From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Wed May 30 09:15:04 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 JAA22573 for ; Wed, 30 May 2001 09:15:04 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.9.3/8.9.1a) id JAA23355 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Wed, 30 May 2001 09:10:25 -0500 Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 09:10:25 -0500 Message-Id: <200105301410.JAA23355@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 #2247 Reply-To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Sender: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Errors-To: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Precedence: bulk in_nomine-digest Wednesday, May 30 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2247 In this digest: IN> Paper on the Purity Crusade IN> Re: Papers on the Purity Crusade IN> Re: In CCG IN> Re: Quirky Destinarian Re: IN> Paper on the Purity Crusade IN> May 13, 2001 (ML) Re: IN> Re: Papers on the Purity Crusade Re: IN> Paper on the Purity Crusade Re: IN> Another purity Crusade essay Re: IN> May 13, 2001 (ML) IN> Quirky angel of Destiny IN> IN CCG - Discords Re: IN> May 13, 2001 (ML) Re: IN>Quirky Destinarian Re: IN> May 13, 2001 (ML) Re: IN> Paper on the Purity Crusade IN> Archangel Raziel (Part I) IN> Paper on the Purity Crusade ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 00:26:53 +0100 From: "Genevieve Cogman" Subject: IN> Paper on the Purity Crusade Primus: we believe in God. Secundus: we believe that the higher heavens are closer to God. Tertius: we believe that it is desirable for human souls to ascend to the higher heavens. Quartus: we should not take any action which causes a soul to be condemned to a place other than the higher heavens, _or_ refrain from any action which might enable a soul to ascend to the higher heavens. (qv Destiny.) Quintus: although a Far Marches realm may be preferable to Hell, it is certainly inferior to Heaven, and to the higher heavens. Sextus: there are no records of human souls leaving Far Marches realms, once confined there. Septimus: we believe that God has spoken truly in that he desires all human souls should come to him. Octavus: we believe that God is of a different order of beings from the Ethereals, in that he is creator of all things and of us all. Nonus: while a virtuous soul may find his way to Heaven despite belief in Ethereals, a sinful soul may be lost who otherwise could have been saved. Decimus: it is axiomatic that the loss of a single human soul to Hell is a grief which cannot be measured. Whereas by all these arguments, the Purity Crusade was both just and necessary. - --- Sonaciel, Seraph of Lightning. - --- (Maya) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 11:26:50 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Re: Papers on the Purity Crusade > THIS MESSAGE IS IN MIME FORMAT. Since your mail reader does not understand this format, some or all of this message may not be legible. - --MS_Mac_OE_3074066810_396356_MIME_Part Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit To: The Pan-Entity Symposium on Tri-Planar Affairs Attn: Edward, Mercurian Master of Discovery (Adjunct of SCIENCE!), Angel of Academic Conferences, Vice-Chairman of the Steering Committee for Litheroy's Abbey Re: Heretical Views being expressed during The Purity Crusade Debate From: Suria, Seraph of Judgement. Dear Sir, Although not currently assigned to monitor this Symposium, I have read a number of submissions while investigating a charge of Heresy by one of the angels who has submitted papers to you. Given the obvious lack of concern concerning libels against the First Malakite, I suggest that the Symposium's papers be either restricted reading, available only to members of the Symposium, or better yet, that the records of Uriels' Trial be required reading for anyone taking part. This would help prevent the spread of Diabolical propaganda in Heaven. In particular, the following points are clearly false: " Did not Uriel in his madness" A Celestial who is actually mad, as opposed to Dissonant or Discordant, cannot and will not be tried by Dominic. To do so would be unjust. Any defendant can be tested for madness at the order of the Judge, and the oaths which both defendants and witnesses are required to swear will allow the Seraphim present to detect madness, as the oath taker swears that they are in full control of their capabilities. This is, of course, in addition to the careful testing by the Powers of Judgement for more subtle mental aberrations. Any maddened Celestial is held and receives the appropriate medical treatment for their condition. As such the claim that Uriel was mad is a slur on his memory and a libel against Heavenly Judgement. " Part of it can be traced, I believe, to the battle with Beelzebub" Although this slander of madness is somewhat mitigated by the believe that the madness was the result of injuries sustained during Uriels' loyal defence of Heaven, the evidence is clear. Before the battle, Uriel (as Archangel of Purity) took steps to ensure that he would be completely cleansed of any taint caused by the battle. Following the battle, he accepted the ministrations of all who had the skills to detect and cure such corruption. All of the Archangels who took part in the required healing (whose ranks included Raphael & Novalis) pronounced themselves satisfied that Uriel was completely clear of contamination, and that the only concerns they held were that he should not engage another Demon Prince until he had had time to recover the numerous Word-Forces lost during the struggle. further, had their been any chance of some lingering effects, this would have been considered a mitigating circumstance during the Trial - similar situations occur when angels become discordant due to Ethereal combat with the armies of Hell. "The Ethereals are the creations of the human mind, making them, or so I believe, the grandchildren of God." This argument has been made on behalf of the Lilim, and was considered by the Seraphim Council when the Lilim Ephesus was redeemed. Although I do not have the records at hand at the moment, I believe that the final decision of the Council was that the Redeemed Hellborn are considered Children of God by adoption, as the redemption process allows their acceptance into the 'family' of Heaven. This is in many ways similar to the definitions of 'Child of God' used among human Christians, whose theology holds that while Christ is a begotten Child of God, angels are Children by creation and faithful humans by adoption. Although only Christianity is only one of the faiths accepted by Heavenly Judgement, the claim that Ethereals are grandchildren of God is surely intolerable arrogance when humans - who create the spirits - have the humility to consider their childhood an unearned gift, requiring their eternal thanks! "He led the Raising of the Fists, the transformation that took otherwise happy angels and transformed them into the first of the Malakim, the Virtues who are Heaven's warrior-angels." I am surprised to hear that the angels who were fighting for their lives aginst Lucifer and his rebels were 'otherwise happy'. Further, the implication that the creation of the Virtues was anything other than Divine Intervention on behalf of God's loyal followers is breath taking in its absurdity! " If it is acceptable for an Archangel, the Commander of the Hosts of Heaven, to flaunt God's laws, then why should not the demons? " It is not, which is why Uriel was placed on Trial. This is, again, a slur against Holy Judgement. " Purity is gone, perhaps forever. " False. The Word of Purity remains strong; many former Servitors of Purity exist with full access to the attunements & Distinctions which Uriel granted them. I trust that the fact that two Archangels are among their ranks has not been forgotten. "since Heaven has proven untrustworthy" I feel that the absurdity of this remark is self-evident, as it could not have been written in the angelic tongue. Nonetheless the fact that any creature could be so foolish as to write it shocks me. " I refer to Armageddon here" Armageddon has been prophesied as part of God's Will and will occur when God Wills it. Although the concern to prevent a lesser war occurring in the mistaken belief that Armageddon has occurred is a worthy and holy goal, to strive against God's plan is Heretical. "It is my fervent and Truthful hope that we will not repeat such a calamity in our dealings with our demonic kindred in Hell." This remark will be dealt with directly by Heavenly Judgement, and I have referred it for Dominic's personal attention. This is not the results of a formal inquiry, of course, and I trust that you will understand that I have written this purely as an individual - albeit an individual with a professional understanding of Judgement. Nonetheless I hope that you will bear my words in mind while determining how to prevent having your symposium degenerate into a propaganda machine for Heaven's enemies. Yours in God, Suria, Seraph of Judgement - --MS_Mac_OE_3074066810_396356_MIME_Part Content-type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable Re: Papers on the Purity Crusade To:     The Pan-Entity Symposium on Tri-Planar Affairs=
 Attn:   Edward, Mercurian Master of Discovery (Adjunct of          SCIENCE!), Angel of A= cademic Conferences,
         Vice-Chairman of the = Steering Committee for Litheroy's Abbey
 Re:     Heretical Views being expressed during Th= e Purity Crusade Debate


From: Suria, Seraph of Judgement.

Dear Sir,
    Although not currently assigned to monitor this Sym= posium, I have read a
number of submissions while investigating a charge of Heresy by one of the<= BR> angels who has submitted papers to you. Given the obvious lack of concern concerning libels against the First Malakite, I suggest that the Symposium'= s
papers be either restricted reading, available only to members of the
Symposium, or better yet, that the records of Uriels' Trial be required
reading for anyone taking part. This would help prevent the spread of
Diabolical propaganda in Heaven. In particular, the following points are clearly false:

" Did not Uriel in his madness"
A Celestial who is actually mad, as opposed to Dissonant or Discordant,
cannot and will not be tried by Dominic. To do so would be unjust. Any
defendant can be tested for madness at the order of the Judge, and the oath= s
which both defendants and witnesses are required to swear will allow the Seraphim present to detect madness, as the oath taker swears that they are<= BR> in full control of their capabilities.  This is, of course, in additio= n to
the careful testing by the Powers of Judgement for more subtle mental
aberrations. Any maddened Celestial is held and receives the appropriate medical treatment for their condition. As such the claim that Uriel was mad=
is a slur on his memory and a libel against Heavenly Judgement.

" Part of it can be traced, I believe, to the battle with Beelzebub&qu= ot;
Although this slander of madness is somewhat mitigated by the believe that<= BR> the madness was the result of injuries sustained during Uriels' loyal
defence of Heaven, the evidence is clear. Before the battle, Uriel (as
Archangel of Purity) took steps to ensure that he would be completely
cleansed of any taint caused by the battle. Following the battle, he
accepted the ministrations of all who had the skills to detect and cure suc= h
corruption. All of the Archangels who took part in the required healing
(whose ranks included Raphael & Novalis) pronounced themselves satisfie= d
that Uriel was completely clear of contamination, and that the only concern= s
they held were that he should not engage another Demon Prince until he had<= BR> had time to recover the numerous Word-Forces lost during the struggle.
further, had their been any chance of some lingering effects, this would have been considered a mitigating circumstance during the Trial - similar situations occur when angels become discordant due to Ethereal combat with<= BR> the armies of Hell.


"The Ethereals are the creations of the human mind, making them, or so= I
believe, the grandchildren of God."

This argument has been made on behalf of the Lilim, and was considered by the Seraphim Council when the Lilim Ephesus was redeemed. Although I do not=
have the records at hand at the moment, I believe that the final decision o= f
the Council was that the Redeemed Hellborn are considered Children of God b= y
adoption, as the redemption process allows their acceptance into the
'family' of Heaven.
This is in many ways similar to the definitions of 'Child of God' used amon= g
human Christians, whose theology holds that while Christ is a begotten Chil= d
of God, angels are Children by creation and faithful humans by adoption.
Although only Christianity is only one of the faiths accepted by Heavenly Judgement, the claim that Ethereals are grandchildren of God is surely
intolerable arrogance when humans - who create the spirits - have the
humility to consider their childhood an unearned gift, requiring their
eternal thanks!

"He led the Raising of the Fists, the transformation that took
otherwise happy angels and transformed them into the first of the
Malakim, the Virtues who are Heaven's warrior-angels."

I am surprised to hear that the angels who were fighting for their lives aginst Lucifer and his rebels were 'otherwise happy'. Further, the
implication that the creation of the Virtues was anything other than Divine=
Intervention on behalf of God's loyal followers is breath taking in its
absurdity!

" If it is acceptable for an Archangel, the Commander of the Hosts of<= BR> Heaven, to flaunt God's laws, then why should not the demons? "
It is not, which is why Uriel was placed on Trial. This is, again, a slur against Holy Judgement.

" Purity is gone, perhaps forever. "
False. The Word of Purity remains strong; many former Servitors of Purity exist with full access to the attunements & Distinctions which Uriel gr= anted
them. I trust that the fact that two Archangels are among their ranks has not been forgotten.

"since Heaven has proven untrustworthy"
I feel that the absurdity of this remark is self-evident, as it could not have been written in the angelic tongue. Nonetheless the fact that any
creature could be so foolish as to write it shocks me.

" I refer to Armageddon here"
Armageddon has been prophesied as part of God's Will and will occur when Go= d
Wills it. Although the concern to prevent a lesser war occurring in the
mistaken belief that Armageddon has occurred is a worthy and holy goal, to<= BR> strive against God's plan is Heretical.

"It is my fervent and
Truthful hope that we will not repeat such a calamity in our dealings
with our demonic kindred in Hell."
This remark will be dealt with directly by Heavenly Judgement, and I have r= eferred
it for Dominic's personal attention.

This is not the results of a formal inquiry, of course, and I trust that yo= u
will understand that I have written this purely as an individual - albeit a= n
individual with a professional understanding of Judgement. Nonetheless I hope that you will bear my words in mind while determining how to prevent having your symposium degenerate into a propaganda machine for Heaven's
enemies.

Yours in God,
Suria, Seraph of Judgement
- --MS_Mac_OE_3074066810_396356_MIME_Part-- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 11:24:24 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Re: In CCG >>Are you going to do it _C_CG? I.e., are you going to "game balance" with >>Rare and Uncommon cards? >> >>Or would this plot be just a regular CG? >> >>(Yes, yes, I know it's hypothetical unless someone gets really inspired >>and does it electronically. I'm just curious.) > > Well, if people aren't going to be going out and buying actual decks and > booster packs, it makes little sense to have Rares and Uncommons. Agreed. > > Oooh. *Thought.* > > Have people design whatever deck they want from the available cards. Have > the cards rated at a certain "point" level. Surely it's simpler to just link the cards power to it's cost in Forces/essence? Given that they are the regular measures of strength in IN anyway... James. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 10:16:00 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Re: Quirky Destinarian > with thanks > to James for the proper way to write up an IN character (looking at his > Kushiel write-up). Well, I used Moe's Demon of the Most Dangerous Game as a template! :-) James. > Let me know what you think. :) Liked a lot. Now all we need is for a friendly Balseraph to explain to him that he's got Fate & Destiny mixed up "Don't be daft, he can't be DESTINED to get killed, even if it will save other lives; clearly the make lots of money option is his Destiny" and he'll be ready to think about a new Superior..... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 20:06:47 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Paper on the Purity Crusade - --- Elizabeth McCoy wrote: > At 7:33 PM -0700 5/28/01, Maurice Lane wrote: > > >3) Sorry, Beth. I needed a good reference, and > >Archives seemed logical. ;) > > No problem. So long as I don't have to > write one... > > And here I went to so much trouble to come up with a title that would tempt you*... ;) Moe *BTW, picked up the Michael Longcor album with 'Monster in My Head' in it. SCARY Shedite song, indeed. :) ===== 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!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 21:34:21 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> May 13, 2001 (ML) OK, this is weird, I admit. Still, I'd join, sight unseen, _any_ secret society that offered these resources... :) Moe Songs of Convenience (Corporeal) These Songs are very much beloved by Soldiers of God. You see, one of the things that they don't tell you when you sign up to fight the forces of Hell is that sometimes you'll never have any time to run errands... All of these Songs require 1 Essence to perform, have a permanent duration and cause no extra disturbance. Cleaners This Song will press and clean up to CD shirts/pants or one suit/dress. Deposit Marc hands this out as part of the recruitment process. A successful performance of this Song will automatically and immediately deposit any amount of currency (including cashier's checks) into the performer's bank account. The performer may not use this Song on any cash that isn't his or hers! Forms This Song will accurately fill out CD lb. of government forms. Tax forms are not affected by this Song, due to the inherent Diabolical nature of such items, but Trade provides free accounting services to Soldiers of God anyway. A variant of this Song (Renew License) completely obviates the need to ever visit any Department of Motor Vehicles, provided that the performer is deserving of a Drivers License. It cannot be used to fix tickets. Access to the Songs of Forms has proven to be a stellar morale booster among modern Soldiers of God. Gifts There are several different versions of this Song: each must be learned separately. Most Soldiers that know these Songs know at least two: after all, it looks awkward if you give the same gift for four Mother's Days straight. Some currently known variants are: Calendar (for the next year: type of calendar up to the performer, but nothing more risqué than mild cheesecake allowed); Chocolate (produces 5 lb. of a reasonable variety of chocolates, complete with box and bow); Flowers (produces a bouquet of the performer's choice); and Sweaters (color and size up to the performer: comes with box and bow). Mail This Song, when cast on up to 2 lb. of mail, will immediately transport it to the nearest post office. By spending an additional point of Essence, the target mail will be transported so that it will arrive at its destination on the next business day. Appropriate postage is still required, or the equivalent in proper currency: this Song will make change. A variant of this Song (Pick up Mail) is also available: it will deposit the contents of a post office box in front of the performer. Items too big for the box may be acquired, at the cost of 1 Essence for every item retrieved. This Song will sign for the items. ===== 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!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 21:55:52 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Re: Papers on the Purity Crusade - --- james walker wrote: > To: The Pan-Entity Symposium on Tri-Planar > Affairs > Attn: Edward, Mercurian Master of Discovery > (Adjunct of > SCIENCE!), Angel of Academic Conferences, > Vice-Chairman of the Steering Committee for > Litheroy's Abbey > Re: Heretical Views being expressed during The > Purity Crusade Debate > > > From: Suria, Seraph of Judgement. > Oooh. The Symposium's first academic Feud! Thanks, guys! :) 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!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 21:57:33 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Paper on the Purity Crusade - --- Genevieve Cogman wrote: > Primus: we believe in God. > Whereas by all these arguments, the Purity Crusade > was both just and > necessary. > > --- > > Sonaciel, Seraph of Lightning. > > --- > > (Maya) (applause) ===== 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!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 21:59:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Another purity Crusade essay - --- Charles Phipps wrote: > OCC: Tell me if anyone finds this funny. This is > actually my PC in Charles > E. Smith's Turning point PBEM (thus explaining the > angel of Light business) > and my favorite In character. > > Isaiah > Angel of Light* > > Former Angel of Flowers, Former Angel of Creation, > Former Angel of Animals, > Former Angel of Memory, Former Angel of Patience > under Destiny, Former Angel > of Fire, Former Angel of the Word, Former Angel of > Creation > > Seraph A Strong contender for the Angel of ADD, I see. :) 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!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 22:06:21 -0700 From: Ryan Elias Subject: Re: IN> May 13, 2001 (ML) Maurice Lane wrote: > This Song will sign for the > items. And I had a sudden image of a poor government employing routinely checking over forms and finding one signed by 'Ezerikel, Reliever of Trade'. And another image of two little sprites fighting over the pen. *sigh* Nice Song, by the by. Ryan ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 23:08:19 -0700 (PDT) From: Peter Eng Subject: IN> Quirky angel of Destiny edenesque@juno.com wrote: > I've had this idea stewing in my mind for a couple of days, with thanks > to James for the proper way to write up an IN character (looking at his > Kushiel write-up). Let me know what you think. :) > - ------------------------------------------ > > Quicin > Outcast Mercurian of Destiny > > Corporeal Forces: 1 Strength: 1 Agility: 1 > Ethereal Forces: 5 Intelligence: 9 Precision: 1 > Celestial Forces: 3 Will: 5 Perception: 1 > May I join in the chorus of people asking, "Where are the rest of his characteristics?" Peter Eng - -- Four points per force. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 16:30:53 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> IN CCG - Discords Most people seem to like the idea of basing the game on V:TES/Jyhad (although plundering ideas from other games will be needed - eg having Superior cards similar to the Stronghold cards in L5R. I suggest having the Superior's dissonance conditions (if any) on the Superior card, as well the other global effects). What do people think of combining the choir/ band resonances & dissonances with Discord cards? As an example, the following card: - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRUTHFULNESS DISCORD (DIVINE) Whenever the servitor makes a directed action, the target of the action may ask one question regarding the acting servitors' action which must be answered truthfully. If the servitor acts contrary to the stated answer, the servitor must make a dissonance check. If the servitor with the card is a Seraph, they may choose to answer additional questions, and may inflict this Discord on any Servitor they block for the remainder of the blocked action. - --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay, it could have been phrased better. However, I'm hoping you get the idea. Additionally, the card could be placed on a Reliever when it reach 9 Forces to turn it into a Seraph. Well? James. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 07:27:32 -0400 From: Marc Bowden Subject: Re: IN> May 13, 2001 (ML) - --On Tuesday, May 29, 2001 9:34 PM -0700 Maurice Lane wrote: > OK, this is weird, I admit. > > Still, I'd join, sight unseen, _any_ secret society > that offered these resources... > Wonderful! It's nice to see someone thinking of taking *care* of the chosen, instead of not regarding them as any more than The Disposable Guy With The Big Gun or Eye Candy. =) Marc. Just Marc. Elohite Angel of Salvation ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 05:58:21 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN>Quirky Destinarian - --- edenesque@juno.com wrote: > Quicin > Outcast Mercurian of Destiny Wow, an angel who dares to second-guess Yves. That takes guts. Not brains, but definitely guts. 0;> ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 The Aztecs had chocolate and human sacrifice. That's got to balance out on the karmic scale. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 06:07:05 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> May 13, 2001 (ML) - --- Maurice Lane wrote: > Songs of Convenience (Corporeal) This is the sort of thing that makes one regret that IN is only a game. 0:> ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 The Aztecs had chocolate and human sacrifice. That's got to balance out on the karmic scale. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 13:24:36 From: "Jo Hart" Subject: Re: IN> Paper on the Purity Crusade >From: "Genevieve Cogman" > <...> >Whereas by all these arguments, the Purity Crusade was both just and >necessary. > Lovely. And I'm convinced. jo _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 06:34:12 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: IN> Archangel Raziel (Part I) Here he is, as promised. Raziel Ofanite Archangel of Mysteries "The world is a mystery for the worthy to solve." Raziel was one of the first angels created by Raphael, Archangel of Knowledge. His Ofanite drive combined with his Raphaelite hunger for learning to make him a relentless seeker of information. His persistence at pursuing even the tiniest clue to the solution of a puzzle made him the perfect candidate for the Word of Mysteries. Under Raziel's tutelage, humankind's innate curiosity flowered into a search for true enlightenment. Loyalty to his Archangel's Word wasn't the only thing that contributed to Raziel's productivity. It was common knowledge among Servitors of Knowledge that the Angel of Mysteries was passionately devoted to Raphael herself. Raphael never returned the Ofanite's affection, but neither did she openly disapprove of her Servitor's behavior. In the face of this seeming indifference, Raziel only redoubled his efforts to serve his lady's Word and to solve the great mystery that was the heart of Raphael. He served his Archangel faithfully for millennia and was content to love her from afar. The coming of Legion shattered any romantic dreams that Raziel might have had. One of Raphael's preparations for fighting the Prince of Corruption was to have Raziel lead a group of her angels in a Theme of Knowledge to strengthen her as she did battle. Just before she left, she gave the Angel of Mysteries a sealed scroll. "Keep this close to your Heart," she said, "There will come a day when Heaven will need the words that are written there." "But, Lady," said Raziel, "My place is with you. There are other angels who can play this part. I beg you, let me fight at your side." Raphael shook her head and enfolded him within her wings. "This is a part that only you can play, Angel of Mysteries, for it must be the work of one who loves me. Do you love me, Raziel?" Raziel hung his head sadly. "You know I do, my Lady." "Then do this for me, please," she said, and started off to meet Legion. As she went, Raziel whispered, "But do you love me, my Lady?" Those were the last words that he would ever say to Raphael. Minutes later she sacrificed herself to destroy Legion, and the Symphony rang with the echoes of her loss. Raziel's grief was boundless. He wanted to tear through Hell and exact revenge. He wanted to wail in mourning forever. He wanted to know why this had to happen. He never wanted to know another thing again. His conflicting passions were a tangle of indecision which quickly turned into Dissonance. Raziel was on the verge of Falling when his grief-stricken wanderings lead him to his cracked and bleeding Heart. His sadness abated for just an instant as he saw the scroll with which Raphael had entrusted him. Picking it up, he broke the seal and read the words that were written there. "You know I do," was all it said. The Ofanite shed his Dissonance as bitter tears, then picked himself up and went back to work with renewed zeal. Raziel decided that the best way to choose a new Archangel was to work for several of them and see where he did the most good. The relentless pursuit of knowledge that marked his service to Raphael made him a valued asset to other Archangels as well. Destiny, Flowers, Judgement, Stone and War all competed for his service. Raziel's efficiency led many members of the Seraphim Council to remark that he would make a good Archangel. Such remarks were repeated often enough that the Symphony acted on them - -- Raziel spontaneously became an Archangel. Despite his surprise at this development, Raziel naturally sought to solve the mystery. His research indicated that God wasn't responsible for this seemingly capricious act. The Seraphim Council had in fact elevated him by consensus, they simply weren't aware that they had done so. Raziel's quick mind saw an immediate advantage to this; if Heaven didn't know that he was an Archangel, Hell didn't either. With no Demon Prince assigned to oppose him, he had a freedom to serve Heaven's cause that other Archangels lacked. Raziel now operates the most secretive organization in Heaven. He is determined that what demons don't know will hurt them. Raziel's Word revolves around secrets, both discovering and keeping them. His goal is to conceal from Humans any knowledge that would be harmful to them while uncovering knowledge that would be helpful. His early career saw him supporting Sorcery because of the sorcerous tendency to work in secret. Sorcerers were also the foremost seekers of hidden knowledge in the days before science. Since Hell's perversion of sorcery into a base search for power, Raziel has mostly abandoned that aspect of his Word. He refers most White Sorcerers that he encounters to Laurence. In modern times Raziel is the patron of detectives. He also shares with Jean an appreciation for scientists who do "pure" research. DISSONANCE An angel of Mysteries may not reveal information to those who would be harmed -- i.e. moved toward their Fate -- by it or conceal information from those who would be helped (moved toward their Destiny) by it. The latter doesn't require that the angel give up the information, only that she not stop the person from finding out. It is equally Dissonant to give information to mortals without making them work for it; there must be some study and/or detective work involved. Razielites deal with humans by giving clues rather than straight answers. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 The Aztecs had chocolate and human sacrifice. That's got to balance out on the karmic scale. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 10:11:45 -0400 From: Cameron McCurry Subject: IN> Paper on the Purity Crusade A Dissertation of the long term effects on the Purity Crusade Hazael, Master of the Realms of Night Elohite of Blandine I have been contacted by several of my fellow angels who brought the latest discussion of the Purity Crusade to my attention. I admit some reluctance to joining in on this but my analysis of all sides of this debate made me realize that perhaps my views on this might be of some benefits. My credentials in this matter are quite strong. I was a Servitor of Uriel for three centuries before the Crusade was enacted. I earned his Master Distinction and was one of his highest ranking officers to lead the attack upon the Earth as well as the Marches. But more importantly, I was a member of what has come to be known as "The Seven." For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with the meaning behind that (Which includes almost all angels created after the Crusade), The Seven were angels of Purity who refused to carry out their orders any longer and declared that Uriel had gone too far. After we announced this, we helped many Ethereals flee into the Far Marches. We were all marked for soul death but nothing would stop us from trying to balance out the horrible damage that had been done. By the time we were caught, Uriel had been called to the Higher Heavens and opinion had shifted about his actions. We were cleared of charges of Heresy, but ordered to remain in Heaven as Servitors of other Archangels. I was sent to Blandine's service and have remained there since. The Crusade itself was an idea founded upon a several sound notions. One of which was that humans should be able to live their lives free from the slavery that was imposed upon them by Ethereal Spirits. And there were Ethereals that were quite malicious. Many demanded human sacrifices, others stole the spirits of humans for their own sustenance, some ate the flesh of the innocent (e.g. Unicorns) and many ruled as tyrants. Our actions saved people from horrid Fates and turned many towards Heaven. If we had stopped there, our actions would have been remembered in a far nobler light. But we overcompensated. We began to believe that all Ethereals were completely evil and must be purged from all realms. Thus began a campaign to cleanse the Earth and the Marches. I will not remark upon this further, since records of our deeds are kept in great detail in other tomes. So with this in mind, why did we rebel? Why did we turn against our Archangel? I will not presume to speak for the others but my own reason was quite simple. We had come across a Spirit in the dreams of a child. It could have escaped easily out of the Dreamscape but it remained to protect the human. It thought of us as a threat to the child instead of itself and guarded it with a ferocity I have only seen in the Cherubim. That one action was enough to make me realize that the Crusade was out of control and that we were not seeing the good that we were killing along with the evil. I have had several centuries to reflect upon what we have done and have learned more about the Ethereal realm through my service to the Archangel of Dreams. My meditations have revealed two important points that I would share with those who have taken the time to read these papers. First is that Ethereals are not evil simply for being what they are. There are those that can do good and truly do not wish any harm to people. I have met one that was formed from a child's mind. The child was abused by it's parents and took comfort in his stuffed bear that had become his imaginary friend. The Spirit that came about through this comforted the boy as he slept and was slowly giving him the courage to face the world. This Spirit knew that his time was limited and he would die when the child's mind was healed. But he didn't care at all. The only thing that was important to him was that the boy would recover. I have only seen this level of selflessness in others only twice before. We would be doing a great disservice to the Symphony in destroying such a noble nature based on it's manner of creation. The second point I wish to remind my colleagues is that many Ethereals are created by humans. Through sheer force of will, dreams and need, these spirits are being born. This suggests a level of Divinity within humans that is being ignored and under appreciated. The increase in the Ethereal population in spite of Heaven's efforts leads to the conclusion that the only way to eradicate them completely is to wipe out the race that is responsible for them. However, I know of no angel that would ever openly suggest genocide against the humans and I would take direct action against one who did. In closing, I would like to say that the time has come for Heaven to rethink it's approach towards the Ethereals. We must consider them each individually rather than make broad statements about their nature. As humble servants of God, we must set the example and reach out to those we have wronged. ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2247 ******************************** The material here is (C) 2001 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.