Let’s learn about Kyriotates – The Dominations, a Choir of Angels in the tabletop role-playing game In Nomine. In Nomine is a role-playing game designed by Derek Pearcy and published in 1997 by @Steve Jackson Games. You can learn more on the official website here: http://www.sjgames.com/innomine/ or the Wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Nomine_(role-playing_game). You can buy In Nomine products here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/12199/Steve-Jackson-Games/subcategory/28908_30775/In-Nomine?affiliate_id=50797
Time Stamps:
- 0:00 Intro
- 0:28 About the Choir
- 0:52 Resonance
- 1:47 Dissonance
- 2:11 Manner and Appearance
- 3:00 Game Mechanics
- 4:11 Outro
About In Nomine
Written by Derek Pearcy + Illustrated by Dan Smith
Edited by Jeff Koke, Steve Jackson, and Susan Pinsonneault
Cover art by John Zeleznik (first printing) and Christopher Shy (second printing)
In Nomine is a modern roleplaying game in which the players take the part of celestial beings – angels and demons – as they struggle for control of humanity and themselves. The celestials, powerful though they may be, are merely pawns in a much larger game being played by their Superiors, the Archangels and Demon Princes. Based on the best-selling French RPG by the wonderfully diabolical Croc!
In Nomine won the Origins Award for Best Graphic Presentation of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement of 1997.
Transcript
Cold Open
Man, corporeal vessels rock – and more is always better.
Intro
Welcome to Eviliv3 Play, a celebration of my favorite tabletop role-playing games. This is a sister channel to Eviliv3. Subscribe if you’re new to the channel, because today we are continuing our In Nomine series with this episode, Kyriotates – The Dominations, a Choir of Angels.
Discussion
Kyriotates are the second-least divine Choir, and the most fundamentally alien! They’ve given up on the 4/4 time altogether. Kyriotates are collections of primal urges, briefly manifesting in borrowed flesh. They are powerful forces that can be channeled in any direction–but they also illustrate all too well just how ephemeral reality can be.
Resonance
Resonance is both your supernatural power and your very nature. For Kyriotates, their resonance is multiplicity. They are able to control multiple vessels at the same time, but rarely stay within any of them for more than a week. They have no consistent self-image, thus they must borrow the bodies of other living beings to make a mark on reality. The consciousness of their hosts resides in The Marches, wholly ignorant of what is happening to their corporeal form. Kyriotates are unable to access their host’s memories, and as soon as they leave a host, its own mind is returned. Kyriotates are unable to remain on the Corporeal Realm without a host, and if they are unable to find one, they must ascend to Heaven, ready to explain why they are back so soon. In order to avoid this, many Kyriotates have a tight knit circle of servants who take their turn being the host.
Dissonance
Dissonance is what an angel earns by acting against their nature, or Resonance. For Kyriotates, as they are sworn to protect their hosts, they will earn a note of dissonance when they leave the body worse than they found it. They tend to take it easier on their hosts the closer they get to leaving them. This leads many Kyriotates to learn the Corporeal Song of Healing as a security measure.
Manner and Appearance
Kyriotates are incredibly smooth, and find themselves at home in nearly any vessel. Experience helps in this perspective. They are always relaxed, dressed casually. But don’t let this fool you. They are quick to take action when necessary! When in their celestial forms, Kyriotates appear to be multicolored clouds of random limbs, mouths, and eyes that each pulse to their own beat. If a mortal sees them in this form, they often run screaming or pray for insanity. Even though they jump vessels like it’s going out of style, Kyriotates are consistent with their sense of self, priding themselves in their subjectivity. As they have abandoned standard musical notation, Kyriotates prefer to think of themselves as woodwinds in the Symphony.
Game Mechanics
If the subject is willing, it only requires a successful Will roll to invoke their resonance and have their forces occupy a host. They may stay in the host for a number of days equal to the check digit. If the host isn’t willing, they need to make a Will roll of their own. If successful, they keep the angel out of their body for a number of hours equal to the check digit. Kyriotates are able to possess as many hosts as they have forces divided amongst them. If a mortal witnesses a Kyriotate’s celestial form, they must make a Will roll to avoid being stunned for a number of rounds equal to the angel’s Celestial Forces. The celestial may manifest their celestial form if they have at least three forces not occupying a host. They cannot spend more than 10 minutes outside a host in the corporeal realm however.
You can imagine playing a Kyriotate would require an advanced player who is willing to put in the work to really sell these truly original angels. But if done well, it could lead to some wonderful role-playing situations and an all around entertaining campaign. I would recommend giving it a shot in your next In Nomine game.
Outro
Thank you for watching today’s In Nomine episode. Subscribe and ring the bell if you are new to the channel. Don’t forget to click the like button and comment to let others learn about this award winning role-playing game and this channel.
And as always, remember that evil spelled backwards is live, so get out there and Be Evil!