In Nomine is a game about the war between Heaven and Hell. Since the Rebellion of Lucifer thousands of years ago, there has been war between the two sides. In the olden days, the ages of miracles and prophets, the war was much more direct, with the forces of both clashing openly in the corporeal realm. But in the aftermath of the Crusades, the war turned cold, as first Heaven and then Hell gave orders that their agents were no longer to act directly on Earth.
Since then, both sides have worked even harder to recruit agents to act on Earth and to battle for the souls of humanity and the ultimate destiny or fate of the world. One day, the end will come, and both sides strive to be be ready.
The world itself is divided into three realms that represent different aspects of the greater universe. These realms are themselves further subdivided in different ways.
corporeal-The Corporeal Realm is the realm of the Real, Earth. All mortals are natives of the corporeal realm and the corporeal realm is at the heart of the symphony, with all other realms directly connected to it. Only beings with a corporeal aspect can manifest in the Corporeal Realm, which is difficult for Celestial and Ethereal beings, as they need vessels to manifest. All actions taken by Celestial and Ethereal beings in the Corporeal Realm cause disturbances in the symphony.
ethereal- the Ethereal Realm(also known as the Marches) is the realm of ideas and most people visit the Ethereal Realm only in their dreams. The Ethereal Realm is the homeplace of Ethereal gods and spirits, beings of pure ideas, though many of those have been lost over the years. There are two areas of note in the Marches, the realm of Dreams, surrounding Blandine’s tower and the border with Heaven and the realm of Nightmares, surrounding Beleth’s tower and the border with Hell. Nothing done on in the Ethereal Realm causes disturbances, but it is difficult to perceive the symphony in the Ethereal Realm.
celestial- The Celestial Realm is really two realms, Heaven and Hell. These realms represent the manifestation of the soul, of Fate and Destiny, of the world itself. Heaven is the home of the Angels, and is overseen by the Archangels from their homes. Every Angel’s heart remains in Heaven under the care of their superior. Hell is the home of the Demons, and is overseen by the Demon Princes from their domains. Every Demon’s heart remains in the possession of their superior. Mortals that die may be sent to one or the other of the celestial realms if they achieve their Fate or Destiny.
The Symphony- To those that can perceive it, the world hums along in natural order, with things progressing from one event to another undisturbed. Nothing that a normal mortal does can disturb the Symphony, though they shape it. Actions of great enormity or benevolence may create tethers, but they remain natural acts. Those who can perceive the symphony can often learn much, depending on their resonance, from what is happening around them. When Celestial and Ethereal Beings act on the Symphony, they pull it out of tune, creating disturbances in the symphony that may be perceived by all those who can perceive the Symphony. Minor actions may only be perceivable in the same room, while acts like murder by a Celestial may echo across a city.
Forces- All beings are made up of components from the three different realms, known as forces. Corporeal forces represent degrees of force and power in the mundane world, Ethereal forces represent connections to the realm of ideas and Celestial forces represent strength of will and power of soul. All beings have at least some of these forces unless something very bad happens.
Resonance- Different Angels are constructed with forces that are attuned to different parts of the Symphony. These resonances allow those Angels to perceive specific aspects of the naturally occurring Symphony around them. Demons have resonances too, though these resonances alter the world around them in imperceptible ways.
Dissonance- The forces of Angels (and Demons) that resonate with specific manifestations of the Symphony impose on them a specific nature that they must obey. To act against this nature causes them to suffer damage to their souls in the form of Dissonance. Dissonance can calcify into discord, or cause an angel’s heart to break, leaving them unconnected to the celestial Realm and in danger of destruction.
Discord- When enough dissonance is accumulated, it can harden into Discord. Discord manifests in some instability in one realm of forces, physical mutation, mental compulsion or even marks on the soul itself. This causes problems with all aspects of that Realm, but does not increase the danger of falling.
Falling- Angels can become demons. If their hearts break, they become Outcasts, no longer able to enter Heaven unless escorted. During this period, a Demon Prince may craft a new heart for them, twisting their forces into a new shape. This process turns the Outcast into a Demon of the corresponding band.
Redeeming- Demons can become angels. If they escape with their heart and destroy it, they become Renegades. During this period, they can approach an Archangel to reshape them into an Angel, restoring their forces to harmony with the Symphony. This process turns the Renegade into an Angel of the corresponding Choir.
Fate and Destiny- All humans have a Fate and a Destiny, representing the lowest depths of destruction they may sink to or the highest heights of selflessness they may aspire to. If they achieve their Destiny and it is big enough, they may earn a place in Heaven when they die. If they fall to their Fate and it is big enough, they may be given a place in Hell when they die.
Outcast- An Angel with a broken Heart. If their corporeal form is destroyed, they are forced into Limbo, a space outside the Three realms that some never escape. Outcasts may remain technically angelic indefinitely, but without the support of Heaven, they have a tough time and many in Heaven treat them as no better than Demons.
Renegade- An Angel with a destroyed Heart. If their corporeal form is destroyed, they are forced into Limbo, a space outside the Three realms that some never escape. Renegades may remain technically diabolical indefinitely, but without the support of Hell, they have a tough time with Heaven and Hell both aligned against them.
The Balance- In the aftermath of the Crusades, Heaven instituted new rules for their servitors. No longer were they to act directly on Earth, instead, they were to act through agents in all things except for the destruction of Demons. Demons followed suit to mask their actions from their opponents and a subtle cold war began where both sides sought to act against each other through mortals.
Vessel- To manifest in the corporeal Realm, celestials and ethereals require bodies. These bodies are known as vessels and are empty shells that can pass casual inspection as human(or non-human). Vessels aren’t cheap, and superiors don’t hand out new ones easily.
Role- Some vessels have roles, which is a sort of mask against disturbance. A celestial with a role of farmer would make no disturbance for harvesting crops, though they would make a normal level of disturbance for other activities.
Word- Many celestials(and some powerful ethereals) are bound to Words, threads in the symphony that give them power, but also bind their actions. Archangels and Demon Princes are the notable examples, each in service to a particularly powerful word. But smaller words exist and many of them have celestials bound to them.
The Council of Seraphim- The ruling body of the Angelic Host is the Council of Seraphim, a grouping of the oldest and most respected Angels in Heaven. One of their main responsibilities is awarding Words to those who petition for them, but they also serve as a court for those accused of crimes by Dominic or for disputes between Archangels.
Tether- Sites of great mortal acts of good or evil can create a direct link to Heaven or Hell. These locations allow ascent to Heaven or descent to Hell within their bounds and often have magical effects of their own. A Heavenly tether where a firefighter selflessly rushed in to save a dozen children may be magically fireproof, while a Diabolical tether where a serial killer drained a dozen people of blood may have blood run from the faucets, enough to feed a small group of vampires. Tethers are not specifically bound to specific words, but are often claimed by Archangels based on the deeds that founded them. Sometimes, multiple Archangels have interest in a given Tether.
Seneschal- The Seneschal of a Tether is the Angel in charge of the operations of the Tether. They have certain powers within the Tether, but are also responsible for the defense and upkeep of the Tether. While all others technically defer to them, there is a delicate balance, trying not to give orders contrary to the mission of others in service to Heaven.
Inspirational Texts
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Murder Mysteries by Neil Gaiman
Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Wings of Desire
Fallen
Constantine
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Dr. Strangelove
Atomic Blonde