits of Personal Influence in University, as well as one square granting him a trait of City Influence in University. His attack score is six. He chooses to do an All-Out Attack, granting him a +3 modifier, for a total Attack Score of nine. Katie, who is Researching this week, has four traits of Academics, two traits in Personal Influence (University), and three traits (from three squares) of City Influence (University). Her Defense Score is nine. Katie manages to hold onto her square, but just barely, and worse, she doesn’t know who attacked her square, so she can’t be sure who to take revenge upon. Robert, due to his unorthodox tactics, must make a test, or receive a temporary Torment as usual.
INFLUENCE ACTIONS
CITY INFLUENCE
Each week, a player may make one Influence Action to take place during the following week:
City Influence is gained by controlling areas of the city which grant that sort of Influence. For example, the same player that was mentioned before, with Bureaucracy Personal Influence x2 and Church Personal Influence x1, also controls three city squares, one that grants Bureaucracy City Influence x1, and two more, which each grant Church City Influence x1.
All-Out Attack: Using less than moral means, the Fallen spends the week taking over the square by any means possible, from vandalism and threats, to downright murder. The Fallen gains a +3 modifier to their Attack, but must make a Torment test, or gain one Temporary Torment.
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Assist Attack: You lend aid to another, in attacking another‘s territory. Grant a +1 to another‘s Attack Score. If the defender(s) gain information on the attacker(s), they also gain it on their assistant(s) as well. Assist Defense: You lend aid to another, in defending what is theirs. Grant a +1 to another‘s Defense Score for the week. If the defender gains information on the attackers, then the defender‘s assistant(s) do as well. Attack: During the week, the player spends his time preparing the takeover of a specific area. Working on sealing his contacts and connections, signing contracts, making deals, all are a part of wresting control of an area out from underneath another player‘s feat. The Storyteller compares the attacker‘s Attack Score to the defender‘s Defense Score, and decides who controls the territory the following week. Build Square: Requires a total Influence of five traits in the relevant Influence, and uses up that Influence for the following week. The player spends the week setting up offices, shops, or the like, which at the end of the story, will become new squares for players to control. These new squares are automatically under the control of the builder. If two players attempt to build on the same square, the player with the highest Ability + Influence controls the square. If there is a tie, then the player who did the Build Square action first succeeds. If at the same time (highly unlikely) the ST has final say on which square it becomes. Defend: Shoring up their control over their squares of influence, the Fallen gains a +3 modifier for resolving any Attacks on his territory. This covers all squares in the city, rather than a specific one. Destroy Square: Requires a total Influence of five traits in the relevant Influence, and uses up that Influence for the following week. The player spends the week closing down offices, getting people fired, and the like. This can be done as a form of attack, which is resolved normally, except that once the square is won (nothing happens if the attacker doesn‘t win), the attacker does not gain control of the square. Instead, the influence on said square is wiped clean the following week, leaving a blank square on which future Influence may be based. Scout: A player spends his week scouting out a city square, to find out who owns the square, as well as the Defense Score of that square for that week. Note: Defense Scores can change week-to-week, so there is a good chance that the following week, the Score may be different. The player does not receive a break-down of the Defense Score, merely the total.
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OTHER ACTIONS These are other actions which may be taken in a week, rather than the above Influence Actions: Research: Research is an extremely useful action. While it can be used to hunt down specific information (such as ―Who robbed the liquor store on 32 nd Avenue last week?‖), it can also be used to track down a target‘s True Name. See the section in Chapter Six about True Names for how this is done. For tracking down information, or for gaining access to Abilities (such as Lores) which you don‘t usually have access to, look at the player‘s Research ability, plus any traits they might have in the Ability that is relevant (looking for word on the street? Use Streetwise. Trying to increase your Academics without a teacher? Use Academics). Compare the total scores of Research plus relevant Ability: if they total five or more, the information can be found, or the Ability can be increased without a teacher. Note: if increasing an Ability in this way, you still need to spend the XP on the Ability as normal. Scour: This is an action based on finding a person or persons in the area. Scour is useful for the Ministries, as it allows them to keep tabs on which Fallen (or specific mortals) enter and leave the city. Indeed, it can also be used to find other supernaturals, if the appropriate Lore (Ability) is possessed. Compare the player‘s Awareness plus Investigation, to the target‘s Stealth plus Subterfuge. If the player is higher, he manages to pinpoint the target they are looking for, and the ST can run a scene if necessary. If the target is higher, the player can‘t find them or doesn‘t notice them. If the target is higher by three traits or more, they know they‘re being looked for, and may act accordingly.
INFLUENCES BUREAUCRACY You can manage various government agencies and bureaus. By dealing with social programs and public servants, you can spin red tape, bypass rules and regulations or twist bureaucratic regimentation to your advantage. Bureaucracy is useful in operating or shutting down businesses, faking or acquiring permits and identification papers and manipulating public utilities and facilities. Government clerks at the city and county level, utility workers, road crews, surveyors and other civil servants are potential contacts or allies. Cost 1 2
Effect Trace utility bills Fake a birth certificate or driver‘s license Disconnect a single small residence‘s utilities Close a small road or park Get public aid ($250)
3
Fake a death certificate, passport or green card Close a public school for a single day Shut down a minor business on a violation Initiate a phone tap Fake land deeds Initiate a department-wide investigation Start, stop or alter a city-wide program or policy Shut down a big business on a violation Rezone areas Obliterate records of a person on a city or county level
4 5
CHURCH Though the modem church has arguably less control over temporal society than it did in the Middle Ages, its policies still exert considerable influence over the direction of politics and communities. Knowing the appropriate people allows insight into many mainstream religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Shinto or Buddhism (fringe or alternative groups, such as Scientology, are considered Occult). When you exercise Church Influence, you can change religious policy, affect the assignment of clergy and access a variety of lore and resources. Contacts and allies affected by Church Influence would include ministers, priests, bishops, Church sponsored witchhunters, holy orders and various attendees and assistants. Cost 1
2 3
4 5
Effect Identify most secular members of a given faith in the local area Pass as a member of the clergy Peruse general church records (baptism, marriage, burial, etc.) Identify higher church members Track regular church members Suspend lay members Open or close a single church Find the average church-associated hunter Dip into the collection plate ($250) Access private information and archives of a church Discredit or suspend high-level church members Manipulate regional branches of the church Organize major protests Access ancient church lore and knowledge
FINANCE Manipulating markets, stock reports and investments is a hobby of many Devils, especially those who use their knowledge to keep hidden wealth. Though your actual available money is a function of your Resources, you can use Finance Influence to start or smother businesses, crush or support banking
institutions and alter credit records. Clearly, such power over money is not to be trifled with - fortunes are made and destroyed with this sort of pull. CEOs, bankers, stockbrokers, bank tellers, yes-men, financiers and loan agents are found among such work. Cost 1
2 3 4 5
Effect Learn about major transactions and financial events Raise capital ($1,000) Learn about general economic trends Learn real motivations for many financial actions of others Trace an unsecured small account Raise capital to purchase a small business (single, small store) Purchase a large business (a few small branches or a single large store or service) Manipulate local banking (delay deposits, some credit rating alterations) Ruin a small business Control an aspect of city-wide banking (shut off ATMs, arrange a bank ―holiday‖) Ruin a large business Purchase a major company
HEALTH
Some Slayers especially rely on connections in the medical community to acquire bodies. Scourges as well often have interests in the medical field. Furthermore, covering up mistakes often calls for alteration of medical records. All of these, plus many sorts of research and development fall under the purview of Health Influence. Coroners, doctors, lab workers, therapists, pharmacists and specialists are just a few of the folks found in this field. Cost 1
2
3 4
Effect Access a person‘s health records Fake vaccination records and the like Use public functions of health centers at your leisure Access some medical research records Have minor lab work done Get a copy of a coroner‘s report Instigate minor quarantines Corrupt results of tests or inspections Alter medical records Acquire a body Completely rewrite medical records Abuse grants for personal use ($250) Have minor medical research performed on a subject Institute large-scale quarantines Shut down businesses for ―health code violations‖
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5
Have special research projects performed Have people institutionalized or released
LEGAL Since many of the operations that the Fallen undertake are at least marginally illegal, a good amount of sway over judges and lawyers is indispensable. Those demons who dabble in law often pull strings in the courts to make sure that the questionable practices of Fallen society go unnoticed and unpunished. Of course, a little Legal Influence is also excellent for harassing an enemy‘s assets, too. Such Influence ranges from law schools and firms, to lawyers, judges, DAs, clerks and public defenders.
HIGH SOCIETY The glitterati at the top of society move in circles of wealth and elegance, Many Fallen find such positions alluring, and they indulge in the passions of the famous and wealthy. Access to famous actors, celebrities and the idle rich grants a certain sway over fashion trends. Combined with Fame, a modicum of High Society Influence turns a demon into a debonair darling of the most exclusive social circles. Among these circles, one finds dilettantes, artists of almost any stripe, old money families, models, rock stars, sports figures and jetsetters. Cost 1
2 3 4 5
Effect Learn what is trendy Obtain hard-to-get tickets for shows Learn about concerts, shows or plays well before they are made public Track most celebrities and luminaries Be a local voice in the entertainment field ―Borrow‖ idle cash from rich friends ($1,000) Crush promising careers Hobnob well above your station Minor celebrity status Get a brief appearance on a talk show that‘s not about to be canceled Ruin a new club, gallery, festival or other posh gathering
Cost 1 2 3
4
5
MEDIA Directing media attention away from demonic activities is a key component much of Fallen society. Putting specific emphasis on certain events can place an enemy in an uncomfortable spotlight or discredit a rival. With Media, you can crush or alter news stories, control the operations of news stations and reporters and sway public opinion, with DJs, editors of all varieties, reporters, cameramen, photographers and broadcasters at your disposal. At Storyteller discretion, Media Influence may also allow access to the more technical areas of television, radio or movies.
INDUSTRY The grinding wheels of labor fuel the economies and markets of the world. Machines, factories and blue-collar workers line up in endless drudgery, churning out the staples of everyday living. Control over Industry Influence sways the formation of unions, the movements of work projects, locations for factories and the product of manufacturing concerns. Union workers, foremen, engineers, construction workers, manual laborers and all manner of blue-collar workers exist among these ranks. Cost 1 2
3 4 5
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Effect Learn about industrial projects and movements Have minor projects performed Dip into union funds or embezzle petty cash ($500) Arrange small accidents or sabotage Organize minor strikes Appropriate machinery for a short time Close down a small plant Revitalize a small plant Manipulate large local industry
Effect Get free representation for minor cases Avoid bail for some charge Have minor charges dropped Manipulate legal procedures (minor wills and contracts, court dates) Access public or court funds ($250) Get representation in most court cases Issue subpoenas Tie up court cases Have most legal charges dropped Cancel or arrange parole Close down all but the most serious investigations Have deportation proceedings held against someone
Cost 1 2 3 4 5
Effect Learn about breaking stories early Submit small articles (within reason) Suppress (but not stop) small articles or reports Get hold of investigative reporting information Initiate news investigations and re orts Get project funding and waste it ($250) Ground stories and projects Broadcast fake stories (local only) Kill small local articles or reports completely
OCCULT
The hidden world of the supernatural teems with secrets, conspiracies and unusual factions. Obviously, a demon is aware that there are strange things out there by dint of his very existence, but hard knowledge of such things is a function of Abilities. By using Occult Influence, you can dig up information to improve your knowledge, get inside the occult community and find rare components for magical rituals. Even rare relics can be acquisitioned (with considerable other costs) through this Influence. Cult leaders, alternative religious groups, charlatans, occultists, New Agers and a few more dangerous elements can be found here. Cost 1 2 3
4 5
Effect Contact and make use of common occult groups and their practices Know some of the more visible occult figures Know and contact some of the more obscure occult figures Access resources for most rituals and rites Know the general vicinity of certain supernatural entities and (possibly) contact them Access vital or rare material components Milk impressionable wannabes for bucks ($250) Access occult tomes and writings Research a Basic ritual Research an Intermediate ritual Access minor relics Unearth an Advanced ritual
POLICE
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POLITICAL Deal-making is second nature to most Demons, so they can get along very well with other soul-merchants - that is, politicians. Altering party platforms, controlling local elections, changing appointed offices and calling in favors all falls under the purview of Political Influence. Well-timed blackmail, bribery, spin-doctoring or any sundry tricks are stock in trade on both sides of this fence. Some of the likely contacts and allies include pollsters, lobbyists, activists, party members, spin doctors and politicians from rural zoning committees to the mayors of major cities or Congressional representatives. Cost 1 2
3 4 5
―To protect and serve‖ is the motto of the police, but these days, Fallen and mortals alike may have cause to wonder who is being protected and served. That said, Police Influence can be very handy in a pinch, to protect one‘s holdings or to raid the assets of another. Police of all ranks, detectives, clerical staff, dispatchers, prison guards, special divisions (such as SWAT or homicide) and local highway patrol make up these ranks. Cost 1 2 3 4
Effect Learn police procedures Hear police information and rumors Avoid traffic tickets Have license plates checked Avoid minor violations (first conviction) Get ―inside information‖ Get copies of an investigation report Have police hassle, detain or harass someone Find bureau secrets Access confiscated weapons or contraband Have some serious charges dropped Start an investigation Get money, either from the evidence room or as an appropriation ($1,000)
Institute major investigations Arrange setups Instigate bureau investigations Have officers fired
Effect Minor lobbying Identify real platforms of politicians and parties Be in the know Meet small-time politicians Gamer inside information on processes, laws and the like Use a slush fund or fund-raiser ($1,000) Sway or alter political projects (local parks, renovations, small construction) Enact minor legislation Dash careers of minor politicians Get your candidate in a minor office Enact encompassing legislature
STREET Ignored and often spat on by their ―betters,‖ those in the dark alleys and slums have created their own culture to deal with life and any outsiders who might come calling. When calling on Street Influence, you use your connections on the underside of the city to find the homeless, gang members of all sorts, street buskers, petty criminals, prostitutes, residents of the slums or barrios, and fringe elements of so-called ―deviant‖ cultures. Cost 1 2
3
Effect Open an ear for the word on the street Identify most gangs and know their turfs and habits Live mostly without fear on the underside of society Keep a contact or two in most aspects of street life Access small-time contraband Get insight into other areas of Influence
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Arrange some services from street people or gangs Get pistols or uncommon melee weapons Mobilize groups of homeless Panhandle or hold a ―collection‖ ($250) Get hold of a shotgun, rifle or SMG Have a word in almost all aspects of gang operations Control a single medium-sized gang Arrange impressive protests by street people
4
5
3 4 5
UNIVERSITY Institutions of learning and research are the purview of the University Influence. Access to the halls of learning can help you with any number of resources, from ancient languages to research assistance to many impressionable young minds. School boards, students from kindergarten through college, graduate students, professors, teachers, deans, Greek orders and a variety of staff fill the ivy-covered halls.
TRANSPORTATION Most Fallen gravitate to cities, so controlling the flow and lifeblood in and out of cities is of prime importance. Getting access to special supplies and services can also take a measure of Transportation. All these things can be controlled with a bit of sway over truckers, harbors, railroads, airports, taxis, border guards, pilots and untold hundreds, as well as more mundane aspects like shipping and travel arrangements. Cost 1 2
3 4 5
Effect Know what goes where, when and why Travel locally quickly and freely Track an unwary target if he uses public transportation Arrange passage safe (or at least concealed) from mundane threats (robbery, terrorism, sunlight, etc.) Seriously hamper an individual‘s ability to travel Avoid most supernatural dangers when traveling (such as Lupines) Shut down one form of transportation (bus lines, ships, planes, trains, etc.) temporarily Route money your way ($500) Reroute major modes of travel Smuggle with impunity
UNDERWORLD The world of crime offers lucrative possibilities to strong-willed or subtle leaders. Guns, money, drugs and vice -such delicious pastimes can be led by anyone talented or simply vicious enough to take them. Underworld Influence lets you call on such favors for all manner of illegal dealings, and its ranks are filled by the Mafia, La Cosa Nostra, drug dealers, bookies, Yakuza, tongs, hitmen, fences and criminal gangs. Cost 1 2
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Effect Locate minor contraband (knives, small-time drugs, petty gambling, scalped tickets) Obtain pistols, serious drugs, stolen cars Hire muscle to rough someone up Fence stolen loot Prove that crime pays (and score $1,000)
Obtain a rifle, shotgun or SMG Arrange a minor ―hit‖ Meet someone in ―the Family‖ Make white-collar crime connections Arrange gangland assassinations Hire a demolition man or firebug Supply local drug needs
Cost 1 2
3
4 5
Effect Know layout and policy of local schools Have access to low-level university resources Get records up to the high school level Know a contact or two with useful knowledge or Abilities Have minor access to facilities Fake high school records Obtain college records Call in faculty favors Cancel a class Fix grades Discredit a student Organize student protests and rallies Discredit faculty members Falsify an undergraduate degree
LEGACY The mortal mind is ill-equipped for the vast memories of the fallen, and much of what demons remember from the Age of Wrath and before is driven deep into their host's subconscious, where it can only be felt dimly, if at all. This Background allows you to recall more of your past memories than other fallen, permitting you access to more detailed information about personalities, places and events that occurred in Earth's prehistory. Calling upon your memories requires an Static Mental challenge (Legacy). The difficulty of the roll depends on the relative obscurity of the information you're after, at the discretion of the Storyteller. Remembering details about a close compatriot during the War of Wrath would require a difficulty of 6 traits, while recalling the location of a specific battlefield or the location of a former bastion might require a difficulty of 7 traits or higher. What exactly you remember, is up to Storyteller discretion.
No Traits - You have only the barest recollection of your former existence. One Trait - You can remember some details of the war and those you fought with. Two Traits - You can remember a fair amount of information about the Fall. Three Traits - You remember the war and your exploits with some detail. Four Traits - You remember a great deal about the war and the time before the Fall. Five Traits - You have a wealth of detailed memories of your past existence.
MENTOR
A great deal has changed in the mortal world since the rebellion, and the fallen are not always aware of how things have changed. They're also new to mortal existence and the various limits placed on their power. This Background gives your character a mentor, a guide and teacher who gives you advice and guidance. Most likely your mentor is a fellow demon who has been around the block a few times and has reason to want to help you. It's also possible your mentor might be a mortal well-versed in the secrets of the fallen and willing to help you out with the nuances of the mortal world. A low rating in this Background indicates a mentor with limited resources and influence, while a high rating gives you a mentor who commands respect (and possibly fear). When you call on your mentor, you risk a certain number of Traits to achieve a given effect. A lowly one-Trait mentor probably knows only little more than you, while a five-Trait mentor may well have luminous standing within your House or Faction and a wide range of potent powers. Regardless, taking up your mentor‘s valuable time is costly. You must engage in a Simple Test when you call on your mentor. If you succeed, your mentor deigns to aid you. If you tie, your mentor grants you assistance, but then requires something in return. If you fail, your mentor demands the favor first before helping. In any case, your mentor can be called on only once in any given game session, and only if you have an appropriate way to contact him or her. The level of aid that your mentor can give depends on the number of Traits in this Background (and Storyteller approval, of course):
For one Trait, your mentor is privy to a single piece of specialized information at a level above your own. If you have Occult x 2, for instance, your mentor can be called on to gift you with one piece of information from Occult x 3.
For two Traits, you can borrow one level of Eminence, Influence, or Resources from your mentor for the duration of the game. If your mentor is very powerful (four or five Traits), you can borrow two levels. Two Traits allows your mentor to instruct you in a Basic level Lore which is Common or House appropriate. For three Traits, your mentor can instruct you in an Intermediate Lore that you do not know, and which is Common or House appropriate for your mentor. At a cost of four Traits, your mentor can train you in the ways of a special Hobby/Professional/Expert Ability that is outside your normal ken, such as Wraith Lore, or Vampire lore. For five Traits, your mentor can train you in an Advanced level Lore, which is Common or House appropriate.
Since Mentors can prove unbalancing by providing too many different powers over the course of a long game, the Storyteller may lower your total Mentor Traits as you call on his knowledge. This decrease represents the fact that as your character learns the mentor‘s secrets, the mentor has less left to teach.
PACTS
You've already established one or more pacts with mortals, granting them their desires in exchange for some of their Faith. Each dot in this Background represents one pre-existing pact you can draw upon for Faith. You should work with the Storyteller to describe the nature of your various pacts, whom they are with, their conditions and so forth. The Storyteller may even want to include the establishment of one or more of your pacts in the prelude. Once your character enters play, the pacts provided by this Background function like any other.
No Traits – You have no established pacts. One Trait - One established pact (1 Faith per day). Two Traits - Two established pacts (2 Faith per day). Three Traits - Three established pacts (3 Faith per day). Four Traits - Four established pacts (4 Faith per day). Five Traits - Five established pacts (5 Faith per day).
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PARAGON Each House of the fallen resonates with a particular facet of Creation they were set over by the Lord Above that forms the lore of that House, Some of the fallen are particularly capable in their primary lore. It might be a certain deftness with which they tug the strings of Creation or an insight into its inner workings. Whatever the case, these paragons are the virtuosos of their lore — potential masters of the art. The bonus traits gained through Paragon are applicable to any use of that Lore that requires or counts traits for its usage.
No Traits – No Bonus Traits for selected Lore. One Trait – One Bonus Trait for selected Lore. Two Traits - Two Bonus Traits for selected Lore. Three Traits - Three Bonus Traits for selected Lore. Four Traits - Four Bonus Traits for selected Lore. Five Traits - Five Bonus Traits for selected Lore.
RESOURCES You have access to liquid capital and spending money. You also have some solid resources that you can use when times are tight. Unlike the use of Finance, these resources are always readily available, and they come to you automatically due to your investments, jobs and holdings.
No Traits: One Trait: Two Traits: Three Traits: Four Traits:
Five Traits:
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Resource Allocation Poverty. Income $200. Get roommates. Bus pass. Small savings and holdings; income $500. Have apartment, cheap means of transportation. Modest savings and holdings; income $1,000. Have condo and motorcycle or modest car. Significant savings and holdings; income $3,000. Own house, car. Large savings and holdings. Income $10,000. Own large house or some small properties, two vehicles, some luxuries and unusual items. Rich. Income $30,000. Own estate and grounds, multiple small properties, several vehicles, arts and treasures, luxury items.
Your number of Resources Traits determines the amount of money and capital that you can secure. By expending temporary Resources Traits (which return at the next game session), you can draw on your regular income, as shown in the accompanying table. If you expend permanent Resources, you can divest yourself of holdings, allowing access to 10 times the amount shown on the table. However, the limits of what you can buy are always adjudicated by the Storyteller. Truly powerful uses of Resources are best left to downtimes and moderation between game sessions.
VIRTUES
Once the fallen embodied certain virtues. In fact, their passionate devotion to their nations of right and wrong, their compassion for humanity, and their belief in the righteousness of their cause is what led them to rebel in the first place. The memories and mortality of their human hosts reawaken the fallen's virtuous selves, and they cling to those Virtues to hold off the memories of the aeons of torment they've suffered. In Demon, a character's Virtues measure his dedication to those ideals. They influence how the character reacts in certain situations, and they affect when and how the character may be overcome by torment. The fallen need their Virtues to hold on to their sanity and resist becoming the insane creatures they once were.
CONSCIENCE Conscience is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, a moral compass and the ability to feel remorse for one's misdeeds. Conscience is what shocks the fallen out of their Torment when the first inhabit a mortal host. It is like holding up a mirror in which the fallen can see how twisted and hideous they have become, compared to the shining beings they once were. They see their deeds objectively for the first time and feel remorse at what they have done. Conscience is a measure of the character's dedication to a personal code of ethics and to doing the right thing. Conscience is important for making retests on Torment challenges whenever the player puts their personal needs over their code of ethics.
CONVICTION All of Creation has a purpose, and everything happens for a reason. Once the fallen never questioned this. They understood that everything was a part of God's divine plan, and they took comfort in that certainty. The willingness to question God's will, to wonder what the purpose of certain things is, helped
bring about the Fall and the rebellion. Now the fallen look for meaning in die seemingly random happenings of the world again. Conviction is a measure of a character's innate understanding of the order of Creation. It is a combination of an almost Zenlike ability to accept circumstances with ease and grace and the ability to keep the faith in the face of any adversity. Characters with high Conviction know, on the deepest level, what must be, and they accept it. Conviction is important for making retests on Torment challenges whenever a player violates their own personal beliefs.
COURAGE Courage is the strength of one's Conscience and Conviction, the ability to remain firm in the face of danger, fear or adversity. It includes bravery in the face of danger, but it's more than that. It's also the ability to withstand pain and hardship for the greater good or even to sacrifice oneself when necessary. Courageous characters can face nearly anything without flinching, and they have the ability to do what must be done, regardless of the consequences. While a high-Conscience character might know that an action is right, and a highConviction character knows that it is necessary, it takes Courage to go out and do it, no matter how hard it may be. Courage is important for making retests on Torment challenges whenever the player puts his own personal safety before his ideals or ethics out of fear.
WILLPOWER Willpower Traits measure the strength of your character‘s resolve and sense of self. By exerting your Willpower, you can withstand otherwise untenable conditions, renew your commitment to a course of action and empower certain difficult Lores. Willpower Traits are not described with adjectives. You simply have permanent Willpower - your normal limit
of Willpower Traits - and temporary Willpower, your expendable Traits. Your starting permanent and temporary Willpower are determined by the combination of your two highest Virtues, and your starting Faith score at character creation; and the max number of Willpower Traits is twenty (also the max of your two highest Virtues combined with your highest level of Faith). When you expend temporary Willpower Traits or raise your permanent Willpower, you regain temporary Traits at a rate of one per game session (though your Storyteller may vary this pace to suit the needs of her game or to simplify bookkeeping). Expending a Willpower Trait allows for one of any number of effects. Generally, Willpower Traits allow you to keep selfdetermination and to empower extremely difficult or complex actions. Using Willpower is almost always a reflexive action, and does not count as your turn. A Willpower Trait can be spent to refresh all of your lost Traits in one Attribute categoryPhysical, Social or Mental. You may do so once per category per game session. Expenditure of a Willpower Trait allows you to gain a retest when defending against a Mental or Social Challenge. Trait loss works as normal for such retests. Note that certain Lores or powers may override this stipulation. Spending one Willpower Trait enables you to enter a challenge for which you lack an appropriate Ability. Thus, you can make a test even if you would normally require a specific Ability that you don‘t have or have used up. You can expend a Willpower Trait to ignore all wound penalties, up to and including Incapacitated, for the duration of one full turn. Spending a Willpower Trait lets you suppress a derangement temporarily. If you spend enough Willpower Traits on
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suppressing a derangement, you may overcome it eventually. Certain Lores or powers require the expenditure of Willpower. For some effects (mostly involving permanency), you may be required to spend permanent Willpower.
FAITH Faith is the core of the fallen's power, the ability that once let them literally move mountains. Although their power is no longer what it was, demons can still influence Creation in various ways through their Faith. Faith is a combination of a demon's selfassurance, insight into the nature of Creation and closeness to the divine power they once wielded. Before the Fall, demons had faith in their Creator and drew their power from Him. Now the fallen place their faith only in themselves (and sometimes in humanity) and draw their power from their belief in themselves and mortals' faith in them. Unlike most traits, Faith is rated on a scale from 1 - 10, since it can transcend the limits of
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mortality. The greater a demon's Faith is, the more power it wields over the forces of Creation. Faith also dictates how high you can buy lores. Until a character increases their Faith above the starting three, they cannot learn Lores past the first Intermediate level. To learn Advanced Lores, they must increase their Faith to five, and so on.
SPENDING FAITH Fallen characters have two Faith scores, permanent Faith and a pool of Faith traits. Permanent Faith is like any other trait. The Faith pool starts out equal to permanent Faith, but demons use their Faith trait pool to fuel their various supernatural abilities, allowing them to perform amazing feats. Demonic powers come in three varieties, all fueled by the power of Faith: innate abilities, the apocalyptic form and lore. For details of these powers, see Chapter Five. Some powers merely require the demon to have Faith, meaning at least one trait in their Faith pool. This allows the fallen to use their innate abilities at will, for example. Other powers, like activating the apocalyptic form or using lore, require a test or challenge or require the expenditure of Faith points to
function.
REVELATION
Although they possess amazing powers, demons do take a risk in using their abilities too often, the chance of Revelation. The more Faith a demon uses in a given scene, the more likely mortals are to see the fallen's true nature through the guise of mortal flesh. This may be awe-inspiring or terrifying, depending on the demon's Torment, but it is always a powerful experience for any mortal. The Revelation also announces a demon's presence to others able to sense the disturbances that happen when one tampers with Creation. This makes it more difficult for demons to conceal their activities from their enemies. For details on how Revelation affects mortals, see Chapter Six.
REGAINING FAITH Having lost faith in their Creator, the fallen can regain Faith only by taking it from mortals. They do so in one of two ways: reaping—taking Faith from mortal fear or awe — and pacts, deals made with mortals to acquire their Faith in exchange for something the demon provides. See Chapter Six for detailed systems covering these two methods.
REAPING Reaping is a quick, short-term means of acquiring Faith. All it requires is a mortal to believe in the demon's existence and power even for a moment. That moment is enough for the fallen to seize the mortal's faith, and take it for their own. Reaping can take any form that convinces a mortal, without a doubt, that the demon is a true supernatural being. A mortal being skinned alive by a creature from Hell has no doubt that it is real. Likewise a mortal who receives the aid of a shining guardian angel knows that a divine power has intervened. A Revelation is not enough in and of itself, though. The demon must interact with the mortal in some direct way. The Storyteller judges whether or not a particular action is enough to constitute a reaping. The fallen are cautious about reaping, simply because it forces them to reveal themselves to mortals and increases the chance of demon-hunters or other foes tracking them down.
PACTS A more reliable way for the fallen to gain Faith is to establish pacts. A pact is a relationship between a demon and a mortal. The demon provides the mortal with a service of some sort and, in return, the mortal provides the demon with Faith. Pacts take time to set up and maintain, but they offer several
advantages, including a continuing supply of Faith and the fact that the mortal does not need to be aware of the demon's true nature (at least at first). Establishing a pact is relatively simple. The demon offers to fulfill a wish or desire for the mortal in exchange for the mortal's devotion and worship. If the mortal agrees, the demon spends a point of Faith and fulfills the mortal's wish to seal the pact. In order to be successful, the demon must fulfill the mortal's desire and the mortal must willingly accept the gift and the terms of the pact. The attempt fails if the demon doesn't live up to his end of the bargain or if the mortal refuses the pact. Once a pact is established, only the demon can break it. As long as the demon upholds its end, there's nothing the mortal can do (short of destroying the demon, which is easier said than done). The nature of the pact is entirely up to the demon. High-Torment demons tend toward corruptive pacts, offering mortals their secret desires, luring them with promises of power and luxury. Low-Torment demons may prefer pacts of genuine gratitude and devotion on the mortal's part, such as fulfilling someone's dream of becoming a great artist, or healing a critically injured or ill person. Demons often perform favors for mortals before establishing a pact with them. If the mortal refuses the deal, the demon can always revoke its favor to give the mortal something to think about. As they say, the first taste is free....
TORMENT The fallen are all haunted by the past. The two greatest things they loved, God and humanity, both turned their backs on them and consigned them to millennia of torture and pain, but nothing Hell could offer was worse than the first terrible wounds inflicted by the betrayal of their Creator and their beloved charges. All demons carry a measure of that pain with them, and many are driven mad by it. A demon's Torment is a measure of the anguish and suffering it carries, and how it deals with those painful memories. Like Faith, Torment is rated on a scale of 110, and it has a temporary and a permanent aspect. A demon with a permanent Torment of 1 is close to forgiving and letting go of the sins of the past, and deals with them extraordinarily well, for the most part. A demon with a permanent Torment of 10 is consumed by his own pain and torment, incapable of doing anything except inflicting the same on others. The greater a demon's Torment is, the less compassion and caring he is capable of feeling. A character's permanent Torment varies depending on his Celestial House, detailed in Chapter Two. All characters begin the game with a temporary Torment of 0.
THE WAGES OF SIN
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Heartless acts of selfishness and cruelty only strengthen a demon's inner torment, hardening the soul and stoking the fires of resentment and hatred. The fallen who give in to the temptation to lash out at the world for their pain begin to wallow and drown in it. When a demon commits a sin against one of his Virtues, his temporary Torment may increase. The Storyteller should always warn players when their characters are about to perform actions that may cause them Torment, allowing them the opportunity to reconsider as the demon's Virtue tugs at the comers of his mind. In situations where a demon acts in a way that satisfies his immediate needs at the expense of his ethics, make a Simple test (Conscience). In situations where a demon acts in a way that violates his personal beliefs, make a Simple test (Conviction). When the demon chooses a course of action out of fear for his safety and at the expense of others, make a Simple test (Courage). When your character sins, make a Simple test with the ST, retesting with the appropriate trait. You cannot spend Willpower for an additional retest.
If the test succeeds or ties, the character feels remorse and a sense of horror at how far she has fallen. She refuses to give in to her demonic nature, and her temporary Torment does not increase. If the test fails, your character exults in the rush of power, stoking the fires of her personal Hell. This must he what God felt like when He chose to exile your character to endless torment, the power to take lives into your hands and do with them as you please. Your character gains a point of temporary Torment.
When you have acquired 10 points of temporary Torment, these points are converted to a single point of permanent Torment. Once your permanent Torment increases to 10, your character is entirely consumed by it. Incapable of compassion or hope, the character passes into the hands of the Storyteller, no longer suitable for play.
ACTS OF KINDNESS Where cruel and selfish actions increase Torment, kindness and selflessness are a balm to the torment of the fallen, those not too proud or lazy to seek it out, that is. Acts of kindness remind demons of the divine beings they once were, and they can help reduce one's Torment. Such acts must be truly kind and compassionate, done for no reason other than the act itself, without expectation of reward. Supposed acts of kindness aimed at creating a pact or winning over a mortal (or for any other selfish reason) need not apply.
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The Storyteller determines whether a particular act is sufficient to count toward a reduction in Torment. In some cases, a series of small good deeds (such as
REDEMPTION
There are rumors among the fallen that it is possible to attain the forgiveness of Heaven and regain what they have lost. A demon who somehow manages to reduce his permanent Torment to zero could theoretically become an angel again. The difficulty is that no demon knows how to achieve this state of grace or, if any do, they're not talking. The Storyteller can hold out the possibility of redemption as a motivation for characters in a Demon chronicle—even have rumors and stories about it show up — but it's ultimately up to the Storyteller whether or not it truly exists. volunteer work) may count as a single act of kindness. When your character performs a sufficiently selfless and kind act, make a Simple test, retesting with the appropriate Virtue. Use your character's Conscience for situations in which he makes a sacrifice or puts the needs of another ahead of himself because he knows it's the right thing to do. Use Conviction in situations where the character performs an act at great personal cost to himself to remain true to his beliefs. Finally, use Courage for situations where the character displays gallantry and valor for the sake of someone else. You cannot spend Willpower on Virtue retests.
If you tie or lose, your cynicism and emotional pain overwhelm the good deed. Why are you even bothering? It's not going to do any real good in the end. Look where all your good intentions got you before. They're not kidding when they say the road to Hell is paved with them. Your temporary Torment remains unchanged. If you win, your act of kindness affirms your divine nature and Lifts you above your own suffering, if only for a moment. In that moment, you can see a shadow of what you once were. You lose a point of temporary Torment.
THE BENEFITS OF EXPERIENCE The fallen can also use experience to decrease their permanent Torment, representing lessons learned from existence in the material world, clothed in mortal flesh. Fallen characters can spend 10 experience points to decrease their permanent Torment by one point.
Whether through acts of kindness or experience, permanent Torment cannot decrease below 1. How can the fallen regain the innocence they have lost? How can they find it within themselves to entirely put aside the pain they have suffered?
EFFECTS OF TORMENT
A demon's Torment has a number of effects on die character's appearance and the way his powers work, depending on its rating and its relationship to the demon's other traits. In general, it reflects how much of the demon's inner anguish consumes its thoughts and feelings, as well as the demon's capacity for cruelty and compassion.
If your Torment creates difficulty in using your lore, your pain taints what you do. When you attempt to perform an evocation, the player compares her permanent Willpower to her permanent Torment. If her Willpower exceeds her character's Torment score, the power works as normal. If her current Willpower is equal to or less than her Torment, the high-Torment effect of the evocation occurs whether they wish it or not, potentially inflicting harm when the character intends to accomplish good. You can choose to use the high-Torment effect of your lore, but you automatically gain a point of temporary Torment as a result. This goes for characters with high Torment as well. Torment is a very slippery slope.
For example, Zaphriel is ambushed by a group of demon-hunters that rush her as she approaches her car. Knowing the character is outnumbered and possibly outgunned, Jen turns to Zaphriel‘s lore and sees that the high-Torment effect of Voice of Heaven inflicts bashing damage on every
HEALTH LEVELS Health Level
Trait Penalties
Healthy x 2
One trait down on ties Must bid extra trait; opponent wins on all ties Unconscious for ten minutes, unable to move until healed -
Bruised x 3 Wounded x2
Incapacitated Dead
mortal for several yards around the character. Caught in a desperate situation, Jen decides to use the highTorment effect. Zaphriel opens herself to her darker nature and utters a hissing shriek of blasphemies that send the mortals reeling. Though she escapes, the brief taste of ageless hatred still lingers, Zaphriel gains a temporary Torment point.
The appearance of your apocalyptic form in a Revelation varies based on your Torment rating. If it is less than or equal to half your Willpower, your apocalyptic form is glorious and awe-inspiring. If your Torment is greater than half your Willpower, mortals may see you as awesome or terrifying, depending on their own point of view. If your Torment is greater than your Willpower rating, your apocalyptic form is nightmarish and horrifying.
For example, Zaphriel has a Willpower of 5 and a Torment of 4- When she reveals her apocalyptic form, mortals see her as a radiant figure of supernatural majesty, or a sinister, seductive spirit wreathed in a nimbus of hellish light. Later on, if Jen were to spend some hard won experience points to lower Zaphriel's permanent Torment to 2, she would have purged her character of her malevolent desires to the degree that anyone looking upon her would see only the faded glory of an angel.
HEALTH Although they have great supernatural power, most demons still wear stolen mortal flesh, so they are vulnerable to the various weaknesses of the flesh. The Health trait measures a character's physical wellbeing. Characters have eight "health levels," as shown on the character sheet and the Health Levels table. When characters take damage, they lose one or more health levels until they can recover them through rest or supernatural healing. Characters also accumulate penalties to movement, actions and dice pools due to the effects of their injuries. If a penalty reduces a character's traits to zero, the character cannot even attempt that action. A player can spend a point of Willpower for his character to ignore wound penalties for one action, though.
FAITH HEALING Demons can repair their mortal vessels with the power of their Faith, as long as they are conscious and capable of action. Spending a point of Faith heals either a single level of lethal damage or all levels of
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bashing damage. Faith cannot heal aggravated damage. Only time or more powerful abilities can do so. (See Chapter Five for details.) Injured demons low on Faith may resort to reaping to replenish themselves. A Demon may spend only one Fiath Trait in this way a turn, and it requires total concentration for the turn.
INFERNAL MERITS & FLAWS
DEMONS AND DEATH
Angelic Gaze (1 pt. Merit) The Eyes are the windows to the soul, and the act of possession has altered the eyes of your character‘s mortal host to reflect his celestial nature. The fallen is up one trait in any Social challenges which use Empathy, Intimidation, or Leadership as a retest.
Although they wear mortal flesh, the fallen are not mortal. Their bodies can die just like mortals' do when they exceed the Incapacitated health level, but the spirit — the immortal essence of the demon itself— lives on. A demon who loses his mortal vessel has three options. If there is another suitable vessel nearby — a mortal body with a weak or absent soul—the demon can attempt to possess it. If there is no suitable vessel nearby, the demon may attempt to anchor himself to a particular place or object, becoming Earthbound and eliminating the need for a mortal vessel (this character becomes unplayable, as the full brunt of their Torment drives them insane). Finally, if one of the demon's thralls is nearby, the fallen can use the pact of Faith to automatically possess the mortal's body. If these options fail, the demon is hurled back into the Abyss and trapped there until some outside force summons it back to the mortal world, such as a ritual of summoning. Some demons take care to ensure that at least one mortal follower or worshipper is capable of summoning them back to Earth and providing a new mortal vessel, although doing so means trusting a mortal with the secrets of summoning demons, a dangerous proposition itself. For more information on possessing new bodies or physical objects, see Chapter Six.
MERITS & FLAWS As optional Traits to flesh out your character, Merits and Flaws allow you to specify particular advantages or disadvantages that are not covered by Attributes, Abilities or Backgrounds. All Merits and Flaws are organized into specific categories, according to their type. To purchase a Merit, you must expend Free Traits equal to the cost of the Merit; taking a Flaw, conversely, hinders you with a handicap of some sort, but it offers additional Free Traits. You can take up to seven Traits each of Merits and Flaws. Normally, you must purchase Merits and Flaws during character creation. However, with an appropriate story, you may be able to buy a new Merit (with Experience equal to double its value) or overcome a Flaw (again, with experience equal to double its value).
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Angelic Aura (1 pt. Merit) Your character exudes the nobility and grace of a Celestial even in her unaltered mortal state. You are up one trait in Social challenges dealing with mortals.
Atavistic Form (2 pt. Merit) Upon their return to the mortal world, the fallen have discovered that many of their past exploits have lived on in human legend. The fallen is up one trait in Social challenges with mortals when in Apocalyptic Form, while mortals are down one trait to resist Revelation. Dreams of the Past (2 pt. Merit) When dreaming, your character is able to recall especially vivid memories of the Age of Wrath. The Storyteller can use this merit to impart useful information to your character that she might not otherwise know. The fallen is also up one trait on any Legacy tests. Famous Liege (2 pt. Merit) Your character is the vassal of a legendary lord of the infernal host, which grants your character an aura of authority. The Fallen gains the special Eminence Trait Vassal. With it come obligations to fulfill your service to your master. Failing to do so when the time comes can bring about the immediate loss of the Vassal trait, and the gaining of the Negative Eminence Trait Oath-Breaker. Ancient Animosity (1-3 pt. Flaw) You still hold to a feud with another demon, dating back to the War of Wrath. The fallen has an NPC demon as an enemy, which is run by the Storyteller. The level of flaw this is taken at, decides the relative annoyance level of the NPC, from low, to moderate, to high. True Reflection (1 pt. Flaw) Mirrors reveal your Apocalyptic Form. This does not cause Revelation in mortals. Nightmare (1 pt. Flaw) Your sleep is plagued by visions of the horrors you saw during the war. The player must make a Simple Test (Willpower) with the ST at the start of game. If they fail, they‘re down two traits for the first
challenge of the evening. Infamy (2 pt. Flaw) Your actions have earned you ill repute among the Fallen. The fallen is down one trait on Social challenges with fellow Fallen. War Wound (2 pt. Flaw) You received a terrible wound during the war that scarred your essence. Each time you take apocalyptic form, you suffer one level of aggravated damage. Cannot Enter Holy Ground (3 pt. Flaw) No matter what your Torment, you still suffer damage from sanctified items & holy ground. Flashbacks (3 pt. Flaw) You are haunted by what you saw during the War of Wrath. In combat, make a Static Mental test, difficulty nine; if you fail, you begin hallucinating that you‘re back in the War of Wrath. Hunted (4 pt. Flaw) You are pursued by a fanatical demon-hunter. This is an NPC run by the Storyteller. Note: Taking this flaw can (and probably will) lead to the loss of Background Traits, and possibly the death of your character. You are warned. Probationary Faction Member (4 pt. Flaw) You defected from one faction to another. You are not trusted by your former associates, or by those within your new faction.
PHYSICAL MERITS & FLAWS Acute Sense (1 pt. Merit) One of your senses is exceptionally keen. The fallen is up one trait on any challenge involving that sense. This does not have combat applications. Ambidextrous (1pt. Merit) You have a high degree of coordination, and you can use both of your hands equally well. Normally, you suffer a two. Trait penalty for performing tasks with your ―off hand. With this Merit, you have no penalty for using either hand. Of course, if you use both hands, you still suffer the coordination penalty for both. Light Sleeper (1 pt. Merit) You wake quickly from nearby commotions. Any disturbance while sleeping wakes you up automatically.
Natural Runner (1 pt. Merit) Your mortal host enjoyed running, therefore you‘re in good shape. If making a Run action, the fallen may move three additional steps each turn. Perfect Balance (1 pt. Merit) Your sense of balance is superb. The fallen is up one trait in any Physical challenges involving balance. Bundle of Energy (2 pt. Merit) You‘re full of energy, subsisting on five or six hours of sleep a night. You can work into the night without penalty. Forgettable (2 pt. Merit) People‘s eyes tend to pass over you and ignore you. They tend to forget you after meeting you. Restriction: You cannot possess more than three Charisma or Appearance based Social traits, combined. Daredevil (3 pt. Merit) You love to take risks. Once per evening, the fallen may have one free retest of a failed Physical challenge. Note: combat does not apply to this merit. Huge Size (3 pt. Merit) Nearly seven feet tall and hundreds of pounds in weight, you tower over most adversaries (and allies). You have one extra Bruised health level. You should represent your incredible mass appropriately - wearing bulky clothing is a good start. Distinguishing Characteristic (1-2 pt. Flaw) Your mortal body had a feature that makes them easy to pick out, be it tattoos, scars, or the like. For one trait, this flaw is noticeable, but concealable. For two, it is not concealable. Medicated (1-5 pt. Flaw) Your body requires daily medication to stay alive, from cholesterol medication (1 pt.) to insulin or worse (5 pt). Each point is a level of damage you take each additional 12 hours after you go a day without your meds. Poor Eyesight (1 or 3 pt. Flaw) Defective sight causes you no end of trouble. Any time you are called on to perform a challenge that involves careful eyesight, you suffer a two-Trait penalty. If your vision problem is correctable with glasses or contact lenses, it is only worth one Trait; if it is uncorrectable, it is worth three Traits. Obviously, you cannot have the Merit: Acute Sense: Sight with this Flaw.
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Poor Hearing (1 or 3 pt. Flaw) Defective hearing causes you no end of trouble. Any time you are called on to perform a challenge that involves careful hearing, you suffer a two-Trait penalty. If your hearing problem is correctable with a hearing aid, it is only worth one Trait; if it is uncorrectable, it is worth three Traits. Obviously, you cannot have the Merit: Acute Sense: Hearing with this Flaw. Short (1 pt. Flaw) You have trouble seeing over things, interacting with tall people and escaping notice due to your proportions. You can only take two steps in an action instead of three, due to your small size. You also have trouble reaching countertops and manipulating objects designed for normal people (like cars). You should wear a tag to note your condition if you are not actually that short. Disfigured (2 pt. Flaw) A hideous disfigurement afflicts you, twisting your countenance in a memorable fashion. You cannot take any Appearance-related Social Traits. Furthermore, you suffer a two-Trait penalty on all Social Challenges except intimidation. Insomniac (2 pt. Flaw) You have tremendous trouble getting more than a few hours sleep. You are down two traits on the first challenge of every game session. Addiction (3 pt. Flaw) Some chemical or biological substance hooked you, and now you crave it in the blood. You try to feed from people whose blood will satiate your cravings. This substance generally has negative effects on you - alcohol or depressants may give you the Negative Trait: Lethargic for the rest of the evening after feeding, or amphetamines may cause you to suffer from the Negative Trait Impatient. You can only draw nourishment from blood with your ―fix‖ in it; you vomit up any other blood. Crippled Limb (3 pt. Flaw) You‘re missing a limb, or it might as well be missing. If it‘s an arm, you are down two traits on challenges involving the use of two hands. If it‘s a leg, you can only take one step per action, you cannot run and you should take the Negative Trait Lame as well. You should roleplay this Flaw with a cane or a set of leg braces. Elderly (3 pt. Flaw) You are old, and you don‘t have the resilience of youth. You only heal one bashing a day, rather than
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every ten minutes, and you are down two traits on any Physical challenge. Missing Eye (3 pt. Flaw) Whether by injury or defect, you are missing an eye or one of your eyes does not function. You are two Traits down on tests of depth perception, including ranged combat. Depending on the nature of your eye damage, you may choose to wear an eyepatch, or you may simply have one blind eye. Child (4 pt. Flaw) Your host was only a child, between five and 10 years of age. Your age causes some decided problems: you cannot have more than six Physical Traits normally, and you suffer a two-Trait penalty on tests of authority with adults. Since you never age or grow up, this Flaw will probably be with you forever. You must additionally take the Flaw: Short (though you do get Free Traits for it). Deafness (4 pt. Flaw) You are completely deaf. You must use sign language or some other form of communication. You suffer a three-Trait penalty on tests of perception and alertness. You cannot have Acute Sense: Hearing and you are surprised automatically by anyone who approaches you from outside your line of sight. Blind (6 pt. Flaw) The world of sight is lost to you. You automatically lose all ties where sight would be a factor (tests of manual dexterity, for instance). You fail any challenge requiring sight automatically. If you have this Flaw, you should wear a special tag or glasses to indicate its nature.
SOCIAL MERITS & FLAWS Natural Leader (1 pt. Merit) Natural magnetism and leadership capabilities spring from your actions and words. Others want to follow you, and you easily take charge. You gain two Bonus Traits on tests of leadership. You must have at least six Social Traits to take this Merit. Enchanting Voice (2 pt. Merit) Your voice is naturally resonant and commanding. All uses of your voice grant you two Bonus Traits; you can seduce, intimidate and cajole with just a few well, chosen words. Good Sense of Character (2 pt. Merit) You have an innate instinct for reading a person. You are up two traits on any defensive challenges, where you suspect an opponent is lying to
you. Great Liar (2 pt. Merit) Lying comes naturally to your character. You are two traits up on any social challenge that involves lying to or deceiving another person. Pillar of the Community (2 pt. Merit) You are respected by those in your community, and trusted by those who live around you. They are more likely to believe you when you bring warnings of potential danger or explanations of strange events...the first few times, anyway. Note: Don‘t expect this to be an easy out of take Apocalyptic Form every game session.
Mistaken Identity (1 pt. Flaw) Another Fallen happens to bear a striking resemblance to you. Worse, others in your area have heard descriptions of this person or even met your lookalike, causing no end of confusion. You should wear a tag that indicates your Mistaken Identity. This Flaw can be especially problematic if your look-alike is particularly powerful or notorious in Fallen society. Speech Impediment (1 pt. Flaw) A stammer, Tourette‘s syndrome or other speech deficiency makes communication difficult for you. Roleplay your deficiency, and suffer a two-Trait penalty on all verbal communication. You cannot have this Flaw with the Merit: Enchanting Voice.
Upright Citizen (2 pt. Merit) Your host has not dirty secrets to come back and haunt you, and people who know her have a hard time believing anything bad about you.
Compulsive Liar (2 pt. Flaw) You can‘t help but put your own spin on the truth. To be completely, totally honest, you must spend a Willpower point.
Supportive Family (3 pt. Merit) Your host‘s family is there for you. They won‘t go out of the way to help you (unless their Followers), they just won‘t ask the questions you can‘t answer
Dogged by Fringe Media (2 pt. Flaw) You‘ve attracted the attention of an amateur reporter. He follows you, trying to dig up dirt on your past.
Lucky (4 pt. Merit) You were born lucky - or the Devil looks after his own. Either way, you get three retests per story (for which you bid a Lucky Trait: ‗‗I got Lucky -you missed me last time.‖), though you may not use more than one retest on any challenge. Children (1 pt. Flaw) Your host has children, and you can‘t help but care for them. If you go three days without seeing them, you cease regaining Willpower until you do again. Collaborator (1 pt. Flaw) Sometime within the recent past, you allied with demon hunters (or worse, an Earthbound) to eliminate a rival. Or it‘s gossiped you did. Other fallen know of this. Eccentric Appearance (1 pt. Flaw) You dress or act in the style of a particular subculture that is outside the norm. You are two traits down on social challenges when dealing with people outside that subculture. Intolerant Neighbors (1 pt. Flaw) Your immediate neighborhood is exceptionally placid, and people like it that way. They have a gut reaction to calling the police.
Foreigner (2 pt. Flaw) Your host is not native to this country, and has trouble with some of the finer details. You cannot spend Etiquette as normal, to counter a faux pas. Honest to a Fault (2 pt. Flaw) You always try to tell the truth, regardless of the situation. You are down two traits on any Subterfuge attempt. Mired in Scandal (2 pt. Flaw) Your host was a noticeable part of a large scandal. You are down two-traits on Social challenges against those who are aware of your host‘s past. Note: Fallen tend not to care, this flaw mostly comes into play with mortals. Monstrous Connections (2 pt. Flaw) You have to deal with a monstrous demon as part of your normal life. You are likely the servant of an Earthbound, or being actively recruited by one. Nosy Neighbors (2 pt. Flaw) You have prying (and worse, gossipy) neighbors. They have an interest in you. Stalked (2 pt. Flaw) Someone has an unhealthy obsession with your character.
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Criminal Entanglements (4 pt. Flaw) Your host owes someone on the wrong side of the law, and they‘re not pleased over it.
subject of scrutiny. You should keep a ―cheat sheet‖ of your memories to aid you and the Storyteller in ―recollection.‖
Pacifist (5 pt. Flaw) You utterly refuse to use violence against anything, even if your life or the lives of others are in danger. You may not carry weapons. The very act of doing so causes a Torment test each hour (or less than an hour) the player is in possession of one.
Natural Linguist (2 pt. Merit) You have a remarkable grasp with any languages that you speak or write (as per your Linguistics Ability). You gain three Bonus Traits on all challenges related to language.
MENTAL MERITS & FLAWS Common Sense (1 pt. Merit) You still have a lot of gut insight and everyday practicality. Whenever you‘re about to do something that runs counter to common sense, the Storyteller or Narrator can make suggestions about the action. This Merit is excellent for new players who are not familiar with the intricacies of the game. Concentration (1 pt. Merit) You can shut out distractions and annoyances that would hinder others. Whenever penalty Traits are assigned for some outside phenomenon (harsh lighting, rain, loud noise etc.), you suffer none of the penalty. Time Sense (1 pt. Merit) You have an uncanny sense of time, and can estimate time of day, how much time has passed, etc. without a clock. Code of Honor (2 pt. Merit) A specific code of behavior and ethics guides your actions. This code is very personal, shaped by your own experiences. You should work with your Storyteller to build an appropriate code (which should include some hindrances and prohibited activity in addition to beliefs and passions). You gain one free retest whenever facing a Mental or Social situation that might cause you to violate your code. Determined (2 pt. Merit) You are tenacious, determined to go your own way. You are up two traits when someone tries to persuade you to do something. Eidetic Memory (2 pt. Merit) Your memory is nearly perfect, and you recall almost everything you experience with incredible clarity. A single turn of attention is sufficient to commit a page, picture or short conversation to memory. If you are involved in combat or otherwise distracted, you must make a Static Mental Challenge, difficulty of six Traits, to successfully memorize the contents of your
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Direction Sense (4 pt. Merit) You have an innate sense of where you are and how far you‘ve traveled, without clues. Amnesia (4 pt. Flaw) The past is a blank slate. You know nothing of your history, family, friends or foes. Your Storyteller makes up your character‘s history, including the reasons for your Amnesia. The Storyteller may even keep your character record partially hidden; only revealing your Abilities, Merits and Flaws when you try to use them. In general, the only things obvious to you are the things you can see in the mirror. Note: This is not the same as having Legacy 5. If you have Legacy 0 and Amnesia, you truly are a blank slate. Depression (4 pt. Flaw) Your host was mired in a pit of bleak, mindnumbing sorrow. You only regain Willpower through actions, not rest. Illiterate (4 pt. Flaw) Your host never learned to read, and neither can you. This flaw must be bought off before your Linguistics covers written languages.
LEGAL MERITS & FLAWS Political Radical (1 pt. Flaw) Your are an active member to a group like the KKK, Nation of Islam, or some other extreme political group, and law enforcement has an open dossier on you. Criminal Record (2 pt. Flaw) Your host had a shady past, and was convicted for several misdemeanors or a minor felony. You may not legally own a gun, and receive poor treatment from law enforcement officials. Probation (2 pt. Flaw) Your host is on probation for a minor offense. She must meet with a probation officer regularly, and is subject to random drug tests and searches. She must behave, or look like she is doing so.
Illegal Immigrant (3 pt. Flaw) Your host is not legally in the country. She does not have a legit ID and will probably be deported if caught. You cannot hold a job unless it pays under the table. Resources are limited to one trait max. Wanted by Law Enforcement (3 pt. Flaw) Your host is the prime suspect in a felony crime, and the police are actively looking for you.
EXPERIENCE As sentient beings, we collate the information that is presented to us in our daily lives and hopefully become better people for our experiences. During our life, we learn from the mistakes of yesterday and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. Experience in Laws of the Abyss is represented by giving each character one to three Experience Traits at the end of each session. The number of Traits awarded is based on how well a character performed during the course of the story and how active a player was in the game. The Narrator decides how many Traits each player receives on completion of the session. All players receive one Trait - this is standard. Exceptional roleplayers, those who played an exceptionally memorable part, should receive two. Three Traits should be awarded to those
characters that performed acts of incredible insight and courage, making the game truly memorable for everyone involved. On a normal night, each player will receive one Experience Trait. If you are a Narrator, you should be consistent and fair in awarding Experience. Do it in the open, and be prepared to explain the rationale for your decisions in accordance with the rules. If the players disagree, hear them out and make sure you know the whole story, then award Experience to those who have earned it. Be careful, as awarding too many Experience Traits can make characters too powerful too quickly and give players lax attitudes toward working for their goals. On the other hand, awarding too few disheartens the players and damages their sense of achievement. Awarding Experience Traits, therefore, requires a delicate balance between satisfying players and maintaining the integrity of the game. If you follow the guidelines listed here, you probably won‘t get into too much trouble.
USING EXPERIENCE
Experience Traits may be spent to purchase new Abilities, Traits and Lores, improving a character and giving the player a sense of satisfaction as he watches his character grow more potent.
New Attribute Trait – One experience per Attribute Trait. New Ability Trait – One Experience per Ability Trait up to 5. New Background Trait – One Experience per Trait with Storyteller approval. Backgrounds may also rise and fall based on roleplaying. New Lore – Three Experience for Basic Lores, six for Intermediate Lores, and nine for Advanced Lores. For the first Basic level of any Lore belonging to a House other than the character‘s, the Lore costs an additional Experience. Every level after that is at normal cost, as the Lore has become a part of that demon. New Merit – Double the listed cost of the Merit, with Storyteller approval. This acquisition should not happen instantaneously; it should be worked into a character‘s ongoing story. The addition of a merit should not be treated lightly. New Specialization – One Experience in an Ability already known. New Virtue – Three Experience per Trait, plus the change must be an important part of a character‘s ongoing story-line somehow. New Faith – Ten Experience per Trait. New Willpower – Three Experience per Trait. Buy off Permanent Torment – Five Experience per Trait; must have Storyteller approval. Buy off Negative Trait – Two Experience per Trait. Buy off Flaw – Double the cost of the Flaw, with Storyteller approval, and worked into the character‘s ongoing story.
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The last notes stretched and fell away, and there was rapturous applause. "He's very good," Tattenai said. Sabriel shifted slightly so she could whisper to the new arrival. "Tolerable, perhaps." Despite her words, there was more than a little pride in her eyes. "You're late." Down on the stage, Mike Halbedel spoke softly into the microphone. "This is Christina's Song. I wrote it for someone beyond words." He raised the bow and drew it across the violin slowly and sweetly, very differently from the dramatic beginnings of his previous pieces. "Only a little. Hope I'm not interrupting." Sabriel did not reply. "Have you heard the story -- an old one for these people -- about the fiddler who swapped his fiddle for three prostitutes?" Tattenai said after a while, conversationally. "So now I'm a whore, am I?" Sabriel's face was steady with concentration. "Maybe I should just have given him a bigger dick and done the world a favor." "You underestimate yourself, my dear, and that kind of language does not suit your appearance." A sly smile crept across her face, but she kept her focus. The music was building, the simplicity of the early movements dissolving into intricacies. "I have it," she said. "Your Faustian friends accepted the conditions after all." Any sarcasm in the words was lost on Tattenai. He seemed to have stopped breathing as she reached beneath her jacket to retrieve a box, though there had been now room there for it. It was pretty but modern. Inside was something very, very old. "I knew they would. If anyone could persuade them... And it is one of his own?" "Of course. Can you not feel the Morningstar's breath about it still?" Tattenai accepted the box and ran his fingers across it reverently. Then he hid it away. "The Luciferans owe you a debt, Sabriel." But she was not listening. She was lost in the music as it swelled to fill the auditorium. It was almost hymnlike - beautiful, sad and breathtakingly elaborate. Tattenai looked toward the exit, but waited. And then the pattern faltered. Notes dropped away almost imperceptibly. The music lost its momentum, tried to reassemble itself, then stopped in a single discordant screech. "I can't," Halbedel sobbed. "I can't. Christina, where are you? I'm sorry, I'm--" He staggered and threw the bow away. People stepped in hesitantly from the sides of the stage, looking anxious. The violinist reached into a pocket and drew a knife, long and brilliant in the lights. "Christina," he said. He drew the knife across his throat, staggered and coughed up a wet scream. Chaos erupted. "He must have loved you very much," Tattenai said softly as he rose to leave. "Our agreement, Tattenai," Sabriel said harshly. "Yes, of course. The sculptor." He handed her a piece of paper with an address on it. He tried to smile. "Treat her well." But Sabriel was looking down at the broken body on stage, with lust and triumph in her eyes.
O for a voice like thunder, and a tongue To drown the throat of war! — When the senses Are shaken, and the soul is driven to madness, Who can stand? When the souls of the oppressed Fight in the troubled air that rages, who can stand? —William Blake, "Enoch: The First City of Angels"
POWERS AND PRINCIPALITIES In their time, they lit the void with starlight, shaped worlds from the primal aether and carried the breath of God to man and beast. Whatever else they have become after the darkness of the abyss, the fallen remain avatars of creation, living manifestations of Heaven‘s Grand Design. Before they forswore their covenant with God, the fallen and their peers made up the boundary that separated the Creator from His creation, each Celestial House charged with interpreting a different facet of the design. In a sense, the angels were the lens through which the Creator‘s vision was subtly distorted, injecting a momentum of dynamic change that gave the cosmos a life of its own. It was this process of interpretation and conceptualization that was the source of the beings‘ power. The angels took Heaven's Grand Design and defined its myriad potential, establishing each concept's
existence by defining its relationship to the universe. Once these relationships were described, they could be manipulated by invoking their identity or name. As die universe evolved, each House accumulated a vast store of these conceptual relationships. They were the threads that comprised die fabric of die universe, die fundamental components of physical reality. The act of manipulating these names of power was called an evocation, and a House's store of evocations was referred to as its lore. Performing an evocation, no matter how great or small, was a cooperative effort between angel and Creator. The Elohim provided the direction and the will to achieve the desired effect, but the power that fueled the act flowed from God alone. This arrangement, or covenant, between the Elohim and their Creator provided the necessary balance between
angelic freedom and heavenly authority that made the creation of a universe apart from God possible.
BROKEN OATHS When the fallen contemplated rebellion against Heaven, they knew that they would commit a terrible act, one that (by definition) would estrange
WHAT’S IN A NAME? While words of power can (and often are) spoken by the fallen in the course of using their powers, an evocation is more than just uttering the right set of syllables. The individual performing an evocation must fully understand and visualize the concepts that a word or name connotes in order to draw on its power. The sounds of these words have no power in and of themselves — their strength comes from the ideas and relationships they evoke. Thus, an evocation scrawled on a piece of paper won't give an ordinary human (or even another demon) the power to level mountains. The same can he said of parroting words of power that a demon utters when she 'calls upon her lore. The words are nothing more than nonsensical sounds in the mouths of the uninitiated. them from God. None foresaw the full fury of the Creator's divine wrath, however. God declared the covenant with the fallen to be forever broken and denied them the power of His blessing, thus reducing the rebels to mere shadows of their former selves. God's curse rendered the fallen impotent, unable to work their will upon the cosmos. Their struggle might have ended then and there were it not for the outpouring of faith from the newly awakened human race. While they were born in innocence, ignorant of the intricate workings of the cosmos, the souls of mankind resonated with the breath of God, and people gladly shared this divine spark with their would-be saviors. The fallen shone like angry stars once more, and the fates of man and demon became forever entwined.
FAITH Characters in Demon use Faith to fuel their evocations, heal damage, and transform their physical bodies into potent supernatural forms. Beginning characters start play with a Faith score of 3. This rating may be increased by spending freebie points during character creation and still further using experience points earned during play. If a character's Faith pool is exhausted, the only way she can continue to use her powers is by ravaging the mind and soul of her thralls.
FADED GLORY The faith of mankind sustained the fallen throughout a thousand years of war, but the widespread belief that suffused humanity in ancient times is all but forgotten in the modern World of Darkness. The fire has faded to a few glowing embers, leaving newly freed demons to fight for what little heat remains. Where the fallen once roamed the earth as radiant spirits, they must now anchor themselves in human flesh, at best a difficult and desperate situation. Twenty-first-century mortals are so spiritually shallow that they make poor vessels for channeling infernal energies. Instead of overwhelming a host's identity or destroying it outright, a possessing demon's knowledge and identity is largely suppressed in favor of the memories and feelings resident in the mortal. The degree to which the fallen can store Celestial energy is therefore very limited. By the same token, however, the madness, hatred and pain inspired by a demon's long imprisonment can be equally diminished, providing a demon with a respite of sorts from its ages-long anguish and providing an opportunity to make the most of newfound freedom.
TORMENT Within the scope of her accumulated lore, a demon can bend reality to her will, but achieving a desired effect requires intense focus and clarity of thought. Uncontrolled emotions, especially negative ones, exert a potent influence on a demon's evocations, with potentially horrific results. Demon characters have a Torment score that reflects the degree to which they are consumed by the madness and hate engendered by ages of suffering in the Abyss. The higher the Torment score is the more monstrous a character becomes, and as the taint grows, it changes the effects of the demon's evocations. Each evocation has a normal effect and a high-Torment effect. The player compares her permanent Willpower to her permanent Torment. If her Willpower exceeds her character's Torment score, the demon can use either effect if she wishes. If her current Willpower is equal to or less than her Torment, the high-Torment effect of the evocation occurs whether they wish it or not, potentially inflicting harm when the character intends to accomplish good. The higher a character's permanent Torment rises, the more likely it is that her evocations have a negative effect. Demons may intentionally inflict the malicious aspect of their evocations if they wish, but not without a price. Each time a demon uses the highTorment effect of an evocation (on purpose or not); she gains a temporary point of Torment.
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INFERNAL MIGHT Despite the limitations of demons' mortal hosts, the fallen are fearsome to behold, with a broad spectrum of powers and capabilities at their disposal. These powers can be divided into three distinct categories: innate powers, which all demons possess by virtue of their Celestial nature; their apocalyptic (or revelatory) form; and their lore.
INNATE POWERS All Demon characters begin the game with a common set of powers that reflect their nature and onetime role as agents of Creation. These are fundamental qualities that are always considered to be active as long as the character has at least one Faith point available in his Faith pool. Innate powers include immunity to possession, immunity to mind control and resistance to illusion, among others. See the section on Innate Powers later in this chapter for details.
THE APOCALYPTIC FORM During the Age of Wrath, the fallen could alter their physical form at will. When they battled the Host of Heaven, they could be titans of living iron or horrors wreathed in raging fire. Among humans, they often assumed die forms of men and women, luminous and terrible to behold, or wore the guise of animals that best suited their needs. The modern World of Darkness does not possess the atmosphere of Faith to allow such effortless transformation from spirit to flesh, but the fallen can use their stores of Faith to alter their host bodies temporarily and gain superhuman capabilities. This apocalyptic or revelatory form is a reflection of a demon's true nature, and its capacities vary depending on the character's primary lore (see the Lore section for details). When a character takes on her apocalyptic form, mortal witnesses suffer the effects of Revelation, with reactions ranging from terror to rapturous wonder. A character's primary lore dictates which apocalyptic form she can manifest. In order for the transformation to occur, you must spend a point of Faith. Your character's transformation occurs instantaneously. When your character manifests her apocalyptic form, she gains access to a number of special capabilities ranging from trait increases to physical capabilities such as wings and claws. Each apocalyptic form provides eight special powers, but only four are available to characters with a Torment of 6 or less. The remaining four manifest when your character loses part of herself to her demonic nature. When your character's permanent Torment score reaches 7, you may select one of the form's four high-
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Torment powers and add it to her apocalyptic form. When her permanent Torment reaches 8, you may add another, and so on. If your character's permanent Torment is reduced later, her high-Torment powers are lost at the rate of one per point, in the reverse order in which they were gained. So, the power gained most recently is the first one lost when permanent Torment is reduced. Characters retain their low-Torment special abilities regardless of their Torment score. Physical and mental merits and Flaws do not have any effect in Apocalyptic Form. In times of peril, a demon can tap into her dark nature and temporarily manifest a high-Torment power. The capability persists for the duration of a single scene, and your character gains a point of temporary Torment. Finally, your character doesn't have to manifest all of her special abilities when invoking her apocalyptic form. (A set of eagle's wings might be inconvenient in a crowded elevator, for example.) Declare which powers you want your character to invoke before spending Faith. If she wants to manifest different or additional abilities later she can, but another Faith expenditure is required. One's apocalyptic form persists for the remainder of the scene, or it can be "turned off" at any point before then that your character wishes. A Celestial House's lore is nothing less than the collected secrets of the universe, evocations that encompass the foundations of reality and govern the forces that keep it in motion. Prior to the Fall, each House had its own specific sets of lore that reflected its duties within the angelic hierarchy. These evocations were considered the heart of each House, and they were guarded jealously as a matter of pride. Later, during the Age of Wrath, pride gave way to pragmatism, and many among the fallen exchanged bits of their lore with one another to gain whatever advantage they could against their more hidebound foes. Characters in Demon are assumed to have mastered the lore of their parent House, but much of it lays buried deep in the subconscious of their hosts and must be recovered laboriously. As a host body becomes more and more conditioned to a demon's control and is capable of channeling increasing amounts of Celestial energy, one of the fallen is able to regain more of its former power. During character creation, players choose their demons' starting lore from the three lore paths that are native to their characters' Celestial Houses, as well as from the two common lore paths with which all demons are familiar. You must choose one of the three House lore paths as your character's primary lore. These are the evocations the demon is most adept at and can recall most easily. After selecting your character's primary lore path, you have three dots to allocate
among her available lore to determine her beginning evocations, with the restriction that no lore path can ever receive more dots than your character's primary lore. Additional lore dots can be purchased later with freebie points. Characters can gain new Lore, including paths from other Houses, when you spend experience points during play Example: Jim's character, a Scourge, has five lore paths available to choose from at character creation: the House lore of Awakenings, Firmament and Winds, plus the common lore paths of Humanity and the Fundament. Jim has three dots to allocate among these five possible paths. First, he must choose the character's primary lore from one of the three House paths. After some thought, Jim chooses the Lore of Awakenings, allocating it one of his three dots. He then chooses to put his remaining two dots into the Lore of the Fundament and the Lore of Humanity. Later, in the finishing touches stage, he purchases another dot of lore, which he can add to the Lore of Awakenings or place in either the Lore of the Firmament or the Lore of the Winds. He could not allocate his extra dot to the Lore of the Fundament or the Lore of Humanity, as he only has one dot invested in his primary path, and he can't have more dots in a path than he has in his character's primary lore. The number of dots allocated to a lore path determines the evocations a character is allowed to perform. In the previous example, Jim's Scourge can perform the first-level evocations for the lore of Awakenings, Fundament and Humanity, if he allocated his additional dot of lore to Awakenings, his character would be able to perform both the first- and secondlevel evocations, and so on. She can add a number of bonus traits to any evocation challenge equal to your character's permanent Faith score if she ravages her thralls for additional power. If the evocation challenge fails, nothing happens. Depending on the evocation, your character's Faith pool also determines the power's range and duration. Only one evocation can be performed per turn, but a character can have multiple evocations functioning simultaneously equal to her permanent Faith score. Later in this chapter, the lore available to demons are presented by the Houses to which they are assigned, and the Houses are addressed from highest to lowest in the demonic order.
INNATE POWERS All demons possess the following innate powers, regardless of their House. These capabilities are unaffected by Torment, and they are always active as long as a character has at least one point remaining in her Faith pool. If a character has exhausted her Faith pool, she may still take advantage of these innate powers by drawing Faith from her mortal thralls.
IMMUNITY TO MIND-CONTROL
Demons are immune to any form of mindcontrol and to supernaturally induced fear.
IMMUNITY TO POSSESSION For obvious reasons, the fallen cannot be possessed, but if an attempt at possession occurs while the character is devoid of Faith, it is possible to force the demon from its mortal host. In this case, the player is able to resist the attempt with a resisted Mental Challenge (retest with Willpower only). If the roll fails, the demon is forced out of its host body and must find another anchor immediately or be drawn back into the Abyss.
RESISTANCE TO ILLUSION Demons are especially adept at discerning the real from the illusory, and they may attempt to penetrate illusions or supernatural forms of concealment regardless of the source. When confronted by an illusion or in the presence of a person or thing that is supernaturally concealed, the character can see past the artifice with a successful static Mental challenge versus three traits. If the source of the illusion or concealment is another demon, the difficulty of the challenge is equal to the opposing demon's Faith or Torment score, whichever is greater.
HEALING PHYSICAL DAMAGE Demon characters may use Faith to heal bashing or lethal damage. You can spend one Faith point to heal all of your character's bashing damage, while lethal damage is healed at the rate of one health level per point spent. Separate Faith points must be used to recover from bashing and lethal damage. Aggravated damage cannot be healed in this fashion.
INVOCATIONS The power of a demon's True Name is such that invoking it, even in conversation, is enough to draw that spirit's attention, no matter how far away he may he. What's more, the subject can attempt to ascertain who is speaking about him, where that being is and even what is said. Demons take notice whenever their True Name is spoken. The feeling manifests differently for each. Some experience a chill that races across their skin or down their spine, while others feel an invisible pull that tugs at their mind. If a character concentrates, she can attempt to determine who is using her name and why. Spend one to three traits, and make a static Mental challenge versus three traits if the True Name is used. The amount of detail gained depends on the number of successes rolled: One trait: The character receives a mental
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picture of the person who invokes her name. Two traits: The character receives a mental picture of the speaker and his immediate surroundings, including the individual(s) he addresses. Three traits: The character can hear what the speaker is saying for the duration of a single turn. If she wishes, the character may continue to eavesdrop on the conversation, though she hears only the voice of the individual who invokes her name. Eavesdropping on the conversation requires a successful simple test (spend Faith for a retest) in each successive turn. If the test fails, contact is lost. There is no distance limitation on this ability, not even between the physical and spirit realms. The capacity to establish a connection between individuals by invoking names of power also allows demons to communicate with one another and their thralls no matter how far apart they are. To communicate with another demon, the character needs either the recipient's Celestial or True Name, and must have at least one point of temporary Faith available. Make a static Mental test versus six traits if the Celestial name is used, and three traits if the True Name is used, and if successful, whatever the character says is heard by the recipient. Once this connection has been made, the recipient can reply if she has at least one point of Faith available in her Faith pool. Note that the recipient doesn't have to know the speaker's name to reply. Once the link has been established, it can be used by both parties. Contact lasts for the duration of a single turn. If the speaker (or the recipient of the invocation) wishes to continue the conversation, you must make a successful simple test in each successive turn of communication. If the roll fails, contact is lost for both sides. This ability is not limited to one-on-one communication. A demon can direct her message to multiple recipients in different locations up to a number equal to her Faith rating. The player need make only one static mental challenge versus six traits, regardless of the names used for the invocation. Otherwise, group communications use the same rules already described. In the case of thralls, communication is automatic. The bond that already exists between mortal and demon provides the needed link, allowing a demon to contact her thralls without requiring a Faith roll. Additionally, a demon may address multiple thralls at once equal to her Faith score. Unless a thrall is specifically gifted with the ability to perform an invocation, though, she cannot initiate contact with the demon. In most cases, thralls speak only when spoken to. Though there is no known way for an outside party to "tap into" this form of supernatural communication, nearby demons can detect its use as
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they would any other use of supernatural power. Likewise, since the participants must physically say what they want to convey, even as a whisper, it's possible for sharp ears to overhear at least a part of what is said.
SUPERNATURAL AWARENESS The fallen are inherently attuned to the fabric of reality, and they are sensitive to energies and influences beyond the awareness of mortals. Players can make a Mental challenge for demons to get a "feel" of the supernatural qualities of a given area. A hospital room might emanate a sense of pain and loss, imprinted by the emotions of the patients and doctors who've struggled and died within its walls. An otherwise unassuming basement might reek of the foul rituals performed there days before. Additionally, an alert demon can sense the use of supernatural energies within her general vicinity. The fabric of reality distorts momentarily when powers are used, and the fallen can feel the ripples caused by this brief disturbance. Highly perceptive demons can draw extensive information from these ripples, gaining a sense of where the supernatural event took place. Demons can sense supernatural energies at work within an area equal to their Faith score in miles (so a fallen with a Faith of five can sense energies within five miles). If a character wishes to sense the energies at work in her area, spend one to four traits and make a successful static Mental challenge versus six traits. If the roll succeeds, your character detects the momentary distortion caused by these energies. Additional successes provide further detail. One trait: The demon knows that something has occurred (or is occurring) in the vicinity and a general idea of how powerful the effect was or is. Two traits: The demon gains a rough idea as to the direction from which the distortion emanates. Three traits: The demon knows without a doubt the direction from which the distortion emanates, and he has a rough idea of the distance. Four traits: The demon knows precisely how far away the disturbance is, and in what direction. If she knows the area well, she can work out exactly where the event took place or now occurs. While demons can gain a sense of where an event occurs, it's impossible to tell from a distance exactly what kind of power or evocation is used. If they want more details they must investigate in person or send their agents to learn what they can. While a demon's supernatural awareness usually functions only when the character actively searches for signs of distortion, the Storyteller can, at her discretion, make a simple test on the character's behalf in the event of an exceptionally large flare of power in the vicinity.
LORES Common Lores While most lore is considered proprietary to the House that created it, two paths exist as tools that every angel (or demon) needed to further their work amid the wonders of Paradise. The Lore of the Fundament was the first, encompassing the basic building blocks of the physical universe, in effect creating a set of principles that provided the foundation upon which the work of all the Houses was based. The second set of common lore evolved among the fallen during the Age of Wrath as a means of facilitating contact between humanity and the rebel host.
LORE OF THE FUNDAMENT Basic
MANIPULATE
GRAVITY The demon can alter the way gravity affects her body, allowing her to leap enormous distances, hang suspended in the air or plunge at her foes like a meteorite. System: Perform a Simple test (Athletics). The demon can leap (or climb) up to 20 yards a turn, or fall a similar distance without suffering injury. Completely canceling the effect of gravity requires an expenditure of a faith point. Characters who defy gravity aren't weightless per se -- they are still affected by outside forces as normal. The effects of this evocation last for a single turn. Torment: Monstrous demons who perform this evocation leave a wash of turbulence in their wake, randomly increasing or decreasing the effects of gravity on surrounding objects or people who pass within a number or yards equal to the demon's Torment score. The storyteller is free to use her discretion when describing the chaotic effects. MANIPULATE
ADHESION The demon can affect her body's adhesion to physical objects. She can run up walls, hang from a ceiling, or cling to the side of a moving car like a spider. System: Make a Static Physical challenge (Athletics) the difficulty is determined by the angle of the surface relative to the earth. Running up a steep slope is difficulty 3, while a vertical surface is 6. Moving along an inverted plane (like a ceiling) is difficulty 9. The character can move up to three yards along such a surface. The effects of this evocation last for a single turn.
Torment: When a monstrous demon performs this evocation, the surfaces which she interacts are warped by her passing, causing them to radiate waves of intense heat and leave patterns of the demon's hands and feet on the surface. Individuals coming into contact with these surfaces in the same turn as the demon must make a simple test or suffer a level of lethal damage.
Intermediate
MANIPULATE
INERTIA The demon can affect the inertia of anything she touches, stopping it dead or granting it irresistible force. She can snatch projectiles out of the air (providing she can see them), or throw an object farther than any human could imagine. System: Make a Simple test (Athletics), the demon may throw an object up to thirty yards, regardless of her Strength traits, or ignore the benefits of armor with a single thrown attack up to three yards. To catch an item, she must be able to see the projectile, and make a static physical challenge against the item's bonus traits + damage. She cannot catch bullets. The effects of this evocation last for a single turn. Torment: Items affected by a monstrous demon become inherently unstable for a period of time, creating potential for disaster for the next person who tries to use them. For a period of turns equal to the demon's Torment, any item that was the focus of this evocation causes the user to be 3 traits down using it. MANIPULATE
ACCELERATION The demon can affect the acceleration of her own body, granting her supernatural speed and force. System: Spend a trait of Faith, and make a Simple test (Athletics). The demon may either receive a single extra action following the primary actions in the following turn, or cause one additional level of damage (of the type caused by the form of attack normally) with brawl, melee or thrown attacks. The effect chosen is announced at the beginning of the round. This evocation lasts for a single turn. Torment: The accelerations of a monstrous demon so disturbs the air around her that she is surrounded by an aura of blistering heat that radiates out a number of yards equal to the character's Torment score. Anyone caught within the area of effect makes a static physical challenge, or take a level of bashing damage. Advanced
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MANIPULATE
COHESION The demon can manipulate the state of any inanimate matter she touches. She can walk on water or air or break down solid objects into their component particles. System: The demon must be able to physically touch the matter she wishes to affect. Spend one Faith trait, bid a number of physical traits, and make a Static Physical challenge (Science) the difficulty depends on the matter involved and the degree to which it's affected. Changing water to steam, or ice, would be difficulty 3, increasing the cohesion of water or air to the degree that it briefly supports the demon's weight is difficulty 5, vaporizing wood, cloth or other low-density material is difficulty 7, while doing the same to high-density material such as metal or stone is 9. Each physical trait the demon bids she may affect a square foot of matter. The effects of this evocation last for a single turn, after which the materials affected return to normal or remain in their current state if it's natural for the material in question. Living beings targeted with this effect suffer a level lethal damage per physical trait bid, to a maximum of one half the Demon‗s faith rating (rounded down). Torment: Matter affected by a monstrous demon remains inherently unstable for a number of turns equal to the character's Torment, changing states at random. The Storyteller is free to use her discretion when describing the chaotic effects that occur in the wake of the demon's manipulation.
LORE OF HUMANITY Basic
TRANSLATE
The demon can understand (and be understood) by mortals, regardless of what language they speak. System: Make a Social challenge against your target (Empathy), the demon can understand the speech of the individual and be understood in turn, even if the individuals speak completely different languages. The effects of this evocation last for the duration of the scene. Torment: Monstrous demons must overcome the obstacle of their own Torment, or the words they hear are filtered through their own anger and obsession. After the evocation is used successfully, a static mental challenge is made, with the difficulty of the demons torment. If successful, your character understands the words of those around her as they are intended. If the test fails, the demon's understanding
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of what is said is skewed by her own hatred and despair. A greeting is misunderstood as a threat, or an honest answer sounds evasive or outright deceptive.
INSINUATE
This evocation causes mortals to instinctively regard the demon as a potential friend, allaying any initial feelings of distrust of suspicion and engaging their interest in her. Unless gifted with a demon's resistance to mind-control, which makes them immune, thralls can be affected by this evocation as well. System: Make a Social challenge (Empathy). Affected individuals trust the demon within reason and talk freely and openly with her, putting the demon two traits up on her target in any social challenges. The effects of this evocation last for the duration of the scene. Torment: Monstrous demons that perform this evocation have the opposite effect on the mortals they encounter. Affected individuals are overcome with feelings of revulsion and anger, and treat the demon with intense apprehension and fear. The demon is two traits up on any intimidation challenge with the individual.
Intermediate
FADE
Demons using this evocation literally fade into the background. Mortal eyes simply pass over them unless the demon chooses to call attention to themselves. Demons (and thralls who have been gifted with the demon's resistance to illusion) are immune to the effects of this evocation System: Make a Simple test, if successful the demon fades from view and goes unnoticed by mortals unless she does something to call attention to herself such as make physical contact or speak to them directly. Mortals may burn a trait of Willpower and make a Social challenge against the target to see through this effect. These effects persist for the remainder of the scene or until the demon wills them to cease. Torment: Monstrous demons that perform this evocation fade from the sight of ordinary mortals, but stand out like beacons for those consumed by anger or a lust for violence.
CONFESS
Mortals engaged in conversation with the demon respond to his questions with complete candor. Unless made aware of it later with direct questions about events, the mortal affected by this evocation does not remember the details of the conversation. Unless gifted with a demon's resistance to mind-control, thralls can be affected by this evocation as well.
System: Spend one Faith trait, bid a number of traits, and make a Social challenge (Subterfuge). If successful, the demon can ask the mortal as many questions as she bid traits and the mortal answers with complete honesty. The effects of this evocation last for a number of turns equal to the demon's Faith score. Torment: Monstrous demons are able to draw out only a mortal's dark nature, learning her secret animosities, lusts and ambitions
Wrath as these noble leaders and champions refined the power to inspire and command the mortal allies of the fallen.
Advanced
This evocation allows a Devil to detect the presence of mortals or other demons in her vicinity by causing their store of Faith to flare like a beacon that only she can see. Individuals glow with a pale blue light, varying in intensity depending on the strength of their Faith, while non-living objects lose color, fading into dark silhouettes. System: Make a Simple test (Awareness). This affects all living beings within a radius in yards equal to the Demon's Faith. She may burn a Mental trait to detect these beacons of Faith through intervening obstacles, allowing the demon to detect hidden individuals as well. Seeing through an interior wall or door requires one trait, seeing through a brick wall requires two traits, seeing past a thick metal bulkhead or vault door might require three or more traits. This special sight persists for a turn. Torment: Monstrous Devils receive the opposite effect of this evocation; their eyes see only those individuals whose souls have become so hollowed out by their evil acts that they are literally voids of spiritual energy. These soulless individuals (including other demons with a torment of 9 or more) appear to the demon as patches of blackness against the dark background of the physical world.
ALTER MEMORY The demon is able to manipulate a mortal's memory, changing or removing any recollection of his dealings, or plaguing memories where none were before. Mortals are easily affected, unless gifted with a demon's resistance to mind-control. System: Spend a point of Faith. Then perform a Mental challenge (Intimidation). You must spend a number of mental traits determined by the ST to complete the mind alteration you wish. Removing memories of a brief encounter is 1 trait, while planting or altering a series of memories may require 3 or more traits. Altered or fabricated memories are permanent. Torment: Monstrous demons that perform this evocation also cause bouts of sleeplessness, anxiety and despair that takes days or weeks to subside. Nightmares persist for a number of nights equal to the Demon's Torment score. Each night, the victim makes a willpower challenge with a difficulty of the Demons torment, if the roll fails; the victim loses a temp point of willpower. If the victim runs out of willpower, she gains a temporary derangement.
Devil
(Namaru) The mandate of the Heralds was to spread the light of Heaven to every comer of Creation and orchestrate the efforts of the entire Celestial Host in shaping God's Grand Design. Central to their duties was the Lore of the Celestials, comprising the knowledge of harnessing Heaven's will (and later, mortal Faith) to locate, inform and support the efforts of other celestials. No less important was the Lore of Flame, granting the Heralds mastery of the primal, purifying fire of creation, and a terrible weapon to wield against their foes. The Lore of Radiance, encompassing the secrets of inspiration and leadership, was not one originally bequeathed to the Heralds, but that evolved among the Devils during the Age of
LORE OF THE CELESTIALS Basic
LAMP OF FAITH
SEND VISION
In their former role as the Creator's divine Heralds, the Namaru were often called upon to convey God's messages across the length and breadth of the cosmos, delivering Heaven's commands as potent visions filled a Celestial's mind with images of majesty and wonder. After the Fall, the Devils still made extensive use of this lore, communicating detailed orders to their subordinates in the rebel host or smiting their foes with frightening visions of infernal wrath. System: Spend a number of Mental traits, and make a Simple test (Expression). Devils may use this evocation to send complex instructions to fellow demons at the speed of thought. Unlike an invocation, this vision fills the recipient's mind like an illusion, or a waking dream, playing out whatever scene the sender wishes to convey in the blink of an eye. The amount of information the sender can convey depends on the number of mental traits she spends. For each trait spent, the sender may describe one turn's worth of
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action. These visions can only be sent only to recipients within the sender's line of sight. Torment: Monstrous demons use this evocation to shock or frighten their foes in battle. The sender can affect a number of targets equal to her Faith, as long as they are within her line of sight. Each two traits spent deals one bashing damage to the target, as they are struck with terrifying visions of the Devil's wrath. Unlike normal bashing damage. If the evocation inflicts more damage than a target's willpower the target must make a simple test or gain a temporary derangement.
Intermediate
PILLAR OF FAITH
Throughout the birth of the cosmos and the early days of Paradise, the Heralds were at the forefront of every major effort mandated by Heaven, bolstering the energies of other Celestials wherever necessary. System: Make a Social Challenge (Leadership). This evocation allows the Devil to add her Faith to the efforts of another, as long as the Devil knows the demon's Celestial or True Name and can draw a line of sight to him. The Devil burns a number of social traits, these traits the target may add to hers for the purposes of using her next evocation (these are considered bonus traits, rather than specifically Social, Mental, or Physical). The devil may not grant a number of traits greater than her Faith rating. Torment: Monstrous demons may use this evocation only to block or negate the efforts of another. This phenomenon works like above, except the Devil's burnt traits put the target that many traits down on her next evocation.
FIRE OF HEAVEN
This evocation allows the Devil to channel her Faith as a withering blast of pure white fire, smiting her target with the wrath of a fallen angel. System: Spend a trait of Faith, spend a number of traits, and make a Physical challenge (Athletics). The character may target any individual or object within a range in yards equal to her Faith score. The target takes one aggravated damage plus one per three traits spent, this cannot exceed one half the Demon‗s faith score. Torment: Monstrous demons are unable to focus the fiery power of their Faith in a concentrated ball, it erupts from them in all directions as a storm of raging energy instead. When a high-Torment demon uses this evocation, the infernal fire strikes everything within a number of yards equal to the character's Faith score. The blast inflicts one level of aggravated damage to everyone who fails the Physical challenge against the Devil.
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Advanced
HAND OF FAITH The mandate of the first Celestial House was to act as the voice of the Creator and to ensure that His Grand Design was fulfilled within the bounds of angelic free will. If one of the Celestials deviated too far from the Creator's design in the process of Creation, the Heralds were able to manipulate the evocation as it happened, modifying the outcome to within acceptable limits. Although this mandate was only rarely enforced, this evocation more than any other spawned the tendency of the other Houses to jealously guard their prerogatives and regarded the Heralds with no small amount of resentment. The Demon must have their turn before the fallen that is invoking the lore he wants to manipulate. System: Spend a point of Faith and make a Mental challenge (Leadership) against the caster of another evocation. Hand of Faith allows a Devil to usurp another Celestial's evocation, directing its effects as she desires. The Devil must know her target‘s Celestial or True Name. If successful, the Devil can alter the evocation's target and its effects as if she were the one using the power. If the Devil does not win the Mental test the evocation proceeds as originally intended. Torment: Monstrous Devils are not able to manipulate other demon's evocations, but they can cause evocations targeted at them to rebound and affect their initiators. If the evocation has an area effect, center it on the initiator.
BEL, THE VISAGE OF THE CELESTIALS The apocalyptic form of the Lore of the Celestials reveals the fallen as a luminous, lordly angel, radiating divine grandeur and authority. Her skin literally glows, wreathing her in an aura of golden light that shifts in intensity depending on her mood. Her eyes blaze with the cold light of the stars. Despite her actual appearance, the fallen seems to tower over everyone around her. The Visage of the Celestials confers the following abilities: Wings: A pair of eagle‘s wings extends from the character's shoulders. At full extension, each wing is a third again as long as the character is tall. The character can glide up to three times her running speed per turn. Lordly Mien: The character gives off an aura of authority, making controlling others even
easier. She is up two traits on any Social challenges. Enhanced Senses: The character's five senses are heightened to supernatural levels, putting the demon up two traits on all Perception related tests. Increased Awareness: The character is up two traits on any Awareness related tests. Torment: As the character loses herself to her dark nature, her authority remains as strong as ever, but the glow that suffused her dims to a sullen red. Her wings turn leathery, and her eyes become as black as the void. Where she was once a vision of nobility, she now carries herself as a haughty tyrant. The Visage of the Celestials confers the following high-Torment abilities: Claws/Fangs: The demon manifests claws and fangs that inflict one level of aggravated damage, with 1 bonus trait for test resolutions. Scales: The demon manifests iron, snake-like scales all over her body. When she suffers aggravated damage, the player may immediately make a Simple Test to try to reduce the severity of the damage. If you succeed, you reduce the injury to lethal damage. Before making the test, you may choose to expend a stamina-related Physical Trait, allowing you to reduce injury on a win or a tie. Otherwise, you must win the test outright. Use of this power is reflexive; it does not count as an action. You may only attempt to use this ability once on any given attack. Thus, if you suffer two or more levels of aggravated damage from a particular attack, you may test to reduce only one level to lethal damage. Increased Size: The demon grows in size and strength, gaining 1 Bruised Health Level and two bonus Physical Traits: Brawny & Resilient. Dread Gaze: The demon‘s countenance is so terrifying that her very gaze strikes terror in her opponents. By making a Social Challenge against your foe, you strike terror into your victim. If you succeed, the subject flees your presence and tries to avoid you for the rest of the scene or hour. If cornered, the victim will still defend himself, but he will do his best to escape you. The subject defends himself normally, but he must risk an additional Trait if he wishes to attack or act against you, just as if he were wounded.
LORE OF FLAME Basic
FUEL
The Devil's command of flames allow her to fuel existing fires with the power of her Faith, turning a simple source of heat into a raging inferno with a thought. System: Bid a number of Physical traits and make a Simple test (Survival). If there is a source of fire or heat within a number of yards equal to her Faith score, the devil can increase its size by one square foot per physical trait bid. Torment: Monstrous Devils fuel the strength of any existing blaze rather than its dimensions. Every two traits increase the fire's damage by one.
IGNITE
A Devil's mastery of fire as a fundamental force of Creation allows him to inspire its existence at will. System: Static Physical challenge (Survival). The difficulty is 3 for paper, 6 for wooden or plastic objects, and 9 for inert metals. This evocation can affect an object within a number of yards equal to the Demons Faith rating. Water and strictly nonflammable materials cannot be ignited with this power. Fires ignited in this fashion are no more intense than natural flames, and they inflict damage accordingly. Torment: Monstrous Devils are too fueled by hatred to perform this evocation with precision. All flammable objects within a radius in yards equal to the Demon's Faith score are affected. A single static physical challenge is made with some materials igniting and others remaining unaffected, ST's Discretion.
Intermediate
COMMAND THE FLAME
The Devil's mastery of flame allows her to direct a fire by the force of her will -- the blaze swells, shrinks, moves and consumes all that she commands. System: Bid a number of Mental traits, and make a Simple test (survival) These traits form a pool that you use in subsequent turns to control the progress of the fire. One trait can cause the fire to grow by one square foot, shrink by the same amount or spread in a specific direction up to a yard per trait. The pool may be replenished with additional bids and Simple tests, if desired, but the pool can never exceed the character's permanent Faith rating. If at any time you fail a test, control of the fire is lost completely. Torment: High-Torment Devils have less
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facility in controlling fire's movements but their rage increases the flame's intensity. The number of traits bid is halved and this is the number of damage that is added to the fire for a turn.
HOLOCAUST
This evocation is the ultimate expression of the power of fire. It consumes in order to make way for new life by transforming divine energy into cleansing flames. System: Spend one Faith trait and make a Physical challenge (Survival). The Devil must touch her target to perform the evocation. The target takes two aggravated damage, and loses one "spiritual energy" (gnosis/blood/quintessence/faith/etc) this form of attack can be used on inanimate objects as well. Most physical matter has no more than one point of Faith suffusing its physical being, though especially sacred objects may have considerably more. Physical objects burned this way are reduced to ashes when all their inherent Faith is consumed. (objects therefore burn much quicker than normal). Torment: Monstrous demons delight in feeding the cosmos to the flame. If the target has no supernatural energies, the area surrounding the demon
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in its Faith in yards, becomes a raging inferno, causing two aggravated damage and taking away one ―spiritual energy‖ to everyone, and everything (including the demon) who is within the area.
Advanced
RIDE THE FLAMES By performing this potent evocation, a Devil does not merely command the fire, she is the fire, transforming her physical body into flame and directing it by the powers of her will. System: Spend one Faith point and make a Simple test. A Devil has two options when employing this power: She can either join her essence with an existing blaze or become a pillar of fire by converting her available faith. In either case, your demon's body literally transforms into flame, consuming her clothes and any possessions she carries. While becoming a pillar of fire means the flame occupies the same dimensions as the character's physical body (roughly nine square feet) she can increase this area by one square foot for each additional Faith point she spends. Once transformed, the Devil is a formless mass that shifts size and shape according to her will.
While in this state, she uses her current Willpower traits rather than her normal Attributes and abilities to perform any actions. She may effectively travel anywhere air can go -- under doors, through crevices. If she lashes out at an opponent in combat the target takes one aggravated damage, as well anyone striking the Demon automatically takes one aggravated damage. The fire of the Demon's body is unaffected by water or other fire-suppression technology, as it is fueled by faith instead of a mere chemical reaction. The drawback to this condition is that the fire must be fed continually or it dies out. Each turn, your character must devote a trait of Faith and of Willpower to continue consuming flammable material. Failing that, her flame shrinks by one square foot at the end of the turn. The fire does not spread like a normal fire; it remains a self-contained entity, leaving only charred remains of the matter it consumes. If the fire shrinks to less than one square foot, your character transforms back into her physical form. Torment: Monstrous demons are unable to fully realize the transformation into flame. These fallen become fiery, skeletal figures, instead. Their blackened bones wreathed with flame, and howling their rage and pain with tongues of fire. High-Torment demons use their normal attributes and abilities to move, attack, and otherwise act in a given turn, but they cannot move with the spread or ease of true, mutable flame. Furthermore, their bodies are wracked with agony. If they do not inflict at least one level of damage or combust one square foot of material per turn, they suffer one level of lethal damage as the fire feeds upon their physical bodies.
NUSKU, THE VISAGE OF THE FLAMES These demons reveal themselves in a blaze of yellow-orange light. Their skin glows with the seething brilliance of the sun, and their image shimmers like a mirage. Their eyes take on the color of burnished gold, and when angered, the Nusku radiate palpable waves of heat. An angel‘s hair becomes a deep red or reddishgold and thickens to become a leonine mane. Open flames flare brightly in his presence, seeming to bow toward their master as the tongues of flame are drawn to the divinity in their midst. The Visage of the Flames confers the following capabilities: Shroud of Flames: The demon is surrounded by a nimbus of flame which confuses his opponents. All opponents must bid one extra trait to attack the demon with both melee and ranged attacks.
Immunity to Fire: The demon cannot be harmed by any flame, natural, artificial, or supernatural. Extra Actions: The demon may spend faith points to gain extra attacks in a combat round. This costs one faith, plus one additional faith cumulatively for each additional action (1 Faith for the first extra attack, 2 Faith for the second additional attack, 3 Faith for the next, etc). Improved Initiative: The demon acts first in combat, unless another possesses this ability. If so, then they act simultaneously. Torment: As the fallen becomes consumed by their demonic nature, their skin turns black like smoke and seems to seethe with patterns of sullen red that pulse with the demon‘s beating heart. Her eyes glow like coals, and her thick hair writhes in a spectral wind. The Visage of the Flames confers the following high-Torment capabilities. Claws/Fangs: The demon manifests claws and fangs that inflict one level of aggravated damage, with 1 bonus trait for test resolutions. Lashing Tail: The demon manifests a long, reptilian tail tipped with a curved, bony spike. This tail may be used for attacks, causing one level of aggravated damage, but with no bonus traits. Increased Size: The demon grows in size and strength, gaining 1 Bruised Health Level and two bonus Physical Traits: Brawny & Resilient. Fiery Blood: The demon‘s blood burns like magma. Anyone who succeeds in damaging the demon suffers one automatic level of lethal damage from the spray.
LORE OF RADIANCE Basic
VOICE OF HEAVEN
This evocation allows a demon to speak with a voice like thunder with the clear, perfect tones of a crystal bell. The clarity and power of the demon's words command instant attention, forcing even the most frenzied mind to pause and consider what the ancient spirit has to say. System: Mental challenge (Leadership) against the target. The demon may issue a single command to the target, who must obey the command. When the Devil speaks, her voice can be heard clearly regardless of the level of ambient noise. She could
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speak into a raging typhoon and still sound as though she were speaking directly into the recipient's ear. This evocation has no effect on other demons or thralls with protection from mind-control effects. Torment: Monstrous demons use this evocation to mouth a furious stream of blasphemy and hatred that is so charged with power that it strikes the minds of mortals and thralls like a physical blow. The demon is down a number of traits for this challenge equal to her Torment rating. If successful, the target takes half the demon‘s Torment in levels of bashing damage.
EXALT
The power of the demon's commanding voice is enough to instill hope in the weakest of hearts, spurring mortals to put aside their fears and steal triumph from the jaws of defeat. System: Social challenge (Leadership). The target is up traits in one category equal to the demon‘s faith on challenges for her next action, the demon can affect people up to her faith rating, but they cannot collectively have gained traits above the demon‗s faith. The demon may affect a number of individuals up to her Faith rating. Demons cannot be affected by this evocation. Torment: The sneering tone of a monstrous Devil has the opposite effect on mortals. Each trait subtracts from the mortal's traits for actions taken that turn. If a target's traits are reduced to zero, or below she may not use actions out of that category.
Intermediate
AURA
OF LEGEND This evocation awakens atavistic memories buried deep in the human subconscious, renewing the ancient bonds of fealty that once bound humanity and the fallen in the face of Heaven's tyranny. The ties run so deep that when they arise, it can sometimes drive all other thoughts from a mortal's mind, leaving only the urge to fulfill the ancient duty once more. System: Make a Social challenge (Leadership) the Devil can affect a number of mortals equal to her Faith, as long as they are within line of sight and able to hear the demon's voice. The targets are filled with a sense of devotion and loyalty toward the demon. She instinctively defends the demon from attackers, and follows reasonable orders without question. Thralls of other demons targeted with this use their Demonic master‘s Mental traits to resist this effect. Thralls with mind-control resistance can automatically resist the evocation's effects. Mortals remain loyal to the demon for the duration of the scene. A person can be a target of this power only once per scene. Demons can‘t be affected by this evocation.
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Torment: Monstrous demons do not inspire loyalty. They fill their victims with urges of hate and violence. Mortals affected in this way succumb to a murderous frenzy, attacking the nearest living being within reach.
MARK OF THE CELESTIALS
During the War of Wrath, both angels and demons found ways to signify their friends and enemies, subtly altering auras to make subjects easier to find or as marks of anger and shame so that anyone who encountered subjects would know their crimes and treat them accordingly. System: Spend a Faith and make a Social challenge (expression) The Devil must know her target‘s name (in the case of a demon, the Celestial or True name is necessary), and be able to touch her. She must then pronounce the nature of her mark so that the subject can hear it. (eg. "Let every man give him shelter no matter where he travels.") The number of traits spent at the time of evocation determines the potency and the effectiveness of the mark. One trait allows the mark to last for a single day. Two give it a lifespan of a week. Three allow it to last for a month. Four for a year. If the number of traits spent exceeds a person‘s Willpower that the target encounters, they will act as directed toward the subject without hesitation. Demons with at least one Faith point and thralls with immunity to mind-control are able to make their own judgments on a subject. Torment: Monstrous demons can create only marks that promise violence and misfortune for the bearer.
Advanced
REVELATION
Although mortals and demons alike use artifice to conceal their true natures, this evocation allows a Devil to strip away a mortal's layers of deception and reveal them for who they really are. It's a moment of truth that many do not have the heart to endure. System: Spend a Faith and make a Mental test (Intuition). If the demon wins the test, she sees the individual for who she really is -- her Nature, attitudes and beliefs. If questioned, the individual cannot lie or be indirectly deceitful; his answers are direct and straightforward, sparing no detail. By the same token, the individual herself must face the harsh, unyielding truth about her strengths, weaknesses, virtues and faults. At the end of the scene, the target must make a Simple test (Conviction). If successful, the target gains a temporary point of Willpower, having faced the worst aspects of her identity and accepted them. If the test fails, the target loses a temporary Willpower.
This power has no effect on other demons, but does affect thralls. Torment: Monstrous Devils are not interested in revealing a mortal's personal virtue. They wish to only crush egos to render victims more malleable, or to stoke the fires of dark impulses. When a high-Torment demon performs this evocation, the effect exaggerates a subject's worst qualities, giving them greater emphasis that the rest of the individual's personality. The character's impulses override her identity for the duration of the scene.
QINGU, THE VISAGE OF RADIANCE The apocalyptic form of the masters of Radiance is an incandescent figure wreathed in a corona of jewel-like color. Their physical features have more in common with the smooth perfection of marble than with human skin. Their voices are pure as crystal, and they cut through the petty din of the mortal world like a razor. The Visage of Radiance confers the following capabilities: Wings: A pair of eagle‘s wings extends from the character's shoulders. At full extension, each wing is a third again as long as the character is tall. The character can glide up to three times her running speed per turn. Inhuman Allure: The demon‘s voice and features become so refined they appear inhuman. The demon gains the Social Traits: Charismatic, Beguiling, & Alluring. Radiant Aura: The demon‘s body is wreathed in a shifting corona of light, forcing ranged attackers to bid an additional trait to attack. Sense the Hidden: The demon can sense those hidden in their line of sight. The character gains a free Retest against anyone attempting to use Stealth or another supernatural ability. Torment: As the angel gives in to their demonic nature, the colors of their aura become muted, flaring up in angry reds and blues when they grow angry. Their features retain their alabaster perfection, but where they once inspired wonder, they now radiate an air of cold menace and cruelty. The Visage of Radiance confers the following high-Torment capabilities: Voice of the Damned: The demon‘s voice seethes with inhuman malice, granting a two trait bonus to any Intimidation tests. Casts No Reflection: The demon‘s image does not appear in a mirror. Nor can it be
captured in a photograph, or by a video camera. Corrosive Bile: The demon‘s spit is acidic, and can be spit as a ranged attack, against those within six steps of the player. The spit causes one health level of aggravated damage, and has one additional bonus trait for resolving such attacks. Horns: If attacked (successfully or not) the demon may make a free, additional, and immediate counterattack against that foe with their horns. The horns cause one health level of aggravated damage, with no additional bonus traits.
Scourge (Asharu)
The Angels of the Firmament ruled the winds beneath the starry vault of Heaven and bore the living breath of God to man and beast. The Lore of Awakening was central to this sacred task, infusing the bodies of the newborn with the spark of life and keeping their charges free from sickness and injury. Before the Fall, each creature that received the blessing of life was bound thereafter to the angel who awakened it, allowing the guardian spirits to sense when their children were suffering or in danger and could rush to their side. This innate bond was lost to the Asharu after the Fall, but over time, the Scourges amassed a collection of lore that restored a fraction of their farreaching awareness: the Lore of the Firmament. Secondary to their duties as investors of life, the task of directing the currents of air that sustained the life of Paradise was contained in the Lore of the Winds.
LORE OF AWAKENING Basic
FIND THE FAITHFUL
This evocation allows a Scourge to locate specific individual, mortals or demon, by homing in on their store of Faith. System: Make a Mental challenge (Awareness) with your target. If you possess the targets celestial name, you are 1 trait up on this test, if True Name, as many traits up as the target has Faith. The Scourge can detect and home in on an individual up to a number of miles away equal to her permanent Faith score. Demons being actively sought in this manner can
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use their supernatural awareness to detect the search as a reflexive action. Torment: Monstrous demons can detect only sources of spiritual decay or corruption. They make use of this evocation to seek out individuals with Faith or Willpower has been reduced to zero.
CLEANSE
Scourges use this evocation to purify a living being, be it plant, animal or human. By focusing their Faith on a target, any poisons, infections or diseased tissue are literally expelled from the body, emerging as a black, viscous fluid. System: Make a Static Physical challenge (Medicine) against six for alcohol or poison, or nine for a virulent disease such as cancer. The process is all or nothing. The evocation overcomes the illness or it doesn't, and only one attempt may be made by a single demon on a single subject for a specific instance of an ailment or poison. A Scourge must be able to touch her target in order to perform this evocation. Torment: Monstrous Scourges use this evocation to spread sickness and corruption. A success on a Simple test (Medicine) inflicts one level of bashing damage to a living victim. What's more the victim suffers an additional level of bashing damage (they do not heal as normal) and loses one temp Willpower point each day thereafter as the corruption spreads through the victim's system. The sickness cannot be cured with medical attention. It continues to affect the victim for a number of days equal to the Scourge's Faith score.
Intermediate HEAL
This evocation allows the Scourge to heal even the worst injuries of demon and mortal alike. System: Make a Simple test (Medicine). The Scourge can heal all of a target's bashing or one level of lethal or aggravated, plus one for each Faith trait spent. The demon must be able to touch her target to perform this evocation. Torment: Monstrous Scourges use this evocation to poison a victim's body. For each Physical trait (up to 5) the demon spends the victim loses a physical trait. If the victim loses all of her physical traits she falls into a coma and suffers one level of aggravated damage per hour per trait remaining unless she receives medical attention immediately. Physical traits are lost for a number of days equal to the Demon's Faith score.
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ANIMATE
This powerful evocation allows a Scourge to infuse non-living objects with the breath of God, giving them a form of rudimentary life. System: Spend one Faith, bid a number of traits, and make a Static Mental challenge (Crafts) difficulty 6. These traits are the total number of traits the object has for any actions. The object is not intelligent or self-aware; it is an extension of the demon's will. The demon may animate a number of objects equal to her permanent Faith score at one time. The effects of the evocation last for a single scene. A demon must first touch an object in order to animate it, but she can control it from a distance as long as she can see it. Torment: A monstrous Scourge is capable of animating an object as easily as her low-Torment peers, but the objects she touches are filled with the taint of her anger and pain. Unless she controls them with an iron will, they lash out at the nearest living thing they find, friend or foe. Make a Simple test for each object per turn. If a test fails, she loses control of that object for the duration of the turn and it goes berserk, attacking the nearest living being it can reach. If the demon is content to allow an object to run amok, no test is needed.
Advanced
RESTORE LIFE This potent evocation allows a Scourge to breathe life into the bodies of the dead, restoring their vitality if not their souls. Unless a soul is available to be connected to the body, the result is a mindless zombie under the demon's complete control. System: Spend one Faith point and make a Static Physical challenge (Medicine). The difficulty depends on how long the body has been deceased. A freshly dead corpse is difficulty 6, while one dead for several days or as long as a week is 9 or higher. Older bodies cannot be restored. If successful, the body is returned to life, but unless the Scourge is also able to furnish the body with a soul, the result is a mindless zombie that the demon can control. Disembodied fallen may possess these animated corpses with the Scourge's permission, or they can try to wrest control from the demon with a Mental Challenge (Subterfuge). The effects of this evocation last for a single scene, unless the demon wishes to spend a permanent Willpower point to make the restoration permanent. The demon may restore a number of bodies at any given time equal to her Faith score. Subjects must be within your character's Faith score in yards to be affected.
Torment: A monstrous Scourge is capable of restoring life as easily as her low-Torment peers, but the bodies she raises are filled with the taint of her anger and pain. Unless she controls them with an iron will, they lash out at the nearest living thing they find, friend or foe. Make a Simple test for each raised body per turn. If a test fails, the demon loses control for the duration of the turn, and the body goes berserk, attacking the nearest living being it can reach. If your character is content to allow the body to run amok, no test is needed.
DAGAN, THE VISAGE OF AWAKENINGS The apocalyptic form of the masters of animation infuse the angel's mortal body with the blush of youth and vibrant health -- even the oldest mortal vessel appears to be in the prime of life and moves with inhuman grace, speed and strength. This aura of life and vitality radiates as a palpable sense of warmth, like a beam of sunlight, and every living being touched is temporarily suffused with its power. Wilted flowers return to full bloom, the injured gain strength and the old forget their afflictions. The Visage of Awakenings confers the following capabilities: Aura of Vitality: Living beings (plant or animal) within a number of yards equal to your character's Faith are infused with restorative energy. Individuals within this area heal any bashing damage at the rate of one health level per turn. Pass Without Trace: The demon is two traits up on all stealth tests, and her passage does not disturb the surrounding environment in any way. She leaves no footprints and disturbs no foliage. Improved Physical Capabilities: The fallen gains the following bonus physical traits: Powerful, Graceful, Resilient. Wings: A pair of owl‘s wings extends from the character's shoulders. At full extension, each wing is a third again as long as the character is tall. The character can glide up to three times her running speed per turn. Torment: As the Dagan becomes consumed by their demonic nature, their command of life and vitality turns upon itself, transforming their mortal bodies into a breeding ground for disease and cancerous tumors. They are covered with misshapen growths and weeping sores and their flesh is damp and spongy to the touch The Visage of Awakenings confers the following high-Torment capabilities:
Miasma: The demons breath reeks of gangrenous rot that can have a debilitating effect on her foes in close quarters. The demon can affect victims up to a distance in feet equal to her Faith score. Mortals and demons caught in the path of her exhalation forfeit their actions for the turn unless they make a static physical challenge difficulty 7. If they fail the test, they immediately must make a simple test, if this fails; they are also infected by a virus or disease at the storyteller's discretion. Extra Health Levels: The demon gains three extra Bruised health levels for the purposes of sustaining damage. Viscous Flesh: The diseased flesh of the Dagan sloughs away when pinned or trapped, leaving a would-be assailant covered in rotting flesh. The demon is two traits up when defending against grappling type attacks, and the demon can escape from bonds such as ropes or handcuffs with a successful physical challenge (difficulty 6) Extra Limbs: The demon grows a second set of arms. Extra arms allow a character to make an additional attack per turn.
LORE OF THE FIRMAMENT Basic
REMOTE VIEWING
This evocation allows a Scourge to see through the eyes of one of her thralls. This form of viewing is strictly passive; the demon is merely a spectator along for the ride. System: Make a Simple test (Empathy). The scourge may see through her thrall's eyes for a number of turns equal to her Faith score. There is no range limitation for this effect. Torment: When a monstrous demon uses this evocation, it causes blood vessels to burst in the mortal‘s eyes. When the demon breaks contact, the mortal must make a Static Physical challenge with a difficulty equal to the Scourge's Torment. If the test fails the thrall is blinded for a number of days equal to the total number of turns the evocation was in effect.
SCRY
The Scourge must know one of the names of her intended subject or be able to hold one of the subject's possessions: car keys, an article of clothing. The demon can observe the subject and her surroundings, no matter how far away.
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System: Make a Mental challenge (Empathy) with the intended target, if using a demons Celestial name, the demon is 1 trait up, if using a True Name she is as many traits up as the targeted demon has Faith. The amount of detail gained depends on the number of traits spent. 1 provides only a visual image of the immediate area around the subject, 2 traits expands the visual sphere out form the subject to a distance in yards equal to the Scourge's Faith score. Three successes add audio; the demon can hear the subject's voice, but no one else. 4 traits allow the Scourge to hear everything that occurs around the subject. This evocation lasts a number of turns equal to the demons permanent Faith score, or the connection can be broken voluntarily at any point. Torment: The weight of a monstrous demon's attention causes a severe headache in the subject, as well as feelings of mounting paranoia and aggression. The subject must make a Simple test (Willpower) for the subject while she is being observed. If the test fails, the subject suffers a level of basing damage and reacts with increasing anger and aggression towards the people around her, granting the subject the negative traits Violent x2 for the scene.
Intermediate
MOUTH OF THE DAMNED
This evocation allows the Scourge to speak and act through the body of one of her thralls. This is more like a form of remote control than outright possession, though. The demon remains firmly ensconced in her host body and simply directs her will through the bond between herself and her thrall, and he may do so at any distance. System: Make a Mental challenge (Leadership), bidding a number of Mental traits allows you to access that many Physical traits of the thralls through her.. These traits cannot be greater than the maximum number of traits the thrall would normally get for an action. When the demon speaks through her thrall, voice expressions and mannerisms are the Scourge's. The effect of this evocation lasts for a number of turns equal to the demons permanent Faith score. Torment: Monstrous demons have few scruples about a thrall's facilities; an unfortunate mortal risks permanent brain damage when controlled. The target makes a Simple test (Survival) every turn she is controlled, if she fails, she loses a trait (temporary) in that category. If the demon uses the thrall only to speak, the target makes a mental challenge; if she fails she loses a temporary mental trait.
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TOUCH FROM AFAR
Scourges can use this evocation to direct their powers at a target outside their reach, as if they were close enough to touch them. System: Spend one faith and make a Static Mental challenge (Awareness) against a difficulty equal to the target‘s Faith. For the next turn, the Demon may make touch based evocations at a distance of yards equal to the demon‘s Faith score. Torment: The searing focus of a monstrous demon's attentions fills a subject with visions of horror and madness. When a high-Torment demon uses this evocation the target must make a Simple test. If the test fails, she gains a temporary derangement. These effects are in addition to the result of whatever evocation the Scourge directs at the target.
Advanced
MANY PLACES AT ONCE This Evocation is similar to Mouth of the Damned, except that the Scourge is capable of speaking and acting through multiple thralls at the same time. System: The demon can affect a number of thralls equal to the number of Wits-based (up to three) traits she possesses, though if she affects fewer targets than that total, she may also control her own body at the same time. Otherwise, the demon's body falls into a deep coma until the evocation expires. Spend one Faith and make a Mental challenge (Leadership) with the intended targets. She then must burn a number of mental traits, which form a pool to use as Physical traits when controlling the thralls. These cannot exceed the natural traits of the thralls. In addition, the demon may perform an evocation though one of the thralls under her control each turn, using her own traits. Multiple thralls can be controlled over a number of turns equal to the demons permanent Faith score. Torment: While the demon uses a thrall to perform actions with a thrall‘s body, the thrall must make a Simple (Survival) test or loses a temporary physical trait. If the demon uses the thrall only to speak the thrall makes a Simple test (Expression), if she fails she loses a temporary mental trait. Additionally, if a monstrous demon performs an evocation through the body of one of her thralls, the thrall must make a Simple test (Survival), or suffer a level of lethal damage.
ANSHAR, THE VISAGE OF THE FIRMAMENT These angels of the Firmament reveal themselves as lithe, ethereal figures with pale skin and large gray eyes. When they speak, their voices echo faintly, as if from a great distance, and they alternate between bouts of quiet and distraction and periods of intense, disquieting scrutiny. The Visage of the Firmament confers the following capabilities: Enhanced Senses: The character's five senses are heightened to supernatural levels, putting the demon up 2 traits on all Perception tests. Wings: A pair of owl's wings extends from the character's shoulders. At full extension, each wing is a third again as long as the character is tall. The character can glide up to three times her running speed per turn. Enhanced Intuition: The demon has uncanny insight and puts her up 2 traits on all Intuition tests. Enhanced Dodge: The demon is 2 traits up on all Dodge tests. Torment: Monstrous Anshar seem to retreat even further from their physical realm, shrouded in a disturbing mantle of shadow and mist. Their skin turns an almost translucent gray, and their bodies become bony and emaciated, the skin stretched taught over their faces until they resemble leering skulls. The Visage of the Firmament confers the following high-Torment capabilities: Cloak of Shadows: The demon is shrouded in a pall of darkness, making her features difficult to see in the best light and rendering her near-invisible at night. The demon is 2 traits up on all stealth challenges whenever the demon stands in shadow or moves in darkness. If the character is attacked in shadow, the rules for Blind Fighting apply to the attacker. Multiple Eyes: The demon gains four to six extra eyes, sprouting from her head and/or neck. These extra organs give the demon 360degree vision, making them impossible to surprise. Improved Initiative: The demon acts first in combat, unless another possesses this ability. If so, then they act simultaneously. Claws: The demon manifests claws that inflict one level of aggravated damage, with one bonus trait for test resolutions.
LORE OF THE WINDS Basic
SUMMON WIND
This evocation allows the demon to call up a wind seemingly from nowhere. The Scourge can control the wind's general direction and use it to gain increased distance on a leap or hamper the effectiveness of ranged weapons. System: Bid a number of Physical traits up to your Faith score, and make a Simple test (Survival). These traits determine the strength of the wind summoned. Depending on how the wind is used, this strength can be added as a number of traits to an Athletics-based test (to leap a long distance, for example) it can increase the difficulty of a ranged attack staged against the demon (the demon may bid those additional traits in their favor if attacked), or it can be used as a number of traits to exert force against an object (such as pushing open a door, knocking a person over). The wind persists for only a single turn. Increased winds can be applied across any distance that the demon can see. Torment: When monstrous demons summon up a wind, it is tainted with the reek of a charnel house, stinking of death and decay. Anyone caught in this blast must make a successful Simple test or suffer one level of bashing damage.
FIST OF AIR
This evocation allows a demon to manipulate air pressure, allowing her to crush objects, stun living beings or cause them to burs apart from within. System: Make a Physical challenge (Survival) and spend a number of physical traits, for each trait, the target takes one bashing damage, up to a total of three traits. If directed at non-living objects, traits are considered strength points for a feat of strength to determine how much effect the blast of air has on a target. The demon must be able to see her target to use this evocation on it, and the effects persist for one turn Torment: Monstrous demons are capable of drawing on their hate to intensify the force of this evocation to the degree that it inflicts lethal damage on living targets.
Intermediate
COMMAND THE WIND
When a Scourge uses this evocation, he is surrounded by swirling winds that become extensions of his will. He can use these gusts of air to manipulate
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objects. System: Make a Simple test (Survival). Your control of the wind allows you to exert fine manipulation over something at range. When you use Command the Wind to control an object, you can toy with it in any fashion that you could with one hand. Thus, you can remotely pick something up, push a button or fire a gun. Using an object remotely takes your full concentration and thus counts as your turn. Additionally, the difficulty of fine control at range requires that you risk an additional Trait in any challenge with the object - if you use Command the Wind to make a gun fire at someone, for instance, you must bid an extra Trait for the attack challenge. Objects hefted with this power can only move at walking speed, and they can be nothing larger than you could lift with one hand. Anything you use Command the Wind on remains under your control as long as you can see it, unless you release it from your control deliberately. You must maintain complete concentration to command an object; when you stop concentrating or take a different action, the evocation ceases. Torment: The winds stirred by a monstrous demon become a foul miasma that chokes the lungs of anyone touched by them. Every living being within a number of yards equal to the demon‘s Faith score, suffers one level of bashing damage per turn that ignores any health levels given by armor. Filtration or breathing apparatus such as gas masks provide the only sources of protection from this poisonous air.
WALL OF AIR
While Scourges can stir air into an angry gale with but a word, they can also condense it into an impenetrable barrier, stopping solid objects as though they‘d struck a stone wall. When this evocation is performed, the air visibly distorts, like old, wavy glass. The stronger a barrier is the more opaque it becomes. System: Spend one Faith point; make a Physical challenge (Survival), and spend a number of Physical traits. For each Physical trait spent in this way, the wall gains an additional ten foot by ten foot coverage (one trait spent makes 10‘x10‘, two make 20‘x10‘ or 10‘x20‘, and so on). To force their way through the wall, a mortal or demon must make a Static Physical challenge against the number of traits spent by the evoking demon. No ranged attack can make it through the wall, with arrows and even bullets stopping mid-air within the wall. This wall may be created anywhere within the demon‘s line of sight. Torment: Monstrous demons create walls of air that resemble weaves of writhing fray mist and sear the flesh like acid. Individuals who attempt to force their way through the barrier must make an additional Physical test against the evoking demon‘s Torment, or suffer two levels of lethal damage
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Advanced
CYCLONE This potent evocation allows the Scourge to infuse the air with the power of his Faith, stirring up a raging whirlwind in the time of a heartbeat. The furious storm affects everything it touches, but the demon can focus it against a specific target if desired. System: Spend one Faith point, make a Simple test (Survival) and spend a number of Physical traits. For each physical trait spent, expand the radius of the cyclone by three yards. No ranged attacks can be made from within the cyclone‘s cover, nor can any ranged attack hit its target if fired into the cyclone‘s cover. Those within take two bashing each turn it lasts and it lasts for as many turns as Physical traits were spent. The cyclone may be made anywhere within the demon‘s line of sight. Torment: The hungry heart of the monstrous demon‘s storm sucks the very air from the lungs of the living to add to its strength. Every living being (save the character himself) within the radius of the cyclone suffers one level of lethal damage each turn as they struggle for air. If the demon spends more Physical Traits than he has Willpower Traits, then he too is affected by the cyclone‘s power.
ELLIL, THE VISAGE OF THE WINDS The monarchs of the air reveal themselves as tall and lithe, with large eyes and swift, graceful movements. When in revelatory form, the Ellil are constantly surrounded by shifting winds that ebb and flow with the intensity of their emotions. Any smoke or steam in the area is often sucked by these winds into a swirling vortex that circles their heads and shoulders like an ominous halo. The Visage of the Winds confers the following capabilities: Wings: A pair of owl's wings extends from the character's shoulders. At full extension, each wing is a third again as long as the character is tall. The character can glide up to three times her running speed per turn. Supernatural Vision: The demon has the sight of an eagle, allowing them to see five times farther than any mortal can (they can see at 50 yards as well as another sees at 10 yards), so long as there is even a weak source of light (such as moonlight). The character is up two traits on any perception related tests. Perfect Balance: Up two traits on all Athletics based Physical tests.
Immune to Falling Damage: The demon does not suffer any damage from falling from any height whatsoever. Torment: Ellil who succumb to their demonic nature grow lean and hatchet-featured, their features dominated by their large, unblinking eyes. Their once magnificent wings grow ragged and mangy, and their tall figures become stooped; they prefer to crouch rather than stand. They are always restless, unable to sit in one place for more than a few minutes at a time. The Visage of the Winds confers the following high-Torment capabilities: Claws: The demon manifests claws that inflict one level of aggravated damage, with one bonus trait for test resolutions. Extra Actions: The demon may spend faith points to gain extra attacks in a combat round. This costs one faith, plus one additional faith cumulatively for each additional action (1 Faith for the first extra attack, 2 Faith for the second additional attack, 3 Faith for the next, etc). Quills: The demon‘s shoulders and upper arms are covered with a ruff of sharp quills that pose a hazard to foes in close combat. Any attacker who hits the demon in melee must make a Static Physical Challenge against six traits, or take one level of lethal damage from the quills. Corrosive Bile: The demon‘s spit is acidic, and can be spit as a ranged attack, against those within six steps of the player. The spit causes one health level of aggravated damage, and has one additional bonus trait for resolving such attacks.
Malefactor (Annunaki)
Though seldom seen, the Artificers were responsible for maintaining the ever-changing face of Paradise, carving valleys, raising mountains and extending plains in a slow, steady cycle of motion that stimulated all other cycles of physical life. This prime duty was represented by the Lore of the Earth, granting these angels the secrets of shaping rock and soil no matter how vast or small. Hand-in-hand with this enormous task went the responsibility of making the earth accessible to the living creatures that inhabited it by laying pathways from one location to another. The Lore of Paths is a subtle but potent collection of evocations that dictates how a physical object passes from one point to another. Humanity believes that the
shortest distance between two points is a straight Line, but that's only because the angels of the earth wished it so in times past. Though these potent arts were central to the existence of Paradise, their ways were slow and indirect by mortal standards. When the war began, the Annunaki sought a way to make their powers more immediately useful to their demon and mortal allies, which led to the synthesis of demonically enhanced weapons and tools. These methods, encompassed in the Lore of the Forge, are now considered to be the hallmarks of the Malefactors.
LORE OF THE EARTH Basic
EARTH MELD
This evocation allows the demon to bond her physical body with the earth beneath her feet. As long as the evocation is in effect, she cannot be moved or picked up or knocked down unless she wishes it. System: The demon must make a Simple test (Science). If it succeeds, it cannot be moved from its current spot without willing to do so. Movement ends the use of this power, as does loss of consciousness. Torment: Monstrous demons can sink into the earth, and move at their normal movement rate. Each turn they attempt to move through the earth, they must make a static Physical challenge versus six traits, or be forced back to the surface. This movement (or attempt at movement) is their sole action in a given turn.
ROIL THE EARTH
This evocation allows a Malefactor to cause the earth to give up its buried secrets. By concentrating on a particular kind of object (e.g., gold, iron, corpses), the demon causes the earth around her to roil and churn, forcing objects of her desire to the surface. System: The demon bids a number of Physical traits, and makes Simple test (Science). Each Physical trait bid determines the radius in yards, including depth, affected by the evocation. If successful, and if what they desire is within the range, their desire makes its way to the surface. Torment: Monstrous demons can use this lore to make a kind of vortex, which sucks objects or persons beneath the surface. The demon spends a number of Physical traits, and makes a static Physical challenge (Science), and if successful, the number of traits spent determines the radius in yards, including depth, affected by the evocation. Those caught in the range must make a static Physical challenge (Dodge or Athletics) versus the number of traits bid, or sink into
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the earth to the depth dictated by traits spent. Any objects resting unhandled in the range automatically sink to the depth dictated by traits spent.
Intermediate
MOLD EARTH
This potent evocation allows the Malefactor to cause the earth to move and mold itself according to her whim. With a sweep of a hand, a wall of earth or stone can leap from the ground to shelter her, or building‘s walls could flow like melted wax, creating a doorway that wasn‘t there before. System: The demon must bid a number of Physical traits depending on the material to be affected (3 traits for earth, 6 traits for stone, 9 traits for cement), and make a static Physical challenge (Science). If successful, the demon can affect as many square feet as their Faith score. The material can be directed to shape any form desired, so long as the size fits within the square footage capable of being affected. If crafted into a specific form, the requisite Crafts must be possessed by the demon using the power. The material being affected must be within as many yards as the
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demon‘s Faith score. Torment: Monstrous demons can affect the earth in the same fashion as less tormented demons, but the material manipulated is incredibly toxic. Living beings (mortal and demon) that make contact with this tainted earth suffer one level of lethal damage per turn of exposure.
EARTH STORM
This evocation causes clods of earth and shards of stone or concrete to tear free of the ground and form a whirling storm of deadly projectiles surrounding the Malefactor, providing protection from attacks and supplying the demo with missiles to hurl at foes. System: Spend one faith, spend up to your Faith score in Physical traits, and then make a Simple test (Science). If successful, add the number of spent traits as temporary Healthy health levels, which are used prior to taking any of the demon‘s regular health levels in damage. This swirling vortex of stone and earth circle around the demon within a radius in yards equal to the demon‘s Faith score. Anyone who enters this area suffers a one-trait penalty to any challenge
while inside. This power lasts for a scene, and does not stack with other uses of this same power. The demon may choose to use some of the stones as ranged weapons. By sacrificing a temporary health level gained through this power, the demon may make a single Physical Challenge (Athletics) per health level, versus the target, with no bonus traits, and if successful, cause one health level of bashing damage. This can be done once per turn. Torment: The barrage invoked by the monstrous demon is more akin to a sandstorm, flaying living beings alive that enter it. The high-torment version does not grant bonus health levels or ranged attacks, but instead causes two lethal health levels of damage each turn to anyone within the area of effect for as many turns as the demon has Torment. This does not affect the demon itself. Also, any ranged attacks on anyone within the affected area, suffer a onetrait penalty.
Advanced
EARTHQUAKE By focusing the power of her will, the Malefactor can stir the pent-up energies deep below the earth‘s surface and create a brief but powerful tremor that can reverberate across an entire city. System: Spend one Faith point, and then spend Physical traits, before making a Simple test (Science). If successful, divide the traits spent between intensity and extent. Intensity is the number of traits down anyone in the extent suffers, for any challenge during the quake. It also dictates damage caused to buildings: one or two damages wooden buildings, three to four destroys wooden buildings and damages brick or stone, five or six destroy brick or stone, and damage steel, and seven or eight destroys steel buildings, and damages earthquake-resistant buildings. Only by spending nine or more traits, can an earthquake resistant building be destroyed. The exact effect on anyone within such buildings is up to the ST. A tremor persists for as many turns as there are traits dedicated to intensity. Extant is the effective radius from the demon (who is at the epicenter): one trait is the distance in yards around the demon equal to its Faith score. Two traits is the number of city blocks surrounding the demon equal to the demon‘s Faith score, and three traits is the number of miles surrounding the demon equal to its Faith score. Torment: The high-Torment version causes the earth to rend and heave and to spew thick clouds of toxic fumes into the air which reek of brimstone. Anyone within the extant suffers a two trait penalty on any Perception related tests, and breathing victims
suffer one level of bashing damage each turn they are within the cloud. This lasts for as many turns as the demon spent on intensity.
KISHAR, THE VISAGE OF THE EARTH These angels manifest as towering figures with dark skin that ranges from a creamy brown to utter black, and their bodies appear as though hewn from stone, with muscle and bone etched in a sharp relief on a frame devoid of soft flesh or fat. The Kishar are hairless, and the irises of their eyes have the clarity and color of gemstones: ruby, sapphire, emerald, garnet, topaz and diamond. The air about them smells of freshly turned earth, rich with the promise of life. The Visage of the Earth confers the following capabilities: Increased Size: The demon grows in size and strength, gaining 1 Bruised Health Level and two bonus Physical Traits: Brawny & Resilient. Immune to Bashing Damage: The demon is immune to any source of bashing damage. Irresistible Force: The demon may make one retest on every Strength-based Physical challenge, even if another ability based retest has already occurred. This retest is the final retest of the challenge. Night Vision: The demon can see in total darkness as though it were daylight. Torment: Monstrous Kishar are huge and misshapen, their stone-like skin covered in sharp-edged nodules and spikes, and fissured with deep cracks that ooze a black, oily ichor. The Visage of the Earth confers the following high-Torment capabilities: Extra Limbs: The demon grows a second set of arms. Extra arms allow a character to make an additional attack per turn. Gaping Maw: The demon can chew and digest anything he can fit into his mouth. Bite attacks cause one additional level of aggravated damage. Spikes: The demon‘s body is covered with sharp, stony spikes. Grapple (Brawl) attacks cause one aggravated level of damage each round while maintained. Ichor: The demon is covered in a slimy, black ichor. Any Physical challenge to grapple the demon is down two traits.
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LORE OF PATHS Basic
FIND PATH
This evocation permits the Malefactor to determine if a path exists between herself and a destination that fits the criteria she requires. The path is visible to only the demon and anyone she touches, revealing itself as a faint, silver-blue line, like a ray of moonlight. System: Make a static Mental challenge (Intuition) with a difficulty dependent upon the criteria of the search. For example, if your character wants to find a path through a stretch of impenetrable forest or swamp, the difficulty is three traits. If she wants a path across an open field that allows her to move unobserved, you might have a difficulty of six or more traits. A path that leads her unharmed through a raging house fire might be nine traits or even more. If the test fails, the path cannot be found. Any path (there may be more than one) that fits the criteria becomes visible to the demon. By touching others, and spending one Mental trait per person, they too can see any such path that is present. Torment: Monstrous demons are able to seek paths just as their more human peers can, but the difficulty for such challenges are increased by the demon's Torment. The more murderous the demon is, the less she is prepared to perform a concentrated search.
LAY PATH
At this level, a Malefactor doesn‘t have to look for a useful path. She can lay one to suit her needs, though it‘s not something that can be done on the spur of the moment. System: Spend a number of Mental traits, then make a Static Mental test (retest with Intuition), versus three traits for a simple path, six traits for a moderate path, and nine traits for a complex path. Simple paths include the shortest route from one place to another. A moderate path expands upon this, for example requiring that those on it be unseen, or to include multiple people besides the demon. A Complex path includes a mix of requirements, including all of those mentioned. For each trait spent, the path travels 100 yards. Torment: Monstrous demons can lay paths as well, but the taint that becomes worked into the fabric of a trail makes the course unpredictable and dangerous. Each person traversing the path must make a static Mental challenge versus the demon‘s Torment. If they fail, it causes the traveler to exit the path at a random point along its length, determined by the
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Storyteller — a potentially fatal mishap if the path in question leads under a lake or through a mountain.
Intermediate
CONCEAL PATH
Paths, once formed, can be found and followed by any demon that has the eyes to look for them – unless they are camouflaged by the demon that made them. System: Bid a number of Mental traits, then make a Simple Test (retest with Security). If the demon succeeds, any other demon attempting to find this path, must do so versus the number of traits bid in the challenge, for as many days as the demon has Faith points. This effect can be made permanent by spending a permanent Willpower. Torment: Monstrous demons do not hide a path so much as they lay a trap for the unwary. When the evocation is performed, the
CLOSE PATH
This evocation allows a Malefactor to seal both ends of a path, denying its use to both friend and foe until it is opened again. Paths closed in this way are often ―locked‖ using special words that can then be used as a kind of key to allow specific individuals access to the path while restricting others. System: Spend one Faith point, and make a Static Mental challenge (Security) versus one trait per 100 yards of the path‘s length. If successful, the path is closed at both ends, not allowing either friend or foe access to it. It can be reopened any time by the demon that closed it. This can be overcome by spending a Willpower point and succeeding on a Static Mental challenge versus the same number of traits as were used to close the path. Torment: Monstrous demons do not close paths – they collapse them. Again, you must bid a number of traits equal to the number of increments of 100 yards the path covers. If the challenge is a success, and travelers are on the path, they must make a Static Physical challenge versus the number of traits bid by the demon to collapse the path (retest with Athletics). If they succeed, they are ejected somewhere along the path, at Storyteller‘s discretion. If they tie or fail, they become trapped between the spirit realm, and the physical realm, and begin to suffocate. Suffocating victims lose one Physical Trait each round, until out of Physical Traits, and fall unconscious. They then take one level of lethal damage each round until death. Each turn, they may continue to make Static Physical Challenges versus the number of traits bid to activate the power, until they are out of Physical Traits. Those who die between realms lose their physical bodies
permanently to the void, and demons which suffer this fate automatically are lost to the Abyss, rather than having the option to find a new body, though this comes with the benefit of being able to avoid being devoured.
Advanced
WARP PATH This invocation allows a malefactor to warp the nature of an existing pathway, altering one or many of its parameters. The path can be travelled in a shorter or longer period of time, it can lead travelers back to their point of origin, it can lead to a different destination entirely, or it can simply loop back upon itself without end. System: Spend one Faith point, spend a number of Mental traits, and make a Simple test (Intuition). If successful, the time necessary to travel is reduced (or extended) by a factor equal to the number of traits spent (two traits, twice as fast, three traits, three times as fast, etc.). Instead, by spending the number of traits equal to the length of the path (in 100 yard increments), the demon can loop a path upon itself by making a static Mental challenge versus six traits, essentially making it never end. This lasts for as many days as the demon has Faith. Otherwise, the demon may spend a permanent Willpower to make it permanent. Torment: Monstrous demons create warped paths that prey upon the minds of travelers, as well. In addition to any alterations made to the path itself, travelers crossing it must make a simple test (spend a temporary Willpower for a retest) upon reaching their destination. If they succeed, all is well. If they tie, they receive a temporary derangement for the scene. If they fail, they suffer a permanent derangement brought on by the twists crafted by the demon‘s Torment.
ANTU, THE VISAGE OF THE PATHS The angels of the pathways closely resemble mortals at first glance. Their skin is deeply tanned, as though they‘d spent a lifetime in the sun, and the skin around their dark eyes are deeply lined, casting their orbits in permanent shadow. It is only on closer inspection that the worry lines are revealed as intricate patterns that radiate from the angel‘s eyes and continue to run across the planes of her face, disappearing into her scalp and circling her throat in intricate tattoos. At night these lines reflect the moonlight in ghostly
traceries that seem to shift and realign themselves as the angel speaks. The Visage of the Paths confers the following capabilities: Dead Reckoning: The demon always knows where she is in relation to known landmarks, no matter how far away those landmarks may be. Unless effected by spatially distorting evocations such as Warp Path (Lore of Paths ), they can never lose their sense of direction. Enhanced Senses: The character's five senses are heightened to supernatural levels, putting the demon up two traits on all Perception related tests. Improved Initiative: The demon acts first in combat, unless another possesses this ability. If so, then they act simultaneously. Flashing Fingers: The demon is capable of supernatural sleight-of-hand, seeming to conjure items out of thin air only to make them vanish again with a flick of the wrist. To do this, the demon makes a static Physical challenge versus six traits to make an object disappear into an extra-dimensional pocket, or to draw such an object back from a pocket. Objects must fit in the demon's hand to be made to disappear, and cannot be living. Torment: Monstrous Antu cannot conceal the path lines crisscrossing their faces – they stand out as angry cuts of black and red against their tanned skin. The air shifts and trembles around them, waxing and waning depending on the intensity of their emotions. The Visage of the Paths confers the following high-Torment capabilities: Pass Without Trace: The demon is two traits up on all stealth tests, and her passage does not disturb the surrounding environment in any way. She leaves no footprints and disturbs no foliage. Alter Size: The demon can alter its physical size in order to slip through narrow gaps or crawl into impossibly small places. The demon can reduce its size to as little as a third of its original size. When this size, all opponents are down one trait to hit the demon. Mirage: Air warps around the demon, creating an optical illusion that misleads an opponent as to how far away the demon really is. All ranged attacks to hit the demon are down by two traits, and all melee attacks are down by one trait to hit the demon. Demons can resist this illusion as they do any other. Relentless: The demon can walk or run
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without need of rest, able to cover superhuman distances without pause. As long as the demon stays in motion, the demon is unaffected by fatigue or hunger.
ties or fails, the machine becomes inoperable following this use.
Intermediate
LORE OF THE FORGE Basic
Enhance Object
This evocation allows a Malefactor to gain an innate understanding of an object and its intended function, simply by running her hands over it or working its moving parts. What‘s more, she can repair damaged objects or make adjustments that cause them to work better than before. System: Make a simple test (Crafts). On a win or tie, the item focused upon is either repaired and fully functional, or gains a single bonus trait, in addition to any normal bonus traits it possesses, usable for any challenges with the item. Repairs are automatically permanent, but the bonus trait lasts for a single scene, unless a permanent Willpower is spent. This can only be used once on an item at any given time, and is not cumulative with itself. Torment: Objects repaired or enhanced by a monstrous demon are tainted by the demon‘s hatred, infusing them with a tendency to inflict misfortune and death. Each time such items are used, make a second simple test. If that test fails, the item automatically fails its attempt, and if it is a weapon, it inflicts damage upon the user rather than the intended victim. If it is armor, it merely fails to offer protection, but still grants its usual negative traits to the user.
Activate Object
With this evocation, the demon can cause mechanical objects to operate by simple force of will. System: Make a static mental challenge (Crafts) versus three traits for simple items (doors, etc.), and six traits for more complex items (cars, guns, computers, etc.). This evocation works only on objects that operate by simple, mechanical means. Hinges move, levers operate, but hammers don't pick themselves up and start banging away at nails. An elevator button could depress or a computer's power switch could turn on or off, but the inner workings of the computer's memory aren't affected. The character can affect a single object within a number of yards equal to her Faith score. Torment: A machine affected by a monstrous demon‘s will often breaks or goes wildly out of control, damaging or destroying itself in the process. When making the challenge, make a simple test. If this test
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Shape Object
This evocation allows a Malefactor to take matter and work it with ease. A wooden board can be worked into a model ship, a plate glass window can be worked into a delicate glass crown or a steel pipe can be shaped by the Malefactor‘s hands into a razor-edged sword. System: Make a static Mental challenge (Crafts), versus three to nine traits, depending on the complexity of the item created. Simple items, like a hammer, are three traits, while complicated items, like a crossbow, are nine traits. Making more advanced items, such as engines, firearms, or computers, requires greater effort, and time. All such challenges are static Mental challenges, versus difficulty of nine, but also require the expenditure of Mental traits to complete. Simpler, mechanical items such as guns require the expenditure of three traits. More advanced mechanical items such as engines cost six traits, while high tech items such as computers cost nine traits. It takes one hour of work per trait spent, to complete such items. Torment: Objects created by monstrous demons are dangerous and unpredictable, equally capable of inflicting tragedy as they are of functioning as designed. When an object crafted with this power is used, make a simple test. If the test fails, the item breaks: in the case of weapons, inflicting damage on the wielder, rather than the victim, and in the case of armor, causing an additional lethal damage, while neutralizing whatever benefits the item had offered. Other items break down at inopportune times; causing automatic failure on the action they were intended to be used for.
Enchant Object
This powerful evocation is the one most often associated with the angels of the earth: the ability to infuse objects with supernatural qualities that can make ordinary mortals into heroes – or monsters. Many such objects are specifically created for that purpose, but Malefactors are also adept at taking pre-existing items and infusing them with frightening new capabilities. System: Enchant Object is the most complicated of lores, in many respects. The difficulty to craft an item depends upon what effects are to be placed upon the item. How many effects can be placed upon an item depends on the suitability of materials. The level of lore which is to be placed into an item requires that the enchanter possess that level of lore themselves (for example, Earth 5, to make a staff
Item/Material Suitability Shoddy
Minimum Resources 1
Adequate
2
Good
3
Exceptional
4
Superb
5
Examples Driftwood, rocks, broken toys, low-grade steel, quartz, skateboard, pocket knife Quality wood, semi-precious stones, strong steel, car, motorcycle, priest‘s vestments Small amounts of precious metal, small precious stones, Armani suit, Toledo sword, alchemical equipment Gold ingot, large rubies and sapphires, rare antique, meteoric iron, hand of a hanged murderer One-of-a-kind antique, diamond the size of your fist, chest full of gold, supply of siyr metal from the Time of Atrocities
which causes earthquakes when struck upon the ground). How long it takes to produce an item is dictated by the power of the item in question (the more powerful, the longer it takes). The materials from which the future enchanted item are constructed from, are very important. Poor, unfitting material cannot hold the raw power of demonic lores. Lores are not the only effects that can be enchanted into items. Other effects (which do not require specific lores) include increasing the traits an item gives for its use, removing of negative traits an item might normally have, or even increasing the damage a weapon might cause, or the number of health levels granted by armor (both of these effects are limited to a single increase over the natural damage or health levels granted by the item). All items which have powers based on lores, are usable once per scene, unless additional power points are used to increase their number of uses. They increase the number of uses per scene on a one-for-one basis, until five points are used in this manner, making the lore usable at-will. For every power level enchanted into the item, a player must make two Simple tests (Crafts). Each time these challenges are made, the demon must spend one Faith trait. These challenges can only be made once a week (in other words, it takes two weeks per power level to enchant an item, or eight weeks to enchant an item with a power of four.). A player managing a tie makes no progression that week, but does spend a Faith trait for that week. If, at any time during the item construction, the player fails one of those Simple tests, they are faced with the choice of continuing (the failure delaying the progression for a week, as per a tie), knowing that the item will be completed cursed, or they can give up their work, and start again from the beginning. Once the final week ends in a success, the demon must spend a permanent Willpower to finish imprinting the enchantment onto the item. No item can ever be enchanted with an effect that mimics the Lore of the Forge. Activating Enchanted Items requires a Simple test (Willpower), and an expenditure of Faith for demons, or an expenditure of Willpower for mortals. Items which are given general enchantments, without
Maximum Power 1 2 4 6 8
any lores, must be activated in the same manner, but remain active for the scene, rather than the duration of the power enchanted into the item (the before mentioned earthquake staff must be reactivated each time the earthquake effect is desired, but a sword given a general enchantment which increased damage, removed negative traits, and granted extra bonus traits, only needs to be activated once per scene). Torment: Monstrous demons created cursed objects. Cursed objects require a simple test each time they are used. If this test is lost, the demon gains a temporary Torment when activating the item (or a mortal loses a temporary Willpower), and the item‘s ability backfires on the user and/or any associates nearby. This is, as always, up to Storyteller discretion.
Advanced
Imbue Object While the ability to enchant objects made the Annunaki much sought after among the fallen, this evocation made them equally feared as well, allowing a Malefactor to bind a soul – mortal or demon – into a specially prepared reliquary or object. System: Your character must prepare a suitable vessel to hold the spirit in question. This vessel must be made of natural materials and be shaped by hand; otherwise the opponent gains three bonus traits in the challenge to bind them. With this vessel in hand, your character can use this evocation on any disinterred spirit (such as a demon stripped of its host body or a ghost) within a number of yards equal to her Faith score. Spend one Faith and make a Mental challenge (Crafts) against the target. If your effort is successful, the spirit is bound into the vessel. Mortal souls bound this way cannot interact with the physical world. Demons, on the other hand, can still use their inherent powers and one power from each of their lore paths, provided they have available Faith, (any existing pacts with mortal thralls remain in effect). The only way to free a soul thus bound is to destroy the vessel that contains it. Torment: Monstrous demons who bind souls with this evocation are tainted by the malefactor‘s Torment, twisting the spirits into maddened,
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malevolent entities. Mortal souls bound in this fashion suffer a permanent derangement, determined by the Storyteller.. Fallen bound thus have their temporary Torment increased by the binding demon‘s permanent Torment (minimum one).
MUMMU, THE VISAGE OF THE FORGE The angels of the forge appear as giants hammered from the black iron of the earth, their powerfully muscled forms lit with veins of hot magma, and their eyes shining like disks of burnished brass. Their voices are deep and thunderous, like the roar of a furnace. When in their Apocalyptic Form, these fallen are immune to extremes of temperature and pressure. They handle hot coals as mortals do ice cubes. The Visage of the Forge confers the following capabilities: Master Artisan: The demon is up two traits on any Crafts challenge while in Apocalypse Form. Increased Size: The demon grows in size and strength, gaining 1 Bruised Health Level and two bonus Physical Traits: Brawny & Resilient. Thunderous Voice: The demon‘s shout shatters glass and makes stones tremble. Once per scene, the demon may shout and cause two levels of bashing damage to everyone within its Faith score in steps around them. Immunity to Fire: The demon cannot be harmed by any flame, natural, artificial, or supernatural. Torment: High Torment Mummu are nightmarish creatures of iron skin and serrated blades, surrounded by a haze of smoldering brimstone. Their eyes are twin globes of roiling fire, and wherever they go, electrical devices go berserk: lights flicker and televisions and radios are afflicted with static. The Visage of the Forge confers the following high-Torment capabilities: Blades: The demon‘s fingers end in razorsharp iron blades that inflict one level of aggravated damage, with one bonus trait for test resolutions. Extra Limbs: The demon grows a second set of arms. Extra arms allow a character to make an additional attack per turn. Magnetic Field: The demon is surrounded by a magnetic field in a radius of their Faith score in steps, which disrupts or damages any electronic equipment within range.
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Iron Skin: The demon manifests smooth iron skin all over its body. When the demon suffers aggravated damage, the player may immediately make a Simple Test to try to reduce the severity of the damage. If you succeed, you reduce the injury to lethal damage. Before making the test, you may choose to expend a stamina-related Physical Trait, allowing you to reduce injury on a win or a tie. Otherwise, you must win the test outright. Use of this power is reflexive; it does not count as an action. You may only attempt to use this ability once on any given attack. Thus, if you suffer two or more levels of aggravated damage from a particular attack, you may test to reduce only one level to lethal damage.
Fiend
(Neberu) Humanity views the universe as an impossibly vast panorama of galaxies, stars and planets, each object adrift on a sea of emptiness, spreading like ripples in a pond. The Angels of the Heavens know differently — all elements of Creation, no matter how vast or insignificant, are dependent on one another in a delicate balance of power, motion and direction. It's a grand mechanism that only God could conceive, and one that the angels were ordered to monitor and maintain in perpetuity. Central to this task was the Lore of Patterns, allowing the angels of the Fourth House to study the motions of the Grand Design and predict possible problems before they occurred. Even then, the design was so large that even the Elohim could view only a small portion at any one time, leading to the creation of the Lore of Portals — secrets that allowed the angels to travel the length and breadth of reality in the blink of an eye. Finally, like the Annunaki, whose duties would normally have kept them far from mortal eyes, the Neberu struggled to use their powers directly in the struggle against the Host of Heaven. The Lore of Light emerged during the war as the Fiends learned to use their knowledge of light—and perception— to weave potent illusions,
LORE OF PATTERNS Basic
SENSE CONGRUENCE This evocation allows a Fiend to sense
localities or people that are at the heart of a convergence of consequential forces. By reading the forces at work in the great design, the Fiend can use this power to always be in the right place at the right time. System: The demon specifies what sort of event they are attempting to detect (e.g. summoning ritual, car crash, etc), and bidding a number of Mental traits equal to the number of questions the demon wishes to ask about the event (where is it occurring, when is it occurring, etc), and then makes a Simple test (Intuition). On a success or tie, the player can ask the Storyteller as many questions as traits were bid about the future occurrence. This can look forward in time the number of days equal to the demon‘s Faith score. Torment: Monstrous demons are able to use this evocation to search only for impending events of violence and destruction.
TRACE PATTERN
This evocation allows the Fiend to view a particular event and analyze the various forces that caused it to occur. This insight comes in the form of vague impressions that sharpen into detailed images as the demon devotes her unblinking attention to them. System: While at the scene of an event, the demon may, after the fact, divine how an event came to happen. The demon bids one to three traits, and makes a Simple Test (Investigation). On a win or tie, the demon can see the past event at that site. If no specific event is known to the demon, then the most recent event which occurred on the site is seen. If one trait is bid, the demon sees the events as they happened, and may ask questions related to that exact moment. If two traits are bid, the demon can look back up to five minutes back, and ask questions about, before the event occurred, and if the demon bid three traits, the demon can see and ask questions about up to fifteen minutes prior to the event. Torment: Monstrous Fiends can attempt to trace any pattern they wish, but they can focus on only sources of violence or injury that pertain to the event.
Intermediate
FORESEE
This potent evocation allows the Fiend to read the tides of fate in her immediate area and predict events and actions that are about to occur. System: The demon makes a Simple Test (Intuition). If the demon ties or is successful, the demon may choose its place in the initiative the following number of rounds equal to the demon‘s Faith score. In addition to this use, the demon cannot be surprised for the rest of the scene.
Torment: Monstrous demons are less interested in viewing the subtle shifts of patterns as they are in inflicting misery on their victims. The duration of the high-Torment version of this evocation is a single turn, but each success gives the demon a free retest on each dodge action that occurs until the following turn, regardless of her own initiative.
CAUSAL INFLUENCE
A Fiend can use this powerful evocation to gain insight into events up to several days into the future, and depending on her intentions, she can home in on which causal threads she must affect to achieve a desired result. It's worth noting that this power provides the demon with information only; it's up to her (or her pawns) to shift fate in her favor. System: This power is primarily up to the ST‘s discretion on how the power works. The demon spends one trait of Faith, and makes a Static Mental test against however many traits the ST requires, gleaning the information the demon searches for.. What that information is, is up to the ST‘s discretion. Torment: Monstrous demons use this evocation to gain insight into the dangers surrounding an individual, and how to manipulate these risks to cause injury or misfortune. The high-Torment version of this evocation shows the Fiend where the subject (be it a person, place or event) is at risk of suffering an accident or other misfortune, and it shows the best way to cause the tragic circumstances to occur.
Advanced
TWIST TIME This powerful evocation allows the Fiend to alter the flow of time within a small area, shifting it out of phase with the rest of the cosmos. The Fiend and anyone else within this bubble of distorted time may act faster or slower than the normal flow of the universe. System: The demon spends a Faith trait, spends a number of mental traits, and makes a Static Mental challenge of variable difficulty. Within the demon‘s Faith score in yards (radius) around the target of this power, the demon may speed up, slow down, or even stop time for everyone (including himself) inside the bubble. To speed up time within the bubble, requires a challenge against difficulty five. To slow down time within the bubble is difficulty seven, and to stop time altogether is difficulty nine. Those within the bubble appear to act normally amongst themselves, while those outside the bubble see only a distorted bubble of space time. Those seeking to leave the bubble may do so, but once outside of the bubble, they become affected
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with the timeframe outside. If the bubble is sped up (at four turns, per one turn outside), they slow down to match those outside the bubble. Likewise, if the bubble is slowed down (one turn inside, per four turns outside), once the character steps outside, they speed up to match the rest of the outside world. If the bubble is frozen, entering it freezes you as well, leaving you unaware of what is going on outside the bubble, and unable to take actions until the effect wears off. The bubble effect lasts for as many turns (for the outside world) as the demon spent in Mental traits. Torment: Monstrous demons use this evocation to hurl unsuspecting victims out of phase with the time stream. To the victim, the experience is instantaneous and horrifying, a momentary brush with the void between realms that leaves terrible scars on a person's sanity. The evocation affects every individual within a number of yards equal to the character's Faith score. Demons can resist the effects by making a static Mental challenge (retest with Willpower), versus the Fiend's Torment. Victims knocked out of phase disappear for the demon‘s Torment in turns. When they return to the normal time flow, victims lose one temporary Willpower point for each turn they were out of phase. If this loss reduces their Willpower to zero, victims suffer a permanent derangement.
NINSUN, THE VISAGE OF PATTERNS The angels of the great pattern have skins of indigo. Their hairless bodies are covered with intricate lines and patterns etched in silvery blue light that shifts and realigns depending on the angle of light and the intensity of the angel‘s mood. Their eyes are like bright sapphires, casting the cold light of the stars. The Visage Patterns of confers the following capabilities: Wings: A pair of swan‘s wings extends from the character's shoulders. At full extension, each wing is a third again as long as the character is tall. The character can glide up to three times her running speed per turn. Improved Initiative: The demon acts first in combat, unless another possesses this ability. If so, then they act simultaneously. Enhanced Intuition: The demon has uncanny insight and puts her up 2 traits on all Intuition tests. Enhanced Mental Acuity: The demon gains Intuitive, Observant, and Rational Mental traits while in Apocalyptic Form. Torment: Monstrous Ninsun lose their indigo hue and become as black as the void. The patterns covering
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their bodies take on the color of quicksilver, and their eyes are nothing but empty globes of darkness. An extra set of spindly arms gives these demons a distinctly arachnid appearance. The Visage of Patterns confers the following highTorment capabilities: Aura of Misfortune: Anyone caught within as many steps as the demon‘s Torment score, suffers a one trait penalty on any challenge. Extra Actions: The demon may spend faith points to gain extra attacks in a combat round. This costs one faith, plus one additional faith cumulatively for each additional action (1 Faith for the first extra attack, 2 Faith for the second additional attack, 3 Faith for the next, etc). Extra Limbs: The demon grows a second set of arms. Extra arms allow a character to make an additional attack per turn. Sibilant Whispers: The demon is up two traits on any Subterfuge challenge.
LORE OF PORTALS Basic
OPEN/ CLOSE PORTALS
This evocation gives a Fiend complete control of the portals she encounters. Doors and windows unlock, open or close at her command. System: The demon makes a Static Mental test (Security) versus three traits for a simple lock (deadbolt), six traits for a moderate lock (combination locks), or nine traits for an advanced lock (electronic doors). If successful, the portal unlocks and opens fully Torment: Monstrous demons do not open or close portals so much as they smash them open or jam them shut. When a high-Torment demon affects a portal with this evocation, the evocation does the demon‘s permanent Torment score in damage to the portal in question.
CREATE WARD
This evocation allows the Fiend to seal off the portals in an area, making it inviolable to outside forces. System: The demon must be inside the area he wishes to seal. He must make a Simple Test (Security). If successful, or on a tie, every entrance or exit into the area the demon is within becomes sealed to outsiders (it even blocks other Lores, such as from Paths, Realms, and Portals). A person can breach the Ward only by making a Static Mental challenge against a difficulty equal to the demon that created the Ward‘s
Willpower. This power lasts for a single scene. Torment: Monstrous demons are capable of creating wards, but their energies do not restrict invaders so much as they inflict pain on those who attempt to enter a protected space. When an intruder crosses a warded portal, he suffers a number of bashing levels of damage equal to the number of Willpower traits of the demon who created the Ward.
Intermediate
TELEPORT
This evocation allows a Fiend to use an existing portal to transport herself instantly to a similar portal at another location, potentially hundreds of miles away. System: The demon makes a Static Mental test (Awareness) versus a variable difficulty based on familiarity with the place the Demon wishes to teleport to. A place they are intimately familiar with (their home) is a difficulty of three traits. If it is somewhere they have visited frequently, the difficulty is six traits. If the place is somewhere they‘ve only visited once, then the difficulty is nine traits. The demon can only transport itself, and must have visited the desired site at least once. Note: if a place has changed significantly since the demon‘s visit (say, since the Age of Wrath), the demon can only transport themselves there at a difficulty of twelve traits. Torment: Monstrous demons performing this evocation are severely hampered by their lack of focus. If the evocation is successful, make a static Mental challenge, versus Fiend's Torment traits. If the test fails, the Fiend is transported to a random (but familiar) location as determined by the Storyteller.
CO-LOCATE
Akin to Teleport, this evocation allows a Fiend to use a doorway to tie two locations together for a short time, allowing others to pass through from one place to another. System: The demon must spend a trait of Faith, focus on two doorways (one where they are, and one where they wish to go, they can be real doorways, manhole covers, or even the St. Louis Arch) and then make a Static Mental test (Awareness) versus a variable difficulty based on the demon‘s familiarity with the place the demon wishes to travel to. A place they are intimately familiar with (their home) is a difficulty of three traits. If it is somewhere they have visited frequently, the difficulty is six traits. If the place is somewhere they‘ve only visited once, then the difficulty is nine traits. The demon can only craft a portal to a place it has visited itself, and must have visited the
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desired site at least once. Note: if a place has changed significantly since the demon‘s visit (say, since the Age of Wrath), the demon can only create a portal to transport themselves and others at a difficulty of twelve traits. The portal can stay open for as many turns as the demon has Faith traits, and the total distance travelled cannot exceed 100 miles per Faith trait the demon possesses. Torment: Monstrous demons can create colocations, but those passing through are momentarily exposed to the demon's Torment, and risk severe psychological trauma or madness as a result. Any passing through must make a static Mental challenge (Willpower for a retest) versus the Fiend's Torment. If a test fails, a victim gains a temporary derangement.
Advanced
DOORWAY INTO DARKNESS This powerful evocation allows a demon to create a doorway into the shadowy space between the physical and spirit realms — a dark, lifeless reflection of the world. Demons can cross over into this bleak realm for a short time or hide items from prying eyes and then retrieve them later. System: Spend one Faith trait and make a Simple test (Awareness). The evocation requires a portal — door or window — to form the threshold between realms, and the opening remains until the end of the next turn. Individuals who pass bodily through find themselves in a bleak, desolate mirror image of the physical world, one wracked by howling winds that wear away at living minds. Mortals who cross over into this realm lose one Willpower trait for each turn that they are there. Once their Willpower is gone, they gain a temporary derangement and suffer one level of bashing damage per turn that may not be soaked. Demons can remain in this shadow realm for a number of turns equal to their Faith score without ill effects. After that point, they begin to suffer bashing damage as well. This evocation must be performed again to open a doorway that allows a Fiend or another to return to the physical realm. Such a "return" opening can be created on either side. Torment: When a monstrous demon opens a portal to the shadow lands, she risks losing focus and allowing some of the energies from beyond to slip into the physical realm. If the evocation succeeds, make a Simple test. If the test fails, the winds of the cosmic storm seep through, causing all mortals in the immediate area to make a Simple test. If their test fails, they suffer a temporary derangement.
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NEDU, THE VISAGE OF PORTALS The angels of the threshold are tall, ethereal figures, their long limbs and lean bodies wreathed in a veil of shifting shadow. Their movements are as fluid as they are soundless, and their feet leave no impression to mark their passing. When they pass into deep shadow, their eyes shine with a cold, blue light. The Visage of Portals confers the following capabilities: Wings: A pair of swan‘s wings extends from the character's shoulders. At full extension, each wing is a third again as long as the character is tall. The character can glide up to three times her running speed per turn. Pass Without Trace: The demon is two traits up on all stealth tests, and her passage does not disturb the surrounding environment in any way. She leaves no footprints and disturbs no foliage. Enhanced Senses: The character's five senses are heightened to supernatural levels, putting the demon up two traits on all Perception related tests. Increased Awareness: The character is up two traits on any Awareness related tests. Torment: Monstrous Nedu are like living shadows, ebon and ephemeral. Their voices are like the keening of wind over jagged stones, and their touch is colder than ice. The Visage of Portals confers the following highTorment capabilities: Cloak of Shadows: The demon is shrouded in a pall of darkness, making her features difficult to see in the best light and rendering her near-invisible at night. The demon is 2 traits up on all stealth challenges whenever the demon stands in shadow or moves in darkness. If the character is attacked in shadow, the rules for Blind Fighting apply to the attacker. Improved Initiative: The demon acts first in combat, unless another possesses this ability. If so, then they act simultaneously. Enhanced Dodge: The demon is 2 traits up on all Dodge tests. Casts No Reflection: The demon‘s image does not appear in a mirror. Nor can it be captured in a photograph, or by a video camera.
LORE OF LIGHT Basic
LIGHT
This simple evocation allows a demon to fill an area with pale silvery light, akin to moonlight. The light seems to emanate from the area's surroundings, allowing individuals to move and act in the illuminated area without penalty. This evocation also has a more tactical application, permitting the demon to stun or disorient opponents with intense, blinding flashes. System: Spend a number of Mental traits and make a Simple test (Science). The evocation illuminates one cubic yard per Mental trait spent, centered on the character. The light persists for a number of turns equal to the demon's Faith score. When used tactically, the intense flashes of light can be focused in a single direction. Any individuals, friend or foe, who look in that direction at the time of the flash suffer a number of levels of bashing damage equal to the successes rolled. Flashes of light appear for only a turn. Torment: Monstrous demons fill their surroundings with inky, suffocating darkness, affecting an area as above. They can move unhindered though this darkness. Other individuals within the area of effect are effectively blind.
BEND LIGHT
By exerting her will and manipulating the properties of light, the Fiend can bend waves around her body instead of reflecting them, giving her a powerful form of camouflage. System: Bid a number of Mental traits, and make a Simple test (Stealth). The number of traits bid increases the difficulties of any attempt to see the demon, for the rest of the scene, unless the opponent makes a Static Mental test against the number of traits bid by the demon. Ranged attacks against the demon are treated as blind-fighting, unless the Mental test is successful. Melee attacks are resolved as normal. Other demons and thralls with the capability are able to resist the effects of these illusions thanks to their inherent powers. Torment: Monstrous demons do not bend light so much as they distort it into crazed, eyestraining patterns. All attacks against the demon are treated as blind-fighting against the demon, ranged or otherwise, but do not affect others' ability to perceive the demon‘s position.
Intermediate
PHANTASM
This evocation allows a Fiend to create ghostly images that perform a rote set of actions as directed by the creator. System: The demon makes a Static Mental test (Science), versus a number of traits dictated by the complexity of the image being crafted. A difficulty of three for simple static images, six traits for images performing simple actions, or more detailed images, while the demon must bid nine traits for the most complex of moving images. Once the image and actions are set, a loop is created that runs when the demon wishes, and that persists for a number of days equal to the character's Faith score. Other demons and thralls with the capability are able to resist the effects of these illusions thanks to their inherent powers. Torment: A monstrous demon's phantasms, no matter how simple or apparently benign they are, remain subtly disturbing, even on a subconscious level. A Simple challenge (Willpower) is made for individuals viewing one of these illusions. If the test is tied, the individual flees the area. If the test is failed, they suffer a temporary derangement.
ILLUSION
This evocation is a refinement of Phantasm, allowing the demon to create images that seem completely real until touched. What's more, the demon is capable of directing her illusions and altering their appearance on the fly. System: Spend one Faith trait and make a Static Mental challenge (Science). The difficulty of the test is determined by the complexity of the illusion the demon wishes to create. Creating the illusion of a static object such as a table is three traits. A simple but more mobile object such as a thrown rock is difficulty of six traits. Living beings have a difficulty of nine traits or higher depending on the level of detail. Illusions created in this way cannot speak, and has no mass, and the Fiend must maintain a line of sight with a creation at all times or the illusion disappears. A Fiend can maintain multiple illusions at the same time equal to her Faith score. The effects of this evocation last for the duration of the scene. Other demons and thralls with the capability are able to resist the effects of these illusions thanks to their inherent powers. Torment: A monstrous demon's illusions are overtly unsettling, reflecting the demon's inner corruption in subtle but frightening ways. A Simple test (Willpower) must be made for individuals who witness these illusions. If the test is tied, a victim flees from the sight of the illusion, if the test is failed, he gains a temporary derangement.
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Advanced
COHERENT LIGHT The pinnacle of this lore path allows a Fiend to compress light to the degree that it assumes a degree of physical solidity, allowing her constructs to interact almost seamlessly with the physical world. Like Illusion, the images created by this evocation can be controlled directly by the demon, and its appearance can be altered from moment to moment. System: Spend one Faith trait, as well as and make a Static Mental challenge (Science). The difficulty of the test is determined by the complexity of the illusion the demon wishes to create. A table is a difficulty of three traits, a dog is six traits, and a human is nine traits or more. Illusions created in this way cannot speak, and the Fiend must maintain a line of sight with the image at all times or the illusion disappears. In any challenge, the illusion only has as many traits as the demon has Faith score, and has no ability to retest. If a construct is attacked or would otherwise suffer one health level of damage (hashing or lethal), the creation vanishes. A Fiend can maintain a number of illusions equal to her Faith score at the same time. The effects of this evocation last for a number of turns equal to the character's Faith score. Other demons and thralls with the capability are able to resist the effects of these illusions thanks to their inherent powers, and cannot be harmed by them. Torment: The constructs fashioned by a monstrous demon are shaped in part by her hatred and despair, and unless they are controlled carefully, the illusions act on their own, lashing out destructively at their surroundings. A Static Mental test (Willpower) must be made each turn for each construct, with the difficulty equal to the Fiend's Torment score. If a challenge fails, an illusion attacks the nearest living being (save the Fiend herself) using the demon‘s Torment score in traits, rather than the demon‘s Faith score. Note that the Fiend doesn't have to exert control over her constructs — she can simply create them and turn them loose on her enemies if she wishes, leaving her mind free for other tasks.
SHAMASH, THE VISAGE OF LIGHT The apocalyptic form of the masters of this lore paints a demon in shifting patterns of shadow and pale, silvery starlight. These hypnotic images draw the eye and beguile the senses, at times hinting at subtle flashes that reflect the demon‘s inner thoughts. The Shamash are alluring, chimerical, deceptive, terrifying or achingly
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beautiful, often from moment to moment. The Visage of Light confers the following capabilities: Enhanced Mental Acuity: The demon gains Discerning, Cunning, and Wily Mental traits while in Apocalyptic Form. Night Vision: The demon can see in total darkness as though it were daylight. Chimerical Aura: The demon is up two traits to Dodge, though demons and thralls can resist normally. Unearthly Glamour: The demon is up two traits on any manipulation based Social challenge. This can be resisted by other demons and thralls normally. Torment: Shamash who lose themselves to their Torment are surrounded by chimerical forms that reflect the demon‘s hatred and despair, creating a horror show of monstrous apparitions that whirl and snap at one another in increasing ferocity depending on a being‘s mood. The Visage of Light confers the following highTorment capabilities: Hypnotic Visions: The aura surrounding the demon is confusing, causing attackers to falter in their actions. Any attacker must make a Static Mental test versus the demon‘s Torment, or lose their action that round. This can be resisted normally by demons and thralls. Dread Mien: Up two traits on all Intimidation based challenges. Chimerical Attack: Once per scene, the demon‘s control of illusions causes illusory forces to strike out at opponents in combat. As many chimerical assaults on a single target can happen as the demon has in Faith score. Each attack can be resisted by the victim (if they are demon or thrall) following the usual rules for resisting illusion. Each chimerical attack causes one health level of aggravated damage, though the chimerical attacker always loses on ties, and cannot retest an attack. Each attacker lasts as long as the victim fails to disbelieve them. They cannot be targeted, and only the victim can see them. Casts No Reflection: The demon‘s image does not appear in a mirror. Nor can it be captured in a photograph, or by a video camera.
Defiler (Lammasu)
The mercurial angels of the deep were meant from the beginning to lead a lonely existence, close enough to inspire human hearts, yet eternally out of reach. The Lore of Longing, with its power to enflame human hearts, was the core of the House's collected wisdom, but mastery of wind and wave also led to the evolution of the Lore of Storms, allowing the angels of the deep to reach far over dry land as well. Ironically, once the Lammasu had forsaken their oath to Heaven and were able to show themselves openly to mankind, the rebels found themselves ill-equipped to relate directly with humanity. They were far more comfortable showing men and women the faces that they wanted to see rather than risk being viewed for what they truly were. Therefore, these mutable spirits refined the art of transforming their appearance at will to suit the expectations of those around them, and the Lore of Transfiguration emerged.
LORE OF LONGING Basic
READ EMOTION
This evocation allows the Defiler to draw a person‘s deep-seated emotions to the surface, allowing the demon to gain greater insight into the subject‘s thoughts and desires by studying her body language and expressions. The victim is completely unaware that she is being ―studied‖ in this way. To her, it is as if the Defiler is reading her mind.. System: Make a Simple test (Empathy); if successful the demon gains a number equal to its own faith rating in social traits to bid against a single individual. The demon must activate this lore each time she desires to target a new individual. The effects last the scene or until the demon switches to a new target. Torment: Rather than giving the demon extra social traits, this causes the desired target to act on their darkest desires. The target can make a willpower test against the demon‘s torment to resist. The effects last a number of days equal to the demon‘s faith score. Retest with empathy
EMPATHETIC RESPONSE
This evocation permits the demon to read a subject‘s emotions and desires and react to them without thinking, molding her behavior to conform perfectly to the subject‘s expectations. The subject thinks the demon is everything she expected or
dreamed of, banishing any suspicion, hesitation or fear. System: Make a challenge, your social traits against the target‗s mental traits, if successful the target regards the demon with complete trust, obeying any reasonable requests made. This can only be directed at a single target, the effects last a scene. It does not affect other Demons, or thralls with immunity to Mind Control. Torment: The tormented version of this lore allows the demon to mold their behavior to speak to a victim‘s worst fears. If successful the target takes no action against the demon and tries to leave the area if possible. The effects last a scene. Retest with empathy.
Intermediate
MANIPULATE SENSES
With a touch the demon can manipulate a person‘s nerves, enhancing perceptions and heightening sensation. The effect can be broad or as subtle as the demon wishes, and the effects are often addictive unless the victim possesses a will of iron. System: The defiler must touch her and make a Mental test (Medicine) against the target. If successful the target gains Perception-based Mental traits equal to the demon‗s faith, but wound penalties are similarly increased. The effects last a number of turns equal to the demon‘s faith score. Torment: The tormented version of this lore inflicts a searing agony, or warps the perceptions of the target, causing them to lose a number of perceptionbased mental traits equal to the demon‘s torment for a number of rounds equal to the demon‘s faith. If all Perception-based Mental traits are removed, the target gains Oblivious traits to make up the remainder of the Demon‘s Torment.
OBSESSION
This evocation allows a demon to take one of the subject‘s interests or desires and heighten its allure to the point that the victim can think of nothing else. The obsession can be about a person, an idea, or a project. During the War of Wrath, many Defilers used their wiles to become objects of desire to mortals, and then used this evocation to create legions of fanatically loyal followers. System: To use this power the demon must first know one of the victim‘s long held interests or desires and be within a number of yards of the subject equal to her faith rating. Spend one faith point and make a Social test (Empathy), against the target. If successful the mortal‘s desire becomes a source of obsession. The victim knows no peace unless they take reasonable steps to make their desire a reality. A Static Mental test must be made against six traits to undertake
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any action that strays from his obsession, and is unable to eat or sleep until the desire is fulfilled or a number of days equal to the demons faith rating, whichever comes sooner. Torment: The tormented version of this lore causes the victim to become psychotically obsessive removing all inhibitions and exaggerating their need to the point of physical pain. The victim does anything in their power to fulfill their desire, no matter how destructive or dangerous. Failing to do so brings down all their traits by one until the subject can make a constructive effort towards their goal.
Advanced
INSPIRE This potent evocation literally expands a subject‘s consciousness, permitting him to achieve heights of insight and awareness that border on the inhuman. The subject is able to draw upon the fullness of his mental potential, but when the power fades, the return to reality can be a blow for a person‘s self worth. System: Spend one faith point and make a Mental test (Leadership) against the target. If successful the target gains social and mental traits in any combination equal to the demons faith score total, thus a demon with a faith score of three could give the target two mental traits and one social. The evocation lasts a number of days equal to the demons faith score. Torment: The tormented version of this power pushes the victim over the edge from genius to madness, creating talented but dangerous lunatics. It provides the same mental and social traits as the nontorment version, along with a temporary derangement. When the evocation ends the victim must make two willpower tests, if both fail the derangement is permanent and a permanent willpower is lost.
Enhanced Senses: The character's five senses are heightened to supernatural levels, putting the demon up two traits on all Perception related tests. Enhanced Intuition: The demon has uncanny insight and puts her up 2 traits on all Intuition tests. Torment: Monstrous Ishhara retain all of their dazzling beauty. If anything, their allure only deepens with the hint of shadowed malice that darkens their eyes and deepens their voices. What was once a source of inspiration is now a siren song that lures mortals to ruin. The Visage of Longing confers the following highTorment capabilities: Claws: The demon manifests claws that inflict one level of aggravated damage, with one bonus trait for test resolutions. Venom: The claws and saliva of the demon are poisonous. Either through a kiss, or by clawing an opponent, a victim is forced to make a static Physical test, at the difficulty of the attacking demon‘s Torment, or suffer one level of bashing damage. This, in the case of claws, is additional to the actual damage caused by the claws themselves. Extra Limbs: The demon grows a second set of arms. Extra arms allow a character to make an additional attack per turn. Casts No Reflection: The demon‘s image does not appear in a mirror. Nor can it be captured in a photograph, or by a video camera.
LORE OF THE STORMS Basic
ISHHARA, THE VISAGE OF LONGING The angels of inspiration are visions of beauty, compared to whom even the radiant angels of the Namaru pale. Their golden hair and perfectly sculpted features are the romantic ideal spoken of in mortal poetry and prose, and their honeyed voices melt even the hardest hearts. The Visage of Longing confers the following capabilities: Enhanced Social Traits: gain three additional Social traits: Alluring, Beguiling, & Seductive. Lyrical Voice: up two traits on all Leadership or Subterfuge tests.
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SUMMON WATER
Some amount of water must be in an area equal to faith in yards for this lore to be used; the size of the water source does not matter. System: The demon makes a Static Physical test (Science). For a thick fog, test against six traits. For a sudden shower, test against 7 traits, while for a torrent of water 8 traits, and a flood 9 traits. Individuals caught up in a torrent or flood must make a Physical test (Athletics) against 8 traits or suffer the effects of drowning. The effects last for a number of turns equal to the character‘s Faith. Torment: Water summoned by the tormented version of this lore is disease infested. Victims of this water risk developing deadly disease if exposed to it for more than a turn. A static physical
test must be made against the demon‘s torment to avoid contracting a disease from the water. A torment score of seven or below inflicts a minor disease that might lower the victim‘s traits, while a torment above that imposes a lethal, potentially contagious disease. Demons are completely immune to diseases as long as they have one point of temporary faith.
WATER FORM
The demon can take the form of a body of water or mist. System: To transform make a Simple test (Science). The demon can remain in Water Form for turns equal to her Faith score. In water or mist form the demon is immune to all damage (save fire damage) and can travel anywhere air or water can reach. While in this form, the demon cannot damage others, and moves at half-speed. The demon also loses any belongings carried, leaving them behind where they transformed. Torment: The tormented form of this evocation causes the demon to take the form of polluted water, which causes chemical burns; for each turn a victim is exposed to it a level of lethal damage is suffered.
Intermediate
MANIPULATE WEATHER
This evocation allows the demon to nudge existing weather patterns, pushing away storm fronts or drawing them to her with surprising speed, and altering the local temperatures. System: Make a static Mental test (Science) against six traits to affect (or reverse) a minor rainstorm, seven to affect (or reverse) a thunderstorm, eight for a major storm, and nine for truly powerful phenomena such as a tornado. A Defiler can also raise or lower the temperature by a degree per Faith rating, so a defiler with a faith rating of four could raise or lower the temperature from 1-4 degrees, to do this make a mental test against six traits. This power affects a radius of the demon‘s Faith rating. Torment: A demon using the tormented version of this lore can only increase the intensity of local weather patterns, turning a spring shower into a raging tornado, a sunny day into a scorcher, or a light snow fall into a blizzard. New weather patterns cannot be spontaneously created; current ones can only be altered.
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COMMAND THE STORM
This evocation allows the demon to create weather patterns at will, conjuring a storm out of thin air, or banishing a hurricane with a wave of her hand. System: The demon must spend one faith trait and make a Static Mental test (Science). How many traits the test is against depends on what type of weather the demon wishes to create. The area where this lore is exorcised affects the difficulty of it, so generally calling up weather patterns where they wouldn‘t naturally occur add two traits to their difficulty, subtract two if the environment is ideal. Calling up a light rain shower or snowfall is generally against six traits while a tornado or massive hurricane would usually be against nine. Banishing existing weather patterns is against seven. Torment: Demons with the tormented version of this lore can command weather with equal ease, but their affects are always damaging. Storms bring damaging wind, hail and lightning. Even clearing skies can cause extreme temperature changes or suffocating humidity.
Advanced
INVOKE THE STORM The Defiler can surround herself with a raging storm at will, creating wind, water and lightning in an area as small as a room or as large as a city block. The heart of the storm is centered on the demon, and it moves as she moves. It causes her no harm, though. System: Spend one faith point and make a Static Physical test (Science) against six traits for outside with clouds overhead, seven traits if there are no clouds, and if inside would be against nine traits. The demon can use the storm in a variety of ways; if she wishes to use wind to knock someone down or blow open doors she makes a strength challenge (Science). If she wants to fire lightning at a target it requires concentration and takes up the rest of the demon‘s turn. She makes a static Mental test against nine traits followed by a second Mental challenge against the target, if successful the target is hit and suffers lethal damage equal to the demon‘s Torment score. The storm affects an area with a radius in yards equal to the character‘s faith score and lasts an equal number of rounds, unless banished. Torment: The storm created by the torment version of this evocation lash out indiscriminately at living beings with fierce winds and lightning. Make a test against nine traits for each living being in the area, if successful they are struck by lightning. While in the storm all subjects except the demon herself are minus two to all traits.
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ADAD, THE VISAGE OF STORMS The angels of the storm are tall, statuesque figures, their skin glistening like opal and their dark hair tinged with the deep green of the ocean depths. Blue flickers of ball lightning writhe and dance across their bodies, forming an angry nimbus surrounding their head and shoulders when their fury is aroused. The Visage of Storms confers the following capabilities: Weather Sense: The demon can sense changes in the weather as far as ten miles per level of Faith score in a radius around them. Immune to Electricity: The demon cannot be harmed by any source of electricity, natural, artificial, or supernatural. Improved Initiative: The demon acts first in combat, unless another possesses this ability. If so, then they act simultaneously. Shocking Touch: Once per scene, the demon can shock an opponent with a successful brawl attack, causing the demon's Faith score in bashing damage to their opponent. This attack causes no other damage. Torment: Angels of the storm who lose themselves to their demonic nature develop a rough, gray hide and triple rows of razor-edged teeth. Their eyes are featureless black orbs, devoid of warmth or compassion. The Visage of Storms confers the following highTorment capabilities: Teeth: The demon manifests three rows of teeth that inflict one level of aggravated damage, with one bonus trait for test resolutions. Spines: A long ruff of spines runs down the demon's back and the back of their arms. Grapple (Brawl) attacks cause one aggravated level of damage each round while maintained. Shark Hide: The demon manifests gray, shark-like skin all over its body. When the demon suffers aggravated damage, the player may immediately make a Simple Test to try to reduce the severity of the damage. If you succeed, you reduce the injury to lethal damage. Before making the test, you may choose to expend a stamina-related Physical Trait, allowing you to reduce injury on a win or a tie. Otherwise, you must win the test outright. Use of this power is reflexive; it does not count as an action. You may only attempt to use this ability once on any given attack. Thus, if you suffer two or more levels of aggravated damage from a particular attack,
you may test to reduce only one level to lethal damage. Ink Cloud: The demon can, as an action, expel a cloud of ink which hangs in the air around them, covering an area around them equal to their Faith score in steps. Attacks into, inside of, or out of the cloud of ink follow Blind-fighting rules.
LORE OF TRANSFIGURATION Basic
MIMIC
The Demon can assume the exact mannerisms and vocal patters of a subject, allowing her to disguise herself enough to fool a distant observer. System: The Demon must have spent at least an hour in company with the individual she wishes to mimic. Make a social challenge (Perform) against those who perceive her, if successful the demon fools them into believing that she is the person being mimicked. This evocation lasts a number of turns equal to the Demon‘s faith score. There is no illusion; the demon‘s body actually does change. Torment: The tormented version of this lore still allows the demon to mimic the subject but their torment bleeds through the disguise inspiring feelings of discomfort and paranoia. A willpower test must be made for those who encounter the demon against the demon‘s torment. If the willpower test fails the person is so unsettled by the Demon‘s presence that she flees.
ALTER APPEARANCE
The defiler can use this evocation to alter the cosmetic features of herself and others. She can change eye color, hair color, skin color, and remove scars. System: Bid a number of Social traits and make a Simple test (Subterfuge). For each social trait bid the demon can alter one feature, or Appearancebased Social trait to another Appearance-based Social trait. These alterations last for turns equal to the demons faith, or permanently if a temporary willpower is spent. The demon must touch the subject if she is trying to alter the appearance of another. If changing another, the test is instead a Social challenge (Subterfuge) rather than a Simple test. Torment: Demons using the tormented version of this alter the features of themselves or others, but unless they maintain strict control their torment can cause disturbing deformities. When using
this make a Simple test (Willpower), if you fail the subject suffers a subtle but unsettling deformity. The character receives Repugnant x1 for the duration of the power.
Intermediate
ALTER SHAPE
The defiler can alter his own physical shape and dimensions, affecting height, weight, shoulder width and girth. System: Bid a number of Social traits, and make a Simple test (Subterfuge). The defiler can alter one physical feature per social trait bid, and may change Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, and Appearance-based traits to other traits in their category (Brutal to Stalwart, but not Brutal to Lithe, etc). Alterations persist for days equal to the demons faith score, and can be made permanent by spending one permanent willpower. Torment: For the tormented version of this power the demon must make a Simple test (Willpower), if the test is failed the defiler loses one appropriate trait (a Physical or Appearance-based Social trait), and gains an appropriate Negative trait chosen by the ST.
DOPPLEGANGER
This evocation allows the demon to alter their appearance completely, based on the expectations of her victim. She assumes the form of the person that the victim expects or wants to see. System: Spend one faith point and make a social test against the target (Subterfuge). If successful the character assumes the physical form voice and mannerisms of a person whom the victim expects to see within the context of the scene. If you wish, your demon can dig deeper into the victim‘s memories and assume the form of a specific individual for whom the victim has strong feelings, but doing so gives the opponent an extra trait to bid against the demon for this test only. To use this on a group of individuals test against the person with the highest Social traits. The effects lasts a scene. Torment: The tormented version of this results in a dark sinister version of the victim‘s expectations. The demon gains two traits to use against the victim in social tests as any inappropriate feeling or urges that the onlooker has toward the demon may be indulged.
Advanced
SHAPECHANGE This evocation gives the defiler complete mastery over the physical features of herself or others. She can transform herself and others into the apex of
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human beauty, or condemn them to a nightmare of twisted flesh. System: Spend one faith and make a static mental test (Medicine) against six traits (nine to make it meet another‗s specific desires), or a Mental challenge against the victim, if they resist. If successful their body is reshaped, at the will of the shaping demon. The demon can grant up to three additional traits, either as Physical traits, Appearance-based Social traits, or Negative traits (any Physical, as well as the social traits Bestial and Repugnant). The demon may, as well, shuffle around traits already possessed (though Negative traits turned positive count against the three mentioned before, though regular traits turned negative do not), among the categories already listed. This lasts for as many days as the demon has Faith score, or can be made permanent with the expenditure of a permanent Willpower. Example: Agroh-Je reshapes one of his thralls to serve his purposes better. His thrall is unattractive, but has excellent stamina: eight Physical traits (mostly Stamina-based), but no Appearance-based Social traits. On top of that, the thrall has the Flabby negative trait. He decides to shift two of his Stamina-based traits over to Strength based traits, one over to Appearance-based Social traits, and shifts the Flabby negative trait as well into Appearance. In addition to this, he also adds two more Appearance-based traits (reaching his max of three additional traits). The thrall now has seven Physical traits (many still in Stamina, but some now in Strength), no negative traits, and four appearance-based traits. On top of this, Agrob-Je spends a permanent Willpower, to make the effect permanent. The thrall has gone from chunk to hunk! This ability can be used on the same subject multiple times, but only if each previous use was made permanent. The subject cannot exceed their normal trait caps. Torment: Make Simple test (Willpower), if failed the subject becomes a hideous monster (All three additional traits are used as Repugnant x3). Mortals who witness this nightmare flee in terror unless they make a Simple test (Willpower) test. If the first fails a second must be made to see if they suffer a temporary derangement.
MAMMETUM, THE VISAGE OF TRANSFIGURATION The angels of Transfiguration reveal themselves as luminescent devoid of identifying feature or expression, haunting in their silence and deliberate grace. Their entire body is a mirror, reflecting the moods and thoughts of those around them, shifting like quicksilver amid a riot of conflicting feelings and expressions.
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The Visage of Transfiguration confers the following capabilities: Enhanced Empathy: The demon is 2 traits up on any Empathy tests. Casts No Reflection: The demon‘s image does not appear in a mirror. Nor can it be captured in a photograph, or by a video camera. Pass Without Trace: The demon is two traits up on all stealth tests, and her passage does not disturb the surrounding environment in any way. She leaves no footprints and disturbs no foliage. Improved Dexterity: The fallen gains three Dexterity-based Physical traits: Dexterous, Graceful, & Lithe. Torment: Angels of transfiguration who are lost to their Torment lose their luminescence, reflecting their pain and hatred in a series of horrific visions of the Abyss. The creature is a walking panorama of tortured spirits clawing silently at the wall separating them from the physical world. The Visage of Transfiguration confers the following high-Torment capabilities: Claws/Teeth: The demon manifests claws and fangs that inflict one level of aggravated damage, with one bonus trait for test resolutions. Improved Initiative: The demon acts first in combat, unless another possesses this ability. If so, then they act simultaneously. Venom: The claws and saliva of the demon are poisonous. Either through a kiss, or by clawing an opponent, a victim is forced to make a static Physical test, at the difficulty of the attacking demon‘s Torment, or suffer one level of bashing damage. This, in the case of claws, is additional to the actual damage caused by the claws themselves. Extra Actions: The demon may spend faith points to gain extra attacks in a combat round. This costs one faith, plus one additional faith cumulatively for each additional action (1 Faith for the first extra attack, 2 Faith for the second additional attack, 3 Faith for the next, etc).
(Rabisu) The lords of wood and claw were made to rule the wild things of the world, shaping flora and
fauna according to the Creator's plan and shaping each one's role in a complex and dynamic ecology. The Lore of the Beast defined their mastery of animal, fish and fowl, allowing them to summon command and shape the bodies of their subjects, while the Lore of the Wild comprised the collected secrets of forest and field. The Lore of the Flesh came later, during the war, as the Rabisu turned their arts to shaping human flesh for the fury of the battlefield.
LORE OF THE BEAST Basic
SUMMON ANIMALS
This evocation allows the Devourer to detect the presence of animal life in the surrounding area and to summon those creatures to his side. These animals will instinctively protect the demon. System: Make a Simple test (Animal Ken). If successful your character gets a detailed sense of the wildlife in the area, everything from insects to mammals. The area that wildlife can be sensed in extends in a radius in miles equal to faith score. The Devourer can choose which animals of a specific type to summon, and can summon a number equal to faith score. The effects of this evocation last a scene. Torment: Monstrous demons can only summon carnivorous animals. A Simple test (Willpower) must be made each turn, if the test fails the animals turn on the nearest individual, including the summoner. The Devourer can attempt to gain control of them by testing again the next turn.
COMMAND ANIMALS
The Devourer can command animals to do her bidding. System: Make a Simple test (Animal Ken). The Demon can command animals equal to its Faith rating. The animals must already be in her presence. The evocation enhances the intelligence of these animals, they gain one intelligence related trait, though exceptional breeds may gain an extra at storyteller discretion. The Devourer gives commands by placing them directly in the animals minds. The effects of this last one scene. Torment: Monstrous demons can command only carnivorous animals, and the demon‘s torment makes them murderously aggressive. Unless in the Demon‘s presence they attack any individual they encounter if they fail a Simple test.
Intermediate
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POSSESS ANIMALS
The demon is capable of possessing one or more animal, and acting through them as an extension of her will. System: Make a Simple test (Animal Ken) then spend Mental traits. The Devourer can control a number of animals equal to its Faith score. If this number is greater than the demon‘s Wits-based Mental trait‘s her mortal body falls into a comatose state. Otherwise she can move and act with all traits halved. Your character can control the animals a number of miles equal to faith score. The evocation lasts turns equal to faith score. Torment: Monstrous demons can possess only carnivores, and Devourers must exercise iron will to avoid losing themselves to the feral nature of their hosts. Make a Simple test (Willpower) each turn. If the test fails the demon succumbs to the animal‘s instincts. She is now acts like a wild beast until the evocation wears off. If the demon fails this test she should make one more as well, if this one is also failed she takes on the nature and instincts of an animal, gaining negative trait feral permanently.
ANIMAL FORM
The Devourer can take the form of any animal whose blood or flesh she has tasted. System: Spend one Faith point, and make a Physical test (Animal Ken). If successful the transformation takes a single turn. The evocation lasts for a scene, or when the demon wills herself to her original form. The demon maintains its usual traits, but gains the special abilities (flying if a bird, water breathing if a fish, etc) and natural weapons of the animal it turns into. A Devourer can only change into an animal that has not gone extinct, and isn‘t mythological. Torment: Monstrous demons risk losing themselves to the feral nature of the beastly form they‘ve taken. Make a Simple test (Willpower) each turn, if this test ever fails the Devourer acts like a feral animal until the evocation wears off.
Advanced
CREATE CHIMERA The Devourer is capable of manipulating an animal‘s physical body, enhancing is abilities or mutating it into a hideous fantastic creature that combines characteristics of numerous different animals. System: Spend one Faith point and make a Static Mental test (Animal Ken), of a difficulty based on the type of abilities to be granted (at Storyteller discretion). The abilities must be abilities actually
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possessed by real animals (no fire-breathing, etc). The demon can add one specific trait, or alter a physical feature once for each point of faith rating she has. Too much change can put a terrible strain on the animal‘s psyche. Total up the number of trait points and alterations that have been made, if those traits are higher than the demon‘s willpower than the animal becomes dangerously unstable. This includes changes that have been made under past uses of Create Chimera. The storyteller determines the specifics of the animal‘s altered behavior. The effects of this evocation last days equal to faith score, or can be made permanent by spending a permanent willpower. Torment: Monstrous demons invariably infuse their creations with the taint of their own torment, creating pain maddened, and murderous beasts. These beasts exist only to kill and maim the living.
ZALTU, THE VISAGE OF THE BEAST The angels of the hunt are fearsome in their strength and majesty, stalking invisibly through the darkness with panther-like strength and supple grace. The physical appearances of these fallen are many and varied, but most are powerfully muscled and covered in a pelt of fur, with large golden eyes that glow like coals in the moonlight. They speak in a low, liquid rumble, and their howls chill the blood for miles when they hunt. The Visage of the Beast confers the following capabilities: Increased Size: The demon grows in size and strength, gaining 1 Bruised Health Level and two bonus Physical Traits: Brawny & Resilient. Enhanced Senses: The character's five senses are heightened to supernatural levels, putting the demon up two traits on all Perception related tests. Claws/Teeth: The demon manifests claws and fangs that inflict one level of aggravated damage, with one bonus trait for test resolutions. Extra Actions: The demon may spend faith points to gain extra attacks in a combat round. This costs one faith, plus one additional faith cumulatively for each additional action (1 Faith for the first extra attack, 2 Faith for the second additional attack, 3 Faith for the next, etc). Torment: Zaltu who are lost to their Torment
look emaciated and diseased, their fur missing in patches or matted with filth or blood. Flecks of foam drip from their gaping jaws, and their skin thickens into a tough hide of gristle and nerveless flesh. The Visage of the Beast confers the following high-Torment capabilities: Thick Hide: The demon manifests iron-like skin all over her body. When she suffers aggravated damage, the player may immediately make a Simple Test to try to reduce the severity of the damage. If you succeed, you reduce the injury to lethal damage. Before making the test, you may choose to expend a stamina-related Physical Trait, allowing you to reduce injury on a win or a tie. Otherwise, you must win the test outright. Use of this power is reflexive; it does not count as an action. You may only attempt to use this ability once on any given attack. Thus, if you suffer two or more levels of aggravated damage from a particular attack, you may test to reduce only one level to lethal damage. Gaping Maw: The demon can chew and digest anything he can fit into his mouth. Bite attacks cause one additional level of aggravated damage. Extra Limbs: The demon grows a second set of arms. Extra arms allow a character to make an additional attack per turn. Chameleon Skin: The demon's skin changes to match its surroundings. If moving, they receive a one trait bonus to Stealth tests, while if holding still, they gain a two trait bonus to Stealth checks.
LORE OF THE WILD Basic
WILDERNESS SENSE
The Devourer gains an immediate sense of the surrounding area, building a map in her mind of the region's natural features, the plants and animals that inhabit the place, as well as the location of any interlopers that the local fauna consider a threat. System: Make a Simple test (Survival). If the demon succeeds, your character gets a detailed mental map of her surroundings to which she can refer as needed, along with the approximate locations of nearby animals and people. Although this evocation works best in wilderness areas, it can also be used in urban settings. Your Devourer can gain insight into a given area within a radius of miles equal to her Faith score in
the wilderness, and a radius of city blocks in urban settings. The effects of the evocation last for the duration of the scene. If a demon is using a lore to hide their presence (Humanity, Light, etc), this power does not detect them, unless the Devourer makes a separate Mental challenge with the subject. Torment: Monstrous demons who perform this evocation transmit their murderous nature to the surrounding area, causing the flora and fauna to react inimically to human trespassers. Any animals in the area react aggressively to trespassers, attacking them if they are able. Athletics or Survival tests must be made for intruders to avoid harm or to escape attack, using the Devourer's Torment score as the difficulty.
QUICKEN GROWTH
The Devourer can fuel rapid and unchecked growth in the local plant life. Trees shoot skyward, vines swell, fissures spread through any object to which they are rooted and briars envelop their surroundings. System: Bid a number of Mental traits, and make a Simple test (Survival). The Devourer focuses on a specific plant and causes it to increase in size by a number of cubic yards equal to the traits bid, all within the space of a single turn. Vines or roots inflict a like number of damage points to physical structures with which they are in contact (consider each trait a single health level of damage to an object the plant grows on). Objects caught within the growth radius are swallowed up. The plant remains overgrown and causes damage for a number of turns equal to the demon‘s Faith. The plants do not harm living beings. Torment: Monstrous demons cause a plant to grow and entwine any living beings within reach, strangling or ripping them apart. For every living being within the plant's growth area, make a Physical challenge (the plant has as many physical traits for this challenge as the demon initially bid). Treat this as a grapple attempt, which victims can attempt to parry or dodge as normal. If the attack is successful, the plant inflicts a level of lethal damage each turn until the grapple is broken. Anyone caught by the plant receives no move action that turn.
Intermediate
COMMAND THE WILD
The Devourer can direct the rapid growth of local plants by force of will, affecting the environment in specific ways according to the demon's plan. System: Bid a number of Mental traits, and make a Simple test (survival). Your character can affect a number of plants equal to her Faith score. Each plant grows a number of cubic yards equal to the number of traits bid, and expands in the direction and
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configuration specified by your character. If plant growth is directed at a specific structure, take the number of traits bid, and apply them as damage to the structure. This damage continues for as many turns as the demon has Faith. The plants cannot harm living beings. Torment: In addition to directing their growth, monstrous demons cause the affected plants to become inimical to flesh and blood, sprouting needlelike thorns and poisonous sap. The exact manifestation is determined by the Storyteller, but a successful Static Physical test (Athletics) versus the traits initially bid by the demon, must be made for anyone attempting to move through the area, lest they suffer one health level of lethal damage each round they are in contact.
POSSESS PLANT
The demon can take over the living essence of one or more plants, making them extensions of his will. The plants move with supernatural speed and strength, performing any action the Devourer desires. System: Spend one Faith trait, spend a number of Mental traits, and make a Simple test. The Devourer can control a number of plants equal to the traits spent. Plants affected by this evocation must remain rooted in place, but they can perform any other action within the limits of their physical composition and size. A rose bush can entangle a victim, or ivy can pull apart the wall to which it's anchored. The effects of the evocation last for the duration of the scene. Plants can only be controlled through active will, requiring the demon to spend its action in a given turn, to control the plants under his power. The number of traits which were spent, can be bid to make attack challenges against living targets, doing two bashing damage with each attack. Torment: Monstrous Devourers spread the taint of their Torment through any plants they control, destroying them from within and reducing them to lifeless husks within minutes. Each possessed plant suffers one health level of damage per turn that cannot be soaked. As a rule of thumb, assume that a given plant has one "health level" per cubic foot of volume. When all the plant's health levels have been consumed, the plant dies. During their short lifespan, the plants cause one lethal health level of damage with each attack, rather than two bashing, as thorns and thistles cover the plant‘s lengths.
Advanced
MUTATE PLANT The Devourer can manipulate a plant's composition and form at will, creating new, specialized breeds according to her desires.
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System: Spend one Faith trait, bid a number of Mental traits, and make a Simple test. Your character can alter or add a new plant characteristic per trait bid. Alterations include increased metabolism (heightened speed of growth), thick bark or tough skin and thorns. These traits can be generated as part of an extended challenge over a period of days (one test per day), as the demon "tinkers" with her creation. The effects of the evocation persist for a number of days equal to your character's Faith score, or they can be made permanent by expending one permanent Willpower point. Torment: Monstrous demons who use this evocation create plant life with a taste for blood. Make a Static mental challenge versus your character‘s Torment. If the test fails, the plant's metabolism mutates spontaneously, developing natural weapons that allow it to kill and feed on living beings — including the demon herself. The plant's traits equal your character's Torment, and damage is two lethal.
NINURTU, THE VISAGE OF THE WILD The angels of the wilderness manifest as an amalgam of the flora they command and the fauna that thrive beneath their aegis. Their skin is commonly covered by a fine pelt similar to a deer‘s, and they often possess hooves instead of feet. Their bodies are powerfully muscled, and their eyes change colors like the seasons, ranging from pale gray to deep summer green. The Visage of the Wild of confers the following capabilities: Enhanced Senses: The character's five senses are heightened to supernatural levels, putting the demon up two traits on all Perception related tests. Chameleon Skin: The demon's skin changes to match its surroundings. If moving, they receive a one trait bonus to Stealth tests, while if holding still, they gain a two trait bonus to Stealth checks. Pass Without Trace: The demon is two traits up on all stealth tests, and her passage does not disturb the surrounding environment in any way. She leaves no footprints and disturbs no foliage. Extra Health Levels: The demon gains three extra Bruised health levels for the purposes of sustaining damage. Torment: Monstrous Ninurtu are darker of hue, and their eyes take on the color of the silver moon. They swell in size, and their appearance exudes the
kind of forbidding menace of the deep forests or the high mountains. The Visage of the Wild confers the following high-Torment capabilities: Thorns: The demon is covered with sharp, black thorns all over its body, which pose a hazard to foes in close combat. Any attacker who hits the demon in melee must make a Static Physical Challenge against six traits, or take one level of lethal damage from the thorns. Increased Size: The demon grows in size and strength, gaining 1 Bruised Health Level and two bonus Physical Traits: Brawny & Resilient. Extra Limbs: The demon grows a second set of arms. Extra arms allow a character to make an additional attack per turn. Venom: The claws and saliva of the demon are poisonous. Either through a kiss, or by clawing an opponent, a victim is forced to make a static Physical test, at the difficulty of the attacking demon‘s Torment, or suffer one level of bashing damage. This, in the case of claws, is additional to the actual damage caused by the claws themselves.
LORE OF THE FLESH Basic
BODY CONTROL
This evocation allows the devourer to alter the body chemistry of her host body and others. She can purge poisons and increase or decrease metabolic rate. System: Make a Static Physical test (Medicine), against six traits to purge fatigue poisons, seven for alcohol, nine to put the body in a death like coma. To perform this evocation on another the demon must make physical contact, and the target may resist with Willpower. The effects last a scene, after which poisons and normal metabolic rate return to normal. To alleviate a case of poisoning permanently spend temporary willpower. Torment: Demon using the tormented version of this inflicts a terrible strain on the subject; the victim suffers levels of bashing damage equal to the demons physical traits minus their own as the demon uses brute force to perform this evocation.
MANIPULATE NERVES
This evocation allows the demon to manipulate a subject‘s nervous system. Strength and
reflexes can be enhanced, senses can be dulled or sharpened, or the subject can be subjected to waves of intense pleasure or pain. System: Make a static mental test (Medicine). Reducing the effects of pain is six traits, increasing the speed of reflexes in seven (temporarily increases dexterity related traits by one, usually granting Dexterous x1) sharpening or dulling a person‘s senses (adding a temporary acute x1 trait, or temporarily removing a Perception-based trait) or strength (granting a temporary Brawny x1 trait) requires nine. A demon can gain only one trait. In addition to all of these affects, the demon may grant a temporary immunity to pain, removing restrictions to trait usage due to low health levels. The demon must be able to touch the subject if it is not himself, and the subject may resist with Willpower. The effects last a scene. Torment: The tormented version of this lore can inflict damage on the subject‘s nervous system. This works the same way as body control‘s tormented version, except that the damage is lethal.
Intermediate
MANIPULATE FLESH
This evocation allows the demon to manipulate a subject‘s physical form. System: Make a Simple test (medicine). You may re-arrange a target‘s Physical and Mental traits within their appropriate categories (Strength-based can be shifted to Dexterity-based, but not to Perceptionbased, etc). You may also temporarily add up to three additional traits to either category. This lasts for a single scene, or may be made permanent by spending a permanent Willpower. The target may not exceed their natural limits, and if the target has more Mental or Physical traits when the power is finished being used, the target suffers one Bashing damage per additional trait. The target may resist, the Simple challenge instead becoming a Physical challenge. Torment: Demons using this evocation alter flesh and bone without regard for the victim‘s frailty. If performed on another have them make a Simple test. If the subject fails the victim suffers a derangement temporarily that makes them paranoid and prone to violence (gain negative trait violent). If they fail the first test have them make another, if they also fail that one the derangement and negative trait are permanent.
RESTORE FLESH
The demon can restore a being to its original form, regardless of how mutilated. System: Spend one faith point, and make a simple test (medicine), the demon can heal one level of lethal or all bashing, plus additional damage for each
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mental trait spent, up to half their Faith score, rounded down. Lost organs and limbs are restored completely, illnesses and poisons are purged, but aggravated damage cannot be healed by this lore, nor can the dead be brought back to life. The demon must touch the subject. Torment: The tormented version of this lore is tainted by hatred and pain. Have the subject make a Simple test (Willpower), even if they succeed they still gain a temporary derangement, if they fail it is permanent, if they fail the first test have them test again, if they fail the second test they become a mindless psychotic killing machine, under ST control, for the scene.
Advanced
SHAPE FLESH The demon is capable of transforming human flesh into any shape desired. System: Spend one faith and make a static mental test (Medicine) against six, or a Mental challenge against the victim, if they resist. If successful their body is reshaped, at the will of the shaping demon. The demon can grant up to three additional traits, either as Physical traits, or Mental traits, as well as Physical and Mental-based negative traits (these may be added by converting over another trait, but to remove a negative trait requires one of the three additional traits to be used). The demon may, as well, shuffle around traits already possessed, among the categories already listed. This lasts for as many days as the demon has Faith score, or can be made permanent with the expenditure of a permanent Willpower. Example: Khazul has begun crafting a thrall to assist him in battle. Having already granted his servant increased strength with their pact, he regrets not increasing the servant’s intelligence. The thrall has ten Physical traits (Mostly Strengthbased), but only three mental traits. Unfortunately, the thrall has the negative mental trait Witless. Using one of his three additional traits, he turns Witless into a more positive mental trait, before shifting two more Physical traits over, and then adding his other two additional traits to Mental traits as well. The thrall is now an almost perfect servant, with eight Physical traits, as well as eight mental traits, and no negatives. This ability can be used on the same subject multiple times, but only if each previous use was made permanent. The subject cannot exceed their normal trait caps. Torment: This evocation creates monstrosities warped by torment. The transformation causes the victim to suffer a temporary derangement and suffer a level of lethal damage each day as a result of the terrible strain. Mortals that see these horrors suffer revelation.
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ARURU, THE VISAGE OF FLESH The angels of the flesh, who can alter their forms more completely than even the Defilers, manifest themselves as idealized versions of their own mortal forms. Their power exalts the mortal shells that they inhabit, removing any blemishes or deformities and refining their original features to perfection. In a way, this makes their appearance just as alien and wondrous as the shimmering apparitions of their Celestial kin. The Visage of Flesh confers the following capabilities: Enhanced Social Traits: The demon gains Commanding, Expressive, and Intimidating Social traits while in Apocalyptic Form. Immune to Poisons: The demon cannot be harmed or affected by any source of toxin, natural, artificial, or supernatural. This includes alcohol, nicotine, etc. Improved Initiative: The demon acts first in combat, unless another possesses this ability. If so, then they act simultaneously. Casts No Reflection: The demon‘s image does not appear in a mirror. Nor can it be captured in a photograph, or by a video camera. Torment: High-Torment Aruru bear little resemblance to human beings, their original shape being lost in a swollen mountain of undulating flesh. Muscle, bone and organs roil and shift from moment to moment without the demon‘s conscious control. The Visage of Flesh confers the following highTorment capabilities: Extra Health Levels: The demon gains three extra Bruised health levels for the purposes of sustaining damage. Armor: The demon manifests a thick, leathery hide all over her body. When she suffers aggravated damage, the player may immediately make a Simple Test to try to reduce the severity of the damage. If you succeed, you reduce the injury to lethal damage. Before making the test, you may choose to expend a stamina-related Physical Trait, allowing you to reduce injury on a win or a tie. Otherwise, you must win the test outright. Use of this power is reflexive; it does not count as an action. You may only attempt to use this ability once on any given attack. Thus, if you suffer two or more levels of aggravated damage from a particular attack, you may test to reduce only one level to lethal damage.
Gaping Maw: The demon can chew and digest anything he can fit into his mouth. Bite attacks cause one additional level of aggravated damage. Regeneration: While in Apocalyptic Form, the demon regenerates one health level of lethal or bashing damage each round if they succeed on a static Physical challenge versus six traits (Survival), though they must heal aggravated damage normally.
Slayer (Halaku)
Although they are known today as the Angels of the Second World, the Slayers were originally mere agents of change, eliminating plants and animals that had outlived their purpose to make way for new, better generations. The Lore of Death granted them the power to end life quickly and painlessly, and then render the bodies of the dead back into their constituent particles for the earth to absorb and begin anew. Of all the Houses, the Halaku were forced to evolve the most in the wake of the Fall. With the loss of mankind's immortality, the Slayers were thrust into a difficult and painful situation of ending human life, often well before its time, then surrendering the spirit to an unknown fate. The Lore of the Spirit grew from the Slayers' desire to prevent the loss of these souls, anchoring them to places on the earth in their former bodies, but this was not enough to protect the ghosts from the depredations of loyalist Reapers. Finally, die Halaku decided on a more desperate course: the construction of a haven outside the physical universe where God's Reapers could not find the souls of the dead. The first step in this plan was to learn the ways of stabilizing and traveling to pockets of reality that existed outside the physical cosmos, leading to the evolution of the Lore of the Realms and culminating in the creation of the spirit realm.
LORE OF DEATH Basic
READ FATE
This evocation allows the demon to look into the eyes of a dead body and see the manner in which he or she died. System: Make a Static Mental test against six traits (Awareness). If successful the demon can
determine the details of what led to the individual‘s death, up to a day back in time. Torment: The tormented version of this lore allows the demon to see how the individual died only if it was in a violent manner.
DECAY
One of the Slayers‘ primary powers, this evocation accelerates the process of decay, reducing living and non-living matter to its component particles. System: Spend up to your Faith in Physical traits, make a Simple test (Medicine). The next touch discharges the effect. If successful the demon does one level of aggravated damage, and temporarily removes one physical trait from the target (First Stamina-based, then Strength-based, and finally Dexterity-based). If a target runs out of physical traits, the effect causes aggravated damage instead. If performed on a dead body, physical traits are removed instead of damage dealt; when all traits are gone the body is reduced to dust. The process works differently on inanimate objects. Spend a number of traits and make a Static Physical test (Crafts). For wood or cloth, test against seven traits, for plastic 8, for metal 9 and stone 10. Each trait spent decays a cubic food of material (one cubic foot is automatically decayed if successful). Torment: The tormented version of this evocation affects areas instead of individuals. Everything in yards equal to the demon‘s faith is affected, except of course the demon itself.
Intermediate
VISION OF MORTALITY
This evocation saw frequent use in the War of Wrath, permitting Slayers to fill the minds of their foes with visions of impending death. Even battle-hardened angels found their mettle sorely tested by these bone chilling sights, throwing down their arms and fleeing before the Halaku's remorseless advance. System: Make a Social challenge (Intimidation) against the target, with both sides counting their Faith scores as additional (they cannot be lost) traits for the purpose of resolving this challenge. If you tie, the target abandons her action and flees from your demon's presence. If you succeed, she flees and suffers a temporary derangement. This evocation can target individuals up to a number of yards away equal to your character's Faith rating. A target who wins the challenge cannot be subjected to this evocation again for the remainder of the scene. Torment: Monstrous demons affect every living being around them as opposed to a specific target. The demon affects targets within a number of yards equal to their Faith score, making a single
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challenge, and gaining their Torment as bonus traits, rather than their Faith for the purpose of resolving this challenge.
EXTINGUISH LIFE
The Reaper's touch means death. By placing a hand on a living body and exerting her will, a demon can sever a victim's soul from his body, killing him instantly. This capability can be used on the fallen as well, but rather than cause instant death, the evocation produces an icy chill that saps the vitality from a demon's body. System: The Slayer must be able to physically touch her intended target to perform this evocation. Spend one Faith trait, bid a number of Physical traits, and make a Simple test (Medicine). If the target is a mortal, compare the number of bid traits to the target's current health levels. If your traits exceed the target's health levels, he is killed instantly. If your traits are less than the target's current health levels, each one inflicts a level of bashing damage as the Slayer's icy touch saps the strength from the mortal's body. If this evocation is employed against another demon and the traits bid exceed the target's current health levels, every three traits bid (rounded down) cause one Aggravated level of damage. If the traits bid are less than the demon's current health levels, halve them, and apply them as levels of bashing damage. Torment: Monstrous demons do not need to touch their victims to employ this evocation. Their icy hatred radiates from them in all directions, stilling the hearts of living beings. The high-Torment version of this evocation affects every living being within a number of yards equal to your character's Faith score.
Advanced
UNLIFE This powerful evocation allows a living body to function without the presence of a soul or vital spirit, creating an unliving creature completely under the Slayer's control. System: Spend one Faith trait, bid a number of Physical traits, and make a Simple test. A walkingdead creature has only one trait in each of its Physical Attributes (Strength-based, Dexterity-based, and Stamina-based) upon creation, though each extra trait bid can be used to add additional points in any Physical Attributes, up to a total of ten traits altogether. These creatures do not suffer wound penalties in combat. They must suffer no less than 10 health levels of damage before being destroyed. Undead minions are mindless automatons, acting solely according to your demon's will. Each time your character wants one of her minions to perform an action, make a Simple test
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(Willpower). If your character controls more than one creature at a time, you can only command one a turn, and it takes your action. A failed test causes a zombie to continue the last action it was commanded to perform. Alternatively, a Slayer can program a minion to perform a rote set of instructions; one action per Faith your character has, all by spending a temporary Willpower point. Since these instructions are transmitted mentally, it's possible to create a detailed set of commands, including complicated travel routes and detailed physical descriptions. Once programmed, however, a minion cannot he given further commands. If the demon commands the minion to perform an action outside the realm of its instructions, its programming is lost. Slayers can raise and control a number of minions equal to their Faith score at one time. The bodies must be within Faith in yards to be affected. The effects of the evocation last for the duration of the scene. If your character wishes, the effects can be made permanent by the expenditure of a permanent Willpower trait per body. A permanent minion remains until destroyed, and it cannot be raised again thereafter. Disembodied fallen may possess animated corpses with the Slayer's permission, or they can try to wrest control of programmed corpses from the demon with a Mental challenge. Unless transformed by use of other lore, the demon's host remains a dead body with all due appearances, smell and physical limitations. Torment: Monstrous demons cannot prevent their Torment from infusing creations with an unnatural craving for violence, raising flesh-eating monsters that must be held in check constantly or they attack any living thing they can reach, including the Slayer herself. If not programmed with a rote set of instructions, these creatures go into a violent frenzy unless their creator makes a successful Simple test each turn. This Simple test is in addition to any to impose commandments from action to action.
NAMTAR, THE VISAGE OF DEATH These angels manifest as shadowy figures wreathed in tendrils of ghostly mist that shift and writhe from moment to moment, occasionally reflecting the angels‘ thoughts in strange, symbolic forms. A pall of silence surrounds these figures, and their feet never seem to touch the ground. Their skin is as pale as alabaster, and their faces are constantly hidden in deep shadow. The Visage of Death confers the following capabilities:
Wings: A pair of raven‘s wings extends from the character's shoulders. At full extension, each wing is a third again as long as the character is tall. The character can glide up to three times her running speed per turn. Improved Initiative: The demon acts first in combat, unless another possesses this ability. If so, then they act simultaneously. Pass Without Trace: The demon is two traits up on all stealth tests, and her passage does not disturb the surrounding environment in any way. She leaves no footprints and disturbs no foliage. Casts No Reflection: The demon‘s image does not appear in a mirror. Nor can it be captured in a photograph, or by a video camera. Torment: Monstrous Namtar exude the cold aura of death, indiscriminately draining the life of every living thing around them. Flowers wilt in their passing, children grow glassy-eyed, and the old feel mortality grip their heart. The Visage of Death confers the following highTorment capabilities: Cloak of Shadows: The demon is shrouded in a pall of darkness, making her features difficult to see in the best light and rendering her near-invisible at night. The demon is 2 traits up on all stealth challenges whenever the demon stands in shadow or moves in darkness. If the character is attacked in shadow, the rules for Blind Fighting apply to the attacker. Deathgrip: The demon may cling to life beyond the limits of mortals or other supernaturals. If they suffer lethal or aggravated damage to the point of death, they may spend one permanent willpower trait, and wake up the next dawn with a single health level. Aura of Entropy: Demons with this power are surrounded by an aura of cold death, which wilts plants, sickens animals, and makes mortals and demons around them weak. Anyone within a number of steps equal to the demon's Faith score, is down one trait on all tests, except for the demon in question. Damage Resistance: The demon is able to shrug off the effects of terrible amounts of damage. Demons with this ability ignore wound penalties while in Apocalyptic Form.
Basic
SPEAK WITH THE DEAD
This evocation allows the Slayer to communicate with spirits roaming the physical or spirit world. Spirits addressed in this way are compelled to respond, and they must answer the demon's questions to the best of their ability. System: Bid a number of traits, and make a Social challenge (Occult) against the spirit you wish to speak to. If the evocation is successful, the spirit must answer as many of the Slayer's questions truthfully, as the Slayer initially bid on traits. The Slayer can affect any spirit within reach of her voice, and the effects of the evocation persist for a number of turns equal to the character's Faith score. Torment: Monstrous demons can perform this evocation as well, but the spirits they contact become warped by the demon's Torment and grow inimical to living beings for days afterward. Spirits affected by this evocation become restless and hostile to the living for a number of days equal to the demon's Torment score if they fail a Simple test.
SUMMON THE DEAD
Slayers can use this evocation to summon spirits to their presence, their influence reaching across entire city blocks. Spirits summoned in this fashion must come to the demon whether they wish to or not, and stay for the remainder of the scene, or until dismissed. System: Bid a number of Social traits, and make a Simple test (Occult). The Slayer can summon one spirit per trait bid, if any are present in the area. The evocation affects 10 square yards times the character's Faith score, and spirits within the affected area are drawn to the Slayer's presence immediately. They remain until the effects of the evocation expire or the demon dismisses them. The effects of this evocation last for the duration of the scene. At the Storyteller's discretion, a particularly potent or willful spirit could try to break the demon's control with a resisted Social challenge (Occult). Torment: Monstrous demons can summon spirits, but the effects of their Torment cause the beings to become inherently hostile to the living for a number of days equal to the character's Torment score if they fail a Simple test.
Intermediate
LORE OF THE SPIRIT
COMMAND THE DEAD
A Slayer may command a spirit of the dead to do her bidding, forcing the ghost to perform any
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actions that the demon desires if her will proves greater than its. System: Make a Social challenge (Occult) against a spirit. The Slayer may command any single spirit that can hear her voice. If the spirit fails, it must obey the demon's commands to the best of its ability. The effects of this evocation last for a number of turns equal to the character's Faith score. Torment: Monstrous demons can command spirits as well, but they warp any beings by the force of their Torment, causing ghosts to become maddened, violent entities that lash out at the living at the first opportunity. Once the evocation's effects expire, the Storyteller makes a Simple test for an affected spirit. If the test ties, the spirit becomes malevolent and hostile toward the living for a number of days equal to the demon's Torment score. If the test fails, the change is permanent.
ANCHOR THE SOUL
This powerful evocation allows a Slayer to anchor a disinterred mortal soul (or a demon's spirit) to a physical object, creating a haunted artifact that traps the spirit in the physical world. In the darker days of the War of Wrath, Slayers used this evocation to bind the souls of mortals and angels to fuel powerful weapons and tools crafted by the Annunaki. System: Spend one Faith trait and make a Static Mental test (Occult). The difficulty is determined by the nature of the object being used as an anchor. Binding a soul to something that was close to the person in life (difficulty three traits) is the most effective kind of anchor, while foreign objects prove more challenging depending on their composition. Crystal, gems or precious metals are useful (difficulty five traits), while natural objects such as wood, glass or bone are less so (difficulty seven traits). Synthetic objects such as plastic or high tech items such as computers are challenging to use (difficulty nine traits). Your character must be within a number of yards of the spirit equal to his (your character's) Faith rating in order to affect it, and he must hold the intended anchor. The spirit can choose to resist imprisonment with a Social challenge (Occult) against the binder. If you succeed, the spirit is trapped within the anchor and cannot interact with the outside world unless the object has been properly attuned. Demons bound to an attuned item can still access their inherent powers (including a single power of their lore paths, chosen by the ST at binding), provided they have Faith available. (Any existing pacts with mortal thralls remain in effect). This evocation persists for a number of days equal to your character's Faith score, or it can be made permanent by expending a permanent Willpower trait. If an anchor is ever
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destroyed, the spirit is freed immediately. Freed mortal souls disappear forever or become ghosts haunting a locale, at the Storyteller's discretion. Freed demons must resist the pull of the Abyss and attempt to locate another host body or physical anchor. Torment: Monstrous demons who bind souls with this evocation are tainted by the Slayer‘s Torment, twisting the spirits into maddened, malevolent entities. Mortal souls bound in this fashion suffer a permanent derangement, determined by the Storyteller.. Fallen bound thus have their temporary Torment increased by the binding demon‘s permanent Torment (minimum one).
Advanced
RESTORE THE DEAD This evocation allows a Slayer to anchor a spirit into any soulless physical body. This effort returns the ghost to the land of the living, at least for a short time. System: Spend one Faith trait and make a Simple test (Occult). The Slayer must have the soul she wishes to restore in her immediate vicinity and be able to touch the body she wants it to possess. The body in question must have died only recently (i.e., within the last 48 hours). If successful, the soul is anchored to the body, healing any injuries the body may have had and returning the spirit to the land of the living. The new person has the same Physical Traits that the body had in its former life, and the Mental and Social Traits and Abilities of the new soul. The effects of this evocation last for a number of days equal to your character's Faith score, or it can be made permanent by expending one trait of permanent Willpower. Demon spirits without hosts can be placed into bodies through this evocation. This is permanent automatically, and costs one permanent trait of Willpower. Torment: Monstrous demons that perform this evocation invariably taint the spirit with their own Torment, leaving the soul twisted by hate and pain. Once the soul has been restored, make a Simple test (Occult). If the test is successful, the restored person suffers a temporary derangement. If the test ties, the derangement is permanent. If the test fails, the restored person becomes a frenzied monster, attacking the living until it is destroyed. If a disembodied demon spirit is put into a body with the high-Torment version of this evocation, a Simple test (Occult) is made for it, too. If the roll is successful, the possessing demon has a new Torment score that's one trait less than your character's (or their original, whichever is higher). If the Simple test ties, the possessing demon's Torment score equals your
character‘s (or their original, whichever is higher). And, if the Simple test fails, the possessing demon's Torment score exceeds your character‘s by one trait (or they have their original, whichever is higher).
NERGAL, THE VISAGE OF THE SPIRIT The angels of the spirit world appear as pale, serene figures reminiscent of the images of human saints, beautiful, silent and remote. Like others of their House, the Nergal move without noise or effort, seeming to glide along the ground as they move. Only their eyes, colored in shifting patterns of gray and black, hint at the bleak world beyond the mortal realm. The Visage of the Spirit confers the following capabilities: Wings: A pair of raven's wings extends from the character's shoulders. At full extension, each wing is a third again as long as the character is tall. The character can glide up to three times her running speed per turn. Ghost Sight: Demons with this ability may see the spirits of the dead which reside in the mortal world. This does not allow them to see into the underworld. Enhanced Social Traits: The demon gains Commanding, Intimidating, and Magnetic Social traits while in Apocalyptic Form. Pass Without Trace: The demon is two traits up on all stealth tests, and her passage does not disturb the surrounding environment in any way. She leaves no footprints and disturbs no foliage. Torment: Monstrous Nergal are stained with the blood of the dead, their alabaster skin streaked with lines of crimson and black. Their eyes are orbs of clotted blood, and when they speak, their voices howl like the spirits of the damned. The Visage of the Spirit confers the following high-Torment capabilities: Cloak of Shadows: The demon is shrouded in a pall of darkness, making her features difficult to see in the best light and rendering her near-invisible at night. The demon is 2 traits up on all stealth challenges whenever the demon stands in shadow or moves in darkness. If the character is attacked in shadow, the rules for Blind Fighting apply to the attacker. Voice of the Grave: The demon's voice echoes with the suffering of human souls. The demon is up two traits in Intimidation challenges.
Aura of Dread: The mere presence of the demon is disquieting, causing those within the Faith score of the demon to act last in combat, unless they succeed in a static Mental challenge versus eight traits. Once they succeed, they are no longer affected by the power for the remainder of the scene. Damage Resistance: The demon is able to shrug off the effects of terrible amounts of damage. Demons with this ability ignore wound penalties while in Apocalyptic Form.
LORE OF THE REALMS Basic
SENSE THE BARRIER
The Slayer is able to sense the relative strength of the barrier between the physical and the spirit realms in an area as large as a city block, allowing the demon to home in on regions where the boundary is exceptionally thick or thin. System: Make a Simple test (Occult). If your test ties or is successful, your Slayer can zero in on any regions of unusual strength or weakness in the barrier between the realms. As a rule of thumb, the barrier between realms tends to be strongest in areas where the influence of human faith is weakest. Therefore, a science lab that promotes cold intellect over intuition might have a strong barrier, while a graveyard or a church might have a weak barrier. Your demon can read an area that's 10 square yards multiplied by his Faith score. Torment: Monstrous demons can sense only areas where the barrier is weak, drawn by the call of the spirit storm raging just beyond.
STEP BEYOND THE VEIL
This evocation allows the Slayer to physically cross the barrier into the shadow world, a lifeless mirror image of the mortal world. Doing so allows the demon to travel vast distances in the shadow realm at the speed of thought and return to the physical world at a corresponding location. Crossing over also allows a demon to interact with the spirits of the dead that linger on the other side. System: Make a Static Mental test (Occult), versus the difficulty of the area where you are crossing over. The difficulty is determined by the relative strength of the barrier in the area where your Slayer tries to cross. Doing so at a weak point (a church or graveyard) is difficulty three traits. Crossing over in an old house or apartment building that has seen
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generations of occupants is difficulty six traits. Crossing from a shopping mall is nine traits. Once in the shadow land, your character can fly across the bleak landscape with the speed of thought. Bid a number of mental traits, and make a Simple test, allowing the demon to cover a mile each turn per trait bid. The roads and buildings in the shadow realm are just as real to your demon as are their physical-world counterparts. She must traverse any physical obstacles and find her way to her destination just as she would in the mortal world. Upon reaching her destination, the demon can return automatically to the corresponding place in the physical realm, appearing as if from nowhere. All other actions are performed as normal in the spirit realm, but the furious storm raging there puts the demon down a trait on all challenges, at the least. Furthermore, your Slayer loses a point of temporary Willpower trait each time a test fails. If the demon loses all her Willpower, she is torn from her mortal host. The body is returned to the physical realm and the disembodied soul must fight the pull of the Abyss while searching for another anchor. Your character cannot take passengers with her to or from the spirit or living realms. Encountering and communicating with spirits in the dead lands is similar to meeting people in the living world. Spirits have their own identities and agendas and may be willing or unwilling to interact with visitors. Demons can use Lore of the Spirit to encourage such interaction. Torment: Monstrous demons that cross into the spirit world create a "seam" in the barrier that draws restless spirits into the physical world, resulting in temporary but intense hauntings. This seam remains in the area for a number of days equal to the demon's Torment score.
Intermediate
GHOSTWALK
This evocation allows the demon to exist simultaneously in both the physical and spirit realms. She can interact with both mortals and spirits, and pass through objects in both places. System: Make a Static Mental test (Occult). The difficulty is determined by the relative strength of the barrier in the area where the Slayer performs the evocation. Doing so at a weak point (a church or graveyard) is difficulty three traits. Crossing over in an old house or apartment building that has seen generations of occupants is difficulty six traits. Crossing from a shopping mall is nine traits. If your test is successful, your demon becomes a hazy, insubstantial form, able to see and be seen by individuals on both sides of the barrier. She
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passes through objects without harm, and vice versa, though she can interact with one realm or the other in a given turn with a Simple test (Occult). If the roll succeeds, the Slayer can speak to individuals, handle objects, attack or be attacked in the realm to which she has attuned herself, just as if she were solid. The effects of this evocation last for a number of turns equal to the character's Faith rating. Your character cannot take any other beings with her to this "middle ground" between realms. Torment: When monstrous demons perform this evocation, it causes the energies of the spirit storm to leak into the physical realm around her, causing wild and unpredictable spirit manifestations and hauntings.
REACH ACROSS THE BARRIER
The Slayer can peer into and reach across into the spirit realm the same way a mortal retrieves something from a cupboard, placing or retrieving items between the realms at will. During the War of Wrath, this evocation was used extensively to place powerful weapons or other items beyond the reach of the Slayers' enemies. Many still remain there to this day, waiting to be found. System: Spend one Faith trait and make a Static Mental test (Occult). The difficulty is determined by the relative strength of the barrier in the area where the Slayer performs the evocation. Doing so at a weak point (a church or graveyard) is a difficulty three traits. Crossing over in an old house or apartment building that has seen generations of occupants is a difficulty six traits. Crossing from a shopping mall is a difficulty of nine traits. If your test is successful, your character can see into and "reach" across the barrier between realms—her hand and arm literally vanishes from mortal eyes until she withdraws it again. She can place or remove any item that can be easily lifted with one or two hands. Mortals or demons cannot be forced across the barrier using this evocation. Items can be hidden away from the spirit world, however, placing them in the material world, out of reach from dead-land inhabitants (But, of course, that might mean that realworld beings could find the items), and any items from the underworld which are not native to the material world (ghostly relics, etc) begin to fade, totally disappearing in as many days as the demon has Faith score. Torment: Monstrous demons that perform this evocation risk allowing traces of the spirit storm to leak through into the physical world, causing surreal and terrifying side effects. If the evocation succeeds, make a Simple test. If the test ties, the winds of the storm seep through, subjecting all mortals in the immediate area to a Simple test. If their test fails, they
flee in terror, unable to take any other action. If the demon‘s test fails, they also suffer a temporary derangement.
Advanced
PIERCE THE BARRIER This evocation enables the Slayer to create a temporary doorway between the living and dead realms, allowing other demons to cross into the shadow lands if the portal's creator wishes. System: Spend one Faith trait and make a Static Mental test. The difficulty is determined by the relative strength of the barrier in the area where the Slayer performs the evocation. Doing so at a weak point (a church or graveyard) is difficulty three traits. Crossing over in an old house or apartment building that has seen generations of occupants is difficulty six traits. Crossing from a shopping mall is difficulty nine traits. If your test succeeds, your Slayer creates a portal that other demons may bodily pass through into the shadow realm, allowing them to interact with the spirits of the dead and to travel through the dead lands. As many other demons may enter as you have Faith score. Living mortals and thralls cannot pass. NonSlayers (without knowledge of the Lore of Death, Spirit, and Realms, non-Slayers with all three are treated as actual Slayers) who make the transition are at a considerable disadvantage compared to the Halaku, being more susceptible to the ravages of the Maelstrom than those of the Seventh House. Furthermore, they cannot travel as quickly across the shadow realm as the Slayers can. They cover distances only as fast as they could in the physical realm. They are down one trait in any challenges while there, and they lose one temporary Willpower point each day that they remain in the spirit realm. When their Willpower is exhausted, the demons become catatonic. Their bodies lose one health level each day thereafter. When a demon's health levels are exhausted, her mortal body dies and her spirit is drawn back into the Abyss. The doorway created by this evocation lasts for only a single turn, and it is one-way. Spirits from beyond cannot normally use it to enter the living world. Torment: Monstrous demons that perform this evocation cause the effects of the spirit storm to rage in the physical world in the immediate vicinity of the doorway, drawing spirits and causing horrifying manifestations to linger for a number of days equal to your character's Torment.
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ERESHKIGAL, THE VISAGE OF THE REALMS Angels of the Second World manifest as shadowy figures whose features are hidden in perpetual darkness. The air itself seems to wrap about them like a robe of night, conjuring the image of the cowled ferryman of human myth. Their hands are white and bony, like a skeleton‘s, and they move without effort or sound. The Visage of the Realms confers the following capabilities: Dead Reckoning: The demon always knows where she is in relation to known landmarks, no matter how far away those landmarks may be. Unless effected by spatially distorting evocations such as Warp Path (Lore of Paths), they can never lose their sense of direction. Pass Without Trace: The demon is two traits up on all stealth tests, and her passage does not disturb the surrounding environment in any way. She leaves no footprints and disturbs no foliage. Increased Awareness: The character is up two traits on any Awareness related tests. Conjure from Nothing: The demon is capable of supernatural sleight-of-hand, seeming to conjure items out of thin air only to make them vanish again with a flick of the wrist. To do this, the demon makes a static Physical challenge versus six traits to make an object disappear into an extra-dimensional pocket, or to draw such an object back from a pocket. Objects must fit in the demon's hand to be made to disappear, and cannot be living. Torment: Angels of the Realms who surrender
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themselves to their Torment are walking portals to the land of the dead, exuding an aura of loss and despair that chills mortal hearts. Their voices are bleak and sepulchral, and their eyeless stare gives the boldest heart pause. The Visage of the Realms confers the following high-Torment capabilities: Cloak of Shadows: The demon is shrouded in a pall of darkness, making her features difficult to see in the best light and rendering her near-invisible at night. The demon is 2 traits up on all stealth challenges whenever the demon stands in shadow or moves in darkness. If the character is attacked in shadow, the rules for Blind Fighting apply to the attacker. Relentless: The demon can walk or run without need of rest, able to cover superhuman distances without pause. As long as the demon stays in motion, the demon is unaffected by fatigue or hunger. Voice of the Grave: The demon's voice echoes with the suffering of human souls. The demon is up two traits in Intimidation challenges. Dread Gaze: The demon‘s countenance is so terrifying that her very gaze strikes terror in her opponents. By making a Social Challenge against your foe, you strike terror into your victim. If you succeed, the subject flees your presence and tries to avoid you for the rest of the scene or hour. If cornered, the victim will still defend himself, but he will do his best to escape you. The subject defends himself normally, but he must risk an additional Trait if he wishes to attack or act against you, just as if he were wounded.
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I write this now, so that there is some record after they have taken me away again, for I doubt I shall return this time. All I can hope is that someone else reads my story, chooses against every argument of rationality to believe me and heeds the warnings I did not. Then, perhaps, they will avoid sharing my fate. My name is Alexander Davidson, and I am a scientist. That is, I have been researching the effects of altitude upon the human physique and spirit since the flying machines of the Great War have carried man higher than ever before, and it is worth studying. I was traveling in the — well, best not to name it, but a remote and desolate mountain range. I had been taking readings on my companions’ physiques, when I was distracted by a dark smear on the mountain I had not seen before — a cave mouth. I tentatively pushed aside curtains of desiccated vines, which crumbled in my hands and delivered a load of crawling insects that I still feel now, creeping up my arms. Foolishly, I continued down the passageway, calling for my assistant to bring the lamp. After hours, an impossibly long walk, we emerged into a rough-hewn cavern, and what I saw there I can never forget. The same vines adorned the walls, crawling with tangles of insects and worms. The chamber was a near-perfect circle, and deeply inscribed channels crisscrossed the floor in eye-breaking patterns. Entranced, I stared at one for moments, and it seemed even to my rational eye that they twisted and danced as I gazed. The walls were daubed with flaking brown sigils, a rusty color that almost looked like dried blood. And then my gaze turned, almost irresistibly, to the altar at the chamber’s back. Positioned before it was a graven image, ten feet tall. It seemed congealed of solid alabaster or inhumanly translucent bone, a grotesque and compellingly beautiful idol that had shaded eyes, yet stared straight through me and into my heart and mind. I thought I heard an impossible whispered voice echoing in my bones. I must be mad, for I thought it called my name and said, “I am Azrael. Worship me, and I shall bless thee with thy heart’s longing.” As I watched, unable to tear my gaze away, my mind reeled with flickers of images, visions that I pray could never have been true. I saw the channels in the floor running with blood and liquid gold and black oily water. I saw people thronging around the altar, prostrating themselves in adulation. I saw idolaters gyrating in ecstasy, defiling each other with violence and unspeakable depravity, and I saw the idol smiling in approval. And I saw myself, standing before the altar with a book in my hand and power in my voice, dictating my commands and they were so. And it was good. In a moment of horror I could hear my own voice speaking the terrible word “Yes,” and I knew that it was no vision but truth. I could bear no more. They tell me I ran screaming from the passageway and flung myself off the mountain path without stopping. I have been in the hospital ever since, they say. They are here again for me. Apparently I’m insane, and this new therapy with the wires and currents will make me well again, but even behind my closed eyelids all I can see is that blank-faced idol staring into my soul. Had they seen that, they would know that if I am mad, it is kinder than the curse of cold sanity, where I would have to try to understand where I have been.
Farewell happy Fields Where Joy for ever dwells: Hail horrors, hail Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell Receive thy new Possessor: One who brings A mind not to be chang'd by Place or Time. The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n. —John Milton, Paradise Lost Rules are an integral part of any game; they define what characters can and cannot do. Only when confrontation does occur are rules necessary to govern those situations. Still, the primary focus of this game is to tell a good story. CHALLENGES There comes a time when two or more players come into conflicts that cannot be resolved through roleplaying alone. The system detailed in this chapter allows for the resolution of conflicts efficiently and quickly. This sort of face-off is called a challenge, and it makes for a very simple system of conflict resolution. In most cases, a Narrator does not even need to be present when a challenge is played. Roleplaying does not necessarily have to end when a challenge begins; in fact, roleplaying becomes more important than ever if players intend to enjoy a
confrontation and avoid disputes. Experienced players can integrate a challenge into their roleplaying so seamlessly that outsiders don’t even know that anything unusual is going on. At the players’ option, special hand signals can be used to indicate when certain Traits and powers are being employed. In order for this system to work, players need to work together. They have to educate each other on the rules and agree on what Traits can be used in a challenge. Compromise and cooperation are the bywords of the game. Arguments over whether or not a particular Trait bid is appropriate wreck both the momentum and the mood of a game.
USING TRAITS Before you can begin to learn how challenges work, you must first understand what defines a character’s capabilities. A character is created by
choosing a number of adjectives that describe and define that person as an individual. These adjectives are called Traits and they are described fully in Chapter Four. These Traits are used to declare challenges against other characters or against static forces represented by a Narrator.
INITIAL BID A challenge begins with a player “bidding” one of her Traits against her opponent. At the same time, she must declare what the conditions of the challenge are - like firing gun, attacking with a knife or using Lore of the Fundament. The defender must then decide how she will respond. She can either relent immediately or bid one of her own Traits in response. When players bid Traits against one another, they may only use Traits that could sensibly be used in that situation. Essentially, this restriction means that a player can usually use only those Traits from the same category as her opponent’s Traits. Most challenges are categorized as Physical, Social or Mental, and all Traits used in a challenge must be from the same category. Experienced players may offer each other more creative leeway, but only by mutual agreement. If the defender relents, she loses the challenge automatically. For example, if she were being attacked, she would suffer a wound. If she matches the challenger’s bid, the two immediately go to a test. Those Traits bid are put at risk, as the loser of the test not only loses the challenge, but the Trait she bid as well for the rest of the evening.
TESTING Once both parties involved in a challenge have bid a Trait, they engage in a test immediately. The test itself is not what you may think -the outcome is random, but no cards or dice are used. The two players face off against one another by playing Rock-PaperScissors. If you lose the test, you lose the Trait you bid for the duration of the session (usually the rest of the evening). Essentially, you have lost some confidence in your own capabilities and can’t call on them for a while. You can no longer use that Trait effectively, at least until you regain confidence in your Traits. The test works like the moment in poker when the cards are turned over and the winner is declared. The test produces one of two possible outcomes -either one player is the victor, or the result is a tie. In the case of a tie, the players must then reveal the number of Traits that they currently have available in the category used (Physical, Social or Mental). The player with the least number of Traits loses the test and therefore loses the challenge. Note that the number of Traits you’ve lost in previous
challenges, or lost for any other reason, reduces the maximum number of Traits you can bid in ties. You may lie about the number of Traits you possess, but only by declaring fewer Traits than you actually have you may never say that you have more Traits than you actually do. Doing so allows you to keep the actual number of Traits you possess a secret, although doing so may be risky. The challenger is always the first to declare his number of Traits. If both players declare the same number of Traits, then the challenge is a draw, and both players lose the Traits they bid. Example of Play: Agriel, a Devourer, has Been attacked by a hunter named Joseph. Agriel, having been a member of the Ebon Legion, understands the importance of taking an aggressive stance. He makes a bid with an aggressive trait (Ferocious) by saying "I take a Ferocious swing at you with my baseball bat!" Joseph likewise takes an aggressive stance, bidding a Brutal trait by saying, "Feel the power of my Brutal strike!" The two test against one another - both throw Rock, which is a tie. Both parties then reveal (to one another, in secret, if necessary) their total Physical traits. Agriel reveals he has nine traits, while Joseph only has six. The hunter loses the trait he bid, and suffers a health level of damage. Perhaps unholy wrath is stronger than the hunter's righteous might?
ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS
What we mean by Rock-Paper-Scissors is the following: You and another person face off, and, on the count of three, you show one of three hand gestures. “Rock” is a basic fist. “Paper” is just a flat hand. “Scissors” is represented by sticking out two fingers. You then compare the two gestures to determine the winner. Rock crushes Scissors. Scissors cuts Paper. Paper covers Rock. Identical signs indicate a tie. Before players can use the gestures in a test, however, they must explain what they are and how they are used
ADJUDICATION If you have a question or argument about the rules or the conditions of a challenge, you need to find a Narrator to make a judgment. Try to remain in character while you look for a narrator. Any interruption in the progress of the story should be avoided if at all possible, so work problems out with other players if you can. If you do not know the correct application of a certain rule, it's usually better to wing it rather than interrupt the flow of the game. It should be noted that a challenger who fails on a Social or Mental Challenge must wait at least five real-time minutes (and not spend the arguing over the results of the previous challenge - you can't protest a ruling with a Narrator for 4:58, then drop your argument and say, "Oh look, time's up,") before repeating the failed challenge. This rule includes
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supernatural powers that use Mental or Social Challenges unless they specifically say otherwise - a character cannot continue attempting the same Lore power one after another until he finally succeeds. This stricture does not include trials that are failed but then redeemed through retests and overbids.
COMPLICATIONS There are a number of ways in which a challenge can be made more complicated. The basic rules are enough to resolve most disputes, but the following rules add a few bells and whistles.
NEGATIVE TRAITS Many characters have Negative Traits, Traits that can be used against a character by his opponent. During the initial bid of any challenge, after you have each bid one Trait, you can call out a Negative Trait that you believe your opponent possesses. If he does indeed possess the Negative Trait that you believe your opponent is forced to bid an additional Trait, although you must still risk your one Trait as usual. If he does not possess that negative Trait, you must risk an additional Trait. You may call out as many Negative Traits as you wish during the initial bid phase of a challenge, as long as you can pay the price for being wrong. If your opponent does not have additional Traits to bid, then your Trait is not at risk during the challenge. Additionally, if you guess more than one Negative Trait that your opponent cannot match, you gain that many additional Traits in the case of a tie or an overbid (see below). The same works in reverse, favoring your opponent if you do not have additional Traits remaining to match incorrect Negative Trait guesses. It is considered very cheap to list off which Negative Traits a player might possess, if you have no valid reason to suspect as much in-game. Example of Play: In the before-mentioned example, Agriel the Devourer is battling Joseph, a hunter. In the second turn, Joseph decides to escape. Agriel declares, "I'm going to Ferociously beat you with my bat," while Joseph declares that he is attempting to escape, by saying, "I'm too Quick for you to catch so easily." Agriel had noticed a pronounced limp being roleplayed by Joseph, and declares that Joseph is, "Too Lame to escape before I can catch him." If Joseph was in fact Lame, he would have to then bid an additional Trait. Luckily for Joseph, his ruse had worked: he was only acting as though he had a permanent injury. Now, Agriel is the one who must bid an additional Trait, if he wishes to catch his prey. It can be risky to bid Negative Traits, but if you're sure about what you're doing, you can raise the stakes for your opponent, possibly even to the point
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where she relents rather than risking additional Traits.
OVERBIDDING
Overbidding is the system by which powerful characters may prevail in a challenge even if they lose the initial test. Agriel, in his Apocalyptic Form, has thirteen Physical Traits, while Joseph has only six. This system is designed to make that possible. Once a test has been made, the loser has the option of calling for an "overbid." In order to call an overbid, you must risk a new Trait; the original one has already been lost. At this point, the two players must reveal the number of applicable Traits they possess in the appropriate category, starting with the player who called for the overbid. If you have double the number of Traits as your opponent in that category, you may attempt another test. As with a tie, you may state a number of Traits less than the actual number you have and keep your true power secret. Overbidding can be dangerous unless you are confident in your estimation of your opponent’s abilities. Example of Play: Later that session, Joseph launches another attack on Agriel, retaliating for his humiliating failure earlier in the night. Agriel, aggravated, assumes his Apocalyptic Form. Now, Joseph is -way- outclassed, and outgunned, but he takes a chance anyways. He wins his initial challenge, (a Knowledgeable shot from his snub-nosed pistol), but Agriel knows better. He may be down a trait from his failed challenge to dodge, but he knows he's much quicker than Joseph. Agriel bids an additional trait (Lithe, in this case) and declares an overbid. Agriel announces he has twelve Physical traits, which are compared to Joseph's Mental traits, since he was using a pistol. Unfortunately, Joseph only has five Mental traits, so the overbid proceeds. This time, Agriel wins, and keeps the second Trait bid (the first was already lost), while Joseph loses his initial bid of Knowledgeable. Agriel doesn't take the damage, managing to avoid the shot.
STATIC CHALLENGES Sometimes you may have to undergo a challenge against a Narrator rather than against another player. For example, a hacker may use a Static Mental Challenge with the Computer Ability to break into another computer system. In such circumstances, you bid a Trait that would be appropriate, and then perform a test against the Narrator. Before the test is made, the Narrator decides on the difficulty of the task which you are attempting - this is the number of Traits you are bidding against, which is used to compare in the event of a tie. The test proceeds exactly as it would if you were testing against another character. Of course, you may attempt to overbid in a Static Challenge, but beware, because the Narrator can overbid as well. The number of Traits attached to the challenge should represent the difficulty and danger inherent in the
challenge. Sometimes Narrators may leave notes on objects, such as books, doors or even magical items. These notes indicate the type of challenges that must be won for something to occur (such as deciphering a tome or picking a lock).
SIMPLE TESTS Simple Tests are used to determine if you can do something successfully when there is no real opposition. Simple Tests are often used when using Disciplines. Most Simple Tests do not require you to risk or bid Traits, though some may. When a Simple Test is called, a test (RockPaper-Scissors) is performed against a Narrator. In most cases, the player succeeds on a win or a tie, although in some cases, it may be necessary for the player to win for him to receive any benefit from the challenge.
RETESTS Certain Traits allow a character to retest. A retest allows a character to ignore the results of the first test and test again for a new result. Retests are most commonly gained through Abilities, but other Traits may also provide them; such Traits are noted in their descriptions. Generally, expending one level of an appropriate Ability allows for one retest. Multiple retests are possible on a single challenge, but each retest must come from a different source. A character may retest a challenge once using a level of Brawl and then retest again through the Merit: Lucky, but he may not gain multiple retests with the Brawl Ability on the same challenge. Retests may be canceled (“blocked”) by a character that is capable of matching the conditions of the retest. Thus, if a player uses Firearms to retest when firing a gun, the opponent may expend a level of Dodge to block the retest and force the attacker to accept the results of the original test.
they bid one before relenting. They also help the game flow along more smoothly than extended Rock-PaperScissors matches do.
BONUS TRAITS Certain weapons and special powers grant a character bonus Traits during a challenge. You may add these extra Traits toward a character’s total when determining a tie involving that weapon or special Ability.
ORDER OF CHALLENGES Since multiple challenges will inevitably occur simultaneously during any given fight, occasionally the Narrator needs some means of determining who acts first and who acts last. Each person involved in a given game turn checks the current number of Traits appropriate to the action he wishes to attempt. A character punching someone would use Physical Traits to determine speed, while a character casting a spell would probably use Mental Traits. If an action does not require any sort of Trait challenge, it occurs last in the turn. As with overbidding, you may declare fewer Traits than you possess if you wish. Characters with equal numbers of Traits are assumed to go “simultaneously,” though for resolution purposes the Narrator may simply choose one to act first. Sometimes a character with a high number of Traits will attack a character with fewer Traits, who will decide to strike back. In this case, the character with fewer Traits resolves his action in the same test as the faster character, but in doing so, he loses the ability to take any aggressive action for the turn -he uses up his one action with the counterattack. This rule can occasionally cause as much confusion as it’s trying to solve, and the Narrator may choose to apply this only when there a debate or other critical need to establish who’s going first.
Example of Play: As mentioned under overbidding, Joseph had launched an attack on Agriel, and succeeded his initial test. Rather than attempting to overbid, Agriel may instead have used one of his Dodge Ability Traits, spending it for a retest. Joseph could, in turn, cancel that Dodge with his Firearms, or instead do the second test. If Joseph was again successful, Agriel could then declare his overbid, but would be unable to use Dodge to retest again, as it would technically be the same challenge.
Example of Play: Agriel and Joseph are still locked in combat, when a third party arrives on the scene: Agriel's fallen enemy Lokavel. Agriel is in Apocalyptic Form, and currently has eleven Physical Trait left, while Joseph is down to four Physical Traits. Lokavel, on the other hand, enters Apocalyptic Form, and has ten Traits with which to join the battle. Agriel attacks Joseph, hoping to finish him off before fighting his other opponent. This means that Joseph loses his turn later on, because his action is being resolved with Agriel's. Lokavel just has to wait until after their challenge is done.
RELENTING
THE MOB SCENE
At any time before the actual test is performed, a player may choose to acquiesce and admit defeat. Characters who relent lose the challenge automatically, but they do not lose any Traits, even if
It’s a fact of life that sooner or later a large group of characters will decide to mix it up. Group challenges can seem intimidating even to experienced Narrators and Storytellers; these rules are meant to
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streamline the process and make such situations easier to resolve, rather than devolving into endless matches of Rock-Paper-Scissors. First of all, find who is challenging whom. The easiest way is to count to three and have everyone point to the person they wish to target that turn. If no one is being challenged by more than one person, then challenges are carried out normally. If one character is challenged by several targets, or tries to challenge multiple opponents at once, resolve it in the following manner. First deal with groups in the order of largest to smallest, just for ease of play. Each attacker must bid an appropriate Trait as normal for the challenge required; logistics put a limit of up to five characters attacking another character at once. Next, the defender character must bid enough Traits to counter every opponent in the group; if he does not have enough Traits, he must relent to the rest of his opponents (although he may choose which ones he relents to). Resolve such relented challenges first - it is very possible the defender may fall before the rest of the group can act! Finally, the defender and any remaining attackers engage in one simultaneous test. The defender then compares his sign to each of the attacker’s signs, applying the appropriate results. Thus, if the defending character throws Scissors and his attackers throw Rock, Scissors, Paper and Paper, the defender is considered to have lost to the first challenger, tied the second (resolved like any other tie) and beaten the last two. The defenders and attackers lose Traits bid in any given loss. If the defender in the previous example had bid one Trait against every attacker, he would have lost one Trait to the first attacker and an additional Trait if he had lost the tie as well. Once the tests have been made, they are resolved in the standard order of actions and initiative. It is possible for a defender to lose Traits to the first attackers and then lose a tie to an attacker later in the same mob challenge. That’s OK - the first attackers “softened up” the defender. However, unless the defender has a special power which allows him to take multiple actions, he may only attempt to injure one of his attackers, and it must be one who lost a challenge. If none of the attackers lose, the defender simply suffers the results of their actions. When the defender in a mob challenge uses Abilities or other powers to gain retests, each attacker’s challenge is treated as a separate test. Thus, a defender would need five Melee Traits in order to retest against five attackers in a melee combat.
TIME Time in Mind’s Eye Theatre works as it does in real life. It moves forward inexorably,
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relentlessly. For the most part, everything is played out in real time, and players are expected to stay in character unless they have a rules question. It is assumed that a player is always “in character’’ during the course of a story. A player should never drop character when interacting with other players. Doing so ruins h e atmosphere for everyone involved. Challenges may be talked through, but a player is always considered to be active in the game. If a player needs to take a break, he should inform a Narrator. That player should not interact with any of the other players while out of character. The only other exception to the “in-character rule” is when a Narrator calls for a “timeout.” This call may be necessary to resolve a dispute or to change the scene if the story calls for it. When “Timeout!” is called, all players within hearing distance must stop whatever they are doing until the Narrator calls out, “Resume” or “Lay on!” Timeouts should be kept to a minimum, since they interrupt the flow of the story.
CHRONICLES, STORIES, SESSIONS AND SCENES Mind’s Eye Theatre time breaks down into five major allotments: chronicles, stories, sessions, scenes and turns. A chronicle is defined as a series of smaller stories that are all connected somehow, and which may take months or even years to complete. Each complete plotline within the chronicle is called a story. A session is just that: one actual night of play, although Storytellers may define a session as one night of game time if the action was left in media res at the end of the previous game. (Since many characters regain spent Traits in between sessions, this distinction can be important.) Finally, a scene is the amount of time it takes to resolve the action in one location; once the characters shift locations, the scene has ended. If a session will be taking place entirely at one location, a scene can then be defined as roughly one hour.
TURNS To keep everything straight when players start throwing challenges around or attempting complex actions, the time is right to start using turns. Tums are considered to last about four seconds, although this measure may vary from challenge to challenge at the Storyteller’s discretion. In any given turn, a character may take one action. Some actions may take multiple turns to complete, such as hacking a sophisticated computer system. Other actions, like speaking a short sentence, do not use up a character’s turn at all. Once everyone involved in a turn has taken an action, the turn ends and another turn begins. In some instances a character may be interrupted before he can take his action, or be forced to respond to events developing around him. In such
instances, a character may always defend himself, although doing so uses up his available action for the turn. If a power affects a character for 15 seconds, it is assumed to be in effect for four turns when turnbased time is in effect. In normal roleplaying, such powers work for their allotted amount of time. Also, it is important to note, that no matter how many actions a character has (due to Apocalyptic form, etc) they can only use a Lore once each turn.
DOWNTIME Many aspects of a character’s life are critical to her continued existence, yet they do not make for dramatic roleplaying, or they are too intricate to take time during sessions to perform. Storytellers are encouraged to use “downtime” between sessions to allow characters to maintain their holdings, learn Lores and see to other facets of their existence. Other actions and interactions may take place during this time, with Storyteller supervision. As long as players don’t use abuse downtime privileges, the time between sessions can be a rewarding roleplaying experience in itself.
HEALTH A character in a Fallen game has different health levels that represent the amount of injury the character can endure. These levels include: Healthy, Healthy, Bruised, Bruised, Bruised, Wounded, Wounded, Incapacitated, and Death. If a Healthy character loses two health levels from a combat challenge, she becomes Bruised. If she loses three more health levels, she becomes Wounded, and so on.
Healthy -When a character is Healthy, he is virtually or completely uninjured. He suffers no penalty aside from possibly being cosmetically scuffed up a bit. Bruised - A Bruised character is more seriously roughed up, and his injuries have started to impair his viability a bit. He is considered one Trait down on all tied challenges. Wounded - When a character is Wounded, he is seriously injured in one or more locations. To reflect this injury, he must risk an additional Trait to attempt a challenge, and his opponent wins all ties, regardless of who has more Traits. If the injured character has a power which normally allows him to win all ties, ties are resolved through comparing Traits instead. Note: a character may always attempt to overbid. Incapacitated -When a character is Incapacitated, he is completely out of play for
at least 10 minutes. Once awake, the character is still effectively immobile, although he may whisper pained sentences. He may not enter into challenges until he has healed at least one health level. He is at the mercy of other characters, and he may do nothing more than heal himself. Fallen suffer Death if they suffer lethal or aggravated wound at this point. Death - Fallen injured beyond Incapacitated by lethal or aggravated damage die. They are then forced out of their mortal host, and must find a new body to reside within.
Example of Play: Agriel and Lokavel meet in combat, after Joseph has been dispatched. Agriel lashes out at Lokavel, and manages to cause two levels of aggravated damage. Lokavel, who has no natural armor with which to test down such damage, loses his two Healthy health levels, and finds himself Bruised. A few rounds later, Agriel manages to hit him again for two more health levels of damage. Lokavel drops down to his last Bruised health level. As the turns drag on, he takes two more strikes, losing two health levels (taking him down to Wounded, before finally dispatching the former fallen angel. See later in the chapter what occurs when the host body is slain.
HEALING Demons heal at a somewhat more advanced rate than humans do. They heal bashing damage at a rate of one health level per ten minutes of rest time (continuing to take actions more stressful than speaking, does not count as rest time). They heal lethal damage at a rate of one per day. Generally, this means that in a week, a demon can heal from Incapacitated to fully Healthy on its own. Aggravated damage is healed one trait per week. At any time, a demon can spend Faith to heal all their bashing damage, or one level of lethal damage. Faith cannot be spent to heal aggravated damage. Some lores can be used specifically to heal aggravated damage.
BASHING/ LETHAL DAMAGE Some types of damage are more dangerous than others: a punch to the jaw is less likely to kill than a knife wound. Bashing damage is defined as any injury which is painful but fades relatively quickly, such as kicks, punches or tackles. Lethal damage (from bullets, swords, knives, etc.) is intended to kill, and it takes mortals a long time to heal. The Narrator is the final arbiter of what counts as bashing or lethal damage. Characters put below Incapacitated by bashing damage are rendered unconscious for one scene/ hour; mortal creatures pushed past Incapacitated by lethal or aggravated damage simply die.
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Wounds that are beyond the normal bounds of even the Fallen's unnatural healing powers are called aggravated wounds. Such wounds are usually caused by injury from fire or the teeth and claws of a supernatural creature. A Narrator can also deem any other injury to be aggravated, depending on the circumstances. Aggravated damage kills easily, and takes a long time to heal, so is not something a character should take lightly.
COMBAT
Combat is the usual intent behind Physical Challenges. Essentially, combat involves two characters in physical conflict. The players agree what the outcome of the challenge will be, each player bids an appropriate Trait and a test is performed to determine the victor. The following section allows for variations on those basic rules, such as situations using surprise or weapons. The agreed outcome of a Physical Challenge is often the loser being injured. This is not the only possible result, though. The two parties can agree to nearly anything, whether it's tripping an opponent or throwing him out of a window. The results of a combat challenge may also be different for both participants; if an enraged Ravener tries to tear apart a fleeing mortal, the mortal might try to get away from his opponent instead of hurting her.
SURPRISE If a player does not respond within three seconds of the declaration of a Physical Challenge, the character is considered to have been surprised- he is not fully prepared for what's coming. Sometimes a player is busy with another activity or is playing a character who just isn't prepared for the attack. Any player who sneaks around whispering challenges to get the element of surprise is cheating, plain and simple. Surprise simply means that the outcome of the first challenge in a fight can only harm the surprised defender, not the challenger. For instance, if a player did not respond in time to an attack, but still won the challenge, the challenger would not be injured. Furthermore, if the challenger loses the test, she may call for a second challenge by risking another Trait. After this second challenge, regular challenge rules resume. Overbidding is permitted for both challenger and challenged in surprise situations.
MOVEMENT IN COMBAT THREE STEP RULE
Anyone in or just entering combat is subject to the “three step rule.” You may take up to three steps during any combat action and still attack. Moving one step is considered walking cautiously, two steps is
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moving directly (down one Trait in Physical Challenges), and three steps is running (also down a Trait in Physical Challenges). A Lore or Apocalyptic Form (though not necessarily one that gives you extra attacks) that allows for an additional action would allow you to take three additional steps, and so on.
FAIR ESCAPE Fair Escape is a simple rule which allows players to escape from potentially dangerous situations without actually bounding over furniture or diving out of windows. This rule also allows players to avoid combat without going through cumbersome challenges to see if they can “get away.” When you use this rule, you can call “Fair Escape!” any time you see another player approaching with whom you do not wish to interact. Once you call “Fair Escape,” you may leave the area without being pursued. There are several guidelines which must be followed when using this rule, however:
You may not use the Fair Escape rule if the person approaching is nearby (within conversational distance). In such cases, you must initiate a challenge in order to flee. Use common sense in places where there is a great deal of noise and conversational distance is reduced to a minimum (e.g., a crowded nightclub). Situations which involve an ambush (all exits blocked or the target is surrounded) or ranged weapons can sometimes negate the use of Fair Escape. Again, use common sense. A character using the second level of the Lore of Humanity (against mortals) or similar powers may employ a Fair Escape at any time before a challenge has been initiated, unless someone is immune to that power, to counter him. Characters with Supernatural speed such as certain Lores or Apocalyptic Forms may gain a Fair Escape by activating their speed before a challenge is initiated. In the case of two characters using supernatural speed, whoever uses the highest level of speed wins (all ties go to the fleeing party). Thus, a character using a Basic level Lore cannot Fair Escape from a foe using an Advanced level Lore.
These rules are meant to hasten play, not complicate it. Always try to employ commonsense when using Fair Escape. (As a rule of thumb, if it takes several minutes to explain why a Fair Escape would be justified, it probably isn’t.)
WEAPONS
For obvious reasons, no real weapons are ever allowed in Mind’s Eye Theatre games. Even nonfunctional props are forbidden if they can be mistaken for weapons. This system does not use props of any kind, nor are players required (or allowed) to strike one another. Instead, characters should use weapon cards, which display the Traits and pertinent details of a particular weapon. A weapon gives its wielder extra Traits for combat or other appropriate challenges. Sometimes this advantage is offset by a disadvantage in terms of a Negative Trait. Each weapon has one to six extra Traits that may be used in any challenge in which the weapon is employed. These Traits cannot be used as an initial bid. Instead, they add to the user’s total when she is comparing Traits. In addition, some weapons have special abilities that may be used, such as causing extra levels of damage or affecting more than one target. Statistics for weapons are written on cards and carried along with your character card. Weapon cards specify the capacities of each weapon and allow other players to see that you actually possess a weapon. When you have a weapon card in your hand, you are considered to be holding the weapon. Some weapons have Negative Traits that can be used by the wielder’s opponent in precisely the same way as regular Negative Traits. The weapon’s Negative Traits can only be used against the wielder of that weapon. Negative Traits for a weapon must be appropriate to the situation. For instance, if you are firing a pistol and your opponent wants to use the gun’s Negative Trait Loud against you, that Negative Trait could be ignored if you have a silencer on the gun.
CONCEALABILITY Each weapon has a concealability rating. If the weapon is not concealable, or if you do not have the proper amount of clothing or cover to conceal it, you must have that card on display at all times. You cannot, for example, pull a broadsword out of your pocket. Instead, you must carry that card in hand at all times or, optionally, you could pin the card to your shirt, indicating that the sword is slung over your shoulder.
AVAILABILITY Serious firearms and archaic melee weapons can take some time to locate. Firearms also require permits to obtain, which involves undergoing background checks or waiting periods in some areas. A character can turn to more “colorful” channels in order to procure equipment, but the black market often means shady dealings and vastly inflated prices. Weapons that have Influence values listed under Availability indicate the level and type of Influence required in order to procure the weapon through illicit
channels. Finally, of course, there’s cost: A character must have some level of the Finance Ability or moneyraising Influence to procure exotic melee weapons and nearly all firearms. Once a character has a weapon, that doesn’t mean he can keep it forever. Too often characters run about firing shotguns and large automatic weapons without facing the massive police manhunts that such battles invariably provoke. Take care that characters with powerful weapons understand the equally powerful repercussions that come from their use. These consequences not only preserve game balance, but enforces a sense of realism and keeps the game from turning into Die Hard with horns.
SPECIAL WEAPON CAPABILITIES Some weapons have special abilities, allowing an attacker to inflict extra damage, ignore certain types of protection or strike multiple opponents. (Such powers are noted under the weapon descriptions.) Armor-Piercing Special rounds, generally Teflon-coated, are able to pierce armor with ease. Although they do not inflict extra damage, armor-piercing rounds ignore any defenses from armor. Such rounds are typically tricky to acquire, though, and legal inquiries often follow their use. Destroy Shield Although rare in this day and age, certain Inquisitors and riot police still use shields. A weapon capable of destroying a shield penetrates it automatically and renders it useless after a certain number of blows, no matter what the size or strength of the shield may be. Fully Automatic A firearm with this ability is capable of emptying dozens of rounds into a single target at close range. This attack inflicts an extra health level of damage automatically due to sheer volume of fire; however, after emptying the clip from fully automatic fire, the character must spend one action reloading the weapon before it may be fired again. High-Caliber Firearms of particularly high caliber can cause crippling wounds with only a few shots. When a highcaliber weapon hits a target, the attacker should make a Simple Test immediately. A win indicates that the target suffers an additional health level of damage from the shot. Incendiary Burning weapons cause aggravated wounds to
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just about anything. Some, like flame-throwers or molotov cocktails, bum the target with streams or explosions of fire, while others such as incendiary rounds (“hot loads”) bum the target with superheated ammunition. See the damage section for the effects of fire. Mass-Trauma Certain weapons are so powerful they inflict massive damage on a target, literally tearing away portions of flesh. Such weapons score an extra health level of damage when used appropriately. Speed Fast weapons can be used to “pre-empt” an opponent’s attack, allowing the attacker with the speedier weapon to strike and resolve his challenge first. A character must have the Melee Ability to use this special ability, and he must be attacking or otherwise actively using (parrying, disarming) the weapon in order to gain this benefit. Fast weapons only gain a preemptive strike against opponents in hand-tohand or melee combat. Since many attacks are handled simultaneously for ease of play (both players testing at once and the winner scoring a hit), this ability is not always very useful. However, if the Storyteller opts to allow each attacker to test individually (attacking striking defender, then defender counter-striking), this ability puts characters with fast weapons on the offensive. Spray The weapon can strike several targets at once, as noted under the weapon’s specific parameters. The shooter makes one test against all the targets simultaneously. Each target who fails the test suffers the weapon’s damage, while each target who succeeds avoids the weapon’s damage. The shooter risks only the Traits required to test against each member of the group, and he loses only those Traits if any of the defenders wins the test. Staking
Staking weapons paralyze vampires when a successful blow penetrates one’s heart. The attacker must win or tie two successive Simple Tests in order to successfully stake the vampire.
BIDDING WEAPON TRAITS During a normal hand-to-hand fight, characters bid Physical Traits against their opponents’ Physical Traits. However, if a character is using firearms, he may use Mental Traits instead. If his opponent is also using a firearm, she bids Mental Traits as well. If the opponent is not using a firearm and is merely trying to dodge, then the attacker uses Mental
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Traits to attack, while the defender uses her Physical Traits to dodge. This instance is one of the few in which Traits associated with different Attributes may be used against one another.
WEAPON EXAMPLES MELEE WEAPONS Knife/Dagger -These easily concealed weapons are very common, lightning fast in the hands of a skilled user, and they can also be used as ranged weapons if a character uses the Athletics Ability properly. Bonus Traits: 2 Negative Traits: Short Concealability: Pocket Damage: One health level Availability: Any Special Ability: Speed: In close combat against any weapon that has the Negative Traits: Clumsy, Heavy or Slow, the knife-fighter gains the option to pre-empt the opponent’s attacks and strike first in any turn, as long as he has the Melee Ability. Wooden Stake -A short length of wood sharpened at one end, these humble weapons have nonetheless been the downfall of many vampires over the centuries. Bonus Traits: 2 Negative Traits: Short Concealability: Jacket Damage: One health level Availability: Any Special Ability: Staking: A wooden stake can pierce the heart of a vampire (thus paralyzing the unfortunate Lick) if the wielder wins or ties two successive Simple Tests after striking. Club/Ax- These two common weapon types can be an anything from chair legs to hand axes to billy clubs; one bludgeons while the other cuts, but the essential function is the same. Bonus Traits: Club: 2, Ax: 3 Negative Traits: Clumsy Concealability: Trenchcoat Damage: Club - One health level; Ax - Two health levels Availability: Any Special Ability: Ax: Destroy Shield. Axes render shields useless after three blows. Fencing Blades - More popular amongst the wealthy, these thin blades rely on speed instead of strength, and they inflict most of their damage from piercing rather than slashing. Bonus Traits: 2 Negative Traits: Fragile Concealability: Trenchcoat
Damage: One health level Availability: Any. A fencing foil tends to attract less police attention than an ornamental saber, especially if the character is wearing or carrying fencing gear. Special Ability: Speed: In close combat against any weapon that has the Negative Traits: Clumsy, Heavy or Slow, the fencer gains the option to pre-empt the opponent’s attacks and strike first in any turn, as long as he has the Melee Ability.
ARCHAIC RANGED WEAPONS
Bonus Traits: 3 Negative Traits: Loud Concealability: None. Damage: Two health levels Availability: Any, if registered; Police 4, Street 4 or Underworld 3 otherwise. Special Ability: High-Caliber: Rifles may be loaded with high-caliber ammunition. Note that the character must specifically acquire such ammunition to gain this benefit - it is not included automatically when using a rifle.
Longbow - These huge, powerful bows make mincemeat of regular armor, and many Scourges were trained in the arts of archery. Modem compound bows are smaller and use pulley systems to generate powerful pull; these bows do not have the Negative Trait: Clumsy, but give the user only five Bonus Traits. Bonus Traits: 6 Negative Traits: Fragile, Clumsy, Heavy Concealability: No way. Damage: Two health levels Availability: Any. Special Ability: Amor-Piercing: Longbows ignore chain armor. Staking: Arrows may be used to stake a vampire, if the archer wins or ties two Simple Tests after a successful hit. Destroy Shield: One shot from a longbow renders a shield useless.
Shotgun -This powerful weapon fires a spray of pellets, making targets easy to hit. Bonus Traits: 3 Negative Traits: Loud Concealability: None Damage: Two health levels Availability: Any, if registered. Police 4, Street 4 or Underworld 3 otherwise. Special Ability: Spray: A shotgun may affect up to three targets if they are standing immediately next to each other and are further than 20 feet from the person firing the shotgun. This effect can be gained only if the shotgun is loaded with pellets, not slugs. Mass-Trauma: A shotgun can cause an extra health level of damage to a single target standing within five feet.
FIREARMS
Submachine Gun - These weapons are very powerful, and they fire a large number of bullets very quickly, making them the favorite weapons of many gangs, where accuracy isn’t as important as hitting a large number of targets at the same time. The law requires these guns be sold as non-automatic weapons, with only single-shot capability, but a use of the Technology Ability can convert them to fully automatic fire. Bonus Traits: 2 Negative Traits: Loud Concealability: Jacket Damage: Two health levels Availability: Any, if registered and nonautomatic. Police 4, Street 4 or Underworld 3 otherwise. Special Ability: Spay: A submachine gun may affect up to five targets if they’re standing immediately next to each other and are further than 10 feet from the person firing the gun. Fully Automatic: A submachine gun inflicts an additional health level of damage if the entire clip is emptied into a target standing no more than five feet away.
Pistol -This designation covers nearly any sort of small- and medium-caliber handgun commonly encountered, from zip guns and holdout pieces to 9mms and standard police-issue sidearms. Bonus Traits: 2 Negative Traits: Loud Concealability: Pocket Damage: Two health levels Availability: Any, if registered; Police 4, Street 3 or Underworld 2 otherwise. Heavy Pistol - This designation covers the monsters of the handgun range, from the Desert Eagle to a .454 Cassull. These tremendous guns use high-caliber ammunition to punch large holes in their targets. Bonus Traits: 2 Negative Traits: Loud Concealability: Jacket Damage: Two health levels Availability: Any, if registered; Police 4, Street 4 or Underworld 3 otherwise. Special Ability: High-Caliber: Heavy Pistols allow a Simple Test on a successful hit. Success indicates the target takes an extra level of damage. Rifle - Favored by many hunters and snipers.
ARMOR Since it stops incoming damage, armor effectively grants a character extra health levels; these health levels are lost before the character himself
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suffers any damage in combat. Of course, armor does not soak all attacks- a suit of chain-mail does little good for a character who is being burned by the Lore of Flame, for instance. Different types of armor can absorb different amounts of punishment before losing their effectiveness; it should be noted that armor that has lost all its health levels is not necessarily completely destroyed, but more likely that it has been temporarily rendered useless instead. Of course, some attacks may destroy armor beyond repair. Fixing armor requires the proper tools and a Static Physical Challenge with the Craft Ability. Armor has two different traits for game purposes. Health levels indicate how many levels of damage the armor can absorb before becoming useless and in need of repair. Negative Traits are the drawbacks a wearer gains for donning a particular type of armor. Negative Traits continue to affect the wearer, even if the armor no longer protects. Chain-mail - This category covers most medium levels of metal armor, including scale and brigandine. True chain-mail is quite rare in the modem age, but many Malefactors and some mortal Inquisitors keep a suit on hand. Health levels: 2 Negative Traits: Heavy Availability: Any. Chain-mail generally must be custom made, and it can cost upward of $500 or more. Plate-mail - Extremely expensive and hard to come by, these ornate suits of interlocking metal plates provide excellent protection but sacrifice a great deal of mobility. Health levels: 3 Negative Traits: Heavy, Clumsy Availability: Any. Plate mail generally must be custom-ordered, and it can cost upward of $3000 or more. Ballistic vest - This basic level of protection shields the wearer from some dangers, and it doesn’t attract the same kind of attention that more complicated forms of armor are bound to bring. Health levels: 2 Negative Traits: Heavy Availability: Police 4, or Underworld 3 Reinforced (bulletproof) vest - The favored type of armor for military personnel and law enforcement officers expecting dangerous situations, these vests provide excellent protection, even stopping many types of small arms fire. Health levels: 3
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Negative Traits: Heavy, Clumsy Availability: Police 5, or Underworld 4
RANGED COMBAT Many weapons allow a character to stand at a distance from a target and engage him in combat. In such situations, the character must still go over to the target (after shouting “Bang!” or “Twang!”) and engage in a challenge. If a character has surprised her opponent, even if she loses the first test, she has the option of calling for a second test. Once the second challenge is called, play continues as normal with that new challenge. The target is considered to be surprised for the first attack, and if he has no ranged weapon with which to return fire, he is considered “surprised” for as long as the aggressor can attack him without facing resistance (that is, if he wins on a challenge, she doesn’t take damage). If the target is aware of the attack before it happens, and he has a ranged weapon of his own, he is not considered to be surprised for the first attack. He may shoot back right away, and challenges are resolved as stated. After the first shot is fired (and the first challenge is resolved), the target may attempt to return fire (assuming he is armed). The loser of a firefight challenge loses a health level. Characters using the Athletics Ability to throw projectiles like knives or axes fall under the same rules for regular ranged combat, including cover. Questions of range should not be a problem, but if it becomes an issue use common sense, and don’t forget to make allowances for things like Lores.
COVER Fighting with ranged weapons allows combatants to stand some distance apart; participants can therefore “dive for cover.” When resolving each ranged combat challenge, each combatant can present one Trait of cover to add to his total number of Traits. These cover Traits may not be used for bidding, but they do add to a player’s total if Traits are compared. This cover can take the form of whatever obstacles are around and within reach (don’t actually dive for them). A Narrator might be required to describe what cover is around, unless the combatants can agree on what cover is available. If cover is extensive, it may be worth more than one Trait. The number of Traits available for cover is left for challengers to agree on, or for a Narrator to decree. Hiding behind a boulder, for example, might be worth two Traits, while hiding behind a thin wood fence might only count as one. If one combatant goes completely under cover (he cannot be seen at all and is thoroughly protected), he is
considered impossible to hit. The attacker must change his position to get a clear shot.
MELEE AND BRAWLING Melee fighting can only occur when two parties are within weapon’s reach of each other. Characters using melee weapons often have access to special abilities if they also possess the Melee Ability. For example, a trained character using a fencing foil can take advantage of his weapon’s speed when fighting a character wielding a battle ax. Brawling can only occur when two characters are within arm's length of each other. Characters engaged in brawling may use unarmed combat techniques on each other including trips, kicks, punches, wrestling holds and throws. However, regardless of the description, unless the character possesses some supernatural power or other ability that specifically allows for extra damage, all brawling tests result in one health level of bashing damage.
SPECIALIZED FIGHTING STYLES Buying a specialized fighting style under the Melee or Brawl Abilities allows you to describe how your character moves to allow retests and permits a certain flair for your attacks and defenses, but does not allow you to do extra damage or specific injuries.
TWO-GUN MOJO It’s possible to use more than one weapon at a time in combat, though it’s quite tricky. Just performing a task with the wrong hand is sufficient to penalize your chance of success; compounding matters by doing something else with the other hand doesn’t help any. For the purposes of simplicity, it’s usually easiest to assume that a character is the samehandedness as the player, unless the Merit Ambidextrous is taken. Furthermore, these rules do not apply to common uses of both hands, such as typing, playing a musical instrument or working a craft. When performing a task with the offhand, you suffer a two-Trait penalty. Thus, you must bid a total of three Traits to initiate the challenge, and you have a lower chance of success. The Merit Ambidextrous means that you suffer no penalty for an off-hand, since both of your hands are equally nimble. You still suffer coordination penalties for using both hands. Thus, if you’re Ambidextrous, you can perform a task with either hand without penalty, but if you use both hands at once, you must bid two Traits for each hand. When you specialize in a fighting style you can choose Two-Weapon Combat or Florentine for your specialty. This negates one penalty Trait from your attacks with the specified form of combat. Thus, instead of bidding two Traits with your primary hand
and three with your off hand, you would bid one and two Traits, respectively. Combined with Ambidextrous, you can use two weapons at no penalty whatsoever. Storytellers, take note of combat monsters in the making who try this combination. Developing such a specialty should take months of training. When using both hands, you only get one extra action, regardless of any other form of extra actions (like from Lores and Apocalyptic Forms) and similar speed-altering powers. Split your actions equally between your hands - if you have two bonus actions and you’re using both hands, you get your normal action, your two actions and your extra hand action, for a total of four actions. These would be split up to two actions with each hand; if you took an action or two to do other things, you’d split the remainder evenly. A leftover action is automatically applied to your primary hand.
DERANGEMENTS Derangements are behaviors that occur when the mind is forced to confront intolerable or conflicting feelings, such as overwhelming terror or profound guilt. When the mind is faced with impressions or emotions that it cannot reconcile, it attempts to ease the inner turmoil by stimulating behavior such as megalomania, schizophrenia or hysteria to provide an outlet for the tension and stress that the conflict generates. Mortals and especially thralls caught in the grips of the fallen and their Earthbound foes are forced to participate in activities and witness sights that would strain the sanity of the strongest person. It must be noted that people who are "crazy" are neither funny nor arbitrary in their actions. Insanity is frightening to people who watch someone rage against unseen presences or hoard rotten meat to feed to monsters. Even something as harmless-sounding as talking to an invisible rabbit can be disturbing to observers. The insane, however, respond to a pattern only they know, stimuli that they perceive in their own minds. To their skewed perceptions, what happens to them is perfectly normal. The character's derangement is there for a reason, whether she saw her own children devoured alive or she begins to believe that humanity must be culled to diminish monsters' feeding stock. What stimuli does her insanity inflict upon her, and how does she react to what happens? Work with the Storyteller to create a pattern of provocations for your character's derangement, then decide how she reacts to such provocation. Fugue Characters suffering this affliction react to stress by adopting a specific set of behaviors; in the process they suffer “blackouts” or periods of memory
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loss. Whenever confronted by extreme stress, the character must win a Static Willpower Challenge; failure means the character blacks out and the player must roleplay the character’s trancelike state. Otherwise, control of the character passes to a Narrator for a scene, who dictates the actions the character takes in order to remove the stress. At the end of the fugue, the character “regains consciousness” with no memory of his actions. Hysteria Characters with this derangement are unable to properly control their emotions when subjected to stress or pressure, becoming vulnerable to wild mood swings and fits of intense violence. The demon must make a Simple test any time such stress is present, or gain the Negative Mental Traits: Impatient and Violent for the scene; in addition, whenever the fallen fails in a particularly stressful or prominent instance, automatically spends a Faith point, and enters her Apocalyptic Form, to attack the nearest person present, friend or foe. (Narrators have final say on what classifies as such a dramatic failure.) Manic-Depression This derangement causes a character to suffer devastating mood swings. Whenever the character fails to achieve a personal goal, she must win a static Willpower Challenge (no Traits risked) or fall into a depressive state for a number of scenes determined by the Narrator. While depressed, her Willpower Traits are considered halved (round down, minimum one) for purposes of Trait comparison and she may not spend Faith Traits to heal. After that, she enters a period of upbeat energy and excitement, pursuing her goals obsessively for a number of scenes equal to the time spent in depression. In this state, the fallen gains the Negative mental Trait: Impatient for the duration of the manic phase. Megalomania These individuals have made power the focus of their existence, and such characters must always be the most potent individuals in their environment; where the power stems from is irrelevant, just so long as they are dominant. They believe that other people are divided into two classes: lesser beings and beings elevated beyond their worth. Rivals are considered “competition.” Due to their supreme confidence, they are considered one Trait up on all Willpower tests while their derangement is active, but they must also make a Willpower test (difficulty six Traits) to resist any opportunity to devour another demon’s soul during that time. Multiple Personalities
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A character with this derangement has suffered mental anguish so severe that his host’s (or even the fallen’s) mind reacted by creating additional personas. Each personality is relevant to the trauma that caused it, and the player should work with the Storyteller to determine how many personalities are present, their Natures and what triggers a particular personality. When a personality is triggered, it assumes control until the conditions it was created to deal with have passed. Characters can manifest different Abilities and even Virtues for each personality (all such Traits must still be purchased normally - what a personality believes it can do can be different from what it is actually capable of), but any such arrangements must be worked out with the Storyteller. Obsessive/Compulsive Characters suffering from this derangement are driven to control their environment. Obsessive characters keep one aspect of their life constant personal cleanliness or keeping things quiet, for example. Compulsive characters perform specific actions or sets of actions, such as washing their hands constantly or always feeding from mortals in a ritualistic fashion. Obsessive/Compulsive characters must make a Simple Test (no retest) or automatically spend a Faith Trait to enter Apocalyptic Form, to attack the closest person to them (friend or foe), if denied the ability to act upon their compulsion. Paranoia Paranoid beings believe that all their woes and suffering stem from an outside source. Many afflicted beings come up with intricate theories about just who is against them and why; those they suspect of being “one of them” are often subject to swift and brutal vio1ence. Paranoid characters trust no one, not even those in pacts with them, and they have a difficult time interacting with others. They are one Trait down on all Social tests whi1e their derangement is active, and any sign of suspicious activity forces them to make a Simple Test (Conscience) or automatically spend a Faith Trait to enter Apocalyptic Form, to attack the cause of your suspicions. Regression Characters suffering from this affliction avoid facing responsibilities or consequences by retreating to a younger state where less was required of them. During this state they may alternate between times of whimsy and temper tantrums, but they will always seek to put a more powerful individual between them and whatever is plaguing them. Victims are two Traits down on all Mental Challenges. Schizophrenia
Individuals with this derangement have had their psyche fractured by terrible, irresolvable inner conflicts. Most people conceive of this type of disorder when they envision insanity; victims might imagine crucified rabbits floating after them, or swear that their dead father is telling them to murder their uncle. This disorder is anything but arbitrary - the player should work with the Storyteller to determine a general set of behaviors relevant to the original trauma. Fallen with this derangement are unpredictable and dangerous - in situations where their inner conflict flares up, they must make a Simple Test (Conviction) or gain the Negative Mental Traits: Violent x3 for the rest of the scene, and they are two Traits down on all Willpower tests.
STATES OF GRACE The powers of the Fallen are many and varied, and the impact they have on the tunning of Demon chronicles is considerable. Chapter Five deals with the details and mechanics of Celestial powers. This chapter looks at systems and methods for implementing those powers and defining how demons interact with the normal world. These systems are less mechanically strict than many of the other systems in this chapter. Demonic
powers have a huge impact on a chronicle's progress and feel, so they can't be determined simply with dice and tables. Much of the work lies with the Storyteller, who should make decisions based on what she feels is best for her story and her chronicle.
FAITH
Faith is the energy of the cosmos, the breath of the Creator and the lifeblood of the damned. Demons use Faith to enhance themselves, or to alter reality using the tools given them by their former Lord. The irony is that demons cannot generate Faith themselves. Faith is about belief, not knowledge, and demons know the truth about the Creator and His grand experiment. For a demon, simply believing in God is as effective as regular people believing in lawn furniture. Unable to feel the Faith they require, demons must turn to humans for their belief. By opening a mortal's eyes to the wonders and horrors of the cosmos, a demon can draw out the precious breath of Faith from within that person and use it for their own ends. This isn't an easy task, since most inhabitants of the World of Darkness live a life in which faith and piety arc irrelevant fossils. Gaining Faith from a human
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requires hard work and dedication, but the rewards justify the effort. There are two ways in which a demon can collect Faith from a mortal. Faith can be reaped from a human by forcing him to acknowledge the existence of the demon deep within his soul; a willing mortal can also offer Faith in return for promises of wealth, influence or power.
REAPING FAITH In the World of Darkness, God is considered almost as much a folk legend as Santa Claus. People may pay lip service to a religion, but it's a hollow, meaningless habit for most. Going to church has as much emotional meaning for most people as picking up their dry cleaning. But it's possible to show a human the truth about the cosmos and the Creator, to reawaken his desiccated soul and let the breath of God flow from him. All it takes is an act of transcendent holiness — or mind-blasting depravity. If a demon can show a human the truth about the world, can show him her Celestial nature, she may be able to harvest some slight power from the mortal's brief exhalation of Faith, But how do you convince an unbelieving human that you are a fallen angel? Revealing your infernal anima isn't enough, because that doesn't impart meaning to the observer. They have to believe that the demon truly is a messenger of God or a horror straight from Hell, which requires the demon to act. Once a demon has decided to target a particular mortal (which could be a spur-of-themoment decision or part of a slow and intricate plan), she needs to convince him that she truly is a being apart. For low- Torment demons, this might mean an act of kindness or heroism—such as saving a family from a serial killer by appearing as a luminous angelic being. For high-Torment demons, it might be a vicious act of torture—such as appearing as a monstrous creature and slowly flaying a victim with terrible claws. What matters is that the mortal truly believes that he is interacting with an angel or a demon. The Storyteller has final say on whether a given person will respond appropriately to a particular act — some Storyteller characters may react in unexpected ways. If the person does respond, the demon has a chance to reap some of his newly found Faith, Example: Rebecca decides to attempt to reap some Faith from a homeless man. Summoning a display of lights with an evocation, she appears to the man as a radiant being. Having caught his attention and planted the suggestion that she may be a divine being, she then spends a few hours with the man — buying him a hot meal and talking to him about the love of the Creator and the possibility of divine forgiveness. The Storyteller decides that this is an appropriate reaping attempt — it establishes a
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relationship between mortal and demon, and it fills the mortal with hope. Example: Ishmael, on the other hand, targets a local fence and drug dealer as a prospect for reaping. Rather than try a positive approach, he'd rather play hardball. After all, the drug dealer's an asshole, and Ishmael's tormented urges are becoming hard to resist. Ishmael kidnaps the man and keeps him bound and gagged in a dark closet for a week, torturing him until the man is driven to madness. When he pulls the man's blindfold off and shows him his demonic visage, the. dealer readily believes Ishmael is a demon sent to collect his soul. Reaping Faith from a mortal requires a Social Challenge (Performance). The player decides just how the demon will attempt to reap the mortal's Faith—a conversation about love, an amputation without anesthetic or anything else the player thinks might be appropriate. If the Social Challenge is successful, the player makes a Simple test (Willpower). Willpower is the trait that measures a character's resistance to stress and suggestion, so a character with a high Willpower is unlikely to have her whole worldview turned around by the demon's acts. If the demon ties, she reaps a small amount of Faith points. This is just a single point — reaping is too crude a method, and people's belief is too weak, to gain any real power. If successful, however, that particular reaping attempt is more effective than usual. If the demon's actions resonate strongly with the mortal's personality, beliefs or personal history, it draws more Faith out of him. In such a situation, the demon gains two points of Faith. Demons that rely on reaping for Faith often spend time researching their targets, because if they can tailor the reaping attempt to the mortal's psyche, they have a good chance of better results. If the test is a failure, the mortal’s faith is too weak to grant any Faith to the demon, no matter how convincing the fallen may be. Example: Rebecca, Adam's character, is reaping Faith from the homeless man. Adam makes a Social Challenge—and succeeds. Adam then makes a Simple test. He ties, so Rebecca receives just a single Faith point. Had she been successful, Rebecca's approach touches a long-lost core of belief in her subject, and Rebecca would have gained two points of Faith. It's possible to reap Faith from the same mortal more than once, but each new attempt requires a new display of divine or blasphemous power, a separate act of love or hate (and possibly a new Ability used in the reaping process). It's difficult to gain much Faith through reaping— mortals are slow to believe, and few have the strength of personality to really commit to their belief.
A far more reliable source of Faith is to collect it from someone who offers it freely.
OFFERED FAITH When a mortal comes to believe completely in the true nature of a demon and feels an ongoing respect for (or terror of) that demon, then he may become a continuing source of Faith, This is a far more reliable source of Faith than reaping, and demons who want to further their goals need to establish relationships (whether positive or negative) with humans who can offer them Faith. While the systems and mechanics of offered Faith are simple, it is not a simple thing to groom someone as a source. Entering into a bargain is a momentous and dangerous act, and demons must work hard to find mortals who have the potential for being worth the trouble and effort. This is something that can only be done through roleplaying, not through rules. Responsibility for choosing a worthy mortal and offering him a pact rests with the character (and her player). To become a source of Faith, a mortal must enter into a voluntary agreement with a demon. The demon gives the mortal whatever he desires; in return, the mortal offers her his Faith. Exactly what the mortal gains will vary from person to person, of course. It cannot be something mundane, because that lacks the meaning required. The demon must share her power with him in some way, which often means gifting him with one of her evocations or abilities. When a thrall is empowered through a demonic pact, the exact abilities and gift imparted to the mortal depends upon the strength of her Faith and belief in the demon. The mortal's Faith rating is manipulated by the demon and shaped into a gift. Full details on this process can be found in this section under Empowering Thralls. When shaping the Faith of an appropriate thrall — one the Storyteller has ruled could be a source of offered Faith — the demon can divert some (but not all) of the thrall's Faith toward himself. Only a small amount of Faith can be diverted in this way — but the demon receives this gift of Faith daily. As shown in Empowering Thralls, thralls have a Faith potential of 1 -5. The demon can claim no more than one of these Faith Traits for himself, while the remaining Faith Traits may be spent on empowering the thrall. For game sake, all Pacts taken at character creation are considered to have two Faith potential, one granted to the demon, and the other used for gifts. Other, stronger pacts can be made in play, but at Storyteller discretion. It is also important to note that when making a Pact in play, a demon must purchase traits in the Pacts background. This is limited to a
maximum of five: in these faithless times, only the earthbound possess greater numbers of servants, as befitting their almost godlike power. The Storyteller can rule that a particular thrall is not a suitable source of Faith, and that the demon can only use the mortal's Faith to bestow gifts of power. Alternatively, some mortals are suitable sources, but not perfect sources. This decision depends strongly on the nature of the relationship between demon and mortal, and on the mortal's own spirituality. It doesn't really matter if the mortal loves and worships the demon or fears and hates her. What's important is how close the bond is between them. If the mortal rarely thinks of the demon or of the gifts she's given him, then he might not be as strong a source as a mortal with the same Faith rating, who thinks of the demon constantly and relies heavily on her infernal gifts. Example: Ishmael has found a new thrall, a social worker and former nun whose strong beliefs have been worn down by years of thankless labor. The Storyteller has ruled that the nun would be an appropriate source of offered Faith, so Ishmael's player decides to divert some of the nun's Faith to Ishmael. The nun has a Faith potential of 3. Ishmael's player decides to keep one point of Faith aside for offering, spending the other 2 on gifts for the new thrall. Now Ishmael receives a point of Faith from his thrall at the start of every day, for as long as the agreement between them holds. If Ishmael breaks the pact, or if the nun dies, then the daily offering of Faith will end. Offered Faith is harvested from the source once per day. This occurs at dawn—the breaking of a new morning, the time when the Creator first looked down upon His world. Physical distances are meaningless to Faith, so in the event that the demon and mortal are in different time zones, the Faith still comes to the demon. It is generated when dawn comes to the mortal, however (which could make all the difference in an early-morning crisis).
TAKING TOO MUCH Another advantage of offered Faith over reaped Faith is that the relationship can be abused by the demon, which can draw more and more Faith from their source in a time of crisis. This is not something to enter into lightly, for it causes great mental and physical distress to the source — it can drive the mortal mad or even kill him. In order for a demon to ravage a source of Faith for more power, she need merely reach out with her will. The mortal doesn't have to be nearby — the demon can draw upon their Faith from the other side of the planet. The source need not be willing either. He need not even be conscious. The demon is the instigator here, strip-mining the mortal's soul and lifeforce for power, and the source is helpless to resist.
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The mortal can try to run away or fight the demon off, but the demon can still draw upon his Faith even while the mortal is hitting her with a baseball bat. The demon can draw upon multiple thralls for Faith simultaneously, allowing her to spread the risks of failure among several followers. When ravaging a source thus, the demon may add a bonus trait to an evocation test up to her permanent Faith score. A demon with a Faith of 4 could add up four bonus traits by ravaging sources, but he could not add a fifth trait even if further sources were available. The player is not restricted by the number of sources the demon has, or how powerful these sources are. The player can add as many traits as she likes to her pool, up to her limit, as long as the demon has at least one source to ravage. Once the demon has added as many bonus traits as desired, the player makes her evocation test. A failed test results in the loss of a Faith trait from the character's current Faith pool. For each bonus trait used in this fashion, the thrall suffers with racking pain, hallucinations, waves of terror or other mental trauma. If the source loses more than one Faith in this way per game session, the thrall gains an instability or derangement of some kind. This madness is permanent, unless treated with psychiatric help. If the demon draws more than two Faith from a thrall in one game session in this manner (all three at once, or three over the night), the thrall takes a lethal damage for each trait taken. If the thrall takes four lethal damage in this way, it dies from massive internal hemorrhaging. If the source survives this ravaging, he might still never be the same. The demon has violated his soul, left it bleeding. His mind may be shattered, and his body may be wracked with pain from internal injuries. The Storyteller may decide that the mortal becomes a poorer source of Faith for the demon and generates fewer points of Faith each day (perhaps even to the point of no longer generating Faith at all). Similarly, the Storyteller may rule that the demon's Torment rating increases as a result of her heinous misuse of her follower. Example: Ishmael needs to perform a powerful evocation, but his odds of success are slim. He decides to draw more Faith from his sources to increase his chance for a spectacular result. He has three sources to rely upon, so his player can increase his pool by several traits. Ishmael has a Faith rating of 5, so he can draw as many as five bonus traits from his sources — the player does so. His thralls must now pay the price for Ishmael’s rapaciousness, spreading the five traits between them. The player may take all five points from a single hapless mortal or spread the debt over all three sources to mitigate the damage.
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DEALING WITH MORTALS Many demons expected to return to a world where they could easily control and rule over humans. They didn't plan for a world where faith was all but dead, where six billion people teemed over a haggard planet and where they would have to work in secret to achieve their goals. The demons expected humans to be weak and easily manipulated—and they are—but they are also the key to achieving the plans and schemes of the Celestials. For demons to reach their goals, they need humans — as sources of Faith, as tools, as agents. As for the fallen, they have remembered something even more terrible — the urge to protect and even love humanity as they once did long ago.
EMPOWERING THRALLS Demons need servants, and servants need tools in order to do their masters' bidding. It's often very useful to gift a thrall with a portion of your own spiritual power, so that they may better serve you. It's also an excellent bargaining chip—easy to win someone's loyalty when you can promise her eternal beauty or immense power. The biggest limitation on blessing a thrall comes not from the demon, but from the mortal herself. The demon reshapes the mortal's faith and belief into a new configuration, a shape that draws power from the cosmos. The demon can bestow only a weak blessing if the mortal's faith is weak, but if her belief is strong, the demon can fill her with awesome power. Within certain boundaries, demons can empower their thralls with their own abilities, gifting them with supernatural powers. The system for doing so is fairly simple, but it's not something to enter into lightly. Characters should never rush into empowering their followers or offering pacts to all and sundry. Choosing when to do so is an important moment in the chronicle, and it should be created as such. Demons can only impart abilities that they themselves possess—to grant the gift of invisibility, the demon must be able to become invisible himself. The demon can give four kinds of gifts — Attributes, innate abilities, the enhancements of his apocalyptic form and evocations. Attribute: The demon can increase the thrall's Attribute Traits, making her stronger or smarter. A thrall's Attributes Traits cannot rise above ten, however. Mundane abilities only go so far. Abilities: The demon may grant traits in Abilities it possesses itself, to the thrall. For example, if the demon has Melee x3, he can grant a thrall up to Melee x3 in traits. Enhancements: The demon can impart one of the eight enhancements of his apocalyptic form to a thrall, giving her the ability to grow fangs, downgrade damage and more. Low-Torment demons can impart
one of their high-Torment special abilities if desired at the cost of a temporary Torment point. These can be activated by the thrall be spending a Willpower trait. Evocations: The demon can even imbue a thrall with a weaker version of one of his evocations. The demon must decide on a specific evocation to bestow upon his servant. Evocations granted depend on how many Faith traits are converted. For example, if one trait is converted, a demon could grant the first power of any Lore they possess. If two Faith traits are used in this way, a second-level evocation can be granted. These are used normally, but with Willpower replacing Faith if required to activate. If a second through fifth level Lore evocation is granted, the thrall does not gain the lower levels of that Lore, merely the one granted. Other Abilities: Demons enjoy many special abilities, such as their immunity to possession. The demon can impart one of these advantages to a thrall. Similarly, the demon can bestow a gift of a more general nature, such as the ability to see or walk again. Once the demon has decided on what abilities to bestow upon the thrall, the two enter into a pact. The demon agrees to imbue the thrall with power, while the mortal agrees to serve in whatever way the two agree upon. At the Storyteller's discretion, the mortal might qualify as a source of offered Faith (see Offered Faith), but there are many other ways in which a mortal can help her master. With the pact finalized, the deal is sealed with the demon's gift. Imparting a gift to a mortal requires nothing more than a turn's concentration. Many demons, however, like to add ritual and ceremony to the procedure in order to impress their new thralls. After concentrating, the demon mentally reshapes the thrall's soul, using the mortal's Faith as a tool. The stronger the thrall's Faith is, the greater the changes the demon can make to her essence, and the more powerful the gifts the demon can bestow upon her. No rolls are needed to reshape the mortal's soul. The mortal's Faith rating is used as a "pool" of points for buying effects and gifts that benefit the thrall, according to the following guidelines:
A point of Faith can be used to repair chronic injuries or impairments—allowing a paralyzed character to walk or giving sight to a blind thrall. If the mortal is missing lethal health levels as an effect of his condition, they are converted into bashing levels, which can then heal normally. A point of Faith can be converted into 10 free traits (see Character Creation). These points can be used to buy or improve traits such as Attributes, Abilities or Willpower. They cannot be used for improving Backgrounds, Faith, or Lores.
One point of Faith can be used to impart one of the demon's inherent powers, such as immunity to mind-control. The thrall permanently benefits from this power, spending a Willpower trait to activate its effects. One or more points of Faith can be used to give the mortal a limited evocation from the demon's lore. This gift costs one to five Faith points, depending on the level of the evocation in question (i.e., a three-dot evocation would cost the mortal three of her Faith points.) To perform the evocation, the thrall attempts to activate it normally, spending Willpower where Faith is called for, instead. One point of Faith bestows one of the enhancements of the demon's apocalyptic form on the thrall. To benefit from the enhancement, the thrall must spend a Willpower trait, which allows the thrall to use the enhancement for a scene. The demon can bestow more than one enhancement, but he must spend a point of Faith on each. Up to one of the thrall's Faith potential can be used to make the mortal a source of offered Faith, if the Storyteller approves (see Offered Faith).
Example: Rebecca has found a thrall, a local police detective named James Wong. Rebecca agrees to improve Wong's health and vitality in return for his service. Most mortals have a Faith potential of just two, but Wong is also a church deacon with a strong core of religious belief, so he has three points of Faith potential. After a short ritual designed to impress Wong, Rebecca concentrates, reaches out with her soul and uses Wong's belief to reshape his essence. Adam, Rebecca's player, can spend the three points of Wong's Faith potential to modify the character. The first point is converted into 10 free traits, and Adam uses them to improve Wong's Stamina and Dexteritybased Traits by three traits each, while also granting him Athletics x2 and Dodge x2. The second dot is used to give Wong the Increased Size enhancement of Rebecca's apocalyptic form, which he can assume by spending Willpower. With the final Faith point, Adam gives Wong Rebecca's immunity to mindcontrol, ensuring that her servant cannot be corrupted by her enemies. It's possible to give new gifts to a thrall you've already empowered, but it's very difficult to do so. In order to further alter a thrall, the mortal's Faith potential must increase — which only occurs if his belief and dedication to the demon becomes significantly stronger. The Storyteller is the sole judge as to whether a thrall's Faith potential increases. If a thrall's belief grows, the demon can spend the extra
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point of Faith on new improvements — but doing so requires a new Faustian bargain between demon and thrall.
REVELATION Each time a demon uses her Faith, mortal observers can make a Simple test (no retest) to sense the demon's true nature. If the mortal is successful, they can act rationally, and remembers what occurs. If the mortal ties, the mortal is conscious, but is unable to act due to awe/terror. They rationalize the event afterwards, blaming something like the moonlight filtered through swamp gas caused what they saw. If they fail, the mortals pass out in a quivering mass, and don’t remember anything of the event, or a short time prior to the event, as their mind is unable to cope with reality. Demons can also allow mortals to perceive their true nature without spending Faith, whenever they wish. Finally, if a character invokes her apocalyptic form (see Chapter Five for details), mortal witnesses automatically suffer the effects of Revelation. The mortal's reaction depends on one other factor: the character's Torment. Fallen with a low Torment (less than half their Willpower) are glorious and awesome, shadows of the divine beings they once were. Fallen with high Torment (greater than their Willpower) are living nightmares that are terrible to behold. Those in between may be either or both, depending on the mortal's preconceptions (and the judgment of the Storyteller). One effect a Revelation does not have is to reap Faith from those who witness it. While the witnesses are filled with a momentary awareness of the character's nature, it's an unfocused and impersonal awareness. Reaping Faith requires the demon to form a relationship with a mortal, even if only for a short time — not just to flash his horns and forked tongue. While revealing one's revelatory form may certainly aid in reaping Faith, it's never enough in and of itself to gather power for a demon.
FAITH AS A WEAPON Hundreds of years in the past, when religion was a central part of the lives of the everyday person and faith as a whole was stronger and more prevalent, it was possible for religious leaders and their followers to defy and even defeat the legions of Hell with powerful prayers, blessed items and potent exorcisms. Demons in the modem world have little to fear from the local drive-in church or apoplectic televangelist, but it is still possible to encounter people, places or artifacts that are capable of giving even die mightiest demons pause.
HOLY GROUND
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Historically, churches and other holy sites were blessed when their foundations were laid, in order to render them inviolate to the forces of evil. The practice continues today, but the underlying faith that gave the blessing power is no more. Churches, graveyards and other sites constructed within the last 200 years are not considered holy ground per se, but older structures — and even a rare few new ones where the worshippers truly believe — can potentially hold a demon at bay. Like mortals, any place of worship, be it a church, graveyard or roadside shrine, can have a Faith potential based upon the amount of real faith invested by generations of worshippers. Sites can have a Faith potential of 1-5, with the highest potential reserved for truly ancient and venerated sites, such as Manger Square in Bethlehem or the Temple of the Rock in Jerusalem. Demons with a Torment of 4 or more who try to enter such a site suffer a level of aggravated damage each turn they remain. This damage is manifested by seared flesh or stigmata-like wounds to the hands and face. A Simple Test (Courage) is required each turn to remain on holy ground. If the test fails, the demon flees the area. Fallen with a Torment of 3 or less have rejected their demonic nature in favor of their angelic and human essence, and they may enter a holy site without injury. The few demons who have successfully accomplished this are at a loss to explain why they were not burned, but they point to it as proof that redemption is still possible.
SACRED OR BLESSED ITEMS Similar to holy ground, it is possible for the truly faithful to infuse an item with holy power sufficient to cause harm to one of the fallen. Such holy items are very rare and are often highly prized artifacts guarded zealously by their worshippers, though it is possible for persons of great faith to bless common items and create powerful weapons, such as holy water. Like holy ground, a sacred object can have a Faith potential of 1-5, with the highest potential reserved for truly venerated and unique objects. These items inflict one aggravated level each turn they are held against the demon's skin. Fallen with a Torment of 3 or less are unaffected by these items. Blessed items are more potent examples of these objects, having been venerated with a specific purpose in mind. A mortal with a Faith potential of at least 3 is required to successfully bless an item, and such objects can possess a Faith potential of 1-5 depending on the amount of time and effort spent infusing it. As a rule of thumb, a blessed item gains one point of Faith potential per day of prayer. At the time of creation, the item is blessed to perform the function of a banishment, abjuration or binding prayer. Blessed
items only function when used by a mortal with a Faith potential of at least 1. Fallen with a Torment of 3 or less are unaffected by these items or the prayers associated with them.
PRAYERS Prayers are similar to a demon's evocations, in that they are focused uses of Faith that effect a change in reality — specifically to banish, forbid, bind or exorcise the fallen. These can only be used by a mortal with a Faith potential of three or higher. Prayers are performed as a resisted challenge between mortal and demon. The mortal's player makes a Willpower Challenge versus the demon (there demon may spend a Willpower for a retest, and overbidding can occur as normal). If the mortal is successful, the effects of the prayer are applied immediately. More than one mortal can combine their Willpower to add power to a prayer. Four types of prayers can be used against the fallen, and they can be targeted against any demon within the mortal's line of sight:
Banishment: A successful prayer of banishment forces the demon to flee the area. The demon may not return to the site for a number of hours equal to her Torment score. Abjuration: The prayer of abjuration can be used to bar a demon from entering a given area. The prayer can cover an area in yards equal to the mortal's faith potential (multiple mortals can combine their faith potential to increase this area), and if successful, the demon may not enter for a number of hours equal to her Torment score. Binding: The prayer of binding roots the demon to the ground, trapping him as long as the mortal continues her prayer. The demon cannot move from the spot by physical or supernatural means of any kind, but he can still perform other evocations, throw things or take other such actions. The demon remains trapped as long as the mortal is able to continue her prayer, and no further tests are required. Stamina-based or Willpower-based tests may be required if the mortal intends to keep up the prayer for hours, though. Blessed items empowered with this prayer continue to work only as long as the wielder brandishes the item before the demon. Exorcism: The prayer of exorcism is an ordeal of faith intended to drive a demon from its mortal host. To successfully perform this prayer, the mortal must win a number of Willpower challenges greater than the demon's permanent Faith rating. One test may be performed per half-hour of game
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time, so an exorcism performed against a demon with a permanent Faith rating of 5 would require a minimum of 2.5 hours to complete. If successful, the demon is forced from his mortal host and may not reenter it, forcing him to find another suitable vessel or risk being pulled back into the Abyss. Of course, the demon isn't compelled to remain in the area and be exorcised, so unless the fallen is physically incapacitated, the exorcism is usually performed simultaneously with a prayer of binding.
DEALING WITH THE DAMNED
In the harsh new mortal world, the only things demons are familiar with are other demons. It's a shame, then, that the damned are at each other's throats constantly—faction against faction, fallen against their former masters, the Earthbound against these new invaders. Conflict and interaction between demons is a pivotal part of any Demon chronicle, and these systems examine the ways in which demons interact — be it in person or through the use of agents and followers.
TRUE NAMES Names are important, both to the thing being named and those interacting with it. Names give us identity; names give us the tools we need to interact with others. For demons, names are more than simply labels — they are intrinsic parts of the demons' very nature. While a demon may have many names — his original Celestial Name, the name of his human host, titles and nicknames — he has only one True Name. Originally, this was the name given to him by the Creator; after the Fall, the True Names of all demons altered and mutated to fit their fundamentally changed nature. For the demons now incarnate in human hosts, the potential exists for their True Names to change once more if they can radically redefine themselves and their diabolic nature. To know a demon's True Name is to have power over her. When a demon's True Name is used as a part of a ritual (see Summoning and Binding), the demon falls under the control of the person performing the ritual. She retains her will and sense of self but is compelled to follow the orders of her controller. Even without such a ritual, knowing a demon's True Name is useful. By speaking a demon's True Name, you instantly gain her attention, no matter where in the world she may be, and you can communicate verbally with her. The Name can also be used as a goad to intimidate or manipulate the demon. If a character knows a demon's True Name, he gains a number of Traits (equal to the demon's Faith rating) to use in Mental and Social tests against that demon.
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Actions that would be affected include Intimidation or Subterfuge tests to control the demon, as well as Research or Investigation tests to determine her plans or whereabouts. The Storyteller has final say on whether a given action would receive a benefit for knowing a demon's True Name. Physical actions or combat are not affected by knowing an enemy's True Name. (Knowing someone's nature will not protect you from her claws.) Obviously, learning someone's True Name is an incredibly useful tool against them, and the search to learn True Names plays an important part in Demon chronicles. The following systems focus on how to piece together a True Name, as well as what won't help in the quest for knowledge. A True Name is more than simply a collection of letters. It's a configuration of supernatural energy, a footprint on reality itself. In many ways, a demon is her True Name, so while that Name has a reflection in the world as a construction of language, it also has a meaning. For a True Name to be used, the wielder must understand the meaning of it. Furthermore, the name can only be used if it is spoken, as the user channels the breath of the Creator through his own breath. Therefore, a Name has no power if it is just written down or simply pulled together by accident. You can't set a computer to juggle permutations of letters and try to affect a demon, because the computer has no breath or soul. Only a living (or once-living) being can use a Name, and only if he understands what it is that he is speaking. This also means, however, that if you can piece together a demon's personality and purpose, you can piece together her True Name. Knowing why a demon does something, you can gain an insight to the meaning of her acts—which gains insight into the meaning of her Name. True Names can be collected slowly — a letter here, a glimpse of meaning there— until the character knows the full Name (or at least, what he hopes is the full Name). If a character knows what he is looking for, his player can attempt to make a series of Research Actions to work out a demon's True Name. Through research and investigation, the character must try to amass a number of successes with various tests (determined by the Storyteller); once he has those successes, he knows the True Name; the amount of successes required depends on the power of the demon, as stronger demons have more complex Names. The way to figure out how many successes are necessary to find a demon’s True Name, add their personal Eminence (as per the background, not from positions gained), plus the number of different Lores the demon possesses, plus one for their Nature, and finally one for each other demon the demon has
devoured over time. Note: for game purposes, only fellow demons devoured in game count towards this. What kinds of activities can yield clues to a True Name? Here are some examples:
Looking through occult texts to find names of demons and matching them up with your subject's acts. Just finding the right books would be a story in itself, though, as tomes of true occult knowledge are rare and jealously guarded by their owners. Make a Static Mental Challenge (Occult) vs. 10 traits. Investigating a crime scene, looking for the subtle touches that betray the criminal's personality. Make a Static Mental Challenge (Investigation) vs. 10 traits. Interrogating the demon's followers, finding out how they address her in their blasphemous rituals. Make a Social Challenge (Intimidation) vs. follower. Ransacking the demon's sanctum, finding her personal belongings and seeing what they say about her. Make a Static Mental Challenge (Empathy) vs. 10 traits. Observing the demon's handiwork. Every time a demon performs an invocation, she leaves an imprint in the fabric of reality, similar to a psychic fingerprint. Make a Static Mental Challenge (Occult) vs. 8 traits.
Players are bound to come up with other ideas for learning fragments of True Names, and Storytellers should decide if an idea is valid and what traits are involved. The difficulty of these tests (when Static) is always high— usually 10, possibly higher if the action is particularly unusual. The Storyteller should always make the test, and note down in secret how many successes (if any) have been gathered toward the total. The character never truly knows if he has learned the full True Name, though. Eventually, he just has to use what he's learned and hope it's enough. Incomplete True Names have no power to command or bind a demon — like a password, it either works completely or it doesn't. For game purposes, it isn't necessary to actually spell out a character's True Name, though players are welcome to do so if they want. What is important is the progress the investigators make toward deciphering its meaning, reflected in their accumulation of successes.
SUMMONING AND BINDING Occult history is full of stories of sorcerers summoning demons to them and binding them to their will—or being destroyed by forces they cannot control. There's a lot of truth to some of these stories. Some of
those demons pulled from Hell still exist today as the Earthbound. Armed with the correct summoning rituals, a sorcerer—whether mortal or demon—can summon a demon into his presence. A second ritual can then bind the demon to the summoner's will, forcing her to become his servant. Of course, doing so isn't easy. In fact, it's very difficult and incredibly dangerous. If the rituals are not followed exactly, and if the summoner lacks certain vital data, the summoned demon is free to do whatever she likes—such as punishing the fool who dared try to subjugate her. In order to summon a demon, the sorcerer needs the correct ritual. There are literally thousands of summoning rituals described in various occult tomes, and the vast majority do nothing at all. The remaining few have power, but only if applied to the right demon. A ritual designed to bind an Earthbound will likely have no effect against a modem fallen. At the very least, the ritual must address the correct demonic House. To summon a Devourer, for instance, you must have a ritual designed to summon a Devourer and not a Malefactor. Finding the correct ritual is a long and arduous process that could take months (or even years) of occult research. This is done through the occult Influence, though it is important to note that finding a ritual, doesn’t necessarily mean the ritual is of use to the demon who found it. Before the player can even attempt to find the ritual, though, the character needs to know something about the demon he means to summon— her name (preferably her True Name) and her House. Most rituals include methods for both summoning and binding a demon (although some only do one or the other). Once the occultist has the ritual, he can then attempt to perform it, which is a long process that takes hours, not turns. The Storyteller may require the character to have specific props, cast the ritual at a specific place and time or abide by other restrictions on the casting. It is important to note that only mortals can summon demons in this manner; fallen and Earthbound are entirely unable to summon their brothers and sisters from the Abyss, or anywhere via such rituals. Once the ritual is performed, the summoner's player makes a Static Mental challenge to summon the demon. The difficulty of this test is usually 9, but the Storyteller may decide to adjust it upward (if the ritual isn't entirely suitable or the summoner doesn't have the right props) or downward (if the summoner has extra props, such as items associated with the demon). If the test fails, the ritual doesn't work. On a tie, the mystic energies might backfire and summon an unbindable monster.
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If the test is successful, the demon is transported instantly to the site of the ritual, where she appears in her apocalyptic form. For demons incarnate
CREATING RITUALS If a determined summoner cannot find an appropriate ritual, it's possible to design one from scratch — one perfectly tailored to a specific demon. Doing so is even harder than finding the correct ritual, though. A skilled occultist can construct a ritual in less time than it would take to find an equivalent rite, but the process is far riskier. Creating a ritual is an extended Static mental Challenge (retest Occult, difficulty 10. Do a test once per month, the occultist must assemble as many successes as the demon’s True name has parts (or more, if the Story teller so rules). The Storyteller should make this challenge in secret. If any of the tests fail, the ritual is fatally flawed — but the occultist is unaware of the problem. Such flawed rituals will always disastrously backfire when used, no matter how well the occultist performs the rite. in a human host, such as the fallen, this leaves their mortal bodies in a deathlike coma (possibly leading to complications if she was talking to someone at the time...). Earthbound demons are pulled from their physical vessels. Demons still in Hell are instantly transported to this plane of existence. The ritual must provide a space for the demon to inhabit — a protective magic circle, square or diagram. Common wisdom has it that the circle protects the summoner — but the truth is that it protects the demon. Demons without physical hosts are normally pulled back into Hell (see Finding a New Host), and they cannot speak or interact with living beings. The mystic space within the circle, though, protects the demon from Hell's spiritual gravity and allows her to speak and interact with the summoner. The circle is a shield, not a cage. The demon can move out of it whenever she wishes, but if she does so, she will be caught by the terrible pull of the Abyss, and be far from her host. It behooves most demons, then, to stay within the circle. When the ritual ends or the summoner dismisses the demon, the demon is returned to her body—or, depending on the agreement reached with the summoner, possibly into a new vessel. Once the demon is summoned, the summoner can interact with her, assuming he is not panicked and overwhelmed by witnessing the demon's apocalyptic form (see Revelation). He can converse or attempt to make a voluntary pact with the demon. The demon can choose to listen or simply fume in silence.
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Most occultists, though, are not summoning demons just for conversation — they instead attempt to bind the demon to their will. Binding a demon requires further use of the ritual. It is essential to know the demon's name at this point. At the very least, the summoner must know the demon's Celestial Name, but it's far preferable to know the demon's True Name. The players of the summoner and the demon make contested Willpower challenge. The summoner has one advantage in this contest — if he has assistants or acolytes participating in the summoning ritual, they can add their will to his. The Storyteller makes a Simple test (Occult) for every extra participant in the ritual, and each success adds a trait to the summoner's Willpower pool. If the summoner knows only the demon's Celestial Name, the demon receives bonus traits to this test equal to her Faith rating. If the summoner knows the demon's True Name, binding the demon is easy. The summoner receives a number of bonus traits equal to the demon's Torment rating. True Names are potent weapons, and few demons can stand against someone armed with knowledge of their soul. If the demon wins, the binding fails and the demon escapes. If the summoner wins though, he is able to bind the demon to his will for a limited time. A summoner may spend a temporary Willpower trait (his own, not from the beforementioned pool), upon successfully completing the ritual. For each spent, he can command the demon to do one specific task. These commands must be fairly specific and revolve around a particular action. "Protect me from all my enemies" is too wide-ranging a command. "Kill Gideon Wallace" is more appropriate. The summoner could also command the demon to vacate a host, to grant the summoner powers or any other action that can easily be summed up in a few words. If a demon is bound to follow commands, she must do so to the best of her ability and make the attempt as soon as possible. She cannot act directly against the summoner while bound to even a single command. She can attack him once she completes all the commands, but not until all her tasks are done. She can, however, act indirectly against him — perhaps by persuading someone else to attack him—and she can work to subvert her commands as much as possible. Wise summoners structure their commands to leave few gray areas and protect themselves from their anger of their servants; foolish summoners lie in unmarked graves or worse. Once the commands expire, the summoner may try to rework the ritual to bind the demon to his will at a later date. Doing so requires subtle modifications to the ritual and is very risky. The Storyteller makes a Static Mental test (Occult) difficulty 9, on the character's behalf. If the test is successful, the
summoner and demon go through the same summoning and binding process as before. If the test ties, the binding ritual is ineffective—although the summoner won't know this until he attempts to use it. If he fails, the demon becomes aware that the ritual is now ineffective, and he can feel free to wreak bloody vengeance on the summoner.
DEATH AND LIFE In the beginning, Celestials knew nothing of death or the dangers of a physical existence. Theirs was a spiritual nature, untouched by mortality. The War changed all that, proving that these beings could still be destroyed. In this new era, the fallen are learning that their mortal forms can be killed and that they still risk final dissolution at the hands of their enemies.
FINDING A NEW HOST Death is not the end — not for demons, anyway. In fact, "death" is a concept hard to apply to Celestials. Their mortal shells can be damaged, killed or destroyed, but what does that matter to the immortal spirit inside? A demon can easily survive the death of his host, and travel to a new one, but they must do so quickly. Celestial beings cannot exist long in the physical world; since the rigors of being caught between two worlds weakens the spirit and eventually drags it back screaming into Hell. When a demon character is reduced below Incapacitated by lethal or aggravated damage, the host body is killed. In the next turn, the demon manifests in his apocalyptic form, hovering above his former body. In this form, the demon cannot be affected in any way (with a few exceptions — sec Final Destruction). In turn, the demon cannot physically affect anything or evoke the powers of his lore. His perceptions are altered in this state—he can see living beings by their souls, but can perceive inanimate objects only dimly. His form is unaffected by gravity, walls or obstacles — it can move in any direction, flying Willpower + 5 miles each turn. While the demon is unaffected by the physical world, it is hardly in a good position. The moment the demon is severed from its physical host, it immediately suffers the terrible pull of the Abyss trying to draw it back into its eternal prison. Each turn the demon exists in the physical world without a host, the player must make a Simple test (Willpower), If he fails this test, the demon is sucked back into Hell. Example: Ishmael's search for the Earthbound cult comes to a terrible end when he encounters Atoth-Nagan — a monstrous, powerful Devourer in the cult's service. The two demons clash in a deserted museum, but Ishmael is torn apart by the Devourer's mighty claws. In the next turn, Ishmael materializes above the body in his apocalyptic form, expelled by its dying breath. The Abyss begins to pull at him straightaway,
so his player must make a Simple test every turn so that Ishmael can stay on this plane. Desperate to stay out of Hell, Ishmael must find a new vessel. To survive, the demon must find a new host. Yet doing so is difficult because the same restrictions apply that were imposed on the demon when it escaped from Hell. It must possess a living body, one whose mind or soul is so diminished that they are barely human. If a suitable host body is nearby, the act of possession requires a Static Mental test (Willpower) versus six traits, unless the target is one of the demon’s own thralls, then the difficulty is only three traits. If one of the demon's thralls willingly accepts the demon, no test is required; possession is automatic. The player and the Storyteller should work together to determine the demon's new traits, possibly re-designing the character and applying an experience bonus equal to the demon character's earned experience (Note: the ST will be looking out for “revenge hosts,” and has final say over what sort of traits are given). Most of the time, though, the demon will be hard-pressed to find a suitable host in the short time it has left before dissipating. There is one other option. It's an unpleasant one, but it beats Hell. A desperate demon may inhabit an inanimate object, becoming one of the Earthbound. Few objects have the right properties to host a demon, though. The Celestial cannot simply inhabit the first elevator or fountain pen it comes across. The object must be discrete —not part of another object—and it must have a certain amount of "resonance" with humanity. This resonance could come from the fact that the object looks human— such as a statue — or because it is used constantly by humans who pay attention to it. No one pays attention to an elevator, even though they use it constantly, but a computer used by a struggling writer to write the Great American Novel would be a suitable host. The Storyteller has final say on whether an object is appropriate. Whatever vessel the demon chooses, he must try to reconfigure his energies to inhabit it, which requires a Static Mental test, difficulty of nine traits. The difficulty drops to just 6 if the vessel has a close affinity with the demon's personality or House, or has been properly attuned to house a disembodied soul. A Defiler would find it easier to inhabit a boat, given her affinity with the water, while a Malefactor would find it easier to inhabit a finely made watch. If the test succeeds, the demon can take permanent residence in his new vessel. If it ties, he must keep searching for a new body, and he cannot attempt to occupy this one again. On a fails, the demon loses a trait of permanent Willpower. If a possessed object is destroyed, the demon is cast adrift once more and must repeat the process of finding a new host or returning to the Pit.
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Example: Ishmael must find a new body in order to escape Hell. No thralls or other suitable mortals are nearby, so he is forced to attempt to inhabit an object. The Storyteller decides that there is an appropriate object in the scene—a granite statue of a Greek hero, which has been the subject of attention for hundreds of museum patrons. As a Fiend, Ishmael has no connection with such an item — he'd have better luck with something like an old telescope or a statue of a Greek oracle — but beggars can't be choosers. Ishmael's player makes a Static mental test against a difficulty of 9 to reconfigure Ishmael's energies, but the test fails. Ishmael cannot occupy the statue, and must keep searching for a new vessel. Atoth-Nagan, though, has other plans... Even safe in a new host, the demon is still battered by the experience of being discorporate. The character loses a point from his Faith rating and gains a point of permanent Torment. If he inhabited a human body, the demon must also come to terms with the new memories and personalities left inside the human shell. He must somehow incorporate them into his own psyche. The hours and days after inhabiting a new body can be very disconcerting, so Storytellers and players will find plenty of potential for stories in this period. It is important to note, that Lores, Virtues, Mental Traits, Charisma and Manipulation-based Social Traits, and some Abilities stay the same no matter what host is taken. Physical Traits, Appearance-based Social Traits, and some abilities always change with the host, as do many backgrounds (Eminence, Followers, Legacy, and Paragon remain the same, but Resources do change, and Influence is always lost, unless the player has some way to take the form they previously possessed (such as from the Lore of Transfiguration; this is, as always, up to the Storyteller to decide).
This means that the attacker may bid up to their permanent faith in the challenge. The victim resists with his Faith or Torment rating—whichever is higher, bidding those traits in the challenge. The victim may also retest with Willpower, but the attacker has no form of retest for this challenge. If the demon knows his victim's True Name, he adds the victim's Faith rating as bonus traits. If the victim wins the contest, he absorbs the defender, gaining one Free Trait per permanent Faith Trait the defender possessed, and the defender is permanently destroyed. If the challenge is a tie, the attacker gains as many temporary Faith traits as the defender has Faith. If the attacker loses, the demon escapes, moving at their discorporate speed as per normal. For this reason, final destruction usually only occurs the turn of or immediately following the destruction of the demon’s host body. Example: Ishmael's host body is destroyed, and he desperately flails about for a new body. Atoth-Nagan is too fast, though, and he moves in to consume Ishmael's discorporate form. Ishmael's Faith rating is 5, and his Torment is 6 — so his player has a trait pool of six traits. Atoth-Nagan has a Faith rating of only 4 — but he knows Ishmael's True Name. The Storyteller adds Ishmael's Faith rating of 5 to Atoth-Nagan's pool, for a total of nine traits. The Storyteller and player make a test, and the Storyteller wins. Ishmael's soul is devoured by the monster, and he is lost forever. When a Celestial is devoured, the Storyteller converts each of the victim’s permanent Faith into Free Traits. They may be spent as follows:
FINAL DESTRUCTION Nothing is truly immortal. Demons have lived since the very creation of the universe, but even they can be killed. Their energies can be dissipated, cannibalized by their enemies. A light that has shone from the beginning of time finally winks out. When a demon is in his apocalyptic form, having been expelled from his vessel in some way, he is unaffected by almost all physical or supernatural entities. Yet all demons possess the ability to destroy a discorporate Celestial and consume his energies to make themselves stronger. To consume a Celestial, the demon needs to breathe in the energies from a victim's revelatory form. Doing so doesn't necessarily require bodily contact, but the two must be within arm's reach (three steps). The Celestial can attempt to flee, being unaffected by gravity or obstacles, so the demon must act quickly. Once the demon is close enough to inhale the Celestial's energies, his player makes a Faith Challenge.
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Abilities, Attributes and Willpower can be improved in this way, and the demon cannot increase his traits to a level greater than that possessed by the consumed Celestial. Each point of Faith can be "converted" into a memory or item of knowledge — the location of a temple, the hiding place of a relic, the True Name of a rival — as long as that information was known to the demon that was devoured. The Storyteller is the final arbiter on what a character might have known and how much information can be gained thus. The demon can choose to increase his Faith rating by one by spending three Free Traits. This increase in Faith allows a corresponding increase in lore — and the demon can actually gain the lore known by the consumed demon. Only the lore of the victim's House may be learned thus. Even if the devoured demon knew other evocations, those powers are as central to its essence. This increase in lore can
be Basic, Intermediate, or Advanced, if the demon already possesses the house lore in question. Example: Atoth-Nagan has destroyed Ishmael, and the fallen's soul is devoured like a sweetmeat by the demon. Ishmael had a Faith rating of 5, so the Storyteller has five Free Traits to use Atoth-Nagan The Storyteller decides that AtothNagan converts two Free traits into plundered memories — the demon learns the location and identities of Ishmael's thralls – and- fallen allies. The player uses the three traits to increase the Devourer's Faith rating by one, thus allowing an increase in lore. Atoth-Nagan gains a dot in the Lore of Portals, one of Ishmael's House lore paths. Rumors persist that there may be rituals that permit mortals to destroy discorporate demons and perhaps even store their energies to use for sorcery or to gain power. Such rituals are rare to the point of being mythical, and demons would move mountains to deny humanity such weapons.
EMINENCE
Fallen have developed many intricate rules of protocol and procedure when dealing with each other. Power-hungry demons vie for positions of importance in the Infernal Courts, and a demon’s reputation can be more valuable than any Influence or Lore in some situations. Learning to play power-games is a long and arduous task, but in the end one that serves most of them well - or hastens their demise. Eminence is the measure of a demon’s reputation, and is measured in Traits. Most often, it usually stems from a ministry office held among the local Fallen, from Tyrant to Minister. Such posts are rarely ever given out, and those who hold them tend to defend them zealously. However, a demon may also gain Eminence by being influential in the city’s business, performing extraordinary deeds or by simply catching the right eyes at the right time. Likewise, many demons possess Eminence from before and during their time in the Abyss, owing to the feudal design of Fallen society since its earliest days. Eminence Traits: Acknowledged, Admired, Adored, Believer, Blessed, Blooded, Champion, Cherished, Committed, Dedicated, Esteemed, Exalted, Famous, Faultless, Favored, Feared, Gifted, Honorable, Influential, Just, Ominous, Praised, Protected, Proven, Respected, Revered, Supported, Tested, Trustworthy, Well-Connected, Well-Known. Troupes should feel free to invent new Eminence Traits to suit their own stories and the reputations of the characters receiving the Traits.
GAINING AND LOSING EMINENCE All demons who have been officially “accepted” by the Tyrant acquire a single Eminence Trait: Acknowledged. Failure to possess this Trait means that a character cannot expect even the simplest favors from local Fallen, and he may even be hunted by the Ministries of Aurochs and Dragons if the Tyrant discovers his presence. Most Laws of the Abyss characters will either start with this, or acquire it early on in the chronicle. Characters may gain Eminence by helping uphold Infernal law (especially in protecting the infernal court), doing favors for the Tyrant or a minister, saving a prominent Fallen from final destruction, or defeating an Earthbound menace in the city. On occasion, the prominent may award Eminence to those who hindered their enemies or overthrew them, but such notice may not always be a good thing. Naturally, a character may lose Eminence as easily as he gains it (if not more so). Falsely accusing another vampire of a crime, violating the Traditions, committing diablerie or refusing to recognize the Status of another Kindred are but a few of the ways to earn such displeasure. Of course, if there are no witnesses to report such violations. A character may never gain more than one Eminence Trait per story. There are two exceptions to this rule: if the Tyrant rewards or sanctions an additional Trait, or if the Eminence Traits are conferred when a Fallen assumes an office in Fallen society. However, a character can lose more than one Eminence per story.
USING EMINENCE Eminence comes in two types: permanent and temporary. Permanent Eminence is recorded on the character sheet, and is a measure of a character’s actual standing in Fallen society; permanent Eminence losses or gains are added or removed from your character sheet. By contrast, the loss or gain of temporary Eminence has no effect on permanent Eminence and tends to fluctuate more. Temporary Eminence Traits can be represented with Eminence Cards (since they tend to change hands often). You may bid an Eminence Trait instead of a regular Trait in any applicable Social Challenge. You may also choose to add Eminence Traits to your Social Traits during a Social Challenge if Traits are compared. Eminence Traits cannot be ignored by any Acknowledged member of a court. Fallen society is very hierarchical, and has always been so since their time as Angels of the Creator.
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Players should report Eminence changes or activities like loans to the Storyteller as soon as the game permits.
EXAMPLES OF EMINENCE The following are some examples of the uses and benefits of Status: Temporary Eminence may be used to add to your Social Traits during an applicable Social Challenge. (Note: This benefit does not include Lore use, unless the Storyteller approves of such usage specifically.) Eminence is a measure of a character’s creditability. In any situation where it is one demon’s word against another, Eminence can be the determining factor. The same is true in the case of accusing another of a crime in which there is no concrete evidence. In all such cases, the character with the most Eminence is the one whose word is accepted. You may loan temporary Eminence to another to show your favor, though the individual to whom you made the loan must return it immediately on the asking. The bearer may spend this Trait as a temporary Trait, after which it is gone for the duration of the story. (This is the only way a character’s temporary Eminence can rise above her permanent Eminence rating.) Loaned Eminence can be used exactly as you would use your own. You can give only one Trait of Eminence to any one person in this fashion. You must possess at least one Trait of Eminence in order to petition the Tyrant for any reason. Anyone of higher Eminence may remove permanent Eminence from those lower than themselves at a cost of one permanent Eminence Trait per Trait removed. Temporary Eminence may be removed in the same fashion. This is often done as punishment, including removing the Eminence of Acknowledged and thus leaving the person at the mercy of the ministries of Aurochs and Dragons. You may grant permanent Eminence to another of your own House or Faction if he has less than half your permanent Eminence. The cost for such is one temporary Eminence Trait, and this must be done in ceremony, and must be made publicly, such as during a meeting of the Tyrant and Ministers or another such gathering. A House or Faction in the city may remove one Eminence Trait from any member of the
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same House or Faction by expending a group total of permanent Eminence Traits equal to the target’s permanent Eminence. The Ministers may also lower the Tyrant’s permanent Eminence in the same fashion. Remember, you may only gain one Eminence Trait per story, but you may lose more than one Trait. Again, there are two exceptions to this rule: Eminence granted or sanctioned by the Tyrant, and Eminence received for assuming a station.
RULING RANKS There are six official ruling ranks that a Fallen may hold, each of which grants Eminence within all of Fallen society. These positions are acknowledged world-wide, and therefore any Eminence traits granted by them cannot be ignored by any other Fallen. It is highly recommended that the most powerful ranks should remain in the hands of Narrators and more experienced players, with newer players learning the ropes before taking a shot at attaining a station. Certain powers and responsibilities are inherent in each of these stations, and all powers that a station confers are lost immediately if a character is removed from or relinquishes it. The following is a list of the six ruling ranks: Archduke This rank was once possessed by Lucifer’s five chosen generals, Abaddon, Asmodeus, Azrael, Belial, and Dagon. Each held control of one of the five legions prior to the Fallen’s defeat and exile to the Abyss. No-one holds these positions in Fallen society currently, though some have aspirations to rise to such a level. Its power is nearly unlimited and therefore unattainable during most games. Duke This rank was once possessed by the lieutenants of the Archdukes, all of whom still currently reside in the Abyss. Their bloated, infernal forms are too large to allow them to escape currently, so for now this position is not possessed by any of the Fallen. Some who currently claim the title of Baron are growing in power, and eying the title for future conquest. Baron Barons once commanded tens of thousands of the infernal host during the war. Now, any who command the loyalty of fifty to seventy can claim the title of Baron. Those who once held the title are still trapped in the Pit, but new Barons have risen, in large cities such as London, Paris, Los Angeles, and New York. This is the highest rank any Fallen is likely to
reach, and grants the following powers: The Baron of a region automatically gains six additional Eminence Traits: Admired, Esteemed, Exalted, Famous, Feared, and Influential. He can never lose these Traits permanently while remaining Baron. The Baron can remove one permanent Eminence Trait from someone of lower rank at a cost of one temporary Eminence Trait per Trait removed. The Baron can grant permanent Eminence Traits to any lower ranking Fallen at a cost of one temporary Trait for each Trait awarded. The Baron may thus break the rule of only gaining one Eminence Trait per story, allowing a character to gain more than one Trait. A Baron may also award the rank of Overlord or Fell Knight to other Fallen, as well as a grant of territory to oversee within their own territory. The Baron may call upon their Overlords, and the lower ranks, to deal with threats to Fallen society. Failure to at least answer such a call, can cost lower ranked Fallen one permanent Eminence trait automatically. Overlord Overlords once served as the bridge position between the lower ruling ranks (Lords, and Fell Knights), and those of higher rank (Archdukes, Dukes, and Barons). Whereas a baron might oversee the Fallen of a number of states, or even a small country, Overlords oversee only a fraction of the baron’s lands and the demons they control. At best, Overlords can command the fealty of between fifteen and twenty-five Fallen. They possess the following powers: The Overlord of an area automatically gains five additional Eminence Traits: Admired, Esteemed, Exalted, Feared, and Influential. He can never lose these Traits permanently while remaining Overlord. The Overlord can remove one permanent Eminence Trait from someone of lower rank at a cost of one temporary Eminence Trait per Trait removed. The Overlord can grant permanent Eminence Traits to any lower ranking Fallen at a cost of one temporary Trait for each Trait awarded. The Overlord may thus break the rule of only gaining one Eminence Trait per story, allowing a character to gain more than one Trait. An Overlord may also award the rank of Lord or Fell Knight to other Fallen, as well as a grant of territory to oversee within their own territory.
The Overlord may call upon their Lords, and the lower ranks, to deal with threats to Fallen society. Failure to at least answer such a call, can cost lower ranked Fallen one permanent Eminence trait automatically.
Lord Lords are the second lowest ruling rank in Fallen society. While they once ruled small nations, now they control minor cities or collections of towns. Most lords can call upon ten to fifteen other fallen to swear loyalty to them. Lords are often synonymous with the Tyrants of any given court. Lords have the following powers: The Lord of a city automatically gains three additional Eminence Traits: He can never lose these Traits permanently while remaining Lord. If the Lord is also Tyrant, he gains one of the Tyrant’s Eminence Traits in addition to his own, rather than all of them. The Lord can remove one permanent Eminence Trait from someone of lower rank at a cost of one temporary Eminence Trait per Trait removed. The Lord can grant permanent Eminence Traits to any lower ranking Fallen at a cost of one temporary Trait for each Trait awarded. The Lord may thus break the rule of only gaining one Eminence Trait per story, allowing a character to gain more than one Trait. A Lord may also award the rank of Fell Knight to other Fallen, as well as a grant of territory to oversee within their own territory. The Lord may call upon their Fell Knights, and the lower ranks, to deal with threats to Fallen society. Failure to at least answer such a call, can cost lower ranked Fallen one permanent Eminence trait automatically. Fell Knight Fell knights are the lowest ruling rank in Fallen society. They rarely oversee more than two or three other demons, if that. Players may start with the rank of Fell Knight if the Storyteller allows it, but must purchase one trait of the Eminence background of the appropriate type. Fell knights have the following powers: The Baron of a region automatically gains one additional Eminence Trait: Feared. He can never lose these Trait permanently while remaining a Fell Knight. The Fell Knight can remove one permanent Eminence Trait from someone of lower rank at a cost of one permanent Eminence Trait per Trait removed.
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The Fell Knight can grant one permanent Eminence Trait to someone of lower rank at a cost of one permanent Eminence Trait per Trait increased.
INFERNAL COURT POSITIONS There are seven city positions (plus one, if there is no Tyrant) that Fallen may hold, each of which grants Eminence within a city. The following is a list of the seven standard positions: Tyrant The Tyrant position is, in many ways, the single most important position in a city. The Tyrant holds all final say over the goings-on of the city, though usually day-to-day affairs are dealt with by their appropriate Ministers. Any issue that isn’t clear cut domain of a Minister ends up at the feet of the Tyrant. This is one reason why all new city members are introduced to the Tyrant as soon as possible by either the Censor or Warder. This position is a dim echo of the one in which Lucifer once served over demonkind in ages past. Tyrants have the following powers: The Tyrant of a city automatically gains three additional Eminence Traits: He can never lose these Traits permanently while remaining Lord. If the Tyrant is also a Lord, he gains one of the Lord's Eminence Traits in addition to his own, rather than all of them. The Tyrant can remove one permanent Eminence Trait from someone of lower rank at a cost of one temporary Eminence Trait per Trait removed. The Tyrant can grant permanent Eminence Traits to any lower ranking Fallen at a cost of one temporary Trait for each Trait awarded. The Tyrant may thus break the rule of only gaining one Eminence Trait per story, allowing a character to gain more than one Trait. The Lord may call upon their Ministers, and the lower ranks, to deal with threats to Fallen society. Failure to at least answer such a call, can cost lower ranked Fallen one permanent Eminence trait automatically. If also a Lord, they gain any additional powers possessed by Lords and not necessarily by Tyrants. Regent The Regent position (or positions) come into play in any city where there is no ruling Tyrant. Generally, it’s viewed as a transitory position, one which is filled only until a suitable Tyrant can be found, that has enough support to control the city. The
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Regent(s) have the following powers: Regents gain no additional Eminence, but does gain the powers belonging to the Tyrant, with one caveat: if the Pentarchy holds the Regency jointly, any use of such powers requires a majority vote of the Pentarchy to come into effect (3/5 Ministers). Minister of Eagles The first member of the pentarchy, is the Minister of Eagles. Also known as “the Watchers,” the actual Minister is given the honorifics “Most Vigilant Watcher” and “the Lidless Eye” and is expected to be the spymaster and information guru of the court. Generally, the Minister of Eagles knows who is doing what in the city, and has a vigilant eye out for the machinations of the Earthbound, as well as renegade Fallen which might be in the area. Under their purview are also knowledge and lorekeeping, and many keep extensive records on not only the goings-on of court, but day-to-day events. The Minister of Eagles has the following powers: The Minister of Eagles receives the additional Eminence Traits: Revered and Trustworthy when they join the Pentarchy. As long as the character remains Minister of Eagles, she cannot lose these Traits permanently. Ministers may grant or remove permanent Eminence Traits to or from any member of their House or Faction at a cost of one temporary Eminence Trait for each Trait granted or removed. They may not remove Eminence from someone of higher rank than themselves (hence, a Minister cannot remove the Eminence of a Lord, even if they are of the same House and Faction). Ministers may create Deputy Ministers to help in fulfilling their duty as Ministers. Minister of Aurochs The Minister of Aurochs, or the “Honored Warden” (or even “Lord Harrier” if they prefer), is responsible for the defense of the Infernal Court from internal and external threats. Members of this ministry are called “Wardens” by their fellow demons. Whether Raveners (or renegades) within the city causing trouble, Earthbound trying to subvert power, or even mortal witch-hunters out to send the Fallen back to the Abyss, all fall under the Ministry of Aurochs. The Minister of Aurochs also serves as judge for the court, as the position is generally held by staunch traditionalists. They are expected to uphold the Infernal Law, though the Tyrant always has authority over any such rulings. The Minister of Aurochs has the following powers: The Minister of Aurochs receives the additional Eminence Traits: Just and Revered
when they join the Pentarchy. As long as the character remains Minister of Aurochs, she cannot lose these Traits permanently. Ministers may grant or remove permanent Eminence Traits to or from any member of their House or Faction at a cost of one temporary Eminence Trait for each Trait granted or removed. They may not remove Eminence from someone of higher rank than themselves (hence, a Minister cannot remove the Eminence of a Lord, even if they are of the same House and Faction). The Minister of Aurochs may call upon all lower ranking members of a court in defense of the court. Any court member which receives the call and does not fulfill that duty automatically loses a permanent Eminence Trait. Ministers may create Deputy Ministers to help in fulfilling their duty as Ministers.
Minister of Lions “The Swords” of any court, are responsible for any offensive moves made by the court in the city. Lead by the “Lord General” (or sometimes “Fiery Sword”), usually one of the most charismatic Fallen in the court, this Ministry serves as blunt instruments and court assassins, taking care of problems in the city once they’ve been identified. Being a member of the Ministry of Lions is both the fast track for fame and glory, as well as a ticket to final destruction, and banishment to the Abyss. A Minister of Lions is a natural leader, but also a useful tool in the hands of a cunning Tyrant. The Minister of Lions has the following powers: The Minister of Lions receives the additional Eminence Traits: Champion and Revered when they join the Pentarchy. As long as the character remains Minister of Lions, she cannot lose these Traits permanently. Ministers may grant or remove permanent Eminence Traits to or from any member of their House or Faction at a cost of one temporary Eminence Trait for each Trait granted or removed. They may not remove Eminence from someone of higher rank than themselves (hence, a Minister cannot remove the Eminence of a Lord, even if they are of the same House and Faction). The Minister of Lions may call upon all lower ranking members of a court in offensive maneuvers for the court. Any court member which receives the call and does not fulfill that duty automatically loses a permanent Eminence Trait. Ministers may create Deputy Ministers to help in fulfilling their duty as Ministers.
Minister of Dust The Ministry of Dust (or sometimes the Ministry of Man) is the fourth part of the pentarchy, in charge of manipulating mortal society for the advancement of the Fallen. Called “the Guides”, they help direct the masses of humanity in the city for infernal ends. Many Ministries keep tabs on which Fallen control which areas of the city, to know who to go to quash an issue before it comes to the attention of the Ministry of Aurochs. They do anything, from covering up suspicious deaths, to redirecting mortal witch-hunters, to coming up with media cover-stories. Also an important duty, the Minister of Dust (also called the “Speaker of the Fallen Tower” or the “Guide to the Blind”) oversees cultivation of Faith in the city, increasing belief in the supernatural, and reinvigorating religious belief. This Ministry uses mortal agents to achieve most of their aims, with a few savvy Fallen pulling the strings. The Minister of Dust has the following powers: The Minister of Dust receives the additional Eminence Traits: Exalted and Revered when they join the Pentarchy. As long as the character remains Minister of Dust, she cannot lose these Traits permanently. Ministers may grant or remove permanent Eminence Traits to or from any member of their House or Faction at a cost of one temporary Eminence Trait for each Trait granted or removed. They may not remove Eminence from someone of higher rank than themselves (hence, a Minister cannot remove the Eminence of a Lord, even if they are of the same House and Faction). Ministers may create Deputy Ministers to help in fulfilling their duty as Ministers. Minister of Dragons The Ministry of Dragons is perhaps the most radical of positions in the city. Serving as “Devil’s Advocates,” the Censors watch the other Ministries, making sure they keep in line, and work towards the benefit of the city. Like court jesters of ages past, they are allowed to speak freely (for the most part) and are not only encouraged, but expected to speak out what others perhaps only think. Their position is to question everything, and to keep a vigilant eye open for betrayal, double-dealing, and corruption. Lead by the “Lord Inquisitor,” they can be extremely unpopular, if also extremely powerful in the court. Expected to keep tabs on everyone, they’re usually the first line of defense for a healthy court, from collapsing due to corruption at its core. They are the police of the court, complimentary in many ways to the Ministry of Aurochs, if also sometimes adversarial. The Minister of Dragons has the following powers:
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The Minister of Dragons receives the additional Eminence Traits: Revered and WellKnown when they join the Pentarchy. As long as the character remains Minister of Dragons, she cannot lose these Traits permanently. Ministers may grant or remove permanent Eminence Traits to or from any member of the city court at a cost of one temporary Eminence Trait for each Trait granted or removed. They may not remove Eminence from someone of higher rank than themselves (hence, a Minister cannot remove the Eminence of a Lord, even if they are of the same House and Faction). The Minister of Dragons may remove Eminence from the Tyrant, with the backing of two of the remaining four Ministers. Ministers may create Deputy Ministers to help in fulfilling their duty as Ministers.
Deputy Minister Deputy Ministers can belong to any of the different Ministries (but to only one at any given time). They are charged with fulfilling the responsibilities of the Ministry, while answering to their specific Minister. Deputy Ministers have the following powers: The Deputy Minister gains one Eminence Trait corresponding with the Eminence Traits granted to the Minister of said Ministry (Eagles: Trustworthy, Aurochs: Just, Lions: Champion, Dust: Exalted, and Dragons: WellKnown). This position may be removed at any time by the Minister which is responsible for the Deputy Minister.
INFERNAL LAW
The fallen adhered to a wartime code of ethics, so nearly anything is excusable in the name of the cause, provided that it doesn’t become an issue of contention, leading to a breakdown of morale or unity. In those cases, the leaders of the fallen must act, and swiftly, to maintain order. For the most part, the rules and guidelines of the infernal court are simple ones. Obey the will of your superiors. The infernal court is built on a feudal hierarchy, and demons are expected to respect and obey the chains of command. Failure to do so may result in punishment. Of course, the ruling ranks are expected not to abuse their power or authority, or else their superiors may punish them. Respect the territory of others. Demons are expected to respect the domains of other fallen, and not to interfere with things like
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another demon’s thralls. This rule prevents all-out conflicts between the fallen within the courts, but is honored more in the breach, as demons strive for control of territory and mortal pawns. Such conflicts are usually subtle, except in cases where a demon has little fear of punishment or the tacit approval of a superior to dispose of a rival as he sees fit. For example, an upstart lord with the support of the local overlord or baron does not need to respect the territorial claims of others in his domain, since they are by definition defying his rightful authority. Protect the security of the infernal courts. The fallen have many enemies, and they hold to the wartime standard that cooperation with the enemy is treason. Whatever their individual agendas or conflicts, the fallen are expected to safeguard the infernal courts and their fellow demons from the various threats awaiting them in the mortal world. This includes demon-hunters, servants of the Earthbound, and other potential dangers. It also means that the Fallen should not do anything that could cause the masses of humanity to unite against the courts. Thus a measure of subtlety and discretion is required in the court’s dealings with mortals.
THE PUNISHMENTS OF HELL When the rules of the court are broken, the Warders of the Ministry of Aurochs mete out punishment ratified by the ruling tyrant. Punishments vary based on the offense and the character of the offender. In general, the fallen are reluctant to deplete their numbers too much, since there are only so many of them free of the Abyss. Therefore, current punishments tend to be of a temporary nature. Demotion: Loss of position, prestige, and power are common punishments levied by the infernal court. In the case of the ruling ranks, demotion to a lower rank is possible, while low-ranking demons may suffer a loss of resources. In some cases one or more of the demon`s thralls must suffer for a failure on the demon’s part, depriving the offender of that mortal’s faith. Fines and the loss of material possessions are considered suitable wrist-slaps for minor offenses. A demotion may be temporary, such as being assigned scut-work or sent off to a distant court for a time of service, or it may be permanent until the offender earns back her Overlord’s trust. Compensation: Demons who cause some harm to others by breaking the rules of the court may be expected to compensate the injured party or parties. This compensation may come in the form of material goods or, more often, a kind of enforced servitude, where the offender is expected to perform
some service, or offer some assistance to the injured party. Usually, the court sets the exact nature of the compensation, although the court has the latitude to allow the victim to do so, and does in some cases to ensure that the punishment is as unpleasant as possible. Torture: The fallen are well acquainted with the currency of pain, and use it to pay many of their debts. In cases where a serious chastisement is required, the court may have the offender tortured in any number of ways. Taking on mortal flesh has given the fallen a degree of vulnerability to things like pain, and they’re already experts on inflicting it. In fact, some courts have torturers who are masters of their craft and have regular opportunities to practice it on mortals and troublesome
demons alike. Exile: The final and most serious punishment that the infernal court can choose to impose is exiling the offending demon back to the Abyss, through careful and deliberate destruction of the demon’s mortal host. The fallen are extremely reluctant to invoke this punishment for a number of reasons. The first is that even the cruelest demon lord knows firsthand the terrible torture of exile and imprisonment, and is reluctant to inflict it upon another. The second, and more pragmatic, reason is that the infernal courts often can’t afford to lose even a potential troublemaker. Their goal after all is to free their kind, not to return them to endless imprisonment.
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