Category: In Nomine

In Nomine Revisited: The Super-Soldier Serum.

OK, I’ll admit it: I’m kind of wiped. Long day and it’s the end of the month, which means revisions and whatnot. And since superhero movies are topical right now…

 

Super-Soldier Serum – Google Docs

The Super-Soldier Serum

The name is, of course, highly derivative of a classic comic book concept. So is the idea of the serum itself, which suggests that someone in the military bureaucracy of the time either had a sense of humor, or else no creativity whatsoever. Or possibly both; while odd to contemplate, there’s no reason why a person might not demonstrate both traits.

Continue reading In Nomine Revisited: The Super-Soldier Serum.

In Nomine Revisited: Special Crimes Division (The Stakhanovites).

Special Crimes Division – Google Docs

Special Crimes Division

(“The Stakhanovites”)

In theory, being assigned to Asmodeus’s (Demon Prince of the Game) Special Crimes Division should be equivalent to a slow death sentence. It is well known that Asmodeus reserves membership in it to those of his Gamesters who are credibly suspected of dissatisfaction, altruism, piety, angelic-deviationism, thoughtcrime, excess Revolutionary zeal, equivocalism, accommodationism, Peacemongering, not enough Revolutionary zeal, humanocentrism, unsanctioned rebellion, and punning. Worse, the Prince uses the SCD to investigate ideologically inconvenient crimes, delicate political scandals — and, shockingly, outrages committed against damned souls. Unreliable personnel assigned to situations ready to explode; clearly, those trapped in the SCD are doomed demons walking.

Continue reading In Nomine Revisited: Special Crimes Division (The Stakhanovites).

In Nomine Revisited: Celestials Unchained.

Celestials Unchained

For a secret society that recruits equally (and pretty much exclusively) from Outcasts and Renegades, Celestials Unchained (CU) is surprisingly active; and for a group deemed by both Heaven and Hell to be both collectively and profoundly insane, it is surprisingly effective. It is generally assumed that the latter is despite of the society’s core beliefs, not because of them; The CU worldview draws equally from conspiracy theory, clinical paranoia, and profound nihilism, and it shows. It’s very difficult for a non-Remnant celestial to degrade to the level of a homeless human ranting about mind control rays, but the members of CU are up to the challenge. Indeed, they often surpass it.

And yet, the group persists. Continue reading In Nomine Revisited: Celestials Unchained.

In Nomine Revisited: The Golden Heart of Quetzalcoatl.

Golden Heart of Quetzalcoatl – Google Docs

The Golden Heart of Quetzalcoatl

Well, not really. It is golden, it is shaped like a human heart, and it is Aztec in origin, but Quetzalcoatl didn’t make this particular reliquary/3. It’s not a particularly fancy reliquary/3, either; the gold is of fairly impure quality and the workmanship is mildly crude. The Golden Heart of Quetzalcoatl is an only mildly useful item: it can only be recharged while smeared with the blood of a willing donor, and offers no particular benefits otherwise. And yet, Heaven and Hell have been fighting over it for the last thousand years.
 Continue reading In Nomine Revisited: The Golden Heart of Quetzalcoatl.

In Nomine Revisited: Panthalassa.

There’s a sourcebook in here, I swear. Not that we’re getting official In Nomine content again any time soon. But there’s something here.

Panthalassa – Google Docs

Panthalassa

It startles people when they notice: Heaven has no oceans.

There’s a space for one, sort of.  To one side of Jordi’s Savannah is an area best described as “not defined.”   It isn’t empty, because “empty” is a definition, as is “blank,” “vacant,” and “formless.”  There should be something there, and there isn’t, but nothing else can take up the space.  And it’s definitely supposed to be an ocean. It’s obvious by looking, although “looking” is the worst word — except for all possible others — to use to describe the action.  

Continue reading In Nomine Revisited: Panthalassa.

In Nomine: Raphael, Elohite Archangel of Knowledge.

I wanted to see if I could still do this in half a day.

Raphael, Elohite Archangel of Knowledge – Google Docs

Raphael

Elohite Archangel of Knowledge

The world is a Truth for us to find.

When she lived, Raphael was one of the four Archangels that supported the world. Her remit was the Word of Knowledge; she shared with Jean, Elohite Archangel of Lightning, the responsibility of presenting the Truth to corporeal humanity, in ways that mortals could grasp.  Like Jean, she was unwilling to simply hand out Knowledge freely, for fear that reckless humans would hurt others with it; or worse, themselves. However, Raphael always did inherently trust mortals better than Jean would, or perhaps could.  This inherent tension between them made the two better partners — and spouses.

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In Nomine: Lucius Matinius Corvus.

Lucius Matinius Corvus – Google Docs

Lucius Matinius Corvus

Potential Soldier of God

 

Corporeal Forces: 2 Strength: 4 Agility: 4

Ethereal Forces: 2 Intelligence: 4 Precision: 4

Celestial Forces: 2 Will: 5 Perception: 3

Status/3 (bureaucrat)

 

Area Knowledge (Home City/3), Knowledge (Local Laws/3, Christian Theology/2), Language (Aramaic/2, Greek/2, Latin/3), Running/1, Small Weapon/1, Swimming/1

 

Advantages: Blessed

Continue reading In Nomine: Lucius Matinius Corvus.

In Nomine Revisited: THE DEVOLVO RAY!!!!!

THE DEVOLVO RAY!!!!! – Google Docs

THE DEVOLVO RAY!!!!!

Sorry about that: Vapula, Habbalite Prince of Technology, always shouts out the name when he refers to this weapon. His researchers have gotten into the habit as well. That sort of thing is just an occupational hazard when you work for Vapula.

Physically, THE DEVOLVO RAY!!!!! screams Vaputech: the ‘handheld’ version resembles a cross between a jet pack, the hose and spout from a gas tank and a set of rapidly blinking Christmas lights. The large version looked like it came direct from the set of a bad 1950s science fiction film, down to the pipe organ that was apparently an integral part of the design. Anyone who sees either version, and knows about Vapula, will instinctively either dive for cover or lob a grenade at it: it simply looks like bad news.

It is.

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In Nomine Revisited: Elahinoor.

Elahinoor – Google Docs

Elahinoor

There is no one ‘official’ material used by the Host for its arms and armor.  Every Archangel has his, her, or its own personal opinion on what would be suitable; and the essentially feudal nature of Heaven precludes any sort of universal standard.  That being said, weapons and armor constructed of Elahinoor are popular.  Not too popular — the manner of their construction has awkward resonances to the angelic mindset — but not rare, either.

Elahinoor is solidified and shaped light, in much the same way that diamond is a crystalline form of carbon; the description is accurate enough, but neither descriptive nor evocative.  To make Elahinoor one needs an authentic artificer (i.e., one with the Enchant skill) and several specialized pieces of equipment, including a ‘Phial of Galadriel’ (see below).  The ‘raw’ light is teased out and induced to adhere to a grid of very thin glass threads.  Once fixed, the grid of glass and light is beaten, folded and re-folded in a manner similar to the forging of Damascus steel, with the same general result; a material that is both supple and strong.  Elahinoor is also considerably less massive than its equivalent in steel. Continue reading In Nomine Revisited: Elahinoor.