"You have questions, my friend, but are you prepared for the answers?"
In the beginning, God fashioned the great engines of Heaven to regulate the cosmos. Each orbit of a star and planet lay within the radius of a cog, a celestial flywheel linking other such gears in an enormous, interdependent mechanism. The heavens were laid out in an intricate tracery of orbits, ellipses, periods and constants, an impossibly vast design that defied total comprehension.
The seers captained these great orbits and circuits. They knew when and where everything would be, be it a day away or a millennia hence. They regulated the means by which the heavens affected the Earth, directing the swell of tides through the course of the moon and winding the Earth to cause the seasons to turn. Of all the angels, however, they were among the most distant from humanity. They loved their brothers and sisters of clay, but it was their lot to reside far above Eden and interact with mortals through mysteries woven in the vault of stars.
When the rebellion came, one central factor split the seers. It was one among their number, a seer named Ahrimal who first saw the dire portents that would reveal themselves as the Fall. At the time, Ahrimal and his companions believed that the impending disaster would occur if the angels failed to act, so they were among the most vocal proponents of rebellion. In fact, the Fall was the root of the catastrophe Ahrimal foresaw, and there is not a single Fiend to this day who is not haunted by that House's collective mistake.
Lucifer prized the Fiends as advisors and strategists, since their ability to divine the future earned him several quick victories. The war proved costly, however, for the Fiends did not anticipate its destructiveness. It was a sign of their hubris that they considered that the great design would not be upset by their actions.
Finally, God cast the condemned rebels into the Abyss, plunging the Fiends into a special hell of their own. Once, they were creatures of order and regimented existence but the Abyss could not be codified, charted or piloted. Without the great engines of Heaven to provide a measured routine, they went mad.
When the walls to the Abyss were wracked by the Maelstrom, the Fiends sensed the great engines again and saw the cracks leading to freedom. Upon reemerging, however, they found the heavens derelict and undirected, while the great engine itself moved with rusted awkwardness. The Fiends had regained their touchstone, but it was cracked and worn, possibly beyond repair. But then the same could be said for them.
Factions
The Fiends prize the search for knowledge above all. Within their broken breasts lies a genuine need to recapture that absolute clarity when the universe hid few secrets from them. Some say their search for these shards of congruence is merely distraction from the inevitable inward examination that leads many fiends to the Raveners. Almost no Fiend, however, believes that destroying the great engines of Creation will do anything more than condemn all the fallen to an even darker oblivion than the Abyss. For obvious reasons, many Fiends instead prefer the Cryptics and their search for Truth
Few Fiends are drawn to the Reconcilers, if only because the Fiends were always so distant from Eden prior to the war. Paradise was never truly their home, so why yearn for something never shared? Instead, the second-most popular faction among the Fiends are the Luciferians. Perhaps it's because Lucifer protected the Fiends from recrimination when the war was at its worst. The elders among the Fiends, however, say the fate of Lucifer has yet to run its course, though none will say why.
Finally, there are some Fiends who find themselves drawn to the Faustians. Some Fiends believe controlling humanity's destiny is just another course to be charted and directed. Others see modern humanity as an enormously complex organism equal to the cosmos itself, and a worthy successor to their skills.
Prelude
Fiends possess an affinity for patient seekers of knowledge, those, like themselves, who question the universe by boldly prodding it, by getting their hands dirty, and by stumbling about in the dark with little regard for body or soul. Be it reporter who sacrifices ties to family and friends in the quest for the Big Story or an occultist willingly opening herself to spirits beyond her ken, Fiends are drawn individuals who barter their souls for enlightenment. The important truth to the Fiend isn't the question itself, but the quest for the answer and the struggle to obtain it. The harder someone vies to uncover lost or mysterious knowledge - and the more of themselves they lose in the process - the greater the lure to the Fiends.
Faith
Everyone has questions, but few people are willing to find the answers. The Fiends rely on this duality to fuel themselves. In fact, because the Fiends pose as avid listeners, people find it easier confiding in them, especially since they place themselves in positions of authority and knowledge.
Most Fiends of low Torment encourage the pursuit of knowledge rather than it acquisition. They target seekers of enlightenment, presenting themselves as sounding boards for ideas and asking just enough questions to nudge a mortal in the right direction. Once they grow into the mortals confidence, they offer pacts to encourage the journey rather than simply fulfilling the goal.
By the same token, Fiends also despise mortals who seek only quick answers in life. They often reap Faith from this lot, showing them glimpses of the horrible fates awaiting them. They reap to fuel themselves as much as to punish, but they risk opening themselves to their Torment as they conjure horrifying illusions.
Conversely, high-Torment Fiends rely on the selfsame quick-fix lot for their pacts. They use illusions to corrupt mortals and promise them material gains, separating those who prefer acquisition from those who seek esoteric pursuits. They reap from honest seekers as well, torturing them with half-truths and misinformation, and scarring their sanity with obscene secrets better left unsaid.
Character Creation
Fiends believe that knowledge is power, so they favor high Mental Attributes. Others rely on controlling others through their future sight, which makes Social Attributes their primary preference.
When it comes to Abilities, Fiends prize Knowledges above all else, with Investigation, Academics and Religion of principal interest. They are also adept in the mysteries of Linguistics, Occult, and Research.
In dealing with Backgrounds, the two key choices are Allies and Contacts. The mortal's quest for knowledge means she established a network of mortal affiliates to facilitate her journey. It's also not uncommon for Fiends to have mortal mentors if the host was delving deeply into occult matters.
Starting Torment: 3
House Lore:
Lore of Light
Lore of Patterns
Lore of Portals
Weaknesses
Curiosity is perhaps the Fiends' Achilles' heel. It was curiosity of the unknown that led to their downfall, and it's a need to investigate mysteries when confronted by conundrums that afflicts them now. This curiosity usually stems from an unforeseen chain of events that arises over the course of their actions. A subject may do or say something significant beyond the Fiend's carefully scripted chain of events. Most Fiends will want to know why this happened, focusing their analytical abilities to find the source of the anomaly, and in so doing losing sight of the task at hand.
Stereotypes
Devils: The Fiends know that while they possess vision, the Devils are the best-equipped to make such vision reality. The Fiends also feel a kinship with the Devils who understand the importance of planning and far-reaching goals.
Scourges: The Fiends reserve a quiet jealousy for the Scourges and their close ties to humanity. The Fiends envy the Scourge's facility with mortals, but their jealousy rarely manifest openly.
Malefactors: The Fiends blame the Malefactors for introducing poisoned knowledge to humanity that has since spread and ravaged the Earth. They are hard-pressed to forgive this House, save for a few Reconcilers seeking to right the mistakes of the past.
Defilers: The fluid and slippery Defilers confuse the Fiends as equally as the Fiends baffle them. They find the Defilers to be too transient and oriented in "the now" to hold their interest.
Devourers: Fiends respect the Devourers for their loyalty to Lucifer and proficiency as soldiers, but the Devourers are too short-sighted. They must be led, but the Fiends don't want that frustrating role.
Slayers: The Fiends appreciate the Slayers for their patience, and they frequently seek the Slayers out for counsel and assistance. A handful of Fiends believe that the Angels of Death will be crucial to the eventual redemption of the fallen, and they work to strengthen ties between the two Houses.