From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Fri Sep 1 21:58:37 2000 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (majordom@lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by pyramid.sjgames.com (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id VAA22811 for ; Fri, 1 Sep 2000 21:58:36 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.9.3/8.9.1a) id VAA11763 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Fri, 1 Sep 2000 21:56:35 -0500 Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 21:56:35 -0500 Message-Id: <200009020256.VAA11763@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 #1802 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, September 1 2000 Volume 01 : Number 1802 In this digest: Re: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) Re: IN>The Marches Re: IN> Malakanaries. Re: IN> Re: in_nomine-digest V1 #1800 IN> The Shattered Ones: Prelude Number One Re: IN> Useful or Bizarre? You make the call... IN> What would Ick out David? (was Cath boy) Re: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) Re: IN>Prelude Re: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) Re: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) IN> The Shattered Ones: Prelude Number Two Re: IN> Judging the Powers IN> The Shattered Ones: Prelude Notes Re: IN> What would Ick out David? (was Cath boy) Re: IN> What would Ick out David? (was Cath boy) IN> Contest: Asmodeus: Kata'im RE: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) IN> Re: Cathexis Re: IN> Re: Cathexis ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2000 12:36:50 -0500 From: David Edelstein Subject: Re: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) Jo Hart wrote: > I think there's a challenge here :) > > So who can create a demonic NPC nasty enough to squick out David? The clock > is ticking ... Bloody gory gruesomeness doesn't do it. That's schlock horror-movie stuff, and I'd rather not encourage people to write carnography just for the squickiness of it. - -David (if you really want to gross me out, just post any SNL movie script) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2000 13:34:00 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN>The Marches Charles E Smith wrote: > I have to wonder if Beleth or Blandine actively fuel certain > dreams/nightmares, in order to create Ethereals for their > use. What do you think? Well, the Liber Canticorum says that Superiors can already use the Ethereal Song of Life to create Ethereals whenever they want. If they can do that, they can probably also harvest dream-fragments from promising dreamscapes. I've never heard of any Superior-made Ethereals, but obviously it can happen, and these two are the likeliest suspects. (I *did* mention an ethereal servitor created by my own Jophiel, Archangel of Temperance, an extra-canonical Superior. She's a copy of Flora Post, heroine of the novel "Cold Comfort Farm.") Earl ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 11:22:51 -0700 From: "Marcus Evenstar" Subject: Re: IN> Malakanaries. > [The following is hardly canon, may in fact be twistedly munchkin, and is > in all likelihood somewhat silly.] Twisted canon or not, K.K. finally has a set of interchangeable boyfriends! - -- evenstar@aa.net |"You can't kill a man for trying to save the MIB 2404, CL | human race from Nutrasweet, Pokemon and Governor www.dragonflight.org | George W. Bush." -Dr. Krigstein, The Authority ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 14:23:03 EDT From: BillionSix@aol.com Subject: Re: IN> Re: in_nomine-digest V1 #1800 In a message dated 9/1/00 8:07:34 AM Central Daylight Time, moelane_1999@yahoo.com writes: << [The following is hardly canon, may in fact be twistedly munchkin, and is in all likelihood somewhat silly.] >> Munchkinish? Perhaps. But bear in mind munchkin can mean "psycho powergamer" but can also mean "practical use of power" I wouldn't call it munchkinny since the Malakanaries are actually LESS powerful. What self-respecting munchkin* would want to play one? But it is a practical use of a character's strengths and weaknesses. Reverend Brian A. Rogers BillionSix@aol.com ICQ# 22544590 * Most munchkins have to be self-respecting. Who else will? ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 14:18:21 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: IN> The Shattered Ones: Prelude Number One The duties of the Sword are Duty. No Servitor of Laurence is without his assigned tasks and rules. The greatest of Angels in the Sword's service have their duty, and so do the least of Relievers. And it is of the greatest of Angels and the least of Relievers that the story begins. The Reliever's name was Anixiel, and he yearned to be a Malakite, like the shining Knight Commander of all of God's Armies himself. Anixiel spent any of his free time -- which was practically nonexistent -- with the Malakim of the Sword. Watching them. Dreaming of them. Naturally, Anixiel's superiors saw the Reliever's interest. And, as you might expect, Anixiel was given a very hard time of it. If a Reliever dreams of being one of God's Wrath, he should understand the cold, hard duty that is required of such Angels. But Anixiel never lost his hope, nor his faith. And as both Hope and Faith are Cardinal, Heavenly Virtues, this was smiled upon. And sometimes, Anixiel's faith was rewarded. As it was on this cold day, sitting in one of the Heart-Rooms of the Cathedral of the Sword. Relievers were often posted among the Hearts, to give cry when a Servitor appeared next to it. Anixiel was being privileged to watch one of the Heart Rooms of the Malakim -- the Chambers of the dark swords, where a call to arms might be issued at any moment when one of the Virtues appeared. The Hearts of the Sword are beautiful. Crystal, with veins of metal running through them. The Hearts of the Malakim are dark and engrossing -- black crystals shot through with obsidian and cold iron, that reflect a thousand points of light throughout the inky darkness. Anixiel loved to stare into them -- never touching. Never touching at all. But stare into their depths and dream of the Songs of the Kings. And the highest of the Hearts in this room, expansive and beautiful and terrible and dark, was the Heart of Balin, Colonel of the Sword, Knight of the Eternal Order, the Angel of Chivalry. One of the very few Angels of War who entered Laurence's service after the Archangel of the Sword was raised to his station, the Colonel was among the most honored of the Malakim in all of Heaven. And Anixiel stared into (but never touched) the Heart of Balin often - -- its beautiful depths so engrossing, its shining reflections so inspiring. Once, the Colonel had even spoken to Anixiel. He had looked right at the Reliever with those obsidian eyes and said "step lively," before moving on. Anixiel loved Laurence before all others save God himself, but third to those three was Balin, whose name echoed with honor. The crack was sudden, and horrifying. It sounded like the horrible sound of armor being pierced by a blow, or of a sword being struck by a mace and being chipped. Then again, a second crack, and then a third. Anixiel shouted then, singing his Song -- the Song given to him by the Guards, to Sing when an emergency came. And into that Song the Reliever sent all his Essence, burning with the driving need to warn, to call the alarm. Though tears poured from his tiny eyes as he Sang, he *Sang* all the more purely for it. And the last notes of the Song still echoed through the chamber as the last crack slammed into the Heart, and the Heart exploded into infinite shards. And Anixiel sobbed to see the Heart shatter, and climbed into the cradle, wrapping around the remnants of the crystal and cutting himself on the razor-sharp edges. Heedless of any pain, Anixiel lay among the shattered remains of Balin's Heart and cried, even as the Malakim descended on the Chamber. *** The Archangel of the Sword was eternally busy. And, it is said, he despised interruptions. The work of the War never waited. He had no opportunity to indulge in trifles, in careless abandon, or in fruitless conversation. The woman before him excelled at all three, and despite his rank he couldn't summarily dismiss her. Not if he wanted to hold ground in the Seraphim Council. "You're discussing the destruction of five hundred acres of rainforest," Novalis said intently. "The environmental devastation alone would be horrifying. Add to that the horrors you would be inflicting upon the Brazilian people...." "The Brazilian People are used to horrors," Laurence replied tersely. "That's what happens when Baal gets a foothold. And then we move in and eliminate it. This is pointless." "It's *not* pointless," Novalis said, slamming her fist onto the table. "Listen to me -- yes, they've been successful at establishing Tethers and *yes* they use it as staging grounds for attacks, but do you honestly believe that military action can destroy them? You would be playing--" "If I'm not wrong, and I don't think I am, I believe I have far greater experience with military strategy, Novalis. I beli--" And then they heard it. The Song of Alarm echoing through the hallways. The call to arms -- a Malakite had fallen, and action was needed. But... this was different. The Singer had spent a larger amount of Essence than was truly needed for the Song, strengthening it. It was sung in desperation. Novalis looked at Laurence, concern on her face. Laurence himself was frowning slightly. "We may need to cut this... *discussion* short, Novalis. Ramtiel? *Ramtiel!*" "Sir?" the Ofanite asked, leaning into the rectory. "Find out who sung that Alarm, and why it was so intense." "Aye, Sir." "I assume that's unusual?" Novalis still sounded concerned -- now trying not to intrude. To support with her presence. Laurence felt annoyance -- he didn't need support in troubled times. Not like this. "Unusual enough. Likely just an inexperienced Reliever overre--" "Sir! *Sir!*" Laurence turned as Ramtiel rolled into the room. "Report," he snapped, tersely. "Sir... it's Colonel Balin. His... Heart shattered, sir. He's... he's *gone.*" Novalis gasped. Laurence stopped cold, ice clutching him. "You're certain," he murmured. Ramtiel whirled in the air, unable to answer. "We'll continue this later," Laurence snapped to Novalis, heading for the door. "May I go with you?" Laurence paused, looking back at the Cherub, lips curled to respond-- He stopped. Novalis's demeanor was ashen, her eyes echoing sorrow. "Please," she said. "I knew him, Laurence. May I...?" If asked why, later, Laurence wouldn't know. But perhaps in that one moment, he saw something in Novalis he usually couldn't find. He nodded curtly, whirlling again into motion, the Archangel of Flowers following him deep into the Cathedral of the Sword. There was a crowd in the Heart Chamber when they arrived. A few words from Laurence cleared the path, however, until he reached the dais where the shards of Balin's heart still glistened, a small Reliever curled among them in tearful mourning. "When?" he asked the Guard who was closest. "When the alarm sounded," the Guard murmured. "We have sent to his forces -- he had been travelling with some of his Ofanim and Seraphim Servitors. We have checked... some of them are now in Trauma. And some of their Hearts have also...." He didn't finish. He didn't need to. Soul death needed no remarks. "But no Malakim were with him?" Laurence asked coldly. "No sir." Laurence nodded. "Leave us. All of you." The Guard and the onlookers bowed slightly and obeyed without comment. The Reliever didn't move. Perhaps he hadn't heard the order, in his grief. And naturally, Novalis didn't move either. She was looking at the Heart. "You know, he and I spoke often, when he was a Servitor of War. One of the few Servitors of War who seemed to get along with me, in those days. I valued his viewpoint, even if I disagreed with him so often." "He was wise," Laurence said. "And older than I am. I was honored when he petitioned me for Service, and perhaps humbled. It truly reminded me I was an Archangel now, and he an Angel." "He respected Flowers," she said. "He even used them in his tournaments. And the tournaments themselves... combat made stylized, without injury or death -- and flowers as tokens and prizes...." Laurence didn't cry. He wasn't much for tears. But he did lean close, to look at the Reliever. Anixiel, if he remembered right. In service fifteen years, and seven Forces. "Anixiel," he said softly. The Reliever blinked, and sat up from where he lay, tears still in his eyes. "M'lord," he whispered. "It's time to go," he said. "Can you fly?" "I... I don't know." He looked down, burning with grief and shame. "If... if I had sung faster... sung better... raised the alarm faster...." Laurence looked at the tormented figure, looking with the pure strength of his Resonance, piercing the veils of appearances to the heart of the Reliever's honor. No... he had not failed his duty. Even in horror and pain, he had performed well. "Anixiel... look at me." The Reliever paused, and looked up -- his sense of duty outweighing his shame. "You performed well. You honored Balin with your swift action. But no action could have been swift enough. Come with me." Anixiel swallowed, and moved slowly to the Archangel, who gently touched him with a smooth obsidian hand. Novalis knelt, laying three flowers before the shattered Heart. A Monkshood, surrounded by weeping willows, with cypress leaves settling over them all. Laurence watched the flowers for a moment, and then looked again at the shards, before the two Archangels and the Reliever silently slipped out of the Heart Chamber, to learn what had happened here and on Earth below. - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2000 19:44:09 +0100 From: Omentide Subject: Re: IN> Useful or Bizarre? You make the call... >This got inspired by a throwaway comment in .innomine. > Make of it what you will. :) > >As always, feedback is a painfully loud need. :) I know it's a week on - sorry. However, this has been going round and round in my mind. I guess it's a long way from your original idea, but I'd like to use it for a Convention game. Something very small, somewhat disturbing and very intense. Probably extremely freeform. I'm wondering if it can be handled without a GM with myself as one of the players. Accidental link between a Malakite and a Free Lilim who doesn't want to go Bright. They don't understand what's happened. No one understands what's happened. So Dominic sends a Triad to look into the matter... Do you mind if I use it? Ashley and Hilary omentide.omentide@virgin.net http://freespace.virgin.net/omentide.omentide ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 14:40:42 -0400 From: "Charles Phipps" Subject: IN> What would Ick out David? (was Cath boy) Hmmmm this is a tough call because David was the one who exterminated the Nephilim who were frankly all as evil as Cathy boy. He also encountered and destroyed the Ethereals that Uriel hunted in the Far Marches and they made Cthulhu wail with envy. Squeazing water from a Stone I think would do it. Let's not forget that Hell is basically about shock value in my opinion. The point of the war is to tear down what exactly Heaven believes in and let everyone rithe in despair at the insanity and horror of it all...that the universe has no meaning....and you should do what you enjoy because theres no other thing to do. Heaven is about standing up and not losing to this eating despair. IMC at least. Novalis would not in my opinion be terribly shocked at Cathy boy though she'd investigate what exactly drives him to such horror and try to send flowers servants to dignify those he harms. He's admittadly bad as some Nephilim and almost Legion (Gebbunath was driven by overwhelming need which Novalis understood). In order to squick out Novalis you have to create a demon who has no capacity for love, empathy, or remorse...who prefers war to peace...death to life...and when she examines his soul.. There is no trace of these thinsg whatsoever. David is squicked out by the water from Stone thing alright, also at the height of victory where the righteous have stood a human being/angel turning and murdering his companions because he'd prefer to be individual, weakness proving more powerful than strength....(a coward surviving to inherit the Earth is David's worst nightmare). Blandine has nightmares (hehehe) about Michael being right. That pain, suffering, and terror drive humanity better ever than beuty, love, and life and a human being trapped in a world of such proving better than those who arn't. Michael has no fears yet if someone could prove God just did not CARE. Jordi a demon who intends to wrap the world with only humans or robots perhaps where no life exists and all the old beuty is gone...oh he's squicked out often. Jean that humanity's spark for knowledge is greater than his own and a demon who shows that progress without aid has done greater than with him....that Heaven has shown lighting to be a destroyer and a hinderer. Marc copes with what squicks him out every day in his own angels; a person who hoardes all his stuff together not out of ignorance but a desire to be the sole survivor with money....each child dying in the streets a testament to his victory. Dominic...oh I love Dominic best he's squicked out by every single being choosing good over evil and it happens EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF EVERY SINGLE DAY....NEVER ENDING NONSTOP FOR THE PAST TWENTY THOUSAND YEARS Gabrielle and Yves I'm going to have to take a raincheck on. Christopher easy, that Childhood innocence ceases to exist and a Demon who promotes Children to abandon their carefreeness to embrace drugs, guns, sex, and the like....he's suffered greatly that boy...if he weren't stone... Khalid...no clue. Same with Zady and Lithy. - -Charlemagne ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 14:50:29 EDT From: BillionSix@aol.com Subject: Re: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) In a message dated 9/1/00 10:04:47 AM Central Daylight Time, amadan@amadan.org writes: << I don't get it. The fanfic story was a mediocre and entirely too self-conscious attempt to go "over the top" -- hitting us over the head, as it were, with "This demon is not nice." Rape, blood, gore, dead fetuses, etc. Yawn. Nothing any 12 year-old raised on "Freddy" movies couldn't imagine. And everyone's going banana-crackers, like "Oh my god! What an awful-horrible-nasty-squicky-demon, he must make angels shit their pants and I'll bet he's too gross even for Demon Princes!" >> I agree, actually. I hated Cathexis on sight. Any decent human would. But I still think it was largely based on shock value. An average Calabite of Fire would be a greater threat. His only real evil, compared with other destructive and blatantly malicious demons, is that he's repulsive and can push the buttons of the squeamish. I could see many, many angels (and perhaps a few demons) having a personal grudge against him, but he's not going to be on any Archangels top ten hitlist. This guy has nothing more than a freaky vessel and the desire to use it. As for "I serve the Lightbringer himself" I think Cathexis was just blowing smoke out his ass. I can't see Lucifer having a use for this guy. He can boss around almost everyone in Hell anyway, and anyone directly serving him would be either very powerful, intelligent and subtle, or a true special case, like the Demon of Insubordination. Reverend Brian A. Rogers BillionSix@aol.com ICQ# 22544590 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 15:50:13 EDT From: MarkDEddy@aol.com Subject: Re: IN>Prelude In a message dated 9/1/00 5:13:34 PM, prodigal@ticnet.com writes: >From: "Whistling in the Dark" >> >> There *has* to be a reason for that, which the seed provided for in >> Dominic's sudden realization that something is Wrong here, and his >> direct investigation of it. If anything, it makes the whole thing >> more interesting to me, not less. > > >Same here. My take was that God spoke through Dominic in rendering the >sentence, and it was only after the Elohim had left Heaven that God's >control of Dominic was released. > As Gabriel hugs Dominic, and says, "Welcome to the club..." *snicker* Mark ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 20:51:26 +0100 From: "Genevieve Cogman" Subject: Re: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) A side note: it seems to me that what a lot of us are enjoying (if that's quite the right word) finding here isn't so much someone who is TOTALLY DAMNED AND UTTER EVIL TOP OF THE HATE LIST PRINCE OF DEMONS, but a character who is nasty, who one's characters (or PCs) can hate in a personal and luxurious way -- well, I know my players appreciate good enemies -- and one who, unlike Princes, might actually be killable. Eventually. With plotting and luck and dedication. And even if he doesn't get celestially minced, he can be inconvenienced. Characters need good foils/villains. This is a fact of most roleplaying. Here we have a really juicy villain, one that can easily be worked into a campaign by reference to already-existing NPCs, and one, unlike Princes, who is possibly vaguely within the range of those that PCs can hurt. No wonder most of the list likes him. :) Genevieve (and even Hell has its own urban folklore about other demons whom one does not want to meet down a dark alley...) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 13:30:57 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 12:19:34 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) At 3:43 PM +0000 9/1/00, Jo Hart wrote: >>I think there's a challenge here :) >>So who can create a demonic NPC nasty enough to >>squick out David? >>The clock is ticking ... >To squick *David?*Man.... >I don't think I have the strength.- -- Naah. It's all a matter of knowing the right angle. For example: Julie Habbalite Princess of Those Pictures of puppy dogs that look at you with the really big eyes and quivering mouths, no matter from what angle you're looking at them. You turn on the light at night, and there they are. And you can never LOSE THE DAMN PAINTING once you have one, either. "The world is such a big collection of happy, happy people who I wish I could just hug and hug forever! and wouldn't it be great if we all got together and did fun-fun superduper things all the time, and never bother with those nasty poopy heads that want to sit around with Mr. Grumbles? _You_ don't want to be like Mr. Grumbles, do you?" (twang) "I didn't think so..."* Done right, that should freak out any David you care to name. :) >Eric Alfred Burns - Nice to see you back, BTW. :) Moe *I could go on, but I don't want people to start shooting at me in the street. ===== 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 8/7/00 (this is a guess) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 16:30:18 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: IN> The Shattered Ones: Prelude Number Two "You're sure about this?" The Habbalite ignored the Balseraph. Prince or no, there was *knowledge* to be gained here. And the experiment was going *perfectly.* "Mm. Baal... I don't believe you should be so concerned." The Lightbringer sounded amused. He had been amused when the Prince of the War and the Prince of Technology had first suggested this to him. It was impossible to tell if it would *work,* of course, but Vapula wasn't certain the Lightbringer cared. The mere development was enough for him. And the joke, if joke it was. The Lightbringer's sense of humor was legendary. "If this is going to be an *asset--*" "Oh, it will, it will. For whom... well, that is the question." The Lightbringer slowly stepped towards the table. "Rather... gruesome, isn't it?" "Mm?" Vapula looked puzzled. He peered at it. Chunks of granite and marble and dark thick jet, held together by silver thread -- thread that seemed so delicate... "I don't think I see what you mean, M'Lord Lucifer." "Mm." The Lightbringer smiled slightly. "Perhaps a Habbalite wouldn't. Well, he's certainly more palatable than a Shedite. Even some Djinn are harder on the eyes, aren't they?" His eyes twinkled as he smiled. "Is he ready, then?" "He is," Vapula said. "Mm," Baal muttered, looking at the table. "Is it alive?" "Oh yes," Vapula said. "Ohhhh yes. He even remembers who he is, though he can't hear us. Not right now." "How do we know...." "That he won't attack us when he can?" Vapula looked thoughtful. "Well, *theoretically...*" "Another time," the Lightbringer said. "Another time." He leaned down, and brushed the broken stone, tracing the wire. There was the sudden flush of brimstone, the echoes of a twisted, inward Symphony being suddenly played like a harp, and then the Lightbringer lifted his hand away from it. "There. He's bound and crowned." "Shall I awaken him, M'Lord?" "Oh, do as you will. I've done my part, haven't eye?" The First Balseraph smiled a bit more. "Now he's all yours." "And we're yours?" Baal asked, a slight edge to his voice. It wasn't in his nature to cheerfully bend his knee, even to the Lightbringer. "Always, old friend. Always." "Well now." Vapula lifted an instrument, which burned like a firebrand and smelled like acrid smoke. "Won't this be interesting?" - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 16:40:27 -0400 From: "William J. Keith" Subject: Re: IN> Judging the Powers >I bet Dominic has about a thousand reports of Elohim killing humans as soon >as they achieve their destiny for the essence, systematically dismantling >entire nations and the like without compassion or the like etc. Unless I misunderstand the process, it's not possible to "kill a human as soon as they achieve their destiny," unless the death *is* their destiny - e.g., "die heroically, in view of the people most likely to be affected, in inspirational atonement for a life of sin." Otherwise, one's destiny is the set of actions that will affect the most people, with the best result, out of all things the human could do. By definition, it requires them to stay alive and continue to make choices and affect other people. Sometimes, I'm amazed that Lucifer didn't give Saminga's Word to some demon with the brains to make much better, more discriminating use of it. Everybody dies; Hell is served by particularly ill-timed deaths. On alternate days, though, I can see the Demon Prince of Death being a dullard. Instead of making death inspiring, hopeful, and restful, coming at a time that makes sense and feels welcome, he gives it out in uncaring randomness, which itself promotes its inherent fear and uncertainty. The FUD tactics from Hell. %^P Way I figure it, an Elohim would kill someone when he decided that, on the odds, it was more likely that a person would do more damage to the Symphony than good for it, probably calculated as numbers of saved or damned souls times the probability of their affectedness. The calculation is necessarily heuristic, hence a justifiable tendency to obey moral precepts in order to compensate for the unpredictable complexities of the future. (That is, it would *seem* fundamentally correct to immediately kill someone as little evil as a thief, but moral precepts of Heaven generally seem to dictate gentler methods in this regard, and giving more chances; experience then shows that God was right, it's better for the Symphony if you deal gently with some foes and harshly with some depending on circumstances.) If there was developing among the Powers a general trend to forget this and deal only in harsh, unyielding mercilessness, I could see Dominic exacting his judgment - the whole Choir would be headed for Habbalah if that took root, and spending some time among the humans on Earth might be just the medicine. William ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 17:03:34 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: IN> The Shattered Ones: Prelude Notes This is the Prelude to a Campaign book that's been kicking in my brain the last few weeks. About once a week, I'll add pertinant information and statistics to the list, and people can hopefully get a few things out of it. Over the next day or two, I'll post statistics for Balin, Angel of Chivalry (and maybe for little Anixiel too -- I kind of like him) and the like. Hope people enjoy the ride. In the meantime, here's a fast little bonus: SONG OF ALARM This is a Celestial-only Song, only capable of being Sung in the Celestial Realm. Much like the Song of Thunder, it creates a disproportionally powerful disturbance in the area it is sung. This disturbance sounds more like the reverberations of a gong, and only persists for CD rounds. The Song creates Disturbance equal to the check digit times the Essence spent (minimum of 1 point). If the Campaign uses Sticky Disturbance, the Disturbance clings to the point of the singing, not the singer. Note that unlike the Celestial Song of Cacophany, this Song doesn't mask other Songs or Disturbance. The Song of Alarm is generally used in the Cathedrals or Domains of Superiors. Generally, one or more guards around where Hearts are stored or at the Celestial endpoints of Tethers will have it, that they can swiftly call for aid from their fellows. Often, a Superior will use Relievers (if Angelic) or Demonlings (if Infernal) in this role, stripping them of the Song after they Fledge and get other duties. Essence Requirment: 1 (minimum) Degree of Disturbance: Special - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 17:12:13 -0500 From: "Prodigal" Subject: Re: IN> What would Ick out David? (was Cath boy) From: "Charles Phipps" > > Khalid...no clue. Same with Zady and Lithy. I think we've already seen Khalid's, in the adventure seed in S3 about the holiest man on Earth being an athiest. With Litheroy, it would be burying a secret vital to Heaven's cause too deeply for anyone to discover it. Zadkiel's bane would be having her efforts and those of her servitors be for naught in protecting others - perhaps you could stage an attack designed to draw her attention away from the cathedral you intended to bomb. Hit 'em in the Word... ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Sep 2000 10:35:58 NZST From: "Alex Liddell" Subject: Re: IN> What would Ick out David? (was Cath boy) > >Hit 'em in the Word... > I wonder if a Word Box exists for such below the belt tactics. Getting hit in the Word with a fast bowl attack has gotta hurt. Seriously though - You would be one Hell of a Demon to get to an Archangel directly through their own Word. Alex _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Sep 2000 00:14:20 BST From: "nick sands" Subject: IN> Contest: Asmodeus: Kata'im ok, in the previos digest i posted about the newly remembered punishment that asmodeus uses, the corporeal binding thingy. Well, i got round to making a minor band based on that. ======================================================= Kata'im The Persuers Resonance The Katai live for the chase, they are made from the forces of captured calabim and churubim. The kata'im however always work in pairs, each one is different from the other because they have a chioce of TWO resonances. However the resonances are weaker than the average demon/angel. One of the pair is made from the forces of a cherubim, they as such they know the way to the target they are 'set on'. _Check Digit Result_ 1-2: The Persuer knows in which direction the target lies. 3-4: The Persuer knows the distance to the target. 5-6: The Persuer knows the fastest means at hand to reach the target and the above results aswell. The secound of the pair is made from the forces stripped from a calabim, as such they know what would most destroy the world around the target they are set on. _Check Digit Result_ 1-2: The Persuer knows what role the target posseses and at what level the targets vessal is. 3-4: The Persuer knows how many hits the vessal has left and how to totally undermine the targets role in the symphony. 5-6: The Persuer may double the next rounds dammage providing they only attack the target of the hunt. Dissonance The Kata'im receive a note of dissonance for each 6 hours that they are unable to track down the target. The dissonance may only be turned in to physical discord that hampers tracking and hunting. Manner and Appearance The Katai are often swiftly spoken and abrupt in doing things that help in the hunt. They often assume a very good partnership rule, they are _both_ the boss, they listen to what each other has to say and form a plan from the best bits of what both have to say in the matter. One of the Kata'im often assume a dog as a vessal and have a secoundary vessal as a 'bruiser'. The secound of the pair often assumes a vessal that has a role of P.I or legitimate Bounty Hunter. In celestial form them appear as long limbed dog faced humans, thier legs are the same style as dogs also. They strangely have tails made of fire. =============================== ((Asmodeus has started to use the old binding punishment but never really had time to get his hands dirty so he reached for the phone and sent a message to vapula and quickly had the first two Kata'im sent through his door with a dossier on thier construction. Asmodeus soon enough went down to his dungeon and stripped the forces from captives and guilty parties and set about making his own.)) =============================== Attunements As yet Asmodeus has to make any attunements for the recently created band. He wants to see just how effective the teaming of slightly weaker demons compares to sending in just one big ol' djinn. =============================== ((None of the Kata'im has ever been created with more than 8 forces, 3 of which are always corporeal, for some reason vapula never made the first pair any stronger than that. Well actually he tried but never really looked back in 'clone tanks' and the lab went boom from the pinned down ofanite forces. They are however capable of growing above that with the expenditure of xp.)) =============================== Other Notes Once the Katai have physically killed the target of the hunt they receive a +6 bonus to summon Asmodeus. Asmodeus then taunts the corporeally bound demon for some time before spending a point of essence and placing a kind of corporeal/celestial homing beacon. He then may assign any of his demons to find the body, assuming that it has been buried, and retrieve it so that he may then strip it of all its forces and destroy it totally. Some times the forces get made in to Kata'im, these Kata'im often have nightmares when the descend to the corporeal realm and they may take ethereal discord in place of corporeal discord. =============================== ok thats me all out of ideas for a while now i think. i hope you like them. As ever, all comments be they fair or foul are welcome. Nick Sands icq=60645575 _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 14:59:21 -0700 From: Steven Feldon Subject: RE: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) I think that once you assume that the truly hardened (read: David) don't mind physical violence and its messy results, you're left with psychological nastiness, and I'd argue two points: The first is that there's a decent chance that celestials don't have that level of . . . problem, and the second is that even if they have them, we have no way to know what they are. For example, I'm a nerdy, moderately overweight software testing roleplayer of Jewish extraction. I could keep going, but who cares? None of that is going to tell you my one true and genuine squicky weakness, which is violent amputation of fingers. You can lose a hand, or a fingernail, and I don't bat and eye, but have a finger chopped off, and I just lose it--terror, running, vomiting. (Yes, Miama Blues and Escape from Alcatraz were loads of fun.) It's not a logical thing, it's not a known thing, and it's not a predictable thing. I don't think we can know for sure what would make David react this way except possibly for a threat to the very _existence_ of his word. steve - -----Original Message----- From: David Edelstein [mailto:amadan@amadan.org] Sent: Friday, September 01, 2000 10:37 AM To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Subject: Re: IN> Cathexis (Warning: High squick factor) Jo Hart wrote: > I think there's a challenge here :) > > So who can create a demonic NPC nasty enough to squick out David? The clock > is ticking ... Bloody gory gruesomeness doesn't do it. That's schlock horror-movie stuff, and I'd rather not encourage people to write carnography just for the squickiness of it. - -David (if you really want to gross me out, just post any SNL movie script) ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 2000 19:45:44 -0700 From: Casca Subject: IN> Re: Cathexis Y'know, I'm actually -relieved- to hear David, Whistling, et al say that Cathexis is rather trite. I was very worried, after having come up with this NPC, as to what this might mean about my mental state. Now I worry about David and Whistling's mental state, instead. ;) At any rate, I'm between 50-75% finished with his history. Stats, such as they are, are completed, and I haven't even touched on his personality. And I'm looking at a busy weekend where I won't even have a chance to get back to this on Monday. So the question is, do I post what I have now and then the rest when I'm finished? Or do I wait until the entire mess is complete, and post it then? Unless I hear otherwise, I'm going to default to 'wait until it's complete before posting'. - -- Casca "...I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying...At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke." -- Isaiah 6:2,4 _______________________________________________________ Are you a Techie? Get Your Free Tech Email Address Now! Many to choose from! Visit http://www.TechEmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Sep 2000 22:56:30 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Re: Cathexis At 7:45 PM -0700 9/1/00, Casca wrote: >Y'know, I'm actually -relieved- to hear David, Whistling, et al say >that Cathexis is rather trite. I was very worried, after having come >up with this NPC, as to what this might mean about my mental state. Now, no one said he was *trite.* Not the worst demon since Legion, perhaps, but not *trite.* >Unless I hear otherwise, I'm going to default to 'wait until it's >complete before posting'. That's what I'm for, at the least. - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #1802 ******************************** The material here is (C) 2000 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.