in_nomine-digest Wednesday, December 18 2002 Volume 01 : Number 2907 In this digest: Re: IN> Song of Songs entry - That which sets things right IN> Superhuman PCs and CP awards IN> More IN Africa. (Demon of Diamonds) Re: IN> Resonances and Fetuses IN> Fwd: More IN Africa (Demon of Diamonds) from Mark Pearson Re: IN> Superhuman PCs and CP awards IN> One can understand why Gabriel is so unstable... Re: IN> More IN Africa. (Demon of Diamonds) Re: IN> More IN Africa. (Demon of Diamonds) Re: IN> Fwd: More IN Africa (Demon of Diamonds) from Mark Pearson Re: IN> It's not history, it's DRAMA... Re: IN> It's not history, it's DRAMA... IN> New Gadget Re: IN> Plot seed in and of itself... Re: IN> New Gadget Re: IN> New Gadget Re: IN> More IN Africa. (Demon of Diamonds) RE: IN> More IN Africa. (Demon of Diamonds) Re: IN> Song of Songs entry - That which sets things right Re: IN> The Song of Songs Re: IN> The Song of Songs IN> Cost for Michail's Dominion's vessel IN> Dr. Destiny IN> Resonances and Fetuses IN> Human Instinct ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 14:39:49 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Song of Songs entry - That which sets things right - --- Vaughn Romero wrote: > Submitted for your approval, here is my version of the > Song of Songs. Call it the Song of Undo if you wish. > Or perhaps the Song of "You're grounded!" Ouch! A GM hammer par excellence. =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

Corrollary to Clarke's Third Law: "Any technology that is distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."

__________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 09:40:48 +1030 From: "gnezda" Subject: IN> Superhuman PCs and CP awards Actually, our campaign is a soldier-based campaign, so they really shouldn't be superhuman. :) - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.410 / Virus Database: 231 - Release Date: 31/10/2002 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 18:07:56 -0500 From: "C. Mark Pearson" Subject: IN> More IN Africa. (Demon of Diamonds) I need a little help with this one. The attunement needs work, without a doubt. And I welcome any suggestions on the rest. I meant to send this last night, but used the wrong account. Punon Balseraph Captain of the Motherload Demon of Diamonds Corporeal Forces: 2 Strength: 4 Agility: 4 Ethereal Forces: 4 Intelligence: 9 Precision 7 Celestial Forces: 6 Will: 12 Perception: 12 Word Forces: 13 Vessel: Male/4 +2 Charisma Role: "Willem DeBeers" Diamond Baron/6 Status/6 Skills: Artistry (Jewelry Design/5), Emote/3, Fast-Talk/6, Knowledge (Business/6, Mining/6, Marketing/4), Languages (French/3, Dutch/5, English/2), Savoir-Faire/6. Songs: Attraction (Corporeal/4, Etherea/6, Celestial/5), Charm (Ethereal/5, Celestial/5), Form (Corporeal/6), Light (Ethereal/4), Tongues (Corporeal/2) Attunements: Balseraph of Greed, Djinn of Greed, Impudite of Greed, Only the Best, Art of the Deal, Captain of the Motherlode, Diamonds are Forever. Diamonds Are Forever: Punon can invest essence into a diamond and give it as a gift. While the diamond is in possession of the recepient, they are effectively a servant of a level equal to half the essence invested. Rites: Sell a diamond to a human. Stupid monkeys. Worse then ferrets really. Show them something shiney and convince them it is valuable and they'll murder their own -mother- to get possession. Ferrets, at least, only get distracted by the shiney object. Sure, a long time ago diamonds were of great value. They were relatively rare and hard to come by. But the truth is, diamonds are almost as common as quartz. Regardless, Punon has convinced the stupid monkeys that the shiney rocks are worth thousands of dollars, cheating, lying and even killing. Punon is a fallen servitor of Stone. Where once he taught humans the value of the stones the earth provides, he now delights in convincing them to lower and lower depths over what are worthless baubles. David and Marc alike want to wring the tapeworm's neck. Which is a testament to how well he's done his job. The role Punon has established for himself is that of Willem DeBeers, the patriarch of the the DeBeers family. For those not in the know, the DeBeers are /the/ diamond syndicate. They control the diamond trade, from the mines and fields in Africa right through the distrubution process. They have the sort of dizzying wealth that is so enormous they don't show up on any of those gauche 'Top 100' lists of rich folks. Despite their wealth, there are a handful of western nations where they cannot set foot for frear of immediate arrest. It is largely thanks to DeBeers that the western public believes diamonds are rare and valuable gems. They are associated with love and the finer things in life. At least, if you can afford them. Little do most realize the brutal conitions under which most of the employees of the diamond syndicate labor. Nevermind the fact that there are warehouses piled high with diamonds of all sorts. So many that when a competitor attempts to enter the market, the DeBeers family can flood the market with that particular type of diamond and drive the competitor out of business and thus insuring their continued control of the market. This is all the work of a celestial lifetime for Punon. He has cultivated the DeBeers family for generations and personally overseen the vast empire. Just as he squeezes every bit of profit out of what are essentially common gravel, he has squeezed every bit of Essence out of his word. He has worked hard to convince humanity of the 'truth' of the value of diamonds and it has payed off quite well. In his role as Willem, Punon is a stern, authoritarian figure. He acts like royalty and demands to be treated as such. The entire family takes their cue from the patriarch, acting imperious toward their social inferiors. They are ruthless in their pursuit of profit at any cost. For a demon, Punon is on relatively good terms with a number of Demon Princes. He'll work with Kobalites who appreciate the irony of what his Word represents. Lusties of course appreciate the idea of convincing humans to prostitute themselves in exchange for a rock. He has worked closely with the Media, after all, the 'A Diamond is Forever' is one of the longest-running, most successful ad campaigns ever. And even though Baal normally has nothing but disdain for Greed, he can appreciate the wars that Punon has engineered over diamonds. Factions loves the division the little gems can generate between not just individuals but countries. Currently, Punon is most active in Africa. From the six way conflict in the Congo that has drenched the glittering diamonds in blood, to the use of diamonds to fund brutal civil wars in Sierra Leone and Angola, he is a busy Balseraph. His word requires a great deal of maintanence. And that's not even counting the effort of keeping the diamond mines working in South Africa, Zimbabwe and other nations. He also does his part to wine and dine officials from the western powers to keep them from putting an embargo on the diamonds coming out of Sierra Leone. It would be bad for business, after all. C. Mark Pearson ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 17:54:28 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Resonances and Fetuses At 10:09 PM -0400 12/16/02, Randy Finder wrote: >Is there any canon on this? >use for being able to use their resonanaces on Fetuses. Ultrasound or X-rays will provide a live picture, so some will be able to use the "through live media" option on p. 57 of the core rules. >A Cherub may want to protect a baby but doesn't want to have to stay with >the mother 24/7 until the baby is born. What, the Cherub intends to do a C-section right away? No matter which it's attuned to, it's going to be having to stay with the mother 24/7 if it wants to be near the kid. (But the core rules are pretty clear on the "requires touch" part of the Cherub resonance. A kind GM might permit "celestial interpenetration" to count. >A Kyriotate may want to experience Birth from the inside out... Either use live media (e.g., ultrasound), or possess the mother first. >A Mercurian might be able to read who the father is from resonance on the >baby even if the mother doesn't know/remember Maybe. But the link is just as firm with the mother, most of the time, unless you're talking about anonymous sperm doner stuff. >A Ofanite might be able to help a baby find the fastest way to come out of >the body... (weaker than the others) C-sections are pretty dang fast, let me tell you. O:> - -- - --Beth, arcangel@io.com / archangel@sjgames.com In Nomine Line Editor http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 18:16:12 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: IN> Fwd: More IN Africa (Demon of Diamonds) from Mark Pearson >Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 21:14:56 -0600 >To: owner-in_nomine-l@lists.io.com >Subject: BOUNCE in_nomine-l@lists.io.com: Non-member submission from ["Mark Pearson" ] [[ Warning: bounced messages may be edited slightly for spelling and capitalization. -- Beth ]] >From: "Mark Pearson" >Subject: More IN Africa (Demon of Diamonds) >Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 22:14:00 -0500 > >I need a little help with this one. The attunement needs work, without a >doubt. And I welcome any suggestions on the rest. > > >Punon >Balseraph Captain of the Motherload >Demon of Diamonds > >Corporeal Forces: 2 Strength: 4 Agility: 4 >Ethereal Forces: 4 Intelligence: 9 Precision 7 >Celestial Forces: 6 Will: 12 Perception: 12 >Word Forces: 13 > >Vessel: Male/4, +2 Charisma >Role: "Willem DeBeers"; Diamond Baron/6, Status/6 > >Skills: Artistry/5 (Jewelry Design), Emote/3, Fast-Talk/6, Knowledge >(Business/6, Mining/6, Marketing/4), Languages (French/3, Dutch/5, >English/2), Savoir-Faire/6. > >Songs: Attraction (Corporeal/4, Ethereal/6, Celestial/5), Charm (Ethereal/5, >Celestial/5), Form (Corporeal/6), Light (Ethereal/4), Tongues (Corporeal/2) > >Attunements: Balseraph of Greed, Djinn of Greed, Impudite of Greed, Only >the Best, Art of the Deal, Captain of the Motherlode, Diamonds are Forever. > >Diamonds Are Forever: Punon can invest Essence into a diamond and give it as >a gift. While the diamond is in possession of the recepient, they are >effectively a servant of a level equal to half the Essence invested. > >Rites: Sell a diamond to a human. > >Stupid monkeys. Worse than ferrets, really. Show them something shiny and >convince them it is valuable and they'll murder their own -mother- to get >possession. Ferrets, at least, only get distracted by the shiny object. >Sure, a long time ago diamonds were of great value. They were relatively >rare and hard to come by. But the truth is, diamonds are almost as common >as quartz. Regardless, Punon has convinced the stupid monkeys that the >shiny rocks are worth thousands of dollars, cheating, lying and even >killing. > >Punon is a fallen Servitor of Stone. Where once he taught humans the value >of the stones the earth provides, he now delights in convincing them to >lower and lower depths over what are worthless baubles. David and Marc >alike want to wring the tapeworm's neck. Which is a testament to how well >he's done his job. > >The role Punon has established for himself is that of Willem DeBeers, the >patriarch of the the DeBeers family. For those not in the know, the DeBeers >are /the/ diamond syndicate. They control the diamond trade, from the mines >and fields in Africa right through the distrubution process. They have the >sort of dizzying wealth that is so enormous they don't show up on any of >those gauche 'Top 100' lists of rich folks. Despite their wealth, there are >a handful of western nations where they cannot set foot for fear of >immediate arrest. > >It is largely thanks to DeBeers that the western public believes diamonds >are rare and valuable gems. They are associated almost universally with >love and the finer things. Little do most realize the brutal conitions >under which most of the employees of the diamond syndicate labor. Nevermind >the fact that there are warehouses piled high with diamonds of all sorts. >So many that when a competitor attempts to enter the market, the DeBeers >family can flood the market with that particular type of diamond and drive >the competitor out of business and thus ensure their continued control of >the market. > >This is all the work of a celestial lifetime for Punon. He has cultivated >the DeBeers family for generations and personally overseen the vast empire. >Just as he squeezes every bit of profit out of what is essentially common >gravel, he has squeezed every bit of Essence out of his Word. He has worked >hard to convince humanity of the 'truth' of the value of diamonds and it has >paid off quite well. > >In his role as Willem, Punon is a stern, authoritarian figure. He acts like >royalty and demands to be treated as such. The entire family takes their >cue from the patriarch, acting imperious toward their social inferiors. >They are ruthless in their pursuit of profit at any cost. > >For a demon, Punon is on relatively good terms with a number of Demon >Princes. He'll work with Kobalites who appreciate the irony of what his >Word represents. Lusties of course appreciate the idea of convincing humans >to prostitute themselves in exchange for a rock. He has worked closely with >the Media; after all, the 'A Diamond is Forever' is one of the >longest-running, most successful ad campaigns ever. And even though Baal >normally has nothing but disdain for Greed, he can appreciate the wars that >Punon has engineered over diamonds. Factions loves the division the little >gems can generate between not just individuals but countries. > >Currently, Punon is most active in Africa. From the six way conflict in the >Congo that has drenched the glittering diamonds in blood, to the use of >diamonds to fund brutal civil wars in Sierra Leone and Angola, he is a busy >Balseraph. His Word requires a great deal of maintanence. And that's not >even counting the effort of keeping the diamond mines working in South >Africa, Zimbabwe and other nations. He also does his part to wine and dine >officials from the western powers to keep them from putting an embargo on >the diamonds coming out of Sierra Leone. It would be bad for business, >after all. > >C. Mark Pearson > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 18:38:45 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Superhuman PCs and CP awards At 9:40 AM +1030 12/18/02, gnezda wrote: >Actually, our campaign is a soldier-based campaign, so they really >shouldn't be superhuman. :) Ahhh. Well, at least your Forces stuff will be capped _for_ you in this case -- you just have to decide how many potential Forces they have and work accordingly. (Of course you have the Corporeal Player's Guide. (Right?)) They can still buy up 3 points of characteristics per realm, of course. Mind, the game is still somewhat cinematic, so they don't have to have superhuman stats -- but they can be Very Very Very Good. ("You're 007? I'm 008, he's 009, and she's 005...") And if their underlying character- istics aren't superhuman, the rest won't, by definition, be _super_human, right? O:> (You realize, using humans, I bounce up and down even more about GURPS IN. O;> More seriously, they might be less likely to try to max out on things in a different system? The IN system can be harsh enough to celestials, and humans are even more deprived.) - -- - --Beth, arcangel@io.com / archangel@sjgames.com In Nomine Line Editor http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ [Note: I just upgraded to Eudora 5.2 from 4.0. And transferred it to my iBook. This is a most... _interesting_ experience. I'm going to have to drag my books around or something.] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 19:09:19 -0800 From: "Joey's mail" Subject: IN> One can understand why Gabriel is so unstable... She's millenia old. Let's take a look at the other Celestials as old as she is... Michael, who has become disgruntled, suspicious, and frustrated, but continues to fight. Uriel, who went a bit over the top and went on a campaign to destroy all the Etherials, and might have gone even MORE insane if he hadn't been recalled to the higher heavens. Eli, who has left heaven, and is walking the Earth, and is under heavy suspicion from Dominic. Lucifer and Baal, who Fell... Raphael, who died fighting Legion. David seems to be the only stable one of the first group of Celestials created, most likely because of the nature of his Word. You could also argue that he snapped along with Uriel, during the Fall when he became a Malakite, but that's stretching things a lot. The point is of all the oldest Celestials, only one hasn't gone through some major change. They've weathered the aeons, and, with the exception of Stone, have had to have some fundamental change. Now add that to Gabriel; she was the first Ofanite, a creature of motion and change. From her creation, a cease in motion was impossible for her. Add the strain of being God's Divine Prophit, with Prophecies running through her constantly. Add the word of Fire, by its nature a dynamic, unstable word. Add the duty of punishing the cruel, having to constantly deal with some of the vilest humans in existence. Then add the strain of being accused of the voice within you being wrong, that you failed in your duty, and that you sinned against the God whose voice fills you even as you hear these accusations. You can imagine being pretty ticked. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 20:09:29 -0500 (EST) From: "Christopher Anthony" Subject: Re: IN> More IN Africa. (Demon of Diamonds) I will comment on this more tomorrow, I promise. I have one nitpick, however, that wouldn't leave me alone... > Balseraph Captain of the Motherload This should read "Motherlode". (Properly "Mother Lode", but I don't think it's printed that way in Mammon's write up, so...) - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 21:30:10 -0500 From: "C. Mark Pearson" Subject: Re: IN> More IN Africa. (Demon of Diamonds) - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Anthony" To: Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2002 8:09 PM Subject: Re: IN> More IN Africa. (Demon of Diamonds) > I will comment on this more tomorrow, I promise. I have one nitpick, > however, that wouldn't leave me alone... > > > Balseraph Captain of the Motherload > > This should read "Motherlode". (Properly "Mother Lode", but I don't > think it's printed that way in Mammon's write up, so...) And so it should. I believe the custom is a point of essence for a nitpick? C. Mark Pearson ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 19:07:02 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Fwd: More IN Africa (Demon of Diamonds) from Mark Pearson > >Punon > >Balseraph Captain of the Motherload > >Demon of Diamonds This is an evil, evil demon and I'd love to see him get his comeuppance. As to the technical help: > >Diamonds Are Forever: Punon can invest Essence into a > diamond and give it as > >a gift. While the diamond is in possession of the > recepient, they are > >effectively a servant of a level equal to half the > Essence invested. I suggest rewording this to, "The demon can invest Essenc (up to his Celestial Forces) into a diamond and give it as a gift. A willing recipient immediately becomes enthralled with the giver. While the gem is on the recipient's person that individual is a Servant of the giver at a level equal to the amount of Essence invested. The recipient can resist the initial entrancement with a Will roll." =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"Bones! You've got to save Ensign Pillsburry!."

"There's nothing I can do -- he's _bread_, Jim." __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 21:22:13 -0600 From: Gregg Forge Subject: Re: IN> It's not history, it's DRAMA... - --------------070408000808060708080601 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > > >- -he gets picked up by the celestial cops and Dominic charges him with >indecent exposure, Daddy has to bail him out > > ...yes.... >- -he end up in a fight with a celestial biker gang for revealing their >plans of mayhem, Janus thumps him Real Good > > ...yes....! >- -Michael thumps him Real Good for revealing that he saw Mike and Israfel >snogging behind the Cathedral of Light (no-one goes there, so it should be >safe, right?) > > ...Yes...! >- -he gets grounded by Dad for revealing Gabriel's honkers, I mean trumpets > > -YES-. And considering that we're leading up to IN Anime, who says the trumpets aren't really inside her, like the sword from Utena? >- -Gabriel starts trumpeting because Roy reveals stuff that trigger The Big >Hoolabaloo > > Oh yes. And that's when he has to get his act togeter and 'come of age',,, >IN Anime, here we come! :) > It's moments like these where I'm especially glad that I subscribe. I want to either hear about this game occurring, or take part in it. Kamika-Z, Angel of Cognitive Dissonance, a word so IN Anime it lens-flare-blings. - --------------070408000808060708080601-- ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 22:36:20 -0500 From: "S.D." Subject: Re: IN> It's not history, it's DRAMA... >>- -he gets grounded by Dad for revealing Gabriel's honkers, I mean trumpets >> > -YES-. And considering that we're leading up to IN Anime, who says the >trumpets aren't really inside her, like the sword from Utena? ...This is conjuring up horrifying images. Like Dominic as Saionji (the /real/ reason they hate each other!) drawing the Trumpet of 'Dios' from Gabriel as Anthy. And then Eli as Utena and Dominic as Saionji dueling for the Rose Bride... ...which consists, naturally, of Dominic playing jazz on his Trumpet, and then Eli sings circles around him with no accompaniment other than, at the end, the bells around the dueling arena, much along the lines of the 'duel' in "Devil Went Down to Georgia". ...my /God/, this almost /works/... :D ~S.D. Ryukage ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 19:55:04 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> New Gadget Blame my girlfriend. Did you all know that she actually encourages me, sometimes? Moe (Modified) Tachyon Burst Shotgun Requires the Beta-Test Attunement and a Clean Record Power 6d6 (see below), Accuracy +0, Range 500, Shots 6 There's no real reason for this item to have such a bad reputation. After all, is it not from Revelations and Design? Well, true, it's not precisely from R&D: the prototype originated in Tartarus. So did the creator - but both he and it are now comfortably snug in the Bosom of Heaven, so that's all right. 'To forgive, Divine' and all that, correct? Yes, yes, except when you're a Malakite and/or a Servitor of Divine Fire, right, of course, silly of me. Might I continue? Thank you. At any rate, the (Modified) Tachyon Burst Shotgun is really an elegant piece of hardware. Using principles not yet discovered by humanity, it fires - well, obviously it fires bursts of tachyons, hence the name. The reason why this is of interest is because tachyons, due to their interesting physical nature, tend to distort space-time when flung around in this way. Considering that most people are firmly fixed in space-time to start with, this is usually nice to know but utterly irrelevant. However, a being that is in celestial form on the corporeal plane is not firmly fixed in space-time, and believe you me, somebody in celestial form that gets hit with a (modified) tachyon burst is emphatically going to notice. Each blast does 6d6 Soul Hit equivalents; I say 'equivalents' because the damage done will not count towards losing a Force. It will stun the target if he takes more than 1/2 his normal Soul Hits equivalents in a single blast, and it will knock a target out for (CD of successful Ranged Weapon attack) hours if he loses all of his Soul Hit equivalents - but it's otherwise harmless. The target will recover lost Soul Hit equivalents at the rate of 1/minute. A successful attack will also knock the target pinfeathers-over-primaries (CD of the successful attack roll, in yards), but that's really just a special effect. So what are the problems? Good Heavens, why should there be problems? OK, granted that they're still trying to adapt a proper power source for the (M)TBS. That's a stark necessity, of course: the prototype used Vaputech plasma batteries, and I hope that I don't have to remind any of you about just how dangerous, leaky, carcinogenic, fattening, temperamental and downright malicious those things can be. Until the Archangel of Lightning (in his nigh-infinite wisdom) decides that humanity is ready for safe, clean fusion kits, his loyal Servitors are going to have to soldier on with house current (takes an hour to fully recharge the batteries, and in the meantime the boys down at the power plant are probably going to want to know why six square blocks are suddenly browning out) and the Generator Attunement (each charge costs 2 Essence). You can get extra magazines for the (M)TBS, but only at the cost of a lot of not-quite-routine question-and-answer sessions. As for reliability... (M)TBSs are reliable, given proper care and maintenance. None of the sort of shoddy manufacture that Vaputech is infamous for, either: we're talking careful machining and calibration of parts here. So, the early problems of scattershot (4d6 hit-equivalents, but to everyone within a 60 degree arc of the target), feedbackfire (3d6 hit-equivalents to the target and the shooter, even if the latter is in corporeal form) and meltdown (10d6 hit-equivalents to everybody within 20 yards with Symphonic Awareness, even if in corporeal form/human - but with no knock-back) are things of the past, and hardly worth even mentioning. Provided, again, that proper maintenance is done. Now, the issue of what happens to someone who has had a (M)TBS explode in his hand needs to be cleared up, once and for all. There is no evidence - absolutely none at all - that the explosion of the latest version of the (M)TBS can induce a case of Oscillation. Indeed, there is no evidence that the condition furtively known as Oscillation can even exist, or even what its effects might be (Celestial Discord that does not interfere with Essence gathering; the s u b ject is s u b ject to random changes from corporeal to celestial form [will not cost Essence]; activates whenever the poor bugger rolls a CD under the level of the Discord three times in a row; -3 per level to reaction rolls, mostly because of the Disturbance that is normally generated). It is true that several individuals have suddenly acquired the Phazed Out Discord after encountering an exploding (M)TBS, but there are too few examples to justify making any sort of conclusion. Really, the blessed things are safe; there's no reason why celestials should feel the need to hit the floor whenever one is pulled out. Unless, of course, it happens to be a Vaputech unmodified Tachyon Burst Shotgun (the creator hadn't managed to snag all of his notes before fleeing). Those things are just plain freaking scary. ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 09/18/02 (this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 05:15:28 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Plot seed in and of itself... - --- "Rev. Pee Kitty" wrote: > > Just go here and see... > > http://www.afterlifetelegrams.com Oh... my... I can't decide whether this is a Kobalite project, the latest Mammonite scheme or proof that Saminga has a sense of humor. =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"Bones! You've got to save Ensign Pillsburry!."

"There's nothing I can do -- he's _bread_, Jim." __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 20:24:31 -0500 From: "Josh Moger" Subject: Re: IN> New Gadget ]>Those things are just plain freaking scary. > > ] Wait, let me guess- Handy way to tell the two versions apart- Jean's are sky blue, Vapula's are aqua? Josh ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 08:34:53 -0500 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> New Gadget At 08:24 PM 12/18/2002 -0500, Josh Moger wrote: >Jean's are sky blue, >Vapula's are aqua? Nonsense. Jean's are teal. - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 08:58:04 -0500 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> More IN Africa. (Demon of Diamonds) At 06:07 PM 12/17/2002 -0500, C. Mark Pearson wrote: >Corporeal Forces: 2 Strength: 4 Agility: 4 >Ethereal Forces: 4 Intelligence: 9 Precision 7 >Celestial Forces: 6 Will: 12 Perception: 12 >Word Forces: 13 This is a *lot* of Word-Forces. IIRC, this means that Diamonds is almost a Superior-class Word. It's also a rare Celestial who has more Word-Forces than personal Forces. >Role: "Willem DeBeers" Diamond Baron/6 Status/6 As a note to readers, although the deBeers family is in fact the largest diamond magnate in the world, Willem deBeers does not appear to actually exist. :) >Diamonds Are Forever: Punon can invest essence into a diamond and give it as >a gift. While the diamond is in possession of the recepient, they are >effectively a servant of a level equal to half the essence invested. I like Michael's revision of this attunement. The rest of this seems reasonable. I am, however, amused by this line: >Currently, Punon is most active in Africa. From the six way conflict in the >Congo that has drenched the glittering diamonds in blood,... Apparently, the conflict in the Congo has come to an end. Perhaps Stone and Trade finally figuring out a decent way to strike back at Punon? - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 11:04:00 -0500 From: "Wajenberg, Earl" Subject: RE: IN> More IN Africa. (Demon of Diamonds) Punon is a well-written character with a well-deserved real-world bite to him, but he raises a question in my mind: He's a balseraph. They have to BELIEVE their lies, right? So does Punon believe that diamonds are truly valuable; or does he believe it while he's actively resonnating someone to make them think that, but then gets over it; or what? Earl ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 11:21:31 -0500 From: Matthew Gerber Subject: Re: IN> Song of Songs entry - That which sets things right On 12/17/02 5:33 PM, "Vaughn Romero" wrote: > * Woe to the celestial who has killed a corporeal > being. Celestials within the area of effect who have > killed a corporeal being (including undead) must > immediately make a Dissonance roll to avoid having > their hearts shatter. For this roll, each note of > Disturbance still lingering in the area subtracts from > the roll. For all but the strongest (or luckiest) > celestials, this virtually ensures their hearts > shatter. I'd specifically exclude Undead from this, at least in most campaigns; they're no more "right" than Celestials, and in some ways less. YMMV. Other than that, I really, *really* like this one. It's an absolutely insane DeM, sure, but anything called the Song of Songs is likely to fit that description, and this one at least has some teeth. The idea of the Symphony rejecting interference in this violent a fashion adds additional reasons for Celestials to be reluctant to mess with too many things, too much, too openly... Matt ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 10:44:09 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> The Song of Songs - --- "William J. Keith" wrote: > The Song of Songs is half-mythical, > half-theoretical. Demons might > not even believe in it. It can be sung only by > humans(even those without > Essence Control or Symphonic Awareness), and only at some > height of passion > or achievement in their lives (perhaps only at *one* > peak). And it does > something that surprises even celestials... ...it invokes _God_. After successfully playing this Song a human gets a huge boost towards her Destiny; the next roll that the person makes toward that goal is considered a divine Intervention. God's attention stay with an individual forever, though. This effect only remains in place for (CD) days, so anyone who would benefit from the divine favor must act quickly. =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"Bones! You've got to save Ensign Pillsburry!."

"There's nothing I can do -- he's _bread_, Jim." __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 14:42:30 -0500 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> The Song of Songs The Song of Songs is half-mythical, half-theoretical. Demons might not even believe in it. It can be sung only by humans (even those without Essence Control or Symphonic Awareness), and only at some height of passion or achievement in their lives (perhaps only at *one* peak). And it does something that surprises even celestials: it distills the Symphony, bringing a single theme, a single note, into pure euphony with the human's soul. For a moment, a single celestial resonance, related to the passion or achievement at hand, becomes available to the performer of the Song of Songs; it lasts only seconds, but grants the mortal pure divine glory - or absolute infernal power - while it lasts. - ----- I opened my mouth to shout a war cry, and out came a sudden song. A thrill ran up my spine, and I felt for a moment as if I were cataclysm made flesh; all around me enemy soldiers fell suddenly, their weapons, their armor, their very flesh corrupted by the sound of my voice. Then the song stuck in my throat, and was gone, and yet the enemy lay twitching, sinew and bone set bare and raw. - ----- The Song of Songs has no duration: it uses the human's total Forces as a target number, and the check digit of a successful performance is equivalent to the check digit of the resonance use. Which resonance is used - and, in fact, when the Song of Songs is used - is strictly up to the GM, who must also make the Song roll. (The Kyriotate and Shedite resonances can be used; the duration, however, is still but an instant.) The resonance takes effect on the object of the performer's focus - be it himself, a single person, an object, or a group. - ----- I opened my mouth to laugh for sheer joy, and out bubbled a strange happy song. I suddenly knew - without doubt, without fear of admonition - that I was right. Without proof or evidence beyond a child's toy and the absolute faith that had just filled my heart, I knew that what I had just discovered was true in the purest sense of the word. *Then* I laughed: even as the overwhelming faith faded, the knowledge remained. - ----- There are two drawbacks to the Song of Songs. The first is its fleeting nature: not only does it last for only a moment (a single round, if more definition is needed), but it can only ever be used once. Once a human has used the Song of Songs, it will never come to him again, regardless of need or desire, regardless of study or practice. The only way to use the Song again is to be reincarnated - and even that doesn't always guarantee that the human will get a chance to use the Song again. (Going to Heaven and returning as a Saint does not count as reincarnation.) - ----- I opened my mouth to wail, and among the cracking of weakened walls the sobs made a terrible song. For a moment, even the flames and collapsing buildings made no noise as the song echoed through the town; then, for an even briefer moment, I felt the pain and agony wash over me. It was as if the grief and pain of the entire town - of all of the survivors, all of the fallen beasts, all of the dying still trapped in their homes - had found a home in my heart, and as I looked upon the broken, pale body in front of me, I knew suffering like none I had ever even imagined. - ----- The other is the cost of failure. While normally, failure on the Song of Songs has no effect, a check digit of 6 means that the Song *worked* - and then rebounded upon the user, as though the resonance had failed to take hold. This often still has no effect - most angelic resonances, for example, inflict no penalty other than to remove the use of the resonance for a time - but the human may not resist the effects of the Song if it rebounds. Essence cost: None. Degree of disturbance: None. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 14:31:12 +0100 From: Cunitek Subject: IN> Cost for Michail's Dominion's vessel May I ask should Michail's Dominion have to pay for vessel he is allowed to create. And when is he supposed to pay for it? In the moment of character creation or in the moment when he decides to form vessel? And what happens when he vant to creat e vessel and he have nothing to pay with? Could he "loan"? Thanks Jan ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 17:09:06 -0500 From: BC Petery Subject: IN> Dr. Destiny > Dr. Destiny (I think that's his name) segment of the Sandman comics > might represent the work of a (highly Discordant) Shal-Mari native... Dr. Destiny used a device called the Materiopticon. The device gave physical form to nightmares, making him one of Beleth's Soldiers. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 17:09:05 -0500 From: BC Petery Subject: IN> Resonances and Fetuses > A Cherub may want to protect a baby but doesn't want to have to stay with > the mother 24/7 until the baby is born. A Cherub must touch the target to attune. It's a bad idea to touch something as delicate as a fetus, especially if you want to protect it. Not to mention the stress and discomfort the mother would experience. > A Kyriotate may want to experience Birth from the inside out... Can you possess someone who is "sealed" with in another's body? Would a Kyrio have to possess the mother first? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 17:09:06 -0500 From: BC Petery Subject: IN> Human Instinct > C. S. Lewis talked about its relation to instinct. > He said, in effect, that the instincts are the keys > on a piano; no one note is "right" or "wrong" except > in relation to the tune you're trying to play. This reminds me of Mode Training in David Gerrold's War Against the Chtorr. (See also GURPS War Against the Chtorr. GURPS:WAC is out of print so check the resellers.) People who took the Mode Training course would, as a group, go through a range of emotional and intellectual states and have what they were feeling explained to them so that they may use these states more effectively. There was also the "Wrongness Chamber" from C.S. Lewis' "That Hideous Strength." A place designed by a superhuman intellect, the purpose of which was to poke a human in the brain both intellectually and emotionally, rendering them susceptible to a permanent possession by a supernatural intelligence. And when speaking of head games it would be remiss not to mention "The Prisoner" (Also GURPS and also out of print). Was it a test of wills, #6 vs. #2? Or was it an iconic representation of society, the Rebel vs. the Authority? ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2907 ********************************