Though my eyes could see, I still was a blind man
Though my mind could think, I still was a mad man
I hear the voices when I'm dreaming; I can hear them say:
Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done ...
-Kansas, "Carry on Wayward Son"
Habbalah, the Punishers, are the fourth Band of demons. They oppose Elohim.
But that's not how Habbalah see it. In their view, they're angels serving God directly -- the only ones serving God, in fact. Their mission is to separate the strong from the weak with trials and hardship. In turn, many Habbalah explain the lack of a direct sign of God's approval as a test of their will. The anxiety of never knowing for sure is painful, beyond comprehension at times, but they are determined to fight the good fight all on their own, from the very pits of Hell, that they might prove themselves worthy. Sure, it'd be a lot easier to be like the "angels" in Heaven, with an assigned role and a mass of like-minded individuals reassuring you that what you were doing was right. But Truth isn't "fair".
Resonance and Dissonance[]
Habbalah have the emotional perceptiveness of their Heavenly counterparts, without the mercy and kindness. While their senses are not quite as acute, they have the ability to inflict emotions on others. A Habbalite's personal symphony can generate any emotion on command and direct it into a target, or amplify a target's current emotions to pathological levels. (It was their fault for having those emotions in the first place.) Using this power, these demons have been known to subject humans to horrific torment for the tiniest failing or misdeed, and walk away without a twinge of guilt. If little Suzie doesn't eat her vegetables, then little Suzie needs to hear dying third world villagers crying out for food until she goes anorexic.
This emotional attack can backfire, though, and Habbalah sometimes find themselves the victims of the same emotion they were trying to inflict. They can reabsorb the emotion, but the impact creates dissonance.
Aptitudes[]
It can be a bit tricky to control Habbalah directly. Rather, it's best to give them tasks that will naturally mesh with their personal "missions".
One can imagine the Habbalah as "safety inspectors" walking around a car lot with sledgehammers. SMASH! Oh, that window was fragile. CLANG! Oh, that door was flimsy. It's a good thing we checked. Can't believe these cars made it to the lot like this. It's an outrage, isn't it?
Following this, Habbalah are good choices to break down a particular mortal: in a way, more subtly than with a Shedite, but sometimes acting much faster. They're also often more reliable than Shedim, and (at least stereotypically) they tend to be a lot more intelligent.
Celestial Appearance[]
In Celestial form, Habbalah are covered with scars, piercings, and mutilations that exhibit their suffering and visibly reject the attractive, easy path of Heaven. Unlike Elohim, they are not necessarily androgynous in appearance.
Stereotype[]
- Habbalah never do anything constructive, and spend more time punishing minor transgressors than real villains.