Nome

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Nome lost his birth parents in the fallout of a war between gods. Cain Ivanovich adopted him, and Nome regarded Cain as his father. Raised to believe that knights should uphold justice and shelter the weak, he developed a deep hatred of war 76.

At 30, Nome was an exceptionally promising Transcendent who had recently become a Sequence 7 Waltzer. While attending balls to digest his Potion, he met Shanlin, fell in love, and proposed marriage. Their wedding at the Church of Isamott attracted numerous guests because of Nome's standing in the Holy Hall 73 74.

The wedding was a Mechanical Church trap. Shanlin was revealed to be a man named Abu, who had been ordered to approach Nome. Corruption from the Mother Goddess transformed Shanlin and spread through the guests. Nome later recalled that a single Sequence 7 member of the Mechanical Church had defeated his entire fifteen-man Knights Templar unit almost instantly 73 74 75.

Nome and Cain attempted to prevent Shanlin's unborn child from bringing the Mother Goddess into the world. Nome attacked with a silver cross, but Shanlin's belly swallowed him into a flesh cocoon as Cain's Sword of Judgment descended. Within the cocoon, Shanlin enabled Nome's advancement and confessed that, despite the false identity and arranged approach, the love between them had been genuine. Shanlin then faded away 75.

After surviving, Nome discovered that Cain had remained in Islington despite supposedly being sent overseas and had known something was wrong with Shanlin. Cain killed corrupted civilians whom Nome believed could have been restrained and purified, then attacked Nome after becoming corrupted himself. Golden light drove back a vast presence in the red mist, and a Senior Deacon removed Cain 76.

The Churches of Light and Machinery subsequently reconciled, gaining money and technological influence while the victims were forgotten. Nome was left burdened by guilt over the deaths associated with his wedding. He drank heavily and lost the will to live until Freya, the orphaned daughter of a former teammate, gave him a reason to continue. He raised her as his own daughter and eventually lived in Lia Harbor for over a decade 77 79 89.

Appearance

• General appearance: A middle-aged man, first seen wearing Knights Templar armor 68.
• Everyday clothing: Wears a suit or coat during investigations; also conducts surveillance in a thin shirt without feeling the cold 72 77 85.
• Combat clothing: Changes into clothing better suited for fighting before entering the Black Church, carrying two revolvers behind his waist 85.

Personality

Nome initially appears rigid, cold, and dismissive. He considers Joey an immature ordinary student and doubts his usefulness, but revises that judgment after witnessing Joey's composure and investigative ability. As they work together, his aloof exterior gives way to a talkative, occasionally argumentative manner 68 72 77.

Despite his own early condescension, Nome warns Joey against treating ordinary people as inferior. He regards them as the foundation of society and believes that an excessive desire for power can destroy a person's humanity 72.

His wedding remains a source of lasting trauma. Mechanical Church encounters, familiar deaths, and messages invoking the child trigger terror and self-reproach. His protectiveness toward Freya can also make him impatient and heavy-handed: he strikes Duke too hard during capture and threatens torture when questioning him 73 78 80 83.

Nome ultimately prioritizes innocent lives over his own survival. He destroys a possible escape route to keep Duke's summoned creature from reaching Lia Harbor, then sacrifices himself when ordinary resistance fails 89 90.

Abilities & Skills

Lightning Manipulation

Lightning is Nome's primary means of attack as a Punishment Priest 86.

• Produces small bolts, thick lightning strikes, and a centipede-shaped bolt summoned from above 86.
• Channels electricity around his hand for close-range attacks 86.
• Wounds Harvey and tears off an arm after the Black Church's rooftop cross is destroyed 86.
• Destroys the forming passage to Levitt Street to prevent Duke's escape 89.
• Cannot initially damage Harvey while the church's supernatural protection remains intact 86.

Enhanced Physical Abilities

Nome possesses formidable strength, speed, and agility 73 78 80 86.

• Vaults into courtyards, rapidly subdues suspects, and carries Duke over a hundred meters in a few swift movements 73 78 80.
• Reacts quickly enough to push Joey and Duke away from Harvey's opening attack 85.
• Moves into close range immediately after a lightning strike to attack Harvey's heart 86.
• Does not feel the cold during nighttime surveillance 77.

Ritual Magic and Supernatural Perception

Nome uses ritual magic and supernatural sensing during investigations 72.

• Detects supernatural energy and Freya's presence within her clay sculpture 72.
• Performs a search ritual using floor patterns, dancing, and objects burned in a brazier 72.
• Determines that Freya's disappearance points somewhere far beyond Lia Harbor, although he does not locate her 72.
• Remains vulnerable to stronger supernatural influences: the picture book's red eyes immobilize him, and its later messages provoke a severe psychological collapse 72 80.

Investigative Knowledge

Nome combines church credentials, occult knowledge, and experience with supernatural incidents 73 78 85 87.

• Obtains information from the bookstore by presenting his credentials 73.
• Recognizes a corpse's manner of death from the earlier Mechanical Church disaster 73 77.
• Concludes that Duke has been given false memories during questioning 85.
• Identifies the underground ritual as worship of the Sea God rather than the Supreme Mother Goddess 87.
• Lacks authority to mobilize large Holy Hall forces himself and must seek permission to enter sealed-off Levitt Street 72 77.

Corruption Cleansing and Demon Child Birth

Nome spent nearly ten years cleansing Mother Goddess corruption until, according to him, it became pure supernatural energy. He originally prepared this energy for Freya 90.

• Offers the purified energy to Joey as payment for killing Cain Ivanovich 90.
• During the final confrontation, invokes the Supreme Mother Goddess and tears open his swollen abdomen, releasing a pitch-black infant 90.
• The infant's cries overwhelm Duke and Joey; combined with Joey's Fortune Shifter ability, they contribute to Duke losing control and exploding 90.
• This act is fatal. Nome's body melts away, and his death is attributed to Beyonder Characteristic corruption 90 91.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Knights Templar armor — Worn during Barbara's rescue 68.
• Silver cross — Used against Shanlin and the emerging infant during the wedding disaster 75.
• Revolvers and Demon-Hunting Bullets — Carries two revolvers before the Black Church confrontation. His special ammunition initially fails to harm Harvey 85 86.
• Seven-round revolver — Lends Joey a revolver loaded with specially made bullets as a precaution while Joey disposes of the bookstore owner's corpse 80.
• Soothing Incense — Uses it while Joey questions Duke about his unstable memories 85.
• Credentials — Presents church credentials at the bookstore and a small red booklet when identifying himself as a Sheriff's Office investigator 73 78.
• Iron cigarette case — Frequently carries and uses it; smoking helps ease his agitation during the investigation 72 79 85.

Relationships

• Freya Polly — Adoptive daughter in practice and his principal responsibility. Her father was Nome's deceased teammate; raising her restored Nome's will to live. Freya later erects his gravestone herself 72 85 89 92.
• Cain Ivanovich — Adoptive father and a Demigod of the Church of Light. Nome's trust collapses after discovering Cain's deception and witnessing his slaughter of civilians. His final request is for Joey to kill Cain 75 76 90.
• Shanlin / Abu — Spouse whose approach was arranged by the Mechanical Church. Although the identity was false, Shanlin professes genuine love and helps Nome advance before dying 74 75.
• Joey Clive — Investigative partner. Nome initially dismisses him, then comes to respect his judgment and rely on him. Joey stays with Nome as he dies and buries what remains of him 72 77 86 90 91.
• Barbara — Rescues her from Harvey's custody at Freya's request 68.
• Harvey Jeffrey — Former fellow Church of Light member and later enemy. Nome interrupts his plans, rescues Barbara from him, and fights him outside the Black Church 68 85 86.
• Duke Kolmi — Captured suspect who becomes an apparent collaborator before revealing his role in the Sea God's ritual. Nome dies preventing his escape into Lia Harbor 78 79 87 89 90.
• Benny Hoyland — Believes Nome has discovered his concealed identity and fears that Joey may have been sent to test him 115.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Barbara's Rescue and Freya's Disappearance

• Freya brings Nome to rescue Barbara. He returns with her unconscious after a brief fight, but Harvey escapes after stealing a Sealed Artifact 68.
• After Freya disappears, Nome reluctantly partners with Joey. A reconstructed sculpture and supernatural picture book lead them toward its publisher 72.
• The publisher's corpse revives Nome's memories of the wedding catastrophe. Nome and Joey realize that someone has arranged the clues to draw the Holy Hall's attention 73 77.
• Their surveillance leads to Duke's capture. The investigation then expands to nine dangerous picture books distributed through Lia 78 79 80.

The Churches on Levitt Street

• Nome and Duke identify the Old Church by assembling illustrations from the picture books and head toward Levitt Street while Joey investigates inside 83 84.
• After discovering Duke's implanted memories, Nome accompanies Joey and Duke into the Black Church 85.
• Holds off Harvey while Joey searches for the source of his corruption. Duke's destruction of the rooftop cross allows Nome to injure Harvey 86.
• Duke leads the group into the inverted Red Church underground, where the ritual begins transforming them with fins and pointed ears. Nome recognizes its connection to the Sea God 87.

Sacrifice and Aftermath

• Harvey claims that Freya has died. Nome then helps disrupt the ritual and destroys the emerging exit rather than allow the summoned creature to escape 89.
• The Grade 1 Sealed Artifact Cheerful Music Box, played by Duke, accelerates Nome's mutation and causes his spirituality to spiral out of control 89.
• Nome releases the black infant, helping stop Duke at the cost of his life. Before dying, he apologizes to Joey and offers payment for Cain's assassination 90.
• Joey buries Nome's remaining clothes and liquefied remains. Freya later hears the account and places a gravestone at the burial site 91 92.
• Nome's reputation continues to affect events: Joey invokes their association to gain Benny's trust and later credits Nome with the main part of his transformation into a Transcendent 115 120 121.

Notable Quotes

“Ordinary people are the foundation that keeps the whole world running. The powerful are merely pioneers. Craving power too deeply will make you lose yourself and your humanity.” 72

“Transcendents are really just a bunch of poor souls.” 77

“Sorry... I can't let this monster out.” 89