And I Feel Fine - Part 2: High Heaven
The day after her battle, while the Earth still rings with Disturbance,
Gabriel presents herself before the Seraphim Council. As soon as the
Council is called to order, she says, "I come to deliver my final
message here. Let us go to Jacob's Ladder."
En masse, the Council teleports to the foot of the ladder. Gabriel
announces, "I will no longer prophesy in Heaven, for there shall be no
need. Behold!"
All look up the ladder. A figure is descending. Even Archangels gasp
as they recognize Raphael. A second figure becomes visible above --
Uriel. And then a third -- Oannes. And a fourth -- the Metatron; only
the eldest angels recognize it, but the news flies swiftly through the
gathered Council. Behind the Metatron, descending like shining snow,
comes a great host of saints and angels, those who ascended and those
soul-slain.
Time and space are maleable in Heaven, even the Lower Heaven. In linear
time, it would take years, decades, for that whole crowd to descend, but
it happens while Earth still reels from Gabriel's victory over Belial,
and while news spreads through the Lower Heaven and all gather at the
foot of Jacob's Ladder. The Celestial City accomodates itself to the
vast throng.
In the crowd, many embrace long-parted friends but few speak. Everyone
knows, feels, that all questions will be answered soon.
The Metatron spreads its pinions and cries: "Prepare ye the way of the
Lord!"
"At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven
with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the
appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald,
encircled the throne." -- Revelation 4:2-3
Thereafter, the Throne is always visible from Lower Heaven, high in the
sky, to the east. Even if you are indoors, you need only close your
eyes and turn to the east, and you will see it. You can tell
immediately that the bright humanoid form on the emerald throne is just
a convenient form for the Light itself, and even that Light is just an
appearance of... of the ineffable.
The Four Living Things, the Twenty-Four Elders, and the Seven Flames are
also visible. (See Revelation 4.) In fact, these are manifestations of
the Archangels. The Four are Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel.
Yves and the Metatron are two of the Seven Flames, part of the sevenfold
spirit of God. The Twenty-Four are the other Archangels, major and
minor. At the moment, though, there are only twenty-one elders.
Away from the vision, the returning Archangels quickly take up their old
duties in Heaven. (Remember, Superiors can be in many places at once.)
The Metatron becomes the chairbeing of the Council, speaking very
seldom, but ending all the old disputes that did not end of themselves
with the opening of the Upper Heavens.
Roleplaying seed: Returnees
If the PCs have any friends who were soul-killed (in play or in
backstory), they have the chance to meet them again. Will the meeting
be heartwarming or awkward or both? (By the way, the Upper Heavens are,
as in canon, wonderful but too ineffable to say much about, so returning
saints and angels won't have any game-worthy details to relay.)
Roleplaying seed: Missing Returnees
The PCs have a friend who was soul-killed, and so seek them among the
returning spirits, but fail to find them. What happened? Did they go
to Hell? Are they still in Trauma in the Upper Heavens, or in Limbo, or
where? Are they avoiding their old friends? If so, why?
Roleplaying seed: Old Masters
All the returning Archangels have former servitors, "orphans" who
suddenly have their old masters available again. There is a rush of
angels back to these masters. If the PCs or their friends are among
them, there could be much soul-searching as angels decide whether to go
or stay.
Some former orphans may suddenly find that they *are* re-attuned to
their old masters' Words, willy-nilly. E.g., suddenly, you're an angel
of Water again, not Wind anymore. How do you feel about that? More
re-shuffling may ensue.
Roleplaying seed: Shifting Words
The returning Archangels mean a shifting of Word boundaries. For
instance, Destiny, Lightning, and Revelation took up the slack when
Raphael, Archangel of Knowledge, died. But Raphael is back. PCs may
find old attunements and rites no longer work, while even older,
half-forgotten ones suddenly work again.
Roleplaying seed: The Tsayadim
Go into the Marches and tell the Tsayadim that Uriel is back, then stand
clear as they beat wings back to Heaven. That could be an adventure in
itself. Another adventure ensues when they show up in Heaven. How does
Uriel feel about them now? How does everyone else feel? Mass trials
before the Metatron, anyone?
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EDG <edg@sjgames.com>
In Nomine Collection Curator