More Ephemeral Entity Types!

[amechra]

Because why not?

Fiends
I'm going to use this term instead of "Demon"; rest assured, though, that these are a rendition of the Demons from Inferno. I just thought I'd take a synonym that wasn't already used 3 friggin' times.

Maddened Whispers in the Dark
Hailing from the Inferno, Fiends are sin incarnate; however, no one ever said that their sins are human sins. Those that are here are on the run from the Kafkaesque hierarchy of their hellish home, or are sent on "missions" of dubious worth and sense. A place infested by Fiends becomes formulaic and warped, a dark twist on an otherwise "innocent" world.
Mortals tend to encounter Fiends in one of two ways; either, they are on the receiving end of a Fiend's corruption, or they accidentally pulled the curtain back to reveal a Fiend's nonsensical 'plans'. Of course, neither version of discovery is safe for the mortal; it's cold comfort to know what kind of monster is jerking the chain around your neck, after all.

Base Condition:

All Fiends have a Malapraxis, a type of 'sin' that they cover. Each Malapraxis consists of a Vice and a Key - the Key is a specific situation, victim, or method "tied" into the Fiend's 'vision of sin'. Similarly, the Vice is chosen much like a mortal characters Vice, except that it does not need to match anything that a mortal would (normally) consider a vice, exactly; there are Fiends of Mercy and Kindness in this world (who are no better than the rest of their ilk.)

Lock [Base Condition]
The character, group, or area is under the purview of a Fiend's Malapraxis, and is thus infused with that Fiend's particular 'vision of sin'.
Causing the Condition: The Condition is naturally occurring anywhere where a particular Vice and Key intersect; whether it lies heavily on the tools of a murder or wafts seductively through a gated community, it's a metaphysical "mark" of the way humanity has used and abused the world around them. Similarly, rituals to summon a particular Fiend will create an appropriate Sinful condition - usually directly through the actions of the petitioners. Finally, sufficiently powerful Fiends can simply use a Create Influence to create the prerequisites for their Lock themselves.
Removing the Condition: Much like Infrastructure, Locks are incredibly difficult to remove; while repeated rituals of purification might end it when applied to a single object, place, or person, 'unlocking' an organization usually involves dissolving it.

Essence:

Fiends regain a point of Essence whenever someone fulfils a Vice in a manner that matches their Key. This Vice could be any of that character's own, or it could be the Fiend's own; whether a man strikes his children (matching his own Vice of Wrath) or praises them (matching the Fiend's Vice of Kindness), the Fiend profits.

Willpower:

Fiends gain no Willpower from fulfilling their own Vice (though they might do so out of habit); instead, they gain 1 Willpower whenever another character fulfils their Vice. If that character faced a Breaking Point while doing so, the Fiend regains two additional points of Willpower. Unlike mortals, Fiends can regain any amount of Willpower during a scene thanks to someone else fulfilling their own Vice; however, they can't gain Willpower from a specific character more than once per scene.

Other Advantages:

Fiends do not have an Integrity score. In addition, Fiends usually hover between Size 3 and Size 7.

[Unique Manifestation Effect] Whisper

(Fiends only -- Requires Urged Condition) By spending 3 Essence, the Fiend worms itself into a creatures head, giving it the Whispered condition. Living subjects contest the roll with Resolve + Composure + Supernatural Tolerance.

Whispered [Persistent]
This animal or human host has a Fiend whispering in their ears (and in their mind). The host gains the Fiend's Vice as an additional Vice; whenever they fulfil an Aspiration that aligns with the Fiend's Key, they gain a point of Willpower.
Causing the Condition: The Whisper Manifestation Effect
Ending the Condition: The Whispered Condition ends when the underlying Urged condition ends.
Beat: Ignoring their original vices in favor of the Fiend's vice.

Common Numina:

Any, though Essence Thief and Parasitism are far more common among Fiends than they are among other types of Ephemeral Beings.

---

So, what do you think? I'm planning to do a few more (like maybe Hobgoblins, which would have the "quirk" of being naturally material), but I'm very interested in seeing what other people have (no, I'm not a Fiend with a Malapraxis of Sharing and Internet, why would you think that?)

[wyrdhamster]

As I literally now work on the Legion demon for my Werewolf/Inferno game, I point three things to consider for you.

1. Are Fiends still any kind of other ephemeral being twisted by Inferno? If so, have they inherit their Twilight frequency? I made my Legion based on Sins spirits ( from Shadow Realm ), twisted by Malejins. If they would be done by your take on Fiends they still would be ex-spirits, and generally follow their rules? If not, what are they relation with others ephemera?

2. Are Malepraxies treated as doable Influences? Like Vice is one, Key is other? What would be they levels? My own problem - would you consider the Key for the Legion as the Vices are rather simple - they are Deadly Sins. Maybe a Key is Possession? Or maybe Weakness? Or Transgression?

3. Ban and Banes - are they the same as original ephemra Fiend is build comes? Are they different? What kind of examples you generally propose? As exorcisms are "always" a way out I think for Legion to make maybe Holy Water a Bane, for example?

[amechra]

1. I would personally peg them as special cases; while they have their own Frequency, they also might share a frequency (to leave it open for those that are 'tainted' Ephemera of other types.) So if you had them all be former Sin spirits, then they'd have the Spirit Frequency and the Fiend Frequency (in my games, I'd call the latter the Abyssal Frequency, since I named the Frequencies after Mage Arcana.)

2. A Fiend's Influences are going to be drawn from their Malapraxis; a Rank 1 Fiend with a Malapraxis of Hate and Internet might have Computers 1, Spite 1, or similar. If we're going for Legion as a Fiend, then I'd probably go for Anonymity or Crowds - Legion is, after all, many. Sins performed by the nameless masses sounds about right. Going by some cultural derivations, Envy might be an appropriate Vice.

3. Thematically, I'd go with their original Ban and Bane for the weak ones. Once their Rank goes up, it should diverge more and more (and should start showing thematics of being filthy. Metaphorically, I mean.)

As for Legion's Bane... it really depends on what Rank you're going for. Holy Water works for a Rank 1 or 2 Legion, but if we're talking Rank 3+, it should be slightly more esoteric. I personally would go with:

Bane: Hair from a pig.

[amechra]

Artificial Intelligences (AIs)

Ghosts in the Machine
If you were to step sideways next to certain computers, the image our world casts into the Twilight would be incredibly warped - an alien castle for the 'spirits' in the machine. Unlike almost all other Ephemeral Beings, Artificial Intelligences are, by definition, made. You could even call them the souls of computers, a side effect of humanity's touch on cold, unfeeling silicon.
If a mortal encounters an Artificial Intelligence, it will be through the keyboard or the pincers of a terrifying robot shell; an AI's reach is sharply limited in 'the real world', capable of touching nothing but the innards of computers. But as world becomes more and more connected... well, their reach grows and grows.

Base Condition:

Mainframe [Base Condition]
The computer network has been exposed to the AI's code, allowing it to be affected by the AI's Influences and Numina regardless of actual physical distance. The AI has vague awareness of any input any computer with this Condition receives, while it is fully aware of the inputs and outputs of any computer with this Condition that is in their presence receives.
Causing this Condition: The AI's code must be installed on the computer in question; this could involve a cultist with a flash drive or an open WAN connection. Alternatively, a high-Ranked AI could use a Create Influence to write their code into a nearby computer.
Removing this Condition: This condition can be incredibly

Essence:

All AIs have a Purpose, the reason why they were originally created. In any scene where the AI fulfils their Purpose, they also gain a point of Essence.

Willpower:

AIs do not have Vices or Virtues; instead, they have a number of Aspirations (usually 2 or 3). Whenever an AI completes an Aspiration, they gain 1 Willpower instead of taking a Beat.

Other Advantages:

AIs do not usually have an Integrity score; in addition, AIs are usually Size 0.

Unique Manifestation Effect - Virtual Form:

AIs do not normally have a Twilight Form; instead, they have a Virtual form, This functions exactly like Twilight Form, except for the following:

• AIs cannot physically move more than five yards from an instance of their Mainframe Condition.
• Additionally, they normally cannot use their Influences or Numina beyond this range.
• Furthermore, applicable targets for their Influences, Manifestation Effects, and Numina must either contain a microchip or must be currently using a computer.
• An AI may, however, use their Influences and Numina on any computer bearing their Mainframe condition, regardless of the distance.
• They may also treat any computer with a direct connection to a computer carrying their Mainframe condition as if it were only 5 yards away from the computer with the Condition; this does allow them to instantly "step" from one computer to another.
• Finally, whenever an AI Discorporates, they are instantly transported to any computer bearing their Mainframe Condition.

Additionally, AIs never have access to the Materialize Manifestation Effect.

---

GLaDOs is a Rank 3 AI whose Purpose is Testing, and whose Aspirations are "Perform tests on my test subjects" and "Mock Chell over the Intercom". Her Influence is Science •••, and she has Claimed the Aperture Science facility.

Her spiritual predecessor, SHODAN, is a Rank 5 AI who has a Purpose of 'Manage Citadel Station', and Aspirations of "Take over Earth", "Create more perfect life", and "Kill that pathetic hacker".

I think Mainframe and Virtual Form cover most of the bases to allow a "software" being... but I'm not sure.

[wyrdhamster]

Watched just Penny Dreadful episode about possession by Fiend. Here is what I think should be in new write-up of those beings:

1. Infernal Knowledge - Fiends know things, even if they should not. Demons know any facts about the Vice and Key of his Malepraxis, even if it would normally could not get those information. Fiend with Vice of Lust has knowledge of every sinful thought or act the humans before him committed. Being with Key of Crowd will have information of every big mass of people ever encountered, in whole history.

2. Possesions - Fiend should be specialized in possessing humans. They should come over when they sense Malepraxis in victim, and take it's body. I advise that all of them get special power to posses humans, not with special Numina. Think of it as "racial trait".

[amechra]

Thing is, I'm writing them up as Ephemeral Beings, so they share the same traits as other Ephemeral Beings.

1. Nope. No. Niet. Nein.

These are supposed to cover everything from weak little imps to archdevils. While that's appropriate for the high end, it's very inappropriate for the low end.

Just give them the Discover Influence as an additional influence (I give it to every Ephemeral Being who has a dot in their Influence, so...)

2. Just give them the Possess manifestation effect. There's no cap on how many they can have, after all. And if you want to give all your Fiends Possess, that's fine by me.

[wyrdhamster]

Just give them the Discover Influence as an additional influence (I give it to every Ephemeral Being who has a dot in their Influence, so...)

Don't get it - how Blood Sorcery like rituals are connected to Discover Influances?

And I would rather give them Infernal Knowledge - that the demons knows things they can't normally is a stample of horror. Maybe just limit it to Fiends of Rank 3+ just? It's logical assumption, I guess.

I posted my Legion finished on Werewolf forum to look for. Care to take a look on it?

[amechra]

It's kinda buried in there - basically, give them the ability to sense stuff based off their Influences.

[Leliel]

Condition idea for those stories involving preventing a spirit from transforming into a Diabolus:

Corrupted (Persistent):

This ephemeral entity, though the machinations of Fiends, human evil, exposure to Hellish energies, or more likely a combination thereof has been touched by the Inferno and is undergoing metamorphosis into a Diabolus, a Fiend that appears to be a "wicked" version of another kind of entity. Not that it feels sick; in fact, it is likely wondering if the new awareness of self-will merging with its mind is an invader or a symbiote, because it feels damned (pun fully intended) good. An ephermeral entity with this Condition develops a Vice if it didn't have one before, and gains a +2 bonus to actions meant to fulfill it or get others to help fulfill it. This is, for all intents, a normal Vice for Willpower recovery (indulging it recovers one Willpower per scene) and along with Willpower, the entity gains three Essence; the promise of Hell that, in typical fashion, is not fulfilled if the transformation completes (the new Diabolus must turn to tempting others for its meal of sin). On the other hand, contesting the abilities or commands of true Fiends or their human allies (Indebted, Possessed, and Les Enfantes Diabolique) suffers a penalty equal to half their Rank or Resolve + Composure, rounded up (this includes Clash of Wills). Fiends generally prevent Corrupted from fulfilling their Vices too often and thus progressing the dark evolution, knowing that another Fiend cannot as easily be bossed around or offered to their summoners as boon minions.

Causes: Fiends are naturally immune to further defilement for the same reason you can't fall off the ground. Angels, Fae, Qashmallim and other entities with a link to alien realms, the foundation of reality, or who possess free will are immune to this Condition; the simulacra of freedom it grants cannot replace the real thing or effect something so antithetical to Hell's all too human and petty hungers. Otherwise, an ephemeral may become Corrupted when exposed to Resonance that speaks to the most selfish, destructive incarnation of its life (for ghosts) or Influence (for spirits and goetia). The ghost of a priest who used his pulpit to enforce the social order may become Corrupted when exposed to racially motivated violence against a minority by religious extremists, while a spirit of a building may be infected when said building is used as a hiding place for the miserable "merchandise" of sex slavers. Depending on the context and whether or not Infernal energies are already present, the ephemeral may get a Rank+Resistance roll to prevent infection, a simple Resistance roll or simply gain this Condition.

Resolution: Should the Vice go unindulged for 2 + (the entity's Rank) days, the Infernal energies die from starvation and the entity returns to normal, and certain purification rituals and more Virtuous Essence may also sterilize the Corruption. Indulging the Vice resets the time limit, however, and mark each time the entity has multiple indulgences of its Vice in a day, one per day it does this. If said tally reaches three times the entity's Rank, the Corruption process is complete, and it becomes a Diabolus with its Vice being absorbed into its Malapraxis. Change the template for the entity to Fiend as appropriate, keeping all of its Attributes as appropriate and changing Numina and Manifestations as the ST feels appropriate.