Created by: Elizabeth McCoy (emccoy@nh.ultranet.com)
& Moriah (73407.515@compuserve.com)
McCoy: Okay, this will probably trip all over the Creation cycle, next year, with hobnailed boots. Details, details. I hereby authorize anyone from SJG to take any elements of it that they might want and use 'em, though of course I'd like an itty-bitty credit in the book somewhere... O;>
I got this out of a dream, sort of...
Dominic has been very annoyed recently over the matter of "the AWOL Archangel," Eli, Bright Lord of Creation. The practice of investigating the Servitors of Creation has not yielded promising results -- overall, they seem little more inclined to Trip or Fall than those who have responsible Superiors. And there is, as of yet, no direct evidence that Eli himself is in danger of either, despite his (rather heretical, to Dominic's mind) dereliction of duty. However...
Dominic has successfully petitioned the Council of Seraphim to hold another Word-contest -- for the Word of Creation. It is Dominic's hope that Eli will either fail to show up (forfeiting) or be unable to demonstrate that he's been tending his Word and keeping it from being twisted to suit demonic plots. (Or, well, Dominic fair enough to admit that if Eli showed up and *proved* that he wasn't forsaking Heaven...)
If Eli can't defend his Word, Dominic will insist that the Mercurian be stripped of it, and hence of his status as Archangel. The troublesome Servitors of Creation would have to settle down under new masters, more than likely (a new Angel of Creation would not be likely to have the experience to rise to Archangel status immediately, and would be busy working towards that), and the Servitors of Judgment could track down and question Eli as they pleased.
Various Word-bound and Archangels have managed to get a fair "notification period" arranged -- (probably) a few months -- so that the "reigning champion" can be found and alerted. Meanwhile, candidates have been coming out of the celestial woodwork -- e.g., a Kyriotate of Dreams who's been unsuccessfully trying to get "Creativity" for the past decade; a Mercurian of Destiny who was looking at "Art" but will gladly aim higher; at least a dozen Servitors of Creation (most in service to other Archangels) who think the Word should stay "in the family" if Eli can't be reached; etc.
And then there's the "find Eli" team... A group of angels (probably including at least one Servitor of Creation [NPC if necessary], or of an Allied Superior) has volunteered or been tapped to track down the AWOL Archangel himself and tell him about this little matter. A Servitor of Judgment has also been assigned to go along and report on the quest (and the methods used, the state in which the Subject was found, etc.); either a PC or NPC will work here.
So, you're on a quest to find -- in all of creation -- the Archangel of Creation. Where do you look first? Will Songs work? Do Archangels have Heavenly Hearts? If so, *where*? And even if Eli is found, he's been acting weird -- will he understand the importance of showing up? Does he even recall who and what he really is this week? *Can* he defend his actions and right to his Word? Or will the Council go ahead with their Word-Quest? And what trials will they choose for the honor (or is it a headache?) of the Word of Creation? At least the reigning holder will have an advantage -- which probably means he'll get a tougher quest -- *if* he's "in his right mind"...
(Will PCs be allowed to help? Would PC demons get wind of this and start working to sabotage the deal? Or would they get orders to *help* Eli's faction -- covertly or overtly? And why? To toast his PR, or to preserve a sympathetic view...?)
McCoy: This will all probably require the GM to make up stuff that will be covered next year, but it was just such an interesting sort of adventure seed that I couldn't resist...
From: Moriah - Steve Jackson Games (73407.515@compuserve.com)
Date: 17 Apr 97 01:21:52 EDT
Subject: IN) All of Creation finale
To piggyback on Beth's Eli adventure....
The angels charged with finding Eli come upon, at various times, various types of NPCs (angels, soldiers, mundanes, etc...) who provide some help in tracking down Eli. These NPCs often get the PCs 'close' to tracking down Eli, but it never pans out. Rather, they wind up involved in some sort of mini-adventure which they find annoying since it derails them from their objective, but feel obligated to help out in the current situation. (These mini-adventures could be good introductory adventures for PCs.)
Often, the PCs even find themselves stumbling upon some other candidate's test for the Word of Creation, but again, what that candidate is working on is so important to so many humans, that the PCs are again self-obligated to help out -- even if it must be done covertly.
Finally, they fail. They are present in the Spires of the Seraphim Council while the candidates present their cases. After all the cases are presented, and a vote is called for, but before a vote is cast, one of the angelic NPCs the PCs met shows up and calls for a halt. It is Eli. After a juicy gloat by Dominic about how Eli is too late, Eli presents his case.
It turns out *all* the NPCs the PCs met were various vessels of Eli. The 'leads' Eli gave them were purposely designed to get the PCs to help further the Word of Creation, even by helping the poser candidates.
Eli is, of course, vindicated. Dominic is still p.o.'d about Eli's lack of orthodox means of proving himself (IOW, snubbing the council and using trickery). And the PCs 'experience points' will come as in character rewards from Eli.
Peace,
Moriah (better at enhancing than creating)
From: Elizabeth McCoy (emccoy@nh.ultranet.com)
Subject: Re: IN) All of Creation finale
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 19:28:01 -0400
On Thu, 17 Apr 1997, Patrick O'Duffy wrote:
) Hmmm....
) It all seems a bit contrived, Moriah. I mean, it reads well, but
) players might get annoyed with being led through a series of seemingly-
) pointless adventures, and then finding out at the end that they were
) being had all along.
Maybe they shouldn't "fail" in the end -- they actually find him and drag him along, with him having this smug expression and they don't know why... And if the GM dropped some hints here and there, that the PCs could suddenly go" OHHHHH! So *THAT'S* what that was!!!"?
From: Elizabeth McCoy (emccoy@nh.ultranet.com)
Subject: Re: IN) All of Creation finale
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 10:00:23 -0400
[Gilding the gilt lily]
First thing any Servitors of Creation are going to try is *summoning* him! Let them. If they succeed, give them an **Ethereal** contact! (Ethereal Song of Tongues or something similar.) For best effect, have a faint background that sounds like an Ethereal phonathon room. Eli says something on the order of of, "Okay, okay, what's wrong? Are you in trouble? Talk fast -- I'm not a Kyrio!"
The PC tries to explain. Play Eli as vague and distracted. Ask lots of questions that have forgotten the previous sentence. ("You're in trouble!" "I am? Why?" "They're going to try to reassign your Word?" "What? That's weird. Why would they do that?" "Dominic talked the council into it." "Into what?" "Reassigning your Word!" "Why would they do that?")
When the PC gets to the "speak in one sentence paragraphs" stage ("We're assigned to find you and make sure you show up at the Seraphim Council by [date] because you have to defend your right to hold your Word because Dominic got them to call another test because he thinks you're heretical and we don't know all his reasons for that."), Eli says, "That's impressive -- doesn't it give you a headache to think all that at once? Ack! Something's come up. Gotta go!" And the connection ends.
If a PC calls and *is* in trouble, some kind of rescue will likely be made, and then he teleports off quickly afterwards, with an enigmatic hint of where his previous engagement was... "Can't keep a lady waiting" or "the band needs me" or "Look, you're not the only one who gets in trouble -- [NPC name] just called urgently." (For the last, the *PCs* might get 'ported off to a firefight in progress, if they're not too beat up. Or maybe they just get sent off on some esoteric mission for Eli -- "Can you go pick up the photos for Doris and deliver them? Here, I'll send you to the developers." *POOF*)
When he's finally found, moments before deadline, his reaction is, "Oh, was that *today*? Right. Hey, *thanks* for reminding me, guys! You did good." Then proceed with the "trial," wherein Eli can defend his actions and declare that his Word *has* been protected... and that the PCs helped.
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