25 Years of Vapula

Tags

Android, IN 2022, In Nomine, Upgrades, Vapula

“Vapula” by Trows

While Vapula sometimes comes across as one of the older Superiors, he is actually one of the younger ones, which perhaps explains how he is able to keep up with the ever increasing pace of technological innovation. For him the past 25 years have passed more like 4.

Governance

Technocracy

Esential Songs:

Suite of Machines – March of Technology

25 Years Later

Vapula is far an away one of the most productive Demon Princes in Hell. However, while he has done a remarkable job of yoking mankind to his engines, many of his fellow princes sometimes find themselves wondering if he’s truly dedicated to the overthrow of heaven. Many of his demons are so good at arguing the advantages of technology that there are large swaths of hell who legitimately believe that the prince is bettering humanity’s lot.

Words

There are a ton of new technological Words that Vapula and his servitors have snatched up, often because the other powers in Hell didn’t even realize there was power in the Word. These include Bit Rot, Blockchain, Graphene, Intelligent Apps, Lithium-Ion Batteries, Microplastics, Nanobots, Non Fungible Tokens, Perovskite, Smart Homes, Smart Cities, 3D Printing, and 5G.

Upgrades: Updating Technology

Vapula’s upgrades are unique in that they are not intended to adjust for underpowered attunements, rather they are intended to reflect the development of new tools and obsolescence of the old. As a result, I will be doing my best to list all the band attunements that have come up for Vapula, including my suggestions for new options.

BALSERAPHS

Recent

Determine the true capabilities of an actual or theoretical device and gain advantage when lying about them (In Nomine p182)

Modern

These demons can instinctively find websites that support and expand upon their current position.

DJINN

Archaic

Granted infernal chalk that enhanced the capabilities of a marked and attuned object. (Superiors 4 p105)

Recent

Granted a palmtop computer that increases the number of people the demon can attune to. (In Nomine p182)

Modern

Smartphone that allows the demon to attune to anyone who responds to them in real-time, whether by answering the phone or responding to an IM or text (at GM discretion this may be in addition to the ability to store attunements like the Recent attunement)

CALABIM

I have never been especially happy with the exclusion of the Destroyers from the Court of Technology, and have considered the following as perhaps a reason for their exclusion and a way to eventually integrate them into the court.

Archaic

Vapula does not use Destroyers of his own, but he does borrowing Calabim from Alaemon, Baal, Belial, and Haagenti upon need and some of those have proven dedicated enough to gain the attunement that the Prince of Technology developed for the band
[10 CP cost].

These demons are given a wrist dynamo that can turn their resonance into Essence when powering a Relic (the amount of Essence equals the CD of the resonance roll). However, if there is not enough Essence to power the Relic, or if there is excess Essence beyond the activation requirement the “free” essence will rebound, damaging and perhaps destroying the Relic.

Modern

Although Vapula has not yet ironed out all the bugs (Destroyers remain a low priority for the Prince), he has developed a newer version of the dynamo that targets the demon wearing the device with the rebound rather than the artifact they are powering.

HABBALAH

Recent

Granted a mood ring that visibly display emotion of nearest other person and can be used to create feedback loop against those experiencing strong emotions to paralyze them (In Nomine p183)

Modern

Granted a smartphone with an app that uses biometric data captured by radio wave to determine the emotional state of anyone it is pointed at and overlays the results using a camera filter. (MIT News)

LILIM

Archaic

Bonus to tempt those with a technical bent and to use of one (now archaic) technology. (Superiors 4 p105)

Recent

Bonus to tempt those with a technical bent and with the Computer Use skill. (In Nomine p183)

Modern

When using their own smart phone these demons may “swipe down” to ensure that their profile shows up next on the dating or job placement app of someone else connected to the same wireless hotspot or whose smartphone touches their own. They may add their Celestial Forces to the TN of any resonance roll against such an individual.

SHEDIM

Archaic

Granted one mechanical artifact (by the standards of the age) that the demon can possess at will, while in the object they gain a bonus to possess anyone using the artifact. (Superiors 4 p105)

Recent

As above, but the artifact is always a computer (or laptop, or mobile phone) with a limitless power supply and flawless cellular connection. (In Nomine p183)

Modern

Contemporary corruptors may bound into a ground station control roughly the size of a briefcase. They may only possess humans while the person in in contact with their ground station, but they may also attempt to possess any drone within their broadcast range of 1 mile + 1 mile per Celestial Force. This operates exactly like Kyriotate possession except for it’s limitation to mechanical drones. That said, if the demon is ever forced out of the ground station control (either by destruction or exorcism), they will be immediately evicted from all drones as well.

Experimental

Granted an android that can function as either host or servant/3 (non-shedu may take this attunement to be granted a robot vessel). See below for details.

IMPUDITES

Recent

Store twice the normal essence and receive glasses that allow demon to see current essence.

Modern

As above, but with addition 1st page google results for the person or place being observed (treat as +1 to Area Knowledge).

Robot Bodies

Although it is still in the experimental stages, Vapula is working on developing android vessels. Most of the prototypes are being issued to shedu to confirm both their autonomous operations and functionality in hosting a Celestial beings.

Vapula’s current generation of androids require 7 Forces to possess properly. Like Undead, they do not need to eat, drink, or sleep, though they can mimic these functions. Each android also starts with Oozing/3 (to represent processing lags and other aspects of the uncanny valley) and Need/3 (Charge for 1 hour). Shedim possessing one of these robots will temporarily take on these disadvantages (and in the case of the Need, it will remain until sunset, even if the demon abandons the mechanical host). Also like undead, each Android gets 10 CP of infernal abilities: often a numinous corpus, but songs of opening or machines are not unheard of.

As with most Undead, androids are a level 6 servant. A hacker can potentially take one over, but the level 3 loyalty that Vapula’s Corruptors receive when granted such a servant will act as a bonus to their own rolls to retain or re-assert control.

25 Years of Valefor

Tags

IN 2022, In Nomine, Valefor

“Valefor” by Trows

When he was a perennial grifter, Valefor couldn’t help but live in the now (and retain a fairly mortal concept of time as a result). However, as the Hell’s own mob boss, it has grown increasingly difficult to tell 25 years apart from 10 minutes.

Governance

Criminal Mob

Essential Songs

Suite of Draining – Suite of Opening – Suite of Rapine – Suite of Theft

25 Years Later

Digital theft and hacking were among the first things people learned to do with the internet, so there’s not really all that much “new” to be added to the Court of Theft. That said, there have been a number of prominent heists which may have created tethers or been inspired by demons.

• 21st Century Bank Heist
  ($48M, Global)
• Agricultural Bank of China
  ($9.5M, China)
• Annexation of Crimea
  (Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine/Russia)
• Antwerp Diamond Heist
  ($138M, Belgium)
• Banco Central Burglary
  ($55M, Brasil)
• Bank of Ireland Heist
  ($11M, Ireland)
• Bitcoin Heist
  ($2M, Iceland)
• Bush v. Gore
  (Presidency, USA)
• Coincheck Cryptocurrency Exchange Hack
  ($500M, Japan)
• Dar Es Salaam Bank Heist
  ($374M, Iraq)
• Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health
  (Women’s Rights, USA)
• Dunbar Armored Robbery
  ($29M, USA)

• French Riviera Jewel Heist
  ($136M, France)
• Graff Diamonds Robbery
  ($78M, UK)
• Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Raid
  ($260M, UK)
• Heist at Harry’s
  ($108M, France)
• Loomis Fargo Heist
  ($25.9M, USA)
• Mt. Gox Cryptocurrency Hack
  ($509M, Japan)
• Nigerian Prince Scam
  ($2.6M, Nigeria)
• NOKAS Robbery
  ($13.5M, Norway)
• Paris MOMA Theft
  ($133 M, France)
• Securitas Desposit Robbery
  ($83M, UK)
• Swiss Post Heist
  ($55M, Switzerland)

Bifronsed: Rebalancing Valefor

Balseraphs (restricted)

Like all Balseraphs, Valefor’s most unholy cannot knowingly lie, but they are even more skilled than most at convincing themselves and others to accept the most convenient “truths.” These liars may add their Ethereal Forces to the TN of the resonance roll, and anyone with a positive reaction to the demon must subtract their reaction level from their Will roll to resist the lie.

Habbalah

Barring the intervention of celestial (or ethereal) forces, Habbalah serving Valefor can look at the sky and accurately predict the weather down to the minute for a number of days into the future equal to their Ethereal Forces (this also means that if they have been outside or otherwise looked at the sky up to Ethereal Force days prior, they can immediately tell if the weather is unnatural). In addition, they may ignore difficulty modifiers resulting from natural weather.

25 Years of Saminga

Tags

IN 2022, In Nomine, Saminga

“Saminga” by Trows

Saminga is one of those demon princes who is so young they perceive time like mortals, nor own so old that time is essentially meaningless. For the Prince of Death the last 25 years have passed like a quarter hour. He’s noticed the passage of time, but it’s hardly meaningful.

Governance

Feudal

Essential Songs

Suite of Blood – Suite of Life – Suite of Pestilence

Another Damned Status Update

Tags

IN 2022, Liber Neglecta

I mentioned earlier that the stresses of my day job had thrown my posting schedule a little off track this year. I just wanted to thank you all for your patience with me, and confirm that I have finished the drafts of my 25th anniversary posts for the remaining Demon Princes.

• Saminga’s post will go live in October
  (spooky)
• Valefor’s post will go live in November
  (I wasn’t intending to make a point about colonialism but…)
• Vaplua’s post will go live in December
  (there will be toys!)

My next task will be making sure I complete the 25th Anniversary posts for the Archangels.

If there’s still time in the year after that’s done, I’ll see about going back and producing mechanics for some of the new Songs teased in the write ups, and maybe stating out some of the more prominent servitors mentioned.

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Some of you have asked that I make a consolidated fanual of my 25th Anniversary Posts once the series is complete, this isn’t something I’ve done before, so I don’t know how long it’ll take (also, there’s a good chance I’ll make some edits now that I can compare the posts against each other), but it will be part of my project calendar.

25 Years of Lucifer

Tags

IN 2022, In Nomine, Lucifer

Lucifer came into being, only Yves and Michael existed to greet him. It is easy for Lucifer to wonder if he has even actually fallen, as when he takes the long view, even the fall would seem to have been only a second in his nearly eternal lifespan. Of course, whether or not Lucifer is still capable of taking such a long view is a matter of some debate, and one which In Nomine is not likely to answer. Even so, the last 25 years are unlikely to matter more to the eternal being than the blinking of an eye.

Governance

Laissez Faire Despotism

Lucifer likes to pretend that he shares power equally with the Demon’s he has named “prince,” but while he is glad to let them administer the mess that is hell, he has never shown any inclination to share the secrets of wordbinding, from which all their authority derives.

Essential Songs

Suite of Darkness – Suite of Light – Suite of Opening

Converting the Demons of Gaiman’s Hell

Tags

Andrealphus, Asmodeus, Baal, Free Lilim, In Nomine, Kobal, Nybbas, Sandman

I’ve been thinking a bit more about the demons that appeared in the Netflix adaptation of The Sandman.

Having a collection of demons can, in many ways, make it easier to convert them into In Nomine characters, because we can compare them against each other. I discussed them briefly last week, but here they are again. This will involve some spoilers, so if you are planning to watch The Sandman and haven’t done so yet, I’d suggest you do so before continuing.

The Sandman

Tags

Sandman, TV Review

Netflix recently released the first season of its screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series.

This story has been one of my comic recommendations for In Nomine players for a very long time, and the Netflix release has been quite faithful. In fact, removing the infernal politics that DC had created for its various storylines in the late 1980s might actually make the story even more applicable to the game.

25 Years of Nybbas

Tags

IN 2022, In Nomine, Nybbas

“Nybbas” by Trows

Nybbas is one of the youngest Princes of Hell and has not existed long enough for his understanding of time to diverge significantly from humanity’s. In truth, the past 25 years have probably seemed like roughly a decade… so he has about the same sense of what’s modern, what’s an oldie, and what’s classic as a typical millennial.

Governance

Autocratic Corporation

.

Essential Songs

Melody of Broadway

25 Years of Mammon

Tags

IN 2022, In Nomine, Mammon

“Mammon” by Humon

Mammon has actually played his age pretty close to the vest, so it’s hard to gauge how short they past 25 years have seemed to him. However, to the Principality of Greed 25 years are roughly equivalent to 9 or 10 months, which is to say they haven’t even rounded out a fiscal “year.”

Governance

Corporate Feudalism

Essential Songs

Suite of Appraisals | Suite of Greed | Suite of Hunger

Ursilhilaz, “Angel” of the Oppressions Olympics

Tags

11 Force, Habbalite, In Nomine, Malphas, NPC, Wordbound

Ursilhilaz considers themself to be an angelic protector of the downtrodden and oppressed, and like most true angels, they believe that such individuals must be uplifted (either through their own efforts or those of a community). However, like many a follower of Malphas, Ursilhilaz goes further than heavenly politics would allow.

As a Punisher, Ursilhilaz believes that if the oppressed should be uplifted, then the most oppressed should be the most uplifted. Finding the most oppressed celestial is easy: Ursilhilaz knows that they are the most oppressed child of heaven (why else would such a divine being as themself be forced to consort with demons, and as an underling no less).