From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Sat Jul 21 10:01:02 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 KAA23714 for ; Sat, 21 Jul 2001 10:01:02 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.9.3/8.9.1a) id KAA20401 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Sat, 21 Jul 2001 10:01:33 -0500 Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 10:01:33 -0500 Message-Id: <200107211501.KAA20401@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 #2311 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 Saturday, July 21 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2311 In this digest: Re: IN> Song of... Goo Re: IN> X, the Unknown Re: IN> X, the Unknown Re: IN> X, the Unknown IN> Re: godding for fun and profit IN> Re: Skulkers IN> Re: Skulker of Secrets Attunement IN> Re: Scroud IN> Re:The Unknown IN> X, the Known Re: IN> Re: Scroud IN> X, the Known (Sliding Doors version) Re: IN> Re: Skulkers Re: IN> Re:The Unknown Re: IN> Superiors 5+ Re: IN> Attunements & Rites IN> Proto-Superior: Perdix, Demon of Despair Re: IN> Skulker IN> IN/Continuum (Repost) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 19:25:08 -0400 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Song of... Goo At 2:33 PM -0700 7/20/01, Michael Walton wrote: >--- Elizabeth McCoy wrote: >> Numinous Corpus: Goo > > Heh. Great minds do think alike. [...] >I called it NC: Slime and listed Andrealphus among the >Superiors from whom it was available. Ah-hah! So you're to blame for me thinking of it in the wee dark hours of the night when my Telepathy power might be working... (My email _receiving_ is back... But sending is still flakey...) - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor RPG links; Random name list, Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 23:39:19 +0000 From: "Janet Anderson" Subject: Re: IN> X, the Unknown > >Fun guy. I suspect that, should Mike ever get a hold >of him, things might be ... smoothed out, shall we >say? ... for X. Exactly what I was thinking. All these demons who are much too good for Hell and really ought to be Redeemed. It's enough to make an angel think about working for Novalis. Janet (who'd work for Laurence even though I'm probably better suited temperamentally for Novalis) * * * * Beware the anger of a patient bard. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 20:55:45 -0500 From: David Edelstein Subject: Re: IN> X, the Unknown Janet Anderson wrote: > > > > >Fun guy. I suspect that, should Mike ever get a hold > >of him, things might be ... smoothed out, shall we > >say? ... for X. > > Exactly what I was thinking. > > All these demons who are much too good for Hell and really ought to be > Redeemed. It's enough to make an angel think about working for Novalis. Nope. They may hate Hell, but they're still too selfish to admit their errors, repent of their pride, and beg God for redemption. It takes more than hating Hell to become an angel. - -David ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 21:49:19 -0400 From: Douglas Muir Subject: Re: IN> X, the Unknown >--- Douglas Muir wrote: >> >> It occurs to me that I've never once seen a writeup >> of one of the Unknown. >> > >Fun guy. He's about as nice as a Calabite is likely to get IMC. >I suspect that, should Mike ever get a hold >of him, things might be ... smoothed out, shall we >say? ... for X. For a Seraph, Mike's a pragmatic >sonuvabitch.* Well, much depends on your campaign "settings". In a darkish, Low Contrast campaign, he'd barely be distinguishable from the average Servitor of War or Fire. IMC, the Contrast is set middlin' high, so most AAs would not remotely be willing to accept the "collateral damage" that X has been inflicting. Even Mike would set him some sort of penance -- and that's assuming that he survived the Redemption process, which IMC requires the demon to be really, sincerely sorry. But other campaigns have different settings; YMMV. Doug M. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 11:45:28 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Re: godding for fun and profit > As another point, can anyone think of other AAs who might be guilty of > creating cults of personality to gain additional Essence. We all know Baal > and Belial did so, but would an AA stoop to such a low? Depends how dark you > like it i guess. (Janus would be a good candidate, and Gabriel might sponsor > appocalypse cults) Ruminate, cogitate and vomit forth ideas people! Well, David was known as Gog, the Canaanite god; AA's appear to have changed their names over the millennia whenever they felt like it. Reasons? Possibly Uriel asked them to copy Janus? When Uriel was commander of the Hosts, the Ethereals were a powerful third force. If Archangel of the Wind successfully stole the identity, worshippers and essence of the Ethereal god of Doorways by a simple name change, why shouldn't Heaven have decided that this was a simple way to simultaneously eliminate a potential threat AND acquire the power they needed to finish Hell off? The ethereal would have been playing these games with each other anyway, so they can hardly consider it unfair, and the thought of Hell beating them to the punch would be a frightening thought. Heaven could concentrate on those gods which were neither particularly good nor evil, and once the ethereal was eliminated, rebuild the religion to be 'good' - before finally openly declaring themselves as AA's in the service of the one true God - accelerating the spread of Christianity & Islam. Given this is pre-tech, I imagine that Jean (Jove?) was in the thick of things, eliminating annoying gods of Lightning. No wonder Jupiter didn't have the power to survive the Purity Crusade... James. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 12:20:29 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Re: Skulkers > - --- Chris Holland wrote: >> >> Where could I find a writeup of this band? >> >> Chris > > Heh. There isn't a canonical writeup: I _think_ that > David E referred to them in his web writeup. > > If not, well, you'll have to hope that somebody writes > them up in response. Usually, somebody will. :) They're in GIN, page 59; so they're not canon YET. BTW, I'm currently going through GIN with a fine tooth comb looking for rulings, write-ups and descriptions which aren't elsewhere. Once I've finished, do people want me to post them here? James. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 12:27:53 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Re: Skulker of Secrets Attunement > Eric Alfred Burns wrote - > At 5:41 AM -0700 7/20/01, Michael Walton wrote: >>--- james walker wrote: >>> Skulker (restricted) >>> Alaemon's fellow Skulkers have their Celestial Forms >>> modified to resemble >>> another Band. [snip]: Calabim, Lilim, Habbalah, >>> Impudite or Pachadim. >> >> Considering that only Beleth can make Pachadim, I think >>it's reasonable that Alaemon couldn't make other demons >>look like them. Other than that, I like it. > > By those lights, Lemmy couldn't make them look like Lilim either. > > I'm thinking resculpting a Celestial Form to look like another Demon > isn't a huge issue -- might as well throw the Pachadim in there too. > > (To be *really* fun, make them look like *Angels.*) That's evil...the interesting thing is, looking like an angel wouldn't be terribly useful in the Celestial Realms, due to the Light of Heaven/the attention they'd get in Hell. So: ========================================================================== Skulker (Partially Restricted) Alaemon's Skulkers have their Celestial Forms modified while in Celestial Form in either the Marches or the Corporeal Realm. A new form becomes available to the Skulker each time Alaemon grants them a Vessel; they automatically take the false celestial form appropriate to the Vessel they were in before entering The Marches/ going Celestial. Taking a humanoid Celestial Form (eg Calabite, Elohite, Habbalah, Impudite, Malakite or Mercurian) requires a human (or at least simian) Vessel; taking the Celestial Form of a Seraph or Balseraph requires a snake or bird vessel, while taking the Celestial Form of a Cherub or Djinn requires an appropriate animal vessel. Once the demon has been given this attunement, lilith can grant the demon a Vessel which cause the Demon to appear to be a Lilim - and will only charge 'a few' Geas/3 for the Vessel. Of course, to successfully imitate a Lilim will require Liliths' help in other ways, so the demon will inevitably end up paying the full set of 9 Geas/3 - but hey, that'll make the image more believable, won't it! (And that's before She starts suggesting items which can duplicate the Lilim resonance, eg a Lilim's Heart). This Attunement isn't actually Restricted, but it is Secret - and a Conspirator who discovers it's existence had better make sure that it isn't simpler for Alaemon to keep the secret safe by destroying him. And can Beleth grant a Vessel which causes the demon to have the Celestial Form of a Pachadite? That's a Secret too...a Nightmarish one.... ========================================================================== Pity that it's a bit longish; still, what do people think of it know? James. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 12:27:35 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Re: Scroud > I don't know why, but this bad boy won't let me go yet. Because he owns your soul, of course. probably traded it of lilith for a geas. > > Subprincipality: Scroud runs -- what else? -- a disgusting slum on the > edge of Shal-Mari. Near the border with Stygia? Would amke sense that anytime a Damned Soul actually acquires something that might help them leave the squalor, a Thief pinches it. And being beside Acheron (on the floodplain, naturally - this is NOT valuable land) would make for convenient access by The Black Lotus. Scroud's going to fun. I'm looking forward to exploring what happens. I wonder if he can persuade the Demon of Vandalism to jump ship when he makes his bid for Princedom? James. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 13:11:52 +1100 From: "james walker" Subject: IN> Re:The Unknown > So, here's a sample Unknown. Anyone else have any of these? Sure, I used this guy in my first Campaign, although he ended up being a Demon of fate in Service to Hardcore (serving Sarcasm - it got complicated, especially once he was sleeping with the PC Seraph): SHRED Unknown Calabite Corporeal Forces: 3 Strength: 4 Agility: 8 Ethereal Forces: 2 Intelligence: 3 Precision: 5 Celestial Forces: 6 Will: 12 Perception: 12 Vessel: Male Human/4, -1 Charisma, +2 Charisma (Restricted - those who like rebels) Skills: Dancing/1, Dodge/3, Driving/1, Emote/1, Fast talk/1, Fighting/4, Lying/1, Ranged Weapon (Pistol)/3, Small Weapon (Switchblade)/1, Throwing/2. Songs: Healing (All/1), Motion(All/1), Speed(Now useless). Discord: Selfless/6. Shred was a Ofanite of Novalis, charged with getting supplies of food through to the starving. He understood the importance of his job, and did it well - but couldn't help being disturbed by the fatalities which the war faction of Heaven was inflicting, especially on human bystanders. He tried to forget his worries by throwing himself in to his work, and pushed himself too hard, too far, too fast; the rapidly accumulating dissonance drove him Outcast and then drove him to Fall. Finally he had time to slow down and think. Thought not driven by speed, but influenced by his Calabite Discord - Selflessness. It's not Heaven's fault, none of it - not the War, not the deaths, not even his Fall. This is true. But if Heaven wins, they're going to massacre all of the demons, and all of the damned. Heaven's victory will be the greatest atrocity in the history of the Universe. On the other hand, if Hell wins, no massacre - they'll be baulked by the Light of Heaven, so the angels and the Blessed will live happily ever after. Under siege, true, but safe nonetheless. So it's in everybody's best interest for Hell to win. Of course, Shred can't join Hell - the moment the Game sees his Discord they'll kill him. And Shred doesn't really like killing people -sure, he gets a rush from smashing things, but that's just partying. He really cares about people, so fighting Heaven isn't an option. So Shred actively works to cause angels to Fall. That way, they'll end up helping Hell to cature earth & The Marches. His battle plan is simple: cruise into a region, make sure he's detected by an angel who can detect his Discord (if nothing else, tell a Seraph that he is [or isn't] Selfless) and start partying with the redemption crew. Their often willing to bend the rules for a potential convert, and usually have their guard down around such a considerate and clearly compassionate fellow. He hasn't been able to convince any of them to Fall, but he's ruined the morale of several, and a number have become Outcasts after spending some time with Shred. Shred's success so far is sufficient to have attracted Kronos' attention, and if he can persuade another angel to jump ship, Kronos will ask Asmodeus to make a special exception for Shred and allow him to work for Hell despite his Discord. James. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 23:59:45 -0400 From: Douglas Muir Subject: IN> X, the Known Just for the Hell of it, here are two alternate versions of Mr. X: one where he gets redeemed by Michael, and one where he falls in with... * * * * * "X", Calabite Knight of Rock 5 Corporeal Strength 10 Agility 10 2 Ethereal Intel 5 Precision 3 4 Celestial Perception 9 Will 8 Vessel - 4 (hulking, long-haired, tattooed human male) Role (Bouncer) - 2 Status - 2 Move Silently - 3 Fighting (brawling) - 6 Lying - 2 Dodge - 3 Driving - 5 Fast Talk - 3 Songs Corporeal Charm - 5 Celestial Charm - 3 Corporeal Motion - 5 Celestial Motion - 5 Corporeal Shields - 3 Celestial Shields - 6 Corporeal Form - 3 Celestial Attraction - 5 Song of Thunder - 1 (he's just starting to learn this) Discord - Angry (2) Calabite of Hardcore, Knight of Rock One of Furfur's demons was a witness when X made his memorable last stand on Earth. Deeply impressed, he contacted his Prince: "Boss, this guy was _it_. Hardcore!" Furfur, who has a soft spot for audacious Calabim, took a chance and sent an Essence-packet into Limbo with a job offer attached. And when the junkyard dog materialized at the scene of X's final battle, Furfur's people were waiting. They offered him a Distinction on the spot, a Servant, and a chance to kill other demons... and X, lacking anything better to do with himself, said yes. Furfur is very pleased with his new Calabite, and X is finding it pretty okay to work for Furfur. Listen to loud music, drink a lot, fight, yell, dance and smash things... it's a living. Sometimes he's a bouncer at one of Furfur's few Tethers, sometimes he's on tour with a band. Nobody ever tells him what to do, and he gets to beat up humans who are rude or annoying, or just in his way. And he doesn't have to spend any time in Hell, which is good -- Hell is full of demons, and he's not sure he could control himself. And three times now, he's gotten to join other demons of Hardcore in fights with enemy demons. Fun! His Calabite of Hardcore attunment lets him _really_ smash things up when loud music is playing, and loud music is always playing when Hardcore is in town. His peers are still chuckling over what he did to that Impudite of Fire and his human slaves... messy, but funny as Hell, if you like that sort of thing. X has a Servant now, a 5 - Force Gremlin. The Gremlin inhabits the same junkyard dog vessel that X used to get himself out of Limbo. It knows the Ethereal Song of Form, so it's actually pretty handy for spying out things - -- a subtlety most foes won't expect from any Servitor of Hardcore, let alone a Calabite. X treats the nameless Gremlin surprisingly well, only abusing it when his Discord is upon him, or he's very bored, The Gremlin is bright enough to realize this, and is about as loyal as such a creature ever gets. This version of X is an unusually fun Calabite, but he's definitely a full-fledged Spawn of the Pit now, and not to be trifled with. Doug M. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 00:07:03 -0400 From: Douglas Muir Subject: Re: IN> Re: Scroud >> Subprincipality: Scroud runs -- what else? -- a disgusting slum on the >> edge of Shal-Mari. >Near the border with Stygia? Would amke sense that anytime a Damned Soul >actually acquires something that might help them leave the squalor, a Thief >pinches it. Heh. I like it. >Scroud's going to fun. I'm looking forward to exploring what happens. I >wonder if he can persuade the Demon of Vandalism to jump ship when he makes >his bid for Princedom? I'm not sure who Vandalism works for (though I'm sure that Furfur has been wooing him). I do know that some of Scroud's other Wordbound include the demons of Lice, Pellagra, Street Litter, Day Care Centers*, and Hell's happiest Calabite, the giggling little demon of Messes. *If you don't think "Day Care Centers" should be an Infernal Word, then you've never stepped inside a bad one. Not only hellish, but fitting right under both Gluttony and Squalor. Doug M. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 00:13:18 -0400 From: Douglas Muir Subject: IN> X, the Known (Sliding Doors version) Penitente, Ofanite of War 5 Corporeal Strength 10 Agility 10 2 Ethereal Intel 5 Precision 4 4 Celestial Perception 9 Will 8 Vessel - 4 (hulking but neatly groomed human male) Role (Janitor) - 2 Status - 1 Move Silently - 4 Fighting (brawling) - 6 Lying - 2 Dodge - 3 Driving - 5 Fast Talk - 3 Large Weapon (flaming sword) - 2 Songs Corporeal Charm - 5 Celestial Charm - 3 Corporeal Motion - 5 Celestial Motion - 6 Corporeal Shields - 4 Celestial Shields - 6 Corporeal Form - 3 Celestial Attraction - 5 Ofanite of War, One to One This version of X was methodically tracked down by Michael's people over several months; the Archangel of War was impressed by an Outcast who'd managed to avoid both sides for years, and wanted to give him a chance at redemption. And when the chance came, X took it... and re-fledged as Penitente, a truly repentant Ofanite. Some of his War-brethren are still calling him "yo-yo", but he's rapidly proven his sincerity and zeal. And he's really, really sorry. In his flighty Ofanite way, he truly regrets killing all those humans, especially the innocent ones. Michael has arranged for their families to be taken care of, but Penitente still stops by now and then to see if there's something he can do. He's also sought out the Traumatized Angel of Revelation to apologize in person. Angels don't trade in Geases much, but as far as Penitente is concerned, that Cherub has the equivalent of at least a Geas-5, any time he wants to call it in. He's even apologized to his former Superior, carefully and correctly, if not with an excess of zeal. Laurence, trusting Michael, accepted his apology, coolly. In truth, Penitente's feelings towards the Sword are cautiously neutral; he accepts responsibility for his Fall, but also feels that Laurence could have done more to help him. But the forms have been observed. Penitente has a mobile Role as a temporary janitor, which lets him get close to all sorts of interesting places. In his spare time, he likes to drive around in an old convertible, listening to loud music with the top down and occasionally swigging a beer. He's not yet really comfortable in Heaven yet. As a yo-yo, he feels he still has to finish proving himself, and until then he prefers to stay on Earth. Meanwhile, he gets to zoom around and fight demons. He's added a couple of levels to his hit-and-run songs; Michael wants him to be a Virtuouso, one who can zip in and do massive damage to confuse and soften up the enemy. Michael granted him the One-on-One attunement recently, after a particularly successful raid along these lines, involving the "clean extraction" of an Impudite from among his human victims. Penitente is wildly proud of this, and will try to use his new attunement whenever possible. Michael has Penitente working closely with Malakim. That's SOP with the recently Redeemed, but it suits him just fine. The Virtues can always point him in the right direction, so that he'll never make those horrible mistakes again. In return, he's brought a couple of Malakim to some of the loud, cheap roadhouses that he used to hang around in. They have a couple of beers, the Malakim resonate everyone in the place... and then they all teach the local bullies and thugs the errors of their ways. It's not nearly as good as killing demons, of course, but it passes the time. And if it shows some lingering taste for destruction, well, it's being channelled into a good cause. This version of X has repented into a rather likable if somewhat crude Ofanite. If he's still got some rough edges, nevertheless he /is/ an angel again, without Dissonance or Discord, and capable of almost limitless selflessness in his Archangel's cause. Doug M ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 01:29:18 -0400 (EDT) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: Re: IN> Re: Skulkers On Sat, 21 Jul 2001, james walker wrote: > > BTW, I'm currently going through GIN with a fine tooth comb looking for > rulings, write-ups and descriptions which aren't elsewhere. Once I've > finished, do people want me to post them here? Yes, please. - -- Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian, Q4B4L! Meow! ::: Conspiracy religions CONvert, the Subgenius SUBverts! ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 01:47:58 -0400 From: Douglas Muir Subject: Re: IN> Re:The Unknown >> So, here's a sample Unknown. Anyone else have any of these? > > >Sure, I used this guy in my first Campaign, although he ended up being a >Demon of fate in Service to Hardcore (serving Sarcasm - it got complicated, >especially once he was sleeping with the PC Seraph): Another Calabite who ends up with Hardcore -- huh. Great minds think alike, I guess. Interesting character. IMC the Selfless Discord is a big "KILL ME" target pasted on a demon's back, but this is an intriguingly different take on it. Doug M. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 01:52:13 -0400 From: Douglas Muir Subject: Re: IN> Superiors 5+ >For Superiors 5 -- I'd need certain authors, one of which is going to >be entering into playtest for a different (GURPS) book soon and it would >be hard for her to try to work on a Superiors book... Well, that sort of gives the impression that S-5 isn't exactly a matter of burning urgency just now. Correct me if I'm wrong here. So, next year at the very earliest then. Oh, well. Doug M. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001 23:44:24 -0700 From: Charles E Smith Subject: Re: IN> Attunements & Rites Come to think of it, several of the Superiors badly need to have their Rites and Attunements bulked up. Since Superiors 5+ seems to be on indefinite hold, does anyone have ideas for new attunements for Eli Janus Jean Jordi Marc Novalis?<<< Jordi: Cloak of the Natural World With the pelt of any animal he has hunted and slain himself, and a cost of 3 Essence, an angel of Jordi can alter his vessel to become the animal whose pelt he wears. The effect lasts for a number of hours equal to the angel's Celestial Forces or until he chooses to cancel it. This attunement grants one all the instincts, urges, and capabilities of the animal whose form is being worn, but the angel retains their own mind. Eyes in the Sky The angel can look through the eyes of any local flying animal that is not trained or under celestial influence. The angel sees everything the flyer sees as they see it and they can mentally direct their aerial eyepiece to focus on a particular area if they wish. It only lasts for a number of minutes equal to the angel's Ethereal Forces and there is a Will roll made against the aerial creature when the angel first attempts to use this ability. Dragnet An expanded version of Eyes in the Sky, this attunement lets an angel look through the eyes of any animal within the area, as long as the animal has an equivalent number of Forces to the angel. It costs 3 Essence to use and lasts for a number of minutes equal to the angel's Ethereal Forces. Foul Wound For 2 Essence, any attack the angel makes afflicts the victim with rabies. It also lets other unsanitary diseases in through the wounds, the type one might get from a wild animal bite. Expanded Rites Destroy a place which treats animals cruelly (Jordi might interpret this as a laboratory or perhaps a zoo). Protect a rainforest from interlopers (+4 Essence). Deliver any type of death to a Servitor of Haagenti, Magog, Mammon, Vapula, or Belial (+3 Essence). Destroy a machine that adversely affects nature (i.e. offshore oil rigs, bulldozers, etc.+2 Essence). Convince 100 people to take violent action on behalf of animals. It's late, and this is all I can come up with for now (been busy with other projects). I'll come up with more for Marc over the weekend. :) ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 06:38:46 -0500 From: "Erich S. Arendall" Subject: IN> Proto-Superior: Perdix, Demon of Despair Inspired by the discussion of Proto-Superiors and Mr. Muir's Demon of Squalor I present another of Hell's Proto-Superiors... Perdix, Demon of Despair Balseraph Duke of Factions Despair, n. utter loss of hope - -Merriam-Webster Online (www.m-w.com) Whoever feels pain in hearing a good character of his neighbor, will feel a pleasure in the reverse. And those who despair to rise in distinction by their virtues, are happy if others can be depressed to a level of themselves. - -Benjamin Franklin HISTORY & NATURE Appetite, with an opinion of attaining, is called hope; the same, without such opinion, despair. - -Thomas Hobbes Perdix is an old Balseraph, amongst the numbers of Malphas's first Hellborn. Upon gaining his first acknowledgement of duty, a Knighthood, the Liar petitioned for the Word of Despair. There are rumors that Perdix chose this Word because, rather than in spite of, a Habbalite of Nightmares was petitioning for the same Word. Lucifer deemed a contest between the two was in order and in a calculated maneuver, Perdix fell to the ground, bemoaning his inability to ever succeed. Perdix was immediately granted the Word. While the duplicity is simply a rumor, those familiar with the Serpent would not place that sort of speculation outside the realm of Perdix's cunning. The rumors and stories do not end there, either. Popular theory has it that the new holder of the Word of Despair was behind the following destruction of his Habbalite competitor's Heart and corporeal form, sending the other demon to Limbo for a number of centuries, so that Perdix could gather his power. It's the type of cunning that is expected to have kept the holder of such a powerful Word alive for so long. A little surprisingly, the Punisher was placed into service of Perdix upon her return from Limbo. Perdix is intelligent and cunning, but that is never outwardly displayed. Perdix comes across as one who is always just about to give up and drown in his own sorrow. The demon walks a fine line along his own Word and political gain. It's hard to rise up when you have no hope. The Balseraph most commonly appears as what would be a tall, handsome man wearing a finely tailored and expensive suit, if it weren't for the fact that the suit, and the man in it, was slumping with his head half-way hung in hopelessness. Perdix, like his Superior, rarely uses physical violence, preferring to bring an adversaries spirits so low that they do nothing against him, while the Demon of Despair outwardly moans his own fate and quietly gains a little more power. Perdix has steadily gained political clout and power throughout the centuries. His rise has never been meteoric or often noted. In fact, a number of the Horde would find themselves quite amazed were they to realize the extent of Perdix's reach. Amongst his servitors are demons of Factions, Nightmares, Fate and Media, including (but not limited to) the lesser Word-bound demons of Depression, Lost Prizes, Doomed Accomplishments, One Dollar Short, Depressed Housewives and Depressed Housewives Who Just Sit There And Watch Television. Internally, Perdix does believe that he's ready for a Princedom. His Word his powerful, he has maintained excellent relations with other Princes as well as carrying an excellent performance record for himself and those in service to him. However, any move that Perdix might make belittles his own Word and, likely, Lucifer would then not grant him a greater piece of the pie. Perdix is in a no-win situation and is trapped in his own despair. And that's exactly where Lucifer wants him. DISSONANCE I can endure my own despair but not another's hope. - -William Walsh, Song It is dissonant for Perdix, or any of those who have moved to his direct service, to offer encouraging words to others or themselves. They must constantly remind everyone around them that every situation is hopeless. Not surprisingly, these demons aren't too fun at parties. ATTUNEMENTS Patience, n. A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue. - -Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary Balseraph of Despair (Restricted) Perdix's first attunement is one that can only be passed to other members of his Band. Liars with this attunement may add their Celestial and Ethereal Forces to any resonance roll, if the lie's intention is to crush someone's spirit. Cry Baby The demon knows, at a glance, just what to say or do that will hurt an individual's feelings and push the person closer to desperation and inaction. Wailing and Weeping Everyone around the demon will become consumed by their own feelings of shortcoming or loss, unable to take any action to lift their spirits. This attunement is often used within already mournful or introspective events and situations. The attunement effects everyone around the demon within Celestial Forces yards and lasts for a number of minutes equal to the Essence spent to activate it. Victims of this attunement may find their way out of their hopelessness with a successful Perception roll. RITES In idleness there is a perpetual despair. - -Thomas Carlyle (1795 - 1881) * Convince someone that nothing they do will turn out right (+2 Essence) * Watch a person weeping from despair for 10 minutes RELATIONS Despair is vinegar from the wine of hope. - -Austin O'Malley Possible Allies: Beleth, despite not having Perdix as a direct servitor, is a supporter of the demon. His Word fosters nightmares and personal torment. Malphas is also a supporter of his Duke; Perdix has realized that despair places an individual in a faction of one. Despair often leads to desperate and unthought actions, bringing themselves and those around them closer to their Fates; Kronos knows this and assists Perdix when it will further himself. Possible Associates: Nybbas isn't fond of Perdix but in his words,"Hey, I'd never bring the guy to a premier or cast party, but this guy is the audience, baby! What do people do when they're depressed? Bring up the ratings! Who else watches infomercials?" Those in despair are often dependant on chemical stimulation; Fleurity realizes this and offers Perdix a hand now and then. How many people eat because they're depressed (and are depressed because they eat)? Haagenti finds it funny that this let-down of a guy unintentionally furthers his own Word. Possible Hostiles and Enemies: Andrealphus; depressed people are simply unsexy party-poopers and Perdix isn't the sort of guy that Andre wants around. Those wallowing in self-pity don't often lift weapons and don't follow orders; Baal believes that, successful record or not, Perdix must go. SUB-PRINCIPALITY: HALLS OF HOPELESSNESS Oft expectation fails, and most oft where most it promises; and oft it hits where hope is coldest; and despair most sits. - -William Shakespeare Within the mazes of Stygia exists an area teeming with the wailing masses of those who feel trapped, lost, and unable to ever find their way out. One of the walls of the mazes features a hidden door to a small chamber, whose own walls are covered with poorly-written self-help books and clippings of some of the world's biggest failures. This is where Perdix makes his home. Human souls seeking to escape the din of Stygia often find themselves lost in the mazes, and somehow they always end up here. Misery loves company and the imps, gremlins, demons, and other lost souls alike inform the newcomers that their quest of the maze is hopeless. Some manage to ignore the bemoaning and misery to keep traversing the mazes, but most end up sitting in their own little space, lost in their despair, only to speak again when a new soul arrives -- to inform the newcomer of their hopeless quest. Your thoughts? Cordially, Erich S. Arendall "I'm a shared resource - just like your mom." Corporate Smack-Talkin' 101 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 08:21:32 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Skulker At 6:00 PM -0400 7/20/01, William J. Keith wrote: > >--- Chris Holland wrote: >>> >>> Where could I find a writeup of this band? >>> >>> Chris >> >>Heh. There isn't a canonical writeup: I _think_ that >>David E referred to them in his web writeup. >> >>If not, well, you'll have to hope that somebody writes >>them up in response. Usually, somebody will. :) >> >>Moe > >The Band's Resonance and Dissonance Conditions are listed in GURPS: In >Nomine. Basically, they hide Disturbance and get Dissonance for getting a >critifcal failure while doing so. Their Celestial form is undescribed; >since the Grigori are tall, solid-seeming humans, I would make the Skulkers >tall (but frequently stooped) humans who, though opaque, seem like they're >just on the edge of disappearing into thin air. IMC, I make the Skulkers hunchbacked and generally lame. They look like large humans, betrayed by their bodies. It's not Discord, mind - -- in Vessel form they have no deformities. It's just a part of their Celestial picture. So few people have *seen* a Skulker or Grigori Celestial Form at this point, however, that they can frequently pass as their brethren. - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Impudite of Secrets -- or Mercurian of Revelation (candidate for the Word of Obscurity) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2001 07:41:42 -0400 From: Jonathan Walton Subject: IN> IN/Continuum (Repost) Okay, since I got two requests, I dug the article out. Note that I never got around to writing up Kronos as the Demon Prince of Pardox, mostly because I was waiting for "Narcissist" to come out (it still hasn't yet) to provide something of that perspective. Still, it's not too hard to understand why Kronos wants to change history, since he ends up losing in the end. Enjoy. Jonathan - ----------------------------- Hello all! Okay, inspired by the recent post on multiple Symphonies and reality jumping in In Nomine, I decided to dig out my old notes and try to do sorta the same thing from a time travel perspective. And since the only _real_ way to do RPG time travel (no offense to GURPS, of course) is to do it in the style of Aetherco's "Continuum" game, I present to you the first (to my knowledge) rules for In Nomine/Continuum. This follows in the same vein as In Nomine/Cthulhu and the other cross-genre stuff that has come before. I'm going to try to do my utmost to make it understandable to those unfamiliar with the game, but please don't post back to the list with questions about temporal mechanics or how to run Time Combat. This isn't the Continuum mailing list and, though the game does bring up some fascinating questions, this is _NOT_ the place to discuss them. After all, we all here only by the Grace of Beth. Okay, enough of that, onto the fun stuff! But first, I have to explain a few basic concepts: Span - ----Span is a servitor attunement awarded by both Yves and Kronos, but only in accordance with the guidelines described in more detail below. Basically, it gives the angel, demon, or mortal the power to travel space-time at will, with no essence cost or anything. This is _complete_ and _unlimited_ time travel, all the way from the creation of the universe (say around 10 billion BCE or so) all the way up to the Apocalypse itself (rumored to be around 3000 CE, but it's not too smart to span up close to Armageddon, because it's a rather confusing time and you might get separated along with the sheep and the goats). Initially, though an angel or demon _could_ span to any moment in history, Yves, at least, usually restricts use of the attunement to a specific era and makes it Dissonant to span out of it. - ----Spanning is detailed more under the actual attunement description, but this basic understanding should be enough to get you through the descriptions. Frag - ----In IN terms, Frag is "temporal Dissonance," going against your own being as you exist in time. So say you go back in time and your younger self sees your older self. Now, you've just created something that didn't really happen (unless of course, your older self remembers this self-encounter from the past). Bam! Temporal Dissonance! You take a point of Frag (which should be kept separate from normal Dissonance). - ----Unfortunately, you can't work off Frag in a Tether. You've actually got to go back and fix it (use songs to wipe memories, stop/make sure events happen, etc). Why? Because there are things worse than Falling. You roll for Frag just like you roll for Dissonance (i.e. every time you get another point), but if you "fall" due to Frag, you don't actually become a demon or get Discord; you are simply wiped from the Symphony completely. Not fun. Okay, with those basic pseudo-Continuum concepts in place, I now present to you: Yves Archangel of Time "The world has a great history, all the way from Creation to Revelations, and it _must_ stay that way." Very few beings are aware that Yves has two Words (and two Archangel-level Words at that). Besides himself, these beings include Kronos, Lucifer, presumably God, and a secret and specially selected group of servitors on each side of the War. It is rumored that Kobal suspects as well, maybe even that the secret of this whole time traveling mess is the great "joke" that God told him. Still, the Prince of Dark Humor keeps his mouth shut (for all of history, no less) and all those involved let Yves and Kronos take care of the Temporal War. HISTORY - --Secret Wars-- Now, it is almost impossible to talk about the "history" of the Temporal War, since time itself is the battleground and many things can have a strong effect before the time of their creation. Take Kronos for instance. Yves has been battling Kronos for control of the time stream from the very moment that God created time itself. Sure, Lucifer didn't "rehabilitate" the "Balseraph" and let him loose on the scene until c.900 CE, but what does that matter to Celestials who can span time at will? The very first act of Yves' existence was spanning to the End of Time to know how it all turns out. Some even suggest that it was God Himself who took Yves to that indefinite period after Revelations, where all of existence is in perfect harmony with God and His almighty will. From that experience on, Yves knew that the entire course of history had to add up to that final moment, where he and God are able to stand and look out over everything. Of course, Kronos has other plans. Well, more specifically, Lucifer does. The Lightbringer was, strangely enough, one of the few beings that God let in on the whole secret of time travel. Unfortunately for Lucifer, God only told him about the _possibilities_ of time travel, not _how_ to do it. To make a long story short, Lucifer keeps this in mind all through the Rebellion, the Fall, and all the millennia afterward, wondering if, somehow, time might somehow be able to be changed or at least branched off into another reality where he rules Heaven (hello, Tattered!) or the War doesn't end with God's victory at the End of Time. So, at some undistinguished point in time, Lucifer "finds" and "rebuilds" the being known as Kronos under very vague and mysterious circumstances. Then, long before Kronos goes public as the Prince of Fate, he also takes on a second Word, becoming the Demon Prince of Paradox and Yves' opponent in the Temporal War. No one quite knows if Lucifer somehow gave Kronos the ability to span, or if the Lightbringer simply awakened a power that was already there. In any case, less is known about Kronos than is even known about Yves. - --Destiny and Time Strange as it may seem for Yves to be the Archangel of two Words, Time and Destiny are linked very closely in the cosmic scheme. Time, after all, matters very much in the overall fate (or Fate) of the universe. If Kronos is allowed to change history to create an alternate reality or (more likely) frag all of Creation out of existence, then the universe won't end up at that magic moment where Yves and God look out at everything in harmony with the Will of the Almighty. That specific moment, though, is the Destiny of Creation. All the little Fates and Destinies that take place before then are just all part of God's plan. They all _have_ to occur in order for the world to reach its ultimate perfection at the End of Time. The thing that may not be immediately clear from all this is that Yves and his servitors of Time cannot keep a person from meeting his Fate if that is _what happens_. To do otherwise would be to become like Kronos, changing time selfishly because he doesn't like the ultimate outcome. No, Yves can only help a person reach his Destiny if that is part of God's plan. Therefore, predestination, in the mind of Yves and all of the servitors of Time, is not a theory but a fact. History itself is a bunch of predestined events and they have to protect them all, including some horrors like the Holocaust or Raphael's death in the final battle with Legion (hello, DeusX!), even though they may devoutly wish those things had not happened. - --Servitors of Time-- All servitors of Time are handpicked. Yves, having traversed all of time, already knows everything that a future servitor will accomplish, something that new servitors find more than a little disconcerting. Still, who are they to argue with an ineffable being? There is a standard period of adjustment usually, where the newbie is watched under the careful supervision of one of Time's Word-bound or Distinguished angels, but, after that, the angel or rare mortal is left to his own, usually after being given a span of history or specific location/event to guard from Kronos. Of course, having a standard assignment doesn't mean that servitors of time can't be expected to be called on at any point in their existences, to help out their fellow servitors in battles with the forces of Paradox. DISSONANCE It is Dissonant for servitors of Yves (serving him in his aspect as the Archangel of Time) to frag a fellow servitor. This means, no killing the grandfather of a Soldier of Time, no using the last of the shampoo when it's part of God's plan for there to be some for the next angel, and no unexpected visits ("Hey there, you don't know me yet, but you will!"). This Dissonance is removed if the frag is resolved, whether by the servitor who caused it or by someone else (including the fragged servitor). So you'll have to remember to not kill gramps, to span back at some point with some extra shampoo, and to avoid your future buddies in the past. CHOIR ATTUNEMENTS & USING YOUR RESONANCE ACROSS TIME All servitors of Time must buy "Span" at character creation, since, without it, you're dead weight in the Temporal War: just one more servitor waiting to be fragged out of existence. Note that Yves' choir attunements don't change in his Time aspect. Destiny and Time are so interrelated that the same attunements pretty much work for both (the Grigori attunement is new, of course). However, there are some big changes that occur when applying one's resonance across time, and this section will also deal with that. Servitors of Time and Paradox simply operate on a different level from most Celestials and so often invoke their Resonance in completely unique ways that would be alien to other angels or demons. Seraphim - -- The Seraphim serving the "other Yves" can use their Resonance for Truth across time, discovering how long something will be true. For instance, if someone tells them that Caligula is Emperor of Rome or that Demogorgon is still alive, they can not only determine the truth of that statement but, if it is true, also receive a general idea of how long that statement will remain true. - -- This, of course, is simply a more enlightened use of their natural resonance. They are also still connected with Yves' Book of Names, something that is extremely useful in chasing specific servitors of Paradox across time or simply making your way in an unfamiliar part of history. Cherubim - -- It is very natural for spanning Cherubim to be able to sense their attuned across time. A Cherub currently in modern times can easily be attuned to Abraham Lincoln and a specific statue in Atlantis. Additionally, instead of receiving dissonance when their attuned is damaged (since the harm may simply be part of God's plan), they only have problems when their attuned is fragged (in the case of a fellow spanner) or fragging someone else (used to change history). Note that the following two condition mean that the Cherubim hardly ever attune themselves to other spanning beings, especially not servitors of Paradox (who are constantly fragging and being fragged). The Cherubim are guardians, after all, and don't use their resonance for hunting. Note that the dissonance is resolved when the frag is. - -- Again, the Cherubim keep their normal attunement, though the nature of time travel means that they always know the point in time in which (according to God's plan) their attuned dies or is destroyed. If something causes this to happen before it is supposed to occur, the Cherub is notified by gaining a point of dissonance, as above (as the untimely death is probably fragging someone else) and gaining a point of frag themselves (since they know that the person/thing is supposed to survive until a certain point). Obviously, killing a Cherub's attuned in an untimely way is just asking for a bunch of angels to frag you out of existence. Ofanim - -- The Wheels of Time (unfortunate name, if there ever was one) can use their resonance to check all of history for the easiest/quickest way to get something somewhere. For example, looking at pyramids, the Ofanite could find the easiest way for people to move those stone blocks in any period from actual ancient Egyptian times (or before) to the post-modern Space Age and beyond. Note that the Wheel must resonate independently for each period (keeping the GM from having to go through all of history with each Resonance roll, unless the Ofanite wants to spend several days examining a particular circumstance). - -- Again, Yves' standard choir attunement also applies to the Ofanim. Elohim - -- The Powers of Time (sometimes jokingly referred to as "the Powers that Be") can not only use their resonance to find a person's current emotional state, but use it to also discover major emotional trends and events in a person's life. As usual, the Check Digit indicates the amount of detail involved, but major incidents like getting married, attempted suicides, watching your first child be born, the death of a loved one, and others can be easily identified in time with a high enough CD. Also, major periods of confusion, anger, fear, or simply high emotion that take place over a number of years will also be evident. Note also that, having pinpointed these moments, the spanning Elohite can easily travel to them. - -- Still, like all Elohim of Yves, they automatically succeed on their Resonance by touching their targets, though a roll should still be made, if only to determine the Check Digit. Malakim - -- The Virtues of Time can easily determine the overall honor with which a person conducts his existence, measured by a general picture of their life outlined for the Malakim by a list of the target's all-time most virtuous and base actions (depending of course, on the CD). For good reasons, the Malakite will hardy ever use his resonance on fellow spanners (at least, not ones serving Time), since knowing the future of God's plan leaves one open to frag, as any tiny alteration destroys your own sense of history. - -- Yves' Malakim of Time use their standard attunement with great influence, since it also allows them to isolate disturbances by demons who are not native to that point in history (i.e. spanners). Kyriotates - -- Kyriotates serving Yves-as-Time have the interesting, and rather confusing ability to separate their Forces into distinct groups and span them separately in the time stream. They can simultaneously (though that's probably not the best Word to use in time travel) possess Nixon's dog, Abraham Lincoln, and that statue in Atlantis (provided they have enough Forces). This is extremely natural for them, though it bothers their fellow spanners to no end, and they loose no actions for doing this (though they do have a tendency to forget what body or time period they are currently in, as you might expect). Thusly, it's a good thing that they have automatic access to their host's skills and memories (as Kyriotates of Yves) or Heaven knows how they would survive as spanners. Mercurians - -- As you might suspect, Mercurians of Time can watch social connections develop, though they may be only observing them from one moment in history. Again, for each relationship, the Mercurian must resonate separately, so the relationship between Nixon and the American public and that between Nixon and his dog would be rolled for separately. As usual, the standard choir attunement is also kept. Grigori - -- Having your entire choir be Outcast doesn't mean much when time itself isn't an issue. All of Time's Watchers were introduced to spanning long before the Grigori Exile. Sure, in order for all of history to be safe, Yves' Grigori will have to eventually span back to be kicked out of Heaven with the rest of their choir (some already have, just to get it over with), but, for now, they're not worried about that. Being fragged out of the Symphony is a much more immediate threat. - -- That said, Yves' gives his Grigori the ability to have their Roles work across the entire course of history. No need, then to buy a Role in each era, as the 20th century lawyer transforms seamlessly to become a member of the senate in ancient Athens. Details, of course, are left up the GM, but the transformation of Roles should be logical and mostly hassle-free. - -- Using the Grigori resonance across time is not difficult at all. In fact, the abilities of spanning Watchers are so developed that they can sense disturbances that happen _before_ or _after_ their presence in a specific location. Basically, this allows Grigori of Time to make a Perception roll to sense disturbances that happen within their Celestial Forces in years, before or after their current point in history. All the typical bonuses apply, but sensing across time is much more difficult, and it uses the same rules that the Grigori normal use to sense emotional damage or turmoil. SERVITOR ATTUNEMENTS Span - -- Ah, yes. The most complicated part of this whole mess. - -- You know how Yves and Kronos often have that far off look in their eyes, like they're not really paying too close attention to what's going on around them? Or how they sometimes seem a little confused about just where and when they are? Or how they always seem to know exactly what's going to happen before it does? For those who know of their secret incarnations as Time and Paradox, this should not be two surprising. - -- Use of "Span" draws totally from the incalculable power of Yves and Kronos, the only two beings in the universe known to grant the ability to traverse time. The Celestial or rare mortal so attuned is granted the power to instantly go to any spot across the entire realm of space-time. Note that this is _space_-time, so that teleporting across space (in the same point in history) is perfectly possible as well. Switching planes, however, must be done normally. A spanning Celestial cannot simply travel instantly from Boston to Heaven, and spanning solders of Time and demons obviously aren't going to be seeing the pearly gates any time soon (H.G. Wells does become one of the few Saints of Time after his death, though he was a spanning Soldier long before then). - -- In order to detail out exactly how span works and all the complications that arise from it, I would have to basically paraphrase large chunks of "Continuum," so I won't. Let it suffice to say that, as a game mechanic, it is not nearly as unbalancing as it may first seem, since it is perfectly countered by frag. Anyone really interesting in making span work in In Nomine should pick up "Continuum" itself and try to run a few games using their standard setting, before trying to adapt it for spanning Celestials. I know that's what I'm going to do. DISTINCTIONS Yves' Distinctions as the Archangel of Time are exactly the same as they are in his aspect as Destiny. Both sets are equally useful to those servitors with and without the ability to span. RITES - -- Fix an instance of frag caused by a servitor of Paradox - -- Frag a servitor of Paradox out of the Symphony (+3) CHANCE OF INVOCATION: None. (Yves appears when it is a part of God's plan. No actions on the part of any servitor of Time can hope to make Yves do something that would frag himself and all of Creation.) - -------------------------------------------------- Okay, that's about as much as I can stand for now. Maybe, if I get positive response and people aren't totally baffled yet, I'll tackle Kronos, Demon Prince of Paradox, next week. See you in the Yet. Later. Jonathan ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2311 ******************************** The material here is (C) 2001 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.