Sociopaths in In Nomine

[SamAnderson]

That's the weird thing, actually. Based on interviews and psychological tests with a number of identified sociopaths, generally speaking, they don't have a lot of drive or ambition, in particular. A high functioning sociopath will often tend to be smart, glib, and charming, and they become very good at reading the emotions of others. But it's not in the normal way. Rather, they've learned that they can blend in better if they understand the appropriate verbal and facial response when someone says X to them, or does Y.

And when you combine smarts, persuasiveness, and an utter lack of hesitation to screw over anyone to achieve whatever your whim of the moment is, you get a personality type that tends to excel in business and politics. It's not that they're particularly driven; it just comes naturally.

Thus the 'reflex machine' description -- they're not doing the things they're doing out of some grand design. They've just gotten very good at mimicking normal human interaction... so well, in many cases, that they become better at it than people who aren't just going through the motions.

This actually became a known problem for a number of companies who learned that the personality profiles they were looking for in a high-level executive corresponded almost exactly with the diagnostic criteria for a psychopath. Following various corruption scandals (and in one notable case, murder) involving CEOs, a lot of places have decided to move away from this practice...

Getting back to the In Nomine topic, the more I think about it the more I like this idea. I just like the idea of seeing the look on a player's face when they try to resonate the nice, quiet guy who keeps to himself and lives down the block, and get back... nothing.

[Acolyte]

Keep in mind that humans are vulnerable to celestial damage in the Marches, and infants (possibly even before birth) dream.

Perhaps these sociopaths aren't natural Remnants. Perhaps there's a special team of demons serving Beleth who purposely carve off the Celestial Forces of select infants, releasing potential terror monsters into the world.

[SamAnderson]

Damn. That's messed up.

I'm stealing the heck out of it.

Expanding on it... If you assume that a team of demons exists who actually have that job, one could also reasonably assume that there are teams of Malakites of Dreams foaming at the mouth for the chance to soulkill them. If one also assumes for the sake of this plot that infants dream, but rarely have nightmares, then these particular monsters rarely get a chance to do their work. Infant dreamscapes are nearly all on Blandine's side of the Marches, and ruthlessly guarded by crack angel teams who'd like nothing better than to tear apart any demon who so much as looks at an infant's dreamscape.

Among other things, this would explain why true sociopaths are so rare. (People with Antisocial Personality Disorder are actually pretty common, but that's starting to be recognized as something much more like what In Nomine would call standard evil, and isn't really the same deal as so-called born psychopaths.)

But every now and then, it happens...

[Andygal]

Acolyte - that is so twisted, and wonderful, it is wonderfully twisted. That's the kind of thing you'd stick in a campaign if you really want to creep the hell outta players.

[Archangel Beth]

Don't forget that some ethereal spirits might have their own reasons for trying to nom on people's CelForces (and children often are much less developed and thus less able to fight back).

Uriel's Crusade is a many-layered thing.

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by SamAnderson

Damn. That's messed up.

I'm stealing the heck out of it.

Expanding on it... If you assume that a team of demons exists who actually have that job, one could also reasonably assume that there are teams of Malakites of Dreams foaming at the mouth for the chance to soulkill them...

Yes, and not only them. I could see some Malakim and Cherubim of Children volunteering for the duty as well. Working for Christopher is not necessarily child's play ....

[Acolyte]

I almost feel like apologizing for the twisted nature of my thoughts.

*grin* Too much IN, too little soul.

[robkelk]

Hey, you came up with a thread that even I couldn't figure out how to tag. That takes skill...