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''"He got it half right; I have never seen Heaven and not even the angels of the Pit know its true nature. But this much is true – it is better to rule in Hell."'' }}
''Infernum'' is an RPG produced by Mongoose Publishing, using the "D20 system" created and poularized by the third edition of [[Dungeons
The year is 766 After Fall, over seven and a half centuries since Lucifer and his rebellious angels were exiled after failing to conquer Heaven. Ploughing a gigantic crater 2400 miles deep into the surface of Hell, an empty world populated only by Spawn, the First Fallen burned for an age without reckoning until Lucifer, in an extreme act of will, cut open a rift between Hell and Earth, allowing Time to seep into Hell and, with it, the promise of Change. Resentful of what happened, the First Fallen proceed to [[Squick|couple with the Spawn]], then reshape the resultant abominations over generations of incest, crossbreeding, surgery, sorcery, alchemy, and other ghastly experiments to create the nine breeds of demon.
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In addition to demons, players can also play humans and Fallen Angels, younger, less potent versions of the First Fallen.
Not to be confused with the Polish black metal band of the same name.
{{tropelist}}
* [[Abusive Precursors]]: you could make a serious argument that the First Fallen count. They created, through an act that could seriously be considered rape and/or bestiality, an entire sentient species solely for the purpose of being disposable weapons and tools, ruthlessly mutilating, mutating and exterminating them in the process of 'honing' them towards their desired purpose.
* [[After the End]]: The Broken Lands are the dying remnants of a previous universe.
* [[Anatomy Arsenal]]: Most if not all of these tropes are present in the system, with the right mutations and sometimes a little reflavoring. Chain of the Carriage's final form is [[Beware My Stinger Tail]] incarnate (either crushing flail or actual stinger), one branch of the Chain of Living Weapons fits nicely into [[Swiss Army Appendage]] (hand, bio-gun, cutting implement, stabbing implement, crushing implement), and there's more. [[Exactly What It Says
* [[Anti-Hero]]: the very best demons (in terms of morals) are likely to fit into this mold... or, more accurately, [[Nineties Anti
* [[
* [[Asskicking Equals Authority]]: With very few exceptions, every holder of a noble fiefdom ''earned'' that fief by politics, assassination and brute force, and they only hold it until one of their subordinates becomes stronger than they are.
* [[Badass Normal]]: mortal player characters, especially if they choose to fight against demonic society rather then meld into it. Particularly noteworthy are members of the Early tribes (humans born and raised in Hell) and Knights of the Harrowing, who actually ''invaded Hell in an attempt to crusade against the demons''. That said, nobody's quite Earth-normal in Hell, since mortals can generate iliaster by [[Heroic Willpower]].
* [[Bizarre Alien Reproduction]]: demons are naturally asexual (though there is a mutation that lets them become truly male or female, as well as one that renders them sexually male or female), and reproduce through "Spawning Pits". No, ''not'' what you're thinking: these Pits are canyons or vats full of alchemical compounds and acids. A living demon is thrown into it, and dies a hideous death as, simultaneously, their flesh and bones dissolve into nothing and their organs change into fanged maggot-things (demon larvae) and ''chew'' their way out of the decomposing mess. Larvae swim in the Pits for about six months, then pupate and emerge as fully mature and functional demons. Malcubi can also breed like humans do, as can Deceivers that make the once-off choice to assume a gender instead of being asexual like the other breeds.
* [[Black and Gray Morality]]: the lightest way to handle things. There are good-guy mortals and angels, but they're few and far between.
* [[Black Magic]]: implied in the background, but not actually present in the game. There's only two spells that are outrightly offensive (one is a Voodoo doll-style curse, the other turns a nearby source of fire into, essentially, a stockpile of hellfire grenades), and two others that have the potential to be damaging (one manipulates the local elements -earth, air, water or fire- in accordance to the caster's will, allowing them to potentially do something like make a mass of fire crawl over someone, or cause spikes to erupt from the earth underfoot, while the other can cause violent weather/
* [[Body Horror]]: where to start? Asyanath's surgery, House Glabretch's... everything, all demons mutate as they grow stronger and more powerful, the tortures inflicted upon damned souls...
* [[Brain Bleach]]: the waters of the River Lethe can erase memories, from any duration from "only while exposed" (the mists that cling the river's surface) to "permanently" (submerged in the water). One of the oldest industries in Hell is boiling the Lethe and pumping its fumes up the sky above the crater, as the Mists cloak Hell from external scrying and wipe the memories from damned souls and fallen angels as they plunge into Hell.
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* [[Crapsack World]]: it's blisteringly hot and dry (except where it's freezing cold and dry), rivers are more likely to be full of magma or molten metal then water, there's ''no sun'' (though there's a reasonable facsimile), it's several types of barren wasteland, it's crawling with inhuman creatures that literally need to rip your soul apart in order to both feed themselves and sustain their society... how much worse can you get?
* [[Dark Is Not Evil]]: averted. There can be relatively good natured and honorable demons, but they're still monstrous and most of the race is, indeed, evil.
* [[Deal
* [[Demonic Possession]]: racial ability of the Deceivers (who do it psionically/spiritually) and the Imps (who do it physically by shrinking down so small they can squeeze in through your ear and turn your brain into a control panel). Also, any creature who takes the Chain of the Possessor gets this
* [[Demon Lords and Archdevils]]: the rulership of Hell comes in a distinctly feudal fashion, authority being handed down from the nine Heads of Houses through a system of Grand Dukes, Dukes, Earls, Viscounts, Barons and Captains. There's no actual difference between "demon" and "devil" (racially; devil is a higher social rank, below daemon). The overall authority of/law in Hell is a selection of three councils, primarily the Assembly of Grand Hierarchs of the Infernum, a council comprised of one representative for each House and a number of other representatives of various powers, such as the Independent Demons, the lords of Pandemonium, and the Faustians. It's sort of like the UN... only disputes are much more violent. It's an uneventful meeting if only two or three members are vaporised in mid-speech.
* [[Devil but No God]]: one possible interpretation of the setting is this. Lucifer and a number of other Fallen Angels named by Christianity were exiled from a place called ?Heaven?, but there?s no evidence that Heaven is anything like the Christian depiction of the place (even the Fallen Angels player race don?t remember anything about it, and of course the demons and humans haven?t ever seen it), and there?s nothing that implies there?s some kind of supreme entity running the place.
* [[Duel to
* [[Dumb Muscle]]: Hulks. Taken to the extreme, too - Hulks get a Chain that lets the turn into literal living castles.
** [[Subverted Trope|Subversions]] of this tend to be ''extremely'' scary.
* [[Dungeon Punk]]: [[Steampunk]] grade Industrial Revolution technology mixed with magic, resulting in things like biomechanical [[Golem
* [[Evil Is Deathly Cold]]: the Circles of Tempest and Pandemonium, as well as anyplace ruled by a demon lord following the Glacier Lord branch of the Chain of the Screaming Sky. The DM's book mentions the possibly existence of a "Tenth Circle" below Pandemonium, composed of grinding ice and darkness.
* [[Evil Versus Evil]]: often what a given Infernum game boils down to.
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* [[Half-Human Hybrid]]: Gendered demons can breed with humans and create half-demons. Demons can also breed with ''demons'' and create half-demons who are identical to those with human blood.
* [[Hell]]: where the game is set.
* [[Hellfire]]: an energy type native to the setting, alongside the "traditional" [[Dungeons
* [[Hermetic Magic]]: the default magic system of the game closely follows this idea, which really stands out compared to the [[Dungeons
* [[Heroic Willpower]]: Humans can use this to power their limited magical abilities.
* [[Horny Devils]]: Malcubi and, really, any demon with the Chain of Lust mutation. Also see [[Planet of Hats]] below.
* [[Humans Are Special]]: Mortals are capable of generating iliaster by force of will and using it to boost themselves or [[Winds of Destiny Change|alter fate]], traits that are the only reason they can survive in an environment as unforgiving as Hell.
* [[I Gave My Word]]: The principle of the Covenant is the closest thing to law that exists in the Infernum. Of course, this being the Infernum, a Covenant imposed by force or even [[Mind Rape]] is just as valid (both magically and legally) as a Covenant sworn voluntarily.
* [[Inherent in
* [[Noble Demon]]: About as nice as a demon can realistically get.
* [[Kill It
* [[Large and In Charge]]: The Chain of the Demon King, a chain of mutations exclusive to House Lictat nobility (formerly held by the fallen House Jelac), begins by giving the demon who takes it one level of Size Increase.
* [[Legions of Hell]]: The default player characters.
* [[Light Is Not Good]]: The average [[Fallen Angel]] who survives in Hell quickly becomes even more evil and corrupt than most demons. Even Fallen who follow the Paths of the Divine Will (attempting to adhere to their celestial purpose) and Mortal (attempting to become like humans) can be [[Complete Monster
* [[Mind Rape]]: let's see... tortures designed to break your will, malcubi can physically ''enter your dreams'', House Riethii's Noble Chain of the Harlot, the Chains of Charisma, Lies, Lust and Weeping all let you manipulate the minds and/or emotions of others in some fashion, the Chain of Possession lets you steal the bodies of others or become a voice in their head goading them to do what you want, the Chain of the Hungry Mind culminates in the ability to psychically "eat" someone's brain, the Nightmare Aspect Chain turns you into living horror... yeah, this is a popular trope.
* [[Planet of Hats]]: The Houses, which function as a second splat alongside a demon's Breed.
** [[Barbarian Tribe]]: The Early Tribes, especially the Bori.
** [[Blood Knight]]: Basically House Sturrach's schtick; the most militant and warlike of all the Houses, their explicit goal is to conquer Hell, then invade and conquer Earth, then crush Heaven, then sweep out into [[The Multiverse]] to find an infinite array of worlds to conquer. War without end, an eternal battle, is their idea of paradise. Naturally, full of [[Sociopathic Soldier
** [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]]: Carthenay's hat.
** [[Fat Bastard]]: Oblurott's hat. Demons of House Oblurott invariably are massively obese, partially because of their eating habits, partially because their House Chain actually revolves around them mutating into being so fleshy it's hard for them to move, but also hard for them to be hurt. Oblurotts consider this a sign of dignity and respect, however; as they know they were created to be warrior-slaves, being as unfit for that duty as possible is considered a sign of good breeding. Laziness is also highly admired; an admired Oblurott will have a hundred slaves to do something rather then lift a finger itself. When they do bestir themselves, they are notoriously direct and can be surprisingly energetic and effective, but that's only because they want to get it over with so they can go back to feasting and lazing around.
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* [[Turned Against Their Masters]]: The Demons slaughtered the Fallen Angels.
* [[Unstoppable Rage]]: An ability available to certain mutation chains, and the racial ability of Hulks. On a larger scale, Sturrach's War began when the most powerful demon in Infernal history was pushed beyond his limits and proceeded to tear down the leaders of several other Houses.
* [[Villainous Glutton]]: House
* [[We ARE Struggling Together!]]: Part of why Sturrach's War was so successful was because the Houses didn't even think to cut the squabbling and team up to take down Sturrach, and while all the Houses together could beat Sturrach's army, while he was in command, no House could do it alone. In addition, the War ''started'' because Sturrach couldn't get everyone to agree to his plan to unite the Infernum, so he decided to make them listen.
* [[Winged Humanoid]]: Fallen Angels, Malcubi and Fiends.
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[[Category:Tabletop Games]]
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