From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Mon Jan 1 22:41:12 2001 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (majordom@lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by pyramid.sjgames.com (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id WAA11690 for ; Mon, 1 Jan 2001 22:41:11 -0600 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.9.3/8.9.1a) id WAA31173 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Mon, 1 Jan 2001 22:40:43 -0600 Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 22:40:43 -0600 Message-Id: <200101020440.WAA31173@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 #2000 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 Monday, January 1 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2000 In this digest: Re: IN> Belated Xmas... Re: IN> Supercalifragilisticexpealicocious! Re: IN> Supercalifragilisticexpealicocious! Re: IN> Re: Kyriotate's Dissonance Condition (was: Re: GURPS In-Nomine) Re: IN> That weird pen-artifact... Re: IN> Re: Kyriotate's Dissonance Condition (was: Re: GURPS In-Nomine) Re: IN> Clever Game Stunts (Re: GURPS In-Nomine) Re: IN> Supercalifragilisticexpealicocious! Re: IN> Belated Xmas... Re: IN> Re: Kyriotate's Dissonance Condition (was: Re: GURPS In-Nomine) IN> New character- "J.I" IN> "Look, it's just Ian, OK? Just Ian. And will you STOP humming that theme music?" Re: IN> That weird pen-artifact... Re: IN> Re: Kyriotate's Dissonance Condition (was: Re: GURPS In-Nomine) IN> I've got an idea... Re: IN> I've got an idea... Re: IN> If I could talk to the Animals... Re: IN> If I could talk to the Animals... Whistling's Aeons (was Re: IN> I've got an idea...) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 04:25:50 -0600 From: "Tafka J." Subject: Re: IN> Belated Xmas... At 11:56 PM -0500 12/31/00, Elizabeth McCoy wrote: > This image has been in my head. Great. . . Now I hafta fire up Photoshop. God. . . I'll get back with you lot in a few hours. . . Be seeing you, - - Tafka J. = Balseraph of Fate, Marquis of Delusions of Grandeur # http://www.thrifty.net/~tafkaj/in-nomine/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 09:52:08 -0500 From: "Rolland Therrien" Subject: Re: IN> Supercalifragilisticexpealicocious! - -----Original Message----- Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 08:43:41 -0800 From: "Dagon" Subject: Re: IN> Supercalifragilisticexpealicocious! > >Nonsense. She's a Seelie Boggan. No, I'm pretty sure she's an Angel of the Wind, with more then a few songs and artifacts. She only stays at the Banks' home for three days ("Until the Wind changes"). She leaves right on the third, after Mr Banks has changed for the better. Her goal is clearly about bringing about change in that man's life. She obviously manipulated him into taking the children to his bank, with the expected result (The causing of chaos there). And I believe she's an Elohite because she exhibit strong self-control of her emotions, while reading the emotions of others around her perfectly well. Heck, she's a perfect exemple of an Elohite of the Wind, I'd think... - -Exit the LoneWolf ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 16:24:35 -0800 From: "Dagon" Subject: Re: IN> Supercalifragilisticexpealicocious! I was trying to be funny, but what the heck. > -----Original Message----- > Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 08:43:41 -0800 > From: "Dagon" > Subject: Re: IN> Supercalifragilisticexpealicocious! > > > >Nonsense. She's a Seelie Boggan. > > No, I'm pretty sure she's an Angel of the Wind, with more then a few songs > and artifacts. She only stays at the Banks' home for three days ("Until the > Wind changes"). She leaves right on the third, after Mr Banks has changed > for the better. Her goal is clearly about bringing about change in that > man's life. She obviously manipulated him into taking the children to his > bank, with the expected result (The causing of chaos there). And I believe > she's an Elohite because she exhibit strong self-control of her emotions, > while reading the emotions of others around her perfectly well. > > Heck, she's a perfect exemple of an Elohite of the Wind, I'd think... > > -Exit the LoneWolf > > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 18:36 +0000 From: Kay Dekker Subject: Re: IN> Re: Kyriotate's Dissonance Condition (was: Re: GURPS In-Nomine) Beth wrote: > What about when the host would normally be asleep anyway? I've always felt a little iffy about that. Firstly, dreamers come under Blandine's aegis, and I'm not at all sure that she'd approve of Kyrios messing with people's bodies while they sleep; and secondly, depriving _my_ body of a night's sleep isn't something I'd like; it would probably count, IMO, towards 'leaving it in a worse condition'. > Mind, you have to put it back where you found it, and > make sure it's not wounded... And hasn't tracked mud and leaves into the house... > (Though drunken street bums might be fine -- if they're > out of it enough anyway, then waking up clean, fed, and > in a shelter might be a _good_ thing. Of course, one would > want to be careful about the shelter part, depending on the > psychology of the host...) Indeed. Mmm... that's a point: if Cecil possesses someone who's drunk, how should I handle that? Would he feel the effect of the booze on the body? Kay - -- "Caesar, the Zeta Reticulans having been repelled, fortified the spaceport with walls and ditches." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 18:38 +0000 From: Kay Dekker Subject: Re: IN> That weird pen-artifact... Beth wrote: > Oh, heck, i've got a sleeping baby, and it's always fun to run a > Superior Opinion Poll. Indeed. But you forgot Litheroy :) Kay - -- "Caesar, the Zeta Reticulans having been repelled, fortified the spaceport with walls and ditches." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 14:47:50 -0500 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Re: Kyriotate's Dissonance Condition (was: Re: GURPS In-Nomine) At 6:36 PM +0000 1/1/01, Kay Dekker wrote: >Beth wrote: >> What about when the host would normally be asleep anyway? > >I've always felt a little iffy about that. Firstly, >dreamers come under Blandine's aegis, and I'm not >at all sure that she'd approve of Kyrios messing >with people's bodies while they sleep; and secondly, >depriving _my_ body of a night's sleep isn't >something I'd like; it would probably count, IMO, >towards 'leaving it in a worse condition'. I would tend to think that just like a host body suddenly can jog twenty miles straight without fatigue, lift a wheelbarrow over its head (with enough strength) and take five bullets without dying (so long as a Song of Healing fixed it before the Kyrio left), the Angel walking around in the body while the host is asleep would let the actual host body rest. >And hasn't tracked mud and leaves into the house... That would *not* be dissonant. Weird, maybe, but not dissonant. And way too minor a detail for your average non-Mercurian to even consider. >Indeed. Mmm... that's a point: if Cecil possesses >someone who's drunk, how should I handle that? Would >he feel the effect of the booze on the body? Hm. There's an old question coming back... I'm not sure what the answer is, mind, though I would say a qualified 'no.' - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 11:54:17 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Clever Game Stunts (Re: GURPS In-Nomine) Try this one. The car chase has crossed two county lines. The demons are gaining. The angels are low on gas. The Ofanite of Creation looks into the tank with the Celestial Song of Sight. She then uses Transubstantiation to change the air in there into gasoline -- because "Fossil fuels _are_ organic!" ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "If you want someone to take off their armor, you must first put down your sword." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online! http://photos.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 12:10:56 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Supercalifragilisticexpealicocious! If Mary's an IN-type angel, I suspect that makes Dick Van Dyke's character a Mercurian. Probably of Creation or Dreams. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "If you want someone to take off their armor, you must first put down your sword." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online! http://photos.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 16:15:30 -0600 From: "Tafka J." Subject: Re: IN> Belated Xmas... At 4:25 AM -0600 01/01/01, Tafka J. wrote: > At 11:56 PM -0500 12/31/00, Elizabeth McCoy wrote: >> This image has been in my head. > > I'll get back with you lot in a few hours. . . As promised, here's my take on that image. http://www.thrifty.net/~tafkaj/in-nomine/art/game_xmas.html Happy New Year all! Be seeing you, - - Tafka J. = Balseraph of Fate, Marquis of Delusions of Grandeur # http://www.thrifty.net/~tafkaj/in-nomine/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 18:13:12 -0500 From: damienw@juno.com Subject: Re: IN> Re: Kyriotate's Dissonance Condition (was: Re: GURPS In-Nomine) On Mon, 1 Jan 2001 18:36 +0000 Kay Dekker writes: > Beth wrote: > > What about when the host would normally be asleep anyway? > > I've always felt a little iffy about that. Firstly, > dreamers come under Blandine's aegis, and I'm not > at all sure that she'd approve of Kyrios messing > with people's bodies while they sleep; and secondly, > depriving _my_ body of a night's sleep isn't > something I'd like; it would probably count, IMO, > towards 'leaving it in a worse condition'. OTOH, the minds of people a Kyrio possesses wander the Marches *anyway*. And, just as the body takes on the Kyrio's hits temporarily, I'd say it also doesn't deprive it of rest. Of course, if one insists it does, Blandine does have those Nap Sack things... - --- damienw[et]juno.com "To kill a man between panels is to condemn him to a thousand deaths." - Scott McCloud ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 21:11:25 -0500 From: "Charles Phipps" Subject: IN> New character- "J.I" J.I. Soldier of Yves (for now) Cor-2 Str-4 Agil-4 Eth-3 Int-8 Pre-4 Cel-3 Will-9 Per-3 Artifacts: 10 Silver Coins ???/ that each emanuate the Baseraph Resonance if placed in the fingers of a man by a figure), Holy Pistol 3/ (6 bullets) Skills: Artistry (Caligraphy 3/), Boating 2/, Carpentry 3/, Debate 2/, Detect Lies 6/, , Dodge 3/, Fighting 4/, Langquages (Aramic 3/, Hebrew 3/, French 3/, Greek 3/, Italian 2/, Latin 1/), Pick Pocket 3/, Ranged Weapon 3/, Running 2/, Small Weapon (club 3/), Theology 6/, Tracking 6/ Songs: Song of Entropy (Corporeal-4/), Song of Healing (Corporeal 3/), Song of Attraction (Corporeal 3/) Attunements: Master of Divine Knowledge (Cherubim) Call him Jay or J.I. but theres no way he's going to tell you his actual name first or last because if he does, your going to get that look in your eye and things and are going to go downhill from there. J.I. was orginally...well it's not really important...he became though something very important when this Nazarene prophet came knocking around and he threw down what he was currently up to to join in with him. He got some doubts about his faith though and to assauge those doubts he betrayed the man unto death for either the money or to prove his faith or both.... Yes. That's him. He hung himself having achieved both his Destiny (become a apostle of the Messiah) and Fate (To betray the man unto death) and thus reincarnated to his next life, where he managed to fufill both his fate and destiny again....and again....and again...repeatably. This immortal limbo ate at both Yves and Kronos who fought tooth and nail for the soul of the man who is generally regarded (wrongly or rightly as some might say) the greatest crimminal to have ever walked the face of the Earth. Around the 14th century Judas's incarnation was made a deal by Yves that he did not refuse; in exchange for complete knowledge of his past lives throughout history Judas would recover the pieces of silver that he sold Jesus's location for and recover the powerful artifacts of mammon where he would then destroy them. Judas agreed as that was his destiny but...unfortunately he didn't achieve it in that life...or the next life....or the life after that. Whether yielding to temptation or just slain by demons or the like to stop him, Judas has failed repeatably in his mission. Ironically more than a few of his deaths have been at the hands of Seraphim, Malakim, and indeed even a Mercurian. Judas in his current incarnation has managed to recover however ten of the unholy coins and thus far avoid his fate for this life which is (as always) to betray his savior again unto great harm. Judas, as it is, wishes indeed to avoid eternal damnation and fufill God's plan for him but his life is not what one would call pleasant either given the coins are invariably in the hands of great betrayers, sorcerors, and fallen angels of occasionally considerable power. and you try and find an Angel in Heaven who isn't cautious about dealing with him...if not outright forbidden. The apostles in Heaven are surprisingly forgiving if asked though it's possible that not all of them currently know about Judas's plight either. The betrayal stung hard but Jesus went unto it willingly and they had their own doubts that have been allayed....not everyone in Heaven is so forgiving and some would very much like to see him damned for all time as punishment... A act which by it's very existence feeds hell and Judas's despair. Why Kronos may yet hold the soul of an Apostle. - -Charlemagne ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 18:21:33 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> "Look, it's just Ian, OK? Just Ian. And will you STOP humming that theme music?" Go read my "License to Smite" first. This is pretty much based off of it. I was going to make this guy a Word-Bound, but I decided against it: after all, the Host has _some_ effective angels that aren't monomanical. As always, enjoy or not, but do it fast, 'cuz this post will self-destruct in five seconds... :) Moe Ian Kyriotate Master of Finances Corporeal Forces: 4 Strength: 6 Agility: 10 Ethereal Forces: 5 Intelligence: 8 Precision: 12 Celestial Forces: 6 Will: 12 Perception: 12 Skills: Chemistry/1, Climbing/1, Computer Programming/2, Dodge/3, Driving/3, Emote/3, Escape/1, Fast-Talk/9*, Fighting/3, Knowledge (Economics/1, Research/1), Lying/3, Move Silently/3, Ranged Weapon (rifle/1, pistol/3), Savoir-Faire/3, Seduction/3, Small Weapon/1 (knife), Tactics/1 Songs: Attraction (Celestial/1), Cacophony (Ethereal/1, Celestial/3), Charm (Ethereal/1, Celestial/1), Darkness (Corporeal/1), Direction (Ethereal/1), Draining (Ethereal/2), Entropy (Ethereal/1), Form (Ethereal/1), Harmony (Corporeal/1), Healing (Corporeal/3), Light (Celestial/6), Motion (Ethereal/1, Celestial/3), Retribution (Corporeal/1, Ethereal/1, Celestial/2), Sleep (Ethereal/1), Shields (Corporeal/3, Ethereal/1, Celestial/1), Tongues (Corporeal/2, Ethereal/1) Attunements: Kyriotate of Trade, Malakite of Trade, Kyriotate of Protection, Sense of Significance, Master of Finances* None of this nonsense of laser beam watches, sports cars packing more firepower than a tank, or having a License to Smite, please. Ian is a professional. That means that, hopefully, it spends a lot of time in the field being bored. If things get exciting, that means that somebody screwed up somewhere. As has been mentioned elsewhere, the Archangel of Trade (in conjunction with the Archangels of Protection and Revelations) has a very good intelligence agency, and Ian is one of its senior field operatives. It gets called in on those fairly rare occasions where constant surveillance is a necessity: thanks to Zadkiel's Choir Attunement, Ian can more or less passively ride within a host involved in sensitive operations and simply keep an eye open. This requires inhuman patience, but luckily Ian's not human. When things get slightly exciting, Ian's ability to multitask is an invaluable espionage tool. It will routinely rapidly possess numerous individuals, using each of them to extract a piece of the intelligence needed. This minimizes the risk to any one individual host, and also makes it virtually impossible for later investigators to detect leaks (or, ideally, even discover that there was a leak in the first place). When things get _really_ exciting, well, that's when Ian's life starts to resemble the plot of a bad spy novel. Ian dislikes that quite severely, but sometimes it can't be helped. Personally, Ian is a very patient, slightly humorless, and painfully precise entity. It constantly worries about dissonance, and is thus utterly intolerant of any celestial interference in one of its operations. In fact, Ian would rather encounter demons than fellow-angels: one can use more ... direct ... neutralization methods on the former than the latter. There are a few angels out there that Ian grudgingly trusts to not wreck whatever convoluted, subtle scenario it may be working on, but such trust doesn't come cheap. Angels that gratuitously interfere with the angel - or worse, wreck an operation through clumsiness - will very soon discover why it's a bad idea, politically, to bother someone with a Master-level Distinction. Unfortunately, Ian doesn't always get to run a solo operation. Marc will sometimes offer its services to other Archangels, for whatever reason: the angel will naturally expect to have overall control of the scenario, and will usually get it. Ian is a tough taskmaster, but a fair one: angels that do their jobs will get proper credit. Getting a favorable reaction from this angel is well worth it. Of course, loose cannons will get proper credit, too. Despite Ian's prejudices, the angel is usually happy enough to accept outside assignments. Working for three Archangels, more or less, has taught Ian that the more potential sources of aid, the better: its current ambition is to do Novalis enough favors to warrant getting her Kyriotate Attunement. Nobody does security checks on office plants, after all... ===== In Nomine stuff: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 11/25/00 (this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. http://shopping.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 22:25:51 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> That weird pen-artifact... At 6:38 PM +0000 1/1/01, Kay Dekker wrote: >Beth wrote: >> Oh, heck, i've got a sleeping baby, and it's always fun to run a >> Superior Opinion Poll. > >Indeed. > >But you forgot Litheroy :) Probably because one of my characters spends much of her spare time trying to forget the Ofanite of Revelation who's hanging around the area. That and the 666 she got when she lied and told him she was human. Because for several hours, till the 111, she WAS human... Ahem. I think Litheroy would _want_ the pen artifact. Then he could go around and "correct" false data so _everyone_ could know the TRUTH! - --Beth, typing w/a uncoopertive baby (iolanthe) causing typos. "I'm nursing a TROUT! With legs!" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 22:29:48 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> Re: Kyriotate's Dissonance Condition (was: Re: GURPS In-Nomine) At 6:36 PM +0000 1/1/01, Kay Dekker wrote: >Beth wrote: >> What about when the host would normally be asleep anyway? > >I've always felt a little iffy about that. Firstly, >dreamers come under Blandine's aegis, and I'm not >at all sure that she'd approve of Kyrios messing >with people's bodies while they sleep; and secondly, >depriving _my_ body of a night's sleep isn't >something I'd like; it would probably count, IMO, >towards 'leaving it in a worse condition'. As others have noted, the host's consciousness is in the Marches anyway when it gets possessed... I don't think that possession would damage a night's sleep. >> Mind, you have to put it back where you found it, and >> make sure it's not wounded... > >And hasn't tracked mud and leaves into the house... Or otherwise made it look like there was a break-in, yeah. >> (Though drunken street bums might be fine -- if they're >> out of it enough anyway, then waking up clean, fed, and >> in a shelter might be a _good_ thing. Of course, one would >> want to be careful about the shelter part, depending on the >> psychology of the host...) > >Indeed. Mmm... that's a point: if Cecil possesses >someone who's drunk, how should I handle that? Would >he feel the effect of the booze on the body? Probably only a small amount -- celestials generally have higher Strength (aka Health for IN; it's the major stat which generates hit points, after all) and Body Hits, so the amount of alcohol that affects a human is unlikely to do that much to a celestial. If he's got problems, then an Ethereal Song of Healing, IIRC, or maybe CorpHealing, should do the trick. Though Kyriotates have several brains to think in, so they'd likely be less affected than someone in a regular vessel... Well, unless it was enough of a drug dose to _keep_ the host unconscious even with a Kyriotate within. - --Beth, typing w/a uncoopertive baby (iolanthe) causing typos. "I'm nursing a TROUT! With legs!" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 20:18:35 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> I've got an idea... I see the 2001 IN calendar. I see that the compilers have so nicely provided us with esoteric, theological and festive information for every single day. I see that said information spans the range of human cultures, and could be a perfect resource for ideas. I'm sure that you all can make the connection. :) Anyway, here's my entry for 01/01/01.* Moe *Yeah, that means what you think it means. I have no idea if I can do it, but it's certainly something to aim for. Anyone else want to play? :) The Year-Scythe There are actually several versions of this scythe currently in circulation. For ethereal artifacts, they're powerful, but only a celestial can safely wield a Year-Scythe. Unfortunately, celestials don't particularly need them. A Year-Scythe has several powers. First off, it's a weapon (Power +5, Accuracy +1, uses Large Weapon skill and requires two hands) that cannot be destroyed by mortal means. The Scythe may also do 1d6+1 points of celestial damage (cost: one Essence per attack). The user need not be able to control his or her Essence expenditure, but must at least know what Essence is in order to power this ability. All year-Scythes are reliquary/6s. Second, every Year-Scythe is associated with a particular year (from about 1850 AD on). The year will be inscribed on the handle of the relic. Any mortal who holds the Year-Scythe will know about more or less everything that happened during that year that had an impact on humanity. This will include events that occurred on the celestial plane, provided that the events eventually influenced mortals. This effect only lasts as long as the person holds the artifact. Treat as Knowledge/12 (specific year), if a roll is necessary. Third, and most important, once a mortal consciously wields a Year-Scythe, he or she becomes effectively immune to disease and gets a +4 to any attempt to resist a celestial resonance. Plus, nothing that the wielder does (including Essence expenditure) will generate disturbance. The relic will eventually bond to the wielder, and cannot be removed from his or her presence once so bonded. Many sorcerers have thus sought out these relics, to their cost: Hell has no intention of telling them about the disadvantages to wielding a Year-Scythe. You see, the relics originate from the annual ethereal spirits of a particular year: in fact, that's why they're relatively available (said spirits are all dead). Every single time that the esoteric features of a Year-Scythe are utilized, the user must make a Will Roll at -4 (ignore Interventions). Failure will cause the item to bond as mentioned above. Once that happens, the user will die of old age within one calendar year. The item cannot be discarded, given away, or destroyed. Any attempts to reverse the aging process will automatically fail: not even a Superior can stop the progressive decline and death. If, somehow, a Year-Scythe is destroyed, its wielder dies. Period. From the point of view of Hell, a Year-Scythe is thus a useful way of subtly removing more annoying users of sorcery. Arranging for a particularly arrogant sorcerer to "find" a Year-Scythe and then pointing him or her towards the Host is one of Fate's favorite games: usually, the unlucky mortal will get himself killed after causing an incredible amount of silent damage. Even if they survive, they're doomed (and seeing as Sorcery almost always equals 'Fated', damned as well) within the year. It's an especially useful way of nipping those annoying potential White Sorcerers in the bud, as well. Oddly enough, those Year-Scythes possessed by the Host often get used for precisely the same job. The only real difference is in what direction the new loose cannon gets pointed. ===== In Nomine stuff: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 11/25/00 (this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online! http://photos.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 23:19:26 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> I've got an idea... At 8:18 PM -0800 1/1/01, Maurice Lane wrote: [...] >Treat as Knowledge/12 (specific year), if a roll is >necessary. Shouldn't this either be Knowledge = 12, or Knowledge/6? (I can't really see any reason why it would break the normal limits on points in a skill...) - --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor RPG links; Random name list, Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 20:29:08 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> If I could talk to the Animals... Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 14:14:16 -0500 (EST) From: "Rev. Pee Kitty" Subject: Re: IN> If I could talk to the Animals... well, I'd probably have to apologize a lot. On Thu, 28 Dec 2000, Maurice Lane wrote: >I envy your creative juices, Moe. Ex-Vapulan serving >Jordi... and, dammit, it makes PERFECT sense. Thanks. :) >But, isn't artificially raising the level of >intelligence in a species going against God's will as >well? (Jordi) Depends. Why don't you go ask Him? (/Jordi) Well, actually he'd just growl, hoot and whistle at you simultaneously, then swipe your head off for questioning an Archangel, but that's what he'd _mean_... It's kinda useful sometimnes to have a boss who isn't answering the phone. ;) Moe ===== In Nomine stuff: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 11/25/00 (this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online! http://photos.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 20:34:05 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> If I could talk to the Animals... Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 15:14:35 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> If I could talk to the Animals... well, I'd probably have to apologize a lot. - - --- Maurice Lane wrote: >> Servant: human/3 (Diane Goodall, Soldier of Animals) > This was an especially nice touch. Considering >that Durie's a Kyrio, though, why'd you go with two >primatologists? Those choices would make more sense >if she was a Mercurian. > >Then again, I can't name two famous female >entomologists, either. Essentially, yeah. Insects just aren't sexy enough to get good press. Gorillas, yes, but you'll never see "Termites in the Mist", no matter _how_ much Nybbas had to drink the night before... ;) Moe __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos - Share your holiday photos online! http://photos.yahoo.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Jan 2001 23:39:14 -0500 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Whistling's Aeons (was Re: IN> I've got an idea...) At 8:18 PM -0800 1/1/01, Maurice Lane wrote: >Anyway, here's my entry for 01/01/01.* > >Moe > >*Yeah, that means what you think it means. I have no >idea if I can do it, but it's certainly something to >aim for. > >Anyone else want to play? :) Oh sure. Mention this at 11:00 EST. Well, this is old, and I've tinkered with it a few times, but it's easy to pull up so here it is. Aeons The Architects The Seraph leaned close to the Cherub. "You have to be kidding me," he murmured. "New Word-bound often let their eyes exceed their significance," the Cherub said quietly. "Still, if he thinks he can fit all of this into the space he's allotted--" "A band shell? A rolling hill for sitting? Arching spires behind? What is his Word again?" "Outdoor Theater." "Have you the plans?" The newcomer's voice echoed with chimes. The sound was melodic, though the words seemed distant, and alien. The Seraph nodded, handing them to the newcomer. He gleamed with gold, his body a simple pyramid as he examined them. "These plans are unacceptable," he said after a few moments. "The acoustics of the stage will not permit clear hearing in these parts of the audience on the hill," he said, marking the blueprints in several places. "Please let the Angel of Outdoor Theater know that if he reduces the band shell here, here and here, adjusts the angle of the hill by nine degrees, and reduces the audience's capacity by sixty-two, the problems should be resolved. And the arches will be garish, but that's just my opinion, Most Holy." "Mm," the Seraph nodded. "Thank you, Corial." He watched the Aeon rise and float off. "I've never gotten used to them," the Cherub murmered. "To all their place," the Seraph responded. "To all their place." The Aeons are the celestial builders of things and makers of order. While a part of celestial life, and certainly not too uncommon, they remain a minor choir in the War. Rather than being a part of the struggle for the hearts and souls of man, the Aeons are the crafters of heavenly spires, only rarely descending to the Corporeal world. Those rare exceptions are corporeal builders and shapers, echoing their celestial role in the scheme of things. Resonance Aeons are strongly oriented to structures. They can perceive the order within an edifice, barricade, or other physical buildings. This allows them to quickly discover flaws within either an existing building or a blueprint for one, and the method of shoring up or eliminating those flaws. They can also sense what maintenance needs a structure has (rotting wood, crumbling foundations, corroding plumbing and so forth) and the best method to accomplish them. Their resonance also allows them to determine the feasibility of a design and -- with an appropriate resonance roll -- the most efficient way to construct it and the most effective location for it. Dissonance Being so oriented towards the order of a structure, Aeons take dissonance from introducing chaos into that order. Aeons take dissonance from any activity that significantly damages a physical structure or significantly diminishes the whole of it. "Significant damage" is usually damaging a building's structural integrity or design (breaching its walls, knocking out a load bearing support or the like) or its aesthetic integrity (hurling red paint onto a white wall, for example.) Significance is relative, of course -- a chip of a brick building taken off by a bullet doesn't look good, but it isn't really detracting from either the aesthetic or structural whole. Breaking a normal pane glass window isn't dissonant. Breaking a wall sized window would be significant structural damage -- allowing the elements into the building. Shattering a stained glass window would be significant aesthetic damage. Breaking off a proper gargoyle from the corner of a building would be both structural damage (significant damage to the drainage system) and aesthetic damage, and be worth two notes of dissonance. Aeons dislike any sort of chaos, and find even insignificant violence to a structure deeply distasteful. Manner and Appearance In their celestial form, Aeons are metallic geometric shapes with smooth lines, often very regular in appearance. Their shapes usually reflect their personality, and sometimes their color reflects distinctions they may have received (usually, more precious colors indicate higher distinctions) as a series of metal inlays. These forms don't have to be symmetrical -- a pyramid-shaped Aeon may have the top "trimmed" for a fifth flat surface, for example -- but they are uniformally aesthetically pleasing. When in their rare corporeal forms, Aeons value simplicity in their appearance. They tend to be small, dexterous people as opposed to powerful looking ones. Aeons are generally happiest working in Heaven, cheerfully repairing and building the spires of the Eternal City. Aeons also keep up the abandoned domains of Fallen and slain Archangels -- a somber duty they do as cheerfully as they possibly can. Aeons are cheerful and pleasant, if somewhat distant and perhaps alien to other Angels -- especially Kyriotates, Mercurians and other Angels that are close to humanity. As a minor choir devoted to Heaven's divine structure, Aeons often have little to do with the Corporeal Realm and less understanding of it. While certainly not as close to the Divine as Seraphim, their experiences are decidely not Corporeal ones. Aeons like the company of other Aeons very much -- it's rare for two Aeons to disagree with one another, so Aeons feel their interpersonal relationships are an effective model for the other Choirs. Musically, Aeons see themselves as steel drums -- adding rhythm to the whole while being expressive and beautiful in and of themselves. Game Mechanics The Aeon resonance allows the angel to both identify flaws and weak points in existing structures, and more effectively work on new ones. As always, the check digit of the resonance roll determines the effectiveness of the Aeon's resonance: Assessing existing structures: 1. Tell how well made, maintained and stable a building currently is. 2. Tell how well made a building was, and how much it has deteriorated. 3. Determine the specific points of deterioration in a building, or specific flaws in the building's design, whichever is more significant. 4. Determine the specific points of deterioration in a building and all specific flaws in the building's design. 5. Determine all design flaws and points of deterioration in a building and learn precisely what must be done to repair or compensate for them. 6. Determine all design flaws and points of deterioration in a building, learn what must be done to repair or compensate for them, and learn what retrofitting can be done to improve it beyond its design. Assessing blueprints or designs: 1. Determine how stable a building will be if built by these plans. 2. Determine a building's stability and primary weak points in its design. 3. Determine any flaws in a blueprint. 4. Determine the flaws in a blueprint and how to correct them. 5. Determine all flaws in a blueprint, how to correct them, and all possible improvements to make a design more efficient, stable and cost effective. 6. Determine the same information as in check digit 5, and also the most opportune available location for the building. In addition to their resonance, most Aeons are taught the Song of Building. The Song of Building is a Restricted Song (which only Aeons can learn. It allows them to shape the essence of the Celestial Realm into their divine forms). Aeons will often work as a Chorus to speed up the construction and perform greater works than might otherwise be possible. Superiors Not all Archangels create Aeons or even employ them on a regular basis. Some Archangels, when confronted with a building project in Heaven, will borrow Aeons from a friendly Archangel who does employ them regularly. Some Archangels use Aeons quite extensively -- those Archangels might even have Attunements for the Aeons to use as well. These Attunements are always restricted. Blandine: Aeons are builders in the Celestial Realm, not in the Marches. Blandine only rarely has need of their services and is most likely to borrow them from Yves if necessary. It is said that her Tower, raised by love, had nothing of Aeons in its construction. David: One of the greatest patrons of the Choir of Aeons, David uses them in many places in Heaven and throughout his realm, teaching them the arts of shaping stone. He grants Aeons the ability to use their resonance on stone that is meant for building materials, to learn precisely how to shape it (or tunnel into it, in the case of caves.) Dominic: Dominic has a small cadre of Aeons, dedicated to the making and maintenance of prisons and other containers. With a successful Resonance Roll, the Architects of Judgement can determine where the weakest points in any prison cell or other jail can be found, with the check digit indicating how much detail Aeons get on possible escape methods. Eli: The Archangel of Creation had nearly as many Aeons working for him as David. However, he mostly dispersed them to other Archangels when he went on walkabout, with very few exceptions. And most of his Aeons, whether dispersed or not, have fully entered the service of other Superiors -- Aeons are simply too communally based for such randomness. The very rare exceptions who still have Eli's Aeon of Creation Attunement are attuned to aesthetics. On a successful resonance, they also learn how to either improve an existing structure's appearance or how to alter plans to increase the building's beauty upon construction. Gabriel: Even when she was associated with Heaven, Gabriel had few Aeons associated with her. She was more likely to employ David's for any sort of work she needed done. Janus: The building of permanent structures is alien to Janus, and working for such a chaotic force is alien to most Aeons. Jean: Jean employs a small but versatile staff of Aeons in the Halls of Progress. They are masters at power systems, and can use their resonance on the existing wiring of a building (learning how stable and strong it is and how to improve it) or on a wiring schematic meant to either be added to a building or as part of an overall blueprint. Jordi: Jordi will occasionally use one or more of Novalis's Aeons to shift a habitat for creatures of the Savannah, but has no need for permanent Aeons of his own. Laurence: Laurence's Aeons are, with Michael's, among the most likely to be sent down to Earth for occasional duty. Laurence's Aeons are attuned to religious buildings, and when resonating a celestial or corporeal church, they will be able to sense how effectively the church's design can be used to inspire prayer and faith in the Almighty. Laurence is most likely to assign his Aeons to the construction of new Catholic Churches, of course, but he's recognized the value of other houses of Christian Worship. (It is rumored he even loans some Aeons to Khalid to work on Mosques.) Marc: As the Heavens reflect new goods and services available on Earth, so Marc must have Aeons to build and shape places of business. Furthermore, they act as property appraisers. Their attunement lets them estimate the current proper value of any building they resonate, or the potential value of a building based upon location and blueprints. With high check digits, they can also make suggestions on ways to improve the property's value. Michael: The Architects of War are combat engineers, often sent to Earth to help build fortifications and otherwise prepare for assaults. They make poor front line soldiers, as they can't break through enemy fortifications without suffering dissonance, though they will fight alongside their fellows if needed and will not flee a fight any more than any other Angels of War. Aeons of Michael can use their resonance to determine defensibility of a given structure or planned structure. Novalis: Novalis has few Aeons, but the ones she has stay busy working for Flowers in Heaven, keeping the structures of the glade in perfect harmony with nature. When using their resonance on a building, they also learn what environmental impact the building has (or a prospective building might have) on an area. Yves: There are a few Aeons who move through the Library, though no one has ever seen them building or working on it. Yves does not have a special attunement for his Aeons. - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Habbalite of Belaboring the Point ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2000 ******************************** The material here is (C) 2001 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.