in_nomine-digest Saturday, March 30 2002 Volume 01 : Number 2583 In this digest: Re: IN> Forces Question IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> Forces question Re: IN> Forces Question Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> Limits on Remote Control Lightning Attunement... Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> Limits on Remote Control Lightning Attunement... Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Re: IN> Forces question Re: IN> Forces question Re: IN> New Contest ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 18:30:10 From: "Perry Lloyd" Subject: Re: IN> Forces Question >--- Perry Lloyd wrote: > > > I bet that makes Tracking hard for dogs in the In > > Nomine universe, seeing > > how Tracking is paired with Perception. The average > > Dog with Tracking/4 can > > only follow the trail 16.66% of the time (snicker). > > > > :PPPPBBBBT > >(shaking head) > >Come on, Perry. You know as well as I do that you can >have up to three points in Characteristics without it >registering as a Force. 'doh! (smacks head) I would assign a Will/1 and >Perception/2 to a dog: that gives Tracking a target >number of 6, which is much more reasonable (roughly >42%). For an average task, that's a reasonable >number. > >Moe still ... 42% for a human wouldn't be that bad, but for an animal who primary sense is smell? Never mind the fact that tracking is rarely an average task ... it's still just wrong - -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 _________________________________________________________________ Discutez en ligne avec vos amis, essayez MSN Messenger : http://messenger.msn.fr ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 14:29:29 -0500 From: EDG Subject: IN> The Fortunate Fall This Role for Dominic is going to be canon IMC from now on. :) - -EDG - -- Marc stood, hands in his pockets, facing the Pacific as he listened to Lilith rant. It had been scant hours since the disaster that rocked the world, and Lilith had yet to recover from an adrenaline rush. "I had contacts there! Thousands upon thousands of people played out their lives at my whims - and he sent it all crashing away!" "Now, Lilith," began Marc, as he had twenty-three times in the last four hours. "Don't you start," she snapped back, as she had twenty-three times before. "I don't care what reason he had - it wasn't good enough to justify slaughtering thousands of my people. I mean, Jesus, Marc, I had seventy of my own demons there, not to mention my daughters serving other Princes!" She paused for a minute as Marc's face - almost imperceptibly - twitched. "I'm sorry. I forgot. Today's been a little stressful." And like that, she was calm and collected. "Lil," Marc said softly, "he didn't do it to get at you. We all got hurt when it happened. Every single Archangel. Every single Prince. Hell, he didn't even pull his own people out." He laughed. "Maybe it was Milton Berle - who managed to pull most of America together in the Forties - that sent him over the edge. Maybe he liked Billy Wilder's films. Or maybe he just thought it was time. But he wasn't trying to get at you." He reached over and took the Princess's hand without looking over, squeezed gently. "Lilith... go home. Tend to your beloved Daughters, who need you now more than ever." Lilith squeezed back. "You're right. You always are, damn you." "Not yet," he said as she vanished. Marc remained in the same spot, standing on a remote peak in the Sierra Madre overlooking the ocean, as a wet, bedraggled form in a suit climbed up the shallow slope ahead of him. "Take your time," he said loudly. The figure laughed. "Be with ya in a New York minute," he said, and coughed. "Sea water's no good for the voice, you know." "I know," said Marc. "But then, I'm not an actor." Nybbas grinned despite his obvious discomfort as he climbed up onto Marc's ledge. His shock of red hair was mussed, his suit was soaked to the core, one of his shoes was missing, and he was shivering - but most disorienting was that his glasses, which some had presumed glued to his head, were gone entirely. "Hell of an exit," he said. Behind the two of them, a hiker - who looked like he was taking time off from being a beach bum - came over a ridge and stood, admiring the ocean. Safely out of earshot, Marc thought, but still, he kept his voice down. "Don't you ever stop grinning?" "Naw. It was a hell of an exit, and, you know, he got me fair and square. I was lucky to be near the edge of it." There was something in the Prince's voice that Marc didn't like. "I've been thinking. Maybe Dave was right. I've been in this gig for a hundred years, and every day Eli gets a little farther ahead of me. I've lost three studios in the last month to his meddling, and every year more indy films get out that are better than anything my guys can produce. Maybe it's time for me to retire gracefully. I've already shattered my Heart; this is the only body I have left. I just... you know... wanted to say goodbye." Marc was torn. On the one hand, fewer Demon Princes meant fewer enemies, and any Archangel worth his salt should be trying to get rid of them as fast as possible. On the other hand, Nybbas was a soul, however detestable, and deserved to be saved. "Why don't you come work for us? We could use someone with your skills." "Bullshit, Marco. Between you and Eli, there's nothing I do that Heaven can't do better. You and I both know that. Besides, I can't imagine not working in the Industry, and there's no way on God's green earth that the Hyena would let me anywhere near my old stomping grounds." "You'd be surprised," said the hiker, who was suddenly right behind them. "Maybe this disaster happened so that we could know the joy of your presence with us in Heaven. Not exactly on a par with the original, but hey - you've only had a century to work on it." Nybbas smiled. "You sure you want me?" The hiker winked. "Would I lie to you?" Nybbas laughed. "I guess not. Hell, I can't pass up a deal like that - not one signed and sealed by the Most Just himself. When do I start?" Marc smiled broadly. "There's a Tether of mine a couple hundred miles away, eastward. I think you know the place. I'll be waiting there." Nybbas nodded. He kicked off his remaining shoe, letting it tumble down toward the water below, and padded off in sock feet toward Las Vegas. "How did you know?" asked Marc once the reformed Prince had gone. "I didn't, dude," Dominic replied, slipping back into his Role. "I just happen to like hiking in the Sierra Madre, y'know? Lotta trees, lotta rocks, get-back-to-nature sort of thing. My girlfriend says I need to spend more time with the animals, y'know?" Marc winced. "Still, it's pretty convenient that you-" Dominic held up his hands. "Hey, dude, if you wanna make a Federal case out of it, how about you start by tellin' me what the Hell you think you were doing consorting with two Demon Princes within the course of twenty minutes?" Marc paused. "...Right. I won't ask." ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 19:41:13 From: "Perry Lloyd" Subject: Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall I love it! (A Dominic who says 'dude?' when did he and Eli merge?) (Mid 20th century) (yeah, yeah) - -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 _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos est le moyen le plus simple de partager, modifier et imprimer vos photos pr馩r饳. http://photos.msn.fr/Support/WorldWide.aspx ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 14:54:36 -0500 From: "Josh Moger" Subject: Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall *twitch* Girlfriend? DUDE?! I don't believe I've a more non-canon Dominic. Congratulations. Actually, that brings up an interesting idea... It turns out that two hitchhikers meet in a hostel, decide to travel for a while, go a ways, tell a few stories, then split up. And neither realizes that the other was the Archangel of Creation or the Archangel of Judgement. heh. Josh ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 15:33:16 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Forces question At 12:42 PM -0500 3/28/02, Eric Bertish wrote: >Everything in the Symphony is made of either Essence or Forces, right? Even >non-living things, like rocks, can have Corporeal Forces? That's the game-explanation, yeah. I'm not sure that I'd call them Corporeal Forces in the sense that they store Essence, or add their Corporeal Forces to resistance rolls or have characteristics or anything like that (that's all the realm of things with _life_...). But as flavor, that sounds about right... *worried look* >Gosh, I hope so. I've got a cool idea for the "Break Moe's Brain" contest. *really worried look* I don't think I'm going to pronounce canon on that one till I see what horrible abuses can be dreamed up for it... O:> - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor RPG links; Random name list, Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 15:14:36 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Forces Question - --- Perry Lloyd wrote: > 42% for a human wouldn't be that bad, but for an > animal who primary sense is > smell? Never mind the fact that tracking is rarely > an average task ... > > it's still just wrong > Which is why they always try to get a sample of the thing (or item of the person) that they want the dog to track: it must be worth at least a +4 to the dog's roll... :) Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 02/24/02(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Greetings - send holiday greetings for Easter, Passover http://greetings.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 17:40:53 -0600 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall - ----- Original Message ----- From: "EDG" To: Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 1:29 PM Subject: IN> The Fortunate Fall > This Role for Dominic is going to be canon IMC from now on. :) I just gotta know -- Who. Is. The. Girlfriend?!? - -- Chuckg ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 19:42:21 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Limits on Remote Control Lightning Attunement... At 4:31 AM -0600 3/29/02, Wade Lahoda wrote: > I think the 'device crafted by the hand of man' part is pretty >unambigious - but 'regular controls', on the other hand... Obviously, any >electronic controls are fair game. I think equally obviously, any >mechanical controls that trigger a process but don't actually due the work >are fair game(ie: the trigger on a gun, or the gas pedal on a car). But how >far does this extend? Pretty far. O:> > Is a doorknob a control on the door, that permits the >door to open and close? Sure. >What about the lock - it's a control you normally >need the key to operate, but it permits a door to be locked and unlocked. Definitely. >What about the handle on a door - it's a 'control', by which you push on the >door to make it open or close - but it's actually the person doing the work. Push-bars, you mean? Hm. Those are held closed, and require more effort than the usual door. I might require a Strength roll. >Here are some more problematic possibilities, from least problematic to most >absurd: >-the button/nozzle on a can of spray paint Hadn't thought of it, but reasonable. No twisting it around, though! >-the slide on a gun chambering a bullet Definitely. >-a winch that opens and closes a drawbridge - it controls the drawbridge, >but normally takes two large men heaving on it to move it Maybe require a Strength roll. >-a zipper on a jacket being a 'control' for the jacket that zips and unzips >the jacket Reasonable enough, really. (Considering that I figure popping open a door lock on a car is reasonable.) >-the top of a stapler(the part you slam down to make the stapler push a >staple through paper) Probably. >-the cap of a bottle(the control that you twist to open or close the bottle) If it's not one of those sealed-shut kinds you have to force open... >-the handles on a pair of scissors that you use to control the opening and >closing action of the scissors Mmmmmm, yeah. But they don't float. >-the handle of a two-handed sword that controls the motion of the blade >towards your enemy No, I don't think so. The only time it's a 'machine' is when it's being used a a lever arm -- and then someBODY else is making it move. (And people do not count as devices crafted by the hand of man.) If it were mounted on something, then sure. But otherwise, I think it's beyond the scope. If you don't want Great Feats of Strength to be in there, tell the player that the ability has, essentially, Strength 1. Anything that would require more Strength than that, doesn't work. O:> Anything that does work, is unlikely to do real damage, or cause the Wedgie of Doom. (No Wedgies; clothing is not _designed_ to do that. You need a Kyrio of Lightning for Wedgies of Doom.) - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor RPG links; Random name list, Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 16:55:44 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall - --- Charles Glasgow wrote: > > This Role for Dominic is going to be canon IMC > from now on. :) > > I just gotta know -- Who. Is. The. > Girlfriend?!? Jordi, obviously. Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 02/24/02(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Greetings - send holiday greetings for Easter, Passover http://greetings.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2002 03:25:18 From: "Daniel Gallagher" Subject: Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall *Groan* Moe's brain. You were supposed to hurt MOE's brain. Mine did nothing to you. Actually, I liked this alot, but where in the hell did the idea come from? Daniel _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 20:29:39 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall OK... Dominic in that Role doesn't quite exceed my ability to suspend disbelief, but it comes close. ===== Michael Walton, #US2002023848 "In film, the director is God. In documentaries, God is the director." - -- Alfred Hitchcock __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Greetings - send holiday greetings for Easter, Passover http://greetings.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 20:31:20 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall - --- Maurice Lane wrote: > > I just gotta know -- Who. Is. The. > > Girlfriend?!? > > Jordi, obviously. Naaaaah. Remember "At the Movies with Dominic?" Dom finally listened to the kitten and hooked up with Bast. 0;> ===== Michael Walton, #US2002023848 "In film, the director is God. In documentaries, God is the director." - -- Alfred Hitchcock __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Greetings - send holiday greetings for Easter, Passover http://greetings.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 23:34:05 -0500 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall Quoth ChuckG: >I just gotta know -- Who. Is. The. Girlfriend?!? All will be told. :) Honestly? In my original conception it was a Role-pairing, with one of Asmodeus's Roles as the girlfriend. But that's shifted. Quoth Moe: >Jordi, obviously. *snicker* Quoth Daniel: >*Groan* Moe's brain. You were supposed to hurt MOE's brain. Mine did >nothing to you. Sorry. To where should I send the get-well card? :) >Actually, I liked this alot, but where in the hell did the idea come from? This particular vignette had its origins in an REM song - "I Remember California". :) - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2002 05:02:48 From: "Daniel Gallagher" Subject: Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall >>Actually, I liked this alot, but where in the hell did the idea come from? > >This particular vignette had its origins in an REM song - "I Remember >California". :) Now that I think about it, this makes alot more sense when taken in the context of "A Day of Rest" and "In A Chicago Diner" which I'd forgoten you had writen untill now. Can't wait for the next one. Good job. _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2002 00:22:39 -0500 From: "William J. Keith" Subject: Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall I'm sorry, usually I can pick up on subtleties (or I like to think I can). But I'm missing a few (key?) elements here. 1.) "Dave"? Has David been saying things to Nybbas? 2.) Nybbas is "not as good as the original"... original who/what? 3.) Is this talking about WTC? And providing a Celestial perpetrator? 4.) "Hell of an exit..." whose? Here's what I've put together from trying to answer these questions. David Fell, or got darn close, decided to take out the WTC as a last go, nearly managed to flatten Nybbas at the same time; he's gone now, and Dominic and Marc are proposing that Nybbas Redeem and cause Media (or some Heavenly equivalent) to take his place as a population-uniting force. That sounds truly bizarre to me, but is it anything close to right? No, wait. David's a Malakite. Umph. Khalid? I haven't bought _The Final Trumpet_ yet. But then I'm not sure how Nybbas would take his place.... augh. Help? William ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2002 00:34:36 -0500 From: "William J. Keith" Subject: Re: IN> Limits on Remote Control Lightning Attunement... How's this for a reasonable guideline I would/will probably use in a game: Pretend the device has suddenly grown "muscles" that can move its various parts around, with the angel's Strength. You can change its shape relative to itself, and if this allows you to move the entire object, great. For example, walking is just changing the angles of your legs -- it so happens that your legs hit the pavement and propel you forward. Your examples: - -the button/nozzle on a can of spray paint Yes; the button moves with respect to the canister. - -the slide on a gun chambering a bullet Yes; the slide moves with respect to the chamber. - -a winch that opens and closes a drawbridge - it controls the drawbridge, but normally takes two large men heaving on it to move it If the angel has enough Strength, yes -- the winch's wheel is moving with respect to its frame. - -a zipper on a jacket being a 'control' for the jacket that zips and unzips the jacket Yes; the zipper is moving with respect to the teeth. - -the top of a stapler(the part you slam down to make the stapler push a staple through paper) Yes; the top of the stapler is moving with respect to the bottom. - -the cap of a bottle(the control that you twist to open or close the bottle) Hmm; do the bottle and cap count as one object? As long as they are in contact, I suppose, yes, you could move the cap with respect to the bottle. - -the handles on a pair of scissors that you use to control the opening and closing action of the scissors Yes; at least, you could move one blade with respect to the other, or rotate both blades about the scissors' center of mass. It would difficult, if not impossible, to "walk" the scissors somewhere, though, as you can't turn them outside the blades' plane of rotation - -the handle of a two-handed sword that controls the motion of the blade towards your enemy No; this is moving the sword with respect to the ground, not moving some part of the sword with respect to another part. William ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2002 00:42:53 -0500 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> The Fortunate Fall At 12:22 AM 3/24/02 -0500, you wrote: >I'm sorry, usually I can pick up on subtleties (or I like to think I can). >But I'm missing a few (key?) elements here. > >1.) "Dave"? Has David been saying things to Nybbas? >3.) Is this talking about WTC? And providing a Celestial perpetrator? >4.) "Hell of an exit..." whose? Sorry. I guess I was a little vague. :) For reasons known only to himself, David has set off a pair of massive earthquakes - one at the Sierra Madre fault, the other at San Andreas - which have had the combined effect of sending a very large chunk of California into the ocean, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. So: 1.) Nybbas is referring to David's act and his possible reasons for it. 3.) Nope. :) 4.) California's. :) >2.) Nybbas is "not as good as the original"... original who/what? This refers back to the concept of the Fortunate Fall. Essentially, it was a disaster that Adam and Eve were ejected from the Garden of Eden, but their eviction was fortunate because it allowed us the joy of knowing Christ. Dominic is pointing out the shaky parallel of the destruction of California causing Nybbas to reevaluate his priorities and join the forces of Heaven. Not quite as profound as the original (Adam > Jesus), though. Hope that helps. :) - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2002 00:43:29 -0500 From: Eric Eves Subject: Re: IN> Forces question > *really worried look* I don't think I'm going to pronounce canon on that > one till I see what horrible abuses can be dreamed up for it... O:> You mean more horrible than some random superior force-stripping thousands of inanimate objects, using the forces to build/augment his servitors to the point of easily doubling the total number of forces invested in the angels/demons serving him overnight, knocking a big hole in the planet to boot? I mean, that's pretty obvious at least to me, and I can think of few things more horrible than suddenly being knee-deep in Demons of Infernal Fire, and, oh, the moon appears to be missing. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2002 02:03:53 -0500 From: "Eric Bertish" Subject: Re: IN> Forces question > I mean, that's pretty obvious at least to me, and I can think of few > things more horrible than suddenly being knee-deep in Demons of Infernal > Fire, and, oh, the moon appears to be missing. I haven't finished writing it yet, and already I'm terribly tempted to spill the beans with statements like this. The moon? Pshaw. I'm screwing directly with the *Sun*. And no, I'm not obliterating it, either. That's far too pedestrian. Want a hint? Revelations 16:8. - -- Casca (Yes, I have every intention of getting this written over the weekend. Knowing how my girlfriend is, all I have to do is mention this and she'll flog me until it's completed.) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2002 15:24:51 -0500 From: "Josh Moger" Subject: Re: IN> New Contest An entry to Moe's contest. Enjoy. - -------------------------------- A Statement of Purity When the first human reaches nine forces... you'll understand. You see... the Raising of the Fist was Uriel's supreme statement. It was his primal cry of rage against the hubris and blasphemy of Lucifer. Lucifer had dared go against God. Lucifer had spoken falsely. Lucifer had killed... the Voice. Uriel remembered the first time he hear the Voice. He remembered how the Words had spun him into existence. He remembered the first Word he spoke at his creation... "Uriel." It was not just his name, it was the Truth that his creator had spoken to him, repeated by Uriel as his first Truth. Uriel was his name and his purpose; his Purity was the Truth that he had known from his beginning... The Purity he had seen so much of, had helped form, had guided with Michael, Gabriel, David... and even Lucifer... now under attack... For some... for Uriel... it was too much. Uriel remembered the argument that Lucifer had used- "The humans... they are not of the kind that we are... they are ugly. They fight amongst themselves, they have no common goal, no common existence. See how they create gods of stone and wood to worship. They know not what true Purity is. They cannot even comprehend the Truest of purities, the Symphony." "What you say is True, Lucifer. But what I shall say now is also true, for I can only speak of the reality that is what God shows unto me: that the humans are not to be interfered with. I confess that I do not understand, but God has not granted me the right to understand. I suppose I shall see in time what purpose the humans serve, but only when and if God so deems it right for me." Lucifer had turned away at that time... but spoke as he left: "You have patience, my friend... but patience is not always a virtue." Uriel's thoughts left him briefly as he felt a pain in his left side. He twisted his head around and looked with surprise at the dagger that protruded from his silverly flank. As his tail flicked up to grasp at the dagger and wrentch it from his side, he saw the angel that he put it there... "Lucifer... why?" "Because I do not share your virtue of patience." Lucifer laughed and then bore himself aloft and into the air, his once shining wings already growing dark and losing their feathers to reveal stretched skin. Uriel stared at the dagger... the betrayal was all the more intimate as he realized it was made with the very blade that he had given Lucifer almost 4 billion years ago, when the Earth had finally been finished. The blade was made from a piece of the first ore that had been forced into existence by David and Gabriel's machinations. Uriel gripped the dagger and held it up, his own blood trickled down the blade onto his tail. "THIS CANNOT BE!" Uriel felt a new pain in his side, but this was a spiritual pain, a pain that twisted throughout his serpentine body, wracking him over. It was the first dissonance that he had ever felt and it only served to reinforce in his mind the reality of God and the supreme Purity that was His Symphony. But Uriel had now become impure, he had become dissonant. And so... he realized what he had to do... how to cleanse himself and all of Heaven of the taint that Lucifer had brought into existence. Uriel knelt down and prayed to God of his hope for understanding correctly. Then he asked God that if it is as he understood... could he too be made as such. And Uriel heard something that he did not hear again for almost 20,000 years... He heard the Voice... "SO SHALL IT BE." Uriel dropped the dagger as his tail became immaterial, as did his entire being... he felt his celestial body, his very nature, even his interpretation of his Word change and be re-shaped into something new... Uriel stood on two bare feet, his skin glistening black in the flames that surrounded him. He looked at his arms and hands... things he had never known before. He could feel long hair framing his head. And his wings... Where once there was silver, now was there the obsidian. And Uriel swore oaths to God, and as he swore them, he felt his nature become permanent and ever dedicated to God. At that moment, he felt stronger in his faith than he had ever felt before. Uriel had become the first of the Malakim. Others followed. But none realized what had truly transpired. None understood or had even heard what Uriel had asked of God. Uriel had not simply changed his angelic nature. Uriel had become at once something less and something far more... He had become something ugly next to his once graceful, serpentine body, but he had also become a living statement of faith and purity of his belief in God. His belief that God understood something of humanity that Uriel did not. His belief that God would one day show Uriel what humanity could become. His belief that God had formed humanity for a purpose. And his question was simply that... If Uriel had correctly understood what humanity would one day be. Its okay if you don't understand now. None of the angels understand. Yves understands. Michael... perhaps understands. David, said to be the second of the Malakim, understands, but wouldn't say anything. Laurence is both so far away from and yet so close to the Truth. You'll figure it out. Yeah... when the first human reaches nine forces, you'll understand... And when that human unfurls his black wings for the first time... It will be another statement of Purity. ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2583 ********************************