Leilani, Seraph Archangel of the Heavens

By Manny Nepomuceno

**Flaming
Feather**

The world is mankind's first home, but the universe is its destiny.

Whether wrapped in mundane flesh or working in Heaven, Leilani's Servitors all have their eyes firmly fixed on the stars that are man's future. Their beliefs are a curious mishmash of science fiction, new age astrology, and sheer optimism, but this is more because of their Archangel's strange and varied nature than anything else. For a Seraph, Leilani is remarkably unstraightforward. She has, in the past, espoused astrology and other divination-related fields as part of her Word...perspectives she has been loath to let go of, but which she understands are obsolete in the face of man's growing reliance on himself to chart his own course in life. After the Second World War, she began to reinterpret her Word, channeling its energies and her own into motivating humans to soar out towards the stars.

As a result, Leilani's Servitors are a remarkably varied lot. Many of hers work in various government agencies, and not a few are in NASA, helping humans prepare for life away from earth. In keeping with the old interpretation of her Word, she also has many angels with Roles as Tarot readers and astrologers. Yet a steadily growing number of her angels work in space itself, charting, exploring, and generally preparing space for the arrival of homo sapiens. The War isn't out there yet, but when it does move out to the stars, Heaven will be ready.

In Heaven, Leilani is remarkably busy for an Archangel. In addition to fostering her Word, she serves as Laurence's seneschal, overseeing the day-to-day operations of Heaven when the demands of the War keep the Archangel of the Sword busy. This is part of her most ancient of functions, and she remembers serving Uriel in this capacity. She is generally well-regarded by the other Archangels, and even the normally antagonistic Jordi appears to be charmed by the Archangel of the Heavens. Of the Demon Princes, only one has her undivided attention...Gendu, Prince of the Stars and her most bitter rival.

When she chooses to appear on Earth, it is usually as a middle-aged woman, although such visits to the corporeal plane have become more and more infrequent in recent years. The more the War escalates, the more responsibilities she needs to fulfill in Heaven. Her Servitors make do with what they have until such time as mankind can sail between the stars, free of infernal influence.

Choir Attunements

Seraphim: Leilani's Seraphim understand space. Whenever they are in space, their senses become more keen -- they can detect Symphonic disturbance as if it were doubled, and their mundane senses are twice as sensitive as they would normally be.

Cherubim: Cherubim of the Heavens are aware of all spatial bodies within their line-of-sight, even those not normally visible to the unaided eye.

Ofanim: Even in space, Ofanim will never get lost. They instinctively know the direction to Terra and the Sol system.

Elohim: Elohim of the Heavens receive one Knowledge skill at level 6. This Knowledge skill is always related to space science in some way (ex. Xenobiology, Stellar Cartography, Starship Design, Astrogation, Terraforming), even for sciences that have yet to be developed by man. However, allowing the information this attunement grants to fall into a human's hands without Leilani's (and Jean's) consent earns the angel a note of dissonance!

This attunement can be purchased more than once.

Malakim: The vessels of Leilani's Malakim are immune to the ravages of vaccuum and the biting cold of space, and do not require air.

Kyriotates (restricted): Kyriotates in space need not fear being recalled to Heaven. However they must find and possess a suitable vessel within 1 hour of entering a planet's atmosphere. GMs are encouraged to adjust this time limit, depending on how fast the Domination can get to the planet's surface.

Mercurians: On viewing a planet, a Mercurian of the Heavens automatically becomes aware of whether or not that planet can support terrestrial life, and whether or not that planet is currently inhabited. On a successful Perception roll, he can learn the nature of that life (more information is revealed at higher CDs).

Bright Lilim (restricted): Gifters in Leilani's service automatically succeed in their resonance rolls against people of the same astrological sign (roll anyway to determine check digit). Leilani calculates the Bright's sign from the moment of her redemption.

Archaic Choir Attunements

Leilani began reinterpreting her Word in the late 1940's, when man began taking the idea of space exploration seriously. Consequently, she revamped her Choir attunements, requiring all her active Servitors to trade in their old attunements for her new ones. Unfortunately, not all angels of the Heavens have complied, and Leilani's been too busy to chase after them.

These are her archaic Choir attunements, presented here for the creation of older angels of the Heavens. These attunements all grant bonuses to her followers whenever certain heavenly bodies are visible. Holders of these attunements are always aware of where these bodies are in relation to their current location, whether or not they can be seen.

Seraphim (restricted): Seraphim of the Heavens are especially attuned to the sun. Whenever the sun is visible, they receive a bonus to the CD of their successful resonance rolls equal to their Celestial Forces. Although the other Choir attunements are similar and are only partially restricted, Leilani has never granted this attunement to non-Seraphim in her service.

Cherubim (partially restricted): Sirius, the Dog Star, is also the patron star of Leilani's Cherubim. Whenever Sirius is visible, Cherubim of the Heavens become keenly aware of the condition and direction of their attuned, and may de-attune automatically should they wish to do so.

Other Choirs receive their Choir bonuses and effects whenever Sirius is visible.

Ofanim (partially restricted): Polaris, the Pole Star, is the patron star of Lelani's Ofanim. Whenever Polaris is visible, Wheels of the Heavens move twice as fast in celestial form and halve the time it takes to calculate the fastest path to their destination. Other Choirs receive their Choir bonuses and effects whenever Polaris is visible.

Elohim (partially restricted): Leilani's Dynamis are attuned to Venus, long regarded as the ruler of passion and emotion. Whenever Venus is visible, they gain a bonus equal to the CD of any successful resonance roll equal to their Celestial Forces.

Other Choirs receive their Choir bonuses and effects whenever Venus is visible.

Malakim (partially restricted): The darkest of Leilani's agents, Malakim of the Heavens receive a bonus to the CD of any successful resonance roll equal to their Celestial Forces whenever Mars is visible.

Other Choirs receive their Choir bonuses and effects whenever Mars is visible.

Kyriotates (partially restricted): Auroras are special to Kyriotates of the Heavens, who usually congregate where they are visible. Whenever and wherever an aurora is present, Kyriotates of the Heavens are free to assume celestial form without fear of being recalled to Heaven.

Other Choirs receive their Choir bonuses and effects whenever an aurora is visible.

Mercurians (restricted): While it is generally believed that Mercury itself is the patron heavenly body of Heaven's Mercurians, Leilani's Intercessors know better. They are actually attuned to the constellation of their birth, and automatically succeed in any resonance roll against people of the same astrological sign (roll anyway to determine check digit).

Dissonance Conditions

Angels of the Heavens gain dissonance for revealing too much information. For those angels who still focus on divination and human destiny, this means that a person's destiny cannot be directly revealed. For example, an angel of the Heavens cannot tell a mortal, "You will meet the love of your life tomorrow," but rather is encouraged to say something like "There is love in the air for you. Try to keep an open mind and heart." GM's call in this area, but bottom line is that if it negates the human's free will, then the angel gains dissonance. For those angels with her newer attunements and who work in space, angels of the Heavens gain dissonance for revealing information about the space sciences and about what they have learned in space without the permission of Leilani and Jean.

Alternate Choir Attunements

Cherubim (partially restricted): When returning to the corporeal plane, a Cherubim of the Heavens may choose to manifest in celestial form beside an object or person he has attuned to. This is particularly useful for Leilani's explorers, who often attune to rocks and other tokens on different planets in order to facilitate their return.

Other Choirs may take this attunement, but require the use of the Celestial Song of Attraction or some other means of attunement to make use of its effect.

Ofanim (restricted): When in space, an Ofanite of the Heavens in celestial form travels in thousands of kilometers instead of miles (see IN, p 97).

Servitor Attunements

Mysterious Ways: This attunement is the basis for interstellar travel in celestial form. For a minimum cost of 1 Essence, the angel may move as much as (Celestial Forces x Essence spent) light- years in any direction, arriving instantaneously by a means unclear to any angel less than a Superior. This causes Symphonic disturbance equal to twice the angel's total Forces at both endpoints of the angel's path. Only beings with celestial forms, unfettered by mortal flesh, may make use of this attunement. While Mysterious Ways is not required of all angels of the Heavens, a significant portion of them do receive it from Leilani -- it makes their job easier, after all.

Nova: An angel with this attunement can create a spectacular burst of light that dazzles any onlookers for up to the angel's Celestial Forces in minutes. This burst of light causes anyone in the vicinity to become temporarily blind (corporeally, ethereally, and celestially). Celestials may avoid its effects by making a Will roll at a penalty equal to the angel's Celestial Forces. This includes other celestials on the angel's side, although the angel's allies and companions suffer no penalty to their Will roll. Other angels with the Nova attunement are immune to its effects. This attunement costs 2 Essence to activate.

Captain's Log: Leilani's explorers are often tasked with covering vast regions of space. Those with the Captain's Log attunement may share memories with each other. This requires the expenditure of 1 Essence from each angel and physical contact, either in celestial form or in a vessel. They both choose which memories to share.

Distinctions

Vassal of the Dream of Space: A Vassal of the Dream of Space is intimately connected with the systems on whatever vessel he or she is currently traveling in. He or she may choose one in particular to be aware of, and will be alerted to a breakdown in that system (Celestial Forces) minutes before it actually happens.

Friend of the Infinite Void: A Friend of the Infinite Void is also intimately connected with his ship's systems, but is aware of all of them, not just one.

Master of the Interstellar Depths: A Master of the Interstellar Depths is able to communicate with his ship as though it were a living being. The ship becomes more responsive to his commands, although he must still be in a position to give such orders (not being at the helm will not force the ship to change course, etc., etc.)

Archaic Distinctions

As with her Choir attunements, Leilani's Distinctions have been revised. These are no longer given out, and are being replaced by their equivalent new Distinctions.

Vassal of the Heavens: On a successful Perception roll, a Friend of the Heavens can gain insight into a person's destiny, but not his fate. Treat the clarity of his vision as being less than that granted by Yves's Divine Destiny attunement. However, a Vassal of the Heavens receives these visions only through a medium -- astrological charts, Tarot cards, and the like...never on direct sight.

Friend of Divination: A Friend of Divination gains insight not just into a person's destiny, but his fate as well, but with the same restrictions as with the Vassal of the Heavens Distinction.

Master of the Future: A Master of the Future sees both destiny and fate, but with perfect clarity. He must still obey the same restrictions on his vision, however.

Rites



Archaic Rites



Expanded Rites



Relations

Allied: Laurence, Jean (Laurence and Jean are allied with Leilani)
Associated: Janus, Yves (Dominic, Janus, Marc and Yves consider themselves associated with Leilani)
Neutral: All else
Hostile: no one (Litheroy considers himself hostile to Leilani)
Enemy: Gendu (Gendu considers Leilani his enemy)

Chance of Invocation: 3

Invocation Modifiers

+1 Ten space or science fiction books
+2 A hundred space or science fiction books
+3 A space shuttle
+4 A crowd of at least thirty people gathered to witness a stellar phenomenon (meteor shower, etc. etc.)
+5 The Hubble space telescope
+6 The Mir (or Alpha) space station

**Flaming
Feather**

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