From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Wed Apr 2 18:09:11 1997 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (majordom@lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by deliverator.io.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id SAA05138; Wed, 2 Apr 1997 18:06:37 -0600 (CST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) id SAA08348 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Wed, 2 Apr 1997 18:08:51 -0600 Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 18:08:51 -0600 Message-Id: <199704030008.SAA08348@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 #100 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, April 2 1997 Volume 01 : Number 100 In this digest: Re: IN> survival skill... IN>Re: Rahmiel Re: IN> survival skill... Re: IN>Re: Cain's mom Re: IN> Heirarchies... group project? IN> A strange request Re: IN> Heirarchies... group project? IN> survival skill... Re: Cain's mom [was IN> Re: Alu-Fiends] Re: IN> Two may be company, but Three's a crowd! Re: IN> Two may be company, but Three's a crowd! IN> The Wandering Jew(s) Re: IN> rpg finally arrived Re: IN> Two may be company, but Three's a crowd! IN> Dross and Gold IN> Grigori and their children IN> music, etc. IN> Mixed Celestial Campaign (opposing forces) IN> other archangel suggestions... IN> New Organization Re: IN> Grigori and their children Re: Cain's mom [was IN> Re: Alu-Fiends] Re: IN> Dross and Gold Re: IN> The Wandering Jew(s) Re: IN> The Wandering Jew(s) IN> Heirarchies. Part 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 11:41:11 GMT+10 From: "Leathal Weapon" <938269@wrpc.riv.csu.edu.au> Subject: Re: IN> survival skill... In reply to: > some other games have a general survival skill available, often at > increased cost. I was thinking about letting my players take > survival(general) at 4 or 5 times normal cost. Since there are about 6 > main survival types (meadow/grassland, desert, forest, mountain, city, > jungle), this is still a deal, but more expensive than any one survival > skill. IMO, when taking a Survival skill, I generally allow the first level to be a 'general' survival skill (because let's face it, all types of survival have some things in common). For a skill higher than the first, the player must specialise (for example, in desert). But then if the character gets caught in a non-desert situation (say on a mountain), they still have a level 1 skill in survival to rely on. It won't be as effective as someone with additional training (ie, a specialisation) but it may keep them alive long enough for help to arrive. Does this make sense to anyone else? Leath. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 07:16:58 -0500 From: Hatcher Rhanyr Subject: IN>Re: Rahmiel I love it!!!!!! This gives me someone to be in opposition to Azrael (Angel of Vengence)......hehehehe I can see the fight now. Rahmiel "But can't you show them a little mercy?" Azrael " Mercy? Out of my way..." heheheheh and the PC's caught in the middle...this would be too good! Hatcher ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 08:21:44 -0500 From: "John Karakash - Lucent ASCC" Subject: Re: IN> survival skill... On Apr 1, 5:40pm, \The Incredibly Unremarkable Cliffy Q. Scrimshaw\, wrote: > Subject: IN> survival skill... > > some other games have a general survival skill available, often at > increased cost. I was thinking about letting my players take > survival(general) at 4 or 5 times normal cost. Since there are about 6 > main survival types (meadow/grassland, desert, forest, mountain, city, > jungle), this is still a deal, but more expensive than any one survival > skill. > > any thoughts/comments? Unless you are maxed out on Will or Perception, it'd be cheaper just to get one level of this 'general' skill and then buy either attributes (at 4 points per) or forces (costs 10 cps and you get four in the appropriate attribute). Even at only 2 points per level of this skill, I think I'd prefer to buy attributes. 10/4 is 2.5 per level of skill, plus the attribute would be usable in a wide variety of circumstances. - -- ___________________________________________________ / \ |John Karakash - Lucent Technologies (formerly AT&T) | | (919)380-4629 | | "A fundamental principle of economics is that the | | more you tax something, the less you get of it. | | In this country we tax success most of all." | \___________________________________________________/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 07:49:49 -0600 (CST) From: Brian Emord Subject: Re: IN>Re: Cain's mom > P.S. I've got another Angel to post, but since I've been flooding the > list with them, I thought I'd give you all a break. Unless people > actually like what I'm sending.... > I am interested in your work, don't feel that you need to stop production b/c there are few responses, I for one can barely peel through all the posts in one day and make one or two responses now that work has increased, but I am saving almost every angel (DEMONS are appreciated as well, or moreso than angels...;) and ALL adventure seeds and ideas... I would like to make a formal request to everyone -- KEEP IT COMING... we here in Austin are loving every minute (word?) of it...;) Brian Emord - --* BEGIN GEEKCODE BLOCK *-- GCS/E d(+)>++ s+:+ a? C+++(++++)$ UBLAHS++$ P+++$ L++ E W++ N o K++ w O++ M-->--- V-- PS(++) PE(+)(-) Y+ PGP- t+@ 5+@ X R+(+++)* tv b++>+++ DI+++$ D G++ e(*)>++++ h+(*) r++>+++ y+ - --* END GEEKCODE BLOCK *-- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 07:56:46 -0600 (CST) From: Brian Emord Subject: Re: IN> Heirarchies... group project? On Tue, 1 Apr 1997, Bodhi wrote: > Here's a proposed group project. > PROBLEM: What are the Canon rulings on the extent of attunments for > angels? I mean, does the Master level of distinction include the > ability to give attunements to each choir separately, or just an > individual servitor attunement, or what? I'm not sure. If anybody > knows, please tell me. > > So, is this the sort of project people are interested in, or is it too > "ordered" for most people's likes? If anybody is interested in doing > this with me, then let's talk. If this thread dies out, then I'll > know there's no interest, and I'll turn my attentions elsewhere. No > Problem with that, I just want to know where to best spend my > efforts. > I think this is a neat idea, although I would probably include more second rank distinct angel/demons... but one quick little question how does the word-bound Angel/Demon fit in??? I mean would any word-bound celestial be below the third rank??? would they be intermediaries within the third/second??? Dunno, but for my setting most word bound (distinct or not [although if they got a word they would probably have distinctions]) would be above the third rank (non-bound 3rd) then the 2nd, and the 1st, followed by the starting characters... But, By Jove, you must be a servitor of Eli under Yves because you are a boundless font of new and interesting information (do you know Vapula maybe???? hehehe) I for one wish to see everything you have to offer...;) Brian Emord - --* BEGIN GEEKCODE BLOCK *-- GCS/E d(+)>++ s+:+ a? C+++(++++)$ UBLAHS++$ P+++$ L++ E W++ N o K++ w O++ M-->--- V-- PS(++) PE(+)(-) Y+ PGP- t+@ 5+@ X R+(+++)* tv b++>+++ DI+++$ D G++ e(*)>++++ h+(*) r++>+++ y+ - --* END GEEKCODE BLOCK *-- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 09:16:02 -0500 From: John Maurer Subject: IN> A strange request My wife's birthday is today (April 2, 1997). I was wondering if people could send her a "Happy Birthday" Email at tarab@netcom.com. It doesn't have to be long. Just something to make her day. Thanks. Speaks "Okay... things get worse. Then they get better. Then they get worse again... then lots of stuff blows up... people die... others are born... more stuff blows up... and then it ends." -- JMS on the future of the Babylon 5 storyline or me on life. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Apr 97 16:28 CETDST From: Marco Lambert Subject: Re: IN> Heirarchies... group project? I have to add another hierachical problem. In the Adventure added to the GMScreen there is a Duke of... (unfortunatly I do not have the names with me at work, also I want to avoide spoiler) He is a trusted second in command to the Demonprince and is reported to be one of only three with this rank in his masters service. His powers are all distinctions and ALL Band attunements, he also speaks and understands all human languages. So here we have a forth rank below Prince Prince > Duke > Baron > Captain > Knight > common demon > undead ? Perhaps this corresponds roughly to: General > Colonel > Captain > Lieutenant > Sgt major > Private > militia? But I think that any of them, more probably of course the higher ranks can have a word of his own. I also like to add that one character of mine Duchesse Azima, had the rank as a position of independency between to princes and also as a last stop before princedom. I am open to any discussion, and want to add that I would also appreciate to learn more about the hierachic structure of heaven and hell. Bye and tschuess, Marco. ________________________________________________________________ Marco Lambert (Dipl.-Phys.) * Universitaet Kaiserslautern * Email:lambert@rhrk.uni-kl.de Fachbereich Elektrotechnik * Tel.:(+49) 631/205-3354 Lehrstuhl fuer Mikroelektronik * Fax.:(+49) 631/205-3616 Postfach 3049 * D-67653 Kaiserslautern * Geb.: 12 Raum:262 Germany * ________________________________________________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 08:39:12 -0600 (CST) From: "The Incredibly Unremarkable Cliffy Q. Scrimshaw" Subject: IN> survival skill... Many thanks for the suggestions... but I have another. Another game I have offers specialized versions of skills for 1 less skill point... so should more general things like general survival cost 2pts. per level? this would make them cheaper than the listed 3pts for characteristics and generally useful. thanks for the help; hope it helps someone besides me. matt. "Life is like a yo-yo: .-. it has its ups and downs, __ __| | plus a few loops now & then." \ V / (() --Matt, a.k.a. CliffyQS@Earthling.net |_| ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 09:58:17 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: Cain's mom [was IN> Re: Alu-Fiends] The scrap of poetry about "Shapes that coiled in woods and waters, / Glittering sons and radiant daughters," is from the poem "Eden Bower" by Dante Gabriel Rosetti. The mood is definitely "steamy" without any explicit erotic details. In the poem, Lilith is livid with jealousy over the creation of Eve and decides to take the form of a serpent in order to sneak back into Eden and tempt Eve and Adam to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and so become mortal. This is in marked contrast to the legend of Lilith told in the medieval "Alphabet of Ben Sira," in which Lilith was Adam's first wife, but split up with him. You can also see the identification of Lilith with the serpent of the garden in Michelangelo's picture of the Temptation on the Cistine Chapel ceiling. Adam and Eve are being handed the fruit by a figure half woman and half serpent. I don't know where the Lilith-serpent connection originated. Her name in Hebrew has been variously linked to owls and to night, but not to serpents. In all her verions, though, Lilith is a femme fatale. I can post the Rosetti poem, if people would like. Earl Wajenberg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 10:19:31 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Two may be company, but Three's a crowd! "When the Apocalypse *does* come, no matter who wins the War, humanity loses big time. Sure, the 'true believers' will be saved (maybe), but when it comes right down to it, how many people in the world are 'true believers'? And believers of *what*?" Since, in IN, the angels themselves back different religions, I am NOT going to touch the "believers in what" issue. But since you refer to the book of Revelation from the Christian canon, I'll point out that, at the blowing of one of those seven trumps, the visionary sees "a great crowd that no man was able to number" singing praises to God for their salvation. So the sheer numerical quantity of the saved is vast. However, that need not put any real damper on the idea of a faction that wants to keep the status quo rather than have either side win. For some interesting ideas on just such a plot, with black-humor touches, read "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (a book you will find in the IN bibliography). Earl Wajenberg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 10:29:04 -0600 (CST) From: Shadowcat Subject: Re: IN> Two may be company, but Three's a crowd! Rogues statement about the Armageddon reminded me of something. If you want an interesting slant on Heaven/Hell read "Job: A Comedy of Justice" by Robert A. Heinlein (ISBN 0-345-32060-3). It portrays both sides in an interesting light. Another interesting book I read of late is "Deals with the Devil" it is an anthology (ISBN 0-88677-623-6) the story 'Free Will, Baby' by Janni Lee Simmer, has a very distinct IN feel to it. Give them A try they are fun. Shadowcat All cats may look upon a king. No comment on the Queen ;-) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 08:50:58 +0000 From: "Bodhi" Subject: IN> The Wandering Jew(s) Here are two characters to populate your In Nomine campaign with. The Wandering Jew (s?) There are many different legends about a Jewish man, who wanders the Earth unable to die until the world shall come to an end. Different legends claim different origins for this individual. Some even claim that he wasn't Jewish, originally. Here are two characters, based on these legends, who can be so placed in your campaign as to add a little flavour, a touch of intrigue, and a dash of historical literature. Ahasuerus (the Good Guy) Ahasuerus was a Jew who was cursed by Christ in Matthew 16:28 (Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming into his kingdom.) He is doomed to never die until the "Second Coming", or until the End of the World, Armageddon, what have you. Over the years, he has gained a ridiculous amount of experience, and has therefore raised his stats just about as high as humanly possible. He has all statistics at a level of 10, giving him five forces in all areas (a Force 15 individual!!!)... but don't tell the PC's this! He is a little cynical, a little tired, very mysterious, and filled with knowledge that no mortal should possess!! He has since learned his Lesson, acknowledged his Destiny, and is working in a clandestine manner (through Yves, who views him as one of the best examples of an individual accepting his Destiny) to bring about the End of the War, the End of the World, and his own chance to actually die and move on to his final reward. He is not a fighter, for every wound he inflicts is felt upon his own body. If he actually kills somebody, his body quits until such time as the corpse of his victim is completely reduced to bones... the end result is that if he kills somebody, he winds up being trapped in his own mortal vessel, unable to move, for a period of approximately ten years. This has taught him that Violence is NOT the path he is to follow. Instead, he has become the consummate information broker, the scholar, the sage, the spy, the one who digs things up. He has more secrets than any hundred politicians! He knows a lot about a lot of things, including fighting (but not killing!), and he uses his insight, knowledge, and information for the Celestial side. I would say, therefore, that his skills lie somewhere around 4 for things that he is only moderately proficient at, and anything that he has EVER been interested in he has raised to a skill of 6. He probably possesses just about every skill imaginable, and some skills that are no longer practiced. Indeed, over the years, he has learned every corporeal Song (again, probably around 6), although he attempts not to use these songs, lest they draw attention from the Other Side. ______________________________ Cartaphilus (The Bad Guy) Cartaphilus was one of the Roman guards who was responsible for Christ's keeping in His final days. He struck Christ repeatedly, beat Him visciously, and gambled with the other guards for His robe as a trophy, and was therefore cursed to wander the Earth until the End. He, too, has gained enough experience to raise his statistics to the maximum human level. However, he has a slightly different perspective on things. He has never accepted his Destiny, and instead has rebelled strongly against the Celestial side. He works towards his ultimate goal, the destruction of the World, with the victors being the Diabolicals. He does not suffer the same problems as Ahasuerus. He does not feel the pain of his victims, although he still suffers from the problem of being trapped inside his mortal vessel, unable to move, if he ever actually kills somebody. Too many events such as this have stripped Cartaphilus of his sanity, and he is left with little more than a driving need to inflict pain on others. He dearly loves to torture individuals, and then leave them crippled and maimed, to suffer out the rest of their ephemeral lives in agony. Their pathetic little pains do not bother him, for he is Cursed with an eternity of pain, suffering, and madness! Thus, while he does not kill his victims, he is an expert at fighting, and rendering individuals wounded, maimed, unconscious, what have you. He does not often deliver the final killing stroke, but he has been known to do this at least 13 times over the millenia. He especially loves to maim and torture Celestial vessels, for they can "take it" better than anybody he has ever met. Secretly, he believes that if he can "break" a celestial, and cause him to renounce God, that celestial will take his place, and he will be allowed the peace of the grave. (this is not the case, but this doesn't stop him from trying...) His skills, therefore, are somewhat limited when it comes to knowledge areas and academics. (skill level 4) Instead, he excells at the warrior arts, as well as torture! He, too, knows all the Corporeal songs at a level of 6, but is again loathe to actually use them, lest he be discovered by some Celestial. He works for Kronos, who views Cartaphilus as one of his best achievements! This individual has truly accepted his Fate! ______________________________________ Neither individual is well known to the majority of Celestials/Diabolicals. If Angels and Demons knew the level of power these individuals possess, it would seriously skew their perspective on the War. Therefore, these individuals are alone, even with regards to other beings of longevity. Ahasuerus is sociable and likable, but Cartaphilus tends to "use up" his mortal friends quickly. Neither one has any friends amongst their respective sides in the War, as this would reveal their secret. They have, each in their own way, encountered many Celestials, Diabolicals, Archangels, Princes, Grigori, and other Strange Things! The lessons they've learned from their encounters have been quite different, however. More to the point, they view each other with a deep and resonant Hatred. They see, in each other, the path that they might have taken. While at one time they may have felt sympathy for one another, and even tried to "save" the other from their mistaken direction in Life, they have long since abandoned any pretense at sympathy. Instead, they wish to simply make an end of the other, and themselves, by helping their respective side win the final War. They can then go Home, and Rest. Finally, it is important to remember that the stories, legends, fables, and tales about the Wandering Jew all have some basis in the events of their overly-long lives. Play up the immortal aspect, and give them a series of reminiscences regarding their respective existences. ____________________________________ I'd suggest using these individuals as "mysterious men in black" in an ongoing campaign. After a series of campaigns, in which these extremely knowledgeable individuals have become key points, have the PC's investigate their origins. Who knows, maybe the PC's will eventually befriend one, or the other,... or both? Personally, I'm not really comfortable with them being so Powerful, but I can't imagine living 2000 years and not gaining enough experience to raise one's stats to ten, etc. If you wish, you can tone them down, but do at least try to come up with a good rationalization as to why individuals such as these seem to never "learn" anything from their experiences on Earth. I can come up with rationalizations for this, but none of them sit well in my craw, so I'm leaving them as is. However, I'd caution GM's that if you have players such as mine, these players will assume an incredible level of power. My players LOVE to play the "what if my character keeps developing at this rate for his maximum life-span" game. Whew, do those character points add up!!! Walk in Beauty, Rob Wolff / Bodhi rob@v-wave.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 30 Mar 1997 09:18:36 -0500 From: "Joseph R. Watt" Subject: Re: IN> rpg finally arrived Davies wrote: > ...If you want Cains father to be the Captain from Gilligans > Island, I'm sure you can justify it some how. It is a game after > all. the writtten word does not have to the TRUTH in your campaign. Actually, he was always called 'Skipper', in my limited reccollection. Joseph ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 11:34:43 -0600 From: chapman@itouch.net Subject: Re: IN> Two may be company, but Three's a crowd! **Spoiler Warning!!!! If you are not up to date on B5, skip this post!!!!!** >Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 17:35:31 +0000 >From: "Bodhi" >Subject: Re: IN> Two may be company, but Three's a crowd! > >> When the Apocalypse *does* come, no matter who wins the War, humanity loses >> big time. Sure, the 'true believers' will be saved (maybe), but when it >> comes right down to it, how many people in the world are 'true believers'? >> And believers of *what*? >> I know this doesn't fit quite perfectly into the IN world view, but I think >> it could work. Perhaps the SOH were started by some of the remaining >> Grigori? Now they would include wizards, shamans, voudoun priests, and >> whomever else has a vested interest in letting humanity control it's own >> Destiny. >> Just some rough thoughts. I'd appreciate comments/suggestions. Thanks for >> listening! >> >> -Rogue, who wouldn't mind being a Soldier Of Humanity...... > >Actually, this was my campaign idea, based upon an idea I'd had for >a campaign while running Mythus. > >The point is, that my players played HUMANS, who were in the war >simply to stop it from being the FINAL WAR!!! > >Thus, my human players offset the final battle for another 2000 >years, and the world went back to normal. >Rob Wolff / Bodhi >rob@v-wave.com > Hmmm, you know, if you put it into the future, say around the 23rd century, then we could have alien politics enter into it, and all sorts of questions about alien souls.....Wait a minute. That sounds like it might already be copyrighted:) Seriously, J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5 series covers this very nicely, including the Opposing Forces' reactions. pkcira ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 12:27:34 -0700 From: mccrayh@yoda.cochise.cc.az.us (Hollis McCray) Subject: IN> Dross and Gold I have to say that I have gleaned some useful information from being on the In Nomine mailing list just in the two days so far. My only complaint is that there is so much useless information with it. Could we please watch this? Hollis McCray Madman at Large e-mail: mccrayh@yoda.cochise.cc.az.us ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 14:22:28 -0500 From: Hatcher Rhanyr Subject: IN> Grigori and their children In the IN campaign I am about to start I want all the PC's to be unique but I didn't want them to be human or celestial. My first thoughts were on a celestial half-breed. So I came to the decision to make the PC's all Children of the Grigori, but here's my problem. I need some ideas as to what powers (if any) and abilities these children should posess. Note that most if not all the PC's will be removed a descent bit from the Grigori (Great Grand-parent was Grigori etc) My second problem concerns the Nephellim. Would all celestial offspring be "deformed"? Another thought was perhaps Goliath (big guy who got taken out by a stone)a Nephellim? It also talks about half-breed Grigori, but I would think deformation would be something that would be passed down. I don't know if I like the idea of all the PC's being deformed. Are Half-breeds something different than the Nephellim? If anyone can help me with these questions....I would greatly appreciate it. Hatcher Rhanyr B.T.W. I'm working on a new word bound Celestial....The Angel of Generousity....if anyone has any ideas concerning this individual e-mail me privately. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 13:49:34 -0600 (CST) From: "The Incredibly Unremarkable Cliffy Q. Scrimshaw" Subject: IN> music, etc. If anyone's interested, (how many hundreds of posts start this way?) I may begin work on an Angel of Art (maybe even Archangel.. Art is a broad, important word). I'm thinking it would be either a higher-up of Eli or just work really well with him (and with Blandine..) Melody might then be a high-ranking Word-bound under it. questions, comments, or smart remarks, anyone? "Life is like a yo-yo: .-. it has its ups and downs, __ __| | plus a few loops now & then." \ V / (() --Matt, a.k.a. CliffyQS@Earthling.net |_| ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 14:55:21 -0500 From: Tim Seiger Subject: IN> Mixed Celestial Campaign (opposing forces) Excuse me while I de-lurk for a moment. Has anyone thought about running a mixed campaign of opposing forces? I am a bit new to GM'ing, but have run two campaigns, and can't help but think that it would be great to have one group of PC's working against another group of PC's. Has anyone tried this? I know it would be especially great in IN, a group of Angels, and a group of Demons. Run seperately until they come into direct conflict with one another. Am I just crazy, or could this work out to anything other than a logistical nightmare? All suggestions welcome, and on a side note, thanks to all for the great ideas and advice. - -Tim ziggy@cmu.edu temporarily (coop) seiger@segsrv.hlo.dec.com - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------------- The opinions expressed above are not necessarily affiliated with Digital in any way. I am an employee, not a spokesperson. - ----------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 14:04:36 -0600 (CST) From: "The Incredibly Unremarkable Cliffy Q. Scrimshaw" Subject: IN> other archangel suggestions... Since we have an Arch. of Fire, Stone, and Wind, how about an Arch. of Water? (we have fire, earth, and air sorta covered already.) I am also waiting to see Khalid, angel of Faith. may your angels never trip and may your imps be forever frustrated. matt s. "Life is like a yo-yo: .-. it has its ups and downs, __ __| | plus a few loops now & then." \ V / (() --Matt, a.k.a. CliffyQS@Earthling.net |_| ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 15:38:07 -0500 From: Hatcher Rhanyr Subject: IN> New Organization THE SOLDIERS OF HUMANITY This group is dedicated to a purpose that humanity should be allowed to decide their own fate or destiny without Celestial interference. They feel that in the Celestial War there is only one thing is guaranteed, that whomever wins, humanity will always lose. So thisgroup tries to prevent either side from gaining substantially in the War. Members of The Soldiers are ranked in a military fashion according to who is in command. All beginning members are given the rank of Private. As of the past year there were approximately 250 Privates world wide. [As far as game mechanics go Privates should have 4-5 Total Forces] Directly above the Privates in rank are the Sergeants. It is rumored that for ever five Privates there is one Sergeant. So therefore there should be approximately 50 Sergeants. [Sergeants should have at least 5 Forces. Some may have 6 Forces but these are rare individuals] Above the Sergeants are the Lieutenants. Like their lower ranking members for ever five Sergeants there should be one Lieutenant, so that would make 10 Lieutenants. [Lieutenants should have six forces] The next highest rank is that of Captain. Supposedly there are only two Captains, one for each hemisphere. [The Captains should have 7 Forces] Finally there is the General. He/she oversees the entire organization. {Please Note that I may detail the Captains of the Soldiers and the General at a later time.I might detail some of the Lieutenants as well as some Sergeants too} ABILITIES OF THE SOLDIERS Some of the members of the Soldiers of Humanity have displayed some abilities not generally granted human beings. Privates rarely ever display any of these abilities as they are not high enough rank yet. Most Sergeants possess the Song of Healing (Corporeal)/1. This can vary with the individual but no Sergeant should posses this song at a higher level than 2. Lieutenants often possess the Song ofHealing(Corporeal)/3. The Captains supposedly possess the Song of Healing (Corporeal)/5. Finally the General supposedly possess this Song at Level 6. The Soldiers of Humanity may be able to use other songs, or abilities but the Song of Healing is the only one known to be possessed by most members. Adventure Seed: If the PC's are Human: The PC's are approached by an enigmatic individual stating that he is a Sergeant in The Soldiers of Humanity. He's been watching the PC's for some time now and feels that it is time that they learn that in the end human beings are the ones who will suffer.This Sergeant may be a good way of introducing the PC's into an IN Campaign as the Soldiers of Humanity wage war on both Angels and Demons alike. If the PC's are Celestial: Recently the PC's have learned about this group calling themselves the Soldiers of Humanity. The PC's have been assigned by their superiors to investigate this new organization and determine it's potential as a threat to the War. Under no certain terms are the PC's suppose to engage with the Soldiers...."Yet". The Soldiers themselves though are under no such restrictions and when they become aware of the PC's (which eventually they will), they'll try everything they know to get in the PC's way and prevent them from doing anything. My Thoughts: I am planning on using this organization in my games. The S/H should be concidered extremists. They might even be lumped into the Terrorist catatgory, however in most cases they do not want to hurt people, just that innocent people were involved with the Celestials (which in their mindframe doesn't make them innocent any more). Tell me what you think? Hatcher ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 15:53:31 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Grigori and their children The half-angels, such as the Nephilim, are mentioned in Genesis, just before the Flood account. They pretty clearly correspond to the demi-god heroes of pagan myth. So I don't think you need to make all such half-breeds deformed. Anyway, the IN book describes the children of the Grigori as more like wizards than monsters. You could make your hybrid PCs almost anything between human and angel in power, and justify it. Here are some suggestions: 1: Very large, strong, tough people, but inside human range, with an angel-like ability to detect disruption of the Symphony. 2: People who are born Soldiers of God (or Hell). But of course they may not know what's going on. Or they may have been told the wrong thing by their folks, who also didn't know. Imagine a 12-year-old Soldier... 3: People whose supernatural heritage manifests as superpowers, a la GURPS Supers or Wildcards. Once again, they may have no idea why they have these powers. Earl Wajenberg ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 15:54:19 -0600 (CST) From: Shadowcat Subject: Re: Cain's mom [was IN> Re: Alu-Fiends] On Wed, 2 Apr 1997, Earl Wajenberg wrote: > > I can post the Rosetti poem, if people would like. If not to the list, could you post me a copy? Shadowcat ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Apr 1997 16:14:36 -0500 (EST) From: IQJason@aol.com Subject: Re: IN> Dross and Gold Hollis McCray: "I have to say that I have gleaned some useful information from being on the In Nomine mailing list just in the two days so far. My only complaint is that there is so much useless information with it. Could we please watch this?" Why, of course, Mr. McCray, sir. You heard the man. Stop all that conversin' and exchangin' and socializin'. There'll be no more of that useless information on this here list, y'unnerstand? [pause] The troops seem unconvinced. Perhaps you could give an example of the sort of thing you consider useless. You know what they say about meats, poisons and their various owners... yours, - -j ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Apr 1997 08:31:00 +1000 From: "Patrick O'Duffy" Subject: Re: IN> The Wandering Jew(s) Bodhi wrote: > > Here are two characters to populate your In Nomine campaign with. > > The Wandering Jew (s?) > > There are many different legends about a Jewish man, who wanders the > Earth unable to die until the world shall come to an end. Different > legends claim different origins for this individual. Some even claim > that he wasn't Jewish, originally. Here are two characters, based on > these legends, who can be so placed in your campaign as to add a > little flavour, a touch of intrigue, and a dash of historical > literature. > > Ahasuerus (the Good Guy) > > > Cartaphilus (The Bad Guy) Hmmm. actually, I'd have made the Wandering Jew (singular) a neutral player. Experienced, if not amazing powerful, but more concerned with his own life and those of regular people than celestial bickering. I mean, the guy's been cursed by Christ, so he'd be kind of bitter - but that might not be enough to make him turn to the 'Dark Side' (TM). Sorry, I think about the Jew a bit - he's going to make an appearance or two in the novel I'm (infrequently) working on. - -- Patrick O'Duffy, Brisbane, Australia You remember that foul evening, when you heard the banshee howl There was lousy drunken bastards singing Billy in the bowl They took you up to midnight mass and left you in the lurch So you dropped a button in the plate and spewed up in the church. THE POGUES, "The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Apr 1997 15:00:44 -0800 (PST) From: James Foster Subject: Re: IN> The Wandering Jew(s) Something you might want to consider- the Myth of the Wandering Jew is a rather insulting one to Jews themselves in general. It's based on the expulsion of the Jews from almost every country in Europe, and is generally taken to signify the race as a whole, especially the "cursed by Christ to wander without a home" thing. A very culturally imperialistic folk myth, and while usually not used to denigrate anymore, you may still find people sensitive to it. Just a thought. James Foster Religious Studies Dept. University of Oregon On Thu, 3 Apr 1997, Patrick O'Duffy wrote: > Bodhi wrote: > > > > Here are two characters to populate your In Nomine campaign with. > > > > The Wandering Jew (s?) > > > > There are many different legends about a Jewish man, who wanders the > > Earth unable to die until the world shall come to an end. Different > > legends claim different origins for this individual. Some even claim > > that he wasn't Jewish, originally. Here are two characters, based on > > these legends, who can be so placed in your campaign as to add a > > little flavour, a touch of intrigue, and a dash of historical > > literature. > > > > Ahasuerus (the Good Guy) > > > > > > Cartaphilus (The Bad Guy) > > Hmmm. actually, I'd have made the Wandering Jew (singular) a neutral > player. Experienced, if not amazing powerful, but more concerned with > his own life and those of regular people than celestial bickering. I > mean, the guy's been cursed by Christ, so he'd be kind of bitter - but > that might not be enough to make him turn to the 'Dark Side' (TM). > > Sorry, I think about the Jew a bit - he's going to make an appearance > or two in the novel I'm (infrequently) working on. > > -- > Patrick O'Duffy, Brisbane, Australia > > You remember that foul evening, when you heard the banshee howl > There was lousy drunken bastards singing Billy in the bowl > They took you up to midnight mass and left you in the lurch > So you dropped a button in the plate and spewed up in the church. > > THE POGUES, "The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn" > ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Apr 1997 10:12:12 GMT+10 From: "Leathal Weapon" <938269@wrpc.riv.csu.edu.au> Subject: IN> Heirarchies. Part 1 Okay, in response to the Heirarchy idea, the lack of anything interesting on TV last night (yes, I am a Nybbas slave!) and the way it all came to gether in my mind, I have decided to put together the following Heirarchy. It will come in several parts. Listed below are the names. I've started with Dominic (yes, treading on toes already) because I think he could use a lot of expanding. A final note, most (okay, all) of the names and Words listed below come from "A Dictionary of Angels - Including the Fallen Angels" by Gustav Davidson. So sorry in advance. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- HEIRARCHY. DOMINIC- ARCHANGEL OF JUDGEMENT. 1. AMALIEL- Angel of Chastisement. 1a. Af- Angel of Anger. 1b. Kezef- Angel of Wrath. 1c. Hemah- Angel of Fury. 1d. Hasmed- Angel of Annihilation. 1e. Mashit- Angel of Destruction. 2. SHEPHERD- Angel of Repentance. 2a. Paraqlitos- Angel of Sorrows. 2b. Zachriel- Angel of Memory. 2c. Phanuel- Angel of Hope. 2d. Phalgus- In charge of Grief (non-Worded). 2e. Merod- In charge of Good Deeds (non-Worded). 2f. Mihr- In charge of Friendship (non-Worded). 3. TSADKIEL- Angel of Justice. The Angels of Punishment (non-Worded). Kushiel- Rigid One of God. Lahatiel- Flaming One of God. Shoftiel- Judge of God. Makatiel- Plague of God. Hutriel- Rod of God. Puriel- Fire of God. Rogziel- Wrath of God. (4. Rahmiel- Angel of Mercy. Technically outside Heirarchy, see my previous description of this Angel). - --------------------------------------------------------------------- At first glance, the Heirarchy of Dominic may appear top-heavy, with many Worded Angels in his ranks. This is deliberate. After the rebellion and fall of Lucifer and his Demons, Dominic insisted that he required Worded Angels to discover and eliminate any remaining traces of dissension. He got them. His three 'Captains' Amaliel, Shepherd and Tsadkiel were each placed in charge of a different aspect of Judgement. Their 'Lieutenants' were not initially Worded, but many have since attained that distinction. Many see this as evidence of the righteousness of Dominic's cause, and it is a major reason for the fear he commands. Although the Captains were created equal, power struggles and politics have led to the emergence of a slight inequality. Amaliel is fractionally more powerful than his 'brothers' as all of his Lieutenants have been Worded, although he has fewer high ranking servants than the others. Tsadkiel is probably next, because although none of his servants have received their own Words, they are all very powerful Angels, Dominic's (and therefore God's) deliverers of Punishment. Shepherd is probably the least powerful and least embodies the most common idea of Dominic's Judgement, but half of his followers have received their own Word, and the rest are almost entirely meshed in their ideals that it is only a matter of time before they receive theirs. Of course, this political structure can change at a moment's notice, and although Rahmiel is generally regarded as outside Dominic's main political structure, his views most closely correspond to Shepherd's, and Shepherd is currently trying to enlist the 'rebel' to his cause. Although the Angels from all factions are fiercely competative, they are all fanatically loyal to their Superiors and to Dominic himself. They will maneuver politically against each other to increase their standing, but thhey will NEVER do anything to jeapardise their cause or incur the wrath of their Superiors or (Heaven forbid) Dominic. This structure lists the most powerful of Dominic's followers, there are literally countless lesser Angels stationed below each of those mentioned here. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, that's the basic layout. The next parts will have brief descriptions of each of the Angels listed, including their Choir and any Distinctions they may have. Leath. ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #100 ******************************* The material here is (C) 1996 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.