IN> Saurs

[Moe Lane]

'Saurs
Ethereal Embarrassments (and Primal Spirits)

Corporeal Forces: 2	Strength: 6	Agility: 2
Ethereal Forces: 3	Intelligence: 6	Precision: 6
Celestial Forces: 2	Will: 6		Perception: 2
Charisma/2 (children only)

Elements: Society (Family) (primary); Structures (Homes) Secondary

Affinities: Motherhood (primal), Deception (Moderate), Glamour (moderate)

Skills: Dodge/3, Dream-shaping/6, Emote/3, Fighting/6, Knowledge/6
(Child Psychology) Move Silently/3, Running/1, Singing/3

Songs: Healing (Corporeal/1, Ethereal/6), Motion/5 (Ethereal),
Numinous Corpus (Claws/6, Fangs/6), Shields (Corporeal/1, Ethereal/6),
Tongues (Ethereal/3)

Dread: Harming a child/3

Image: Various types of cartoon-style dinosaurs, in primary colors.
For an entity based on children's perceptions, the details are
surprisingly sophisticated.


'Saurs are a relic of the modern Western (particularly American)
child's preoccupation with dinosaurs of all kinds and types.  In the
ethereal plane they tend to manifest at about life-size; on the
corporeal plane they typically materialize as animated stuffed dolls
suitable for a crib or playpen.  'Saurs usually speak English, in
tones best described as "jolly" or "hearty."

These ethereals are inherently well-disposed towards children.  Their
primary objective is to find a child, in order to both bond with and
protect him or her.  They are not as reliably obsessive on the latter
as a Cherub would be - 'Saurs just don't have that kind of sustained
intensity - but when necessary a 'Saur can, and will, fight to the
death to save one of "their" kids.  They much prefer to fight to
somebody else's death, of course.  'Saurs have no malicious intent
against adults in general, but tend to define them in terms of "their"
kids.  A good adult will be protected, while a cruel one will be
tormented, in ways that will not be linked to the child.  A very cruel
one will inevitably have a final sort of accident: however, 'Saurs try
to avoid this, mostly because it distresses their charges.  Aside from
the above, 'Saurs are not particularly complicated.  More accurately,
they avoid being unnecessarily uncomplicated: "their" kids have
expectations, and the 'Saurs make certain to fill them.  The ethereals
act as children would have them act: large but protective, gruff but
kind, clumsy but endearing, powerful but patient.

As "breeds" of ethereals go, 'Saurs are extremely new: they've only
really been showing up for the last few years.  They tend to be
fundamentally uninterested in what was done in the Purity Crusade, and
see no compelling reason to care overmuch about the Ban.  This last
might seem downright suicidal, except that they have a patron, of
sorts.  The Archangel of Children makes it a point to call in any
angel or group of angels that banishes and/or destroys a 'Saur, in
order to ask them precisely why they have destroyed a sentient
creature dedicated to protecting a child.  He will also ask precisely
what the angel or group of angels has done and is doing to make
certain that the child will not suffer from the loss of his or her
protector.  While the first question can be answered with "Because
that's the policy of Heaven, and I Truly believe that it was justified
in this case" and not get Christopher angry, he doesn't accept any
excuses or rationalizations from angels answering the second - and
it's noteworthy that Dominic, Laurence, and Michael have all publicly
declined to intervene on behalf of Servitors suddenly caught up in
impromptu guardian angel duty.

Naturally, the Host has by now largely taken the hint.  'Saurs are
clearly meant to be the special problem and responsibility of
Servitors of Children, so the best thing is to let them handle the
stupid things.  The rest of Heaven has enough things to do.  As for
Hell... a demon that encounters a 'Saur, and knows what it is,
probably also knows the fairly solid rumor that there's a reasonable
chance that when one yells for help, it gets some.  That's not a
deal-breaker, per se, but demons already tend to get nervous when
playing on Christopher's turf.  Not "paranoid," mind you.  You're
paranoid when you have an irrational fear that somebody's out to get
you...


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