For one man to be free, five thousand must be enslaved.
(Paraphrased from Dostoevsky.)
The hoary old Queen said, "You have come to me, Jillian, on
the occasion of your birth. This pleases me."
The Lil bent to one knee before the throne, and reached for her
Mother's hand. She pressed her lips to Lilith's ring and
murmured pleasantries sure to placate the old Queen's soul. When
she was done, she said, "Mother, we have been insulted. A
Balseraph Baron of Drugs has entered our territory in the Pits."
Jillian referred to the barren area of Shal-Mari where the
poorest of the souls and demons go. "He is... squatting. He
and his ilk are taking what is ours by right. We wish to be rid
of him. Permanently."
Lilith thought about this for a moment, and then patted her child
on the head. "As a favor, it will be dealt with. In time, young
one, I will request a favor of you in return. You will owe me a
tidbit or two."
"Thank you, Mother," Jillian said.
Lilith's Web
Lilith sits on her throne in her spiral tower like a black widow
spider in the center of a giant web of favors, lies and deceit.
She lives the life of a true Mafioso, the image from which all
Dons reflect. Her Family is her Made Men. Those owing favors
are her Enforcers. Those working off debts will run her numbers
and protection rackets, keeping weak-willed demons on the vine.
All who are caressed by the kiss of the geas are beholden to
Mother.
To the outside observer, she is a Princess in name only. Her
power is propped up through the grace of the Prince of Lies -- a
puppet to be played with as Hell whims. She creates and controls
only the few Lilim, and her empire rests on the availability of
her Daughters to other Princes and her web of favors. She is
naught but a poor human who left the grace of God to become a
plaything for Hell. She pouts, she whines, and she is no threat
to the War.
Those on the inside know better. Lilith's power comes from the
information she collects. Her Daughters are her eyes, and those
her Daughters hold in thrall are her fingers. With her eyes she
will observe, and with her fingers she will wring knowledge from
broken bodies. Lilim do Lilith's bidding, demons and humans do
Lilim bidding, and Lilith stays behind, playing the puppet master
to her vast empire of spies.
Lilith's reach is vast, and the secrets she hoards and dispenses
are the only currency worthwhile in the deepest pit of Hell -
knowledge. She knows of the plots and the plans. She knows the
schemes. She knows the foolishness between the Princes and their
kind. And in return for anyone requesting a bit of her
knowledge, she requests the favor to be repaid to her in kind.
Another web, another favor.
It is, after all, a much cheaper price Kronos, Alaemon, or
Asmodeus will charge. Isn't it?
Lilith is wise and old and disguises her power with cunning due
only a Demon Princess. Let them think she is weak, for she knows
what plots they play.
She sends her Daughters out, pouting lips and all, to toil under
other masters. She bids them to join with another, to work for
them tirelessly, to become valuable. When the Lilim do,
they communicate all they learn about the schemes of the Princes
back to Mother, and in return Mother gives them what they need as
well - more information.
Lilith may look weak, but she could topple a Prince with a word,
twist a scheme with a sentence, and destroy a finely crafted plot
with a favor. She keeps her power close to her -- for knowledge
of her power is information as well, and it would cost a pretty
favor indeed to learn that secret.
The Family
To Lilim, the Family is more important than life. It is a reason
for existing. It is identity. It is a support and a determent.
The Family giveth and the Family taketh away.
The Family protects its own. When one Lilim is threatened, those
nearby close ranks. They must preserve the integrity of the
Family at all costs, and it would threaten Mother if one Daughter
was destroyed on a mere whim. She may lose something important.
One Daughter with valuable information to convey is a precious
resource. Many Daughters with information is a secret empire.
All Lilim live for the Family as they live for Mother. And
Mother, in turn, provides them with muscle.
There are those who are not Lilim who are either coerced or join
the Family of their own free will. These demons, working for
Freedom, are employed in the janitorial staff of the Family.
They work as Enforcers and Hitmen, providing protection for the
Lilim. They work as muscle in Lilim schemes. In return for their
service, they are either released from their servitude or are
rewarded with a little glittering tidbit or two. For some demons
trying to get an edge, this tidbit is worth the service, as it is
often enough to blackmail, discredit, or otherwise destroy an
enemy or two. For others... they get what they paid for. It's a
chance they take in doing dealings in Hell.
The Lilim
Her Daughters learn more about the plans of the Princes than the
Game, more about the humans than Fate, and more about suffering
than Death by becoming part of those plans. They learn deeper
and darker secrets than Alaemon, and they keep it from him by
dispersing it among themselves and giving it only to Mother.
Lilim have only one true loyalty, and that is to their
progenitor, who gives them presents and information in return for
their work. A favor given is a favor returned in kind, and the
more favors returned, the closer a Lilim comes to Freedom. All
Lilim live for Freedom, so they pay the cost back to Mother.
Lilim work for their Mother as spies, second story men, and
lieutenants. They preside over a large, secret organization that
wends its way through every Principality. They often take jobs
that teach them necessary information gathering skills: computer
operations, seduction, and Andrealphus's attunement are fine
examples. They take jobs to train in these skills, and then wait
to be placed within an organization permanently. The more skills
picked up while Free, the more valuable they become to their new
Boss - and to their Mother. Value means a high placement. Value
means valuable information. Value means survival. Value means,
one day, gaining something from Mother that she can use against
her new Master, and who knows where that might lead.
Lilim may go work for Asmodeus, they may go work for Kronos, they
may even go work for Saminga. But they are covert operatives,
every one of them. Their loyalty is at home to the Family, and
the more power they gain and the more integrated they become with
their new Masters, the more they report back on the schemes and
workings of Hell. The more Lilith rewards them under the table
with small slivers of power that can be used against the Princes.
Of course, there is risk. Lilim do not live long. But living
under the chains of geas is enough impetuous to do what it takes
to get free.
The Bright Lilim
To Lilith, Bright Lilim are the most valuable operatives in the
universe. There are thousands of Prince secret police burrowing
into each other's organizations, but a Bright Lilim who owes
Mother is worth more than her weight in gold, or geasa, or
favors.
Bright Lilim may still have a soft spot for Lilith. She is,
after all, Mother. She was the progenitor. She was the bringer
of Life. And Lilith simply needs to approach the newly bright
young Lilim and explain how Mother isn't evil, dear.
Mother is a human, trying to make the best in a bad situation.
You understand, don't you, young Bright Daughter? Come, let me
give you a hug, it's been such a trial...
If a Lilim expresses interest in joining the other side, Mother
is supportive. Mother is enthusiastic. Yes, dear, follow your
dreams. Become an angel. Never mind these hooks I have on your
soul.
Her loyalty is worth a thousand normal Lilim, for learning the
plans and machinations of Heaven is worth more than any new
scheme of the Princes. Bright Lilim are to be pampered, used,
lied to, manipulated, and squeezed of every last drop of
information until they are empty husks, free of the information
gathering geasa crammed into the Bright child's soul.
Lilith jealously guards any knowledge of Bright children. She
would keep that out of the hands of the Game until the time is
right to dispose of the child. She milks them for all their
worth.
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EDG <[email protected]>
In Nomine Collection Curator