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Some dreams are more solid than others, and Blandine's servants are charged with protecting dreamers and helping them battle their fears. The minions of Beleth, Princess of Nightmares, are her dire enemies.

Blandine's servants are rarely combat monsters. Like their mistress, they prefer subtle background manipulation to force, and seldom involve themselves in outright violence.

Blandine rules over half of the Marches, which is a strange land where dreams come from. Beleth rules over the other half, and sends nightmares from her hellish domain. Now, Blandine's half of the Marches is the only passage between Earth and Heaven, and it is a difficult, perilous journey, which can only be facilitated by a Servitor of Blandine - in other words, if you want to go to Heaven, you need their help to get to the Marches. After that, you're on your own.

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David and his angels created the first human shelters, and his disciples taught the arts of pottery, metal-working and building construction. He also helped to find new and better people to beat one another to bloody smears.

Since David and his followers helped mold early humanity, he feels a responsibility to finish the job. His angels strengthen people by forcing them to endure terrible labours. David believes this is necessary if humanity is to survive the times ahead.

This Servitors encourage people to join together in strength for mutual loyalty and protection, even to the point of forming street gangs and militias. They proudly count skinheads among their followers. Some angels think the servants of David are too brutal, but they themselves wonder if they're brutal enough. David's followers are blindly loyal, and do not tolerate anyone questioning their master's decisions.

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Dominic and his servants have been charged with maintaining order by rooting out corruption in the Symphony, even among angels. Especially among angels.

Known as the most tyrannical of the Archangels, he heads the Divine Inquisition. His servants root out dissent within the Host and deal with troublemakers, such as severely Discordant angels and Outcasts.

The Divine Inquisition is organized in triads - groups of three angels. Each triad includes a Cherub, attuned to the subject of inquiry; a Seraph, to resolve his true culpability; and an angel of another Choir to carry out the sentence. Judgment is by a majority vote of the triad.

Only his most-favoured Servitors (such as your character), operate autonomously, and Dominic reserves them for missions which require the utmost discretion.

Dominic has little interest in the laws of mankind - or, for that matter, its problems. An angel of Dominic will help execute a just human law, especially by aiding human police and courts, but will also ignore a law that fails to serve his master's severe Justice.

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Of all the Archangels, Eli produces the most contradictory images in the hearts of angels. He is both creator and destroyer - full of life and hope, his future wide open, but out of control and out of his mind. His servants embody the Earth's primal creative forces. Casual and disorganized they may have become, but they remain makers of beauty and servants of Heaven.

A few decades ago, Eli abandoned his divine mosque, stripped himself of his memories of the past, and disappeared into the corporeal masses. He's seldom heard from, and even his most ardent followers are afraid of what he's become.

At the beginning of the last century, Eli granted dominion of most of his Servitors to the other Archangels. So, for instance, one might be 'A Malakite of Eli in service to Gabriel.' They retain the attunements and get no new abilities unless their new masters grant them attunements - which rarely happens.

A few of Eli's most favoured Servitors still do his direct bidding. ("Do what thou wilt," he told them, "but be cool." wink They go on esoteric errands at his whim, and often don't understand what they're doing, or why.

Scattered in service to various Archangels, seemingly abandoned by their master, Eli's Servitors have every reason to be frustrated and confused. On top of that, Dominic has been making the supposed heresies of Eli the focus of his dark scrutinies.

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This energy can fuel the hearts of men and women, bringing joy and inspiration; it can also burn the unwise and the unfortunate. Gabriel's servants are fire incarnate.

Physically, she's perfect. Mentally, however, she's unstable. At one time, Dominic declared her heretical and tried to have her exiled from Heaven. Yves and Michael defended her, but she stormed away angrily and has yet to return. That was over a millennium ago.

Besides the Word of Fire, Gabriel has other offices. Her most important duty is to punish the cruel, which she does with a vengeance. She was once Heaven's messenger.

Gabriel is too unstable to manage God's armies, too disturbed to rehabilitate and too powerful to destroy. She's a primal force which can occasionally be channeled, but never controlled, by the rational factions of Heaven.

She still walks the Earth, avoiding other Archangels and performing her role as she has since ancient times. Sometimes she talks to herself; sometimes she screams, sometimes she laughs for no apparent reason. Her servants love her madly, and burn to follow in her footsteps across the hot coals of life.

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The servants of Janus are Heaven's agents of change, charged with shaking up the establishment and making the static into the dynamic. They are also divine thieves, confounding the wicked with their daring exploits.

Janus is one of the oldest Archangels. Although his mission is to promote change, he himself has changed very little in the past millennia. In fact, like many Archangels, he seems increasingly set in his ways as time goes by.

He's very gregarious, but just as quick to condemn a friend as to praise him. Then, after his fits of criticism pass, he is very, very apologetic. While some worry about his stability, Janus' usefulness is sometimes the only thing Gabriel and Dominic agree on. After all, his mood swings reflect his role in the Symphony.

Janus' angels aim to disrupt normality and cause as much chaos as possible without upsetting the overall balance of the Symphony. In a typical scenario, an angel of Janus comes to town, scopes the place out, and mayhem ensues. Actually, almost any adventure of these angels ends with "and mayhem ensues."

The servants of Janus are easy to spot: reckless youth, hanging out of the side of a speeding car, zooming from one town to another, attending rallies, blowing up cars, agents of change. They're also known for their light fingers and bulging jackets.

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Servants of Jean control the various energies which course through the corporeal world. Slowly, they dole out their secrets to mankind.

Jean manages the technology of humanity, and their knowledge and comprehension of the physical world. He charges his Servitors with developing and experimenting with new high-tech devices designed to reduce the selfish desires of mankind.

He and his Servitors don't think very highly of humanity. "But in spite of their tiny cranial volumes," he admits, "they still manage the occasional flash of insight." Jean usually chalks this sort of thing up to Lucifer and Vapula (Prince of Technology) who slip secrets of the Symphony to human scientists in exchange for dark currency.

Jean's personality is proud and pedantic. He's a micro-manager, who prefers that his angels not take too much upon themselves - especially when it comes to human innovation. As Archangels go, he is easy to summon, and usually grumbles, "You did the right thing to call me." Jean is a hard worker, but likes to do it himself.

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Ignore the lie that is 'civilization,' the shared hallucination which humans call 'society'. Heaven has erred grievously in allowing humanity to keep its artificial trappings - mankind must regain its wild nature, or die.

With a strong aversion to most of man's works, Jordi spends most of his time wandering across the world's countrysides in animal form. Lucifer did his best to play on Jordi's disdain for mankind, but Jordi was never tempted. He remains completely loyal to the Divine, whatever he may think of the current state of the world. And he accepts as allies those humans who share his love for the animal kingdom.

Angels who don't work for him consider Jordi to be completely insane. Mad or not, he's exceptionally intelligent and wildly perceptive, and always willing to give a bit of leeway to supplicants who show consideration of his eccentricities. His servants may be wild and untameable, but they're not cruel - they act as they must, with passion, but without hatred.

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Laurence is a Malakite, honourable to a fault, and the supreme commander of God's army on Earth. He's responsible for training Soldiers and assigning them to angels, coordinating official missions and keeping track of the Foe.

Laurence has not only been orchestrating the armies of God, he's also become the patron Archangel of Christianity, actively promoting its growth. In particular, he supports the Pope and would like Catholicism to become the sole religion of humanity. (Dominic is the only major Archangel who vehemently supports him on this)

The youngest of the major Archangels, Laurence is a real phenomenon in a fight, but as a planner he's still too idealistic. He tends to forget that even his own angels aren't perfect, and that the other side fights very, very dirty. When plans go wrong, he invariably calls in Michael, the old warhorse, to sway the course of the battle back to the side of good.

His servants never have a spare minute. While other angels only grudgingly drop whatever they're doing to help Servitors of the Sword, Laurence's angels feel that the others are too quick to beg for help - which his servants feel obliged to give - instead of solving their own problems first. Between their honourable idealism and their prowess as Heaven's greatest questers, they have a great deal of potential, if only they can survive long enough to fulfill it.

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Commerce has complicated the lives of humans, but has lowered the amount of violent conflict in the world. Wars cannot be fought without spilling blood - but in commerce, payers and numbers and the structures inside people's minds are the only casualties.

The Archangel of Trade is well-suited to the human-level complexities of the fiscal world. He and his servants are divine diplomats, Heaven's negotiators. They lie only by omission and always for good reason. Marc can be counted on, as long as one reads between the lines and pays attention to the fine print.

Mark bears the heavy burden (his words) of promoting the abstract concept of currency and of managing the divine fortune. He does it well, occasionally reimbursing himself for his time. (He invented the concept of a 'salary,' and doesn't stint himself.)

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As the most powerful angel, in mind and in body, Michael bested Lucifer in hand-to-hand combat and personally kicked his red @$$ out Heaven's door. (The remaining rebels, damned by God, conceded the battle and found their own way out.) For this, God made Michael Archangel of War. While Laurence rules the armies of God, Michael is the commander of those who fight alone, relying only on their own weapons.

His servants fight vigorously so that one day the war will end. They are proud, powerful and never back down from a fight. But they're also sympathetic to the human condition, and try not to miss out on an opportunity to relieve a human of his pain, if only by listening to his war stories.

Pig-headed and individualistic, Michael doesn't mollycoddle his servants - but he does protect them from Dominic, whom he calls 'the hyena of Heaven.' Many millennia ago, Michael was the target of an inquest into vainglory, chaired by Dominic. He accused Michael and his servants of encouraging heathenish traditions (collecting trophies, promoting warrior cults, sporting blasphemous heraldry, etc.) God intervened and acquitted Michael, not because he was innocent, but because without pride and glory - and Michael - Heaven's greatest battles would be lost.

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The servants of Novalis are charged with calming the souls of humanity. She is a powerful female principle; her Word in the angelic tongue resonates with tones of growth, nurturing and peace.

Novalis' servants may be as precise as a new bonsai, or as wild and mad as a valley of kudzu, but none would have felt out of place at a Dead show.

Novalis' kindness is unequalled; she avoids direct conflict as much as possible. Her servants are just so damned friendly that other angels can't help but get along with them. However, she doesn't like to see her servants aiding overtly-violent missions unless there's a good chance that their presence may prevent bloodshed.

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Legend has it, Yves was the first soul created by God. Armed with his knowledge of the universe from its most primal state, he and his Servitors have a miraculous ability to predict the Symphony's future.

It was given to Yves to name God, after God named Yves. Some divine theologians argue that Yves, by giving God a name, created not merely the distinction between Good and Evil, but that he created God Himself. Others believe that by naming a darkness for light to stand against, he facilitated the original Fall.

He and his Servitors are the givers of names, the guardians of knowledge. In the modern era he concerns himself most with philosophy, having delegated the sphere of technology to Archangel Jean.

Yves is not omniscient, but he knows the names of all things, everything that has ever been written down, and - as Archangel of Destiny - all of the best and brightest possibilities for the world. He is the most respected soul in Heaven.

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Andrealphus and his demonic Servitors are the most hot-handed and cold-hearted creatures ever to crawl out of Hell. The Prince of Lust, Andre to his friends, enjoys worldly missions of glamour and politics. When subtlety is required, Andrealphus has many eager servants.

He and his Servitors are well-liked by all the Princes with a taste for pleasure. Andrea frowns upon any demon whose general appearance is even the least bit monstrous, preferring to deal with 'pretty people'. His servants, and even other Princes, often have trouble contacting him - he's always got a rendezvous to attend to.

In recent decades, Andrealphus has been working with Nybbas, the Prince of the Media, to create a new paradigm for religion, based around the kind of selfish freedom which demons best appreciate. Between Nybbas' deliciously deceitful media and Andre's diabolical charm, they expect to found a new religion of entertainment in the cracks of the corporate state before the end of the next century. In the meantime, Andrealphus has committed his Servitors to teaching humans that sometimes it's good just to lose yourself in the pleasures of the flesh.

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Asmodeus and his Servitors are Lucifer's secret police, responsible for hunting down renegades and other traitors to the infernal armies. The Prince of the Game is probably the second-most powerful of Hell's royalty, after Kronos. He is widely feared and roundly hated by his peers. His agents always have at least one cover identity, and only unmask themselves upon making an 'arrest'.

They are charged with slaying the corporeal vessels of any renegades they encounter. To Asmodeus and his servants, a demon is renegade (and within their jurisdiction) if he acts against the expressed or implied wishes of his Prince, if he possesses any Celestial Discord, or if his actions call his loyalty to evil into question.

Above all, Lucifer uses Asmodeus to weed out demons who might defect to the angels or threaten Lucifer's own plans. He is the counterweight to the unrest that Malphas stirs up. While any Prince may call upon the Servitors of Asmodeus, most prefer to deal with problems in their own way rather than risk scrutiny.

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With Baal leading the troops, their chances are better every century. A Balseraph and a warrior, Baal is an inveterate liar with a strange sort of honour. He is not a brute, but a cultured killer, with more class than Belial and more brains than Saminga.

Baal has made combat a way of life. Unlike Michael, Archangel of War, Baal is firmly at the helm of Hell's military, more general than fighter. His demons are sent to Earth to encourage the self-destruction of humanity and to help other demons defend against the angelic menace.

Baal holds his disciples in an iron grip, checking in on them frequently to be assured of perfect service. He is a prime example of the great contradiction of the Diabolicals: Baal fought like a champion at the start of the War for the right of the demons to rebel, yet he has slain many of his finest servants for threatening to rebel against him.

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The creatures of Beleth defend themselves from life by becoming the most terrifying things in it. Even the Malakim, those steely-bright angels of war, exchange nervous glances when discussing the Servitors of Nightmares.

Beleth, one of the first celestials created, the angel of Fear, is now a Djinn. Full of hate for humanity, she sided with Lucifer against the wishes of her lover, Archangel Blandine.

The Princess of Nightmares thinks the other Princes - especially those who merely kill their prey - are too soft on mortals. The other Princes know that she spies for Lucifer, and seldom visit her dreamland when they sleep, if they sleep at all.

Beleth and her servants have worked harder than any other Diabolicals to promote fear and general mistrust. That they do it to mask their own insecurity is a weakness they would never confess.

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He and his minions know that if you're not fire, you're fuel. Belial would let the whole world burn before admitting defeat. The Prince of Fire is a fighter, rarely making a personal appearance unless force - or at least a threat - is required. The Adversary himself likes Belial well enough, but limits his power, some say, for fear of treachery.

Belial's Servitors may be grubby or elegant, as suits their Bands and their whims - but they all smoke, if only because it's an excuse to carry a lighter. He was a servant of Gabriel's before the Fall. Lucifer swore that he could have the word of Fire after they overthrew God, and he kept his promise as best he could.

Belial represents only the literal power of fire - its destructive nature - and not its conceptual power, as Gabriel frequently does. The rivalry between the two Words of Fire is legendary, and the enmity between their respective disciples rivals the heat at the heart of a star.

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Haagenti usually appears as a hairy, screaming demon about three feet tall, with a huge maw ringed by razor-sharp teeth. He moves by hopping and skipping, and eats everything he can get into his greedy little hands.

A Calabite, Haagenti despises almost all the other Princes, mostly because he spent 600 years toiling under them as a familiar. As a demon tyke, he promised himself that someday he'd devour his enemies.

Over time, he grew in stature. On a whim, Kobal, Demon Prince of Dark Humour, adopted Haagenti as his brother and helped him through several rather ugly growth spurts until finally, much to everyone's surprise, he climbed to his current position. Haagenti attacked more than one Prince who'd made his life particularly miserable, and - as promised - at them for lunch. (Prudent demons treat their familiars nicely, because - well - you never know).

Basically, Haagenti is a bully and a buffoon, specializing mostly in torture and sight gags (which, some might argue, are a kind of torture). His disciples swarm across the Earth to aid this or that Prince - or more often, to help Servitors of Kobal harass mankind.

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Kobal is Hell's court jester. Kobal seems to have a special place in Lucifer's heart; the Lord of Lies permits Kobal to say, with wicked wit, what no other Prince would dare even think.

On Earth, humour is one of God's greatest gifts, making friendships easier and lightening misfortune. It is Kobal's greatest talent to skillfully pervert the art of humour into mockery, hatred and despair. His demons serve Evil by turning thought to laughter, concern to callousness, reverence to blasphemy - and all in the name of good clean fun.

Kobal manifests in a different guise every time he appears, all the better to fool people - but his servants always recognize him. Sometimes he appears animated; these days he is often depressed and caustic. He specializes in word games and intelligent humour, leaving the crudity of visual gags to his 'brother', Haagenti.

The Prince of Dark Humour used to spend much more time on Earth, but with the dawning of the 20th century, he began to spend less and less time walking the corporeal plane. He's heard all the jokes - he's jaded, and he's beginning to get bored and angry. Now he rarely comes to Earth, except to help one of his Servitors out of a jam or to enjoy some especially brutal practical joke.

In the depths of Kobal's mind, the ultimate joke is slowly taking shape, whether or not he's consciously aware of it. When he plays it, and upon whom, might make all the difference in the world to the War.

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Kronos is the most powerful of Hell's Princes. He doesn't care about most of the people in the world, only those who aspire to greatness, who hear the call of their bright destiny. Those are the ones whose great potential must be crushed by the dark hand of Fate.

He and his Servitors are the only demons with a true connection to the Symphony at large, charged with perverting its workings from the inside out. Dire enemy of the angels of Destiny, Kronos operates by forcing patterns in the Symphony down paths of weakness. Without the demons of Fate to stalemate Yves, the angels might have already won the War.

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The Adversary uses Malphas and his servants for diplomatic missions of the greatest importance. He is in favour with Lucifer and liked by almost all the other Princes. He does not return this affection. Malphas practices his art among his peers as much as he does on Earth. Lucifer approves; in fact, that's one reason Malphas keeps his high state. As long as Malphas is playing his games, the Demon Princes will never unite against Lucifer...they'll be squabbling among themselves.

Malphas is cordial with his servants, willing to listen to the complaints of even the least of them. This is not kindness, of course; it's the faction game. Each of his demons is convinced that Malphas is a tough but fair boss; each one thinks he has a special 'in' with Malphas. His organization is not especially efficient...none of his demons trust one another enough to cooperate really well...but it's completely reliable. His demons are always alert for excuses to denounce each other to their immediate boss or to Malphas himself.

Malphas is never violent except in the last extremity of self-defense, and insists that his minions follow his example. Inciting violence is fine; using it directly is the mark of a failure. (And Malphas secretly believes that most of his fellow Princes are clumsy dolts).

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Nybbas is the newest major Prince in Hell. In 1884, with several human allies, he invented the television. His immediate crowning by Lucifer was unexpected - Nybbas was a low-ranked servant of Vapula at the time, without even a Word of his own - and caused great controversy on both sides of the Celestial front. Television has forever changed the way mankind thinks and dreams. Nybbas' plot to mold the psyches of humanity is working all too well.

The Hollywood style of storytelling best embodies Nybbas' unrealistic attitudes: to the Prince of the Media, the world is a beautiful place inhabited by beautiful people, and everything will turn out fine in the end. His manner and appearance is worse than that of the most horrifying game-show hosts, his grinning countenance terrifying to even the most cheerful Girl Scout troop.

He is full of disdain for everyone he manipulates - and he feels, not without reason, that anyone who helps him is his puppet.

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Only three millennia ago, Saminga was an ordinary demon. He learned the secret of mummification from the ancient Egyptians and used it to create an army of undead sorcerers. Soon his occult power exceeded that of many Princes.

Lucifer considered slapping him down, but Saminga's not trying to take over Hell. He has everything he wants, and lets the other Princes manage those things that bore him. Arrogant and patronizing, he thinks death is the ultimate evil, and since he is Death, he must be the ultimate evil. That's fine with Lucifer, who fines the Prince of Death pathetically easy to manipulate.

The destruction of property or animals doesn't amuse Saminga; only the death of an intelligent being, preferably in fear and agony, fuels his dark symphonic theme. That's amusing.

The Demon Prince of Death always prefers dead puppets to living mortal servants. As this might indicate, Saminga isn't particularly bright. He makes up for it with paranoid savagery, especially when he thinks a Servitor is being even the least bit insolent.

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Ever since humanity learned to tell one cave from another, it has struggled with the concept of ownership. Valefor delights in the conflicts between those who have and those who want.

Valefor appeared on the scene several centuries back, having liberated the true prophecies of Michel de Nostradame, better known as Nostrademus, from Yves' library. He rapidly made a name for himself; since then he has personally stolen everything from the sealant for the Spanish Armada's gunpowder barrels to Nikola Tesla's electrotherapy cure for cancer.

More important than Valefor's flashy personal thefts - though they do raise a lot of Hell in the mortal world without disrupting the Symphony - is the constant strain that the demons of Theft put on mortal society. A little theft is often the door to far greater sins, especially since Nybbas started cooperating by promoting stylish thieves as cool media heroes, from Robin Hood to Dillinger. In addition, theft tends to promote greed and anger in its victims - better and better!

Lucifer made the daring thief a Prince. But most of Hell's more austere royalty - Asmodeus, Baal, even Kronos - think there's something terribly wrong and dangerous about Valefor. For example, the rivalry between his Servitors and those of Janus seems 'too pat'. Surely, they argue, there must be some reason they and their Servitors bear such an uncanny resemblance, if not physically, than conceptually.

But Lucifer finds Valefor a useful tool. And in fact, when any Prince of Hell needs something stolen, on Earth or anywhere else, he's likely to call directly or indirectly on Valefor.

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Think 'mad scientist'. Vapula is usually quiet, and seems to be working on something in the back of his mind - until he bursts forth with a torrent of excited ideas. Even when angry, he's soft-spoken. A clumsy Servitor may be invited to donate his vessel for medical experimentation...but Vapula will smile encouragingly as the victim is strapped to the rack.

Archangel Jean was handed the secrets of the corporeal world by Yves. Without access to the Symphony, Vapula is reduced to experimentation - but he's gotten pretty damned good at it. The Prince of Technology loves gadgets, and has absolutely no conscience about their side effects. He was never an angel, and Hell suits him far better than Heaven would; he's free to come up with whatever he wants. He's especially fascinated by technological relics.

Lucifer and the other Princes want to see devices which humanity will use for destruction and selfishness, such as chemical weapons, automobiles, cement, fast food and explosives. Actually, humans invented all those things, but Vapula takes credit for helping them along - it earns points with the rest of the Descending Hierarchy.

Vapula's forges in Hell are the source of most infernal artifacts. Few of the demons who know these secrets are permitted to reach Earth, though! None of the Princes want diabolical artifacts to be too easy to get.

Most recently, he has been recruited by Nybbas to help create a combination computer/television that will draw Essence from those nearby, or accept Essence 'broadcast' from some central location, to power the dark invocations of the cathode ray tube. With such a device - tentatively dubbed the NC, or 'Nybbas Computer' - the Diabolicals' control of humanity might be complete.

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Long before the Fall, Lilith walked the Earth, beautiful and immortal. Created as the first wife of Adam in God's famous experiment in the Garden of Eden, she exercised her free will and walked away.

Lucifer offered her power, dark Essence, and the Word of Freedom. Lilith accepted, but has insisted that independence means far more to her than power over others. She is the Demon Princess of Freedom, and she means it. She holds no Principality in Hell and commands no Servitors. When she wants something, she'll trade favours. If she comes out ahead...well, that's just how it goes. Thus, her power is far less than that of the major Demon Princes. Technically, she's not even a demon; she's just Lilith, unique and exquisite, whom no one can ever own. But her infernal coronet remains secure, because she provides what no other Prince can: the bewitching Lilim.

Each Lilim is an individual creation of Lilith herself. Other princes have engendered their own ideas of the perfect infernal seductress, but no one can duplicate the Lilim. Having created her children, she leaves them free to succeed or fail on their own. If someone else gets the better of a Lilim in a fair deal or a fair fight, then Lilith doesn't care. It's when Lilim are victimized or treated as disposable that she's been known to get involved.

Lilith can lie almost as well as a Balseraph - though she thinks of it as 'changing her mind' about her own intentions. If she's accepted a service, she'll always keep her end of the bargain, unlike the other Princes. She can Geas herself if she has to, but it's normally beneath her dignity to lie to a being as lowly as a Celestial, and she'd be very unlikely to Geas herself to anyone except a Superior - and even then, only to make a point.

She gets dragged into Hell's politics only when it's completely unavoidable. She'd like to be completely free, of course, but how likely is that really? Lucifer is a powerful protector, and her experience with the Host involved being a mortal's slave. Many Archangels would still like to destroy her, though not all - Jean in particular.

Lilith has no permanent Servitors, deeming that too much like slavery. She acquires temporary Servitors by trading favours. She will trade favours with anyone who will work with her, and she likes to keep her options open. Temporary Servitors have access to her Rites, but they must also accept her Dissonance.

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Attraction
In the Symphony, forces of attraction are capricious and unpredictable. These frequently-used Songs give Celestials varying degrees of control over these forces.

• Corporeal - The Corporeal Song of Attraction is designed to attune items to each other. Once Attuned, each 'tugs' gently in the direction of the other. Perception is needed to correctly determine the direction of the object's tugging. This Song cannot be performed on living beings - only on objects. Both objects must be in physical contact with the performer's vessel when the Song's effects are activated. If one object is destroyed, the effects of this Song end.
  
• Ethereal - The Ethereal Song of Attraction makes a victim madly, passionately attracted to any person or object of the performer's choosing. The object of attraction must be within eyesight of the performer, and the target must be within a few feet of the performer. The target can resist with willpower. If he fails to resist, he'll feel compelled to possess and protect the object of his desire, and to stay in its presence, for the length of the Song's duration. In a combat situation, the victim will defend himself normally, but must use will when forced to choose between self-preservation and protecting the object of his desire.
  
• Celestial - The Celestial Song of Attraction works like the resonance of the Djinn and Cherubim. The performer must physically touch the object to which he wishes to attune himself, but may then divine its location anywhere in the Symphony. Unlike the resonance of the Cherbim, this Song never causes its performer to generate dissonance.

Charm
It's possible to be so damn charming to people that they're stunned. The various versions of this Song temporarily reduce a victim's characteristics. The Corporeal version of this Song affects only Strength and Agility, the Ethereal version affects only Intelligence and Precision, and the Celestial version affects only Will and Perception. This Song cannot reduce characteristics below 1

There is no limit to the number of people this Song can affect, so long as they are within range and the performer has enough Essence. The Songs of Charm work on animals, as well as human beings - and, of course, Celestials.

• Corporeal - This Song can affect either a person's Strength, making it more difficult for him to put up a struggle, or his Agility, making him slow (if not unable) to react. The effects last for a few minutes.
  
• Ethereal - This Song can affect either a person's Intelligence, making him slow-witted, or his Precision, making it difficult for him to concentrate on any sort of complicated task. The effects last for a few hours.
  
• Celestial - This Song can affect either its victim's Will, making him apathetic and highly suggestible, or his Perception, dully his senses to near-imbecility. The effects last for just a few rounds.

Dreams
While the servants of Beleth and Blandine are the consummate walkers of dreamworlds, these Songs let others trace their footsteps.

• Corporeal - This Song has the same effects as the Dream Walking attunement. It lasts for a few minutes.
  
• Ethereal - This Song lets the performer affect the dreamer's ability to use his skills within the dream. The dreamer can resist the first attempt with Will, and successful resistance ejects the intruder from the dream.
  
• Celestial - This Song lets its performer control occurrences in other people's dreams (He must first be in his target's dreamscape). The performer is able to affect the outcome of a dream. If the target is in Blandine's realm, the performer may sculpt a hopeful dream. Conversely, if the target is in Beleth's realm, the performer may sculpt a horrifying dream. With a very good success, the performer may first force his host to travel from Blandine's realm to Beleth's, or vice versa.

Entropy
A little chaos is a dangerous thing. Controlling it is tricky, but masters of this Song are formidable beings.

• Corporeal - The Corporeal Song of Entropy gives the caster control over the ravages of time. He can cause something to age, or grow young. The subject of this Song may attempto to resist the field of entropy with Strength.
  
• Ethereal - The Ethereal Song of Entropy is a mental attack, bringing terror and nightmare to a single victim. The victim may use his Intelligence to resist.
  
• Celestial - This Song causes a complete and systemic breakdown of a creature's psyche. The target hallucinates, and can take no action at all for a few minutes.

Form
These are the Songs that change the shape and appearance of the singer's corporeal vessel.

• Corporeal - The Corporeal Song of Form lets its performer alter the skin of his vessel, turning it into a sort of natural armour.
  
• Ethereal - The Ethereal Song of Form lets its performer fade from visibility, turning his corporeal vessel into shadow matter. While this doesn't make him insubstantial (he can't walk through walls), it does provide near-invisibility. Others must use Perception to detect him, and even then they'll only 'feel' a presence - they won't be able to make out who it is or what he looks like.
  
• Celestial - The Celestial Song of Form makes a physical vessel as malleable as clay. The more changes you want to make, the more Essence must be spent.

Harmony
Also called the Songs of Peace, these tunes soothe angry spirits and calm wild beasts.

• Corporeal - All within range of this Song, in every direction - including the performer! - find themselves weak and sluggish, unable (but not necessarily unwilling) to attack. They may be verbally abusive, but the Song's sphere of influence reduces their Strengths and Agilities for a few rounds.
  
• Ethereal - Targets of this Song become subdued and rational, incapable of physical conflict and able to speak to others only in a calm and friendly manner. Anyone wishing to take violent action must use their Will, for up to 6 minutes.
  
• Celestial - The Celestial Song of Harmony temporarily (just for a few minutes) negates the effects of Discord. The target must be in physical contact with the performer.

Healing
The Songs of Healing soothe the pain of existence.

• Corporeal - This is the corporeal balm of regeneration. The performer taps into the Symphony to heal damage to himself, or to anyone else he can physically touch.
  
• Ethereal - The Ethereal Song of Healing wipes away chaos and insanity, healing the mind and instantly bringing the victim out of a stunned state. If he could have recovered naturally before the Song's effects end, then he will not revert to his previous state. Otherwise his illness continues to run its natural course. The performer must make eye contact.
  
• Celestial - This is celestial regeneration. The performer taps into the Symphony and heals damage to the Will. The performer must be physically touching the subject.

Light
Control over light, the most basic component of reality, gives a Celestial an enormous range of abilities.

• Corporeal - This Song creates a glowing light around the performer, extending in all directions, which lasts for up to ten minutes.
  
• Ethereal - With this Song, the performer can sculpt the photons within range to create near-perfect illusions. Observers may use their Perception to distinguish between reality an the illusion. These effects last for a few minutes. The illusion can be literally anything so long as it's no larger in feet than the performer's level in the Song. Of course, the illusion (being crafted merely of photons) cannot physically affect anything - but it's always great for a scare.
  
• Celestial - The Celestial Song of Light can strike any target within sight of the performer with a tightly-focussed beam of light. The victim takes damage and is also dazzled for a few rounds. Observers must use their Perception to see the brief flash of light and know which direction it came from.

Motion
The Songs of Motion were created by the Ofanim, but have spread to the farthest reaches of the Symphony. Each rules a different aspect of the motion of the cosmos.

• Corporeal - The Corporeal Song of Motion not only grants freedom from gravity; it lets the performer propel himself at great speed in any direction he wishes (but not through solid matter) on the physical plane. For a few minutes, the performer can fly through the air at great speed. If the Song ends with the performer in mid-air, he drifts to the ground, unharmed.
  
• Ethereal - The Ethereal Song of Motion lets the singer manipulate the world with his thoughts. He can mentally control a few pounds of material for a few minutes. Depending on what is done, the effects of the Song can be resisted. A thrown object can be Dodged, an attempt to pull something out of someone's hands can be resisted with Strength.
  
• Celestial - The Celestial Song of Motion lets the singer change an object's location within the Symphony - put simply, it's teleportation. The object must be within sight of the performer. (Needless to say, even blind, the performer is always 'within sight' of himself). The destination must be some place on Earth the performer has been before. The weight of what is being teleported, as well as the distance, determines how much Essence is needed to power the Strength. The Song can be resisted with Strength if the target is being held by someone.

Numinous Corpus
These are special Corporeal Songs, useful to the sacred and the profane alike, which enhance a vessel's ability to defend itself. For a few hours, you may make these bodily changes appear or disappear at will.

• Acid - You can spit acid at any target within range.
  
• Claws - This produces retractable fingernails, 6" long. While the claws are active, skills requiring the use of hands are more difficult.
  
• Fangs - This produces long, pointed teeth. However, you must be within point-blank range of a foe to bite him! Each level of Fangs taken extends them by 1/2".
  
• Feet - This turns your feet into hooves, or gives you spurs at the back of your heels. You can attack with both supernaturally augmented feet and hands at the same time, so long as one attack is based on Strength, and the other on Agility or Precision.
  
• Horns - These beautiful 6" horns are excellent for attacking. Beyond level 4, the horns grow to a foot long, and the strength of the attack increases while the accuracy decreases.
  
• Tail - There are three types of tails: at levels 1 and 2, the tail is prehensile, acting as an additional attack, but with low accuracy. At levels 3 and 4, it's a fleshy club, with slightly better accuracy. At higher levels, it's long and barbed, with no drop in accuracy from a fist.
  
• Tongue - This creates a long, barbed tongue coiled in your mouth. Above level 4, the tongue can do damage to the mind, instead of inflicting physical damage, if you choose.
  
• Wings - This creates a pair of wings, reflecting your celestial heritage, which unfold from your shoulderblades. The wings only last a few minutes. Unlike other Numinous Corpus, wings are not strictly combat-oriented. Instead they give you the ability to fly. If this power runs out while you're in mid-air, they will safely carry you to the ground before vanishing.
  

Possession
This song allows its performer to wrest control of a vessel from its rightful owner - whether that owner is mortal or Celestial. For a few minutes, he may possess a body belonging to someone else. A 'possessed' vessel is also called a host.

The victim can try to resist with Will. If he succeeds, he is not possessed, and the attacker cannot try again for a few hours. If he loses, the performer can use the vessel as his own, and when the victim's mind returns, he won't remember anything that happened - the whole period of time remains a blank. As when asleep, the host's mind may be found wandering the Marches.

The possessor may use any attunements the host has for the duration of the Song. If they require Essence, he must fuel them himself - the possessor does not get access to his host's Essence.

Projection
In both literature and legend, a classic example of Celestial power is the ability to project the consciousness from one plane of reality to another. The three versions of the Song of Projection allow its user to do that.

When projected, the performer appears as a translucent, shimmering version of his celestial form. The projected form cannot touch anything, or take physical damage. However, it creates a huge disturbance in the Symphony.

The singer may choose to project others along with himself, if they permit it. While projecting, the performer's mortal vessel is unconscious and can take no actions - except for those notorious multitaskers, the Kyriotates, who can use one host to project and control any others normally. When someone projects from the ethereal or celestial plane, his form glows a deep violet while his mind is away.

There is no way to tell if an unconscious corporeal form is projecting its soul elsewhere. If any damage is done to the projector's corporeal vessel in his absence, his mind (and any others he's projected with him) will return home instantly, ready to deal with the problem at hand. If damage is done to the vessel of someone he projected with him, only the performer is aware of it. He may end the Song...or ignore the damage. If someone's corporeal vessel is destroyed while he is being projected, he's physically dead...unless he is a Shedim or Kyriodate, in which case he snaps back to the site of the dead host, in celestial form, and has the normal opportunity to find a new host.

• Corporeal - The corporeal version of this Song allows the performer to project himself to any place on the Earth that he has visited before. Witnesses of a projection don't automatically notice the singer's presence. Each person has to use their Perception to notice them.
  
• Ethereal - The ethereal version of this Song allows the performer to project his image to any place in the Marches he has visited before where he might be welcome, or to any dreamscape he's visited before if the owner is dreaming. The Song lasts for a few minutes. Servants of Blandine and Beleth who use this Song instead of their natural resonance may double the amount of time they are in the Marches.
  
• Celestial - The celestial version of this Song allows the performer to project himself on a celestial level, to places in Heaven or Hell that he has been before. (When in Heaven, he cannot project himself to Hell, and vice versa). Note: This Song can be learned, but right now it cannot be used.

Shields
Classic defensive measures among Celestials, the Songs of Shields prevent or deflect many of life's hardships - even the tiny metal ones that move very quickly. These Songs create temporary defenses extending a few feet from the performer's body. The Shield moves with the singer.

• Corporeal - Manifests as a cushion of whirling air which buffets any physical thing approaching it. The miniature cyclone surrounds its subjects on all sides and lasts for a few combat rounds. No physical attack can get through for the duration of the effect.
  
• Ethereal - Creates a green field of energy (observers need Perception to spot it) through which no attunement, resonance or Essence-based attack can pierce. Physical attacks can get through, as can blasts of pure Will. It lasts for a few combat rounds.
  
• Celestial - The performer can artificially enhance a previously-existing environmental condition (such as smoke, fog, darkness or thick brush) to create a temporary barrier to observation. No celestial force - whether its' a resonance or an attunement - can peek beneath this shield. Also, any disturbances made to the Symphony within the confines of the Shield are delayed until the Song is over, giving the performer a chance to escape before his mischief comes to light. This celestial shield lasts for a few minutes. Like the Ethereal Song of Shields, this doesn't defend against corporeal intrusion, but it's a sure defense against over-curious Celestials in the area. Unlike the other two versions of this song, the Celestial Song of Shields is cast on a physical area, and does not move with the performer.

Thunder
The Song of Thunder creates a powerful combined attack of Corporeal, Ethereal and Celestial forces - a sonic explosion across all three levels of reality.

Everyone within range of the Song's effects, except the performer, will be stunned for a few combat rounds. Victims may resist with Will. Also, it's general chaos masks all other disturbances to the Symphony for as long as several hours.

Tongues
Among the Songs most commonly granted to human servants, the Songs of Tongues facilitate communication in a world of babble. When performed properly, Songs of Tongues allow clear communication, disregarding most of the usual barriers. These Songs may be performed on oneself, or on a group of people.

• Corporeal - A successful performance lets the subject communicate in any human language - in fact, in all human languages at the same time. He will understand any text or speech in as close an approximation to his own language as is possible, and others will hear him speak in the language they feel most comfortable with. (For the Song's duration, this extends to reading what he writes under its effects). The Song lasts for up to 6 hours.
  
• Ethereal - The Ethereal Song of Tongues lets the subject communicate mentally with anyone within range. This is full two-way telepathy. If a receiver is unwilling to listen to the voices in his head, he can use Will to push them away. The Song lasts for up to 6 minutes.
  
• Celestial - This version of the Song of Tongues may only be used on someone the performer has already met. It allows the performer to bind a brief message (no more than 15 words) into a bit of Essence and then loose it into the cosmos, where it makes its way directly to the mind of the receiver. The receiver, wherever he is, will get the message whether he wants it or not, plus some Essence. Cherubim and Djinn have an easier time performing this Song to someone they're attuned to. There is no way for the sender to use this Song to track down the receiver, or vice versa - nor does this Song open a channel for discussion. It's just a celestial message in a bottle, which seldom fails to wash up on the right shore.

Acrobatics (Agility)
This skill covers any athletic, acrobatic action. It could get you a job in the circus, or pull you out of a tight spot. The acrobatics skill may sometimes be combined with Dodge.

Artistry (Perception)
This skill allows you to accurately reproduce something you once viewed, or illustrate a scene which never existed - and at the same time convey both emotion and a meaningful message. Celestials can 'read' art, seeing the emotions of the artist laid bare, if they can successfully use this skill. If not, then the message received is either partially confusing or wildly inaccurate. Celestials can also do the reverse, embedding a message no longer than 10 words into a picture, which can be read later by other Celestials. This skill gives you proficiency in one specialty. Buy it more than once if you want more specialties.

Chemistry (Intelligence)
This skill allows you to analyze unknown substances with lab-quality equipment, or to make 'chemical gadgets' such as saltpeter or tear gas from readily-available materials.

Climbing (Agility)
This is a knack for moving quickly up and down steep surfaces. A climber can also judge how difficult a maneuver may be.

Computer Operation (Intelligence)
This skill allows for the quick comprehension of a piece of software, its operation and its function. Above level 3, the computer operator may also use this skill in an attempt to repair a malfunctioning piece of hardware.

Detect Lies (Perception)
Detect Lies, obviously, lets you tell when someone is lying. If someone fails to use the skill successfully, the other person might notice that the listener doesn't trust them!

Dodge (Agility)
This skill lets you reduce the effects of attacks in combat. In general, you may Dodge any attack that can't be resisted with another skill or characteristic. Acrobatics skill may be substituted or added to, any Dodge roll against non-projectile weapons - you can acrobatically dodge a sword, but not a rain of bullets.

Driving (Precision)
This is your ability to drive any normal domestic vehicle, such as a car, truck or motorcycle. Driving is generally used on two occasions - when you're trying to get from one place to another, and when some specific hazard pops up in the process.

Electronics (The higher of Intelligence or Precision)
You have the skill of inventing electronic gadgets and the knowledge of how best to implement them. This skill is also useful for disarming and disassembling electronic traps, locks and other nuisances.

Emote (Perception)
Emote is the skill of expressing feelings (or disguising them) through body language and vocal subtleties. A Celestial using this skill will appear sincere and genuine about his feelings. Those who have mastered it are both excellent communicators and excellent actors. Detect Lies can only be used against the Emote of a person trying to feign an emotion he doesn't feel.

Engineering (Precision)
Engineers know how to design and repair devices in which moving parts are more important than electronics.

Escape (The higher of Agility or Precision)
This skill brings freedom from knots, handcuffs, straitjackets and other annoyances. This skill is harder to succeed at for each bound arm. The skill must be used separately for each binding, for example, if someone is bound and gagged, he must use it once to free his mouth, and once to free his hands (since it's more difficult to remove a gag with hands tied, it might make sense to work on freeing his hands first!)

Fast-Talk (Will)
There is a difference between lying and 'fast-talking' albeit a subtle one. Fast-talking involves quickly persuading someone to do something relatively minor that's against his nature - such as talking a security guard into letting you pass, or convincing a postal employee to give you a package that's not yours. Its effect exists only for a moment, a brief lapse of common sense that doesn't change the person's basic nature: you've only convinced them to 'bend the rules just this once'. If the skill fails - and it is resisted with Will - it may be hours before you can try it again. The skill is not a ticket to get people to do whatever you want.

Fighting (Strength or Will; see below)
In the corporeal world, this is skill at unarmed combat, anything from brawling to a formal martial art. Celestials can use the same martial discipline when they battle with sheer force of Will, instead of hammering away with Strength. In game terms, there is no difference between the various combat styles, but for roleplaying purposes, the fighter's style should be defined. Does he use the crushing blows of a boxer, or the cunning grips of an Oriental master?

Knowledge (Intelligence)
There are hundreds of different Knowledge skills. Any sort of 'book learning' can be a Knowledge skill - any field of scientific or cultural study. You may define it as you choose, but a general sort of Knowledge (like History) would be more diffuse than a specific Knowledge (French History). A Celestial uses his Knowledge skill to answer an appropriate question. The closer the question relates to the Knowledge, the easier it will be to succeed at using the skill and finding the right answer.

A special kind of Knowledge is Area Knowledge. A Celestial could have a high Area Knowledge for his hometown - for example, Knowledge/6 (Arlington, Texas) - he'd know a lot about its people, politics, and social mores, plus details about things like store locations and local hangouts. For a larger area, Area Knowledge would cover general subjects like politics and current events, geography, history and so on.

Languages (Intelligence)
Every language is a different skill. Mortals automatically understand one language, their native tongue, at level 3. Any Celestial assigned to Earth will likewise automatically know the language of his assigned area at level 3. There is no chance of failing to understand this language. Language skill is generally only used to determine how well non-native speakers communicate in foreign languages.

Large Weapon (Strength)
This ability lets you use contact weapons of great size and strength, from swords to battleaxes.

Lockpicking (Precision)
This skill will let you open mechanical locking mechanisms and defeat simple security systems.

Lying (The higher of Intelligence or Perception)
Oh, what a tangled web we weave! Well, not all that tangled - if you're good at it. Use this skill to persuade your victim of 'the truth', but the victim is free to use his or her Detect Lies roll. Note that Balseraphs don't need or use this skill. They don't think they're lying. Not really.

Medicine (Precision)
With this skill, you can diagnose sickness and injuries, as well as treat the damage if adequate materials are available. The degree to which you can heal a victim is based on your knowledge of medicine (i.e. your skill level). A patient may only benefit from one successful use of the skill until he makes a full natural recovery.

Move Silently (Agility)
This skill covers various tactics a person could use to pass unnoticed - such as walking without making a sound, hiding in shadows, or disappearing into a crowd. Move Silently has no effect against the resonance of either the Cherubim or the Djinn.

Ranged Weapon (Precision)
This skill enables you to hit a target using a ranged weapon, such as a bow, a pistol or a rifle. It will also help you maintain and, at level 4 and above, repair such a weapon. This skill gives you proficiency in one type of ranged weapon; important types include Rifle, Pistol and Longbow. Take this skill more than once to gain proficiency in more than one type.

Running (The higher of Strength or Agility)
This skill lets you move as fast as your legs will carry you. In a pursuit, use this skill. The person with the better success will be faster.

Savoir-Faire (The higher of Intelligence or Precision)
This is a knowledge of worldwide etiquette. Those with Savoir-Faire can dine gracefully at any table, and handle touchy social situations with perfect style.

Seduction (Will)
This talent tells a Celestial whether NPCs are attracted to him - and flirtatiously encourages such interest. When the object is actual seduction, if the target would not generally be inclined towards the seducer (for any reason ranging from marriage vows to a difference in orientation), then the skill can be countered with willpower. The skill can also be improved by Charisma, based on looks, fame or sex appeal.

Note that this is a talent to be used on NPCs. The behaviour of other Gaian-owned Celestials is up to the player, not a random use of a skill.

Singing (Perception)
This is skill at vocal performance. A singer may add his Emote skill to his Singing skill. Also, skill at Singing (without the Emote) enhances the effects of some Ethereal Songs. Celestials with the Singing skill may use a side effect that is seldom considered - humming. Celestials can hum back and forth to each other, speaking 'pig-celestial', without fearing that their communication might be intercepted (except, of course, by other Celestials).

Small Weapon (Precision)
This skill defines a Celestial's ability to use any kind of small hand-held weapon. There is a separate skill for proficiency with each specific kind of small weapon, such as a dagger, short sword, or a sap.

Survival (The higher of Will or Perception)
This skill lets you forage for food and move easily through one specific hostile environment (desert, swamp, etc.), chosen when the skill is obtained.

Swimming (Agility)
This skill covers the ability of a Celestial to swim. The better the success, the further the Celestial swims.

Tactics (Intelligence)
This is the skill of leading a small number of people (fewer than 30) through a small area of conflict, such as a group of buildings contested between two groups.

Throwing (The higher of Agility or Precision)
This skill lets you throw a light object (such as a knife or a grenade) accurately.

Tracking (Perception)
This allows you to trail someone through familiar terrain. If your prey has the Survival skill, and doesn't want to be followed, a contest will ensue between the two skills to determine if the target is found, or whether he gets away.