[woweed]

In Nomine is fairly unique among games; Namely, it outright encourages the reader to alter the setting as they see fit, and to adjust the tone and concepts as needed, with each major character given several possible personalities. This has issues, most notably, in that it can lead to inconsistent writing, as each writer is working from a different view of the setting, but it's fascinating to me, especially given my general interest in cause-and-effect, how one little change in events or actions can alter things. Thusly, I have made this thread. An Elseworld, in comic books, is taking familiar characters, like superheroes, and dumping them into a different setting. For instance, what if Superman landed in Soviet Russia? What if Batman got the Green Lantern Ring instead of Hal Jordan? What if Batman was also Superman? That kinda thing. In this thread, you can post any ideas for such things in In Nomine as you may wish. To kick us off, here's an idea i've had brewing for a while.

In this world, the fight with Legion goes a bit better. Legion is still destroyed, but Raphael isn't. She is weakened considerably, and takes 400 years to return to full power, but she lives. Haagenti, meanwhile, dies in the battle. Both Meserach and Mariel live. Things change. Christopher is still named as Angel of Children, thanks to the Children's Crusade. Makatiel's plan to use the Black Death to kill off humanity got less far along, leaving a few hundred thousand alive. Dominic and Asmodeus don't collaborate to stop him, and, in general, have less cooperation. With a few hundred thousand people alive, and Raphael still promoting knowledge, Leonardo da Vinci manages to get many of his more esoteric ideas off the ground. Inspired by Angels, he builds many advanced devices, which are built upon to lead to a massive tech boom. The Industrial Revolution comes a few centuries early. Meserach is slayed in the 1470s, as is Andrealphus. Lawrence's sponsoring of Martin Luther still causes the Reformation, but it is rather changed. For one thing, John Calvin is killed early-on, leaving no Calvinism. For another thing, while England still falls to Oliver Cromwell, in this universe, he is better able to maintain power, and his child rules for about two extra years before the republic collapses. Meanwhile, in America, things are going odd. In this world, Columbus wasn't the one who "discovered" America. He failed to get funding, and, so, Britain sends out the first explorer to the Americas, in the early-1500s, landing on present Nova Scotia. With the tech difference even greater, as the Europeans, in the world's 1500, were just starting to figure out powered flight, they quickly take over, gaining an empire stretching all throughout our universe's Canada and East Coast America. The American Revolution kicks off a few years earlier, but the Americans still win and establish something like the American government of our universe. However, here, Canada joins them, and Manifest Destiny isn't as bloody. The Trail of Tears never happens, and the Mexican-American War is never fought. By the present, Texas and California are both independent nations. Meanwhile, there's rather less White Supremacy in this US, helped by the Cotton Gin never having come into existence. It was inspired by Vapula who, in this universe, is an Servitor of Jean, and a rather prominent one at that. The US abolished Slavery in 1836, after the brief Carolina War. Black civil rights advanced rather quicker, as did civil rights in general, with women getting the vote nationwide circa 1876. The 19th century were pretty big in the war. With radical changes in tech, including the invention of radio in the 1850s and TV in the 1870s, there was upheaval in Heaven and Hell. Nybbas, an Angel in this world, was granted his Word of Communication. Saminga and Mammon, the latter rather more powerful in this world, both died at the hands of Archangels. David was murdered by Malphas, who was then, in turn, killed by Laurence. The 1900s went even weirder. World War I was averted, Humanity landed on The Moon in 1920. The Nazis were nothing more than an obscure political sect. Video games were invented in the 1930s, The Internet in the 70s. Eli didn't go AWOL until 1969. Christopher was made Archangel the same year. Fleruity was never born, and neither was Furfur. Jordi was killed off in the late-70s, as was Marc. On the other side, Belial died in 1980. As part of the following reshuffling, Nybass was promoted to Archangel of Communication. Khalid still didn't Fall, thankfully. In the present, things are...different. The balance of The War is much more in Heaven's favor then in the regular universe. Mariel is still a prominent Superior, as is Raphael. Vapula is Angel of Progress and, though something of a loose cannon, hasn't Fallen. He's considered one of Jean's stronger Wordbound. Nybass is the Archangel of Communication, and is a minor, but rapidly-growing-in-power, Superior. Orc, Angel of Networks, is his Servitor, and a powerful one. Gluttony, as mentioned, never had a Superior. Meserach is still dead, though. Andre is dead, and, with her opposite number dead, Gabriel's madness is subsiding. David is dead. Jordi and Marc are both recent losses, and Heaven has been hit hard. There have been several promotions to make up for it. For instance, one of Marc's Servitors is now Archangel of Charity. There is also an Archangel of Cities, an Archangel of Courage, and the Angel of Music has recently been considered for Superior status. On the other side, there's a minor, but rapidly growing in power, Demon Prince of Pollution. Humanity is exploring Space and the war is expanding into new fronts. It is in this setting that, for a first time, a Demon Prince seeks Redemption...

Have at it, people!