My Enemy, my Beloved

From: "Bodhi" (rob@v-wave.com)
Subject: Re: IN) Roles, Mercurian, Elohim Dissonance

Mixed stuff of original posts, Bodhi's responses, and Ms. McCoy's additional comments... then Ms. McCoy wrote...

Frankly, one of the *saddest* setups I can think of is if an Elohite and Lilim got together and then the Lilim got hit with a Geas that demanded she work against him. He would have to work against her, unabashedly, no holds barred, all information gleaned out of the relationship used against her. She'd have to do the same, or become dissonant. (And I don't know if Superiors can remove Geasa! Even if a Lilim went bright, she might *still* have to fulfill the Geas, or become Dissonant and Fall...) Both with agony in their souls, working against each other, maybe even to kill each other... Serious tragedy.

On the other hand, a Lilim might understand the Duty that drives an Elohite (it's like being Geased to the Symphony's will) enough that, if they both survived, they could get back together. Maybe.

Now THIS is soap-opera stuff I could sink my teeth into! I like this idea!

... and personally, I'm SURE that any Lilim who can understand and empathize enough with an Elohite (emotional commitments always subserviant to Duty and Responsibility) is going to be forgiving enough to get back together afterwards. After all, she is absolutely subserviant to the same things, regarding her geasae (sp?)

Hmmm... I never noticed how similar Elohites and Lilim are!

Walk in Beauty,

Rob Wolff / Bodhi
rob@v-wave.com

And the Creator said...
"Fiat Lux"
c=(lambda)(freq.)
c=3.0 x 10^8 m/s
e=mc^2
... and he saw that it was Good.

In addition, just for INC, I ("Archangel Beth" McCoy) add a few ways to get PCs involved...

• If you get the right mix of PCs, you can cast your Elohite or Lilim with the relationship and then inflict it on them directly, forcing them to deal with the other PCs as seems appropriate. If you can get a PC as both, and they get together without you even *hinting*, you will be in GM heaven... ...except for splitting the party once the Lilim is stuck with the Geas, unless she's *supposed* to be a "mole" or "plant" in an angel-group.
  
• If you have demons, have them assigned to the same case as the Lilim has been Geased to aid. She likely has a surprising amount of data about angels in general, and they will have to decide whether to report her (and lose her assistance), blackmail her (if they can find anything to blackmail her with), or just watch in bewilderment as she finally burns off her Geas and promptly starts protecting/fighting beside this Elohite... (If she can manage to fulfill her Geas before the battle is over and done with.) If she's an NPC, you can always try to have her go Bright before they can find some way to haul her off to Asmodeus' lot.
  
• If you have angels, especially other Elohim, play up the pathos angle. Will the Elohite try to talk the others out of killing the Lilim too permanently? Will he insist on, if it comes to face-to-face combat, fighting her himself? (Will *she* insist on doing that with *her* group?) Lots of worrying about whether the Elohite will Trip -- or Fall. Will they try to remove his attachment to her somehow (convince him that she's using him?), or try to take her out of the action in such a way that he doesn't have to fight against her *and* her Geas is fulfilled? Remember -- if she's a "Free" Lilim, Lilith's Dissonance conditions include things like "don't accept imprisonment except as part of a freely agreed upon deal."
  
• If you have a mixed group, combine all of the above and season to taste.
  
• Always remember that it's possible the PCs will make it *worse*. This may be a no-win situation...
  
• Perhaps the players won't even notice it at all, until the finale? The pair could wind up toasting each other's vessels (it gets her out of the fight, perhaps in a way that will fulfill her Geas; it could be the objectively logical thing to do, in order to set the Lilim up for a "final strike"...) and greeting each other again once the Trauma has passed. Perhaps the Lilim survives killing her love -- and goes on a berserk suicidal strike against the nearest Malakite. And the players only then realize why their side had so much good information about the other...
  
• If the PCs can't figure out what was going on, even then, the GM can always have the Lilim show up again later -- and have the reunion scene to the utter shock of the players.

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Elizabeth McCoy <arcangel@prismnet.com>
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