IN> Superior Relic: David's Shell

[William Keith]

This idea came up in pre-game chatter this week.  The question is 
occasionally bandied about as to just what animals the Cherub (and 
Djinn) Superiors look like.  Additionally commented upon is what Choirs 
various Archangels were before they went Malakite.  David, of course, 
fits both criteria.  The notion was proposed that David would be a 
perfect fit for the turtle, especially a large tortoise: slow, wise, 
long-lived, and, of course, in possession of a mobile piece of 
protective architecture: a hard shell, a home which he carries on his 
back.

Which he wouldn't have any need for now, being Malakite.  But perhaps 
it didn't simply disappear... perhaps, in becoming Malakite, he 
literally emerged from it, leaving it behind.

(That's right -- the version of David we know now has actually come 
*out* of his shell.  Imagine how taciturn he was before...)

Naturally, such a shell doubtless has all *sorts* of interesting powers.

* To begin with, it belonged to the Archangel of Stone, so it was 
probably made of, well, stone.  Possibly gemstone.  Also possibly 
semi-precious crystals, terra cotta, glass, and metals ranging from the 
very hard to the valuably decorative.  Bits of this shell might be able 
to flake off (and regrow, of course) for any sort of use, from 
enchantment to mundane craftsmanship (both possibly at a large bonus 
due to the fine materials) or, well, sale.  The riches of the Earth are 
vast, after all.  This power alone could lead to Mammon panting at the 
chance to get his grubby little hands on it, even if it is the crudest 
of reasons.

* Celestially-usable armor seems to be one of the rarest types of 
relics around.  Okay, maybe your celestial form doesn't fit a turtle 
shell.  Seraphim can manifest hands, you can climb in and manifest a 
turtle presence.  Unbreakable armor that reduces the most violent blow 
to, at worst, psychosomatic blunt trauma would be quite handy.  
Possibility: all damage taken by the wearer of the shell that wasn't 
targeted at the face or limbs (in GURPS, at the usual hit location 
penalties to attack those areas) is divided by 10 (minimum 1), or 
simply reduced by a large amount (in GURPS, DR).

* David probably knows when a user of the Shell is under attack, too.  
Could be automatically Cherub-attuned to the wearer.

* There's a persistent legend that the wisdom of the Universe is 
recorded on the shells of turtles.  What if it's true?  A student of 
geomancy with the opportunity to study the Shell might learn any number 
of things about the patterns of ley lines in the world, with useful 
resultant skills or dangerous secret knowledge (including, say, 
anything deliberately fuzzed in the knowledge of one of David's Silent 
Angels).  This aspect of the Shell could be very attractive to 
Sorcerers, hopefully but not necessarily of good stripe.

* There are probably a number of ethereal tortoise-spirits who would 
love the chance to try the Shell on for size... what a MacGuffin it 
might be if Gamera, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, or another ethereal 
turtle-spirit managed to obtain the Shell and manifest some 
Archangel-connected power?

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Tangential comment: Uriel's feathers would probably have just turned 
black. Though he would have lost his Seraphic scales.  Lots of those, 
perhaps enough to occasionally issue one to PCs or have it be found in 
possession of some Tsayadim, or even stolen by demons.  (Though what a 
demon could accomplish with a lost scale of the Archangel of Purity, oh 
my.)  Oh, and he'd have lost four of his eyes.  Admittedly, that's a 
little *gross* -- perhaps they just sort of disappeared into the ether, 
and reappeared later as discreet crystalline orbs.  Yes, one to seek 
out impurities on Earth, one in the Marches, and one for the celestial 
realm.  And one that does something completely different.

Lucifer's feathers, on the other hand, would have fallen off entirely.  
Likewise those of Baal and Beleth, of Andrealphus and Kobal.  It was a 
bad day for emotional Words, it seems.  Feathers from the angels of 
Light, Love and Laughter, of Fear and Valor, fallen everywhere like 
white snow...

William