From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Wed Dec 10 16:31:19 1997 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by pyramid.sjgames.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id QAA06130 for ; Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:31:19 -0600 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.8.7/8.8.5) id QAA17264 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:15:13 -0600 Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:15:13 -0600 Message-Id: <199712102215.QAA17264@lists.io.com> From: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com (in_nomine-digest) To: in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Subject: in_nomine-digest V1 #509 Reply-To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Sender: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Errors-To: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Precedence: bulk in_nomine-digest Wednesday, December 10 1997 Volume 01 : Number 509 In this digest: IN> Too Too Solid Flesh - Pt 4 IN> Too Too Solid Flesh - Pt 3 Re: IN> Hellhounds Habbakim of Fate (Re: IN> [FLUFF] Red Dwarf/"Intellectual" shows) HTML & the INC (Re: IN> Fluff: In Nomine Movie Trailers) IN> Bal/Seraphim Anatomy Re: IN> An Awful Noise in the Name of the Lord (was Re: Achmetha) Re: IN> Kyriotates and Vessels Re: IN> What formats are okay for posting? RE: IN> Kyriotates and Vessels ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 06:50:27 +1100 From: "Patrick O'Duffy" Subject: IN> Too Too Solid Flesh - Pt 4 Section 3: Events and Opportunities As this is a largely freeform scenario, there is no set plot as such. This section will hopefully give some meat for play, with locations, items, and possible events for the adventure, including the two big items, the Head and the Enema Pump. The Head of John the Baptist A legendary relic, this is the head of St. John, cut off at the request of Salomè way way back in the New Testament. The head is infused with powerful divine energies, and is one of the oldest and more powerful relics in the world. The Head is a hard artifact to pin down - it has a tendency to become lost (which is why it isn't locked in a Vatican vault at the moment). The Head is the head of an adult Arab man, in his late forties. While withered and damaged by the passage of millennia, it's still largely intact. The Head's eyes have been removed and replaced with bronze orbs, although the eyelids are usually shut. There are also other bronze bits in the Head, prongs and arcs of metal piercing the skull, and it sits on a bronze and hardwood base. The Head has the power to determine the Fate and Destiny of any mortal. Furthermore, it knows just how the human can achieve that Fate/Destiny, and what encouragement will lead them there. The Head gives an oracular message to those who consult it, and while it's always cryptic, it inevitably leads to the mortal's Destiny. Never their Fate - - the Head is a divine object, and cannot be used by demons. Humans with diabolic intent who consult the Head will find that the information will still end up bringing them to their true Destiny. To use the Head, a mortal must touch it bare-handed. They will then involuntarily spend all their Essence (this can't be avoided, even by Soldiers or Saints). If they spend at least 3 points of Essence in this fashion, the Head's eyes will open, blank and bronze. It will look at them and then make a statement that can lead them to their Destiny. The Head is cryptic and more than cryptic, with statements that contain multiple levels of meaning. The recipient of the prediction will have some ability to unravel the message, and will almost always be able to achieve their Destiny. Currently, the Head is in an airtight locked compartment in the cloning labs, complete with Waldo arms and extraction equipment. There's a large incision in the back of the skull, where Lucinda is extracting small pieces of John's brain for study and cloning, hoping to unlock the predictive power of the Head and bend it to serving Fate. The Jade Enema Pump of the Emperor of Shenzau This is a small nozzle about 20 cm long, made of jade, crystal, ebony, bronze and ivory. It's very old - at least a thousand years. It may be Chinese, maybe Japanese - things are unclear. What is definite is its purpose - it's a enema nozzle. You insert it into the user's rectum, and pump your colonic fluids or whatever into the bowel. Lots of fun for all the family, and a popular means of administering medication for centuries. The nozzle is very valuable as an antique, but Dr, Yamaguchi - who found the nozzle a few years ago under mysterious circumstances - believes it has even more valuable properties. Yamaguchi has spent the last few years working on a cancer treatment, partly based on medical science, partially on folk medicine. His medication is made from a base of powdered brown rice, mixed with megavitamin, beta-blockers, amino acids and other medical things, meant for the treatment of bowel cancer. Eating it didn't work so well, inserting it as a colonic worked better, but it still wasn't a cure. But, when Yamaguchi used the Shenzau pump - complete remission of bowel cancer, as well as major improvements in other cancers of the internal organs! A breakthrough. While the power of the enema pump is yet to be explained, there are theories, and Dr. Yamaguchi and his backers hope to crack the mystery soon. They won't. Unfortunately, the whole thing is a 'joke' cooked up by Usagi. The pump has no powers. What Usagi does is use a combination of the Song of Healing, the Song of Light and his Prank attunement. This alleviates the patient's health temporarily, and alters the test results so that it appears the cancer is in remission. He doctors the data to support the idea, then changes the stored data on disc so that when it comes time to finish the joke, Yamaguchi will look like he's been lying all along. The pump is also extremely valuable, and it's always possible that thieves might decide to steal it... The Morgue This is down in the basement. Few people go there except for Irene and the medical examiner - and he never goes there anymore, because Irene scares him shitless. He communicates with her by memo only. The morgue is a big room, all shiny and cold. One wall is lined with pull-out drawers, which is where the bodies are kept. Bodies are rarely out on display, unless things have been busy. There are a couple of large examination tables in the centre of the room, and trays of scalpels, saws, medical equipment and suchlike (possible weapons - Power ranges from 0-2). There are a couple of freezers for medicines, serums etc, all that medical type stuff. In one corner is Irene's desk. It has a bin stuffed with memos that she never reads, and a scrapbook of 'strange death' news notices in one drawer. In the nearest freezer is the head of Johnny, Irene's pet zombi. Johnny sits in a tray of ice and bits of frozen meat. He gibbers, mumbles, and occasionally spits blood. Only one eye still works, and he looks around wildly at anyone nearby. His brain has turned to much, and he's no longer sentient. He is, however, great wild goose chase material once the PCs work out they're looking for a head... The Cloning Laboratory This is Lucinda's home base, up on the tenth floor. It takes up a fair chunk of space - about a quarter of the floor. Entry is by a single airlock-style door, which requires a code number to be entered and an ID card to be swiped through a reader. All the researchers have cards, and they all know the number (1013). However, determined and physical types could just break the doors down (strong Plexiglas). Inside, you have a well set out and comprehensive genetics lab. Workspace, computers, centrifuges and microscopes and stuff like that. There are 8 other researchers here, other than Absalom and Lucinda (see Humans). They have no idea about the true purpose of the work here - - they do other tests and experiments, forming the basis upon which Lucinda works in secret. If PCs talk to them, they will say that Lucinda is good to work with, but that Dr. Absalom can be an arsehole. At the back of the lab is Lucinda and Absalom's office, which is partitioned off and usually locked. This is where the Head is kept, in a glass work box that is usually covered in an opaque metal shell. Strapped to the bottom of Absalom's desk is a sawn-off shotgun. Lucinda keeps her pistol in her desk drawer, or on her person. The files on the computers largely relate to the 'normal' cloning that goes on, with a bare smidgen of info about anomalous material (the Head's brain matter, which the humans have done a small amount of work on without knowing what it is). The real meat is in private and encrypted folders; you need to enter the password (Vapula65000) to get in. This has all the info on the Head, the project, and how far it's progressed. Currently, they've yet to successfully clone brain material that retains the Head's oracular ability, but they're getting close. The last few batches have reacted to stimuli before the stimuli was added, and the feeling is that they will break the secret within the fortnight. Staging These are the things that set the stage for the game, and while they can be modified, they should take place in the following order. The PCs Arrive Once the PCs learn of their mission, they can make their way to the hospital. The media circus is gearing up for the arrival of Dr, Yamaguchi, and bored reporters are smoking and complaining about the heat. There's a decent turnout - a cure of cancer is big, but medical stories aren't normally that exciting, so there's only about 10-15 print reporters and two TV news teams. Give the PCs as much time as they need to get comfortable. Dr. Yamaguchi (about 2pm) After the PCs (and players) are settled, the cry goes up that the Japanese are coming. Two helicopters land in the parking lot; one has Yamaguchi, Usagi and a bodyguard, the other has Kimchi and another guard. The media swarm them as they approach the hospital and are ushered inside by hospital security. After a little while, Yamaguchi makes a statement (a press conference area has been set up on the second floor). The statement is in rather broken English, and he talks about his work, a bit of Zen, and acts generally vague. He doesn't mention the particulars of the cure (the whole enema thing). After a while, he finishes his statement and goes into the hospital (no reporters allowed). Medivac Alert! (about 3.30pm) Just as the conference finishes, word comes in of a fire down in Underwood, and the Medivac team mobilize. People in white overalls pile into helicopters and ambulances and speed off. This gets a small response from the press, who takes a few pictures. If the PCs wish to join the response (and can find a good reason to go along with it), they'll find themselves aiding burn victims at a local metalworks factory. No signs of deliberate arson - just an accident. They may meet Craven and O'Malley at this point. Tarantino Arrives (about 4.30pm) The excitement has well and truly died down at this stage, and only a few reporters are sticking around to keep an eye on things. Suddenly, two limos pull into the parking lot, and out comes... Quentin Tarantino? Along with Duke, Connie (in a wheelchair, and resenting it), Max and the Reservoir Dogs. Quentin laps up the suddenly revitalized media attention, and makes an improptu speech on the steps about checking his mother in to be treated by Yamaguchi. - -- Patrick O'Duffy, Brisbane, Australia The ants are in the sugar The muscles athrophied We're on the other side, the screen is us and we're TV MARILYN MANSON, "Man That You Fear" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Dec 1997 06:48:17 +1100 From: "Patrick O'Duffy" Subject: IN> Too Too Solid Flesh - Pt 3 Section 2: Humans Max Shelby Soldier of Nybbas, Tarantino's bodyguard Corporeal Forces: 3 Strength- 6 Agility- 6 HP: 24 Ethereal Forces: 2 Intelligence- 4 Precision- 5 HP: 8 Celestial Forces: 1 Will- 2 Perception- 2 HP: 2 Status: 2 Essence: 6 Toughness: 1 Driving/ 3, Fighting/ 4, Ranged Weapon/ 4, Japanese/ 2, Move Silently/ 3 (9) Acid/ 3 .45 Pistol, bonus +2 to R. Weapon (Eth. Artifact) Story - Max always wanted to be a movie star, but he was hampered by his total inability to act. Never one to admit to his own shortcomings, though, and capitalizing on his athletic ability, he became a stuntman, while looking for his Big Break. Unfortunately, Max wasn't the most stable man in the world (and still isn't). While doing stunt work for a rather ordinary TV action drama, he developed a crush on Marcy James, the female lead. She did nothing to lead him, but his crush grew into lust, then into obsession. He got thrown off the show for bothering her, but that didn't stop him, and he started stalking her. His work deteriorated, and he was thrown out of the Stuntman's Union, devoting all his time and interest to his obsession with Marcy. Finally, he ended up stalking and murdering her one rainy night. Then Duke stepped in. He'd been watching Max from afar, sizing him up. He made him an offer in exchange for service and his soul. Max had shaky sanity, no money and a body in his lap, and readily agreed. Duke got rid of the body, gave Max a job as Tarantino's bodyguard, gave him infernal power and all the rest. Max rather likes being a Soldier of Hell. Never burdened with anything like morality, he sees it as a way of getting what he wants. He obeys Duke out of fear more than loyalty - he knows Duke has the evidence of his murders (yes, plural - Max is the obsessive type), and would release the evidence if he crosses him. He doesn't much care for people, and they often don't care for him. Quentin tolerates him as a necessity, and Connie hates him but can't do anything about it. Max lords his position, his physical fitness, and anything else he can find over others. He has an overconfidence problem, and thinks he's way cool. If things come to blows, he'll scream down hospital corridors on his motorbike, guns blazing, damn the consequences. Max has two main problems. First, his overconfidence. Second, his obsession with attractive women. When meeting a female PC or NPC, make a reaction roll for Max. If the check digit of a successful result is 5 or 6, Max will become obsessed with that character and begin to stalk them. He'll only stalk one woman at a time - if more than one character qualifies, choose the most interesting one. Quentin Tarantino Film Director Corporeal Forces: 1 Strength- 2 Agility- 2 HP: 2 Ethereal Forces: 2 Intelligence- 5 Precision- 4 HP: 10 Celestial Forces: 2 Will- 4 Perception- 5 HP: 8 Status: 6 Essence: 5 Artistry (Screenwriting)/ 4, Emote/ 2, Fast-Talk/ 3, Knowledge (Hollywood)/ 5, Knowledge (Acting)/ 3 Story - It's Quentin Tarantino, man... you know enough about him already. He's shooting a film at MovieWorld, and has been drawn into this by Duke, his manager. Tarantino's fame has gone right to his head, and he's become used to being obeyed. He also plays his image as the famous director to the hilt - butting into conversations, mapping out camera angles with his hands, trying to get laid... and so on. Once you get past the image and the ego, Quentin's a decent guy. He cares about his mother, and is terrified that she might die of cancer. He wants to find out if the Yamaguchi treatment is for real, and to cure his Mom. Of course, he'll try and get this done by throwing his weight around and being a dickhead. Quentin knows nothing about the War, and would never suspect the truth about Duke and Max. If he finds out... well, he probably wouldn't believe it anyway. Then he'd stick something similar into one of his films. Connie Tarantino Mother and Comics Buff Corporeal Forces: 1 Strength- 2 Agility- 2 HP: 2 Ethereal Forces: 2 Intelligence- 5 Precision- 4 HP: 10 Celestial Forces: 2 Will- 4 Perception- 5 HP: 8 Status: 4 Essence: 5 Knowledge (Comics)/ 3, Emote/ 2, Driving/ 2, Japanese/2 Story - Connie Tarantino's just an ordinary American mother whose son happens to be rich and famous. And like a good mother, she's used her relationship with her boy to get her own cut of the action. In all honesty, Connie's a nice lady. Kind, sincere, bright and perky, she might be getting a little old but she's got lots of energy. Her hobby is collecting comic books, mainly alternative and offbeat stuff, and with the money that Quentin gives her, she can afford to indulge in things like original art, signed comics, statues and all that other junk that most collector's can only dream of. Connie doesn't have a problem with Quentin's movies - she's hipper than she looks - but she's not crazy about some of his associates. She dislikes Duke and Max very much - she doesn't trust them in the slightest, and she tries to use her influence with Quentin to distance him from them. This is one reason why Duke has targeted her. He's used his resonance to convince her that she has liver cancer (nasty), and that she doesn't have more than a year to live. This comes just as she's taking a holiday with Quentin in Australia (while he makes his new movie). Quentin has rushed her to Bethlehem West in the hope of getting Dr. Yamaguchi to treat her. Connie does believe she has cancer, and feels the symptomatic pains, but doesn't let it slow her down. She's canny and clever, and keeps her eyes and ears open. If she takes a shine to the PCs, she could be a helpful source of information on Duke and Max (although she doesn't know about their true natures), and about other things in the hospital she comes into contact with. Think a younger, tougher Miss Marple. Oh, and she's not above using the PCs for her own ends - whether it's getting them to take down Duke, or just running into town to buy back-issues. Motofusa Yamaguchi Eccentric Medical Researcher Corporeal Forces: 1 Strength- 2 Agility- 2 HP: 2 Ethereal Forces: 3 Intelligence- 6 Precision- 6 HP: 18 Celestial Forces: 1 Will- 2 Perception- 2 HP: 2 Status: 5 Essence: 5 Medicine/ 6, Knowledge (Medical Science)/ 6, Chemistry/ 4, English/ 1 Story - Dr. Yamaguchi is a bona-fide genius in the field of medical research. But like many geniuses, he has some fairly strange ideas and practices. At the moment, the strangest idea he has is about his cancer cure, which involves a mixture of brown rice, vitamins and minerals being pumped into the patient as an enema. Healthy, sure, but not what would normally cure cancer. But - if you use the special enema pump, the ancient Shenzau jade pump - then the mixture will actually cure cancer! Not just bowel cancer, but cancer of most internal organs! Very strange, true, but so far research is very promising. As to why only this enema pump works - well, sometimes Dr. Yamaguchi talks about the unique atomic structure of the time-worn jade, of the pump's slight magnetic field. But mostly he talks about the planet Sirius, about Zen and ancient Japanese mysticism. Half the time, no-one knows what the hell he's on about. Dr. Yamaguchi has trouble dealing with the world outside his head - it could even be a minor form of autism! He combines the stereotypes of the inscrutable Oriental and the absent-minded professor. All that he really can concentrate on is his research and his strange ideas about the world. Oh, and golf. He loves golf. Unbeknownst to Usagi, Yamaguchi's Destiny is to be a major player in the discovery of a cure for cancer - and his Fate is to become a discredited laughing stock. If Usagi or Absalom every realize this, things could change very quickly. Yamaguchi is no more than a pawn in this game, and doesn't realize that the 'cure' is a trick concocted by Usagi. If he finds out, though, he won't lose faith. He'll just keep working at finding a cure that works. Author's Note: Dr. Yamaguchi, and indeed the whole enema pump idea, is pretty much lifted wholesale from the Tom Robbins novel, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas. A decent book, if rather self indulgent. Reading it will probably give a much better idea of the way Dr. Yamaguchi behaves than the above material does. Kimchi Hida Flirtatious Research Assistant Corporeal Forces: 2 Strength- 3 Agility- 5 HP: 6 Ethereal Forces: 2 Intelligence- 4 Precision- 4 HP: 8 Celestial Forces: 1 Will- 2 Perception- 2 HP: 2 Status: 3 Essence: 5 Charisma: 2 (Sex appeal) Medicine/ 3, Fighting/ 2, Computer Operation/ 3, English/ 2, Lying/ 2, Seduction/ 2 Story - Kimchi is one of Dr. Yamaguchi's assistants (Usagi is the other). She got the job through her father's connections , but though she's competent enough, she's so bored. She wants to be a model, or a actress, or a singer, or... something interesting. Instead she's here in this country where it's too hot, and all the boys are gaijin, and her silly boss talks such nonsense. So, Kimchi chats up boys and tries to have fun. Any male PCs that she makes a good reaction roll against will have her trying hard to get them into bed, or at least to take her out and show her a good time. She was seeing Usagi for a while, but his weird sense of humor drove her away. Anyway, he made her feel tired and worn-out all the time. Kimchi has zero interest in the War, and won't believe in it if it crops up. She serves mainly as comic relief and as a entry into Dr. Yamaguchi's group. Dr Archibald (Arch) Craven Medivac doctor Corporeal Forces: 1 Strength- 2 Agility- 2 HP: 2 Ethereal Forces: 2 Intelligence- 5 Precision- 5 HP: 10 Celestial Forces: 2 Will- 4 Perception- 5 HP: 8 Status: 5 Essence: 5 Computer Operation/ 2, Detect Lies/ 2, Driving/ 3, Knowledge (Drumming)/ 3, Medicine/ 5 Story - On the surface Arch is all swagger and attitude, complete with shaved head, earring, tattoos and bikie leathers. He spends his free time playing drums in a rhythm and blues band. His attitude is a manifestation of his determination to rebel against his wealthy background. Despite appearances, Arch comes from an extremely conservative family and was educated in private schools. Arch is highly intelligent and an extremely good doctor. His caring nature makes him more popular with the nursing staff than the other doctors. He shares his small house with his Harley, which takes pride of place in the living room Arch knows nothing about the demonic infestation of Bethlehem West. Irene freaks him out, and he avoids her. He has heard a little about the 'experiments' in the labs, and is slightly curious. He has been struck by the fact that Harry is acting a little oddly recently, but puts it down to a mid-life crisis (and possibly alcohol). He finds the Yamaguchi media circus quite amusing, and wants Tarantino's autograph. Arch is a strong ally for the PCs, and a good candidate for Soldier status. He doesn't believe in God, but will change his mind if he sees proof. Dr. Caroline O'Malley Medivac doctor Corporeal Forces: 1 Strength- 2 Agility- 2 HP: 2 Ethereal Forces: 2 Intelligence-5 Precision- 5 HP: 10 Celestial Forces: 2 Will- 5 Perception- 4 HP: 10 Status: 5 Essence: 5 Medicine/ 5, Chemistry/ 2, Computer Ops/ 2, Lying/ 2, Throwing/ 3 Story - Caroline has been a doctor for quite a few years. She's a nice, friendly woman, good bedside manner, committed to her patients, plays netball and reads detective stories in her free time. And she has bowel cancer. She found out in a routine check-up a few months ago, and it's hit her hard. She's been a member of the Uniting Church all her life, but she's really losing faith at the moment. She's divorced, single for a while, no children, no one to really turn to. She's throwing herself into Medivac work very hard to avoid thinking about the cancer, and about the fact that she probably has less than a year to live, but it preys on her mind. She's started taking painkillers in secret, stealing them from the supply cabinets, and doesn't want anyone to know (not addicted yet, but maybe soon). She sees the visit by Dr. Yamaguchi as being her only hope. She's keeping tabs on the events, desperate for a chance at life. She could be an ally for the PCs - or she could be co-opted by the demons to be an undercover agent. She's a good person, but she's run out of hope and doesn't want to die. The PCs could attempt to cure her, or give her her faith back, or just give her a chance to share her feelings. Generic Humans As well as the named PCs above, there are a whole host of other humans running around Bethlehem West. Technical Types Doctors, nurses, medical officers, researchers and the like. The skills they have depend on what they do. Assume that they have 2 Ethereal Forces, with the rest split between Corporeal and Celestial. Medivac officers are doctors and paramedics, often very focused on their job. The cloning researchers don't know about the Head - their work forms the infrastructure upon which Lucinda builds. Combat Types There are a few bodyguards and biffy types in the hospital right now. They usually have 2 Corporeal Forces, 2 Ethereal and 1 Celestial, although really tough types might have 3 Corporeal and only 1 Celestial and Ethereal. None of them have guns (this is Brisbane, remember), but will have an appropriate close combat skill at 3 or 4. As well as Max Shelby, Tarantino has a couple of Australian bodyguards, Kim Davidson (female) and Tony Olivetti (male). They're armed with truncheons and know some martial arts. Tarantino refers to them as the Reservoir Dogs and makes them dress appropriately, and they're really not impressed by that. They work for the movie studio, and don't care much for Shelby. Dr. Yamaguchi has two efficient Japanese gentlemen who keep a careful eye on him. They know martial arts, but will only fight as a last resort. They will do their best to protect the doctor if things get dangerous. No one ever mentions their names. Patients Pretty much all sorts, young/old, male/female, rich(ish)/poor. The hospital is in the southern part of Brisbane, halfway between middle-class and poor areas, and the clientele are often from the poorer parts. Richer patients will have private rooms on the 7th floor, while the poor share wards. The patient load increases with the news of Yamaguchi's cure - cancer patients, unsurprisingly. There are some desperate people who want to get their health back. For some PCs, the patients are a faceless backdrop. Others will want to interact with them as much as possible. If you've got Kyriotate PCs, this might well form their main pool of Hosts. Flesh out some ideas and try and keep things varied. - -- Patrick O'Duffy, Brisbane, Australia The ants are in the sugar The muscles athrophied We're on the other side, the screen is us and we're TV MARILYN MANSON, "Man That You Fear" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 14:31:55 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Hellhounds At 7:34 AM -0600 12/9/97, Shadowcat wrote: >On Mon, 8 Dec 1997, Elizabeth McCoy wrote: > > [Huge cut of munchkin bait] >> B: say yes and provide proof in various ways as to why it's bad >> for something big and mean and combat effective to have a low Will -- >> you can order it around, but so can anyone with... Song of Charm, >> various demonic resonances, Fast-Talk, Song of Possession, Kyrio >> resonance, various fun attunements (something like that, try >> Divine Logic)... > > Would the Hellhound give off noice in the symphony just for >existing? I had origanaly thought it would but on later looks I'm not >sure. I don't think it would, no -- it's a celestial creature, but so long as it's not spending Essence, using Songs, or destroying mundane things... - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 15:20:17 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Habbakim of Fate (Re: IN> [FLUFF] Red Dwarf/"Intellectual" shows) At 11:43 AM -0600 12/9/97, Redneck Gaijin wrote: [...] > (3) I will never do anything which will lead a soul to its >bright Destiny. > (4) I will obey Kronos' will in all things. [...] > How's -that-? }:-{D Since #3 is already a Fate dissonance condition, and #4 is just plain smart thinking, *I'd* make you re-do those to something more meaningful... Personally. emccoy@nh.ultranet.com, Uppity Wynch http://brie.bmsc.washington.edu/people/merritt/books/Eye_of_Argon.html "rumoured to contain hoards of plunder, and many young wenches" Mike [falsetto]: "We're tired of these degrading patriachical slurs! From now on we demand to be called 'wynchys.'" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 14:29:18 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: HTML & the INC (Re: IN> Fluff: In Nomine Movie Trailers) At 10:24 PM -0500 12/8/97, Emily Dresner wrote: >Ahem. It sounds like you all need HTMLmail, an old PERL script which will >take your ASCII mail and turn it into HTML-ized web pages. Not pretty, >but with making some stock Head/Body tags in seperate files and a text >editor, you can crank stuff out much faster then by hand. I used to >use it for archiving Starweb turns. For the price of your soul, I will go >looking around and find it. It's an old UNIX utility. > >If not, Beth and assorted servitors, I will WRITE you something rough, >quick, dirty and lame to haul in the page, parse it, and spit out the >HTML when I ought to be writing Win95 security software. > >- Em, Demon of LEGO, the Happy Sparc 20 Eeep! Um, will it run on a Mac? - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:15:12 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: IN> Bal/Seraphim Anatomy At 10:16 AM -0500 12/9/97, IQJason@aol.com wrote: >Emily writes: >Speaking of the bal/seraphim...isn't it strange that all six eyes face front >the way they do, and in the typical predator pairs? I'd think they'd circle >the head like a crown (or a halo) as to see the truth from all sides... Hmmmm..... Okay, I'm weird now. #1: It's a matter of choice, and their eyes can wander around their scaly little heads to their heart's content. #2: They have compound eyes that bulge up a little, giving some better perspectives. #3: they *do* have predator pairs, since that gives them better depth perception (2 is the *minimum* -- more gives *better* distance judging, if I remember my SF anatomy right). Their flexible snakely bodies allow them to focus on just about everything, just not all at once. #4: those are only the eyes that you *see*... Note the .sig has no reference to my titles. At 11:08 AM -0500 12/9/97, Earl Wajenberg wrote: >gantr@NKU.EDU wrote: > >Ditto the multiple wings. Seraphim appear in the Bible only once, in >a vision of Isaiah's, where they are described as having six wings >(and FEET, which rather rules out snakes). The Four Living Creatures >have four wings each in Ezekiel, six in Revelation. I thought that the wings were *covering* the feet -- maybe they *don't* have feet, and that's what they were hiding...? O:> Hm... My Angel Dictionary (Gustav Davidson) says: "4 faces and 6 wings." Which would mean they're missing 4 wings and 2 eyes... It also says, "the Isaiah mention is the only one to seraphim in the Old Testament, unless the expression 'firey serpents' (Numbers 12:6) may be taken to denote them." emccoy@nh.ultranet.com, Uppity Wynch http://brie.bmsc.washington.edu/people/merritt/books/Eye_of_Argon.html "rumoured to contain hoards of plunder, and many young wenches" Mike [falsetto]: "We're tired of these degrading patriachical slurs! From now on we demand to be called 'wynchys.'" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 14:43:47 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> An Awful Noise in the Name of the Lord (was Re: Achmetha) At 12:50 AM -0500 12/9/97, Pee Kitty wrote: >On Mon, 8 Dec 1997, Elizabeth McCoy wrote: > >> At 10:03 PM -0500 12/5/97, Pee Kitty wrote: >> >no disturbance, taking one combat round to do so. Why the change? >> > >> So -- a Shedite *can* do a quiet body hop, or a noisy one. > >Okay, I gotcha. Any change of getting a sneak preview of just how the >rules are gonna work when they get finalized? I hate dropping changes on >my players like that all sudden-like... I can manage this, I think... Disclaimer: The book will be going by Other Superiors Than I before it goes to press. Anything that happens there, happens down in Austin, and I don't get to know until I get my own copy. (And if I find any inconsistancies, I take dissonance. *sniffle*) What I believe to be the rules: The Sheddie touches the target, and (its player) states the intention to make a "silent" transfer. It takes (Forces) seconds to accomplish, can't be done with violent moving (i.e., in combat), and the rolls are made at the end of that time. If the resonance fails or the target resists, the Shedite goes >BONG< as it assumes celestial form. If physical contact is broken, the Shedite remains in the current host. Dentists, surgeons, or other people who can maintain contineous contact for a couple of combat rounds are wonderful "transfer" hosts for Shedim -- they slip from Joe to Dr. to Jill, and no one is the wiser... I don't think it's going to require a roll at a penalty, since it takes both contact *and* extra time. But that's one of the things that might get put in. (If a GM felt like it, they might let the Sheddie take a penalty to the roll in an attempt to ooze faster -- perhaps for every -1 to the target number, it takes -1 seconds (minimum 1)? But that's a GM call, since it adds rather a bit more complexity to an already complex Band.) - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 15:49:55 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Kyriotates and Vessels At 11:55 PM -0700 12/8/97, Kingsley Lintz wrote: > So...give me just one logical reason why a Celestial who has a >Vessel taken over by a Kyriotate CAN'T just ascend back to Heaven and come >back down in their other Vessel? They can, according to the APG. (Actually, they don't even have to ascend, from the wording of the text, but that may be slightly wonky.) At the end of the possession, the vessel vanishes back into the original owner's potentiality back pocket. (Yes, celestials and characters from Toon have some similarities...) Of course, a Kyrio in a friend's vessel *is* going to have tied up 9+ Forces doing it (it took that many to displace all the owner's Forces, and using any less, subsequently, will destablize the vessel's existance, snapping it back into potentiality (*)). And the friend will make the usual BONG coming back to Earth in his spare vessel. Not a problem if you have a friendly Tether, perhaps. Anywhere else, though, it's starting to invite problems... And it *does* pool all their Forces in one place, which is a very un-Kyrio thing to do! I'd think a GM would be perfectly within his rights to say a Kyrio doing that too often is going to start taking dissonance. I'd *personally* also inflict some kind of celestial punishment for leaving a vessel wounded -- perhaps Mind Hits, if not dissonance, and certainly an annoyed friend! (Remember, the vessel will remain wounded in potentiality! It will have to be swapped into by the owner, and then healed!) (*) If the owner suddenly is granted a Force (from 9 to 10, say), the Kyrio doesn't automatically need 10 Forces to control his borrowed vessel. He took it over with 9, and it requires only 9 to be stable. Next time he takes over his buddy's vessel, though, he *will* need 10 -- once committed to displacing someone else's Forces, the Kyrio's Forces *cannot* be relocated. Think of it as someone sliding into a suit -- without arms, legs, torso, etc., the suit will collapse and look funny. The shape and size of the "suit" depends on what the original owner looked like. Kyriotates with living vessels (Laurencians and Michaelites) *also* have their Forces tied up in those vessels -- even when the vessel is in potentiality! (The Forces used have to be specially warped...) If the vessel is destroyed, the Forces are freed up. >> Bingo. Kyriotates are inherently non-corporeal -- unlike other celestials, >> it is not in their nature to anchor themselves to and identify with one >> form at a time for an indefinite period. This is true of Shedim also, but >> even more so for Kyriotates. > Sooo....why are Kyriotates, even less able to anchor to a single >Vessel than Shedim, able to anchor to a single Vessel, which Shedim can't? Shedim don't displace the host-Forces, they mingle with them. It's obviously something to do with that qualitative difference between human souls and celestial souls. A Shedite can't mingle with another celestial (too intimate? their twisted minds recoil from the idea utterly?), but can seep into a human soul. Animals have simpler souls, without the nice niches and crannies that a Shedite settles into. (Though Rusty the K-9 of God might count as sentient enough for Shedite possession, if a GM wanted to let a dog-Saint be sentient enough to generate those dark places in the soul where Shedim hide!) A Kyrio just boots the former owner out and doesn't worry about anything but settling into the driver's seat. >[...] Bear in mind in this that I'm -not- arguing >that Shedim should be able to do it...I just REALLY don't like it for >Kyrios. Time for a GM house rule, probably. It's *your* game, you get to decide which rules you want! I can certainly see how it could be useful. [HAH! I found the celestial form thing! p. 54 of the forthcoming APG: "assuming their time-limited celestial form and disturbing the Symphony."] - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 17:11:36 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> What formats are okay for posting? At 7:18 PM +1100 12/10/97, Patrick O'Duffy wrote: > Is it okay to post attached documents to this list? NO! (Though the partial stuff is probably 'kay. Just everybody try not to make *too* much of a habit of it?) > I've been working >on an IN adventure in Word, and I'd like some feedback, but converting >the whole thing (30 pages) to text and sticking it into a message would >be real unwieldy. Any advice? Got a web-page? Want to see it on the INC? Or I can put it on my pages and just give out the URL. (If it's HTML-ized somewhat, *I* can take it as an attachment.) A tip for quick and dirty HTML conversion from VapuSoft Word. Do a Change command. Find "^p" (the paragraph marker thingy) and replace with "

^p

". Replace all. At the top, add the first

. At the bottom, delete the unnecessary

. Then, at the top, add: [your title here] and at the bottom, add Mark Italics either with _ or * or whatever ascii conversion you want, or by surrounding it with (e.g., thing in italics). - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 14:13:38 -0800 From: "Steven Feldon (Exchange)" Subject: RE: IN> Kyriotates and Vessels Since I'm just now considering David for a role in my campaign, I'm just now realizing this: there's no wording in the listing for Kyriotates of Stone that would indicate that their vessels "tie up" forces. Is this the silent extra benefit of having "vessels" that don't really look like people? steve -----Original Message----- From: Elizabeth McCoy [SMTP:emccoy@nh.ultranet.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 1997 12:50 PM To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Subject: Re: IN> Kyriotates and Vessels At 11:55 PM -0700 12/8/97, Kingsley Lintz wrote: > So...give me just one logical reason why a Celestial who has a >Vessel taken over by a Kyriotate CAN'T just ascend back to Heaven and come >back down in their other Vessel? They can, according to the APG. (Actually, they don't even have to ascend, from the wording of the text, but that may be slightly wonky.) At the end of the possession, the vessel vanishes back into the original owner's potentiality back pocket. (Yes, celestials and characters from Toon have some similarities...) Of course, a Kyrio in a friend's vessel *is* going to have tied up 9+ Forces doing it (it took that many to displace all the owner's Forces, and using any less, subsequently, will destablize the vessel's existance, snapping it back into potentiality (*)). And the friend will make the usual BONG coming back to Earth in his spare vessel. Not a problem if you have a friendly Tether, perhaps. Anywhere else, though, it's starting to invite problems... And it *does* pool all their Forces in one place, which is a very un-Kyrio thing to do! I'd think a GM would be perfectly within his rights to say a Kyrio doing that too often is going to start taking dissonance. I'd *personally* also inflict some kind of celestial punishment for leaving a vessel wounded -- perhaps Mind Hits, if not dissonance, and certainly an annoyed friend! (Remember, the vessel will remain wounded in potentiality! It will have to be swapped into by the owner, and then healed!) (*) If the owner suddenly is granted a Force (from 9 to 10, say), the Kyrio doesn't automatically need 10 Forces to control his borrowed vessel. He took it over with 9, and it requires only 9 to be stable. Next time he takes over his buddy's vessel, though, he *will* need 10 -- once committed to displacing someone else's Forces, the Kyrio's Forces *cannot* be relocated. Think of it as someone sliding into a suit -- without arms, legs, torso, etc., the suit will collapse and look funny. The shape and size of the "suit" depends on what the original owner looked like. Kyriotates with living vessels (Laurencians and Michaelites) *also* have their Forces tied up in those vessels -- even when the vessel is in potentiality! (The Forces used have to be specially warped...) If the vessel is destroyed, the Forces are freed up. >> Bingo. Kyriotates are inherently non-corporeal -- unlike other celestials, >> it is not in their nature to anchor themselves to and identify with one >> form at a time for an indefinite period. This is true of Shedim also, but >> even more so for Kyriotates. > Sooo....why are Kyriotates, even less able to anchor to a single >Vessel than Shedim, able to anchor to a single Vessel, which Shedim can't? Shedim don't displace the host-Forces, they mingle with them. It's obviously something to do with that qualitative difference between human souls and celestial souls. A Shedite can't mingle with another celestial (too intimate? their twisted minds recoil from the idea utterly?), but can seep into a human soul. Animals have simpler souls, without the nice niches and crannies that a Shedite settles into. (Though Rusty the K-9 of God might count as sentient enough for Shedite possession, if a GM wanted to let a dog-Saint be sentient enough to generate those dark places in the soul where Shedim hide!) A Kyrio just boots the former owner out and doesn't worry about anything but settling into the driver's seat. >[...] Bear in mind in this that I'm -not- arguing >that Shedim should be able to do it...I just REALLY don't like it for >Kyrios. Time for a GM house rule, probably. It's *your* game, you get to decide which rules you want! I can certainly see how it could be useful. [HAH! I found the celestial form thing! p. 54 of the forthcoming APG: "assuming their time-limited celestial form and disturbing the Symphony."] --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #509 ******************************* The material here is (C) 1997 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.