Scipiah

By Moe Lane

Nicknames: Quartermasters, Expediters

I looked upon the shambolic chaos that was the supply depot. Crates were stacked haphazardly, people were running around in that special way that indicates that nobody knew precisely what they were doing and there was entirely too much paper lying around. I'd have a week - six days, actually - to turn this into a smoothly operating detachment, just in time to make sure that a certain tank regiment would be properly supplied and armed for its date with Destiny. Six days of unremitting, backbreaking labor, surrounded by humans who had no idea about what was coming. And it was all my responsibility. I sighed.

Life was good.

Michael has no problems getting good soldiers. There's always somebody out there just itching to take a crack at the forces of Evil, and you can always train them in how to do it effectively. Michael would never claim that he has enough (what fighting general would?), but he knows where he can get his hands on more, if he needs to.

Masters at logistics, however, are a different matter entirely. They're born, not made - and there's always a real shortage of them. Michael solves the problem fairly neatly: if he can't train, he'll make. Of course, he spends a good deal of time keeping the rest of the Host from shamelessly poaching Scipiah for their organizations, but that's more flattering than anything else.

Resonance

A Scipiote's resonance is for organization: like their creator, they have an eye for the Truth (in this case, the Truly best way to arrange an area for maximum effectiveness). Once they've determined the best way to square away a mess, they'll move Heaven and Earth to match the reality up with the ideal. A Scipiote is never happier than when he or she has a real problem to overcome: it gives them carte blanche to straighten everything out from the source. They know the meaning of the term 'half measures', but they consider it one of humanity's viler obscenities.

Dissonance

Oddly enough, excessive violence. The entire point of having celestial quartermasters is to make things run smoothly, and while violence may be fine on the battlefield, it usually hideously clashes with a supply depot. Scipiah suffer dissonance when they use violent methods to enforce the vision of efficiency that they see from their resonance.

Servitors of Flowers usually grin nastily at this point and suggest that this indicates that Michael has subconsciously admitted the Truth of Novalis' position. Servitors of War usually retort that Novalis' Minor Choir indicates precisely the same blessed thing about her, only reversed. Servitors of other Words just roll their eyes and order another beer.

Manner and Appearance

Scipiah favor a military bearing and manner (this holds true for those few that serve other Words). They invariably have military support Roles, and the stereotypical Scipiote is a career supply officer or noncom. Thus, they tend to be neat, clean, fairly well dressed (by military standards) but not particularly glamorous.

In their celestial appearance, their origin from a Seraphic Superior is blatantly obvious: they resemble anthropomorphic lizards, complete with eyes on turrets (the better to look in several different places at once. They're also gorgeously and brightly colored: a Scipiote is actually not too hard on the eyes in his or her celestial form.

The primary problem for a Scipiote, of course, is that they do come from a warlike Superior, and have absorbed some of his prejudices against incompetence. Usually, this just translates to blowing up spectacularly when annoyed: however, those with poor impulse control may sometimes physically attack those who are detailed to make their organizational vision a reality. If they persist in solving logistical problems with their fists, they run the risk of Falling and becoming Jinxes, a minor Band usually claimed by Baal. Instead of making things better, Jinxes enjoy making things worse - and they enjoy even more someone else getting the blame.

Game Mechanics

The Scipiote usually has only one problem to solve at a time (of course, many problems are really a whole bunch of lesser problems, but there's usually a unifying theme). Trying to keep track of two or more unrelated problems at a time is possible, but at -2 to both the resonance roll and the Check Digit for each problem that the Scipiote is juggling at once.

Resonance Check Digit Table

There's a problem with the way things are being done currently (this is a Scipiah joke, or would be, if they knew about the Resonance Check Digit Table).
The angel knows whether or not things are being done reasonably efficiently.
The angel knows how badly things are being done currently.
The angel knows the above, and the worst active problem keeping things from running smoothly.
The angel, at this point, knows the above, and can see how to actually fix the worst errors in the supply or organizational chain. Said solutions may not be practical, of course.
As above, except that the angel can see how to fix things so that they stay fixed.
This is the sensation that Scipiah aim for: they can see the entire logistic chain, compare it to an optimum solution, and can see the easiest way to make the two match.

More Sophisticated Uses of Resonance

Part of resonating on an area's organization involves learning where everything is: the Check Digit will determine the details. A CD of 1 will give a very basic inventory, while a CD of 6 will tell the angel where everything is - which may not be the same place as where it's supposed to be. Knowing where everything is, by the way, is good for a positive reaction (equal to half the CD, rounded up) from anyone else who's actually trying to find something.

Scipiah in the War

They may not be on the battlefield, but they are a vital part of Michael's forces, and everybody knows it (besides, staying on the good side of supply clerks is the first thing that any good soldier learns). Scipiah will usually be found behind the lines, happily running around like madmen and keeping everybody supplied. These angels usually have a web of favors equal to that of some Lilim, although it's a 'cover my ass today, and I'll make sure that your ass is covered next week - somehow' sort of web. It is often joked that only another Scipiote - or a Lilim - could keep track of the constant trading of surplus supplies.

However, some Scipiah do go on the front lines. Usually, it's to get firsthand data on what the troops really need (and never mind what the regulations say), but some just enjoy fighting. They are Servitors of War, after all. These Scipiah are usually the scroungers, as they can organize informal or black market supply chains in a heartbeat (although the risk of dissonance is higher).

Needless to say, certain other Archangels want these angels. Michael usually fends off poaching expeditions before they start, but sometimes he lets his colleagues get away with it. He's more amenable to letting Scipiah serve a tour of duty with another Word: it's good experience, and might pay dividends later. Armageddon is going to be a very complex operation, after all...

Scipiah of War (Restricted): The Scipiote can determine whether a detected problem is due to thievery or corruption, even at the lower check digits: he or she also gets a Perception roll to determine who, provided that the angel has personally met the culprit. Scipiah, incidentally, only grudgingly accept even petty corruption in humans. Excessive greed will cause them to send for the MPs immediately.

Scipiah of the Sword: Michael lets Laurence poach more often than any other Archangel: frankly, the kid needs all the help that he can get. The Archangel of the Sword gives his Scipiah the ability to expedite paperwork (Laurence loathes paperwork, possibly because he gets stuck with most of it): they may cut down the time it takes to requisition something by half, if they make a Precision roll at -2.

Scipiah of Trade (Restricted): Marc doesn't 'poach': he merely makes them an offer that they can't refuse. Many do, anyway, but those that don't end up being able to use their resonance on ledgers and numbers. At the very least, a resonance roll by a Scipiote of Trade on, say, a financial statement will determine where there was a mistake in the accounting. Marc is the greatest hirer of temporary Scipiah.

Scipiah of Archives: Beth doesn't poach, and she doesn't hire. However, she does seem to have some kind of agreement with Michael that lets her openly recruit. Other Archangels would love to know how she managed this, but neither Michael nor Beth is talking. At any rate, Scipiah of Archives can, once per day, rearrange up to (total Forces x 10) data items so that they somehow end up in their proper place.

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