HISTORY

AN ANCIENT RACE
        ORIGINS: The Nephillim and their fellow "Angel-Born" came into being in the early days of human existence.  There are countless tales of Angels and Fiery Serpents and other higher beings mating with mortals, and producing strange and/or wondrous offspring.  Some say the first Angel-Born were born of Lilith, concieved by Demons and Bene-ha Elohim, others tell differently...no matter.
        THE WRATH: Directly following the Great Flood, fearful hosts of Angels were sent from the Astral Heavens to "purge" the world of its ill-begotten heroes and monsters.  This was called the Wrath, and was very effective, as very few Angel-Born survived.
        THE EXPULSION:
 

MYTHIC ORIGINS
        Most of the legends of the Nephillim are based in Judeo-Christian myths, bible-stories and tales of angels.  But they are known in many other cultures, are described in many other myths.  Here are some.
        LEGENDS OF THE WYCK: In ancient times there were many beings that were called gods by mortals, and they each took unto them a land and a people.  The Hebrews were one of these many peoples, and they were nomads who initially had no land and no protecting god.  There were others, such as the agricultural, goddess-worshipping Canaanites (whose land the Hebrews later invaded and stole under instructions from their newfound god Yahweh), who were famed for their orgies and their Horned God of the High Places.  Many say that Adam's first wife Lilith went to Canaan upon being exiled from Eden, and became a powerful sorceress there, mating with gods and spirits and giving birth to strange children.  There were also the people from the High Places, herdsmen known as the Sons of El.  The Sons of El were wise in the ways of health and healing, they were tall and beautiful, and their faces and ways were bright as the sun; their god El was a sun-god as well as a bull-god, and thus was later confused for the solar Yahweh when the other gods of the lands were renamed as demons.  These Sons of El descended sometimes from their home in the High Places, among the clouds and stars, to the valleys where the nomad Hebrews wandered, and they sometimes gave their wisdom told their tales to the Hebrews.  The Grigori (guardians of the borders of the High Places) were considered servants of the Sons of El, and it was they who disobeyed the leaders of the Sons and mated with Hebrew women.  The children of these unions were tall, wise, and strange to the squat and dark nomads, and many of them were either adored or killed.
 
 

STRAINS
        The Nephillim are born into various breeds or lineages, known as Strains or Phylons (Gr. race or tribe).  These strains determine the nature of a Nephil's "angelic inheritance" -- the powers and capabilities he or she comes by naturally.

        ANAKIM: (The Singers) long-necked, mostly loyal to heaven, high Grace score, Soldiers of God;
Sphere-able?  Mycenaean/Phoenician/Greek, attracted to the sea and sailing
        ARALIM: (The Riddlers) women in white robes with emerald belts, can take the form of white doves
or lioness sphinxes, mostly live in certain Mayas in the Dreaming, turn to stone if they debate with a
Wyrm-being.  Strain Effect:
        AWWIM: (The Devastators) usually take the form of dragons, were mostly destroyed in The Wrath,
the few who still exist live deep under the sea, under the mountains, or with dark masters in the Void beyond
the world.  Strain Effect: unstable human form (cannot stay in human form long, constantly mutating), also
the ability to take draconic form.
        ENIM: (The Terrifying) surrounded by an aura of panic and terror, can dampen it at will, but always
intimidating; often go mad or wander lost, becoming bestial monsters.  Strain Effect: remnant of Fear of God
Gift -- Social actions at +3 diff. unless trying to terrify someone, in which case it's -2 diff.; can dampen to
+1 diff. with a WP roll, one round per success.
        GIBBORIM: (The Heroes) huge, hungry, hero/warrior, possible deformities, some are vampiric
(vitae sustains better)  Strain Effect: +3 Strength; also a Great Hunger, a need to consume massive amounts of food...Tass, vitae, or other Quintessence-laden substances allow for normal consumption, but are difficult to find.
        GRIGORI: (The Watchers) though the true Grigori are the bene-ha Elohim, the shining Sons of God who are
the lowest of the angels, those of their descendants that are the most like them are also called Grigori; they do not
sleep, and protect certain portals as well as the curtain Wilos.
        LILIM: (The Witches) seductive, powerful Social traits, can take the forms of owls, mind-pleasures;
Sphere-able (Mind, Life, Spirit).  Strain Effect: +1 Appearance, start with natural ability for Seduction (3 dots);
can take the form of an owl by concentrating and spending 1 Gnosis.  Allied with certain mages.
        NAPHAIM: (The Weakeners) also called the Rephaim; surrounded by a cloud of entropic energy, weakens others' wills, breaks objects down, destroys mental or physical resistance...sometimes sell their services for the
purposes of theft, sabotage, or corruption.  Strain Effect: Weakener's Aura --  faint if not concentrating
(computers fritz, lights flicker, flowers wilt slightly, people hesitate), but stronger with WP roll (crash a system,
blackout a block, ruin a garden, seduce or bribe a congressman).

NEPHIL AVATARS (SHARDS)
        Awakening?  Sorcery?  Diabolism?  Ghoulism & Disciplines?  nature of Nephil Avatars
 
 

ELEMENTS & SOUND
       Elemental association? Sound, vibrations...
 

NEW NEPHILLIM
        how... ?
 

INNATE ABILITIES
        All Nephillim have certain basic abilities that are inherent, unnecessary for them to learn.  This includes the Strain Effect, as listed in the descriptions of the Strains, in addition to the following.

•        Quickspeech -- the Nephillim can speak a sort of "secret language", though many new Nephillim have not learned how.  This language consists of an alternatingly low-pitched and high-pitched humming produced in the back of the throat, and is beyond the hearing-range of most humans, though some animals can pick it up.  This language conveys concepts very quickly -- entire dialogues in seconds -- but requires a Manipulation + Expression roll at difficulty 8.
•        Large Size -- All Nephillim (with the exception of the Lilim, who are not quite the same kind of Nephillim) are larger than most humans.  In ancient times, they were regarded as giants, but as humans have been getting taller over the millennia, the Nephillim are now little more than abnormally large.  Each Nephil has an additional Bruised Health Level, and is either large in height or mass.  This makes it somewhat easier for them to be remembered.
•        Spirit Sight -- All Nephillim, including the Lilim, can look into the Primal World or the Astral World by Spending a Gnosis and Rolling Perception + Occult or Awareness.

SORCEROUS PATHS
        Many Nephillim choose to pursue the sorcerous Paths instead of  kissing up to angels or demons for Gifts; because many of the new Nephillim don't really know what they are, much less know about the possibility of gaining Angelic or Demonic Gifts, they are far more likely to stumble onto sorcery anyway, since many Nephillim are attracted to the occult.  Diabolism is, of course, always quite easy, and though any of the Paths can be taught by demons for a price, the three Demonic Paths are specifically infernal, and often a demon-mentor will offer "boons" or "investitures" in addition to the paths -- these are usually demonic Gifts that the Nephil has little or no control over.  Nephillim use sorcery in the same way that humans do, except that, while first learning, they learn quickly indeed.  All Nephillim can, at creation, start with four dots in any number of Paths instead of the beginning number of Gifts.  (Book of Madness p.137-141, WoD: Sorcerors)

        Path of Hellfire (Demonic) -- The power to create and throw balls and streams of terrible balefire
        Path of Summoning (Demonic) -- The power to summon, bind, and ward against spirits and astral beings
        Path of Lust and Torment (Demonic) -- The power to manipulate mortal bodies, to stir desire or cause pain
        Path of Alchemy -- The art of chemical and spiritual transformation, the making of magical items
        Path of Conveyance -- The power to travel great distances quickly through various supernatural means
        Path of Cursing -- The power to hex or harm someone
        Path of Divination -- The power of foreseeing the future and gaining likely answers to questions about the future
        Path of Enchantment -- The power to create talismans and enchanted objects
        Path of Ephemera -- The power to see, interact with, and control the denizens of Shadow, the primal spirit-world
        Path of Fascination -- The power to charm and influence mortals
        Path of Healing -- The power to heal the wounds of living beings
        Path of Elements -- The power to command earth, air, water, and fire -- torms, earthquakes, great winds, terrible blazes
        Path of Herbalism -- The knowledge of how to mix herbs and other natural ingredients for magic potions
        Path of Shadows -- The power to control darkness and spirits of shadow
        Path of Shapeshifting -- The power to take other forms
 
 
 
 

GIFTS
        Most Nephillim choose to either pursue sorcerous Paths or spiritual Gifts.  Gifts are granted by angelics if a Nephil's Grace is high enough (6 or higher), or by demons if the Nephil accepts certain bargains.  These gifts are purchased much in the same way that Garou purchase their Gifts; through both role-playing and spending XP.  The level of Gift a Nephil is able to learn is limited by his Grace (if the Gifts are Angelic) or by his Taint (if Demonic).  Some Gifts are counted in both categories.  At Creation, a Nephil with a Grace of 6 or higher may start with four Level One Gifts; if the Grace score is lower than 6, the only Gifts available are Demonic Gifts, of which he may choose four.

These are the old First-Edition Nephil powers; in parenthesis is the replacement(s) for that power in this edition.
        Hellfire (Demonic Path of Hellfire, Demonic Gift: Balefire)
        Wings (Angelic Gift: Celestial Flight)
        Dreamwalking (General Gift: Dream-Journey)
        Worldwalking (General Gift: Walk the Savage World)
        Pleasure (Demonic Path of Lust & Torment)
        The Voice (Path of Fascination)
        Elemental Sorcery (Path of Elements)
 

ANGELIC GIFTS

        WALK the SAVAGE WORLD (Water 3) -- Allows the Nephil to enter the Primal Umbra of the nature-spirits, and the Underworld where wraiths dwell.  Nephillim with this gift can sense the thickness of the Savage Gauntlet or the Shroud as they would sense the Astral Gauntlet naturally, and are best-off entering where the Veil Between Worlds is thinnest; Gnosis diff.6 to sense the Veil, then Willpower diff.=Shroud to enter (Nephillim entering the Savage World enter at +1 difficulty).   Most angel-born are not able to enter Faerie except by being led there (which few faeries will do willingly), or by finding and assaulting the River of Blood.  The means of entering the Dreaming is another Charm entirely, called Dream-Journey (see below).
        ARMOR (Earth 2) -- Causes a radiant armoring to form over the subject, visible in the Celestial (Astral) World.  Provides one soak die per Power spent.
        CELESTIAL FLIGHT (Air 3) -- Allows flight when in the Celestial (Astral) World
        HEALING (Water 2) -- Allows a Nephil to heal a mortal being
        FLOOD (Water 4) -- Causes a flood, from an overflowing bathtub to a near-biblical deluge, in the mortal world.  All waters in an area rise rapidly, costs 5 Power per one-mile radius.
        OPEN PORTAL (Air 5) -- Opens a personal gateway to a Celestial Realm, costs 20 power (10 if the Realm is the spirit's personal Realm).  The spirit must be able to get to the Realm and enter it through normal means, and only the Nephil using the Charm is allowed passage, though spending 10 more Power will allow the Nephil to "spirit" a human-sized mortal creature away.  This Charm can be easily blocked by rulers of the Realms, if they do not want the Nephil to enter. 
        TELEPATHY (Air 3) -- Nephillim with this Charm can speak directly into the minds of humans, and roll their Mana vs. the mortal's Willpower to attempt to influence the mortal subtly.
        DREAM-JOURNEY (Water 3) -- allows a Nephil to fully enter the Ethereal Marches (which are two large but very specific Maya, or Dream-Realms, beyond which the Nephillim can travel if they can find the proper portals)
        TRACKING (Earth 3) -- Allows a Nephil to follow a mortal being unerringly.  Cost is 5 Power.
        UPDRAFT (Air 3) -- Allows the Nephil to lift a human-sized creature into the air; costs 3 Power.
        GABRIEL'S TRUMPET (Mana 4) -- summons Angelic beings
        FEAR OF GOD (Fire 3) -- Very few Nephillim have this gift, aside from the Enim strain-effect which is nearly identical, and always in effect.  Certain Anakim are known to have this gift.
        EASE PAIN (Water 1) -- Does not heal any damage, but takes away much or all of the pain caused from normal wounds
        INSIGHT (Air 2) -- Allows an Nephil to understand a human's emotions or motives
        IRON WILL (Earth 4) --
        OPEN SKY-BRIDGE (Air 5) -- Allows an Nephil to travel across the heavens in a flash of light or fire.  When using this gift, the Nephil technically enters the Celestial (Astral) World, and is immediately transformed into an arc of fire and/or light.  The Nephil then travels swiftly to his destination, returning to the physical world upon arrival.  
 

        DEMONIC PROTECTOR (Water 1) --
        SENSE DEMONS (Air 1) --
        DEVIL'S HIDE (Earth 2) --
        BALEFIRE (Fire 4) --
        A THOUSAND VOICES (Air 2) --
        IMPALING HORNS (Earth 2) --
        LIGHTNING SPEED (Air 1-3) --
        DEMONIC STRENGTH (Earth 1-4) --
        EYES OF THE ABYSS (Mana 2) --
        IMP FAMILIAR (Water 3) --
        BESTIAL FORM (Earth 3) --
        FLAME IMMUNITY (Fire 3) --
        ROTTING HAND (Earth 3) --
        REGENERATION (Earth 4) --
 

        THE PATH OF STONES:

        THE EVEN PATH:

        THE PATH OF THORNS:
 

THE QUINTESSENTIAL HUNGER
        When / if one of the Angel-Born is exiled beyond the Horizon, it eventually suffers from a terrible hunger, similar to that of the Gibborim. Without a connection to the physical world, it cannot easily keep up its existence...many enter a state similar to the Torpor of the Kindred, and others seek to feast on the souls of mortals.

SOULJARS
        It is said that some of the Angel-Born keeps an item (or items) close at all times; the item is called a Souljar. It is said to hold the body and soul of the being together, and if it is stolen, the being will be powerless, perhaps even zombielike.
 
Realms

        SUMERLANDS --

        GEHENNA -- The Fourfold Furnaces: Sheol, Perdition, The Bilge, and The Dead Furnaces.  Land of War and the End-Times...surrounds the Nine Pits.  Also called Malfeas?  Linked most directly to Acheron, though Gehenna is the most commonly-reached Hell (usually through summonings and portals).  The Valley of Hinnom, outside Jerusalem, was once called "Gehenna" -- a place where the ancient Hebrews sacrificed their firstborn, then later a place where filth was burned.  Gehenna is located simultaneously in three locations: north of the Orchard Eden in the Third Heaven, Shehaqim, on a continent on the Third Earth Arqa (Shard Saturn?), and in the middle depths of the Qlippothic Spires of the Astra.

        TARTERUS -- Where ancient monstrousities best forgotten -- called Titans, and The Ancient Ones, and many other names -- are imprisoned.  Watched over by the Archangel Uriel.

        NULL ZONES -- The Nephillim have a strange connection with the ancient sub-Umbral pathways known variously as the Null Zone and the Paths of the Wyck.  They can reach these paths from the Astral/Celestial, the Primal/Umbral, or the Dreaming/Ethereal, and for them, finding these paths is far easier than it is for most mages.

KARKADIM:

T'LIAMUD:
 

Angelic persecution -- Flood, Powers & Malakim
"Watchers" -- Grigori, Nephillim, mages. shifters (Corax, Stargazers, Uktena, Bastet)
 
 

THOSE WHO HUNT THE HEROES

• LUPINES: Lupines can sense the taint of their eternal enemy, "the Wyrm", on some of the Angel-Born. These creatures make for brutal and dangerous enemies.
• DOMINIONS: Though mostly rumor, this group of "Daemon-Hunters" are growing to be more and more feared. They are angels, captains in the Heavenly Host, who are seeking out the Angel-Born and destroying them, bringing the Wrath back unto the earth. Many take this as a sign that Armageddon is close at hand, and that the Angel-Born hold no hope of Redemption.
• HERMETIC LODGES: Certain groups of Hermetic magi, gathered in what they call "Hunting Lodges" have dedicated themselves to stamping out demonic influences; to some, this includes the Angel-Born. Some merely want to learn more about these beings, while others seek to hunt and slay.
• THE INQUISITION: Like the more fanatical Hermetic Lodges, the tattered remnants of the Inquisition will hear nothing of shades of grey. They seek to destroy all demons,and will likely shoot first, ask questions later.
• THE ARCANUM: Always seeking to learn, those few Arcanists who know of the existance of the Angel-Born are fascinated by them. Some of the Angel-Born tolerate or even encourage them, though others -- mostly Grigori -- will have nothing at all to do with these scholars.
• THE GOVERNMENT: Luckily, the government (even the SAD and the NSA) has little or no idea that the Angel-Born exist, and would identify the idea as "religious superstition". They do, however, investigate many supernatural matters, and the Angel-Born must be wary of them. Some Grigori have allies and contacts among the secret governmental departments.

TRAITS
        WYCK / VETURNUS
        MANA
        WILLPOWER

NEW ABILITIES
 
 
GRACE 
 
 

HEALING AND DAMAGE
 
 

AGING
        immortality, soul-transference, souljars