Malikim Personality

[pheonix1649]

One of my players is playing a Malakite of War. During one of the recent sessions in which the Party was investigating a local run-down occult book store the Malakite stoped to take time to write 'wash me' on the windows.
This has since brought on a discussion regarding Malakim and humor. Is a wise-guy Malakite likely?


John M

[Kelly Pedersen]

I'd say yes. It's probably not a universal trait, but I would think that at least some malakim understand funny. Good candidates would probably include Eli, Janus, Novalis, and Yves' malakim. Most of the rest of the Archangels would probably have some with a sense of humor, but it would be more uncommon. The Archangels with the malakim voted "most likely to completely fail to get the joke" would probably be David, Laurence, Gabriel, Dominic, and maybe Blandine.

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

I'd say yes. It's probably not a universal trait, but I would think that at least some malakim understand funny. Good candidates would probably include Eli, Janus, Novalis, and Yves' malakim. Most of the rest of the Archangels would probably have some with a sense of humor, but it would be more uncommon. The Archangels with the malakim voted "most likely to completely fail to get the joke" would probably be David, Laurence, Gabriel, Dominic, and maybe Blandine.

My feelings exactly. Their resonance is for honor, not for being a stone-cold SOB. They take their jobs seriously, but they also enjoy the Hell out of them ... and who's to say that sometimes a little humor might not help keep someone on a more honorable path? (That "Wash Me," for example, could be seen as encouraging discipline, pride in a job well done, and respect for others -- all useful things from Heaven's perspective).

Batman would have made a great Malakite. He certainly had a sense of humor. A little dark, true, but still ...

[tylrlsaa]

This guy's a Malakite of War, right? IIRC, his ultimate boss, Big Mike has the Word of War. You need good lateral thinking to be a good strategist. Big Mike is a very, very good strategist.

I'd think a good lateral thinker could appreciate a decent joke, as long as it was in good fun, or at least didn't hurt anybody that didn't deserve it.

[Ramidel]

Technically, strategy is as much in Laurence's domain as it is Michael's, if not more; Laurence is the General of Heaven.

That said, Michael is an old soldier, the one who's been around since the beginning. He's a soldier's Archangel, and any good soldier has a wry sense of humor. He most definitely is -not- going to come down on an angel for a bit of well-intentioned graffiti. It's Laurence that has one of the pillars of heaven rammed up his ***.

[Sagitta]

Malakim traditionally are known for being ever-serious and humourless, much like seraphim. I believe the GURPS In Nomine says they commonly have the quirk 'no sense of humour'. Sorry, of humor. I'd say most Malakim hold frivolity in disdain, and a few may even have comedy-defying oaths such as 'treat all humans and their works with respect' or 'never waste time in idle chatter'.

My campaign has NPC blackwing w/GSoH. He's a malakite of Children, though, with a Caribbean background, and it's fair to say his attitude is atypical. Malakim of Judgement, War and Stone in particular will probably be the least prone to jocularity. Still, they might write random graffiti anyway sometimes, just because it's a human thing to do, and helps them blend in. Even if they don't actually get the joke themselves.

A Malakite of the Sword might 'wash me' in deadly earnest as an entreaty to the owner to do the honourable thing and take good care of his/her property.

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

Batman would have made a great Malakite.

You mean he isn't?

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by Sagitta

.

You mean he isn't?

Well actually ...

This belogns on another thread (which I will probably post soon), but I did spend some time working out superhero/angel equivalencies for a campaign idea I had. As I recall, Batman and the Punisher were Malakim, Spider-Man was a Cherub (that overdeveloped sense of responsibility), and the Silver Surfer is a slightly confused Seraph. The Fantastic Four, of course were a mixed crew: Mr. Fantastic was an Elohite, The Invisible Woman was a Mercurian and The Human Torch was an Ofanite (natch). The Thing was probably the most interesting of the bunch -- he was a Soldier of God who had inadvertantly been transformed by an artifact that Reed was working with ... leading, of course, to Reed's legendary guilt over the situation and desire to turn Ben back.

[Archangel Beth]

In my mind, Malakim have a spectrum of behavior... The GIN quote in question is probably: "Each and every Malakite has been shaped by his Choir's violent genesis. They may have grim scowls or a laid-back attitude, but they are all deadly serious about making a difference in the world."

No Sense of Humor is common, yes... But it's not universal. Wise-guy Malakim are on a skinnier end of the bell-curve, but so long as they're not completely fluffy at all times, hey. (Do they write "Smite Me" on the windows of dirty cars owned by demons, whilst waiting for the demon in question to come out and be smote? O:> )