IN> [Asmodeus Month] Investigating Hardcore

[James Walker]

We are told that there are numerous minor princes, who
live at the sufferance of the more powerful Princes:
ruling buffer states between Principalities, or tiny
holdings in Shal-Mari. Furfur is our example of these
budding powers – and also-rans.

These Princes are too weak to dare challenge The Game
openly, as Asmodeus could crush them at will. This
partly due to a lack of power, but also because they
haven't had time to refine their Rites and Attunements
to prevent misuse. 
For example, once Asmodeus has acquired the
"manipulate the crowd at a concert to riot" Rite he
has Furfur by the short and curlies. A sufficiently
bad riot will cost Furfur *thousands* of essence – and
the Rite can be repeated daily.
Because new Princes are desperately recruiting, spies
can be inserted into their organizations fairly
easily. Demons in Hell rarely have Hearts; a 6 or 7
Force Gamester makes an ideal spy, as their lack of
attunements isn't suspicious. 
If the Prince is destroyed, these spies can return to
The Game with now unique attunements, or swear to
other Princes, continuing to spy for Asmodeus. These
spies will normally only reveal themselves to prevent
Redemptions – partly due to the spy's usefulness,
partly because they don't want to return to The Game
unless they expect to be richly rewarded. 

The Game benefits greatly by driving budding Princes
into battle against heaven. Their unknown Attunements,
Distinctions (and Tethers!) grant them the advantage
of surprise; both The Game and The War can see their
powers in action; and once Heaven learns the powers of
the new Word, preparing divine troops to withstand
them takes far more effort than the threat deserves.
Besides, if the Prince is too weak to survive, better
that he be destroyed doing something useful. So any
investigation of the new Word will be more concerned
with damage to Heaven than anything else.

Besides, the Hounds probably don't know what to
investigate *for*. Sure, they'll be briefed on the
Word's dissonance conditions; but what will the Prince
tolerate? What is acceptable behavior? What is
encouraged? In short, is there any risk that an arrest
will embarrass The Game – and result in the Asmodean
being punished?
Of course, the new recruits don't know what their boss
will tolerate either, so this is a good time to mould
their behavior. They are unlikely to have the
resources to bribe the Gamesters, of course; their
boss is just starting out. However, their promotion
chances are good – so blackmail information gained now
will increase in value. 
Also, they're not used to their new dissonance
conditions either! It's dissonant for a demon of
Hardcore to lie if telling the truth will cause more
trouble. Is admitting a crime to The Game 'trouble'? 
Yes – just ask any Balseraph! 
Don't believe me? Double check with a Hound with
Argument of Casuistry: see, I told you I was right. 

Other demons are also ignorant of the new Word's
abilities and dissonance conditions; exploiting this
can fun, if occasionally farcical. *Clearly*, if
Hardcore must tell the truth to The Game, then
anything they accuse other demons of must also be
true? By the time the other demons have worked out
what is going on, the Gamester will have met quota.

And in all likelihood, Lucifer will have crowned a new
Prince, allowing this aspect of the game to start again.


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