in_nomine-digest Wednesday, December 19 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2488 In this digest: Re: IN> Really, I quite like Christmas. Really. Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... Re: IN> A different Claus... [part 1[ IN> Angels on the top of Christmas trees IN> RE: in_nomine-digest V1 #2486 Re: IN> A different Claus... [part 1[ Re: IN> Story - Trimming the Tree Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... Re: IN> A different Claus... [part 1[ Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... Fwd: Re: IN> Playing Demonic Characters? Re: IN> Playing Demonic Characters? Re: IN> Playing Demonic Characters? Re: IN> Okay, enough. Re: IN> Okay, enough. Re: IN> Playing Demonic Characters? Re: IN> RE: in_nomine-digest V1 #2486 Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... Re: IN> Okay, enough. Re: IN> Okay, enough. Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... Re: IN> Dark Destiny... yeah that's right, not Victory :) Re: IN> Okay, enough. IN> A different Claus [part 2] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 06:03:40 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Really, I quite like Christmas. Really. - --- Maurice Lane wrote: > Mrs. Claus > Ethereal Thanks, Moe, for this bit of Christmas fear! ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "A lot of comedy is tragedy plus time." -- Carol Burnett __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 09:45:02 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... Y'know, naming fallen cherubim "djinn" is one of the things that's always bugged me about IN nomenclature. (The failure to have a decent singular for "Lilim" and the insipid name "relievers" are two others.) So I'm pleased to see the *real* djinn show up. (I think I once saw the name "balcherub" floating around as an alternate name for the band.) (N.B.: While everyone certainly thinks of djinn in connection with Islam first and foremost, the folklore states that djinn come in all the same religions that humans do. The Jewish name for them, according to Keightley's Victorian-vintage "Fairy Mythology," is "mazzikim.") Earl ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 15:04:13 +0000 From: "cassandra benner" Subject: Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... >(N.B.: While everyone certainly thinks of djinn in connection with >Islam first and foremost, the folklore states that djinn come in >all the same religions that humans do. The Jewish name for them, >according to Keightley's Victorian-vintage "Fairy Mythology," >is "mazzikim.") You know, im glad im not the only one who has these doubts as well. And now that i come to think onthe matter, Lilim are more like the djinn than the Djinn are like the djinn. Look at it like this, in just about all tales of djinnish nature, there has been the Wishes. Look at the Lilim, they are pretty much made to make these things come true, theui find out what you want, how badly you want it and then there is the price once you get what you want. That to me smacks of genie (djinnya). Then take thier appearance, attractive, odd colored skin, horns. When i think about the little i know of genies (insert other names here) they often are good looking with small horns, and depending on the type of genie they often have odd colored skinn as well. Well i hope that has stirred a mind or two. Also, coming soon the heavenly car lot, and the hellish junkyard (new cathedrel type locations for IN and a host of npc's who were once vehicles and the angels/demons who frequent the locale. Til another time, Cas In Nomine @ http://www.angelfire.com/goth/psyber/i-n.html In Nomine yahoo @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/inveritas ADnD forum @ http://www.drunkendwarfinn.co.uk ADnD stuff @ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ADandD_Stuff _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 09:26:35 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> A different Claus... [part 1[ - --- Michael Walton wrote: > I like it! Especially the part about how he often > evaded > the Tsayadim patrols -- I love an escape Claus... (groan) The forces of Good WILL track you down, someday. You understand that, right? ;) Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 11/13/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 17:49:33 +0000 From: "Janet Anderson" Subject: IN> Angels on the top of Christmas trees I see no one else likes them either. I prefer stars myself. What I want to see is a story about those obnoxious little bride and groom figurines on wedding cakes. Janet Anderson _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 17:49:48 -0000 From: "Adam Benedict Canning" Subject: IN> RE: in_nomine-digest V1 #2486 > Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 14:09:46 -0500 > From: Earl Wajenberg > > From: "Adam Benedict Canning" > > Of course there are a number of angels, lead by Lawrence who > > get terribly embarrassed by the site of two of heavens > > finest in long scarves and bomber jackets powering tanks > > round the borders of heaven with manic grins on their faces. > > I love this image, especially since I picture seraphim as > six-winged Chinese dragons. Me too. There is a certain amount of modification that has to take place to the vehicles.... And the average tank needs a multi person crew. Is an Invite to be a member of such a blessing or a test? > Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 18:04:02 +0000 > From: "Janet Anderson" > Subject: Re: IN> Christmas Miracles. > Someone find that Malakite a tank of his own and see how fast the > embarrassment disappears ... Yes, but his minions wouldn't dare to suggest it without direct orders and he's too embarrassed to ask. Player characters have fewer such inhibitions. Though anyone who suggests Michael competes will have it pointed out that he won every time he did, way back when. > Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 18:30:35 +0000 > From: "Jo Hart" > > >From: "Adam Benedict Canning" > >You see they race armoured vehicles round the walls of heaven. > > I'm missing the atonement part of that. That comes when they have to go round and fix all the street furniture they crushed in the race and of course the looks on everyone's faces in the Seraphim council the next morning. Adam ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 10:04:13 -0800 From: "Phillip Des Jardins" Subject: Re: IN> A different Claus... [part 1[ > I like it! Especially the part about how he often evaded > the Tsayadim patrols -- I love an escape Claus... > I didn't want to have to do this. I really, REALLY didn't want to have to do this. *Sprouts black wings and chains of oaths. One of them reads 'I shall not suffer a punster to live.* Phillip, the Bright and Shiny Malakite ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 10:50:26 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Story - Trimming the Tree - --- "Erich S. Arendall" wrote: > (...more on the Arelim and Ethan Vale at some later > date...) Arelim, eh? Consider that I have a write-up of the Erelim simmering, I await this eagerly. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "A lot of comedy is tragedy plus time." -- Carol Burnett __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 10:53:38 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... - --- Earl Wajenberg wrote: > (I think I once saw the name "balcherub" floating around > as an alternate name for the band.) I never liked that one, myself, but I've yet to see a really good alternative. > (N.B.: While everyone certainly thinks of djinn in > connection with > Islam first and foremost, the folklore states that djinn > come in > all the same religions that humans do. The djinn actually predate Islam; they're part of pre-Islamic Middle Eastern folklore. After Mohammed we got the Peri, the "righteous djinn" who converted to Islam. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "A lot of comedy is tragedy plus time." -- Carol Burnett __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 10:58:47 -0800 From: Daiv Subject: Re: IN> A different Claus... [part 1[ > > I like it! Especially the part about how he often evaded >> the Tsayadim patrols -- I love an escape Claus... >> > >I didn't want to have to do this. I really, REALLY didn't want to have to >do this. *Sprouts black wings and chains of oaths. One of them reads 'I >shall not suffer a punster to live.* > >Phillip, the Bright and Shiny Malakite Why am i seeing a black wing with a yellow have a nice day happy face where his head should be? -Daiv, Offanite of Tech support, in service to Coffee. - -- hammer and anvil fire sweat iron and breath forging destiny ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 14:20:24 -0500 From: "Eric Bertish" Subject: Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... > > (I think I once saw the name "balcherub" floating around > > as an alternate name for the band.) > > I never liked that one, myself, but I've yet to see a > really good alternative. I plan to scour Davidson's _Dictionary of Angels_ for a suitable name, as soon as I get it for Christmas. :) And as a replacement for the similarly disliked 'mercurian', I would like to submit the similar-sounding Merea. Its definition can be found at http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Hebrew/heb.cgi?number=04828&version=kjv - -- Casca "Many people hear voices when no-one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing." --Margaret Chittenden, writer ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 14:59:47 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Fwd: Re: IN> Playing Demonic Characters? >Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 11:02:02 -0600 >Subject: BOUNCE in_nomine-l@lists.io.com: Admin request of type /\buns\w*b/i at line 4 >From: "R L" >Subject: Re: IN> Playing Demonic Characters? >Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 17:00:58 +0000 > > >As also a KULT gm, I don't really see the problem with having demons being >evil as evil may be. Intelligent evil, corrupting evil, unstoppable evil, >disgusting evil, horrifying evil. I've ran a couple of horror campaigns, and >evil plays some part in that. As does abuse, helplessness, perversions, >violence, corruption, etc. (I'm not going to go into a discussion about what >evil is, or from what point of view. We know what we're talking about here). >As horror-month showed, it is quite possible to run IN as a horror game if >you really want to. And being willing to go all the way is sometimes what it >takes. Still, a game where the characters are nothing but homocidal maniacs >gets old pretty fast. Same with a game where the players do their best to >freak each other out. >The point IMO here is to play on motivations, on intelligent evil, on >corrupting mankind. Mischievious, sneaky, trying not to get caught by the >high-and-mighty-heaven. Trying to sneak it past them, or even better corrupt >them too. Set up the game much the same as you would if all you characters >where part of the Mafia. >Yeah we kill, yeah we abuse, yeah we corrupt. >But we do it with style. We do it with class. >Does that make us evil? Maybe, but we don't really care, cause this is what >it's all about... >See where I'm getting at. Demon characters don't have to be stupid, comic, >incompetent or just plain useless. There is a reason there still is a war, >and not a total walkover for heaven. > >Just my two essence... > > >Ron ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 15:03:34 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Playing Demonic Characters? At 9:42 PM -0400 12/18/01, pbarkow@is2.dal.ca wrote: >On 18 Dec 01, at 19:56, Elizabeth McCoy wrote: [...] >> indirectly responsible for the character of Danny, Malakite of Judgment, >> now that I think about it. O:> > >Does that count for, or against him? Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...................... - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor RPG links; Random name list, Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 16:44:24 -0400 From: pbarkow@is2.dal.ca Subject: Re: IN> Playing Demonic Characters? On 19 Dec 01, at 10:12, Jo Hart wrote: > > > > >From: pbarkow@is2.dal.ca > >Reply-To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com > >To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com > >Subject: Re: IN> Playing Demonic Characters? > >Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 21:42:59 -0400 > > > >On 18 Dec 01, at 19:56, Elizabeth McCoy wrote: > > > > > At 8:51 AM +0000 12/18/01, Jo Hart wrote: > > > [...] > > > >But FWIW, I had a lot of fun playing an incompetent Shedite in Beth's > > > >game. > > > > > > Mellor wasn't incompetent! It was just... young. And impressionable. > > > And indirectly responsible for the character of Danny, Malakite of > > > Judgment, now that I think about it. O:> > > > >Does that count for, or against him? > > > Pass. We should prolly stop being insular about that game, but if Beth Heh. > posts the URL, anyone interested can see for themselves :) It's not as if its hidden. Anyone who wants to expend the effort can find it by following the link from her site. > > (I did especially like: > a) The bit where I got to possess the doctor and give people medicals with > v cold hands, and play with needles b) The bit where Asmodeus came to > check up on me and turned up on a motorbike, then bought me a chocolate > ice-cream. ) Fun yes. ^_^ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 16:50:41 -0400 From: pbarkow@is2.dal.ca Subject: Re: IN> Okay, enough. On 19 Dec 01, at 1:00, Eric Bertish wrote: > Let me preface this by saying that I don't have a problem with Mr. Moger; > his post was simply the one that created critical mass. > > > When it rains, it pours. > > > > When Moe makes it rain, Noah starts looking worried. > > Guys? Moe is NOT God. Yes, he's creative. Yes, he's brilliant. Yes, he's a > good player and a competent GM and I wouldn't kick him out of my game for > anything short of assaulting my girlfriend. But frankly, the unabashed > *worship* is getting old. Don't be silly. This part of our long term plan to create an Ethereal Moe. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 15:58:21 -0500 From: "Eric Bertish" Subject: Re: IN> Okay, enough. > When a performer has to work for free, the applause of the audience is his > only reward. Cutting him off from that is just Not Fair. That's not what I'm suggesting at all. By all means, if you like something, praise it. Just do it *privately*. There is a certain member of this list who replies to every single thread. Frequently, these replies are one sentence long and say pretty much the same thing. In order to keep my mailbox from exploding, I've had to block his posts. However, in so doing I run the risk of missing A) anything creative this person submits, and B) constructive, legitimate criticism that forces me to re-think my opinion of another post. If, however, these one-line compliments were sent privately, the author would still get that much-needed ego boost, my mailbox would not be bursting, and I wouldn't have to block senders. That's all I'm suggesting, and I think it's reasonable. - -- Casca "Many people hear voices when no-one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing." --Margaret Chittenden, writer ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 15:18:24 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Playing Demonic Characters? At 10:12 AM +0000 12/19/01, Jo Hart wrote: [...] >Pass. We should prolly stop being insular about that game, but if Beth posts >the URL, anyone interested can see for themselves :) Oh, right. www.nh.ultranet.com/~emccoy/IOU/myINIOU.html emccoy@nh.ultranet.com, Uppity Wynch http://brie.bmsc.washington.edu/people/merritt/books/Eye_of_Argon.html "rumoured to contain hoards of plunder, and many young wenches" Mike [falsetto]: "We're tired of these degrading patriachical slurs! From now on we demand to be called 'wynchys.'" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 15:18:21 -0600 From: "Prodigal" Subject: Re: IN> RE: in_nomine-digest V1 #2486 From: "Adam Benedict Canning" > > And the average tank needs a multi person crew. Is an Invite to be a > member of such a blessing or a test? I'd just have one Kyrio per tank. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 14:26:50 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... - --- Eric Bertish wrote: > I plan to scour Davidson's _Dictionary of Angels_ for a > suitable name, as > soon as I get it for Christmas. :) I had to break down and buy it for myself, but it's a worthwhile investment. > And as a replacement for the similarly disliked > 'mercurian', I would like to > submit the similar-sounding Merea. I like it. Easy to pronounce, works as both singular and plural and we wouldn't even have to change the secondary Choir name. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "A lot of comedy is tragedy plus time." -- Carol Burnett __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 17:40:22 -0500 (EST) From: jamoge@wm.edu Subject: Re: IN> Okay, enough. > > ::Looks down at the ground, hands behind his > back, toe part of shoe > > fidgeting with the dirt at the ground:: > > > > Sorry. > > > No need to apologize. Like I said before, I took > no affront with you > personally; your post was simply the last one I > read before I lost my > temper. Besides, you're also a newbie, and > therefore get cut more slack than > other folks. :) > > -- Casca snip Thanks. I seem to violate the net etiquette of every list I sign up for at least once (before you ask, there were four, now there are three, one of which I just delete whenever I get a post so as to make room for this and the Tattered netbook stuff). My other reason for so effusively congratulating Mr. Lane is because I spent a silent year and half reading his Liber Moeticae site before I was able to compliment him on the material. There's a lot of pent up joy there. And lastly, so as not to become a parasite on this site but actually add something that's worth hearing: Today as I rode back from college, imagining the In Nomine canon that I'd read (hopefully) in my time off, I was putting together a few ideas that were colliding in my head. They finally hit together and produced the below: Dream Stones These irredesent blue stones seem to catch the light in just the right way, reflecting a beautiful azure color. For the people who wear them, though, they already caught much more than that. They caught Dreams. The dream stones are rare. How rare is basically if the GM decide they're McGuffin rare, or if they should be allowed amongst the general population of Heaven or Earth, but they should still not be in a great number. After all, they are whats left of the original tower of Dreams and Fear. When the Archangel of Dreams successfully courted and loved the Angel of Fear, the Angel of Love gained the Word almost as an afterthought. The true expression of that love was the tower that Beleth and Blandine formed from the proto-matter of the Marches. From that tower they looked over the infinite dreamscape below them. When Beleth, lured by Lucifer's words, betrayed Blandine, the tower fell, either because of Beleth's Fall or because of a battle between Fear and Dreams. The remains of that first tower were scattered about, some of the stones found their way to souvenir collections, others were bartered for and sold by some of Marc's more entrepenurial angels. Who are, each and every one, regretting not keeping a tight grip on those stones. The stones themselves are more than just solidified dream dust. Symbols have power in the Marches, especially symbols derived from not just Words, but the Angelic and Archangelic holders of those Words. Altogether, the Tower was a very powerful object. The stones haven't totally lost that power. They embody a fractional power of their former creators, all three of them. Dreams- The stones owner's gain a level of understanding of the Marches. Humans that have them, even mundane, non-Soldier humans gain Lucid Dreaming for the duration of their possession of the stone (thus the stone doesn't actually have to be touching them, just having it in the same room as the one they sleep in will do). For angels, the stone also acts as a +2 when invoking Blandine or if actually a servitor of Dreams, will allow an angel to appear at the bottom of Blandine's Tower if that angel decides to sleep. Fear- (Going by instinct and hope here...) The Word of Fear hasn't been held for 20,000 years, so those in possession of the dream stones have a glimpse into power that few others outside of the Superiors are privy to. Fear isn't Nightmares. Nightmares are apathetic, they twist apart a person's psyche just for the hell of it. Fear is different, its a living part of an individual, a perpetual shadow and stumbling block. The trick though, is learning that such a block will allow a person to climb higher if they figure out how to balance their lives on top of the everpresent Fear. For Blandine, falling in love with Beleth was a natural progression of seeing Fear, examining it, looking for the weakness that would allow you to know it better, and then comforting the Fear and eventually letting the Fear know that it is accepted for what it is. Blandine accepted Beleth and so those who own a dream stone must accept their own Fear. Thus, every night that a person who owns a dream stone sleeps, they engage in a will-war of sorts with the stone. The individual will find herself on the border between Nightmares and Dreams, confronting the thing that truly frightens them. This should probably be more role- played than based on game mechanics, with the GM deciding if the dreamer has successfully come to understand, accept, and surpass their fear. She's not required to do this the first night, and will not technically be drawn into Beleth's side if she fails that first night. She will notice the second night, however, that she is closer to Nightmares than Dreams. Eventually the dream will either find herself in Beleth's territory and still trying to conquer her Fear, or will finally accomplish the task. When the Fear is conquered, than several things occur: - -the dreamer immediately gains all will points and intelligence points that it may have lost at anytime prior to now(this will not, though, resurrect a force). - -the dreamer will be thrown into Blandine's side of the Marches. - -for the time that the dreamer has the dream stone, and even for one year and a day after she loses it (however that may occur), the dreamer is barred from Beleth's territory. Nothing that occurs during the day, nothing that occurs on Blandine's side during the night will cause the dreamer to have to experience Nightmares, as she has no reason to Fear. The catch---> Love/Lust- When the Tower was erected by Blandine and Beleth it served, briefly, as the first tether to Love and Andrealphus. When Andrealphus Fell alongside Beleth, the tether was lost along with the Word Love. The stones no longer have control of the Word they once served as a testiment to. Thus, they are instead in a state of constant flux. Each day that the person or angel has a dream stone, they must roll against their will. If successful, then they suffer no side-effects from the dream stone, and in fact will notice that people will react to them with a +1 bonus. If they should fail their will roll, however, they can then make a perception roll. The perception roll won't keep the side-effects from manifesting if it succeeds, but if they fail that too, they won't notice what has happened to them. Others will however. The individual will be marked with one level of a temporary ethereal discord of Lust. This will manifest as little things, such as leering at people of the sex they're attracted to, being a bit more controlling or insatiable in bed or a relationship, and being a bit more interested in the physical rather than the emotional aspects of an inividual. Not too bad. The next morning, if they fail the will roll again, they'll aquire another level on top of the one they already have. Now, it starts getting a bit noticeable. If they do succeed in the will roll at any time (yes the next morning is the same with another cumulative level) they will wipe clear the Lust they built up. They don't have to worry about a will roll after 6 levels, but they will have to worry about scaring people. They can still make a perception roll every morning to see if the character even notices that they're any different. For those who would wonder: a 111 would mean the will roll is unnecessary. The stone has been stabalized, at least for that owner. They'll get the +1 bonus, but don't have to worry about the Lust. A 666, however, would mean that the Lust discord levels aren't temporary. If a superior is notified, at least an angelic one (remember the invoking bonus) they'll usually remove the discord. But first they'll want to know where you got the stone. Note: if the owner gives away or loses the dream stone, they will lose the levels of discord after the next evening's sleep. Well. I think that's all there is. G'night all. Josh Moger ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 17:40:38 -0500 (EST) From: jamoge@wm.edu Subject: Re: IN> Okay, enough. > > ::Looks down at the ground, hands behind his > back, toe part of shoe > > fidgeting with the dirt at the ground:: > > > > Sorry. > > > No need to apologize. Like I said before, I took > no affront with you > personally; your post was simply the last one I > read before I lost my > temper. Besides, you're also a newbie, and > therefore get cut more slack than > other folks. :) > > -- Casca snip Thanks. I seem to violate the net etiquette of every list I sign up for at least once (before you ask, there were four, now there are three, one of which I just delete whenever I get a post so as to make room for this and the Tattered netbook stuff). My other reason for so effusively congratulating Mr. Lane is because I spent a silent year and half reading his Liber Moeticae site before I was able to compliment him on the material. There's a lot of pent up joy there. And lastly, so as not to become a parasite on this site but actually add something that's worth hearing: Today as I rode back from college, imagining the In Nomine canon that I'd read (hopefully) in my time off, I was putting together a few ideas that were colliding in my head. They finally hit together and produced the below: Dream Stones These irredesent blue stones seem to catch the light in just the right way, reflecting a beautiful azure color. For the people who wear them, though, they already caught much more than that. They caught Dreams. The dream stones are rare. How rare is basically if the GM decide they're McGuffin rare, or if they should be allowed amongst the general population of Heaven or Earth, but they should still not be in a great number. After all, they are whats left of the original tower of Dreams and Fear. When the Archangel of Dreams successfully courted and loved the Angel of Fear, the Angel of Love gained the Word almost as an afterthought. The true expression of that love was the tower that Beleth and Blandine formed from the proto-matter of the Marches. From that tower they looked over the infinite dreamscape below them. When Beleth, lured by Lucifer's words, betrayed Blandine, the tower fell, either because of Beleth's Fall or because of a battle between Fear and Dreams. The remains of that first tower were scattered about, some of the stones found their way to souvenir collections, others were bartered for and sold by some of Marc's more entrepenurial angels. Who are, each and every one, regretting not keeping a tight grip on those stones. The stones themselves are more than just solidified dream dust. Symbols have power in the Marches, especially symbols derived from not just Words, but the Angelic and Archangelic holders of those Words. Altogether, the Tower was a very powerful object. The stones haven't totally lost that power. They embody a fractional power of their former creators, all three of them. Dreams- The stones owner's gain a level of understanding of the Marches. Humans that have them, even mundane, non-Soldier humans gain Lucid Dreaming for the duration of their possession of the stone (thus the stone doesn't actually have to be touching them, just having it in the same room as the one they sleep in will do). For angels, the stone also acts as a +2 when invoking Blandine or if actually a servitor of Dreams, will allow an angel to appear at the bottom of Blandine's Tower if that angel decides to sleep. Fear- (Going by instinct and hope here...) The Word of Fear hasn't been held for 20,000 years, so those in possession of the dream stones have a glimpse into power that few others outside of the Superiors are privy to. Fear isn't Nightmares. Nightmares are apathetic, they twist apart a person's psyche just for the hell of it. Fear is different, its a living part of an individual, a perpetual shadow and stumbling block. The trick though, is learning that such a block will allow a person to climb higher if they figure out how to balance their lives on top of the everpresent Fear. For Blandine, falling in love with Beleth was a natural progression of seeing Fear, examining it, looking for the weakness that would allow you to know it better, and then comforting the Fear and eventually letting the Fear know that it is accepted for what it is. Blandine accepted Beleth and so those who own a dream stone must accept their own Fear. Thus, every night that a person who owns a dream stone sleeps, they engage in a will-war of sorts with the stone. The individual will find herself on the border between Nightmares and Dreams, confronting the thing that truly frightens them. This should probably be more role- played than based on game mechanics, with the GM deciding if the dreamer has successfully come to understand, accept, and surpass their fear. She's not required to do this the first night, and will not technically be drawn into Beleth's side if she fails that first night. She will notice the second night, however, that she is closer to Nightmares than Dreams. Eventually the dream will either find herself in Beleth's territory and still trying to conquer her Fear, or will finally accomplish the task. When the Fear is conquered, than several things occur: - -the dreamer immediately gains all will points and intelligence points that it may have lost at anytime prior to now(this will not, though, resurrect a force). - -the dreamer will be thrown into Blandine's side of the Marches. - -for the time that the dreamer has the dream stone, and even for one year and a day after she loses it (however that may occur), the dreamer is barred from Beleth's territory. Nothing that occurs during the day, nothing that occurs on Blandine's side during the night will cause the dreamer to have to experience Nightmares, as she has no reason to Fear. The catch---> Love/Lust- When the Tower was erected by Blandine and Beleth it served, briefly, as the first tether to Love and Andrealphus. When Andrealphus Fell alongside Beleth, the tether was lost along with the Word Love. The stones no longer have control of the Word they once served as a testiment to. Thus, they are instead in a state of constant flux. Each day that the person or angel has a dream stone, they must roll against their will. If successful, then they suffer no side-effects from the dream stone, and in fact will notice that people will react to them with a +1 bonus. If they should fail their will roll, however, they can then make a perception roll. The perception roll won't keep the side-effects from manifesting if it succeeds, but if they fail that too, they won't notice what has happened to them. Others will however. The individual will be marked with one level of a temporary ethereal discord of Lust. This will manifest as little things, such as leering at people of the sex they're attracted to, being a bit more controlling or insatiable in bed or a relationship, and being a bit more interested in the physical rather than the emotional aspects of an inividual. Not too bad. The next morning, if they fail the will roll again, they'll aquire another level on top of the one they already have. Now, it starts getting a bit noticeable. If they do succeed in the will roll at any time (yes the next morning is the same with another cumulative level) they will wipe clear the Lust they built up. They don't have to worry about a will roll after 6 levels, but they will have to worry about scaring people. They can still make a perception roll every morning to see if the character even notices that they're any different. For those who would wonder: a 111 would mean the will roll is unnecessary. The stone has been stabalized, at least for that owner. They'll get the +1 bonus, but don't have to worry about the Lust. A 666, however, would mean that the Lust discord levels aren't temporary. If a superior is notified, at least an angelic one (remember the invoking bonus) they'll usually remove the discord. But first they'll want to know where you got the stone. Note: if the owner gives away or loses the dream stone, they will lose the levels of discord after the next evening's sleep. Well. I think that's all there is. G'night all. Josh Moger ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 18:58:51 -0500 From: Mike Bruner Subject: Re: IN> Well, this should be less icky... > > (I think I once saw the name "balcherub" floating around > > as an alternate name for the band.) > > I never liked that one, myself, but I've yet to see a >really good alternative. Maybe Hellhounds, after their celestial appearance and general function (i.e. tracking down people)? - -- Mike Bruner-- mbruner18@home.com I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 09:38:31 -0500 From: "Josh Moger" Subject: Re: IN> Dark Destiny... yeah that's right, not Victory :) >> In the case of that specific example, I'd say it depends on who those >12 people were. Killing 12 Hellsworn in their sleep? Definitely a >Destiny. Killing 12 terminal patients who would otherwise be left to >linger in agony for years? I can see that, too. Killing 12 innocent >children in their sleep? I'd have to call that a Fate > >This is true, but shouldn't the Destiny/Fate say who those people have to >be in order for it to count? If the sample Destiny given did say "kill >12 Hellsworn in their sleep," I'd side with you, but this was "kill 12 >PEOPLE." That's basically anyone. > snip I don't know if you want to make it so specific. The angel would probably know that twelve people would die. After that... well, he can hope for the best. Of course, if the destiny and fate are both to kill twelve people, I suppose you might want to either seek out Yves, or direct the human in question towards the nearest hellsworn. Josh ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 19:21:05 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Okay, enough. - --- pbarkow@is2.dal.ca wrote: > This part of our long term plan to create an > Ethereal Moe. :blink: ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 11/13/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 00:32:20 -0500 From: "Rolland Therrien" Subject: IN> A different Claus [part 2] Nicholas (aka St Nicholas, Santa Claus, Kris Kringle and a host of others) Malakite of Dreams (formerly of The Sword, formerly of Purity) Angel of Christmas Corporeal 7 Strength 16 Agility 12 Ethereal 5 Intelligence 8 Precision 12 Celestial 6 Willpower 14 Perception 10 Vessels: Jolly fat guy in a red suit/3 Kindly old woman/2 (in Italy) Skills: Acrobatics/2, Climbing/4, Detect Lies/4. Dodge/3, Driving (sleigh)/4, Electronics/2, Engineering/3, Escape/4, Fighting/3, Knowledge (The Marches/3, Christmas/5), Languages (consider him to have most major European languages at level 3, plus American Sign Language), Large Weapons/3, Lockpicking/2, Medecine/1, Move Silently/4, Running/1, Savoir Faire/2, Singing/3, Survival (northern lands)/2, Toymaking/4 Songs: Attraction (all/3), Artifacts(all/2), Charm (Ethereal/2), Dreams (all/4), Forms (Ethereal/3 Celestial/2), Harmony(all/3), Healing (all/3), Light (all/3) Motion (all/3), Projection (Corporeal/2 Ethereal/4 Celestial/2), Shield (all/2), Tongues (Corporeal/2 Ethereal/2) Attunements: Malakite of Children, Malakite of Creation, Malakite of Dreams, Malakite of Swords, Dreamwalker, Healing Dreams, Hunt, Vassal of Dreams, Vassal of the Sword, Friend of Sleepers, Friend of the Lord's Troops, Master of the Realms of Night, Master of the Armies of God, Angel of Christmas* Servants: Elves/dozens (each class 3), Raindeer spirits (class 4) *Angel of Christmas: By spending 5 Essence Points, Nicholas or any angel with this Attunement can create a minor visual miracle symbolizing Christmas, such as summoning snow in warm regions or instantly decorating a home for the Holidays. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and he works for Heaven. Santa, or Nicholas, as he still prefers to be called by friends, is NOT an Ethereal, as so many people believe, nor is he entirely a fabrication of Mammon (whom, being a Balseraph, is hardly a trustworthy source of information in the first place). Contrary to popular misconception, Santa Claus is an Angel. Meeting the old Celestial in his Workshop in the Marches, however, you'd probably never guess it. He plays the part of "Jolly Old Elf with the Pot Belly" to a tee, complete with Red Suit, long white beard, Workshop of Elves and the HO HO HO laugh. You'd never believe, looking at the guy, that he used to be one of the roughest, deadliest warrior Angels in Uriel's Service over 2000 years ago. Yep, Nicholas was one of the original Tsayadim, right alongside Laurence, his old brother in arms. He's fought in the trenches of The War, slaying Demons and destroying Tethers, and even served in the Purity Crusade (albiet wondering why they were slaugthering innocent faeries along with the Ogres and Trolls, though). He started to get a serious change in attitude following a certain event, however. Like Uriel and Laurence, you see, Nicholas was there in Bethlehem, during "The Night". ...Yes, THAT Night. To say that it had a profound influence on him is an understatement. He was litterally a changed Angel; for God to embody itself in so small and innocent a form truly awed that formerly jaded Angel of Purity, and he took to following Jesus' life from that moment on, from his childhood to the day of his death, which he was forbidden to prevent by God's own Intervention. Afterwards, he took to promoting Jesus' teachings actively, becoming a Priest around the rule of Emperor Constantine, preaching Orthodox Christianity. He did pick up a reputation as a hater of Arianism, with it's heretical (to him) conceit of claiming Jesus wasn't the actual embodiment of God. But he also picked up another reputation after one early Christmas season, when he helped the three daughters of a poor man get proper dowries by tossing sacks of coins into their windows at night. He liked the idea of mortals getting gifts on the night of the Savior's birth, and worked to promote the idea, actually going out on Christmas Nights to dole out gifts to the needy. It's about at this time that he met Christopher, still a Servitor of Stone at that point. The two got along very well, and Nicholas was very much open to Christopher's suggestion that he start giving more generously to the most needy of needy on Christmas Nights: The Children. And so the legend of Saint Nicholas grew, with Nick making toys for children to give on Christmas Night. After he got started, Nicholas started to use his Malakite Resonnance to make sure good kids got toys, while bad kids got lumps of coal. He'd hoped to use positive/negative reinforcement to inforce good, honorable behavior. During the Purity Crusade, Nicholas particpated on quite a few campaigns into the Marches, but somewhat reluctantly. While he didn't balk at slaying Ogres and Unseelie fae, he didn't like the idea of a blanket slaying of all Ethereals, which is why a handful of Elves somehow "slipped" under his nose... Uriel was recalled to the Higher Heavens before he could ask Nicholas about it, and apparantly Laurence was too busy getting things into order to bother with the problem afterwards. Nicholas tried serving under Laurence as faithfully as he could, but things had changed for him after the Purity Crusade. He performed the Duties of the Sword as best he could, but as the number of believers in the legend of Saint Nicholas grew, Nicholas found his little "hobby" to be more and more difficult to maintain. So, after a lot of careful thought (about a century of it), Nicholas, a fully honored Master of the Armies of God, demanded a transfer into the service of Dreams, stating that he felt God had intended for him to serve in the Marches, promoting benevolent dreams. Laurence was reluctant to see his old friend go, but allowed him to keep his distinctions as he left. Under Blandine's service, Nicholas truly came into his own; as he began working his rounds across the Marches, he discovered that his deeds as St Nicholas had created many divergent legends; those of Kris Kringle and Father Christmas and Petit Papa Noel... But rather then spawn Ethereals, he discovered the Essence channeled into them went into a word... an as yet unclaimed word... The word of Christmas. This was the epiphany he had long searched for. After gaining approval and support from Blandine, Laurence and Christopher, Nicholas was appointed the Word of Christmas with a nearly majority vote from the Seraphim council, with the exception of those angels who supported Judaism or Islam, and most of them just abstained and requested that Hannukah and Ramadan should recieve Word-Bearers as well in the future, just for equality's sake. And so it was that Nicholas, Angel of Christmas, aka Santa Claus, began to concretize his legend by building a Workshop in the Marches, where he started to plan his annual Christmas Dream-run, visiting Children in the real world through their Dream Scapes to leave them some toys, but mostly to leave them happy Christmas dreams, easing the harsh reality of life in this way every year. Eventually the legend of Santa Claus grew in the Marches, and some ethereals flocked to him for shelter from the Tsayadim and the Demons of Nightmare. Santa quickly seperated the honorable ethereals from the dishonorable ones, and began a sort of "Underground Railroad" to help the benevolent Ethereals move to safe regions of the Marches. As a way to thank him, a dozen or so Brownies, Gnomes and other toy-making feys remained in his service, becoming his "Christmas Elves". A herd of Ethereal Raindeers also flocked to his service, offering to become his ride on his christmas ride. These days, Nicholas is as busy as ever. Aside from his Annual Christmas Run, Nicholas spends the whole holiday season promoting the true virtues of Christmas: Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards your fellow man. Unfortunetly, this job has just gotten harder and harder, with Mammon, Haagenti and Nybbas making more and more of a commercial Hype every new year. It's gotten to the point where Nicholas has had to spend more and more time going out into the real world to perform some "Christmas Miracles" before his annual run. When on those "Missionary Expeditions", Nicholas perticularly loves sticking it to The Bankers, Gluttons and Media-Hounds, making them all look like a bunch of fools to the public. ....Oh, what does he do OUTSIDE the Christmas Season? He calls on his Ethereal friends in the Wild Hunt and goes out to slay those Demons of Greed, Gluttonny and the Media he humiliated back during the Holidays, just to add Injury to Insult... Hey, he's STILL a Malakite, after all... Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus... And he kicks Demon @$$... - -Exit the LoneWolf ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2488 ********************************