111 "Intervention" Explanations

[Jason]

One of the main hangups some of my players seem to have with the d666 Interventions system is the idea of a 111 roll representing the Holy Trinity, especially given the "canon doubt and uncertainty" status of Jesus' divinity. It's also tricky to understand 111 as a favorable Intervention for characters who consider themselves supporters or members of Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist theologies, or to many or most ethereals in general.

I'm wondering how this has been handled in various people's campaigns out there. I remember reading a post in which the ethereal gods represented a real "third faction" that saw interventions on a 333 roll, which I do kind of like, but I'm wondering if there might be a valid argument to simply keep 111 as a "favorable result for non-diabolicals" in other cases as well.

I started writing this post, then took a break to check Google and Wikipedia, and ended up compiling an absurdly long response to my own question. Well, I welcome you to post your own thoughts on this, but here it is for posterity, in case you are interested:

For Jews, 111 in the Kabbalah could represent the number 3, representing material and spiritual growth. This could also represent the 3 parts of the soul: the Nefesh (animal), Ruach (spirit/middle, for morality), and Neshamah (higher soul, or intellect). Also, the 3rd sephirah, Yeod, relates to connecting earth with the higher spheres, and the self with God. (Though In Nomine purists may not appreciate that it's also specifically traditionally associated with Cherubim and the angel Gabriel.)

For Muslims, references to the number 3 are few, but 111 could refer to the verses on Jihad (which seem to number 111), or perhaps something related to verse 111 itself. I suppose you could make something up, like the "trinity" of Allah, Gabriel, and the Prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h.), but this seems like a stretch.

For Buddhists, 111 could represent The Triple Gem (or 3 Jewels) for Buddha, the enlightened one; Dhamma, the teachings; and Sangha, the community of followers.

For Taoists, 111 could represent the Great Triad of Heaven, Earth, and humanity, or the Three Pure Ones, the highest deities of The Jade Purity, The Supreme Pure One, and The Grand Pure One.

In Shinto, 111 could represent the three primary virtues, echoed in the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan, honorary objects in Shinto: valor (the sword), wisdom (the mirror), and benevolence (the jewel).

For Hindu gods and their followers, 111 represents the Trimurti of Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. 666 could represent the six enemies or impurities: lust, anger, greed, pride, delusion, and envy.

For Wiccans, 111 might represent the Triple Goddesses of Mother, Maiden, and Crone.

Along similar lines, for ancient pantheons, 111 might represent the three beings who define everyone's destiny/fate. For the Norse pantheon, this would be the Norns: Uthr, Verthandi, and Skuld. For the Greeks, this would be the Fates: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos.

For atheists (!), 111 could potentially represent the psychological division of id, ego, and superego; the roll would be interpreted by the character not as an "intervention" by outside forces, but a perfect realization of human balance and potential. (Not that Freud is any kind of "god," but this seems oddly in line with the first Kabbalah explanation above, while still entirely secular.)

For ethereal denizens of the Marches more generally, 111 could simply represent the repeated significance of the number 3 in many fables, myths, and fairy tales: 3 wishes, 3 tries to get something right, etc. 666 may still represent the influence of Hell. After all, anyone who's been in the Marches long enough knows that the Faerie Court has long paid a tithe to Hell.

In general, a number of religions and spiritual traditions (ranging from Asian Christian philosophers) have suggested the importance of understanding the human self as a division of Body, Mind, and Soul, which is actually already represented by the 3 kinds of Forces in In Nomine (corporeal, ethereal, and celestial). And, of course, under standard In Nomine rules, a 111 roll may be what makes an atheist (or any other person unaligned with a Judeo-Christian view of Heaven) realize that they are wrong in this game world.

Along these lines, for any of these, 666 could represent recognition of the great corrupting evils of Hell outside their own beliefs/pantheon. I think the 111 result is more important to explain, as the influence of the Holy Trinity may be harder to swallow (considering its CDAU nature and God's general subtlety) than the comparatively obvious presence and influence of Hell.

Whew, and now I should get back to work. Thoughts/additions welcome, especially if you've got anything good for significance of Muslim 111 rolls or other interpretations of 666 rolls.