(Created by: "Colin Chapman" <942777u@merkland.rgu.ac.uk>)
Anyway, here's the write-up for Nergal, Demon Prince of Sickness that I promised a while back. It's only the first draft, but let me knowwhat you think. Just be constructive.
Note that Nergal IS a real world demon, NOT just the creation of Games Workshop.
The world is diseased - riddled with cancer
Nergal is a vast, powerful and insidious Prince, a Djinn who usually manifests as a short, corpulent gentleman with spindly limbs and a cheerful demeanour. In fact, he would appear quite grandfatherly were it not for his numerous weeping sores...
Patient, good tempered and friendly, he is unfailingly polite and very 'physical' in his behaviour, patting people heartily on the back, shaking hands vigorously etc. He even likes to leave a little of himself with those he meets...
Responsible for diseases such as the Bubonic Plague, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Leprosy (an old favourite for which he has a soft spot, or two, or three...), and more recently AIDS (his 'masterpiece'), he also has such favoured pets as Influenza and the Common Cold.
He regards himself as the great equaliser, striking down old and young, strong and weak. Even the greatest warrior can be dealt a deadly blow against which he has no defence, but he prefers that diseases take their time corrupting the body, driving the victim into depression, despair, lethargy and isolation. He likes the pain and misery to last.
His demons are sent to earth to spread sickness, and despite the valiant attempts by humanity to create new cures, Nergal is relentless in his onslaught. It is due to his constant drive to create new, more hardy diseases and viruses that he is constantly engaged, and this has earned him the nickname 'He Who Does Not Return Phone Calls'.
A long standing friend of Baal, Saminga and Asmodeus, Nergal is so well respected and trusted (if such a thing can ever be said of any Demon Prince) that Asmodeus granted him the honorary title of 'Chief of the Secret Police' (which sounds impressive but grants no real authority).
It is dissonant for Nergal's demons to do or encourage anything that prevents, slows or inhibits the spread of disease. (For example, they must never clean anything or encourage cleanliness in a mortal etc.).
Devious liars all, Nergal's Balseraph can cover the very nature of sickness with a cunning lie. They can use their resonance to make people suffering from a disease or virus actually feel better as their condition worsens, causing them to reject and refuse any and all treatment.
As the corruption of sickness spreads from victim to victim, so does the influence of Nergal's Djinn. They may attune themselves to anyone that one of their attuned patterns directly infects for as long as the illness lasts, and these secondary attunements don't count against their total possible attunements.
Sickness corrupts and destroys like cancer, and while its impact may take time to ripen, the results can be just as final. A Calabite servitor of Nergal has their force of Entropy greatly increased, allowing them to afflict a target with a wasting disease. Any target successfully hit by their Entropic assault begins to waste, losing 2 Body hits per day thereafter. This wasting may only be treated with the Song of Healing.
Sickness is fear. Nergal's Habbalah can make their victims believe they are sickened and diseased for a period equal to the Habbalah's Corporeal Forces in rounds.
Those who fail to fulfil a Geas on behalf of a Lilim of Nergal also gain a proportionately nasty disease, in addition to any punishment the Lilim herself metes out. Few Lilim follow Nergal.
The sick are weakened, frail and susceptible. Shedim of Nergal add their Corporeal Forces to any attempts to possess the sick, and automatically infect their next host with whatever disease their last host was suffering from.
The sick are struggling, their defences are low. Impudites of Nergal add their Corporeal Forces when using their Resonance on a victim - to Charm or to Steal Essence - if the victim is sick.
This attunement allows the demon to infect a victim with any disease or virus of their choice for the cost of 1 Essence. They generate no Dissonance if anyone they infect dies as a result of the disease. All servitors of Nergal must purchase this attunement when generated.
For the cost of 1 Essence the demon can surround themselves in a stinking cloud of diseased pestilence. The radius of the cloud is equal to the demons Body in yards. All within the cloud (except for servitors of Nergal) must make Tough (-2) Strength rolls or hack, cough and vomit for a number of rounds equal to their failed check digit. This effectively incapacitates them.
Disease pulses with a life all of its own. This distinction grants the demon the ability to detect the presence of all diseases and viral infections (within 20 yds), as well as their current stage of development.
A healthy skin, a rotten core. This distinction grants the demon the ability to mask the effects of a disease or virus, removing all outward signs of infection for 24 hours.
Treatment doesn't always work... This distinction grants the demon the ability to completely negate the benefits of a week's worth of medical treatment for the cost of 1 Essence.
Allied: Baal, Saminga
Associated: Asmodeus
Hostile: none
Enemy: none
Servitors of Nergal gain one point of Essence when they...