in_nomine-digest Monday, September 10 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2369 In this digest: RE: IN> GIN Rules, Rulings, clarifications & descriptions Re: IN> IN/WOD heresy IN> Successors: War, Part V - The Choice Re: IN> When I grow up...Part I Re: IN> Successors: To Reign in Hell IN> Successors: War, Part 6 - The Archangel IN> When I grow Up - Malakim IN> Error in passing out credit IN> [Successors] And The Bands Played On: Faust (Part Two), plus errata for setting Re:IN> Successors: War, Part 3 - The Casualties IN> When I grow Up...V Re: The Prince of Flowers (was Re: IN> Successors: Peace) IN> More erroneous credit IN> Iron Rev IV: Let us go then, you and I... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 20:21:53 -0400 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: RE: IN> GIN Rules, Rulings, clarifications & descriptions At 4:15 PM +0800 9/10/01, Manny Nepomuceno wrote: >In G:IN on page 78 there is a box that lists Superior Abilities. These are >mostly drawn from the GMG, although a new one is listed that is not in the >GMG. This is Create Hearts; it states that only Superiors can create >Hearts, and that dissonance conditions are applied to the Hearts instead of >the celestials themselves. (At least, that's my understanding of the >ruling...) Basically. It was something that needed to be pinned down more for GURPS. And a Heart _is_ a part of the celestial who is linked to it; it's more along the lines that there needed to be something for the GURPSians to explain why Renegades of the Game aren't puddles of Discord within 2 days. (Demons shatter their Hearts, and are no longer bound by dissonance conditions -- maybe habit, but not dissonance. Angels, whose Hearts only crack, _are_! But it can be assumed that Laurence is not so likely as Asmodeus to wish to inflict massive amounts of dissonance upon his Servitors, should they stray from the path. Kill them, maybe, but not make them likely to Fall...) It's totally optional for regular IN whether you want to keep the dissonance conditions there or not. - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor RPG links; Random name list, Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 20:24:03 -0400 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> IN/WOD heresy At 10:06 AM +0100 9/10/01, Omentide wrote: >Canon is something which IMHO should be largely left for official >guidelines for submissions. Amen. (Though if you get too far from it, it helps to state that this is deliberate, lest the advice or reactions be unhelpful. O:> ) - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor RPG links; Random name list, Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 20:37:14 -0400 From: Amanda Kilgore Subject: IN> Successors: War, Part V - The Choice This is it. Unfortunately I ran out of space for the full writeup, so that will follow. *** Michael rose to address the Council, waiting patiently for the arguments to quiet down. As he waited, he scanned to knot of his loyal servitors who had been called in, mostly Masters, including those he had wounded. The voices fell silent as every eye in the chamber fell on him. He felt the weight, especially from Dominic's surplus eyes. The battle was at its peak. "This has gone on long enough," he stated, his voice echoing in the suddenly silent room. "There is something else you have all forgotten." The gathered beings waited silently for him to continue. "The Word of War must be always ready to stride into battle with our enemies, no matter what they be. This requires confidence, the unfaltering belief that what one does is the right thing, is the will of God." His eyes locked onto Dominic. "You once accused me of Pride and Hubris, when you saw this confidence. God pardoned me then, and I forgive you now." The phrase rang from the walls with the Truth of his words. Dominic seemed to shrink, just a tiny bit. "However, I have seen the results of my own rage. I have seen the dead, the wounded, and the ones in Trauma. The ones who shrink back from my presence in fear. I realize now that I no longer have that necessary confidence. I realize now that I..." He paused, steeling himself to finish what he had started. "I realize that I am no longer fit or worthy to bear the Word of War." The chamber erupted in shouts, both support and dismay. Michael remained standing, regarding it all with the calmness of a warrior at peace with himself. Dominic nearly put his gavel through the podium trying to restore order. When things finally calmed down, Michael looked around the chambers again. Most of his servitors and supporters were watching him with mute shock. "I also do not feel it is fitting for me to choose the one who must now bear that burden. Some would accuse that one of being my puppet, my figurehead. However, my servitors and I would suspect the same of anyone the Council chooses. "Therefore, I will let the Symphony choose. I relinquish my Word and my status as Archangel, I release the power to the Symphony, that another may be chosen. Let the will of God be known." As he finished the words, a pure white light seemed to seep from his body. The Symphony rang out, joy and agony at once as the Word and its Forces bled from his form, flowing into a gleaming ball of energy floating over his head. "Let it be so," he whispered, echoed by Eli across the room. The ball of light paused, rotated, then dove down into the mass of Warriors gathered in the chambers. The crowd parted, angels bending knee to the one the Symphony had chosen. Doxas caught Michael as he swayed from the sudden loss of himself, held him upright long enough to see the coppery auburn Seraph now surrounded by the light and looking more shocked than the rest. The Seraph he had healed, the one who had done her best to stop his rage, Ainel. And Eli spoke, saying, "Let it be so." (Author's note: Ainel's name, in human script, has an acute accent (/ direction) over the A. I don't know if there's a way to get that to show up in 7-bit text.) Immediately after her surprising ascension, Ainel gained and granted the same attunements and distinctions as Michael had. However, as she grows and learns, and develops her own interpretation of the Word, she starts to modify what she grants. She has learned from what happened to Michael, and after a rumoured session with Novalis, created a new attunement similar to the Master of Peace ability. Warrior's Peace: Allows the angel, or a target within line of sight, to burn through any distractions, dissonance, discord, or hostile attunements or Songs, to see Truly who is an enemy and who a friend. While it is not often used on an enemy, any who wish to resist must do so at half their Will. Effects last for number of rounds equal to the angel's Will plus any Essence used. Much to the dismay of some, Ainel is molding her Word somewhat away from the relentless hostility toward the enemy that Michael showed. From his actions relinquishing his Word, she has learned that sometimes a final victory can be accomplished through a partial surrender. While it is still dissonant for her servitors to fully surrender to an enemy, they can now perform a strategic retreat -IF- that retreat will lead to a later victory. An angel so retreating without a direct order, or the one taking charge and giving that order, has a number of hours equal to their Forces to re-join the conflict. This also allows angels to retreat and come back with reinforcements. If the conflict does not resume within the required hours, the angel will suffer the dissonance. She has also taken an interest in the effects of the War on those not directly involved in the conflict. Her Cherubim and Mercurians can now find and help the friends and families of those slain in combat. This can affect Celestial friends of fighters, however the concentration is for the humans, those the angels often forget. She remembers that she was once human. (ref. http://home.earthlink.net/~aekilgore/Ainel.html ) She is also quite willing to grant these to servitors of other words, although she is so caught up in her new position that it takes quite a lot to get her attention. Cherubim: The Cherub can attune to a dying warrior, and after he or she passes on, use the attunement to find the sentient being who the deceased most wants to know what has happened. Normally this would involve fast-talking to avoid telling non-Aware humans about the War, by the time Ainel develops this attunement, the few humans surviving already know. Mercurians: These are the bringers of comfort, both to soldiers and bereaved. A new fighter, human or Celestial, who has doubts about what they are about to do, is quickly sent to a Mercurian of War, who eases the nerves and gives the support necessary to get the fighter ready. They also know just what to say to a shocked friend or family member to help ease the pain and reassure. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 20:39:17 -0400 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> When I grow up...Part I At 12:20 AM +1100 9/11/01, james walker wrote: [...] >When I grow up, I want to be a Calabite: [...] Nifty! - --Beth, typing w/a uncoopertive baby (iolanthe) causing typos. arcangel is nursing a trout with ARMS! ARMS that reach out and try to pound the keyboard! You say "And teeth. Ow." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 19:46:19 -0500 From: "Prodigal" Subject: Re: IN> Successors: To Reign in Hell From: "EDG" > > I'm not sure why. Jareth isn't Vapula - he doesn't just randomly give out > technology to hapless servitors. Also, regardless of the fact that Jareth > is a Lilim, he recognizes that Geases are only one form of > transaction. The exchange might be as simple as one piece of technology > for another. I suppose it's just because I'm looking at Jareth with the brightness turned all the way down. I just had a vision of one of his servitors requisitioning equipment in order to deal with hostiles, then wincing as one or more geas-hooks sank in. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 21:22:33 -0400 From: Amanda Kilgore Subject: IN> Successors: War, Part 6 - The Archangel I'm sure there's more that I need to do (Zadkiel and Khalid, if they've survived, pop to mind,) but I'm very tired and my hands are cramping. I am going to write more fiction, the reactions immediately after her ascension and very shortly afterwards, however I will probably compile all of that onto a webpage and post that. *** "War continues until the bitter end." Ainel was as shocked as the rest of the Council when the Symphony chose her new position. She is adapting well, treating her servitors fairly. One of her first actions was to choose a personal advisory council, including Michael, Doxas, and her closest companions Raniel, Lanus, and Ahrionel, among others. She listens to their advice, but is definitely not their puppet, making her own decisions sometimes against theirs. Relations: Many Archangels are reserving judgement until she gains some experience. Generally she is seen much as Michael was, with some noted exceptions. Allied: David, Janus Associated: Laurence, Eli Neutral: All others except Hostile: Vapula (not an Archangel) Blandine (MIA): (The loss of any Archangel is a loss to Heaven. I hope to soon send a joint party into the Marches for some sign of her, or evidence that she either survives or is gone.) Christopher (weakened): "She is concerned for the children of the fighters, and she teaches strength in the right path. She also seems less eager to get her servants killed than her predecessor. It is too early to tell, but I think she will work out." (I hope that he grows strong enough to be restored. If humanity is to survive, they will need his help.) David: "She is new to the mantle of Archangel, but is bearing up well under the pressure. She is concerned for families and groups, not just the individual warrior, and this I can support. I look forward to working with her." (He was one of Michael's staunchest supporters, and I hope I can prove myself worthy of his support as well.) Dominic: "She is War, and she shows its pride. Yet she is young enough to listen and learn. She was once human, and is closer to them than most of our Choir. It is too early to Judge her." (He is still the Hyena, and he is strong. I do not trust him, and while I do not wish a conflict with him, I will defend my servitors and myself if necessary. That cat of his, I do not understand.) Eli: "She is near the pinnacle of evolution, growing from simple human, to Soldier, to Reliever, to Angel, and now this. Y'know, I almost snagged her as one of my own Soldiers back then... It will be wonderful to see how she makes War her own" (He helped me learn how to create and grant new attunements. His focus is on humanity instead of the battles ahead, but he has some very useful insight.) On Gabriel (deceased): (Heaven is diminished from the loss of the mighty Gabriel. I hope her replacement will assist us in the war efforts.) Janus: "She is a changed War, and she is changing still. Michael is still a dear friend, but she is shaping up to be a valuable ally." (Janus was one of the first to openly support my new title. I believe we work well together toward a common goal.) Jean (diminished): "She shows some concern for humanity, which is admirable, but not enough. They need our help more than ever now, and the continuing ravages of war make things worse." (He does not like me, and I am not comfortable around him. Perhaps someday our relationship will improve, certainly we could be of mutual benefit. For now, I have a war to attend to.) Jordi: "She worries about the war, about the humans, and forgets that there is other life struggling to survive on earth. We cannot support her, not now." (I regret that Jordi does not assist more. They insist I need to show more concern for the creatures of earth, when I try to convince them that a coordinated effort would help humans and animals alike. We are at an impasse now.) Laurence: "She is War, and as Commander we must work closely together. At least she uses a sword as her weapon of choice." (He is uncertain whether or not I am suitable for this job, but accepts the will of God. We work together as we must, that is all.) Kobal (redeemed): “She actually has a sense of humour. It's dry, but it's there, and for a Seraph that says a lot. I wish she would show more joy though." (His Redemption is genuine, but I do not yet trust him. At least he can occasionally make me smile.) On Marc (deceased): (His loss is felt, perhaps he could have helped to get the others of the Council to work together.) Novalis: "She's learning that you don't always have to fight to the death to meet your goal. Still too violent for my tastes, but at least she listens." (She is a valuable asset to our efforts, and speaks wisely. Still, I often wish she would work with our faction more.) Vapula (redeemed, weakened): "She does not trust me. I can understand her feelings, even if they are not objective. She generally leaves me alone." (As long as Jean keeps a close eye on him, fine. I do not think he is to be trusted away from Jean.) Yves: "I read her destiny when her soul first came to Heaven. She was a rare case, one that had two possible, equally bright destinies ahead of her. This was one of them. She is more willing to ask my advice than her predecessor." (I am not comfortable around him, but he is wise. He refuses to tell me what my other Destiny was.) (authors note: To become a true Trisagionist, singing the praises of God at His throne) Her stance on the remaining Demon Princes is simple: Seek and destroy. She is currently sending out teams on "feeler" missions, finding out Hell's strengths and weaknesses, and preparing for a larger assault. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 09:30:45 -0400 From: "Rolland Therrien" Subject: IN> When I grow Up - Malakim When I grow Up - Malakim (Inspired by James Walker's excellent idea. It was kinda late when I wrote this, so I'm not sure of the results. Enjoy) When Relievers/Demonlings fledge into a choir/band, this "evolution" of sorts is the end result of a long period of taking in influences and reflecting upon their decision before making the leap. When I grow up, I want to be a Malakite. Becoming a Malakite is never an easy decision for a Reliever. While the likes of David and Laurence act like beautiful and fiersome role models, examplifying all that is noble and honorable of the Choir. But only the ones who take the role of Malakite seriously understand that the impossibly powerful honor of the Malakite serves to bind the terrifying power behind it's ebony muscles. The original Malakim, as the story retells, were forged in the fury of the Fall, when many Angels of various choirs, full of outrage at Lucifer's crimes, raised their fists in the air and transformed into the fiersome Virtues. Most original Malakim state they felt God itself charge their previous forms with power and strength fueled by their own rightous anger; power they immediatly felt the need to bind with Oaths, so as not to lose control of themselves. The Malakim must constantly dance the balance between Power and Honor, between Fury and Duty. A reliever who wants to join the ranks of the Virtues must learn to look beyond the "cool" fighting power of the Malakim, to look at the self-restricting strictures of the Malakite Codes of Honor. Each Malakite works to restrict itself through various means; David, Malakite Archangel of Stone, gave the exemple by vowing never to strike first in a fight. In doing this, he forced himself never to strike in anger, but only to defend himself and others. Thus, Relievers wanting to become Malakim are always given tests not of their power, but of their self-restraint. Like human students in martial arts movies, they are constantly impressed with the knowledge that their great power carries a greater responsibility. Of course, they're also taught that with Demons, all bets are off, but that part goes without saying. When a Reliever finally takes his Oaths and becomes a Malakim, it is with complete understanding of the full impact of it's power, and after selecting additional Oaths to prevent misuse of it's power. This fact should be taken into consideration whenever playing a Malakite is considered. - -Exit the LoneWolf ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 01:51:28 +0000 From: "Janet Anderson" Subject: IN> Error in passing out credit It's been pointed out to me that the "When I grow up" series is actually being done by more than one person. Okay, so I like the work of more than one person. (I did especially enjoy the Mercurian.) Someone (I think it was Earl Wajenberg but I'm not sure) once wrote a vignette about a Malakite fledging that was so beautiful it made me want to cry. I still have it somewhere. Janet Anderson * * * * Beware the anger of a patient bard. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 21:03:21 -0500 (CDT) From: Benjamin Acosta Subject: IN> [Successors] And The Bands Played On: Faust (Part Two), plus errata for setting Well, it's a few days late but here's the second part of Faust. Also, note that I've decided to change part of the setting. I didn't think it would be fair to Gabriel for both Belial and Magog to survive Armageddon, so I killed him off (Gabriel killed him. As for what happened between Gabriel and Belial, I'll cover that in Belial's writeup). I originally had him among the dead anyway, but had revived him because the Traditionalists had too few Princes. So I've bolstered their numbers with yet another new Superior, Morgal, Prince of Exploitation. In case you've lost track, the other new Princes are Boral, Prince of Warfare, and Sparkarus, Prince of Science on the Enlightened side, and Larael, Prince of The Gun, and Nerex, Prince of Terror for the Traditionalists. These aren't necessarily all the new Superiors which have risen in the setting. I might add more later on. I encourage suggestions for any Words which you might think one side or the other might promote a Prince for to fill a strategic and metaphysical gap. Faust (Part Two) Appearance As far as anyone knows, Faust always appears as did in life, as a caucasian man in his late thirties/early forties with dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His wardrobe varies, but whatever the style or era, it's always fine and elegant. The most striking thing about him is his manner. Cool and collected, he wears a smile which seems to say he knows more than you do. And one can't help but believe that smile. Personality/Outlook The two words which come to mind when desribing Faust would be proud and self- assured. Faust has a confidence in himself and his abilities which almost verges on arrogance. Almost because his opinion of himself is entirely justified. He had fallen to the nadir of his Fate, only to defy it by climbing to a level of power he had never dreamt of in life. Alone of all beings, he claimed a Word for himself. He has bound Death and broken the order of Hell itself. With all that, he's earned the right to feel more than a little confident. Despite his pride, Faust never lets his confidence blind him to a situation or underestimate an opponent. That's how he met his Fate in the first place, and he's learned from his mistakes. Faust is meticulous in making sure he knows as much as possible about what goes on, and always has plans for every possible contingency, and even some impossible ones. Like a chess grandmaster, he thinks many steps ahead, always mapping out the potential routes to victory, and the pitfalls which could lead to defeat. Relations As the organizer of the Enlightened Faction Faust has allied himself with the more human-oriented and freedom minded Princes. They needed him because of his influence over the humans that he had, and he needed them because alone, even with his Superior status, there was no way he and the Damned would be able to break away from Hell's order. With bargaining and compromise they all have managed to get what they want. Now they are all in this together, but Faust knows it's only for as long as it's mutually beneficial. The trick is to give them enough that they keep coming back for more. Among the Enlightened, Faust is the first among equals. He is the one who recruited the other Princes as allies. Through his efforts, he keeps the balance between Princes and holds their coalition together. He is the one who presented the vision of an alternative to the former order. All of this, coupled with his clout among The Damned, gives Faust a lot of influence on the Enlightend Council. As far as the Traditionalists go, he of course is opposed to all of them, but he reserves a special enmity for Kronos. It was Kronos' servant Hatiphas who engineered his damnation in the guise of Mephistopheles. It was Kronos who claimed him as a trophy when he arrived in Hell. It was Kronos and his demons who took pleasure in gloating, never letting him forget the folly which led him to his Fate. For all of this, Faust takes great pleasure in any defeat or misfortune he can inflict on Fate. Alone among all beings, Kronos has earned Faust's deep and abiding hatred. Allied: No One Associated: Boral, Lilith, Nybbas, Sparkarus Neutral: The rest of The Enlightened, Malphas Hostile: Alaemon, All of the Traditionalists except... Enemy: Kronos Superior Opinions The Enlightened Andrealphus: "The joys of the flesh are a pleasurable diversion, but one should not let them blind one to other things. Lust has the potential to be so much more than that." Boral: "I picked well when I chose to sponsor Boral for his Princedom. Warfare is not merely an application of brute strength, but the use of tactics, strategy, and tools of conflict. It partakes of Knowledge. He understands this. That and his gratitude insures he'll remain a loyal general in our conflict with the old guard." Kobal: "He's a loose cannon but he's our loose cannon. He's more amused than he's been in centuries. That and the fact that his favorite victims are among our foes will keep him firmly aligned with us." Lilith: "My fellow human Superior knows that Freedom will die should we not prevail. Thus she has bound herself to our side of her own free will." Mammon: "I fear Mammon is our weakest link. Still, better an unreliable ally than no ally at all. He has his uses. We must simply be sure to watch him and his closely." Nybbas: "Nybbas needs humanity as an audience and he knows it. And his Word and organization are so useful to us. Which means we know it's in our best interest to stay together." Saminga: "He's a dangerous but useful pet. I'll simply have to insure that his leash is tight and secure." Sparkarus: "Science is but a branch of Knowledge. In promoting his Word, he promotes mine. And he is such a useful counter against his former master." The Traditionalists Asmodeus: "He has yet to realize that his game is over." Belial: "Burnt by his own fire, he has become his own worst enemy." Fleurity: "More dangerous than others think. His drugs allow beings to drown out the terrible reality of their existence, making it harder for us to convince them to strive for a better way." Kronos: "It was once said one can't cheat Fate. I've proved that wrong. Now I shall lead others to defy him." Larael: "The Gun is but a tool, only as dangerous as the weilder's aim." Morgal: "Exploitation is unwise in the long run, for the exploited will not be content to remain so forever. Our rebellion has proved that." Nerex: "The darkness which Terror thrives on is banished by the light of Knowledge." Vapula: "He's one of our foe's biggest assets. Which is why we've taken steps to keep him in check." The Neutral Alaemon: "His very nature causes him to oppose me. He can not be allowed to deny me any knowledge I desire." Malphas: "He's a wild card, playing us off against each other. But perhaps there's someway we can play him." Ben, Elohite of Eli Angel of Neat Ideas ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:41:38 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: Re:IN> Successors: War, Part 3 - The Casualties > From: Michael Walton > Remind me to tie this girl up with spaghetti and give her > 50 lashes with a wet noodle for saying she couldn't write. Don't be silly, she can't keep writing if you do that! :-) And Part 4 was great too.. James. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 11:56:24 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> When I grow Up...V When I grow up, I want to be a Malakite: Even in Heaven, there is much to grieve over. An angels' Heart should be a thing of beauty, joy - to see the angel wrapped around it Traumatised, or worse to see the Heart cracked, or even shattered, will pain the most jaded. Amidst the laughter and joy of humans re-united in Heaven, there is occasionally the screech of outrage: as it becomes clear that a hated foe is deemed worthy of salvation. And then, later, the horrified faces as the Blessed realise that people they spent their entire lives fighting, hating, despising were God's loved children all along; that the vicious acts were not 'good' or 'holy', but evil acts for which they have been forgiven. And the relievers who will become Malakim see all of this, and ponder it. Malakim aren't heaven's deadliest combatants - the Ofanim hold that title, too swift to catch or flee from, too fast to hit. They aren't the surest guards - the Cherubim are. The Malakim are Heaven's most reliable warriors. A Malakite's resonance won't help him kill an opponent*; it exists to make sure that he doesn't kill an innocent by mistake, as so often happens in war. The defining attribute of a Malakite is that he knows what can go wrong. They'll chew out an Ofanite for hasty actions, screaming about what can go wrong, and then seethe while the Ofanite laughs and heads off for his next adventure; the Ofanite thinks that the Malakite doesn't understand his need to MOVE! But the Malakite does understand; the image of a Traumatised Ofanite, clutching his Heart for centuries, unmoving, is one that the Malakite will never forget. Not that he'll let the Ofanite off any easier if the Wheel kills someone who didn't deserve it! A reliever who plans to become a Malakite is likely to be serious and thoughtful; not as interested in pure thought as those who will become Elohim, instead concerned with practical problems. The decision to be become a Malakite is the decision to stand between Heaven and Hell, to take the damage which can destroy other angels. And it's a scary decision. A Malakite can't Fall; to be consider that (when the reliever has probably never had dissonance) requires looking unpleasant facts in the eye - that angels do Fall, that dissonance is a threat. And an immunity to Falling isn't enough. The reliever who has thought of this knows that he can still Trip, and will have to consider that chilling possibility; of being cut off from Heaven, from friends, from his Superior; of being warped by Discord. Immunity to Trauma isn't enough; he can still be Soul-killed, or made Discordant by Ethereal combat. Worse, if a combat isn't fatal, he could be captured - the bleakest fate of all. Before becoming a Malakite, the reliever will have thought of all of this - even if it was necessary for existing Malakim to hammer these unpleasant truths home. This thoughtfulness is exploited/rewarded by most Superiors. Blandine, Christopher, Janus, Jean, Laurence & Marc all base their Malakite Attunements on Ethereal Forces; Eli on Precision. Only Michael and Novalis expect high Corporeal Forces in their Malakim - and for the same reason. They expect their Malakim to follow the party line on whether violence is acceptable, rather than making their own decisions. This thoughtfulness is needed for each Malakite must choose and understand his oaths. Understanding the implications of his compulsory oaths is especially important. Consider: "Never suffer an evil to live if it is my choice". "Suffer" has two separate meanings, both of which come from the original Latin - to allow something and to be hurt by it. The oath reminds the Malakite that the existence of evil harms all; The oath also repeats the concept of choice, implying Free Will (which if nothing else means that a Malakite will insist that Falling is not predestined). Finally, the oath accepts that the Malakite isn't responsible for everything - a common flaw among people with this sort of personality. The Malakite is forced by his oath to accept that some things are beyond his control. He is also forced to accept that he has superiors whose decisions he must abide by - this oath is also an oath to obey. also: "Never surrender or allow myself to be captured by the armies of Lucifer." The refusal to surrender is part of the Malakite's ongoing commitment to Heaven. It's worth noting that while a Malakite will accept his Superior's orders to let an evil live, he will not obey an order to surrender. His oath to never be captured is interesting - it allows for no exceptions. It is a commitment to win. Better to be soul-killed than let Hell prevail. But it also implies that heaven MUST win; to swear this oath requires the new Malakite to be sure that God's victory is inevitable. But is the Malakite's? There is one, last, breath-takingly horrible reason for the Malakim to swear this oath - because it tempts Hell into capturing them. If it is a choice between a Malakite being captured, and any other angel, the Malakim want themselves to be captured. They know what capture by Hell means - torture, being drugged to the eyeballs, wracked with Discord, whether from forcible addictions or having their Mind Hits ripped away. Eventually, for a Malakite, it means Soul-death. But for every other angel, it's worse. Injecting huge amounts of LSD into an unconscious angel before slitting his throat will permanently rip away his Will. Painful as this is, a Malakite knows that he won't spend eternity in Trauma, the way any other angel would. Better him than them. If captured and driven dissonant, the Malakite will get Discord - but better him than another angel, who would Fall and return to fight against Heaven. This compulsory oath defends weaker angels - at a terrible price. But that's why the reliever choose to become a Malakite - he was prepared to pay any price, to ensure that his fellows need not. *Well, not directly. There are two important exceptions: one - a Malakite's resonance can detect THREE different bands of demons. Firstly, Balseraphs with a CD of 6. Secondly, a Shedite's need to continuously corrupt it's host means that the three most dishonourable things a long term host will have done will have occurred over the last 3 days. Thirdly, the Malakite can resonate on an Impudite who attempts to charm him; even if the Impudite is doing this via live media the knowledge of what the Impudite has been up to will assist in catching him. two - the ability to swear new oaths makes a Malakite an ideal candidate for Rites and Attunements from lesser Word-Bound. Swearing an oath to only use these gifts to the benefit of the Word will make them easier to acquire. A good generic oath for a Malakite is to swear to put the wellbeing of Divine Words above his own. James. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 00:08:45 -0400 (EDT) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: Re: The Prince of Flowers (was Re: IN> Successors: Peace) On Mon, 10 Sep 2001, EDG wrote: > At 05:13 PM 9/10/01 -0400, you wrote: > > >This seems a little dangerous. Hathias can't tell his servitors to do > >ANYTHING, at least nothing that meets his goals, as that would be > >productive and dissonant. I'd say 'mortal' or at least 'human' rather than > >anyone. This also makes soldiers less than useful, as it is hard to give > >them instructions. > > True enough, but I can't think of a better one. Help? Just change it to make it explicit that "Servitors and Soldiers of Hathias may be ordered around, of course, just not the rest of the universe." - -- Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian, Q4B4L! Meow! "It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth...that you are a slave. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage - born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch...a prison for your mind." -- Morpheus, _The Matrix_ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 02:56:48 +0000 From: "Janet Anderson" Subject: IN> More erroneous credit On checking my archives, I find that the beautiful Fledging Malakite story was written by Whistling in the Dark. Janet Anderson * * * * Beware the anger of a patient bard. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 20:36:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> Iron Rev IV: Let us go then, you and I... No elaborate leadup: I'm kissing 10K as it is. Moe The Love Song of Djinn Asmodeus, Prince Prologue Have you ever thought about what kind of temptation the Humanity Attunement would be for Djinn? Everything gets so quiet while it's on. The Symphony itself is almost hushed: the screech of disturbance is only a bad memory. The sensory apparatus of the average human is so inferior to that of the average demon that every movement and sound feels muffled. You're almost forced to relax and drift along for the duration. Best of all, you're almost perfectly safe from discovery: the entire point of this Attunement is to make someone unnoticeable. You can go sit and gather dust in peace. All in all, Humanity must be close to physically addictive for Djinn of the Game. All Djinn of the Game. Part I: "This is the noise that keeps me awake/ my head explodes and my body aches" -- Garbage, Push It Every Superior has his, her or its own methods of stress relief: the Prince of the Game is no exception. His, in fact, is fairly ingenuous: Asmodeus has noted that the two major methodologies for dealing with inappropriate impulses (expression and denial) have significant benefits and flaws. Obviously, the optimal path is to find a method that combines the advantages of both while suffering from the disadvantages of neither. The Prince has accomplished this by the deliberate 'sacrificing' of part of himself. One facet of his awareness has been placed in a vessel that has had the Humanity Attunement permanently invoked upon it. Whenever Asmodeus encounters in himself an inappropriate feeling or desire, he immediately banishes it to his unwilling spiritual heat sink. Let it deal with the problem: the link is one-way, so the main part of Asmodeus never has to deal with the aftereffects. It's still necessary to very occasionally 'clean out' the s u b ordinate part of his awareness, but the whole procedure is still more efficient than dealing with each little impulse as it comes up. Part II: "Too bad dark languages rarely survive." -- Poe, Hey Pretty Unfortunately, something seems to have gone wrong: the piece of Asmodeus that should have been quietly dealing with this for the betterment of all has apparently gone insane, or dead. The experience was .... disquieting: the Prince of the Game is not used to having any part of his well-regulated mind suddenly spout gibberish at the top of its metaphorical lungs. He is even less used to finding any part of himself even more suddenly refuse to work. Now, normally Asmodeus would simply track down his errant fragment-self, obliterate whatever personality was in there and reintegrate. Unfortunately, he literally can't: whatever it was that sent his emotion sink over the edge also metaphorically knocked it out of the network. The Prince of the Game cannot even determine with any certainty just where his rebellious s u b routine is. It's as if there was a blind spot, so s u b tle that the Prince himself is uncertain whether it's actually there. Asmodeus is certain that he'd know if the fragment had been dispersed: the link is still there, just ... unresponsive. This is unacceptable, especially since the allegorical debris is starting to pile up. Asmodeus needs to fix this soon, before someone tracks down his errant fragment and starts administering payback (or, worse, before he himself has to start actively dealing with disgusting emotions like empathy or generosity). All he needs is someone to locate the fragment, and he'll handle the rest. Of course, anyone who does this for him is going to have a very short lifespan afterwards (loose lips, and all that)... .... but there are lots of demons in Hell - and, of course, it would be pointless to waste his own Servitors, no? "Now get in the pit and try to love someone!" -- Kid Rock, Bawitdaba Well, that's how you get Demon PCs #1 into the scenario: it would be aesthetically pleasing if they've gotten in trouble with the Game, but a little thought should confirm precisely how superfluous that requirement actually is. Every Other Demon PC group (and Angel PC Group #X) will instead walk into this scenario halfway through, when they encounter the aforementioned fragment. Actually, by now, the fragment has a name. It's Alfred, if you please - or even if you don't please. He really doesn't care much about celestial opinions, either way. Alfred has by now gone through anger, insanity, despair and absolute ennui and passed through to the other side. He could feel the pressure building inside him, growing, growing ... and he even tried to warn the dimly-remembered greater part of him about what was going on. Apparently, the larger part of him couldn't be bothered to care. What from Alfred can deduce, that's not too surprising. Well, such is life. And, you know ... life isn't all that bad, once you've allowed yourself to stand still and let it kick you in the groin for a while. It's hard on the furniture, of course (especially while you're foaming at the mouth from feeling your mind slowly going all fuzzy and hot) - - but once you get past that bit, things perk up. Coffee, for example. Have you ever just sat in an all-night diner and drank coffee? No, of course not - celestials never drink coffee unless it's a Need or role maintenance. Dumb of them: coffee is one of those things that drives home the lesson of what being human is like. But you have to drink a lot, to understand. At about 3 AM, the accumulated caffeine stops being your friend and starts kicking at your stomach. Most people stop there, the fools. What you have to do is drink more coffee, maybe get a slice of pie or two, and really concentrate on the sensation. It's seriously intense. By 6 AM, you're so wired and tired that the dreams are especially good and surrealistic. Dreaming ... now there's an experience worth having, for that matter. You can really appreciate Beleth's work that way - and even Blandine's, when the coffee will let you. You don't get to dream, when you're a celestial - or so Alfred remembers. Frankly, they can keep it. Being human is so much more intense, so much more immediate. The pleasures may be dulled a bit, but they soothe. Coffee. Cherry pie. A good book. Linear time. Janet. Who's Janet, you ask? Only the best damn waitress Alfred has ever seen (not that he's seen many, of course). She always knows when you need another cup, leaves you alone when you feel like being alone, never asks why you keep coming back every night to stare out of the window ... and she'll talk to you without cowering. She'll even laugh at you when you've said something stupid. Nobody ever dared do that around Asmod ... Al ... and isn't that a crying shame? She's alone, too, you understand. No husband, no kids, nobody that cares too much about her. Just the night shift at a diner and feet that always hurt and nobody to talk to except a quiet guy who reads T.S. Eliot for laughs. A man could do worse. Now, at this point anybody who knows who Al really is should be quietly swearing and wondering how to get out of this scenario alive. A demon that cannot extrapolate from the existing data and come to the conclusion "Asmodeus will terminate anyone who even faintly looks like they've encountered this weakness in his character" might very well be not worth saving, anyway. Angels who have stumbled upon this situation (hey, it's a good diner) should likewise be paranoid - with good reason. Asmodeus will be an equal-opportunity eliminator of evidence, after all. Getting a satisfactory conclusion out of this will take some doing. Demons have it easy: they just have to survive. Angels will have to worry about justice/payback/mercy (although they'd probably want to survive, too). Funnily enough, Redemption could be an out for Either Side, provided that demons can do some fast talking to their own Princes about how the new Cherub would be actually one in the eye for someone that nobody likes very much. Permanently dispersing the poor bastard's Forces would work, too. Really permanently. You don't want to leave even a hint that Asmodeus could pick up on. Redeeming Al looks better all the time. Not necessarily easier, mind... ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 07/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2369 ********************************