in_nomine-digest Tuesday, November 6 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2426 In this digest: IN> To Your Health (Part 2) Re: IN> To Your Health Re: IN> To Your Health IN> A Matter of Judgment (seed) Re: IN> Horror Month - The Pyramid of Mars Re: IN> STAR IN NOMINE IN> No Insomnia Tonight... Re: IN> No Insomnia Tonight... Re: IN> A Matter of Judgment (seed) IN> Horror Month - The Hall of Heads IN> Horror Month - The Book of Dead Souls Re: IN> Horror Month - The Book of Dead Souls Re: IN> Horror Month - The Book of Dead Souls Re: IN> Horror Month - The Hall of Heads Re: IN> Horror Month - The Book of Dead Souls Re: IN> Horror Month - The Hall of Heads Re: IN> Horror Month - The Book of Dead Souls IN> Demon Princess of Cute Re: IN> Demon Princess of Cute Re: IN> To Your Health Re: IN> Use Question, again (was: Vapulan Time Travel) Re: IN> To Your Health (Part 2) Re: IN> Use Question, again (was: Vapulan Time Travel) Re: IN> A Matter of Judgment (seed) Re: IN> Demon Princess of Cute Re: IN> Horror Month - The Hall of Heads Re: IN> Demon Princess of Cute ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 02:33:25 -0800 (PST) From: Jim Burzelic Subject: IN> To Your Health (Part 2) Xinda Demoness of Failing Health Impudite of Death Xinda loves to see Brya squirm, despite how much he's impeded her over the last three centuries. The only thing she would like more is to have him with her in Hell. It all started back in the glory days, during the Black Death. She was just playing her part, wandering around, spreading the germs, infecting everything she could as she was told by the Duke of Plagues when she saw him. This beautiful, robust, strapping man was undoing everything she had just done. On top of that, he was showing the people how to prevent future contamination! Well, that wouldn't do. Xinda was going to follow him and wait for an opportune time to kill him when he suddenly used a song. Wary of him now, she reported to the Duke, inquiring on who this mysterious hero was. He told her he was just some angel and to not let him interfere with her duties. Xinda, having seen first-hand "just some angel" completely and thoroughly reverse her work, decided to disobey orders and shadowed the angel, Brya was his name, for awhile. He was glorious to watch. Everything he did was so precise, nothing was thrown in for flair, and on top of that he made it all easy. His actions were so fluid and relaxed it looked as if he was dancing. She wanted to dance with him. But how? He was a cog in the Heavenly machine and she was a lackey from Hell. Well, maybe she could make him dance with her. She bided her time. Then she saw him blanch. He reacted to some small group of idiots whipping themselves. Looking into their background she found a Balseraph pulling their strings, fooling them into thinking they were getting into Heaven by beating the sickness out of themselves. If this is what got a reaction out of Brya, Xinda wanted to be at the center of it, so she "took care" of the Liar. Pull a few strings and any number of forces can be lost and scattered in Abbadon. Then Xinda set out to make these Flagellants something. Something to bring Brya to her. It wasn't until after he had gotten his word did any of Xinda's bait work. She lured him into the Black Forest and they were together. They danced and talked and loved each other. Oh sure, he was less than half-conscious for most of it, but Xinda knew he enjoyed it. That's probably why after he died he spent so long in Trauma. He couldn't get her out of his mind. That's also probably why he buried himself in his work after he came back. Nothing she did would get his attention. She thought small pox or yellow fever or even Typhoid Mary herself would've lured him out. Hell, Xinda figured four centuries of working at becoming his antithesis would have garnered something. It wasn't until she started up the Flagellants again. Oh, he came right out. But this time Xinda's got a different plan. She can't let him know she's doing this. She knows that he knows someone's out for him. She also knows he's tried to get help, but nobody believes him. That's the trick though. Nobody can know. If he becomes paranoid enough, all of his friends won't be his friends anymore. He won't have anyone except his word. But when his word starts turning on him, Brya will fall, and Xinda will be there to catch him. She will care for him when no one would. She will become his world. Then they will be together forever. Xinda's Personality: Xinda has taken to her Word quite easily. She pretty much does what she's been doing for the past millenium, spreading plagues. Except to get her Word, besides having to dispose of a few undesirables that got in the way, just spread plagues that didn't kill. Sure if left unattended they were deadly but as long as her beloved Brya and his cronies did their part her job was secure. When Saminga asks about her mortality quota she cranks sickness up a notch, letting it fall again when the heat is off. That's life. Her plot to make Brya fall though, that's her own secret project. She's had to silence several infernals who got too close to her plan, and one or two loose-lipped conspirators. She's been posing as a divine messenger to a small sect of Flagellants now for seven-hundred some years, manipulating them into key positions. Right now, the plan is to disassociate Brya with his compatriots. Since he's on his corporeal tour, evaluting the state of his Word, this has been quite easy. The three vampires she has tailing him don't know their just window-dressing. When they're caught, and they will be, they think they're working for a Calabite with a taste for stalking and killing health nuts. The Calabite is named Dwayne and he thinks Xinda has his undead watching Brya because she wants to keep tabs on her enemy. The Flagellants are shared with a Djinn of Lust named Buolis. The sexual twist Xinda had to put on the Flagellants doesn't make her happy but it keeps them rather prolific for a secret decadent club of S&M freaks; Besides, Buolis doesn't ask questions. When Xinda needs fodder for her portion of the club he hands them over. Xinda's inner circle of Flagellants retain the original mission, albeit with updated methods and missions. The Flagellants God wishes to punish mankind. Because of their dedication, the Flagellants have been chosen to be His deliverers. They are to bring back the Black Death. With cultures of it stowed away this wasn't hard to implement. However, it wasn't enough. Man knew how to battle it, so the Flagellants need to attack on more than just one front. They plan on contaminating the New World with a multitude of viruses through hundreds of facets. Contaminating food sources, spoiling water tables, dispersing airborne viruses, and plain, old direct contact. Once everyone is sick, the Flagellants can once again spread across the land showing mankind through example the path to salvation. Zombi Bobb __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 19:08:23 +0800 From: " Cameron McCurry" Subject: Re: IN> To Your Health Nicely done. I loved the contrast between the two. - -- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 05:43:14 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> To Your Health - --- Jim Burzelic wrote: > Brya > Angel of Gesundheit > Seraph of Protection An interesting NPC. And I'm glad that somebody besides me thinks that Zaddie would include things like vaccines and antisepsis under her Word. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "The surest way to keep a secret is to make people believe they already know the answer." - -- Fremen saying __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 01:42:21 +0800 From: Manny Nepomuceno Subject: IN> A Matter of Judgment (seed) Hey, Haven't posted anything in a while. Enjoy. :) ;) Manny Neps http://www.geocities.com/angeloffools/ A Matter of Judgment He began life as the kind of joke Kobal liked the kind that poked fun at a powerful Demon Prince and a powerful Archangel both. Kobal would later tell him that he wasn't expected to live very long, and that his predecessors had died, messily, at least one of them by his own hands. He didn't care. He was given a job to do, and an important Word to protect and serve. God Himself had spoken to him, through Lucifer, and he was absolutely certain that not even the Hordes of Hell could keep him from fulfilling his mission. Now, if only Heaven would cut him some slack, he might actually get something done on Earth... Kobal's laughing his head off in Shal-Mari. Not two months ago, he trumped Kronos, harping on the death of the Demon of Trade (a 12-Force Impudite) and pointing out the messy and embarrassing deaths of the Demon of Flowers and the Demon of Faith. It would be quite some time before the Prince of Fate would experiment with binding Superior-level Words to lowly demons. The Demon of Faith had had to be hunted down and killed and in the process he'd taken out three of Baal's demons, one of whom was Distincted. In the meanwhile, Kobal was setting up his own grand jest. He'd created a 15-Force Habbalite and petitioned Lucifer for the Word of Judgment. The Lightbringer, originally reluctant to go along with Kobal's plan, eventually relented. The Habbalite was granted the Hellish equivalent of Dominic's Word. Everything went downhill from there. The new Demon of Judgment looked around him at the smirking Prince of Dark Humor, at Kronos, who had been invited to the Word-binding and who was scowling at the proceedings, and lastly, at Lucifer himself. The Lightbringer raised an eyebrow. Then the Demon crumpled and fell to the ground. When he rose, it was to shriek at the onlookers. Yelling in an obscure language not heard on Earth in millenia, he rushed deep into the Lower Hells and vanished from sight. Lucifer broke out laughing. After two weeks in the Lower Hells, Shaph, the Demon of Judgment, returned to Shal-Mari, ready to become a star. By special arrangement with Nybbas, Shaph would be given his own show, called The Judgment Game. Garbed in a heavy black cloak, the Habbalite of Judgment would be called on to mediate disputes, settle arguments and, best of all, hand out punishments. Sexy Lilim in skimpy outfits would serve as baliffs and officers of the "court", and everything would be done game-show style...the better to please the masses. Asmodeus, of course, was not happy. Both he and Kronos, members of Hell's upper crust, were cheerfully sideswiped by Kobal in one swift move. Because of a timely leak to Heaven, he also began having trouble getting Dominic's cooperation; the Archangel of Judgment was not pleased to be sharing his Word with a demon. It was when Nybbas announced that the show would be syndicated for Earthly distribution that he decided to act. The Game team was ready, each demon heavily armed and just itching to take out the Habbalite of Judgment. At its head was Lison, Balseraph of the Game, flaming sword flickering steadily in his hand. He would earn a Distinction for this mission, provided he killed the Habbalite. The team stormed onto an empty set, occupied only by a single, forlorn-looking Djinn. The Djinn dropped the donut he was eating. "What's going on here? Where's Shaph?" Lison yelled at him. "Kobal reassigned him. He got a vessel and went up to Earth. The Boss sent some camera teams with him." Lison felt a queer twisting in his stomach. Asmodeus would not be pleased. This is an adventure for a mixed party, although it can also be played by just one side. Heaven and Hell both want Shaph dead, and they want Shaph dead quickly. Preferably before Nybbas can tape enough to make Dominic the laughingstock of creation (for Heaven) or undermine Asmodeus's authority (for Hell). Demons of Fate and the Game and angels of Judgment, quite naturally, have a special interest in this scenario, although motivations can be found for virtually every Superior on either side of the War. Nybbas and Kobal won't actively prevent the PCs from killing Shaph, but they will mislead and misdirect the party, and Nybbas's people will be on hand to film every blunder the PCs make. After all, this is quality entertainment. Unfortunately for the PCs, Shaph isn't defenseless. He may be new to his Word, but he does share it with one of the oldest beings in creation. He feels Dominic through their Word's link, and the older Seraph is reinforcing the Punisher side of his Habbalite nature. However, Dominic's dissonance conditions are also coming into play...Shaph genuinely wants to punish only the guilty. He's also quite insane (all Habbalah are), and delusional, to boot. He can manufacture evidence to support his beliefs about a subject's guilt or innocence. While he's not a Superior, he does have access to some of Dominic's attunements. Which these are is entirely dependent on the GM and on the tone of the game. It might even be possible for Shaph to gain the Seraph resonance as a result of the shared Word! Also, Dominic is bound to the Habbalite...which could cause problems in Heaven. Meetings with favored Servitors could turn interesting, given that he may sometimes exhibit distinctively Habbalite behavior. Some of these Servitors might even be ordered to tattoo, pierce or mutilate Dominic's celestial form! In the meanwhile, of course, Shaph is somewhere on earth, wrapped in a black cloak and seeking out evildoers. After all, that's what Judgment does. That's what God told him to do. And that's what he plans to do, once he gets these pesky celestials off his case... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 12:45:01 -0500 From: "Jeffery Watkins" Subject: Re: IN> Horror Month - The Pyramid of Mars Magnificient. I love the idea and the write-up. Great presentation and I must say very original. I have got to find a way to have him show up in the Jovian Chronicles/IN crossover game I run. Thank you for working on this and posting to the list. Jeffery _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 14:07:06 -0500 From: "Jeffery Watkins" Subject: Re: IN> STAR IN NOMINE LOL! ROTFLOL!!!! That was incredible. Thank you for that bit of glee and joviality. Jeffery _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 15:30:47 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: IN> No Insomnia Tonight... But I did have weird dreams! Something about a Heavenly plot involving using real estate to bankrupt demons and kick them out on the streets (as easier prey for angels), that the Archangel of the Sword was taking a personal hand in. And a cameo appearance from Worf (see Star Trek). And the plot actually hung together pretty well, for a dream! (My viewpoint character alternated between being a Soldier realtor, and a redeemed version of my first IN character, who was doing the helping out stuff.) Now, this would be a hard one to _actually_ pull off in the dream (yes, it _was_ Larry, and not Marc. I think Michael had a cameo as well, getting Laurence to do this personally for some obscure Superior reason.) -- but it might be interesting as a semi-humor plot. You'd probably have to lose Worf. Unless you want the actor to have to be rescued from Nybassians or something, as a side plot. But presumably it could be done. Perhaps the Commander Of The Armies Of God has gotten fed up with Marc saying things in Council like, "Leave the financing to me, of course," or "It's a business tactic, I'll do it." So, during a tactics-meeting/gripe-session with Michael, the old Seraph suggested to the younger Archangel, "If you don't like him hogging that battlefield, do it yourself." So, for whatever reason, the Archangel of the Sword is cooking up this as a "first order scouting-skirmish mission." He wants to figure out a way to lure demons into this housing project -- then, once he's got all the data on them, financially wipe them out. He's not looking for major success on this; it's going to be a learning experience. But he does want to tag along (and/or do the driving) with the minions (Servitors/Soldiers with appropriate Roles/jobs) and see how the nitty-gritty of this kind of "soldiering" works. For a PC group, perhaps he's building a condominium/apartment complex, and the PCs get to be groundskeepers. And... Congratulations, PC group. You get to work under the direct supervision of an Archangel who knows, well... not very much about how to run a management company. (If there's a Servitor of Marc PC, then he's been assigned to the Sword as a liason. If there are no Traders, then _the whole project is supposed to be kept a secret from Trade_, so you can't bring in any Marcian NPCs.) At least he looks keen in his leather jacket. - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor RPG links; Random name list, Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 15:49:54 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> No Insomnia Tonight... At 3:30 PM -0500 10/30/01, Elizabeth McCoy wrote: [...] >For a PC group, perhaps he's building a condominium/apartment complex, and >the PCs get to be groundskeepers. And... An, another idea! Or maybe one gets the demons to move in, and uses the master-key system to get into the units (apartment building or condominum development), slaughter them carefully, clean things up, and move in angels with identical vessels to steal their Roles and bank accounts. That'd show Mr. "Leave the financial work to me," right? - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor RPG links; Random name list, Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 14:12:58 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> A Matter of Judgment (seed) LOL! And best of all, no matter who reaches the Demon of Judgement first, both Heaven and Hell get the Shaph! "They say this cat Shaph is a bad muthah..." "Shut your mouth!" ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "The surest way to keep a secret is to make people believe they already know the answer." - -- Fremen saying __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2001 23:31:12 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Horror Month - The Hall of Heads The Ascension of Kronos of Princehood annoyed a number of Princes. Saminga's response was simple - if collecting information was enough to to make one a Prince, then he would prove that Death was the ultimate storehouse of knowledge! [Maniacal laugh] Servitors of Death were ordered to locate the experts in every field of human endeavour, and persuade them to accept mummification. The resulting Mummies were rounded up, had their bodies carved away and are stockpiled in catacombs beneath a [secret] city. The Heads are not completely bodiless; they need lungs and a throat to talk, and their diaphragms operate from a stripped down rib cage; the Heads look remarkably like busts, with the diaphragm etc forming the base. Each has a skill at Mastery level; most possess Area Knowledge (as this must be updated regularly, there are multiple heads for each region, specialising in different eras), while Languages are the next most common speciality. However, any skill, no matter how obscure, is sufficient justification for inclusion in the Hall. The Habbalah who mind the Hall keep the Heads quiet and obedient - if insane; and organise the Heads to simplify finding the knowledge one seeks. The Hall is row after row of Heads sitting in the burial niches of the catacombs. Any Servitor of Death may access the information held in the Hall, if they can persuade the Seneschal of the linked Tether to allow them through (this is not much more expensive than any other Tether). A Flue connects the Catacombs to the surface, which can theoretically be accessed. However, it is forbidden on pain of Death to use either NC:Wings or the Songs of Motion while in the Hall, as the Heads might learn them. There have been two break-outs from the Hall. The first was after repeated use of the Celestial Song of Motion by the 'librarians' to visit the surface. Waiting until every demon was on the surface, the Heads who had learnt the Song fled; a number of other Heads learnt the Song while observing their comrades and joined the break-out. The other Heads had been persuaded that revealing what had happened would allow the Samingans to prevent a second break out, and so told the returning Librarians that demons dressed in cat suits had broken in and stolen the heads. Saminga executed the librarians, so the chance to learn the Song again was lost. A second break out, a century later, was caused when some of the Heads learnt NC:Wings, and flew out of the flue. This could not be concealed, and the new Librarians realised how the earlier heads had escaped; they also managed to pin the blame for the more recent escape on a visiting Servitor, who was personally killed by Saminga. Aware of their near-deaths, the librarians are incredibly paranoid about security. The Tether was trivial, until the creation of the Hall; the thousands of heads now feed it and it has waxed to become a Minor Tether - the Seneschal wanders the Hall chatting to the Heads. The escaped Heads seek to regain their bodies, of course - or failing that acquire more essence and Songs. The Heads spy on Celestials, hoping to learn Songs; if they feel that they can trust a Demon (generally an Impudite) they will offer their services in return for learning Songs or being granted Rites. The sight of a Head flying through the night should warn any being that they are being continuously spied apon. James. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 01:08:36 -0500 From: "William J. Keith" Subject: IN> Horror Month - The Book of Dead Souls If Yves has a book wherein the name of every being that comes into existence is recorded, then it stands to reason -- Kronos' reason, at any rate -- that the Archives should contain a book of the name of every being ever soul-killed. Kronos not being given the freebies of the Symphony, his version is not automatic. Rather, it includes the painstaking efforts of multiple Servitors who have been taught the various Songs of Symphony. Each asks a single question, repeatedly: "What is the true name of the human, ethereal, or celestial soul which was the last one destroyed prior to (the last answer they got) in (the realm they are assigned to), if any?" Obviously, the biggest contingent focuses on Hell; however, the group is organized by time period and little by little has confirmed a comprehensive, nonoverlapping list. The assigned demons have, through long and tedious questioning, pushed the tally of souls all the way back to the creation of Hell; very few soul deaths took place in the millions of years before the Fall, most having to do with non-reincarnating primitive humans. Heaven has even fewer; the Marches have many, almost rivaling Hell. The process is rapidly moving back in time now; soon, the error-checkers will get, to the question "Was any soul destroyed before (last name gained) in (this realm)?", the answer "No." In addition, of course, one group keeps up-to-date with modern soul-deaths. Kronos' statistics on the population of humanity and their ultimate dispositions, coupled with occasional questions about the date of the last-checked death, keep the group relatively sure they're staying on pace. The Essence expenditure is enormous, of course, but for some reason Kronos has made this a longstanding project, and few in Hell would try to deny him this odd obsession. Flunkies for the name-generating teams run about the Archives, collecting such information as they can on each. Limited by time rather than by the information available, even the best-known souls can only manage a paragraph or so before the next name must be researched. Such information as can be gathered is listed next to the name, along with the time, place, and manner of death. The master copy of the result is The Book of Dead Souls. A reading of the Book, even without any special attempt at delving into its nature, can impose a deep sadness on anyone. It is a litany, a liturgy even, a paean to the irrevocable loss of uniquenesses and identities. Whole existences are reduced to a few lines of text no different from other lines of text, dozens upon dozens crowding the Book's pages. Raphael's and Legion's entries are casually separated by a single human of little consequence, dying at just a certain moment on the other side of the world. Raphael has five lines, Legion three. The mysterious Metatron has not even that much. Naturally there is, by the nature of things, a copy in The Library. - --------- As my contribution to Horror Month, I almost feel this to stand on its own. However, an adventure seed or two can be wrung out of it. The Book can have any number of horrific powers, especially concerning the reading of names and biographies from it -- final forgetting from the Symphony, knowledge of unfulfilled Fates and Destinies, access to memories echoing across Time, even the creation of hollow simulacra. Perhaps rumors fly about what would happen if *all* the names in the Book were read. Perhaps the master of the recording team, the ultimate supervisor of the project, has gone Renegade and taken the Book with him. Kronos is infuriated, and a massive manhunt on both Sides is underway. Does the Renegade plan to use some secret power of the Book? Does he seek Redemption, or even his own soul-death, after centuries of emotionally wrenching toil that no one but the Prince of Fate could have truly withstood? Use the Book as you will; just remember that it's in Yves' Special Collection for a reason. William ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 06:03:27 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: Re: IN> Horror Month - The Book of Dead Souls > As my contribution to Horror Month, I almost feel this to stand on its own. It does. A chilling way to end Horror Month! James. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 03:43:40 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Horror Month - The Book of Dead Souls Interesting concept. I especially liked: >Raphael's and Legion's entries are casually separated >by a single human of little consequence, dying at >just a certain moment on the other side of the >world. Raphael has five lines, Legion three. The >mysterious Metatron has not even that much. Nice job. Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 09/28/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 05:48:57 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Horror Month - The Hall of Heads Niiiiice. Now move this place back in time a couple of centuries and place it in Asia, and you have an explanation for the legends of the panangalin. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "The surest way to keep a secret is to make people believe they already know the answer." - -- Fremen saying __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 05:55:01 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Horror Month - The Book of Dead Souls Yikes! I'm glad we only did stuff like this for a month! ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "The surest way to keep a secret is to make people believe they already know the answer." - -- Fremen saying __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. http://personals.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 09:23:15 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Horror Month - The Hall of Heads Michael Walton wrote: > > Niiiiice. Now move this place back in time a couple of > centuries and place it in Asia, and you have an explanation > for the legends of the panangalin. They also resemble some creatures from a Latin American folklore, described in Jorge Luis Borges's "Book of Imaginary Beings" and called, if my memory serves, chonchon. Earl ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 09:38:36 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Horror Month - The Book of Dead Souls Of course, the Book could be multi-volume, or a ring-binder, or able to magically produce new pages as needed. But wouldn't it be more interesting if it were none of these things? Then you could see how many pages were left to fill in... Earl ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 08:12:19 -0700 From: "Chris Holland" Subject: IN> Demon Princess of Cute I believe her name is Io Chan, but I'm not sure. Does anyone know where I can find the writeup on her. Chris _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 10:27:14 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Demon Princess of Cute Chris Holland wrote: > > I believe her name is Io Chan, but I'm not sure. Does anyone know > where I can find the writeup on her. Well, I'd bet her mom, our line editor, has 'em somewhere. Along with her birth certificate and the baby album. The Demon Princess of Cute is one of the In Nominated identities of Iolanthe McCoy Karakash (spelling and surnames guessed at), one-and-something-year-old daughter of Beth. The other In Nominated identity is Archangel of Cute. Earl ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 11:44:44 -0500 From: "Jeffery Watkins" Subject: Re: IN> To Your Health I like this. Good job with the NPC write-up. Jeffery _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 17:30:58 From: "Perry Lloyd" Subject: Re: IN> Use Question, again (was: Vapulan Time Travel) > > Unfortunately, SJGames can't risk releasing such a thing unto the >American > > public (if only they'd do it for Great Britain!!!!), because while the > > American public can tolerate games where their kids play Demons, >Vampires, > > Werewolves and Witches, Monsters, and self-declared >(Lawful/Neutral/Chaotic) > > Evil characters, if you dare to assert anything that might tarnish Jesus >. . > > . may God have mercy on your company. Hell, I don't even think Black >Dog > > goes there . . . > >Oh, please. The "RPGs are Satanic" crowd hasn't looked at anything >published since the late 80s (and for the most part they've moved on to >frothing about Pokemon and Harry Potter), and with stuff like Black Dog >or SJG's own "Vigilante" out there, a satiric game that makes fun of >Jesus wouldn't even be a blip on the radar. Ah, so I must be unaware of the modern RPGs that actually describe Jesus. I don't suppose you'd be willing to name a few? (No, really, I do really want to know!) (And if it was, SJG would >probably be delighted, because it could only boost sales.) Um, then, why was the irreverent portrayal of Jesus cut from the "official english translation" ?? >INS/MV isn't not being translated for fear of public reaction. It's not >being translated because it just probably wouldn't sell very well. The >humor and satire wouldn't translate well, and if the SJG version is >struggling, there's no reason to think the French version would do >better. "no reason" ?? Yet, the French game has been selling well for over 10 years and the American game is doing /so much better/ . . . Those wacky French. > > So . . . no, INS/MV's background doesn't work well in the states. >However, > > its Superiors, powers and dice system don't suffer from the religion >thing > > much (a few Superior description alterations - you're in the clear). >So, > > why SJGames hasn't decided to use those 375 or so new abilities, or the >15 > > or so Superiors that aren't included in the American game, I don't know. > >You think adding 375 new abilities and over a dozen new Superiors would >be a GOOD thing? No, but some abililties that are useful on the front line might be useful. I'm a little tired of the few attunements of War and the Sword (even those from Superiors 1). It leaves the other characters in the dark. But, that's why we're using GURPS now, because a Cele Song of Light is a WASTE OF ESSENCE against a Demon with 60 or so Body hits. Fewer hits, weapons that actually get the job done in a reasonable amount of time, and more books to draw upon. SJG has from the beginning tried to AVOID letting In >Nomine become a munchkinfest powergame. (There was actually some concern >about the Liber Canticorum adding too many powers to the game.) Well, that would certainly explain the lack of powers that are actually useful in combat (and don't suck down far far far too much Essence). Combat, as in War, as in the basic struggle/background of the game. Frankly, a game system that doesn't lend itself to at least some powergaming probably just isn't going to do as well . . . because that's what a lot of gamers want - power to play with. Trust me, I've lived it, I've seen it, I believe it. There are a lot of disempowered people in the world and their RPGs helps them to feel like they can achieve something, that's power. But if >you really want to throw everything and the kitchen sink into the >setting, there are plenty of web resources. Seen 'em, but thanks. I'm not interested in that stuff, I'd like to see SJGames use the materials it's already paid for. Since this is a dead horse, I'll shut up about it now. - -Perry perrylloyd@hotmail.com pl312993@oak.cats.ohiou.edu http://www.geocities.com/perrylloyd/ "And that's the hardest thing for a human being to do - be wrong. Do you know that people would rather die than be wrong?" - --from A Matter For Men by David Gerrold _________________________________________________________________ Téléchargez MSN Explorer gratuitement à l'adresse http://explorer.msn.fr/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 12:38:12 -0500 From: "Jeffery Watkins" Subject: Re: IN> To Your Health (Part 2) Marvelous. What a great companion to Brya and a love story to boot! It was very entertaining to first read Brya's story then see it from Xinda's POV. Great NPC and adventure seed all in one. Jeffery _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 11:48:52 -0600 From: David Edelstein Subject: Re: IN> Use Question, again (was: Vapulan Time Travel) Perry Lloyd wrote: > Ah, so I must be unaware of the modern RPGs that actually describe Jesus. I > don't suppose you'd be willing to name a few? (No, really, I do really want > to know!) I don't know which ones specifically describe Jesus (Nephilim might have), but KULT and much of the WoD certainly have more to offend religious types than a depiction of Jesus. > Um, then, why was the irreverent portrayal of Jesus cut from the "official > english translation" ?? Because there IS NO "OFFICIAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION." The SJG version is an adaptation, not a translation. > "no reason" ?? Yet, the French game has been selling well for over 10 > years In France. > Well, that would certainly explain the lack of powers that are actually > useful in combat (and don't suck down far far far too much Essence). > Combat, as in War, as in the basic struggle/background of the game. Actually, it's quite possible to run an In Nomine game that's not combat heavy, and in fact, I think it would run better that way. > Frankly, a game system that doesn't lend itself to at least some powergaming > probably just isn't going to do as well . . . because that's what a lot of > gamers want - power to play with. Trust me, I've lived it, I've seen it, I > believe it. There are a lot of disempowered people in the world and their > RPGs helps them to feel like they can achieve something, that's power. In Nomine can't be run as a power game? Okaaaaaay...... - -David ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 13:25:17 -0500 From: "Jeffery Watkins" Subject: Re: IN> A Matter of Judgment (seed) Wow and LOL. I unusually don't enjoy Kobal plotlines or even the DP himself, but this was marvelous. It really made me laugh and consider the DP of dark humor again in a far different light. Thank you. Jeffery _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 14:31:36 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Demon Princess of Cute At 10:27 AM -0500 10/31/01, Earl Wajenberg wrote: >Chris Holland wrote: >> >> I believe her name is Io Chan, but I'm not sure. Does anyone know >> where I can find the writeup on her. > >Well, I'd bet her mom, our line editor, has 'em somewhere. >Along with her birth certificate and the baby album. Somewhere. Need to dig 'em up. Ah, here we go. (EDG, if you want to grab the source for this and INC it, feel free. ) http://www.io.com/~arcangel/Prince.Iolanthe.html >The Demon Princess of Cute is one of the In Nominated identities >of Iolanthe McCoy Karakash (spelling and surnames guessed at), >one-and-something-year-old daughter of Beth. The other In Nominated >identity is Archangel of Cute. Karakash? When did Karakash and I get married? Iolanthe McCoy, who looks _quite_ enough like my spouse (Walter Milliken) to dispell any silly rumors about _Karakash_... O:> And believe me, she's no Archangel. O:J - --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: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 14:43:11 -0500 From: "Jeffery Watkins" Subject: Re: IN> Horror Month - The Hall of Heads Shades of the Mi-go! That was great and horrific. The Hall makes a great creepy meeting ground or last resort place, the PCs may have to go to get that vital informatin that only 'x' person, one of the heads, would know. Very nice. Jeffery _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 15:03:58 -0500 (Eastern Standard Time) From: "B.D. Pollack" Subject: Re: IN> Demon Princess of Cute >>The Demon Princess of Cute is one of the In Nominated >> identities of Iolanthe McCoy Karakash (spelling and surnames >> guessed at), one-and-something-year-old daughter of Beth. The >> other In Nominated identity is Archangel of Cute. >Karakash? >When did Karakash and I get married? >Iolanthe McCoy, who looks _quite_ enough like my spouse > (Walter Milliken) to dispell any silly rumors about _Karakash_... > O:> Beth, demons call them rumors ... Angels call them Revelations. ;) Ben, ducking, running, pleading for mercy ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2426 ********************************