From owner-in_nomine-digest@LISTS.IO.COM Thu Oct 30 16:17:21 1997 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by pyramid.sjgames.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id QAA26444 for ; Thu, 30 Oct 1997 16:17:21 -0600 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.8.7/8.8.5) id PAA01895 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Thu, 30 Oct 1997 15:25:41 -0600 Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 15:25:41 -0600 Message-Id: <199710302125.PAA01895@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 #449 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 Thursday, October 30 1997 Volume 01 : Number 449 In this digest: Re: IN> tethers Re: IN> Publius Eli thoughts [de-lurk] Re: IN> Stuff and Bother Re: IN> Calabim of Belial [de-lurk] Re: IN> Elohim etymology Re: IN> [FLUFF} An IN Halloween Re: IN> tethers Re: IN> Stuff and Bother Re: IN> [DV] Symphony's End Re: IN> [FLUFF} An IN Halloween Re: IN> Crime & Punishment Re: IN> Stuff and Bother Re: IN> [DV] Cities After the Apocalypse Re: IN> tethers Re: IN> [DV] Symphony's End IN> South Park Re: Cities after the Apocalypse or something Re: IN> Stuff and Bother IN> [Dark Victory] Beth's Non-canon Superiors Re: IN> Crime & Punishment Re: IN> [DV] Symphony's End Re: IN> [DV] Cities After the Apocalypse ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 12:49:33 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> tethers At 1:40 AM +0000 10/30/97, Sam Kington wrote: >BTW, rough rule of thumb please: how many tethers per city? Austin has >four (two a side) for 900,000 people, according to Night Music; should >we expect similar ratios for other cities, or is Austin special? Actually, Austin had 6 Tethers -- just nobody's quite sure if Treaty Oak is still working, and the Vapulan Tether hadn't been made public yet. Austin is probably not *too* atypical in Tethers for its population and age. - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 12:55:14 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Publius Eli thoughts [de-lurk] At 2:15 AM -0600 10/30/97, Mischa Krilov wrote: >Nybbas' picture (IN, p176) has several monitors showing other Princes- >Kronos, Andrealphus, Kobal, Saminga, Baal... and Eli. Fate, Lust, Dark >Humor, Death, War... and Creation? > >I admit that I haven't followed the full Publius line of thought on Eli as >Jesus, but surely this little tidbit seems to suggest almost the opposite. > >Thoughts? Also note that the pictures are of Nybbas' friends and enemies... and Creation. Make of it what you will... - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 13:04:05 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Stuff and Bother At 11:09 AM -0600 10/30/97, Yeager, Alex wrote: >From: ?, Redneck, Emily D. >Subject: Re: IN> [DV] Cities After the Apocalypse >>> Why? Besides radiation, what drove people away from Detroit? Why >>> did it become unfeasible? >> Have you ever *BEEN* to Detroit? >> It was the Fist, I tell you! The Fist finally drove them all away! >:P >The Fist, BTW, is a large Robert Graham sculpture of a forearm and >fist in downtown Detroit. I have a lovely image of a Kyriotate of >Jean's last stand... If it's a sculpture, you'd need a Kyrio of David, I think... Or one of Jean with a Song of Motion. Or Wings. (No, I will not recount the Dancing Anvil scam on the In Nomine list. That was GURPS Rube Goldberg Spellcasting.) - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 12:53:13 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Calabim of Belial [de-lurk] At 2:09 AM -0600 10/30/97, Mischa Krilov wrote: >IN, p 167- "...Calabim of Fire do not disturb the Symphony when they use >their powerful resonance!" > >Pardon my ignorance, but does this mean that Belial's Calabim can kill >humans with their resonance, without a sound in the Symphony? My demon >party recently indoctrinated a mortal for this reason, to kill humans with >impunity and some amount of discretion. Do Calabim of Belial share this >ability? So it would appear -- they can destory with impunity. Of course, they tend to do this a lot, so many demons don't really want to associate with them... However, they can only do this *with their resonance*. If they break something normally, it causes disturbance normally. And if their resonance backfires on them, well, watch out... - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 13:00:07 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Elohim etymology At 5:36 PM +0200 10/30/98, Ijon Tichy wrote: >At 02:38 PM 10/29/97 -0500, Elizabeth McCoy wrote: > >>>"Elohim" is a Hebrew word meaning, literally, "gods". It is the name God >>>uses to emphasize his being genderless, single and plural, in the Old >>>Testament. >>> >>They are, from some references. > >I'd like to point out that each and every one of those are resultant of >erroneous translations and less-than-professional translators. This could >have happened hundreds of years ago, because of some monk who knew better >Hebrew than anyone else around, but not good enough to discern small >differences. Did I say they were *correct* references? Just that there are references around that say that, and if it was hundreds of years ago... >>On page 105: [...] >>Dionysius gives the order as angels). In the _Book of Formation_, >>elohim is listed 7th of the 10 sefiroth and corresponds to netzach >>(victory). See Blake's drawing, "Elohim giving life to Adam." > >Netzach (victory). Hmpf. > >Netzach means "Eternity" and nothing else. >"Nitzach" (with the stress on the last syllable, as opposed to Netzach) >means "triumphed" (3rd person, past tense, "to triumph"). The glories of typesetting... ("How's this word spelled?" "Blessed if I know. Go with what it looks like.") >May be a little nitpicky, but then the difference in meaning is HUGE, and >this is the name of a sefira we're talking about! A whole cabbalistic >sphere of existence, part of the Tree Of Life. These mistakes are abundant >in the various translations of old Hebrew texts, unfortunately. Some of >them, beyond recovery, since the Hebrew original was lost. :-( - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 13:01:51 -0500 (EST) From: Ozmodeus Subject: Re: IN> [FLUFF} An IN Halloween According to Redneck Gaijin: > If you can get by a costume shop, they should be able to fix you up with > safe-to-wear glowing eyes. If you can't get to a costume shop (or can't > afford it) I recommend using red reflector tape, bicycle reflectors, or > luminescent decals. I'll be going with the luminescents, thanks to everyone who helped!! I'll have my normal eyes, two forehead eyes, and two cheek eyes. My only worry is that they won't be clearly seen from under the hood of my cowl. Oh well, we'll see! > > If you're using a full face mask- leave vents to breathe through!- I suggest > the cellophane eyes with cold glow-sticks behind them; however, this will > make it VERY hard to see through the mask. I recommend making a separate > headpiece if you use this method and make your Dominic a seven-foot spectre > of Judgement. }:-{D > I'm not bothering with a full facemask, it makes eating and drinking very hard! While I'm not quite 7 feet tall, I am a solid 6'1", so Dommie won't be TOO undersized for an archangel (if they ARE 7' tall). Hey, maybe the height thing will make the eyes easier to see! Hmmmm Later all, thanks for the help! Dan Ozdowski - -- The Devil's Cabana Boy ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 13:24:48 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> tethers Elizabeth McCoy wrote: > Actually, Austin had 6 Tethers ... > Austin is probably not *too* atypical in Tethers for its population > and age. So, if Ofanim use the zip-up-and-down-tethers trick a lot, they presumably cultive a wide knowledge of tethers? Earl ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 13:44:38 -0500 (EST) From: MarkDEddy@aol.com Subject: Re: IN> Stuff and Bother In a message dated 10/30/97 9:07:11 AM, A. Yeager wrote: >Based on this, Saminga would leave Detroit alone ("Land of the 90 mph >Bumper-to Bumper Rush Hour!") Being an Ohio transplant both awed >and terrified of Michigan driving habits, I am convinced that Kobal >and Saminga are co-operators of the Michigan driver's license bureau. My Mom's Michigan D.L. test was as follows (ca. 1969): "Get in the Car. Start it." "OK, good. Drive to that Pylon up there." "Great. Now back up to your starting point." "Wonderful. You pass." That's it. If that wasn't designed by Kobal, I'm not sure what was. Mark (Who was born in Warren, MI) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 13:59:59 -0500 From: The Other Chris Subject: Re: IN> [DV] Symphony's End Redneck Gaijin wrote: > >What happens to the Symphony when the orchestra stops playing? > > The orchestra is still playing, the songwriter has just left the building. But for how long? Most of the texts I have access to refer to God as the source of all light and life. Once he has left the building, the music should stop. I raised this because I was reading the DV page, and suddenly flashed on an image of the Angels and Demons battling away in a universe that was running down, and falling apart around them. Life begins to cease (not end, just..stop, much to Saminga's puzzlement). Objects begin to crumble, laws of physics begin to function sporadically, and matter itself begins to regress back into the void from which it came. Eventually there are only two Celestials left, clawing at each other in a vast sea of nothingness... Gave me a shiver anyway. TOC "No, God doesn't play dice with the universe, but sometimes She does like to mess with your head." Tim Leary, having tea with Albert Einstein. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 14:29:33 -0500 (EST) From: Emily Dresner Subject: Re: IN> [FLUFF} An IN Halloween > > All I know is that there is going to be nudity, wackiness, and three imps > > with video cameras. "Turn on your side! Turn on your side! We need a > > better shot!" :) > > > > Tears! You made me laugh so hard I *actually* began to tear. > > (The funny part is I can actually picture it) :-DDDDDDD > *bow* I aim to please. :) - - Em ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 13:52:38 -0600 (CST) From: "Austin G. Loomis" Subject: Re: IN> Crime & Punishment Let me guess, Jo -- you don't like the Inquisition either? (I'm still reserving judgment on Judgment, but based on the vignette from H&H that's on the website, I'm not optimistic.) Austin G. "Especially given the deep and lingering influence of Uriel" Loomis, MiSTie #84029 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 14:41:22 -0500 (EST) From: Emily Dresner Subject: Re: IN> Stuff and Bother > From: ?, Redneck, Emily D. > Subject: Re: IN> [DV] Cities After the Apocalypse > >>> Detroit: Abandoned in the aftermath of the Nuking of Chicago. > >>> Feral humans roam the streets, hiding from the Jerseys. > >> Why? Besides radiation, what drove people away from Detroit? Why > >> did it become unfeasible? > > Have you ever *BEEN* to Detroit? > > It was the Fist, I tell you! The Fist finally drove them all away! > :P > The Fist, BTW, is a large Robert Graham sculpture of a forearm and > fist in downtown Detroit. I have a lovely image of a Kyriotate of > Jean's last stand... Nah. No way. The Fist was created by the Balseraphs of Kobal for a Better America division. Lemme explain the reference - I've seen the Fist, a huge, massively ugly statue of a fist and forearm of Joe Louis, many many times, mostly en-route to Cobo or to Wayne State or to see the Red Wings if God HIMSELF has placed his hand upon my brow. And it is hideous. Sort of goes well with the rest of the city. A few years ago, there was a radio campaign, on 96.3 I believe, to get someone in Greenland to buy the Fist, or at least go in on a good trade. They were hoping to not only get rid of it permenantly, but to make an allience with the good people of the icy island. Unfortuntely, it never happened. *sigh* The statue is sort of a running joke. > > Jeff Miller writes: > > The biggest thing a major city, any major city, has going against > > it is food supply. That isn't too much of a problem for Detroit > > since there is a lot of farmable land around it but most major > > cities are going to see a mass exodus until food supplies can be > > re-established. > And the multitude of lakes would supply an abundance of water as > well. The image is more "Michigan Militia"-ish that anything - > lotsa folks running around playing soldier in the suburbs/U.P., with > Malphas enjoying every minute of it. Well, people are more conservative that is really given credit for. Personally, I don't see the entire SEastern side of the state becoming a war zone. Goofier then it is, yes. Yeah, we seem to be America's Melting Pot for Freaks and Weirdos. I'd say it was the Yuppers, but there's not nary a sound that comes out of them. It's more all those people from Grand Rapids. :) > > Personally, being the Marc supporter that I am, I think it would be > interesting for his battle climax to have been there, but (as > brilliant as DV is, Redneck), my little IN monitor has gone back to > the "halogen" setting... *tries to imagine the final battle going down in Farmington Hills* "But, but, I have, like, a hair out of place, okay?" > > > Besides, Saminga *likes* eastern Michigan. Just think of Telegraph > > Road, nicknamed "Death a Mile Highway." > Based on this, Saminga would leave Detroit alone ("Land of the 90 mph > Bumper-to Bumper Rush Hour!") Being an Ohio transplant both awed > and terrified of Michigan driving habits, I am convinced that Kobal > and Saminga are co-operators of the Michigan driver's license bureau. Oh, yes, the Lodge. Me, I'm always fond of US-23. *roll eyes* You would be right about your assessment of the driving conditions. I found it *easier* to drive out in California. - - Em ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 13:42:59 -0600 (CST) From: "Austin G. Loomis" Subject: Re: IN> [DV] Cities After the Apocalypse On Wed, 29 Oct 1997, at 19:38:41 CST, Redneck Gaijin wrote: [...] > There are -five- Popes out there- one in Rio, one in Andalusia, one in the > Congo, one in New Orleans, and one in Quebec. (Only the ones in Rio and the > Congo actually rule the city, however.) > Sounds interesting. I'd be interested in details, vaguely. (My brother married a good ItalAmer Catholic girl back in July, y'see.) > The old King of Norway has Odin visiting his dreams *every* *night.* > Did anyone else think "King of Norway coming all the way to Dallas for the opening of Norwegian Day at the Texas State Fair" when they read that, or am I the only one on this list with a copy of _The Book of the SubGenius_ on his bookshelf? > Salt Lake City (add that one to the Inhabited list) has gone over en masse > to rule by the Mormons, with all non-Mormons expelled from the inhabitable > parts of Utah. > And the Seagull Society probably plays an expanded role. How well do they get on with the Texas Rangers? > Those natives in the dark jungles of South America who still worship their > old gods -weren't touched- by Armageddeon. > Not yet, anyway. I imagine they'll start to impinge on Marcus' hobby soon. > Bear in mind that level of remaining technology has -no- bearing on whether > or not a city will be taken over by religious fanatics. > Well, no. Austin G. "Looking forward to that Virginia writeup just as much as you are" Loomis, MiSTie #84029 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 14:02:41 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> tethers At 1:24 PM -0500 10/30/97, Earl Wajenberg wrote: >Elizabeth McCoy wrote: > >> Actually, Austin had 6 Tethers ... > >> Austin is probably not *too* atypical in Tethers for its population >> and age. > >So, if Ofanim use the zip-up-and-down-tethers trick a lot, they >presumably cultive a wide knowledge of tethers? Hm. I would probably let one use their resonance on "Nearest Heavenly Tether," though perhaps at a small minus, since it's not *really* in the *public* consciousness. And they can cultivate it the mundane way, too. - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 14:02:54 -0600 (CST) From: redneck@txdirect.net (Redneck Gaijin) Subject: Re: IN> [DV] Symphony's End >Redneck Gaijin wrote: >> >What happens to the Symphony when the orchestra stops playing? >> >> The orchestra is still playing, the songwriter has just left the building. > >But for how long? Most of the texts I have access to refer to God as the >source of all light and life. Once he has left the building, the music >should stop. For my purposes, God is the Prime Mover; he set the Universe in motion, and let inertia take its course from there. With or without Him, it will keep going until something *very* powerful makes it stop. Redneck Kris Overstreet, will write for food... | Do not taunt Happy Fun Belial. http://www.txdirect.net/users/redneck | * * * c/o White Lightning Productions | "I love the sweet smell of http://www.jurai.net/~redneck/wlp/ | humiliation in the morning!" Webmaster for Antarctic Press | --- Kobal reaffirms himself http://www.antarctic-press.com/ | ***QUESTION EVERYTHING*** ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 13:51:17 -0600 (CST) From: "Austin G. Loomis" Subject: IN> South Park Re: Cities after the Apocalypse or something On Thu, 30 Oct 1997, at 10:44:06 EST, Emily Dresner wrote: [...] > I live in Ann Arbor. Somehow, I think the place would just get fruitier. > Yeah, I know that takes work, but still. > My dad and/or my brother were born in A^2, but I don't know it well enough to take offense at that. > I suddenly have an image in my head of brain eating zombies roaming the > halls of Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi. "Brains... BRAINS!" > > That may just be a flashback from South Park last night, though. > I'd say so, aye. Having seen last night's SP (my first exposure to the show -- the all-new Halloween episode, plus a repeat of "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe"), I can say (probably without fear of contradiction) that if Christopher saw this show, he would have a whole new reason to hate Kobal and Nybbas both. [Any Servitor of Children who watches an entire "South Park" episode gets a note of dissonance lasting until he [a] touches base with some kids who do a better job of embodying Christopher's Word or [b] stomps the butt off a Servitor of Dark Humor and/or the Media.] I like it, even though I don't know why. Now, if the four kids were celestials, what Sections (probably Bands, but you never know) would they be? (Chef is a Servitor of Lust, probably a Balseraph, and definitely one baaaaad motherf--) [Shut yo' mouth!] Hey, I'm just talkin' 'bout Chef. Austin G. "We can dig it" Loomis, MiSTie #84029 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 14:00:05 -0600 (CST) From: redneck@txdirect.net (Redneck Gaijin) Subject: Re: IN> Stuff and Bother >From: ?, Redneck, Emily D. >Subject: Re: IN> [DV] Cities After the Apocalypse >Jeff Miller writes: >> The biggest thing a major city, any major city, has going against >> it is food supply. That isn't too much of a problem for Detroit >> since there is a lot of farmable land around it but most major >> cities are going to see a mass exodus until food supplies can be >> re-established. >And the multitude of lakes would supply an abundance of water as >well. The image is more "Michigan Militia"-ish that anything - >lotsa folks running around playing soldier in the suburbs/U.P., with >Malphas enjoying every minute of it. Okay, how about this: the 'Liberated Republic of Michigan,' centered in the U. P. and moving slowly down the lower peninsula? Guerilla strikes and beasties keep the various little city-states of the lower P from communicating well and wreak havoc with the growing of food. As for the lake water... remember that Chicago is now a radioactive bay in the tip of Lake Michigan... >Personally, being the Marc supporter that I am, I think it would be >interesting for his battle climax to have been there, but (as >brilliant as DV is, Redneck), my little IN monitor has gone back to >the "halogen" setting... Aw... }:-{D Anyway, I don't know exactly where Marc was captured, but Michigan seems like only a minor candidate. I lean more towards Switzerland... >> Besides, Saminga *likes* eastern Michigan. Just think of Telegraph >> Road, nicknamed "Death a Mile Highway." >Based on this, Saminga would leave Detroit alone ("Land of the 90 mph >Bumper-to Bumper Rush Hour!") Being an Ohio transplant both awed >and terrified of Michigan driving habits, I am convinced that Kobal >and Saminga are co-operators of the Michigan driver's license bureau. It is my understanding that a Servitor of Saminga designs the highways while a Servitor of Kobal designs the driver's ed. }:-{D Redneck Kris Overstreet, will write for food... | Do not taunt Happy Fun Belial. http://www.txdirect.net/users/redneck | * * * c/o White Lightning Productions | "I love the sweet smell of http://www.jurai.net/~redneck/wlp/ | humiliation in the morning!" Webmaster for Antarctic Press | --- Kobal reaffirms himself http://www.antarctic-press.com/ | ***QUESTION EVERYTHING*** ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 15:14:29 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: IN> [Dark Victory] Beth's Non-canon Superiors Okay, this is Maya's fault. She and I were batting around ideas of what would happen to some of the non-canon Superiors. In particular, mine: the ArchDean of IOU, and Beth, Archangel of Archives. So, to add non-canon to Redneck's non-canon universe (how far from canon are we *getting* here, anyway?), I present my own Superiors and how they survived the Dark Victory... (Of course they survived. It's more amusing that way.) - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beth, Archangel of Archives =========================== In front of the "Restricted Stacks" door, the final defenders of the Library huddled. A frantic Cherub waved paws, looking up from his Tactical references to the angels around and trying to get them into better positions. There was a rustle on the shelves as a Kyriotate of Archives flickered through the books, manifesting among the other angels. "They're coming." The Archangel of Archives, bruised from earlier battles, straightened up. "They're not going to get the knowledge in here. They may have won, but it's going to be a Pyrrhic victory. Literally, if I have to." She'd seen Jean's sacrifice. She was prepared to make her own, and the Library itself would become a crater to span Heaven... The books rustled on their own, and she smiled wanly. "We'll take them, for as long as they keep coming. The Library is on our side. They will not loot this place." Her few remaining Malakim straightened, and all grasped their weapons (if they had them) or otherwise readied themselves for battle, hiding among the shelves of the Library they called home. It was a group of Calabim and Djinn. They were expecting tattered defenders still trying to flee and hide. They got cornered rats instead. So did the next group of demons, and the one after that. Then they stopped coming. A single Balseraph slithered into their midst and tried to escape, and then there was nothing. "Kyrios, report," sighed the tired Archangel, letting one of her Cherubim ease her arm into a sling. The books seemed to ripple as the Dominations possessed them, spreading themselves through the library without a betraying celestial form. "They're boarding up the doors and windows," said one. "There are only scattered demons left," stated another. "They seem to have given up on taking the Library," breathed a third. Beth pushed her hair back with her good hand, wondering if this were a miracle, or some kind of Hell. "So. The good news is, we're alive, and we only have to clean out a few more demons who are wandering around lost. The bad news is, Heaven is in the hands of the Princes, and we're stuck hiding in the middle of an occupied territory." She looked around at her ragged group of Servitors. "Well, we're just going to have to learn how to be guerrilla warriors now, aren't we?" * * * * * * * "The world must remember the past, so it can rebuild the future." The Archangel of Archives was never one of the powerful Superiors. When the fighting came, she was busy protecting her beloved books first, and then falling back to make sure that the most valuable information would be denied to the victorious demons. The demons attributed their losses to the semi-sentient nature of the Library itself, and boarded it up. They never realized that they were also boarding up an Archangel and her remaining Servitors. Even if they had known, they might have done it anyway, thinking it funny. After all, she's got less than a hundred Servitors remaining (most of them relievers or members of the Heavenly Choirs), she's separated from all Tethers, she's only one Superior (and a wimpy, non-combatant one), and she's in the middle of a desecrated and captured Heaven. What could she do but curl up and fade away? But Beth has two things going for her. First, the Library itself. It holds great stores of knowledge, and the most powerful works weren't even touched by demons. Knowledge is power, and she has it all at her fingertips. Scholars can become warriors, with enough incentive, and the Servitors of Archives have incentive! Secondly, she has her Word. Ever since she earned it, Kronos was gritting his teeth, for she draws power from *any* collection of recorded knowledge. The very nature of Kronos' Principality feeds the Word of Archives, as did the records that Asmodeus kept before his destruction. Every time someone, even Kronos himself, writes something down and stores it away, the Word of Archives gains power. So, by the light of their Hearts, the Servitors of Archives study tactics and training, skirmishing amongst the shelves as Michael's angels once skirmished in the Groves. Relievers search themselves and choose their natures-to-be -- at least half of them will fledge as Malakim, when they are granted their final Forces. Others will be speedy Ofanim, steadfast Cherubim, or the omnipresent Kyriotates. Mercurians will be a rarity among them, in the times to come. The pyrotechnics involved in creating new angels is more noticable than Beth wants, so they are limited to what they have. When they are ready, the Servitors of Archives hope to be able to sneak out and capture demons for information on the situation. The Library still absorbs the knowledge that is written down, but it's much sparser -- these days, the filing regulations are very relaxed, too. And, in between studying tactics and training, plots and planning, the Archangel of Archives walks the shadowed halls of the Library, communing with it, and seeking out the vague Tethers that once led to it. So far, all have been sealed, but she's read the books of the Discworld. L-Space cannot be denied. There will be a back door out, with only a little pushing; she knows this. The only problem is that the back door will probably be directly to Kronos' Archive... [No Band attunements, etc., since she's her own little microcosm... The misfiling dissonance is very relaxed: firstly, one should not let the enemy have easy access to information (and so the filing system has become almost as complex as Kronos'), and secondly, there's just not time anymore. "Proper" filing may consist of stacking something in the correct room. And her Choir is still not clear. ] - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The ArchDean, Archangel of Knowledge (or Secrets, or whatever) ============================================================== Lucifer looked at the once-Princess of Freedom, who sat at the table and looked drawn and haggard -- more-so than usual. "You didn't have to come," he said, gently. "I'm fine." The flatness of the statement denied the pain behind it; a poor disguise, even if it had not been a lie spoken to a Seraph. The Archangel of Light winced slightly, but turned his head away. The door opened, and a tall, female Archangel stepped through, with a trio of flanking angels -- pained Malakite, Seraph, and Elohite. The threesome bowed and withdrew as their Superior stepped forward and knelt before Eli. She said, voice more light than her deferential posture, "I'm glad you made it. I was having fits trying to figure out how to punch a Tether through from the Far Marches. I don't think my Cathedral even exists anymore." The Archangel of Creation sighed. "Oh, get up. We're glad you made it too. We can use all the help we can get." She did so, and looked around at the others. Her eyebrows lifted at Andre and Nybbas' presence. "Apparently." Her gaze stopped on Lilith. The "Archangel" of Freedom looked away. Then there were greetings -- a gentle hug for still-frail Yves, wary shaking of hands with Nybbas, an amused leer at Andre, a respectful bow for the newest and oldest of the Archangels, Lucifer... And then the Archangel of Knowledge, Bright Lilim, stood beside her Mother. Into Lilith's silence, she said, "I'm glad you made it out." Lilith nodded to her high-ranking Daughter, lips pressed tightly together. The ArchDean knelt and laid her head in her Mother's lap. "I'm here. Just ask. I owe you that... I love you, Mother." * * * * * * "The world is full of things to learn, even now. Knowledge is power." When your Word is Knowledge (or Secrets, or whatever...), you generally aren't caught napping. As Armageddon raged, the University remained a Sanctuary -- but now a sanctuary only for angels, humans, and those demons who would accept a Geas to serve *the ArchDean*. And when the intelligence reports from the front said that Heaven was *losing*... Well, that's what the basement Tether in the main building was for. The humans were sent, sadly, to bomb shelters, *away* from the targeted University. The Children of the Grigori got a crash course in certain abilities, and the celestial population of the University evacuated to the Far Marches, along with their Hearts. There aren't a lot of them. The ArchDean was always more concerned with worldly affairs, and didn't create many Servitors of her own. And many of them died trying to defend the Library Tether, or buying time for the evacuation. Still, when the Lighthouse appeared in the Marches, a once-Servitor of Dreams came skittering along to investigate. "We get to use demons, too? Well, finally." And the ArchDean unveiled the selection... [Additions and changes...] Dissonance: Destroying knowledge is still dissonant, but restrictions on people to support have been utterly lifted. It's more important to get the job of rebuilding accomplished. Band Attunements: The ArchDean has little problem working with demons as Servitors. She used to do it before anyway, with them Geas-bound to obey her rules. This just removes that particular sort of coercian, replacing it with bribery. Balseraphs: Gritting her teeth at these perverters of information, the ArchDean grants them the ability to use their resonance on written material - -- if the Balseraph writes a lie, it will be believed by a number of readers equal to the Liar's total Forces. The victims resist with Will + Celestial Forces, but the Balseraph will not take dissonance if they do so with a CD of 6. It is explained to them that using this ability, save to serve the causes of New Heaven, will be *strongly* disapproved of... Djinn: Stalkers and waiters, these demons can attune themselves to a book (or other work of information) and track down other books that were once next to it -- for as long as the attunement lasts, the poor Djinn is usually slouching along from one cache to another, looking for the information that was once next to the original book. They are tasked with recovering lost knowledge... and with spying. The ArchDean welcomes Djinn who were formerly of the Game. Calabim: The only Servitors of Knowledge (Secrets, whatever) who can destroy information -- so long as they are in possession of an exact copy of the content. If that final copy is destroyed while in their possession, they take dissonance and have a very annoyed Archangel. They are sent out to "deal with" Hellish propaganda. Habbalah: The ArchDean's Punishers are granted the Ethereal Song of Attraction, always succeeding in its use (check digit and skill with the song are equal to the demon's Ethereal Forces). They are expected to use this to protect knowledge, and Punish those who seek to inflict igornance on others. Lilim: the same as the Bright Lilim -- if their first Geas-attempt fails, they may choose to immediately request a lesser favor with the same Will modifiers to the subject (if she's polite about it). If that favor is granted, they do not take dissonance (though it uses up the Geas). Shedim: With great difficulty, the ArchDean can modify a Shedite so that it is able to ride "passively" within a host, not influencing it, but only observing. It may do this for a number of days equal to the check digit of its possession roll, and must then leave the host. If it tries to influence the host in any way during this time, however, it must make a Will roll to assert control -- and if it succeeds, it is instantly bound by its Band's dissonance conditions. Needless to say, there aren't many Shedim to be found around New Heaven, since nobody else likes them... However, they do make good spies. ("Espionage *is* a subset of Knowledge.") Rumor has it that the ArchDean doesn't mind if a Shedite wrecks an *evil* human's life, but there have always been rumors about her situational ethics. Impudites: If an Impudite can get a favorable reaction from a human without using his Charm (this is usually accomplished by finding out something useful, such as a shared hobby), he may siphon off a point of Essence without having to roll. He may also take Essence from a willing human who *knows* what's about to happen, even one who does not know how to control Essence expenditure. Relations: The ArchDean is one of the few Archangels who actually tolerates Andre. She doesn't much *like* him, but she'll banter with him -- every bit as manipulative as her Mother used to be. She's also quite happy to work with Nybbas, helping him with the "content" part of the Word he claims to want. The ArchDean honors Lucifer greatly, and is quietly devoted to her Mother, though Lilith can hardly stand to be around her Bright Daughter, seeing both what she could choose to be, and what she fears she can never become. As for the other Archangels... Yves is yet her friend and mentor. She'd met Eli drifting around the corporeal realm, and tries to support him with a more casual manner than "you're in charge" -- he *needs* a break sometimes. Gabriel, insane enough to distrust a Bright Archangel, is avoided most of the time; this saddens the ArchDean, and when they are together, she is usually trying to figure out what Gabriel truly needs to rejoin reality. So far, she hasn't found anything she can supply: Needing the world to go back to The Way It Was, before the Fall, is just not within her power. Allied: Eli, Lilith, Yves Associated: Nybbas Neutral: Everybody else Hostile: None, though she *is* careful around Andre. - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 15:50:16 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Crime & Punishment At 1:52 PM -0600 10/30/97, Austin G. Loomis wrote: >Let me guess, Jo -- you don't like the Inquisition either? (I'm still >reserving judgment on Judgment, but based on the vignette from H&H that's >on the website, I'm not optimistic.) Oh, Dommie's not that bad. He's just... very alone. And that sort of mindset is probably perfectly sensible, to him... - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 15:53:31 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> [DV] Symphony's End At 2:02 PM -0600 10/30/97, Redneck Gaijin wrote: >>Redneck Gaijin wrote: >>> >What happens to the Symphony when the orchestra stops playing? >>> >>> The orchestra is still playing, the songwriter has just left the building. >> >>But for how long? Most of the texts I have access to refer to God as the >>source of all light and life. Once he has left the building, the music >>should stop. > >For my purposes, God is the Prime Mover; he set the Universe in motion, and >let inertia take its course from there. With or without Him, it will keep >going until something *very* powerful makes it stop. "That someone made the universe, of this we have no doubt. But Voltaire says he made it, and then he just walked out. In Keplar-loopy orbits all the planets move around, And you know they'll keep on spinning until all the gears run down." Besides, just because the Divine has closed the door doesn't mean that stuff can't seep out from under the door... - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 15:53:18 -0500 From: Highway Star Subject: Re: IN> [DV] Cities After the Apocalypse At 13:42 -0600 10/30/97, Austin G. Loomis wrote: >Austin G. "Looking forward to that Virginia writeup just as much as you >are" Loomis, MiSTie #84029 Doh! Guess I have something to do now on the long stretches of highway between here and Cleveland as I trek and sally forth to the GWAR show tomorrow. Just to wet your pallettes, here's the ideas I have so far: Northern Virginia is going to be a complete mess with the destruction of Washington, D.C. Demonic hordes plague the surbuban landscape, preying on the refugees, while some remaining military forces slowly pull back from Washington. The Eastern Shore is pretty devastated, by and large, due to the large numbers of military bases (it was slammed with dozens of conventional cruise missiles) and tidal waves. Lynchburg is run by one Jerry Falwell and his militant moral majority (say that five times fast). They're actively looking to spread out and bring the word of God by gunpoint to whomever they can convert. Roanoke is a fortress town, surrounded by farmland, and desperately trying to feed the refugees flooding in from Appalachia and the environs. Virginia Tech was wiped out in a Vapula controlled disaster with their engineering school. (Woohoo!) Charlottesville has lost a good part of the city, and resistance has solidified around the University of Virginia. I've got good plans for who is *really* running UVA now... Richmond has degenerated into a free-for-all warfare site now. Currently, the most powerful group is a bunch of Neo-Confederates hoping to win the Civil War, finally. However, we'll see. SeanMike - -- Sean Michael Whipkey, smw4s@virginia.edu Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Publications Div. 804/924-4185 (or -4188) voicenet, 804/982-5536 fax http://www.virginia.edu/~cpserv/ ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #449 ******************************* The material here is (C) 1997 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.