Realms of Power: The Infernal Chapter Two: Sin and Temptation
This page is part of the Realms of Power: The Infernal Open Content.
In a world where demons might be hiding under any stone, and the Dominion protects the homes of God’s people against their infernal designs, sin is a recognizable phenomenon that actually stains the transgressor’s soul. In order to play characters who sin, and describe the plots of tempters who entice people to do evil, players must first understand exactly what sin means in Mythic Europe.
What is Sin?
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. — 1 John 3:8
What causes the stain of sin to form? Basically, a person sins in one of two ways: when he assists the Infernal realm in its opposition to the Divine, or when he acts in ways that do not serve God.
The first form of sin is straightforward enough: think of God as a medieval king, with the entire earth as his kingdom and all the people as his subjects. The Infernal realm constantly seeks to depose and discredit the king, and so assisting its agents in any way is treason against the holy sovereign. Sin is the evidence that this betrayal leaves behind. Thus, making a deal with a demon, serving or worshiping a demon, or knowingly using Infernal Powers or infernally-tainted abilities — even for good purposes — is an evil thing. The Infernal is God’s enemy, and those who aid or receive succor from his enemy also become his enemies.
The second form of sin is not as easy to interpret, for that which is appropriate service to God is often a matter of faith. The specifics of what a character believes affect whether or not his motives are pure, and so determine whether or not a given action is a sin. In general, sinful acts are furtive and selfish. From this, it stands to reason that if an act must be performed in secret, or brings the character pleasure (unless this is an abstract pleasure derived from doing good and acting properly), it is probably sinful. People also sin to avoid necessary pain or sacrifice, often covering up for their other sins, and in fact these sins of aversion tend to be the sins that weigh most heavily on their consciences.
Acts not committed in service to the Divine are only free of sin if they are truly selfless. That is, a person who gives everything he owns to charity still sins if he does it for selfish reasons. It is also possible for a character with good intentions to commit an evil act, such as hanging an innocent man in the sincere belief that the accused committed a crime, but this is not sinful. It is always up to the player to decide how his character acts, and if the question of sin is important to the story, the storyguide should judge whether the action seems selfish based on the circumstances.
This interpretation of right and wrong suggests that selflessly worshiping a god other than the focus of the Divine realm is not sinful, so long as the god or gods so worshiped are not Infernal. This is broadly true, depending upon the methods of worship. What the Church calls “veneration” is essentially profound respect for the being, such as the way devout Christians can revere saints and angels. If a pagan character behaves in a similar fashion, honoring her deities and heroes without actually worshiping them as the One True God, it is probably all right. This behavior would never be considered pious by those characters dedicated to the worship of the Divine, but at least it isn’t sinful.
Types of Sin
There are two grades of sin: mortal or major sins, and venial or minor sins. Venial sins are light in their matter, things like impure thoughts or hasty actions that do no harm to anyone but the sinner, and these sins rarely have long-term consequences. Examples might include angry thoughts, proud speech, or carnal desires. Of greater interest to the Infernal realm are mortal sins, which are evil acts that leave a black mark upon the soul. It is mortal sins that demons seek to inspire, for it is from the effects of these sins that creatures associated with the Infernal realm draw their power. The “seven deadly sins” are good examples of behavior that leads to mortal sin, as are acts such as killing, lying, stealing, and blaspheming.
Note that since sin requires a conscious act, or at least an acceptance of the act as the character’s own, a character compelled to behave in a sinful way by supernatural powers does not commit sin. Theologically speaking, it is not possible for a character to sin inadvertently, though he does have a moral responsibility for his actions and should ensure that his convictions do not lead him to commit acts of sin in ignorance. However, it is always wrong for a character to support or receive aid from the Infernal realm, and a character who deals with demons or who uses Powers that he does not realize are evil still receives a stain on his soul each time he does so.
Whether or not a particular evil is deliberate is often a matter of some doubt, even for expert theologians, for even when clearly forced to act against their will, people often fear that they secretly desired the sin. Is it really selfless for the craftsman to work diligently at his trade, when doing so brings him wealth? How pious is the scholar who desires knowledge and joins a monastery to be surrounded by books? Does the noble crusader fight for God’s glory, or for his own? These seeds of doubt are what tempters seek out and nurture, and may inspire intense soul-searching on the part of an intelligent and philosophical character, lest he begin to perceive his every act as selfish and so come to accept that his constant sin is inevitable. This line of thinking is a sure route to Hell.
Sinful TraitsThe desire to sin is one of the most important qualities of an infernal character, because besides describing the sorts of things the character is likely to do, it also addresses the likely reasons the character became evil in the first place. These tendencies are probably best described with the character’s Personality Traits. Personality Traits are not sinful in and of themselves, however. They indicate habits and inclinations, tendencies toward selfish (and selfless) behavior, and general desires upon which the character typically wishes to act. An Infernal Power that gives a person a Personality Trait makes that person more tempted to indulge in that sort of activity, but the character still makes the choice of whether or not to do it. Characters have Personality Traits for two reasons: to make it easier for the player to roleplay the character’s quirks and personal habits, and to help the storyguide decide what the character will do when faced with temptation or a choice essentially driven by desire. This latter use might require a roll on a simple die, modified by all applicable traits, against an Ease Factor based on the difficulty of resisting temptation; or perhaps a set of contested simple die rolls, each modified by an appropriate trait, to determine which of the character’s desires is the strongest in a particular situation. To this end, you might associate each of your character’s Personality Traits with a particular virtue or vice, to make it easier to use Personality Traits in a saga. In this way, the storyguide can ask for a roll for a particular category of trait, and it becomes easier to associate different tendencies with very similar behavior. The seven deadly sins are a good model for this, and corresponding traits are listed below, beside what might be seen as opposing virtues, each with several related Personality Traits. To indicate which type of virtue or vice a Personality Trait is associated with, you can simply note it afterward, e.g., “Dedicated +3 (Loyal)” or “Cruel +3 (Envious).” When dealing with opposing traits, treat the trait’s value as negative. For example, Dedicated +3 (Loyal) also means a character is Proud –3, and Cruel +3 (Envious) is the same as Kind –3. The character may have some Personality Traits along the lines of “Tells silly stories” and “Likes figs” that do not fit perfectly into this model, and those traits can simply be left alone, as they do not have to have any mechanical effect on the game. Those traits that do seem suited to the question of the character’s morality, however, can be applied to greater effect when combined with Infernal influence and other aspects of the rules that deal with human behavior.
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Redemption
If God is easily offended, at least God’s pardon is easily gained. He has, after all, established several holy organizations with chapter houses spread all throughout Mythic Europe that help sinners cleanse their souls of wrong and return to the path of righteousness — most notably the Christian Church, though of course characters of different faiths have other options. If the character seeks out forgiveness from one of these holy places, usually by demonstrating his repentance and promising to do better, God removes the mark of sin. There may still be consequences in the hereafter, of course; most religions teach that part of the journey of the spirit includes a period immediately following death when, through pain and suffering for all of the character’s sins, the soul is made pure enough to enter Heaven. However, this act of contrition still removes the character from Hell’s reach, and many believe it is effective even at the very last moment before expiring.
This, then, would seem to be the bane of the Devil’s work, for there is nothing that binds a character to him in quite the same way. Always, no matter how corrupt the person, no matter how many times he has renounced God, and no matter how passionately he swears to serve the Infernal realm until his death, he may always escape Hell’s clutches if he truly repents.
The specific means by which characters can be absolved of their sins vary depending on their faiths and culture. Christians confess their sins and accept appropriate penance, while Muslims and Jews perform ritual fasts of atonement. For more details, see Beliefs and Practices in Chapters 4, 5, and 6 of Realms of Power: The Divine.
Deals with the DevilThe Infernal realm goes to great lengths to mask the essential weakness in its strategy, that people may renege on agreements concerning their immortal soul and repent at any time, and has come up with several methods to convince them not to do so. When a person makes a pact with a demon, the bargain is often sealed with an oath, perhaps in the form of a written contract or ceremonial promise, and the bargain is sometimes backed up with a curse that states what bad things will happen if it is broken. This cannot prevent the character’s redemption, but it can make reneging seem less desirable, especially if the consequence of seeking forgiveness is immediate death or suffering caused to others. Demons also hope that a sinner’s sense of honor will make him reluctant to break his word. Particularly clever demons might make expansive promises to those who seem willing to make deals with them, exact a price from these subjects, and then maliciously refuse to deliver the goods. Demons are masters of deceit and lies after all, and there are few powers that can force them to keep their word; even diabolists should know better than to trust them. The diabolical brilliance in this practice is that the cheated supplicant almost always seeks forgiveness, but the demon knows that this repentance has no moral value — is the sinner sorry that he sinned, or only sorry that he didn’t get his powers? The demon hopes to use this to shame the sinner into silence, to cause him to come back to the demon on his knees, begging for its favors. A favorite trick is for the demon to seek out a penitent sinner only after he has received absolution, and then to fulfill its part of the bargain, once again tempting the target away from God and undoing his hasty repentance by giving him the thing for which he was willing to endanger his soul. Demons and their agents might also try to corrupt the devout, to cause them to teach lies and falsehoods to the multitudes, and a common ploy among Christian communities is to spread doubt about the efficacy of the sacraments. If a person confesses his sins and takes Communion, but does not believe this has any effect upon his soul, it doesn’t. This is one of the reasons why the Church persecuted the Waldensians as heretics, for example, for they taught that sacraments administered by wicked priests were void, and thus those following this heresy lost their own faith in the sacraments. This belief that evil priests corrupt the faith is still widespread, encouraged by demons and infernal characters who seek to take advantage of this theological misconception. |
Infernal Influence
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, [and] as [in] the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with [this] generation, and said It [is] a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. — Psalms 95:8–11
The Infernal realm is bent upon corruption and destruction, and so infernalists (characters associated with the Infernal) often pursue similar goals among the people of their acquaintance. The Devil’s influence is insidious, and evil can be found everywhere, and thus one of the capabilities characters gain in his service is the ability to inspire wicked Personality Traits in those who follow them. By setting a bad example and encouraging their associates to follow them, they lead others into temptation, tainting their souls with a little bit of sin.
There are two ways a character can use infernal influence. One is to spend a season with a character or characters, perhaps indulging in similar vices or studying together, or even simply visiting briefly each day. Through exposure to the infernalist’s behavior, the follower picks up similar bad habits. This is called personal influence. A character can also perform a short ceremony, involving a passionate invocation and charge to his audience, and spending a Confidence point. This is called ceremonial influence, and all characters who have at least Infernal Lore 1 know how to perform such a ceremony.
Both methods require that the affected characters are willing to follow the influencing character’s lead. They may not know exactly what he is doing, but if they listen to what he says and think about what he tells them, they are very likely to accept the consequences. This implies a degree of trust that usually comes from close association, though, and so only characters with the Inspirational Virtue can ceremonially influence strangers, although a character with Temporal Influence is usually trusted by all those within his authority. However, it is important to note that player characters who do not want to be influenced cannot be; if a character actively resists infernal influence, it has no effect.
The formula for determining the results of infernal influence is a simple die + Presence + Leadership, and the results of this roll determine the value of the new Personality Trait gained by the target, according to the following chart. This trait can correspond to any sinful trait, and may even approximate virtuous qualities (a Violent character might seem Brave, for example). The score is given as an absolute value; traits gained through influence can be virtuous traits with negative scores, like Brave –2 or Loyal –3.
| Infernal Influence | Simple Die + Presence + Leadership |
| Ease Factor | Trait Value |
|---|---|
| 9 | +1 |
| 12 | +2 |
| 15 | +3 |
| 18 | +4 |
| 21 | +5 |
| 24 | +6 (maximum) |
This new trait represents a new passion awakened within the character. It may be very similar to a trait the character already possesses, the opposite of an existing trait, or completely unrelated to the character’s old personality. Personality Traits gained through influence are inherently temporary, as they are somewhat impulsive, and they usually fade over time unless they are reinforced by the character’s actions. As a rough guide, traits gained from personal influence can linger as long as a year, while those from ceremonial influence usually fade within about a week.
Note that characters under infernal influence can easily possess more than three Personality Traits at any given time, as most of them are temporary. If these traits become permanent, the character might wind up with a long list of them. This can be difficult to roleplay, as so many powerful traits can pull the character in different directions, but it is certainly possible, and makes for a more complex character. It is still a good idea for players to go over their characters’ traits periodically, and reduce or remove any traits that are no longer appropriate.
Tarnish
Infernal auras are often places of powerful emotions, charged with human desire and passion. Infernalists can draw these emotions out of an Infernal aura, so that everyone who visits the site is infected with this feeling. This is called tarnishing, and the result is a tarnished aura.
Tarnishing an Infernal aura essentially gives it a sinful Personality Trait, and thus it is a form of infernal influence. The character either spends a season within the aura, during which time he indulges in sinful acts (this is a form of personal influence), or performs a brief ceremony within the aura to invoke his will and bring about the trait directly (ceremonial influence). Unlike influencing a person, tarnishing an aura requires a stress die, and botching a roll to tarnish an aura usually gives the infernalist Warping points or fatigue.
| Tarnishing an Aura | Stress Die + Presence + Leadership |
A tarnished aura has a pervasive trait, called its tarnish, which affects everyone within the aura. This is described like a Personality Trait; a Tarnish Trait might be Lustful +3, for example, or Pious –2. The tarnish is added to similar Personality Traits, making them stronger, and subtracted from traits that oppose the tarnish, discouraging them. Any character that does not have similar or opposing Personality Traits simply gains the Tarnish Trait as a Personality Trait for as long as he remains in the aura. This represents how the tempting nature of the Infernal continually acts on characters who fall under its influence.
Infernal auras can only have one tarnish at a time, and only the strongest tarnish in an aura remains active. A tarnish also fades over time; its value decreases by one each morning (for tarnishes created with ceremonial influence) or at the end of each season (for tarnishes created with personal influence).
Some special Infernal auras have a permanent tarnish, brought about when they are created, and these never fade (see Chapter 1: The Infernal Realm, Corrupted Auras).
Gaining Confidence through Sin
For the vast majority of people in Mythic Europe, sin feels pleasant. It may be impious and self-indulgent, and can cause them to feel guilty afterwards, but it is also something that many people seek out and enjoy. For this reason, characters who commit sins often gain a boost of self-worth and resolve that in Ars Magica is represented with Confidence Points.
There are two ways for a character to gain Confidence through sin, which are very similar to the methods for influencing others, as they are essentially reinforcing sin through the power of the will. Both methods require that the character have a Personality Trait that indicates a penchant for a specific sin. The first requires that the character regularly indulges in the sin at every opportunity over the course of a season, much like a character exerting personal influence. This can be done while engaging in other activities, like study or laboratory work. The second method requires a short ceremony involving a ritualized act of the sin, in which the character gains an infernal Warping Point. Either activity yields a Confidence Point upon completion.
Characters who do not have a Confidence Score, like grogs or characters with the Low Self-Esteem Flaw, can still gain these Confidence Points, though they cannot do much with them. Their players may spend Confidence Points to perform ceremonial influence or tarnish an Infernal aura. With the storyguide’s approval, they may also spend them to give a +1 bonus to certain types of rolls, such as those associated with a strong Personality Trait. For example, if a grog has earned 3 Confidence Points for several seasons of Cruel behavior, he might be allowed to spend those Confidence Points towards an exceptionally cruel act, giving him a +3 bonus to his roll. The number of Confidence Points he may spend toward any one roll should not exceed his score in the associated trait, though.
The sins necessary to activate this form of infernal influence vary depending upon the character’s score in the Personality Trait associated with the sin. The greater the value of the trait, the more depraved the act necessary to gain Confidence. Generally speaking, venial sins are sufficient for traits of +3 or less, but scores greater than that usually require a mortal sin, especially if the character has a Major Personality Flaw. Over time, sinful Personality Traits should increase if they are often indulged, but the specifics of how and when these traits change are left for the storyguide and the players to settle.
Note that tarnished auras create an easy way for characters to gain Confidence, since they encourage a particular sin and automatically give characters that trait. Simply spending a season in a tarnished aura is usually sufficient for a character without an appropriate Personality Flaw to earn a Confidence Point, as the character feels compelled to indulge himself in appropriately sinful acts while he is there. He can even claim that “the Devil made him do it” after he repents his actions; the Infernal allows this as it encourages characters to return and sin again.
Personality FlawsFor the purposes of rules involving Personality Traits, treat a Minor Personality Flaw as a +3 trait, and a Major Personality Flaw as a +6 trait. Characters under infernal influence may thus occasionally overcome these Personality Flaws with opposing Personality Traits, though they need constant encouragement and reinforcement to avoid returning to their old ways — these traits never become permanent as long as the character still has an opposing Flaw. |
Attribution
Attribution Based on the material for Ars Magica, ©1993-2024, licensed by Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Games®, under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license 4.0 ("CC-BY-SA 4.0"). Ars Magica Open License Logo ©2024 Trident, Inc. The Ars Magica Open License Logo, Ars Magica, and Mythic Europe are trademarks of Trident, Inc., and are used with permission. Order of Hermes, Tremere, Doissetep, and Grimgroth are trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB and are used with permission.