Nephilim (DTF)

The Toreador bloodline, Nephilim (Cult)

The Nephilim were the offspring of demons and human women.

History

They are the result of demons serving under Abaddon and Asmodeus, raping imprisoned human women during the Time of Babel. They possessed the gifts of man and the Lores of demons and were terrible to behold - if not for their hideous countenance, then for their potential. Some may have been born with benevolent, gentle spirits and took it upon themselves to guide and enlighten, but many were born knowing only hate and tyranny. In a few short years, they dominated the cities of their birth. They hunted down and killed the Ten and were then in turn hunted down and killed by Lucifer and his demon followers.

Azrael was the only one not involved with the creation of the Nephilim to discover their origin. He traded his silence, and the aid of the Alabaster Legion in rebellion against Lucifer, for the right to their souls when they finally passed on. These dead Nephilim worked as ferrymen in Haven, a job which was made easier due to their dual nature. What has happened to these dead Nephilim is unknown.

It is unknown if any Nephilim survived to pass on their lineage to the Final Nights, but many demons wonder if any of the supernaturals that populate the modern world are descendants of the ancient Nephilim.

Laham

Some folk are said to be the offspring of demons. Considering the carnal traffic at Sabbats, orgies and midnight visitations, this isn’t surprising. Uncannily long-lived, impervious to pain, and often possessed of inhuman powers, a demon-spawn (or laham) is said to be a special servant of Hell. The legendary laham fuse a grotesque combination of human biology and tainted spiritual essence into powerful yet deformed creatures.

A living crossroads between the Astral Realm and the mortal world, they exist in a heightened state of spiritual essence. Their aura burns with unearthly intensity, and their presence frightens many Otherworldly denizens. Their connection to High Umbral entities might involve a distant relationship to primordial sires, or the far more recent activities of mortals and spirits who shared a distinctly carnal relationship.

Although warped by strange deformities, they are granted a special place at the tables of Nephandi and other primal diabolists, who can sense her demonic heritage. These “demon-born” individuals appear sporadically throughout the history of infernal cults, often as leaders, occasionally as enforcers, sometimes even as slaves of more powerful human magi. Among Infernalist Nephandi, the laham birthright is a mark of status — demonic favor for the person born with it, arcane majesty for the person who commands someone of laham blood.

Despite tales of “demon’s blood” and “devil seed,” demons are spirit entities, and cannot reproduce with mortals. When evil spirits possess a human being (or an animal), however, the host can be tainted by Infernal essence; if a child results, she’ll probably have a little bit of Hell inside her. Many sorcerers, of both good and evil intent, are reputed to be demon-spawn: Merlin, Morganna le Fay, Circe and Kullervo (among others) supposedly sprang from such unholy unions. Such people are not known for their generous temperaments, but they are not doomed to be evil – a heroic effort can overcome the worst ancestry. Few lahama aspire to virtue, though. Most consider their Infernal heritage a blessing, and pursue the Dark Arts with unnerving enthusiasm.

Trivia

• Mechanically, player characters who take Laham Merit in Infernalism: The Path of Screams must also take the 4th level in the Echos Flaw as aswell. This is because consensus during the Dark Fantastic made Commoners more keenly aware of the supernatural, meaning that it was almost impossible for that PC's magickal nature to go unnoticed. However, in M20's The Book of Secrets, the Echos Flaw drops to the 3rd level, suggesting a decrease in the vigilance of most Sleepers.

References

• DTF: Demon: The Fallen Rulebook, p. 56
• DTF: Demon Storytellers Companion, p. 61 (Imbued)