Celeste, Kyriotate Archangel of the Aether
By Eric Bertish
The World is closer than you think.
Celeste is a new Archangel, but is a very old Wordbound. Indeed, the
concepts underlying her Word have existed for centuries; perspective and
illusion have been an essential component of art since its conception.
However, it is only recently that mathematics and science have advanced
sufficiently to become thematically congruent with "The space that is not"
or, more prosaically, "Where you are when you're on the telephone."
Let us not forget that music theory is rooted in math.
Dissonance
It is Dissonant for angels of the Aether to choose to be unreachable or
unfindable. Celeste represents the breakdown of barriers, both physical and
social; to isolate oneself is anathema to an Aetherite. They do not hide;
instead they stay one step ahead of their enemies, frequently taunting them
to keep up.
Choir Attunements (all Restricted)
Seraphim: Capable of seeing the Truth through infinite dimensions, Seraphim of the
Aether can see through (or, more accurately, "around") objects, effectively
giving them x-ray vision. Only Celestial Shields is proof against such
observation. (Other songs or attunements may be immune to this, at the GM's
discretion.) Range of sight is unchanged (but see Line of Sight, below).
Cherubim: Celeste's Guardians have a unique method of protecting their charges: the
Cherub may either instantly step to their side, or pull the attuned to him.
This requires a successful Resonance roll and causes Disturbance equal to
the Corporeal Forces of the one who is moved, who appears within CD feet of
the other. The Songs of Ethereal Shields and Celestial Seals prevent this
effect.
Ofanim: Wheels of the Aether love their jobs. With a successful Resonance roll, they
may move instantly to any spot they can perceive (reproductions will not
work), without having to cross the intervening space. This line-of-sight
teleport costs 1 Essence per use. Any song which prevents Celestial Motion
is proof against this attunement.
Elohim: Elohim of the Aether are aware, more than most, that their viewpoint is not
the only viewpoint. For 1 Essence, an Elohite serving Celeste can
"piggyback" on the perspective of someone that they can sense (through
hearing, touch, sight, or scent), experiencing life through that person's
senses for minutes equal to the Elohite's Celestial Forces. This gives the
Elohite no control whatsoever, and while this attunement is active they get
no sensory input from their own vessel: they simply gain a new perspective
for a while. This can be ended prematurely just by concentrating - or it
can be extended, by spending another Essence and hopping to another person
that the host can sense. An Elohite of the Aether can continue to switch
between perspectives until he runs out of Essence; whenever he lets the
duration lapse, runs out of Essence, or consciously ends the attunement, he
returns to his body immediately, with no sense of disorientation.
Malakim: Virtues of Celeste are not daunted by such paltry tactics as "wearing armor"
or "taking cover". Their attacks, both close and ranged, bypass armor
and/or protection. Only Songs of Shields are impenetrable to these warriors.
(This does not damage the armor; the Malakite is, in effect, targeting where
the armor isn't. Shields is a special case because it, like all Songs which
utilize the universal Symphony, is assumed to be n-dimensional.)
Kyriotates: Aether's Thrones may manifest the link that binds their consciousness across
hosts and allow others to traverse it like a Tether. For 1 Essence, the
Kyriotate creates a pseudo-Tether between any two of its hosts which lasts
for 1 round and can transport a number of Forces equal to its own.
Additional Essence must be expended to maintain this portal for multiple
rounds. This generates Disturbance equal to the Corporeal Forces of those
transiting if corporeal, or total Forces if in Celestial form.
Mercurians: Celeste's Mercurians are adept at exploring the web of relationships which
bind everyone. After successfully Resonating an individual, the Mercurian
may then Resonate on those individuals who were perceived as related to that
individual, and so forth. These subsequent rolls may not have a CD in excess
of that first, primary roll; a CD of 1 disallows further linking. No one
likes playing the "Kevin Bacon" game with these angels.
Servitor Attunements
Line of Sight: The angel with this attunement can fine-tune his vision. He
can zoom in on anything within his field of vision, to an almost
microscopic degree, simply by concentrating; a macroscopic view is more
difficult, and requires a successful Perception roll to give the angel a
panoramic view.
Use of this attunement to zoom in grants a bonus to any roll made
to search an area by the user's Celestial Forces, but penalizes any attempt
to use Perception on a general scan of an area; using the attunement to
zoom out has the opposite effect. (Essentially, zooming in grants +CelF to
Search but -CelF to Spot, while zooming out grants +CelF to Spot and -CelF
to Search.)
There's No Place Like Home: An angel with this attunement can designate a single location as "home".
At any time thereafter, the angel can return "home" by spending 1 Essence;
no disturbance is caused except that the Essence expenditure sounds in both
the departed location and "home". The angel must be on the same plane as
his "home" location in order to use this attunement, but may have one "home"
on each plane. The angel may designate a new "home" at the cost of the old
with a successful Perception roll.
Distinctions
Vassal of The Aether: Knowing that the Symphony encompasses all dimensions, the angel halves all
range penalties for combat and Resonance.
Friend of Transition: Aether's Friends realize that going Celestial is not a state change, but
simply a transition to a higher dimensional state. Once they understand
this, they may assume Celestial form for no Essence cost (though a Will roll
is still required).
Master of Co-location: These angels are capable of being in multiple places at once, for is not the
Symphony everywhere and nowhere simultaneously? They do not suffer range
penalties for anything; everything is 'point blank' for them, including
melee combat and touch-based abilities.
Basic Rites (underlying rationale)
- Call someone long-distance (ignore the actual distance between people)
- Lose yourself in starshine (the far-away suddenly become close)
- Cross a border (traversing a relevant distance with ease)
Chance of Invocation: 3
Invocation Modifiers
+1 A telephone or telescope
+2 An M.C. Escher drawing
+3 Recite, from memory and without error, the transporter sequence from Star Trek: the Next Generation's Technical Manual
+4 An optical illusion regarding perspective (real, not drawn or photographed)
+5 An n-dimensional mathematical proof
+6 A tesseract
Relations
Allied: Christopher, Dominic, Jean, Laurence, Litheroy, Zadkiel (Christopher, Eli, Jean, Litheroy, and Zadkiel are Allied to Celeste)
Associated: Blandine, Janus, Yves (Blandine, Dominic, Janus, Laurence, Marc, and Yves are Associated with Celeste)
Neutral: David, Eli, Gabriel, Jordi, Khalid, Marc, Michael, Novalis (David, Jordi, Khalid, and Novalis are Neutral to Celeste)
Hostile: None (Gabriel and Michael are Hostile to Celeste)
Superior Opinions
Blandine: "Well, then. It's not that I don't appreciate her attempts to
cheer me up, and on those occasions when I relent and do something with her,
not only do I enjoy myself, but I frequently have a new perspective on
something that's troubling me. But... girls' night out? Double dates? I'm an
Archangel; I don't DO things like that." Dreams are about free-association, and the breakdown of mental barriers
erected by the psyche to hide something unpleasant from oneself. In other
words, humans only really communicate, are only really truthful, with
themselves when they dream. That's sad, and I think that's one reason why
Blandine is so sad. I wish she didn't think she has to fight this war by
herself. We all love her, every last one of us. Even Michael would die
defending her, because she's family.
Celeste (she's a Kyriotate, of course she can have an opinion about
herself): "Marshall McLuhan once said 'The medium is the message.' But what
if the message is the medium, instead?" Sometimes I weird myself out. But then I tell myself I'm just being
closed-minded, and need to be more accepting of different viewpoints. That
usually straightens me out.
Christopher: "Jesus once said, 'Suffer the little children to come unto Me.'
Everyone who's been to Sunday School knows that. But how many people
remember, 'Unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not
enter the kingdom of Heaven'? Celeste is a child, in many ways: guileless,
open, friendly, energetic, loving. We should seek to emulate these traits,
that we may become closer to God." Christopher is my hero. He listens to me like an indulgent parent; even
when he doesn't understand why I'm telling him something, he pays attention
anyway because he knows it's important to me to tell him. I try my best not
to waste his time.
Besides, he's the only entity in creation I can play hide-and-seek with
and not be Dissonant. That's SO cool.
David: "Prattle. Whimsy. Incessant motion. These are not the way of Stone." Don't freak the mundanes, dear. They don't understand our kind, and have
no desire to.
Dominic: "Those who assume I would be offended by her have clearly not been
in her presence. She is one of the most open, forthcoming individuals I have
ever met. Admittedly, at times her candor is... relentless... but the fact
that I neither have to search for her, nor pry information from her, is
refreshing." He gets a bad rap. Really, all he wants is for the Host to talk to each
other. Is that a bad thing? No, it's not. We're all supposed to be a family
here, and families talk to each other. Fortunately, people like talking to
my Servitors, so I make sure he gets caught up with everything I know
whenever I see him. Oh look, there he goes now...
Eli: "Ever looked at a Picasso? I mean, REALLY looked? It's like he was
trying to show every aspect of a person's face, from every perspective, all
at once. She's like that. She's all about math and dimension, but she gets
art like nobody else up there." Eli, Eli, why hast thou forsaken us? Why haven't you told us where you'
re going, or what you're up to? Angels just don't leave Heaven, Eli. Don't
be distant like that. It hurts. Tell me where you are. Tell me you're okay.
I miss you. I miss our talks about art.
Gabriel: "Of course distance is an illusion. Anyone who's had to share their
Word for TWENTY THOUSAND YEARS could tell you that. Now she thinks she's
qualified to take over my duties as divine messenger? Well, one slip-up with
Dominic should show her the error of her ways. Oh, wait, that's not going to
happen, is it? He practically dotes on the little snitch. Listen, if she
wants to be helpful, how about she increase the distance between the Forces
of a certain TRAITOROUS BACKSTABBING EX-SERVITOR!!!" (singing) "Reach out, reach out and torch someone." Okay. Here's what I
don't get about Gabriel. She clearly needs help. Sometimes she even asks for
it. But every time it's offered, she slaps it away. I can only conclude she
enjoys wallowing in the pain. Maybe because it's familiar and she doesn't
want to lose it; maybe because she knows that, when Belial dies, so dies her
last chance at getting an old friend back. It's like when humans get
divorced. sometimes it takes the death of the ex-partner to fully realize
the relationship ended years ago.
Janus: "You know, taking shortcuts doesn't prove you're faster. It just
means you know how to cheat better than the other guy." (smiles) "I like
that about her." Janus understands that the object of motion is to get from point A to
point B; unlike me, he prizes the motion itself, ignoring the fact that
point A is point B. While I represent the endpoints, he represents the
space in between, and between the two of us we make a nifty vector.
Jean: "One of mine took an inaccurate, scientifically flawed concept and
turned it into Word of great beauty and service to Heaven. That in itself
shows great dedication, mental flexibility, and aplomb. It is only
appropriate that I respect such achievement by being proud of her." Ah, Pop. It's always the quiet ones that surprise you, y'know? He only
comes across as a fuddy-duddy. He's really very... no, not passionate... ah!
Insistent!... when it comes to matters of Heaven's unity. Of course, he'll
couch it in terms like 'Effective communication results in increased
productivity' and 'A unified front reduces opportunities for infernal
sabotage,' but at heart, he's a big softie. No, I don't care if you don't
believe me.
Jordi: "Another Word that is meaningless to us. Still, it is good to have
another one of us on the Council, and their attempts at comprehension are
welcome." Riddle me this, Batman: how can one of the most humane Archangels be
the most inhuman to humanity? I don't understand Jordi any better for being
choirmates. Man desperately wants to understand his animal brethren, but he
lacks the perspective. Jordi could help with that, but he doesn't do near as
much as he should.
Khalid: "All hearts are open to Allah the all-seeing; all places are
accessible to Allah the all-being. This one does his will, as do all who
have a humble and contrite spirit." Khalid worries me sometimes. He very objectively believes in very
subjective things. Sometimes those things are contradictory, and he is able
to come to terms with those contradictions without resorting to
rationalization. No, I'm not worried he's going to Fall; I'm worried he's
going to turn into a Kyriotate one day. I like him being a conundrum. I wish
he wasn't so spooky good at it, though.
Laurence: "She listens. His Name be praised, she *listens* to me. I have
never felt such undivided attention when I speak at Council meetings as she
gives my words. She earnestly desires to be a good servant and do my
bidding. However... 'It is the job of the servant to aid the master', she
says, and takes a great many tasks upon herself. Tasks which she is
ill-suited to undertake. Tasks better suited to another's Word. Yet she has
not failed, for each time she has sought council and guidance from those
with greater experience." The General. It's his job to give orders, and the job of every angel in
Heaven to obey them. Why, then, do people try to find ways around his
commands? Why do they grumble at his nobility when it is clearly the reason
God chose him for this task? If the elders cannot countenance taking orders
from 'such a callow youth', then this callow youth will shame them all. I
will pick up the slack and do what needs be done. I will be an able servant.
And if anyone has a problem with this, I can manifest plenty of asses for
them to kiss.
Litheroy: (sheepishly) "Dominic and Laurence glare at me every time I talk
to her. But she's so effective at disseminating information! Why, one time I
told her something, and the next day practically everyone in Heaven knew
about it!" (pause) "Do you suppose that's why they glare at me so?" Ooh, he's fun. He's so open, and enjoys talking about. well, just
talking, really. There's hardly any agenda with him. I feel he's genuinely
interested in anything I have to say, and of course that makes me want to
listen to what he has to share. We've talked for days sometimes. I wish
Dominic wouldn't worry so. I have discretion, after all.
Marc: "She gets us talking. Frequently, we end up exasperatedly talking
about her, but the fact that she provides common ground is no small
accomplishment. Not quite all things to all people, she nevertheless has an
earnest innocence which endears her to the Peace camp and a stark
effectiveness which prevents the War camp from dismissing her out of hand. A
true moderate, and Lord knows we need more of those." Trade brings people together, and that's good. But it often brings them
together for the purpose of making money or exchanging services. There's
nothing inherently wrong with that, but shouldn't people come together
because it's good for them to be together? I think I understand why David
doesn't like Marc. I don't agree, but I understand.
Michael: "She's good at what she does; I respect that. She likes who she is
and makes no apologies for it, even if it pisses people off; I admire that.
She's the hyena's snitch; I have no tolerance for that." Am I the only one in Heaven who has no patience for his prima donna
attitude? I say we bang his and Dominic's heads together until they come to
an understanding. No, wait. his head's so hard, it'd just violate the Pax
Dei. (sigh) Mike's the exasperating older brother of the family. I love him
dearly, but I wish he'd get off it and forgive.
Novalis: "She's vibrant. There's an infectious energy about her, and it's
bright and invigorating. Some of the more aggressive people up here who are
put off by me are willing to listen to her opinions. My job is to make sure
the seeds of her idealism reach fertile soil. If that means distancing
myself from her politically so that the boys will take her seriously, so be
it." Everyone calls her 'mom', but I think she's more like Heaven's
great-aunt. Like the lady in 'Warning' who says, "When I am an old woman I
shall wear purple/ With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me."
She knows who she is and makes no apologies for it. How can you not respect
that? Sometimes, though, she can be just as insufferable as Michael, but
from the other direction.
Yves: "'I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.' - Ralph Waldo Emerson." He thinks like I do. No, wait... he's deeper. I've never met anyone who
spoke with such complexity, with such dimension, as Yves. Sometimes it takes
me years to fully decipher what he means. Sometimes I'll suddenly realize
another aspect of a conversation I had with him long ago. Each time it
happens, it's like opening a present. I love that about him.
Zadkiel: "She's an expert at getting into places. I'm an expert at making
places impregnable. You'd think there'd be rivalry between us, but there
isn't. There's no better person to have with you on a search-and-rescue than
an Aetherite, and with her advice I can make my defenses better. If she
tells me a place is secured, I believe her." Of all the relationships I have with the other Archangels, the one I
have with Zadkiel is the most professional. It's not that I like her more
than, say, Christopher or Dominic; we just complement each other in a very
pleasing manner. Or as dad would say, we 'synergize effectively'. Me, I like
the word 'gestalt'. It means 'a structure so integrated as to constitute a
functional unit with properties not derivable by summation of its parts.'
And it's a fun word to say. Gestalt!
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