R A K K A T H
DEMON PRINCE OF MADNESS
Woooooo wooooo wooooo!
A few Princes act like they're edging a little towards the happy valley of insanity. Rakkath is already there, sunning himself on the grass. He's a relatively new Prince, only crowned a few centuries ago, after years of hanging onto the abyss as an Outcast Kyriotate of Stone. Eventually, he Fell, and began corrupting in the service of Beleth, inspiring madness and delusion, and doing very well at it. Some of it eventually began to leach back into him, somehow, and drove him totally and utterly mad. He grew stronger, each and every day, with every particular stage of his madness, until he was crowned Prince by Lucifer, charged with spreading uncertainty and madness. He changed his name that day, from 'Isaaciel', meaning 'God's Laughter', to 'Rakkath.' This name has an odd, jokey, significance, and some suspect that Kobal had his hand in it; in Hebrew, it means either 'temple of the head', or 'empty.' That being said, Rakkath plays enough jokes on his own.
Madness isn't just giggling and pointing, it's also depression and sociopathy and mass-murderers going on five state rampages with chain-saws. People forget this, but Rakkath remembers. People forget, but he never does. And then he giggles.
Since then, his power has grown steadily, until he has become a rival to many Princes. This power fluctuates daily, however, because of his insanity. He is firm friends with Beleth and Malphas during his more lucid moments, and surprisingly, Kronos. His Principality is unusually fluid and mutable, depending upon his mood, and manifests as a variety of different scenes and landscapes. What is even more strange and bizarre is that it drifts around between Hell and the edges of the Marches as a giant fog. Demons of Madness are the only creatures who can enter or leave freely, and those few who talk about it speak of a landscape like that of the Marches, but where the nightmares strike back and eat the unwary.
DISSONANCE
It is dissonant for demons of Madness to rationalise their own actions to others, or even to themselves. It is not dissonant for them to take rational acts or follow orders, only to be rational towards themselves.
BAND ATTUNEMENTS
All demons of Madness start with one Discord relating to insanity, at a level equal to the appropriate Forces. Each Band has a particular Discord which they must take. This Discord cannot be lost, unless the demon Redeems himself, or changes his Prince.
Balseraphs
With the power of their own personal Symphonies, these Liars can impose the Discord of Paranoia on their victims. The effects last for a number of weeks equal to the check digit of a successful Will roll. Unsurprisingly, their Discord is Paranoia.
Djinn
Those stalked by the Djinn of Madness are prey to the demon's own insanity, and receive the same Discord at a level equal to the appropriate Forces, for as long as the connection lasts. Djinn of Madness are prone to the Obsession Discord.
Calabim
Those Destroyers who serve Madness can inflict Ethereal hits with their resonance. If the victim reaches zero hits, he falls unconscious and gets a level of Ethereal Discord, or the human equivalent. Calabim may choose any Ethereal Discord, except Geas. Calabim of Madness may choose their starting Discord from the Ethereal Discord list, and do not have to choose another at Character creation.
Habbalah
Punishers in the service of Madness can inflict their own personal insanity upon others. On a successful roll, the victim gains the same Discord as the Habbalite, for a number of weeks equal to the check digit. They also automatically succeed at any normal resonance roll against someone who has Ethereal or Celestial Discord. Habbalah of Madness get the Murderous Discord towards the 'false angel' Elohim.
Lilim
Lilim of Madness automatically gain a Geas against someone whose Need they fulfil, if that person has Discord. All Lilim of Madness gain the Covetous Discord.
Shedim
The Shedim of Rakkath automatically win the Contest of Wills with their hosts, if the act would push the host further towards insanity. Rakkath's Corrupters gain the Angry Discord.
Impudites
Victims of the Impudite's Essence Stealing ability receive no resistance roll, if they believe that the Impudite is insane, or if they themselves are insane. Suitable for their roles as earthly corrupters, Impudites of Madness gain the Bound Discord.
SERVITOR ATTUNEMENTS
Eyes of Darkness
This Attunement allows the demon to see how close to insanity a person is, what would cause him to go insane, and what Ethereal or Celestial Discord he has (if appropriate). For humans, the pertinent Disadvantage is sensed instead.
Dissolution
Demons with this Attunement are fearsome creatures. By extending the fields of their own insanity, they can totally sever someone from reality for a while. The demon must roll a Contest of Wills with the victim. If the demon wins, the victim goes into a coma, fascinated by whatever is going on inside his head, for a number of rounds equal to double the check digit. At the end of this time, the victim must make a Will roll. If he fails, or rolls an Infernal Intervention, he is consigned to another period of coma equal to the check digit of that roll, and so on. On a Divine Intervention, he is immediately cured, and regains all of his Essence as well!
If the demon loses, there is a backlash against him, and he is stunned for a number of rounds equal to the winner's check digit.
DISTINCTIONS
Knight Of Loopiness
Demons with this Distinction are able to mask their own insanity simply by acting normally. As long as the bulk of their actions could be construed as normal, their insanity or Discord is not apparent. What this constitutes in effect is at the GM's discretion.
Captain of The Touched
Captains of Madness are weird. Even for Demons of Madness.
Rakkath's Captains gain the Calabite of Madness Band Resonance and Attunement (if not already a Calabite of Madness). This means they can inflict Ethereal hits on someone as per the Calabite Resonance rules. However, they may not use the ordinary Calabite resonance on physical objects. They may only inflict Ethereal hits on someone by rolling their Will.
Baron of Insanity
Rakkath's Baron's freak angels out completely. As long as the demon himself thinks what he is doing is totally normal, so will everyone else. And we mean everyone. Those watching the demon do something odd may try a Perception roll at a penalty equal to the demon's highest level of Ethereal Discord to notice that he is wearing a rubber chicken suit and working in a bank. If their Perception is effectively reduced to zero, they do not roll. Most Barons are insane enough so that no-one ever notices. Seraphs roll unmodified Perception. But even if they do succeed with their roll, who is going to believe them?
RELATIONS
Rakkath wobbles along, allied one minute, hating the next. Even so, some alliances filter through his madness. Some of the more orderly Princes hate him because of the uncertainty and weirdness he spreads.
Allied: Beleth, Malphas, Kronos.
Associated: Kobal.
Hostile: Saminga, Baal.
Enemy: None.
RITES
CHANCE OF INVOCATION: Roll a D6.
INVOCATION MODIFIERS