From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Wed Aug 1 22:26:53 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 WAA22863 for ; Wed, 1 Aug 2001 22:26:53 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.9.3/8.9.1a) id WAA00098 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Wed, 1 Aug 2001 22:24:43 -0500 Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 22:24:43 -0500 Message-Id: <200108020324.WAA00098@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 #2324 Reply-To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Sender: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Errors-To: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Precedence: bulk in_nomine-digest Wednesday, August 1 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2324 In this digest: Re: New Group (Was Re: IN> Iron Rev III: The Demon of Yogurt) Re: New Group (Was Re: IN> Iron Rev III: The Demon of Yogurt) Re: New Group (Was Re: IN> Iron Rev III: The Demon of Yogurt) Re: IN> James, Saint of War Re: IN> Re: Gaiman & the EPG IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements Re: IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements Re: IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements Re: IN> Re: Gaiman & the EPG IN> San Diego Tethers for my game - help? Re: IN> Re: Gaiman & the EPG Re: IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements Re: IN> San Diego Tethers for my game - help? Re: IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements Re: IN> San Diego Tethers for my game - help? Re: IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements IN> Iron Rev 3 Website IN> Cadre. IN> San Diego stuff expanded Re: IN> Cadre. Re: New Group (Was Re: IN> Iron Rev III: The Demon of Yogurt) Re: IN> Cadre. IN> Alternate Undead Quirks... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2001 20:18:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: New Group (Was Re: IN> Iron Rev III: The Demon of Yogurt) - --- Matthew Gerber wrote: > So I'm going > to wait until you expound before commenting. Tomorrow. I have to go outside and sing "Flandry's Reflections" now. http://www.panix.com/~pnh/poul.html Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 07/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 09:49:53 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: New Group (Was Re: IN> Iron Rev III: The Demon of Yogurt) What *is* the process of Falling, especially Jumping? It isn't literal leaping off a very high balcony in Heaven into a reeking Pit beneath. It isn't flipping an internal switch and trading one celestial form and set of resonnances for another. Falling *means* switching from the essentially selfless mode of being that defines angels to the essentiall selfish mode that defines demons. The changes of form and resonnance are just subordinate consequences of that fundamental change. So if an Ophanite Jumps in persuit of its quarry as a Finger, that can only mean that it became selfish. To me, it seems likeliest that it let pride in its hunting or hatred of its quarry become the center of its being, at the expense of a desire to do God's will (as usually mediated through one or more Archangels). Think of Ahab driving himself to destruction after Moby Dick. Or think of one of Becket's final lines in "Murder in the Cathedral": The last temptation is the highest treason, To do the right deed for the wrong reason. Earl ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 09:18:17 -0400 From: "Krishnaswami, Neel" Subject: Re: New Group (Was Re: IN> Iron Rev III: The Demon of Yogurt) Jo Hart : >Janet Anderson wrote: >> >> From a storytelling point of view, this is perfect. However, from >> any other point of view -- if this guy couldn't survive a >> Redemption, then no one can, and the Redemptionists are just >> wasting everyone's time. > Redemption is a strange and unpredictable process. A lot of _angels_ > wouldn't seurvive it, if they had to go through it themselves. Perhaps > the demon harboured traces of pride or arrogance in his heart, or a > secret thrill in using demonic powers, or considered that his position > made him immune from having to be properly contrite. A lot of redemptions > fail. Even redemptions that those involved expected to be "a sure thing." > Some redemptions succeed and surprise everyone. IMC, there was an episode in which the PCs ran across a hideously Discord-ridden Shedite; it was a Baron of Fate that had chosen to stop corrupting people. Once they convinced it that it wasn't beyond redemption, they took it to a tether and summoned the archangel Michael, who appeared and called on God to judge the demon. The response was dramatic: the eye of God fell upon on the demon and burned it out of existence. Michael then departed, exhausted but obviously jubilant, leaving a number of shocked and horrified PCs behind. It fell to one of the PCs (an angel of Destiny, as it happens) to explain that. The demon had asked for God to gaze upon it, and since nothing impure could withstand that, it was vaporized. But that was /fine/ -- if it was truly penitent then God had seen it, and remembered it, and would undoubtedly resurrect it at the end of time. If it wasn't truly penitent, then there was one less demon Heaven had to fight. Either one was good as far as Michael was concerned (though clearly he'd prefer the former). - -- Neel Krishnaswami neelk@cswcasa.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 10:22:10 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> James, Saint of War Nice. And the fact that Michael has someone like this working for him points out one of the key differences between Heaven and Hell. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 10:30:20 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Re: Gaiman & the EPG - --- Jonathan Walton wrote: > 7) Kevin Smith agrees to film the In Nomine movie, > despite the fact that he > already tried and failed with Dogma. You consider Dogma a failure? Not I. OK, it wasn't strictly IN canon (Metatron alive, of all things), but it was a wonderful piece of work. The fact that it didn't do better at the box office only confirms my opinion of the poor taste of the average moviegoer. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 18:09:08 From: "Michael Cleveland" Subject: IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements This is something I wrote up for my home campaign. Comments and suggestions are welcomed, as always. The Archangels that are not listed here (Laurence/Litheroy/Christopher/Zadkiel) did not have Archangelic status at the time of the Grigori Exodus, and therefore would not have had attunements. Grigori Choir Attunements Azrael, Archangel of Death* - These Grigori can see the last few seconds of a person's life by looking into their eyes and making a successful resonance roll. They will also know whether a person died from Celestial intervention or not. Blandine, Archangel of Dreams - Like the Seraphim of Dreams, the Grigori can identify intruders in a dreamscape. However, the Grigori Attunement can make even finer distinctions. On a successful resonance roll, the Grigori will gain information about an intruder equal to the table below - 1 - Type of Intruder (Ethereal / Celestial / Human) 2 - Specific Type (Genius Loci / Demon / Sorcerer) 3 - General reason for intrusion (Observation / Scare) 4 - If Celestial, Choir or Band 5 - Specific reason for intrusion. 6 - Choir/Band, Superior, and relative power (higher/lower) David, Archangel of Stone - Stone's Grigori are protectors of communities, encouraging loyalty and solidarity. These angels can identify anyone who does not feel like they are part of a particular group, and can get an idea of what it would take to help them belong. Grigori of Stone are particularly despised by servitors of The Game. Dominic, Archangel of Judgment - If a Watcher of Judgment suspects someone of dissonance, he can look into their eyes and with a successful resonance roll tell whether the dissonance was caused by going against his nature or against his Superior's Word. Eli, Archangel of Creation - Grigori working for Eli can automatically detect artifacts of any realm if they can see it. This will affect even artifacts that typically can not be identified as such. It is also believed that no Grigori of Creation ever gave birth to a Nephalim, however it is not whether this is simple luck, or part of their Attunement. Gabriel, Archangel of Fire - The Watchers of Divine Fire are curiously not attuned to a form of cruelty, but to those who have lost faith or hope. Rather than hurting them, the Grigori must restore their faith in something, if even for a moment. If someone specific has caused one of their charges to lose hope, the Watcher will know them with a glance. Inanna, Archangel of Tears** - Inanna's Grigori do not create disturbances as long as they are in the midst of a rainstorm. Treat this attunement as a song of Celestial Shields that lasts as long as the storm is over the spot where the disturbance took place. Janus, Archangel of The Wind - Grigori of The Wind add their Celestial Forces to any Lying or escape roll. These Watchers can also identify Servitors of Theft with a CD of 6 on a Resonance roll. Jean, Archangel of Lighting - The Grigori of Lightning can tell whether an invention has infernal backing, and can also detect Infernal Artifacts with a successful Resonance roll. Jordi, Archangel of Animals - Jordi's Grigori are attuned to rodents. They typically can be found in urban environments, watching for diabolicals or insensitive humans. Some of the most alien of the Grigori, they remember the days of the black plague quite well. Marc, Archangel of Trade - Trade's Watchers can be found anywhere deals are made. These Watchers can look at a contract and tell if there are any hidden unfairness or escape clauses in it. Unlike the Friend of the Shareholders distinction, the angel must be able to read the contract, and will not know precisely what the clauses are unless further scrutinized. Michael, Archangel of War - These Watchers can identify anyone with hostile intentions. Unlike the Malakite of War attunement, it does not give advance warning to the angel. It does, however, allows for _any_ hostile intent - it does not have to be directed towards the angel. Novalis, Archangel of Flowers - A Grigori serving Novalis becomes extremely sensitive to even the smallest disturbances in nature. A Grigori of Flowers can look at anyone who has been in contact with plant life within a number of seconds equal to their Perception and automatically tell if the person is in fact a human, or a Celestial Vessel. Raphael, Archangel of Knowledge - These Grigori can always tell whether someone knows as much as he claims he does, and can also determine if someone has a true love for Knowledge. Uriel, Archangel of Purity - Watchers in the service of Purity are charged with rooting out diabolical influence, and can tell a Divine disturbance from an Infernal. This attunement functions in the same manner as the Malakite of Destiny attunement. Yves, Archangel of Destiny - Yves's Grigori can identify people who have already met their Destiny or Fate. This also applies to Celestials, and can be used to identify an angel or a demon, provided that the Grigori knows that he is dealing with a Celestial. * - Azrael, Grigori Archangel of Death. Presumed killed by Saminga. ** - Inanna, Grigori Archangel of Tears. Presumed killed by Azazel.*** *** - Azazel, Agigi (Fallen Grigori) Prince of Betrayal **** - Writeups of these AA's and Princes to be posted (eventually) Michael Cleveland Gulf Coast Geotech _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 14:50:38 -0400 From: "Jeffery Watkins" Subject: Re: IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements Liked most of it, though I don't like the fact the Azreal had either fallen or was killed. Looking forward to the write up about the Archangel of Tears. Jeffery _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 14:55:44 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements Historical note: If Grigori of Animals remember the black death, from the rat's viewpoint, they were Outcasts when they did it. The Grigori were Outcast a long time before the black Death. That doesn't mean they didn't keep their rat vessels, of course. Earl ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 15:08:31 -0400 From: Cameron McCurry Subject: Re: IN> Re: Gaiman & the EPG > The fact that it didn't do better at the box office only confirms my > opinion of the > poor taste of the average moviegoer. Haev to agree with that. And let's not forget the fuss raised by certain religious zealots about the story line. *rolls eyes* ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 17:17:38 -0400 (EDT) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: IN> San Diego Tethers for my game - help? Okay, little to my players' knowledge, they're about to be assigned to San Diego. The advantage to me is that they don't know a damn thing about it. The disadvantage to me is that I don't know a damn thing about it, either. Armed solely with the WWW and my AAA maps, I persevere. Some of you probably know much more about the area than I do, however, so I'd love to get some feedback on where I'm putting my Tethers. The PCs' group is diverse (Judgment/Sword/Stone/War - with a guide from Cities), but under the overall command of the Sword. San Diego Zoo Major Tether to Jordi I needed one major angelic Tether, one which the PCs were not directly allied with. This one seemed like a no-brainer. From what I understand, they take good care of their animals and draw in millions of people every year. Two things I need to know, though. First, am I off base at all? If they have a rep for mistreating their animals, this won't work. Secondly, what would you ("you" being anyone very familiar with the SDZ, of course) suggest the locus of the Tether be? Which part of the zoo is the most innovative or best at caring for the animals? The species which inhabits the locus will determine the choir of the Senechal. Mt. Soledad Easter Cross Minor Tether to Laurence I needed a very minor Tether to the Sword in my game, and this one seemed perfect. It's (A) very small, Tether-wise, (B) kind of remote and not the kind of place one can stockpile tons of armaments, and (C) under attack by the local non-Christians because it shows a religious preference for the city. Am I missing anything important here? I plan to have a Kyrio in the role of a veteran/groundskeeper as Seneschal. A City Block in Tijuana Minor Tether to Eli I wanted one more small Tether from a less-than-neutral Archangel, and Eli fit the bill. This one I'm totally making up... a full city block in west Tijuana has been covered with some of the most beautiful graffiti art in creation. The local gangs respect it enough to avoid tagging over any of it, and the city council has made an unofficial decision to leave it alone. The combined work of the city's youths coming together like this has made it a small Tether to Creation, managed by the local Mercurian Senechel. (I plan on him having the Elohite attunement as well, and a LOT of artifacts... so the PCs will have to negotiate with him for help at some point in the campaign. Oughta be fun.) The Desert, Somewhere East of Chula Vista Very Minor Tether to Fleurity This one will be unknown to the players as the game starts. When Jim Morrison wandered out into the desert in a drug induced haze, seeking visions, the seed was planted. When copycats everywhere began doing the same thing, the potential for a Tether formed. Fleurity realized the incredibly location it was in, and rushed to stabilize it as best as he could. It's only a few Forces, but it can be stretched, and Fleurity now uses this as a station for running drugs across the border - it has the kind of personel and defenses one would expect to find in a Tether with five times as many Forces. The local communes and small desert towns are all hooked on his wares at this point, of course. A Strip in South San Diego / Castle Park Average Tether to Malphas I wanted a good "Mexican/American Race War" tether to Factions, but have no idea where to put it. The South San Diego / Castle Park (which is it? Half the maps say one, half say the other...) area LOOKED like it would be good, being so close to the border. Is that plausible? Is there a better place? This is the one whose location I wasn't at all sure of... but I do want it SOMEWHAT close to Chula Vista, where one PC will be based out of. It's gonna have a scarily powerful Shedite Seneschal, and may one day get taken out by the PCs. 99 Cent Store in "Grossmont Mall" Minor Tether to Haagenti This one is right out of Liber Castellorum. I just need a mall to stick it in. Unfortunately, malls aren't on the maps. So I looked at the area where Grossmont Blvd meets I-125 (in Grossmont, near La Mesa), and figured there'd probably be a mall there. If anyone's from there or familiar with it, and could give me a REAL mall near the La Mesa/Grossmont area, I'd appreciate it. Hidden Grave in Miramar Marine Corps Air Station Minor Tether to Baal Minor in Forces, but major in location and importance. Still working out the details, but an overly zealous officer made some decisions that ended in the deaths of several young Marines. Rather than accept what happened, he called in a few major blackmail favors that he'd obtained over the years, buried the bodies, and initiated a coverup that ended with the Marines on record as being casualties in a covert action. (Any suggestions on fleshing this out will be appreciated.) The Tether is now inhabited by a Balseraph Seneschel and about a dozen strong demons, who work on corrupting the station as much as possible. Heaven knows of the Tether, though not its details or reason for forming, and fears that a direct assault will only make it stronger. Right now, several angels and a Saint are assigned to the station to combat the demonic influence. This is going to be listed as HANDS OFF for the PCs, right from the start... so I know they'll be sneaking their way in there at some point. :) Any comments and suggestions will be appreciated! - -- Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian, Q4B4L! Meow! "When nothing's funny, it gets easy to laugh at the drop of a hat - or a bomb." -- Devo ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 13:18:55 -0700 From: daiv Subject: Re: IN> Re: Gaiman & the EPG On Wednesday, August 1, 2001, at 12:08 PM, Cameron McCurry wrote: >> The fact that it didn't do better at the box office only confirms my >> opinion of the >> poor taste of the average moviegoer. > > Haev to agree with that. And let's not forget the fuss raised by > certain religious zealots about the story line. *rolls eyes* Well, come on now. you have to admit that Kevin Smith did say some pretty unfortunate and unfounded things about the Duckbill platypus. I man, seriously, this is one of natures finest and most noble creatures, and for no apparent reason he goes off on the entire species. IMG, Jordi has put out a contract on Kevin Smith for that (then again, IMG, Duckbill Platypi figure heavily into his long term plans). -Daiv, tech writer in service to Coffee, in search of a superior ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 15:38:37 -0500 From: David Edelstein Subject: Re: IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements Jeffery Watkins wrote: > > Liked most of it, though I don't like the fact the Azreal had either fallen> or was killed. In canon, he hasn't. (Actually, canon hasn't officially said that the Archangel of Death is a Grigori, or named Azrael.) For a non-canon take on him, see: http://www.amadan.org/Innomine/Azrael.htm You can find another set of Grigori attunements here (not canon, but written to be compatible with canon and maybe might someday become canon if the Grigori ever actually get written up officially): http://www.amadan.org/Innomine/Grigori.html - -David ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 15:44:30 -0500 From: David Edelstein Subject: Re: IN> San Diego Tethers for my game - help? "Rev. Pee Kitty" wrote: > San Diego Zoo > Major Tether to Jordi > > I needed one major angelic Tether, one which the PCs were not > directly allied with. This one seemed like a no-brainer. From what I > understand, they take good care of their animals and draw in millions of > people every year. Two things I need to know, though. First, am I off base > at all? If they have a rep for mistreating their animals, this won't work. > Secondly, what would you ("you" being anyone very familiar with the SDZ, > of course) suggest the locus of the Tether be? Which part of the zoo is > the most innovative or best at caring for the animals? The species which > inhabits the locus will determine the choir of the Senechal. It's a likely Tether, though Jordi probably wouldn't exactly be happy about it, since Jordi doesn't like zoos. > A City Block in Tijuana > Minor Tether to Eli > > I wanted one more small Tether from a less-than-neutral Archangel, > and Eli fit the bill. This one I'm totally making up... a full city block > in west Tijuana has been covered with some of the most beautiful graffiti > art in creation. The local gangs respect it enough to avoid tagging over > any of it, and the city council has made an unofficial decision to leave > it alone. The combined work of the city's youths coming together like this > has made it a small Tether to Creation, managed by the local Mercurian > Senechel. (I plan on him having the Elohite attunement as well, and a LOT > of artifacts... so the PCs will have to negotiate with him for help at > some point in the campaign. Oughta be fun.) I'd have put a Tether to Drugs in Tijuana, since the cartel that moves most of the marijuana coming into the U.S. operates out of Tijuana. - -David (hasn't lived in San Diego for 23 years, but still misses it) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 20:36:45 From: "Michael Cleveland" Subject: Re: IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements >From: David Edelstein >In canon, he hasn't. (Actually, canon hasn't officially said that the >Archangel of Death is a Grigori, or named Azrael.) >For a non-canon take on him, see: BTW, David - I wrote my version of Azrael up before I ever saw that you'd done one with the same name. Not trying to copycat or anything, just hoping that it holds a candle to your writeup once I finally post it. Michael _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 18:01:45 -0400 (EDT) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: Re: IN> San Diego Tethers for my game - help? On Wed, 1 Aug 2001, David Edelstein wrote: > > San Diego Zoo > > Major Tether to Jordi > > It's a likely Tether, though Jordi probably wouldn't exactly be happy > about it, since Jordi doesn't like zoos. IMC, Jordi accepts zoos - AS LONG AS they treat the animals wonderfully and don't cause mental anguish. So, sticking a tiger into a 20 x 30 foot cage would incur his wrath, while a fully realistic, spacious, well crafted habitat for tigers would get a nod of grudging acceptance from him. Of course, I prefer my Jordi slightly less anti-humanity. > > A City Block in Tijuana > > Minor Tether to Eli > > I'd have put a Tether to Drugs in Tijuana, since the cartel that moves > most of the marijuana coming into the U.S. operates out of Tijuana. I was going to, but then decided to stick it in the desert instead, and two Drug Tethers so close doesn't really match. Sure, your suggestion makes more sense in general, but Tethers are ineffable and such, and I didn't want to be predictable. :) - -- Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian, Q4B4L! Meow! "It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth...that you are a slave. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage - born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch...a prison for your mind." -- Morpheus, _The Matrix_ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 17:26:15 -0400 From: "Jeffery Watkins" Subject: Re: IN> Grigori Servitor Attunements Very Nice! Thank you for the links! Definitely will use my game. Jeffery _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 18:37:18 -0400 From: "Daniel Gallagher" Subject: IN> Iron Rev 3 Website Just a little place to view submissions, and get contest info. http://www.stormpages.com/ironrev/index.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 19:22:42 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> Cadre. From Pyramid: RIP Poul Anderson, the science fiction author-- "We brought Poul home from Alta Bates for terminal hospice care. We gave him Jubilaeum Akvavit, Carlsberg Beer and Boeuf Tartare. We gave him all our love. About midnight, he slipped away." signed Karen, Astrid and the rest of the Andersons. Please pass this around verbatim and in toto. Everyone is encouraged to repost without alteration. ______________ I think that Eric Burns had the right idea (and, now that I have a copy of his Cadre vignette again, said vignette will be going up on my webpage, too) on how to say goodbye. I think that it will make a good tradition. Still, oh, how I wish that it could never have become one... Moe The two angels had long since dropped any pretense of dignity and were now unabashedly people-watching. Many angels have this hobby: aside from the practical aspects, it's interesting in its own right. Humans do so many odd things, after all. It's been long agreed among the Host that the best place to watch human souls is at the Pearly Gates themselves. That first shock of peace, serenity and surcease that flows over a human as he or she realizes that, yes, the bad things are over for the rest of eternity... well, it does good things to an angel's own sense of well-being. You can soak up the tranquility like a sponge. Usually. Things weren't going quite to plan - or, more accurately, things were trying to go to four plans at once, and that was just too many dimensions at once, even in Heaven. Plan #1 was the standard one that occurs whenever someone Destined for Heaven dies with some advance notice: everybody who knows the blessed soul in question shows up to welcome him or her. If things had stopped there, all would have gone well: the honoree of this particular Plan #1 had been properly greeted, and the sight of familiar faces had duly muted the shock of his transfiguration. So far, so good. However, at this point Plan #2 showed up - and, regrettably enough, was a point of dissension between the two observing angels. The Cherub was of the opinion that this was not a Plan #2 at all, but a mere fillip to Plan #1: after all, the newcomers had known the honoree in life, too. However, the Ofanite had made the counterclaim that this particular group had demonstrated a significant difference in their methodology. Rather than welcome their friend with open arms, they had brought along a fairly tacky halo and set of wings, and had proceeded to make him wear them. This, mused the Ofanite as he idly scratched his chin with the six-foot club that he took with him everywhere, clearly indicated that there was more than one Plan going on. The fact that the latter group had also brought along roughly fifty gallons of akvavit was merely a corroborating piece of evidence. The Cherub had considered this, then gently pointed out that, for a putatively distinct yet converging set of Plans, there was a remarkable amount of collusion between the two groups. Clearly a dark and sinister plot was in motion. At this point, the Ofanite declared that he would concede the point if the Cherub stopped hogging the bottle (liberated from the gathering by same Cherub, with a degree of old-soldierly skill that was frankly wasted). The Cherub agreed, thus preserving the Peace of Heaven for another day. At any rate, the two - or 1.5 - Plans would have not been particularly noteworthy (although a pure pleasure to behold), except that at this point Plans #3 and #4 reared their heads. The two angels were of firm agreement that these Plans were definitely distinct - indeed, they could hardly be in disagreement on this, all things considered - and added wonderfully to the day's ambiance. Plan #3 was a simple one, really. Archangel shows up to welcome distinguished soul to Heaven, bringing along a retinue, a suitable gift (in this case, a particularly good sword) and a book to have signed. All very flattering - and an excellent opportunity to snap up a promising recruit before the enemy (in this case, another Archangel) can do the same. As today's unknowing candidate was emphatically Saint material, the need for speed was self-evident. A very workable Plan #3: at least, the Cherub thought so, and he was considered one of the top ten tacticians among the Host, so it was reasonable to believe him. Unfortunately, in execution and timing it was almost identical to Plan #4, varying only in the Archangel, the gift (armor) and book. The Ofanite insisted that this had been a mere coincidence: the Cherub thought that this was sophistry, but held his tongue for the sake of the Peace of Heaven. Plus the bottle, of course, as the Ofanite had really been holding on to it too long. Really, both angels should have been in the middle of the shambolic chaos that had erupted between their respective retinues: as each was the most trusted lieutenant of their respective Superiors, each had arrived early in order to scout out the place. However, both had quickly realized that there was not a single thing that either could do to make the other Plan go away. Warning both Archangels had merely made them run to the Gates faster, with predictable results. Now ... well, there were good s u b ordinates in the good-natured mess out there. Let the youngsters figure it out while the veterans lounged at their ease, sipping akvavit. That was Plan #2's apparent strategy, and the angels thought that they just might be on the right track. Indeed, from where they were sitting, it was starting to look like Plan #2 needed reinforcements (if nothing else, they had more supplies): alas, an alliance at this point was not to be. The two angels had spotted another group of people-watchers: a youngish Mercurian, flanked - by two of the largest Cherubim in Heaven (their essentially looming nature not hidden by the clean-but-faded work coveralls that each wore). While trade issues between the two groups of celestials had been settled - a pack of cigarettes for a goodish amount of akvavit - the situation was fraught with peril. The Cherub idly lit another smoke off of the Ofanite as he contemplated the situation. Great peril, indeed - worse, the two Archangels were seemingly oblivious to the danger as they radiated "MINE!" at each other. After all, that group represented Plan #5 right there - - no, wait, there was the option of Plan #6, too, wasn't there? A faint possibility, but nothing is ever certain in war. The Ofanite and Cherub both shuddered at the thought. God only knew what Eli would bring as a 'no, work for *me*' gift - or thing to be signed, for that matter... ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 07/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 23:50:25 -0400 (EDT) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: IN> San Diego stuff expanded In case anyone's interested, I've expanded on the ideas I posted earlier, after researching things a bit... it's a bit over the K limit, so it can be viewed here... http://www.brainpuke.com/pkitty/nomine/sd/tethers.txt (The /sd directory also has the GIFs and such that I plan on associating with it, one from Mapquest and one from sandiegozoo.com, and the "player handout" version with less info.) Enjoy! - -- Rev. Pee Kitty, of the order Malkavian-Dobbsian, Q4B4L! Meow! "Why waste $30 or even $40 on a filthy porno movie when you can jerk off all over the Church of the SubGenius?" -- Rev. Godfather Gillan ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2001 02:41:23 +0000 From: "Janet Anderson" Subject: Re: IN> Cadre. *ROTFL* Only you, Moe, could produce a guffaw out of an occasion like this. Lighting a cigarette off the Ofanite was the last straw. Janet :) :) (Don't tell *me* the person who invented Nicholas van Rjinn won't hold out for a freelance contract and work for all of them ...) * * * * Beware the anger of a patient bard. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 20:00:26 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: New Group (Was Re: IN> Iron Rev III: The Demon of Yogurt) - --- Matthew Gerber wrote: > Maurice Lane wrote: > > >No, he just abandoned God - but that's par for the > >course for these guys. Notice that the group name > >isn't Hand of the Lord... > > > > > >I'll be expounding on this later tonight (plus how > it > >ain't necessarily Dark). :) > > > > > o/~ One of these things is not like the others, one > of these things does > not belong... o/~ > > Of course, if I try to say there's no way to fit > these ideas together, > I'm *certain* you'll cheerfully prove to me that > there is. So I'm going > to wait until you expound before commenting. You overstate my powers of surrealism (no, really), but now that I'm on top of - other things, allow me to explain the position. As I saw them, the essential point regarding Fingers is that they have voluntarily signed over their free will to the Seraphim Council - and there is no 'symbolically' or 'effectively' or 'in game terms' about it. Obedience is hardwired into them: they do retain sentience, but a Finger can no more disobey the Council than one of Asimov's robots violate the 3 (or 4, later on) Laws. No argument, no saving throw. The default is that it must be a sincerely voluntary decision to make (otherwise, the entire notion is pitch-Dark), but this is still a problem - because the angel can still /interpret/ his or her orders, so long as he or she obeys the letter and spirit of them. So, they're not quite off the ethical hook. So, let's look at our Ofanite: had to obey an order (which would _not_ say, 'go kill this guy even if you have to become a demon in order to get a clear shot', unless the campaign's Dark as Hell), but had some leeway to do it. So, he decided to Fall. This was as much a rejection of God as any other demon's: the celestial chose to put another entity in front of his Creator. The fact that he was doing it for Heaven is, frankly, immaterial - the Calabite might have /thought/ that he could get away with it, but he did not approach his Redemption in the proper spirit. In the end, the celestial didn't think that he had really done anything wrong (Pride's a bugger for an angel or demon), and died as a result. OK, explanation over - and I admit that I could've said all of that in the first place, but I do have _some_ space considerations to think off, after all. Now, the question of how to stick this into a Bright campaign. Actually, it's not too hard: emphasize the 'absolute trust' aspect, and never ever give a Finger bad orders. I will admit that Darker campaigns will have more Hand missions than Brighter ones, but these guys are supposed to be elite. If they only go on missions once every few hundred years or so, spending the rest of their time doing normal angelic stuff, then the Hand becomes the Council's romantic paladins, rather than its iron fist. Or something. :) Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 07/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 20:02:41 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Cadre. - --- Janet Anderson wrote: > *ROTFL* > > Only you, Moe, could produce a guffaw out of an > occasion like this. I figured that a laugh would do us good. Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 07/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Make international calls for as low as $.04/minute with Yahoo! Messenger http://phonecard.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 11:23:16 -0400 From: "Rolland Therrien" Subject: IN> Alternate Undead Quirks... Something I got thinking about after reading in Gurps:In Nomine: G:IN p22: "An Undead may have a piece of a demon's soul bound into him by a prince, allowing him to purchase a Band attunement for the Band..." It's then said that they don't get Resonnances, and that Princes seldom bother doing this in the first place, but it got me to thinking: What if Demonic forces, when added to an Undead, did more then just give them Attunements? What if it altered the Undead itself? Here's what I got to thinking how Undead could be altered by their Demonic "Band" transfusion: Balseraph-Undead: Force-based bonus on all skills involving deception, such as: Emote, Fast-Talk, Lying, etc. Their skin also takes on a leathery, almost scaly texture. Djinn-Undead: Force-based bonus on Tracking rolls. They appear dishreveled, almost beastial in appearance; they act sluggish unless when tracking something, where they appear very energetic. Calabim-Undead: Bonus to their fighting skills; brutal, scarred appearance, likes to dress in worn, almost tattered clothing. ...Can't think of any other Demon-altered Undead right now... but hopefully, I've planted some good seeds. ^^ ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2324 ******************************** The material here is (C) 2001 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.