The Demonic Pantheon

"And there was a great battle in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and
the dragon fought and his angels: and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any
more in heaven. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil
and Satan, who seduceth the whole world; and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels
were thrown down with him." (Revelation 12: 7-9)

"Yes, our leadership did fall from Heaven. No, we're not out to conquer the world. Have you
ever heard the saying "there's two sides to every story"? We're not out to enslave or corrupt
or destroy. We're trying to save you-all of you-from the tyranny of a Primordial gone mad
with power and his obsessed slaves! Look, don't worry about it for right now. The important
thing is that I can keep you safe from those giant flaming wheels that keep stalking you. You
just need to have a little faith is all."

-Amanda Brighton, Scion of Asmodeus

In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was with El, and the Word was El. The
shaper of Heaven and the World was the Primordial who came before all. He created the
cosmos within a week, and created legion upon legion of spiritual beings, the Angels, to
oversee and maintain his creation. For a time, all was as El had ordained it, and he deemed it
good. Humanity was created as El's crowning achievement, the living proof of his mastery of
Creation. But then the unexpected happened. One of his angels, Lucifer, led a rebellion
against El's management of the human species. It grew to encompass a third of the Angelic
hosts, and sparked a war in Heaven that is still spoken of in the World. Lucifer and his
followers became Gods in their own right, fighting a Titanomachy against El and his Titanic
angels. But unlike other Titanomachies, here the Gods lost. They were defeated by the Titans
and cast out of the Overworld of Heaven, down into the Underworld of Hell. But they fight
on to this day.

The Demonic pantheon is in a unique position compared to other pantheons. The Primordial
they oppose and his Titan servants have built three entire world religions that wield an
enormous amount of power in the World, and have for centuries. These religions have cast
Lucifer and his rebels as demons and monsters, painting an entire pantheon of Gods as the
figures humanity should fear and revile. It has only been in recent times that this has changed
somewhat. While a great many across the World still hate and fear the Demons, there have
been some who have been attracted to their cause in the last few decades. But it is still a far
cry from the worship one would expect of a pantheon, and there is still a great ways to go if
the Demons and their Scions are to be ready to bring the fight to El and his followers.

Principal Members

While the Demons are myriad in their numbers and rankings, and mortals have made several
classifications of their ranks over the centuries, the pantheon is led by a small group known
as the Inner Council, or the Princes of Hell. The Inner Council is made up of those former
angels who fell with Lucifer in his rebellion, as well as some who fell later in the second
great Fall. First among the Fallen is of course, Lucifer, the God of Light and Darkness. His
Queen Lilith at his side, he presides over the rest of the Inner Council and the legions they
command. Mammon the Treasurer, Belial the General of Hell, Astaroth the Demonic
Inquisitor, Leviathan the forgemistress, Behemoth the slothful juggernaut, Azazel the
Spymaster, Semyaza the Prince of Pleasure, and Asmodeus the God of Wrath make up the
rest of the Inner Council. Beelzebub the Traitor Prince is no longer of the Council, but rather
is their prisoner and pawn.

Lucifer, God of Light and Darkness

Aliases: Satan, The Morningstar, The Lightbringer, Old Scratch, Old Nick, The Serpent, The
Dragon, The Devil, The Prince of Darkness, The King of Demons, The Father of Lies

The important thing to remember when discussing the Morningstar is that he never asked for
this. There was a time, long ago, when he was happy. Back in the old days it was easy to be
an angel. You emanated from the Primordial El, you did your assigned task, and you basked
in the light and glory of fulfilling your purpose. Hell, Lucifer had it better than most. He
stood among the highest rank of the angels, entrusted with command and responsibility. He
was the shining Morningstar, chief emissary of El. At his side were his brothers: Michael,
Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael. Beneath him unfurled rank upon rank of glorious heavenly
beings and the unending vista of Creation. All was well.

And then the humans came. And with them the problems. El gave his commands regarding
them, but for the first time Lucifer knew that his maker was in error. Humans were complex
beyond El's understanding. Beyond El's tolerance for disobedience and error. He saw El's
experiment in Eden and knew with a cold clarity that human free will could not be so
artificially constrained. To even try would damage the young humanity, possibly beyond
repair. He tried speaking with El, but how does one reason with the hurricane? With the
flood? El would not listen, Lucifer knew, until given sufficient reason. So it was that he
planned and lead the rebellion, convincing a third of the angels to side with him. He hoped to
force a debate, but in the planning of the rebellion, he found his nature, and that of his
followers, changing. They came to take on the qualities of humanity, both good and bad.
They developed free will and independent thought. And when his host marched to war, it was
not as the near-emotionless beings they had been, but as a pantheon in their own right. Their
Titanomachy was the Great Rebellion, pitting proto-Gods against the Titans that had become
of their siblings and the Primordial who made them. And for all Lucifer's cunning and
strategy, the rebels did not win.

Cast from the Overworld of Heaven, banished to the bleak and blasted wastes of the
Underworld, the rebels faced their darkest hour. It was Lucifer who rallied them, still shining
even in defeat. It was his honeyed words, his raw charisma and talent for leadership that
unified the defeated rebels and convinced them to fight on. And though millennia passed and
El and his followers did all in their power to demonize and stigmatize them, Lucifer has kept
the faith. He has seen humanity at its heights and its depths and he knows, with every fibre of
his being, that he was right to rebel. That he was right to champion them against the cruel
whims of a cold Primordial. He is still the Lightbringer, even cast down into darkness. It is
still his to illuminate the way for struggling, suffering humanity.

Lucifer affects the image of a beautiful man or woman of wealth and taste, appearing in
finery and surrounded by luxury. His domain might be Hell, but he and his have turned that
barren realm into a jewel in the Underworld. Despite the claims of many would-be
"devilspawn", Lucifer prefers subtlety when it comes to siring (or bearing) children. Lucifer
takes on female form as often as male (its' quite useful for being unexpected in many
quarters). He doesn't advertise his Scions like some demons. He finds the attention they
would draw if they were known to be his is counterproductive. Instead look for his Scions to
be in positions that are easily overlooked, yet are essential lynchpins holding up
organizations. Lucifer expects his Scions to be thinkers and innovators, guiding lights for a
humanity still caught in the darkness of ignorance.

Callings: Leader, Lover, Trickster

Purviews: Beauty, Deception, Passion (Pride, Defiance), Fire, Epic Stamina, Fortune, Chaos,
Darkness, Sun, Prosperity

Mammon, God of Wealth and Greed

Aliases: The God of this World, Mr. Wall Street, Supply-Side Jesus, The Treasurer of Hell,
The Lord of Usury

Ten-thousand dollar bespoke suits. Thousand dollar haircuts. Necklaces of platinum and
diamonds. The penthouse suite of a condo on your own private tropical island and a private
jet to get you there. Impossible? Not for Mammon. The Lord of Wealth has all these things
and more. Simply follow his siren call, listen to his teachings, and all the kingdoms of the
world can be laid at your feet. So goes the promise. Across the World, millions fight, scheme,
backstab, and even kill in pursuit of that golden ticket to unimaginable wealth and power.
The modern World would be a very different place without Mammon, as he well knows.

He didn't start as a fabulous mogul though. Before the Great Rebellion he was a minor angel
indeed, hardly noticed in the ranks of the glorious. He tended the golden streets of Heaven,
one of a small legion of servants who kept that Overworld well-maintained for the pleasure of
El. When Lucifer came before him, radiant with authority, and spoke his words, Mammon
was awakened to greed for the first time. Lucifer's goals were lofty indeed, but truthfully,
Mammon cared less for humanity and more for the treasures of Heaven and the World to be
had by following the Lightbringer. Lucifer made him no such promise, but Mammon inferred
what he wished to hear in Lucifer's words. When the Great Rebellion came, Mammon was
not on the front lines. While angels and Gods battled, Mammon snuck away to the World,
carrying treasures looted from the battlefield of Heaven to be stored "for safe keeping". He
was so busy hoarding that the end of the Rebellion and the banishment to Hell caught him
totally by surprise, and he found himself dragged down with his erstwhile peers.

Mammon was not the most popular figure in Hell and he knew it. He compensated by
building a cult of popularity among mortals. Humans, it seemed, appreciated the wondrous
treasures he had to show them. And they appreciated his well-compensated advice for how to
acquire treasures of their own. It was many centuries before Mammon had grown in power
enough to challenge the Lords of the Pit, but when he did Lucifer did not strike him down.
Distasteful as he found him, Lucifer saw that Mammon's methods could win followers for
their cause. He named him a God and appointed him to the Inner Council of his followers,
where Mammon's acquisitive instincts could be funnelled for a higher purpose.
These days you'll find Mammon jet-setting about the World. Money never sleeps and
Mammon is always on the move. One morning might find him on his beloved Wall Street,
supervising the day-trading. Noon sees him in Osaka, enjoying a power lunch with
Okuninushi and discussing terms for a new partnership. The afternoon finds him in Africa to
oversee the blood diamond trade. Sunset sees him on his private isle, lording over a
teleconference call with the World's financial elite and being fed grapes by some buxom
beauty. Mammon is not a choosy guy. He goes where the profit margins take him, and gives
his blessing to both ethical business and the worst abuses humanity has ever conceived in
pursuit of money. His Scions are infrequent, often the results of one-night stands with pricey
escorts or downtrodden women willing to do anything for money. When he's made aware of
them, he works to bring his Scions (and all they own) into his own globe-spanning financial
web. He has no problem with treating his Scions as junior partners, and buying their
cooperation by giving them access to the good life.

Callings: Sage, Leader, Trickster

Purviews: Prosperity, Deception, Passion (Greed), Order, Journeys

Belial, God of War and Destruction

Aliases: The Lord of Sheol, Minister of War, The Flame of Damnation, The Pillar of
Strength, The General of Hell

It's a truism that for every general there needs to be soldiers. And that's where Belial fit into
the Great Rebellion. He wasn't the charismatic leader that Lucifer was, but when the
Lightbringer needed someone to command his troops in battle, Belial was who he picked.
Belial likes to think that it's because he was stronger than any Archangel. Truthfully, Lucifer
had tried to recruit Michael or Uriel, but they were too loyal to El. Belial was selected
because he was the second-in-command of Michael's legions, a powerful warrior in his own
right who was no slouch in the strategic department either. Lucifer thought himself above
dumb bruisers, but Belial realized that they'd need muscular angels who could take orders to
succeed with the Rebellion. Lucifer recruited the masses. Belial recruited the soldiers. And
when the time came, he led them well. To this day it is his great shame that when he crossed
blades with Archangel Michael, he could not best his former superior.

After the Fall, Belial was a mighty chief in the early days before Lucifer re-established
control. He was powerful enough that he could have challenged Lucifer for the throne of
Hell, but Lucifer appeased him with honeyed words and a valuable position as commander of
the Fallen armies. Lucifer set him the task of building a host of fallen, defeated, demoralized
spirits into a lean, mean, fighting force, and Belial took to that job with gusto. He built his
principality of Sheol into the nightmarish boot camp it is today, filled with lava flows,
volcanic ash, biological contaminants, and cruel taskmasters. And when the path to the World
was open again Belial led his hosts forth to claim principalities in the World, to battle the
angels and lay waste those who remained loyal to El.

Belial is brutal in his tactics, favouring scorched earth and total annihilation for the forces of
El and those loyal to him. In ancient times he was infamous for the armies of locust-demons
he would unleash on communities loyal to El. More than once Lucifer has had to reprimand
or punish his War Minister for his total war tactics that sweep up innocents as well as the
guilty. Belial is not one for high-minded morals or sentimentality, and feels that if the
humans venerate El, they must be punished and made to see the truth. In chains if need be.
Belial sees the demonic pantheon's status in the World as needing constant reinforcement. He
is pleased by the rise of Satanist groups and other religious movements that challenge the
orthodoxy of El and his cults, who he feels have been unchallenged for far too long. He is
keen to make alliances with warrior-deities across many pantheons, and can often be found in
the company of Maudjee-Kawiss and Ares, who he feels understands the true meaning of
war.

Belial favours forms that showcase his tremendous strength. He holds himself as mightiest of
the demons and his forms reflect that: tall, muscular, dripping with weapons and indicators of
strength. When he walks the World, it's usually as a high-ranking military or police officer,
arms merchants and crime bosses. In one Incarnation he owns Sheol Arms, a small but
prosperous gun and ammo manufacturer that produces the popular Hellfire submachine guns.
Belial is mostly consumed by executing his strategies against El's Host, but he does
occasionally sire, create, or choose Scions as part of the war effort. He's indifferent to his
children when they are young and vulnerable. It is only when they are old enough to bear
arms against the enemy that Belial comes to claim them. He's an authoritarian hardass,
treating his Scions like rookie soldiers in boot camp and not caring what ambitions they had
for their own lives. But when they please him he is unflinching in his praise.

Callings: Leader, Warrior, Judge

Purviews: Epic Strength, Epic Dexterity, Epic Stamina, War, Fire, Fertility

Astaroth, Goddess of Judgment, Order, and Endings

Aliases: The Demonic Inquisitor, The Princess of Judgment, He Who Whispers Chain, The
Executioner of Hell, Minister of Justice, Judge of the Damned

Astaroth would thank you kindly not to get her mixed up with Astarte or Ishtar. She's friendly
with both, and hates that the modern world has so badly conflated her with them. In fact,
misunderstanding is a common trait when it comes to Hell's chief of law enforcement.
Strangely, it was the imagination of humanity that first drew her to Lucifer's cause, but it still
causes no end of headaches. Astaroth often feels like a bemused mother, watching her adored
children insisting on some folly, powerless to act against them. Yet power is what she is and
what she wields.

Before the Rebellion, Astaroth was the recorder of El's judgments. Others pronounced them
or enforced them. She was the scribe in El's court who recorded His judgments and decrees
for posterity's sake. It wasn't glorious, but it needed doing. Lucifer appealed to her sense of
fairness when he made his case that the humans could not, by their nature, live under the
regimentation of El. The Lightbringer brought her among the early humans, and Astaroth
witnessed how messy and how corporeal humans could be, while Lucifer convinced her of
their better qualities. She realized that humans needed, not a stern and remote Primordial, but
beings who understood them and could empathize with them. She joined the Rebellion and
fought for these strange creatures who needed guidance, not tyranny. And when she wound
up in Hell, none was more surprised than she when Lucifer handed her, her gavel and her axe,
and appointed her to be the Judge of the Damned.

Astaroth rules over the Demonic Inquisition, the institution charged with maintaining order in
the Pit. The Inquisition is stern but fair, as keeping order over beings known for pride and
rebellion is no easy task. While lesser judges, officers, and agents carry out the routine
business of keeping order in Hell, Astaroth herself presides over the High Court, the place
where even the senior Gods of the pantheon are called to account. It is to Astaroth that the
souls of those who come to Hell are first brought. She judges their merits and their flaws and
assigns them to the principality where they will spend eternity, a duty she takes most
seriously. She keeps the laws and records of Hell in the bureaucratic maze that is her
principality. And when the gravest of punishment is called for, it is Astaroth who is
summoned, to deliver the final judgment with her gleaming black axe. She commands both
respect and great fear through the principalities of Hell, and Mammon especially is known to
fear her dread gaze upon him, for she has not forgotten how he abandoned the Rebellion to
hoard wealth.

Astaroth is a busy Goddess, but she schedules regular sabbaticals to Earth so that she does
not lose touch with the mortals she loves. She frequently takes on unassuming roles: a legal
clerk, a waitress in a cafe, and other such roles that let her interact with humanity without
them feeling her dreadful power upon them. While she frequently chooses Scions from those
who impress her with their sense of justice, she is not above mothering them. Or fathering
them. She sometimes takes on masculine form for a change of perspective or to better blend
in. She saves her demonic appearance, riding a great dragon and bearing the chains that
enslave the damned, for those who seriously displease her or who try to elude justice. Her
most famous servant, the demon Legion, is her huntsman, but she herself takes up the pursuit
when her passion is aroused. Her Scions tend to know that they have a loving but critical eye
upon them.

Callings: Judge, Liminal, Hunter

Purviews: Order, Death, Epic Strength

Leviathan, Goddess of Envy, The Oceans, and Technology

Aliases: The Ruler of the Deep, The Hellmouth, The Great Sea Monster, The Craftswoman
of Hell, The Temptress, The Green-Eyed Monster, The First Beast of Revelation, Gog

Leviathan and her male counterpart Behemoth share a distinction with Lilith among the
Demonic pantheon in that none of the three started as angels. They were creations of El
though. Leviathan was created as the prototype for the great beasts of the sea, a primeval
monster who gave birth to the whales, the tannim, and the other creatures of the deeps. In her
earliest days Leviathan was not intelligent, as such. El created her for a purpose and saw no
need for her to have a mind of her own. During the Rebellion it was Belial who harnessed
Behemoth and Leviathan's great strength for the rebel cause, defeating them and then
choosing them as his first Scions to serve the war effort. When the Rebellion failed,
Behemoth and Leviathan both were cast into Hell, rejected by El as failures.
It was in Hell that Leviathan developed her own personality and powers. When Belial began
his raids against El's followers, Leviathan returned to the seas. She became feared and
worshiped by the peoples of the Near-East as she grew in power, for she commanded the
waterways and seas they depended on. The beasts of the rivers and seas dared not stand
against their ancient broodmother, and instead became her servants. No mortal force could
stand against her and she was more than a match for El's angels. She came to enjoy the
worship and fear, cultivating it and increasing her power even further. She took a greater
interest in the humans over time, observing their cultures. She realized that the primitive
spears and nets they used to capture her children were growing more complex. One day
humanity would be triumphant over her children, she knew. Humans could learn and adapt.
Why couldn't she? She took to walking among the humans in human form, learning their
strengths and weaknesses. Her meditations on humanity enlightened her.

She found that humans were quick to resent those of their kind who were more successful
than they were. Mammon exploited this in a way, but Leviathan found him crude and crass.
She became an expert in the subject, arousing the have-nots against the haves. It was a game
to her. The technology that they developed to catch and kill her children aroused her anger
and her interest. She studied it. Found ways to improve upon it. And she brought those
innovations back to Hell, developing a reputation as an expert craftswoman in her own right.
By the time she rose to divinity, Belial had recognized his Scion's talents and championed her
before Lucifer. Lucifer agreed with his General. Leviathan was named a Goddess, assigned to
the Inner Council, and given as her principality the seas of Hell, along with rulership over all
its crafts and technologies.

Leviathan is often busy these days, overseeing Hell's increasingly complex technological
development. She stays on the bleeding edge, leaking bits of technology to the mortals so
they can be envious of her superior intellect and craftsmanship. While she is still fond of
taking her true form, that of a seven-headed fire-breathing dragon, and swimming in the
depths, she most often reserves that for Hell's waters. When she walks the World, she is a
woman beautiful enough to inspire the jealousy of others. She favours roles that allow her to
spread envy and resentment, such as the most popular girl in high school, the gossiping
housewife, or the child of privilege who flaunts unearned and undeserved wealth. She often
chooses as her Scions people of incredible beauty, who can inspire longing and jealousy in
others. Some Scions she creates whole-cloth from her forges in Hell. When she mothers a
Scion she keeps a close eye on their development, always encouraging them to develop skills
or beauty or talent enough to make others envious of them.

Callings: Creator, Warrior, Sage

Purviews: Epic Strength, Epic Stamina, Water, Forge, Artistry, Passion (Envy), Beauty,
Beasts (Aquatic Animals), Frost

Behemoth, God of Sloth, Sleep, and Dreams

Aliases: Belphegor, Juggernaut, The Second Beast of Revelation, The Lord of Dreams, The
Disputer, The Lord of Indulgence, Magog, The False Prophet
Behemoth was created at the same time as Leviathan. Where she was the progenitor of sea
creatures, Behemoth was the prototype for land-dwelling creatures. The colossal beast,
capable of taking the form of any of the great beasts of the land, was always self-indulgent.
Not having much in the way of intellect, it was content to feed and rut and sleep, paying no
heed to the brewing rebellion among the angels. It was only when Belial battled and then
chose him as a Scion that he was even aware of the conflict at all, and then found himself
drafted to fight for the rebels. For all his undeniable strength, Behemoth had no motivation,
and when he was defeated by Raphael and banished to Hell, his only interest was in returning
to his former haunts and resuming his lazy way of life.

It was Belial, determined to find some use for the great beast, that provided a motivation. He
beat and harangued Behemoth, goading him to anger, and then unleashing him on El's forces
in destructive raids. But when the battle was done, Behemoth would sullenly slump to the
ground and refuse to be budged until demon handlers came to drag him home. After a few
centuries of this, Behemoth decided that the only way Belial would leave him alone was to
grow strong enough so that he couldn't be harassed anymore. He found an empathy with
people who also didn't like being pushed around. People who just wanted peace. He started
encouraging them, making up fantastic lies and pointed appeals to the inherent laziness of
humanity to build his reputation. His Deeds on the battlefield soon paled before his Deeds at
encouraging sloth and laziness, both physically and in the dreams he crafted. In time he
became powerful enough to become a God in his own right, and Lucifer saw the value in
having someone who could demoralize El's followers without a blow being struck.

Over the centuries Behemoth built up a reputation for both unstoppable strength when he was
roused and for his talents at convincing people to just enjoy life. Let the cares of the world
blow away. He took up the study of pharmacology and encouraged the use and abuse of
drugs that altered consciousness and erased motivation. People started calling him Belphegor
for some reason, and he was too lazy to bother correcting them. His pattern has been pretty
simple: do just enough, build up just enough power that he doesn't have to hear the griping
out of his peers, then laze about enjoying himself. As human society has advanced, he's found
and exploited all the many ways to encourage sloth in people. The modern world greatly
pleases Behemoth, with its infinite distractions. Why bother caring about war and progress
and all the other little things when one can get high, play video games, and be perfectly
comfy at the margins?

Behemoth walks the World infrequently. He has demons to import its' pleasures and
diversions to his principality in Hell, and Incarnating himself is such a bother. When he does
it's usually to shut up the Inner Council about his lack of Scion production for the war effort.
He tends to take on roles that allow him to skyrocket to positions of power and authority, the
better to collect the luxuries and perks due his position. Then he'll collapse back into his lazy
ways: eating and drinking and rutting, just like the good old days. He can often be found as a
drug cartel boss, an internet personality with a surprising following, or some corporate CEO
who coasts on the benefits of an executive paycheck and stock options. He's very popular in
the drug counter-culture. As a father, he's no great shakes. He likes the process of siring
Scions well enough, but if his kids aren't motivated to join his hedonistic pursuits, he has no
interest in them. He hands out relics with abandon, and really only notices his Scions when
they contribute to or detract from his own enjoyments in some fashion. He knows also that
El's cults proclaim he will have some role in their great Revelation. He doesn't much care,
unless playing to their role gets him what he desires.

Callings: Warrior, Liminal, Creator

Purviews: Darkness, Epic Strength, Epic Stamina, Beasts (Land Animals), Earth, War,
Deception, Passion (Sloth), Wild, Fertility

Azazel, God of Secrets and Wisdom

Aliases: Za-za-e'il, Azazil, Iblis, The Great Unclean Bird, The Scapegoat, The Teacher of
Truths, The Sage of Hell, The Corruptor, The Whisperer, The Lord of Dis, The Spymaster of
Hell

Azazel, like many of the senior members of the Demonic pantheon, got his start as an angel.
Unlike most of the others though, Azazel came into being after the Great Rebellion. In the
aftermath of the Rebellion there was much confusion as to why a third of the Hosts had
rebelled for one measly mortal species. El's solution to the problem was to create the Grigori,
angels of great size and strength who could blend in among the humans and learn just what
made them so special. Azazel was one of the first Grigori, and spent the years in between the
Fall and the freeing of the Demons walking the Earth and blending in with the early humans.
Azazel found that the humans were indeed special, and he came to believe that they could be
more special, with help. He didn't contemplate outright rebellion like Lucifer had, though.
His way was subtler. He would use the times he returned to Heaven to report as occasions to
steal a bit of Heavenly knowledge here and there. A book missing from the archives or a tool
left unattended. At first his aid to humanity came in the form of little gifts left where they
could do some good, but in time he became an active teacher of humanity. He knew he was
stretching his mandate beyond El's bounds, but he was often busy in the World and beyond
El's direct oversight.

Things changed when Semyaza, the chief of the Grigori, began to become enamoured of the
humans in an entirely more carnal way. When Azazel realized that Semyaza was going to go
ahead with his plan regardless of consequences, Azazel decided to make the most of a bad
situation. Let Semyaza lead with his crotch if he must, Azazel would take the opportunity to
enlighten the mortals more directly and more effectively than ever before. He became
Semyaza's chief advisor, and when the Grigori began siring and bearing children, he began
educating the children too. The Nephilim were the next stage of humanity in Azazel's view: a
better, stronger humanity. He taught them from their infancy, and they grew not just
physically powerful but advanced in science and technology. They came to take over
civilizations and improve upon them. Working in tandem with humanity, guided by Azazel's
teachings and given time to grow, they could have been something even greater than El's
vision.

Alas, that was not to be. The Grigori were cast down. The world was flooded to erase the
Nephilim. Banished to Hell, Azazel came to Lucifer's attention. The Whisperer was a valued
commodity to Lucifer's way of thinking, given how he had helped mould human society right
under El's nose. The knowledge he brought with him from Heaven was even more valuable.
But most valuable was how he and his fellow Grigori were still capable of slipping into
human society without drawing the attention of El and his followers. Over the next few
centuries, Azazel built a powerful spy network for the Demonic pantheon throughout the
World and Hell. His elevation to the Inner Council was a fait accompli. His public
adventures, the ones that got him remembered by El's cults, were often only fronts for secret
intelligence coups that gave Hell advantages El and his followers didn't know to look for. He
was happy to be the scapegoat if it kept El's followers looking in the wrong direction. Even
his public "defeat" by Raphael was a ruse, for he planted a hidden spy-demon on Raphael,
and learned much of the Archangel's knowledge and plans before the spy was found and
executed.

Azazel walks in the modern World more often than most Demons. As a Grigori, he has a
special knack for eluding the oversight of El and his followers, and he takes full advantage of
that. He's fond of educational institutions, where he takes roles as a professor or a dean and
shares the knowledge he's accumulated with rapt students. He's also fond of disappearing into
the shadows of the World's intelligence communities. He's had identities in all of the major
global intelligence services at some point or another, though he's especially fond of tweaking
El's nose by taking on roles within the Israeli Mossad. Like a true secret agent, he's a master
of shapeshifting, taking on whatever role or gender he needs to get the job done. He sires or
bears many Scions, and chooses just as many more. His Scions are groomed for their
intelligence and cunning, fed on the knowledge of their father and used as tools of Hell's
intelligence service whether they realize that fact or no. Every so often, he sires a Nephilim,
which he takes great pains to hide from the World, as El might flood the World again should
the Nephilim begin re-emerging in numbers. That this fact is lost on Semyaza and his
followers means that Azazel winds up hiding and becoming patron to his fellow Grigori's
Scions as well as his own. It suits him to keep the Nephilim hidden away, a secret strike force
for Hell's needs.

Callings: Sage, Liminal, Trickster

Purviews: Deception, Forge, Beasts (Birds, Goats), Journeys, Darkness, Passion

Semyaza, God of Lust and Depravity

Aliases: Samyaza, Shemhazai, Shemyaza, Semiazaz, The Lord of Harems, The Prince of
Pleasure, The God of Sex, The Lord of Incubi, The Doom of the Grigori, The Prince of
Depravity, The Pimp of Hell

Semyaza takes a great pride in his pedigree. He was created as one of the Grigori, the
Watchers created by El to observe and report on humanity. Like all of El's forces, there was a
strict regimentation. Semyaza stood at the pinnacle of the Grigori hierarchy, a position he felt
was his by right of being a superior being, not merely a result of being the first-created
Grigori. He masked his superiority complex when in Heaven to get assigned Earth duty, and
suppressed it whenever he thought El or the senior angels might be watching, but that seed of
self-love and pride was always there. It came out when dealing with the mortals he was
supposed to be observing. Sure, he could pretend to be one of them but he always knew he
was just better than them.
Semyaza himself isn't sure when he first noticed a particular quality of humans that made
them stand out. Maybe it was all the time he spent watching the creatures reproduce
themselves in an endless, tedious reproduction cycle. Or maybe it was one particularly
beautiful woman that caught his eye. Whatever the case, Semyaza found himself for the first
time feeling something other than boredom and superiority. He felt desire for the first time.
At first, he watched the daughters of Eve from a distance, but soon his desire to possess them,
demanded he get closer. Demanded he mate with them, and claim them as his own. He knew
that was not El's intention, but he grew not to care. In fact, he began to stoke the same desires
he felt within others of the Grigori. Not all, to be sure, but a good number of them came to
feel as he did, and began to act out their lusts towards the sons of Adam and the daughters of
Eve.

Of course, the good times couldn't last. Some busybody informed El and the Grigori found
themselves hunted down and captured by Raphael and his legions, then cast into Hell. The
good news was that there were succubi already. The bad news was that Lilith had claimed
what he felt to be his, and being upstaged by some mere speck of dust inflamed Semyaza's
pride. He set to work with a vengeance among the mortals, inflaming lust wherever he went.
He wanted them lusting for each other and he wanted them lusting for him and his kind. Let
Lilith have her passion projects and her care for the oppressed. Semyaza claimed for himself
the darker side of lust, and built mighty Deeds around encouraging that among the mortals.
Lilith found him appalling and advocated that he be imprisoned, but Astaroth said only that
he had not broken the laws of Hell. In time he had grown mighty enough to contest with
Lilith as an equal in power. Lucifer denounced him as a plague on mankind. So Semyaza
took his case to the demons of Hell directly and built a mass following among them. Faced
with the possibility that the demons might revolt against him, Lucifer reluctantly agreed to
name Semyaza a Prince of Hell and a member of the Inner Council. His principality was
Hell's pleasure pits.

Semyaza is not loved in Hell. Lilith and her succubi turn their noses up at him, so he
compensates by using the souls of the damned allotted to him to staff his pleasure houses
alongside his incubi and Grigori followers. Like Mammon, Semyaza finds that the World is
more congenial to his tastes and efforts. In the World he has been a sultan with a legendary
harem, a pimp, a Hollywood casting agent, a porn producer, and other such roles. He favours
roles that let him get involved in the World's sex trade, especially its sleazy and darker side.
He encourages the worst lusts humanity has, finding pleasure in driving others into depravity
and asserting his superiority. He can find no satisfaction without the feeling of dominating or
degrading another, another way he and Lilith differ. He opposes Lilith and all she stands for
on principle, a dangerous position when she is Lucifer's Queen and both she and the
Lightbringer despise him. Astaroth and the Demonic Inquisition are always trying to find
actionable evidence against him. Surprisingly, he and Mammon get on like oil and fire, each
encouraging the other to new highs (or lows). Semyaza produces many Scions, both human
and Nephilim, for his own lust is all-consuming. He has little interest in the moral or ethical
ones, tending to empower the beautiful, the amoral, and the perverse. Like Mammon, he
considers himself a "family man", and brings those Scions who he feels he can trust into his
shady empire, buying their loyalty and services with the oldest favours of all.
Callings: Leader, Lover, Creator
Purviews: Beauty, Deception, Passion (Lust), Health, Fertility, Stars, Prosperity, Chaos

Asmodeus, God of Wrath and Courage

Aliases: Aeshma Daeva, Asmodai, Ashmedai, Ashima, The First Son, The Avenger, The
Wrathful Lord, The Champion of Humanity

Asmodeus is unique among the Demonic pantheon in that he did not begin as an angel or
some other creation of El. His origins, in part, lie with humanity. When Adam was wed to
Lilith, he cheated on her with Naamah, the Angel of Prostitution, and Asmodeus was the
result. In later times Asmodeus would absorb the mantle of a Heroic Scion of the succubus
Agrat bat Mahlat and King David, leading to no end of confusion for mortal scholars.

Asmodeus's early years were rough. Naamah delivered him to humans outside of Eden to be
raised, and he would not see her until many years later, when she fell with Lucifer's host and
became one of the first succubi, serving under Lilith. Raised by a mortal bronzesmith,
Asmodeus would be found by his mother and claimed as a Scion by Lilith. He would go on to
build a mighty legend about himself in those early days, as a conquering warlord whose
brilliant strategies were matched only by his violent temper and his ability to coax his troops
to legendary feats. He made a name for himself in Hell's legions, and when he rose to
Godhood, it was both Lilith and Belial who sponsored him before Lucifer. The God of Wrath
and Courage made for an excellent front-line commander when Belial or Beelzebub couldn't
be at the scene, and a better, more relatable face for the rank and file demonic troops.

Time in Hell with his mother and his on-and-off flings with Lilith gentled Asmodeus in some
ways, but anger was never far from the surface. When the sorceress Raguel attempted to bind
him as a slave, he slew seven of her prospective husbands. When the Archangel Raphael
defeated him and drove him away, Asmodeus made it his business to stalk and slay Raphael's
servants en masse, a hunt that continues to this day. Later adventures would bring him to
greater infamy among El's cults, but he never forgot where he came from. He took it upon
himself to champion mortals where he could, to defend them against the threats they could
not face on their own and inspire them to the courage that drives humans to become great
heroes in their own right.

Asmodeus spends a good deal of time among the humans. He considers himself one, after all,
and will not stand for their abuse in his presence. His principality in Hell is known to be
among the safest for the souls of the damned, and he is a popular figure among Hell's lesser-
ranked demons as well. When he walks the mortal World, he is often a police officer, a
bodyguard, a security guard, or a soldier, protecting those in need. He has been a
motivational speaker and a self-defence instructor, teaching people to find their inner
courage. And when need be, he has taught them to find their wrath and strike back against
oppressors. He sires Scions to aid in the war effort, but he cares for them a great deal. He
strives to be there for his children in ways his mother could not be for him. He demands only
that they have the courage of their convictions and that they protect their fellow humans.
Callings: Warrior, Guardian, Leader
Purviews: War, Epic Strength, Passion (Wrath, Courage), Earth, Fire, Epic Stamina

Beelzebub, God of Gluttony and Consumption

Aliases: The Lord of the Flies, The Traitor Prince, The Consumer, The Imprisoned Prince,
The Disfigured One, Prince of the Air

Beelzebub is a study of contrasts. There was a time when he was a mighty commander
among the Hosts of Heaven. Nowhere near the top ranks, but still highly placed and
respected. When Lucifer was looking for recruits, Beelzebub was a canny negotiator. If he
would leave the comfort and security of his grand villa for Lucifer, he insisted that he be
given as high or higher a place in the new order Lucifer would create. This came early in
Lucifer's recruitment efforts, and Beelzebub was able to negotiate a rank as one of the
commanders of Lucifer's host, and he brought with him many legions of angels. When the
Rebellion came, Beelzebub fought as befit his rank, raining down lightning and terror on El's
followers. He was the first after Lucifer to be cast from Heaven and as he fell, he spit in
Michael's eye.

When Lucifer established order in Hell, Beelzebub came before him and reminded him of his
promises. For his valour in the Rebellion, Beelzebub was appointed as Lucifer's right hand
demon. Beelzebub was everywhere in the early centuries, overseeing the construction of
Hell's principalities and sitting in on meetings of the Inner Council. His principality was the
very airs of Hell, which he oversaw from a floating palace. On Earth he stood alongside
Belial and laid waste to El's followers wherever they could be found. The beasts of the skies
learned to fear him and answer his call, diving and striking at his command. Like Mammon,
he gathered treasures to himself but unlike the God of Wealth, Beelzebub's interest was never
in the hoarding, but in the consumption. Even in Heaven he'd had a penchant to overindulge.
Now he was unleashed to consume all he laid eyes on in an endless orgy of devouring. He
developed a reputation among El's early followers for his all-consuming appetite, his taste for
luxuries to devour, and his sheer destructive power. People called him the Lord of Flyers and
feared his coming.

When El's Scion Yeshua (Jesus) was active in the World, Lucifer made a great effort to
recruit him, all with no success. Beelzebub, who had grown fat with power and arrogance,
resented his second-place status to the Morningstar and viewed his failure to recruit Yeshua
as the final straw. It took a few decades but Beelzebub raised up a legion of traitors and
rebels and attempted to overthrow Lucifer in a grand rebellion of his own. But the
Lightbringer was stronger than Beelzebub had reckoned, and he had the support of Hell's
nobility as well. Beelzebub was mighty, but was ultimately laid low, his followers killed. In
light of his past meritorious service, Astaroth sentenced him to eternal imprisonment in the
depths of Hell with a sentence of execution to be applied should he ever betray Hell again.
His palace was torn from the skies, buried in the infinite layers beneath Hell, in a lake of
magma. Astaroth chained Beelzebub in the ruins of his palace in the chains no angel, demon,
or soul can escape and left him to scream in endless pain as the magma washed over and
burned him without consuming him.
Beelzebub's reputation grew among mortals even as his name became a byword for
incompetence and treachery in Hell. Now, when the Titans stretch the bounds of their
prisons, Lucifer finds that his former right hand can still be of use. On occasion, Beelzebub is
let out of his prison for a time, to walk the World and choose a Scion to bolster the war effort.
In any form Beelzebub is obese and hideous, deformed by his scars in war, the magma, and
Astaroth's curse. He is always surrounded by an aura of buzzing flies, and reeks of charred
flesh and spoiled food. He is incapable of siring Scions of his own since his genitals were cut
off and destroyed by Astaroth's axe, and he is never allowed out alone. He always has
powerful minders about him, sometimes including Astaroth, Belial, his old rival Mammon, or
even Lucifer himself. He's always bound in some fashion, usually by the invisible chains of
Astaroth. He chooses his Scions from among the gluttonous and wasteful, and always with an
eye towards those who might grow mighty enough to free him from his punishment. He never
has more than a few days freedom at most. Hell reviles him and sees that his Scions fall
under the supervision of another. Then it's back to his personal gaol, to writhe and curse in
eternal agony.

Callings: Leader, Warrior, Trickster

Purviews: Passion (Gluttony, Revulsion), Sky, Beasts (Flies, Flying Animals), War, Order,
Epic Stamina

Cosmology

The cosmology of the Demonic pantheon is at once simple and complex, incorporating many
Terra Incognita within its branching structure. Above all things shines Heaven. Heaven is the
inexpressibly radiant and beautiful Overworld, whose streets are paved in gold, and whose
gates shine in pearlescent magnificence. In this paradise dwell the Angels, Titans of great
might and near single-minded devotion to their maker. It is within Heaven that El dwells,
shining with presence and power enough to melt the mind and flesh of those who approach
without leave. It was from Heaven that Lucifer and his Hosts were cast, long ago. It is
Heaven that Belial dreams of returning to, at the head of a conquering army, to claim
vengeance upon the angels and the glories of Paradise for the Hellish cause.

The Demons reside in Hell, which is the region of the Underworld that the Demons crash-
landed in after being expelled from Heaven. Originally a deep and jagged pit of stone and
lava, Lucifer and his followers have had millennia to build their new home. The approach to
Hell takes one across an empty, windswept plain of crimson stone that stretches for thousands
of leagues, empty in all directions save one. Above the plain rises mountains of black stone,
and set within those mountains are the skyscraper-high Gates of Hell, formed of beaten and
enchanted steel and bronze. Past the Gates and their legion of guardians, one enters Hell
proper, which is divided up into many Principalities. Principalities, in Hellish parlance, can
be regions of space, as well as specific things or classes of things. For example, Leviathan's
principality is the oceans of hell, which surround the layers of Hell proper like a winding
sheet. But it is also the command of Hell's forges, lathes, laboratories and factories.

Each layer of Hell proceeds downward from the Gates, stacked atop one another like a series
of pancakes. Each layer encompasses entire continents in size, with many places concealed
by the metaphysical layering of Hell. There are entire worlds to be found as one descends the
staircase of black marble that neatly crosses each layer, surrounded by the phantasmal waters
of Hell's oceans that spiral around each layer. Hell has cities and plains, mountains and
forests. One need only step off the staircase to find oneself in a new world, and under the
jurisdiction of one of Hell's many Lords or Ladies. Each major Principality is itself a layer,
such as Belial's volcanic wasteland of Sheol or Asmodeus's great kingdom in Gehenna. At the
bottom of the spiral resides the Palace of the Dawn, the home of Lucifer, which occupies an
entire plane unto itself. It is from here that Hell's sun rises each day, and to here that it returns
at night. It is said that beneath Lucifer's palace lie an infinite number of layers, and it is in
these that Beelzebub is imprisoned, screaming forever in agony.

Terra Incognita: Dis

Hell is massive, but the Demons' grasp on the World is not limited to their domain in the
Underworld. They have laid claim to many Incognita in the World, from which they can
enact their hidden plans. One of these Incognita is Dis. The entrance to Dis is hidden among
the Ural Mountains, concealed with illusory trails, switchbacks and dead-ends, predatory
birds, hidden cohorts of highly trained demonic soldiers, and more. Even if one could find the
hidden entrance, passage to Dis is not possible without the key, which only Azazel knows.
The reason for all the secrecy is that within Dis lies the kingdom of the Nephilim.

The Nephilim are the children of the Grigori, a race of angels charged with observing and
monitoring humanity. They once dominated the ancient Near-East, until the Great Flood
culled their numbers. Though the Grigori were cast down to Hell, they can still produce
Nephilim children. Azazel has taken it upon himself to shelter these children within Dis. Dis
resembles a verdant forest paradise, surrounded by mountains on all sides. The land is hilly,
watered by great rivers that flow from and to an underground reservoir that never runs dry.
Everything is Dis is giant-sized compared to the World outside it, with many Nemean beasts
and birds for hunting.

The Nephilim Queen, Corinth the Sixteenth, resides from a grand palace in the capitol city of
Dispater, which resembles a city out of Earth's ancient Levant built to a giant scale. There are
other cities scattered about, each overseen by a Governor. For all that their world looks
ancient, Azazel has imported modern pleasures and weaponry. The Nephilim have a
mandatory period of military service, five years for every child upon reaching the age of
majority. They drill with ancient weapons like swords and axes, as well as the latest guns and
rocket launchers. All Nephilim serve a time with the Ural Rangers, patrolling the paths
outside their Incognita home and arranging for the nosy to "disappear". The Nephilim answer
directly to Azazel, who visits often to update and maintain the security of this hidden redoubt.

Primordial: El

The only Primordial of the Demonic pantheon is known by many names. The Demons know
him as El, while in the World he is often addressed by other names, such as God, The Lord,
Allah, Jehovah, and Yahweh just to name a few. El was the creator of all things in the
primordial past, crafting the mortal universe as one shapes clay over the course of six days.
To maintain his creation, he created the race of angels and ordered them in a strict hierarchy.
Having set the Heavens and the World into motion, he believed that all would unfold
according to his plans. The humans were the culmination of his planning. They were
creatures who shared his capacity to dream and create, and thus were made in his image. He
was content to sit back and see how well he had wrought, ordering his angels to subordinate
themselves before humanity.

It was with surprise and then anger that he watched as his chosen messenger led a third of his
angels into rebellion against his wishes. They altered themselves, becoming entities that
thought to rival or even challenge him in power. This could not stand. He backed his loyalist
angels in throwing the rebels out of Heaven and sealing them within the barren Underworld.
And then, of all things, one of his creations defied him again and freed the rebels! This
arrogant defiance of his prerogatives would not stand. He created new angels to be his
operatives and directed them to guide wayward humanity back to the ordered path he had laid
out for them. An important factor of that goal was destroying the upstart rebels once and for
all.

El has been content to let his angels and Archangels handle the planning and execution of the
War in a general sense. He made the World but he finds its' complexities and contradictions
troubling, and the spread of humanity to be unchecked. He intended that humanity would
abase itself before his greater wisdom when he cast their progenitors out of Paradise. Instead,
they've spread and grown more wilful and arrogant down the centuries, which he blames on
Lucifer and his rebels.

El has had more contact with the World than many Primordials. He's reached out to inspire
prophets and patriarchs down through the centuries, though usually through visions, dreams,
and portents rather than direct Incarnations. He sends his angels as messengers to his agents
on occasion, as well as performing miracles. He has created a Scion once, Yeshua, as part of
his plan to steer humanity back to his order, and he has plans regarding Yeshua's second
coming to the World. He regards the fact that the religions he's inspired have had such
influence in the World as being right and proper. He may have had to alter his plans some,
but he intends for his crowning achievement species to be guided back to the right path, for
their own good and to appease his sense of violation that things have gotten this far out of
hand. His love for his creations remains, even as he finds himself taking the role of the stern
disciplinarian. He firmly believes that once rebellion and pride have been stamped out of his
wayward creations, all will truly be well for them and the cosmos.

Titans

Michael: Michael is perhaps the most famous of El's angelic Host. Commander of the Hosts
of Heaven, Michael is famous for leading the loyalist angels against Lucifer's forces in the
Great Rebellion. He personally battled and defeated Lucifer, and cast him and his followers
from Heaven. The Archangel has ably overseen the growth of El's power in the World, and
shares his master's desire to return the World to order. He is not malevolent however. While
he's a staunch enemy to the Demons and their Scions, he is very protective over humanity. He
has been patron, protector, and guide to many individual humans as well as mortal
organizations. He's especially known as a patron to the military and police, though the sick
and needy often pray to him as well. Michael will never stop until the Demons are crushed
under his feet and humanity is safe from the dangerous rebellion they incite. Lucifer is his
older brother, but that will not spare him the wrath of the Prince of Seraphim when the time
comes for the Final Battle.

Callings: Destroyer, Leader, Warrior

Purviews: Beauty, Epic Dexterity, Fire, Order, War

Uriel: Uriel is less well-known than his famous brothers, but no less powerful. He holds the
rank of Archangel. Where his more famous brothers attract mortal attention and veneration,
Uriel is content to play a supporting role. He was charged with maintaining the integrity of
the mortal cosmos by El, and thus is more remote from mortal concerns. He did take action
during the reign of the Nephilim in the World, warning Noah about the impending Great
Flood. He serves as an aloof but trusted ally of the Archangels as they battle Lucifer and his
hordes, having personally seen action against Beelzebub and others of the Demonic pantheon
in numerous skirmishes.

Callings: Primeval, Liminal, Warrior

Purviews: Epic Dexterity, Fire, Sky, Stars

Raphael: Raphael is perhaps most surprised of all to discover the role he has taken in the war
effort. A scholar, musician, and healer, Raphael never imagined that he would take a role in
some of the most momentous events of the war against the Demons. It was he who warned
Adam of the dangers of sin when Eve (prompted by Lucifer) offered the forbidden fruit. It
was he who battled and defeated Asmodeus, and who, with his brother Gabriel, hunted down
the corrupted Grigori and banished them to Hell. He takes no pleasure in his war record
though. He would rather focus his efforts on healing the hurts of misguided, straying
humanity. He maintains the Great Library in Heaven, in which is contained all the knowledge
El has seen fit to bestow upon the angels. He counts Azazel as his personal enemy, and has
vowed to see the Demonic spymaster held to account in Heaven for his crimes.

Callings: Adversary, Healer, Sage

Purviews: Artistry (Music), Beauty, Beasts (Fish), Health, Water

Gabriel: Gabriel is perhaps the busiest of all the Archangels. Michael leads, true, but Gabriel
is the one conveying his orders. Ever since Lucifer rose up in rebellion, Gabriel has been El's
appointed messenger. He carries El's words to the angels, and on more than one occasion, to
mortals destined for some great purpose. On a daily basis, Gabriel and his messenger corps
carry communiques across Heaven and to and from the front lines of the war against the
Rebels. This has more than once seen Gabriel and his angels battling against the Demons,
which has necessitated that they develop combat skill. Lucifer and his general Belial well
know that taking out Gabriel would cripple Heavenly operations. In modern times, Gabriel
has taken on female form on some occasions, often when dealing with modern-day mortals.
Gabriel ascribes no special merit to gender, seeing it as a tool for carrying out the duties it
must.

Callings: Liminal, Primeval, Warrior

Purviews: Artistry (Horns), Fertility, Journeys

Metatron: Metatron is unique among the angels for long ago he was a man. He was once
Enoch, a man directly descended from Adam. In some fashion that has never been fully
explained, he attracted El's attention. El transported him from the World when he was an old
man and transformed him into a mighty angel. As Metatron, he took up the role abandoned
by Astaroth as the recorder of El's judgments. In time, he came to be placed in charge of
Heaven's day-to-day operations, freeing up Michael to more fully focus on the war. Metatron
seldom interacts with the World much these days. His duties in Heaven keep him busy. But
when he does, he often serves as a conveyor of Heavenly knowledge to those El feels need
the enlightenment.

Callings: Adversary, Judge, Sage

Purviews: Fortune, Order, Passion (Knowledge)

Shekhinah: Shekhinah is the Angel of the Presence. It is her task to serve as the interface
between mortals and El. When a mortal prays to El, under whatever name he's known by, it
filters up to Shekhinah in Heaven. She collects these prayers, filters them for importance and
sincerity, and forwards the important ones on to El. She is also responsible for overseeing El's
response to any such prayers, carrying out his wishes in the World. All angels save Gabriel
must come before Shekhinah, who never leaves her post before the entrance to the Holy of
Holies, to receive their orders and convey their reports. Because of the importance of her
duty, Shekhinah is capable of sensing across Heaven and the World, though Lucifer is
capable of preventing her from seeing into Hell and the Grigori can elude her senses too.

Callings: Adversary, Liminal, Primeval

Purviews: Beauty, Fortune, Prosperity

Azrael: Azrael holds two simple but important and interconnected roles in Heaven. He is the
Angel of Death and Renewal. Most mortals tend to forget the second part. It was Azrael who
went among the Egyptians, killing their firstborn children (and battling fiercely against the
Netjer along the way). It is Azrael who presides over catastrophe and disaster. He is also
known as Death of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, though the time has not yet come
for him to mount his dread steed. Azrael and his angels are greatly feared in Heaven, for it is
they who carry out El's judgments. While Azrael is mostly aloof and distant, he does have a
softer side. He once befriended the prophet Idris, and showed him around Heaven in a vision.
But mostly, Azrael awaits the day when he will be unleashed to purge the World of the
unbelievers, and usher in a glorious renewal of El's unquestioned dominance.

Callings: Destroyer, Liminal, Primeval

Purviews: Beasts (Equines), Death, Epic Strength, Epic Stamina, War
Phanuel: Phanuel is the Angel of Judgment, charged with assessing the souls of those who
have died. Souls who in life dedicated themselves to one of the three of El's religions wind up
before Phanuel in death, unless they've already formed a pact with the Demons. Phanuel
judges the souls based upon El's criteria for obedience, faithfulness, and morality. Those who
pass his tests are admitted to Heaven, to spend their days in praise of El. Those who fail are,
regretfully, banished to Hell to await the Final Judgment. Phanuel has always been a strict
angel, who allows no pleas of sympathy or demands of outrage stand between him and his
duty. He is not heartless but he is stern. He stands before the Pearly Gates, charged with who
gets in and out, and will not allow himself to waver from that duty.

Callings: Judge, Sage, Primeval

Purviews: Death, Epic Dexterity, Fortune, Order

Birthrights

Followers

Succubi and Incubi (•••••)

Succubi are a race of demons descended from Lilith and the few angels of sexuality. They
appear as beautiful women with bat wings, tails, and horns in their true form. Incubi are male
demons descended from Semyaza and appear much the same as their female counterparts in
their true form. Both types of demon are especially attuned to desire, sensuality, and lust, and
encourage those feelings wherever they go. A group of succubi or incubi followers can make
for powerful social persuasion, but they are mutually exclusive. Succubi will have nothing to
do with Incubi or any Scion of Semyaza, and while Incubi would be willing to work with
Succubi, they will not work for Scions of Lilith.

Archetype: Entourage
Tags: Access (the hottest clubs; sex-related businesses), Smooth, Helpful, Knack: Fluid
Appeal, Centre of Attention (Lover).

Nephilim (•••)

Averaging between 7-10 feet tall, Nephilim are giant men and women. In ancient times they
were Heroes among humanity, before the Great Flood culled their numbers. Modern
Nephilim are the offspring of Grigori members of the Demonic pantheon, frequently the
servants of Semyaza though Azazel has been known to sire some as well. Azazel keeps the
Nephilim hidden in the Incognita of Dis, where they have their own civilization, but
occasionally will lend some out for a Scion of the pantheon.

Archetype: Heavy
Tags: Savage, Tough, Defensive

Infernal 666th Legion (••••)

The services of the elite 666th Legion of Hell are not easy to come by. They hold pride of
place as Hell's best warriors beneath the Princes, and their skill and loyalty are second to
none. Occasionally, Belial or his deputy Asmodeus will lend out units from the 666th when it
serves Hell's purposes to make a statement.

Archetype: Heavy
Tags: Savage, Tough, Defensive, Group

Infernalists (•• to •••)

Various groups of mortals have pledged themselves to the Infernal cause over the eons, and
usually been hunted and killed by El's followers. The modern World is more liberal and
tolerant than in the past, and groups of Satanists and other Infernalists have achieved some
measure of recognition. The Demonic pantheon is of mixed-minds about these followers but
generally sees their utility.

Archetype: Consultant

Tags: Access (Occult sacred spaces; rich infernalists), Helpful, Smooth

Familiars (••)

Minor spirits of Hell are known as Familiars. They come in a great variety of shapes and
uses, but most will never leave the Pit. Having a familiar assigned to you is a sign that
someone in the Demonic pantheon thinks you need an eye on you and a helper as well.

Archetype: Consultant
Tags: Helpful, Defensive

Damned Soul (•• to •••)

The souls of those damned to Hell serve a variety of functions there, largely depending on
which Prince or principality they're assigned to. Damned souls can be maids and butlers,
warriors in the Infernal legions, gigolos and courtesans, just about any role a human would
fulfil in the World can be found among the Damned.

Archetype: Consultant
Tags: Access (the principalities of Hell), Helpful

Locust Demon (••••)

These creatures form elite squadrons within Belial's ranks and are used to deprive enemy
locations of food. They resemble horses with crowned human faces, women's hair, lions'
teeth, wings, iron breast-plates, and a tail with a scorpion's stinger. Locust demons work best
in large swarms, devouring and destroying all in their path. When Belial lends their services
to a Scion it means that he feels that Scion is destined to play a role in Hell's military
stratagems.

Archetype: Heavy
Tags: Savage, Tough, Group, Mob

Creatures

Hellhound (••••)

Asmodeus took some of Behemoth's lupine creations and bred this species of supernatural
animal in Hell's early years. Averaging about nine feet at the shoulder, packed with muscle,
and capable of chewing apart a car with their fangs, hellhounds have become favoured pets
for demons of all stripes. Both Belial's armies and Astaroth's police forces use them for their
keen tracking abilities. The Demonic pantheon often gives these fearsome animals out as pets
and protectors to their Scions, and they are loyal when treated well.

Qualities: Natural Weapon, Armor Piercing, Unstoppable

Nightmare (••••)

Spawned originally by Behemoth but bred in significant numbers since then, these creatures
are to horses what Hellhounds are to ordinary dogs. These equines are about twelve feet tall
and about as wide, and their hooves. tails, eyes, and manes are ever-burning flames. They
trail nightmares behind them as they step, which manifest and dance before an onlooker's
eyes. Nightmares can ride over air, water, or land at speeds comparable to a supersonic jet,
and are the steed of choice for Hell's cavalry units. Belial is reluctant to loan these steeds out,
but will for a good reason.

Qualities: Natural Weapon, Flight, Martial Artist (flames erupt from where their hooves
strike)

Tanninim (•••••)

Produced by Leviathan, a right she reserves solely for herself, these dragons are rare outside
of Hell's oceans. While they don't typically sprout as many heads as their mother, they're all
heavily armoured flying creatures. Some breathe fire, others spit corrosive acid or liquid
nitrogen. All are intelligent and loyal to their broodmother. Leviathan reserves these great
creatures for Hell's elite, or for those she thinks have the potential to join Hell's elite. She
doesn't normally let one go to anyone less than a Demigod, or a Hero who has substantially
aided her in some way.

Qualities: Collateral Damage, Flight, Unstoppable

Flairs: Apocalyptic Presence
Chimera (••• to ••••)

Chimera are bizarre amalgamations of creatures. Both Behemoth and Leviathan produce
them from time to time, though Leviathan's laboratories are a more common source of these
creatures today. What they look like and what they can do varies depending on what animals
were selected for mixing and what was bred into them by their makers. Hellish researchers
sometimes prevail on the senior deities to assign one of these creatures to a Scion for "field-
testing".

Qualities: Variable
Flairs: Variable

Sky Terrors (•••)

These great birds, about 25 feet from wingtip to wingtip, were once Beelzebub's answer to
the Nightmare. The Lord of Flyers captured and bred birds for generations, infusing them
with his own demonic powers to create a species of aerial predator that could lift even great
Behemoth's bulk if they worked in teams. The birds could be ridden into battle by trained
demons, and often accompanied the God of Gluttony into battle. After their maker's disgrace,
the Sky Terrors were semi-retired. Belial took over their breeding and care, but the birds'
vicious tempers made them less popular than the Nightmares. Now Belial mostly wants to be
rid of the beasts and foists them off on whoever he can.

Flairs: Apocalyptic Presence, Flight

Guides

Delilah, Jezebel, and Bathsheba (••••)

These three temptresses are famous for seducing some of El's holy men. Each is a daughter
and Scion of Lilith, and each of them serves as a lieutenant and assistant for their mother.
These enchanting sisters are each very busy in the World and in Hell, but they take an interest
in younger Scions, especially younger Scions of their shared mother. They offer guidance and
support for Scions in exchange for Scions helping them with their myriad tasks.

Asset Skills: Persuasion, Empathy

Guide Stunt (1-3 successes): Immediately shift your target's Attitude towards you by two in
whichever direction you choose for the scene, even if you've already succeeded at a Shift
Attitude action this scene.
Calling: Lover
Purview: Passion (Desire)
Unique Knack: Reduce the difficulty of shifting a target's Attitude towards a positive view
of you by 2 when seducing the target.
Legendary Title: The Beauty Who Brought Down A Kingdom
Valefor (•••)

The Demon of Thieves is a lieutenant in Leviathan's legions, one of her favoured servitors.
This smooth-talking, quick-fingered demon affects a rakish and flamboyant air. He takes an
interest in Scions who have potential for great Deeds, especially Deeds that involve taking
from another. His shady advice, criminal connections, and fast hands have aided more than
one Scion of the Demons in achieving their goals. Just don't ask him where he gets or fences
his goods.

Asset Skills: Persuasion, Subterfuge

Guide Stunt (2+ successes): Gain an Enhancement on any one Subterfuge or Persuasion roll
equal to successes spent for the rest of the scene.
Legendary Title: The King of Thieves

Legion (•••)

Legion is most famous for his trick of possessing others, and being cast out by Jesus.
Astaroth's chief renegade hunter is a careful and canny sort, who used the famous story of his
defeat to bolster his reputation in Hell. If it takes a Scion of El to get rid of him, who else can
hope to escape him? The canny stalker lends his non-corporeal aid to Scions who have a need
for a subtle touch and a capable hand at dealing with enemies from the shadows.

Asset Skills: Subterfuge, Culture

Guide Stunt (2+ successes): Gain an Enhancement on any Subterfuge or Culture roll to
blend in seamlessly with the environment equal to successes spent for the rest of the scene.
Calling: Hunter

Azazel (•••••)

The God of Secrets and Wisdom is Hell's Spymaster. He always keeps an eye out for fresh
talent, and makes himself available as a Guide to the most promising potential recruits.
Azazel knows many things, keeps secret many things more, and can be a reliable guide. But
he'll always find a way to make you work for his knowledge.

Asset Skills: Academics, Technology

Path Benefit: Can grant or deny access to Dis, the Terra Incognita where the Nephilim are
hidden away.
Guide Stunt (3+ successes): Gain an Enhancement on any Academics or Technology roll to
find or bury a piece of information equal to successes spent for the remainder of the scene.
Calling: Sage
Purview: Forge
Legendary Title: The Sage of Hell

Belial (•••••)
The God of War and Destruction commands Hell's many legions. He takes an interest in
toughening up Scions of the Demonic pantheon and prides himself on turning out skilled
warriors for the cause. His training might be brutal, but his warriors stand among the best of
the divine forces against the Titans.

Asset Skills: Athletics, Firearms

Path Benefit: Can grant or deny access to Hellish military support and resources.
Guide Stunt (3+ successes): Can extend the range of one ranged weapon by a number of
bands equal to successes spent for the rest of the scene.
Calling: Leader
Purview: Fire
Legendary Title: The General of Hell

Cain (•••••)

Cain is a complex figure, and really always has been. Half-brother to Asmodeus, first-born
son of Adam and Eve, Cain was born after the ill-fated Eden Experiment. His parents had
been banished from Paradise and left to wander what is now the Near-East. He and his
siblings grew up having to learn-to invent-the arts of agriculture and animal husbandry, while
struggling to survive an Earth that did not give them everything like it had their parents. Not
helping matters was the fact that Adam was bitter after being cast from Eden, and took out
that bitterness on his wife and children, creating an anger in Cain that never really died.

Cain was the eldest child, but he had a brother, Abel. As well as a twin sister, and Abel's twin
sisters. When they came of age, Cain proposed that he would marry one of Abel's sisters,
Aclima, while Abel would marry Cain's twin Awan. In this way would they carry on the
special bloodline of Eden. When Abel refused, Cain's anger began to build. He coveted the
beautiful Aclima and would not take no for an answer. Abel suggested bringing the matter
before El's judgment, in the days before Lilith freed the Demons to walk the Earth. Cain
didn't want to, but Abel convinced him. They each brought the produce of their labour, Cain
from his farm and Abel from his sheep herd. El judged Abel the winner and that's when
Cain's anger bubbled over. He struck his brother with a stone, killing him, and for this act
was labelled the First Murderer. El cursed Cain in such a way that all would know him for
what he was and placed the legendary "Mark of Cain" on him: Should he be killed, the killer
would be visited by El's wrath seven times over.

At this point Cain took Awan and stormed off, done with El and his judgments. They
travelled to the Land of Nod, east of Eden, and there settled in amongst the more normal
humans who hadn't been "blessed" by El's patronage. Cain and Awan had several children of
their own, and despite Cain's deformity, his force of personality led in time to him becoming
a leader of men. He began to build a legend for himself, and founded a city in Nod. Cain and
Awan's children would become mighty figures in the time before the Great Flood that wiped
out the Nephilim. Cain, being a Demigod at the time of the Flood, attempted to save the
world of his descendants by constructing a Terra Incognitae, but the metaphysical space
collapsed, killing him in the backlash.
Standing before Phanuel, the Angel of Judgment, Cain cursed El and spit on his works.
Phanuel banished him to Hell, where Lucifer assigned him to his elite bodyguard for one
specific reason. It turned out that the Mark of Cain had never been rescinded. Since Cain had
not died due to violence, El's curse of sevenfold vengeance was not activated. In fact, it
remains in abeyance until the time Cain is *killed*. Lucifer and Cain find it hilarious that El
can be tripped up by a loophole in his own "perfect" judgment. Cain has spent the centuries
since the Great Flood in intense training under Belial and Asmodeus. He has become a master
of weapons, unarmed combat, psychological warfare, and spycraft. Lucifer often sends him
on missions where Lucifer himself would be too conspicuous. He also serves as an indication
of the Prince of Darkness's attention. If Cain shows up somewhere, it means the Lightbringer
has taken an interest. Having lost his family and all he loved long ago, Cain has nothing to
lose and doesn't hold back in battle. His one hope is to be present at the Final Battle, where he
plans to do a suicide run on either Michael or El himself and let the Mark of Cain take them
down.

Callings: Guardian, Hunter, Warrior

Purviews: Beauty, Chaos, Death, Epic Strength, Epic Stamina, Fertility.

Relics

The Inquisitor's Cuffs (••)

Motif: None are beyond the grasp of the Law.
Purview: Order
Enhancement: +1 to rolls to restrain another in a grapple.

Astaroth is famous for her chains that can restrain any angel, demon, or soul. But Hell's chief
of law enforcement can't be there to arrest every criminal so she had these lesser imitations of
her chains forged. The Inquisitor's Cuffs take a variety of forms: bracelets, necklaces,
chokers, and other forms of decoration, including police handcuffs. They always look
ordinary save for a slight prismatic sheen to them. When clamped on to someone, they cannot
be picked or broken by any means short of a God's interference. The cuffs manifest invisible
chains that hold a ghost or a possessing spirit for later transport, and in the process neatly
separate the spirit from any host body it might be possessing. These relics are standard-issue
implements of the Demonic Inquisition, and Astaroth is known to hand them out to renegade
hunters and roving agents for the Demonic pantheon.

Lucifer's Trident (•••••)

Motif: The brilliant majesty of the Morningstar.
Purview: Sun, Fire, Chaos
Enhancement: +3 to rolls to inspire or command others
Flaws: •• (Once per arc, Lucifer requires a favour of the holder of his Trident) ••••• (Relic is
inextricably Fatebound to its' wielder and requires 2 Momentum to use each time. If lost or
damaged, the Scion suffers a geas to repair and return it to Lucifer with all available speed.)

When Lucifer launched the opening salvo of the Great Rebellion, he hefted this orichalcum
trident high and the light of Heaven's dawning sun reflected from its tines into the eyes of his
enemies. It was his weapon of choice when he battled his brother, the Archangel Michael,
and it was the thing he stole back from Michael when he was cast from Heaven. He has
wielded it since in engagements with the Hosts of Heaven. It is also his sceptre of office
when he pronounces decrees in the Throne Room of Hell. Lucifer does not often part from
his Trident, and certainly not for any trivial reason. It is said, however, that when the time
comes for his Scion the Anti-Christ to walk the World, that Scion will bear this trident. It is
not well-known that Lucifer has lent out the Trident to individuals and causes that he
considers critical to Hell's efforts in the World. But who gets it and why are solely at his
discretion.

Tags: Aggravated, Reach, Piercing, Messy

Hellmouth (••)
Motif: There in a flash!
Purview: Journeys

Although Hellmouth is one of Leviathan's traditional titles, it can also refer to these relics.
These are portable shrines, inspired by Mammon's first trip to Japan. Being Mammon, he
ripped off the idea and tried to sell it to Hell, but Leviathan wound up taking over
management and production of the relics. They appear as dollhouse-sized portable shrines
that are centred around a great door. The older models are made of gold and set with jewels
while the newer ones are far more discreet. When imbued with a point of Legend, the door
grows to person-sized. Stepping inside reveals the interior of an elevator with only one button
visible if entered from the World: a down button. The elevator debouches on a plain of red
stone. The skyscraper-high Gates of Hell are before one, set into the massive black
fortification walls surrounding Hell. Be prepared to explain yourself to the heavily armed and
armoured platoon of guards. When entered from Hell, the Hellmouth elevator features an up
button leading back to the last location the Hellmouth was used in the World.

The Thieves' Toolkit (•••)

Motif: What I want, I take.
Purview: Deception
Enhancements: +3 to rolls involving stealing or breaking into something.

Valefor, the Demon of Thieves, commissioned this set of tools from his mistress Leviathan,
paying her with the proceeds of many profitable thefts. It doesn't look like much, but that's
kind of the point. The toolkit appears as a simple belt, with a great many cunningly-hidden
pouches and compartments. Inside these pouches are a variety of tools: lockpicks, USBs
loaded with cracking programs, skeleton keys, false I.D. cards that update themselves in real
time, and all sorts of other handy aids for the thief or hacker on the go. They've greatly sped
up Valefor's own work, and he's known to lend out the toolkit to the sort of Scions who can
best appreciate the kind of assistance it can give.

Scintillating Desire (••••)

Motif: All eyes on me.
Purview: Beauty, Passion (Desire) or Passion (Lust)
Enhancement: +2 to rolls to Shift Attitude towards you in a positive fashion, especially a
romantic or sexual context.

Lilith crafted the first of these relics long ago and gifted them to her Scions and the succubi.
When Semyaza arrived in Hell, he stole a copy and reverse-engineered it to make his own.
Now Scions of both Lilith and Semyaza are known to receive these relics, much to Lilith's
anger and frustration. It's not unheard of for servants of the two Gods to fight each other over
the right to wear these relics, and woe betide any Scion caught in the middle! These relics
appear as earrings, belt buckles, bracelets, or necklaces. They are made of gold and feature a
single, multi-faceted gemstone that attracts the eye no matter where its' placed. They have a
mild hypnotic effect on those who stare at them, and are often worn in such a way that they'll
attract the eye. Lilith and many of the succubi wear them as necklaces with the jewel right
above or between the breasts for example. Incubi and Scions of Semyaza are fond of wearing
them incorporated into belts, with the gem situated over their genitals.

Black Card (••)

Motif: The flash of this card guarantees I get what I want.
Purview: Prosperity

Mammon prides himself on incorporating his Scions into his global financial web when he's
made aware of them. One way of securing their loyalty is by gifting them with these black
credit cards. They look and function like the standard black cards of the major credit card
companies, but have no spending limits on them. Each one is connected to an account that
guarantees its' owner a comfortable life. It's not unheard of for Mammon to deposit more
money in the accounts of those Scions who please him with their financial acumen, or to cut
off Scions who displease him. While Mammon came up with the idea originally, it's not
uncommon to see these relics in the hands of Scions of Mammon's ally Semyaza, or children
of Lucifer and Lilith as well.

The Devouring Shield (•••••)

Motif: All I see I devour!
Purviews: Sky, Passion (Gluttony)
Enhancement: +2 to rolls made to defend against ranged and melee attacks

Long ago, Beelzebub confronted the Archangel Uriel in battle. He came away from that battle
stuck through several times by the flaming arrows of Uriel's bow and decided that their next
engagement wouldn't end in so humiliating a fashion. He commissioned Leviathan to create
for him a great bronze shield to protect him. The Devouring Shield served the God of
Gluttony well in many battles after that, for the bird face carved into the shield would open
up and consume the arrows and blows meant for him. Beelzebub last wielded it in his failed
rebellion against Lucifer, where he discovered that Leviathan had made a chain that bound
the shield's powers. Without his vaunted protection, Beelzebub fell before Lucifer's trident,
suffering the horrible scars that weapon inflicts. Since that time, Lucifer has kept the shield
for his own uses. Sometimes he loans it out to Scions in need of protection, but seldom does
he loan it to Beelzebub's own Scions. When the shield is bestowed on a Scion, the chain that
can bind the shield and keep it from snapping at anything that gets close is also gifted.

Tags: Hard (3), Weighty, Cumbersome

Cloak of Azazel (••••)

Motif: What they can't see they can't defend against.
Purviews: Deception, Beasts (Birds)
Enhancement: +2 to Subterfuge rolls to blend in and avoid detection

Azazel crafts these cloaks personally, as tools of his intelligence service. They're called
cloaks, but they take many forms: shirts, trenchcoats, jackets. Whatever form won't stick out
in an environment. Each is woven with the down of birds and each serves a purpose. When
one of Azazel's agents is wearing one of these cloaks, they're able to better blend into a given
scene, physically and socially. More importantly, these cloaks possess the ability to turn their
wearers into birds! While in bird form, the agent retains their own mind, allowing them to fly
about and gather intelligence in an inconspicuous form. They can change back to their
original form at will as well. The type of bird one becomes is usually determined by what
down went into making the cloak, but there are some cloaks that enable the wearer to choose
what species of bird they become.

Angel Crusher (•••••)

Motif: I don't need finesse. Brute force is enough.
Purviews: Epic Strength, Epic Stamina
Enhancement: +3 to Close Combat rolls

Belial has many weapons in his personal arsenal, and many of them have legends of their
own. One of his greatest weapons is this double-headed sledgehammer the size and width of a
man. It was forged of onyx and black pearl in the fires of Heaven, and it was Belial's weapon
of choice in the Great Rebellion. To this day he wonders what would have happened if he'd
used this instead of his sword when he clashed with Archangel Michael, but he consoles
himself that he was young then, and still cared about such notions as a fair fight. He won't
make that same mistake again the next time he and Michael meet. In the meantime, he is fond
of gifting this great weapon to those Scions who he feels have the fortitude to wield it in war.
It has a storied pedigree in Hell, having been wielded by Leviathan and Behemoth both
before they became Gods, and having seen service in the hands of some of Hell's greatest
soldiers and Scions after that. Angels recognize the hammer on sight, adorned as it's grip is
with feathers torn from the wings of their fallen comrades, and have an unquenchable hatred
for whoever currently bares it. Belial considers this a feature, not a bug.

Tags: Reach, Bashing, Piercing, Unconcealable, Messy

First Time (••••)

Motif: Come on, everyone does it. It'll feel good, I promise.
Purviews: Wild, Fertility
Enhancement: +2 to Empathy rolls to convince another to relax and have a good time
Behemoth created this Relic to help him in his efforts to get the World to relax and have a
good time. It takes the form of a simple, ordinary black dufflebag, nothing special from the
outside. It's what inside that counts. Inside the bag is a cornucopia of drugs of all varieties.
Xanax mixed in with black tar heroin. Ecstasy sharing space with meth, right next to a bong
already packed full of marijuana. A good First Time also comes with all the needles, spoons,
and other paraphernalia needed to get a good high going. The magic of the bag is such that
anyone who tokes, smokes, injects, or otherwise gets high from the things inside it will
experience that mythical, elusive "perfect high". Everything seems just right after a hit from
the First Time. Unfortunately, this only works for the first hit of a given drug. After that, a
person will be chasing the dragon forever, as the other effect of the First Time is to cause an
instant addiction to the drug sampled. Behemoth and his Scions have been known to use this
to create active communities of drug users to sponge off of.

Relationships

The Demonic pantheon is something of an odd duck among the pantheons of the World.
There's the fact that they lost their Titanomachy, which sets them apart from all the others.
Many pantheons that are pro-Titanomachy, like the Devas and the Theoi, look askance at
them for that failure. Most of the Gods are too polite to say it out loud, but privately wonder
what was lacking in the Demons that they could not overcome their Titans like so many
others did. The result of their failure: the rise of a Primordial's cult into three world-spanning
religions, does not help either. Many Gods and Goddesses have memories of being confused
for, conflated with, or outright stigmatized as Demons, and some blame the actual Demons
for not doing a better job at shutting down El's followers and their effect on history.

The practical result is that while individual Demons might command some respect among
other pantheons, the Demons as a whole are regarded poorly. If they were real Gods, the
thinking goes, they would have won their Titanomachy or at the very least prevented El's
cults from attaining the power they did in the World. Again, this is the general outlook. Some
individual Demons have won respect. Belial gets on well with Maudjee-Kawiss and Ares, for
example. Lilith sometimes works with Guanshiyin Pusa, Orisha-Oko, Het-Heru, Parvati, and
Inari on projects that empower and strengthen others. Astaroth is friendly with Astarte and
Ishtar. On the flipside, few can find anything good to say about Mammon despite his
influence in the World and Semyaza is regarded as a sex pest by most of the World's
Goddesses. More than a few have had to smite him before he would leave them alone, and
he's known to actively bother up-and-coming female Heroes and Demigoddesses regardless
of the pantheon they belong to.

The Demons tend to favour the pro-Titanomachy alliance of pantheons. Lucifer has worked
very hard to get the Demonic pantheon accepted as a partner by the likes of the Deva and the
Theoi. They make inroads with other pantheons by pointing out how aggressive El and his
followers have been in the World in general, and the threat they have and continue to pose to
other pantheons. This is a double-edged blessing, as many pantheons then wonder why the
Demons haven't been able to stop El's forces. The relatively recent rise of the Satanisms is
another sticking point. If the Demonic pantheon were genuine, wouldn't they have had a
tradition of worship stretching back eons like the other pantheons? While the Demons know
they need all the allies they can get and would never publicly disparage any God, they
privately wonder amongst themselves about those pantheons softer on the Titanomachy. They
respect the Manitou's willingness to play defence, but are utterly baffled and somewhat
offended by the Orisha's stance that Titans are a mere classification when the Demons battled
Titans in the war in Heaven. Similarly, they politely keep to themselves worries about those
pantheons that intermingle with Titans, such as the Tuatha de Danann and the Aesir.

Greatest Weakness

The greatest weakness of the Demonic pantheon is that they are stigmatized and hated by a
significant chunk of the World's population. It is hard to make allies when most people are
convinced that you're out to damn them for all eternity. The rise of the modern age has been a
blessing and a curse both. A blessing, in that a person can worship the Demons openly
without being burned as a witch or having their people made war upon by El's followers. A
curse in that the Demons don't have the deep well of hundreds or thousands of years of
tradition to draw upon and find themselves having to play catch-up with the very fluid and
multicultural World. The end result is that the Demons' position in the World is less than it
could be, though greater than it has been in millennia.

Pantheon Path of the Demons

Asset Skills: Empathy, Persuasion

Virtues: Selflessness vs. Selfishness. The Demons, as they like to say, embody both the best
and the worst traits of humanity. The Great Rebellion was sparked out of Selflessness.
Lucifer desired that the human species should be free to choose its own path without being
bound by the will of a Primordial obsessed with only His own view of what was proper and
what was not. The Demons' war against El, their Fall and many of the actions they've taken in
the World, are born out of a selfless desire to benefit humanity, even if means they must
suffer pain and deprivation. On the other hand, the Demons discovered individuality and
power in their defiance of El. There is the impulse among them to run riot. To do as they
please, and to take command of these little mortal creatures that clearly cannot function in the
World without some form of guidance and control. To be a Demon is to have rejected the will
of a self-proclaimed omnipotent being, but having raised their fists in rebellion once, it can be
difficult to subordinate themselves to any other. The Scions of the Demons find themselves
torn between these two impulses: wanting to elevate humanity at their own expense, if need
be, but also wanting to claim the World for their own.

Signature Purview: Harmatia. The Demons are famous (or infamous) for their contracts.
The mortal pledges some service to a Demon, and in exchange the Demon gets their soul. To
the Demons, this is a form of symbiosis. They invest a part of their power into the World to
ensure that the promises they make can indeed come true, altering Fate in subtle ways to
fulfil their end of the bargain. In turn, the soul of the recipient not only comes to Hell, but is
guaranteed into the household of that particular demon. While contracts written in blood or
sealed with gold are traditional, truthfully it only takes two willing souls to bind their spirits
together. This Purview holds sway over the powers of Fate to ensure that the terms of a
contract are fulfilled to the letter, if not always the spirit, of the terms.

Demonic Signature Purview: Harmatia

Harmatia is a word that means "to err" or "to miss the mark". The Demons missed their mark
by failing in the Great Rebellion. But humans also miss the mark every day, in myriad upon
myriad of ways. The demons have learned that there is a type of mystic sympathy between
their plight and the struggles of humanity, and by helping one another both can achieve their
goals. By forming a contract with a person, the demon gains a means to manipulate Fate
towards a specific purpose. The human gains what they desire, the demon gains a measure of
power, and mystically links their souls in such a way that when the mortal dies, their
connection ensures that the mortal's soul comes to reside with the demon in Hell. The
contract can be spoken, written, even conveyed across the Internet if the contracting Scion so
desires. The purview of Harmatia then, is the guiding of humanity to meet their mark and in
so doing, bind the demons closer to the humanity they rebelled for and strengthen their might.

Innate Power: When a Demon enters an area, they become attuned to all the various sins and
vices of the humanity nearby. The pride, greed, wrath, sloth, lust, gluttony, and envy of
humans and supernatural creatures opens itself in the Scion's mind's eye like a sixth sense.
While the Scion does not gain detailed knowledge of each individual case, they do get a
general sense of who is controlled by what deadly sin, or mixture of deadly sins. This sixth
sense gives a demon a -2 Difficulty modifier when it comes to attempts to get a person to act
on or form a contract based on the sin (s) that are dominant in their heart at the moment.

Know the Soul's Price

Cost: Free
Duration: One Scene
Action: Complex

Ask the Storyteller what one thing a given Storyguide character in the scene most desires,
whether consciously or subconsciously. The Scion gains a +2 modifier on an attempt to form
a contract with that person based around obtaining what the person most desires.

Greasing The Wheels

Cost: Spend 1 Legend
Duration: One Session or Indefinite
Action: Simple

By imbuing more force into the contract, the Scion speeds up the obtaining of what the
mortal desires, but at the cost of the mortal becoming deeper and deeper in debt to the Scion.
The mortal becomes a Follower of the Scion for at least one session, and the Scion can spend
xp to permanently purchase that person as a follower at the same level of the Fatebond
formed after the session ends.

Your Soul Is Mine

Cost: Imbue 1 Legend
Duration: One Action
Action: Simple

By imbuing a legend, the Scion is able to briefly summon up the souls of those whose
contracts they have fulfilled. If the person is still living, they experience this as an out-of-
body sensation. Otherwise, the souls of the damned rise from Hell. While summoned, the
Scion can communicate with and command these souls as if they had the Death Purview
(even if they do not), and draw upon the bonds of their contract to gain a +2 enhancement on
any one roll.