IN> Awase, Archangel of Metal (Secret, Transient, Inconvenient Feature)

[William Keith]

      The spiral staircase led down into the hidden basement.  The door 
above us closed with a clang and darkness was complete for a moment, as 
I and my guide went deeper.  I heard his steps change as he reached 
bottom and was prepared when I arrived myself a few steps behind.  When 
we were both down he flipped a hidden light switch, and suddenly we 
were surrounded by bright reflections off of ornate gold and silver 
filigree on most surfaces in the small hall.  Statuary lined the 
walkway we proceeded through, done in an old style I thought I 
recognized... gracious, Tang Dynasty influence on a Gabrielite 
Kyriotate unless I missed my guess.

      "Tang Dynasty, Heaven work," said my guide.

      "Gabrielite Kyriotate?"

      "I see you're a connoisseur.  Stone, actually, but worked closely 
with Gabrielites sculpting sculptors."

      "Exquisite.  This place needs to be kept secret for those alone; 
the influence they would have on human artwork would be ruinous."

      He bowed slightly.  "There are other reasons, but the Archangel 
will be pleased to remember your compliment when it comes to his 
attention."

      We were slipping into antique accents as he parted the curtains at 
the far end of the hall.  Perhaps I'd misheard him.  And, the Archangel 
made these?  But, patience.  The first question.  "What a curious 
phrasing," I said.

      "All will be explained," replied one of the figures seated in the 
room.  My guide joined them, and I waited quietly as they joined hands 
and murmured a practiced Song.

      Seven pairs of eyes turned to me in concert.  The one in a 
Davidian Kyriotate's stone vessel lifted an eyebrow in amusement, and 
inclined its head.  Interesting -- that Vessel had been edgy iron 
pyrite a moment ago.  I was sure it was turning to real, smooth gold as 
I watched.  Did David provide metal Vessels?

      The Archangel spoke in seven voices, and I understood it to be 
one.  "We have been informed of your skill at the forge: your long 
hours honing your abilities, and your preference for a single student 
at a time.  We have observed for ourselves that your work bespeaks 
mastery.  You would be an asset to our service -- and, perhaps, happier 
serving among fellows more appreciative of the path of solitary 
dedication, or the relation of a master and apprentice, rather than 
wider bonds of brotherhood.  This was discerned by speaking with you 
roundaboutly on the possibilities of joining such a society, or even 
transferring Superiors; both your loyalty to Stone, as you understood 
it, and the kind of society that piqued your interest, has been judged 
of a sort receptive to our service.  Thus the offer is made: what would 
you say to becoming a Mercurian not of Stone, but of Metal?"

-----

      All the arguments as to why there is not an Archangel of Metal are 
well known.  There are many angels of individual metals and none of 
them is worthy to a degree outstanding his brethren.  The Word would 
duplicate connotation with David.  Natural philosophical systems of one 
part of the world, however broad, need not shape Heavenly policy.  If 
all of these sound like somewhat weak arguments, that's because they 
are.  In truth, the natural philosophy embedded in the cultural 
referents of a billion people makes for an extremely important front in 
the War, and one on which Heaven has no intention of yielding ground.  
However, there is just enough validity to the points raised that a 
permanent Archangel of Metal would be a touchy proposition.  So a 
curious solution was proposed.

      The finest of the angels of metals were gathered, and the 
Celestial Song of Unity produced from them a gestalt being.  That 
being, taking the name Awase (it means "mixture" or "blending") was 
raised by the Seraphim Council to become the Archangel of Metal... and 
then, at the end of the Song, faded away to secrecy.  When needed, the 
seven angels gather and Awase is summoned once more.  If any one of 
them were killed, even while unconjoined, it would almost certainly be 
the death of the Archangel, but no one is certain.  Thus, the 
Archangel's very existence remains as closely held a secret as Heaven 
can manage.  The occasional report of this and that incident has been 
known to make its way to Hell's intelligence files, but the indications 
are surely scattered and point only to a mystery.

      Awase has all the capabilities of any Archangel, from Heart 
attunements to Force-manipulation, so long as it exists.  It always has 
seven instantiations running -- the angels who make it up -- and might 
be able to produce more, but has never needed to.  The individual 
angels of metals who compose Awase are all of Stone, all ancient and 
powerful Word-Bound as likely to be found performing administrative 
duties in Heaven as on the front lines.  The Cherub Angel of Iron is 
very little like the Mercurian Angel of Silver, but they share a fierce 
commitment to goals that they have forged through hours spent as one 
mind and centuries working together.  Those goals are essentially 
involved with shaping the Sinitic cultures' viewpoints on war, 
agriculture, material resources, discipline, grief, courage, and all 
the many connotations that millions of believers attribute to metal as 
an elemental concept.  It is these common traits that dominate Awase's 
personality when he is extant -- a near obsession with the mission at 
hand, hardened by discipline and sharpened by a sense of short time.

      Angels may be selected for service to the Archangel of Metal if 
they impress current angels of that Word with the qualities of the 
element: a rigid discipline, driving goal-orientation, and 
self-reliance.  They must be well-experienced in China or nearby 
regions, and have internalized the cultural connotations of at least 
some branch of local philosophy.  A candidate will be judged open to 
such service to an Archangel in addition to their current one, and 
express interests that seem to coincide with promotion of the Word.

      This combination of factors, especially an emphasis on 
self-reliance, leads to the interesting result that the servitors of 
Stone make up only a plurality of "Servitors of Metal."  There are 
certainly plenty, and angels of the Sword make up the next largest 
group, but more surprising populations are to be found in Metal's 
ranks.  Feng shui tradition holds that construction should not be 
started during the Metal periods of autumn or evening, with autumn in 
general being devoted to the "Yin Metal" pursuit of the harvest, so 
construction-oriented Trogs are not much found in Metal's ranks, but 
the most disciplined and subdued of Flowers angels may be approached 
regarding induction.  Likewise, agents of Trade who are focused on 
ramifications of material goods, especially gold, silver, mining, and 
coinage, who seem to have a solid grounding in real things rather than 
airy financial nothings, are to be found in Metal's ranks.  Overall, 
the society provides quite a network of angels from Words that David 
himself is supposed to find distasteful, as long as their viewpoint on 
that Word is more Davidian than the norm.

      Few angels are full Servitors of Metal.  Most simply have a 
Servitor or Choir Attunement, or Rite.  Awase is capable of creating 
native Servitors, and has done so primarily as Seneschals for his few 
Tethers.  These are all Secret and let out in secure areas of the 
Catacombs near the Catacombs' point of juncture with the Volcano.  The 
few full Servitors of Metal keep their Hearts in or near these loci.

DISSONANCE

      It is dissonant for a true Servitor of Metal to rust.  Dissonance 
from any other source is doubled.  Do not betray discipline.

CHOIR ATTUNEMENTS

Seraphim: Seraphim of Metal can refine ores and purify metals with a 
touch.  1 Essence will cast off 10 pounds of non-metallic dross from 
any amount of natural ore, or purify 1 pound of metal by a factor of 
ten (from 90% pure to 99%, from 99% to 99.9%, from 99.9% to 99.99% 
pure, etc.).  This can also be used to separate alloys, with a 
successful Chemistry roll.

Cherubim(restricted): When it comes to protection, Cherubim of Metal 
lay it on thick and straightforward.  For 1 Essence per yard of 
diameter, these Guardians can encase an inanimate object in a perfectly 
spherical orb of dark iron.  The orb can be made much larger than the 
object, protecting it from nearly any corporeal attack and making it 
extremely difficult to move, or creating a substantial physical 
barrier.  (Oh, it will roll... if you can start it moving.)  The orb 
disappears after minutes equal to the degree of success on the Cherub's 
original attunement roll, or upon dismissal.

Ofanim: These Wheels can impart some of their own celestial spin to 
realign the matrix of any metal they touch; for every Essence they 
spend, 1 pound of metal becomes magnetized.  This effect is physical; 
it functions for 1 minute and exerts at its surface a force equal to 
the angel's Celestial Forces in points of Strength, for every Essence 
spent, to a maximum multiple of the item's weight in pounds.  The 
magnetization may remain afterward if the material is susceptible to 
permanent magnetization.  Rare-earth metals double the strength of the 
field, iron, nickel, cobalt and most of their alloys use the base 
values, other metals halve it, and specially-made materials can resist 
it entirely (mu-metal) or magnify it considerably.

Elohim: These angels personify the keen edge of discipline.  They add 
their Ethereal Forces to their Precision for any fine manual task.  
Quirkily, Awase's Servitors double the addition for the specific tasks 
of surgery by scalpel, acupuncture, and sewing.

Malakim: Malakim of Metal automatically succeed on performances of any 
of the Songs of Blades.  Actually earning one of these Secret Songs is 
up to the angel.  (Laurence and Michael know them; they are also the 
only Secret Songs Awase is known to hand out.)

Kyriotates: Kyriotates of Metal can possess metal objects, though 
unlike those of Lightning they cannot move them.  They retain sight, 
touch and hearing and can act mentally, including via Songs if they can 
perform without sound or movement.  In possessing a metal object, they 
obtain detailed information on its chemical makeup.  A successful 
Chemistry roll will answer questions such as elemental composition, 
crystallographic structure, impurities, tensile strength, and the like; 
in turn, the CD of that roll is a bonus to rolls involving that 
material where such information could be useful, such as craftwork, 
engineering, or alchemy.  (Kyriotates with both Stone and Metal's 
attunements can obtain metal Vessels.)

Mercurians: The opposite of the Seraphim, Mercurians of metal cause 
flow and form alloys.  For 1 Essence, they can soften up to their 
Corporeal Forces in pounds of metal and reshape them with simple hand 
pressure.  For double the Essence, they can make the metal act as if 
fully liquid despite being room temperature, capable of being alloyed 
with other metals or cast in ingots.  This requires a touch if being 
used in battle, counting as an attack against the object targeted.  The 
metal re-hardens the instant contact is lost.

SERVITOR ATTUNEMENTS

Metal Hews Wood: The bearer of this Attunement gains a bonus equal to 
his Corporeal Forces to the Power of maneuvers intended to break or cut 
a wooden weapon or item, and a bonus of Ethereal Forces to the skills 
necessary to target these.  The latter bonus also applies to carpentry, 
woodworking art, papermaking, and all relevant skills.

Metal Draws Water: Discipline channels intellect.  The bearer selects a 
number of Songs he knows equal to his Celestial Forces, and a number of 
skills he knows equal to his Ethereal Forces.  He practices certain 
intuitive drills for a month, and thereafter nothing short of 
unconsciousness can break his concentration on these; he always 
performs them as if undistracted, with his Forces and attributes as 
they were during his practice times.  With another month's practice, he 
can change his choices, though anything dropped is immediately dropped.

(In a game with "The Waters Will Rise," Servitors of Metal are 
*extremely* interested in developments concerning the late Oannes.  The 
existence of their own Archangel as a transient entity suggests to them 
at least one way that Oannes might have survived in an altered form.)

Argent Tiger of the West: In hand-to-hand combat, the angel becomes 
exceedingly good at targeting the Metal points on a target's body: the 
lungs (vitals), nose, and esophagus.  He halves the usual hit location 
penalties for targeting these areas, and performs choke holds, neck 
grabs, and similar maneuvers at base skill.  (This Attunement may make 
more sense in GURPS.  The color intent is that the angel can target a 
foe's respiratory system; GMs may interpret as they wish.)

RITES

Refine from ore your Vessel's body weight in saleably pure metal.
Engage in productive farm chores from sunup to sundown. (+3 Essence)
Construct a useful metal tool, jewelry, or similar finished good from 
raw materials.

INVOCATION: 0.  Typically, Awase does not even exist to be invoked.  
Contact one of his component angels directly and seek an audience.

DISTINCTIONS: Awase hardly has enough Servitors to require any senior 
Servitors.  His seven component angels are quite sufficient to that 
task.