in_nomine-digest Wednesday, September 18 2002 Volume 01 : Number 2777 In this digest: Re: IN> Cow. IN> Ofanim angels? IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Ofanim angels? IN> Re: Brian's last post Re: IN> Re: Brian's last post Re: IN> Cow. Re: IN> Re: Brian's last post Re: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> New Songs... (one through three) Re: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Cow. Re: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Re: Brian's last post Re: IN> Cow. Re: IN> Cow. Re: IN> Ofanim angels? IN> Re: Ofanim resonance Re: IN> Ofanim angels? IN> The Aegis IN> The Council of the Sword IN> New Songs... (one through three) Re: IN> The Council of the Sword Re: IN> The Council of the Sword Re: IN> The Council of the Sword Re: IN> Ofanim angels? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 00:32:55 -0500 From: "Prodigal" Subject: Re: IN> Cow. From: "Maurice Lane" > > Vapula: "And here I was wondering what I'd be working > on this afternoon. Tell me, just how many articulated > weapons pods do you think would fit on your new > flanks? Ooh, I wonder if there's enough room for > internal plasma batteries? Well, let's find out, > shall we?" Saw a copy of Battle Cattle at the game shop, did we? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 15:14:55 +0930 From: "G N E Z D A" Subject: IN> Ofanim angels? Just reading through the rules for Ofanim and it seems to me like Ofanim may not actually be angels afterall... from a philosophical viewpoint anyway. Okay, hear me out on this one. :) If we look at what makes an angel an angel, it is Selflessness. Also, it is an acceptance of the status quo, ie just do the work God has set out for you, and don't go against the natural Symphonic Order. The resonance of all the angelic choirs has to do with perception and people around them (ie detecting the truth in people's words, detecting someone's emotional state, their general health, etc), however for the Ofanim it is to do with *movement*, much more externalised and physicalised than the perceptive abilities of the other choirs. Look closer at the Ofanim resonance. Their resonance is for motion. If you're focused primarily on motion (from a metaphysical sense) you're not accepting things, but rather are *avoiding* them. The Ofanim, unable to stop moving, can never stop running away from their fears to just face and accept them. Now look at how dissonance affects them. They get dissonance if they fail a resonance-enhanced skill roll, and can remove that point of dissonance by performing that same action again with an even *greater* level of success. Think of it like a mailman running away from the nasty dog, the dog representing dissonance and Falling. The mailman (for argument's sake) can run at the same speed as the dog so, provided he keeps moving, he will always be out of reach of the dog. If he ever trips over, he must immediately jump up again and push his energy reserves even more in order to keep the previous distance between himself and the dog. If he doesn't do this, or if he actually *stops* running, then (Heaven forbid!) the dog known as Falling will gobble him up. So, let me rephrase my initial statement. I'm not saying Ofanim are actually demons, but rather that their resonance comes not from *accepting* the Symphonic Order, but rather from *running* away from Demonhood. Just a thought, anyway. Cheers! :) Milan - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.381 / Virus Database: 214 - Release Date: 2/08/2002 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 15:14:55 +0930 From: "G N E Z D A" Subject: IN> Ofanim angels? Just reading through the rules for Ofanim and it seems to me like Ofanim may not actually be angels afterall... from a philosophical viewpoint anyway. Okay, hear me out on this one. :) If we look at what makes an angel an angel, it is Selflessness. Also, it is an acceptance of the status quo, ie just do the work God has set out for you, and don't go against the natural Symphonic Order. The resonance of all the angelic choirs has to do with perception and people around them (ie detecting the truth in people's words, detecting someone's emotional state, their general health, etc), however for the Ofanim it is to do with *movement*, much more externalised and physicalised than the perceptive abilities of the other choirs. Look closer at the Ofanim resonance. Their resonance is for motion. If you're focused primarily on motion (from a metaphysical sense) you're not accepting things, but rather are *avoiding* them. The Ofanim, unable to stop moving, can never stop running away from their fears to just face and accept them. Now look at how dissonance affects them. They get dissonance if they fail a resonance-enhanced skill roll, and can remove that point of dissonance by performing that same action again with an even *greater* level of success. Think of it like a mailman running away from the nasty dog, the dog representing dissonance and Falling. The mailman (for argument's sake) can run at the same speed as the dog so, provided he keeps moving, he will always be out of reach of the dog. If he ever trips over, he must immediately jump up again and push his energy reserves even more in order to keep the previous distance between himself and the dog. If he doesn't do this, or if he actually *stops* running, then (Heaven forbid!) the dog known as Falling will gobble him up. So, let me rephrase my initial statement. I'm not saying Ofanim are actually demons, but rather that their resonance comes not from *accepting* the Symphonic Order, but rather from *running* away from Demonhood. Just a thought, anyway. Cheers! :) Milan - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.381 / Virus Database: 214 - Release Date: 2/08/2002 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 02:06:38 -0500 From: "Brian Rogers" Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? - ----- Original Message ----- From: "G N E Z D A" Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 15:14:55 +0930 To: Subject: IN> Ofanim angels? > Just reading through the rules for Ofanim and it seems to me like Ofanim may > not actually be angels afterall... from a philosophical viewpoint anyway. > > Okay, hear me out on this one. :) ***snip*** hehe. Reminds my of my old theory that Kyriotates are just baby Shedim that haven't grown up yet. :) Rev. Brian Rogers - -- __________________________________________________________ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 16:48:21 +0930 From: "G N E Z D A" Subject: IN> Re: Brian's last post Ya reckon all angels are actually child demons that haven't yet been disillusioned by the world? ;) - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.381 / Virus Database: 214 - Release Date: 2/08/2002 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 02:30:17 -0500 From: "Brian Rogers" Subject: Re: IN> Re: Brian's last post - ----- Original Message ----- From: "G N E Z D A" Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 16:48:21 +0930 To: Subject: IN> Re: Brian's last post > Ya reckon all angels are actually child demons that haven't yet been > disillusioned by the world? ;) Well, a couple years ago, I posted a theory about Kyriotates and Shedim. And how it seems that the game designers wanted to create a bodiless, possessing demon, and so created an angel type specifically so they would have something to fall from. I tried looking through the email list archives for it, but couldn't find it. Or anything else. I tried typing "In Nomine" into the search parameters as a test and it said "no matches" Rev. Brian - -- __________________________________________________________ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 07:22:10 -0400 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> Cow. I'm disappointed, Moe. At 09:47 PM 9/17/2002 -0700, you wrote: >Vapula: "...Ooh, I wonder if there's enough room for >internal plasma batteries? Well, let's find out, >shall we?" There's *always* room for internal plasma batteries. Now, what about the minor Superiors? Litheroy: "Uh-huh. And you really thought that telling me that you hadn't told anybody else yet was going to be a mark in your favor?" Fleurity: "Man, let me wait for this to wear off. If you're still there, we'll talk." - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 07:34:10 -0400 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> Re: Brian's last post At 02:30 AM 9/18/2002 -0500, you wrote: >I tried looking through the email list archives for it, but couldn't find >it. Or anything else. I tried typing "In Nomine" into the search >parameters as a test and it said "no matches" Yes. As far as I know, the digest search engine is offline. No, I can't do anything about it. That's one directory over which I *don't* have control. I'm working on it, though. - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 08:04:38 -0400 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? At 03:14 PM 9/18/2002 +0930, you wrote: >Just reading through the rules for Ofanim and it seems to me like Ofanim may >not actually be angels afterall... from a philosophical viewpoint anyway. It's an interesting thought, but... >Look closer at the Ofanim resonance. Their resonance is for motion. If >you're focused primarily on motion (from a metaphysical sense) you're not >accepting things, but rather are *avoiding* them. The Ofanim, unable to stop >moving, can never stop running away from their fears to just face and accept >them. That's one interpretation. Another is that they move so quickly that they can't be afraid: they rush headlong *into* everything, rather than *away* from it. Just because I'm moving quickly doesn't mean I'm running away. >If he doesn't do >this, or if he actually *stops* running, then (Heaven forbid!) the dog known >as Falling will gobble him up. If I read this correctly, you're actually conflating two dissonance conditions: that of failing a resonance-enhanced skill roll, and that of voluntarily not moving for a certain period of time. The mailman in your example should be able to stop without penalty, as long as he hasn't fallen down yet and moved to make up the loss in distance; there's a penalty for failing a resonance-enhanced skill roll, but not a penalty for not *making* a resonance-enhanced skill roll. Consider this analogy: A mailman has a very large number of people to whom he needs to deliver mail. He must do this alone: therefore, he must work 24 hours a day. Also, everybody's clock is exactly accurate, and each person expects their mail at a specific time. If the mailman ever delivers mail incorrectly (to the wrong house, for example), he receives a demerit, which can be removed by not only delivering the mail correctly but making sure that the original mis-sent mail gets to the correct house without messing up his schedule. If the mailman ever stops and throws his schedule off, therefore making his delivery late to some people, he receives a demerit, which cannot be made up. (The exception to this is if someone else detains him; the post office won't hold him responsible if he stops involuntarily.) >So, let me rephrase my initial statement. I'm not saying Ofanim are actually >demons, but rather that their resonance comes not from *accepting* the >Symphonic Order, but rather from *running* away from Demonhood. The final problem with this is that Ofanim were around long before demons were. What were they running away from, more than twenty thousand years ago? - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 08:23:25 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> New Songs... (one through three) On Wednesday, September 18, 2002, at 12:36 AM, William J. Keith wrote: >> I suspect he's bummed about Mr. Zevon's medical condition -- he >> recently was diagnosed as having terminal cancer, with weeks rather >> than months to live. As am I, only Warren Zevon has always been a good > > This is gonna sound corny and maybe I shouldn't do it in public, but I > want > to be asolutely sure. > > When you say "As am I," you mean you're also, with Moe Lane, bummed. > You're not also, with Warren Zevon, diagnosed with terminal cancer > (which > would give a hell of a meaning to 'Whistling in the Dark'). Right? > No, I am not diagnosed with terminal cancer. I will admit I had a near-terminal case of dissonance with discord complications a couple of years ago, but time, medication and diligent tether work seems to have dealt with the worst of it. In other words, I'm with Moe in being bummed. - -- Eric A. Burns Freelance Writer and Textual Whore http://www.annotations.com (Sidewinder d20 -- shotguns + schoolmarms = lack of boredom!) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 08:29:34 -0400 (EDT) From: Ryan M Roth Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? On Wed, 18 Sep 2002, G N E Z D A wrote: > If we look at what makes an angel an angel, it is Selflessness. Also, it is > an acceptance of the status quo, ie just do the work God has set out for > you, and don't go against the natural Symphonic Order. The resonance of all > the angelic choirs has to do with perception and people around them (ie > detecting the truth in people's words, detecting someone's emotional state, > their general health, etc), however for the Ofanim it is to do with > *movement*, much more externalised and physicalised than the perceptive > abilities of the other choirs. > I disagree. The Ofanim resonance _is_ Perception based. Ofanim are aligned with the dimensional placement of places and objects, and how they move with respect to each other. It's not that their motion comes from themselves; it's that they sense the fastest way to move and take it. Here's a sample from a PBEM I'm in where my Ofanite describes the effect (slightly edited). It's all my opinon, of course, so you are free to disagree. Ryan R. *********** Porter raised an eyebrow. "Didn't that Phillip guy fill you in about the various choirs? Hmm...well, it's easy enough to explain, really." Porter's gaze grows distant, as if accessing a long past memory. "We are of the Host, child. The people of Heaven, followers of God Almighty and dwellers in His greatest Creation: the Symphony. But the Symphony contains all that is, and thus we are a part of that grand design. We are that part of the Whole that is most conscious of the Whole; we are connected at our very being with everything else that exists. As angels, we have unique perceptions -- when we listen, we can always hear the Symphony speaking to us, through us and in us. It is the Voice of the Symphony, and I tell you now that it will be in that voice that you find your greatest comfort and sense of home. Demons refuse to hear that Voice, or, if Hellborn, have never learned to listen to it, and thus they are to be pitied. When we lost Metatron, we lost the direct guidance of God, but we will _never_ lose the Voice of the Symphony. Listen to that Voice, Nahash, when you doubt yourself and your mission. Listen, when you are afraid or lost. _Listen_ to it, whenever you need reassurance or guidance. It will always guide you Truly. "Each Choir, though, hears the Voice of the Symphony in a different way. The Most Holy, the Seraphim, like you child, the Voice consists of the union of all real Truths that exist. By listening to the Voice, and comparing it to the simple, lesser statements of those around him, a Seraph can distinguish that which True from that which is False. This is the way they resonate with Creation; this is their special gift. You yourself have been using this gift ever since your creation -- it is natural for you to do so, because that perception is at the very heart of your nature. "The next choir, the Cherubim, resonate in a different way. They can sense the patterns that make up individal peoples or objects in the Symphony, and, with some concentration, they can align themselves to individual patterns. When they do so, the part of the Symphony that is them and the part of the Symphony that is their attuned are not so distinct any more; they are connected. Once attuned to something or someone, the Cherub can at any time know its precise location and will know if their attuned is threatened by outside forces. This knowledge comes at a cost, though, for if their attuned is harmed, the Cherub suffers more than if he was the one who was harmed. Thus being a Cherub means to be ever watchful of your attuned, protecting them always with selfless devotion. That is their special gift. "My choir, the Ofanim, perceive in the Symphony the way in which different objects and peoples are placed dimensionally with respect to each other, and how they move and orbit one another. By opening our awareness, we can sense where a place is relative to our own position, and so I can tell where the church is, though I have never been there. I can _feel_ it, you understand, I can feel it's existance at a distance, and can bring that feeling closer to me by merely focusing my attention on that feeling. In so doing, I move closer to it. Ofanim are also known for their speed, but what is not generally understood is that it isn't so much that we can move fast (although we are Fast): it is more accurate to say that we can sense the way to move that happens to be the Fastest. That is to say, we sense the less resistive paths along the Symphony to the places where we wish to go and can move along those slipstreams so readily that, to an observer, we appear to be moving like lightning. That is our special gift. It's a great gift, but when we fail -- when we try to flow along those slipstreams and take a misstep -- we crash into slipstream walls and damage ourselves with dissonance. Even worse, when we refuse to move with the cosmic current, the pressure assualts us and we become damaged. To be an Ofanite is to always open to and moving with the Symphonic wind that moves through all Creation. "And so it goes with all the choirs. Elohim resonate on Emotions, Malakim on Honor. Kyriotates resonate on Multiplicity, Mercurians on Interactions between People. We each have a certain perception which gains us insight into the nature of Creation. For the Symphony is more than just a collection of Corporeal, Ethereal, and Celestial objects and people: it contains Everything. It is filled with concepts like Love and Truth, Honor and Motion and Emotion. It is filled with concepts like War and Dreams and Destiny and Fire. To these base concepts we are joined and it is through that joining that we resonate. And those concepts are so vast that we can spend millenia listening to the Voice we hear and not know them fully. Indeed, there are angels who spend all their lives merely listening to the Symphony to, if not understand it, at least appreciate God's Work." Porter stops to smile broadly. "And then there are those like myself who feel that just listening to the concert can't even hope to compete with the joy of _playing_ in the orchestra." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 08:29:31 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? On Wednesday, September 18, 2002, at 08:04 AM, EDG wrote: > The final problem with this is that Ofanim were around long before > demons were. What were they running away from, more than twenty > thousand years ago? > Bunnies. - -- Eric A. Burns Freelance Writer and Textual Whore http://www.annotations.com (Sidewinder d20 -- because rotgut tastes better when you're a prospector) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 05:39:31 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Cow. [blinks] [blinks again] There are no words. Or Words, for that matter. =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"Don't repent. Stop sinnin'." -- old cowboy saying

__________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! News - Today's headlines http://news.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 05:42:54 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? - --- G N E Z D A wrote: > Look closer at the Ofanim resonance. Their resonance is > for motion. If > you're focused primarily on motion (from a metaphysical > sense) you're not > accepting things, but rather are *avoiding* them. Not necessarily. It's possible to run *toward* something as well, even if you don't know precisely what it is. The Ofanite Resonance is based on accepting God's lead and going wherever it takes them. Dissonance results from failing to follow that lead, thereby displaying a lack of trust in God. =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"Don't repent. Stop sinnin'." -- old cowboy saying

__________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! News - Today's headlines http://news.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 05:44:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Re: Brian's last post - --- G N E Z D A wrote: > Ya reckon all angels are actually child demons that > haven't yet been > disillusioned by the world? ;) It's the difference between childlike innocence (which is really mostly ignorance) and teenage cynicism, but neither is a mature response to the world. The capacity to grow beyond both viewpoints is perhaps what makes Humans so special. =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"Don't repent. Stop sinnin'." -- old cowboy saying

__________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! News - Today's headlines http://news.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 05:48:43 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Cow. - --- EDG wrote: > Now, what about the minor Superiors? Don't forget... Christopher: "Oh, my. A Black Angus isn't very cuddly, is it? No little one will want to snuggle up to that. Maybe if we made you a plushy..." Zadkiel: "Isn't there a herd somewhere that needs defending?" Mammon: "Trying to get an insider's view on the Commoditites market, eh? I applaud your initiative!" =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"Don't repent. Stop sinnin'." -- old cowboy saying

__________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! News - Today's headlines http://news.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 09:01:59 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Cow. On Wednesday, September 18, 2002, at 08:48 AM, Michael Walton wrote: > --- EDG wrote: >> Now, what about the minor Superiors? > > Don't forget... > Alameon: Excellent... Furfur: Free range DEMON walking! Whoo hoo! Better run, boy! Steak tastes better raw! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 09:09:25 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? On Wednesday, September 18, 2002, at 08:29 AM, Ryan M Roth wrote: > > On Wed, 18 Sep 2002, G N E Z D A wrote: > >> If we look at what makes an angel an angel, it is Selflessness. Also, >> it is >> an acceptance of the status quo, ie just do the work God has set out >> for >> you, and don't go against the natural Symphonic Order. The resonance >> of all >> the angelic choirs has to do with perception and people around them >> (ie >> detecting the truth in people's words, detecting someone's emotional >> state, >> their general health, etc), however for the Ofanim it is to do with >> *movement*, much more externalised and physicalised than the >> perceptive >> abilities of the other choirs. >> > > I disagree. > > The Ofanim resonance _is_ Perception based. Ofanim are aligned with > the > dimensional placement of places and objects, and how they move with > respect to each other. Exactly. If a Seraph Perceives Truth, a Cherub Perceives his Attuned One, a Malakite Perceives Honor and so forth, an Ofanite Perceives *Space,* and moves within it accordingly. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 22:50:30 +0930 From: "G N E Z D A" Subject: IN> Re: Ofanim resonance "Not necessarily. It's possible to run *toward* something as well, even if you don't know precisely what it is. The Ofanite Resonance is based on accepting God's lead and going wherever it takes them. Dissonance results from failing to follow that lead, thereby displaying a lack of trust in God." Hmm... I never really thought of it this way. I remember doing an acting class over a year ago. The teacher took us out at night (while it was dark enough to have difficulty seeing, but light enough to see shadows) to a park. It was a wide open space, so really quite safe in that respect. He then asked us each in turn to close our eyes and then run as fast as we could towards him (or where we thought he was). He told us he'd tell us to stop when we got to him or if we were about to hit something. If you think of him being God and us all being Ofanim, then their resonance is really very different from what I posted previously... Thanks for that Mike. :) - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.381 / Virus Database: 214 - Release Date: 2/08/2002 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 09:28:01 -0400 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? At 08:29 AM 9/18/2002 -0400, you wrote: >It's not that their motion comes from themselves; >it's that they sense the fastest way to move and take it. Which is why it consistently startles me that humans have discovered ways of moving *faster*. (If I remember correctly, any vehicle that can break the speed of sound at STP (about 770mph) can move faster than an Ofanite at maximum speed (about 720mph).) - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 22:59:31 +0930 From: "G N E Z D A" Subject: IN> The Aegis This is a new celestial group I made up, composed of servitors of Zadkiel. Like all the other Archangels, Zadkiel has a few small 'organisations' within her ranks, and the Aegis is one such body. Formed around five hundred years ago by a cadre of Distincted Protectors (mostly Ofanim), the Aegis is a group dedicated not so much to Protection itself, but rather to the concept of Rescuing. The Aegis has a range of different choirs in it, but most of them serve more in an administrative capacity, watching out for signs of trouble and danger, and then alerting those who are doing the rescuing, where the *real* excitement lies. These 'rescuers' are known as the Black Knights (no doubt created by some Ofanim with a sense of humour and irony). When hearing of any danger on the planet (which, obviously, is almost always, but usually they confine their actions to large scale operations, for obvious reasons) the Black Knights are despatched. A unit of Black Knights will enter the situation with all the usual Ofanim speed and proceed to remove as many people from the situation as possible. Roles for members of the Black Knights will usually be as firemen and other emergency services. While there are non-Ofanim in the ranks of the Black Knights, the Ofanim are by far the most numerous and have given the Black Knights its reputation as an elite rapid deployment unit whose success rate is incredibly high. Given that they are often called into warzones to extract innocents and non-combatants, despite having minimal combat training themselves, the Black Knights are held in very high regard among members of the Host, especially the Laurencians, and the two often get along well together (the Aegis is *not* a bunch of pacifists- their purpose is to rescue the 'innocents', or non-combatants, involved in a situation). Given that the Black Knights are mostly Ofanim and have to enter some *very* dangerous, they have a reputation of being very gutsy but also very skilled rescuers (think of them like Top Gun fighter pilots in temperament, but ones who rescue people instead). The Black Knights are trained *very* intensely, and so all members of the BK know exactly their capabilities and those of their team-mates. Sure they have to push themselves every day, but making stupid moves gets people killed. So, while they may all seem reckless at first observation, they know themselves far better than almost anyone and can judge how they would fare in a given situation almost instantly. Think of sky-divers; they may look reckless, but simultaneously the ones who take the sport seriously are the most safety-conscious people you could ever meet. While the Black Knights spend most of their time on Earth, they are also often called in to rescue angels from the depths of Hell itself. Unfortunately, given the nature of their work, the Black Knights have a *very* high burn-out ratio and the vast majority of celestials never get accepted into the Knights. Playing with lives is *not* something to entrust to just anyone. Okay, that post was a bit long-winded and waffly, but what do you think? :) - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.381 / Virus Database: 214 - Release Date: 2/08/2002 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 10:09:03 -0400 From: Rolland Therrien Subject: IN> The Council of the Sword In Heaven live the Greatest Generals History has ever known... Or at least the ones who've accomplished their Destinies. One might assume that they spend their afterlives resting or otherwise move up Jacob's Ladder, but usually, after they learn of The War, well... once a soldier, always a soldier. Usually, the Blessed Souls of those Generals flock to the word that best examplifies how they spent their lives. This is usually War, as expected, but not always. Leonidas, King of the Spartans, was more attracted by the philosophy of Stone, for exemple. But a lot of things changed when Laurence became Commander of the Host. ...Or, to be specific, after Laurence recieved his first few defeats in the corporeal realm. Laurence realized that for all his hightened intelligence and divine inspiration, yes, he did lack some experience. But he wasn't going to pester advice from Michael or David on a continual basis... The other two Archangels had their own vital duties to perform, after all, and there had to be an other way... Someone else to turn to. ...Thank God (or Yves) for coincidences, as Laurence was just pondering this situation as he was visiting the Groves, when he came upon a Blessed Soul who asked him what was wrong. At the moment, Laurence was considering ordering a group of angels to attack a fortified Tether of Infernal Fire, and had been criticized by Janus for his hesitation to attack quickly. Laurence, sensing this soul was that of an honorable general in life, simply shrugged and told him the matter. The Soul considered the problem, then said "What the Archangel Janus sees as Hesitation, Honored One, I see as careful planning. It is in the planning stages that a battle can be won or lost long before it is ever fought. Only when one has predicted victory by properly analysing the factors of a given battle should a leader send his troops out to fight. Otherwise, he is gambling with their lives.." Laurence listened to the soul, and nodded slowly, his lips curling into a smile. He had considered listening to Janus and ordering his troops out to destroy the Tether as soon as possible, but this soul was right: He would be gambling with the lives of his Angels and Soldiers, and that was unacceptable. He thanked the soul for his advice, and asked for his name. "I am honored that I could help, Honored One. In life, I was called Sun Tzu, general to King He Lu of the Kingdom of Wu" Laurence blinked once... Realizing he'd just gotten advice from one of Humanity's wisest and most skilled generals, a man whose life's work included unifying much of China under one military rule, had given him advice. Laurence had to ask... "Have you been giving Michael this kind of advice, Blessed One?" Sun Tzu shook his head. "The Archangel of War keeps his own council on his strategies. And he does not need my guidance, as the Art of War comes naturally to him. I mostly teach strategic and tactical planning to the Servitors of War, as per my instructions." Laurence shook his head. While he could understand that Michael seldom needed advice on tactics, he felt that Sun Tzu's talents were underutilised. And so he made his decision... "From now on, Blessed One, you shall be called upon by The Sword for another task... I shall come to you next time I seek advice in my pursuit of The War. Until then, I bid you a good day." And with a bow, he left the blessed soul to his tasks. As he returned to his cathedral, Laurence gave praise to God for his meeting with Sun Tzu and the advice the soul had given him; another reminder of the importance of mankind in this eternal conflict. It was then that he realized that Sun Tzu was far from being the only soul in heaven who had been a leader of soldiers in life. What if others had valuable military advice as well? Surely, Heaven's War Efforts, and thus all of Humanity, would benefit if they participated in an advisery capacity... At this point, Laurence had decided that he would organise these souls into a war council, and called upon Yves for a list of the blessed souls who would be fit to sit upon such an advisory council... When first organized, not even a dozen such souls stood in Laurence's war room: Sun Tzu, King Leonidas, Julius Caesar, Vercingetorix the Gaul, Hannibal of Carthage, and William the Conqueror. Most others had moved up the ladder already, had met their fates, or had simply yet failed to achieve their destinies. Nevertheless, Laurence would not let his new council go to waste, and began to present them with the military status of Heaven, the current goals of Heaven's armed forces, and then asked them, "What would you do, in my place?" Needless to say, the first war council was hardly a calm, simple affair. Everyone had a different Idea on how to wage war: Caesar and Sun tzu wanted to organise Heaven's forces into Legions, while Vercingetorix and William preferred a looser, feudal model. And they never agreed on how to attack or defend Tethers... And yet, through all this chaos, Laurence sat back and listened, and gathered his own ideas... He gained a useful insight from Caesar, a different one from Leonidas, and yet another one from Hannibal. When he finally dismissed the council, he thanked the souls for their advice, and that they had helped him gain the insight to properly manage Heaven War's efforts for another year. The souls thanked him in return for the chance to "get back in the game", as it were, and wondered when next they would be called. As it turned out, they would be called again the next year, and the next... and the next, until today. By now, Laurence's "War Council of Souls" has grown to about two dozen Souls, and includes such illustrious commanders as Generals Wellington, Lafayette, Bradley and Patton, along with some other figures, such as William Wallace and Cardinal Richelieu. They are now all familiar with modern warfare tactics, from the use of modern weapons to special operation tactics. Nevertheless, they all have varied opinions on how to wage Heaven's war on Hell, and every Council Reunion becomes the sight of one or more arguments on the proper deployment of Soldiers, the use of Relics or the organisation of Servitors. And throughout every council session, Laurence smiles as he watches the gathered souls argue on how to fight... While their advice is still useful, the council's true purpose goes much further: They show Laurence a veritable microcosm of Heaven's politics, reflected upon a sample of Humanity's History throughout the ages. Through this council, he understands Humanity a little better, and how Heaven's efforts affects it. Although he now has a near millenium of experience under his belt, Laurence would never disband the War Council. Not just for the above reason: their advise still comes in handy, and besides, it gives those souls something they like to do for their afterlives. Laurence just loves hearing Julius Caeser lecture Patton on how he would've used tank battallions to take Berlin... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 08:35:23 -0400 From: BC Petery Subject: IN> New Songs... (one through three) > As am I, only Warren Zevon has always been a good > Djinn of Dark Humor, and it hasn't changed now. Too bad about Randy Neuman redeeming. Monsters, Inc. indeed. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 14:59:19 +0000 From: "Janet Anderson" Subject: Re: IN> The Council of the Sword I like this very much, but I have two quibbles: 1) I can't believe that Michael, who wastes nothing in the way of resources and will even use ethereals and demons when they can help him get something done, doesn't have a College of War with these and others involved in it. 2) Cardinal Richelieu? Janet Anderson * * * * * * * * * For garments fine, and jewels red and blue, I would forsake this moment willingly to get me Honour, and for Courtesy. _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 11:05:58 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> The Council of the Sword Janet Anderson wrote: > > I like this very much, but I have two quibbles: > > 1) I can't believe that Michael, who wastes nothing in the way of resources > and will even use ethereals and demons when they can help him get something > done, doesn't have a College of War with these and others involved in it. I second this. I'd think it likelier that Michael would present the College of War as a gift to the newly-elevated Commander of the Host -- and a costly gift -- back when it was Uriel, and Laurence would then simply inherit it. > 2) Cardinal Richelieu? Life is full of surprises. Afterlife, doubly so. Earl ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 15:21:15 +0000 From: "Sirea Theyal" Subject: Re: IN> The Council of the Sword Wow. This was quite the well-done piece of game flavoring. I'll be sure to have this in my next game I create, I love the idea. *applaudes* _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 11:23:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Ryan M Roth Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? On Wed, 18 Sep 2002, EDG wrote: > At 08:29 AM 9/18/2002 -0400, you wrote: > > >It's not that their motion comes from themselves; > >it's that they sense the fastest way to move and take it. > > Which is why it consistently startles me that humans have discovered ways > of moving *faster*. (If I remember correctly, any vehicle that can break > the speed of sound at STP (about 770mph) can move faster than an Ofanite at > maximum speed (about 720mph).) > > -EDG > One possible explaination that occurs to me is this: Angels, while having unique perceptions and insights into the nature of the Symphony, do not have something that humans do have. Humans, by virtue of being the focal point of God's Creation, can, through the application of their Free Will, affect the Symphony on a fundamental level. So, if we see Creation as full of cosmic slipstreams which the Ofanim ride to attain their speed, we have humans who can create and alter those slipstreams, because of their unique realtionship to Creation. So humans, thorough hard work, determination and desire, can bring into being the means by which they can exceed the limits imposed on angels. And when they do, it's just further indication that humans are as special as God always claimed. Hmm. On second thought, it's probably easier just to amend the Ofanite speed rules. :-/ On another note, I've always wanted to see someone try to wrap up the Johnathan Livingston Seagull's idea of Perfect Speed (perfect speed = being there, IIRC) into the Ofanite mindset/mechanics in an intelligent fashion, short of giving every Ofanite the Cel Song of Motion or the Destiny Synchronicity attunement. I would try myself, but I keep getting distracted. Ryan R. ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2777 ********************************