Words

As merely a Servant, there's only so far an angel or a demon can advance in the celestial hierarchy without becoming an incarnation of a Word. Words run the gamut of physical objects and locations, societal pressures, cultural phenomenon and natural forces. The Archangels (and the Demon Princes) are bearers of general Words, and the potent angels who work under them are manifestations of lesser Words, offshoots of their superiors'.

The process of obtaining a Word is arduous, but worthwhile. With greater responsiblity comes greater power and -- hopefully -- greater repect and recognition from your peers. Eventually, if you serve your Word well and prosper, you will gather Servants of your own. Other celestials may seek you out, or be assigned to you, endeavoring to help you protect your important Word.

Angels

When you pick a Word that you want to become an incarnation of, first notify your Archangel and discuss the matter with him. If he agrees that it is a Word complimentary to his own, you must petition the Seraphim Council for it, and defend your Word in a public gallery. Anyone is allowed to speak, both for you and against you, to convince the greatest of the Seraphim that you wish to be considered for the Word..

Even if the Seraphs find you worthy to listen to, there very well may be other people who were planning on choosing that Word but hadn't mustered either the courage or the Essence to take the leap. These less daring (or less resourceful) angels may become the bane of your existence, as they will compete with you for the Word you desire.

Those who wish to compete for the Word will have a quest to perform, one pertaining to the Word in question. The Council members, who are not stupid creatures, will assign similar quests to the different competitors, or it will remain a single quest will have multiple ways to complete it.
After everyone has either finished his quest or has been written off, the Council will listen to final petitions from the various entrants, if there is more than one. Like before, comments from the congregation at large will be accepted. Each angel is expected to speak eloquently on his qualifications for the job, as well as give the story of his quest and its resolution.

When the Council decides who will bear that mark of the Symphony, then the pattern of the angel's Forces will be bonded to the thought of the Word, and the angel will be bound to protect that Word even above his own existance.

Demons

The process of obtaining a Word is similar for demons -- ask your superior, gather political supporters, etc. -- but without the infernal counterpart of a Seraphim Council, the last step is a tricky one.

When a demon wants a Word, the only thing that really matters is the personal opinion of Lucifer himself. After all is said and done on a political level, and any other contenders for the Word have been disposed of, you are granted a brief audience with the dark lord of dark lords, who will judge your merits on his own.

Frequently, he declines to offer the Word. Occasionally, he may offer a Word different than the one requested. Sometimes if the petitioner offends, Lucifer will inflict an insipid Word on the poor demon -- on the Lightbringer's whim, a demon could find himself becoming a powerful political adversary or the next demon of Stale Bong Water. Lucifer has the power to make anyone bearing malevolent Essence a manifestation of any Word of the Symphony. And just to insure the validity of his instincts, Lucifer generally requires a personal quest on the same scale as the Seraphim Council does -- or not, as his perfect will sees fit.

Character Types -- Servants | Outcasts | Renegades | Remnants | Words

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