From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Fri Oct 27 20:20:17 2000 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (majordom@lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by pyramid.sjgames.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id UAA00117 for ; Fri, 27 Oct 2000 20:20:16 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.9.3/8.9.1a) id UAA11903 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Fri, 27 Oct 2000 20:19:33 -0500 Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 20:19:33 -0500 Message-Id: <200010280119.UAA11903@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 #1883 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 Friday, October 27 2000 Volume 01 : Number 1883 In this digest: Re: IN> Lilith's Geas Fair Re: IN> Hatiphas question IN> Re: Re: Malakite Option Re: IN> Hatiphas question Re: IN> Re: Re: Malakite Option Re: IN> Impudite resonance (was Hatiphas question) IN> Re: Balakim Re: IN> Re: Malakite Option IN> Sidekicks Re: IN> You know, I'm willing to bet that Talmudic Scholars might enjoy IN quite well. Re: IN> Impudite resonance (was Hatiphas question) IN> Re: Ancient Malakim Re: IN> Re: Ancient Malakim IN> Gebbeleth: Demon Prince of Secrets (Deceased, Background) IN> Gebbeleth (Statistics) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 15:26:03 EDT From: Samovar3@aol.com Subject: Re: IN> Lilith's Geas Fair >What? Not a travelling folk music concert? Not even once? >I want a refund. You see, that was set up as a distraction for Judgement, the Game, Revelations, and Secrets. They all _knew_ that something had to be going on with that, but it was mostly innocent (from the celestial activity view, anyway). The lilim of Dark Humor that set it up got kudos from both Kobal and Lilith. Sam ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 13:03:23 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Hatiphas question Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 12:15:16 -0500 From: David Edelstein Subject: Re: IN> Hatiphas question Maurice Lane wrote: >> You know, none of this would matter if someone here >> wrote out Hatiphas, Demon Princess of Sorcery. >> >> Hint. Hint. >You can already find her character sheet in the CPG. >It wouldn't be too hard to extrapolate from that. Not hard at all, but I'm feeling lazy.* :) Moe *Besides, if I do, it'll just come out gonzo. There's not a chance on the three planes that I can expand something like that without it becoming gonzo... :) ===== In Nomine stuff: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Everything else (not that there is, right now): http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/main.html Last updated 9/5/00 (this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 13:23:36 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> Re: Re: Malakite Option Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 14:00:21 -0400 From: Marc Bowden Subject: Re: IN> Re: Malakite Option - - --On Friday, October 27, 2000 1:24 PM -0400 Jonathan Walton wrote: >> By the way, are there any established rules or >> descriptions about how an angel of another choir >> becomes a Malakite? > The only way *I'm* personally aware of is a direct >act of God, as a manifestation of his wrath. "Okay. >Enough is enough. *BLIP!*" > > I can't remember this happening since the Fall. >Causing God to get that torqued off isn't, I imagine, >high on the list of Things to Do for any demon >smarter than, say, a coffee table. Really? I always interpeted it as an "angel getting transcendently pissed off" type of event* - the Superiors cooked off first, and the resulting warp of the Symphony allowed the non-Superiors to hook into the juice. No deity mojo needed. That's how I justified my Heretical She Who Really Must Be Revised. Is there actually canon? I haven't memorized _all_ the books yet... :) Moe *Now _there's_ a thought. If the original Malakritters got that way by getting supremely angry and enraged, what precisely _would_ happen if one of them calmed down? Hmmm... the Higher Heavens are pretty calm places, wouldn't you think? :) ===== In Nomine stuff: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Everything else (not that there is, right now): http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/main.html Last updated 9/5/00 (this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 15:17:00 -0500 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: Re: IN> Hatiphas question - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Maurice Lane" To: Sent: Friday, October 27, 2000 3:03 PM Subject: Re: IN> Hatiphas question [snip] > >You can already find her character sheet in the CPG. > >It wouldn't be too hard to extrapolate from that. > > Not hard at all, but I'm feeling lazy.* :) > > Moe > > *Besides, if I do, it'll just come out gonzo. There's > not a chance on the three planes that I can expand > something like that without it becoming gonzo... :) Oh, come now. You did that writeup/expansion of Lynoure, Demon Princess of Shadows, quite seriously. http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine/superiors/Lynoure.htm It's just the *alternate* writeup that became a little *coughbloodyhilariouscough* silly... http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine/superiors/Lynouresilly.htm - -- Chuckg (Who's looking forward to seeing both the Serious and the Silly Hatiphas... come on, Moe, you *know* you want to. You *know*... .. oh, dear Lord. *I'M* the Shedite this time!!! *LOL*) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 15:19:47 -0500 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: Re: IN> Re: Re: Malakite Option - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Maurice Lane" To: Sent: Friday, October 27, 2000 3:23 PM Subject: IN> Re: Re: Malakite Option [snip] > Really? I always interpeted it as an "angel getting > transcendently pissed off" type of event* - the > Superiors cooked off first, and the resulting warp of > the Symphony allowed the non-Superiors to hook into > the juice. No deity mojo needed. That's how I > justified my Heretical She Who Really Must Be Revised. Well, you could try changing the word "pollution" to "weeds" in that initial quote of hers... much better metaphor, under the circumstances... I.e. -- "The world is still a garden. I've just gotten tired of all the weeds." Outside of that, re: revising? I dunno. > Is there actually canon? I haven't memorized _all_ > the books yet... :) Here's a possible fudge... Yes, an angel must get transcedently pissed off. "Transcendently" meaning "It took something as emotionally intense as the Fall for this to happen..." However, that's for ordinary angels. A *Superior*, under conditions of ultimate stress, with a Divine Intervention... then it just might be possible. However, no Superior has *been* so particularly stressed since the Fall... (More on this in private.) - -- Chuckg ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 16:48:27 -0400 From: "Krishnaswami, Neel" Subject: Re: IN> Impudite resonance (was Hatiphas question) Jo Hart wrote: > > [The Impudite resonance] > > It's much better for NPCs than PCs, because it really isn't very > interesting to RP the Impudite resonating crowds of people to get > Essence. Unfortunately, in a typical RP situation, the demon is very > unlikely to be able to charm anyone when it would be _useful_ (ie. the > policeman guarding the evidence of last night's break-in) without > spending quite a lot of Essence. Let's face it, how crap is that > attunement when it would be easier and less expensive to just use an > Ethereal Song of Attraction on the victim? And you don't even need to > be an Impudite to do it. What Jo said. Each type of demon is basically a riff on the idea of demon, and gets a resonance as the hook that makes it fun to play. Lilim are the tempters armed with diabolical contracts, Balseraphs are arch-liars, Shedim are bodiless possessing corruptors, and so on. What makes Impudites fun is that they are Instant Love Machines -- they can treat all the people around them in the most appalling fashion imaginable and everyone will still love them. Think of the Sex Pistols systematically wrecking every hotel they stayed in. Think of the prima donna who refused to perform because her dressing room was painted forest green when she asked for teal. A Will 12 Impudite should be able to pick up a cute chick with a sock puppet and a smirk. It should be able to make wearing a five thousand dollar designer outfit look like a statement of rebellion against society. It should be able to wear sunglasses after dark, and look cool doing it. It should be able to show up at a chic restuarant on a Friday evening without a reservation and convince the maitre de to get it a table anyway. If they can't do that, then what's the point? Being able to recharge Essence in off-screen glad-handing is a fine power, but there's no roleplaying juice in it, no chance for the player to ham it up and make all the other PCs envious. And in the end that's the important thing. :) - -- Neel Krishnaswami neelk@cswcasa.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 16:55:03 -0400 From: Jonathan Walton Subject: IN> Re: Balakim > Besides, Balakim don't have to have the "destroy evil" oath Y'know, the thought just hit me. I think Balakim should _have_ to take the "destroy evil" oath . . . . . . And then just convince themselves that whatever they want to destroy is, in fact, _evil_. Besides, I always figured that Balseraphs of Fate manifested their band attunement by believing, deep down in their own personal symphonies, that they were angels of a specific band. So, Balakim would actually believe that they were Malakim and that they spent their time destroying all those "evil" members of the heavenly host. I find it rather beautiful actually. Better than Habbalah. Later. Jonathan ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 14:02:52 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Re: Malakite Option - --- Jonathan Walton wrote: > By the way, are there any established rules or descriptions about how > an > angel of another choir becomes a Malakite? I don't remember there > being one in the APG. There are no rules for it. In canon, the conversion of some angels into Malakim was a one-time deal that happened right after the Fall -- which suggests that God Himself intervened to create a new Choir to fill a new need. After that, all Malakim were created Malakim. If you want a set of non-canonical rules for Malakite conversion to use in your campaign, I suggest making it a process as rigorous (and potentially fatal) as Redemption. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "I wondered why somebody didn't do something. Then I realized that I was somebody." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 14:08:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: IN> Sidekicks Here's my entry into the "Sidekicks" contest. He's designed to be suitable for use as a sponsor for angelic PC's - or a big stick with which to threaten demonic PC's. Coleon Cherub of Protection Angel of Bodyguards Forces: Corporeal/6 (Strength/12, Agility/12) Ethereal/4 (Intelligence/7, Precision/9) Celestial/5 (Perception/11, Will/9) Vessel/6 (Human male), Vessel/3 (German Shepherd dog). Both of these are special Vessels with innate armor (Protection 2). Skills: Dodge/4, Driving/1, Electronics/1, Emote/3 (mainly used for intimidation), Fighting/6, Knowledge/6 (Security Systems), Large Weapon/6 (broadsword), Medicine/2, Move Silently/2, Ranged Weapon/4 (handgun), Savoir Faire/1, Tracking/3 Songs: Healing (Corporeal/4, Ethereal/2, Celestial/3), Might (Corporeal/3, Celestial/2), Shields (all/6) Attunements and Distinctions: Cherub of Protection, Cherub of the Sword, Malakite of Protection, Aura of Divinity, Angel of Bodyguards,* Vassal of Protection, Friend of the Guard *The holder of this Attunement can interpose himself between the person he is protecting and any attack directed at that person with a simple act of will. The angel suffers the damage from the attack, but may employ any defenses that he has. Take the Bullet only applies to damaging attacks; restraints, manipulation and Resonances (except for the Calabite Resonance) are not affected. The angel must be aware of the attack and within arm's reach of his charge to use this Attunement. Most people would think that the Archangel of Protection would have no need of protecting. But, if that protection is offered, she denies her Word if she turns it down. At the tender age of 500, a particularly zealous Cherub decided that Hell would love to ambush an Archangel whose Word embodied the defense of others. Coleon dogged Zadkiel's heels for over a century - he never left her side without her direct orders and was there on the few occasions that she actually needed someone to watch her back. That's how Coleon became Zadkiel's right-hand "man." Coleon served his Archangel faithfully with no thought of reward. In spite of this, he had a distinguished career. Whether he was guarding Zadkiel herself or a person or object that she was interested in, the forces of Hell found him to be an implacable foe. Coleon's most well known triumph involved standing guard over a newly formed Tether and preventing Hell from aborting or subverting it. The Tether ended up connecting to Laurence's realm instead of Zadkiel's, but the commander of the Host recognized the achievement by awarding Coleon the Sword's Cherub Choir Attunement. Coleon's centuries of dedication have resulted in several commendations. In 1962 he was given his Word - Zadkiel couldn't think of anyone who deserved it more. Coleon is quite pleased with his new duties. While most angels look forward to serving on the Corporeal plane, Coleon is happy to leave that to his own Servitors. The Angel of Bodyguards prefers to promote his Word by example. Anyone who wants to find Coleon need only look to Zadkiel's side. Anyone who wants to harm an Archangel should probably look elsewhere - and, upon seeing Coleon, they usually do. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "I wondered why somebody didn't do something. Then I realized that I was somebody." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 14:18:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> You know, I'm willing to bet that Talmudic Scholars might enjoy IN quite well. - --- Maurice Lane wrote: > Fast question (I'm without my books): > Now, Celestial X has realigned him/herself with > Superior Y. Which of his/her C/B A's survive the > realignment procedure? Obviously, the original C/B A > does: canon is full of examples. But canon also > states that you can't have any C/B As of other > Superiors except for your own Choir or Band. Does > that rule apply in this case? I suspect that the rule in the main book refers primarily to character creation. There's no specific canonical prohibition (that I know of) against Celestials having non-Choir/Band Attunements for other Superiors as long as those Attunements aren't restricted -- it simply means that the Attunement would have to be retained after a job change (as per your example) or given as a reward. Of course, either situation is pretty rare in Hell. DP's almost always strip Attunements from demons who leave their service, and rarely grant their Attunements to Servitors of other Princes. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "I wondered why somebody didn't do something. Then I realized that I was somebody." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 14:24:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Impudite resonance (was Hatiphas question) - --- Maurice Lane wrote: > Darn, I hate not having my books with me. Do damned > souls count as human for an Impudite's dissonance > requirements? Theoretically, yes. However, Hell is in the business of tormenting the damned. Inflicting physical pain is only one form of torment. Impudites get Dissonant from employing violence, but not from , say seducing and abandoning someone. Or stealing a prized possession. Or being offered false hope and having it dashed before their eyes (thanks, Constantine!). So, while Impudites wouldn't be into torture in the conventional sense, they would in fact be the most creative of torturers -- a favorite game among Takers would be how much pain they could inflict on a mortal without drawing a single drop of blood or causing the slightest bruise. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "I wondered why somebody didn't do something. Then I realized that I was somebody." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 17:35:34 -0400 From: Jonathan Walton Subject: IN> Re: Ancient Malakim Okay, okay, I get it. No new Malakim, then. But that does bring up an interesting question. If there are really really old Malakim who once were angels of other choirs, that gives them a totally unique perspective on the Symphony. They have, like no other angel or demon ever, embodied two _different_ concepts. Unlike fallen angels, who are a dark, twisted reflection of what they used to be, ancient Malakim are something else altogether. For one, I think they would have a hard time relating well to the younger generation, who have no perspective of being anything other than Malakim. It would be especially interesting if there were any Malakim that were ever heavily dissonant (at least for a short period of time) when they belonged to another choir. Since dissonance is such an antithesis to Malakim, it would be an fascinating point-of-view. The angels would probably be unique and valuble to any Superior they served, having the perspective of two choirs. Actually, now that I think about it, ancient Malakim would actually be very different from each other, depending on their original choir. -Former seraphs would easily see the connection between Truth and Honor, that is, Honor is simply being truthful to yourself and what you believe in. They would often hold Words that define principles or abstract concepts. -Former cherubs would be very much aware of how Honor connects people: soldiers in a common cause, protestors fighting for what they believe in, even entire nations united around an honorable goal. They would hold Words that involved solidarity, unity, or group determination. -Former wheels would know the Honor in acting quickly and skillfully. They are all about surgical strikes, get-in-get-out missions of espionage and assassination, and instinctively knowing the correct course of action (so reaction time can be instant). -Former powers would be careful of how passion can overwhelm one's Honor and lead one to stray from the proper course of action. On the other hand, they would know that inspiring feelings of loyalty and respect are what keep honor alive. They would also be incredible strategists, more thinker-types than most action-hero Malakim. They would be master generals under Michael or Laurence, though I can see Marc wanting one too (for Machiavellian deal-making). -Former Kyriotates I can see being rather pissed of at the limitations of their new choir, but I suppose they'd get over it after thousands of years (but maybe not). The strangest Malakim, they would be experts at seeing things from other perspectives, including that of their enemies. They would always seem to be a step ahead of you, reading your thoughts. -Former Mercurians would _know_ that the War is about humanity. Casualty lists would be the worst consequence of battle, so many lives of potential snuffed out. I can't think of anyone better to coordinate a given Archangel's Soldiers. Oh, yeah, and while I'm doing the choir thing, I just have a quick thought. What would be the reaction of the Seraphim Council if a Malakim appeared claiming to be a Grigori who was converted by an act of God? If I was Moe, I'd come up with a brilliant campaign seed, but unfortunately I'm not Moe. Sigh. Later. Jonathan ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 16:55:59 -0500 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: Re: IN> Re: Ancient Malakim - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jonathan Walton" To: Sent: Friday, October 27, 2000 4:35 PM Subject: IN> Re: Ancient Malakim > Okay, okay, I get it. No new Malakim, then. > But that does bring up an interesting question. If there are really > really old Malakim who once were angels of other choirs, that gives them a > totally unique perspective on the Symphony. They have, like no other angel > or demon ever, embodied two _different_ concepts. Unlike fallen angels, > who are a dark, twisted reflection of what they used to be, ancient Malakim > are something else altogether. [snip] > Oh, yeah, and while I'm doing the choir thing, I just have a quick > thought. > What would be the reaction of the Seraphim Council if a Malakim appeared > claiming to be a Grigori who was converted by an act of God? > If I was Moe, I'd come up with a brilliant campaign seed, but > unfortunately I'm not Moe. Sigh. Moe has already come up with a brilliant idea seed re: a Malakim who remembers the days when he was something else, even if it has nothing to do with Grigori. Nathaniel, Malakite Friend of the Divine Spark -- http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine/servitors/Nathaniel.htm [quote] - ---------- "Nathaniel is one of the original Malakim. Since his conversion, at the height of the insanity and chaos of the Fall, he has served Gabriel as one of her troubleshooters. He is sent to the cruel, and shows them the folly of their ways with flame and the sword. His eyes have seen the dishonorable, and his hands have sped them forth to their just rewards. Like all his kind, Nathaniel's blade has been drenched in the blood of the wicked and his wings only stir from the last, choking breath of the cruel. He knows the wild, black joy that comes from evoking his nature. In the name of God, he has justly chastised the worst specimens of humanity for millennia. And he's hated every Damned second of it." - ---------- [/quote] I guess that's what happens when you have a Malakite who used to be a Mercurian. Moe really outdid himself with this one, IMO. - -- Chuckg ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 21:14:04 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: IN> Gebbeleth: Demon Prince of Secrets (Deceased, Background) Not knowing when or if something like this may be published, I thought I would send a couple of writeups to the list under the Historical Superiors heading. Note that these aren't exactly what I'd submit (though not wholly unlike it, either) to SJGames for a writeup in the books, but they're close to what I was thinking when I wrote up Alaemon. Why not do exactly what I was thinking? Because someday, I'd like the chance to submit them for publication in a Historical Superiors book or the like. Either way, enjoy! GEBBELETH Balseraph Prince of Secrets (Disappeared 1600 BC) "The world hides from itself and will never be completely found." Gebbeleth, as his name suggests, was a "child" of Blandine and Beleth before the Fall. He was one of their eldest -- a bright Seraph, made equally of Blandine's Forces and Beleth's, so that he was 'born' with twelve Forces, two each in each Realm from both his parents. As Blandine and Beleth were reflections of one another's pure love, so their children were the shining expression of that love. Gebbeleth was a Seraph, meant to reflect Blandine and Beleth's pure devotion to the Most Holy ideals. He came to love and work with Beleth more than Blandine -- Blandine's dreams were things of beauty to Gebbeleth, but Divine Fear evoked something in his Heart. There was something terribly beautiful to be found within Divine Fear, and he served with conviction. In those days, Beleth was Angel of Fear, not Archangel of anything, but such things mattered little before the Fall, especially in the face of Gebbeleth's devotion. During the millenia before the Fall, Gebbeleth was honored to serve as one of the Trisagonists. In his capacity as a powerful Seraph, serving Fear, Gebbeleth became enamoured of the Holy Mysteries -- the ineffable truths that could (or could not) be discerned but never expressed. This was far from against his Seraph's nature. To Gebbeleth, the Holy Mysteries were the truest proving grounds for the seekers of Truth, and only through Fear could they be comprehended. The hardest days of Gebbeleth's existence were when his parents, the beautiful Blandine and solemn Beleth, grew divided against one another. He could recognize the Truth of Lucifer's manipulations, but he could also see the Truth of Blandine's jealousy over Lucifer's influence on Beleth. But when Beleth slipped away from Blandine, Gebbeleth did the only thing he could. He followed her, loyally. Lucifer was pleased. An Angel who had devoted his life to the holiest of Mysteries was siding with him. He accepted Gebbeleth into his rebellion. And Gebbeleth found himself fascinated with Lucifer's ability to cloud Resonances -- an ability never seen before, even for Superiors. There had never been a reason to hide before then, after all. This too seemed a Mystery to Gebbeleth. Of course, the Fall came, hard and vicious. And with it Fell Gebbeleth. Hard and angry, with all of a Balseraph's justifications, he became obsessed with the mysteries he had once cherished. He tried to flock to his mother's side, but Beleth had no time for love or devotion now, and he was too shocked from his experiences to pursue her. Lucifer, recognizing both Gebbeleth's worth and the need to keep Beleth alienated from her former life, quietly offered Gebbeleth a Word and a Princedom. Gebbeleth, for reasons he never explained, agreed, and became the Prince of Secrets. From the beginning, Gebbeleth was powerful and crafty, using the knowledge he'd learned in Heaven as the foundation for a power base in Hell. He was careful to build on the power relationships that were forming, growing very close to Baal and Asmodeus (at least professionally). His demons would be intelligence for the War, and spies for the Game. Gebbeleth himself was cloaked in the mystique of the Trisagonists -- the only one of that Holy Order other than Lucifer himself to Fall. He used his refined knowledge of fear to build that mystique and draw Servitors to him like flies. Once gathered, he ruthlessly laid their Secrets bare, and selected those of greatest interest and use to him, building the foundations of his organization. By the time the Demons of Hell were released by Lilith, Gebbeleth's organization was among Hell's most organized and powerful. Lucifer, in advising the Princes, suggested that Gebbeleth and Mariel, the Princess of Oblivion, together act against the powerful Raphael, Archangel of Knowledge. This seemed odd to some observers -- Gebbeleth's driving need to unearth the mysteries behind Secrets and Mariel's driving need to consume and destroy memory and knowledge seemed incongruous. However, the pair surprised all by working together perfectly. In truth, Mariel -- herself desperate to avoid memory and responsibility, and hungry for adoration -- became obsessively codependent on the powerful, handsome Balseraph. He drew her into his mystique, and helped her purge herself of painful memories of Heaven (learning those Secrets all the while, of course). The two became lovers and Mariel became as obsessed with Gebbeleth and his mission as a Princess of Djinn should. The two formed a twisted form of dominance and submission. Kobal -- one of the few to penetrate the secret of the relationship -- is known to have compared the two to Beleth and Blandine before the Fall, if Blandine was into sadism and Beleth's insecurity was magnified by twenty. Gebbeleth's organization was seperate from Mariel's, however. (Though the Princess gave him all the intimate details of her organization, 'so he could help her administer it.') He formed a lodge, where each of his Servitors earned position and rank, and with each rank his Servitors would learn more of what they thought was the truth. His core Servitors became his Dukes and most trusted Lieutenants, including Rumjal, the Demon of Blackmail and Hivvah, the Demon of Evesdropping (Superiors 4, p.21). In later years, the pale remnants of this organization would become the Lodge of Gebbeleth (Sup4, p.20). Gebbeleth was adept at conveying a sense of trust and mystery, the allure of the forbidden combining with his dark charisma. In the absence of the divine, Gebbeleth was content to set himself up as a substitution for religion -- all the better to learn the Secrets of the masses. All the better to let his power grow. He became adept at using Mariel and her Servitors to do his overt dirty work, keeping his hands (relatively) clean. And of course he learned things -- blackmail material that kept the Princes from blocking his own plans more than necessary. For thousand upon thousands of years, Gebbeleth fought in the War and learned and stored Secrets. He was effective and feared, fighting Raphael's Servitors the most of all, but an enemy of most Archangels. His skill in the Marches, born of his creation, led him to raids throughout Blandine's (and Beleth's) realms, where his spies learned the secrets of sleepers in the night. He promoted secrecy and its need among humanity, making the core of most religions he touched mysterious, so that even the very core tool of Heaven -- Religion -- fueled secrecy. And among every people he found, he fostered the need to hide, and founded organizations and illuminati, hidden away from the eyes of others. He buried the creations of Eli, hooded the illuminations of Gabriel and obscured the purity of Uriel. His alliance with Mariel kept both Superiors strong in a way many Princes and Princesses in Hell couldn't compare. And among the Princes, Gebbeleth was popular. Kobal appreciated Gebbeleth's information and discretion. Baal found Gebbeleth supportive and useful (and appreciated Gebbeleth's ability to motivate the sullen Mariel). Asmodeus didn't trust Gebbeleth, but *did* trust Gebbeleth's self-interest in working with the Game. Meserarch couldn't care less -- to care would take effort. But in secrecy, Sloth could flourish. Even Belial seemed to appreciate the powerful Balseraph, who was careful to never rail against the Prince of Fire when he burned some important Secrets to nothingness. And Lilith, while never trusting Gebbeleth, had a decent enough working relationship with him. Of all the Princes, there were only a few who were hostile to him. Malphas was careful to court Gebbeleth publically but feared his learning too much. Genubath resented the conservative, subtle Prince and actively agitated against him. Saminga had no time or love for Gebbeleth and Gebbeleth actively despised the 'dullard.' And Beleth -- Gebbeleth's namesake and beloved mother -- hated the success that so obvious a symbol of her union with Blandine possessed. Gebbeleth accepted that hatred at first, then resented it, and finally learned to reflect it, flouting his Mother's control of the Marches with inpunity as he collected secrets from the Nightmares of man. Gebbeleth's alliances with Baal and Asmodeus made Beleth working against him nigh impossible, but the hatred was thick between them. In the end, of course, Gebbeleth was too clever for his own good. It was his knowledge of the Holy Mysteries and the Ineffable that led him to his plan and the Dagger of Bythna. And that, in turn, led to his downfall. He vanished from his fastness and keep in or around 1600 BC. Of course, he had 'vanished' before. Burying himself in secrets and mysteries helped to enhance his mystique. Even Mariel didn't suspect he was truly gone for quite a long time. Ultimately, when it became clear that while he was still alive, he wasn't going to be reappearing, Mariel quietly supported the head of Gebbeleth's organization, which evolved slowly into the Lodge of Gebbeleth. Despite her efforts, his Servitors -- especially those lower in the Lodge -- drifted away. And when Mariel was consumed, the remaining Dukes and Masters of the Lodge were truly cut off from Superior support, and the Lodge of Gebbeleth fell to almost nothing. Until the ascension of the pretender to the throne -- Alaemon, the Impudite who dares call himself Prince of Secrets. Most of the faithful, after two thousand years without a Prince, flocked to Alaemon. But some Gebbelites held fast... never realizing that as Alaemon assumed his power and built his own court in the Master's land in Stygia, so he also learned from former Gebbelites of the Lodge... infiltrating it and eventually heading it within fifty years, the very core Dukes of Gebbeleth being turned aside and made marginal, until only a tiny core of true Gebbelites remain, even as the Lodge works "to restore Gebbeleth to his rightful place." And in 1998, those few discovered that their Rites, sustaining them through their Master's long absence... grew silent, and impotent. Gebbeleth would never return. - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 21:19:10 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: IN> Gebbeleth (Statistics) DISSONANCE Gebbeleth prized both the mystery of his organization and absolute obedience by his followers. Therefore, it was Dissonant for his followers to lie or withhold information (when *directly* asked) from their legitimate superiors (or Gebbeleth himself). Further, it was Dissonant for his followers to reveal any Secret, through intent, accident or any other means (including a Seraph's Resonance correctly applied) a superior ordered them to keep. BAND ATTUNEMENTS BALSERAPHS (Restricted): Gebbelite Balseraphs are the only Balseraphs known who take no Dissonance from being caught in a lie. While they're likely to use their Resonance as normal to build that lie -- so that it can't be easily detected as such -- they can't have contradiction come back and bite them. DJINN (Restricted): The Djinn of Gebbeleth locate, guard and secure evidence when possible. When touching a victim and inquiring about a specific secret, they may (with a normal resonance roll as if resonating the victim) attune to the evidence of that secret if it exists, even if the victim doesn't know there *is* evidence. Only the most significant piece of evidence can be attuned in this way. Note that the attunement works even if the evidence proves the secret is other than victim believes. CALABIM: The essence of Secrets (as Gebbeleth saw them) is *mystery.* Without evidence, a revealed secret is just a rumor. Just one man's word against another. With this attunement, a Calabite can sense if evidence in front of him is necessary to prove a secret's truth (and if destroying that evidence would make the secret unprovable.) He must be thinking of a specific secret and looking at the evidence, and make a successful Perception roll. HABBALAH: Always concerned with breaking the weak, and knowing that Secrets are the cracks inside a man's armor, a Gebbelite Punisher was granted the ability to look in the eyes of a person and see, with a Will roll, the Secret that, if revealed, would promote the greatest emotional reaction on the part of the person. Note that the Habbalite does *not* know what emotion the victim will feel, merely that it will be the strongest reaction. LILIM (Restricted): Gebbelite Lilim enjoyed their work, often dressing the part of High Priestesses in a cabal and heightening the mystery surrounding themselves. (Many Lilim petitioned Gebbeleth for the Impudite of Gebbeleth attunement as well as their own). In lieu of finding a Need with a Resonance Roll, the Lilim can decide to find a secret the target wants to know the answer to. If the Lilim finds the answer before the victim does, the Lilim may offer to answer it for him, for an unspecified price. The victim, even if he wants to resist, must make a Will Roll to successfully not agree. If the victim agrees and the Lilim answers, the Lilim receives a Geas hook that cannot be resisted later. Note that simply answering the question will *not* give the Lilim a Geas hook (though the Lilim may choose to not use this attunement and take her chances with a normal Need). SHEDIM (Restricted): Gebbeleth loved his Shedim. The perfect spies in any situation, he gave them the ability to lurk in the thoughts of others, rather than possess them. With a successful resonance roll, the Shedim may possess their target as normal, or choose to lurk within the target's thoughts. A lurking Shedite can see what the host sees and hear what the host hears, but cannot otherwise access the host's thoughts or force him to perform actions. While lurking, a Shedite of Secrets is *not* susceptible to Dissonance for failing to corrupt a host. He is also undetectable by any Resonance or other ability. Attacks on the host act as if the Shedite was not there. During this time, the Shedite continues to have daily Contests of Will to keep his place, and the victim has his normal perception rolls to detect the Shedite, with the normal +1 per day modifier. Note that if a host the Shedite is lurking in is killed, the Shedite *does* take Dissonance despite being unable to intercede. Also note that once lurking, a Shedite must leave his host and attempt to repossess the host to actually begin possessing. A Shedite *may* choose to ooze between hosts (IPG p.60) from a lurked host, and may choose to attempt to possess or lurk within the new host at that time as well. IMPUDITE (Partially Restricted): The Takers of Gebbeleth cloak themselves in the essence of secrets and mystery. They invoke the sense of the voyeur in all who see them, wearing illicitness like a cloak. This allure allows them to charismatically draw others to them. They may add their Celestial Forces to any attempt to Intimidate, Seduce, Fast-Talk or otherwise use Charisma to draw someone into their confidence, as well as add their Celestial Forces to any Reaction Roll made by another about them. They may also apply their bonus to attempts to use their Resonance to Charm another -- the allure of mystery adds to their magnetic appeal -- but not to drain Essence from a victim. (Note the resonance bonus applies to Impudites only, but others may get the skill and reaction bonuses). SERVITOR ATTUNEMENTS Draws a Veil: With this Attunement, a Servitor may establish (for all intents and purposes) a secret identity. Using any kind of mask, makeup or veil that obscures their facial features (with a domino mask minimum) they may, at a cost of 3 Essence and a Will Roll, make their disguise inpenetrable even by close friends and associates for CD hours. They must be in private for this to work (they can't put a mask on in plain sight of an observer and become mysterious to them), but do not need to change their clothing or otherwise disguise themselves. Even a Seraph's resonance can't peel the disguise away unless the Demon claims to be someone they're not (and therefore lying). An obvious pseudonym may be used without exposing the Demon to danger. Hidden panel: This attunement creates an undetectable secret cache, where something no larger than a five inch by five inch by five inch cube may be stored. The attunement costs 1 Essence to open the panel, which can be opened in any object that is at least eight by eight by eight inches that doesn't have another open space somewhere in it. (Note that these are total volumes -- a hidden panel may be 10 inches long by ten inches wide by an inch and a quarter deep in a table top, for example. So long as the volume is at least a solid 512 cubic inches, a 125 cubic inch open cache can be created.) The panel, once opened, may remain open indefinitely. After objects are placed into the cache, the lid may be replaced. It won't seal until the creator of the cache either speaks a locking word or knocks on the panel in a specific location. Once either of these are done, the cache will seal with no sign of any break ever having existed. The sealed cache will not betray its contents to any search, nor will it betray hollow sounds or knocks. If the object containing the cache is broken, the concealed items are *not* revealed. Instead, the object must be reassembled before they can be retrieved. Only by touching the object and saying the word or knocking the knock with intent in the right place will open the cache, whereupon it will never seal again. Note that dead organic matter (wood, sod, a dead cow) can hold a cache, but living organic matter cannot. DISTINCTIONS Knight of Mystery: Gebbeleths Knights have the ability to write in a perfectly coded script, only readable by another Knight or higher Distincted Demon of Gebbeleth. Captain of the Whispered Word: Captains of Gebbeleth can hear any whispered conversation within one mile of their presence, so long as no walls seperate them from the speakers. Baron of the Stygian House: Gebbelite Barons may study any document or object for one minute and forevermore be able to recall it with absolutely perfect detail. For writing, drawings or other visual arts, the Baron can reproduce the work exactly, regardless of their normal writing or drawing ability (and regardless of whether they understand the language of the work or not). RELATIONS Allied: Mariel (Mariel is allied with Gebbeleth) Associated: Asmodeus, Baal, Lilith (Asmodeus, Baal, Belial and Kobal consider themselves Associated with Gebbeleth) Hostile: Genubath, Malphas (Gebubath and Malphase are hostile to Gebbeleth Enemy: Beleth (Beleth is Gebbeleth's Enemy) BASIC RITES * Tell the complete truth in such a way that no one believes you (if successful, this is not dissonant even if ordered to keep it secret). * Convince someone to confess a mortal crime completely to you, purely out of the trust they feel for you. CHANCE OF INVOCATION: 0 +1 An opened diary or journal. +2 A secret passageway. +3 A sealed diplomatic pouch, opened without a trace. +4 A tattooed map on a man's scalp. +5 The uncensored writings of a religious figure. +6 100 or more conspirators, plotting to overthrow a rightful ruler. - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #1883 ******************************** The material here is (C) 2000 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.