From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Mon Jun 25 17:18:26 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 RAA11927 for ; Mon, 25 Jun 2001 17:18:26 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.9.3/8.9.1a) id XAA26975 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Fri, 27 Oct 2000 23:04:20 -0500 Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 23:04:20 -0500 Message-Id: <200010280404.XAA26975@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 #2276 Reply-To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Sender: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Errors-To: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Precedence: bulk in_nomine-digest Friday, October 27 2000 Volume 01 : Number 2276 In this digest: IN> Kyriotates, Soldiers, and Will rolls IN> "And I Feel Fine" -- introduction IN> "And I Feel Fine" -- Part 1: Beginnings of Distress IN> Re: Kyriotates, Soldiers and Will rolls Re: IN> Kyriotates, Soldiers, and Will rolls Re: IN> Kyriotates, Soldiers, and Will rolls IN> Lines for Malakim when they kill Demons Re: IN> Kyriotates, Soldiers, and Will rolls Re: IN> "And I Feel Fine" -- Part 1: Beginnings of Distress Re: IN> Lines for Malakim when they kill Demons Re: IN> Lines for Malakim when they kill Demons Re: IN> Lines for Malakim when they kill Demons Re: IN> Lines for Malakim when they kill Demons Re: IN> In Nomine Crossovers (was: Request from a game log junky) Re: IN> "And I Feel Fine" -- Part 1: Beginnings of Distress Re: IN> I want to kick it! IN> Furfur, DP of Hardcore Re: IN> On the Novalis Challenge Re: IN> hobbies, was Re: Poetry duels Re: IN> On the Novalis Challenge IN> Dancing Shoes Addendum Re: IN> "And I Feel Fine" -- Part 1: Beginnings of Distress RE: IN> On the Novalis Challenge ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 17:09:45 -0000 From: "Janet Anderson" Subject: IN> Kyriotates, Soldiers, and Will rolls Does the effect Kyriotates in celestial form have on humans also apply to Soldiers? If so, is this one of the occasions when a Soldier with the Blessed advantage can use it? Is it possible for Soldiers to get used to seeing Kyriotates and either not have to make a Will roll or get plusses to them? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 13:18:21 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: IN> "And I Feel Fine" -- introduction "It's the end of the world as we know it, And I feel fine." -- REM We have ended the world in many various ways, on this list. But we haven't used the most famous model, the book of Revelation. I will be posting a campaign outline based on Revelation, heavily InNominated. It is a Bright, High-Contrast campaign, intended to be canon-compatible, though I take the opportunity to resolve many areas of Canon Doubt and Uncertainty. Revelation has many interpretations. One of the most famous is the one that underlies Hal Lindsey's "Late, Great Planet Earth" and, more recently, the "Left Behind" novels and movie. This school of interpretation is called "dispensationalism." Dispensational theologians are famous for interesting, sometimes exotic, occasionally nutty, interpretations of the book of Revelation. Almost anything the media circulates in the way of gaudy Christian apocalyptic comes from dispensationalists. Dispensationalists usually predict that Armageddon will be preceded by a seven-year period called "the Tribulation," divided into two parts of 3.5 years each. In the first part, the Antichrist rises to power. In the second, he rules, then catastrophically falls. My campaign follows that timetable. The general form of this campaign is an InNominated description of the Tribulation interspersed with roleplaying seeds based on the current events. Some are for demons, some are usable by any celestial, but most are for angels. Earl ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 13:22:17 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: IN> "And I Feel Fine" -- Part 1: Beginnings of Distress "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of distress." -- Matthew 24:7-8 * * * * * * * For ages, there were the Big Four. Before the Fall, before the feudalities of Archangels and Princes formed, before Words proliferated, there were still four preeminent angels. If you mentioned "the Four Archangels" in Heaven, no one asked which four -- you meant Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, and Michael. They were the paragons, and friends, a team of champions. That was long ago. Michael has weathered the ages best, and even he has suffered demotion and disgrace. Uriel is gone. Raphael is dead. And Gabriel is desperately sick. Some think her role as prophet, as God's mouthpiece, is part of her madness. Maybe, in a way, but the madness of God is healthier than the sanity of men, or of angels. Gabriel says a lot of strange things, but more than once she has said that it is only God's grace that keeps her going, only knowing that He loves her and she Him, and, amazingly more, that she can serve Him. This keeps her alive in her torment. So far. No, it's not being a prophet that throws a spanner in the spokes of the First Wheel; it's just plain Word-friction with Belial, ages and millennia of it. Gabriel has gone into convulsions, deep in the fires of the Earth. The whole Pacific Rim has opened up, and tsunamis ripple back and forth, from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Hawaii is gone. The Badlands have erupted in pyroclastic flows, not seen since the dinosaurs. The Mississippi has doubled in width, in a series of earthquakes, and Chicago, St. Louis, and New Orleans are gone. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge has sprouted volcanos from Iceland to Antarctica, the tsunamis taking out the coastal cities of the Atlantic. Greece is a mass of flame, and Thera has erupted once more. The dust kicked up has brought dark days and a global winter that began in August. The falling dust poisons the oceans, and the rising ions send auroras dancing from the poles to the equator. Scientists talk of orogenic episodes and point to the geological records. All that is part of the truth, but the bigger truth is Gabriel. Gabriel is, first and last, the Herald of Heaven, and even her final agony heralds something momentous. * * * * * * * Roleplaying seed: Holding On The PCs are trying to hold their previous plots together while the world blows apart around them. They may spend a lot of time finding out what's going on. What's causing the planetwide Disturbance? Is this the Big One? At what point is your current assignment a lost cause? Angelic PCs will very likely have people to protect; demons may, too, if only because they're not done using them, or are trying to cut losses. One up-side: The ongoing Disturbance storm from Gabriel means lesser celestials can use lots of special effects with much-reduced chance of detection. An opportunity to get in some last licks, or settle old scores, or try that really neat idea that would otherwise be too noisy. * * * * * * * Roleplaying seed: Arks Jordi and Novalis are having fits. This is the worst wave of extinctions since the end of the Mesozoic, and looks like shaping up into the worst since the end of the Permian, or the worst ever. They have sent down Noah himself and St. Francis of Assisi, the one crotchety, the other laid-back, both of them maxxed-out Saints, to draft any angels of Animals or Flowers, plus all the help they can get from Lightning, Creation, and Protection. They're building arks. Not just big boats this time. No, Noah has kept very current. He wants genetic samples. He wants artificial wombs for gestating anything from pygmy marmosets to blue whales. He wants hibernation chambers in secret space stations. He wants an insane number of reliquaries and artifacts. He wants you to help gather specimens and build things. * * * * * * * Roleplaying seed: Dying Senechal You have a friend who is a Senechal. Their Tether has been destroyed. Can you evacuated the Dissonance- and Discord-ridden wretch to Heaven? In Heaven or on Earth, can you get the attention of their (doubtless frantically busy) Archangel to help them? If they are the Word-bound species of Senechal, they may be dying and not even interested in surviving the experience. * * * * * * * Soldekai: "Your holinesses, she is dying. She is not losing strength, more's the pity, but she is losing control. Soon, something will tear her apart -- herself or Belial ... or us." Dominic: "If it must be one of those three, let it be us." Murmurs and gasps echo through the chambers. Novalis is distinctly heard to say, "Bastard." But the Elohim present nod sadly, and even Laurence admits, "It would be the most merciful of those three." Yves sits silent, looking blank and bleak, and this is perhaps the most frightening thing. But then Michael raises his voice: "There is another option. Take out Belial." Dominic: "The balance of the War--" Michael: "*I* am the expert on War. And the old balance is doomed anyway. Either Belial or Gabriel must die, soon, tipping the balance. Let it tip our way, then." Jean: "How?" Michael: "First, are we going to try?" A chorus of "Yes!" goes up. Only Dominic, Yves, and Jean hold back. Laurence: "Dominic, please! It's *Gabriel*!" Michael: "It's either Gabriel or Belial." Dominic: "Yes. Let the balance tip our way." Jean: "Yes, certainly, *if* we can succeed without worse loss than failure would bring." Michael: "Very well then. Litheroy -- leave now. Heaven needs secrets, too, you know." The young Archangel of Revelation looks affronted, then scans the faces of his seniors and notices that now Yves is smiling. He bows his head, raises his wings, and vanishes back to his Cathedral. * * * * * * * Gabriel appears in the middle of the lava-lake that had been the American Badlands. She, he, it is a woman, a man, a wheel, a bird, a ball of fire. She raves for four days. Jean's angels make sure that satellite images show only a massive gout of fire. There is no other human observation. After the fourth day, Belial takes the bait. And is promptly ambushed by Michael, Laurence, Janus, Khalid, Jean, and, a nanosecond later, David. Gabriel gets her own licks in. Belial dies in moments. Soldekai, Novalis, Zadkiel, and Yves are at Gabriel's side before Belial's last spark sputters out. She is healed and sane with almost indecent speed, so she can help with the next move. Belial was hot, but not bright. Still, he didn't come to take out his old boss and rival alone; he had legions of demons at his back. Therefore, they are all there to see what *looks* like Gabriel's own death and the deaths of Michael and Laurence. They see all the other Archangels appear to retreat with massive injuries. In truth, all the Archangels, including Novalis and Yves, take some damage in the battle, but none are slain. And Gabriel is back. * * * * * * * Roleplaying seed: Fire Showdown The PCs are in on the showdown between Gabriel and Belial. (None of these Superiors shows up at the battle alone.) Fire angels can just be there, at Gabriel's side, in the midst of the lava and flames. Angels of War, Sword, Wind, Faith, Stone, or Lightning can be fighting in heat-proof tanks or mecha-suits provided by Jean. Lightning angels can also be off scrambling human probes of the fight. Angels of Flowers, Protection, or Destiny can be running celestial M.A.S.H. units uncomfortably close to the main battle. * * * * * * * Earl ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 13:20:29 EDT From: BillionSix@aol.com Subject: IN> Re: Kyriotates, Soldiers and Will rolls >>>Does the effect Kyriotates in celestial form have on humans also apply to Soldiers? If so, is this one of the occasions when a Soldier with the Blessed advantage can use it? Is it possible for Soldiers to get used to seeing Kyriotates and either not have to make a Will roll or get plusses to them?<<< I'd wondered about that myself. If a person would eventually get used to it. Actually the mental image I'd had was of large bands of human souls in Heaven, trying to enjoy their Paradise, but shrieking and running around like chickens with their heads cut off every time a Kyrio floats by. If that wouldn't drive me to the higher heavens, I don't know what will. ;) Brian Rogers ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 17:23:12 -0000 From: "cassandra benner" Subject: Re: IN> Kyriotates, Soldiers, and Will rolls Hmm, dunno about cannon, but id say thats a gm/game thing, which is entirely up to the gm and the game. >Does the effect Kyriotates in celestial form have on humans also apply to >Soldiers? If so, is this one of the occasions when a Soldier with the >Blessed advantage can use it? Is it possible for Soldiers to get used to >seeing Kyriotates and either not have to make a Will roll or get plusses to >them? 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: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 12:45:35 -0500 From: David Edelstein Subject: Re: IN> Kyriotates, Soldiers, and Will rolls Janet Anderson wrote: > > Does the effect Kyriotates in celestial form have on humans also apply to> Soldiers? Yes. > If so, is this one of the occasions when a Soldier with the > Blessed advantage can use it? I'd probably allow it. > Is it possible for Soldiers to get used to > seeing Kyriotates and either not have to make a Will roll or get plusses to> them? There's nothing in the rules allowing people to become inured to Kyriotates and Shedim in celestial form, but the GM might allow something like that. - -David ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 13:48:00 -0400 From: "Charles Phipps" Subject: IN> Lines for Malakim when they kill Demons YES....TAGLINES! * The Vengeance of the Lord is mine! * Hot enough for ya, it's about to get alot hotter... (witty Gabrielite response that the demon is going to trauma in Hell) * Some @&@*@& ^&^&^&S are always trying to Iceskate up hill (From Blade-perfect for Malakim of Children) * Ummm now maybe a good time to discuss your redemption (Novalis) * AND THE CROWD GOES WILD! (Good if you can spike the demons head) * MEOW! (Jordites) * Jesus saves....unfortunately I don't. (Laurence or Michaelite) * You...really...really shouldn't have hit me. (Davidian, especially when they get to say "you wouldn't like me when I'm angry" before hand incredible Hulk style) * YO JOE! (just seeing if your paying attention) * Vacation times over @&*@*&@ (Marc servitor) * You are sentenced to death! (Best used with a giant relic gavel) * It's your destiny to get an old fashioned butt whoopin. (Yves himself coined it supposadly) * Don't run...don't run...I LOVE NOT BEING ABLE TO FALL HAHAHAHAHAHA! (Malakim of Eli) * I have a dream that all demons are splattered.....oooh good. (followed by sounds of machine gun fire) * Blood on my teeth, a curse on my tongue, and an army of demons before me...LIFE DOES NOT GET BETTER THAN THIS! (the Punisher) * Are you extra-crispy or regular? Ahhh extra crispy (Jeanite to a demon) * What gun? Oh you mean this gun? * As an angel I feel I can't kill you....snerk thank God I'm not a seraph. * God is love...and thus I am love...specifically the love of cracking your skull (Prophecy of course) * You know Malakims can't enter trauma so the fact I'm strapped to C4 explosives in a tether of the war really doesn't bug me...actually it does.... (followed by a very large explosian) * Allah/Simon/Jesus/Pikachu says you've been a very naughty little boy/girl....Allah/Simon/Jesus/Pikachu tells me thus to kill you.... * Ho Ho ho (usually best done by a Malakim in a Santa clause suit with a ax) * Whose up for bingo? * You know your skin would make a nice jacket..... * I drink to your memory @&* *@@*! (followed by bringing his head to the 8th virtue for a free drink as per Happy hour rules) * I'm building a house in heaven now you know...I just decided to build it out of demon bones...thanks for helping! (Malakim of Creation again) * Some demons never learn....You just can't iceskate up hill.... (okay I love the line, shush!) * Just sit right back and you'll here a tale, a tale of a fateful trip.... (or other show tunes as you peel the demon's flesh off) * Hi I have some friends, who fell...tell them they're next when you see them down there. * So you like to kill people...what a coinicidence! SO DO I! * One piece of advice before you go back to the the Hell/Oblivion that spawned you, Always wear sunscreen. (best used with Smite attunement) * Do you know what they call a quarter pounder in Hell, you. (Uses heavy artillery to blow most of him away) * You see I know it's technically a sin to run my car tire across your face until it vanishes...your face not my tire...but in the long run I realize such a action will help me work through the sin of wrath.... * All work and no play makes a dull boy. * Uriel is MojoJojo's best friend...MojoJojo hears Uriel talk to him...Uriel says to eat you while your flesh is still warm * I AM THE WRATH OF GOD! Any additions people want to add? - -Charlemagne ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 10:48:32 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Kyriotates, Soldiers, and Will rolls I can't see the sight of an angel -- of any Choir -- causing the least bit of distress to the blessed souls in Heaven. By that logic, mortals with the Blessed Advantage are probably immune to Kyrio stun. Saints certainly are. However, the same might not hold true for Shedim in celestial form. ===== 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 http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 10:55:31 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> "And I Feel Fine" -- Part 1: Beginnings of Distress Looks good so far. RP'ing Noah would definitely be fun... ===== 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 http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 11:07:19 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Lines for Malakim when they kill Demons - --- Charles Phipps wrote: > YES....TAGLINES! > Any additions people want to add? Perhaps you would like to try the other cheek? (Best for Novalans) I sentence you to... an extreme @$$ whuppin'! (Judgement Malakim, of course) They have a word for people like you where I come from; "target." (Michaelites, duh) Mess with me and you'll make a fuel of yourself. (Angry Gabrielite) If you want to hurt her, you'll have to get past me. And you WON'T get past me. (Zadkielite in "Mom" mode) ===== 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 http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 14:25:40 -0400 From: Cameron McCurry Subject: Re: IN> Lines for Malakim when they kill Demons > > Any additions people want to add? What the heck? "I won't need my bottle opener after all! You look like a twist off!" (Courtesy of Amanda) *Malakite of Christopher about to end life of demon when he feels a weight against his leg. He looks down and sees small child that he knows hugging him.* "Hello sweetheart. Do me a favor, ok? Go in the other room and play with your bear." *Gives meaningful look to demon.* "This won't take long." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 13:30:56 -0500 From: "Prodigal" Subject: Re: IN> Lines for Malakim when they kill Demons From: "Charles Phipps" > > Any additions people want to add? Just one from me: "Go home." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 21:10 +0100 (BST) From: jgd@cix.co.uk (John Dallman) Subject: Re: IN> Lines for Malakim when they kill Demons In article <000901c0fd9f$12571c20$673020d0@f6bs501>, tcp@zoomnet.net (Charles Phipps) wrote: > * You know Malakims can't enter trauma so the fact I'm strapped to C4 > explosives in a tether of the war really doesn't bug me...actually it > does.... > > (followed by a very large explosian) There's a much simpler and cooler quotation for this: "No one here gets out alive." - --- John Dallman jgd@cix.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 16:47:17 -0400 From: Daniel Sauve Subject: Re: IN> In Nomine Crossovers (was: Request from a game log junky) On Mon, 25 Jun 2001 09:22:57 -0500, "Erich S. Arendall" wrote: >but has anyone done any >IN/other game crossovers? And anyone care to tell about their experiences? I'll post details on my IN/ World of Darkness/ Call of Cthulhu(punk)/ IOU game. This is what players get when they ask for that diverse a game and I have GURPS--- actually going rather well. - -- Your GM Daniel Sauve (in nomine, shadowrun, earthdawn, hero unlimited) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 17:04:32 -0400 From: Amanda Kilgore Subject: Re: IN> "And I Feel Fine" -- Part 1: Beginnings of Distress Oooh, I like it. Great work, and it's so good to see somebody else speaking Geologist. :-) The main question that pops to my mind is, how are the demons and DP's fooled into seeing Gabriel's death (And Michael and Laurence)? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 16:58:12 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> I want to kick it! Hello everybody! I'm Doctor Nick Riv-- Er... hi! I've been consumed wholly by a happy-go-lucky Grad School thingy which has me... well, reading this many days after people write it, buuuuuut I *do* read it, so please, let me answer some stuff that got kicked in my general direction: At 2:51 PM -0400 6/18/01, Elizabeth McCoy wrote: > >3. ***SPOILER*** for "Feast of Blades" here! >***SPOILER*** >***SPOILER*** >***SPOILER*** >***SPOILER*** >***SPOILER*** >***SPOILER*** >***SPOILER*** >***SPOILER*** >***SPOILER*** >***SPOILER*** > >>I've just run "Feast of Blades" for my players. At the end of it, >>Gebbeleth was released but not destroyed. Does he still have the Word of >>Secrets, thereby sharing it with Alaemon? > >Yes, and you probably want to pick up Superiors 4, which has the expansion >of Alaemon in it -- and some of the Gebbeleth stuff... (Isn't there something >in FoB that implies that even if Gebbeleth doesn't die then, he's not really >long for this world anyway? Sort of the celestial equiv of hemophilia?) Yes -- in tearing the Dagger in two, Gebbeleth started hemmoraging Forces. It would take significant repair for him to be okay at this stage of the game. That being said, he might just pull through... and then he's in Word-conflict with Alaemon. Now, Gebbeleth was *primo* powerful back at the dawn of time, but Alaemon is, in many ways, more Secretive. And Gebbeleth would be badly injured now, and need time to recover -- which is hard when some *Impudite* has his Word and organization. Hidden warfare is almost certain to follow. Fortunately, if you use S4, the Lodge of Gebbeleth which Alaemon so carefully fostered is tailor made for the real deal to grab hold of, and that gives Gebby a pack of Servitors including some Word-bound to use. > >And can somebody point me to a good write-up of Gebbeleth? > >I don't believe there are any canon ones, and don't know of any personally. >Hopefully someone else will have some. (Get Whistling to talk to you, >though...) I wrote up and posted to the list a Gebbeleth writeup which matched my notes for the Alaemon thingy on Sup4. Sooner or later it will end up on my website or on Secret Project X901 (subtitled "what I'm doing to keep myself sane and in the In Nomine game brain-wise") but I can forward it upon request. If the archives have been fixed it's in there too. - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 17:17:24 -0400 From: "S.D." Subject: IN> Furfur, DP of Hardcore A few friends and I are getting a game together via the Internet, and, apparantly, I'm the only one with any non-Internet resources. Seeing as how I only *own* Superiors 2, Revelations 5, and two copies of the core rules (long story...), this is a problem. I've made myself available for questions, but one of 'em wants to play a Calabite of Hardcore, and I haven't found a writeup - even a *summary* - of Furfur anywhere. Since Revelations 1 is fairly low on my priority list, I won't be getting my own anytime soon, either. If someone could give me a copy of Furfur's writeup, it'd be appreciated. At least his basic Rites, as that's what my friend wants specifically, but the full writeup will come in handy... ~S.D. Ryukage http://fly.to/sd_nexus ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The world's best swordsman doesn't fear the second-best; he fears the _worst_ swordsman, because he can't predict what the idiot will do. Captain Honor Harrington, 'The Honor Of The Queen' ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 17:09:29 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> On the Novalis Challenge At 11:34 AM -0400 6/20/01, Matthew Gerber wrote: >1. Most Judaic/Christian/Islamic tradition (and In Nomine is mostly drawn >from those) tends to hold that peace is inherently morally superior to war, >and that while war can be a necessity, it is never an optimal state. >Therefore, there's sympathy for Novalis' general moral position. > >2. The war faction in Heaven holds the majority of the actual and political >power: Laurence must be obeyed, Dominic can harass you if he thinks you're >not doing your job right, and both of them are strong supporters of the war. >Therefore, Novalis is an underdog. > >3. Most people find the "motherly peacemaker" archetype a very likeable >character. Therefore, Novalis is personally endearing. > >4. There does exist a tendency for one political faction to assume that the >other is entirely unbalanced. Messing with this assumption is a fun game to >play. Therefore, Novalis appeals to those who want to balance imbalance. > >5. The war faction tends to feel the "default" for In Nomine, especially >for new players and new sets of discussions. Therefore, focusing on Novalis >gives you that special, warm subversive feeling in your soul. 6. Novalis is a fabulous babe. There is always a tendency for male players (the majority) to sympathize with the fabulous babe. This also leads to tremendous 'support' for Lilith's position in Hell, and some lesser attention to the other fabulous babes (Blandine and Gabriel) in the game. Novalis and Lilith also have the Male-Player-Friendly setting of 'apparently sexually accessible,' which Blandine and Gabriel do not. Add to this the general desire to identify one's self (when male) with the alpha male of the setting (Michael) and you have the built in male fantasy element. Which is no doubt why there's so much assumption that Michael and Novalis must be "debating their relative positions" horizontally behind the woodshed, despite abject mutual hostility in their writeups. I'm about three-quarters smiley on the above. I won't identify which quarter I'm not smiley over, and further I plan to go back to work on schoolwork after this, which will lead to another couple of weeks before I even respond. In fact, it might be safest to assume I'm just overtired. - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 17:19:23 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> hobbies, was Re: Poetry duels At 10:16 AM -0700 6/22/01, Michael Walton wrote: >Alaemon -- probably has a hobby, but hasn't told anyone >what it is. Actually, there's plenty of stuff Alaemon publically does to relax. He *is* an Impudite.... ...it's just, how can you tell he's collecting art as a hobby, rather than for some hidden purpose or to bury it forevermore, hidden from the eyes of Man and Demon alike? Or how can you tell if he goes to dinner parties for the conversation, Essence and light piano music, or to overhear some secrets and sow disinformation? That being said, at least one of the rumors in Superiors 4 claims Alaemon is an Enigmatologist for fun. Or was before he got his Word and Rank, at least. - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 17:13:44 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> On the Novalis Challenge At 1:15 PM -0500 6/20/01, David Edelstein wrote: >As has been pointed out many times before, the main book is somewhat >schizophrenic (as, indeed, the whole line has been). You can concentrate >on the tongue-in-cheek satirical remnants of the original source >material, or you can concentrate on the somewhat more serious >interpolations. I think about 90% of the "Novalis is a hippie chick" >opinions are due to the illustration that makes her look like Janis >Joplin, frankly. OTOH, "hippie chick" and "motherly peacemaker" are >hardly mutually exclusive. > >Anyway, why don't you just play Novalis the way you'd like her to be, >instead of the way you assume she is in everyone else's campaign? I'm one of those weird people who, when thinking about these beings in Heaven itself, actually assume they go around in Celestial Forms that look mostly like the Celestial Forms of the Smaller Bretheren. So, I have trouble with Novalis as Hippy Chick when I've got her as a gigantic, six winged Hummingbird of transcendent color and garlanding..... - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 14:54:40 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: IN> Dancing Shoes Addendum The following was inspired by the “Boogie Woogie Dancing Shoes” plot for Iron Rev 2. It assumes that Arthifex succeeds beyond his wildest dreams. Spoiler note: those who remember the music of the 70’s are bound to appreciate this more than the youngsters will. Arthifex Impudite Prince of Disco “The world is way too uptight, baby. Teach ‘em how to loosen up and boogie down!” Dissonance Demons of Disco have to shake their groove thangs on a regular basis, and must encourage others to do the same. They can go (Corporeal Forces) days before they have to hit the floor and dance. They must also get at least one mortal to dance with them. Not just any kind of dancing will do; it has to be disco. These demons also get Dissonance for implying, by word or deed, that disco is dead. Band Attunements Balseraphim Liars of Disco can dim all the lights to hide their shady dealings; these demons can play the Corporeal Song of Shadows without Disturbing the Symphony. They can also vary the effects to create anything from total darkness to romantic dimness. Djinn These Stalkers are adept at stayin’ alive. As long as the demon is disco dancing or listening to disco music, he may add his Dancing skill to the TN or CD (decide before rolling) of any Dodge roll. Calabim Destroyers in the service of Disco can create strands of flame at will. They can use this serpentine fire as a light show or as a weapon (Small Weapon: Whip; Accuracy –1, Power +2). It costs 1 Essence to create strands that can do damage. Once ignited, the fire lasts for (Celestial Forces) minutes. Habbalah (Partially Restricted) Arthifex’s Punishers make their victims freak out. They add their Celestial Forces to the CD when they succeed in shattering someone’s reluctance to dance, and never suffer a backlash when they use their Resonance to do it. Lilim (Partially Restricted) A Lilim of Disco is more than a woman. These Tempters add their Corporeal Forces to the TN of any attempt to seduce someone or use their Resonance while they are dancing. Shedim (Restricted) Corrupters in service to Disco can really play that funky music; they retain their Host’s skill at playing musical instruments or leave a portion of their own skill with the Host (one level per full week of possession). This only grants the technical skill for playing the instrument; the only music that the demon can play is disco, regardless of the Host’s repertoire. Impudites Each of Arthifex’s Takers has a pair of boogie shoes, among other garments. In this day and age, only these demons can make platform shoes, afro puffs and lime green polyester leisure suits look good. Any clothing or hairstyle that the demon wears seems to be the height of fashion. Adding some classic 70’s fad accessory to the ensemble (i.e. puka shells or a mood ring) gives the demon a +1 Charisma bonus. Servitor Attunements Boogie Fever With a successful Will roll, the demon can compel someone to dance for (demon’s Corporeal Forces) minutes. The target gets an Agility plus Dancing roll to resist. Note that the target is only forced to move in a dancelike fashion; he may still attack the demon if he wishes, he just has to use disco moves to do it. Thank You For Lettin’ Me Be Myself A demon with this Attunement may remain in celestial form for as long as he can hear disco music playing. Once the music stops or the demon is too far away to hear it, he has the normal amount of time in which to ascend to the Celestial plane or go corporeal. Arthifex’s Principality: Disco Inferno On the edge of Shal-Mari is the hottest club in Hell. Damned souls are lined up around the block waiting for a chance to get in -- none dare try to sneak past the imposing Calabite doorman. Only those who truly exemplify the spirit of Disco are admitted (demons, of course, can always get in). Once inside, those lucky souls can dance eternity away at the trifling cost of their daily Essence. Disco Inferno is decorated with every cliche of 70’s kitsch that one can think of (and some you’d rather not). Mirror balls hang from the ceiling. The darkened room is lit with lava lamps, strobes and “black light” posters. Zodiac signs are everywhere. Nobody gets in without the right clothes; leisure suits are common, and platform shoes are inescapable. Arthifex himself dresses like a Harlem pimp with fur coats, wide-brimmed hats and rings on every finger. And then there’s the music. Disco, of course. All the time. Non-stop. Ad infinitum. And loud enough to make conversation all but impossible. For those who love disco, it’s a veritable paradise. For everyone else, it truly is Hell. ===== 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 http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 21:59:42 -0000 From: "Janet Anderson" Subject: Re: IN> "And I Feel Fine" -- Part 1: Beginnings of Distress >Subject: Re: IN> "And I Feel Fine" -- Part 1: Beginnings of Distress >Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 10:55:31 -0700 (PDT) > > Looks good so far. RP'ing Noah would definitely be fun... > "How long can you tread water?" Janet Anderson _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 16:16:48 -0600 From: "Julian Mensch" Subject: RE: IN> On the Novalis Challenge << 6. Novalis is a fabulous babe. There is always a tendency for male players (the majority) to sympathize with the fabulous babe. This also leads to tremendous 'support' for Lilith's position in Hell, and some lesser attention to the other fabulous babes (Blandine and Gabriel) in the game. Novalis and Lilith also have the Male-Player-Friendly setting of 'apparently sexually accessible,' which Blandine and Gabriel do not. >> I'm actually going to have to disagree here. I'll fully grant that IN Superiors see the influence of male fantasy on occasion (and female fantasy, of course... all that "Laurence is a babe" stuff) and I don't see anything wrong with that given the tone and character of IN. But I am at least reasonably familiar with the 'architypes' of male fantasies. There's a lot of IN stuff that fits (Lilim, Lilith, Gabriel, even Andre's lifestyle or the Habbalah) but I don't think you can pidgeonhole Novalis that way just because she identifies with the female gender. Novalis is /mom/. And -- ask any guy -- "mom" isn't sexy. (Which is not to say that moms can't be sexy IRL, just that the nurturing mother figure is not a male fantasy architype.) << Add to this the general desire to identify one's self (when male) with the alpha male of the setting (Michael) and you have the built >> AFAICT, the typical fantasy is to /displace/ the alpha male of a setting and thereby win the girl... which just doesn't work with Novalis, as it assumes that the girl is basically under the alpha's sway... and Novalis is most certainly /not/ in Micheal's sway. (This particular fantasy works fine if /Gabriel/ is the babe, though.) << in male fantasy element. Which is no doubt why there's so much assumption that Michael and Novalis must be "debating their relative positions" horizontally behind the woodshed, despite abject mutual hostility in their writeups. >> I think that this is more the Hollywood cliche of "any time two attractive people of opposite gender argue a lot, they are really in lust for each other." And this is properly a unisex fantasy, possibly more female influenced than male, as emotion seems to play such a larger part in typical female fantasies. Further, the vast bulk of the Novalis-Micheal vignettes I've seen makes them awkward friends, not any kind of lovers. << I'm about three-quarters smiley on the above. I won't identify which quarter I'm not smiley over, and further I plan to go back to work on schoolwork after this, which will lead to another couple of weeks before I even respond. In fact, it might be safest to assume I'm just overtired. >> I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm certainly not offended by the suggestion that typical male fantasies may influence a large bulk of the writing. I think the sign of a good writer is A) to not use male (or female) fantasy architypes where they aren't appropriate, and B) when they are acceptable, to use them in ways that are tasteful and respect the personal natures of serious characters. IN succeeds on both counts, IMO. Gabriel might be a 'tough girl' and Lilith a 'seductress', but neither architype is taken to the point where women wince and cheesecake conquers all. Actually, I think there's another reason that people like to see Novalis kick ass. It's the same reason it's such a thrill to see Methos finally take someone's head in Highlander, and can be summed up with his coup de grace quote: "Just because I don't /like/ to fight doesn't mean I /can not/ fight." Micheal, for all that he's a cool character, is kind of a thug, and we all inside want to see that the "mousy guy/girl" is just as capable of fighting effectively as the "swaggering braggart*" and is just more discriminate about when it's necessary. - -- Julian Mensch * Not that Micheal really /is/ a bully, but that's what we see, intuitively and in architype terms, when we look at him. ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2276 ******************************** The material here is (C) 2001 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.