Abatha
Habbalite Demon Princess of Madness
The world is an asylum and madness the only release.
“I don’t want to go amongst mad people”
“Oh, you can’t help that. We’re all mad here. I’m mad and you’re mad.”
Alice and the Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
One of Hell’s more up-and-coming Princes, Abatha rose through the ranks of Nightmares to her current position–and no one could be more surprised than her former mistress. Abatha once served under Beleth, focusing on different aspects of nightmares. In the Marches, Abatha would play with dreamspheres, projecting various songs at them, just to see what would happen. During her time on earth she spent much of her time forcing waking nightmares on people, traits later called by humanity madness and insanity. She discussed theories and worked with other demons of all Words in her quest to understand the psyche of humanity and how best to punish them.
In the early 1500’s, after collaborating with other demons to spread madness through Europe via a disease called Syphilis, she was smiled upon by Lucifer himself and granted the Word of Madness. While Beleth was aware of her servitor’s popularity amongst others, she was still alarmed at Abatha’s growth of power and wary of rumors that the newly Worded demon was gaining followers on the corporeal realm, Beleth reassigned Abatha to “reconnaissance” of the Far Marches. It was largely speculated that the demon of Madness was not supposed to return from her journies and that Beleth had made deals with powerful ethereals to be rid of her servant, but Abatha did return–a century after she was sent out–and with a great deal of notes about nightmares and madness.
Some say it was Abatha’s time in the Far Marches that warped and twisted her, other demons argue that she was warped and twisted from the moment her forces were gathered to create a Habbalah. They all agree that while she may be brilliant, she’s less stable than most. Abatha enjoys inflicting fear, but she equally relishes in inflicting and examining all of humanity’s mental imperfections. It’s so obvious to her exactly how weak these humans were and are.
Since the formation of Hell, there have been tales of undiscovered Principalities, or areas hidden by Lucifer himself. Abatha was the first to publicly announce a previously undiscovered portion of Hell, named Pandemonium. This small domain existed close to Beleth’s tower, and some of the Horde found amusement that the Princess of Nightmares had never seen it. Lucifer granted Abatha both the realm and her princessdom shortly thereafter. While it’s possible the ever-shifting realm was simply never discovered until the Demon of Madness wandered into it, speculation regarding bargains made with Ethereals or Lucifer are whispered through all corners of Hell.
The Princess of Madness, while obviously intelligent, can be dangerously and unexpectedly volatile. She is the embodiment of her Word. The gossip of other demons has listed her as manic-depressive, schizophrenic and obsessive-compulsive–to name a few–in their diagnoses. There’s no denying it, however; even though the Princess is new to her power and despite her madness, she gets things done. Though she is a Demon Princess and has a fairly strong following, she has never been a major player in Hell’s politics. Like Pandemonium, she lives in the shadow of Beleth. As the War continues, however, some Princes are debating who should really be governing the Marches.
Abatha appears as a short, albino female. While her form is attractive, there is something vaguely unsettling about her eyes and demeanor, which disturbs both servitors and other Princes.
DISSONANCE
Abatha’s demons must live with the madness of their own Princess. No one is quite sure what is dissonant to the servitors of Madness, but almost all but the luckiest eventually feel the pangs of dissonance. Every day there is a one in six chance the demon will feel the pangs of dissonance. (Each sunset, as the demon regains a point of Essence, roll d6. If the result is 1, the demon will suffer a point of dissonance.) If undealt with, every three points of an Abathan’s dissonance will converted into a level of Ethereal Discord.
SERVITOR ATTUNEMENTS
Rather than granting Attunements to specific Bands, the Princess of Madness doles out random Attunements upon creation and as rewards. To determine the Attunement given to the diabolical upon creation roll 2d6. Additional Attunements cost 10 points and once again 2d6 is rolled. If the demon already has the Attunement rolled he may roll again.
| 2 | Duality This Attunement allows demons to inhabit a maximum of 2 vessels, the sum of the vessels’ levels must not exceed the demon’s Corporeal Forces. A Shedite with this Attunement may possess 2 humans, whose total Forces do not exceed the Shedite’s total Forces. However, filtering input between the two vessels (or hosts) is very difficult, a Perception roll must be made every 6 hours. If the roll fails the demon will not be able to determine which vessel (or host) is where for the next 6 hours, for example the Dualic Abathan might hear a question in one vessel and answer it with the other. If the demon exits one vessel before six hours has ended, he will experience the remaining hours of his Duality success or failure the next time he inhabits 2 vessels. |
| 3 | Obsessive Compulsive Abathans with this Attunement may choose to ‘obsess’ over an item or deed for a number of hours equal to their Ethereal Forces. They gain a + (Celestial Forces) to any roll that deals with the object of their obsession. Demons using this Attunement are also at a – (half Celestial Forces [rounded up]) to any actions that do not deal with their obsession. |
| 4 | Phobia With a successful Will roll, a victim of Phobia will suffer a Phobia of the demon’s choice for a number of hours equal to the demon’s total Forces. The victim may attempt to resist with a Will roll. |
| 5 | Dementia On a successful Will roll everyone within CD yards suffers vertigo and hallucinations for CD hours. Those who fail a Will roll to resist are at a -(Abathan’s Celestial Forces) to all rolls until the Dementia wears off. |
| 6 | Paranoia Similar to Malphas’ Imbroglio, while this power is active everyone within (demon’s Celestial Forces) yards takes everything said around them in the most threatening way. They will think that the speaker refers indirectly (or directly) to them – and not in a good way. Victims must make a Perception roll to avoid miscommunication. |
| 7 | Hyperactive To activate this Attunement the Abathan must make a Precision roll. Successful rolls will give the diabolical (CD/2 [rounded up]) moves during the next round. The additional moves may not be used for Songs or other Attunements. However, for a number of hours equal to the Check Digit the demon falls under the same Dissonance penalty as an Ofanite, inaction will be dissonant for them. The number of hours will be compounded each time the demon uses this Attunement while still Hyperactive. |
| 8 | Acousma Servitors of Madness with this Attunement can make other celestials ‘hear things’ in the Symphony that are not there. An Abathan can make a Will roll, a disturbance in the Symphony will appear up to CD miles away. The disturbance is equal to double the amount of Essence the demon spends. If the will roll is failed, however, the disturbance will occur where the demon stands. |
| 9 | Dependant Lilim of Abatha love this Attunement. With a successful Will roll, a victim of Dependant will suffer a Need of the demon’s choice for a number of hours equal to the demon’s total Forces or until the Need is fulfilled, whichever comes first. The victim may attempt to resist with a Will roll. |
| 10 | Kleptomania The demon can make a corporeal object (no heavier than 1 pound per Essence spent) vanish for a number of minutes equal to his Celestial Forces. It reappears later with the demon, wherever he is, and makes no disturbance within the Symphony as long as no one observes the vanishing or reappearance. |
| 11 | Panic Attack The victim of a Panic Attack will suffer a minus on all rolls equal to the demon’s Ethereal Forces for 10 minutes. The victim will have palpitations, chest pain and lightheadedness. The power may be resisted with a Will roll. |
| 12 | Tourette’s The target of this power will speak backwards for a number of hours equal to the demon’s Celestial Forces. Any Songs performed will have the reverse effect than the victim intended. For example, the Corporeal Song of Healing would actually damage the target. Angels have found that purposefully using incorrect Songs will still backfire. The intent of the effect is reversed, not the Song itself. The power may be resisted with a Will roll. |
ADDITIONAL SERVITOR ATTUNEMENTS
These attunements may only be bought during game play and are only offerred if the Demon has performed especially well, yet not well enough to earn a Distinction. The attunements cost 10 points each and 1d6 is rolled to determine the actual attunement received. If the demon already possesses that attunement they may re-roll on either table.
| 1 | Psychiatry The demon with this attunement may activate this power with a Will roll, the victim (who may resist with a Will roll) will then blame every one else around them for any problems that might be in their life, vocally and sometimes violently for a number of hours equal to the CD and the Abathan’s Celestial Forces. |
| 2 | Overconfidence The demon not only feels more powerful than they are, they become more powerful, too! With an expenditure of 3 Essence and a successful Will roll, the demon with Overconfidence may raise CD levels in 1 Characteristic for (Ethereal + Corporeal Forces) minutes. |
| 3 | Narcolepsy With a successful manisfestation of the demon’s will, the target of this attunement (mortal or not!) will fall asleep for (CD + Ethereal Forces) hours. It may be resisted with a successful Will roll. |
| 4 | Hysteria The victim of this attunement will become unfocused and irrational, suffering a -(demon’s Celestial Forces) to all Intelligence, Perception, and Precision based rolls. The victim may resist with a Will roll, and is activated by a Will roll from the demon. The victim will suffer the effects of Hysteria for CD hours. |
| 5 | Psychotic For a cost of 4 Essence and a successful Will roll all physical disturbances caused by the demon are (CD x Corporeal Forces) less than they would normally be. For example a demon with Psychotic activated could break a chair or hurt a human with a much lesser effect to the Symphony, however Essence expenditures are not masked with this attunement. The effects of Psychotic lasts for 1 hour. |
| 6 | Committed Need a quick get-away? This attunement has frustrated angels everywhere. With a successful roll against (Ethereal + Celestial Forces) and an expenditure of 5 Essence the demon will vanish and appear in the nearest asylum or mental hospital no matter how far away the nearest one is. However, this does cause a disturbance equal to the demon’s remaining Essence and total Forces on both sides. |
DISTINCTIONS
Knight of the Gaze
The Knight has the ability to see Dissonance and Discord swirling in a target. Within a number of feet equal to their Celestial Forces they can tell exactly what Discord the target has and how much.
Captain of Disturbance
For the cost of 5 Essence a demon of this rank can force the Dissonance of another Celestial into the Ethereal or Celestial Discord of his choice! This may be resisted with a Will roll. Captains of Disturbance are fond of forcing the Cowardly Discord onto unsuspecting angels and renegades.
Baron of Insanity
For 9 Essence a Baron can change a Celestial Discord into a different Celestial Discord, or an Ethereal Discord into a different Ethereal Discord of his choice! This may also be resisted with a Will roll.
Higher Distinctions
The Princess of Madness’s higher ranks – Rook and Bishop – are granted to those who please her or personally expand her power. Those with the distinction of Rook are often placed in charge of areas in Hell and on the corporeal realm, watching over all the demons of Madness who enter. Bishops are only found in Hell. They keep watch for possible traitors and offer advice to young scrots and newly-fledged demons. The final two higher distinctions that Abatha gives are her chief lieutenants and have the difficult task of keeping track of Abatha when she is in Pandemonium and reporting her orders to other demons. The ranks Red Queen and White Queen are equal in terms of station and are second only to Abatha in Pandemonium.
RELATIONS & POLITICS
Allied: Beleth, Belial, Malphas (Belial and Kobal are allied with Abatha)
Associated: Andrealphus, Vapula (Beleth, Malphas and Valefor are associated with Abatha)
Hostile: Asmodeus, Kronos (Baal, Lilith and Vapula are hostile to Abatha)
Enemy: Nybbas, Saminga (Haagenti and Saminga are enemies of Abatha)
BASIC RITES
Perform electroshock therapy on a patient
Cause another celestial to gain a point of Dissonance
Spend 8 hours in Beleth’s realm
EXPANDED RITES
Abatha occasionally offers additional Rites as rewards.
Read the unabridged, collected works of Edgar Allen Poe from cover to cover in one sitting.
Spend 2 hours in a group therapy session
Free a person from an asylum for the insane
CHANCE OF INVOCATION: D6
INVOCATION MODIFIERS
+1 A copy of Catcher in the Rye
+2 Artwork by Van Gogh or Escher
+3 A straight-jacket
+4 In a mental institution
+5 In a padded cell
+6 In an asylum for the violently insane
PRINCIPALITY: PANDEMONIUM
To the left and far below Stygia, Pandemonium extends from near Beleth’s Tower to Gebbeleth’s Garden of Stones. The landscape is described as “the combined work of M.C. Escher and Lewis Carroll after a few hits of LSD”. It is a twisting, turning series of caverns, hallways and staircases that seem to have no rhyme or reason. Color is everywhere, in checkers, in spirals and in blotches reminiscent of a Rorschach inkblot test. From deep within Pandemonium there are dark passages that extend into the Lower Hells, left open for all who care (or dare) to use them. Pandemonium itself can only be entered through a few spiraling staircases that lead downward.
Those who visit don’t stay long. There are portions of the caverns in which one can not tell which way is up, pits that look bottomless are actually only a foot deep, and pits that look a foot deep are bottomless. The topography of Pandemonium seems to change for a visitor each time and souls and servitors of Madness may find themselves lost or trapped. In fact, only the Princess of Madness herself seems to navigate effortlessly through her realm.
Expanded details at In Nomine: Abatha Expanded
Recent Comments