in_nomine-digest Sunday, January 26 2003 Volume 01 : Number 2946 In this digest: IN> 18 January 2003 RE: IN> Relievers? What to call them IN> RE: 2003: Fiction Piece #1 IN> Wheels of Fire in the cold Re: IN> 18 January 2003 Re: IN> 18 January 2003 Re: IN> 18 January 2003 Re: IN> 18 January 2003 IN> Nagahide RE: IN> Nagahide IN> If anyone's interested... RE: IN> If anyone's interested... Re: IN> Pushing the Symphony (Re: It's like a rorschach) RE: IN> Nagahide IN> In Nomine: First Submission Ever: Jean, Elohite Archangel of Lightning Re: IN> In Nomine: First Submission Ever: Jean, Elohite Archangel of Lightning ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 17:55:25 -0500 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: IN> 18 January 2003 Cobias was a Reliever, and he was *very* serious about his work. As with many of Lightning's helpers, his wings looked more mothlike, with brown wings and bluish veins like thunder. It was thought the oversized blue spots and smoothing features on Cobias meant he was approaching fledging, and the odds on favorite was Elohite, but the hatchling's personality suggested that more clearly than any markings. Today, he was to collect the reports from Saint Robert on the intake nozzle for the coolant subsystem as part of the overall Paladin project, bring those reports to data analysis, perform the computer modeling, distill the model data to spreadsheet, export the spreadsheet fields into the overall Paladin report, spot check, proofread, collate and bring the results to Dasbriel in time for the Cherub to report back to Zadkiel's representative on the Paladin's progress, only he couldn't find Saint Robert to save his ineffable soul. He had checked both Saint Robert's cubicle and the lab, which is where the thin mustached Saint could usually be found. Failing at both of those, he checked with personnel, only to find that contrary to standard procedure, the Saint hadn't signed out. The Personnel Kyriotate smirked at Cobias's expression. "Saint Robert never checks out," it said. "Especially not today." "Today? What is today?" "18 January, as the Mortals reckon time." Cobias blinked. Time in Heaven, of course, doesn't work like Time on Earth. Dates mean little. One takes the time one needs to do things, and finds in the end that somehow it all works. "Should... that date have some significance to me?" "Not really. Until today, it didn't even have significance to Saint Robert. Excuse me, Helper. I have duties." "You're looking for Saint Robert?" Cobias blinked again, and turned. And shrank back, impassivity or no, at the sight of the tremendous Cherub before him, resplendent in golden fur and mane, his wings pattered and a hint of ozone about him. "Y-yes, good Master," the Reliever said. He had only rarely spoken to a WordBound before, and never to the Angel of Scientific Procedure. "Do you know where I might find him? He is supposed to--" "Well, whatever he's 'supposed' to do will probably have to wait, Hatchling." The Cherub sounded amused. "Or possibly even be reassigned. But if you're truly that keen on finding him, you might have to ask at the Cadre house." "The... Cadre House, Master?" "Mm. It's in the Baazar quarter of the Heavenly City. He's one of the Organizers. Something of an irregular legion of Saints against Hell. Very irregular, if you ask me. Anyhow, they'll know where he is. If you think it's *that* important." Cobias swallowed. "Master, the Paladin Project is my assigned duty, and Saint Robert is needful for it. There is nothing more important." This brought a chuckle. "Very well, Cobias. Seek out Saint Robert there, and see if you still feel that way." Cobias buzzed into the air and away, wings beating. He wasn't sure why the Cherub was so amused, but he was sure his opinions wouldn't change. After all, if he were permitted a hope, Cobias hoped he would fledge Elohite, even as his inclinations seemed to follow. He believed, quite fully, that emotionalism could only get in the way of the work. Nothing would change that. The bazaar was confusing -- it always was, Marc's Angels being more interested in possibilities for Trade than efficiency. All around, goods and services were being traded for markers -- the marker being a unit that designated a certain amount of volunteer effort above and beyond one's Heavenly Duties, since the Angels wouldn't trade for Essence as was done in Hell and all *needs* were provided for, of course. One could devote as little or as much time to the betterment of the Heavenly City as they wished, receive markers in accordance with that time, and use those markers in the Bazaar to their Heart's content. Cobias had no markers, of course, but helpful angels and blessed souls were willing to help him find the Cadre House. It looked almost quaint -- a brownstone in the midst of the quarter. It was a club, truly, and no doubt there was service within for members, but it was also next to a rather large Heavenly Tavern on one side, a large Coffee House on the other, and was kitty corner to a branch of the Library. (The Library was itself singular, of course, but in many places in Heaven there were outbuildings and seemingly standalone branches where research or reading might be done. Only by going deeper in the stacks did one discover they were in the true Library itself, and sometimes leaving the Library left an Angel or blessed soul far far away from where they began.) A flag was hanging from the house -- it looked rather like a jolly roger, only beneath the skull was a crossed sword and quill. And, rather unexpectedly, it seemed to be festooned with roses. Positively *festooned.* They were draped over the windows, and lining the stairs, and gave the old building a festive, crowning air. Across the top of the the door, cut into the stone, was a legend. "THE RIGHT HONORABLE St. ROBERT'S CADRE OF MALAKIM" it read, with "CONVENTION HALL" under that. The work looked recent, but in Heaven that could mean many things. Cobias rather shyly entered, and enquired with the Mercurian at the door. Said Mercurian was of Creation, and had apparently been assigned here by Trade, who he confided to Cobias he'd been working with. When asked about Saint Robert, the Mercurian got a smile and led Cobias inside and upstairs. Upstairs was something of a supper club, with an old gentlemen's air. There were some signs of a recent party having ended, and more of those ever present roses, and in the corner sat three Saints and an Ofanite who were enjoying a meal. Well, one of the Saints wasn't so much sitting as standing near to them, practicing with a rather heavy, dangerous looking sword. "Sirs," the Mercurian said. "A Reliever of Lightning is here to see you. He's looking for Saint Robert." The three paused and looked amused. "Come in, come in," one, who wore a grey jump suit, said, waving the Reliever over. "Join us. Embrail -- have the kitchen send up a sandwich and an egg cream for our friend. Today, all are welcome -- even if he's late!" "Oh... Blessed Saint... thank you but no. I'm already." "I *insist,* young man." Cobias didn't correct the Saint. One didn't *do* that if they didn't want the Archangel of the Sword angry at them. Instead, he fluttered close and settled, being given a stool to perch on by the Ofanite, who darted across the room for it. "Mm -- Young Helper, you're well met today. Come to wish them well, eh?" the Saint was saying. "Well, you're too late. They're off, somewhere or other, and Blessings go with them." "Off? But... but I must find him! He has report data I need, and without it I can't--" "Where are your manners, Doc?" the Ofanite said. "You haven't introduced us." "Ach. You're correct, of course, old man. Well. I am Saint Edward, but please -- call me Doc. This is Saint Lyon, and 'Saint' Isaac, the old faker, and that one over there practicing his backswing is Saint Poul." "I need the practice," he said, smiling slightly. "She disarmed me depressingly easy." "But... good Wheel," Cobias said, looking at the Ofanite, "you can't be a Saint. You're an angel." "Honorary," Isaac said. "All perfectly honorary. These fellows say I put in my time on Earth and deserve the honor, and get surly if you disagree. Now, you're here to see Saint Robert, because he has some work to give you, yes?" "Yes." Saint Lyon smiled slightly. "It's going to be rather a long wait, I'm afraid. He's just off on his honeymoon." "Second honeymoon," Saint Poul cut in. "Nothing of the sort," Saint Edward snapped. "This is Heaven -- no giving of wives and husbands, remember? They're just off on a very long, very extended, *very* deserved affair." Cobias blushed. "You mean... he's... shirking his duties for... for...." "Son," Saint Lyon said quietly, "don't finish that sentence. Not unless you want the entire Cadre demanding satisfaction with you, one at a time." Cobias shut up. "Mmm. You're confused," Isaac said. "Nothing to be ashamed of, young man. I got confused all of the time. However, I promise you that Saint Robert is not shirking a thing. You can ask our Bright Leader if you don't believe me." Cobias paused. The Ofanite wouldn't make reference to the Archangel of Lightning unless he were certain, but that didn't make him right. "What do you mean?" "Son," Saint Edward said, "once upon a time there was a writer who many people loved, and others hated, but all of them listened to. His work was unrelenting and his spirit that of the finest of men. And, like all who enter the Gates of Heaven, he achieved his Destiny. In his case, through his writing, through the values he imparted and the virtues he inspired to generations of readers." "But as with many others," Saint Poul said, picking the story up, "he almost didn't make it. He might have been a minor writer, barely remembered. And then he met a woman." "This woman was far more than a wife," Isaac said. "In fact, she wasn't a mere anything. A genius, beautiful and graceful, a champion ice skater, a computer scientist years before such things were common, possessed of many languages, many skills, many passions and more hard common sense than most people I met." "In fact," Saint Lyon said with a grin, "when the writer patterned some of his heroines after his remarkable wife, many readers complained that *no* one could be such a superhuman. They forgot that life is far more interesting and remarkable than most fiction." "Without her love, her will, and her tireless help, the writer would have died much younger... and likely have been remembered as a promising, minor science fiction writer and spinner of boy's tales," Saint Edward said. "Instead, he was one of the most significant writers of the field -- his works stretching beyond genre and infecting the mainstream with his ideas and ideals." "And if he met his Destiny through his work," Isaac said, "she met hers through enabling his. And she was very happy with that life." "For fifteen years they have been apart. Until the eighteenth of January, which is today." Saint Poul almost smirked. "And now, even as those she left behind mourn... we celebrate, because they are back together, now and forever." "You want to know where they are?" Saint Edward smiled. "Perhaps they're at the prow of a ship, sailing beyond the sunset to new Heavenly lands together. Perhaps they walk the Savannah together, playing with the cats they knew in life. Perhaps they're ice skating through the Cathedral of Creation or travel in Elephants through the Bazaar." "Wherever they are, they are together, at last. And both of them are finally, *truly* in Heaven." Saint Lyon smiled too. "Now tell me, Helper," Isaac asked gently. "Is Saint Robert's report truly important, compared to that?" There are moments who define who one is, and who one will be. For Cobias, this moment surprised him, and changed him. Later, he reported that the work would need to be rescheduled, while Saint Robert saw to more important business. And for those who saw the reliever, they noticed that instead of the emotionless Elohim, he seemed to have taken on some feline aspects, as if reconsidering Fledging as Cherub, those embodiments of Divine Love. In either case, Saint Robert and Saint Virginia gave the Reliever, the Paladin Project, and all unimportant things no thought whatsoever. *** In Memorium Virginia Heinlein - -- Eric A. Burns Freelance Writer and Textual Whore http://www.annotations.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 18:19:31 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: RE: IN> Relievers? What to call them - --- Gregg Forge wrote: > Dischord: Bait So, if an angel with this Discord is awarded a Master-level Distinction, does that make him a... nah, never mind. };> =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always evil." -- Jimmy Carter

__________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 18:48:37 -0800 From: "Vaughn Romero" Subject: IN> RE: 2003: Fiction Piece #1 Very nice story Ryan, your essence is in the mail. Your solution is both plausible and entertaining. Yet, some dark part of me wants to see the following scene occur just afterwards in a far away corner of Shal-Mari. - -Vaughn * * * "Check and mate." "A joke, my Prince?" "Oh, just throwing an old dog a bone. Or was it throwing a bonehead to the dogs? So many details to keep straight, so little Devil in them. But you need not concern yourself with them as you will be delivering a message for me." "Of course, my Prince." "To our ever reliable Valefor of Theft. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he wasn't a Prince. Signed, Kaiser Soze." "Is that all, my Prince?" "No. He will ask you what I want. You are to tell him I want him to steal something. Something that is very precious to me, but that only he can acquire. Tell him I want the Fate of the world." "Of, of course, my Prince." "Don't look so glum, Scapegoat. We always hurt the ones we love, but I'll let you in on a little secret." "Yes, my Prince." "There are going to be a couple of new openings in our organization down here. In fact, your predecessor is about to retire from his current post. What would you say to a job that required you to keep your mouth shut?" "..." "Ah, you learn quickly. I like that in a demon..." ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 23:30:20 -0500 (EST) From: Stephen Dunscombe Subject: IN> Wheels of Fire in the cold My apologies if this has been posted before. I've been through the FAQ and Errata.... and the digest archives don't want to "search" for me...... but: The way the Ofanite of Fire attunement is worded in Sups 3 (and, iirc, in the core rules...), Ofanim of Fire are immune to heat AND cold. Is this the accepted interpretation, or just a quirk of the wording? "Their vessels' energies balance automatically, with any excess being distributed across the rest of the Symphony, *and any deficit made up from it*." Mind you, it makes sense - if Gabriel can move heat /from/ servitors /to/ elsewhere, it makes sense that she can go the other way around. Still, is this the accepted reading? ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 20:31:54 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> 18 January 2003 - --- Whistling in the Dark wrote: (deep bow, left hand over heart) You have saved me quite some time and trouble, sir. My heartfelt thanks. May I perhaps add it to the page? Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 01/21/03 (this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 23:39:33 -0500 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> 18 January 2003 On Saturday, January 25, 2003, at 11:31 PM, Maurice Lane wrote: > You have saved me quite some time and trouble, sir. My > heartfelt thanks. > > May I perhaps add it to the page? > Of course. If you forgive me for creating the Convention Hall without permission. - -- Eric A. Burns Freelance Writer and Textual Whore http://www.annotations.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 21:18:35 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> 18 January 2003 - --- Whistling in the Dark wrote: > > May I perhaps add it to the page? > > > > Of course. If you forgive me for creating the > Convention Hall without > permission. Nothing to forgive. :) ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 01/21/03 (this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 01:08:24 -0500 From: "Josh Moger" Subject: Re: IN> 18 January 2003 In either case, Saint Robert and Saint >Virginia gave the Reliever, the Paladin Project, and all unimportant >things no thought whatsoever. > >*** > >In Memorium >Virginia Heinlein ~_~....... That was really really good. Josh ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 22:42:51 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> Nagahide This is too complicated to explain: suffice it to say that it is Yet Another Piece of Fallout From Arisia, albeit one that existed purely in my head and erupted as a direct result of reading Harry Turtledove's contribution to the con book. So, blame -him-. Moe Nagahide Believe it or not, just about everyone agrees that one of the tragedies of the Purity Crusade was the destruction of the dragons. Of course, just why it was a tragedy varies from entity to entity: some miss the dragons on their own merits... while others simply regret that such a unparalleled resource for body armor was allowed to go extinct. The ethereals known as 'nagas' are firmly in the latter camp, if only because if dragons were still around there's a chance that nobody would be coming after them with flensing knives. Nagahide is pretty much what its name implies: the treated and cured skin of a naga. It's light, flexible and makes very, very good armor (a full body suit is at -6 to hit, Protection 6): it gives an additional +3 Protection to all flame based attacks. This is not quite as good as dragonskin armor (somebody wearing one of those could be killed - eventually - but you'd need to schedule a day or two in order to do the job), but nagas are around and dragons aren't. Best of all, nagahide is so flexible and light that you can make it look like anything else: regular armor types made out of nagahide add 2 to their Modifier to hit and 3 to their Protection, with the additional +3 to flame attacks. The problems with nagahide mostly involve getting some. Unlike (some) dragons, nagas do not shed their skins, which means that harvesting the hide will kill the naga. They naturally object to this. Furthermore, while nagahide can be acquired on either the corporeal or ethereal plane, doing the latter requires the expenditure of 5 Essence to 'fix' the hide so that it can be used on the other two planes. If the hide is not so fixed within a 'week' of acquisition, it melts away when brought to Earth or Heaven/Hell. Nagahide acquired on the corporeal plane does not require Essence 'fixing'... but it also gives no special protection anywhere else. Needless to say, no entity wearing nagahide can ever hope to get a good (read: 'not frothing at the mouth enraged') reaction from a Hindu ethereal, period. Even the ones who aren't all that nice themselves consider it a killing insult. However, the most serious problem with nagahide is frankly political. Nagas are a recognized part of the Hindu pantheon, and Heaven is somewhat leery of breaking the tacit truce that exists between the two groups. As a result, Nagahide is one of those items that Marc won't allow to be Traded in Heaven (and his agents are forbidden to deal in it on Earth), and no reputable Servitor of Creation or Protection will even think of working with the stuff. Hell could itself care less, but they (mostly) recognize that it is hard to win powerful neutrals to your side when you regularly parade around in their flayed skins. Besides, Servitors of the Media usually don't have the proper skill set for armoring and Servitors of Technology consider the entire idea to be so five centuries ago. Nagahide is thus a bit rare. Still, suits of the stuff get made: there are apparently entities willing to do the job if given the raw materials, and certainly the Hindu domain gets hit every so often. Harvesting raids are usually blamed on the Tsayadim; they certainly aren't shy of wearing nagahide, and there's never been any hard-and-fast proof that other groups use them as a cover. Of course, the hides that show up in Hell are suggestive that they condone some deniable harvesting. It's easy to believe that the Tsayadim might have some discreet connection with Heaven; the thought that they might consider Hell less objectionable than the ethereals that they still hunt is a much more serious allegation, or even smear... ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 01/21/03 (this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 10:55:59 -0500 From: "Chris Bergstresser" Subject: RE: IN> Nagahide > -----Original Message----- > From: Maurice Lane > Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 1:43 AM > > Nagahide Interestingly, naugahyde comes from naugas. And it's cruelty-free; naugas willingly and painlessly shed their skin on a regular basis. (The product was made in Naugatuck, CT. Soon after its introduction in the 60's the usual animal-rights-jokes started circulating, and in response the company created the nauga. They produced a significant number of dolls as a promotional gimmick. See (http://www.snopes.com/business/market/nauga.htm). I'd guess there's enough thought invested in them to guarantee a couple small pockets of naugas grazing on the Ethereal plane. As to the properties harvested naugahyde might possess, beyond an increased resistance to liquids, I've no idea.) You can adopt one here -- http://www.nauga.com/adoptanauga2.html - -- Chris ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 11:38:50 -0500 From: EDG Subject: IN> If anyone's interested... Not exactly on-topic, but pretty close: I ran across this auction on eBay; there's probably not a whole lot of utility per se for anyone who doesn't read French, but there might be collection possibilities. (*coughMoecough*) http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3109803742&category=1183 - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 12:47:01 -0500 From: "Chris Bergstresser" Subject: RE: IN> If anyone's interested... Which I now have the high bid on. Not that it'll stand up, but... - -- Chris > -----Original Message----- > From: EDG > Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 11:39 AM > > I ran across this auction on eBay; there's probably not a whole lot of > utility per se for anyone who doesn't read French, but there might be > collection possibilities. (*coughMoecough*) > > http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3109803742&cate > gory=1183 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 19:34:46 +0100 From: "Shadur t'Kharn" Subject: Re: IN> Pushing the Symphony (Re: It's like a rorschach) In other news for Sat, Jan 25, 2003 at 01:00:15AM -0500, Elizabeth McCoy has been seen typing: > At 6:52 PM -0500 1/24/03, Walter Milliken wrote: > >In our games, though not necessarily in canon, there's a sort of "Symphonic > >recoil" when a celestial *forces* someone toward either Fate or Destiny. > I'm pretty sure there's something in Superiors 3 (Yves' section) about > this... There is. Likewise in Gurps: In Nomine. Catch phrases: "Destiny is all about choice. Angels and demons can influence this choice, but everyone must decide what path to follow on their own", and "It's not also not clear how much anyone can be influenced to their final end -- push too hard, say the Servitors of Fate and Destiny, and sometimes the Symphony pushes back." And I'm fairly certain everyone can guess what Kronos does to Servitors who let a particularly promising soul slip through their fingers by pushing too hard... On second thought, I'd rather not guess. I like sleeping at night. > -- > --Beth, arcangel@io.com / archangel@sjgames.com In Nomine Line Editor Shad ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 11:00:56 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: RE: IN> Nagahide - --- Chris Bergstresser wrote: > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Maurice Lane > > Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 1:43 AM > > > > Nagahide > > Interestingly, naugahyde comes from naugas. And > it's cruelty-free; > naugas willingly and painlessly shed their skin on a > regular basis. Subject: IN> In Nomine: First Submission Ever: Jean, Elohite Archangel of Lightning Okay, this is my first submission, so... here goes. I notice as I wrote that this could just as easily be used for a Seraph Archangel of Lightning... The older demons remember. They remember who to fear. They remember the Archangel that sent them scurrying. Not Michael. Not Gabriel. Jean. Sure, he may seem mostly harmless now, but theres a reason most Demon Princes dont push him too hard. They dont want to return to when Lightning meant Divine Retribution. * * * Jean, Elohite Archangel of Lightning "Lightning strikes from above, fast, shocking. Strike like the lightning. This Jean is the thunder and the lightning. He is emotionless, logical, and he strikes with the power of Heaven. He is pure power, and all demons tremble at his coming. Dissonance: It is dissonant for angels of Lightning to delay striking against the forces of Hell for selfish reasons. This dissonance is removed if the angel strikes within (celestial forces) hours. It is dissonant to bring down divine retribution on those who do not (in Jeans opinion) deserve it. This dissonance can be removed by logically proving to Jean that the victim deserved what he got. Choir Attunements: Seraphim: Unsure, need suggestions. Cherubim: Again, not sure. Ofanim: As canonical Attunement. Can also (for 3 essence) travel from any spoy under a thunderstorm to any other spot under another thunderstorm, via bolts of Lightning (4d electrical blast damage at both ends to anything they are standing on). Elohim: It is not dissonant for these angels to strike out of anger, if they have also determined (objectively) that striking is necessary. They can also determine with a glance whether a specific target is deserving (in Jean`s opinion) of striking. Malakim: Can, at will, surround their hands with a nimbus of electricity. This acts as a close combat attack with power equal to the angel`s Celestial forces -1 and accuracy 0. Kyriotates: Kyriotates of Jean can possess entire storms. This takes all of their essence (minimum three) and all of their forces, but for (celestial forces x2) hours they can steer a storm system, and direct it's lightning. The storm's lightning bolts do (force of storm)d6 of electrical damage, and it may throw (force of storm/7, min 1) per round. The force of the storm determines how many forces the Kyriotate must have to possess it, and how powerful it is. A small storm is about 9 forces, while a large storm is 12-15, and a hurricane can be anywhere from 19 to (in the case of truly massive storms) 22 or more. A kyriotate may not use this ability more than once a year. Mercurians: It is not dissonant for Mercurians of Jean to attack Hellsworn humans. Servitor Attunements: Bolt from the Blue: A bolt of lightning flashes from the heavens to strike the target. May not be used indoors. This is a ranged attack with +2 accuracy; if it hits, it does a number of hits equal to the check digit of the roll times the essence used to power it. (Minimum 1.) It also blinds the target for 12 (plus the essence spent to use Bolt from the Blue, minus the victim`s Will) seconds. Distinctions: Vassal of Lightning: Vassals of Lightning strike with great power. They add 2 to the check digits of all offensive Celestial songs. Friend of Thunder: Can use the Song of Thunder at no essence cost, or double the check digit (before adding the bonus from Vassal of Lightning) by choosing to spend the Essence anyway. Master of Divine Retribution: By force of Will, the angel may strike directly at the souls of his opponents. A Master of Divine Retribution always has the option to engage in celestial combat, even while in vessel form. Basic Rites: Spend an hour in a thunderstorm, on a cliff. Soul-kill a demon who deserved it. (2 essence) Chance of Invocation: 2 Invocation Modifiers: +1 Under the sky. +2 Under a stormy sky. +3 Under a thunderstorm. +4 A demons vessel killed by lightning. +5 More than one demons vessel killed by lightning. +6 In the eye of a hurricane. History: This is Jean as he was before there was technology for him to watch over. He moved into that role as technology developed, and as his duties in bringing Divine Lightning down onto the heads of demons was taken over by Gabriel`s obsession with punishing the cruel. * * * Alright, so some of you may be wondering if I'm thinking of running a campaign set in an earlier time. I'm not. Some of you also may be wondering about how balanced some of this is. I tried to keep it balanced, but this is the first write-up I've done, and the only book I used was the basic one. I may also have horribly mangled celestial history, due to not having read most of it. This is derived from the basic book, what I've read online, and a quick scan of teh Angelic Player's Guide. The point of writing this up is simple: There are still a few old-school servitors of Lightning out there. Jean hasn't taken away their attunements or distinctions, he just no longer grants them. Should be a great thing to spring on your PCs. Comments and Criticism? Thanks in Advance, Zach ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 08:31:53 +0800 From: "Janet Anderson" Subject: Re: IN> In Nomine: First Submission Ever: Jean, Elohite Archangel of Lightning Ooo. I not only like this, but you may consider it stolen for my campaign. (I also don't carry canon celestial history in my head, but I think it's correct that Jean's Word used to include Divine Retribution and that the heavy shift to (small t) technology started after Raphael's death. Janet Anderson ************************************************* Seraph: What do we want to do if he turns out to be an infernal? Malakite: I'm kinda hoping we don't find that out definitively. Leaving a long string of bodies behind us isn't a really good idea. - -- _______________________________________________ Get your free email from http://www.graffiti.net Powered by Outblaze ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2946 ********************************