DEMONIC CHARACTERS LEGIONS OF THE DAMNED
Demons fall into one of several categories (called Houses), depending on their role and rank in the endeavour of Creation. They are as such: “Follow me, and I will give you your heart’s desire. Serve me, and I will make you a god.” Celestial Title:
Namaru. Infernal Title:
The Namaru were the first and brightest amongst the Host, the leaders who filtered the Maker’s light into the cosmos. In the war, they became the generals and heroes of the rebels, gifted with unparalleled nobility, bravado and ability to inspire. As demons, they are perhaps most suited to life as the fallen, their talents especially effective at deceiving or rallying humans. Whether they remain heroes or become deceivers, however, the Namaru always retain a core aspect of nobility and dignity, no matter how twisted it becomes, and they often find themselves drawn to hosts who exhibit similar traits. Starting Torment:
Bel, the Visage of the Celestials.
Nusku, the Visage of the Flames.
Qingu, the Visage of Radiance.“Nothing can protect you forever. So don’t worry about forever. Worry about right now.” Celestial Title:
Asharu. Infernal Title:
The second among the Host, the Asharu maintained balance between the universe’s components and instilled in them the breath of life. Charged with the protection of all they bestowed life upon, the Asharu were powerful defenders and scouts during the war, and now they often resume their old protective role or subvert it into a jealous, irrational cruelty. Either way, they remain attentive to the fears of mankind, and often possess the bodies of those were fearful or felt unprotected. Starting Torment:
Dagan, the Visage of Awakenings.
Anshar, the Visage of the Firmament.
Ellil, the Visage of the Winds. “I know you’ve been hurt. I have something here that can make your life better again.”Celestial Title:
Annunaki. Infernal Title:
Beings of solidity, fundament and making, the Annunaki were those who shaped the physical matter of the universe. It was they who imparted the knowledge of tools to mankind, and they who designed the first artifices. During the war they were both warriors and blacksmiths, crafting the tools of battle with one hand and brandishing them with the other. Annunaki sometimes find themselves attracted to hosts that feel that something, often something material, is lacking in their lives. Other times they find anchorage in the bodies of mortals who had an affinity with technology or craftsmanship. Starting Torment:
Kishar, the Visage of the Earth.
Antu, the Visage of the Paths.
Mummu, the Visage of the Forge. “You have questions, my friend, but are you prepared for the answers?” Celestial Title:
The Neberu were the coordinators of the cosmos and the designers of time as we know it. Above all others, they had the greatest vision and the most fervent desire for the unravelling of secrets and extending of knowledge. In the war, they used their foresight to pre-empt the loyalist forces and were amongst the greatest teachers of mankind. Now, they either return as bringers of enlightenment or obsessive eaters of mystery. They are often drawn to hosts that share their affinity for exploration and knowledge. Starting Torment:
Ninsun, the Visage of Patterns.
Nedu, the Visage of Portals.
Shamash, the Visage of Light. “I can show you things that will fill you with wonder. Just take my hand, and I’ll change your life forever.” Celestial Title:
Nereids. Infernal Title:
Beings of truth, mystery, and passion, the Nereids once ruled the oceans of the universe, and from there they oversaw the vibrancies of thought and feeling. They were the muses of Creation, the bringers of insight and song and beauty, pulling at the strings of longing just as they pulled at the ebb and flow of the tides. During the war, the Nereids were most important for their power to maintain morale, healing spiritual wounds and patching up doubts. Now, on Earth, they are muses both great and terrible, some bringing inspiration and joy while others twist love and instil hate.Starting Torment:
Ishhara, the Visage of Longing.
Adad, the Visage of Storms.
Mammetum, the Visage of Transfiguration. “It’s been too long since I tasted blood on the wind.” Celestial Title:
Rabisu. Infernal Title:
The Rabisu were the overseers of the wilds, directing the development of life. During the war, they followed Lucifer in great number, hoping to teach humanity the secrets of the natural world. They were amongst the most suited to combat, more familiar with the thrill of savagery and used to acting upon instinct than any other choir of angels. Now that they have returned, they are among the most disappointed with and disparaging of the modern world, finding their groves and forests wracked by industrialization. This perceived betrayal has made the Rabisu among the most hateful and destructive of demons, few of them able to reconcile their ways with the humanity of modernity. Starting Torment:
Zaltu, the Visage of the Beast.
Ninurtu, the Visage of the Wild.
Aruru, the Visage of Flesh. “Love or hate me as you will, but live, now until your final breath.” Celestial Title:
Halaku. Infernal Title:
The Halaku were always a sombre lot. Entrusted with the duty of ushering life out of the physical world, they had the honour of working closely with humanity in the early days of Creation, but their work itself was unsavoury and melancholic. Many joined the Luciferan cause simply for the chance to interact with mankind in ways that didn’t involve stealing life away from them. When the war began and the world was flooded with death, much of the Halaku’s time became devoted to easing the deaths of mortals and protecting their souls, but those angels of death that were regularly involved with the fighting were fearsome foes, using their power over destruction to wreak havoc upon the loyalist ranks. Upon their return to Earth, they see a world that has suffered for the loss of those designed to manage death, and many believe that the only way to end the suffering of mankind is to simply return Creation to its ashes. Others seek to mend what has been broken, and see their freedom as the chance to gain the understanding and love that they have always desired from humanity. Halaku are often attracted to hosts whose lives have been destroyed by death; those who have worn away their souls through suicide attempts or have been rendered spiritually barren by the deaths of those they love. Starting Torment:
Namtar, the Visage of Death.
Nergal, the Visage of the Spirit.
Ereshkigal, the Visage of the Realms. APOCALYPTIC FORM
In their human shapes, the fallen are just as vulnerable as mortals. Demons are not limited to the constraints of the human form, however – they can call upon the creative energy buzzing inside them to transform themselves into a semblance of their former divine glory. The exact appearance they take on is determined by their Visage (described in the Powers & Capabilities
subsection, along with the Lores associated with them), but all apocalyptic forms have certain things in common. Firstly, apocalyptic forms can be angelic or demonic in nature – if the demon’s faith is greater than their torment, they manifest the former, while if their torment is greater, they manifest the latter. Low-torment demons may choose to temporarily draw upon an aspect of their high-torment appearance, but doing so is spiritually damaging, and awards the demon a temporary point of torment. All apocalyptic forms allow demons to take massive punishment – they may be riddled with bullets, excessively bludgeoned or grievously slashed up without having to pay the injuries much heed. Destroying a demon in apocalyptic form generally necessitates entirely removing the head or utterly destroying parts of the body. The physical qualities of apocalyptic form are also somewhat selective – for example, a demon may choose to withhold the manifestation of wings should the environment be unsuitable for them. Finally, apocalyptic forms generate a corona of supernatural awe and dread; normal humans faced with a demon in apocalyptic form are hard pressed to stand their ground. MAXIMUM FAITH
A demon’s maximum faith indicates the amount of creative energy they can store within themselves at once. All demons begin character creation with three assumed faith points, but may purchase more. A demon’s faith pool may reach a maximum of ten. Demons may ‘reap’ quick boosts of faith from humans by awakening in them a belief, however fleeting, in the unseen. Doing so does not require taking apocalyptic form (in fact, very few humans experience the correct rush of belief when faced with an apocalyptic demon – the most prominent force in the human mind at times like this is, in fact, dis
belief); what is important is that the angel interacts with a mortal in a manner that inspires faith in them. A demon could buy a homeless man a meal and engage in conversation with them in the hope that they can perhaps renew the man’s faith in human nature, or in generosity, or even in God. Similarly, a demon could accost the same man and, with the help of the right evocation, list his sins, drawing power from a renewed belief in Hell or some other form of divine punishment. TORMENT
A demon’s torment is a measure of how monstrous they are. The more the horror of Hell weighs upon their soul, the more corrupted their essence becomes, and often their attempts to ease this suffering by inflicting the same pains on others only drive them deeper into darkness. Demons begin with different starting torment ratings depending on their House. Actions of an angelic nature work towards lessening their torment, while demonic acts increase it. Torment is measured from 1-10. POWERS & CAPABILITIES
Demons have several innate powers, as well as access to the Lores of Creation; supernatural gifts that allow demons to manipulate reality in some way. Each Lore offers a set of abilities known individually as evocations. Every demon begins character creation with three evocations, but may purchase more. At the start of the RP, demons may only take evocations from either the two Common Lores or the three Lores associated with their House. Their primary Lore is the one that corresponds to their Visage, and they may raise their expertise in other Lores no higher than this one (for example, if a character’s Visage is Dagan, the Visage of Awakenings, their primary Lore will be the Lore of Awakenings). Evocations are sequential – a demon must know the first evocation of a Lore in order to know the second, and so on and so forth. Each evocation has a low-torment and high-torment form. High-torment demons may only use the high-torment form, while low-torment demons can use both, though if they are to use a high-torment evocation they gain a temporary point of torment (and, if they use them recklessly, a permanent point). A summary of innate powers and a list of Lores & evocations may be found here:
In addition to the name of their mortal host, demons have two separate monikers – their Celestial Name and their True Name. Celestial Names are the names by which most other demons would know them; names such as Malphus, Sephidor, Magdiel, Sandalphon, etc. Inspiration for a demon’s Celestial Name can be drawn from virtually any mythology, and there are hundreds of sites listing the various names of angels that could prove useful in this regard (bear in mind, though, to avoid the big-shots – entities such as Belial, Azrael, etc are strictly off-limits). A demon’s True Name is more a description of its entire self; they are often titles such as Chariot of the First Dawn or Throne of the Breath of Life. While demons tend to guard both names, True Names are exceptional secrets, as to know a demon’s True Name is to have power over them. Simply mentioning a demon’s True Name in their presence is enough to momentarily rebuke them, while those who know the proper rituals can go as far as binding a demon to their will. As one might imagine, True Names are exceptionally difficult to discover – knowing of them requires an exceptional understanding of arcane lore, and assigning the correct one to a specific demon can require great lengths of observation and study. PACTS
Though demons can reap faith from humans in small amounts, those who desire a steady diet of creative energy form pacts with mortals. In doing so, they forge a connection with the mortal, allowing a transfer of one faith point that initiates at the beginning of each new day.
The important thing to remember about pacts is that they are agreements – the mortal has to agree to the same terms as the demon. This doesn’t necessarily mean that all pacts are fair; mortals can be coerced into service in exchange for their lives, for example, but it is important that there is some kind of trade. Many demons ask for service. Others don’t bother; they simply forge pacts with whomever they find convenient (this is uncommon – many demons consider pacts to be things that should be carefully considered). The demands mortals make are too immensely varied to be fully detailed – some ask for temporal power, others ask for wealth, or supernatural might, or some task fulfilled… etc etc etc. The demon must make good upon their half of the bargain, or the bond will not stabilize and there will be no transfers of faith. Sometimes this is a simple matter – it is child’s play, for example, for a demon to make someone more attractive or return their sight. Other times, the task is not so easy; for example, if the mortal desires wealth, the demon will have to find some way to make them wealthy.
The boons granted from a pact are a by-product of the demon using the mortal’s inner faith to reshape their soul in some way. As such, the number of boons that can be granted is limited by the number of faith points a mortal possesses. When demons forge pacts, they must leave one point of faith to be supplied to them (if they desire it – some enigmatic demons create pacts that yield no faith for them), and may use each of the mortal’s remaining faith points to grant them a boon. For example, a mortal with three faith points can be granted two boons and have one point remaining to supply their demon with.
The boons that can be granted by pacts are as such: 1.
Physical alternations. A point of faith can make a human stronger, faster, tougher, or more attractive, as well as cure otherwise incurable conditions (such as blindness, forms of paralysis, etc).2.
Mental alterations. A point of faith can make a human smarter, grant them any arcane (or mundane) knowledge the demons has, or gift the mortal with the demonic immunity to mind-affecting powers.3.
Apocalyptic boons. A point of faith can give a human any one characteristic of the pactmaker demon’s apocalyptic form, which they may call on at will. 4.
Evocations. A point of faith can give a human a weaker version of any evocation the pactmaker demon possesses. This evocation can be either low or high torment in nature (one or the other, not both).