The Fallen
"I am Lucifer, Seraph of the First House, Prince of All Angels and Voice of God the Most High," he proclaimed. "But I come before you not to speak for God, but to speak as a humble supplicant. We angels you see before you, have come at last to declare our love. We come now not as officers of the cosmos and agents of it's Maker, but as individuals. We come of our own will to offer you a final gift. The greatest gift we can give, the only fit gift for our overwhelming love. If you take it, you will become like us...and like God."
Overview
This is a Demon: The Fallen RPG. We will not use the Story Teller system but rather typical Forum rules, and a small die rolling system for Torment Levels. In this game we'll be playing Demons, or The Fallen. We are the Angels who rebelled against God and were cast out of Paradise. For thousands of years we have been trapped in the Abyss, a prison designed specifically to torture us for Eternity.
At the start of the game, the seal keeping us in Hell will somehow be broken. The main story of the game will be about figuring out how the Seal was broken, as well as what happened to God and the Heavenly Host. Players who are familiar with Demon: The Fallen will have an advantage of knowing how much of the world works. For those unfamiliar I will go to great lengths to try to explain this setting to you in the OOC.
"I am Michael, Seraph of the Flaming Sword and Voice of God. I have come to bare tidings from the Maker of All, tidings of His anger and dread retribution. You have sinned against your Maker, and His wrath is great. But greater still is His boundless mercy. Obey His final command, turn aside from this selfishness, and you may yet stay His punishing hand."
The Setting
The War in Heaven began when an angel named Ahrimal foresaw a disaster in the future - a disaster which God had either directly orchestrated or would allow to happen. The angels debated whether or not to act against God in order to prevent this disaster; many argued that it would be safer to do nothing, because their action could potentially be the cause of the disaster. The angel Lucifer was the first to make a conclusive decision in favor of rebellion, and he became the leader of the rebel angels. A third of the Heavenly Host rebelled with Lucifer.
These "Fallen" revealed themselves to humanity in order to bring them "the light" of knowledge and awareness. In so doing they incurred the wrath of God, who had given humanity the potential to be aware of the Word, the good and evil, yet had not intended Man to have this kind of awareness yet. The humans (Adam and Eve) had been given gifts that they could not use due to their initial innocence ("A child is happy because he is unaware"), and the game's Adam and Eve are portrayed as having had only rudimentary knowledge and awareness, solely concerned with their survival. During the war that followed, the sin of Cain taught the Fallen how to kill and many grew twisted and evil. In the end, the Fallen lost the war, and were banished to the abyss of Hell as a punishment for their transgressions.
The game starts in the Modern Age, when the Gate of Hell has begun to weaken to the point where Demons are able to escape. To continue existing, a Demon must find a suitable host for itself: bodies with weak souls, for example: comatose patients, severe drug addicts, or suicidal people. The Demon severs the weakened soul from the body and takes its place inside the host, merging with the host's memories and emotions, and continues existence on Earth to follow its own personal agenda. While the mortal body provides the Fallen with a shield against the full memory of their torment in Hell, they are sometimes hindered by the memories and feelings the mortal soul left behind. Some demons wish to finish the war against heaven, believing the disaster is still to be averted, some take revenge upon humanity, believing humans the primary cause for the war, while other Demons want to reconcile and repent for their sins, to be able to return to God, who, along with his angels, has vanished.
Upon their emergence, the Fallen quickly discovered that they were not the first to escape the Abyss. Hundreds of other demonic spirits were summoned back to Earth in the intervening centuries through the use of sorcery, and were then anchored to objects in place of the bodies possessed by the Fallen. This unnatural connection had left them hollow, tormented, and possessed of alien emotions and thought processes, as these artifacts do not provide the buffer against the memories of their suffering in the Abyss. The five Archdukes, lieutenants of Lucifer, were the first of the fallen angels to be summoned back to Earth. These included Asmodeus, Azrael, Dagon, Belial, and Abaddon, but were soon followed by hundreds of lesser-known demons. These "Earthbound" are immensely powerful, having had centuries to practice their abilities to perfection, as well as having been worshipped as gods by deranged cults for millennia. The rise of organized religion, as well as the Age of Enlightenment drove them into hibernation, but the return of the Fallen has led to the awakening of many of the Earthbound, who take steps to revive the cults which worship them, as well as enslave or destroy the Fallen. Every Earthbound possesses their own unique goals, but most involve the enslavement of humanity so that their potential can be harnessed to achieve the ends of that individual Earthbound.
"The Ophanim, the Creator's angels of justice, came from Heaven surrounded by Malhim and Michael's Host. They rounded up our legions and levied their punishment. Many of us expected to make the long march back to Heaven to face destruction, but the Almighty had a far more terrible fate in store. He condemned us to darkness eternal, an endless, empty existence devoid of purpose or worth. In all the horror I witnessed during the Age of Wrath, nothing compared to the atrocity Heaven perpetrated on us in the end."
Character Creation
Name: The Fallen have a multitude of names. You will be forced to list them all for your characters.
- The first name you think of should be your Celestial Name. It is your Angelic name that you use to identify yourself as a Fallen.
- The second name you think of should be your mortal hosts name. This is the name Mortals will know you by until you reveal your true self to them.
- The third is your True Name. This isn't a word, but a list of things that abstractly represent you. Your True Name can be used to control you, and will turn you into a puppet to their will.
- The last should be Titles that apply to your character. These titles would have bene collected form your time in Heaven, in the War of Wrath, and in Hell.
Gender: The Fallen can be Male or Female.
House: Your House will determine what kind of Demon you are, as well as what Lore will be available to your character.
Lammasu were given dominion over the seas, and were meant to inspire humanity through the longings of both races. Before the War in Heaven, they loved the humans, but the Lammasu were the first of the houses to succumb to Hell. In the time frame of the game, the Lammasu fulfill such desires as ruining families, destroying businesses, and toppling governments.
Namaru were of the highest house of angels. During the Age of Wrath the Namaru acted as leaders. The Namaru specialize in social skills. The lores that are associated with devils are the lores of celestials, flame, and radiance. Lucifer belonged to this house, and they made up the largest contingent of rebel angels.
Rabisu were once the Angels of the Wild, warriors without equal, the Sixth House can command animals and plants alike, as well as shaping and reshaping the flesh of other beings as they desire.
Neberu had the ability to sense the future. The Neberu called Ahrimal foresaw the War in Heaven, so many Neberu turned from God to Lucifer's side. Because of them, Lucifer won many early battles, but their helpfulness decreased as the war went on. When God cast the rebels to Hell, the Neberu were put in their own special hell. When they emerged from Hell they had recovered a fraction of both their powers and their sanity.
Anunnaki were angels of the forge, of tools, and of the earth, and were to guide humans in mastering these skills. But the humans were unable to follow the angels' instructions, and from this frustration they came to despise their mentors, much to the angels' confusion. When the War in Heaven broke out, they became rebels mainly because of their hatred for the humans they once loved. Once sentenced to Hell, they were without pure earth and fire and began to feel empty. Now free, they've found the humans have learned to use tools and manipulate the earth, but have (as the Anunnaki see it) destroyed the planet in the process.
Asharu were once guardian angels. They liked the humans, but their closeness to humanity drove them mad. When Lucifer started the rebellion they were the most followers in numbers, second only to his own house. Instead of being brave fighters, they made better spies. Now that they are free they find great respect, being able to heal with the right hand and harm with the left.
Halaku were once angels of death. They were shunned by the other angels before the war. When Lucifer started his rebellion they joined him, as he promised them that they would be able to explain to humanity the reason that things they loved had to die. Their lore gives them the power to enter the Shadowlands (Realm), commune with/control ghosts (Spirit), and to create "zombies" (Death).
Faction: Factions in Demon the Fallen are the fictional groupings of like-minded fallen angels, or demons. Unlike Houses, each "demon" chooses their own faction according to their beliefs, which may change over time. Whatever Faction you choose, our characters will still work with each other. It just adds a bit of group tension when people of opposing factions have to work together.
The Cryptics have used their time in Hell to think. They feel that if God is omniscient, then his creations would be as perfect as reality would allow, and since Lucifer was God's highest angel, then his rebellion was a part of God's plan. They gather knowledge to determine what is really going on and what they should do next. They dislike the Luciferans and the Faustians, approve of the Reconcilers asking questions (just not enough), and dislike Raveners' destructive tendencies. They were initially to be called 'Inquisitors', but this was changed during production, although there are occasional references to them under this name in some books due to editing errors.
The Faustians lust for revenge against God, who exiled them from heaven. Even without the leadership of Lucifer, they still try to awaken the human race to its true potential, but only so humanity can be used as a potent weapon in yet another war against heaven. The plots and intentions of a Faustian are often as subtle as they are dangerous. They have no patience for the Cryptics, their goals are directly opposite to those of the Raveners, Reconcilers can be friend or foe, and they can work with Luciferans (though they don't like to).
The Luciferans still believe that Lucifer was right to rebel against God. Even though Lucifer cannot be found, they still follow what they feel to be his directives. Their leadership has divided them into three legions: the Legion of Majestic Liberation (who are searching for and attempting to free Lucifer), the Legion of Glorious Victory (who were organized to fight the Heavenly Host, but found no angels to oppose them), and the Legion of Stark Defiance (who secure supplies, resources, and safe havens for the rest of the faction). They dislike the Cryptics, can work with Faustians, consider the Reconcilers to be traitors, and consider Raveners to be enemies.
The nihilistic Raveners look at the broken world and wasted potential of humanity and believe there's only one option left: destroy everything. Some see it as a way to finally lure out God and his Angels; others see it as an act of mercy to a near-dead world; and many just don't care at all. They are enemies with all the other factions of demons, though they can tolerate the Cryptics (as the Raveners assume they will eventually stop asking questions and start breaking stuff).
The Reconcilers have used their time in Hell to reconsider their actions and the punishment that God meted out to them. Many have come to the conclusion that they were punished justly and that they must atone for their misdeeds; others simply feel that there is no point in continuing to fight a war they lost long ago against an omnipotent enemy. Now that they are free they wish to do some good, thinking that God might forgive them and allow them to return to Heaven. Even if he won't they might be able to help the humans, even fix things so the humans can have what they themselves can't. They are on good terms with the Cryptics and the Faustians, but are diametrically opposed to the goals of the Luciferans and the Raveners.
Appearance: How your character's mortal host looks. Pictures help.
History: This is actually your Mortal's history. Remember you inherit their memories and a bit of their personality.
Nature: This details your character's true personality and motivations, deep drives and passions.
Demeanor: This is the attitude or personality your character presents to the world. This is most likely your host's personality, but sometimes it could be your Angelic side. Just remember that most people don't present themselves as what they truly are in the world
Virtue: These are the Virtues attributed to the Creator's Angels. By following these you have a chance to relieve some of your Torment should you build up too much. Choose a primary Virtue, and by performing acts toward that virtue, you can become more Holy.
Prudence - able to judge between actions with regard to appropriate actions at a given time.
Justice - the perpetual and constant will of rendering to each one his right
Temperance - practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation
Courage - forbearance, endurance, and ability to confront fear, uncertainty and intimidation
Lore: This is the magic we use. It is about shaping reality to our will, and requires Faith to fuel properly. The Lore's are divided by House, and you may only choose Lore connected to your House, as well as 1 of the general Lore provided. I will not list the Lore magic in depth here, since it'll take a lot of work and I want to know if people will be playing before taking the time. The way it will go is you will have a few points to spend. Your Primary Lore will get the most points, and your secondary Lore will get so many and so on. As the game goes on you can earn more points to add to your Lore. This is done by exceptional Role Playing.
Torment: Torment is how evil you are. Each character starts at 2-3-4 Torment (Depends on your Faction), and may reduce it or increase it by being good or evil (to my judgement). Each time you do an evil act, I will roll a die to see if you gain a Torment point. Torment goes from 1-10. The less torment you have the more noble and angelic your Visage will appear. The more torment you have the more infernal and demonic your Visage will appear. At 10 Torment you will lose control of your character, and will become a Villain in the story that must be destroyed.
Visage: This describes your true form, your Apocalyptic Form as it were. This is the meat of the game, as our greatest power comes from activating this form to fight. Your Visage will depend on your Primary Lore. Your Apocalyptic Form will have have 8 available powers. 4 powers you will have at the start of the game. The rest will be granted the higher your Torment becomes. The other 4 powers are demonic in nature, turning you from a beautiful angel, into a hideous monster. High Torment characters will have stronger Visages, but if they become too evil, they will lose control of their minds.
Notes: Hope this gets some hits. This was my favorite in the Old World of Darkness, but could never get anyone to play. People who have played, note that I'm changing a few things around. Like the name for houses like "Slayer" which was something I didn't like, I preferred the Angelic sounding names.
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