in_nomine-digest Wednesday, September 5 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2358 In this digest: Re: IN> I plead mild delirium... Re: IN> I plead mild delirium... Re: IN> I plead mild delirium... Re: IN> Heretical AA of Faith (Part 2) Re: IN> Kyrios and Toungues... Re: IN> Heretical AA of Faith (Part 2) Re: IN> Iron Rev:Survive the Secret Temptation of Maze Island Re: IN> Why is it that writing up AAs of Faith takes me at least 3 months? (Part 1) Re: IN> I plead mild delirium... IN> How Beleth took the Veil Re: IN> Why is it that writing up AAs of Faith takes me at least 3 months? (Part 1) Re: IN> I plead mild delirium... RE: IN> I plead mild delirium... Re: IN> The Ugly Stick IN> The Matropater Faithful Re: IN> How Beleth took the Veil IN> Re: The Matropater Faithful Re: IN> The Matropater Faithful Re: IN> The Matropater Faithful Re: IN> How Beleth took the Veil IN> Wow. Re: IN> How Beleth took the Veil Re: IN> Wow. Re: IN> Wow. IN> IN [Successors] Serendipity, Mercurian Archangel of Light-part 1 Re: IN> The Matropater Faithful Re: IN> The Matropater Faithful IN> [Successors] Beldine ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 15:22:15 +0000 From: "Janet Anderson" Subject: Re: IN> I plead mild delirium... Go back to bed, Moe ... Janet Anderson * * * * Beware the anger of a patient bard. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 11:28:43 EDT From: Galen Silversmith Subject: Re: IN> I plead mild delirium... > From: Maurice Lane > Anyway, I called out sick today - and, hey, it's even > true. Amazing in today's society, huh? Not too sick > to find the keyboard, alas. Wow. These are great. My players would kill me. On the other hand, I feel strangely dirty... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 11:44:34 -0400 From: Cameron McCurry Subject: Re: IN> I plead mild delirium... > I apologize in advance. I can picture a lot of "Friendly Fire" accidents against these guys...from Christopher's angels. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 11:56:46 -0400 From: "Jason F. McBrayer" Subject: Re: IN> Heretical AA of Faith (Part 2) On Tue, Sep 04, 2001 at 09:09:11PM -0700, Maurice Lane wrote: > Before he became Outcast, Phanuel's task was to nurture humanity's > Faith in God: not for His sake, but for theirs. Unless you use the "God is an Ethereal" option, in which case, this writeup gets even darker... - -- +----------------------------------------------------------------+ | Jason F. McBrayer jmcbray@carcosa.net | | The scalloped tatters of the King in Yellow must hide Yhtill | | forever. R.W. Chambers _The King in Yellow_ | ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 12:00:54 -0400 From: "Jason F. McBrayer" Subject: Re: IN> Kyrios and Toungues... On Tue, Sep 04, 2001 at 09:02:30PM +0200, A. Brimmer wrote: > If a Kyriotate possesses people of a different culture, will he be able to > speak their language from each host, without having the skill to do so? Only if they have the Kyrio of Destiny attunement (in which case they temporarily have the skill), or the Corporeal Song of Tongues (in which case they don't need the skill), if I understand correctly. Shedim, on the other hand, do get their host's skills, and thus their language (IIRC). - -- +----------------------------------------------------------------+ | Jason F. McBrayer jmcbray@carcosa.net | | The scalloped tatters of the King in Yellow must hide Yhtill | | forever. R.W. Chambers _The King in Yellow_ | ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 09:13:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Heretical AA of Faith (Part 2) - --- "Jason F. McBrayer" wrote: > > Before he became Outcast, Phanuel's task was to > nurture humanity's > > Faith in God: not for His sake, but for theirs. > > Unless you use the "God is an Ethereal" option, in > which case, this > writeup gets even darker... Oooh! Good one: I hadn't thought of that - and it'll really fiddle with the players' heads, too. :) Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 07/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 09:21:42 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Iron Rev:Survive the Secret Temptation of Maze Island - --- Richard C Hanton-Rutherford wrote: > The Eli write-up was great, though I prefer it when > Dominic is hostile to him. I thought about it, but I decided that it would echo the canon version too much. One could very easily justify a hostile reaction from Nikki, though: just make Kyrio Eli Proud. He's halfway there already. > And I find the canon > version perfectly playable - Oh, same here: I just have problems with _not_ fleshing out the barking mad concepts that rush into my brain at random intervals.* Moe *It's less fun than it sounds. :) ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 07/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 12:19:31 -0400 From: "Eric Bertish" Subject: Re: IN> Why is it that writing up AAs of Faith takes me at least 3 months? (Part 1) > *That goes for the rest of you, too ... and those who > _have_ them should _update_ them. > > Nag, nag. And you haven't updated yours for close to a month, now. Pot, kettle. Kettle, pot. ;) - -- Casca ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 12:38:03 -0400 From: "Eric Bertish" Subject: Re: IN> I plead mild delirium... > I apologize in advance. > Smurfs Moe. Oh, Moe. You will live to regret this. Considering that Eli and his nuttiness are a focal point of my campaign, and we have servitors of Dreams and Flowers within the group.... Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhhhh. - -- Casca ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 16:58:48 +0000 From: "Jo Hart" Subject: IN> How Beleth took the Veil OK, enough Jamie Oliver. Which naturally leads me on to nightmares. I may write up a successor to Beleth later ;) - ----- "She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes: Thus mellow'd to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies." George Gordon, Lord Byron ===#=== It was in the dawn of time, when the world was still damp and marked more clearly with the thumbprints of its Creator, that she first trod the empyreal marches. The stars rose in her eyes, and the moon caught in her hair like a silver comb, and she was the most beautiful and the most terrible of all the angelic spirits. Budding shoots that would becom ethereal forests whispered adoration and leaned towards her as she walked. Tiny inchoate ethereals, products of the first dreams, fled from her shadow and stared at her from hiding with yearning eyes that would never again look on anything else, being struck instantly blind by the sublime perfection of her face. She had many names. Star of the Evening. The Aureate. Lady of the Thousand Sighs. Beauty that Renders the Eye Sightless. Angel of Fear. Beleth. ===#=== The story of the fall is usually told with the idea that Lucifer became proud and jealous of mortals, and that he seduced Beleth away from her angelic lover with poisonous lies and false promises. Actually, the opposite is true. It was Beleth who first seduced him. Beleth who whispered thoughts of rebellion into his ear. Beleth who stood by his side with a mask-like face and refused to speak to Blandine or even to look upon her face, sending the Angel of Dream away weeping. We could explain why, but the logic that made sense then doesn't make sense now. The original angels were perfect beings, celestial in form and free of mortal or ethereal imperfections. So it was natural for the angel of fear, whose beauty could blind or kill lesser beings, to reach an understanding that beauty was truth, and hence that the lack of beauty was a sign of corruption, and of lesser souls. Nothing so beautiful as an angel could ever be evil. Nothing so ugly as humanity could ever truly be good. Safe in her lovers arms, she wondered silently about God's plans, and about why He was introducing evil into their perfect world. Not only the evil of ugliness, but also the evils of sickness, madness, and of free will -- which could never be as beautiful or as perfect as doing His Will without question or complaint, as the angels did. And Blandine smoothed Beleth's glorious hair, as soft as sheer silk and darker than fuligin, and murmured only that the corporeal creatures had beautiful dreams; and because she was the angel of dreams, this settled the matter for her. But the angel of fear was not satisfied. If she was the most beautiful of all the angels in heaven, then Lucifer was the fairest, so it was naturally to his side that she went. Her resolve and her confidence had been shaken by Blandine's response and she needed to assure herself that other opinions might gel better with her own. So she seduced the Archangel of Light, and he was smitten utterly by the quiet, glorious creature who came to him as the sun was setting, because she had been known previously for her solitary habits and her aloof ways. He was proud, and prided himself privately that the most desirable angel in Heaven had left her lover to seek him out, and Beleth's questions about beauty and truth and the purpose of humanity struck a chord with him. ===#=== "Remember me? I used to live for beauty ..." Leonard Cohen, "First we take Manhatten" ===#=== So there was war in Heaven. The story is well known enough not to bear repeating. And before the rebel angels were defeated and thrown out of the silver city, Beleth led one last attack on the tower she had built with Blandine's help. Her forces and her terrible will forced the timid angels out into the marches, where she terrorised them into joining her party, and she stood at the base of the tower and called in a dreadful whisper for Blandine to come down and face her. And the Archangel came. For the first and the only time, Blandine came armed with the burning sword, "The End of All Hope", that sent violent ripples of flame leaping about her and outlining her slender, armoured form. As they fought, Beleth was dealt one last dolorous blow across the face, and she fled screaming from the person who loved her more than anything in the world. Her beauty was destroyed in that blow, before she Fell with the rest. When she found herself in Hell, she was no longer the most lovely to look upon of all the angels, but the most hideous of all the demons. Even Lucifer turned away, shallow to the end, and named her Princess of Nightmares, ordering her to go away to somewhere where he would never have to look at her face. To this day, Beleth rarely appears to her followers in celestial form, and always wears a veil -- her ugliness is as terrible as her beauty once was. jo _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 10:12:03 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Why is it that writing up AAs of Faith takes me at least 3 months? (Part 1) - --- Maurice Lane wrote: > This is the point where I nag you to get a website set > up, so that I don't have to take your word for it. When I get done learning how (some of us are Technically Challenged, you know)... ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 The next time someones says "Talk is cheap," remind them of how much Oprah Winfrey makes. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 10:16:29 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> I plead mild delirium... - --- Maurice Lane wrote: > Smurfs Moe... do you have any idea how badly you can be hurt for this? ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 The next time someones says "Talk is cheap," remind them of how much Oprah Winfrey makes. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 13:59:19 -0400 From: "Adams, David" Subject: RE: IN> I plead mild delirium... Go ahead bring in the Smurfs. I can't think of any other creature that can make a perfectly habitable house out of a mushroom. Oh, so you laugh at the little blue guy. Well, he has a gift for you, just to let you know that there are no hard feelings. [see malakite dutifully find somewhere else to be at the moment] Dave Well, I just finished smurfing the smurf with some of the smurfiest smurf that smurfed the smurfing smurf. So, smurf you, you smurfin' smurf smurfer! - -----Original Message----- From: Eric Bertish [mailto:ebertish@hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 12:38 PM To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Subject: Re: IN> I plead mild delirium... > I apologize in advance. > Smurfs Moe. Oh, Moe. You will live to regret this. Considering that Eli and his nuttiness are a focal point of my campaign, and we have servitors of Dreams and Flowers within the group.... Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhhhh. - -- Casca ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 18:32:31 From: "Perry Lloyd" Subject: Re: IN> The Ugly Stick > Some say Kobal created the stick, while others believe that Eli came up >with it in one of his less lucid moods. > >Richie H-R no no no, it was an elohite of destiny . . . - -Perry perrylloyd@hotmail.com pl312993@oak.cats.ohiou.edu http://www.geocities.com/perrylloyd/ "And that's the hardest thing for a human being to do - be wrong. Do you know that people would rather die than be wrong?" - --from A Matter For Men by David Gerrold _________________________________________________________________ Téléchargez MSN Explorer gratuitement à l'adresse http://explorer.msn.fr/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 21:48:24 +0100 From: "Genevieve Cogman" Subject: IN> The Matropater Faithful They've recorded that Uriel was Christian. They never said that he was Catholic. And they never said that all his followers were Catholic, either. Laurence doesn't talk about this, and Dominic can't afford to take a direct interest -- it'd attract too much attention to the problem, and technically speaking it's not really a _heresy_. But he's not happy, not happy at all. Gnosticism really appealed to a lot of angels -- all right, so the humans attached a lot of ideas to the basic concept, but a number of points recommended it to many angels of Purity in particular. Supreme being who was both male and female, no problem there. Equality of the sexes, sure. Emphasis on inner spiritual life, no problem there. Meditation, vegetarianism, non-violence -- perhaps this wasn't quite to the taste of a lot of Malakim, but humans who could hold to those principles and preserve their self-chosen honor were a credit to humanity. Some of the angels of Purity even started wearing the Matropater cross, with a crucified man on one side, and a crucified woman on the other. Discreetly. Quite discreetly. Then Laurence took over. - --- "In 1209 the Pope sent an army of 30,000 into the Languedoc." - --- Laurence's personal devotion to Catholicism, and Dominic's viewpoint that it was Good For Humans, gave the Matropater Faithful (as they had taken to calling themselves) little room to maneuver. They weren't being promoted, unless they could demonstrate astonishing prowess and faith. They were Officially Viewed As Near Heretics, in some quarters. Their dissonance conditions of total obedience to Laurence's orders (for those of them who weren't already out in the Marches with the Tsayadim) forbade any option of disobedience. So they went underground. The Matropater Cross was no longer worn openly (though some of them have private tattoos . . .) But the word is spreading. Angels talk to each other, and it's not as if it's against any law of Heaven .. . . or even _wrong_ . . . Laurence doesn't know how many of his angels are gnostic, and they're not going to tell him. Dominic can't make a cause celebre out of it -- it's not as if they're really committing crimes. That he knows of. - --- "'The companion of the Savior is Mary Magdalene. Christ loved her more than all the disciples, and used to kiss her often on her mouth.' (Gospel of Philip) - --- Recently, a woman has been seen walking in the Marches, wearing oddly antique clothes, with flame-red hair and a prostitute's body, but with the eyes of someone who has seen the living God. She says that she has a message: the men of the propagation of falsehood must be cut down, and the righteous shall be exalted. She preaches this to all who will hear her. She does not name herself, but her truth and her personal honor shine like sunlight to all who resonate her. She has spoken to the Tsayadim, and they have listened to her. Laurence has betrayed his heritage, they have decided. He is no longer the righteous successor to Uriel. He must be cut down, root and branch. Their long isolation has become a brooding madness, and now that they have found a Cause, they will not be denied. They have taken up the vestments of Heaven again, and sharpened their swords, and they will walk in the streets of Heaven until they come to the Cathedral of the Sword, and there they will cleanse the place of corruption, and strike down the Archangel of the Sword. However, some of the Matropater Faithful in Heaven have got word of this. So how do they stop a truly horrendous possibility like this without (a) starting a Dominican inquisition into gnosticism in Heaven, and (b) causing a bloodbath? Do any of _your_ PCs have that little tattoo of a Matropater cross? - --- The identity of the woman with red hair is deliberately left uncertain. Is she the ghost of Mary Magdalene? Or an Ethereal, formed by belief? Is she a cunning plot of Hell's, a brainwashed angel, a demon raised in innocence for this purpose? Is she Mary the mother of Christ, who is (in some stories) also supposed to have risen after three days, and who is still believed to walk the roads and wander until her Son returns? - --- Genevieve Cogman ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 14:54:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> How Beleth took the Veil When I saw that subject line, I thought it was a misspelling. Boy, am I glad that I read this through to the end (you just can't trust first impressions anymore...). ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 The next time someones says "Talk is cheap," remind them of how much Oprah Winfrey makes. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: 05 Sep 2001 23:03:05 +0100 From: "Richard C Hanton-Rutherford" Subject: IN> Re: The Matropater Faithful This is really good. I'd been trying to think of a way to bring Gnosticism in to IN for ages. I particularly love the Mary Madalene elements. Slight correction (I can't help it I'm afraid - I'm training to be a Religious Education teacher, and the habbit's kind of ingrained) the "basics" of Gnosticism you speak of:non-violence, a devotion to inner spirituality, etc. aren't actually essential at all. Some Gnostic sects were inherently hedonistic. It need not even be Christian - the earliest forms predated Chrisitianity by some time. Even in a strictly Christian form, it's one of the most versatile heresies. Richie H-R - -- ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 15:04:04 -0700 From: "Bevan Thomas" Subject: Re: IN> The Matropater Faithful > >Gnosticism really appealed to a lot of angels -- all right, so the humans >attached a lot of ideas to the basic concept, but a number of points >recommended it to many angels of Purity in particular. But one of the basic tenents of Gnosticism is that the world is a cage created by either a foolish or evil creator (depending upon which Gnostic you ask). In Gnosticism, God did not create the world, one of his angels did. Angels (especially the first seven, like Uriel) have proof that the world was created by God and endorsed by him. Admittedly, an angel could believe that the God they supposedly served was in fact the Demiurge, and a false god. But that would almost assurdely get them outcast. And I don't see Uriel believing that, especially due to his purity crusade. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 22:46:36 +0100 From: "Genevieve Cogman" Subject: Re: IN> The Matropater Faithful - -----Original Message----- From: Bevan Thomas To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Date: 05 September 2001 23:04 Subject: Re: IN> The Matropater Faithful >But one of the basic tenents of Gnosticism is that the world is a cage >created by either a foolish or evil creator (depending upon which Gnostic >you ask). In Gnosticism, God did not create the world, one of his angels >did. >Angels (especially the first seven, like Uriel) have proof that the world >was created by God and endorsed by him. Admittedly, an angel could believe >that the God they supposedly served was in fact the Demiurge, and a false >god. But that would almost assurdely get them outcast. And I don't see Uriel >believing that, especially due to his purity crusade. Fair enough -- I admit that I took the bits that I liked, and which fitted the scenario, and rejected the rest. ("Okay, Gnosticfanniel, the humans have got the whole purity-and-reject-the-sinful-things-of-the-world concept _nearly_ right. The only problem is . . .") Genevieve ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 17:23:19 -0500 From: "Prodigal" Subject: Re: IN> How Beleth took the Veil That was a stunning reinterpretation of Beleth, Jo. Wow. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 18:54:29 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: IN> Wow. Between "How Beleth Took the Veil" and "The Matropater Faithful," today's been an absolute reaffirmation of everything that's cool about being on the IN list. Spice it up with both the Twenty-Four Elders and The Sorcerer's World -- both of which are interesting takes on the whole "Successors" theme, and I'm just plain thrilled to be here. And then, of course, there's Moe's Smurfs. Fortunately, I get to kill him in just a few months, when he's at Arisia. "Smurfin' away in Smurfaritaville... trying to Smurf my last container of Smurf...." - -- Eric Alfred Burns - Impudite of Secrets -- or Mercurian of Revelation (candidate for the Word of Obscurity) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 16:18:57 -0400 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> How Beleth took the Veil At 4:58 PM +0000 9/5/01, Jo Hart wrote: >OK, enough Jamie Oliver. Which naturally leads me on to nightmares. I may >write up a successor to Beleth later ;) Eeeee. O:> Nice twist. - --Beth, typing w/a uncoopertive baby (iolanthe) causing typos. arcangel is nursing a trout with ARMS! ARMS that reach out and try to pound the keyboard! You say "And teeth. Ow." ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 16:30:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Wow. - --- Whistling in the Dark wrote: > > Between "How Beleth Took the Veil" and "The > Matropater Faithful," > today's been an absolute reaffirmation of everything > that's cool > about being on the IN list. Spice it up with both > the Twenty-Four > Elders and The Sorcerer's World -- both of which are > interesting > takes on the whole "Successors" theme, and I'm just > plain thrilled to > be here. What he said. I especially liked the Gnostic one... waitasecond. Courtly love. Chivalry. Sword. Heresy. Albigensian Laurence. Damn, if only I knew more about the time period... :) > And then, of course, there's Moe's Smurfs. > > Fortunately, I get to kill him in just a few months, > when he's at Arisia. Ah, I can feel the love. ;) Just be glad that I haven't provided the batch of "You might be a redneck Servitor if" jokes that were spawned over a veritable ocean of Baltimore beer last Saturday. Yet. Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 07/29/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 20:03:23 -0400 From: "Eric Bertish" Subject: Re: IN> Wow. > Ah, I can feel the love. ;) Just be glad that I > haven't provided the batch of "You might be a redneck > Servitor if" jokes that were spawned over a veritable > ocean of Baltimore beer last Saturday. Only because you haven't worked out a line for every Superior. ;P - -- Casca ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 16:40:35 -0700 From: Charles E Smith Subject: IN> IN [Successors] Serendipity, Mercurian Archangel of Light-part 1 "The world is clouded in shadows and darkness. Let there be light once more!" It was a strange sensation when Armageddon had come and gone. All the legends on both sides had been interpreted to mean that there would be one clear victor in the cataclysmic war. Either Heaven or Hell would triumph, and whichever side won would dominate the world henceforth. It was...creepy to scholars of the War on both side when it turned out that neither side had apparently won. The Archangels and Demon Princes had simply...annihilated each other. To Serendipity, Mercurian Friend of Sleepers, it had been a terror-fraught time, and it had come with so little warning! She had been on assignment in the corporeal realm, guarding the dreams of a child who had been tortured by a particularly sadistic Habbalite of Nightmares. The Habbalite did not know that a Mercurian of Blandine's had been assigned to her "plaything", but she had been just about to find out--the hard way--when a massive Disturbance had rocked the Symphony. Turning from the boy who she was guarding (in the role of a babysitter), she looked into the night sky and witnessed the skies turning red and weeping fire. In this case, the fire generated from the explosion of nuclear missiles. Ignoring her role, she grabbed the sleeping child and bolted for the nearest Tether of Dreams in her car. The scene that greeted her was chaos. Demons of Nightmares in corporeal form were already storming the Tether! The back-country hill was already aflame and the Cherub Seneschal was soul-dead near the loci of the Tether. Leaving the child in the car, Serendipity carved a direct path to the locus of the Tether, using a reliquary with the Song of Thunder that she had planned to unleash upon a certain unsuspecting Habbalite this evening. The surprise attack from behind startled the demons, and gave the beleaguered defenders of the Tether a chance to regroup. That brief distraction enabled a Seraph Master of the Realms of Night to lead a new charge and sweep the foes from the Tether. Not waiting for congratulations, Serendipity ordered a Cherub to watch her assigned child, still sleeping peacefully in the back seat of the car, and dived through the Tether loci. The trip was...strange. The pure light of the loci was distorted, wavering between light and dark and shot through with flame. Arriving in the Marches, Serendipity gaped as she beheld the flaming wreckage of *both* Towers. Ethereals and Tsayadim had taken the field, harassing the massed forces of Dreams and Nightmares, all allegiances gone now. Shoving her way through the crowd, taking up the flaming sword of a stunned Ofanite, she witnessed a sight she thought she would never see. In the middle of a cleared space, ringed by angels and demons, Serendipity witnessed a sight she thought she'd never really see. Blandine, Cherub Archangel of Dreams, lay on the ground, a spike riven through her blasted chest. The great Lady was in her celestial form, a majestic white wolf with flaring wings and golden eyes, eyes now clouded in pain and dim shadows. Looming over her in all her hideous, warped glory, was Beleth, the Djinn Princess of Nightmares. The strangest thing was that Beleth's face wore a look of mingled triumph and regret. Serendipity wasted no time for thought of what she was doing. Her grief turned to anger and she charged the Princess with only her borrowed sword. The surprised Beleth, weakened from the battle, turned to swat this insect, but at the last second, Serendipity turned her charge into a flying leap and blew all her Essence in an Invocation. Not stopping to wait for help, Serendipity blasphemed Beleth in the worst terms she could use ("failed, useless would-be Cherub" being one of the more polite terms). Her wild slashes did little to actually injure Beleth, but her words infuriated the Princess and distracted her for a key moment. In that moment, there was a burst of radiance, then Superior-level Songs of Thunder and Acid blasted Beleth from her feet. Turning, everyone saw Khalid and Christopher, fresh from respective battles with Magog and Mammon. The two Archangels ambushed the weakened Beleth (aided by a well-timed sword-thrust into Beleth's eye by Serendipity), and soul-killed her. The angels of Dreams, taking the initative, stormed the demoralized demons of Nightmares, driving them all the way into the Far Marches and then slaughtering them without mercy. There were few survivors. Although Christopher departed to Heaven proper, Khalid remained for a time to aid in the onslaught. When it was done, Serendipity was a heroine, acclaimed by the angels of Dreams as the leader who had stood against the Princess of Nightmares. Unfortunately, it was not enough to win the day. By the time the Marches were cleansed of Nightmares and the backdoor to Hell was held by Heaven, Heaven itself was in flames. In the absence of their Archangel, the angels of Dreams turned to Serendipity for leadership, even the Masters of the Realms of Night. Serendipity left a strong guard around Hell's back door and then led the rest on a charge back into Heaven. She was in time to aid in the retaking of the besieged Halls of Progress, and to witness Jean's triumph over the cyborg troops of Vapula in a searing storm of lightning bolts. The Archangel of Lightning had nearly cleansed the field when Vapula launched a renewed assualt that drove the angels of Dreams back towards the Marches. Serendipity did not see the outcome, but later heard from survivors that Jean destroyed Vapula, but was so weakened that a swarm of Technology Servitors bore him down and held him until Furfur had time to kill him. Weakened and in disarray from the onslaught, the armies of Dreams regrouped in the Halls of Creation, taking in angels from other Words who fled when their Archangels fell. No one much questioned that Serendipity was in charge, leaving the relatively young Mercurian bewildered and dazed. She held her position--and Eli's Halls--until the end. When it was over, when silence reigned in Heaven far more than any Word of the Symphony ever had, Serendipity led her forces out into the flaming wreckage of Heaven. It was horrible. Angels and demons lay strewn everywhere in twisted heaps amidst the ruin of machinery both Divine and Infernal. The greatest devastation lay near the molten crater that had been the Volcano. There Gabriel and Belial had fought for full control of the Word of Fire, and both had ultimately lost, destroyed in the explosion that had leveled the Volcano. The Council Spires lay shattered, and it was a painful thing for many of his angels to see the Archangel of Judgment, fallen on the very steps of the Celestial Tribunal as he personally held it against an onslaught of Baal's warriors and Asmodeus's Gamesters. The only small consolation lay in the fact that the Demon Prince of the Game lay in a slumped corpse not far from Dominic's cloaked body, the Sword of Heavenly Judgment rammed straight through his black heart, nailing him to the floor. As Serendipity led the angels through the remains of Heaven, they encountered bands of demons, who were mercilessly slain as a matter of course. The bewildered Mercurian looked for any Archangel who could possibly take command, but found only their corpses. Marc, having aided Christopher in the fight against Mammon, had met his end at Furfur's hands, like Jean. Furfur in turn had been laid low by Zadkiel in the battle that had leveled the Citadel of Protection. Litheroy had taken the battle with Alaemon all the way to the Monastery of Masks in Stygia and back to the lake of his Abbey, the two Superiors battling with all the intensity of Belial and Gabriel themselves, while Novalis's Glade laid charred by the forces of Saminga's armies. It was said by some of the survivors of Flowers that as Saminga gloated over the death of Novalis, the Grigori Archangel of Death, whom some called Sariel, had returned and dragged the Shedite Prince to Abaddon and an unknown fate. Neither had returned. Some claimed to have seen a Grigori calling herself Harmony, Archangel of Song, traveling towards Yves's Library, but her fate was also unknown. Michael and David lay in their burned Groves, fallen in the two-on-two battle with Lucifer and Baal, though not before they had slain their foes as well. The only one who could be found was a dying Janus, slumped against a burned tree in the Groves. He had strangled Valefor and related the news of Laurence's death in the assault on Hell, between the conquest of Hades and the storming of Gehenna. He claimed that Haagentil had devoured the corpse, but Laurence had managed to impale the Prince of Gluttony as he was being eaten. He also related that a strange blackness had flowed from Haagenti's corpse at his death, followed by a feeling of lethargy that had slowed him down long enough for a concerted ambush by Valefor, Lilith, and Kobal to severely damage him, although he'd had the satisfaction of seeing Valefor dead before he'd fled. He could offer no hope for the immediate future, however. With that, he perished. A distraught Serendipity looked around her at the ruin of Heaven and screamed her despair, her loss, and her confusion. As she lowered her tear-streaked face, seeing only the loss of all hope in the universe, a beam of white light descended from the Higher Heavens. A quiet, gentle Voice sounded through the air about the gathered angels then. "Ah, My Daughter, do not fear. The world as you have known it has fallen, in fire and in blood. But now comes the time for rebuilding, for a new hope. The Darkness has been driven back, its' leaders dead. My wayward Son has fallen in his illimitable pride and vainglory. You who have seen My Children through the Darkness shall now take up the burden of Light, to drive back the shadows. Thus it is that one of the least shall become one of the greatest. Friend of Man, Mercurian of Dreams, do you accept this burden?" When the awestruck Mercurian nodded, the light became blindingly brilliant about her, forcing her to her knees. When it had ended, when the State Change had been worked, the voice said softly "Then rise, Serendipity, Archangel of Light, for you are the Lightbringer to a new creation now. The others shall come in time, new Bright Lords, and those who would be the new Dark Lords. Go in peace, My Daughter." With that, the Light from above was gone, but the Light from the Mercurian Archangel shone as brightly as a star. ________________________________________________________________ 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: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 21:04:35 -0500 From: David Edelstein Subject: Re: IN> The Matropater Faithful > >But one of the basic tenents of Gnosticism is that the world is a cage> >created by either a foolish or evil creator (depending upon which Gnostic> >you ask). In Gnosticism, God did not create the world, one of his angels> >did. Technically, this is true in In Nomine as well. Or rather, a number of angels had a hand in the formation of the universe, and specifically planet Earth. The part about God being foolish/evil could easily be regarded as a later invention by some humans who started elaborating too much. - -David ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 05 Sep 2001 19:06:49 -0700 From: "Bevan Thomas" Subject: Re: IN> The Matropater Faithful > >Technically, this is true in In Nomine as well. Or rather, a number of >angels had a hand in the formation of the universe, and specifically >planet Earth. The part about God being foolish/evil could easily be >regarded as a later invention by some humans who started elaborating too >much. > >-David But the principle point of Gnosticism is that the world is fatally flawed and a mistake, and that one must find the God beyond it. In In Nomine, the angels still created the world under God's orders and therefore the earth to a certain level is what God wanted, instead of being a mistake. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2001 23:18:59 -0400 From: "Eric Bertish" Subject: IN> [Successors] Beldine Two Mistresses, one Bright, one Dark. The massed armies of Dreams and Nightmares stood to arms in the Marches, ready to do battle. Their Mistresses stood behind them, Blandine resplendent in armor sheerer than silk and spun from Hope For The Future, Beleth draped in iron cloaks cobwebbed from Despair For The Past. One wielded a sword sharper than a child's Christmas wish, the other a scythe as brutal as the realization that there is no Santa Claus. They eyed each other across the infinite greyness. Through the fathomless depths, their gazes met. "No regrets," murmured Blandine. "No quarter," whispered Beleth. The lovers roared across the battlefield, their servitors following in their wake. Dreams warred with Nightmares, and their duel above was reflected in the tides of the battle below them. Twelve hours later, both lay dying. Beleth's scythe had cruelly rent Blandine's breast from shoulder to hip, yet with one final stroke the Archangel of Dreams impaled her lover upon her sword. Mortally wounded, the Princess of Nightmare collapsed atop her slayer. "This is proper," thought Blandine. "To die in each others' arms, as we lay so many years ago." "As it should be," thought Beleth. "If I must die, I take her with me." And they both died. Yet... Something rose from the field of battle that day, something that neither Superior had predicted. That something called herself Beldine. Beldine, ArchPrincess of Hopes and Fears "The world is what you make of it." Lies cannot exist without Truth. Light is meaningless without Darkness. Hope and Fear.... are like that, but moreso. False hope can encourage unrealistic expectations which crush their dreamer when they are not met. Healthy fear can be a tool for education and self-improvement. Hope and Fear, two sides of the same coin, yet each can be used for good or evil. This concept of dualistic unity is named Beldine. As Blandine and Beleth lay dying, their remaining Forces flowed together like twin streams of blood and pooled. Their hatred and love for each other spent, all that remained were the last fragments of their respective Words. The dreams of tyrants terrify the masses. The dreams of the people frighten kings. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The end of wisdom is knowing when to stop being afraid. Beldine is a gestalt being, the summation of the Words which birthed her, divorced from politics. She is the evil of which men dream and the salvation in the scared-straight message of a nightmare. She is her parents, as well as their daughter. And she is, most assuredly, neither angel nor demon. She is.... something more. Menunite and Pachadite, existing simultaneously. More tomorrow, when I'm not so tired. :) - -- Casca ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2358 ********************************