In Nomine Material

In Nomine is a role-playing game published by Steve Jackson Games, based on a pair of French role-playing games In Nomine Satanis and Magna Veritas. The standard player character in this game is an angel or demon, serving an Archangel or Demon Prince in the War between good and evil here on contemporary Earth. (Most people, I have heard, prefer to play angels.) In Nomine is responsible, indirectly, for the existence of the Megiverse and the Inkliverse since I got in touch with Meg Yang Huoyang, lead author of the Megiverse, via the game's mailing list.

This section of the web site contains several items I have posted to that mailing list, over the years.

• "And I Feel Fine", an apocalyptic In Nomine campaign
   
• Arcangeles, an SF setting for In Nomine
• The Astral Plane, between Heaven and Hell
• Azazel, a new Demon (or something) Princess of Death
• The Bethlehem Inquiry, because some Archangels don't bother to explain
• Celestial Geography, treating the Planes as parallel worlds
• Chezeqim, Angels of Strength, a minor choir
• The College of Saints, a collective, human equivalent of an Archangel
• Cosmetic Changes that I would make to In Nomine
• Dis, a new infernal realm
• Domini Canes, the Dogs of the Lord, a minor choir
• Euhemerism, growing gods from ghosts
• Family Resemblance, in which Jean thinks about faces
• Field Trip with the Archangel of Lightning
• In Nomine Diceless, based loosely on Amber Diceless
• Jophiel, Archangel of Temperance
• Layliel, Archangel of Darkness
• Make-Up Department, alternate celestial forms
• The Nephashot and the Stigmataphers, variant saints
• The Odor of Sanctity, demon repellant
• Othniel, Angel of Time
• Principalities, guardian angels of nations
• Remiel, Archangel of Purgatory
• Reverb, when your Word leaks
• Serving Hell: why anyone would
• The Successors, a whole new batch of Archangels
• Suffragan Archangels, Archangels without Words
• Talents, the currency of Heaven
• The Uncreated, the gods of imaginary beings
• Vessicles, for when you have to get out of Limbo now

Capsule Summary of the Game

Player characters are "celestial," angels (or demons). The main defining features of your character are the choir (or band) you belong to – your celestial race – and the Archangel (or Demon Prince) you work for.

All spirits – angels, demons, mortal souls, ethereals – consist of Forces, which come in three flavors and govern character stats: Corporeal (strength and agility), Ethereal (intelligence and memory), and Celestial (will and perception).

The universe consists of three planes:

• The Corporeal Plane, the physical universe. To stay in the Corporeal for any length of time, Celestial and Ethereal beings must have "vessels," bodies, but do not need to eat, sleep, or rest, though they do need to breathe.
• The Celestial Plane, containing Heaven and Hell. Celestial beings can appear here in the form of any vessel they may have, or in their native celestial form.
• The Ethereal Plane, containing the dream realms and mythical beings, including pagan gods. Anyone can appear as anything here.

A musical theme pervades the game. The universe is "the Symphony." Angels and demons come in "choirs" and "bands." Each choir or band has a "resonnance," a special supernatural ability. Each spirit gets an "attunement" from the Superior (Archangel or Demon Prince) it works for, the attunement depending on the character's choir or band. Spirits can take supernatural damage by doing things that violate their resonnance or attunement, and this is called "dissonance." Too much dissonance causes "Discord," and too much Discord causes angels to fall and demons to go Renegade (which can lead to redemption). Special effects other than resonnances and attunements are done by "Song" (spells, really) that run on "Essence" (mana, spell-points).

The major choirs are:

• Seraphim: They can detect truth and take dissonance if they lie. Celestial appearance; winged, six-eyed serpents.
• Cherubim: Guardian angels that can always locate their charges. They take dissonance if the charge is hurt. Celestial appearance: various animals.
• Ofanim: Angels of speed, they know the way to anyplace. They take dissonance for dawdling. Celestial appearance: wheels of fire.
• Elohim: They can read emotion and take dissonance for letting their own emotions cloud their judgment. Celestial appearance: shining, sexless, hairless humanoids.
• Malakim: They can detect honor and dishonor and take dissonance if they break oaths. This choir came into existence at the Fall, in the War in Heaven; some angels of other choirs became the first malakim in the heat of battle. Celestial appearance: humanoid shadows with black wings.
• Kyriotates: They can possess one or several people or animals, but take dissonance if they allow their hosts to come to harm. They cannot normally take vessels. Celestial appearance: shining clouds full of eyes, mouths, hands, and wings.
• Mercurians: They can read a person's social relationships and take dissonance for doing violence to humans. Celestial appearance: classic white-winged angel.
• Grigori: This whole choir was exiled from Heaven for intermarrying with humans before the Flood. They are hypersensitive to supernatural activity. Celestial appearance: shining giants.

There are also "relievers," immature angels that haven't "fledged" yet.

The major bands are:

• Balseraphs: They can make you believe lies, but they have to believe them themselves and take dissonance if they are exposed. Fallen seraphim. Celestial appearance: bat-winged seraphim.
• Djinn: Stalker demons that can always locate their targets. They take dissonance if they hurt the target. Fallen cherubim. Celestial appearance: various monstrous animals.
• Calabim: Demons of destruction. Fallen ofanim. Celestial appearance: classic devils, wingless.
• Habbalah: Demons of punishment. They can inflict emotion, but take dissonance if they fail in the attempt. They all think they are still angels. Fallen elohim. Celestial appearance: self-mutiliated elohim.
• Lilim: "Deal with the devil" demons, they can cast a geas on you if you accept their favors, but take dissonance if you successfully resist them when they call in the favor. The exclusive creations of Lilith and so not fallen anythings. Some redeem and become "Bright Lilim." Celestial appearance: green with tiny horns, usually female.
• Shedim: Fallen kyriotates, they can haunt a human mind and urge them to evil, but take dissonance if the victim doesn't become a little worse each day. Celestial appearance: amoeboid blobs full of organs.
• Impudites: Fallen mercurians, they can make themselves charming and sap your Essence, but take dissonance if they knowingly let a human die. Celestial appearance: classic bat-winged devil.

There are also "imps," immature demons.

Each Superior has a "Word" – a concept that they are patrons of. Wordbound spirits below the level of Superiors form a kind of middle gentry in Heaven and Hell. All Wordbound see the world through the lens of their Words. "Word Forces" are sometimes mentioned as a fourth kind of Force included in Wordbound celestials. The only human alleged to have a Word is Lilith.

Only God or all the Archangels acting jointly can bestow heavenly Words or elevate angels to Archangels. Only Lucifer can bestow infernal Words or elevate demons to Princes.

Superiors have stated limits but are too mighty to have game stats. Among the things they can do is create new angels or demons, either fully fledged or as relievers or imps, to mature later.

The major Archangels are:

• Blandine, Cherub Archangel of Dreams, formerly Angel of Hope and still patron of hope. Opposed to Beleth. Her tower exists on both Celestial and Ethereal Planes.
• David, Malakite (formerly Cherub) Archangel of Stone, patron of loyalty
• Dominic, Seraph Archangel of Judgement, head of the Heavenly Inquisition, known for having put Archangels Michael and Gabriel on trial and wanting to do the same to Eli.
• Eli, Mercurian Archangel of Creation, missing from Heaven for the last several decades, but known to be alive and on Earth, wanted for questioning by Dominic. His angels are on their own or in service to other Archangels.
• Gabriel, Ofanite Archangel of Fire and the first ofanite. Patron of vengance and prophecy. Tried by Dominic for not delivering an accurate version of the Quran, stomped out of the trial without testifying, and now in self-exile. Crazy and getting crazier, but a true prophet who speaks the word of God to the angels.
• Janus, Ofanite Archangel of Wind, patron of change and (oddly) of theft, Heaven's own Robin Hood.
• Jean, Elohite Archangel of Lightning, patron of science and technology.
• Jordi, Kyriotate Archangel of Animals. He hates humanity for environmental reasons, to a degree that makes him almost unplayable.
• Laurence, Malakite Archangel of the Sword and current Commander of the Heavenly Host.
• Marc, Mercurian Archangel of Trade, patron of prosperity and fair dealing.
• († Metatron, the Voice of God, murdered by Lucifer in the War in Heaven, since which time God speaks to angels only through Gabriel.)
• Michael, Seraph Archangel of War, the first Seraph and the first angel. Also the first Commander of the Heavenly Host, but was tried and convicted by Dominic for pride, whereon he resigned his post to Uriel, even though he was pardoned by God.
• Novalis, Cherub Archangel of Flowers, patron of peace.
• († Oannes, Ofanite Archangel of Water, destroyed by Vephar)
• († Raphael, Elohite Archangel of Knowledge, died attacking Legion)
• (? Uriel. Malakite (formerly Seraph) Archangel of Purity, the first Malakite, successor to Michael as Commander of the Heavenly Host, called by God up to High Heaven while conducting the Purity Crusade, which aimed to wipe out all pagan Ethereals.)
• Yves, "Archangel" of Destiny, but known not to be an angel at all. Possibly a direct emanation of God Himself. Famously cheerful and enigmatic. His Library contains copies of everything written, anywhere.

Canonical minor Archangels include:

• Christopher, Cherub Archangel of Children
• Litheroy, Seraph Archangel of Revelation
• Zadkiel, Cherub Archangel of Protection
• Khalid, Elohite Archangel of Faith
• The unnamed Grigori Archangel of Song
• The unnamed Archangel of Death

The major Demon Princes are:

• Andrealphus, Impudite Prince of Lust, formerly the Angel of Love.
• Asmodeus, Djinn Prince of the Game, head of Hell's secret police, opposed to Dominic.
• Baal, Balseraph Prince of The War of Heaven and Hell, Commander of the Infernal Horde, formerly the Angel of Valor, opposed to Michael.
• († Beelzebub, Prince of Corruption, destroyed by Uriel)
• Beleth, Djinn Princess of Nightmare, formly the Angel of Fear. Opposed to Blandine. Her tower exists on both Celestial and Ethereal Planes.
• Belial, Calabite Prince of Fire, opposed to Gabriel.
• (? Gebbeleth, Prince of Secrets, mysteriously vanished)
• (? Genubath, Prince of Rapine, mysteriously vanished)
• Haagenti, Calabite Prince of Gluttony. Ate his way to Princedom by devouring at least two other Princes.
• Kobal, Impudite Prince of Dark Humor.
• Kronos, Prince of Fate, widely believed to be a balseraph but really something unknown. Opposed to Yves. Keeps an archive almost as extensive as Yves' library.
• Lilith, Human Princess of Freedom (as in "irresponsibility" and "indifference"). Adam's first wife, sole creator of Lilim, and only known instance of a human with a Word (unless it's a trick of Lucifer's). Hell's version of an extreme Libertarian, she works strictly by supernaturally enforced contracts (geases).
• († Makatiel, Shedite Prince of Disease, destroyed by Dominic and Asmodeus before he could wipe out humanity)
• Malphas, Shedite Prince of Faction. Opposed to David.
• († Mariel, Princess of Oblivion, devoured by Haagenti)
• († Meserach, Djinn Prince of Sloth, devoured by Haagenti)
• Nybbas, Impudite Prince of Media.
• Valefor, Calabite Prince of Theft, opposed to Janus. He has plagarized all Janus' attunements.
• Vapula, Haballah Prince of Technology, Hell's own mad scientist, opposed to Jean.
• († Vephar, Calabite Prince of the Ocean, destroyed by Oannes)

Canonical minor Demon Princes include:

• Alaemon, Impudite Prince of Secrets
• Fleurity, Habbalah Prince of Drugs
• Furfur, Habbalah Prince of Hard Core (extremism)
• (? Magog, Prince of Cruelty, trapped by David)
• Mammon, Balseraph Prince of Greed, once a major, but lost status in competition with Haagenti.
• († Legion, Shedite Prince of Corruption, killed by Raphael in a suicide attack)

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