From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Thu May 3 13:20:18 2001 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 NAA29960 for ; Thu, 3 May 2001 13:20:18 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.9.3/8.9.1a) id NAA13066 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Thu, 3 May 2001 13:28:20 -0500 Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 13:28:20 -0500 Message-Id: <200105031828.NAA13066@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 #2199 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 Thursday, May 3 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2199 In this digest: Re: IN> List Superiors Re: IN> My DM'ing skills are lacking something. methinks... IN> April 22, 2001 (ML) Re: IN> Moelane Re: IN> Moelane IN> Surreal Discord Re: IN> Consider Mikey G-IN> Ofanites Re: IN> Fallen Moelane Re: IN> Consider the Reaper IN> Town of Hellsworn Re: IN> April 21, 2001 (ML) Re: IN> Town of Hellsworn Re: IN> Town of Hellsworn Re: IN> Town of Hellsworn Re: Ofanites (was Re: IN> Celestial Glory Kung Fu) IN> Consider the Rouge Re: IN> Town of Hellsworn RE: Ofanites (was Re: IN> Celestial Glory Kung Fu) Re: IN> Fallen Moelane (Geez, Beth, how do you stand the embarrassment?) Re: IN> Fallen Moelane (Geez, Beth, how do you stand the embarrassment?) IN> Consider Lightning IN> Consider Something New Re: IN> Gone to Graveyards 4: "Gone to Flowers" RE: Ofanites (was Re: IN> Celestial Glory Kung Fu) Re: IN> Consider Something New ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 20:05:56 -0700 From: Daiv Subject: Re: IN> List Superiors Phillip wrote: > > > I am the Elohite Angel of Not Suffering Fools Gladly, or the Habbalite > > Demon of Sarcasm, depending on my current mood. > > Reminds me of an idea I had for a comedic IN campaign a while back. It > was a malakite of Yves whose defining oath was 'I shall not suffer an idiot > to live'. Note the lack of the 'when it is my choice' caveat. Worst part > was that he was going to have a role as a high school teacher. > > Phillip, Angel of Reinventing The Wheel Oh, that is not good. That would be bad, in the original Ghostbusters movie use of the word. Could be worse, though. He could have a Role as a Software Technical Support rep (they deal with more people on a day to day basis... at the end of a week, he would have a very long list (in all honesty, from my experience in the field, a significant part of that list would be other Tech Supports.)) - -Daiv Tech Writer in Service to Coffee (in search of a Superior) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 23:07:23 -0400 From: "Matthew B. Gerber" Subject: Re: IN> My DM'ing skills are lacking something. methinks... Disclaimer: the following is strictly IMHO and should not be in any way taken as an assertion that the way I see things is the way they exist in canon. It might be how I think things *should* be (heck, it had better be how I think things should be or I'm just wasting fingertip flesh arguing it) but such decisions are far, far deeper magic than this one wields. Ben Glickler wrote: > Is it that dark? Could you conceive of an Elohite Archangel -- or for that > matter, Gabriel or Dominic -- destroying servitors for consorting, even > without their knowledge, with Lucifer? No. It would seem to me that one of the things that makes Hell Hell and Heaven Heaven is the fact that if you are a Servitor of an Archangel, you are a valuable resource and a creature whose existence has value in and of itself, not something to be thrown away at whim. At necessity, yes. To a purpose, yes. But one of the reasons Angels are so willing to serve is that, while they may be used by their Archangel, and used up by their Archangel, it will be for a reason. If they are sent to their death, their death will have meaning. There is no meaning in this. The Angels are not dying to advance the cause of Heaven. They are not dying to hold the bridge. They are not dying to avoid Falling. They are dying for paranoia. There is no reason for this. "The Enemy came by and tried to mess with your head. We have to kill you, sorry. Nothing personal." That can become pathological very, very fast: if Heaven's going to do this, Lucifer could just show up at the Eighth Virtue, do a little tapdance for the audience's entertainment, and knock off a serious percentage of the Armies of God right there. I just don't see how you can get an Elohite to think "contact with Lucifer = terminate with extreme prejudice." It doesn't follow, to me. Actually, strike that. I see it in one situation--if Lucifer is so utterly ineffable that he can leave a "time bomb" inside an Angel that no Archangel or combination of Archangels can detect. But if he can do that and he's out actively planning things like that, you might as well trade feather for leather and hope there's a Prince in a hiring mode, because Heaven's already lost. If there's a reason for an Elohite Archangel to kill these characters, other than in a Backwards game or in one where Heaven is already doomed, I can't find it. As for the other two... from Gabriel's side, it would seem to be rather Cruel to kill someone for not only surviving but doing the right thing in an encounter with the First Balseraph. (Now, granted, if Gabriel is completely off her rocker, you can get there. But no other way that I can see. And there we're into Really Dark or Backwards territory again.) From Dominic's side... "Crime: Subject was contacted by the Lightbringer. Rather than being deceived or seeking favor from the situation, subject immediately suspected something was amiss and notified its Superior in proper fashion. Punishment: Immediate Souldeath." There's something very seriously unbalanced about that. > It'd be like the CIA terminating a spy when that spy gets played by Kish got this one. I'll just add that even if you count Grim Necessity, the CIA doesn't have telepaths (well, unless you buy some of the more interesting conspiracy theories); see the recent threads on Judgement. Toss in the fact that you'd not only have Dominic but multiple other Archangels involved, and it gets really, really hard to plant something in someone's brain. > It gets dark very fast if the players choose to jump instead of get > destroyed, but... If Angels can be in the situation of "Jump or be destroyed" when they didn't do anything wrong, then the game is either Backwards or tremendously, tremendously Dark. I'd almost use that as a definitional example. Matt ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 20:07:51 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> April 22, 2001 (ML) ...but this one is unabashedly Silly. :) Moegiel Kyriotate of Destiny IST to Flowers "No make angry. You no like Moegiel when Moegiel angry... "but now Moegiel feel like fool for saying 'Hulk Smash'. Too der-i-vat-ive." Big Green Guy (Corporeal) Unlike many Discords, Big Green Guy (or BGG) is intermittent in its effects. It's suggested that the roots of the condition come from psychological difficulties in reconciling Novalis' dissonance requirements and her mission statement, which would explain why it only manifests in Servitors of Flowers. Essentially, anyone with this Discord must keep a firm grasp on his, her or its negative emotions: in any situation involving fear or anger, the angel must roll versus Will (at -2 per level of the Discord). Failure to do so results in drastic physiological and psychological changes. The angel's skin will turn green, for a start, and his/her/its vessel will grow by at least two feet. While startling, it's overshadowed by the fact that the angel's Forces will temporarily shift. Every level of BGG will result of one Force being shifted from Ethereal to Corporeal (maximum number of Corporeal Forces remains 6: minimum number of Ethereal remains 1). Furthermore, the shifted angel will react badly to anyone that is actively engaged in harming humanity or the ecology. Needless to say, this includes demons of all types. Duration is usually five minutes for every level of the Discord, or until the angel is knocked unconscious. Servitors of Flowers are the only angels that have ever exhibited this Discord, despite strenuous efforts to duplicate the effect by more militant Superiors. Novalis' Servitors universally dread acquiring BGG, as it invariably results in even more dissonance. The Archangel of Flowers immediately removes it whenever it comes to her attention, so most long-term sufferers of BGG are usually Outcasts: realignment to another Word (or Falling) merely switches this Discord to another Corporeal one. ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 04/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 20:25:56 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Moelane Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 14:37:58 -0400 From: Jonathan Walton Subject: Re: IN> Moelane >> And then there's the other Superiors' opinions of >>him... >Part of me wants to write up Moelane's Superior >opinions just so I could do the remarks between him >and Belial. Still, that would be too easy, >wouldn't it? :) Hmmm... "DIE, YOU BASTARD! NO, BETTER, YEAH, GET UP AGAIN! COME ON! I'VE GOT A WHOLE BOX OF AMMO HERE, AND NOTHING BETTER TO DO ALL DAY! NOT SO TOUGH WITHOUT YOUR SPLEEN, ARE YOU? "AWWW, IS THE BIG BAD PRINCE OF INFERNAL FIRE GONNA CRY? I'LL *GIVE* YOU SOMETHING TO CRY ABOUT - AND AFTER I'VE RIPPED EVERY SINGLE FORCE FROM YOUR QUIVERING BODY, ME, SOLDEKAI AND FURFUR HERE ARE GONNA _DANCE_ THE FUNKY CHICKEN ON THEM! TO A TECHNO BEAT!" Sorry. Got carried away, there.* Moe *But, by all means, go ahead. ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 04/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 22:53:38 -0500 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: Re: IN> Moelane - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Maurice Lane" To: Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2001 10:25 PM Subject: Re: IN> Moelane [...] > AFTER I'VE RIPPED EVERY SINGLE FORCE FROM YOUR > QUIVERING BODY, ME, SOLDEKAI AND FURFUR HERE ARE GONNA > _DANCE_ THE FUNKY CHICKEN ON THEM! Mocking jig, Moe. You dance the *mocking jig*. The funky chicken is so *passe*... > TO A TECHNO BEAT!" Techno beat is fine, however. - -- Chuckg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 20:58:56 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> Surreal Discord Anyone save a copy of it, or just remember when it was posted? And could the author email me privately? :) Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 04/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 00:08:31 -0400 From: Marc Bowden Subject: Re: IN> Consider Mikey - --On Wednesday, May 2, 2001 3:20 PM -0400 Charles Phipps wrote: >> The difference is not "I am all there is and that I am the only one >> who > can >> understand" but "I am the sum of the truth of all that there is and > everyone >> should follow my lead." >> *What* difference? > > A man who cannot believe he is right is certainly not an angel nor > does any angel have any right to the title of word-bound let alone > archangel unless they are supremely sure of their ability to lead or > their cause. > Someone who crosses the boundary between confidence and hubris to the degree suggested is usually called a demon. Marc. Just Marc. Elohite Angel of Salvation ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 21:13:59 -0700 (PDT) From: Peter Eng Subject: G-IN> Ofanites > There's (an Ofanite) in my campaign... he's got IQ 16 and Alertness +2 > for Perception-18. He's also got a Basic Speed of 8 and Combat > Reflexes, for a normal Dodge of 9. > > So, what he does is he rolls his resonance (average roll 11) and then > adds that margin of success (average 7) to his Dodge rolls... which > means that his Dodge roll usually cranks at around *16*! > Well, Mr. Glasgow, I offer the following suggestions in case you want to damage this character in combat: 1. Sniper. Can't dodge a bullet if he doesn't see the gun being aimed. 2. Grenade. Area effect weapons are so much fun. 3. Glue the Ofanite's feet to the floor. :) Peter Eng ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 00:27:40 -0400 From: Marc Bowden Subject: Re: IN> Fallen Moelane - --On Wednesday, May 2, 2001 12:06 PM -0700 Phillip wrote: >> > Then again, I did put some really bad plays on words in two of my >> > "Gone to Graveyards" installments, so I suppose I'm not exactly >> > entitled to throw the first stone... >> > >> >> You can't do that, remember? Dissonant. > > Wouldn't that be 2 notes? One for throwing the first stone, and > another because you threw it in the first place? > I imagine David would get mightily upset if you tried throwing him first. Marc. Just Marc. Elohite Angel of Salvation ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 00:30:41 -0400 From: Marc Bowden Subject: Re: IN> Consider the Reaper DON'T YOU THINK I SOUND LIKE JAMES EARL JONES? Marc. Just Marc. Elohite Angel of Salvation ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 01:13:57 -0400 From: "Charles Phipps" Subject: IN> Town of Hellsworn I had a disturbing thought today.... Cobraas is a Balseraph of Mammon who has a fairly open ended assigmnent as a Cleaning Supply Pyramid salesmen. Heading to a small town which is filled with unemployment and troubles he hawks his wares and then gets a rather...DEVILISH plan in which he slowly recruits soldiers from the police department, sheriff, and mayor etc etc down on until the point that he eventually has control over the entire town. He is a balseraph after all and with a strong will gets entire football field stadiums swayed with his choice words. *** It's an idea as old as Innsmouth and older really but the problem is however what the reaction of the entire Celestial Host when they discover what Cobraas has done to the tiny town of Springfield. Mammon I imagine is satisfied as long as the Hellsworn of Greed are filling their quotas that he gave them and the money keeps flowing in. Laurence discovers after all a place of roughly 500 adults and including the elderly and children 2000 who have been utterly warped by the Balseraph into believing Hell is a righteous cause and their doing their best to put the man who knows how to do things right in charge. I mean WHAT does Laurence do? Does he just order his Malakim to slaughter the entire place? I doubt Uriel would approve of all that disturbance....Novalis would of course be horrofied and Blandine would never speak to him again. Marc is finally just glad to figure out where Avon came from.... but think about what would be the reaction to such - -Charlemagne ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 00:21:20 -0500 From: David Edelstein Subject: Re: IN> April 21, 2001 (ML) Maurice Lane wrote: > Possession of this artifact is a de facto capital > crime in any region controlled by Heaven (and some > places where it doesn't). This may seem unusually > harsh, except that Hell finds this relic invaluable > when they need to ensure a good body count for a bomb > or sniper attack. Thus, the Host assumes that anyone > in possession of this relic is actively planning to > randomly murder a large number of people, and act > accordingly... I could see a number of benevolent uses for such an artifact as well, though. Like any useful device, it's only as good or as bad as the use to which it is put. I don't see why it would be particularly verboten to angels. - -David ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 00:22:25 -0500 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: Re: IN> Town of Hellsworn - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles Phipps" To: Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2001 12:13 AM Subject: IN> Town of Hellsworn [snip] > Laurence discovers after all a place of roughly 500 adults and including the > elderly and children 2000 who have been utterly warped by the Balseraph into > believing Hell is a righteous cause and their doing their best to put the > man who knows how to do things right in charge. > > I mean WHAT does Laurence do? Does he just order his Malakim to slaughter > the entire place? No, he does his best to expose the lies that they've been fed. Balseraph propaganda has one weakness -- specifically, if you actually *think* about it, it can look pretty damn unbelievable. Getting victims is one thing. *Keeping* them is another thing entirely. It would be very angelic to bring the bright light of Truth to this town, and free their minds. (IOW, *somebody page Blandine*. I am *certain* that laughing boy here forgot to guard their *dreams*...) And if worst comes to worst, and the town really is spellbound beyond all releasing? Michael finds some suitable mortal cats-paws or activates some of his Saints.... and gets *them* to slaughter the entire place. Disturbance? Whuzzat? (There'd probably be a great increase in passing "anti-terrorism" laws immediately afterwards, though -- which means the Game will score a tactical win. But hey, if that town really needs to go that badly, then the "doomsday cult" and the nerve gas was just plain required.) - -- Chuckg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 22:22:47 -0700 From: Sean McCarthy Subject: Re: IN> Town of Hellsworn Ah, Springfield. A nice little town like ours. Interesting idea... Sean ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 07:22:10 -0000 From: "cassandra benner" Subject: Re: IN> Town of Hellsworn Personally id say either doomsdaycult or terrorist training town. Ofcourse, this might also be the one time Larry and Jordi could work together. "visitors to the town of springfeild yesterday found a gruesome sight, "a young couple who had planned on visiting their grandparents in the town found to thier horror that wild dogs had devestated the town, killing many of the inhabitants, the few that survived were found in the belltower of the local church "the dogs appear to have been realeased enmasse by protesters in a local town, and many appear to have been tested on in some way, this may hae been the cause for the rampaging attack. "however, not all of the animals have been captured yet and governmental experts have called in to deal with the travesty. "if anybody fears they may have relatives in the town please contact the number at the bottom of the screen "im kent brockman and that was tonights breaking story" or janus pulls laurence to oneside and mutters a few words to him before sending a lot of servitors earthside... a hurricane starts up and trashes the town, not long after the death of the balseraph a new preacher comes in to town to replace the old one and bring a new fresher face of relegion to the town. Or david gets involved without bothering to mention to anyone that the town is on a fault line... Any of these could be used as plothooks you know... Charles Phipps had a disturbing thought today.... ((snippage)) >I mean WHAT does Laurence do? Does he just order his Malakim to slaughter >the entire place? I doubt Uriel would approve of all that >disturbance....Novalis would of course be horrofied and Blandine would >never >speak to him again. Marc is finally just glad to figure out where Avon >came >from.... > but think about what would be the reaction to such >-Charlemagne Cass - -There is no such thing as an atheist in a foxhole- Murphy's Law, Combatants Edition. _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 05:42:52 -0400 (EDT) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: Re: Ofanites (was Re: IN> Celestial Glory Kung Fu) On Wed, 2 May 2001, Charles Glasgow wrote: > There's a character in my campaign... he's got IQ 16 and Alertness +2 for > Perception-18. He's also got a Basic Speed of 8 and Combat Reflexes, for > a normal Dodge of 9. > > So, what he does is he rolls his resonance (average roll 11) and then adds > that margin of success (average 7) to his Dodge rolls... which means that > his Dodge roll usually cranks at around *16*! There is a rule in GURPS: Vehicles that I adapted for Supers that works very, very well. Dodge rolls max out at 14. Any roll of 15+ is automatically a failure on a Dodge roll. So if you have a Dodge of 16, you're rolling against a 14. If you need to roll "Dodge-5", for example, you're rolling against an 11, though, not against a 9. I think that rule should be STANDARD in GURPS. - -- Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian, Q4B4L! Meow! "Cold is God's way of telling us to burn more Catholics." -- Lady Whiteadder, Blackadder II ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 21:39:21 +1200 From: "Alex Liddell" Subject: IN> Consider the Rouge You know, sometimes in the back of my mind I can feel him. Nah, not like he's *invading* it, just there, trapped behind my pain and rage, begging to be let out so he can finally end the game we play. I must have described it wrong. By that look you've gone all Symphonic on me, like I'm trying to explain it in Celestial terms. Think Corporeal for a moment. When you are so much *like* someone else that you can predict their actions, you know their moods and can tell their emotions from a simple amount of body language. Like that. He's there, on his knees, praying to someone who doesn't listen. The rumours? I started them all. The more they doubt one of their own, the more they play into the hands they fight. It didn't take long to undermine everything that Genubeth was and turn it to my own means, it will take even less time to turn him into nothing more than a clone of *me*. I'm not unoriginal. Look at how I got the Word in the first place. Lucifer was surprised, he tried to hide it but I saw it all in his many eyes. You think that someone with this much *style* would resort to abject plagerisim of one of the Host without a reason? Thoughts like that don't wash well with me. It's a plan you see. The rumours and such. I'm borrowing his powers, his distinctions, his Dissonance. But I'm stealing his Soul, his identity, his individuality. I'm taking him apart piece by little piece and every time some angel whispers the rumour I started I take a little more. Bit by bit I'll strip him of his reason to exist. And when I'm done with him. I'll pick another sucker with a fat wallet. And start all over again. Same method? You must be joking..... got to keep moving, got to keep changing, got to keep in motion. Like the wind my friend, like the wind. - -Alex _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 08:26:35 -0400 From: Cameron McCurry Subject: Re: IN> Town of Hellsworn > I mean WHAT does Laurence do? Does > he just order his Malakim to slaughter the entire place? This could be a good seed for a Soldiers and Saints only campaign where they get to be part of the "resistance movement." You don't even need to do anything as drastic as killing everyone and leaving their heads on pikes as a warning to others. Through Michael, you get some Soldiers in on the police department and move them up the ladder to places where they can do the most good. Internal Affairs officers can really make a cop's life unpleasant. Journalists can get a great deal of photographic evidence that do incredible things against politicians. Since it's all about shaking things up, Janus is going to get a few people there rather quickly. Let's not forget the gangs that David loves so much. Putting the fear of God into someone now has a whole new meaning. I don't think Novalis is going to sit still for a town like this either. You get a few nice people working amongst the Hellsworn who now how to get people to behave and suddenly Heaven doesn't seem that bad. hmmm...Marc just sent me an email. Looks like he can get a few of his people to set up some businesses there. Not only that, but he can keep shipments from arriving or leaving as well as take over certain spots in the sanitation department. The place is going to smell pretty badly in a few weeks. Oh and as for that cruel Sheriff that has a fondness for torturing people? His address is in the hands of one of Gabriel's Saints. Might want to get one of Marc's garbage men over to his house tonight. It's gonna be messy. And of course there's the matter of the elementary, junior high and high school where those poor children are being brainwashed. Christopher has the right mix of teachers, principals and school board members to start making some drastic changes. Damn shame about that last high school principal walking into that car... And then when things get a little more stable, the folks might start realizing that the Balseraph isn't as benevolent as he appears. Then things can get messy. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 08:24:26 -0600 From: "Julian Mensch" Subject: RE: Ofanites (was Re: IN> Celestial Glory Kung Fu) There is a rule in GURPS: Vehicles that I adapted for Supers that works very, very well. Dodge rolls max out at 14. Any roll of 15+ is automatically a failure on a Dodge roll. So if you have a Dodge of 16, you're rolling against a 14. If you need to roll "Dodge-5", for example, you're rolling against an 11, though, not against a 9. I think that rule should be STANDARD in GURPS. - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't know a lot of GURPS, but are unhittable characters really such a problem? If dodges take actions in GURPS, you can still run out when facing Art of War or something similar. Besides, the dodge master is a staple of a *lot* of cinematic genres, most notably the superhero one. Look at Spiderman -- he's a classic unhittable character. It should probably take a *lot* of points to be this skilled with defense, but knowing GURPS and mathamatics, it very likely does. Personally I'd *much* rather play with an unhittable character /in any system/ than a one-hit-killer. Not getting hit does not tend to seriously unbalance games. Against a much more powerful foe, he's just biding time. And there are so many methods of offense that *can't* be dodged -- area effects, mind control, gas attacks, et al. WRT IN, this is doubly true. The Ophanite of Unhittableness IST War is still vulnerable to everything from the Balseraph Resonance to surprise attacks to Art of Combat to Songs of Charm, Harmony or Possession. - -- Julian Mensch ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 12:20:27 -0400 From: Jonathan Walton Subject: Re: IN> Fallen Moelane (Geez, Beth, how do you stand the embarrassment?) > And Jonathan, poor soul, matches the first name, too! > Personally, I think it's a plot by Kobal to twist people's > minds and turn them into IN writers. > Hmmm... based on the examples given, Kobal's plan seems > to have worked. };> I'll say. I've had the governor of my state call me Jon-boy. I'm sure that's worse than all the Space Cowboy jokes Moe's been put through and all the Simpson's references endured by our own Mr. Burns. But (scrambling for an excuse to make this post on topic), we can all blame it on the Habbalite Demon of Puns, who needs to be drug out and shot (or drugged up and shot, if you're feeling particularly merciful). Later. Jonathan (Walton, no relation to Mike, honest) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 09:53:03 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Fallen Moelane (Geez, Beth, how do you stand the embarrassment?) - --- Jonathan Walton wrote: > no relation to Mike, honest) Oh, sure, just deny me and cast me aside (sniff!). 0;> ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "Holding a grudge is like being stung to death by one bee." -- William Walton (no relation) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 10:48:57 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> Consider Lightning It is a fallacy to think that because I appear cold, that I am cold. I am a master of my passions, not a denier of them. Those of my Choir have a precious gift: we know the consequences of our actions upon humans in a way that no other angels may duplicate. The delicate dance of electrons and neurons, stimulus and response, the transmutation of chemistry and physics into the soul: that is what we deal with every day of our existence. But it is a fragile dance: the slightest wrong note can smash the airy framework that is the average human's mind. This would not be so troublesome, if it were not for the fact that it cannot be predicted precisely what would be the metaphorical straw that breaks the metaphorical camel's back. Better to tread lightly: still better not to tread at all - but to do the latter requires firm resolution, and an admission that we may not safely stray from the still place within our Hearts. If there is tragedy in this, it lies in that my Choir may not even grieve at those of us who have lost their still places. I, myself, have a ... compensation. I have the universe. Not 'have' in the sense of 'possession', but 'have' in the sense of 'access'. I know the rules of the corporeal universe, but I have not yet explored all of the permutations - and I may never do so. There will always be a new connection to make, a new application of theory to explore, a new viewpoint to contemplate and evaluate. The task is a complex one, and could legitimately take up the rest of my existence. However, there is a War going on. I do not resent Hell, but I do not pity them, either - they are a willfully wrong note in God's Symphony, and balance dictates that they be put in tune or silenced, lest the wrong notes spread and threaten the whole. If this means their repentence, that is acceptable: however, if they cannot stop interfering and will not repent, then they must be excised. There is no middle ground. Other of my peers who know of my opinions on this matter then ask why I do not release more of my applied research into the hands of either Heaven or Earth. The answer is simple: experimentation has shown that a too-comprehensive dissemination of technology will result in a suboptimal result. Vapula (my primary opponent) does not seem to care about this, apparently deciding to emphasize power over reliability and quantity over quality. Seeing the amount of Technological equipment available, my peers bring this difference in methodology to my attention at every opportunity: I have not yet heard a compelling reply to my standard query about whether they would accept a commensurate failure rate. As for humanity ... if I was not obedient to the will of God, I would not be here. I have seen in some a hint of the reason why He deems them special and precious in His eyes. I know that such a hint lies in all humans, but until it is present and shining in each and every one of their faces, I cannot allow them to be burned by my discoveries. Humanity has only barely begun to move towards maturity (a movement much delayed by Hell). It is not reprehensible to keep dangerous materials out of the way of those not yet ready to handle them safely: it is not patronizing to speak of humans as metaphorical children, provided that you intend to help them move from that state. Until that day when humanity is ready (and they progress. Slowly at times, but they progress), I remain in the laboratory - or the music hall. There is much to be learned in the contemplation of harmony and melody, in the way that mathematics can be subconsciously utilized to create a transient work of art. I have found that mastering each form of musical instrument (including the human larynx) proves useful in my work. In many ways, my work _is_ music, and thus art. I sing the body electric. ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 04/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 14:54:23 -0400 (EDT) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: IN> Consider Something New "Believe it or not, I never do anything with the sole intention of pissing off the Seraphim Council. Their shock and anger sometimes makes me grin... but more often, I just sigh inside and wonder why they choose not to understand. "Listen to it... you can hear the Symphony playing its strands on zephyrs floating through the air... a neverending, always changing melody. A new note sounds with the birth of each being; a new chord with each destiny fulfilled; a rest upon each fate sealed. Humans slip in and out of existence. Angels and demons learn to adapt to this fluid world. And God smiles down upon this, for God did decree that the world would be what you made of it. "Everyone has the right to choose their own path in life. The problem is that most people aren't aware of the choices that they have. Does Mr. J. Random Businessman realize that he *could* quit his job and work with disabled veterans, without becoming homeless himself, by learning how to let go of his possessions? Does he understand the sense of fulfillment that this would finally bring him? No, until he is *shown* this, he does not know. Did humanity realize that they had a choice in how to worship until the Reformation? Some did, most did not. "Do I sound like I should go on to praise Lucifer? Praise him for showing the Host another choice that we may not have been aware of? Perhaps a part of me must acknowledge that he *did* show us another path... but only in the way I must acknowledge the first human to realize he could voluntarily place his arm into a meat grinder! Lies, deception, and false promises led one-third of God's faithful into a Fate worse than death itself - a perversion of all we stand for and an insult in the eyes of the Symphony. It is a choice, but a choice that only a fool would make; unfortunately, Lucifer has a way of making fools out of those around him. "We must all be free to make our own choices, with a clear and open mind, as God intended. Notice my words. One's mind must be clear: free of irrational doubts, free of overwhelming fear and worry, and free of demonic taint. One's mind must be open: Until you understand what lies upon the paths before you, you cannot freely choose your own path. "Many cling to their current situation out of simple inertia or fear. The future is a frightening unknown to them, and they erroneously believe that they're much safer where they are than they could be anywhere else, simply because they're not yet dead or close to it. Even people in horrible situations, barely living what could be called a life, are afraid to step away from it and begin anew. "I have seen a man with five ulcers, who wakes every morning in abject horror, realizing that he must head to work today. Cursing his existence on his way there, he toils at a job which he hates - hates as a slave hates its master. When he returns home, to a loveless marriage of convenience, the last thing he does before sleep is wish for an end to it. And this man *still* will not change his life on his own. "I have seen a woman, beaten by her husband every day. *Every* day. Sometimes just a slap, sometimes a full assault. Forced to leave her school and her job for him, she longs for both with a passion so intense, an Elohite would have to leave the room. She thinks she loves him, but even she realizes it's really dependence. And yet, this woman *still* will not change her life on her own. "Sometimes it just takes a little push. Sometimes it takes the full power of the winds of change. But it's always, always worth it. My Servitors and I may sometimes force them onto the start of a path, but we never force them down it. Some gather their courage and walk down the new path, to face a new life. Others run from the path and go back to their old lives. Some find a third path, a healthy one that we missed, which brings me more joy than you could imagine; it means they finally *understand*. Some of my most unlikely Soldiers have come about that way. "As I speak to you, the woman is in another state - a waitress, in her fourth semester of community college, working towards her nursing degree. The man was given a chance to open the flower shop he's always secretly longed for... instead, he's sprouting ulcer number six. You win some, you lose some, and you never give up trying. "And no, I am *not* Valefor." - -- Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian, Q4B4L! Meow! "When you're alive you gotta SHOUT, and MAKE A LOT OF NOISE or WHATEVER, 'cause when you're dead, you SHUT UP LIKE HELL!" -- St. Jeroen Van Braam ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 14:56:09 -0400 (EDT) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: Re: IN> Gone to Graveyards 4: "Gone to Flowers" On Wed, 2 May 2001, Prodigal wrote: > From: "Michael Walton" > > > That was a nice read. I especially like the final line. > > Thank you. I spent almost as much time on that as I did on the description > of Novalis' rebirth, and it's good to know that I managed to make it work. The whole story worked very, very well. It was well worth the read, and the wait. - -- Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian, Q4B4L! Meow! "I feel like we could write a song with the title 'I Wanna Fuck You' and people would still say, 'I don't understand...explain to me what that song means.'" -- John Flansburgh (They Might Be Giants) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 15:20:19 -0400 (EDT) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: RE: Ofanites (was Re: IN> Celestial Glory Kung Fu) On Thu, 3 May 2001, Julian Mensch wrote: > I don't know a lot of GURPS, but are unhittable characters really > such a problem? If dodges take actions in GURPS, you can still run > out when facing Art of War or something similar. No action. Free. You can make 1,100 Dodges each turn. Thus this cap. - -- Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian, Q4B4L! Meow! 'Frop (frop) n. [ATL Habafropzipulous] The only thing that can drop you into the wading pool section of your own soul while the lifeguard's body drips blood from the diving board into the water, creating a fractal pattern dictated by an equation which has been built into your DNA code since life began. Watch the pattern and learn next week's winning Lotto numbers. [Webster-Dobbs, 3rd ed.] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 May 2001 14:17:10 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Consider Something New I like both "Something New" and "Lightning" very much (along with most of the others). Is anyone collecting this "Consider" series? I hope so. Earl ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2199 ******************************** The material here is (C) 2001 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.