Falling, Another Perspective

By Steve Jessop (stephen.jessop@lincoln.ox.ac.uk)

**Flaming
Feather**

These rules make Falling a moral choice, and a character decision, without the intervention of dice.

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An angel is a free-willed being, capable of betraying their nature. When they do so, their personal theme in the Symphony becomes polluted with notes of dissonance. This dissonance makes it increasingly difficult for the angel to attune to the resonance of his choir. Eventually, the interference is so great that he will be utterly unable to resonate with the Symphony. It is from this condition that angels Fall. However, it is possible for a sufficiently determined angel to resist the lure of the Pit indefinitely.

**Flaming
Feather**

Game Mechanics

Angels gain dissonance and make dissonance rolls exactly as in IN. However, the results of failed rolls are different.

The first failed roll results in an angel 'tripping'. He can no longer use his resonance (or resonance-based attunements), although he is still subject to Choir dissonance. His Superior will not necessarily notice immediately, but will certainly do so on sight, and will almost always make such an angel Outcast. This releases the angel from Superior dissonance.

A tripped angel can be rehabilitated just like a demon. The process still requires a Superior, but is slightly less dangerous (only one in six are destroyed by the process, rather than one in three).

Otherwise, the angel carries on gaining Choir dissonance and making dissonance rolls as normal. Further failed rolls result in the gaining of one note of dissonance, PLUS one level of discord determined by the GM.

However, an angel in this state has the option AT ANY TIME of using the Band resonance corresponding to his Choir. If he does so, he has Fallen. The rules for Falling are otherwise unchanged.

Why can't Malakim Fall? Their Oaths are an outward symbol of the fact that they have restricted free will: they no longer have the option of falling. Hence their resonance is to detect the ways in which others exercise *their* will.

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Sadistic bit

Capture an Ofanite. Tie him up. Watch him get dissonant. Eventually, he becomes aware that he can be free: all he has to do is DESTROY. He can BLAST those chains. He can KILL his captors. He has the power to get away, to be able to move again. Heh.

A Mercurian 'trips'. Suddenly, the Symphony won't tell him about people any more. How can he make people happy if he doesn't know anything about them? Well... he could *make* them open up to him. They'd tell him anything, if they only knew that he was really their friend.

Basically, it is in every Choir's personality to be willing to pervert the Symphony in order to try to get back what they have just lost. Kyriotates don't have much choice: they either Fall, or dissolve in (CelForces)x10 minutes.

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The Point

The player has more say in their character's motives. You no longer have to tell the player: 'Your character has just decided to become a demon. Rationalise it how you like, but it's his Nature, so you can't avoid it.'

You tell them 'Hmm. The Symphony doesn't seem to want to speak to you any more, but you reckon if you just shout a bit louder, you can make youself heard, and get some results.'

**Flaming
Feather**

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Elizabeth McCoy <arcangel@prismnet.com>
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