Assuming the PCs find Gabriel, how do they deal with her?

This the most role-playing intensive part of the adventure. Somehow, the PCs must coax Gabriel back into some semblance of sanity. They must talk her into returning to the corporeal plane, or to Heaven. Whether this is to face judgment, or healing, is up to the GM. Presumably some of the Archangels have a plan in mind. Curing Gabriel, temporarily or permanently, is another blank spot for the GM (and/or the PCs) to fill. But here are some ideas of my own:

* Powerful Songs, akin to the Ethereal Song of Healing, may bring some peace to the Archangel's fractured mind. Either Zadkiel or Novalis might be able to offer healing, if the PCs can persuade Gabriel to go to them.

* Divine Logic can persuade anyone of nearly anything; likewise, Yves himself has in the past proven himself able to talk Gabriel down from one of her psychotic episodes. If the PCs can talk Gabriel into staying put long enough for Yves to have a gentle chat with her, the crisis may be averted.

* She's just been away from heaven too long. Bring her home, and her Servitors will be able to nurse her back to mental health.

* Some of Uriel's Servitors were able to purge other celestials of dissonance and Discord, albeit by very painful means. One of the most ancient of the Tsayadim may still possess this ability, and be capable of scourging Gabriel. First you have to find the Tsayadim. Then you have to talk Gabriel into submitting to this "treatment." No problem....

* Her dissonance has been caused by a failure to take decisive action against Belial. Want to begin an epic new stage in your campaign? Persuade all angels of Fire that it's time to go on crusade against Belial's minions. A few other Archangels would probably be willing to lend their support to that endeavor. Present Gabriel with a vision of her loyal minions, ready to expunge the cause of their mistress' madness from the face of the universe. Heartened by the sight, she shakes off her inertia and returns to Heaven (and Earth), ready to reassume her rightful place in Heaven's Host, or go out in a blaze of glory.

This is, of course, The Big Finale for those who want an epic conclusion. If Gabriel prevails, she may become completely sane again. The cost may weaken her to the point that another Prince takes her out as she's standing over the smoldering remains of Belial. Prepare to deal with the effects of an all-out war between the Archangel of Fire and the Demon Prince of Fire. This fight to the finish could quite possibly ignite the _real_ fight to the finish, Armageddon.

If the PCs are diabolicals, their goal may be to push Gabriel over the edge. That requires even more creativity, and surviving it may just be the feat of a lifetime. If you want to go easy on the diabolical PCs, just assume that if not saved by her followers, Gabriel has already started her descent; it's the PCs' job just to keep the angels away from her, without attracting the Archangel's attention.

Tips on encountering Gabriel:

IF THE PCS WANT TO FIGHT: Destroying Gabriel or dragging her bodily (so to speak) back to the corporeal or celestial plane is an interesting proposition. Decide just how stable and how merciful Gabriel is at the moment. Describe the ensuing battle accordingly, and then let the survivors (if any) know how many Forces they have left.

IF THE PCS PISS OFF GABRIEL: As above, but there are no survivors.

SUPERIOR AGENDAS:

BLANDINE: Blandine will offer all the help she can to those searching for Gabriel. She will even demand that the Guardians assist, and tolerate the presence of any ethereals who might also help.

CHRISTOPHER: Sees Gabriel as a lost child in the woods, albeit a very dangerous one. He'll help any way he can, which isn't much.

DAVID: Deeply concerned at the possibility of losing Gabriel, he will commit his forces to doing everything they can to save her. Angels of Stone will try (in vain) to help Gabriel's Servitors hold back the rising tide of lava in her cathedral. While Gabriel is at Ayers Rock, any major disturbance or attempt to invoke him there will automatically bring David there personally.

DOMINIC: The Archangel of Judgment feels vindicated in his suspicions of Gabriel, and wishes he was not. He will want to bring Gabriel to trial, and have her confined somehow until such time as she is deemed no longer a threat. (In fact, he suspects the best thing to do would be to destroy her, but that may prove impossible...)

ELI: If Eli can be found, he'll express dismay at Gabriel's plight. She is one of mankind's primal inspirations, and for him, a light will go out of the universe if she Falls. Unfortunately, there is little he can do to help directly, but if any of his Servitors have knowledge or skills that might help, he'll order them to do so, even if they are in service to another Archangel.

JANUS: Some change does more harm than good. Losing Gabriel would break his heart, but he knows that his personal presence is unlikely to sway her. He will transport his Servitors instantly anywhere they need to go on the corporeal plane, though.

JEAN: Dismayed that Gabriel has completely taken leave of her senses, he supports Dominic and Laurence; though Gabriel would be a tragic loss, she must not be allowed to inflict chaos in Heaven.

JORDI: Though he has few dealings with Gabriel, he also doesn't want to see the Archangel Fall. There's little he can do to help find her in the Marches; he has many Tethers and Servitors in Australia, though, and they'll be ready for any showdown near Ayers Rock.

KHALID: If Gabriel Falls, it will be a shattering blow to Khalid's faith. He will instruct his Servitors to invoke him if they find her; he will personally try to restore her faith. He is another potential Archangel who might heal her, at least temporarily.

LAURENCE: He stands ready to do what must be done. Gabriel would be a tragic loss, but he has never been able to count on her anyway, so his plans rarely included her. Laurence will try to have Gabriel slain if she does Fall, before Hell gains a new Prince.

MARC: He feels somewhat helpless in this situation, but he will counsel a diplomatic course; if Gabriel is to be saved, it's with calm, reasoned dialogue.

MICHAEL: Like all the other Archangels, Michael wants to prevent Gabriel's Fall, but it has occurred to him that if Gabriel Falls, it will cause enormous disruption in Hell. He quietly prepares his Servitors to prepare to take advantage of the situation if it does happen.

NOVALIS: Enormously saddened, Novalis will under no circumstances condone a violent approach. She implores her Servitors to bring Gabriel to her, so she can bring some peace to the Archangel's mind.

YVES: Yves also will try a reasoned approach -- he asks his Servitors to bring Gabriel to him.

ZADKIEL: Her natural inclination to protect Gabriel is at odds with her need to protect Heaven, even if it is _from_ Gabriel. If Gabriel can be saved, Zadkiel will do all she can to help, including shielding her from Dominic. If Gabriel Falls, though, Zadkiel will join Laurence, Jean and Dominic in seeking her quick destruction.

{The agendas of the Princes are below, following the next section....)

===IF GABRIEL FALLS===

If the PCs' efforts are in vain, the Archangel of Fire will Fall. This obviously will have a significant impact on your campaign.

Gabriel's Servitors are enormously loyal; they love their Superior, as few Archangels are loved. If she Falls, it is quite likely that many of them will Fall with her. If any PCs are Servitors of Fire, the choice should be theirs as to whether they will follow Gabriel to Hell. (You will especially have to keep in mind the effects on such PCs, since many players might object to having their Superior altered so radically; it will make a major change in their character!)

Soldekai, Gabriel's most powerful and trusted Servitor (see The Marches), will petition for the Word of Fire. The Seraphim Council will spend some time (possibly days, possibly years) deliberating. The outcome may largely depend on the battle between Gabriel and Belial (see below). Having seen what happened to Gabriel, no one will want to put a newer angel in the same position, but if Belial is crushed by the new Princess, Soldekai might be deemed able to take over the Word. Upon assumption of the Word, he will become the new Archangel of Fire. Details of that transition are left to the GM. It will take him a long time to prove himself. Gaining the respect of Gabriel's people will take longer than it took Laurence when he replaced Uriel as commander of the Armies of God; partly because Soldekai doesn't have the reputation Laurence did, and partly because he wasn't appointed directly by God.

As for Gabriel...

Lucifer is faced with an interesting dilemma. Gabriel lost her Word when she Fell. She is now even more of a raging psychopath than she was before. She is obviously Princess material, and she brought a lot of new demons with her, but while it was amusing to have two Superiors with the same Word, it would be less amusing to have two _Princes_ with the same Word.

Gabriel is now busily trying to kill Belial. Word or not, she's a former Archangel, and she might very well succeed in finishing the job she couldn't do before. Some of the Hell's royalty are pleading with Lucifer to destroy Gabriel, or at least rein her in. He has other ideas.

He makes a Gabriel a Princess, and declares that he will not interfere in the power struggle between Gabriel and Belial, so long as it does not spill out of Sheol into other areas of Hell. This is evolution in action.

(Some demons wonder privately if Lucifer _could_ rein in Gabriel if he tried.)

Gabriel's Word? That which she struggled against for so long, and to which she finally succumbed..... Wrath.

GABRIEL

DEMON PRINCESS OF WRATH

"The world is raging out of control, and I will fan the flames!"

Gabriel knows she's Fallen, and has completely surrendered to her nature. It is a relief, in many ways, to finally unleash thousands of years of pent-up anger. Now the Symphony will tremble at her fury; now she'll show that snivelling toad Belial what she was holding back all this time! She has no love for her new peers, but as long as they stay out of her way, she's willing to focus most of her rage on her enemies. This includes those of her former peers who persecuted her - Dominic is at the top of the list. She also now realizes that that smug bastard Yves deliberately set her up, and has been standing back nodding and clucking sadly as she took the heat for the Islam debacle ever since. Khalid was probably in on that too. Laurence has been scheming all along to knife her in the back as soon as she stepped out of line, and she never trusted Michael in the first place. Blandine and Novalis and all the other goody-goody Archangels make her sick.

In short, Gabriel has become a raving paranoid hatemonger. She has it out for everyone, and she just wants to burn, burn, burn. In odd moments she will revert to an almost calm state, and in those moments, she might recognize a former friend and experience regret. This is unlikely to last more than a few seconds, however.

She still channels the Divine, but now the message comes to her as a garbled bellow, searing her mind much as the conflict with Belial did at one time. She knows God too is out to get her, and He's instructed all his angelic slaves to punish His wayward Servitor who dared to step out of line. Sometimes she may be seen with tears of fire streaming down her face, pleading for forgiveness...other times she rages, shaking her fist at the heavens above and cursing God, daring Him to come get her. It is in these moods when she is most frightening. The other Princes would love to see Gabriel become sane enough that she could process the information she gets through her divine link, but it's not a subject any of them dares broach with her.

In the immediate future, Gabriel will be waging an all-out war against Belial. Hell isn't big enough for the two of them. While she (barely) heeds Lucifer's admonition not to take the battle to other Principalities, she has made camp in Sheol, at the top of a mountain looking across at Belial's citadel, and her followers are gathering. Many of them are Belial's former followers, mostly those who'd been out of favor with their old Prince and now hope they're backing the winning horse. Gabriel's personality is such that she attracts many ambitious, eager young demons to her cause. Most of her new following is made up of younger diabolicals, but she has a solid core of veteran angels of Fire, now demons of Wrath. Belial hasn't mounted a direct assault on her encampment yet; he's trying to recruit support from the other Princes. He's very clearly fighting for his life, and the outcome of this battle will rock Hell. Belial will have numbers on his side, and a home turf advantage, but Gabriel has sheer power, and fanatically devoted followers. What will really determine the outcome, however, will be how the other Princes line up...

DISSONANCE CONDITIONS

It is dissonant for Servitors of Wrath to restrain their anger. If anything provokes their fury, they must make their displeasure known. A violent fit of rage isn't mandatory, (unless that's what the demon really feels like doing, in which case stifling that impulse is dissonant), but any who feel anger and don't express it are going against the Word of Wrath. No slight may be ignored; demons of Wrath must retaliate for any transgression or suffer dissonance. This dissonance can be erased if the demon bides his time and strikes at a later date. Other demons are careful about antagonizing Gabriel's Servitors; they know that if you cross a demon of Wrath, you've now got an enemy who will be carrying dissonance around until he pays you back.

BAND ATTUNEMENTS

Balseraphs

Balseraphs of Wrath may add their Celestial Forces to any resonance roll that will cause the victim anger if he believes the lie.

Djinn

When these Djinn get angry, their Wrathful nature overwhelms their Band dissonance conditions. They can harm the objects of their attunements, but _only_ if they do so while angry at the victim (and thus fulfilling their Superior's dissonance conditions). Furthermore, if a Djinn of Wrath has become devoted to one of his subjects due to a failed resonance roll, he gets another Will roll to break that fixation any time he gets angry at the subject.

Calabim

Calabim of Wrath are scary. They add their Ethereal Forces to their resonance rolls _and_ to the check digit of a successful roll when they're angry (and it doesn't take much to get a Calabite angry...) However, they suffer _double_ dissonance for choosing to absorb a failed resonance roll rather than unleashing it elsewhere!

Habbalah

Habbalah of Wrath add their Ethereal Forces to any attempt to inflict Fury -- and anyone who is already angry does not get a resistance roll! They do suffer double dissonance for absorbing Fury (but not other effects) if it is resisted.

Lilim

Angry people are transparent to Lilim of Wrath; they can attempt to read such a person's Needs without eye contact, and add their Ethereal Forces to the roll.

Shedim

Anger makes people very vulnerable to these Shedim, who subtract their Celestial Forces from an angry victim's Will roll to resist possession. If the victim has the Angry Discord, add the level of that Discord to the Shedite's check digit on a successful possession!

Impudites

Rather than charming victims, Impudites of Wrath can choose to make them angry instead. There is no specific game effect, but the victim instantly acquires a bad mood. These Impudites can also attempt to steal Essence from angry subjects without charming them first.

SERVITOR ATTUNEMENTS

Blinded by Rage

For 1 Essence, this attunement allows the demon to work himself into an almost mindless frenzy, and do the same to anyone who is currently under the effects of the Angry, Berserk or Murderous Discords. While blinded by rage (as long as the demon wishes when applied to himself, or for the duration that the Discord is in effect for others), the subject will be unable to act in a calm or rational manner, but he will be immune to _any_ other celestial effects that would alter his mental state -- this includes the Songs of Harmony, and many resonance effects (including possession attempts).

Smite

Gabriel still grants this attunement, but now it's fuelled by rage, rather than fire. It works as before, but the demon can only use it when angry (not that this is usually a problem for Servitors of Wrath...)

DISTINCTIONS

Knight of Rage

The demon can tell at a glance what is the easiest way to make someone angry. He also detects those with the Angry Discord on sight.

Captain of the Screaming Hordes

The demon has an uncanny ability to direct anger without lessening it; he can communicate and "reason" with anyone who is angry, even berserk. A detached part of the angry person's mind will consider what the demon says and react as the subject would when not suffering from a fit of temper -- but his rage will continue unabated. He can get an intelligent answer to a technical question from someone in the middle of a berserk rage, or lead frothing hordes of enraged warriors and give them detailed tactical commands which will be followed precisely, even as they continue frothing.

Baron of Smoldering Fury

The demon knows at a glance every lingering source of anger tucked away in a person's psyche. Every grudge, every resentment, every instance of unachieved vengeance, gives the demon information that can be used to rekindle animosity or push someone into a mindless rage.

RELATIONS

Gabriel hates all the other Princes. Furfur she deigns to tolerate, because his passion for her is useful and she needs a few allies. Belial, of course, she has sworn to destroy. Everyone else she ignores as long as they stay out of her way.

Allied: No one

Associated: Furfur

Hostile: Everyone else.

Enemy: Belial

Below is how the other Princes view her, both in general, and specifically how they line up in the current Gabriel-vs.-Belial deathmatch.

ANDREALPHUS: "Mmmmm.....simply scrumptious. And much too hot to handle. Stay away from her or you'll get burned." Andrealphus won't shed any tears if Gabriel takes out Belial, but he's doing his best to stay out of the conflict.

ASMODEUS: "The Host didn't trust her -- I see no reason to. She is an unstable ally at best, and must be brought into line." Asmodeus would have been happier without this disturbance in the status quo. Since Lucifer sanctioned the contest, he is willing to wait and see who survives.

BAAL: "Belial I can work with; Gabriel is beyond insane. I doubt we'll be able to make any better use of her than Heaven did." Baal is officially supporting Belial; he is not, however, committing as much of his resources as Belial would like.

BELETH: "She _is_ Heaven's nightmare, and she even scares me a little. I have no intention of getting close to her, but I think she'd be an improvement over that simpleton Belial." Beleth won't side with either Prince -- she's too busy trying to take advantage of the loss of Gabriel's forces on the Heavenly border of the Marches.

BELIAL: "KILL THE BITCH!" Belial is hyperkinetic; he's fighting for his life and he knows it. He is very, very intense, and cannier than he's ever been; he's also just a little bit frightened, which is causing him to assume that every Prince who doesn't support him is against him. He'll remember who sided with him and who didn't, if he survives.

FLEURITY: "They're both nutjobs, actually. Between the two of them, Belial is probably marginally more sane, but God obviously sent Gabriel because we needed her more than Heaven did." Fleurity's Habbalite delusion has led him to view Gabriel as a sign, so while he would have better dealings with Belial, he's secretly rooting for Gabriel.

FURFUR: "Now _this_ babe is Hardcore! And Belial's pissing in his asbestos undies -- what's not to love? Help her out and kick some ass!" Furfur is in love. Gabriel is his new role model, as an ancient, elemental personification of a significant part of his Word. Which will be a problem later, actually, because while Furfur is infatuated with Gabriel now, eventually they are going to suffer friction, and not the kind Furfur is hoping for.

HAAGENTI: "I never liked Belial anyway; it won't bother me if she eats him for lunch." Haagenti is enjoying seeing Belial pressed so sorely; he is indifferent towards Gabriel.

KOBAL: "The greatest joke anyone could have played on Hell, and I had nothing to do with it! Gabriel's just as humorless as Belial, but she's a lot more fun to laugh at...from a distance." Kobal thinks this entire situation is hilarious. Gabriel is rattling everyone's cage, and Heaven is hysterical. He will not support her actively, however - in fact, he will play off both sides as long as he can.

KRONOS: "Never before has an Archangel succumbed so completely to her Fate. However, Belial is easier to work with, buffoon that he is. It is more important that Heaven has lost Gabriel than that we should gain her." Kronos is happy that Gabriel Fell, but he has no desire to make room for her in the infernal power structure. He will be supporting Belial, but if Gabriel wins nonetheless, he'll have no qualms about accepting her new place.

LILITH: "Somehow, it seems....wrong. I admired Gabriel, in a way. But now she's just another Demon Prince, and not one of the more cooperative ones." Belial owes Lilith a few favors; Gabriel owes her nothing. Lilith would just as soon not have all the favors she's collected from Belial's minions over the years, as well as all Lilim of Fire, get extinguished. She'll happily support Belial in return for even more indebtedness. She'd deal with Gabriel too, but Gabriel isn't about to deal with her.

MALPHAS: "Old alliances burn down, new ones rise from the ashes. This is our opportunity to seize territory, while those two maniacs are trying to kill each other!" Malphas will support one Prince, then another, trying to keep them at each other's throats for as long as possible. He'll also try to get other Princes involved, especially Princes he'd like to see weakened.

MAMMON: "Belial is a little cracked, but Gabriel is stark raving mad! We don't need to screw with the status quo." Mammon would normally offer his support to the highest bidder, but he sees more long-term profit in keeping Belial in power.

NYBBAS: "Belial's ratings are still better than Gaby's; the babe's got definite star potential, but who needs an up-and-comer when Belial still burns up the screen just fine?" Another Prince who finds it easier to deal with a known quantity, and isn't thrilled at the prospect of dealing with another unstable psychopath, Nybbas will be casting Belial in a much more sympathetic light for the duration of the conflict, while portraying Gabriel as a dangerous, raving lunatic (for once, he won't need to do much editing to create the image he wants).

SAMINGA: "I've got no use for Belial, and less use for Gabriel. I don't trust her; she's been an angel for too long. I'd be happy to see them kill each other." Saminga will not actively root for either side, but he might be persuaded to support Belial, if he can be shown some advantage in doing so.

VALEFOR: "How audacious! Gabriel is trying to steal Belial's Principality right out from under him! Personally, I'd just stay out of the way, and watch for good looting opportunities." Valefor is actually rooting for Gabriel, just because he finds her more interesting, but he might be talked into making an outward show of support for Belial.

VAPULA: "Dreadful, just dreadful. Those two are sowing more disturbances.... Personally, I think Gabriel's where she belongs, but I'd rather deal with Belial. Gabriel's insane, and who wants to deal with a crazy person?" (he says, most earnestly). Vapula does not share Fleurity's convictions, and would just as soon see Gabriel snuffed, now that she's abandoned Heaven.

BASIC RITES * Throw a violent temper tantrum in which you smash the contents of a room or inflict serious injury to others.

* Provoke someone else into losing control of his temper.

* Exact vengeance against someone who crossed you that is out of proportion to the original slight.

INVOCATION MODIFIERS:

+1 A child throwing a temper tantrum.

+2 Someone verbally or physically abusing another person in a fit of anger.

+3 A dedicated pacifist driven into a violent rage.

+4 A passionate orator inciting a crowd to violence.

+5 A rioting mob.

+6 A senseless mass slaughter being undertaken by enraged or vengeful killers.

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Elizabeth McCoy <arcangel@prismnet.com>
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