Everything

Some folks have no illusions of morality. They’ll do whatever it takes to get what they want, and if that means dealing with devils… well then, bring on Lucifer and let the blood fall where it may! Though these Infernalists aren’t as common as

they once were (there being “no such things as demons” and all), they’re still out there in the occult underground. Teen malcontents, desperate rebels, folks who’ve lost all other hopes, and people too rich or egotistical to care about the consequences… such people still strike demonic pacts and sometimes gain uncanny, if temporary, powers.

Typical demonic pacts involve money, fame, power, and so forth — Background or Ability Traits in game terms, perhaps some Merits, too. These “investments” are double-edged: the Infernalist invests himself in the bargain, and the patron invests in the Infernalist. Despite appearances, these “demons” might be malicious ghosts, malignant nature spirits, prankster faeries, or other sort of entities. True devils are usually above this sort of nonsense in the mortal world… although, since immortality can be frightfully dull, they might just make these deals to keep themselves amused. As for the people themselves, they tend to be rather unpleasant souls — outwardly charming perhaps, but inwardly consumed with the evil they’ve embraced.

Suggested Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Charisma, 3, Manipulation 3, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3

Suggested Abilities: Academics 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 1, Computer 1, Drive 1, Esoterica 2, Firearms 1, Occult 3, Seduction 2, Streetwise 2, Style 2, Technology 1

Willpower: 5

Health Levels: OK, ‒1, ‒1, ‒2, ‒2, ‒5, Incapacitated

Suggested Powers: Normal Investments, as mentioned above, often take the form of Backgrounds, Attributes, or Abilities that the character wouldn’t have otherwise. Supernatural Investments include between two and 10 points’ worth of Special Advantages, as seen in this book’s Chapter Five. The aura of an Invested character pulses with black streaks, stains, clouds, or lightning; although he might have an Investment that conceals his essential nature, that’s not often the case. For more about Investments, see The Book of the Fallen, Chapter Five.

Image: Like other practitioners, the Infernalist tends to reveal his true nature to folks who know what to look for. Among other people, though, he might appear perfectly normal or perhaps a bit eccentric. Sure, he might sport a devil beard, wear horror movie T-shirts, and otherwise come off like Rob Zombie’s cousin. Most Infernalists, though, aren’t nearly as obvious about what they are and who they serve. Many of them, far more than you’d suspect, are politicians, executives, and other respectable members of the community. It’s the pleasant ones you really need to look out for.

Roleplaying Notes: Truth is, you don’t care about much beyond yourself… and considering how precarious your bargain probably became, you’d prefer not to die any time soon, thank you very much! Find other folks to take risks on your behalf. It’s not, after all, as if they matter.

Grace Denise “GDP” Powell

She wasn’t always a mean girl. Back before Grace Denise Powell (nicknamed GDP by her stockbroker dad as a not especially kind joke) became the archetypal cheerleader from hell, she was a nice kid, with a soft spot for birds and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Hell, her favorite character was Fluttershy, and she even preferred that name herself. Yeah, her folks had cash and she lived in the money part of town. Fluttershy was a sweetheart, though. What changed?

Money. More specifically too much of it, followed by too little.

Daddy, as it turns out, was a scam artist. He conned his firm, his clients, and his family before dashing out on the wife and kids in order to build a new life in Mali with a fellow broker named Carl. GDP found out in the hardest way possible: coming home from work to find a houseful of cops, a hysterical mom, an empty bank account, and a note on her bed: Fuck off and die, you little shit. Love, Daddy.

Grace kind of lost her soul over that one. Literally. His name was Rob, but folks called him Charlie. As in Manson. Rob liked the comparison — it kept folks at a distance. Charlie cultivated an air of barely suppressed psychosis, and he got away with it only because his mom was a local-hero rock star. Charlie had been a not-so-secret admirer of Grace since they’d shared a 6th-grade homeroom; GDP had kept her distance until Daddy pulled his disappearing act. Charlie, though, was into the occult, the real stuff, not just some retro Ozzy T-shirt thing. After Daddy’s sudden, brutal departure and the ensuing plunge from the in-crowd to exile row, Grace found herself intrigued by Charlie’s pursuits. Intrigued enough to become friends, and then lovers, and then something more.

Charlie really should have paid more attention to the details when he summoned Moliax. Details, though, weren’t really his style. His loss. Grace’s gain. Moliax offered GDP all the things she wanted: Beauty. Money. Status. Revenge. All she had to do was cash out Charlie’s debt to Moliax and take her boyfriend’s place as his preferred devotee.

The cops have yet to find all the pieces, but Charlie’s parts keep turning up all over town. Grace makes a game out of finding newer, funnier places to drop them off. The hand in that sandbox, sticking up its middle finger at the world, remains her favorite gag so far.

The kids at school still wonder how Grace and her mom got back on their feet so soon. How sweet little Fluttershy became such a fucking bitch. Why the kids who get in her way suffer life-changing accidents, like Amber’s car crash and that weird disease that made Charlotta drop out of school. They don’t ask too many questions about that stuff, though. They don’t dare. No one wants to be the next one pondering that stuff from the wrong side of a body bag. Even teachers seem scared of GDP these days… and well they should be. Just ask Charlie’s ghost how nasty Grace can be.

Blonde hair, flawless complexion, a stunning figure, sparkling eyes, all the best clothes, and a radiant streak of cruelty: That’s GDP these days. With Moliax as her lover and literal hell powers at her command, the former Fluttershy is mean girl on campus, with money, stellar grades, and all the popularity a high-school girl could want. Mom’s essentially a slave in her own home, and there’s a literal devil in the details of GDP’s new life. What’ll happen when she graduates next year? Heaven only knows…