Mastho, Djinn Demon of Bad Research

[Moe Lane]

Mastho
Djinn Inspector
Demon of Bad Research

Corporeal Forces: 3 Strength: 6 Agility: 6
Ethereal Forces: 6 Intelligence: 12 Precision: 12
Celestial Forces: 5 Will: 10 Perception: 10
Word-Forces: 12

Vessel: human male/4, human female/4

Skills: Chemistry/1, Computer Operation/1, Dodge/6, Electronics/1, Emote/6, Fast-Talk/6, Fighting/3, Knowledge/6 (Social Engineering), Lying/6, Ranged Weapon/3 (pistol), Seduction/6

Songs: Machines (all/3), Possession/6, Shields (Corporeal/6), Tongues (Corporeal/3, Ethereal/6)

Attunements: Djinn of Technology, Shedite of Technology, Technobabble, Word of Power, Inspector, Demon of Bad Research

Demon of Bad Research: Mastho recognizes on sight people who are so obsessively convinced that they are right about something that they will actually alter any data that would contradict their position. When he gets them to do just that, he receives 2 Essence (once per day).

Redemption potential: slim. Mastho has no regrets about what he is, what he’s doing, and what he has to do to stay there. He has some well-justified worries about what will happen to him if angels serving the Archangel of Lightning ever track Mastho down, so the Djinn keeps a low profile. In combat, his usual tactic is to leave.

Yeah. You’d think that this would be a job for a Balseraph, or maybe a Lilim. And once upon a time Vapula, Demon Prince of Technology would have agreed with you. But that was before three of the former and two of the latter Bands of demons managed to get themselves soul-killed within a year of getting the Word of Bad Research. Frankly, Mastho was at first a placeholder for the job until a new, better, more-reinforced candidate could be found; but it was remarkable how well the Djinn ended up doing the job (for one thing -- and this is never a given, considering Vaputech’s well-documented history -- he didn’t explode).

Although it shouldn’t have been surprising. What the Balseraphs and the Lilim Word-holders went wrong was in trying to have active agendas. The Balseraphs insisted on deciding what form the Bad Research would take, which led to a horrible tangle of complications and contradictions, which led to powerful entities being discommoded, which led to the Balseraphs’ soul-death; and the Lilim tried to sell off the results of the Bad Research to the highest bidder, which led to powerful entities being discommoded (and inevitable aftermath) rather earlier in the process. Put another way: some Words are easy to micro-manage. Bad Research ain’t one of them.

But put a Djinn in charge of it, and suddenly it’s all smooth sailing. Well, not perfectly, but well enough. Mastho is extremely intelligent, and exceptionally lazy; and he sees no reason why he should care just how the talking monkeys are wrong. The important thing is that they be wrong, and in a way that serves Hell.

And that? That’s dead easy. Mastho simply finds the humans inclined to be bad researchers anyway, clears out a few things (and sometimes, people) keeping them from going full-blast, and then steps back to watch the fun. It’s a long-term game, to be sure. Measured in decades, sometimes. Then again, demons are immortal.

As the above suggests, Mastho is not a horns-out sort of demon (aside from everything else, he’s a bit of a coward). He prefers to do social engineering, indirectly encouraging bad behavior by talking people into doing things that they want to do anyway, which honestly makes it easier. The actual scientific principles or theories involved are usually boring to him, even by Djinn standards; human knowledge is all more or less wrong anyway, as the demon sees it. Besides: humans shouldn’t be allowed any scientific or technological thoughts that didn’t originally come from Vapula.

And they don’t really deserve those, either.

[johndallman]

This is Hell operating well. Mastho uses humans' ideas and social rules against them, and doesn't annoy any of the other Princes. He isn't a good candidate for promotion to a larger Word, but immortal beings can afford to leave people in jobs they do well.

[thorr-kan]

Welcome back, Moe.

I like this demon. Low-key, effective, not noticed unless our protagonists go digging.

He'd be an interesting foil for a demonic group, too.

[Rocket Man]

Fun - and these days, probably working under the table with the forces of Nybbas (while a demon of Malphas quietly manipulates both Servitors). I love the idea of a Djinn holding this Word, since people can get so possessive over a bad idea ... it fits the Stalkers perfectly.

[Attercap]

I like this guy. I also see him gaining Word strength as bad research includes people arguing online using unsubstantiated/unverified articles on the 'Net to support their claims.