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Old 09-02-2022, 01:55 AM   #1
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Default Khalomael, Habbalite "Archangel" of Fantasy (Alt-SSO)

The following is an unauthorized/fanfic Superior for the Superior Soap Opera variant setting.

Khalomael, Habbalite "Archangel" of Fantasy

The world is fantasy; protect it from those who would make it mundane.

Khalomael and her Servitors are dedicated to three tasks. The first is the enforcement of God's Will that celestials only intervene in the corporeal realm in order to counter the intervention of other celestials. The second is undoing the damage inflicted by the Purity Crusade on the human imagination and on ethereals, the product of that imagination. The third is the defense of Shangri-La's ethereal Domain from the forces of Heaven and Hell.

Dissonance
A servitor of Khalomael may not take celestial form on the corporeal plane, nor destroy an ethereal's vessel. To do so generates dissonance.

Band Attunements

Balseraphs (restricted)
Khalomael's Balseraphs inspire belief in the fantastic. When they use their resonance to make a human believe in magic, paranormal phenomena, or a pagan religion, the human subtracts the number of the Balseraph's Celestial Forces from their Will roll to resist, and the duration of the belief is in hours rather than minutes.

Djinn (restricted)
If a Djinn of Fantasy's attuned is a celestial, the Djinn will suffer no dissonance for hurting, even killing, them them on the corporeal plane, whether in a vessel or celestial form. Given God's commands, any celestial on Earth is asking for it.

Calabim (restricted)
The Calabim serving Khalomael are the Symphony's bouncers. When they use their resonance on a celestial in the corporeal realm, the celestial's roll to resist it takes a penalty equal to the Calabite's Ethereal Forces.

Pachadim (restricted)
Frighteners of Fantasy can use their resonance on celestials in vessels (including those who have left a vessel sleeping on Earth while in the Marches). When they do so, the celestial subtracts the Pachadite's Ethereal Forces from the target number to resist the fear.

Habbalah
The Habbalah of Khalomael are Fantasy's muses. They add their Ethereal Forces to any roll they make to inspire a human to acts of imagination (writing fiction, crafting works of art, playing roleplaying games, studying sorcery, and worshiping pagan gods all qualify).

Lilim
Fantasy's Lilim may not be able to use sorcery, but they are a great help to those who can. These Lilim can assist in any group performance of a ritual as if her level with the underlying skill was 6 and with no need to actually know the ritual, unless the ritual is to summon a demon or demonling. Further, if the ritual is to banish or exorcise a demon or demonling, the Lilim's Ethereal Forces are added to the ritual's target number.

Shedim (restricted)
Shedim of Fantasy can possess the vessels of other celestials. Further, their Ethereal Forces are subtracted from the Will of a celestial host for purposes of resisting the possession attempt, and in Contests of Wills to resist the Shedite's influence. Instead of driving the celestial to commit evil, these Corruptors must drive the celestial to commit acts that would violate the host's Superior-imposed dissonance condition. This does cause the possessed celestial dissonance!
In humans, the Fleshless of Khalomael do not need to corrupt their hosts. Indeed, if they do, they take dissonance (Khalomael considers it improper celestial interference with humanity).

Impudites
The Impudites of Khalomael have special skill to protect human life from celestial attackers. They may make a Dodge roll, with a bonus equal to their Ethereal Forces, to redirect an attack by a celestial against a human to themselves. After the attack is redirected, it resolved normally (including the Impudite making its own defense rolls). If the demon did not previously know the attacker was a celestial, invoking this attunement costs 1 Essence (and if the player doesn't choose to pay the Essence, the character still doesn't know).

Choir Attunements

Seraphim
In the Marches, Khalomael's Seraphim see the truth of the intent of their foes in combat. Their opponents must subtract twice the angels’ Ethereal Forces from any attempt to Dodge their attacks (whether ethereal or celestial) in the ethereal realm.

Cherubim
An aura of loyalty surrounds a Cherub of Fantasy with a radius equal to the Guardian's Ethereal Forces in yards. Within that range, all humans gain a bonus equal to the Cherub's Ethereal Forces to resist celestials' attempts to force or convince them to betray their friends, their ideals, or themselves.

Ofanim (partly restricted)
Ofanim of Khalomael add their Ethereal Forces to their Dodge to avoid attacks by celestials on the corporeal plane.
Additionally, Ofanim with this attunement count celestial Tethers as "established locations that exist in the public consciousness" for purposes of their resonance, unless the Tether's Superior has successfully concealed its existence from any celestials not bound to his Word.

Menunim
Fantasy's Menunim inspire hope in dreams. By expending 2 Essence in a human's dreamscape, they give that person a +1 bonus to all Will and skill rolls for the next day.

Elohim
Able to avoid being caught up in other's emotions and experts in manipulating even dreams, Elohim of Fantasy add the number of their Ethereal Forces to their Dreaming skill rolls.

Malakim
Often considered delusional, Khalomael's Malakim are skilled at communicating fantasies to others. They have a bonus equal to the number of their Ethereal Forces on Artistry and Lying skill rolls.

Kyriotates (restricted)
Like those serving Blandine, Kyriotates of Fantasy may indulge in their multiplicity on the ethereal plane. They may extend their consciousness simultaneously to a number of locales in the Marches (dreamscapes, Domains, or the like) equal to their Ethereal Forces.

Mercurians (restricted)
Khalomael's Mercurians are particularly sensitive to the influence of celestials on humans. On a check digit of 4 or greater on a successful resonance roll, he knows which, if any, of the target's relationships are with with humans (if the target is a celestial) or with celestials (if the target is not a celestial). This does not reveal the type of celestial (angel, demon, Band, Choir, or Word).

Grigori
The Watchers of Fantasy know if any disturbance they hear was caused by an angel, demon, ethereal, or human.

Non-Celestial Attunements

Humans (restricted)
Soldiers of Fantasy are strengthened against celestial interference on Earth. They add their Corporeal Forces to their Will to resist the resonances of celestials on the corporeal plane.

Ethereals (restricted)
An ethereal who takes service with Khalomael has its essential nature strengthened; an affinity of its choice is raised a level. This may violate normal strength limits by giving an ethereal that is not a primal spirit a primal affinity, or one that has fewer than six Forces a strong affinity.

Servitor Attunements

Dream Walking
This works just like Beleth's or Blandine's attunement of the same name, except it does not care where in the Marches the subject is.

Flight of Fancy
By touching a human who does not have Symphonic awareness and expending 1 Essence, the user of this attunment grants that human the ability to perform one Song. The Song may be selected by the user of the attunement from the Corporeal Songs of Form, Harmony, Healing, Light, Projection, Shields, or Tongues. The human gets the Song at an effective level of 6, can use the Song for an hour, and instinctively understands what the Song does and how to use it. If the human has six or more Forces and successfully performs the Song, he gains permanent Symphonic awareness.

Distinctions

Vassal of the Eerie Knight
The Vassal can send truly strange dreams to any given sleeper within 500 yards, who will be drawn out of the Vale of Dreams. Both the user and his target are drawn into the Far Marches for the rest of the night.

Friend of the Soul's Captain
The Friend always knows if any person in his presence has had a celestial visitor in his dreams, or experienced a celestially-inflicted dream or nightmare, in the past day. (This is identical to the power of a Captain of Headhaunters.)

Master of the Barony of Dreams
A Master of the Barony of Dreams has a +2 bonus to succeed on any roll made while walking the Marches (just like a Baron of Screams or a Master of the Realms of Night).
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Old 09-02-2022, 01:57 AM   #2
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Default Re: Khalomael, Habbalite "Archangel" of Fantasy (Alt-SSO)

Special Distinctions
Servitors of Khalomael who show an especially deft touch in dealing with humans and who have earned her trust may be given one of these special Distinctions. These Distinctions do not come with the authority to command fellow Servitors of Fantasy, but they are a clear public signal of Khalomael's favor.

Recruiter
This attunement is nearly identical to Oathtaking (CPG p.28), except the Force involved is not infernal, and so a human does not become Hellsworn by doing so. Recruiters who dare use this attunement on humans who have not been screened for the ability to have a new Force attached (such as by a Talent Scout) will be severely punished by Khalomael.

Spirit Pact
This attunement is nearly identical to Infernal Pact (CPG p.28), except a human who accepts the Sorcery attunement from a Spirit Pact does not become Hellsworn by doing so.

Talent Scout
A Talent Scout can touch someone and, on a successful Perception roll, determine the subject's maximum potential Forces. If the subject is human, the Talent Scout also learns how many Forces the subject currently has in each realm. On a success, the Talent Scout cannot use this attunement again for (7 - CD) minutes. On a failure, the Talent Scout cannot use this attunement again for CD hours.

Higher Distinctions
Khalomael, as a very new Superior, currently has no higher Distinctions.

Secret Songs
Khalomael knows the Songs of Banishment and Daydreams, having learned them in Blandine's service.

Rules Note: Angels
It is not clear whether, even in the SSO, angels can be safely given Hearts by a demonic Superior, even one raised to that status by Lilith instead of Lucifer. If they cannot, then angels will not be true Heart-bound Servitors of Khalomael.

In that case, however, they can still become quite like Servitors. Canonically, celestials can receive attunements and other benefits from a Superior wwho does not hold their Heart. They also can accept the dissonance condition and Rites of such a being (at least in the case of the canon Lilith). Khalomael will arrange False Hearts for her Servitors as well. So the key difference will simply be that an angel serving Khalomael will not be able to accept Band/Choir attunements other than the one matching the angel's own Choir.

Canonically, angels take dissonance for performing infernal Rites. If that applies to Khalomael's Rites (even though her Word and Superior status came from a non-Hellish source), then Khalomael will not give her Basic Rites to them, substituting ones less likely to come up automatically in their normal duties.

Rules Note: Humans
Under canon rules, any human accepting a Force or attunement from a Demon Prince becomes marked for Hell. It is obviously a GM call if this still applies under Khalomael's circumstances, in which case Khalomael will not give attunements to humans, and the Recruiter and Spirit Pact special distinctions are not available.

Relations in Shangri-La

Allied: Lilith
Associated: All the others, except . . .
Hostile: Andrealphus

Basic Rites:
* Spend six hours in the Marches outside the Vale of Dream.
* Slay the vessel of a celestial. (+2 Essence)

Expanded Rites:
* Write a short story (at least 1,000 words).
* Convince a non-believer to attend a pagan religious ceremony.
* Spend an hour lecturing on paranormal phenomena to an audience of 20 people.
* Finish reading a fantasy novel or watching a fantasy film.
* Spend two hours training another in dream-shaping or ethereal combat.

Chance of Invocation: 2
Invocation Modifiers
+1 A newspaper horoscope.
+2 A peyote button.
+3 A handwritten Book of Shadows.
+4 A Hieronymous Machine built by a mundane human.
+5 Standing in the corporeal locus of an ethereal Tether.
+6 The original manuscript of a parapsychology paper published in Nature or Science.
+7 At the base of Khalomael's Tower in the Marches.
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Old 09-02-2022, 01:57 AM   #3
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Default Re: Khalomael, Habbalite "Archangel" of Fantasy (Alt-SSO)

Khalomael's History
Once upon a time, there was an Elohite of Fear. It became an Elohite of Dreams after the Fall, and in long and efficient service rose to Vassal of Dreams, then Friend of Sleepers, and then Master of the Realms of Night.

In the fullness of time, this Master of the Realms of Night became convinced that Heaven had managed to walk itself into the very sin of Lucifer. Lucifer had rebelled over the God-decreed end to celestial meddling with the corporeal realm; angelic involvement is only now permitted as a practical measure to fight demonic influence. Yes, many actions that are not simply fighting demons themselves can be justified as measures to counter their influence, but the Host had moved past even those justifications to simply imposing what they thought was right.

As its first example, this Elohite pointed to the Purity Crusade, where an Archangel engaged in massive genocide of beings unlinked to Hell, imposing his personal vision on the corporeal plane. And even more importantly, the Seraphim Council was divided and debated how to judge the behavior of Uriel, rather than swiftly and unanimously condemning the Luciferian proposition that angels are entitled to impose their will on the corporeal by slaughter of the innocent.

As its second example, this Elohite pointed to the Monotheism Project. Oh, sure, there was a partial justification in destroying Demon Prince cults interspersed among the religions. But the major motives were jealousy, Heaven wanting the Essence and power that was accumulating to the dreams of humanity, and fear, fear the dreams would become as powerful as celestials. Never mind that dreaming and worshiping their own dreams were perfectly natural human activities, and that if God didn't want ethereals to be able to become powerful, God could have limited their potential Himself.

As its third example, this Elohite of Dreams pointed to one of its own Archangel's Rites. It is a natural, God-granted ability of ethereals to create vessels for themselves so that they can visit Earth, and God never banned ethereals from doing so. And yet, Blandine actually gives Essence to Servitors for destroying the vessels of the creatures of dream, even though those Servitors are only allowed by God to be on Earth to fight Hell.

The first example given by her Servitor, Blandine sympathized with, if finding the expression too harsh. The second she found disturbing, in part because of what it implies about Yves, the original proponent of the Monotheism Project. The third, of course, sparked her anger. She summoned the Elohite, and had a long discussion with it. Neither party has spoken of what happened in that private conversation, but soon thereafter the Elohite was found walking the Earth an Outcast.

The Elohite, certain it had objectively determined the path necessary to correct Heaven and bring it back to righteousness, was not in the least apologetic, and did not seek forgiveness. Nor did it quite ever violate its Choir dissonance conditions. However, objective needs for resources to serve God led it to occasionally do "contract work" for various Superiors, when contracts could be found that did not contradict the goal of reducing celestial meddling on Earth. One of these, for Freedom, resulted in a "bonus payment" of Lilith's basic Rites.

Spending an hour encouraging an angel to question Heaven's policies, accepting a badly-needed measure of Essence, and an Infernal Intervention on the corresponding note of Dissonance for using a diabolical Rite resulted in a change of its Choir to Habbalite.

The new Habbalite took the name Khalomael for "Dream of God", and if her viewpoint and behavior was changed by her Fall, she still stuck to her principles. Lucifer was wrong, as were all the rest of the demons, and any angels who went beyond the mandate to counter diabolical influence. The God-proclaimed ideal state is all celestials off Earth, with the humans and ethereals on it free to do whatever they want. An Elohite's calm determination to further God's Will transformed into a Habbalite's fanatic determination to enforce it, punishing violators.

This, of course, completely precluded actually signing up with any Demon Prince, since all of them were openly opposed to God's command that celestials cease interfering on the Earth. Habbalah in general might be able to self-delude themselves into thinking serving Demon Princes can further God's Will, but Khalomael could only even consider serving one Superior on the side of Hell, the only one God did not ban from the Earth. And Lilith doesn't take Servitors.

But Lilith does hire contractors, and Khalomael became a perpetual one, regularly renewing for a modicum of protection and access to resources. She'd also take "side gigs" as allowed by her contracts with Freedom. War particularly found uses for a powerful Habbalite who was eager to free humans from Diabolical influences. Isis and Athena also found Khalomael an occasionally-useful hire. Khalomael didn't have a secure position wandering the Marches and the Earth, but was able to get enough favors and play off foes against each other well enough to survive.

Then, in the Superior Soap Opera, came the founding of Shangri-La. Khalomael was still on Earth, unaware of what was going down when Beleth attacked Shangri-La's Tether to the Marches, but was pulled in by Lilith shortly thereafter. While powerful and quite experienced in Marches combat, Khalomael knew nothing of organized warfare, and initially wound up on General Garg's staff as a Marches advisor and trainer, with the rank of major but no direct subordinates.

Eventually, in the Superior Soap Opera, Lilith began creating her own Superiors. One to watch the Ethereal Plane and match against Beleth and Blandine was an obvious slot to be filled. Khalomael was already powerful, of long experience in the Marches, and had a long record of reliable contract work under Lilith. A long discussion between the two resulted in Khalomael being bound to the Word of Fantasy, and being raised to Superior status.
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Old 09-02-2022, 01:58 AM   #4
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Default Re: Khalomael, Habbalite "Archangel" of Fantasy (Alt-SSO)

Khalomael's Views on . . .
Khalomael hasn't been a Superior long enough for the others to have generated any particularly considered opinions about her. However, she's got lots of opinions about them, which are perhaps most interesting for what they say about her.

Archangels

Blandine: If Blandine could accept that it is right for ethereals to take corporeal forms and interact with humans, our only remaining conflicts would be where her excess of Cherubic loyalty causes her to defend angels who have forgotten God's Will. I do not know how to make her understand, but at worst she is opposition, not an enemy.

David: Strengthening racist gangs is not opposition to Hellish influence, it is David engaging in the indulgence of Word-promotion on the corporeal plane. That he calls ethereals on Earth invaders, and a violation of the natural order, demonstrate exactly how blind to God's Will he truly is.

Dominic: He oversteps. Over and over, he oversteps. Certainly, as Judgment, he will feel compelled to judge things. But as Judgment, he should also show the discernment to stay within God's limits. He has no authority to bring humans to justice. He has no authority to ban ethereals from the corporeal world. He has no authority to undermine pagan worship and promote monotheism among humans. He is trying to remake the Symphony from what God decreed into what he wants it to be. Is there a Balseraph hiding from the Light of Heaven under that cloak? Dominic will not like the verdict when he is finally judged.

Eli: It was wrong of Eli to participate in the Monotheism Project. He was wrong to spend so much time simply promoting his Word among humans rather than specifically countering Hell. He improperly supported the ban on ethereals on Earth, and forgets that the liaisons that create Gorgons defy no law of God. But for all that, Eli has never done a lot of harm. Perhaps here in Shangri-La he can learn better.

Gabriel: She is mad, and needs to be fixed. And while its not her Servitors' fault that her madness-induced dissonance condition pushes them to punish humans for human cruelty, it is an excess in defiance of God's Will. They need to be redirected against Hell as much as possible.

Janus: It is not the job of any celestial to get humans out of their ruts, to shake up their systems. If he wants to change human minds, he can go to the Vale and speak in their dreams, and that is it. If he wants to disrupt things, he should direct his Servitors at demons.

Jean: Well, Lightning has always seemed to strike a bit too fast and a bit too hard on suspected demonic technology, not giving the humans enough credit. But the only major error of his I know of was going along with strictly enforcing Dominic's ban on ethereals on Earth. Now that he's in Shangri-La, I'm hoping to work him around on that.

Jordi: It is hard to judge how much of the despoiling of nature is just humanity being human, and how much is inspired by Hell. Jordi seems to either overestimate how much is the latter, or cannot bring himself to care. Still, even if he goes too far to protect his animals, his focus on them instead of influencing humans minimizes the harm he does to their free will.

Khalid: He has no faith in God, or else he would have accepted God's judgment in making Laurence the Commander of the Host. He has no Elohite objectivity, or else he would have noticed the book he believes is the "literal word of God" is often indisputably wrong. He is clearly the Prince of Fanaticism, wrapped up in one of the many religious delusions we Habbalah are prone to. I suspect Kronos and Lucifer have hands in shielding that truth from the eyes of Heaven.

Laurence: His views on corporeal religion are a mistake, and he improperly persecutes ethereals. But God's only direct act since the Fall was making him Commander of the Host, so there must be more to him than I can see. He has showed he can learn, so perhaps it is my part to educate him about his errors.

Litheroy: We are not supposed to be telling the humans anything, except perhaps in dreams. That isn't always practical given the protracted rebellion, but Litheroy consistently defaults to the wrong option. And what would be a problematic excess in a Word-bound angel is a disastrous defect in an Archangel -- a status she only has because of the misbegotten Monotheism Project!

Marc: It's not in Marc's nature to be militant, which is as he was created by God. His efforts at Word-promotion might edge into the improper, but it is truly hard to judge with the need to counter the efforts of Haagenti and Mammon to influence humans. Marc and his Servitors are willing to deal and keep their word, which is useful.

Michael: Who submits to God's Will like Michael? He is imperfect, as everyone is, but is heartening to see that the first angel is such a shining example. I contracted for him before; I'd like to work with him now.

Novalis: Plants needed an Archangel, but if one were cataloging the errors of the Seraphim Council, raising Novalis to Archangel was the first (though Khalid was worse). She coddles humans quite excessively, and all but refuses to strike at demons. The Archangel of Flowers needs a harsh reminder of God's Will.

Yves: It is understandable that Yves is driven to promote Destiny. The problem is that, as good as Destiny is, God does not want celestials pushing humans to it. The Monotheism Project, and all its disastrous consequences, is a perfect example of his overreach. And his Servitors still do too much to bring humans to their destinies, rather than eliminating diabolical influence.

Zadkiel: What would one expect except that a Cherub of Novalis would repeat her error? It is not the purpose of angels on Earth to minister to humanity, nor to protect them from every danger. At least Zadkiel is willing to fight to protect humans from the rebels. But when she protects humans from themselves, natural disasters, and ethereals, she must be stopped.

Demon Princes

Alaemon: It seems like Alaemon is somewhat less bad than most Princes, but that might just be because he is more subtle. Obviously, he needs to be stopped, but I currently think there are higher priorities.

Andrealphus: One of the original rebels against God, and one who spent all his time since interfering with humans on Earth. If Andrealphus hadn't come to Shangri-La, he'd be Target #1. Practical political realities mean I must tolerate him if he persists in his crimes, but there is now some hope he can be taught better.

Asmodeus: This rebel will be punished for his crimes in the fullness of time. Until then, it's useful to play Asmodeus's forces against other demons, to hamper Hellish efforts to manipulate humanity.

Baal: The Commander-in-Chief of the War Against God? Some of my best jobs as an Oucast involved weakening Baal in concert with Michael's people. I don't have the resources to go after him directly for now, but am happy to sell information about the General of Gehenna to War, cheap.

Beleth: The story of my mother, blinded by Lucifer's lies and Fallen, is a tragedy. But do not allow pity to blind you. Beleth is the greatest threat to Shangri-La on the Ethereal Front, and her demons and ethereal lackeys know subtlety. We must be vigilant against her efforts, work to undercut her alliances, and prepare strikes to force her on to the defensive.

Belial: An evil psychotic, traitor, and rebel, but not particularly different from a natural disaster in his actual effect on humans. The biggest problem he poses is being a possible cause of Gabriel's madness.

Fleurity: His loathing of humans and hatred of their free will makes Fleurity the epitome of the deluded Punisher, fit only to be broken and destroyed. The dissonance condition he imposes on his Servitors makes them violate God's Will every day. Give him and his no quarter.

Furfur: Hamstrung by his tiny Word, Furfur isn't a serious threat, but he is loathsome. Perhaps he can be induced to destroy himself in a suicidal attack on Belial.

Haagenti: Kobal's creature, Haagenti is just fractionally less bad than his puppeteer, if only because of inferior imagination and a less driving dissonance condition. His maw needs to be shut for good.

Kobal: The nadir of the Princes of the Pit. Kobal was taken into God's special confidence, and betrayed Him. Now he pushes his followers to attack humanity every single day. Someday, when I have the resources to commit, the joke will be on him. In the meantime, it's useful to inform the Game whenever one comes across one of his minions.

Kronos: All the defects of Yves, multiplied by being on the side in open rebellion against God. The choice between Destiny and Fate is supposed to be without celestial interference.

Malphas: Another treasonous maggot, Malphas's Servitors should be encouraged to advance their Word in Hell, not on the Earth. By breaking their vessels into factions, if other means don't work.

Mammon: As totally opposed to God's Will as any celestial can be, Mammon is a pustule. But he's been weakened greatly, and his followers aren't driven to constantly meddle in human free will. Not a priority.

Nybbas: A Prince whose Word is entirely about influencing humans on the Corporeal? Nybbas's voice needs to be silenced. Eli and Jean seem to be obvious allies on this.

Saminga: A vicious simpleton, Saminga deserves to personally experience his Word. But he's a lesser threat than many others.

Valefor: The parallels Valefor has with the Wind are interesting, aren't they? His effects on humans are much the same, too. Not a priority, and I will leave him alone until I see how his old alliance with Lilith shakes out.

Vapula: Deluded Hellborn Punisher that he is, Vapula must be stopped. Fortunately, Jean seems to be on the case.
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Old 09-02-2022, 01:59 AM   #5
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Default Re: Khalomael, Habbalite "Archangel" of Fantasy (Alt-SSO)

Others

Ethereals: They were clearly supposed to have a much bigger role in God's plan than they currently have. We need to support them to help undo the damage wrought by Uriel's fanaticism.

Humans: Their decisions are the point of the War. Not what decisions they make, but that they get to make the decisions. A human freely choosing fate is a tragedy; a celestial stopping a human from freely choosing fate is a crime.

Saints: It is utterly strange the way the Seraphim Council is more worried about blessed souls meddling in corporeal matters than angels. God has never banned their return to Earth, and the Symphony treats them just like any other humans. They are obviously the way God intended Heaven to intervene on the corporeal after the ban, and Heaven should make much more use of those that volunteer to serve.

Soldiers of God: Their service to celestials is not the reason God made humans capable of reaching these heights, but under the conditions of the War it is fitting that some humans choose to help defeat the rebels who would enslave them.

Soldiers of Hell: The ultimate example of the evils of celestial interference with the corporeal realm. Those that will not repent should be slain, so they stop spreading infernal influence by proxy.

Sorcerers: Too many of them are just another sort of Soldier of Hell. But they were supposed to be more. Remember the first sorcerers were not empowered by Hell. God clearly gave humans the capacity for sorcery as part of His plans for the natural interaction between ethereals and humans. It is unfortunate that Kronos has twisted sorcery into a tool of Hell, and I will twist it back.

Undead: I do not understand quite what God intended when He made humans capable of this transformation, but that they do not dream suggests they were supposed to be completely beyond celestial reach after the corporeal ban. Like sorcery, remember that necromancy was not born in Hell; like sorcerers, remember that most undead are pawns of infernal powers.
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Old 01-08-2023, 12:45 PM   #6
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Default Re: Khalomael, Habbalite "Archangel" of Fantasy (Alt-SSO)

Interesting.

Is the SSO even active anymore, I wonder?
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Old 01-09-2023, 01:20 PM   #7
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Default Re: Khalomael, Habbalite "Archangel" of Fantasy (Alt-SSO)

Quote:
Originally Posted by thorr-kan View Post
Is the SSO even active anymore, I wonder?
No, it's quite dormant.

But I had the basic concept for Khalomael back when I was playing in one of the SSO sub-campaigns, and when I was working on the ethereal Domain that prompted the house rules in my other post, I did some reading that led me to re-reading SSO summaries and logs, and Khalomael jumped back in my head and yelled at me until I wrote her up.

(I now have a revised and partly-expanded version of this write-up, which I should finish off, and probably PDF and stick up on my website.)
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Steven E. Ehrbar

GURPS Technomancer resources. Including The Renegade Mage's Unofficial GURPS Magic Spell Errata, last updated July 7th, 2023.
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