Namaru
Angels of the dawn.
God's first and most perfect creations, his Heralds carried the Lord's standard,
bringing His light to illuminate all of Creation. These greatest of all angels
were the leaders and princes of the Celestials, shining examples of all that
was glorious and right in the eyes of God.
First and foremost, the duty of the First House was to convey the will of
heaven to the House of the Host, instructing them as to their evolving role
in the creation of the cosmos. The Devils bore this enormous responsibility
with pride, making their presence known among their peers only when absolutely
necessary, but the freedom to alter the course of the cosmos at their discretion
became a source of hubris that contributed to the Fall.
When the Grand Design finally culminated in the birth of humanity, the Celestials
were surprised at the Creator's commandment to remain invisible and allow
mankind to discover its potential without help. Their dissatisfaction found
its voice in the greatest of their number, Lucifer the Morningstar. In the
end, nearly half of the Heralds chose to side with the Morningstar, a greater
percentage of defections than any other Celestial House.
Now cursed as Devils, these rebels became the generals, leaders and heroes
of the rebellion. Armed with awesome powers of leadership and inspiration,
the Devils set out to lead humanity to a new age, and to encourage mortals
to renounce the Creator. But as the war raged on, the Devils grew distant
from the humans they had once loved. From heroes and protectors, the Devils
became demagogues and dictators, manipulating human pawns with honeyed words
and poisoned lies.
Filled with pride and defiance, the Devils refused to believe in the possibility
of failure - until Heaven prevailed, and the demons were imprisoned in the
darkness of the Abyss. With Lucifer missing, the other demons turned upon
their former leaders in anger. To defend themselves - and to mask their own
doubt - the Devils used their powers of charisma and deception to turn the
other demons upon each other.
But now the barriers around Hell are broken, and many Devils have crawled
back into the world of mortals. For those Devils still dedicated to Hell,
now is the time for humanity to be reminded of past glories and to bend knee
in service to demonkind. Fallen Devils who seek redemption have a new opportunity
- to save humanity from the evils that threaten to destroy it, to forge a
new Utopia for mortal and celestial alike and perhaps to prove that Lucifer's
crusade was ultimately just.
Factions: Devils are intensely political creatures, puppetmasters
who live to control and manipulate others. They form the upper echelons of
several of the major factions, leading other demons just as they once did
in Heaven.
Unsurprisingly, most Devils are Luciferans, still loyal to the vision of the
first and greatest rebel. They still follow the dream of casting down the
Creator from His throne and leading humans to a glorious future.
After the Luciferans, many Devils find themselves drawn to the Faustians.
While once the Heralds craved the love and respect of humanity, these Devils
have decided that mortal worship and Faith is just as sweet a prize. With
the power of humanity behind them, the Faustians strive to build an empire
on Earth, with the Devils first among equals.
The mystery of Lucifer's disappearance wears heavier on Devils than on other
demons - he was the greatest amongst them, and his disappearance threw the
Devils into doubt and misery. For this reason, many Devils became Cryptics,
desperate to learn the truth about the Fall, their mentor, and the true cause
of their damnation.
The Heralds truly loved humanity, and some Devils still feel an echo of that
love. These Devils are a minority in their House, and they are attracted to
the Reconciler faction. If they can rebuild Eden, they reason, they may be
able to earn God's forgiveness - and more importantly, the forgiveness and
love of humanity.
Few Devils belong to the Ravener faction. To accept the failure of the war
and embrace destruction would be to admit that Lucifer's rebellion was an
error, and most Devils are too proud and arrogant to accept this. But some
few Devils have succumbed to doubt and regret, and they want nothing more
than to destroy the world that serves as a remind of their foolishness and
failure.
Prelude: Devils are social creatures, charmers and deceivers,
and they are attracted on Earth to mortals who share that aptitude and have
lost their souls in the pursuit of power and influence. A tendency to use
other people as tools, control those around her and cultivate followers and
hangers-on will also attract the attentions of a Devil. Good examples of such
people are politicians, executives, musicians, actors and charismatic preachers.
Whether they are the shining knights of Heaven or the black paladins of Hell,
Devils have always been heroes - exemplars of courage fighting against overwhelming
odds. Within the tainted soul of a Devil remains a core of heroism and nobility,
no matter how twisted, and they respond to mortals who possess these qualities.
A Devil might possess a decorated cop who has lost his soul to corruption
or callous violence, a mother who shields her children from her abusive husband
with body and soul or a once-idealistic politician crushed by the weight of
scandal and double-dealings.
Faith: Devils are master manipulators, able to assess a mortal's
desires and weaknesses in a glance, or direct a crowd of followers with just
a twitch of a finger. One might think that Devils would find it easy to gather
Faith from mortals - and it's true that Devils often have more success in
gaining Faith than other demons. The process of gaining Faith from mortals
is never effortless, though, and even the great deceivers of Hell must work
for their precious spiritual energy.
The term "cult of personality" describes a Devil's entourage of
thralls perfectly. The formation of a cult of worshippers is usually a high
priority for Devils, and they make use of their most plentiful resource -
mortal followers. A Devil's cult can resemble a pyramid selling scheme, in
which each new worshipper seeks out and recruits new members who are easy
marks for the Devil's charisma. Soon the Devil is surrounded by devotees,
worshipping him as a god - the status he has lusted after since the Fall.
Character Creation: Unsurprisingly, Devils tend to emphasize
their Social Attributes, especially Manipulation and Charisma. Many Devils
also have strong Physical Attributes, due to their position as war leaders
and paladins. Mental Attributes aren't as important to Devils, although many
have high Wit ratings, as effective lying requires a talent for thinking on
your feet.
No Ability is as useful to a Devil as Subterfuge, and almost all members of
this House have high ratings in this Talent. Many Devils have strong combat
and physical Abilities, reflecting their role as commanders and heroes in
bygone times - Athletics, Brawl and Melee are all popular choices.
Starting Torment: 4
House Lore: Lore
of the Celestials, Lore
of Flame, Lore
of Radiance
Visages:
Bel, the Visage of the Celestials, Nusku,
the Visage of the Flames, Qingu,
the Visage of the Radiance
Weaknesses: The memory of their former nobility is something
every Devil struggles to forget but never can. Devils know that they were
once perfect princes of Heaven, but no matter how they try to pretend otherwise,
their current existence is a hollow mockery of that perfection. The timeless
imprisonment in Hell also filled most Devils with doubt, regret and shame
- emotions they can never express. Wracked by these feelings, Devils are drawn
to acts of foolish bravery and quixotic courage.
Stereotypes
Scourges: The demons of healing and disease are much respected
by the Devils. Scourges can heal the worthy or infect the insolent - giving
Devils extra tools for mortal manipulation.
Malefactors: Devils tend to look down on the artisans and
inventors of Hell. Malefactors are also manipulators of mortals, working at
a remove through their cursed artifacts, and Devils resent this incursion
into their area of expertise.
Fiends: The first stars were Heralds, directed by the angels
that became Fiends. Devils and Fiends have a long history of working together.
Devils rely on Fiends to provide new wisdom, detect flaws in battle plans
and supply new insights into human weaknesses.
Defilers: While Devils resent Malefactors for manipulating
humans, they have far fewer issues with the Defilers. Working together, a
Devil and Defiler can target every human weakness. Occasionally rivals, the
two Houses are usually allies.
Devourers: As onetime leaders in the War, Devils respected
Devourers for their might in combat, but now most Devils see Devourers as
violent and unpredictable relics.
Slayers: Devils have always looked down upon Slayers, the
last and least of the angels created by God. Devils see themselves as princes,
while Slayers are nothing more than undertakers and carrion crows.