in_nomine-digest Tuesday, August 28 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2349 In this digest: IN> Re: An interesting Announcement IN> Re: interesting Announcement IN> Re: Valefor's Daughter IN> Sex and the Single Theft IN> The First Church of Purgatory Re: IN> Sex and the Single Theft Re: IN> The prison Re: IN> Fantasy Month - Barrow Wights Re: IN> Fantasy Month - Magical Rings Re: IN> Valefor's Daughter Re: IN> Valefor's Daughter Re: IN> The Thief Re: IN> Valefor's Daughter Re: IN> Valefor's Daughter Re: IN> Valefor's Daughter Re: IN> Re: interesting Announcement IN> (fantasy) On dragons ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 11:35:30 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Re: An interesting Announcement Not having much knowledge of anime (for that matter, not knowing what makes comics/animation specifically animation) I can't comment much. Still, in tribute to Ranma 1/2: Jusenkyo Discord (Corporeal): Unless a successful Will roll (at a penalty equal to the level of the Discord) is made the Celestial changes Vessels when struck by a specific substance (the value of the Discord depends on the substance). If the Celestial only has one Vessel they are forced into Limbo. The Discord is named after the Jusenkyo springs in China; ANY character falling into the springs acquires this Discord if they fail an unmodified Strength roll (mortals who acquire this Discord can build a vessel worth no more points than the Discord is worth; their normal body becomes a Vessel/0 and they are treated as a pagan Saint). The character cannot change back unless struck by a neutralising substance - different for each trigger substance (for the Jusenkyo springs the trigger substance is cold water and the neutralising substance is hot [near boiling or boiling] water). Once the trigger substance has been neutralised, the character regains the ability to change Vessels, but must make a Will roll at a penalty equal to this Discord whenever they wish to dos so; the point of essence is lost if the Will roll is failed and the character cannot attempt to change Vessels for a number of hours equal to the CD. (Of course, the trigger substance still works...) James. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 11:45:03 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Re: interesting Announcement >>I want the EPG, too, dammit . . . :) > > Forget that, I want it ALL! The EPG, the Anime guide, more Superiors books, > anything they can put out for IN!! :) (And a local group to game with; my > DM's going off to college so I'm stuck looking for an RPG game again...) > > - -- > Mike Bruner-- So offer to run a game for the local Anime association - that's what I'm planning to do. James. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 11:43:06 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Re: Valefor's Daughter > From: "Jo Hart" >>Capture, failure, forced dissonance into Valerie's soul. Her lies, the >>delusion that she was uncatchable, crumbled around her. The notes from >>all the dissonance that she suddenly endured forced her to look at >>herself in the pure light of the Symphony. As Laurence prepared to strike >>down the squalling Balseraph, she suddenly screamed her repentance and, >>to everyone's amazement, all of the Seraphim present, including Dominic >>himself, verified it as True. > > No way. She was *much* more fun as a master thief!!! Security consultants > are boring. We want slinky demons in black leather. Yes, yes Nybbas, we know. I can't help thinking that Zadiel will want Valerie to test security systems for her - by trying to break through them. Whether Valerie dares to do this or not is a different matter, or course. My only nit pick - shouldn't Valerie have been 'stolen'; even if it's just a case of her Forces being stolen before being assembled by Valefor? Fun write-up. James. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2001 22:11:36 -0400 From: "Charles Phipps" Subject: IN> Sex and the Single Theft >I was thinking more as a GM. I'd rather have the PCs interact with a > >slinky catwoman style demonic masterthief than a virtuous penitent. I think you are missing really the dramatic oppurtunities of the story. If you want a slinky style catwoman then just toss your PCs a attractive Lilim, Impudite, or other type to their sallivating jaws. However the "virtuous repentant" here no doubt is now the main target of Valefor's men. Conflict between father/daughter, embarassment to Andrephalus and Nybbas, Archangel/Demon, more fodder for Asmodeus and Valefor's hate and theres nothing to say as a Hellborn she can't be slinky.... (ESPECIALLY in In Nomine) Indeed one of my most interesting encounters for In Nomine was where a soldier of Rulership (under Destiny) had fallen in love with his Seraph mistress (the angel of rulership), choosing her over his girlfriend. The Seraph promptly married them both to resolve difficulties, to his...well I'm not sure how he feels about it to this day. After all Catwoman is a good guy after all togther and it may prove interesting to have his "daughter" if she repented because she recognized Janus was her father... - -Charlemane _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 02:26:47 -0400 From: "Charles Phipps" Subject: IN> The First Church of Purgatory Temper Malakim of Judgement The Angel of the First Church of Purgatory Tether Cor-2 Str-4 Agi-4 Eth-6 Int-12 Pre-12 Cel-6 Will-12 Per-12 Artifact: Church Bells 6/ (all who hear them are drawn into the Church unless they suceed in a resisted willpower roll with their user-usually Temper) Songs: Song of Charm (All 6/), Song of Form (Ethereal 3/, Celestial 6/), Song of Harmony (All 6/), Song of Healing (Corporeal 5/), Song of Light (Corporeal 4/, Ethereal 6/, Celestial 3/), Song of Motion (All 6/), Song of Thunder 6/, Song of Tongues (All 6/) Skills: Area Knowledge (World) 4/, Emote 5/, Psychology 5/, Preaching 6/, Savoir Faire 6/, Torture 4/ Attunement: Seraphim of Judgement, Elohim of Judgement, Malakim of Judgement, Mercurian of Judgement, Incarnate Law, Angel of the First Church of Purgatory Angel of The First Church of Purgatory: The best possible way to describe Temper's ability is that he can control reality inside the tether's locus and immediately around it and mold it as one would the song of Dreams with a single point of essence for each change. He is considered to have a skill of 6/ in this "song". Temper may transform the Church from a Greek Temple to a Hospital to a Christian Church to a Mosque to a beautiful manor if he so desires and is only constrained by the ammount of space available. Temper posseses other abilities regarding his tether inluding the ability to move the First Church of Purgatory at will as per the Song of Motion to anywhere in the world he desires or more precisley Dominic desires. The sudden appearence of the Church he may also choose to "cloak" the minds of those who view it so that they must make a resisted perception check vs. his will to remember ever it not being there. Oaths: Suffer not An Evil To live Never surrender to Evil Let no sin go unrevealed those who pass through my walls Never let harm come to the Church Purify those who walk through these walls as appropriate to their sins Destroy myself should I ever suffer dissonance Word Forces: 19 Special Rites: * Forcing a human to beg for forgiveness from God * Torturing a human appropriate to their sins * Destroying a Demon in mind numbing agony appopriate to their crimes within the Tether's walls * Each day spent in prayer in the Temple The Tether of the First Church of Purgatory is a rather old tether and roughly dates back 3000 years to where it first appeared in Persia to an angel of Uriel who found a religeous order of Zorastrians in their temple who inflicted horrofic torments upon their flocks in regards to their sins and whom the flock worshipped for. Uriel adopted this tether whose location might have tipped towards Hell if not for the intervention of those with absolute faith in the righteousness of their cause. The tether was allowed to become Mobile by freak act of Divine intervention when it's seneschal temper prayed to the Lord to be allowed to carry on his mission of repentence even though the flocks of the surounding area were dying....or so the story goes. While Temper certainly believes it many simply Believe Uriel lifted up the building and deposited in areas of sin and sloth so often that it became part of it's word. A town which finds the Temple of Purgatory in it's place should pray to God for forgiveness early because the Sermons of the Preacher are rarely benevolent as he wields his songs profusely along with his attunements on the hapless audience and exposes them for the greedy, slothful, occasionally even murderous creatures that they are. Conjured victems, cracks leading to the fiery pits of lava, Winged Creatures lifting a person up to the heights of the church before dropping them are just the opening salvo of what you can expect in the Church of Purgatory. Temper always takes care to make sure that his punishments fit the crime but it should be noted that it is Temper's mind which devises the suitability of Punishment and thus a gossip having their mouth sealed over, a thief losing a hand, and a adulterer...let's not go there are all very much "justice". The Malakim is quite fanatical about the appropriateness of his punishmets given that an old oath remainds from his past service to Uriel that says he will commit suicide should he ever profans his tether with dissonance. Unfortunately for those who find the Church in their backyard he's managed so far to avoid it sucessfully for 3000 years so he's likely not going to start now. - -Charlemagne _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 07:23:55 +0000 From: "Jo Hart" Subject: Re: IN> Sex and the Single Theft > >However the "virtuous repentant" here no doubt is now the main target of >Valefor's men. Conflict between father/daughter, embarassment to >Andrephalus and Nybbas, Archangel/Demon, more fodder for Asmodeus and >Valefor's hate > What I'm getting at is that she sounds more like a PC type than an NPC to me. I'm sure it'd be fun to *play* a character who was the daughter/son of one of the superiors -- and possibly defected to the other side -- I got the sense in the writeup that she was a character you'd like to play. The requirements for NPCs are a bit different. And I am saying here that I think it'd work better as an NPC if either she was still a dangerous thief-type (ie. slinky opponent for the PCs with more backing from "daddy" than they were expecting), or else they were somehow involved in the capture/redemption. Truth is that backstories often don't come into play on their own, as players often aren't interested enough to care about minor NPCs, so if you really want some aspect of a backstory to hit them between the eyes, have them meet the NPC at a more dramatic time in its life. Also, I wouldn't be so quick to have every cool character instantly redeem when the opportunity permits, but that's just me. jo _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 06:01:33 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> The prison - --- Charles Phipps wrote: > Solomon Clemmens- Malakite of Stone > Bill Paxton, Balseraph of the Game Heh heh... I like these guys. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 What came first -- the orange, or the color? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 06:03:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Fantasy Month - Barrow Wights - --- james walker wrote: > Barrow Wights Elegant and logical. I like. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 What came first -- the orange, or the color? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 06:07:05 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Fantasy Month - Magical Rings - --- james walker wrote: > Magic Rings And let's not forget the poem; Three rings for the Novalans under the sky, Seven for the Davidians in their halls of Stone, Nine for Samingans sworn to die, One for the Lightbringer on his dark throne In the deep inferno where the shadows lie. (With apologies to J.R.R. Tolkien) ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 What came first -- the orange, or the color? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 06:17:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Valefor's Daughter - --- Charles E Smith wrote: > Valerie > Seraph of Protection Charles -- this rocks! ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 What came first -- the orange, or the color? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 06:18:40 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Valefor's Daughter - --- Jo Hart wrote: > No way. She was *much* more fun as a master thief!!! > Security consultants > are boring. We want slinky demons in black leather. Security consultants can still wear black leather. And slinky angels are fun, too! ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 What came first -- the orange, or the color? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 06:22:55 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> The Thief Wow. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 What came first -- the orange, or the color? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 13:20:34 EDT From: Samovar3@aol.com Subject: Re: IN> Valefor's Daughter Jo wrote: <> Why not have both? Instead of being captured by Heaven, Valerie (with the help of her father) captured a powerful Seraph of the Wind, brainwashed it into thinking it was her, gave it a duplicate vessel, and set it up to get captured. So, you've still got the penitent 'Valerie' being good, while the real one has an excellent cover. After all, the demon which went and stole the big MacGuffin that Heaven needs *can't* be Valerie, because she's in Heaven and doesn't have a vessel... Especially not one wearing a black, slinky, leather catsuit. 'Valerie' won't touch those anymore. Only flowing white robes, or some other such outfit. Sam ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 13:28:09 -0400 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Valefor's Daughter At 10:09 PM +0000 8/26/01, Jo Hart wrote: >I was thinking more as a GM. I'd rather have the PCs interact with a slinky >catwoman style demonic masterthief than a virtuous penitent. > >Redemption is a nice IC story, but sometimes it's much more fun to use >demons in game. [...] Maybe she's got a younger sister... ("Psst -- I'm looking for some... information. You can help me out, or you can find yourself with three copies of the Mona Lisa under your bed and the cops at your front door.") - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor RPG links; Random name list, Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 19:57 +0100 (BST) From: jgd@cix.co.uk (John Dallman) Subject: Re: IN> Valefor's Daughter In article <20010825.202333.-650387.2.Edenesque@juno.com>, edenesque@juno.com (Charles E Smith) wrote: > Without any further warning, Valerie blew all of her Essence in an > Invocation, begging an audience of, of all people, Zadkiel, the > Archangel of Protection. It's a legitimate move, if you've just been redeemed and know you want to serve someone who isn't handy. Shows a good deal of presence of mind, under the circumstances. > Her level-six role then was as a cat burglar. Can you have a high-level role as someone whose identity and actions are secret? I can see why she wants it, but is it practical? Silly me - her father stole a real cat burgler's place in the Symphony, of course. - --- John Dallman jgd@cix.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 19:10:51 -0400 From: Mike Bruner Subject: Re: IN> Re: interesting Announcement >>>I want the EPG, too, dammit . . . :) >> >> Forget that, I want it ALL! The EPG, the Anime guide, more Superiors books, >> anything they can put out for IN!! :) (And a local group to game with; my >> DM's going off to college so I'm stuck looking for an RPG game again...) >> >So offer to run a game for the local Anime association - that's what I'm >planning to do. Nice, but you're assuming we have one of those around here (or at least one I can find). 'Round here is what they call "the a** end of nowhere" as far as finding a lot of things like that :). - -- Mike Bruner-- bruner@delaware.infi.net I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 06:45:24 +0000 From: "Jo Hart" Subject: IN> (fantasy) On dragons Valentin leaned against the brick doorway and lit up a battered cigarette as he waited. Around him, the sounds of urban decay at lunchtime; cars trickling between one traffic jam and the next, kids screaming at each other, blue collar workers yapping on mobile phones as they walked down to the sandwich shop. He didn't bother to glance back at his car - it was a battered old Renault that no one would bother to trash. He took a long drag, and was about to lean on the doorbell again when the door opened. Inside, silhouetted against the relentlessly 70s decor, was a statuesque Indian woman. Her sari was shot silk, the colours bleeding from sky blue to olive green. Her nail polish matched. And as she recognised him, her expression shifted from a barrier of broken glass that promised a world of pain to unwary intruders to a suspicious acceptance. "Hello, Aunt Madhari," the young firedrake said cheerfully. "Can I come in?" - -- "I'm surprised, and somewhat disturbed to see you here," the woman had explained solemnly. "And I have yet to fully understand what this means, or indeed if you have led heaven's wolves to my door. Your welcome in my house is therefore conditional. I would like that understood." "No prob." "Tea?" she asked, pausing at the corridor. Val settled himself in an overstuffed armchair, and nodded gratefully. "White, no sugar. Unless it's Earl Grey or Lapsang." "It will be Darjeeling, and you can take it or leave it as you please." There was a whisk of blue-green silk, and of smooth hair that was darker and richer than the greenest of jade as she whirled and left the room. "That's cool," the student called after her. The sitting room was small and cluttered. Framed prints of Indian dancers in stylised poses hung on the walls and no shelf or cranny that could hold a knick-knack was unfilled. The blinds were drawn, leaving a gloom to which even the yellow wallpaper could only lend a sickly tinge. Candles in painted glasses were placed strategically, and when Valentin closed his eyes - as he did now, taking the opportunity to mentally review his reasons for visiting - he could feel their pinprick glows caressing his skin, like the kisses of miniature suns. From another room, the distant whistling of steam through a kettle mingled with a local radio station. The man's thoughts drifted, reflecting on old memories, and on new hopes. He'd found her current earthly incarnation, and that was the first step. He thought that the last time they had spoken, she'd been more friendly. He had been 15 years younger then ... no more than a child. The floor creaked. When it creaked again, and the doorframe groaned in answer, his eyes flicked open and his head snapped round automatically. The Indian woman was holding a mug of tea in each hand, and the insouciant smile and wary eyes were unchanged. But now, her head brushed the ceiling. From the waist downwards, heavy coils tessellated in gleaming blue-green scales bore her from the ground, the muscles rippling as she moved. Behind her, more of those coils filled the corridor, and who knows how far beyond. Her upper body was unclothed, except in henna patterns and bright tattoos. "I thought I would change into something more comfortable." That careful serpentine smile again as she swayed forwards, placing the mugs on a table with a dancer's movement, perfect and controlled. Smooth cinnamon skin, soft breasts, luminous eyes, tattoos of snakes and women that moved as she moved. "Beautiful," Val murmured, riveted. "I remembered that you were beautiful. But memories fade." He shifted his weight, and added carefully. "Thank you." "You are very like your grandsire, although he would have been more eloquent," answered the naga queen. With barely a warning, her coils rearranged themselves swiftly and her torso swung back to the rear of the room. "Now explain, Valerian." It was not a request. "It's Valentin," he corrected her, and then he began. - -- "Yes, Economics. And learning better English will be useful, no?" Madhari drank tea from an ugly brown mug, her hands glittering with jeweled rings. A brow lifted, perhaps amused. Val continued, "I was left a great deal of gold, precious stones. You know my family likes to hoard? So I thought it would be useful to learn financial skills. I may hoard shares and investments. Gold is sweet, but this is the 21st century, non? And so I came to London to study." "There was a reason we fostered you in Geneva. You should have stayed." "Oh well." The naga shook her head, and her gleaming coils rippled with movement as she rearranged them. She extracted a file from the top of a bookcase, opening it. Val drank more tea, politely. "There was a fire in a pub in Peckham two weeks ago. Three people died in the blaze." Madhari skimmed the page, and directed a pale stare at her visitor. Her brows curved lightly upwards in quizzical arcs. Val shrugged and shook his head. "I heard it go up," he said, "But nothing to do with me." "Mmm." She turned a page. "Car bomb in Edgware the same week. No organisation claimed responsibility. It took out a gas main. Must have been quite a fire." "Guess so. I've never been to Edgware." "Incendiary device in the lift at Covent Garden tube station", the woman continued to read. "That one was in the news last week." "Ah." She pinned him with an incurious stare. This time, Val looked away. "I lost it there," he admitted. "That was pretty bad." "Fine blaze, no doubt." "Sublime." "Any more fires?" The student shook his head, and reached again for his mug. "I know there have been a lot in the city recently but I promise you, that's the only one that was me. I figure there must be a lot of celestials fighting, I heard the disturbance too and I can feel the flames from the far side of town. But -" "Are they on your trail?" He glanced at the naga, and then into the tiny heart of a candle flame. "Hope not," he said eventually. "I don't want that sort of trouble." "That sort of trouble killed your ancestors," she answered tartly. "And it will kill the both of us also if you let it." "Yeah, I know," said the firedrake. "So." Again, the coils rearranged at lightning speed and the Naga's head now hovered on the same level as his own, eyes narrowing. "Why are you here now? If you wished help, it were easier to ask without the added danger of leading hunters to my door." "I ... have a bit of a problem, and I thought maybe, you being a woman and all. I mean, I didn't know who to talk to and -" - -- "-and there's this girl." "Ah." Madhari's eyes danced beneath lidded eyes. "-and she's pregnant." For three heartbeats, there was silence. Three dragon's heartbeats, which are far more distantly spaced than those of fast-living mammals. "If you kill her, that would solve your problem." "I don't want to do that." "It is what they will do if they find her," the snake-woman said coolly. "You have lived perhaps too long amongst the humans, from the look on your face. If you come to me for advice, expect it to be cold-blooded." "I know." He looked up at her. "I do appreciate it, Madhari. But I can't do that." ## Despite the propaganda, not every dragon perished during the purity crusade. The great drakes, who arrogantly called themselves the lords of the world, fought terrifying battles against Uriel's finest. Great swathes of the marches are still wastelands from the fighting, strewn with the bones and feathers of angels who bravely died many centuries ago. Younger angels may dream of slaying dragons in the name of God, but those who were there remember the flames and the casualties, and the many difficulties of waging a war in the far marches against creatures who ruled the domains there. Some dragons such as the cunning chinese water dragon, or dragon-kin like the cowardly cockatrice or the relentlessly logical naga, fled before the wars ran to their inevitable conclusion. But they did not flee alone. The eggs of the great dragons were given into their keeping; a trust which has in the main not been betrayed, although none of those creatures are perfect foster-parents. And only recently have those eggs begun to hatch. There are now a small handful of young dragons once more, roaming the Earth and the Marches. Watched over by the ancient and secretive council of dragon-kin, they grow and learn on Earth -- a much safer place to hide young dragons against whom heaven once swore blood-vendetta than in the Marches. Like Valentin, the firedrake, they have no elders to teach them the ways of the past, or how to best use their powers. So destruction tends to follow them quite closely. Some have been seduced into Hell's maw with the promise of power and protection. Beleth and Baal have privately come to blows already over who can best use the new recruits, and how best to produce an army of the creatures. As yet, Heaven doesn't know. But however innocent or harmless these young dragons may seem now, who can say whether they could potentially become as deadly and as malicious as their terrible forbears. jo _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2349 ********************************