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In Nomine: Soldiers of Humankind

In the setting of In Nomine, Heaven and Hell often fight on earth for the fate of humanity. But what happens when humanity decides they no longer want their planet as a front for the battle and decides to expel them all? The Soldiers of Humankind can provide a new challenge for any celestial campaign.

Disillusioned, Disenfranchised, and (Re)Dedicated

Twenty years ago, three Soldiers of God and two Soldiers of Hell met a teenager named Solomon Green. The boy, a demigod, was supposed to be a target: a threat to both sides of the War. As the soldiers investigated and gathered information for their celestial superiors they became enamored and protective of the sixteen year old football player. He had a natural charisma and leadership. And there was a human sort of goodness about him that few angels possessed and that won over the servants of hell. When ordered to kill Solomon Greene all five soldiers defected and became the boy’s protectors.

Solomon learned about the Host’s and the Horde’s forces on earth, both celestial and corporeal. He gathered knowledge of ethereals and sorcerers. He already knew how to fight, but now he learned to kill. And before his eighteenth birthday he had transformed from a person to be protected to a leader of a new player in the War: the Soldiers of Humankind.

The ranks of these new forces began to grow, recruiting from Soldiers of God who had become disillusioned by how nasty some angels could be and Soldiers of Hell who had realized there would be no reward in exchange for their service or their souls. The army grew to include potential soldiers who had not been tapped, demigods, sorcerers, prophets, mortals who have been made aware of the War, and a celestial crossbreed.

Twenty years ago they were five ragtag defectors and a teen. Now they are a global network with a singular goal: Hinder the celestial presence on earth.

Operations

There are small teams, or cells, of the Soldiers of Humankind network around the world. These squads are usually made up of 3-13 key members, plus outside resources and confidants who may be unaware of angels and demons here on earth. Most members of the organization go through a crash course of military, urban, and guerrilla warfare training; drawing and sharing practical knowledge from their various backgrounds.

Though all members of Soldiers of Humankind know how to fight, they rarely target celestials directly; they know there is little that can be done to stop a demon or angel completely. They might be able to destroy a body but it takes more than that to destroy an otherworldly being forever. Instead, they focus on Tethers. If they can physically destroy a tether with no or minimal loss of civilian human life, they will. Otherwise, they will begin campaigns that affect the meaning of the Tether, disturbing its Symphonic resonance. When possible the Tether will be attacked via financial means, stripping away ownership and names. Soldiers may attempt to alter the nature of the Tether by creating extremely memorable events around the area that make people think of the event rather than the current Word focus.

To the outside world, they are seen as political activists and militias. As such, the Soldiers of Humankind try to keep their presence as hidden from humanity as they do from celestials. Most governments would issue a watch or crackdown if they were aware of how dangerous the group can be.

Arsenal

Even if they didn’t have training before their recruitment, Soldiers of Humankind learn how to wear military-grade armor, fight hand-to-hand, fire pistols, and fire some sort of rifle. Many others may train in demolitions, heavy weaponry, or sniper rifles. They’re not a military and their foe is, overall, immune to physical harm, but the might does come in handy as protection.

Along with more earthly combat method, most members also know at least one Corporeal Song. A cell typically has one or two relics, artifacts, or symphonic gadgets (see the Corporeal Player’s Guide, page 121).

Their greatest strength against the Host and Horde is that they belong on the planet. Any move against them causes Disturbance and harsher moves can cause Dissonance—its why Soldiers of God and Soldiers of Hell existed in the first place. This isn’t a strength they flaunt, but they will use it if need be. Sometimes causing one side to “jangle” the Symphony enough will bring in the other side to investigate and make them fight amongst each other.

Heaven and Hell

To Archangels and Princes, interference by these humans are each isolated incidents and they are not yet aware of an actual organization. Reactions of the Superiors would be mixed, to say the least, if they found out about the renegade Soldiers. David would likely support the human group, unofficially. Dominic and Asmodeus would each want to route and dispatch the traitors. War-based Superiors attempt to manipulate the Soldiers and would secretly funnel more information about their enemies to the groups. And any known Soldier who died would likely be interrogated once their soul reached its destination.

As for the Soldiers, they know heaven and hell exist and that, when they die, they will go to one of the two. For most, even the ex-Soldiers of God, they envision their eternity lies in hell. A common saying before a mission is, “If we die, I’ll see you in hell and we’ll kick celestial ass together there.”