Join Eviliv3’s actual play of @SteveJacksonGames’ In Nomine: Feast of Blades adventure, with this session one. In Nomine was written by David Edelstein and originally released by Steve Jackson Games in 1999. You can download the book here: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/249299/in-nomine-feast-of-blades?affiliate_id=50797 and learn more here: http://www.sjgames.com/innomine/
Cast of Characters:
- Sebastian | Mercurian of Marc | Played by Colin @TheHorrorificPodcast
- Jesk | Shedite of Beleth | Played by Cameron @TheInfernalBrotherhood
- The Entity | Shedite of Kronos | Played by Lauren
- Clayton Edward Garth | Djinn of Saminga | Played by Victor
- Rosier | Cherubim of Dominic (Outcast) | Played by Chris @BoomAnakin21
- Zoros | Djinn of Valefor | Played by Dayna
Game Setup
There is a war between Heaven and Hell that has been raging since Lucifer’s fall. Each side of the conflict may find themselves at temporary odds with their sister Angelic Choirs or Demonic Bands. As the superiors of these celestials fight to maintain the integrity and intensity of their Words, or themes within the Symphony, their servitors may find that they must make temporary alliances with their Infernal or Divine counterparts in order to maintain their positions of authority around a tether, a location that connect their territory on earth to the celestial realm–or to simply kick out even louder disturbers of the Symphony.
This is where we find our party today on the evening of Tuesday, December 18th 1996 standing in the arrival gate C9 of BWI, the Baltimore Washington International Airport. Each of the celestials are here on direct orders from their superiors for different reasons. But each was instructed to work with the others in this investigation, against their better instincts. As Christmas muzak plays on the loudspeakers, the airport is filled with mundanes trying desperately to find someone or go somewhere to fill the void of their banal lives.What torture it must be, to be at the heart of a war you know nothing about; or to be surrounded by the Symphony but not have the means to hear its eternal cords…
Cameron (Describe your character’s appearance please)
As you wait for the arrival of Flight 8081 from Lisbon, Portugal, you find yourself staring at a single mother trying to corral her toddler and infant while eating a cinnabon. You suddenly flash back to two nights prior while your host, the human vessel you are currently both occupying and corrupting, was sleeping. You were traveling the Marches with his dreamscape, tormenting him as much in his nightmares as you do while he is awake–when you heard the all too familiar blast of a deep french horn, calling you to Beleth’s Tower.
Roleplay Beleth: Alaemon the Prince of Secrets is looking for an ancient talisman, in the form of a dagger. And while I couldn’t give two night terrors about this talisman, Alaemon has been of assistance to me in the past, so I want you to aid him and his servants in claiming it. It is said a worthless sack of Z’s is carrying it from Lisbon to Baltimore. Be at the gate to collect it. There will be other’s there to assist you–both the high and mighty and your fellow degenerates. Use them to collect it, when you have your host’s eyes or hands on it, contact me. Now return to your nightmares.
Colin (Describe your character’s appearance please)
Standing in the terminal you can’t help but feel joy for these humans. This season in particular brings the very best out of them, and while this muzak can grind your nerves over time, they seem to be enjoying it for the most part. You see an elderly man helping his wife find a seat, and a young father smacks the back of his son’s head, who promptly stands from his seat, offering it to the woman. Yes, these humans are flawed, but they might just be worth the effort in the war. You flash back to your last appointment on Thursday afternoon.
Roleplay Your last client walks out of your office, bidding you a Merry Christmas as a young man in his early twenties walks in unannounced. The atmosphere fills with a deep vibrato, throaty humm. Gerrod: We have to talk. My name is Gerrond, and Marc has an opportunity for you to remove that stink that permeates your soul. Apparently there is an evil weapon, a talisman in the form of a dagger, coming into town with some cult member from Portugal. You need to find it and deliver it to me. If you do this, it will go a long way with Marc; He thinks it would be a fair trade. Oh, and you will be working with undesirables on this job. They’re meant to help you find this talisman. Contact me at this number (he hands a card over) when you know its precise whereabouts.
Lauren (Describe your character’s appearance please)
Lounging on the seat with your feet taking up the two extra seats next to it, you are smiling while making eye contact with a new father and his wife who are obviously struggling to hold their child in this crowded terminal–who would love to sit down. You whisper something nearly inaudible to the older man on the other side of the bench who is gazing at the far too young girl across the aisle. He gets up, wipes the fried chicken crumbs off his chest and approaches her. She reminds you of the host you are currently occupying, and the night you claimed her.
Roleplay: As your host is cleaning herself up in the filthy bathroom in a dive bar in Skid Row, after you convinced her to pleasure the largest and filthiest man you have ever seen, flames burst out of the broken stall behind you, the dark cry of a violin echoes through the bathroom and through the mirror reflection you see the flames die down as Kronos the Prince of Fate steps out of the stall. Kronos: My faithful servant, I have a task for you. There is a talisman, a blade arriving in town, and I want you to find it. It will not last long, so when you do, use it directly or indirectly to introduce those angels who are also seeking it to their fates.
Dayna (Describe your character’s appearance please)
Trying your best to blend into the shadows of this track lighting nightmare of a terminal, you are struggling to block out the incessant holiday muzak version of Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmastime. You see a wild-eyed and disheveled woman put her purse down as she is frantically flipping through a little black book and dialing number after number trying to reach someone to check on her son she accidentally left home. You make your way over, palming her wallet from within the purse and you flash back to the day before yesterday.
Roleplay: You are sitting in a pretentious coffee shop, waiting for the post yoga crowd to arrive. They are usually easy pickings for some pocket cash or car keys. This is the type of mindless practice you thrive on when in between jobs. The latest Madonna track ends and pouring through the loudspeaker is the deep rhythmic drums of Black Sabbath’s iron man, as the coffee shop phone rings and the barista calls to the room, is there a Zoroz here? Valefor: How is my favorite servitor? Are you ready for some work? I have the line on a talisman from Lisbon. It needs to be destroyed as soon as you find it. You will be working with other locals, even some from the other team, on this. It will be arriving on Flight 8081 be at BMI at 9:45 pm. It’s in the hands of some Sorcerer named Roposo.
Victor (Describe your character’s appearance please)
Standing at the gate with a sign saying Roberto Raposo, you are exhausted from burning the midnight oil at your regular job. You reflect on the close parking job the mundane meat marionette made next to you, inwardly promising to disembowel him if there’s even a scratch on your paint job. The smell of snotty children, stale cigarettes and their collective Christmas hopes & dreams invades your nostrils, forcing you to turn your mind inward, recalling the end of your night two days before.
Roleplay: You were unloading a stiff from your car. Your employee had a medical emergency, and you had to fill in, never minding the ground level work. You close the door and start rolling the body to the receiving doors when you hear a sound that can only be described as a baby cry mixed with a screeching guitar coming from within the body bag. You slowly unzip the bag, knowing it is only one of your superior’s entrance notes and lying within is an older man whose eyes open and jerks to sit up. The voice is none other than Saminga, The Prince of Death. Saming: Ah my boy, working late like the creatures of the night I see? Well, I am in need of your assistance. I need you to pick up a mark for me. He is in the possession of something I want very much. Collect Roberto Ropose from BMI airport. His flight is 8081, arriving in a couple of days. You will be working with other celestials on this, but I want his property. Do not disappoint me!
Chris (Describe your character’s appearance please)
You find yourself staring at a young couple saying goodbye in a nearby terminal. Their embrace and playful looks only exacerbate the aching you have for your resonance who you are sure still lives, albeit in agony for having fallen for you, an angel. You are certain that this young couple will find a life that you could never have, a life filled with love and laughter. You see a rowdy group of miscreants bust their way into the terminal and you tighten your grip on your guitar case, just in case you need to redirect your inner pain onto them. Roleplay: Less than a week ago, you were sitting outside of a rock and roll bar, when you saw some ne’er-do-wells waldo around the corner. You figured it couldn’t hurt to follow, and you soon found yourself listening from behind a dumpster to a would-be impossible story, if you didn’t already recognize these miscreants as demons. It turns out there is an incredibly powerful talisman flying into BWI. They want to use it to curry favor with their superiors, but you just know Dominic would want it. And who knows you may be able to leverage it to get your discord removed or even find… her.
About In Nomine: Feast of Blades
A crowded airport. A horrific crash. A deranged passenger who thinks he controls demons. And, above and beneath it all, weaving throughout the carnage like some malevolent snake, are secrets. Secrets on top of secrets, some better left unspoken, others in desperate need of exposure . . .
Feast of Blades is a complete adventure for In Nomine, designed for beginning level celestials (or even human servants) of either side. Secrets, after all, are a double-edged knife that can harm those who fight for Good or for Evil . . . depending on how they are wielded . . .
Written by S. John Ross, Feast of Blades was originally included in the In Nomine GM Screen, now long out of print. This version has been revised by In Nomine Line Editor Beth McCoy, who has updated the Superiors introduced in this adventure to match later books in the In Nomine line, and added complete GURPS In Nomine stats for all NPCs in the adventure.
Visit the official web page for more info, resources, product support, and links.
Written by S. John Ross