The College of Cardinal Winds

Tags

Duchies, In Nomine, Janus, NPC

^{Photo by Monstera on Pexels.com}

One of the recurring questions for the In Nomine setting is “Demon Princes offer Counties, Marches, and Duchies as Higher Distinctions, what do Archangels offer?” Depending on your game’s vision of Heaven, the question may be immaterial, but I have previously proposed that Janus has elevated his Seven (now Eight) most trusted Servitors to the rank of Cardinal Wind. These Eight Angels are empowered to speak with Janus’ voice when he is unable or unwilling to do so himself.

The Eight Cardianals

Punk’d

Tags

Duchies, Furfur, In Nomine

On some further reflection, I think it’s a mistake to make Furfur’s inner circle the Duke of Fanatics and the Duke of Metal.

Hardcore is generally considered to be a sub-genre of Punk, and Punks seem much more Furfur’s speed (though I don’t think he has a problem with metalheads per-se).

So if I were to do it over, I think Furfur’s inner circle would be the Duke of Fanatics and the Duke of Punks. The Demon of Metal is likely a Marquis (on the border of Media), or a semi-autonomous Earl.

An Untimed Game

Tags

Asmodeus, Duchies, In Nomine, Liber Neglecta

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update that I haven’t forgotten about the update to the Duchies of Asmodeus that I started towards the end of last year. I’m fairly certain I’ve picked out the two dozen or so Celestial demesnes that I’ll be naming as Hadean Duchies, I’m just trying to nail down a few more of the Dukes, Duchesses, and Doge.

If you don’t like well defined duchies in your In Nomine games, that’s fine to. These are just some optional ideas I’ve been working on. Suggestions for high-powered Asmodean Words are still welcome!

Fornax, Duchess of The Inferno

Tags

17 Force, Belial, Duchies, Impudite, IN 2022, In Nomine, The Trammps, Wordbound

No one really thinks Fornax leads the inferno, they’re entirely too pleasant and personable. If not for the fact that they are unfazed by fire, heat, or torture, they might even pass for a human soul. After all, they are the embodied promise that one’s enemy’s will burn forever: seemingly moral, upright and sympathetic; but casually cruel and inconstant in actuality.

25 Years of Belial

Tags

Belial, Duchies, IN 2022, In Nomine, Sheol

“Belial” by Trows

To Belial the past 25 years have passed like 10 minutes, which is still plenty of time for a 13-Alarm Devil like the Demon Prince of Fire to scorch the earth, leaving countless changes in his wake. And since Belial is far beyond just trivial kitchen fires, it’s nowhere near enough time to get his blaze under control.

Double Dutch

Tags

Amsodeus, Brainstorm, Duchies, In Nomine

I previously mentioned that it seemed unlikely that The Game’s Ducal words would be specific games. And for the most part this is true. However, some games share their name with some other aspect of law, or culture, or politics. And while most Words contain just a single (if sometimes expansive) meaning, if there’s anyone who would bend the combined rules of Heaven & Hell to control the board, it would be a Duke of Asmodeus.

So here are a few specific games and game terms that might be doing double duty in on the other side of the aisle, as it were.

Pretarajapura

Tags

Asmodeus, Duchies, Hungry Dead

Even though Infernal and Cthonic cities were the organizing theme when I first put together the list of Hadean Duchies, I always felt a bit awkward about including Pretarajapura. For one thing, there is no way to avoid the cultural appropriation inherent in placing a Hindu city within a Greek principality under the control of a Christian demon. Yes, I spun a story about how Asmodeus picked the name precisely because it would be an assault on the other mythology, but that’s really just a lampshade over the truth. Better to remove the duchy altogether and let the mythic Hindu city remain just that. Besides, the Hindu Pantheon is canonically the pantheon that both Heaven and Hell are least interested in confronting at this time because of the strength of belief behind it.

Black Diamond Express & The Suburbs of Hell

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A.W. Nix, Asmodeus, Black Diamond Express, Dis, Duchies, Harlem Slang, Shal-Mari, Zora Neale Hurston

When I decided to revisit the Duchies of Asmodeus, I knew I would want to include African-American slang and folk-belief about Hell and its environs. As near as I can tell, the best catalogues of these are A.W. Nix’s “Black Diamond Express” sermon and Zora Neale Hurston’s “Story in Harlem Slang.” If anyone knows of any other sources, please let me know.

General Thoughts

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Baal, Duchies, Generals, In Nomine, NPC, Wordbound

Although I am not revisiting Baal’s Generals just yet. I have stumbled across (or developed) some good ideas for when I get around to restructuring the Prince of The War’s hierarchy.

Sinful and Subterranean Cities from the Dictionary of Imaginary Places

Tags

Asmodeus, Brainstorm, Dictionary of Imaginary Places, Duchies, In Nomine

The Dictionary of Imaginary Places mostly avoids the infernal and demonic, but there are many other dead, chthonic, or sin-addled cities which might make suitable inspiration for an Asmodean Duchy.