in_nomine-digest Thursday, December 13 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2480 In this digest: IN> Triad 314 - Crescendo (Pt2) Re: IN> Yeah, I'd like to own this. How could you tell? IN> A New Soul in Heaven 3 Re: IN> introducing and saying Hi! IN> Re: introducing and saying Hi! Re: IN> The saga begins... Re: IN> The saga begins... IN> New Demon Prince IN> Garoth Errata Re: IN> New Demon Prince Re: IN> New Demon Prince Re: IN> New Demon Prince RE: IN> New Demon Prince ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 16:57:26 From: "Michael Cleveland" Subject: IN> Triad 314 - Crescendo (Pt2) There was an almost tangible silence as the triad of Judgment sped down the highway. Jack continued to lean back in his seat, rubbing his temples as he attempted to learn more about the identity of their pursuer. Laris, in less than typical Ofanite fashion was actually paying attention to the road, while the Seraph Muriel was desperately calling every phone number she had trying to find someone in the area that could assist them. After a few moments of silence on the phone, she shook her head and looked over at Laris. "Well, that about does it. The Tether of War says they're willing to help us once we get there, but they say they can't get anyone to us in time. Which is a willful dragging of feet, if not a direct lie. I don't suppose you have any ideas, do you?" Laris shrugged. "What else can we do except get gas and pray they don't catch up that fast? I'm using a few extra tricks I know to keep us moving, but sooner or later the gig's up. Best thing I can figure is for you to pay the man while I get the gas, and we leave Jack to tell us how long we have. You're sure there's nobody else you can call?" Muriel nodded grimly. "No other Triads within a hundred miles. Triad 691 says they can divert to our position, but it'll be at least 3 hours before they can get here, which still leaves us in the same predicament we're in now." She sighed heavily before continuing. "At least we should count our blessings. After all, the only way there could be attunements on us is if Asmodeus himself placed them on us, which means he could have been the one after us. If that were the case, I don't the lack of gas would be our biggest setback here." Jack spoke up from the back seat. "That's true, and I think I'd know if it was the Iron Man himself who was on us. Still, we don't want to get caught by this guy. If the Prince of The Game personally sicced this guy on us, he's got to be bad news. And we'd better pick up the pace if we can, because he's gaining on us. We've still got a 40 plus mile lead on him, but still..." The three nodded in unison, then collectively jumped as Muriel's cellphone rang unexpectedly. THe seraph snatched it up, then quickly rattled off a sequence of letters and numbers and sat bolt upright. "Oh, bless the cloak, I am glad to hear from you, St... yeah, I'll put it on speaker right now, just hold on." She scrambled to fit the phone into the tape deck and the cigarette lighter attachments, then leaned back as a voice crackled out from the speakers. "Jack, Laris, you boys hear me as well?" After grunting assent, the voice continued. "All right, this is Stark. I got a call from the Michaeline Tether about your proposed visit, and they're not happy about it but they will let you use the place when you get there." Laris muttered to himself "If we get there..." The voice crackled again. "No, _when_ you get there. I've been checking a few things out, and while I don't have any Triads in the area that I can get there in time to do anything meaningful, I do know some folks in the neighborhood. Now, I can't get the _Tether_ to send anyone, but I was able to convince a Kyrio that I know to start on an intercept course for you." Jack spoke up. "Um, no offence Mr. Stark, but a single Kyrio..." "Will increase your combat strength by at least a third. It's not much but it is what I can get there quickly. He already knows that you're low on gas, and he said that he'd do something to take care of that. Look, I'll be honest - unless you can get to that Tether, you're pretty well out of luck. I might be able to get a hold of Michael and see if he can cut orders to the Tether, but you know how getting any Warrior to cooperate with us is. The fact that I've got that Kyriotate -" Sylviel spoke up quickly, "Look Stark, that'll be fine. If that's what you can get to us, that'll be that much more help we'll have." She lowered her voice slightly before continuing, "Um, by the way, you couldn't happen to tell me if Dominic knows about this... development, could you?" A deep chuckle came from the end. "Muriel, I know all about your... unique love for giving Dominic small and unexpected tokens of your devotion to Judgment. I'm leaving it to you to tell him. I trust you'll make sure he... sees it in the proper light, isn't it?" The seraph flushed slightly. "Yeah, that's a more polite way of putting it. I'll find some way to tell him that makes this coming out smelling like roses -" The speakers squeaked slightly, then "And hopefully overpowering the manure beneath it. You three watch yourselves, and show this Kyrio all due respect. We don't want to alienate anyone anymore than we have to. The guy's name is Frekariel, and I'll just give you the heads up - he's a little... off. I've got to get running - keeping track of Michael's motley crew is more trouble than even I thought it would be." Laris actually allowed himself a hint of a smirk. "Yeah, I can imagine. Thanks, Stark. We owe you one." "Not a problem, Laris. By the way, the next time you fence a bunch of cars to the Wind, you could at least show them the common courtesy of telling them that they all came from the Game. I mean, three blue Ford Taurus's with the same interior and the same license plates? Come on, man - you know better. " Muriel reached out to get the cellphone when Jack reached up from the back seat at tapped her on the shoulder. "Muriel, Laris - just who in God's name was that? And why are we acting like this guy is the second coming?" Laris turned back to look at him for a second. "Inquisitor Starkariel - he's the official liaison officer between Judgment and War. If you ever need help getting War to work with you, get in touch with him and you're set. He's also -" Muriel interrupted the ofanite, who swerved to miss a stalled car. "He's also one of the few high ranking people in Judgment who doesn't freak out when 314 comes calling. He'll help us out, probably because Dominic rarely lets him down to Earth on account of Kronos still having a contract out on him. If he says he can get us help, he can do it." As Muriel continued to explain to Jack, a crow swooped down and smacked into the back seat of the car. It squawked loudly as it righted itself, then the speakers of the car flared to life. "Good Afternoon. The time is 3:42PM, and you're listening to news station 111 JUDG. JUDG - for all the information that Internal Security has cleared you for. I'm your guest, Frekariel, and you ladies and gents must be the folk who Stark says are in a bind. If you'll please move the briefcases out of the way, I'll be bringing some supplies in." Jack narrowed his eyes for a moment, then shrugged and picked up the briefcases and set them in his lap. The bird nodded then clucked a few times while waving its feet, and then dissipated into a human teenager with several large gas cans in his hands. "Ok, nice to be with you folks and... say, nice car. Is it a '67 or a '68?" Laris looked back at the new arrival. "It's a 68, and if you'll be so kind as to start pouring in the gas, I'll be more than happy to demonstrate what she can do. I'm hoping you brought some additional weapons as well..." The teenager shook his head as he stuck a tube into the first gas can. "Sorry - Stark said your first priority was gas, so I grabbed the first kid I saw and bought about 20 gallons. Didn't have time to get anything else, but I figure if we can outrun this guy, it won't matter how much ammunition we have." Jack shook his head. "Well, that might work, but he's closing the distance. I've got him at 30 miles and closing it up really fast. If we run into any real problems, this guy is going to overtake us, no question." Muriel stared straight forward as she pointed. "Would you call that a real problem, Jack?" All four people in the car traced the line from Muriel's hand to the group of eight identical blue Ford Taurus's sitting by the side of the road that were beginning to merge onto the highway with them. After a moment of utter silence, a voice from the drivers seat said what everyone was probably thinking. "Um, yeah Muriel. This could potentially qualify as a problem. Oh, my...." (to be continued) _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 11:00:54 -0500 From: "Josh Moger" Subject: Re: IN> Yeah, I'd like to own this. How could you tell? >You see, there's a >boss level where you get to go up against (and >eventually extinguish) a really ugly Entropy covered >in flames... > snip Ooooo.... will the sequel have the Malakite power-up? Josh Moger "If man can make a little mustachioed Italian plumber spit fire balls... man can do anything." ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 23:52:40 -0800 From: Vaughn Romero Subject: IN> A New Soul in Heaven 3 This is actually more like episode 2 1/2 as there is more to come with this scene, but with the list being so quiet as of late I thought I'd do my part to keep things going. It's been two days since I had a digest fix, and I'm jonesing bad. The Good News: This trilogy episode has no Ewoks in it (and there was much rejoicing). The Bad News: This trilogy episode has no Lilim in leather in it (best left to the professionals anyhow). Hope y'all enjoy. - --Vaughn * * * A NEW SOUL IN HEAVEN 3 * * * You can spend a long time in a library if you have a body that never tires, never needs to eat or drink, and most importantly, never has to be bathed. Combine this with the discovery that the Library of Heaven has a complete collection of every note, paper, doodle, e-mail, and in my case, musical composition that you had ever written or performed in your life, and what you have is a recipe for an act of narcissism so unfathomable that it is a good thing that the deeper stacks of the Library are so private. I had found a paradise within Paradise. Try to imagine that you had lived in one house for eight-five years and that you had never moved and never thrown anything away. In that house were every receipt you had ever received, every letter you had ever sent and every memento you had ever collected. Now triple what you imagined and you might come close to the mass of historical records and personal affects that awaited me in the Heaven's Library. There was so much I had forgotten: crayon drawings of Tigger and Pooh, endless Lego creations, the notebook where I had first written my name, a recording of my first guitar lesson, stacks of letters to Santa, sand drawings from trips to the beach, my first report card, my entire childhood laid out before me in my own hand and voice. And beyond that the collection only got larger. Photos, poetry, locker combinations, role playing game papers, scribbles in text books, tests, and a thousand other creations of adolescence and young adulthood were lovingly compiled and organized before me. Had I been on Earth, having this much of my life open for all to see would have shamed and frightened me, but here in the light of Heaven I understood its purpose. Here was my essence. The marks I had made in life were not only my links to the past, but also a statement of purpose for the present and future. Had I ever need to know what kind of person I was or could become all I would need do is come here and see the story laid out before me. "You are impressed with the efforts of the my brothers I see." A deeply musical voice much like a bassoon floated through and around me. Turning my attention away from my keepsakes I saw a creature that looked like a miniature elephant with golden-feathered wings and a golden halo above its head. The creature's trunk swayed gently between two tusks the size of a child's arm. Despite it's strange appearance I felt no fear of it as if it radiated an aura of calm. "Are you the Guardian?" I asked the creature in my own tongue. "I am one of the Cherubim, yes." The creature bent its think legs slightly and lowered its head briefly as if bowing. "You are Mason del Rio, Dabiel said you would probably be here. I am to watch over you and see that you learn the ways of Heaven." The cherub held out its trunk to me as if it wanted to shake hands. Suppressing a sudden urge to laugh, I took the trunk in both of my hands and gently shook it up and down. How anyone on Earth could have confused a creature like this with a chubby baby with wings was beyond me. "My mother always loved elephants. She liked their long memories and the way they were devoted to their families." "Your mother was wise, Mason." A soft note rang out between us and the cherub withdrew its trunk from my hands. "I am now attuned to you, blessed one. I shall always know where you are and how you are doing no matter where you might be in Heaven." The notes of the angel's song took on a serious tone. "Do you have a name or should I just call you my guardian?" "My name is Pactryll, but you may call me whatever name is easiest for you." "That may be dangerous, Pac because I once had a cat whom I called any one of eleven names." "As you wish, but much like a cat, blessed Mason, I may not come when you call. I am here to help you, not be your pet - nor your servant." "Of course, I meant no offense, Pactryll. "You need not to worry about my feelings. I would protect you regardless of anything you might say or do. My duty to an attuned is a sacred covenant, and even if you were not a precious soul to Heaven, I would nonetheless carry it out." "Whoa, you're pretty serious about your work aren't you?" "This is not work, Mason, this is what I am. I could not be otherwise and still be an angel." "What do you mean?" Pactryll stared at me intensely with one of his large golden elephant eyes. "Were I to forsake my nature, I would Fall and become a demon. As a human, you may not understand what such a change entails, but I would rather die than embrace such a Fate." "And if there are demons, I suppose there must be a Devil and Hell too?" "Yes, Mason, the Adversary and his domain are both very real." A feeling of dread swept over me. I had never believed in the Devil, and had never wanted to imagine what such a creature would be like if it were real. Knowing that it was reminded me of my doubts at the Gates and filled me with a dark dread. What if I had chosen wrong? How close had I come to seeing the Beast I had denied firsthand? The question left me with a cold feeling inside. I shuttered. "My God, how close did I come to being damned?" I sat down on the floor and drew my knees close to me. A deeper and scarier question came to me. If there was a Hell, could someone I know be there? "I should find my family, my friends. What if... ?" I could not speak the possibility. I was too afraid that to speak it would make it real. "This question comes to all the blessed eventually. Take some time to gather yourself, and when you are ready we will begin the search for those you love. Have faith. If you have earned a place in Heaven there is a good chance those around you have as well." I prayed with all my heart that Pactryll's words would be true. * * * [to be continued] - - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't." Mark Twain ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 18:01:35 From: "Michael Cleveland" Subject: Re: IN> introducing and saying Hi! >Just wanting to say hello and welcome myself to this free flow of >Ideas...((hope this doesn't cause any discord hahaha)) Welcome to the list - I'm sure your indoctr... um, I mean, I'm sure you'll prove an asset and an absolute joy to have here. (razzafrazzing seraphim around...) Michael _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 15:42:35 -0500 From: Cameron McCurry Subject: IN> Re: introducing and saying Hi! >>Just wanting to say hello and welcome myself to this free flow of Ideas...((hope this doesn't cause any discord hahaha)) Welcome! Now be advised that sending out HTML messages after the first warning tends to attract Discord that is inflicted by Archangel Beth. Please switch to text only. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 19:50:19 -0800 From: Vaughn Romero Subject: Re: IN> The saga begins... Ticket Number: 343698666 Assigned to: Bobiel Status: Open Priority: 2 Severity: 1 Customer Description: "I did not receive the In Nomine Digest V1 #2478. Can you look into the problem?" Ticket History: 7:14 PM -0800 12/11/01 Customer contacted list administrator inquiring about digest. Ticket assigned to Caliel, Cherub of Customer Relations. 7:18 PM -0800 12/11/01 Comment added by Caliel, Cherub of Customer Relations 'Customer attuned, reassigning.' 7:24 PM -0800 12/11/01 Ticket assigned to Badeylyn, Virtue of Customer Relations. 7:28 PM -0800 12/11/01 Comment added by Badeylyn, Virtue of Customer Relations 'Customer has genuine desire for digest delivery to resume. There is some question as to addictive nature of need, possible agents of Haagenti?' 7:49 PM -0800 12/11/01 Ticket assigned to Lamiara, Mercurian of Customer Relations. 8:15 PM -0800 12/11/01 Comment added by Lamiara, Mercurian of Customer Relations 'List administrator is willing to hand deliver digest as interim solution. Lowering Priority to 2.' 2:00 AM -0800 12/12/01 Ticket assigned to Mafriel, Kyriotate of Customer Relations. 2:22 AM -0800 12/12/01 Comment added by Mafriel, Kyriotate of Customer Relations 'Not a hardware problem, reassigning.' 2:29 AM -0800 12/12/01 Ticket assigned to Umariel, Ofanim of Customer Relations. 2:30 AM -0800 12/12/01 Comment added by Umariel, Ofanim of Customer Relations 'Problem ineffable. Suspect superior-level interference. Reassigning.' 2:31 Am -0800 12/12/01 Ticket reassigned to Ieremon, Seraph of Customer Relations. 8:22 AM -0800 12/12/01 Comment added by Ieremon, Seraph of Customer Relations 'Will contact list admin and recommend hand delivery of digest for now. Will Reassign ticket to ultimate escalation point once contact is established. Opening related ticket 343699113 to have Elohim contact customer.' 12:30 PM -0800 12/12/01 Comment added by Ieremon, Seraph of Customer Relations 'list administrator delivered digest. Reassigning ticket.' 12:32 PM -0800 12/12/01 Ticket assigned to Bobiel. - - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't." Mark Twain ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 20:05:56 -0800 From: Vaughn Romero Subject: Re: IN> The saga begins... EDG wrote: >Bobiel >Elohite Archangel of Customer Relations I fear my last message may have been unclear; I liked this write-up. Perhaps Bobiel can help us here, even if I forgot to add any contact information to my ticket. Obviously any career I chose in in technical support would be short. - --Vaughn - - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - From the Generic Software Installation Guide Template: Chapter 1 "So You Messed up the Installation" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 02:02:56 -0500 From: EDG Subject: IN> New Demon Prince This came up on the Pyramid chat. Don't ask why. Garoth Habbalite Prince of Confinement "The world is a cage, and we are the zookeepers." Garoth is an ex-servitor of Asmodeus. His particular take on humans is that if they are not strong enough to survive on their own, they must be kept from the world and taught until they are ready for the outside. Of course, as a Habbalite, his idea of education varies from the norm. Garoth's domain is a vast zoo on the outskirts of Shal-Mari. Its residents are those souls unfortunate enough to have wandered in by mistake and been captured by the demons of Confinement; molded by force into inhuman shapes, they serve as examples to those souls and demons who *serve* Garoth (especially the occasional demon behind the bars, weeping and howling, its shape almost so unnatural as to be unrecognizable). It is rumored among non-Confinement demons that Garoth's castle, at the far end of the zoo, holds an enormous fish tank, in which are held those souls who have been whittled to a single Force and transformed into strange, beautiful aquatic creatures. DISSONANCE It is dissonant for a demon serving Garoth to free anyone - or anything - that has been secured by any servitor of Confinement. CHOIR ATTUNEMENTS Balseraphs: The Liars of Confinement are his jailing experts; at creation, they are given 6 additional points to split between the Escape Artist and Knowledge: Imprisonment skills, and a Role (level 4, status 3) as someone involved in confinement - a zookeeper, a jail warden, or even a locksmith. Djinn (restricted): A Djinn serving Garoth can automatically attune himself to anyone he has personally placed in physical captivity, and does not take dissonance for the emotional pain this might cause them. This attunement does count against the Djinn's total. Calabim (restricted): These Calabim use their resonance to shape instead of to destroy: a successful application of a Calabite of Confinement's resonance allows the Destroyer to remold anything he touches as though he had performed the Celestial Song of Form, using his Celestial Forces in place of Essence spent. These Calabim also retain the use of their original resonance. Habbalah: Habbalah of Confinement gain a bonus equal to their Celestial Forces to any performance of the Songs of Seals. Lilim: There are no Lilim in service to Confinement. Lilith disowns anyone who chooses service in Garoth's ranks, and more importantly, Garoth forbids it. (There are rumors of covert Lilim within Garoth's ranks; they are whispered to be given the ability to mimic another Band of demon for short periods of time, along with the appropriate Confinement attunement.) Shedim (restricted): Shedim of Confinement foster neuroses in their hosts. Instead of corrupting their hosts, they may inflict one minor neurosis ("have to triple-check the locks", "don't go near pigeons") per full day that they are inside the host. Impudites (restricted): An Impudite of Confinement does not need to Charm anyone whom he has personally physically imprisoned in any way, although he still must roll to steal Essence. SERVITOR ATTUNEMENTS Escape Clause: This attunement grants the user the effective use of the Calabite resonance as applied to locks, bolts, and other methods of confinement. There is no roll; with a touch, the restraining object simply disintegrates. The effect lasts for six minutes from the time of activation - but requires 6 Essence to activate. (This attunement is why most demons whom Garoth personally confines are stripped to five Forces first.) No Parole: The user of this attunement can enforce any barrier by the force of his will; anyone trying to bypass it must defeat him in a contest of Wills before the attempt even begins. The user may use this on a single barrier indefinitely, or on multiple barriers for a number of hours equal to the user's total Forces divided by the number of barriers. The user may only guard a number of barriers at any one time equal to his total Forces. DISTINCTIONS Knight of Seduction: Garoth's Knights project an aura of tranquility; to everyone within (total Forces) yards, everything will turn out right in the end. They forget any feelings of failure or unworthiness, and proceed without compunction. This cannot be countered, but does not affect anyone with more total Forces than the Knight. Captain of Entrapment: All of these demons automatically succeed on their Fast-Talk rolls, although they should still roll for Interventions and to determine the check digit. This ability does not work on anyone with Forces equal to or greater than the Captain using it. Baron of Imprisonment: Each of these demons has control over a section of Garoth's zoo. They are granted knowledge of the position of every soul and fixture in their area, and are charged with recapturing any escapees. (Typically, if there is an escape, the section of the zoo gains a member and a Captain is promoted...) In addition, Garoth's Barons all run sections of his corporeal dealings, which assignments are often suited to the section of zoo that they oversee. RELATIONS Associated: Alaemon, Asmodeus, Kronos (All three are Associated with Garoth) Neutral: The rest, except: Hostile: Valefor (Valefor is Hostile to Garoth) Enemy: Lilith (Lilith is an Enemy to Garoth) CHANCE OF INVOCATION: 0 Garoth cannot be invoked outside of his castle, and he never leaves of his own will. However: +8: Within Garoth's castle. RITES - - Bind someone's hands and feet, and keep them that way for four hours. - - Convert a Soldier of Heaven to Hell's cause. (+3) - - Oversee the building of a jail complex, from initial design to the first opening of the gates. (+3) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 02:06:58 -0500 From: EDG Subject: IN> Garoth Errata Replace the text under Captain of Entrapment with the following: Captain of Entrapment: All of these demons automatically succeed on their Sense Motive rolls, as well as any Fast-Talk rolls to conceal their motives, although they should still roll for Interventions and to determine the check digit. This ability does not work on anyone with Forces equal to or greater than the Captain using it. - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 03:31:47 -0500 From: "Josh Moger" Subject: Re: IN> New Demon Prince >Garoth >Habbalite Prince of Confinement > snip Finally, someone that servitors of Freedom, Theft, and Wind can all ally against. Office of Intercultural Exchange, Josh MOger ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 09:41:10 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> New Demon Prince EDG wrote: > DISSONANCE > > It is dissonant for a demon serving Garoth to free anyone - or > anything - that has been secured by any servitor of Confinement. I'd think it would be dissonant for them to free anything bound by ANYone -- except for freeing themselves, I suppose. Do they also take dissonance if something they've bound escapes? Earl ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 10:58:03 -0500 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> New Demon Prince At 09:41 AM 12/13/01 -0500, you wrote: >EDG wrote: > > > > DISSONANCE > > > > It is dissonant for a demon serving Garoth to free anyone - or > > anything - that has been secured by any servitor of Confinement. > >I'd think it would be dissonant for them to free anything bound >by ANYone -- except for freeing themselves, I suppose. An interesting take. It having been 2 AM when I wrote that dissonance condition, I'm not entirely sure of my motives... :) ALTERNATE DISSONANCE It is dissonant in servitors of Garoth to release anyone or anything from its bonds without permission from a higher-ranking demon of Confinement. The sole exception to this is that they may free themselves from their bindings without incurring Garoth's wrath, *unless* they were personally imprisoned by a demon of Confinement. >Do they also take dissonance if something they've bound escapes? Nope. Although they'd best get it back before their boss finds out... ;) - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 12:12:59 -0500 From: "Brook Freeman" Subject: RE: IN> New Demon Prince > ALTERNATE DISSONANCE > > It is dissonant in servitors of Garoth to release anyone or anything from > its bonds without permission from a higher-ranking demon of > Confinement. The sole exception to this is that they may free themselves > from their bindings without incurring Garoth's wrath, *unless* they were > personally imprisoned by a demon of Confinement. I would suggest "*unless* they were personally imprisoned by a *higher ranking* demon of Confinement." Unless you want underlings to get ideas about abusing superior demons, which you might vary well want to encourage. Brook Freeman ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2480 ********************************