From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Wed Feb 18 12:59:21 1998 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by pyramid.sjgames.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id MAA05700 for ; Wed, 18 Feb 1998 12:59:21 -0600 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.8.7/8.8.5) id MAA26882 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Wed, 18 Feb 1998 12:48:44 -0600 Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 12:48:44 -0600 Message-Id: <199802181848.MAA26882@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 #633 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, February 18 1998 Volume 01 : Number 633 In this digest: IN> Banishment Re: IN> Hitler, a latter day Job Re: IN> Advanced Sorcery Re: IN> IN played with the safety off Re: IN> IN played with the safety off Re: IN> Re: IN- Tethers for Janus Re: IN> Angels and Planaria (flatworms) Re: IN> Maya Fan Club (Re: Lilim and Reproduction) Re: IN> In Nomine stereotypes IN> Judgement Test (Was : In Nomine with safety off) Re: IN> Re: IN- The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure Re: IN> Banishment Re: IN> Innocence Attunements IN> To Protect And Serve Re: IN> Judgement Test (Was : In Nomine with safety off) IN> RE: [noise] Gosh, it's quiet... IN> Weekly World News Re: IN> Maya Fan Club (Re: Lilim and Reproduction) IN> Re: IN- Hitler, a latter day Job IN> Re: IN- Re: IN- Tethers for Janus IN> Re: IN- Re: IN- The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure Re: IN> Re: IN- Re: IN- The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure Re: IN> Re: IN- Re: IN- Tethers for Janus ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 16:42:05 +0000 From: Julian Breen Subject: IN> Banishment I'm toying around with some sorcery variants, and would appreciate a comment on the following. Under 'Banishment' on page 68 of The Marches, it says that a 111 results in banishment of "a year and a day". What it doesn't mention is how long the banishment lasts for on a successful 'normal' roll? Regards, - -- Jules - Demon of Karaoke Singers jules@bigjules.demon.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 18:41:04 +0000 From: Kevin Walsh Subject: Re: IN> Hitler, a latter day Job On Tue, Feb 17, 1998 at 02:48:46PM +0000, Julian Breen wrote: > Kevin writes > > >So efficient that a factory owner whose products were of immense effort to > >the war industry was allowed to wait around for years making dud shells. > > If you're referring to Oscar Schindler (and I presume that you are) I Indeed I am. > seem to recall having read somewhere that that was Hollywoods's take > on things. Well, either it was Kenneally's idea, or he introduced it into his book following the film, or it was true. I know this because I've read the book. Unfortunately, I can't remember whether it was titled Schindler's List or Schindler's Ark, and I can't check, because it was a library book. > As a consequence, the story was altered so that the warheads > manufactured *were* duds. I can't remember the exact source that I read > this (so maybe I should just shut up) but it does seem to me to be > highly unlikely that the german authorites would overlook the fact that > this factory was of absolutely no use. > Nothing about human incompetence would surprise me. Absolutely nothing. Especially not in connection with the Third Reich. Though admittedly they didn't give people 10 year sentences for stealing spools of thread. Kevin Walsh, Balseraph of Nitpicking, Demon of Off-Topic Trivia. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 16:43:42 +0000 From: Julian Breen Subject: Re: IN> Advanced Sorcery Ok so I'm replying to myself. It's awfully lonely here... and so...so...*cold* ]:( >I was looking at the summoning rules for sorcery in The Marches, and >thought that there should be some form of mechanics present for the >sorcerous creation of vessels. This is one I whipped up for 'living' >vessels. Non-living (golems) would have to be handled differently. >I haven't playtested this yet. I just thought I'd pop it up and invite >some comment before I do. > >Advanced sorcery... > >Human Sacrifice (Focus) > >Through the sacrifice of a living human being, the sorceror is able >to create a vessel for a major ethereal spirit, or a celestial, that >lacks one. > >This new vessel level is equal to the check digit of the Human >Sacrifice roll. > >Once summoned and 'inside', the being can use the vessel much like it >would a regular one, yet with one major exception; It's consciousness >is bound to the vessel and it may not vacate it. Actually this was badly worded, I *meant* to say that it can _choose_ to vacate it, but doing so will render the vessel useless. This is because it is not really a true corporeal representation of the celestial - its simply a borrowed (or stolen) one. I personally like the idea of the vessel collapsing into a putrid mess, or 'coming apart at the seams' if so abandoned. >Intervention... > >If a 111 is rolled, then the ritual fails *disastrously* (GM discretion) >The Host is made aware of the sacrifice etc... > Also, a failed roll with perhaps a check of 6 might mean that the victim was not quite dead when the entity moved in. This could lead to all manner of plot hooks for the GM. It could, at it's simplest, mean that the celestial is on the verge of corporeal death at the instance of being summoned (which might not be generally too good for the sorceror's continued well being) or it might mean that a Will-War must take place for dominance of the vessel. The results of this might not mean that the other soul is necessarily driven out, merely subdued for the time being. If the mortal soul was successful, this might result in the creation of a 'natural' sorceror. No doubt with a hatred of demons and the like. Comments? *Please?* - -- Jules - Demon of Parental Advisory Lyrics jules@bigjules.demon.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 19:44:55 +0000 From: Jo Hart Subject: Re: IN> IN played with the safety off At 16:12 17/02/98 +0000, you wrote: > >> Of course we will take you, and on behalf of the clerks of court, I'd like >> to thank you for volunteering. Lets start in hospitality room 101. >> >What is a fair and just punishment for cheap literary references? None if used appropriately. A cheap literary reference can be worth a hundred words. > >> There will follow a short psychometric test to determine your suitability >> for the job. Answer the questions as quickly and accurately as you can. >> >Is that a command or a request? Your response to the instructions will also be taken into account. There is no compulsion. > >> 1. What do you consider to be fair and just punishments for the following >> crimes: > >> f) Charging gross call-out charges, if you are a plumber > >Define gross. > £47 for 15 minutes work. >> g) Wearing flared trousers > >The opprobrium of all right-thinking people. Define right-thinking. Do you mean people who hold political views which might accurately be described as right-wing? > >> >> 2. Can justice be done if the laws of the land are unjust? Discuss. >> >Yes, though not necessarily through legal methods. > >> 3. Can you: > >> b) Pick locks? > >Certainly not. Do you take me for a lawbreaker? I refer you to your answer to question 2, above. >In addition to an intimidating voice, I have an intimidating beard and an >ability to make unconvincing but terrifying threats. > (Hmm... impressive. This balseraph thing might prove a sticking point, but it might be possible for us to give you some freelance work, largely amongst your own people...) jo - ---------- "I like getting into hot water, it keeps me clean." G. K. Chesterton jhart@btinternet.com -- http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~jhart/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 20:17:51 +0000 From: Kevin Walsh Subject: Re: IN> IN played with the safety off > > > >> f) Charging gross call-out charges, if you are a plumber > > > >Define gross. > > > > £47 for 15 minutes work. A £47 fine is appropriate in those circumstances. > >> g) Wearing flared trousers > > > >The opprobrium of all right-thinking people. > > Define right-thinking. Do you mean people who hold political views which > might accurately be described as right-wing? > In this instance, I would define right-thinking as the quality inherent in those who regard the wearing of flared trousers to be worthy of opprobrium. This is not an attempt to posit an absolute moral valence associated with flared trousers, rather it is an indication of the fact that any moral valence so associated is purely personal in nature, and should be responded to in like fashion. > >> 2. Can justice be done if the laws of the land are unjust? Discuss. > >> > >Yes, though not necessarily through legal methods. > > > >> 3. Can you: > > > >> b) Pick locks? > > > >Certainly not. Do you take me for a lawbreaker? > > I refer you to your answer to question 2, above. > There is no contradiction. ("9 merely clarifies 2.") My response to question 2 was purely theoretical in form. My response to question 3(b) was personal in form. The fact that I have stated that it is possible to serve justice by breaking the law does not indicate that I have done so, or indeed that I hold it to be a wise course of action. > > (Hmm... impressive. This balseraph thing might prove a sticking point, but > it might be possible for us to give you some freelance work, largely > amongst your own people...) > I'm sure such an arrangement will be eminently satisfactory to all parties concerned. Kevin Walsh, Balseraph of Nitpicking, Demon of Off-Topic Trivia. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 98 16:06 EST From: Walter Milliken Subject: Re: IN> Re: IN- Tethers for Janus {Earl:] >But people go climbing about the lower slopes of Mt. Washington >at all manner of tom-fool times of the year, passing each other >and waving cheerily, or occasionally anxiously leading teams of >rescue dogs. If you're a celestial, you certainly won't need the >rescue dogs, and no one will notice that some of the climbers and >descenders are taking one-way trips. Well, certainly going down this time of year only requires skis. Going up is a bit harder -- I've never hiked it myself, but I believe it's an all-day trip even in the summer, and only Ofanim are likely to cut much time off that. However, as you say, there are people around the lower slopes, even in winter. If I recall right, Tuckerman's Ravine (a ski area of sorts) is somewhere on the west slope. If you're in no great hurry to get up the mountain, walking is fine. I think the US Forest Service (which operates the Mt. Washington facilities, since it's in a National Forest) has vehicles that can go up and down the mountain's auto road, even in winter, and the cog railway may also make winter trips, though not for tourists. If you assume that angels control the local facilities, then there's probably not *too* much of a problem getting up there, or back down, if you're not worried about being spied on. - ---Walter ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 16:32:55 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Angels and Planaria (flatworms) At 5:40 PM -0800 2/16/98, Armand wrote: >Also, I don't like angels and demons being anthropomorphized. They aren't >human. The more human characteristics that you give them, the more that it >seems that we are just playing a super hero game. I already have enough >super hero games to last me a number of good years. I want to play a game >that has beings that are outside the human scope. > >I just can['t] accept the idea that allowing angels and demons to procreate >unaided is a positive aspect to the game. Canon *doesn't* let it happen. *I* might let it happen in *my* games. Because it's not "free" litters. It's a 30-points-minimum investment in an NPC who has no skills, may count as a GURPS-style dependant, and isn't necessarily loyal to the PCs. And I don't necessarily think that being able to "reproduce" (or, more accurately, take bits of themselves and stick them together to create a new being) makes them more human. It makes them possibly more biological, but the attitudes that surround the creation of newbies can be strikingly different. That's the part that I like digging into, myself -- the attitudes. The way a Seraph of Creation, say, could casually say something like, "Oh, yeah, I've got some kids around somewhere. Five or six of 'em. Justin and Jacob fledged Seraph, I think they're over with Destiny somewhere, and Anita is doing the Malakite thing with War -- she always was a wild one -- and Morgan's still a reliever in the Glade. Oh, yes, and then there's Ashiel, the reliever that I mentored -- we're still rather close, even if she did fledge Mercurian. No, I haven't seen any of them in, oh, at least a century. Why?" (See, this gets into the alien angelic "love everything" sort of mindset -- children as "other angels" more than "children". Responsible for themselves, adult, and the ability to say, "That's my kid" in the same tone of voice as "That's my friend," meaning about the same amount of emotional investment.) But *I'm* the one going out of canon here... - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 16:23:53 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Maya Fan Club (Re: Lilim and Reproduction) At 12:55 AM +0000 2/17/98, GR Cogman wrote: ["Hunt"] >>Well, the thing is, we were co-writing that, a paragraph or three >>at a time. I think she moved the plot more than I did. (She's just >>so much *better* at it...) (Maya, are you *sure* I did the Shedim >>Pit? I'm going to have to go back and look at the original... Hm. >>Should we put the initial, messy, exerpts-from-the-triad, unformatted >>version up as well?) > >Up to you: I'm not really sure that it's necessary, given the two separate >viewpoints, but if you want to... It does serve as an interesting "behind the scenes" thing, and it has the couple of paragraphs from the triad.... You know, one of us really ought to do the triad's POV on that whole thing. Maybe from the Cherub's view -- she seems like the most sensible of that threesome. ("And then Sadoc Celestial Motioned himself past the destruction. I could have told him that was a bad idea, and sure enough, by the time I got there he was pounding on the Lust-Tether's door, bruised, bleeding and furious. I managed to get the story out of him -- he'd gotten a demon thrown into him, knocked down, stepped on, and a knife thrown at him -- which missed his eye by scant millimeters. Young Seraphim need keepers. With leashes.") And besides, Nathaniel wants to see it. He *needs* to see it... O;> >I had the feeling that you introduced the Pit, but could be wrong. If so, I >grovel, Princess of Nitpicking. I'll have to go back and look. >And as to which of us is better - well, I would not argue with the creator >of Betharan, namely because I don't want to wake up one night to find a >homicidal berserker Lilim sitting on the foot of my bed and practicing the >Song of Claws. :) That's what you get for liking tattoos... >>>Oh, yeah. Em for Game and Dark Humor, Beth for Lilim and Lilith, and >>>Maya for Elohim, Habbalah, and War. You three end up defining a >>>bunch of my images of In Nomine. >> >> Oh, *good*. (Em for the Game? Heh... Go, Em, go!) > >Heh. I need to get down to that new Maher story, clearly, though it doesn't >deal with Lilith or the Game or Dark Humour, so I shouldn't be trespassing >too much... :) Definitely not! (Besides, it's not like we don't share characters and stuff from time to time anyway...) - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 16:37:07 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> In Nomine stereotypes At 9:01 PM -0500 2/16/98, Neel Krishnaswami wrote: [...] >Now the Shedite shows up, and possesses him. It has a week -- tops -- >to take Mr. Standing from jay-walking to getting him to murder his >wife, before it is certain of being ejected. *Each time* it tries >to get him to do something bad, Standing gets a Will roll to resist, >and it can only build him up to murder gradually. Technically, I don't think that's accurate -- if anything, it's *easier* for the Shedite to make him do the murder the first day (unless Mr. Standing blows his Essence to resist, in which case it takes another day or two). [It does say, "just a little worse," but I've been reading that to mean "at least a little worse", not that they *have* to work up gradually. Shedim just *do* things gradually because it makes the host last longer that way.] It's the same for *any* resonance, actually -- Mr. Standing can blow his Essence to resist (and that will make the Lilim a great deal unhappier than the Shedite -- she gets dissonance, the Shedite just has to find something else nasty to do that day). - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 16:32:39 -0600 (CST) From: Martin Leslie Leuschen Subject: IN> Judgement Test (Was : In Nomine with safety off) Quoth jhart@btinternet.com -- http://www.tardis.ed.ac.uk/~jhart/ :There will follow a short psychometric test to determine your suitability :for the job. Answer the questions as quickly and accurately as you can. Can anyone try this test? It looks interesting. : 1. What do you consider to be fair and just punishments for the : following crimes: : a) Acts of mass terrorism Mindwipe. Additional retaliation to any beneficiaries of said terrorism, to negate any benefit gained. : b) Not returning library books on time Fines. Fines max at cost to Library to replace the book(s) involved. Fine ~1/30 value per day. If someone is waiting on the book, double it, and 1 lash/day (max 39), delivered by the waitee, at its descretion. : c) Tax evasion Depends on the government and tax involved. Generally somewhere between banishment from society to applause. : d) Walking on the grass where there is a legible sign reading 'Do not : walk on the grass' Confinement in a walled garden with a servitor of Novalis for 1 hour. 1 day if grass was seriously damaged. Note if attitude is correct, the act is not a crime and the sentence not a punishment. This is deliberate. : e) Misquoting from the main rulebook Writing the correct quote out 100 times. 1000 times if quote contradicted GM during game time. : f) Charging gross call-out charges, if you are a plumber Abolishment of plumber's union. : g) Wearing flared trousers Pointing and laughing. : 2. Can justice be done if the laws of the land are unjust? Discuss. The condition mentioned is always true. Justice still sneaks in somehow, in varying proportions. : 3. Can you: : a) Drive? Yes, but no fancy liscences. : b) Pick locks? No, but I can call a locksmith or get a crowbar. : c) Put on a convincingly intimidating voice? That's what the Malakite is for. 'Ta, Martin Leuschen martinl@rice.edu ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 19:30:02 -0400 (EDT) From: gantr@NKU.EDU Subject: Re: IN> Re: IN- The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure On Sun, 15 Feb 1998, Andrew Frades wrote: > >> A lot of the ideas I have will never see the light of day, since > >> they won't fit into my game. But sometimes I get an idea that just > >> won't let go, even though it's completely not the right stuff. > >> > >> This is one of those ideas. > > > >Oh, god. This is great. I've got to run this at TotalCon... > > I wouldn't. Flaw with idea. Malakim of David that use their choir > attunement are both indestructible and immovable. The demons obviously ripped up a *big* chunck of concrete (or rock, or whatever) to move him, then. Nothing is immovable. Some things just require a lot more motivation. Rich Gant ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 19:46:22 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Banishment At 4:42 PM +0000 2/17/98, Julian Breen wrote: >I'm toying around with some sorcery variants, and would appreciate a >comment on the following. > >Under 'Banishment' on page 68 of The Marches, it says that a 111 results >in banishment of "a year and a day". What it doesn't mention is how long >the banishment lasts for on a successful 'normal' roll? Hummmmm... Obviously it sends them away... Successful roll's CD in days? (If they later return to the corporeal realm, *before* the duration, they have to use a Tether or follow another demon/ethereal; the Banisment thingy keeps them from that one spot.) [If that sounds good (i.e., nobody presents a convincing arguement for why it should be weeks/months/hours/minutes/rounds), then I'll send it for errata.] - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 00:38:40 +0000 (GMT) From: Steve Jessop Subject: Re: IN> Innocence Attunements On Mon, 16 Feb 1998, Craw Wurm wrote: > > Righteous Indignation (Based on Laurence's Blade Blessing, from NM) > Does this mean that by researching into someone's past, you could > accumulate the power and wipe them out with a tap on the shoulder? Also, > does the bonus stay if the guilty party repents or makes amends? Oops. Add 'one use at a time per target', or possibly 'one use ever per target'. Also, I would say that if you set out thinking 'I wanna get this guy: let's find an excuse' then you can't use the attunement when you find it, but at that point the description becomes too long. To the second question I say 'maybe: GM decide before allowing the attunement'. I would rule that if the guilty party makes genuine amends, then the bonus is lost. Depends how vengeful you like your indignation. Steve. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 00:42:11 GMT From: maya@tcp.co.uk (GR Cogman) Subject: IN> To Protect And Serve To Protect And Serve - -------------------- He was standing in the circle of the streetlight as I came out to join him, his chin tucked into the collar of his trenchcoat, hands pushed into his pockets. "Sir." I tipped a polite nod. I knew that I wasn't late: I'd taken great pains to be sure of that. The mist swirled at either end of the alley, slicing our little lit portion of street away from the rest of the world with a dull grey blade. He grunted something, and nodded in return, stepping away from the streetlight and turning towards the far end of the alley. I hurried to catch up with him, then matched my pace to his, controlling the urge to glance towards him for approval or simple opinion, and staring ahead of us. We turned the corner, heading away from the Station, and followed the line of streetlamps down the road: they burned with a ghostly light, small candles against the great buildings that reared above us. It was two more streets before he spoke. "You'll learn the City." I wasn't sure what to answer, so I nodded again, and hoped that my face had the right expression on it. "You'll learn it," he continued, "street by street. Every paving-stone, every cobble, every gutter and every stain of blood. Every footstep, every whisper, every face and every voice." The wind came from the south, running down the street and carrying the mist before it in twisting, endless patterns. In the distance the sound of hopeless crying followed it. One of the new groups must have reached the Yards. "Pay attention." His voice had the shadow of a growl to it. I hadn't looked away from him, hadn't moved my attention away, I swear it. There was no argument, though. I kept my eyes on him, and nodded. "Sir." He grunted. Our shadows marched before us in long dark menace, shortening as we came directly beneath the streetlamp, then running out behind us in mock pursuit as we moved away from it. "Why?" he asked. I gulped. "Why what, sir?" "Why," his voice deepened, a thread of raw rusty iron in it, "do you think we are here." I tried to think of an answer that did not sound stupidly idealistic, or merely futile. Eventually, I said, "To guard, sir." We turned another corner. To our east lay the Pleasuredome, and the sounds drifted faintly towards us, a parody of the despairing voices on the wind. "To guard." His stride was a smooth brisk thing, sparing of his energy, and his hands were still tucked into his trenchcoat pockets. "Who do we guard?" I thought again. Fortunately, he didn't seem to expect me to rap out the answers at a moment's notice. A few paces later, I said, "The City, sir." Three forms were visible through the mist in a turning to our right, punching and kicking at a fourth form who squirmed at their feet, whimpering faintly. They looked up sharply at our approach, the shadows washing round them thickly: one would have stayed, but the other two grabbed him, and they vanished together, running down the alley. "We guard," he hissed, "against trash like that. Against our own people who don't remember why we are here. Against those who would weaken us, those who would destroy what we have built." The passion seemed to drain out of his voice, leaving it more deadly yet. "You're young. You don't know what it used to be like." A woman ahead of us was leaning against the iron post of a streetlamp, short skirt and bandeau of black cotton, legs tilted so as to show off the muscles in her thighs. She cupped a cigarette in her hand as flame flickered, drawing a first long breath until the end glowed red. His eyes turned to her, assessing her posture and the bracelets that clinked around her wrists. She glanced back at him, unrecognising, her posture shifting yet more towards the demonstrative as she parted her lips and let her eyes soften. "Hey, sweetie, you..." "Recognise me." There was authority in his tone, and her face paled at it, and at the knowledge of what we were. I'd seen it in other suspects, but never so quickly, never so drastically. The cigarette tumbled from her fingers in a tiny helix of fire, landing on the pavement beside her and still burning. "My..." She fought for words. "I didn't..." "Go round the corner to the nearest Station." He watched her, slow-burning eyes on her face. "This is no place for your kind. This is my City. Turn yourself in for soliciting." She was trembling as she turned to obey, her green flesh paled to the colour of spring leaves in the glow of the lamp, and her horns tiny points of ivory in the swirling masses of her dark hair. He turned away and resumed his course, not looking back at me. I kept step. "My City," he repeated. "We keep it safe." "Sir." I retreated to the polite monosyllable, as the silence stretched until I had to fill it with something. Anything. Words, feelings, thoughts. The City spread around us in a cold web of stone, and yet I could feel its allure, know why he protected it. Something of possessiveness, something of duty. We had come a wide circle, and the entrance to the Station was visible in the distance, a blue-shaded lamp burning above it and turning the swirls of mist to the waves of some sea that seemed to wash across the street. "Do you know why I am here with you?" The question was sharp, unexpected, and this time his gaze was on me. I realised what the woman must have felt, to have that intense and particular scrutiny directed so personally and absolutely. It burned away layers of self, exposing core and secret. And then, I had the answer. It was rooted in what he was. The words came with difficulty, but that was because of the blazing stare and its weight. "To... be sure that I keep the City safe. Sir." He grunted, but he did not ask again, and we came to the Station door together. He waved me to stay where I was, as he paused on the step. "Your first patrol." Each word was ground on some inner machinery, fed out to me grudgingly. "Do a good job." I bowed my head. "Yes, Prince Asmodeus." - --- Maya, Elohite of Eli in service to Blandine maya@tcp.co.uk - -- "There are those who say that wizards are subject to temptations and addictions beyond the understanding of ordinary men: the addiction to shape-changing, or to meditation under the influence of certain herbs and conditions of the stars; the obsession with knowledge, and the development of power. Yet this is not so. Temptation is temptation, obsession is obsession, and choice is choice." - Isar Chelladan, Precepts of Wizardry. -- "Dog Wizard", Barbara Hambly. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 01:14:38 +0000 (GMT) From: Steve Jessop Subject: Re: IN> Judgement Test (Was : In Nomine with safety off) On Tue, 17 Feb 1998, Martin Leslie Leuschen wrote: > : c) Put on a convincingly intimidating voice? > That's what the Malakite is for. 'Speak softly, and carry a 15 Force Malakite' Steve. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 17:31:51 PST From: "David Streeter" Subject: IN> RE: [noise] Gosh, it's quiet... >I've *played* In Nomine, but I didn't like the system much. If I were to do >the same sort of thing myself, I'd probably use Champions. :) Well, I've yet to see a more flexible system than Champions (GURPS included - sorry SJG!). Much better than that Fuzion sh*te . However, I think the In Nomine system works well for a cinematic game such as I.N. Champions would simplify Angels & Demons into "just more superheroes". Translating some of those songs would be a challenge, though! > Or, then again, I could play In Nomine with INWO. Just come up with >cards representing all the Angelic Factions and Major Angels/demons, and go >for it. Now THERE'S an opportunity for those quirky inwo-cards list denizens! SurturZ Habbalah of Factions, trying to foment a cards vs. inwo-list vs in_nomine-l flame war through the time honoured tradition of malicious crossposting ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 98 21:28:48 PST From: "bruce dykes" Subject: IN> Weekly World News The Weekly World News continues its fine tradition of providing valuable resource material for In Nomine... In an article titled "Torched by an Angel" , the WWN has revealed that spontaneous human combustion is caused by vengeful angels against "godless sinners who were squandering their lives in pursuit of wealth, personal glory and sexual gratification".. They don't mention either Gaby or In Nomine by name, thankfully. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 23:34:31 +0000 From: Nathaniel Eliot Subject: Re: IN> Maya Fan Club (Re: Lilim and Reproduction) > And besides, Nathaniel wants to see it. He *needs* to see it... > O;> Yeah, but you can't see my eyes, even if you are possessing my computer. I'm wearing my shades, and my modem's covered with tinfoil, besides... Nathanael Currently possessed by Saphreal Paranoid Kyriotate of War "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get me." ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 22:58:15 PST From: "Andrew Frades" Subject: IN> Re: IN- Hitler, a latter day Job >If you're referring to Oscar Schindler (and I presume that you are) I >seem to recall having read somewhere that that was Hollywoods's take >on things. You see, it was felt that sympathies for the Jewish people >employed by Schindler might dwindle somewhat if the viewing public >suddenly realised that "Hey! that means that those jews were making >weapons to kill *our* boys!". >As a consequence, the story was altered so that the warheads >manufactured *were* duds. I can't remember the exact source that I read >this (so maybe I should just shut up) but it does seem to me to be >highly unlikely that the german authorites would overlook the fact that >this factory was of absolutely no use. Sorry on this one. Though Hollywood definitely overplayed the dud bomb thing, Schindler did produce defective product for quite some time during the war. Andrew ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 23:09:29 PST From: "Andrew Frades" Subject: IN> Re: IN- Re: IN- Tethers for Janus >Well, certainly going down this time of year only requires skis. Do you have any idea how good you would have to be to ski down 98% of Mt Washington? Sure, the top 10% is fairly easy, but then you get below the tree line. Good luck. Skiing down Mt. Washington is a real good way for an Angel to suffer trauma. Going >up is a bit harder -- I've never hiked it myself, but I believe it's an >all-day trip even in the summer, and only Ofanim are likely to cut much >time off that. However, as you say, there are people around the lower >slopes, even in winter. If I recall right, Tuckerman's Ravine (a ski >area of sorts) is somewhere on the west slope. If you're in no great >hurry to get up the mountain, walking is fine. > >I think the US Forest Service (which operates the Mt. Washington >facilities, since it's in a National Forest) has vehicles that can go up >and down the mountain's auto road, even in winter, and the cog railway >may also make winter trips, though not for tourists. If you assume that >angels control the local facilities, then there's probably not *too* >much of a problem getting up there, or back down, if you're not worried >about being spied on. As far as I know the railway shuts down all trips during the winter, or at least the vast majority of it. The Forrest service uses snomobiles to travel up and down during the winter when the road is bad to unpassable. Andrew ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 23:17:07 PST From: "Andrew Frades" Subject: IN> Re: IN- Re: IN- The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure >The demons obviously ripped up a *big* chunck of concrete (or rock, or >whatever) to move him, then. Nothing is immovable. Some things just >require a lot more motivation. Why do you accept that Angels and Demons are in a battle for the souls of humanity but can not accept that Malakim of David in their hardened form CAN NOT BE MOVED. There could be many arguments that would allow you to move them and many that wouldn't. Why can you accept that they are indestructable (another impossible thing), but not immobile. IMO the attunements are generally pretty specific as to what they can and can not do. What's the problem with a character once per day being able to freeze in place and be totally inviolate. They can't take any action either I might add, it does go both ways. Andrew ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 04:55:24 +0000 From: Nathaniel Eliot Subject: Re: IN> Re: IN- Re: IN- The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure > >The demons obviously ripped up a *big* chunck of concrete (or rock, or > >whatever) to move him, then. Nothing is immovable. Some things just > >require a lot more motivation. > > Why do you accept that Angels and Demons are in a battle for the > souls of humanity but can not accept that Malakim of David in their > hardened form CAN NOT BE MOVED. Because the first makes the plot work, and the second doesn't. The law of dramatic necessity takes precidence, especially in cinematic adventures. Nathaniel Eliot temujin9@mci2000.com "It's the eternal question, really; to be a slave in Heaven, or a star in Hell. But sometimes Hell doesn't look like Hell. On a good day, it can look like LA." - Playing God ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Feb 98 13:36 EST From: Walter Milliken Subject: Re: IN> Re: IN- Re: IN- Tethers for Janus >>Well, certainly going down this time of year only requires skis. >Do you have any idea how good you would have to be to ski down 98% of Mt >Washington? Sure, the top 10% is fairly easy, but then you get below >the tree line. Good luck. Skiing down Mt. Washington is a real good >way for an Angel to suffer trauma. Skiing ought to be easy for Ofanim, at least. No problem.... You could always ski down along the auto road. And I thought there were some clear slopes on one side. You could also ski down the trails, though that would probably be tricky. - ---Walter ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #633 ******************************* The material here is (C) 1997 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.