Welcome

First, believe me when I tell you that I am sorry that you had to awaken like this.  Your Reckoning was abrupt.  I hope that you can forgive me.  

I'm sure you have a thousand questions but none more significant than what happened back there.  I am not one to mince words, so I will tell you plainly.  You were attacked by demons.  They must have sensed what you really were and thus, you were a target of their assault.  It was only fortune that allowed me to be in the area at that time.  

I know that you think this all must be madness.  But the seed which is inside you has opened, and with it, comes the instinctual knowledge that what you were attacked by, was a horde of demons.  You know, despite having never met me, that we are brethren.  You realize, perhaps with a sudden sinking feeling, that the world as you know it, isn't quite what you thought it was.

I will endeavor to explain what you are.  What I am.  And the truth about what is going on.  It's a long story.  It will make sense only if you listen.  Only if you accept.  Please become comfortable.  This won't be easy.

Have you read the Bible?  It's not entirely accurate, but it's a very good start...

Fallen Angel

We are not human.  I know that we appear human and we have the strengths and limits of mankind.  But we are so much more, and in some ways, less.  The world, this world, of flesh and bone, is known as the world of clay.

We were once angels, you see.  Proud servants of the Creator. Creatures of fire and spirit, who took the bodies of clay only when it was deemed necessary.  So what are we now?  We are known as the Fallen.  We are not devils, not angels and not human, but something in between.  We are the Fallen Angels.  Our fire and spirit is trapped in a prison of clay, flesh, blood and bone.  We have a fraction of our past glory, our angelic power.  But we have free will.  Are these gifts or curses from the Creator?  I cannot say.  But others have their opinions in this.

I have been told that we have been granted free will and thus we are blessed, for all other angels must follow the Symphony; the will of the Creator.  We retain our powers.  We have a fraction of our memories of the divine.  We have an inkling of knowledge about what is really going on in this world. 

I have also been told that we are cursed.  That having free will on top of our powers grants us only the burden of guilt and sorrow over our actions.  As I said, angels are in tune with the Symphony.  They are subject to it's music.  Emotions beyond love and joy are not a part of that.  But then could Gabriel and Michael have destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, had they felt any remorse, any guilt? 

The Fall

Angels exist within regiments known as legions.  Our legion was known as the Grigori. After the war in Heaven and after mankind gave up paradise, there was a dark period of time.  Mankind was largely ignorant and was in danger of facing it's own destruction.  Don't doubt for a moment that with free will comes the responsibility of survival.  

Do you recall the Grigori from your studies?  Few people do.  In the book of Enoch, they were called the Watchers. 

The Grigori were sent by the Creator, to watch and to a much lesser extent, guide mankind.  In that mission, the most important of our service to the Creator, we failed. 

We were instructed to guide mankind.  Just to try to show them a righteous path when they stood in naught but darkness.  To make sure that they were aware there was a good choice in life and that they were responsible for their actions.  But we grew arrogant and believed that if we took a more active role in mankind, that we could teach mankind many wonderful and beneficial things.

Hindsight, they say, is 20/20.  You can only see it clearly, once you make the mistake.  Mankind could only exist in paradise without knowledge.  Once they had a taste of understanding, once they tasted the fruit of knowledge, they made their choice.  It was, in fact, the first act of free will.  Existing in ignorance and bliss, or to learn about, well, everything and anything possible.

Mankind chose comprehension, however they were stripped of the knowledge granted by the Tree.  It was the Creator's will that if mankind wanted wisdom, they would have to earn it.  It was one gift that wouldn't be granted.

In our folly, we forgot this.  For reasons lost to us, we passed from the role of guides to the role of teachers.  We began to teach mankind all manner of things.  We gave them knowledge.  We didn't even realize just how wrong this was.  Punishment was inevitable.

But that wasn’t enough to satisfy our growing interest in humans.  As we watched, we saw something inside mankind that we found attractive.  It is said that Faith is the first virtue and that Envy is the first sin.  When we stood in bodies of clay, in the roles of teachers, we touched upon that first sin, finding something desirable within mankind.  Their free will was intoxicating.  Perhaps infectious.  So to add insult to injury, we fools allowed ourselves to succumb to further sins, particularly that of lust.  Many Grigori slept with mankind.  Not comprehending that it was a great sacrilege to do so. 

The Creator punished our crimes.  But the punishment should always fit the crime.  Lucifer wanted to rule Heaven, thus he was given command over Hell.  We wanted to influence mankind and so we were banished to earth, trapped in these bodies of clay.

That is our past.  So why, you must be asking yourself, is it the modern day, and you have no memory of this.  Only a budding realization that my words ring an undeniable truth within you.

The Cycle

Part of our punishment, it would seem, was the fact that we would live, for at least a brief while, as little more than mortals.  It seemed that our bodies will forever be trapped in clay, but initially our minds would also be locked in clay.  We would have no memory of our divine origin.  Until the Reckoning occurs.

You have the belief, the instinct, that you have had past lives.  We all have.  It is a trait which we all share.  Because, except for the ancient ones, we have all lived through countless lives.  Our bodies and minds may be trapped, but our souls remain strong.  We live entire lifetimes in ignorance, only to be awoken by the Reckoning.  Once our minds escape the prison, we are finally able to realize our nature.  Then we are able to touch upon our divinity.

But until that time, we can live complete lives, we can bear children, we can make our mark upon this earth and we can die.  We will be reborn within another body, a newborn child.  Again and again, endless, unless we experience the Reckoning.

The Reckoning

None can say for certain how or why the Reckoning occurs.  What awakens one Fallen does not affect another Fallen.  As best as it can be understood, the Reckoning is an emotional experience, most often a life altering change.  A human can experience this and carry on with their new lifestyle.  But for a Fallen, we can be often become awakened to our heritage.

As the world changes, it seems to become more and more difficult for the Reckoning to occur to Fallen who have been ignorant for all this time. 

What emotionally shocked a person centuries ago, is almost laughable by today's standards.  Witnessing extreme sinful or virtuous acts seems to have little place in the modern age, at least in the effects they have over the heart. 

When we see a sin, we accept it because it's common.  It's trivial.  When we see a virtue, we want to know what dark secrets that person is hiding.  Or perhaps we quickly grow jealous, instead of joyous in the presence of a virtuous person.

Regardless, apathy within modern life seems to have contributed to a numbing of the moral senses.  And with this, an ignorant Fallen is hard pressed to experience the Reckoning anymore.  We are a dying and dwindling breed and yet many of our brethren remain asleep.  It is a shame.

You see, we are in a war now.  And we can use all the help possible.

War

It is known as the Last Crusade.  It is the war between Heaven and Hell, unleashed upon the world.  Yesterday you read your newspaper and it spoke about conflict abroad and of government actions and the local weather.  You watched your TV and were informed about all the latest car crashes, all manner of recent crimes, sports triumphs and failures and so forth.  The media failed to mention that the world is in the start of the final war, of the Apocalypse.

I'm certain you are thinking that I must be some sort of a fool, because you would have certainly seen some indication of the end of the world.  That no such incredible event could come to pass without it being devastatingly obvious.   You would, of course, have seen angels and devils battling in the streets, no doubt.  But it's not quite like that.  Not yet at least.

We are unsure of exactly what is occurring.  The ancient ones believe that before the Apocalypse comes to pass, there is a mandate that requires an 'even' battlefield.  That the world must be purged of any trace of the supernatural.  Thus, we believe that a legion of angels and a legion of devils and demons have been unleashed to hunt us down.  The Last Crusade is the precursor, if you will, to the actual Apocalypse where all the forces of Heaven and Hell will clash and...well, mankind will come to it's conclusion as beings of flesh and clay.

We, the Fallen, have gathered together, despite our differences, to avoid extermination.  Only together do we now stand a chance against this madness.

            You see, there is constant rumor that this is not the path that the Creator intended.  That this Apocalypse and the Last Crusade, are under the mandate of someone, or something, other than the Creator.  It is perhaps less of a rumor and more of a growing belief.

Don't misunderstand me.  This is the first stage of the Apocalypse.  However, we believe that something else may be manipulating the situation and forcing the Apocalypse prematurely.   There is no proof of such a conspiracy and of course, it would beg the question, how could anything direct the Symphony, other than the Creator.  So is the Creator no longer controlling the Symphony?  Is God dead?
It's not a question any Fallen wants to answer or confirm.  It's the sort of question that makes you worried that you already know the answer and it's not good.

Ignorance

I should return to a question that I left unanswered.  Why doesn't anybody know about us?  Why aren't we on the seven o'clock news?  Why are we only printed of in the tabloids?

Although we do typically make some attempt to conceal our nature from others, it would be ridiculous to presume that mankind wouldn't have discovered us by now.  That our cunning could protect us from their insight.  Their desire for knowledge is simply too strong for any such global conspiracy to last.

In truth, it is simply within every creature of divine origin, including the Fallen, to wash away thoughts of the supernatural within mankind.  You have seen the pictures of angels drawn with a halo surrounding their head?  Artist interpretation to be certain, but the Nimbus, the halo does exist.  It's more of an inner light or, in the case of devils, an inner darkness.  This inner power allows the Fallen to erase such accounts of the supernatural from the minds of humans.  We seem forbidden to make true alterations of memory, thus we cannot mask our actual presence or any real interaction.

Thus, a human might remember that she saw two people fighting with weapons in an alley, but not that one was a demon and that the other’s sword was wreathed in fire.

If you are as inquisitive as you look, then you must be asking yourself, if the Nimbus washes away memories of the supernatural, and the Nimbus is certainly supernatural, how did any drawings of the halo, let alone an angel, exist.

There are humans who are more resistant to the effects of the divine glow.  As such, it is far from a perfect effect. Fortunately the few who do recount the existence of angels are mocked and often ignored.  It is better that we work in secret.

If this is not the true Apocalypse, if the throne of the Creator truly is empty, then the Fallen alone are the only force that could stand against Heaven and Hell.  It is better that we move in secrecy, rather than announce our presence and deal with the repercussions.  If this is not the true Apocalypse, then mankind should not be given the opportunity to prepare for the true one. 

Powers

I have told you about the Nimbus.  However, it is but one of the powers that we possess.  It seems that while we are trapped in these bodies of clay, we still have some of our divine powers available.  We call these Techniques.  They allow us to be capable of miraculous feats.  We have limits however.  No Fallen can raze a city or simply move or kill with but a thought.  However, we are far from helpless. 

The enemies that we battle against seem to have their limits as well.  The past teaches us that a single angel was able to destroy a city.  Yet these angels we face do not.  We are uncertain why.  More reasons to be suspicious that they are not under the guidance of the Symphony.

Regardless, we have a large range of powers at our call.  Some of us can call us the holy flame while others can toy with emotions.  Some can read thoughts while others can command the wills of those around them.  Despite all this, it takes time to master our Techniques and in this war we don't easily have that time.  That is why newly awaken Fallen such as yourself are very important and precious.  Another body to fight for our side.

Embodiments

I suppose I'll need to clarify something.  Although we have many Techniques available to us, not every Fallen can learn every Technique available.  It is because each of us has an embodiment.  A calling of sorts.

As you no doubt know, there are seven virtues and seven corresponding sins.   A human has every virtue and sin offered to them.  They can choose which to follow and which to ignore.  Such is the power of free will.

However, the Fallen were once angels.  And angels have an embodiment, a single virtue which they are the incarnate of, possessing all the other virtues only in moderation.  I could only imagine that all angels would follow a virtuous path and embodiment.  However, as Grigori, while we watched mankind and as grew to understand them,  we were able to touch upon sin for the first time.  I guess it is within the power of sin, that even an angel can be tempted by it. 

A Fallen is still a subject of their original embodiment, still an incarnate of a particular pre-chosen virtue.  However, with free will, we possess some small choice.  We have the power to choose between a
virtue or it’s corresponding sin.  Faith or Envy.  Hope or Pride.  Light or Dark.  We can become the incarnate of one path or the other.

Once chosen, that is our path.  And that path dictates what divine powers we will have at our command.  Different paths offer different Techniques. 

You will no doubt require more detailed instruction in this but that will come later.

 Although it is rare and nearly unheard of, it is possible to turn from a path of light to walk on the path of dark, or from dark to light.  I would suggest finding comfort in your choices for it is a difficult struggle for the darkness to come into the light and a harrowing journey for the light to fall into the dark.

Conviction

The choice between virtue or sin is usually obvious.  Those who in their life as a human, lead a just and conscientious life will generally choose to be true to their virtue.  Those who had an awful, often abusive life will generally choose a sinful existence.  It is still a choice but it will cast you into our beliefs, which we call Conviction. 

In truth, the opinions of the Fallen are as individual and varied as humans.  However, all Fallen end up in one of the three convictions.

Those Fallen who choose virtue, will usually believe that the Creator has not abandoned us, as many others believe.  And that we will not give up the hope that somehow, in some fashion, we still serve the Creator's will.  We will do good upon this world for as long as we are able.  We are called the Divine Fallen

Those Fallen who choose sin will typically believe that the Creator has cursed us to a fate far worse than hell.  We call these the Infernal Fallen for they do not respect the Creator nor the ideals of the Creator.  They are to be loathed.

And finally there are rest of the Fallen, some who have chosen virtue, others who have chosen sin, who believe that the Creator has left the world and all it's inhabitants to their own vices, abandoning his creatures.  Thus in their minds there is no recourse for our plight and no punishment for our actions.  They are known as the Deistical Fallen.  While some do chose virtue over sin, all are loose with their morals and concern.

Convictions are very important to us.  Always remember that.

 Congregation

As a side note, it might be important to explain that we have also divided ourselves into smaller groups and factions than just our chosen Convictions.  We call these congregations.  Congregations know no embodiment bounds.  We gather in congregations for strength and survival and companionship.

The Divine gather in groups of  3 to 6 members.  In their congregation they are called a Choir.  Thus you have a Choir of Divine Fallen. 

The Infernal gather in the same sized groups and go by the title Murder.  Thus you have a Murder of Infernal Fallen.

Finally, there is the Deistical.  Because of their views, they congregate into a large group within each city, known as the Brood.  Typically, all the Deistical within a city form a single massive Brood, although in their own politics, there have been multiple Broods.

Every congregation, whether small like a Choir or a Murder, or large like the Broods, have a leader.  This leader is known as the Prelate.  It is his or her duty to care for their congregation and take responsibility for its actions. 

Codex

I spoke of the Fallen standing together against Heaven and Hell.  And yet I explain that we are separated by embodiments and convictions.  It is no secret that there is an ocean of tension between us all with centuries of war between Divine and Infernal.  Without the codex, I might not have been around to explain any of this to you.

When the angels and demons first appeared, they did so without warning or announcement.  We were attacked and many of the Fallen were slaughtered.  The ancient ones were attacked first and most were destroyed.  We believe that our oldest and wisest were the first targets of their agenda. 

Believe me when I tell you it was a slaughter.  Most of our oldest were in the older parts of the world, within Europe and Asia.  Now there are few Fallen in those areas. 

It became quickly obvious to even the most ignorant Fallen that we were in a war like no other.  That we were the victims of a campaign of extermination.  Something had to be done.

I told you how important Conviction is to us.  The Divine Fallen simply do not get along with the Infernal.  The hatred between these two Convictions runs too deep.  Since the atrocities committed at Sodom and Gomorrah, they have been at war.  When the Infernal began inflicting cruelties upon the humans, the Divine were forced to rise up against the Infernal. The Deistical stood by and watched, doing nothing.

Thus despite this new assault against us, there was too much distrust to simply band together.  We needed the codex.

There was a great gathering of all the Convictions.  And although the Deistical did help settle disputes and problems, they sought only to bring the Divine and the Infernal into a truce since that was where the dilemma lay. 

Finally, over a month, so it is said, the codex was developed.   It took nearly a year after that to fully force it upon our fading factions.  We can be a stubborn lot.

There are three parts to the codex.  The alliance, which states that the Divine and Infernal will do their utmost to get along until the threat of our extermination has ended.  The hierarchy, which arranges us into a structure and allows us to plan war efforts.  And the commandments, which govern our lives and our conduct during this war.

 Hierarchy

I mentioned that the hierarchy was our structure.  This is the closest we Fallen have to a government.  We are familiar with a hierarchy as there has always been structure to the angelic host, which we were a part of. It was decided we should abandon that structure however.  In truth, it would only be arrogance to claim to be a Seraphim or a Throne.

As such, it was decided that we would style our hierarchy out of something of our own creation.  Don’t worry, it is instantly familiar.  You have heard of the game of chess, have you not?

Chess was one of the ‘gifts’ which we taught mankind such a long time ago.  It was both a military game and a form of pure entertainment.  But it was also a lesson.  White and black sides against each other, with victory going to the most skilled player.  Does it not strike you as familiar to our previous struggle in Heaven.  In our first version of chess, it was indeed a representation of the forces of angels against the demons.  Are not the pieces the same on both sides?  Is not the key piece, the King, limited in his actions.  Just like the Creator and the Devil, both restricted in their actions for reasons beyond our understanding.

Our hierarchy should be familiar.  Our positions, known as Echelons, are based off the modern chess board.  Although this was not how our gift was originally presented to mankind, it was decided that a full circle was made and that we would take what they had refined, and use it for our own.

Within every Civitas, every city, there is a White and Black King.  Both a Divine Fallen and an Infernal Fallen rule us.  Be warned, although a lack of knowledge is tolerated, do not push your luck with these Fallen.  As is our tradition, the strongest of our kind shall rule as Prelates.  Thus the strongest of the Prelates rule as the Kings.  Their rule is absolute.

Next of course, are the Queens, or in the masculine form, the Regent.  Both Kings get a single Queen or Regent.  The Kings must remain outside of combat, for they are to be protected.  Their role is to decide when and where to strike.  A Queen or Regent is their instrument.  Although not necessarily warriors themselves, they are to oversee all of the war efforts.  They can charge into battle should they choose or simply passively participate in a battle.  Regardless, they are the ones who are to report the efforts of the war back to the Kings.

There is the Bishop.  Normally there is a single Bishop for a King.  It is the Bishop’s duty to gather as much information about the enemies of the King as possible, both within and outside of Court.  Of course, it is the Bishop’s duty to know the strength of the Host or Horde.  It is also the Bishop’s duty to gain information about the other convictions and discover any breech of the codex. 

There are many Knights within a Civitas, which is where our protocol differs from the game.  A Knight is almost always the Prelate of their congregation, of course, this is not always the case within the ranks of the Brood.  A Knight is charged with the honor of battling in the Last Crusade.  They are administered to by the King, the Queen and the Bishop. 

Then there is the Rook.  This is the bodyguard of the King.  It is their important duty to protect their King from harm.  However, they have a secondary duty, which seems to be a more common pursuit.  A King’s reign may only be challenged by a Knight.  However, the Knight must do challenge with the Rook.  Only if the Rook is defeated can the Knight remove the King and take the Echelon for themselves, or assign the Throne to another.

Of course there are the rest of the Fallen.  We serve and obey the codex.  Do not ever call us pawns.

 The Host and the Horde

                I made mention of the Host and the Horde before.  I must explain them now. 

                The Last Crusade is composed of angels and devils and demons.  For our own sake, we have taken to giving them the aforementioned names.

                The Host are the angels.  They are a terrible foe for they are our past brethren.  Although our memory of Heaven and our true heritage is faded and tarnished, we know deep in our souls that these were our comrades and our kin.  And now we are forced to battle them.

                A single angel is often as strong as a Choir or a Murder, their typical soldier being called an archangel.  It is not unheard of to meet an angel, which is much stronger than our average Fallen.

                If we do face a legion, as we fear, then they would be comprised of the traditional nine orders, their own hierarchy.  The Messenger is the lowest rank.  The archangel is the second lowest of the orders.  If this is the case, then Dominions would be their war leaders and ultimately, there is a Seraphim in charge somewhere.

                A Seraphim should have the power to destroy cities.  It is uncertain at this time whether we even have to face one of these angels.  However, we question what we will be able to do to stop one.

                 The Horde comprises both devils and demons.  It is known that a few legions of angels, under the command of the monster, Lucifer MorningStar, were thrown into hell.  As such, it is doubtful that an entire legion has been unleashed upon earth, and all of the information gathered supports that doubt. 

                However, that leaves us with an untold number of devils.  If it were just devils to worry about, the Horde would probably not prove too difficult to crush.

                However, devils are as crafty as they are defiant.  An angel is capable of conjuring a servant should they need to, however it is forbidden.  Thou shall worship only the Creator.  Conjurations of such creatures would constitute a breach of the Creator’s commandment, for such creatures see their creator as the true One. 

                Thus, devils create demons.  These demons form the majority of the Horde.  They are vile monsters that must be destroyed whenever possible.

                Do not be foolish and charge against a demon.  They feed off of the humans in parasitic manner and some can be surprising strong.  And although these strong demons are rare, they have an intelligence that is to not be ignored.  They would have you believe that you are much stronger than they, only to lead you into a trap.  Demons rarely travel alone.

                 Thus you have the two parts of the three factions involved in the Last Crusade.  Both Host and Horde aim their efforts against the Fallen, for reasons we are not yet certain of.

                And if not for the codex to hold us together, we would surely be destroyed by now. 

 Of Death

                Our lives and this war would be much simpler if it were not for the fact that death for the divine, or once divine, creatures is not an easy feat. 

                You understand now about the cycle, which possessed you in its grasp.  You did not die like a human.  You were reborn into a new life, a new body. 

                Now you have passed from that cycle, only to enter into another one. 

                All things celestial and once celestial, can die two different deaths.  The most common is known as the Hollow Death.

                The Hollow Death comes when our bodies of clay die in some mortal fashion.  We do not age.  We do not fatally succumb to disease, nor are we casually susceptible to them.  We are only temporarily hindered by the effects of intoxicates and poisons.  But other means, most often violent means will still cause our bodies to be injured.  We can only sustain as much injury as a human might, perhaps a bit more.

                However, as best as we can tell, when the injury is fatal, but not driven by strong enough emotion, we die what is known as the Hollow Death. 

                The Hollow Death is an awful thing.  You will no doubt experience it someday.  When a Fallen dies such a death, it is apparent, as the soon to be familiar Shadows will come for them.  We have little idea what these Shadows are, only that a darkness grows over the body of the Fallen, and then they are gone.  It is quite alarming the first time you see this.

                Once the Shadows come, the Hollow Death has been granted.  All we know is that once the Shadows come, there is no known way to grant the True Death to a victim.

                What happens next is often a debate.  We believe that we are brought to Purgatory, a realm for those who were born and died without hearing the word of the Creator and thus were unable to be given the option to dedicate their lives to the Creator.   Regardless, most of us believe that we are not meant for either realm. 

                We have little recollection of this event.  Eventually, three days later, we are expelled back into this world.  If we had the foresight to create a Domus, and I’ll get into those a bit later, then we will find ourselves near it, albeit weak and helpless as a newborn for an hour or so.  Without a Domus, you will not have a strong enough connection to the world and arrive practically anywhere.  There are few things that are certain when one dies the Hollow Death but one of them is that we emerge from the Shadows in pain and fear, tortured by it, taunted by memories of heaven and all our sins remembered.  It is never a pleasant experience. 

                There seems no limit to the amount of times a Fallen can die the Hollow Death.  However, there is also the True Death.  As you might have guessed, you can die the True Death, but once.

                The True Death only occurs in the rare event which the body suffers a fatal blow that has determination behind it.  It seems that strong emotion can severe our affinity to Purgatory.  The Shadows will not come.  The body is left to die like a human might.  Sometimes swiftly, sometimes slow and painfully. 

                I should also add that the weapons of our enemies in the Last Crusade are very apt for severing our affinity to Purgatory. 

Warfare

                The humans say that war is hell.  This is very true.  You must understand that the Host and the Horde are fearsome enemies.  Angels and devils have their prized weapons, which seem to be able to swiftly cause our kind True Death.  Wounds that we could survive by our own hands are fatal when caused by them.  This is the first and most dangerous lesson you must learn about the Host and the Horde.  Fortunately, demons do not have this ability.  Most times, should you fall in battle to demons, you will die but the Hollow Death.  However, even they can get lucky.

                Of course, if the reverse were possible, we would have a better chance in this Last Crusade.  However our efforts are painstakingly slow and often without reward.

                You see, angels and devils cannot die the True Death, for it is by their own volition, or the Creator’s volition that they are here on earth.  If they die, they are simply exiled from earth for a short period of time.  They will return, however.  Three days later it would seem.

                Thus, death is not enough.  They may somehow reweave their bodies of Clay and return here as they desire.  So we must turn to another way. 

                Banishment.  Our only hope lies fortunately within our grasp.  It is with one of our Core Techniques, known as Hallow that makes this possible.  Hallow allows Virtuous Fallen to Sanctity something and Sinful Fallen to Desecration something. 

                In order to banish an angel or devil, they must first be beaten in combat.  No easy feat, as I mentioned before, and as I said, death is not an acceptable solution.  We must defeat them without killing them, and hold them before their bodies of Clay fail.  As you would guess, they fight with their every breath, so while we are struggling to prevent their death, they are still fighting.

                Only a wounded and held angel or devil can be banished.  And then an angel can be desecrated while a devil can be sanctified. 

                Every single angel and devil must be dealt with in this manner.  It is as difficult and trying as it sounds. 

                Demons, being little more than conjurations, are dispatched by combat.  They are merely minions of devils.  Should we finally destroy the devils, we would be rid of the demons as well.

 Affections

                It should be understood that while we hide ourselves from mankind, we are not able to simply avoid their attention or their interference. 

                Many of us have need of human interaction.  Thus, we often bring humans into our fold, teaching them our ways.  I’m not certain why some of us do this.  But we all seem to have some void which only humans seem capable of filling.

                The Divine Fallen will take in humans and share deep friendships with them.  Sometimes there is love, sometimes only companionship.  Whatever the reasons, we cherish humans and treat them with kindness.

                The Deistical Fallen take in humans for fun and pleasure.  Although it is not a breech of the commandments of the codex, it is a breech of the Creator’s commandments that angels, and thus the Fallen, should not be worshipped.  As you might guess, the Deistical Fallen often trick humans into worshipping them.  Sometimes, they will create cults of humans.  Although this is an outrage to the Divine Fallen, we must suffer it, for the Brood took many concessions during the creation of the codex.

                The Infernal Fallen rarely take in humans, except usually to use and discard.  This creates an unbelievable tension between the Divine and the Infernal, as we can rarely stand by and allow such violations to happen.  However, our protests rarely grant us much, for we know that the Infernal will simply abuse humans behind closed doors. 

                Humans who become close to us are called Affections.  It is unfortunate that, because of the twisting of words by the both the Deistical and the Infernal, the term Affections has come to mean anything of value to a Fallen.  Thus an Affection can be a friend or a locket of hair.

                There is one Affection which all Fallen have, which is their weapon of choice.  We all find a weapon, usually a sword, but always something archaic, which we will adopt as our preferred weapon.  This weapon will always be with you, and can be summoned to your aid with a thought. 

                There is one Affection which all Fallen should have, which is a home.  We call this a Domus and it is our center.  We are often stronger within our Domus and a Congregation can make a Domus together, so it is a good idea to gather with your Congregation to make one.  Your chosen weapon will find it’s way to your Domus when you do not wish to have it and it is your beckon if you should die the Hollow Death.  You can only have one Domus at any one time but because considerate and have one at all times. 

Sins of the Father

                I suppose it would be negligent to not tell you about our other enemies.  We have so many, however one such adversary stands out.

                As I mentioned to you before, one of our sins was to give into the temptation of lust.  This was hardly without its consequence.  In our foolishness, our arrogance, we believed that there would be no repercussion for our carnal actions.  Our punishment was for teaching mankind. 

                But it seems we were wrong.  Because an angel or Fallen who impregnates a woman spawns something inhuman. 

                You might grow to believe that we are half human and half angel.  This is something of a misnomer.  We are angels, trapped in the bodies of Clay.  But we have come to understand the moral coil, and thus we have either gained their insight or lost our divinity, depending on whom you speak with.

                But our children, these are the truly the half-breeds.  They are known as the Nephilim. 

                The Nephilim are tortured souls, who can touch upon the insights of Heaven and Hell, yet who bleed and die like humans.  All Nephilim are destined to learn their true nature.  They do not age, they are resilient to disease, like ourselves.  They even have a command over many of our powers.  Indeed, some Nephilim have proven that they are our equals. 

                However, they are our bastard children and they are predestined to fall into madness.  As such, attempts to have them join our ranks have been a mistake.  We usually just grant them a swift death when we encounter them.  Most of them are hunting us and so we dispatch them as gently as we can.

Do not go gently

                I have told you much and you must be overwhelmed by all these things, so I will bring this speech to a close.   Our existence is one eternal struggle and nobody has all the answers.  We live, we breathe and we suffer.  Angst is our constant companion and pain is our daily bread.  We are in a war for our survival.  And live or die, at the very least, we will give our enemies a reason to respect our resolve and determination. 

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