The Aeons
Aeons
The Architects
The Seraph leaned close to the Cherub. "You have to be kidding me,"
he murmured.
"New Word-bound often let their eyes exceed their significance," the
Cherub said quietly. "Still, if he thinks he can fit all of this into
the space he's allotted--"
"A band shell? A rolling hill for sitting? Arching spires behind?
What is his Word again?"
"Outdoor Theater."
"Have you the plans?" The newcomer's voice echoed with chimes. The
sound was melodic, though the words seemed distant, and alien.
The Seraph nodded, handing them to the newcomer. He gleamed with
gold, his body a simple pyramid as he examined them.
"These plans are unacceptable," he said after a few moments. "The
acoustics of the stage will not permit clear hearing in these parts
of the audience on the hill," he said, marking the blueprints in
several places. "Please let the Angel of Outdoor Theater know that if
he reduces the band shell here, here and here, adjusts the angle of
the hill by nine degrees, and reduces the audience's capacity by
sixty-two, the problems should be resolved. And the arches will be
garish, but that's just my opinion, Most Holy."
"Mm," the Seraph nodded. "Thank you, Corial." He watched the Aeon
rise and float off.
"I've never gotten used to them," the Cherub murmered.
"To all their place," the Seraph responded. "To all their place."
The Aeons are the celestial builders of things and makers of order.
While a part of celestial life, and certainly not too uncommon, they
remain a minor choir in the War. Rather than being a part of the
struggle for the hearts and souls of man, the Aeons are the crafters
of heavenly spires, only rarely descending to the Corporeal world.
Those rare exceptions are corporeal builders and shapers, echoing
their celestial role in the scheme of things.
Resonance
Aeons are strongly oriented to structures. They can perceive the
order within an edifice, barricade, or other physical buildings. This
allows them to quickly discover flaws within either an existing
building or a blueprint for one, and the method of shoring up or
eliminating those flaws. They can also sense what maintenance needs a
structure has (rotting wood, crumbling foundations, corroding
plumbing and so forth) and the best method to accomplish them.
Their resonance also allows them to determine the feasibility of a
design and -- with an appropriate resonance roll -- the most
efficient way to construct it and the most effective location for it.
Dissonance
Being so oriented towards the order of a structure, Aeons take
dissonance from introducing chaos into that order. Aeons take
dissonance from any activity that significantly damages a physical
structure or significantly diminishes the whole of it. "Significant
damage" is usually damaging a building's structural integrity or
design (breaching its walls, knocking out a load bearing support or
the like) or its aesthetic integrity (hurling red paint onto a white
wall, for example.) Significance is relative, of course -- a chip of
a brick building taken off by a bullet doesn't look good, but it
isn't really detracting from either the aesthetic or structural
whole. Breaking a normal pane glass window isn't dissonant. Breaking
a wall sized window would be significant structural damage --
allowing the elements into the building. Shattering a stained glass
window would be significant aesthetic damage. Breaking off a proper
gargoyle from the corner of a building would be both structural
damage (significant damage to the drainage system) and aesthetic
damage, and be worth two notes of dissonance. Aeons dislike any sort
of chaos, and find even insignificant violence to a structure deeply
distasteful.
Manner and Appearance
In their celestial form, Aeons are metallic geometric shapes with
smooth lines, often very regular in appearance. Their shapes usually
reflect their personality, and sometimes their color reflects
distinctions they may have received (usually, more precious colors
indicate higher distinctions) as a series of metal inlays. These
forms don't have to be symmetrical -- a pyramid-shaped Aeon may have
the top "trimmed" for a fifth flat surface, for example -- but they
are uniformally aesthetically pleasing.
When in their rare corporeal forms, Aeons value simplicity in their
appearance. They tend to be small, dexterous people as opposed to
powerful looking ones. Aeons are generally happiest working in
Heaven, cheerfully repairing and building the spires of the Eternal
City. Aeons also keep up the abandoned domains of Fallen and slain
Archangels -- a somber duty they do as cheerfully as they possibly
can.
Aeons are cheerful and pleasant, if somewhat distant and perhaps
alien to other Angels -- especially Kyriotates, Mercurians and other
Angels that are close to humanity. As a minor choir devoted to
Heaven's divine structure, Aeons often have little to do with the
Corporeal Realm and less understanding of it. While certainly not as
close to the Divine as Seraphim, their experiences are decidely not
Corporeal ones.
Aeons like the company of other Aeons very much -- it's rare for two
Aeons to disagree with one another, so Aeons feel their interpersonal
relationships are an effective model for the other Choirs.
Musically, Aeons see themselves as steel drums -- adding rhythm to
the whole while being expressive and beautiful in and of themselves.
Game Mechanics
The Aeon resonance allows the angel to both identify flaws and weak
points in existing structures, and more effectively work on new ones.
As always, the check digit of the resonance roll determines the
effectiveness of the Aeon's resonance:
Assessing existing structures:
- Tell how well made, maintained and stable a building currently is.
- Tell how well made a building was, and how much it has deteriorated.
- Determine the specific points of deterioration in a building, or
specific flaws in the building's design, whichever is more
significant.
- Determine the specific points of deterioration in a building and
all specific flaws in the building's design.
- Determine all design flaws and points of deterioration in a
building and learn precisely what must be done to repair or
compensate for them.
- Determine all design flaws and points of deterioration in a
building, learn what must be done to repair or compensate for them,
and learn what retrofitting can be done to improve it beyond its
design.
Assessing blueprints or designs:
- Determine how stable a building will be if built by these plans.
- Determine a building's stability and primary weak points in its design.
- Determine any flaws in a blueprint.
- Determine the flaws in a blueprint and how to correct them.
- Determine all flaws in a blueprint, how to correct them, and all
possible improvements to make a design more efficient, stable and
cost effective.
- Determine the same information as in check digit 5, and also the
most opportune available location for the building.
In addition to their resonance, most Aeons are taught the Song of
Building. The Song of Building is a Restricted Song (which only Aeons
can learn. It allows them to shape the essence of the Celestial Realm
into their divine forms). Aeons will often work as a Chorus to speed
up the construction and perform greater works than might otherwise be
possible.
Superiors
Not all Archangels create Aeons or even employ them on a regular
basis. Some Archangels, when confronted with a building project in
Heaven, will borrow Aeons from a friendly Archangel who does employ
them regularly. Some Archangels use Aeons quite extensively -- those
Archangels might even have Attunements for the Aeons to use as well.
These Attunements are always restricted.
Blandine: Aeons are builders in the Celestial Realm, not in the
Marches. Blandine only rarely has need of their services and is most
likely to borrow them from Yves if necessary. It is said that her
Tower, raised by love, had nothing of Aeons in its construction.
David: One of the greatest patrons of the Choir of Aeons, David uses
them in many places in Heaven and throughout his realm, teaching them
the arts of shaping stone. He grants Aeons the ability to use their
resonance on stone that is meant for building materials, to learn
precisely how to shape it (or tunnel into it, in the case of caves.)
Dominic: Dominic has a small cadre of Aeons, dedicated to the making
and maintenance of prisons and other containers. With a successful
Resonance Roll, the Architects of Judgement can determine where the
weakest points in any prison cell or other jail can be found, with
the check digit indicating how much detail Aeons get on possible
escape methods.
Eli: The Archangel of Creation had nearly as many Aeons working for
him as David. However, he mostly dispersed them to other Archangels
when he went on walkabout, with very few exceptions. And most of his
Aeons, whether dispersed or not, have fully entered the service of
other Superiors -- Aeons are simply too communally based for such
randomness. The very rare exceptions who still have Eli's Aeon of
Creation Attunement are attuned to aesthetics. On a successful
resonance, they also learn how to either improve an existing
structure's appearance or how to alter plans to increase the
building's beauty upon construction.
Gabriel: Even when she was associated with Heaven, Gabriel had few
Aeons associated with her. She was more likely to employ David's for
any sort of work she needed done.
Janus: The building of permanent structures is alien to Janus, and
working for such a chaotic force is alien to most Aeons.
Jean: Jean employs a small but versatile staff of Aeons in the Halls
of Progress. They are masters at power systems, and can use their
resonance on the existing wiring of a building (learning how stable
and strong it is and how to improve it) or on a wiring schematic
meant to either be added to a building or as part of an overall
blueprint.
Jordi: Jordi will occasionally use one or more of Novalis's Aeons to
shift a habitat for creatures of the Savannah, but has no need for
permanent Aeons of his own.
Laurence: Laurence's Aeons are, with Michael's, among the most likely
to be sent down to Earth for occasional duty. Laurence's Aeons are
attuned to religious buildings, and when resonating a celestial or
corporeal church, they will be able to sense how effectively the
church's design can be used to inspire prayer and faith in the
Almighty. Laurence is most likely to assign his Aeons to the
construction of new Catholic Churches, of course, but he's recognized
the value of other houses of Christian Worship. (It is rumored he
even loans some Aeons to Khalid to work on Mosques.)
Marc: As the Heavens reflect new goods and services available on
Earth, so Marc must have Aeons to build and shape places of business.
Furthermore, they act as property appraisers. Their attunement lets
them estimate the current proper value of any building they resonate,
or the potential value of a building based upon location and
blueprints. With high check digits, they can also make suggestions on
ways to improve the property's value.
Michael: The Architects of War are combat engineers, often sent to
Earth to help build fortifications and otherwise prepare for
assaults. They make poor front line soldiers, as they can't break
through enemy fortifications without suffering dissonance, though
they will fight alongside their fellows if needed and will not flee a
fight any more than any other Angels of War. Aeons of Michael can use
their resonance to determine defensibility of a given structure or
planned structure.
Novalis: Novalis has few Aeons, but the ones she has stay busy
working for Flowers in Heaven, keeping the structures of the glade in
perfect harmony with nature. When using their resonance on a
building, they also learn what environmental impact the building has
(or a prospective building might have) on an area.
Yves: There are a few Aeons who move through the Library, though no
one has ever seen them building or working on it. Yves does not have
a special attunement for his Aeons.
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EDG <edg@sjgames.com>
In Nomine Collection Curator