An Archangel is a being of intense power, someone who has crossed beyond the boundaries of being and ascended to a higher perspective of the Symphony. Each Archangel has a near-tyrannical hold on a piece of Heaven; they use servants -- like the player characters -- to further consolidate their hold on reality. Unlike other characters, Archangels aren't defined by characteristics and Resources. They embody concepts and ideas on a much larger scale than can measured within the scope of this game. Some theories hold that above them are even more powerful beings to whom the Archangels are but the lowliest servants, though this gives the typical angel no satisfaction.

In In Nomine, the parts of these Superiors are played by the GM, who should interpret their personalities with his discretion.

Most angels grow up and live in the Heaven of a specific Archangel, who rules that realm and provides for his subjects. A few angels, favored servants, work directly for their Archangels on Earth instead of being directed through the nearly infinite hierarchy of go-betweens. Their masters grant them boons -- like special attunements, rites and political clout -- in return for loyal service. See "Favored Servants" on p. 00 for more information.

Angels who are prove to be poor servants are punished. Sometimes they have Discord imposed on them, and other times they're cast out of Heaven, at the master's whim.

The Sarim

The Seraphim Council is the ruling body of Heaven. These most divine of all angels make the wide-ranging decisions on how the Divine should fight the Diabolical. They allow ten Archangels special votes in the most important of their decisions. This group is called the Sarim.

Of course, other Archangels exist besides the ones mentioned in this book. GMs are welcome to create their own; see the sidebar on p. 00 for some helpful guidelines.

With an even deeper tie to the Symphony than the average angel, the Archangels' motivations may sometimes seem unfathomable, but they are not inhuman. Archangels are proud and powerful, but just as susceptible to feelings of fear, doubt and guilt as any other living being.

Archangels are grouped into voting houses, much like political parties. The major houses are Fortitude, Justice, Prudence and Temperance. These are also the four cardinal virtues -- though few Cardinals were ever so virtuous as the ten who stand behind these Words.

The following pages describe the individual Archangels in great detail, covering everything from their philosophies to their regard for other Archangels. In the section below is some general information which explains how the information is being presented, and gives some guidelines on how best to use it.

The House of Fortitude
Alain, Archangel of Animals
David, Archangel of Stone
Novalis, Archangel of Plants

The House of Justice
Dominic, Archangel of Judgement
Gabriel, Archangel of Fire
Janus, Archangel of Wind

The House of Prudence
Blandine, Archangel of Dreams
Marc, Archangel of Trade
Michael, Archangel of War

The House of Temperance
Eli, Archangel of Creation
Khalid, Archangel of Faith

The House of Fortitude
The Archangels of Fortitude -- Alain (Animals), David (Stone), and Novalis (Plants) -- are not the most powerful celestial beings, as the name of their house may imply. They exist to inspire humans toward strong hearts and stronger minds. If the Diabolicals win souls by tests of weakness, then the Divine win souls through tests of strength. The angels of Fortitude are sometimes called upon to provide those tests.

In general, these three Archangels want humanity to return to its roots, return to the country and start the civilizing process all over again. Something, they believe, went very wrong along the way -- but maybe everyone will get it right next time. They all try to be close to their servants, acting friendly and concerned about their well-being.

The House of Justice
The Archangels of Justice -- Dominic (Judgement), Gabriel (Fire), and Janus (Wind) -- try to be impartial observers in the affairs of humans, making corrections here and there on the parts of the Symphony to which they're attuned. To greater or lesser degrees, these three Archangels are above reproach.

Angels willing to serve Justice should be bright, resourceful and open-minded, able to make quick and accurate character judgements and decisions. The angels of Judgement tend to be very business-like, seeking out misdoings and passing their sentences without becoming too familiar with those they encounter. The angels of Fire are much more congenial, though it may make it more difficult for them to carry out a passed sentence. The angels of Wind pass silently across the land, charged with tearing down all things dull and stagnant.

The House of Prudence
The Archangels of Prudence -- Blandine (Dreams), Marc (Trade), and Michael (War) -- hold some of the greatest power in the Heavens, but wield it only when absolutely necessary. Illuminating humans to the virtue of acting with caution is the basic goal of these Archangels and their angels.
None of these Archangels are especially personable when it comes to their servants, and (except for Michael) would much rather the angels who promote their Words go about their own business, leaving them to theirs.

The House of Temperance
The two Archangels of Temperance -- Eli (Creation) and Khalid (Faith) -- stress the importance of moderation, though recently they haven't been following that advice themselves. Eli . . . well, he's Eli. Even some of his most avid followers hold a little bit of disdain towards him, but those who really know him love him like a brother. Khalid has been on a winning streak recently, but his relationship with his servants is almost the opposite that of Eli's; he emphasizes the word "servant," demanding a variety of favors as a show of faith. Not the kindest of masters, Khalid is a surprisingly (if grudgingly) well-liked and high-profile Archangel, as well as one of the most powerful.

Philosophy

Every Archangel has a philosophy, a slant on the way they wish their angelic servants to perceive the world. An Archangel's philosophy defines not just how they act, but the reasoning behind it. Since there is no single way to interpret the meaning or purpose of the Symphony, these mighty beings see no reason to act other than their personal philosophies demand -- and they require the same from their servants, however favored.

Dissonance

Just like all the Choirs have things which go against their natures and cause dissonance, there are things an angel can do which go against the basic goals and philosophies of his Archangel. These things cause notes of dissonance in the offending servant but, if the situation allows, the dissonance may be removed by correcting the problem.
Though most descriptions spell out in no uncertain terms what players should and shouldn't do in service to their Archangels, GMs are encouraged to use their own discretion when inflicting dissonance.

Attunements

This section outlines the stereotypical servants of an Archangel, by Choir, and notes any special abilities granted to members of particular Choirs. An attunement or other special ability granted by servitude to an Archangel is both free and automatic during normal gameplay unless otherwise mentioned. In combat, an attunement takes one round to invoke, and will manifest its effects the following round.
For purposes of playing the Archangels, GMs should consider them to possess all the abilities they pass along to their servants, regardless of what Choir the Archangel actually belongs to.

Manner and Appearance

Every Archangel is an individual, a character which the GM is expected to play. This heading provides a brief outline of how that celestial being tends to manifest in the corporeal realm, and how he deals with his servants.

Relations

As well as struggling against the demons, the Archangels are also struggling with one another for whose philosophy will dominate the plans for waging the war against Hell. This section provides useful background detail on how the various Archangels get along with one another, and guidelines on how their servants are to act among the servants of other Archangels.

Missions

Angels don't come to Earth for holiday, there's a war going on after all. This section has some notes on how a particular Archangel's servants get around in the world, as well as a couple of adventure seeds to get things going.

Rites

There are things an angel can do, beyond any assigned missions, which support his Archangel's Word in the Symphony. These rites vary from master to master, and only work for angels who are attuned to that Word, but every time you successfully perform one, your character regenerates one point of Essence.
No single rite may be effectively performed more than once in a day, although as many different rites can be executed as an angel cares to try. GMs and players are welcome to think up other things that could support an Archangel's Word, and allow them in play if the rest of the group agrees.

Chance of Invocation and Invocation Modifiers

Some days, you have to talk to the boss. But the Archangels are pretty busy, they've got entirely other levels of reality on which they're coordinating efforts. This number is what a character must roll on a d666 to successfully summon his Archangel. It's generally not a very high number, but it can be modified in a number of ways.

A few of these modifiers are universal. Check out the sidebar, "Other Invocation Modifiers" on p. 00. Some artifacts and situations create compelling patterns to the minds of Archangels, to varying degrees. The presence of these artifacts or situations lend characters a bonus, listed in parenthesis at the end of the line, towards summoning his Archangel.

When Archangels respond to invocations, their reactions vary. The typical Archangel, whose dutiful servant invoked him at a moment of extreme duress and from whom he hears infrequently, will probably follow the quickest route to saving the troubled angel -- usually "pulling the plug" and moving the servant to a point of safety, sometimes taking the angel directly to the Archangel's home in the Heavens for questioning. Only a few Archangels would fight it out for their servants (David and Michael come to mind) while others may instead prefer to grant assistance in the form of a hint or a puzzle. Archangels are very busy, and help those who help themselves.

Failed invocations simply have no effect. Invocation modifiers only work for servants of that Archangel.

Sidebar: Other Invocation Modifiers
Angel makes futile demands (-4)
Most recent invocation was less than a week ago (-3)
Most recent invocation was more than a month ago (-1)
Most recent invocation was more than a year ago (+1)
Angel risks death of his corporeal vessel (+1)
Angel is in the presence of demons (+2)
Angel is in the presence of a Demon Prince (+6)

Sidebar: The Original Septa
The original Septa were Blandine, Archangel of Dreams; David, Archangel of Earth; Eli, Archangel of Creation; Gabriel, Archangel of Fire; Khalid, Archangel of Faith; Michael, Archangel of War; Raphael, Archangel of Knowledge. No, we're not going to tell you what happened to Raphael.


The material here is © 1995, 1996 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.

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