From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Wed Apr 23 16:50:19 1997 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (root@lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by deliverator.io.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id QAA00183; Wed, 23 Apr 1997 16:10:03 -0500 (CDT) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) id PAA14733 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Wed, 23 Apr 1997 15:02:27 -0500 Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 15:02:27 -0500 Message-Id: <199704232002.PAA14733@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 #135 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 23 1997 Volume 01 : Number 135 In this digest: Re: IN> Role Questions Re: IN> Killing People, and Healing. Re: IN> Killing People, and Healing. Re: IN> _Hell on High_, by Holly Lisle Re: IN> Attack power, hitting humans, changing form Re: IN> Role Questions Re: IN> Killing People, and Healing. Re: IN> In Nomine problems IN> Re: your mail IN> Know Your Diabolicals: #4 (& errata for others) IN> Know The Enemy #5-#10, #14 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 13:18:19 -0400 (EDT) From: "Paul F. Strack" Subject: Re: IN> Role Questions On Wed, 23 Apr 1997, Shadowcat wrote: > I have a few questions about roles. > First What level of role would you need to have basic ID such as a > driver's liscence, etc. Also would Yves suply simple "Traveling Papers" to > his servants on earth? Well, a Level 1 role would probably be enough to carry an driver's liscence. Unfortunately, if any actually *checked* the liscence, they would discover that it was not registered with the DMV, despite the fact that it appears to be authentic in every other way. At Level 2 the liscence would be registered, but other details might not check out (e.g. the address to which it is registered is not where the angel lives). At Level 3, most of the detail of drivers liscences would check out. More intimitate papers, (birth certificates, social security cards) would still have irregularities. At Level 4, all the paper work would be fine, including detailed stuff like social security records. Someone would did a detailed search would discover that some things were missing, though, like no one at the high school the angel "went to" remembers them, and so forth. At Level 5, only the deepest investigation will reveal that there are irregularities in the angels life. People from the angel's "past" will remember them, but their may be inconsistancies in their testimony that might arouse suspicision. Creating this level of role requires a lot of work on the part of the angel, in that he must regularly interact with people from his "past" to maintain it. At Level 6, the angel would appear to any investigation to be completely normal. However, I am of the opinion that the only way an angel can get a role this detailed is to actually *live* the life of the role from birth onward. > Two, on page 43 it says that roles cost: (Sataus + level / 2), but > on page 72 it says that it cost: (2 points per resource level + 2 points > per level(above 1) for appropriate status) This is a large difference > between the two. > > Thanx > > Shadowcat > All cats may look upon a king. > No comment on the Queen ;-) > > Paul Strack | Madness takes its toll. pfstrack@math.unc.edu | Please have exact change. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ World of Darkness Page - http://www.math.unc.edu/Grads/pfstrack/wod.html In Nomine Page: INC2 - http://www.math.unc.edu/Grads/pfstrack/innom/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 13:06:54 -0400 (EDT) From: "Paul F. Strack" Subject: Re: IN> Killing People, and Healing. On Wed, 23 Apr 1997, Nana Yaw Ofori wrote: > If I'm say, a Malakim of Creation, and due to my utter carelessness (say > I got drunk...can Celestials get drunk?), I blunder into the wrong part of > town, and a Calabim in a Pit Bull Vessel leaps out of nowhere and bites my > arm off. After dispatching the demon with my severed arm, Is there anything > I can do to fix the situation, assuming I don't want to check into a > Hospital? Will the Arm grow back? Does it require the Corporeal Song of > Healing? Will I have to summon my Superior to get it fixed? (Hey, Eli, give > me a hand?) Or am I stuck with a one-armed vessel until I can get a new one? I believe that the Song of Healing or your superior could take care of the problem. The arm wouldn't grow back "naturally" though. Angels are lizards that regrow their tales :) > Second, Killing People. > > Let's say, I'm K'Blui, Demon of Random Violence (Serving Saminga?), and > I've decided that I want to go around messing people up, bet would rather > not have ripples running through the Symphony when I do... OK, here's how I handle harm and disturbance. If a Celestial is the direct cause of harm to an individual, it causes disturbance. By direct, I mean that no other Will was involved in the slaying. A good rule of thumb is this: if a court of law would convict the Celestial of murder, (or at least manslaughter) then it will cause a disturbance to the Symphony as well. > Now, I know that killing someone with my bare hands will probably cause > Disturbance, but what about these situtations? > > Placing a claymore mine in a hallway, which goes off when Joe Bystander > walks past, a few minutes later. Yes. > Placing some kind of deatrap off in the wilderness, which isn't > triggered for, say nine years, when Joe Bystander is on a camping trip. Yes. > While struggling for a pistol with a police officer, the gun goes off > and hits Joe Bystander. Yes, though this one is iffy. > Some blasted Soldier of God is shooting at me, and I grab Joe Bystander, > and use him to block the bullet. Yes. > A Soldier of God is shooting at me, and I dodge, and the bullet misses > me completely, hitting Joe Bystander. No. > A Soldier is trying to shoot at one of My servants, I knock his arm > aside, and the bullet hits Joe Bystander instead. Yes, although again iffy. > A Soldier has a gun and is trying to shoot one of My servants. With my > demonic reflexes, I grab his arm, and point it towards Joe Bystander, while > he's pulling the trigger. Yes. > I pick up the soldier of God and hurl him at Joe Bystander, who is > knocked off the top floor of the parking garage to his death, though the > Soldier manages to grab onto the wall in time, and save himself from that > horrible fate. Yes. > And one more. If a Shedim's in a host who's not at all averse to killing > people, and the shedim suggests 'Why don't you kill that guy,' and doesn't > force the issue with a contest of Will or anything, but the host goes and > kills the guy anyway, is that a Disturbance? If the Shedim is still in the Host, it would cause a disturbance. If the Shedim planted the suggestion and then left the Host, it would not. Paul Strack | Madness takes its toll. pfstrack@math.unc.edu | Please have exact change. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ World of Darkness Page - http://www.math.unc.edu/Grads/pfstrack/wod.html In Nomine Page: INC2 - http://www.math.unc.edu/Grads/pfstrack/innom/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 12:40:14 -0400 From: "John Karakash - Lucent ASCC" Subject: Re: IN> Killing People, and Healing. > If I'm say, a Malakim of Creation, and due to my utter carelessness (say > I got drunk...can Celestials get drunk?), I blunder into the wrong part of > town, and a Calabim in a Pit Bull Vessel leaps out of nowhere and bites my > arm off. After dispatching the demon with my severed arm, Is there anything > I can do to fix the situation, assuming I don't want to check into a > Hospital? Will the Arm grow back? Does it require the Corporeal Song of > Healing? Will I have to summon my Superior to get it fixed? (Hey, Eli, give > me a hand?) Or am I stuck with a one-armed vessel until I can get a new one? Non-Canon: Celestials are not Corporeal creatures, even if they look like them. The limbs (or other parts) will grow back at the discretion of the GM. A good rule of thumb is that when all Body Hits are healed, the body is healed as well. > Placing a claymore mine in a hallway, which goes off when Joe Bystander > walks past, a few minutes later. > > Placing some kind of deatrap off in the wilderness, which isn't > triggered for, say nine years, when Joe Bystander is on a camping trip. > > While struggling for a pistol with a police officer, the gun goes off > and hits Joe Bystander. > > Some blasted Soldier of God is shooting at me, and I grab Joe Bystander, > and use him to block the bullet. Yes to these four. > > A Soldier of God is shooting at me, and I dodge, and the bullet misses > me completely, hitting Joe Bystander. No. > > A Soldier is trying to shoot at one of My servants, I knock his arm > aside, and the bullet hits Joe Bystander instead. Hmmm... Yes. > > A Soldier has a gun and is trying to shoot one of My servants. With my > demonic reflexes, I grab his arm, and point it towards Joe Bystander, while > he's pulling the trigger. Yes. > > I pick up the soldier of God and hurl him at Joe Bystander, who is > knocked off the top floor of the parking garage to his death, though the > Soldier manages to grab onto the wall in time, and save himself from that > horrible fate. Yes. > > And one more. If a Shedim's in a host who's not at all averse to killing > people, and the shedim suggests 'Why don't you kill that guy,' and doesn't > force the issue with a contest of Will or anything, but the host goes and > kills the guy anyway, is that a Disturbance? Yes. As long as the Shedim is in there, he takes the rap. ;) Even if the human goes along with the Demon, the Demon is, in fact, the one in control. The above question assumes that the 'host' is the one in control for the killing. In fact, the host simply chose not to fight the demon when the demon went out and killed someone. The rule of thumb I use is if the Celestial takes some action that directly causes injury to some Corporeal being, they make noise. In the case of the dodge above, the Celestial neither fired the bullet, affected its path, or put Joe in the way. The demon's _presence_ might have convinced the soldier to shoot, but that falls in the category of 'getting a human to do your dirty work'. In all the cases where there is a struggle over the gun (or the aim anyways), the Celestial is affecting the aim of the gun by direct physical action (holding or moving the arm). - -- ___________________________________________________ / \ |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, 23 Apr 97 11:05:30 PDT (1805Z) From: "Brion K. Lienhart" Subject: Re: IN> _Hell on High_, by Holly Lisle Another good book is _Magnifi-Cat_ by (Author not remembered). It's not the one by Julian May, this is an older one. A cat shows up at the gates of Heaven with the halo of a maximal saint. Since St. Peter recently computerized the record systems, and Heaven isn't set up to handle animals, this makes the system crash. The records for animals got misplaced, so they have to do some investigating. It is a good story, and the cat does deserve to be a saint. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Apr 97 14:20 EDT From: Walter Milliken Subject: Re: IN> Attack power, hitting humans, changing form >> When you cause a human damage, but do not kill, does that cause >> a Symphonic disturbance, and to what extent. The italicized >> example in the Malakim description would indicate that the answer >> is a yes, but the Disturbance section of the book implies that >> it's the _death_ of a human or damage to an inanimate object. >> It's possible that I read the latter wrong ... I was up late last >> night. > > You read it right, but I think this might be an error. >Damage to beings _should_ make noise even if you don't kill >them. I believe Moriah gave an official ruling to that effect a while back. - ---Walter ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Apr 97 14:19 EDT From: Walter Milliken Subject: Re: IN> Role Questions > First What level of role would you need to have basic ID such as a >driver's liscence, etc. Also would Yves suply simple "Traveling Papers" to >his servants on earth? I assume anyone with a Role of any level has basic papers, specifically including a Social Security number and a driver's license (unless the Role forbids it -- a 7-year-old vessel won't have one!). I'd probably allow a passport as well for a Role/2 or better, but most Roles won't need one. > Two, on page 43 it says that roles cost: (Sataus + level / 2), but >on page 72 it says that it cost: (2 points per resource level + 2 points >per level(above 1) for appropriate status) This is a large difference >between the two. This is in the IN errata. The p. 43 one is correct, I believe -- it's (Role * Status / 2), rounded up. - ---Walter ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Apr 97 14:12 EDT From: Walter Milliken Subject: Re: IN> Killing People, and Healing. > If I'm say, a Malakim of Creation, and due to my utter carelessness (say >I got drunk...can Celestials get drunk?), I blunder into the wrong part of >town, and a Calabim in a Pit Bull Vessel leaps out of nowhere and bites my >arm off. After dispatching the demon with my severed arm, Is there anything >I can do to fix the situation, assuming I don't want to check into a >Hospital? Will the Arm grow back? Does it require the Corporeal Song of >Healing? Will I have to summon my Superior to get it fixed? (Hey, Eli, give >me a hand?) Or am I stuck with a one-armed vessel until I can get a new one? I've been assuming that the Corporeal Song of Healing accounts for the typical reports of "miraculous" healing. I.e., you can fix *anything* with it, at least if it can cure the necessary number of body hits: cancer, AIDS, whatever.... (Except death, of course -- only the Highest has that power, presumably.) It's probably *really* bad form to do this where humans can notice something totally inexplicable happening, but it's no worse than someone suddenly sprouting wings or throwing bolts of light.... So in your case, I'd say yes, you can fix it yourself if you have the Song of Healing. > Second, Killing People. > > Let's say, I'm K'Blui, Demon of Random Violence (Serving Saminga?), and >I've decided that I want to go around messing people up, bet would rather >not have ripples running through the Symphony when I do... My reading is that there's a general meta-rule (which can occasionally get overridden by specific exceptions, like for Roles): Anything a celestial does in the Corporeal Relam that changes the Symphony causes noise. I.e., any action whatsoever will make *some* noise. Even just observing probably causes some slight change to the Symphony. However, most changes are so slight that normal celestials have no chance to detect them. Only gross changes like corporeal damage and death, or directed Essence expenditure are loud enough to "hear". So if you have a fight that involves celestials (especially as instigators), and it kills a human, there's going to be noise. *Who* the noise is attached to may be a little iffy. On the other hand, I'd say if a celestial with *any* kind of Role just killed someone because their car developed a flat tire and went out of control (where the flat was a random accident, not enemy action), then I'd rule that the human's death wouldn't cause any unusual noise -- traffic accidents are a perfectly normal part of the Symphony, and the fact that a celestial was involved is purely coincidence. > And one more. If a Shedim's in a host who's not at all averse to killing >people, and the shedim suggests 'Why don't you kill that guy,' and doesn't >force the issue with a contest of Will or anything, but the host goes and >kills the guy anyway, is that a Disturbance? I'd say this probably falls under the same sort of case as a celestial asking a human to perform any action -- if the human does it, it's "free will", and doesn't disrupt the Symphony. However, if the human is directly forced to the action by a celestial (via Possession or the Kyrio/Shedim resonance), then I'd call it a celestial's action, and noise-prone. - ---Walter ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 13:23:05 -0400 From: "Kirt A. Dankmyer -- aka Loki" Subject: Re: IN> In Nomine problems >2. Angels and Devils have *no* supernatural means for identifying one >another. This makes it a *lot* harder to deal with a situation just by >walking in, picking out the bad guy and cleaning his clock. Even if >someone manifests supernatural ability, you *still* have to determine >which side they are on. This has always been true, generally speaking. -Loki - -- Kirt A. Dankmyer --- Academic Computing Specialist http://www.wfu.edu/~dankmyka/ -- (910) 759-4202 -- PGP public key available. For the Snark _was_ a Boojum, you see. --Lewis Carroll ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 14:33:05 -0400 (EDT) From: "Paul F. Strack" Subject: IN> Re: your mail On Wed, 23 Apr 1997 gibsonc@NKU.EDU wrote: > Do cherubs love their attunements to the extent that they go thruogh > "withdrawel" if they need to disattune themselve? example in my group, > the cherub is attuned to a certain guy she has kept watch over most of > his life. Now, her superior (for gamesake) is assigning her "boy" to > other cherubs. She feels that the attunment to the boy would be so great > that it would crush her to have to leave him. Well, it depends. In my game, I've told my Cherub that there won't be any pain or withdrawal if she "unattunes" her self at the appropriate time. The appropriate time tends to be when the object or person in question no longer needs protection. Cherubs can "unattune" at other times, with a Will roll, but if the rolls fails, they gain Dissonance for going against their nature. Of course, if a Cherub has spent so long attuned to a single person, there are almost certainly going to be bonds of love. I'd say that your Cherub could be crushed or not, depending on her feelings, the player's feeling, and what makes for the most interesting story. Paul Paul Strack | Madness takes its toll. pfstrack@math.unc.edu | Please have exact change. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ World of Darkness Page - http://www.math.unc.edu/Grads/pfstrack/wod.html In Nomine Page: INC2 - http://www.math.unc.edu/Grads/pfstrack/innom/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 14:25:53 -0400 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: IN> Know Your Diabolicals: #4 (& errata for others) Know Your Diabolicals A Young Angel's Guide to the Fallen. [out of order; done by request rather than in order] - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #2: As delivered by a Servitor of David (Stone) Vapula: Sometimes you can spot them by their gadgets. Beware their Impudites! They can be *much* more dangerous than the usual breed! - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #4: As delivered by a Servitor of Eli (Creation) Bands ===== Balseraphs: You could say that they're creative with the truth, but that's about all you can say for them. They're out of touch with reality, and by their own Will -- living off in that fantasyland of theirs just isn't good for them. They'll also cheerfully tell some mortal that *they're* no good, destroying self-confidence. Bad enough when most humans or demons do that, but a Balseraph can make the victim believe it. Djinn: They're really rather sad, but quite dangerous. Watch out for them trying to destroy something beautiful. Calabim: These lunatics just destroy, period. Keep them away from *everything* -- get creative with destroying their vessels. Habbalah: If they weren't so focused on their twisted "testing" and "service," they could almost be useful -- to inspire emotions is something nearly every artist wants to do! But they're the distorted flipside of Elohim, so they can't be dealt with in any sane way. A shame; some of them are quite decorative, corporeally. Lilim: Real fun at parties, if you've been able to extort a Promise that they won't Geas anybody there. Gotta watch out for who they're serving, though -- or who their Geasa might get traded to. Don't tell them anything tactically important, and remember that even if you find one who's wavering, once they're Geased into something, they will *not* stay friendly if it conflicts! Not to mention Dominic's lot will come sniffing around if they hear you've been talking to one. Shedim: Destroyers and corrupters. There is nothing good in these Fallen. Get creative in finding ways to knock the host out and force the Shedite into the "open" where it can get beat up on celestially! Impudites: They steal the best fires from the human spirit, reducing people's ability to create and find beauty in the world by pulling away the "high points" that humans spend Essence to reach. And the poor mortals don't even realize that their world is going gray and apathetic and hollow! Get these parasites away as fast as you can! Servitors of... =============== Andrealphus: The Servitors of Lust are the perversion of all that is beautiful about the act and art of Creation -- of new life, of a bond, of pleasure and joy. They twist it so that all the "pleasure" is inside one person's head, without any empathy to "double the fun". It can take some serious work to clean up the psychological and emotional damage after a Servitor of Lust has been toying with someone -- not to mention the physical damage in many cases! They get some kind of bennies if they actually seduce an angel, so watch out -- they probably think we're easy marks. Don't know what would happen if *they* got seduced by one of us; probably either dissonance to them, or they twist it so it was "their idea." Not likely to be a good idea to experiment. And, curse them and their PR, anything they can do, *we've* been doing *better* long before they existed! Yes, even the trick with the ice cream and chocolate sauce. And I can tell what you're thinking with that look on your face -- yes, even *that*... Want a demo? Asmodeus: The flip-side of Dominic, who is a pain in the pinfeathers. At least Azzi sticks to demons, though. Supposedly. Watch out for Dominic's gestapo, though, even after Azzi's lot have moved on or been kicked out -- rumor mill has it they'll work together occasionally. Baal: These guys will take you down without asking questions first -- don't bother trying to talk, they're not interested. If you're outnumbered, better run away and think of something fast! They don't give up, either. Beleth: Spooky lady, and her Servitors are all spooky too. Not to mention dangerous! How can a mortal get anything done when he's falling asleep during the day? Get these guys away from you and your charges -- and try to be subtle enough that they don't *know* who toasted their vessel, and can't come back for revenge. Belial: Another flaming lunatic -- meet one of these guys, and it's a fight for sure. Haagenti: Another perverter of pleasure and appreciation of the joys surrounding us. Try ipecac syrup or diuretics. If you do it right, they'll blame it on their own Kobal, *and* you can hit them while they've got their pants down. Kobal: His servitors just love to taunt us about our Archangel wandering around like a human. Don't let it bother you. Tell them, "Yeah, but look behind you!" Occasionally it works. Sometimes, if you're really good with your Abracadabra, you can create a boulder above them, too. They don't have a monopoly on _Toon_ effects. Kronos: These people are cold, and they tend to take out the best and brightest of humanity. They are *dangerous*, and you really need to get rid of them as soon as you find them. Malphas: Someone else who destroys relationships -- usually require clean-up after you've kicked them out of the corporeal realm. Nybbas: The real reason that TV and movies are so often recycled pablum, when they could be great vehicles for creativity. Still, sometimes you can slip something by that's *good*, and they won't notice till it's too late. Just watch out for their so-called "editing" jobs. They *hate* real creativity. Saminga: Death should be part of the natural cycle of life, but it gets distorted or cheated by these guys. Undead are disgusting things. Nine times out of ten, you'll be doing the poor undead a favor by returning his Forces to the Symphony, even if the self-awareness is lost. And the tenth time, you're doing the rest of the world a *big* favor by ridding it of a megalomaniacal psychotic mummy. Valefor: Have you noticed that these guys look like the flip-side of our own Janus? Try and limit the damage as they blow through town -- they do have some appreciation of art, and will happily show that appreciation by depriving everyone else of the art in question. Vapula: The "creative" ones -- flipsides of our own Mercurians and Elohim -- never leave Hell. But some of their toys do, in the possession of demons. The Impudites are most dangerous to celestials; at least you don't find Calabim working here! Lilith: This lady and her servitors can be pretty enigmatic -- it's safest to assume the worst, of course, since she *is* living in Hell, but sometimes you wonder what she's really after. And you could start feeling sorry for her kids -- *they* have to go it alone too, and don't even get any Freedom Attunements, just dissonance if they let themselves get stuck in something. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #5: As delivered by a Servitor of Gabriel (Fire) Vapula: Surprisingly hard to spot at times! Seraphim and Elohim have the best chances, as Vapula's crowd don't care about -- and even enjoy! -- the dangerous side effects of their little toys and teachings. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #8: As delivered by a Servitor of Jordi Vapula: Enjoy animal testing, if not as much as human testing. Watch out for these demons -- some of them are able to tell you're no normal lab rabbit. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #11: As delivered by a Servitor of Michael (War) Vapula: Not the sorts to engage in stand-up fights -- no Calabim, for one thing. The Impudites are often able to spot other celestials, though, and can do some nasty things. Make them the primary targets and mop up their bodyguards afterwards. Watch out for deadman switches and other diabolical booby traps. If you can take their toys away, they get frantic. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #13: As delivered by a Servitor of Yves Vapula: They can, and will, twist technological geniuses to Fated infamy of creating death-machines. Some have demon-created devices that can spot celestials, and can be most inconvenient. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com // emccoy@jade.mv.net GURPS characters, Roleplayers; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 14:35:57 -0400 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: IN> Know The Enemy #5-#10, #14 Know The Enemy A comprehensive course for young demons, in determining the strengths and weaknesses of The Enemy. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #5: As delivered by a Servitor of Fire (Belial) Choirs ====== Seraphim: Tall and skinny -- matchsticks. Cherubim: Often brawny -- bonfire logs. Usually come devoted to kindling. Ofanim: Seriously annoying moving targets -- and they think they understand fire better than *we* do! Elohim: Fun to set them on fire and watch them go subjective. Malakim: No fun, but torching them sometimes slows them down. Kyriotates: All you need to do is torch one of their hosts, and they're out of action. Sometimes they get pragmatic enough to scram just before the host goes up in smoke, though, and then you have to watch out for the local wildlife -- or your flamethrower, if it was one of Jean's. Vindictive little creeps. Mercurians: Kindling. Servitors of... =============== Blandine: Gotta find 'em to burn 'em. David: Stone burns if you heat it long enough -- but it also gets kinda upset and will try for you. Dominic: If they're in the way, toast 'em. Azzie might not like it, but he can't say you're not devoted! Eli: The Malakim of Creation may try to take your toys away. Jerks. Fry 'em quick. Gabriel: *BURN*BURN*BURN*BURN*BURN ON SIGHT!!! Show 'em what the Word of Fire *really* means! Janus: More moving targets. Aim for their wheels first, then pick 'em off when they try to hitch-hike. Jean: Watch out for the Kyrios -- and the other ones! Sometimes they can louse up your gear if you're close. Jordi: Mmmmmm! Crispy Critters! Burning fur stinks, though. Laurence: Sword flambe' anyone? They'll put up a fight, so be prepared. Marc: Trade *this*, wimps... {FOOSH} Michael: More Servitors who'll put up a nasty fight. Don't let them get too close if you can help it. Novalis: It's fun to watch these guys when you've just set fire to a plant. Apologize humbly -- that usually confuses them -- then flame 'em. Yves: If they're following some mortal around, fry the mortal. That'll tick 'em off, so you hafta toast them next, real quick, right after you've seen the expression. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #6: As delivered by a Servitor of Gluttony (Haagenti) Choirs (Mmmmmmm. Angels.) ========================= Seraphim: Yummy. Not much meat on their bones, though. Cherubim: Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Come right after the appitizer, if you're lucky. Ofanim: Fast food. Elohim: Bland. Need salt. Malakim: Prickly on the outside, crunchy on the inside, tougher than most. Kyriotates: The ones in animals make great snacks, but it's hard to catch them. Sometimes they'll fly around shooting Celestial Light-songs at you. Mercurians: ...just like pork, only you might have to spit out feathers. Servitors of... =============== Blandine: Visions of sugarplums. Mmmmm. David: Crunchy. Don't break a tooth. Dominic: Sometimes crunchy, sometimes chewy. Often comes in three-packs. No sense of humor. Eli: Some of them can turn water into wine! Marinate well. Gabriel: Already warmed up and ready to go, but will try to burn your mouth. Janus: More fast food. Jean: Sometimes very crunchy. Don't let them get too near a microwave. Jordi: Mmmmmm, Animals! Laurence: Work up an appitite, then use the sword as a toothpick. Marc: Mmmmm, vending machines! Michael: Tough and crunchy all the way through. And stringy. Novalis: Mmmmm, Salad! Yves: No sense of humor. Chewy. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #7: As delivered by a Servitor of Kobal Choirs ====== Seraphim: Hard to find their funny-bone, but worth it to watch the cracks. Good targets for sight-gags, though; they play "straight man" so well! Cherubim: Tough cases, really serious. Make them watch their fixations do pratfalls. It's really funny if you can get *them* to hit their fixation with a car or something. Ofanim: The sort of guys who'll do road-runner impressions, so don't use anything from Acme on them. They sometimes giggle. Elohim: *Really* straight men. Maybe it's dissonant for them to laugh? Crack a smile? Work on them, find out. But be careful, since they may ignore what you're doing to try and slap something unfunny on you. Malakim: These guys have no sense of humor at all, but if you can set them up as the target and carry it off, some of the other Choirs may giggle. They take themselves too seriously. Run away fast, though, 'cause they'll hold a serious grudge -- just for one little joke! Kyriotates: These guys think they can pull better tricks than we can, usually by some varient of shellgame. Then they have the nerve to snicker! (And what's worse, they're *hard* to snare... Sometimes it's better to just avoid someone.) Mercurians: Get them to hurt somebody. Watch the expression on their face. Now *that's* funny! Servitors of... =============== Blandine, David, Dominic: Dull, dull, dull. No senses of humor. Dream'll freeze you out, Stone'll throw rocks (tough audience!), and Judgment's only good for a target. Mind you, Judgment's not so well-liked on their own side, so if you can get *them*... Eli: Clueless! Some of these people don't even *see* what's funny about life, but they go around smiling anyway! Maybe you can catch their Superior in something, though -- wouldn't *that* make all those angels laugh! Gabriel: Take themselves too seriously -- hard to affect, except as targets. And they'll hunt you down if they can. Janus: We could like these guys, except they remind us of Valefor, and *he's* a real weird case. But it's really funky to see them try to steal something and find out you've got a mousetrap in your pocket. Steal (get it?) their thunder, let them take the blame. Jean: He just doesn't understand how funny it would be to crack into Heaven.Net and go play with the keyword search on DominicNet. Jordi: Tell them the "What Does A 400 Pound Canary Say" joke. Then drop an anvil on 'em. Haagenti's guys will help with the anvil. Laurence: These guys are just soooo uptight about their honor. Manipulate them into an attack on their own side and just *watch* those great expressions! Marc: If you can sell them a bridge or land-deal, it's *great*! But they're pretty cunning in that direction themselves. Sometimes it's just better to find out what they've been buying and blow it up. Occasionally you can make them react by talking about robber barons or computer conglomerates, who make it big by selling diabolical stuff! Michael: Way too serious, these guys. Tell them to lighten up -- but do it from a safe distance! Novalis: Always good targets for thing like the water-squirting flower (though Haagenti's guys do that sort of thing better), or the sneezing powder in their flowers... You can have all kinds of fun with them if you're careful, though, 'cause they don't hit first. Yves: Sometimes the only thing you can do is swap the photocopier with the shredder -- these guys don't always *notice* anything else! - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #8: As delivered by a Servitor of Kronos Choirs ====== Seraphim: They are subject to flashes of insight. Do not speak with them. Cherubim: They can often be found guarding those with the brightest destinies. Indeed, sometimes their presence is a give-away. Watch for them. Ofanim: Uninteresting, though they can show up at the most inopportune moments, via paths that you would not believe possible. Elohim: These creatures may be able to guess your nature. Avoid them if you can, deliver them to Trauma if you cannot. Malakim: Violent and extreme, these are threats. They do not Fall, normally. If you could arrange for this to change, the Prince would be *very* pleased. If you find one with that Fated Future, escape at once and report so that a team can be assigned to the task. Kyriotates: Annoying creatures -- you can never be sure that they're not around. Do not keep pets. Mercurians: Not so bad as Cherubim, but they can be tiresome if you meddle in the affairs of mortals and they find out. Sometimes they are even *more* tiresome than Cherubim that way, as Cherubim are usually seen with fixations. Servitors of... =============== Blandine: Depressingly effective at times, causing targets to dream of hope and destiny. Eliminate these Servitors when you come across them. David: If you can cause one of their humans to break with his group, it will annoy them. If done subtly enough, however, you can cut the target out of the herd without arousing Stone's dull suspicions. Dominic: His Servitors' goals and ours rarely come into conflict, but they are persistant in their attempts to interfere when the target is fated to suffer injustice on the way down. Eli: These Servitors will interfere with any attempt to turn an artistic sort to greater, more fateful things. Gabriel: If you are careful and clever, you may shepard a human to his fate *and* inculcate enough cruelty that Gabriel's Servitors will finish the job, ensuring that Destiny is not achieved. It is delicious irony. Janus: Far too like Valefor's own Servitors. It is suspicious. Gather data. Jean: If you meddle in the affairs of technological geniuses, you will run into one or more of the Servitors of Lightning. It is nearly fated to be the case. Sometimes, however, all you have to do is hold them away from influencing the target during crucial research. This can be hard if you must deal with a Kyriotate of Jean, but is well worth the effort. Jordi: More concerned with animals, and therefore usually unimportant. Laurence: A generic annoyance, worth little as a guide to the good hunting grounds and targets. Violent, but predictable. Marc: Remind these Servitors of Bill Gates and laugh -- so rich, so successful, so hated! They hate to see a businessperson become corrupt, and will seek to interfere. Michael: Another generic annoyance. Violent, less predictable tactics, but found solitary more often than those of the Sword. Novalis: They waffle, if you are good at sweet talking them, making them believe you are seeking something light. (Take care not to do this around Servitors of Asmodeus, of course.) If you are careful, you may be able to seal the target's Fate while the Flowerchild is distracted. If you cannot manage this, then strike hard and first. Yves: From first to last, avoid direct contact with these Servitors unless it is to kill them or their vessels. They will often be found around the sweetest targets. For a special run down on the Choirs within the ranks of Destiny, attend the seminar tomorrow in room 3A. It is worth knowing more about our most bitter enemies. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #9: As delivered by a Servitor of Factions (Malphas) Choirs ====== Seraphim: While this lot can tell when we're employing a spot of misdirection, they can't usually *do* anything about it -- angels are so impotent sometimes! Cherubim: These guys are tough to detach from things! But if you can do it, sometimes they'll Trip! They take your attempts really badly, though. If they've a mortal fixation, go there first -- quietly! Ofanim: Don't sit still long enough to *have* relationships. Elohim: Don't have the emotions to have relationships, but will do their best to untangle your work. Usually better at it than Seraphim, the emotionless twits. Malakim: Don't try to do anything directly with these guys. Kyriotates: Now, if you could make one start hating *itself*, in, like, a split personality... And if they Kyrio isn't careful, you can really romp after it's *left* a host -- surprising, how many of them never call home while they're possessed! Mercurians: Annoyances, who can sometimes figure out what you're trying to do. Easiest to affect directly, though, 'cause they have lots of mortal friends. Servitors of... =============== Blandine: Not very important -- Beleth gets more of that lot than us. David: These guys and their mutual loyalty kick get old fast. But if you can get them squabbling amongst themselves (or their human buddies), they'll be busy cleaning up and you can get out of the area. They hate it when that happens. Dominic: Hard, dangerous fun, but if you can get a triad PO'ed at each other... Otherwise, you can usually ignore them, since they're rather chase angels than demons. Just don't let them know you were the one trying to instigate a Trip or Fall... Eli: Depends on who they're serving. You'd think more of them would be easy marks, abandoned by their Master. Gabriel: Fanatics. Watch out for their Seraphim and Elohim, and it's not usually worth trying to influence the angels directly. Janus: Don't hang around long enough to really work on. Jean: They love their tech more than humans anyway. Get them involved in flamewars on the Net. Jordi: Unimportant -- who cares about a bunch of animals anyway? Laurence: Raving loons, also fanatical. Watch out for these guys, because they are incompetant, and violence is the last refuge... Marc: This lot can't stand us -- they're all for "up and up" straight dealing with other folks. Which makes them all the more fun to yank around. Michael: Another incompetant, but *man* is their refuge strong... And they're a bunch of loners, too! Avoid, avoid! Novalis: Peacenik, love love joy joy, harmony, working together in happiness. It's enough to give your vessel diabetes at fifty paces. *Break* all those icky-sweet bonds that they're so fond of! Send 'em dead roses! Get them hysterical 'cause all their nice pets (and flowers) have gone all brown and spikey, and their boss won't be amused. Yves: These people will show up at the most inconvenient times to try and tweak what you've been working at. They're almost as subtle as we are, and that means you'd better not have made any mistakes. When you have a battle of wits with these angels, remember, they are *not* unarmed. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #10: As delivered by a Servitor of Nybbas (the Media) (Some takes inspired by something zedd@io.com said...) Choirs ====== Seraphim: These guys hate us for some reason. Usually pick vessels popular with the older crowd, and people with pretentions to class. Cast similar sorts as prissy butlers and busybodies in sitcoms. Cherubim: They go for more combat-capable vessels. Can be popular with the teenage crowd. Cast similar sorts as dimwitted puppies -- devoted, but nobody you *really* want living in your back pocket. Ofanim: Hyperactive, short attention spans. Put similar types in cartoons, little-kid-shows. Elohim: Utterly boring. Exaggerate into pompus, long-winded, clueless types with no life, and put them in sitcoms. Malakim: Violent. Show this type on cop-shows -- either as "bad cop" or as the thugs arrested. Kyriotates: Hard to pin down. Air reruns of "the Body Snatchers" when you think you've got one in town. You can sometimes make something of them on shrink-shows or talk-shows, as symptoms of Multiple Personality Disorder. Do it right, and you can get the host committed to an institution and on psych-drugs before the Kyrio can abandon it, and then it's got some serious distractions! Mercurians: The hardest to get at, since they're the most human, only goody-goody. Best bet is to stuff them into the ultra-nice diabetes at fifty-paces type, who's also totally clueless about how the real world works. Sometimes you can stick them in dramas or thrillers -- as the one who believes the best in everybody, and has the shortest, messiest, life expectancy. Servitors of... =============== Blandine: "All I ever do is dream my life away..." Get the humans convinced that dreams are nothing but fog and randomness, and they shouldn't care what goes on in their heads at night. Much better they should concern themselves with reality, like sports, sitcoms or their little boring lives. Then they turn to talk-shows. David: Gang violence is always popular -- play it up! Especially the crimes committed and the mob mentality! Hell, play up the "cult" aspect of *anything* you can -- soon everbody'll be worrying over their kids joining *Sunday school*! Dominic: These guys are hard to get a handle on, since they're usually after angels. Still, lawyer jokes are great things, and they're prone to those... Get mortals to worry about Men In Black coming to take them away, or abuse their authority ("bad cop" archetype can work here) -- some of that may spill over to the angels, and then they get too worked up to deal with Dominic's triads. Eli: Hard to get any dirt on, but you can usually manage to discredit artists and tighten the morals of the area so that sex becomes a dirty word. Do it *right* and you can get Andre happy as well, since people start equating sex with "dirty" and doing it only for their own selfish pleasures. Failing that, turn their sort "flighty," though that works better with the Flowerchildren. Gabriel: Vigilantes are usually cool archetypes -- but impress upon the public that you wouldn't want to associate with them. After all, who knows when they might lose their grip on reality entirely and go on a killing spree? When a human sees a Servitor of heavenly Fire, that human should call the cops, not cheer. This is hard to play up, though -- the other side keeps trying to come up with scripts where the vigilante gets away with it. It's all Robin Hood's fault. Janus: You make Valefor happy, and Janus gets happy too. You start riding down cycle gangs and thieves, and you find out that somebody's broken into your apartment and redecorated, and you don't know who did it. Sometimes, you just can't win. Jean: Mad science gone awry! Computers taking over the world! Highly advanced aliens blow up Washington -- no, wait, that might be too uplifting. Lots of fertile ground here for making science incomprehensible, dangerous, or useless -- or all three! If you can't manage that, you're just not trying; there *are* positions as a laugh-track available in Hell, you know... Jordi: Extremist nutcases. Will do annoying things with your stunt animals if you let them. You can usually play up the fanatics who break into labs, smash stuff up, and let AIDS-infected animals go "into the wilds" of somebody's vacant lot. This, amusingly enough, will also tar the "responsible pet owner" groups as well, and they won't have enough support to go for their spay-and-neuter-and-adopt events, so you get over-crowding of strays, and can make fun of the old people who keep huge collections of animals instead of going out and making friends! It's great! (If you're really good, you can start another Black Plague...) Laurence: Take themselves too seriously. Stick them in the "dumb cop" catagory, and have the populace convinced that if they call the cops, nothing will happen but the gangs get madder and kill them off in nasty ways. Marc: Real wheeler-dealers, but it's usually easy enough to get people resenting them -- jealousy is sooooo useful! Just show another corrupt-rich-guy, and watch these fellows chew their designer ties. Michael: Another case for violent loners as bad cops, over-enthusiastic vigilantes, or just random killers. Novalis: Hey, look, druggies! Free-love, disease-spreading, brainless guys who are stuck in the 60's and couldn't contribute to society if they tried! They also make nice dupes in cult-movies. Yves: Fate, Destiny, who cares about all that mystic rot? It's not real. Play up the "out of touch with reality, talks to spirits" aspect, and mix in a little "psycho, could turn violent any time" if you're really having problems with these guys. At best, they're crystal-loving flakes. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------------------------------------------------------------- #14: As delivered by a Daughter of Lilith (status unknown, presumed aspiring to "Free") "It's like this, you see -- our Mother doesn't really tell us *that* much, but you pick things up. Remember, you're not just any old demon. You're a *Lilim*, and you can see things in ways the others can't imagine. Now, pay attention, 'cause if I have to repeat this, you're gonna owe me. First time's practically a freebie, 'cause we're sisters. Okay, the first thing to remember is that everything depends on who you're working for. If you've gone and bound yourself to a Prince, then they'll react like they do for that Prince -- but you'll have gotten the 'Know the Enemy' talk from your buddies there anyway, so I won't go into that. But us, the Free Daughters -- and don't you TANSTAAFL [*] at me, kid! -- sometimes get different reactions. Second thing to remember is that if you're not careful, and start dealing with angels, you'll get Azzie's hounds of hell after you, wanting to know why you're not trying to kill angels. If you're getting too buddy-buddy with one, then yeah, you're in trouble. Mind you, Azzie's lot are more likely to slam you into Trauma first and apologize to our Mother afterwards. So Don't Get Caught." [*"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch" -- Lilim motto. "There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lilim" -- mocking perversion of Lilim motto] Choirs ====== Seraphim: They are usually tall and proud, and if you're lucky enough to look one in the eyes and find a Need to fulfill, you'll have to be totally up-front about what level of Geas it's going to cost them. If you don't want to tell them the truth about something, just *look* at them -- they can pick things out of the Symphony if you talk, but not if you just smile. And it really weirds them out when you do it -- and when you tell the truth! They don't expect demons to be truthful about *anything*. They're also kinda dangerous to deal-make around, 'cause they might pick out that our "little return favors" are gonna come backed by a nice Geas. Watch out for them. Cherubim: Their greatest Need is to protect the object of their attunement. You'll have to read it in their eyes to lay a proper Geas, of course, but it's going to be there if they're fixated on anything. This also makes them awfully paranoid about "our sort" -- either that we're just some scuzzy demon out to hurt their fixation, or that we'll actually be able to lay a Geas on their fixation or themselves. Ofanim: It is *hard* to make eye contact with these guys! They're always hyped! You practically have to hit them over the head with something. It's kind of weird, though -- they've gotta be free to move around, even more than we do. Elohim: These are harder targets than the Seraphim, since they rarely have *Needs* that they can't put away if you try to give them what you saw they wanted. They're *slippery*! And they can be dangerous like the Seraphim to make deals around, 'cause they know what people feel. At best, they tend to think you're some kind of streetwalker. But they're the most likely Choir to just *talk* to you, if you're not busy and they're not busy. It's got something to do with them being objective and wanting to understand motivations. Spooky, but sometimes worthwhile to humor them -- how do you think we Lilim find out about angels, anyway, sis? Besides working with them sometimes, when our Mother trades a Geas bright-side, of course. Malakim: Dangerous, very dangerous. Especially if you've ever stuck by a Geas that you didn't much like doing -- either they catch you for sticking with something nasty, like working with a Shedite 'cause you had to, or they catch you for doing your job even though you didn't like it, and they *know what your job was*. Backpedal *fast*, don't hit first -- sometimes they can't start fights, or escalate them beyond what you try -- and try to get a resonance on them. If you're lucky, you'll pick up their Need to kill a demon -- that'll be you -- and you can tell them that if you hold still and let yourself be killed, they'll owe you one. This may slow them down long enough for you to scram. Kyriotates: These things are nearly as bad as Shedim. Their Needs aren't so gross -- *nothing* has Needs as disgusting as a Shedite! -- but they go walking around in other people's bodies. Now, I ask you, is that any way for *angels* to behave, after they get all holier than thou about enslaving other people with Geasa and such? I don't *think* so! So it only makes sense that they get *really* disgusting when the Fall. You can sometimes spot them, though, since the real person is walkies in the Marches and the Needs you'll pick up will be the Kyrio's. Just remember -- they generally have the highest resistance to Geasa of all the angels; it's like trying to slap a Geas on a Balseraph or something! Usually better not to try, so you don't get backlash. Mercurians: The hardest to spot via their Needs, since they're so like humans. They're kind of fun at parties, though! But don't forget -- you're not human, so if they get annoyed they *can* slap *you* around. Children of the Grigori: Okay, angels won't talk to these guys, and they avoid demons. But sometimes one of us will meet one for a little bit. We're born of a Princess, so we give them the creeps eventually, but they are around. And sometimes, what they Need to know is why they're so weird. If you can get one to believe you, go for it. But be *really* careful calling in the Geas later -- they're likely to have willpower, and you don't want the backlash. You might do better to just ask nicely and not even try to put in the Geas. Servitors of... =============== Blandine: We don't meet these people much, unless we're doing a Favor for Beleth. They generally don't give a damn unless you're going against one of their pet dreamers. David: They're not allowed to start fights -- but their skinhead buddies will. If you're unlucky enough to encounter one of the Stonies, hope that he's alone and *do not hit first*. Run, baby, run. They'll try to corner you and make you fight or eat the dissonance, so watch out. Dominic: This lot go after their own renegades -- Outcasts, they call them. But if they catch you, they might try to interrogate you if you've had any dealings at all with angels. Grab their needs if you can, and remember that they like to work in trios with a Seraph and Cherub, and the Cherub can act even worse than a Djinn if they decide you're guilty of something -- track you around *and* hurt you! Eli: The Servitors of Creation are weird cases -- they're found serving all kinds of people, so it's hard to make a generalization about them. Except that they're really fun at parties. Don't get attached to one, though -- they're still angels, and they don't understand when a Geas gets called in, you *have* to answer it. Sometimes you kinda feel like you understand them a little, though -- their boss went AWOL on them, and they're angels, not Lilim. They don't know how to deal without their boss giving them orders. Gabriel: This is one loonie lot -- you get on their bad side somehow, and they will *never* quit chasing you. Best you can hope for is to get the Hell out of Dodge -- or wherever they found you. Janus: If you're not careful, you might think these guys are Valefor's lot. They act a lot alike. But don't tell them that, 'cause they'll get mad! Keep your eyes open, your head down, and don't reveal your nature if you can help it. Even your resonance won't help you here, not with Valefor's thieves running around. Jean: These guys have some seriously cool attunements -- don't go after them with anything more complex than a club! (This includes your clothes -- some of their Kyrios can possess what you're *wearing*!) And watch out for their Kyrios getting into a computer. And the weird thing is, some of them won't get really upset about Free Daughters. I think it's 'cause they've got an Elohite for a boss, and Elohim are so laid back. Jordi: If you don't kick dogs or pull cats' tails, Jordi probably won't much care. It's better not to keep any pets, though -- between Jordi's lot and Kyriotates, it's just not safe. Laurence: No sense of humor or fun in these guys. Vamoose yourself. If you get stuck, treat as Malakim -- there's a chance that you can even bluff one about how strong his Need is to kill you. Marc: These people are nearly Lilim themselves! And they're really good at deal-making. I mean *really* good -- you think you're hot stuff, fooling a mortal. You're young, kid. These guys, they're mostly *experienced*, and their Archangel gives them attunements to help. Unfair advantage, really. Watch what you sign with one, and read all the fine print. Michael: More people with no sense of humor. Sometimes the Malakim treatment will work, but sometimes it won't, especially if you're just bluffing. Novalis: Real sweeties. Don't hit first, and you might be able to talk to these people for a little while. Careful, though -- they'll want you to go Renegade for them, and Azzi'll land on your case so hard... Yves: These people are too strange for words. First of all, some of them have the *uncanny* ability to spot you -- probably some funky attunement. And after they've done *that*, they may start looking at you funny. Be really careful talking to them -- they can make the craziest notions make sense, and *then* where are you when the Servitors of the Game come calling? But they get vicious and mean if you're messing with one of their pet humans; they do *not* want you laying a Geas on somebody they know, and they just don't buy the offer to swap and take the Geas on *them* instead. - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com // emccoy@jade.mv.net GURPS characters, Roleplayers; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #135 ******************************* The material here is (C) 1996 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.