Lynoure has (finally) received her Princedom, and is rapidly making a name for herself as one of the more subtle minor Superiors. Oddly enough, she retains good relations with her former Superior: perhaps Beleth feels that the elevation of Shadows merely reinforces Nightmares, while eliminating Lynoure as an active risk to her.

Lynoure has not yet carved out a Principality for herself yet, but she maintains enclaves in Stygia and Perdition (as well as retaining her place in Beleth's Tower). She has been spending much of her time in trying to find a permanent home for her and her Servitors.

It is dissonant for servitors of Shadows to get noticed. They can be seen in public, as long as they stay anonymous. Attracting the attention of more than one mortal on the Corporeal plane at a time generates dissonance.

Due to her newness, Lynoure has not yet developed a large organization. Her allies Beleth, Alaemon and Valefor have provided her with temporary loans of Servitors, who make up the core of her following. There has also been a trickle coming in of former Servitors of Oblivion, and of course, Lynoure may make her own demons. She is also becoming known as an aggressive recruiter of promising demonlings.

Lynoure is a somewhat paranoid boss. She much prefers to work with those demons of proven loyalty to her, which translates to those that she has personally recruited or created. The Princess of Shadows doesn't really trust her allies, and this translates to mistrust of their Servitors who are "temping". She is undoubtedly correct in this mistrust.

Of course, she's a Princess, so she's not a comfortable boss to work for. Her Servitors have to deal with her rapid swings from indifference to obsession, and with her healthy paranoia. Normally, Djinn tend not to micromanage, but Lynoure seems an exception. She demands a lot from her servants, but rewards for good service are fairly impressive. The morale is actually fairly high, at least among the competent. The incompetents don't last too long in positions of authority.

Lynoure’s Balseraphs can use their resonance to cast a shadow on the memory of their victims. They can create a blackout lasting (Check Digit + Ethereal Forces) hours in the memory of the target, who can resist with a Will roll minus the Celestial Forces of the Liar. The hidden memories can only be retrieved by hypnosis.

The Stalkers literally become a second shadow for their victims. Whenever a Djinn stands close to his or her attuned, a Perception roll is required (minus the Djinn's Celestial Forces) for any observer to notice him/her. This is not actual invisibility: the demon's presence still shows up on recording equipment, and the Djinn will temporarily lose this benefit if he does anything active (attacks, speaks, etc.).

Calabim can use their destructive resonance on the minds of their victims while in the Corporeal Realm. Treat it as the Ethereal Song of Entropy with the usual Band bonus.

Punishers of Shadows can inflict an unusually intense fear of the light in their victim's mind. The target can resist with a Will roll minus the attacker's Celestial Forces, or experience the feeling for the (check digit of the attack) days to come. While experiencing this fear, the target must make a Will roll to stay in bright places, modified by the amount of brightness (e.g.: -2 in broad daylight).

Once a victim of a Lilim has paid a Geas to the demon, he forgets it and the Geas disappears as if nothing had ever happened. The victim will not remember the pact made with the demon, and if they meet again, he/she will only have a vague impression of deja vu.

Shedim can collapse their being into a matter of darkness. In much the same manner as Kyriotates of the Wind (who can take a gaseous form as a vessel), Lynoure’s Corruptors can take the form of a shadow. There is no time limit, and they benefit of a bonus for hiding in darkness equal to their Celestial Forces. However, in this form they are vulnerable to light. Flashlights or normal electric lights will cause 1d6 physical hits every hour, treat every hour of direct sunlight as equivalent to the Celestial Song of Light, and a successful attack with that Song does double damage to the Shedite while in shadow form.

Impudites of Shadows manipulate dim lights and shadows to modify their appearance. They gain 2 points of Charisma at night and use it to charm the essence out of their victims more easily. The bonus also works for Intimidation rolls.

Create a sphere (diameter equal to Celestial Forces yards) of complete, palpable darkness. Nothing inside can be perceived by human senses. Perception works as normal from the user. One must make a Will roll when entering the sphere to avoid panic. If the roll fails, the victim will try to escape by any means.

A demon using this attunement has free movement within the area of a shadow, regardless of obstacles on the way. It is mainly used to get into rooms: for example, the demon may pass through closed windows or doors, as long as a shadow is in contact with the two sides of the obstacle. Note: the shadow used can not be the shadow of the demon using this power, as it would disappear whenever the Celestial starts moving.

Knights of Shadows may shroud any part of their body in deep shadow at will. This distinction is usually more efficient when the user is wearing a cloak or something similar. They also benefit from a –2 modifier to any disturbance they cause. This will not, however, reduce any disturbance below 1.

Demons of this rank can project numerous shadows at will and on any object they can see. These shadows don't have any precise shape, but they will make any mundane freak out (will roll required), and distract opponents during a fight. When cast on a moving entity, the shadows can be used to restrain the target’s movements. The total strength of a group of shadows is equal to the Captain’s Celestial Forces.

Baron of Gloom

A Baron of Shadows can surround himself at will with a mist of darkness (diameter = Total Forces yards). All disturbance happening in this area is cut by half (not cumulative with any other disturbance cloaking power), and Perception is reduced by the Baron's Celestial Forces for everybody else in the dark area.

Lynoure is a somewhat controversial new Princess, not really for any fault of her own. The more activist faction of Hell dislikes having more Superiors that emphasize skulking and spying over direct action, and certain Princes have openly shown hostility.

Her allies aren't much more of a comfort. Enlightened self-interest is a fact of life in Hell, and nobody's helping Lynoure is looking out for him- or herself … and for the chance to royally screw over the Princess of Shadows. For her part, Lynoure has picked her allies carefully, determined to use at least one of them to gain a major Princedom. Not to mention doing a little back stabbing on her own, when the time is right.

One remaining open question is Lucifer. On the one hand, he did make her a Princess, and has not shown overt hostility: on the other hand, he is still called the Lightbringer, and most would think that he would not encourage a Word that contradicts his. The presence of the two Djinn of Integrity that Lucifer ordered to follow Lynoure everywhere "for her protection" could be interpreted either way. Most hostile Princes are being careful to not openly attack Lynoure until the situation is clearer, which probably has added benefits for the first Balseraph.

Allied: Alaemon, Beleth, Valefor

Associated: Andrealphus, Asmodeus, Kronos, Lilith

Neutral: Baal, Malphas, Nybbas, Saminga

Hostile: Belial, Furfur, Haagenti, Kobal, Vapula

Alaemon: "She will be useful to me, once she is established in her place. Of course, she will have to remember that her Word is self-evidentially subsumed in mine." "I can understand Beleth and Valefor willingness to acquiesce to my elevation, but does Alaemon really think that I am willing to stand in his Shadow forever? I may need him for now, but I have my own plans … and they do not include being subservient to such a minor Prince."

Andrealphus: "Lovely little kitten, using shadows to accentuate her allure. Her Servitors will be of great assistance to mine. And isn't it adorable to see how she plots against her betters?" "He needs my Word more than he admits: too much of his work reacts badly with sunlight. He's a useful Prince to know, but he can't control me. Not that I'm surprised that he tries."

Asmodeus: "An interesting piece in the Game. Assisting it now might prove useful later on." "He does much of his work in the Shadows. He and I could so much together, if I can show him how my ascension to the ranks of power is incomplete…"

Baal: "We need more fighters, and less skulkers. On the other hand, I might be able to get more intelligence out of her than Alaemon, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt, for now." "He could be a useful patron, but we're too apart in opinions and tactics. Still, he's pragmatic enough to not make a fuss if I prove useful. That's fine by me: I'm not interested in his job, anyway."

Beleth: "Lynoure always showed promise, and under my direction she will do great things for Hell. She understands that physical attacks are superfluous, when we have our hands around their hearts…" "I learned much from Beleth: darkness is one of the greatest elements of fear. Nightmares make Shadows a potent force. However, so do other Words."

Belial: "Anybody who has to run when someone lights a fire is useless to Hell, and useless to me. I didn't even have to bother telling my crew to stay away from hers: they figured it out just fine on their own. Why Baal thinks that she's more than a useless collection of Forces is beyond me." "A child's copy, a slave's imitation of his greatest enemy. We already have one personification of miserable Fire in the universe: why do we need two? It's something to think about, actually."

Furfur: "I knew that the next Prince couldn't hope to measure up to me, but this jumped-up little bitch? I'm insulted that we share the same title. My people aren't afraid to do their thing in public." "No wonder they rushed my promotion, if this is the sorry trash that they had to work with. He spends so much time trying to disprove his unworthiness that he'll never see the Shadows gathering."

Haagenti: "You can't eat Shadows. Besides, Kobal hates her, and I let him worry about politics. A little too scrawny to eat right now, though, so I'll let her get some meat on her bones." "Crude, unthinking, absolutely uninterested in what my Word means. Of course, he's easily distractible, so I should be able to arrange things so he forgets my existence."

Kobal: "Watching Beleth trying to choose between Mother Hen and Mommy Dearest when showing off her dear, dear protégé has it's amusing moments, of course: so is watching Lynoure moon over the Prince of The Game. Djinn are so priceless when they pretend to care. She's sucking up to Kronos, though, which means that she isn't nearly as smart as she thinks she is. Let's see if she can take a joke…" "A shame that such an inventive Prince is so opposed to me. Alas, one must take sides in this plane, and he's on the opposite one from those who can make my further elevation possible. There will be a day where I no longer need protection from the likes of him, and that will be an interesting day indeed."

Kronos: "Lynoure is an ambitious one, but sensible about it. She knows that she cannot hope to supplant me, and instead aims for a strong place in the second rank. It will be useful to me if she gets there. Assuming, of course, that she is worthy of the honor." "Kronos is what a Prince should be: no other lives his or her Word quite the way he does. He embodies what we are, and why we are here. There are worse Fates than to link my Word to his. But, while he may accept my loyalty, I will not give my trust. Hell is not a place for trust."

Lilith: "It's always pleasant to see a new Princess, both personally and from a practical point of view. She's running up a bill, of course, but Lynoure pays on time. As an investment, she could be quite profitable." "She and I understand each other quite well: I Need certain things, and she is in a position to expedite them. She is also slightly less likely to try to break me to her will, though of course one must always be on guard. For my part, I see no reason to alienate such a useful supplier. If two Princesses could relax in each other's presence, we probably could."

Malphas: "I've offered my advice to her, of course, and I must say that she's an attentive student. She still foolishly trusts too much in the worth of alliances: a natural mistake in the young, but Lynoure will understand quickly enough that trust is an illusion." "Wise in the ways of Hell, which is unsurprising: he's had a hand in shaping most of them. His fair words do not blind me to his intent. At least he has an interest in promoting the need for Shadow."

Nybbas: "Good box office on her stuff in the horror flicks, of course, but other than that she's like zero impact on my numbers. At least she answers the phone, unlike Alaemon: gotta love a gal that wants to make her bones. We'll see if it plays in Flatbush." "A powerful Prince, and not one to annoy: but also not one to embrace, lest he suck me in and spit me out. Our goals are too contradictory to allow alliance, but I will certainly avoid enmity with him if I have a reasonable choice in the matter."

Saminga: "You can kill people with Shadows, but using a weapon or your hands is faster. Why should I care about her?" "One would expect one of the oldest Princes to act with more style. But the fear of Shadows has Death lurking inside. I choose not to make more enemies than I need."

Valefor: "Me and mine can steal anything, anywhere, anytime. We don't need Shadows to do our thing. Of course, that doesn't mean that we don't find Shadows convenient: besides, Lynoure is pretty focused for a Djinn. It never hurts to give a leg up to somebody who can make your job easier later on." "Another one of the great ones that can smooth my path - as long as he does not steal me in the process. Do I trust him? No, but we can use each other, which is satisfactory."

Vapula: "If these Princes simply must thumb their noses at the will of God by adding to their number, the least that they could do would be to pick those who show a willingness to Test humanity, rather than simply keep them from turning off the lights at night. Doubtless she won't be interested in my wares, either. She's absolutely useless to me and my acolytes." "A drooling madman, driven insane by his foolish quest to comprehend the glare of Heaven. We'd be better off if he actually did, and then immolated himself with the knowledge."

Lynoure's goals are a mixture between pleasing her allies, impressing possible patrons, and the needs of her Word. Shadows are associated with fear, with theft, with secrecy and confusion, and the most fertile ground for quick expansion. She'll work there first.

However, this Djinn does show a bit of ambition, and she prefers to be a major Princess, rather than a minor one like Alaemon. There's a lot of possibilities in spying, plotting, or the general serving of evil, and Lynoure wants to make sure that Asmodeus, Baal and Kronos keep getting constant reports on how useful their Servitors are finding Lynoure's.

The trick is making sure that the demands of her patrons do not conflict too much with the needs of her Word. This is not necessarily impossible, but Lynoure will feel much easier about the whole problem if she has Servitors that are under her control. Right now, she's pushing her created Servitors to the limit, trying to pick out those who can handle the pressure by assigning them challenging jobs. One favorite trick of hers is to assign a Servitor to promoting the Word of Shadows in an unlikely arena. If the demon succeeds, he's on a fast track to the upper levels: if he fails, it'll be years before he sees Earth again.

- Stay in total darkness for 8 hours

- Watch (or perform) a shadow puppets show for 1 hour

- Watch someone else get blamed/charged for a crime you committed

- Cause an entire city block to suffer from a blackout (+3 Essence for an entire city)

Invocation modifier

+1 At night

+2 In complete darkness

+3 A person actively suffering from scotophobia (fear of the dark)

+4 Hiding from a group of more than 5 enemies

+5 A total eclipse

+6 A place on the Corporeal plane that has never seen light

Lynoure is an odd Djinn, as she is better at taking an interest in things than most. She is obsessed with her Word, of course, which helps matters along, but it seems most likely that her wish to improve her lot is part and parcel of her essential laziness.

Consider the lot of a minor Prince: as a mortal writer once said, "It may be tough at the bottom, and it may be even tougher at the top, but in between it's so tough that you could use it to make horseshoes" (Terry Pratchett, Sourcery, page unavailable). Lynoure is in a position where, unless she takes the trouble to actually do things, will get trapped and exploited by more powerful Princes. She has no desire to end up like Alaemon, Fleurity or Mammon, endlessly stunted by those who can impose their wills on the weak. Better by far to develop the organization now, rise to the rank that Shadows deserve, and then allow her Djinnish nature more freedom.

This is also the clue behind her relative willingness to foster talented Servitors: if they can do the job of expanding her Word, she won't have to. Of course, she knows that she has to walk a fine line: too little supervision, and she may be supplanted from within. Still, there's nothing worse to a lazy entity than wasted effort, so efficiency is Lynoure's watchword.