(Created by: The Saint of Killers <stofkillers@earthlink.net>)
"..."
There are many angels of which it is said that they were one of the first created. Duma is one of these many. The Archangel of Silence has not always been silent. Before the Fall, his Word was Archangel of the Symphony. It was his job to trace chords back to the start, follow notes to their end, find resonance in the Symphony and watch for discord. He was not Uriel, and did not seek to purify the Symphony, he merely watched and cared. The past, future and presence were his duty, his only rules: do not interefere, never tell.
Never tell.
Then came the Fall. Three angels knew of the Fall before it happened. Michael and Uriel were surprised. Gabriel and David were unprepared. Even Lucifer's followers did not believe it would happen. Surely God's golden boy wouldn't throw it all away. Would the Morningstar abandon the Heavenly Host? Lucifer knew he would. So did Yves and Duma.
Yves and Duma had known that Lucifer would betray God before Lucifer did. Duma had seen it and, despite the rules, had told Yves. Yves did not get upset, either at Lucifer's Fate or Duma's dissonance. Yves merely shrugged and gave that queer little smile of his. Perhaps he'd already known. Known that Lucifer would do such a thing, known that Duma would tell and could do nothing of it. Could tell no one else.
The Fall affected Duma in a way that it touched no other angel. Only Gabriel could be said to have felt such a profound impact from the rebellion. Duma could no longer carry out his Word. The Symphony, with its potential destinies and darkly bidding fates, it no longer captured Duma's interest. Nor his love.
Duma's last words were, "I sing no more."
And he didn't.
The Archangels had hopes that Duma would snap out of it. No one had ever turned against their Word before. Even Lucifer and his followers had merely taken darker versions of those they previously held. Love to Hate, Light to Dark. Never in Heaven had Love or Hate turned to Apathy or Disinterest. It could not happen.
It did.
Yves, of course, knew that it would not go away. It was he who suggested that Duma's Word be changed, instead of the Removal that Uriel and Dominic were insisting upon. It was God who granted Duma his new Word, that of Silence. Not merely the dark and vile version of the Symphony that Kronos' Word embodied, but an absolute antithesis of sound and predestination.
Duma still does not speak, though he has come to participate more fully in the War. His Word, like that of Gabriel, is symbolic. Silence represents the throwing off of the shackles of the Symphony. Duma is the Archangel of spontinaity, free will and unpredictability. This gives his servitors a certain flare for dramatics, and makes it nearly impossible for Laurance to include him in strategies at all.
Rumours fly. Duma speaks only to Yves. Duma speaks only to God. Duma is God. Duma is Satan. Duma is Dominic. Michael respects Duma for the same reason he holds Yves in contempt. Laurence despises Duma, referring to him as the 'Patron of Atheism'. Blandine cries for him and Janus laughs for him. No one speaks for him.
Angels of Silence have no specific dissonance, however causing noise in the Symphony acts as dissonance for them. As long as there is a sound in the Symphony that they have directly created, they have as much dissonance as the target number for people nearby to detect it. Yes, this means that it is possible for an angel to temporarily have more dissonance than normally possible. It only remains for as long as the echoes last, then disappears altogether. With a great enough disturbance in the symphony, angels may temporarily display the symptoms of various Discords.
Duma's Seraphim cause no ripples in the Symphony for taking their Celestial form.
Cherubim of Silence cause no disturbance in the Symphony for using songs when it affects the one they are attuned to. Protecting their attunement, healing them or, for really daring (or stupid) Cherubim, killing them.
Ofanim can destroy objects without causing an audible interference in the Symphony.
Elohim can percieve new sounds in the Symphony at a distance of -ten- times the norm. In a large city, it can get quite loud at times. Elohim of Duma have an uncanny ability to concentrate in the most distracting of envionments.
Malakim may kill humans without causing notes in the Symphony. Note: This only prevents the actual murder from sounding out. If the Malakim uses a song or takes Celestial form to commit the act, then both of these will cause a disturbance.
Kyriotates, when in a vessel, may use songs on their host(s) without causing undue activity in the Symphony.
Mercurians may spend essence without it causing ripples in the Symphony.
Generally, Servitor Attunements aren't considered nearly as important to Angels of Silence as is learning the other Band Attunements.
Borrowing on Duma's old Word, the angel may spend time concentrating on the Symphony. By doing so he may find clues about the future, and insights into the past. This is not fortunetelling or Last Week TV. It is often uncertain and more often confusing. A roll must be made, the target number being -half- the angel's perception. For each hour spent meditating, the target goes up by one.
By following one note in the Symphony, an Angel of Silence may discover who controls any one target. This can be used to find out who a mortal's boss is, what Archangel an Angel follows, or what Prince a Demon kneels before. This requires a simple perception roll, with the check digit showing how detailed a heirarchy the angel will know. (1: Jimbo Demon works for Belial, Prince of Fire. 6: Jimbo Demon has no Word, and is directly controlled by Flamebo Demon, Demon of Plasma Leaks in Jeffrey's Tubes. Above Flamebo is Borgia, Demon of Terrible Starship Mishaps. Above Borgia is Belial, Demon Prince of Fire.)
The angel may render any one target unable to speak for as many turns as his Etherial forces.
A Friend of Aphonia may spend an essence and grant a fellow angel any of his Choir Attunements for as many turns as his Celestial Forces.
The Master may use songs without causing a disturbance in the Symphony.
Relations with the other angels are understandably strained. There are those who pity him, those who admire him and those who hate him. He acts against no one, but rarely allows himself to be acted against.
Who is Duma?
Laurence may be closer than he believes he is. Like Yves, Duma is a direct incarnation of God. However, neither he nor Yves realize it. Duma is God's self-doubt, a part of Him that isn't even sure that He exists. Originally created to be the Symphony in celestial flesh and blood, the Fall caused a great change in Duma. Despite his innate connection to God, a connection just as strong as Yves' own, he yearns for Free Will.
This is a powerful paradox. Duma demands Free Will from his own Will. He wishes to work outside of the Symphony, when working outside of the Symphony is, itself, such a great restraint. His own servitors must work for Free Will, but would do anything Duma asked of them.
Duma's silence is his meditation. He's not yet realized it, but he is slowly coming closer to untying the knot of his mind. When he does, not only will he have a complete understanding of how Silence has a place in the Symphony, but so will the others.