DAEMON By Frank Torkel (grandthief@globalone.net) and Joshua Fairfield (rapine@globalone.net) Daemon is copyright 1995, Frank Torkel and Joshua Fairfield but may be copied and distributed as long as our names remain here and the document remains unchanged. The Storyteller series of RPG's is published by White Wolf Inc. and their use of trademarks is without permission. This supplement is not intended to challenge their copyrights or trademarks but rather to increase consumer interest in their products. INTRODUCTION Greetings mortal... Do not fear me, I know who you are. I am Arcadian, a Daemon of immense power. For years I have watched you studying the arcane and necromancy. Power is what you want, and this power I can give you. Do what I ask, and you shall have what you desire. Immortality you say? No problem. I will make you as immortal as the Kindred, or as powerful as the Garou. There is a price, however. Your soul will be mine, but that is not important now. We call ourselves the Daemon, demi-gods and the rulers of Hel. In the past we Daemons have given power to many mortals and immortals alike. Anything you want to know or have can be yours. But remember, you must tell no one of our meetings, or you will die effortlessly. For now that is all you must know. Well then, let's get down to business... Welcome to Daemon, a sub-campaign for the World of Darkness. This source book is in no way intended or designed to start a whole new campaign. In fact, Daemon is meant to be played alongside a previous campaign to enlighten the chronicle or add a bit more "flavor" to it. Daemon is a source book designed to create or add a new character to the game, a demon character whose main purpose in the game is to add souls to his army of the damned. This game is based on that facet of character White Wolf has previously only briefly gone over in a few source books. Now, Daemons can be used to enhance a story and bring forth a whole new element to the Storyteller system. In Daemon, various things must be kept in mind. The demons of most religions are stereotypically evil creatures whose main purpose is to defile and corrupt others. This is not so however, which is shown in many early myths. In fact, in many earlier civilizations, including pagan mythology, there were things spoken of that resembled demi-gods, creatures from beyond who had great powers. These creatures popped up throughout history and influenced humanity in many ways. Whether good or evil, the beings of Hel, a place shrouded in secrecy, were creatures that played an even larger masquerade than even the Kindred. These creatures hid their true selves in such secrecy, that most other supernatural creatures barely know more than a few tidbits of knowledge about the Daemons. In the World of Darkness, Daemons play a larger role in the lives of many more than they have in the past. Vampires, Mages, and many other denizens of the World of Darkness are in search of quick and easy ways of obtaining mass power. This is what the Daemons offer, and they do so for good reason. Whenever a power or object is granted to a character, that character loses part of his soul which, upon death, becomes a slave of the Daemon. This soul can be shaped into many things, among them a weapon that the Daemons use to wage their own war, which they call the Quash. In Hel, the domain of the Daemons, status is measured by how much power one possesses. The Quash is a great ploy similar to the Vampire's Jyhad in that it deals with conquering other opponents. The soul of the Daemon's victims are used in hell as soldiers that are used to gain rank and status in Hel, and eventually in the real world. The latter is known as the Luring, a time when Daemons will rule the earth, when a new leader in Hel has been appointed. For millennia the former ruler of Hel, Lucifer, has been dead by what many call the "Hands of God." His true death is shrouded in mystery and many have tried to take his former position. As of yet no one has succeeded, but as the Kindred have clans and the Garou have tribes, so do the Daemons have Ilks. These groups define what kind of Daemon the characters in a chronicle are dealing with. These Ilks, once peaceful with one another, have entered a phase of war, the Quash, a war that will end in a single Ilk's member becoming ruler of Hel. Until the Luring, when one Daemon and his Ilk prevails, the children of Lucifer will forever fight on. HISTORY The true history of the Daemons is shrouded in mystery, much like Hel, their place of origin. However, according to Daemon lore, their ancestors were once graceful creatures, angels who abided by God's every word. These angels, five in total, were lead by their leader Lucifer. Being a proud group of angels these mighty creatures wanted more than they had, turning rebels. Lucifer at this time proclaimed himself as king of Babylon, an act that was selfish and full of greed. After having been banished from heaven these creatures took up a new home in the Deep Umbra. Here the five fallen angels each began his own Ilk, swearing loyalty to Lucifer and his Ilk, the Luciferentes. For many years all went smooth in hell, until the prophesy. This prophesy foretold a time when the Messiah would arrive and destroy Satan, the human name given to Lucifer. The Daemons thought nothing of this idle threat until one seemingly harmless day, when a bright light entered the depths of Hel. The Daemons sensed its presence and prepared for battle. The light blinded the Succubus, rendering all who peered within its spherical mass unconscious. The Daemons panicked, and warned their leader of the threat, but in all his greatness, he could do nothing. All the cities of Hel lying in the path of this light were obliterated. Each fallen angel was in turn sought out by the heavenly mass and destroyed. Lucifer felt confident however, and waited for the orb to approach. Upon gazing into the sphere, Lucifer unleashed his fury, yet it did him no good. Lucifer was said to have gazed into it, and stared in confusion. The sphere and Lucifer with it vanished without a trace. After an explosion of blinding light, all seemed normal once again. However, Lucifer was gone and soon after a war broke out among the Ilks, a war that continues to drag on today; a war for the domination of Hel -- the Quash. This battle, fought on the battlefields of Hel and earth both, are the beginning of a long reign, where only one Daemon and his Ilk shall rule. THE NECRONOMICON Lucifer and the Ilks he led believed in the importance of their history. To preserve this knowledge, he and the other fallen angels wrote a physical text which they entitled the Necronomicon. This text they duplicated, five in total were written, one for each Ilk. This text contained the history of their origin, the basis' of their powers and the rites and rituals used to contact, and even control them. Each copy was buried in its Ilks temple and removed only when it was needed to be added on to. After the prophesy, Lucifer felt threatened, and sought out all five Necronomicons. All but one copy he burnt in the magical fires of Hel, and hid the last one on earth. After his destruction many Daemons sought out this Necronomicon to perhaps discover what had become of their leader. All search was in vain, for the book was never found. Until a mortal nicknamed the "Mad Arab" discovered the Necronomicon, the Daemons had not even known it existed. This mortal knowing the ancient language of Sumer, read the book and slowly became insane as he read on. He called forth unspeakable powers of destruction but continued living as a powerful man. However, a man he was, and driven mad by such powers he disappeared, never to be seen from again. It is said in what remains of this Necronomicon, in an addendum written by the Mad Arab as a personal diary, that there were things trying to get him, things that he did not fully understand. He had traveled to Hel many times, and had discovered the gates to Hel many times, but his fate was obvious, a mortal in another's world. The copy of the Necronomicon that the Mad Arab possessed was put into a museum for safekeeping. All those who worked with it however, or who read even some of the text, were killed by unknown forces, forces that must have been put into the book by the fallen angels. Various parts of the Necronomicon were copied, and all those who did so died from evil curses. These copied portions lie around the world in many different locations, although another complete copy does not exist. A few mortals in historic times have tried duplicating what they know of the text, and different versions have therefore surfaced. All of these books and scrolls are fakes however, only one true copy really exists. The book was then enclosed in a steel room, covered in ten feet of concrete, with no entrance. The crypt containing this book was locked in silver chains and bars, and a spring of holy water was dug around it. The book was thought safe, and to this day, where the mortals put the book remains a mystery. The Daemons were powerless to stop the mortals, for not even with their great knowledge did they know what these strange mortals did. Many Daemons say these mortals had such high faith that they would have blinded any Daemon coming close. Whether these mortals were of the Inquisition or other organization no one knows. In any case, the Daemons still search for this book, a book that when found, could end the Quash and begin the Luring. Character Creation A full list of Natures and Demeanors can be found in any of the main books of any of the White Wolf Storyteller campaigns. Attribute ratings start at 9-4-2, and appearance begins at zero, not at one. This is to show that most Daemons remain hideous, the reason much of our folklore of demons depict large, nasty looking creatures. This rating can be improved for any Ilk except for the Raksasas. Ability ratings begin at 20-15-10. Ratings such as those for medicine, computer, politics and the such should not be taken, unless the player can give a logical explanation for it. Remember: Daemons are creatures that very rarely interact or need to interact with human culture, as they only come into contact with single humans, only to buy their souls. A Daemon would for example, have no use for the finance ability or the medicine ability. Such human trifles are unimportant to creatures who manipulate the living. For knowledges, see the various Players Guides or other source books for many of the lore knowledges. A quick list of new abilities is given below. ABILITIES New talent: Mimicry This talent allows the character to masquerade as something or someone the character is not. Daemons, when possessing an individual must learn to pretend how to be that person in all attributes and abilities. This goes beyond acting where you play the main part of someone, but rather you learn all there is to know about the object or person you are mimicking in order to be really persuasive in your role. * Can pass as a lonely street bum ** You can imitate other's voices and signatures *** Make a bank believe you're their customer **** You can pass as a famous actor ***** Can fool the secret service into believing you're the president New Knowledge: Daemon Lore With this knowledge, the character knows more than just folklore about demons. This knowledge is not possessed by many, and with it you can easily contact a Daemonand find gateways to Hel. * You've read a little 'bout 'em ** You know all about the folklore *** You know what the Luring is **** You know much of the history of the Daemons ***** You have read portions of the real Necronomicon BACKGROUND A Daemon's Willpower begins at five but can of course be increased. The seven regular health levels are present for a Daemon character but for every other Dark Seed the Daemon increases, she gains one extra health block, which counts as another bruised level, therefore taking no dice penalties. Daemon characters have advantages not unlike those of other characters. The same backgrounds would apply, plus those below. Backgrounds such as resources, like many knowledges would be useless to a Daemon, and therefore should not be taken unless it furthers the story. Five background points can be used to start out. Infernal Ranking Infernal ranking, like status in other World of Darkness games, allows the character special rights and information inaccessible to other characters. For every level of Infernal Ranking the character has, she has a certain amount of souls and land in Hel available to her. Unless the character has this background trait, she is considered an Imp, a Daemon which garners no respect. Until this Imp has bought 10 souls for her Ilk, she will remain an Imp. For storytelling sake, a Daemon character beginning the game as an Imp has 10 souls left to buy (having bought zero in the past) until she advances in rank. Continued ranks go up to 10, where the character has garnered huge amounts of respect in Hel, and controls great spans of land. These ranks above five can only be gained by role-playing. The Daemon cannot have this background trait if she does not posses the Boon Investment. * Rank one Daemon ** Rank two Daemon *** Rank three Daemon **** Rank four Daemon ***** Rank five Daemon Dark Seed Dark Seed is a background similar to generation for vampires. This background determines how close to the original fallen angels the Daemon is, therefore explaining how much power is at the characters disposal. A Daemon character initially starts the game at level eight Dark Seed, which can be raised up to level three. Depending on the Dark Seed, the character has more or less Vim to spend. A character with no rating in Dark Seed begins with five Vim. No Daemon has yet gone beyond the Third Dark Seed, and how it is done is unknown. It is believed however that upon achieving the first Dark Seed, the Daemon has the power of its ancestors, the Fallen Angels. * Seventh Dark Seed; 10 Vim ** Sixth Dark Seed; 15 Vim *** Fifth Dark Seed; 20 Vim **** Fourth Dark Seed; 25 Vim ***** Third Dark Seed; 30 Vim ADVANTAGES Advantages in Daemon consist of one more special ability. This is known to the Daemons as a Boon. The Daemons believe that it was the first fallen angels who gave them their magical powers, and so they have named them Boons. There are eight different Boons available to choose from, most Ilks having mastered a specific Boon. The Boons that are frequently used by Daemons are: Investment: Buying the soul of a creature in exchange for power. Elemental Influence: Controlling the elements of nature. Itinerate: Moving through the Umbral worlds, the Shadowlands, etc. Ordain: Similar to Vampire's Dominate; mind control. Metamorph: Altering one's appearance. Arms of Ordnance: Lethality of one's body. Corruption: Corrupting an object, person, etc. Possession: Possessing a person or an object. A Daemon character may start out with five points to use for Boons, three of which must be used for Boons of the Daemon's Ilk. The other two for any Boon(s). ILKS Asuras These creatures have made their new homes on the wastelands and deserts of earth. Outcasts of Hel, these Daemons fight the Quash from earth, giving them a stronger hold on the inevitable Luring. Masters of weather control and all things human, they plan on conquering Hel after gaining steady holds on earth. In early times they would cause droughts and turbulent winds to destroy crops and structures. In exchange for good weather, the humans would sell their souls for the continued existence of their kind. If they did not agree to this exchange, the Daemons would destroy whole colonies, thus the formations of inhabitable deserts. By doing so they made their presence aware by the humans, and so the other Daemons in an act of protection barred them from Hel. Until an Asuras has achieved a level five in Infernal Ranking, she may not enter Hel unless of course she wishes to risk her life. The Garou speak of the Asuras in very ancient legends, and despise the Asuras for destroying Gaia's earth. Boons: Possession, Elemental Influence Daimone These proud Daemons once masqueraded as demi-gods to the naive populaces of earth. The Daimone, like their name implies, were the first true demons, the first Daemons to manipulate the humans to their will. Pretending they were true gods, the Daimone used their powers to garner riches and property on earth. For many years the Daimone would befriend the humans and act as rulers. Many sacrifices and statues of them still exist today from many early civilizations. Until they were threatened by the expansions of Kindred domain, they lived on earth among the Asuras. Now they have retreated back to Hel, where they plan their goals for the inevitable Luring. Boons: Ordain, Possession Diabolos The Diabolos are a strange lot indeed. They were seldom spoken of in early myths and even today seem to hide their true motives. For this reason the Greeks called them "diabolos", meaning deceiver. The Diabolos were once strange creatures, few in number who once inhabited what is now Hel. When the fallen angels came upon these strange creatures, they spread their corruption, and the Diabolos were formed. Later, as the Ilks were formed, these creatures formed their own Ilk, apart from the others. Not true Daemons, the Diabolos still live among Daemonic society and are now accepted by their companions. Throughout the ages, as breeding among the Daemons took place, the Diabolos mixed blood with the other Daemons, no longer very distinguishable from the other Ilks. The Diabolos are the true princes of lies and deceit and wage their Quash with secrecy. Founders of the Itinerate Boon, the Diabolos are the reason the Daemons have learned to travel through the Umbra and Shadowlands. How they came upon this power is unknown, and the Diabolos have never told anyone exactly how they discovered it. The other Daemons respect the Diabolos for their magical powers, but fear them as well. Even the great Lucisferentes are threatened by them, and believe they come from elsewhere... Boons: Itinerate, Metamorph Djinn The Djinn have been in contact with the humans of the Middle East for quite some time. The humans have given them a name, the Jinni, and many myths shroud their true natures. The Djinn have taken the desert as their homes and in this have many conflicts with the Asuras. They have steady domains in Hel as well, and are masters of Investment. These Daemons usually have high traits in appearance to trick the humans into believing that they are friendly. Only when it is too late, will the human know what she has truly done. Boons: Metamorph, Investment Faustus The Ilk Faust has a strange history behind it. The youngest of the Ilks, the Faust traces its origin to a mortal, a human. This human, Faust, was a master at the arcane arts and soon led his experiments the to fields of necromancy. The Daemons saw this, and the Ilk Raksasas believed that he would be a worthy creature to corrupt. Contacting Faust they offered him anything he wanted. Unafraid, he asked them for infinite knowledge, and in turn, they told him that they could only give him what they knew. This knowledge was far beyond that of any mortal, but Faust was not satisfied. He asked them not only for all their knowledge, but also for immortality. They thought this over for two days, and when those two days had elapsed, they told him that in turn, his soul would be theirs for eternity. He agreed, and after becoming the most powerful mage of all time, he disappeared after spending his immortal existence on earth for many years. Where he went is still unknown but the Raksasas never did get their soul. They searched the earth for years, but never once did they encounter the soul of Faust. Many years later, a group of lesser Daemons unassociated with any Ilk challenged the elders of the Ilk Raksasas. These lesser Daemons claimed they were the children of Faust and called forth their own Quash. They formed their own Ilk, naming it after their father. The Raksasas, outraged at this, called war against the Faust, but the Faust fought back. Thousands of souls were slain at this time, but the Faust were never conquered. Still today, they are as powerful as any other Ilk. Boons: Arms of Ordnance, Investment Luciferentes The Luciferentes were the main Ilk when the former ruler of Hel, Lucifer, still ruled. Favoring this Ilk, Lucifer granted them large fifes in Hel. The Luciferentes of today do not wish complete eradication of the other Daemons. Instead they wish only to rule them. The Luciferentes fear no one except the strange force which they have nicknamed the "Hands of God." They wish to discover the force behind it, and avenge the death of their former leader. Boons: Itinerate, Ordain Raksasas These Daemons are prime evil. They wish nothing more than to destroy everything. They believe that they are the true rulers of Hel and that everyone and everything must bow down before them. They do not accept incompetence and would slay their brethren if they did not have the same morals as they did. These Daemons are the reason why most humans have given the Daemons an evil stereotype. These Daemons are so hideously deformed in their evil that they may never improve their appearance rating of zero. The Raksasas are so twisted, that they even eat the flesh of their victims after their souls have been lost. Boons: Corruption, Arms of Ordnance BOONS Boons are those powers that make Daemon characters as powerful as they are. Boons are activated by means of one's Vim, the power Daemons receive from Hel itself. A detailed list of the Boon powers is explained below. For every level of Boon used, a Vim point must be spent; i.e. level five Investment = 5 Vim points. Investment This is the Boon most demons in folklore are known for having. This is the power allowing a Daemon character to sign away a persons soul. By doing so the Daemon furthers her place in the Quash, and earns respect for herself. * Buy a soul for your Ilk for minor powers, animals only ** Buy a soul for your Ilk for minor powers, people *** Buy a soul for yourself for major powers, animals only **** Buy a soul for yourself for major powers, people ***** Buy an entire bloodline's worth of souls for immortality System: Find a willing character and spend the required amount of Vim points. Characters receiving powers grow a "witches nipple," a small elevation on a chosen part of the skin where the powers of Hel are brought unto the person. Elemental Influence This Boon gives the user control over the weather, and certain elementals, those associated with the four most basic elementals - air, water, earth and fire. * Predict weather ** Summon fog; water elementals *** Can command lightning and rain; air elementals **** Can control minor storms such as monsoons; earth elementals ***** Can control hurricanes, floods, etc.; fire elementals System: For every success, the influence lasts for one hour. Level one is automatic except for the Vim point. All rolls are E.I. + Wits. Level two is a difficulty of four. Level three is a difficulty of six. Level four, seven. Level eight, eight. Itinerate The Itinerate Boon, founded by the Diabolos, was the first Boon allowing the Daemons to travel to other areas, once off-limits to them. This Boon also allows the Daemon to get around on earth better than usual. * Double land speed ** Swim at ordinary land speed *** Enter Shadowlands; enter any Umbral realm **** Can travel to Hel in two turns; full flight w/ wings ***** Can travel to Hel in one turn; teleportation, 50 foot radius System: All automatic except for Vim. At level three however, to enter a hidden or secret Umbral Realm, the Daemon must role Itinerate + Wits, difficulty seven. Ordain Ordain, similar to mind control powers such as Dominate by vampires, allows the Daemon to control the minds of others. * Can give simple orders or requests ** Can engrave ideas into others *** Can control a person **** Can control many followers; a supernatural creature ***** Make a person willingly sell his soul; many supernaturals System: Ordain + Wits must be rolled against the following difficulties for each level respectively; five, six, seven, eight and nine. Metamorph This Boon grants the Daemon the use altering her appearance, allowing for better secrecy or manipulation tactics. * Organic materials may be reproduced; i.e. the eyes ** Skin tones may be altered and changed *** Flesh may be shaped **** Bone structure can be altered ***** Can fully alter form, but no mass can be gained or lost System: All rolls require Metamorph + Body Alteration with a base difficulty of seven. Lost appendages and limbs may be regrown at level five with a base difficulty of eight. Arms of Ordnance This Boon is a powerful gift allowing the Daemon to form weapons out of various body parts. Each weapon gained through this Boon does aggravated damage, allowing the Daemon to conquer almost any foe. * Daemon grows a tail doing aggravated damage ** Grows razor talons and fangs doing +2 aggravated damage *** The Daemon's jaws are remarkably powerful and can expand **** Body armor worth + 2 soak and row of spikes down spine ***** Short spikes protrude certain part of body which can be launched System: These gifts need only be activated by Vim, lasting for the remainder of scene. Level three allows the character to widen his jaws so that it could swallow things as large as a child. Corruption The Boon Corruption is a deadly Boon to be stricken with. The level five Corruption calls forth a dark emptiness (level two) and causes level three damage to all creatures and objects within it. This causes plants to die and people as well if they remain under the cloud for longer than an hour. Each hour after, the person receives one damage (aggravated for supernaturals.) * Sense weakness ** Summon Dark Mass *** Taint character with Wyrm's presence; flowers wither, animals fear **** Remove successes from others; remove True Faith ***** Used with level two, the dark mass corrupts anything beneath it System: All rolls are Corruption + Manipulation. For levels one, three, four and five, the difficulty is the persons Willpower. Difficulty for level two is seven. For every success the duration is one hour. If seven successes are rolled the effects are permanent. With level three corruption, the Daemon can curse inanimate objects doing various things to the user or discoverer of the object. Possession Possession, like Investment, is one of the Boons the Daemons are known for. It is this Boon that allows a Daemon to assume the roll of another individual, actually being the individual in a way. The character being possessed merely becomes a host in its own body, knowing what is happening, but being powerless to stop it. * Incomplete possession; the characters voice and app. seem evil ** Possession is good; the character seems normal *** The Daemon can utilize the characters entire memory **** The Daemon is capable of posessing supernatural creatures ***** The Daemon can now posses almost anything, including objects System: For each possession, a roll of Possession + Perception must be made. For each success at a difficulty of the characters Willpower, the Daemon may inhabit the body for one hour. At the end of this time, the Daemon must reroll at a difficulty of the character's Willpower minus one. If the Daemon gets five successes or more, the Daemons attributes and abilities are added to those of the individual for as long as that possession remains in effect. HEL & THE WORLD OF DARKNESS In the World of Darkness, Hel is a place where the Daemons roam. It is not unlike the rest of the Umbra, for that is where it is. There is a part of the Umbra known to the denizens of Hel as the "Lower Umbra," where evil things dwell. This is a part of the Deep Umbra, where very few travel to and come back alive. The farther "down" one goes, the nastier it gets. Hel, the utmost extreme of this place, is the true home of the Daemons. Here is the only place where the Daemons can age, and it is for this reason that the Daemons travel to earth, a place where they cannot age. Why this is so is unknown, but even if a Daemon lives its entire life in Hel, if it has a low Dark Seed it can live for thousands of years. Travel to and from Hel is made possible by means of the Umbra, which all Daemons have an affinity towards. Rules for traveling the Umbra can be found in Werewolf: the Apocalypse. Itinerate makes Umbral travel easier, but for those that do not possess such powers, travel to and from Hel can be made possible in two turns by means of Hel Gates. These gates, like Caerns and Nodes serve the Daemons as Vim receivers as well as gates to travel to and from Hel. In Hel, a Daemon receives three Vim per hour, whereas near Hel Gates a Daemon receives two Vim per hour. These Hel Gates originally constructed by the fallen angels are not widely placed throughout the world. They are protected by huge monolithic statues known as the Watchers. These sentinels are without a ruler, their only masters are the Daemons as a whole. Many Daemons have tried to buy them off to ambush other Daemons but have done so to no avail. These creatures are loyal to no one Daemon, and live only to guard the Hel Gates they have been instructed to. New Hel gates are constructed by rituals that have been salvaged from minor pieces of the Necronomicon. The rituals how to make another Watcher however, are completely lost. INVESTMENTS The Daemons know much of the other denizens in the World of Darkness. They have watched them since the first established cities sprouted and since the Garou have been protecting the land. Many creatures wish for easy power, and Daemons are what they call for when they want it. The Path of Evil Revalations, as explained in The Storyteller's Guide to the Sabbat, explains much of this path and many gifts the Daemons may bestow upon others. Characters may feel free to create their own powers to sell, but remember, Daemons only need to grant a few gifts, once the soul is bought, the Daemon's job is over. A simple chart for Investment purposes is in the Storyteller's Guide to the Sabbat as well. Only when a Daemon has "sold" 10 points worth of Investments does the soul belong to him or his Ilks. If the character dies before the 10 points have been bought, the character was lucky and goes on into the afterlife. Most Infernalists however, are so power hungry that they will not care about their souls and will take as many Investments as they can. The smartest of the Infernalists will however take only a few Investments, perhaps adding up to seven. The Daemon may at that point, offer a gift that is worth more than three in an attempt to take the soul more quickly even though it is not necessary. However, the Raksasas know what happens if a Daemon grants someone too much power. Their foolishness with the Ilk Faust and its founding member has made their Ilk a laughing stock for hundreds of years, and has threatened their very existence. After the soul of a character has been bought, the Daemon will sometimes hunt the character to kill him, thus gaining the soul immediately. Technically this is fair play, unless it is so explained on the Investment "Contract." Many times an Infernalist will wish for immortality, and this is what the Daemon enjoys giving. After the "Contract" has been signed, the Daemon will hunt down the immortal and slay him. After all, even "immortals" can be killed...

An Investment "contract" is not a physical object. Instead, it is a verbal agreement, working only if the character truly meant it. For gaming purposes, if a character agrees to have his soul bought, or gifts purchased from the Daemon, the deal is considered closed, and the Investment points are to be written upon the buyers character sheet. SOULS Souls that have been bought by Daemons can be shaped into a variety of things. Usually however, a Daemon leaves the soul be, and enlists it into its army of the damned. The soul has very little power of its own and must do whatever its master wills. Souls can, however do things on their own when not under their masters immediate will, and then may do what they please. Daemons can also shape souls into weapons that can be used within the Umbra or physical weapons. These artifacts are known as Soulforges, and many souls must be used to create them. A sword for example, would require 10 souls, but a powerful sword, with powers equal to or beyond those of a fetish, could use up to 50 souls. All Daemons upon learning the art of Investment learn to shape souls, but until they may purchase souls for themselves, only the elders of their Ilk may shape the souls. This buying of souls for one's Ilk is considered a worthy act and benefits are derived from it. SUCCUBUS The Succubus are creatures living in Hel who masquerade as Daemons to the mortals and other denizens of earth. They are souls who have been bought by Daemons and have been finally released after showing their loyalty to their masters. These creatures are rare and only for going to great lengths to serve their masters do they receive their freedom. The Succubi are not accepted in Daemon society and form their own settlements in Hel. They do not become physical creatures when not in the Umbra, unlike the Daemons. These creatures are usually taught one or two Boons by their masters before they are freed. It is very rare however to discover a Succubus with more than five points worth of Boons. The Succubi are responsible for many myths of demons and can materialize to humans by traveling to earth in a spirit-like body. They can not purchase souls for Ilks, for they belong to none. Instead, they would buy the soul for their former master, to perhaps please him. It is rare to find a Succubus with souls of his own, although not impossible. Succubi are much weaker than their former masters but are motivated enough to grow to sufficient power. The Raksasas believe that the Ilk Faustus was actually a group of powerful Succubi at one time, but the Faustus obviously claim otherwise... NEPHANDUS DAEMONS The True Nephandus are not mortals, nor are they Magi. Instead, they are Daemons uninterested in Daemon politics. They basically leave their Ilks and join this sept, masquerading as evil and corrupt Magi. These Daemons are uninterested in the Luring or Quashes fought in Hel, and just want to destroy everything. The Boon Corruption comes naturally to them, and it is with this that they wage their unearthly wars with other supernaturals. They master only corruption actually, and seldom use or need to use anything other Boon. In fact, they have mastered Corruption so well, that they have discovered alternate ways of using it. The seven Ilks however actually hunt the Nephandus Daemons because they say that after the Luring, they want a place to control, not just a shriveled up insignificant pile of dirt once called earth. This is why the Nephandus Daemons have left Hel altogether, and live their immortal lives on earth, where age cannot kill them. Here they masquerade as Magi, and may actually learn some technology. For this they are even more hated by the Ilks, and are not favored by many creatures. Of course they do not reveal their true natures to anyone, even they understand that they can eventually be killed. A Nephandus Daemon has must have an appearance level of at least one, and must spend at least three of its Boon points for the Boon Corruption. Nephandus do mingle with mortal society so it would not be uncommon to have a Nephandus Daemon with, let's say, the melee or repair skill. Thisis a contradiction to the original rule, and such a character should not be played. It would be like playing a Sabbat vampire who follows the Path of Evil Revalations. It can be done, but is not advised. Remember: such a Daemon is hunted by its own kind, giving powers away for free to its fellow corrupt Magi. No Nephandus Daemon lasts for long, especially if hunted by a Raksasas... VAMPIRE The Kindred of both the Sabbat and Camarilla hunt down Daemons whenever they get the chance. Even they know how much damage a Daemon can do to their sect, and this is not permissible. However, in the immediate past, many Sabbat elders have begun following the Path of Evil Revelations. These Kindred cannot resist the power they receive for something they believe, will not happen to them -- die. Like most other supernatural creatures, the Kindred do not know the true motives of the Daemons, and misunderstand their lore and history, still calling them the slang -- demon. WEREWOLF The Garou, in an attempt to stay "pure" do not consort with demons of any sort. Considering them "of the Wyrm" the Garou would slay any Daemon they encounter. Only those who eventually fall to the Wyrm may call for a Daemons gifts. The bravest of Garou have even traveled to the Deep Umbra and entered a place close to Hel, although most that have returned have become insane. MAGE Many Magi and mortals alike have tried summoning Daemons. Rarely does their magic work against Daemons though, and the Daemons find this greatly amusing. However, an enraged Magi who encounters a Daemon is a powerful force to reckon with. Even with the Daemon's magical resistance, a Magi can still effect them to some extent. The Nephandi mages have made many pacts with Daemons in the past, and for this, the Daemons are grateful. CHANGELING The Changelings like their brethren the Fey, have entered Hel many times. Many have survived but none have ever enjoyed it. The Fey, in all their games do not consider Daemons fun. Many a Faery has fallen to a Daemon in Faery's guise. GYPSY The Gypsies know little of Daemons but do know they exist. In much of their old folklore are stories of powerful Daemons. If they discover a Daemon however, they will most surely tell their brethren Garou, Kindred, Fey or Magi. No Gypsy is strong enough to tackle a Daemon, no matter how powerful they may be. MUMMY The Mummies, in their many lifetimes, have stumbled upon Daemons many times. Even they however, do not, like the rest of the denizens of the World of Darkness, know the true lore behind the Daemons. Daemons rarely consort with Mummies as the Mummies find no need for too much power. It is truly unknown what would happen if a Daemon has bought a Mummies soul, for once the Mummy dies, it is reborn. What then? According to Daemon elders, a section in the Necronomicon states that a Mummy who has sold his soul will forever walk the earth, powerful and enraged. Such an adversary would become evil, a monstrosity that even the Daemons would find twisted. Such a creature could corrupt even its creators... APPENDIX Many terms are unique to Daemon, and to better understand them is to better understand this game. Hel: The domain of the Daemons deep within the Deep Umbra Hel Gates: Powerful Daemon "holy grounds" that serve as transporter zones to enter Hel and come back. Vim may be restored here as well. Imp: A Daemon with no respect or status Luring: A time after the Quash where the Daemonic hordes will trample the earth and force the other creatures into submission. Necronomicon: The book of Hel, containing rituals of summonings and many other evil spells. Includes the basis' of all Boons and Daemonic powers and tells of the fallen angels and their powers. Quash: A huge war fought both on earth and Hel where the Daemons battle for the former position Lucifer held -- ruler of Hel. Succubus: Freed souls that masquerade as Daemons. Vim: The power Daemons receive from Hel, allowing them to use their Boons. Watcher: Huge monolithic statues that have been gifted with life to protect the Hel Gates scattered throughout the globe. LAST WORDS Hopefully you like this supplement to the World of Darkness and find it useful in many chronicles to come... Also, I am planning and add-on for Daemon that will go further in-depth to the ways of the Daemons and other creatures of Hel including rituals for the Daemons. This planned add-on will be released separately (a players guide?) or as Daemon, second edition. Writer: Frank Torkel Concept: Joshua Fairfield and Frank Torkel If anyone has any questions, comments, or suggestions, I can be reached on the Internet at: grandthief@globalone.net Hopefully many of you find this supplement a useful addition to the World of Darkness...