ArmageddonMUSH Information Files


Here are the +news files from the game, which explain the theme, setting, and rules. I have them all in one giant file for a few reasons: 1) I'm lazy. 2) This makes it easier to search for a particular topic/keyword, since I haven't bothered making this site searchable yet (see point 1). 3) People who like to download entire files to browse at their leisure can do so. I personally hate to go to some website and find a document I want broken up into a million separate pages.

Return to Taisch's ArmageddonMUSH page.



============================ ArmageddonMUSH +news ============================
Type '+news ' or '+news -' to read. For example,
'+news newbies' or '+news newbies-intro'. Please report typos, contradictions,
and missing information to the Staff.
----------------------------------- Topics -----------------------------------
Advancement        Angels             Building           Combat             
Consent            Demons             Economy            Factions           
Fae                Humans             Newbies            Policy             
Powers             Special            Staff              Summoning          
Theme              Patronage 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            ArmageddonMUSH webpage:                           
                 http://www.trailing-edge.com/~cchang/arm   
==============================================================================

Return to the top of the page.


====================== ArmageddonMUSH +news: advancement =====================

		"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall."
			- William Shakespeare
			  Measure for Measure

The term 'Advancement' covers everything on the MUSH which deals in character
growth, be it through Powers, Skills, or any other form of achievement. This,
however, excludes increases to Health and Spirit ratings, which can be done by
yourself after entering the WP Room off the OOC Nexus.

Attributes such as Strength, Dexterity, Intuition, etc...are being considered
as options for Advancement, but can not be increased at this time.

XP and WP are the two main forms of tender used on the MUSH to "purchase"
such Advancements. How to use them, and on what, is discussed further below
under -xp, and -xp-table.

Please carefully read throught the subtopics below before applying for a
Power or Skill. The Advancement Admin reserves the right to disallow any
request based on an application being incomplete, or not following the
application outline provided. They may also disallow a request if it seems too
unbalancing. Ultimately, their word is final in all related matters.
---------------------------------- Subtopics ---------------------------------

Powers             Skills             Items              Armies             
Applications       Flaws              Xp                 Xp-table           

==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +news: advancement-powers ====================

If you wish for your character to learn a new Power, or to improve a known
Power to a higher level, you need to RP the effort, and spend XP and WP points.

WITH a Teacher costs as follows:
  (4 XP) + (level x5 WP) + (0.5 RL weeks/level)
WITHOUT a Teacher:
 (4 XP) + (level x10 WP) + (1.0 RL weeks/level)

Note, that the 'weeks/level' refers to the amount of time the character will
need to be taught or research the power to be gained. The 'level' in the
multiplier refers to the level you seek to acquire. The teacher must have the
same power at a level as high or higher than the level you want.

Because of the supernatural nature of the powers, you will be affected with
odd flaws and imperfections as you first learn to use them. This will last for
as many weeks after you learn the power as you spend in acquiring them.

First, you must locate a teacher who has the appropriate power and a level as
high or higher than the level of the power you want. Those going it alone must
search within the character and understand his/her philosophy for want of such
power. Then, you must adjust your lifestyle for the persuits of this power
accordingly. E.g. Learning 'Conjury 1' may mean you need to closely examine
the effects of grow, rebirth, or anything that involves multiplying one
element to acquire more of the same.

While learning a power, you do not have the mental energy to spare to learn
a skill as well. Once you are ready to start learning the power, +mail
the Advancement Admin.
(Type +staff/all for a list of all current staff members.)

Include in your +mail
- Your character's desired Power and level.
- Your character's beginning and expected ending date in learning the power.
- Who your Teacher will be? If self-taught, what method of seeking you use.

See also '+news powers-flaws' for some side-effects of learning powers.
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +news: advancement-skills ====================

To learn a skill, you must ICly spend time studying and practicing the skill.
You must RP 2 lessons a week while learning a skill. You can work on 2 skills
during the same period, if your intelligence is 3 or above. (Times and costs
set for each skill separately.)

You may not learn a power while you are learning a skill.

Please +mail the Advancement Admin, when you begin to work on your skill. See
+staff/all for a list.

COSTS:
* 0 XP + (1 RL week)/level with teacher, (2 RL weeks)/level without a teacher
  (The teacher must have the skill at level 4 or above.)
* Domestic skills, such as sewing, baking, firemaking: 5-8 WP/level.
* Knowledge based skills: 15 WP/level
* Combat skills (this includes any smithing skills for weapons), and magic
  skills (except rune-magic: see +news special-rune-magic): 25 WP/level.

For example, to improve combat from level 3 to level 4 would take 4 weeks
and cost 100 WP. The WP may be paid in installments.

==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +news: advancement-Armies ====================

Given that the Armageddon is indeed a war of sorts, PCs may occasionally
recruit and mobilize mundane NPC armies to do their dirty work for them. Most
armies are only IC background noise, but you may also apply for and purchase
armies as statted puppets capable of tactical combat.

Statted army puppets can be owned either by specific players or by established
institutions. Puppets owned by a specific player must be wholly paid for by
that player and remain loyal to that player regardless of changes in the
player's faction or affiliation. Puppets owned by an institution -- the
Citadel, for example -- remain loyal to that institution regardless of changes
in the institution's leadership. Any exceptions or extenuating circumstances
must be approved jointly by the Advancement Admin and the appropriate
Storytellers.

The XP cost for player-owned army puppets is as follows:

	  2-man unit/puppet = 1 XP each
	  4-man unit/puppet = 2 XP each
	  8-man unit/puppet = 3 XP each
	 16-man unit/puppet = 4 XP each
	 32-man unit/puppet = 5 XP each
	 64-man unit/puppet = 6 XP each
	128-man unit/puppet = 7 XP each

	  ...and so on

The puppet stats are determined by the number of men in the unit, and a player
may buy multiple units of varying strengths. For example, four 32-man units
would cost 20 XP. However, a single 128-man unit would cost only 7 XP. Why
such a huge difference for the same total number of men? Most of what you're
paying for is the omnipresence and flexibility of four individual puppets.

NOTE: If you at first buy a single large unit and then later wish to ICly
divide it into several smaller units, you must pay the difference in XP to
redeploy your army. For example, to redeploy that single 128-man unit as four
32-man units would cost an additional 13 XP.

Some guidelines to remember for NPC armies:

1) Army puppets have no Powers and only limited Skills. These are mundane
troops recruited from the mundane population of the City. Their strength is in
raw numbers. If you want "talented" soldiers, you must buy individual minions
or recruit other PCs.

2) Army puppets fight according to the tactical combat rules, not the
traditional PC-to-PC rules. (11/8/99: As of this writing, these tactical
combat rules are still under development by Silverhammer and Asmodeus. In the
meantime, call for a judge.)

3) Army puppets cannot +heal during combat. When an army puppet is +hurt, it
ICly takes casualties and loses men. Since these are mundane troops,
casualties cannot be treated and men cannot be replaced until after the battle.

4) Army puppets require 10 Demonic Coins per head per week to cover food,
housing, weapons, equipment, training, and combat pay. As an example, four
32-man units would cost a total of 1280 Demonic Coins per week. If the owner
cannot cover this cost, the units will disband.

==============================================================================

================= Armageddon +news: advancement-applications =================

To assist players create a more standard format of application for powers
and skills, an example for each is provided below. If you aren't sure what to
send to the Advancement Admin, these examples should help insure that there
are no problems which could delay you from acquiring a new power or skill, or
improving the level one you already have.

When applying for a Power; say, Omens level 2 WITH a teacher, the application
- sent to the Advancement Admin via +mail - should look like this:

1) +mail =Application: Omens 2 

2) -I would like to learn the following Power:%r- Power: Omens 2%rTeacher:
Mysterio is my teacher.%r- Cost: 4XP+10WP%r- Beginning: Oct. 2, 1999. Ending:
Oct. 9, 1999%r- Flaw: My aura will be viewable by all without the aid of Sight
and Truth from Oct. 10-17, 1999 

3) -- 

  It's just that simple.

For a Skill request example, lets choose the Knowledge based skill Chemistry
at level 3, WITHOUT a teacher. The following is how one would apply to the
Advancement Admin with this in mind:

1) +mail =Application: Chemistry 3 

2) -I would like to learn the following skill:%r%rSkill: Chemistry 3%rCost: 45
WP%rTeacher: No teacher.%rBeginning: Oct 2, 1999. Ending: Nov. 13, 1999 

3) -- 

And it's away!

==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +news: advancement-flaws ====================

These are some examples of what might happen when you first learn a Power.

Example 1: possible flaws for people learning Possession
  1 : You sometimes hear voices (usually not your own) in your head, saying
     weird things, laughing at you, or making sarcastic comments.
  2: The voices tell you to do things. They are irritating and affect your
     concentration. During stressful situations, you may have to spend a WP
     to ignore them or else lose your action for a turn due to the distraction.
  3: The voices are louder, making an almost constant din, pressuring you
     to do things you'd rather not, oftentimes dangerous things.
     Spend WP to say no. Sometimes the noise prevents you from being able
     to use a Power effectively. (-3 on +power rolls)
  4: You have fits, during which the voices take over. You suffer from amnesia,
     false memories, and delusions.  You can try to spend WP to reduce your
     confusion, but even that is not always successful.
  5: The voices take over completely at times, sending you into berserker fits
     where you attack everyone around you at full power, ignoring injuries
     until you are incapacitated or successfully restrained for an hour or
     so, when the fit wears off.

Example 2: possible flaws for an Alchemist, levels 1-3
  1: Your sense of smell is distorted. You smell smoke when there is none,
     rotten eggs at a fine banquet, etc.
  2: Water -> mud effect. Water you touch randomly turns to mud. This can
     include water already in your mouth, or that you have already drunk.
     This generally extends to any liquid that has a large fraction of water.
     Can sometimes make you sick (if you've already drunk the water.)
  3: Random transmutation of things you touch. You can't undo it. Use +power
     to see how long the change lasts.

==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +news: advancement-xp ======================

Experience points (XP) are an out of character award given to players by
fellow players, or by the staff, for your contributions to the game (including
good roleplaying, helping newbies, coding, running or taking part in TPs,
etc.) Since XP is earned by the player, not the character, unused XP may be
transferred between a player's characters. Willpower (WP) is more of an
in-character (IC) measure, so you may not transfer it OOCly, EXCEPT to your
puppets. (There is an OOC aspect to WP, since players give each other both
WP and XP with their votes. See +help wp, +help xp)

Various powers, skills, items, and special perks in the game cost XP, WP,
time, risk, or all of the above. The costs are summarized in
'+news advancement-xp-table'

==============================================================================

=================== Armageddon +news: advancement-Xp-table ===================

This is a summary of everything we charge WP or XP for on the MUSH:

* permanent health: 5 x current rating WP
* spirit: 10 x current rating WP, need application to go 10+.
* skills: 0 XP + 5-8 (domestic)|15 (knowledge)|25 (combat/magic) WP
          (1.0 weeks x level) RL time, double without a teacher
* powers: 4 XP + (level x 5) WP + (0.5 RL weeks x level) RL time - w/teacher
          4 XP + (level x 10)WP + (1.0 RL weeks x level) RL time - w/o teacher
* minions: 1 XP per extra normal minion (you're allowed one for free)
* NPC armies: to be announced
* personal realm: 5 XP + 0.5 XP/additional level, 2 XP/bound human
* rune-magic: 1 spirit level/use (min 3), 1 spirit level to learn, plus
          (level x 5) WP w/teacher, (level x 10) WP w/o teacher, plus
          risk of failure, maiming, death, etc.
* weapons, armor, other special items: 1 XP/"extra point" of rating (damage,
     armor rating, spirit level, etc.), or more at the Admin's discretion.
* occult libraries: 1 XP/level, variable DCs. See "+news demons-libraries"

Note: WP for skills may be paid in installments, as set by the staff member
adjudicating.

==============================================================================

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========================== Armageddon +News: newbies =========================
Welcome to Armageddon MUSH. We are a multi-player online roleplaying game
based on an original theme (i.e. not based on any book, movie, published RPG,
etc.) and rules system. Players interact mainly with other players (or
staffers), not with computer-generated creatures, as they do on some other
types of online games. Since all our documentation is online, the +news
files are extensive. Most of the basic game rules are contained in this
section. Combat and Powers have their own +news sections. We recommend that
you read the intro and the faq first. Then glance at +news theme, +news powers,
and +news newbie-chargen before you make your character. Type 'help' and read
+news newbie-mushing if you have never played on a MUSH before.

Intro              Affiliation        Skills             Skills-sample      
Attributes         Advantages         Flaws              Vows               
Chargen            Mushing            Glossary           FAQ                
Tips               Spirit             Willpower          Health             
Healing            Www                Death
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: newbie-intro =======================
Welcome to Armageddon MUSH. Please read through all the +help and +news
files before taking your character through chargen. It is very important that
you do read through these files because it will help you in creating your
character and in understanding Armageddon.

We recommend that first-time players choose a human as their first character.
For reasons of game balance, the number of angel/demon characters is limited
to be 2/5 or less of the human population, each. Fae are limited to less than
1/5 the human population. (See also '+help census'.)

It does take time to get angels, demons and fae summoned and most
new players are eager to RP. Although RP opportunities do exist in Hell,
Heaven and Limbo, the majority of them are to be found on Earth. Thus, players
with human characters have a greater chance of finding RP.
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: newbie-affiliation ====================
Your character may be affiliated with Hell, Heaven or neither. Angels and
demons are by definition Blessed or Damned, respectively, although an angel
may Fall or a demon Repent, but those occasions are rare. Humans are able to
choose their affiliation. Those humans who are Blessed or Damned have chosen
for some reason to stay on Earth, either having miraculously escaped dying
during the End, or because they have been summoned back for good or evil. Fae
are neither Blessed or Damned for they are the Soulless and not of God's
creation. By definition, Fae are Unchosen.

The Blessed wear the Seal of God on their foreheads, visible to those with
Sight. Similarly, the Damned bear the Mark of the Beast. Whether the character
is "good" or "evil" in any conventional sense is another matter, but the
Blessed here are those who put all their trust in God and his son, Jesus
Christ, their savior.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: newbie-skills ======================
You may choose whatever skills you wish, within reason, and as befits the
background of your character. The more general the skill, the shallower the
character's mastery. The converse holds, as well.

Some skills are assumed to be possessed to some degree by everyone in the
city: e.g. basic literacy in English (this particular city seems to have been
taken from the U.S. somewhere), driving, knowledge that demons and angels
exist, basic familiarity with the city, and things like that.

The skill 'combat' is used in the combat code, and encompasses barehanded
fighting, dodging, melee, firearms, etc. You can choose a specialization, if
you like, and use that as a positive modifier when employing the
specialization. It's up to you.
==============================================================================

=================== Armageddon +News: newbie-skills-sample ===================
Examples of skills:

Accounting Angel-lore Art Athletics Burglary Business Carpentry City-lore
Computers Dancing Demolitions Demon-lore Economics Engineering Geography-Hell
Herbalism Home-improvement Human-lore Hunting Intimidation Law Leadership
Literature Lock-picking Magic Management Marketing Mathematics Medicine
Nitpicking Occult Optometry Outdoorsmanship Persuasion Photography Physics
Plumbing Poisons Police-lore Psychology Repair Riddles River-lore Science
Seduction Stealth Streetwise Sword-fighting Terrorism Theology Torture Typing
Violin-playing Voodoo Witchcraft
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: newbie-attributes ====================
The attributes used in this game are strength, dexterity, stamina,
intelligence and reaction. They are rated from -5 to 5 with 0 being the
average human rating.

STRENGTH is a measure of your physical power. It includes such things as how
much weight you can lift, how much damage you can inflict in hand to hand
combat, and generally, how much brute force you can bring to bear.
DEXTERITY is a measure of your agility. This includes both manual dexterity
and overall nimbleness.
STAMINA is a measure of your endurance, resistance to injury, disease and pain.
INTELLIGENCE is a general measure of how well you think, retain information,
solve problems, learn new skills, etc. Common sense and wisdom are also
components of intelligence. Intelligence is important in controlling your
Powers.
REACTION is a measure of how perceptive you are and how quickly you react to a
changing situation.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: newbie-advantages ====================
Advantages are your character's strong points, things which tend to benefit
your character. These can be mundane, physical, psychological, supernatural,
weird, etc. They help to flesh out your character, and may guide his/her
behaviour.

Special powers and modifiers are usually included in the player or staff
notes on your sheet.

Additionally, repeating your sheet in your advantages (i.e. a character with
combat 5 does not need to say 'I am an excellent fighter') is unnecessary.

Some examples are: beautiful appearance, charismatic, confident,
contacts/resources, courageous, determined, easy-going, famous/well-known,
intimidating appearance, likeable personality, open-minded, optimistic,
quick-witted, perceptive, self-controlled, sly, strong faith.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: newbie-Flaws =======================
Flaws are your character's weak points, things that tend to work towards
his/her disadvantage. These can be mundane, physical, psychological,
supernatural, weird, etc. They help to flesh out your character and may guide
his/her behaviour.

Special powers and modifiers are usually included in the player or staff
notes on your sheet.

Additionally, repeating your sheet in your flaws (i.e. a character with
Intelligence -5 saying 'My character is not very intelligent') is unnecessary.

Some examples of flaws: absent-minded, addiction (to alcohol, drugs, food,
risk-taking, sex, violence, etc.), arrogant, blind, crippled, easily distracted
by (legal, theological, technical, etc.) arguments, enemies/hunted by some
powerful group/being, envious, fear/phobia (of crowds, earthquakes, elevators,
fire, heights, etc.), gluttonous, greedy, hideous appearance, illiterate,
mute, overly-confident, overly-proud, stubborn, unable to refuse a dare or a
challenge, vocal impairments.
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: newbie-vows =======================
Many characters will have sworn certain vows that help them maintain their
identities in a chaotic, hostile world. Sometimes a vow may be a certain goal
the character has sworn to accomplish or die trying. There is no hard and fast
mechanic for what happens when one breaks a vow. It is something to be
roleplayed. However, a broken vow often leads to a loss of willpower,
sometimes even spirit.

Some examples of vows:
- a vow of regular prayer
- a vow not to harm a certain class of people
- a vow of chastitity, silence, obedience, or poverty
- a vow to attack every being of a certain class you meet
- a vow not to use certain weapons or powers or to benefit from them
- a vow never to pass up an opportunity to (tempt, help, etc.) someone
- a vow to donate 10 percent of all your earnings to the Church
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: newbie-chargen ======================
Before you can play on this MUSH, you need to define your character. During
character generation, you will be asked to set the following information on
yourself. Instructions for doing so will be given to you as you complete
each step. Feel free to ask on the =public channel or page a staff member
for assistance. (Type +staff for a list.)

1. Concept: A quick 1-3 word summary of what you feel is at the heart of your
character. Examples: Priest, Mercenary, Warrior Angel, Lawyer Demon, etc.
2. Sheet: You may set your +sheet hidden or visible to other players.
3. Race: You may choose to play an Angel, a Demon, a Fae or a human. (Please
read '+news angels', '+news demons', '+news fae' and '+news human' for more
information.) Note: non-human characters are limited to a certain ratio of
the population, but human chargen is always open. See '+news newbie-intro'.
4. Affiliation: Humans may choose to be Blessed, Damned or Unchosen. The other
races have no choice about their affiliation. (Please read '+news affiliation'
for further information.)

(Continued in '+news newbie-chargen2')
==============================================================================
====================== Armageddon +News: newbie-chargen2 =====================
5. Powers: You are given 5 (3 for humans) points to buy supernatural Powers.
Having level X in a Power means you can use all the abilities listed under
'+news ' up to level X. E.g., if you have Bless 3, you can use any of
the powers up to and including Bless 3. (Please see '+news powers', and '+news
powers-summary' for more information.)

6. Skills: You are given 15 points to buy levels in various skills. A skill of
1 = basic knowledge, 2 = competent, 3 = professional, 4 = superb, 5 = world
class. (Please see '+news newbie-skills' for further information.)

7. Attributes: You are given 5 points to choose your attributes. Attributes
range from -5 to +5 with 0 being average. Player characters are assumed to be
above average. (Please see '+news newbie-attributes' for more information.)

8.Background, Vows, Advantages, and Flaws: This is where you flesh out your
character. If you decide to modify or add to these later, you must @edit your
ar_vows, ar_background, ar_flaws, and ar_advantages. (For more information
see '+news vows', '+news newbie-advantages', and '+news newbie-flaws'.)
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: newbie-mushing ======================
Armageddon is a roleplaying MUSH (Multi User Shared Hallucination). It is a
game where people from all over the world play characters in an imaginary
world.

When starting out, you may wish to set the following by typing:
@lock me=me
@lock/use me=me
@set me=enter_ok
@desc me=
@adesc me=@pemit me=%n just looked at you.
@sex me=male or @sex me=female
@alias me=

If you wish to create a character here you will need to read through the
other +news files. Additional help can be found in the +help files. The
commands found therein are local MUSH commands specific to Armageddon MUSH.
Help contains information found on all MUSHes. You may wish to read through
some of those files.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: newbie-glossary =====================
AFK: Away from Keyboard.
BRB, BBL: Be Right Back, Be Back Later
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
IC: In Character: refers to the game-world and the character you are playing
NPC: Non-Player Character, i.e. any character assumed to exist in the
 Armageddon universe, but not actually played by anyone as a main character.
 This includes "innocent bystanders," puppets, and some characters played by
 the staff.
OOC: Out of Character: refers to you, the real life player
PC: Player character, i.e. a character played by a real player, as opposed to
 everyone else who is assumed to exist in the Armageddon universe
Puppet: this is an object controlled by a player, which can move around
 and talk, just like a player. See 'help puppets' and '+news policy-puppets'.
RL, IRL: Real Life, In Real Life, i.e. what you get when you're not at the
 computer
TP, TinyPlot: a premeditated arc of events on the MUSH
TS: 1) TinySex: roleplayed sex in character
    2) TimeStop: a "timeout" called so that complicated rules-intensive
       scenes (such as those involving combat) can be resolved while those
       outside the TS can continue playing.
Twink: someone who "cheats," or tries excessively to "win," whether by abusing
 rules, arguing incessently, abusing code loopholes, or playing "unfairly."
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: newbie-faq ========================
What is Armageddon MUSH?
 A roleplaying game set in an alternate future based somewhat on the Biblical
Revelation. Angels, demons, and humans fight for survival, salvation, or
damnation. Most of the action takes place in a single City, whose true name has
been forgotten, but is sometimes called Babylon.

What do you do?
 You play a character in a dark world filled with horror. Join a faction. That
gives you friends and enemies at once, both important in a roleplaying game.
The various races and affiliations are naturally opposed to each other, a
ready-made conflict for you to personalize as you see fit. Take some vows.
That gives you some goals, and something for other characters to play off of.

How do I get help?
 Type 'help' for help with MUSH commands; type '+help' for Armageddon-specific
commands; type '+news' for more info on Armageddon. You can also ask a staff
member, (type '+staff' to find out who they are) for help. Try typing 'p
name-of-person=Hi, I have a question about ...'

Continued in'+news newbie-faq2'
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: newbie-faq2 =======================
Where and when exactly is Armageddon set?
 About 50 years after the End, which happened in 1999. The city is a merged
version of many cities, its original name forgotten. Due to the biases of the
builders of this MUSH, the cities will be American in flavor. Since the End,
no children have been born, and no one ages naturally, so everyone plays
someone at least 50 years old, although part of that time may have been spent
in a coma, as a ghost, or in magical stasis.

The demons rule the City?
 Yes, the City is currently under the domination of the infernals. The Citadel
Lord is a Demon. Angels are only present as individuals. They are not supposed
to openly war against Hell at this time, but they can interfere upon the
request of humans.

Continued in '+news newbie-faq3'
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: newbie-faq3 =======================
What is the level of technology?
 About what you would expect from 1999. Nobody had the time or energy to spare
for research after the End hit. Massive earthquakes and plagues killed off
much of the population. You are lucky to still have electric power and a few
working factories. Most raw materials are scavenged from the ruins. There is
no "cyber" technology. No "Star Trek" or "Star Wars" magic-tech either.

Can I kill people?
 Yes, characters can kill each other. However, combat is not the main purpose
of this MUSH. Moreover, death works differently than you might expect. (See
'+news consent' and '+news newbie-death')

What about magic? Can I play an angel/demon/fae?
 Yes. See '+news theme-characters.' The influx of angels and demons onto the
earth destroyed the old mundane reality, opening the way for magic and
miracle. Also see '+news powers' and '+news special-sorcery.'

Continued in '+news newbie-faq4'
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: newbie-faq4 =======================
Can my angel/demon/fae character seem human?
 Yes. If you wish, your character may have a "natural" inhuman form as well as
a human form, and may switch instantaneously between them without needing the
specific Shapeshift power. See '+help shift' for hints on setting multiple
descriptions on yourself. Your human form is as human as you think it is,
physically, although Sight will still reveal your true nature.

Can my angel/demon character eat? Sleep? Excrete? Have sex? Have children?
 This depends on your character. Some angels/demons remain abstract beings far
removed from human needs, while others are nearly indistinguishable from
mortal clay. Since this is the end of time as we know it, God is creating no
new souls to be born on earth. Soulless bodies tend to decay fairly rapidly.
Thus, most pregnancies are aborted even before the mother is aware of it. A
few babies are born dead. Others linger for a few hours or days. If a human is
involved, they may Summon a demon or (more rarely) a human ghost's soul to
inhabit the body. With the use of Intercession 5, a new human soul may be
created, but this is extrordinarily rare.

Does my character age physically?
 In Armageddon, you really are as old as you think you are. A child may or may
not age naturally depending on its powers and mental state. Older characters
tend to be more stable, fixing on one age, although it is known for some
humans to suddenly be overwhelmed by the weight of their years, expiring of
old age within a short span of time. Rarely does any character become
physically younger.
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: newbie-tips =======================
Here are a few tips you may wish to consider:
- please be sure to read through all the +news files before creating your
character
- you may also want to read through the 'help' and '+help' files
- please feel free to ask if you have any questions
- think about making your character a human if this is your first time here
- remember to have fun
- try to keep IC and OOC separate
- respect your fellow MUSHers
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: newbie-spirit ======================
Your spirit rating measures the force of your will upon reality. A powerful
spirit tends to warp its surroundings to reflect its own affiliation and
desires. Earthquakes, fires, and plagues of frogs or locusts herald the
arrival of a Higher Being upon the earthly plane. They are often unable to
remain for very long, for they cause their location to take on characteristics
of their home Realm, until it finally fades from human perception and becomes
part of Heaven or Hell (or some other.)
See +news special for more details.

In game terms, your spirit rating is used in determining how successful you
are at using your powers and how many willpower points you may spend per turn.
It costs 10 times your current spirit rating in WP to raise your spirit level
by one point. Your maximum willpower is 20 times your spirit level.
If your spirit level exceeds 6, you lose WP while away from your home realm.

See also: +news special-high-spirit, +news special-spirit-code
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: newbie-willpower =====================
Your WP rating measures your mental energy and endurance. Willpower is used to
heal your wounds, to win success at your actions, and to raise the power of
your spirit and your permanent health level. ICly, you recover willpower by
resting, meditating, and spiritual exercises. Please note that having these
set as skills on your +sheet will not affect the rate at which you OOCly gain
willpower.

In game terms, it costs one point of willpower to heal one level of damage,
5 times your current rating to raise your permanent health, 10 times your
current rating to raise your spirit. You may not spend more willpower points
per turn or for a single action than your spirit rating.

Willpower is automatically allocated for time spent online (IC and non-idle),
and you may also vote willpower to people as a reward for good roleplaying.
See '+help wp'.  Characters with spirit higher than 6 may also lose WP over
time. See '+news special-high-spirit'.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: newbie-health ======================
You have two health scores, a permanent score which reflects your normal state
of health, and a temporary health rating, which reflects your injuries. The
average human starts with a permanent health of 10. At character creation,
your stamina attribute is added to 10 to determine your particular rating.
Afterwards, you gain or lose health independently of your stamina
attribute. At health levels below 7, you get a penalty to all your actions
due to your poor health, up to -7 at 0 health.

At health 0, a person in our world would be dead, but in the world of
Armageddon, death is withheld, and life continues. At health level 0, being
stabbed or shot or hit again makes little difference. In order to inflict
more damage on someone at health 0, you must either wait until they heal a
level, or else do something drastic, such as burning their bodies or putting
them through a meat grinder.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: newbie-healing ======================
Just as death has been suspended, so has life and natural healing. Characters
on Armageddon may only heal through their force of will; in game terms, by
expending willpower points. (see '+help heal'). By spending a large
enough amount of willpower, one may even increase one's permanent
health. Certain Powers, such as Bless, include the gift of healing.
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: newbie-www ========================
There are a number of Armageddon MUSH web sites: 

http://www.uni-karlsruhe.de/~un6b/arm/armageddon.html 
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/khelkhet/index.html (Khelkhet's site has lots of
RP logs.)
http://www.trailing-edge.com/~cchang/arm (Taisch's site, has the revised
+news files)

If you would like your page added to this list please +mail the current Newbie
Admin.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: newbie-death =======================

"And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it;
and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." --- Rev. 9:6
 
True Death has been suspended, while the armies of Heaven and Hell battle
for the last Unchosen souls. Humans, when killed, eventually regenerate
their bodies. Those who are Blessed or Damned may be taken to Heaven or
Hell respectively upon their death, if aided by a being with the Power
Bless (at level 4). Returning to Earth is then more difficult. Non-humans
return to their home realm when slain, and may not manifest upon the Earth
again until summoned.

With each "death," one becomes weaker. In game terms, this means that you
lose one point from your permanent health each time you are reduced to
0 health. Once that happens, your body has been destroyed and you exist
only as a ghost.

See also: +news newbie-health, +news newbie-healing, +news special-ghosts,
and +news summoning.
==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

=========================== Armageddon +News: theme ==========================
"And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue
Armageddon.
And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air: and there came a
great voice out of the temple of heaven, saying,
It is done." --- Rev. 16:16-17

The Age of Reason has ended, overtaken by the mythical forces of Miracle.
Here is the Last City, where Heaven and Hell war for the last few human
souls. Death and birth have been suspended, until all choices have been made,
all hope and despair exhausted.

The stars have fallen, burning away all the world except one last city,
whose name is Armageddon. The sun has turned black and burst, fragments
dissolving into a terrible silver sky. The blood-red moon shines balefully in 
the night sky, illuminating demons, angels, and humans caught in the war,
of which the Revelation of St.John the Divine was only a distorted image.
Armageddon is the last battlefield.

Setting            City               Map                Laws               
Chasm              Plains             Weather            Characters         
Sea                God                Stats
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: theme-setting ======================
"And there were voices, and thunders, and lightning; and there was a great
earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an
earthquake, and so great.
"And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations
fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the
cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
"And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
"And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven..." --- Rev. 16:18-21

ArmageddonMUSH is set in the last city on earth, at the end of time.
It may not be the only city, but if there is still a sane world out
there somewhere, none of the characters will ever be able to reach it.
The age of Miracles began in the year of our lord 1999, and it is now
about 50 years after the End. The End was marked by massive earthquakes,
storms, wars, plagues, and famine, as the four Horsemen rode across
the land. Disasters tumbled one upon the other, to the sound of false
prophets, true prophets, angels, and demons calling for repentance.
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: theme-city ========================
"And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is
fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils..." --- Rev. 18:2

This is the time of the Beast. The City is the only city, and it is ruled by
infernal powers. The Citadel squats malignantly in the southwest quarter of the
city, on a hill on the rim of the Chasm, and is the center for what law and
order remains. The Cathedral, a shadow's length to the north, exalts the glory
of the Damned, raising up its unearthly spires in defiance of earthquake and
storm, eerie bells marking the hours of the night. The northwest quarter is the
last refuge of the Unchosen, old broken shells of houses and apartments
repeatedly repaired and rebuilt, despite disaster after disaster. The northeast
quarter is scarred from unnatural battles, rendered nearly uninhabitable by
plagues of strange beasts, fires, and poison. To the southeast the lesser of
the Damned make their home, hoping to escape the notice of the demons,
preferring even this thin fugitive existance to the horrors of hell.
==============================================================================

========================= Armageddon +News: theme-map ========================
        +----------PLAINS-----------+
       /                             \
      /    +====city===walls====+     \
     /    /          |           \     \
    /    /   +-------+-------+    \     \
   P~~~\/    |       C       |     \     P
   L   |\    |       H       |     |     L            MS = Market Square  
   A   | ~~~\|       A       |     c     A            CTH = the Cathedral
   I   c     +       S       +     i     I            CIT = the Citadel
   N   i     |\  r   M       |     t     N            rb = River Blood
   S   t     | ~~b~~\+       |     y     S            rw = River Wormwood
   |   y     |       |       |     |     |
   |   |----MS+------+-------+----GATE---+-------+SEA
   |   w     |       C       |     |     |
   P   a     |       +       |     w     P
   L   l     |       H\  r   |     a     L
   A   l CTH-+       A ~~w~~\+     l     A
   I   |     |       S       |\    l     I
   N   |     |       +       | ~~~\|     N
   S    \    |       M       |    /\     S
    \    \   +---CIT-+-------+   /  ~~\ /
     \    \          |          /      Abbey
      \    +====city===walls===+      /
       \                             /
        +----------PLAINS-----------+

==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: theme-laws ========================
The Demon lords make the laws, which are harshly enforced by the Citadel
troops, both Elite and Regulars. Mercy is a discarded concept, justice defined
by those in power, and corruption is the norm. Regulations tend to be
arbitrary, changing every few months at the whim of the Citadel Lord. (For
example, a law was made once that required everyone to bare their heads and
shave their hair, except for the Citadel and Cathedral upper-class.) One law is
constant: everyone is required to carry "papers," which consist of an ID card
and a passport stamped with travel, sumptuary, and other permissions. Anyone
caught without is forced to pay a fine (the amount at the discretion of the
commanding officer involved) in demonic coins, or else be taken as a slave.
Slaves don't have "papers," but are instead marked with a steel collar
inscribed with a number and a bar code. Their owners are expected to keep the
"papers" for each slave. Defiance of Citadel troops is always illegal, no
matter the word of the law, and usually, most weapons area also considered
illegal.

Note: the papers are now coded. See '+help papers' for the relevant
commands. Please RP appropriately. Note that due to the nature of the police
state, the Guards may decide that your papers are invalid for any or no reason.
For example: they don't like you, or they want a bribe.
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: theme-chasm =======================
A mighty earthquake split the City in two, dividing east from west with a
great Chasm, which opened into the mouth of Hell. Abaddon, angel of the
bottomless Pit, sent forth his locusts, which flew from the Chasm and ate all
that was green, and destroying a third part of the inhabitants of the City.
Since then, men have built bridges, and these bridges have fallen, until now
only three span the Chasm, the southernmost one glowing with an infernal
light. Two rivers run into it, and they are called Blood and Wormwood, for the
water of one runs red heartsblood, and the water of the other is black and
bitter as wormwood.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: theme-plains =======================
The City sits on a desolate plain, where nothing grows except for dying
patches of lichen. It is swept by foul winds, fiery rains, and the like.
Skeletons of animals, great mythical beasts, humans, battered tree trunks,
cars, machinery, and other remnants of civilization lie scattered, half buried
in the sand.

There is no end to the plain: one can walk for a thousand thousand
years and not reach the end, except that there is also the sea, which one
can sometimes see, spewing out its venemous mists onto the land. No more
does this sea have an end; no ships float upon it, no flying creature braves
the sky above it. In fact, there is no animal life at all in either sea or
plain, only Beasts of the Inferno. The animals are dead, or taken elsewhere.
Rumors whisper of the Green, but none has ever found it, or returned to
speak of it.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: theme-weather ======================
The weather in the City would seem temperate (average around 60 F) if it 
didn't fluctuate so insanely, at unpredictable intervals. Some days the
ground is burning hot, the air dry as dust, as a hail of tiny mummified toads
falls from the sky. On other days, it is so cold your words freeze in your
mouth and no fires will start, the rivers turning to ice and the sky black
as demonsblood. Usually, the weather changes within a few days, but not
always. Usually, the weather is the same across the city, but not always.
Sometimes it may be raining over the Chasm, but dry and cold everywhere
else. Snow is a rare prize, one of the few sources of (relatively) clean
water in the City. Sometimes even the snow is tainted with poison and
plague.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: theme-characters =====================
144000 human souls ascended to Heaven and are now singing in the Divine
chorus. You aren't playing one of them. Instead, your character will be one
of the Damned, Blessed, or Unchosen humans still surviving on Earth, or else
one of the angels or demons sent or summoned to take part in the final days
of this Creation.

Take some time to read the news files before going through character
generation. While there is some freedom in picking your concept, some would
be disallowed as being too out of theme, for example, if you wanted to play a
starship captain or a dragonrider from Pern.

In this particular version of Armageddon, both God and Satan are strangely
silent. That's right. No booming voices from the burning bush, no sibilant
hisses from the treacherous serpent. Please resist the temptation to pose
God, Satan, or Jesus. Or for that matter, Noah, Moses, Abraham, or the
Flood. If you feel it's vital that one of the aforementioned break the
silence, then speak to a staff member. We may decide that you're right,
although probably not.

related topics: See the +news on various races for more information.
==============================================================================

========================= Armageddon +News: theme-sea ========================
             The Sea of Armageddon and the lore of Infernal Island!           
 
Before God gathered those together and before the seventh angel poured out
his vial into the air a loud moan rocked a small, rather obscure, island in
the pacific. What island it was before the end few know and even fewer
remember, the long torment of the last fifty years eroding the precious
capsules of thought that held such lore. Now the island is simply known as the
Infernal Island.

It was on the sixth hour, of the sixth day, and from the sixth night of the
Armageddon that a demon of unknown might and power, a lord of hell, thrust
forth his strength from the island's volcano crater and shielded the small
piece of land from the upcoming storm. God, leaving his work of chaos to his
angels did not care or heed the existence of the shrouded island and soon
following the Apocalypse the only change which occurred to the isle was its
surrounding seas. The demon, having been worshipped as god by the inhabitants
of the Infernal Island severed its ties with Hell only to be forgotten.
Following its seperation it forged a veil and in stealth like mystery kept
hidden the secret which paid such high homage to its existence. The people of
the island had assumed the quake which ruptured their ocean and formed its
black waters was a sign of punishment by their fiery god and only further
increased their devotion to him. Over the years the island prospered in its
isolation. Its king, , formed decisions wisely and its
high shaman, Sithra'kar (Owner: Dyno), ensured that the devotion of the
islander's was true and that the turning of the seas in their god's wrath
would never be forgotten, for they suspected little of the war outside their
realm.

To continue type: +news theme-sea2
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: theme-sea2 ========================

The Sea of Armageddon and the lore of Infernal Island! (continued)...

It was nearly fifty years after the darkening of the waters that a small row
boat reached the island, carrying a thin and old figure who became known as
the hermit Eubert. This man was a center of lore and vast treasure-trove of
knowledge with all which concerned the sea. In his wisdom he taught the
islander's how to build sturdy canoes and the nature of the world in its new
change. But not even Eubert knew of the Armageddon and its great war. He had
been stranded on a small rock which came to be known as Hermit's rock and
spoke little of anything but a few other islands scattered about the foul sea.
One island he did mention was a place of sanctuary and holiness, this island
he claimed seemed to always welcome new visitors and though he did not wish to
live there himself he always promised to offer guidance to those who may wish
to find its shores.

Recently the people of the last city have been turning their keen eyes
towards their own black shore, wondering if anything could exists beyond it.
Demon lords and the factions of Babylon have forged new positions, one of them
being a powerful and skillfull shipwright known as, . Soon
they may perhaps discover the island and all the wonderful adventures the
bubbling waters of blackness posses...
==============================================================================

========================= Armageddon +News: theme-god ========================
The view from Heaven: the official ruling, just so we have something definite
for the MUSH. This is not meant to reflect on anyone's RL beliefs --- remember,
this is a game!

 * Blessed humans: all must be Christian; that is, accepting and affirming that
Jesus Christ, the son of God and the virgin Mary, is the savior of mankind.
They must live by the 10 Commandments. If they stray, they must repent and
atone, or they lose their Blessed status. They should not be friendly with
non-Blessed people without making some attempt to convert them. If they don't
make the attempt (even if half-hearted) that is another sin to repent/atone
for. Note: Otherwise good and ethical people need to be baptised in Christ
before they can be Blessed. (Not counting special cases from the pre-Christian
era.)

Continued in +news theme-god2
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: theme-god2 ========================
* The Earth: scheduled for demolition, not to be revived. The world has only
been given a stay of execution to save as many souls as possible. In the end,
it's supposed to be destroyed. For now, the demons are permitted to rule it.
The Damned will end up in Hell, the Blessed in a wondrous New Earth/New
Creation. But not while the MUSH of Armageddon lasts.

 * The Fae: soul-less creatures, a threat to God's plan. They are a delusion
and a snare, promising humans a fair vision while actually destroying their
immortal souls. (Possibly a reference to Fae soul-smelting.) They may seem
good, but it is in the end only lies, for the only true salvation is through
God and Jesus. They should be kept away from all humans, even the Damned, who
may wish to escape their punishments. You can try to convert them, but it is
sinful to join them or aid them. (Ultimately)

Continued in God3
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: theme-god3 ========================
* Angels vs. Demons: the war is for souls, not bodies. The Host already fought
the Fallen, casting them out of Heaven. There's enough combat on this MUSH
without official encouragement. The demons may be trying to gain enough
power to overthrow Heaven, but that's another question.

 * Remember: Blessed != Nice, and Nice != Blessed. This MUSH is not meant to
be some RL version of Christianity we are trying to convert people to, but
is meant for entertainment purposes only. If you find any of it heretical,
blasphemous, thought-provoking, irritating, too constricting, too addictive,
fun, no fun --- well, what did you expect? :-)
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: theme-stats ========================
From the Encyclopedia Babylonia:

Population of the earth (as seen from the City): 150,000
95% are human, 90% are Damned, 10% are Unchosen, < 0.5% Blessed.
About 25,000 of the population is scattered out in the wastelands.
About 10% of the Unchosen are active sympathizers with the Underground
 (i.e. will shelter them, run errands, pass messages, give supplies, etc.)
There are about 750 City Guards currently active. (~ 10% demon).
They have a network of informers, which is about 1% of the population at any
one time. About 10% of the population will blab everything they know if
stopped/questioned by a Guard.
A number of private security guard organization types are aligned with
the City Guards in keeping order and the status quo.
There are also inactive, reserve members of the City Guard who can be called
in times of emergency.

Continued in '+news theme-stats2'
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: theme-stats2 ======================

Note: the figures for the Citadel reflect what it would have without
player intervention. Player actions may change the numbers.

Because of these numbers, the rule of thumb on this MUSH is that
the PC and puppet NPCs are the ONLY Blessed characters around on earth,
except at Wormwood Abbey.
(The actual number is less than 750, but the population is so sparse
that you won't normally run into any.)

This also gives about 1500 active sympathizers with the Underground,
but only the PCs will be organized. Actions by PCs can change the
relative numbers of people supporting various things, but the basic
percentage of Damned versus Unchosen or Blessed is fairly constant.

==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

========================== Armageddon +News: policy ==========================
Harassment, sexual or otherwise, will not be tolerated on Armageddon. Don't
page people if they ask you to stop. Don't pester people about their real life
identities. If someone tells you OOCly that they don't want to answer a
question, please do not badger them to answer. That is harassment, even if it's
a request to clarify something that they said on a public channel that may have
offended you. If it really upsets you, +mail or page a staff member to help.

Public channels and bboards are also to be kept civil and free of obscene
language. A minor slip is one thing, but personal insults or repeated
swearing will get you removed from the channel (or from the MUSH in some cases,
for repeat offenders.)

Being offensive ICly is perfectly acceptable, but not OOCly. Please understand
the difference.

See also +news consent, for issues concerning RP situations.

Cheating         Ic-ooc             Puppets            Puppets-ex        
Ansi               Alts               Idlenukes                Autoidling
Recruiting
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: policy-cheating ====================

We trust the players to be mature enough to not cheat. Cheating includes:
auto-idling, malicious spoofing, vote trading, taking advantage of code
bugs/loopholes, using OOC knowledge for IC gains, and abusing alternate
characters.

If any player is proved to be cheating, they will be penalized approximately
double whatever they gained from the act, as determined by the Staff.
For example, if a player knowlingly abused a bug in some slot machine code to
win an extra 500 coins, they would be penalized 1000 coins.

==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: policy-ic-ooc ======================
IC (In Character) refers to what your character knows and does, and
OOC (Out Of Character) refers to what you, the player behind the character,
know. Remember, this is a roleplaying game. You take on the persona of some
character, who may or may not be like your real life self, in a fictional
universe. Your character has its own history, background, personality,
skills, and knowledge, which is distinct from what you the player know. It
is important to keep these two realms, IC and OOC, separate. Do not let your
OOC player knowledge "leak" into your character.

For example, do NOT carry grudges across different character. Do not have
characters helping each other just because they are both yours. If you play
more than one character, it is strongly encouraged that you not let them
interact very much, in order to reduce OOC favoritism. Remember that your
character doesn't know someone's name until they meet IC. Think of the name
on the screen as their "face," since this is a text-based medium.
However, using puppet (see 'help puppets') NPCs and so on to help flesh
out the mush reality is ok. Just try to roleplay them as actual
independent characters rather than as extensions of your main character.

Exchanging information OOC has its good points: it helps to coordinate
ideas for plots and in figuring out how to introduce characters to each other
ICly. However, sharing OOC info also kills a lot of the fun of having
secrets and surprising people. Some of the information on the character sheet
may be public IC knowledge, depending on the IC fame/infamy of the character,
while other information is ICly a closely-guarded secret.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: policy-puppets ======================
Puppets are allowed on Armageddon, mainly for use as "minor characters".
They can help flesh out the background, and allow players to sample bits
of Armageddon they don't want their normal PCs to get into. Except in special
staff-approved cases, they are not to be used as hit squads.

Independent puppets (unrelated to your main character) are subject to the
same rules as a PC. Dependent puppets (minions and the like) are subject
to the following rules:

1) You may have 1 "minion" puppet for free. It may not have any skills, powers,
or attributes above 3. It must be ICly reasonable. It needs to be approved
by the appropriate ST. (See +staff/all for a list of the current staff.) 

Continued in '+news policy-puppets2'.
==============================================================================
====================== Armageddon +News: policy-puppets2 =====================

2) All puppets (except zombies or golems) must be treated as independent
persons with their own minds: they should not mindlessly serve their PCs. They
should not have vows to obey the PC's every word.

3) Alts and puppets owned by one player cannot summon each other from different
realms, nor may they take each other as Patrons.

4) It costs 1 XP per extra normal PC-related puppet. Lower quality puppets
may be cheaper, and higher quality puppets more expensive.
If the puppet gets ICly destroyed, any replacement must be found ICly.

5) For NPC armies, see '+news advancement-armies'.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: policy-puppets-ex ====================
Shopkeeper and bartender puppets: These puppets rarely leave their shop or
  bar, and occasionally get some roleplay. These people exist, but few people
  want to RP them as their main character, on a regular basis.

Security and guard puppets: Some people ICly may have hired help, in this
  rather violent and dangerous world. These puppets should not leave their
  premises, either, except when off duty. And when off duty, they generally
  have no reason to stick around their employer.

Abbey puppets: You may want to experience some of the thrills of life at the
  abbey, yet be unwilling to have your main character stuck there, spending
  all the non-thrilling times praying and working.

Citadel puppets: Perhaps you're curious about the life of a Citadel Guard.
  Well, having a puppet gives you a chance to try it out for awhile.

Adventurous puppets: Perhaps your main character is trapped somewhere, or
  a monk at the abbey, or something. You can RP a puppet character to
  interact more with the outside world.

TP puppets: Sometimes there will be a TP which you would like to be involved
  in, but your main character would ICly have nothing to do with it. A
  short-lived puppet may be the answer.

More info about coding a puppet.
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: policy-ansi =======================
Armageddon has traditionally been run on TinyMUSH 2.2.2, and lacked the
capability for ANSI support. With the move to RhostMUSH, we now have this
ability, but with it comes the responsibility of not abusing it. ANSI can add
flavor to a MUSH, and can be very helpful in many areas, but can turn people
off and scare them away if overused.

So, we have a general policy: Don't be obnoxious.

Yeah, that is a bit undefined, but there are -so- many different ways you
-can- be obnoxious, it'd be impossible to list them all. Here are some
examples:
   Using the 'flash' capability, EVER! I'm working on utterly disabling this.
   Using background colors.
   Using random rainbowish colors.
   Using ANSI /everywhere/,.. It just gets to be too much.
   Using 'dark' colors, such as blue, that are not 'hilighted'. This is
extremely difficult for many people to use.

In short, be conservative with your use of it. Setting an @ansiname here and
there is fine, and looks nice, especially to seperate puppets/players from
other random objects, but having every exit on the MUSH a different color
would look truly disgusting. Use your common sense :)
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: policy-alts ==========================
Each player is allowed to have 3 Player Characters ("PC"s or "alts"). I.e.,
each real life person can make three "players" on ArmageddonMUSH. Extra alts
must be applied for from an Arch-wiz or a race admin. You should avoid
letting your alts interact if possible. If they must meet, treat them as
independent people. Do not share IC information, money, willpower, items, or
any other IC stuff between alts OOCly. XP is the only thing that may be shared
between alts, since it is a purely OOC stat. The staff can arrange for TPs to
kill off your extra alts, if you want. To delete a character, go +ooc, hades,
"delete me". Contact a staff member to transfer any unused XP.

Staff members are encouraged to create a staff alt, which has no IC existance
at all, but this is not mandatory.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: policy-idlenukes =====================
Players who have completed character generation may be nuked if they have
not logged on for 90 days. For players who have not completed chargen, the
the time limit is one week. If you will be gone for a longer time and don't
want to be nuked, type &vacation me=I am gone until .

For the policy on businesses whose owners go idle, see "+news economy-rules".
Other buildings will likely be nuked. In some cases, ownership may be passed
on to other players. In any event, the original player's rights over the
building are lost. If you do not wish to see your creation modified, please
@destroy them before you are idlenuked, or mail the Building Admin to make
sure they do get @destroyed. (See +staff/all to see who the current Building
Admin is.)
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: policy-autoidling ====================
Auto-idling while set IC is not allowed on ArmageddonMUSH. If you are online
and set IC, you are expected to be available for roleplay.
Any sort of code or macro that keeps your character logged in and non-idle
while you are unable to roleplay counts as auto-idling.

You may auto-idle while set OOC (see +help ooc) if you must,
though this is not encouraged. You do not gain WP while you are OOC.
The code checks your IC/OOC status, not your location.
Also, note that anyone who has been idle for more than 10 minutes will not
gain WP for anything beyond the first 10 minutes, even if set IC.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +news: policy-recruiting ====================

We now offer XP for every new player that you can recruit to play here on
ArmageddonMUSH. We don't care how you do it -- sign on your RL friends, invite
players from elseMUSH, advertise on newsgroups, put up Armageddon web pages,
whatever it takes. If you even want to adopt newbies that just stumble in on
their own, that's fine, but you're still responsible for keeping them active.

If your recruit is still here and demonstrably active after a month, you get
one full XP. If they're still active after three months, you get a second XP.
If they're -still- active after six months, you get a third XP. It's that
simple. Just bring them on and keep them active, hopefully spawning all sorts
of new factions and TPs along the way.

When you bring your recruit on, you and they -both- need to mail the
Advancement Admin to vouch for each other. The Admin will keep a record of who
vouches for whom and when the new recruit joined the MUSH. When the
appropriate milestones come, the Admin will award you your well-deserved XP.
Only three rules:

1) New recruits can't be claimed by more than one existing player.

2) Alts don't count. Don't even try it.

3) The Staff has final say on who is and isn't "active". Just logging on and
chatting doesn't count. The Advancement Admin will check with the appropriate
STs to see if the recruit in question has been actively RPing.

==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

========================== Armageddon +News: consent =========================
This MUSH operates on a consent policy. What does this mean? When players
are faced with a situation that one or more players may be OOCly uncomfortable
with, they must stop all RP until they decide on one of the following options:

1) continue with the RP, possibly with some OOC negotiation between the
   players on what is acceptable. Possibly, another timeout may be called.
2) everyone agrees on the outcome, and the scene "fades to black", with only
   an OOC summary of what happens for each player.
3) everyone can't agree peacefully on an outcome. Call a staff member to
   adjudicate, in this case. The staff member's decision may be appealed
   once, to another staffer, but after that, that's it.

To help in the OOC communication process, Armageddon has a system of consent
flags. By typing +consent , you can view that player's consent flags
and see what that player won't ever consent to with that character.

IMPORTANT: If a Consent flag such as Death is set on a player, that character
is forbidden to bring about the death of another character, unless it is
negotiated beforehand. What can't be done to you, you can't do to others.

Flags              Caveat             Setting          Tps 
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: consent-flags ======================
True Death: The final and irrevocable loss of one's character. This includes 
Soul Smelting and any other permanent destruction of a character.

Death: Simple death caused by combat.
Rape: A sexual situation without the character's consent.
Sex: Any sexual situation.
Torture: Graphic descriptions and roleplay of torture.
Incarceration: Literal incarceration or any other event that makes a character
unplayable for any length of time, such as Possession or Necromancy.
Property Damage: Damage to property owned by the character. Mainly, this
refers to buidlings.
Random Violence: Random attacks perpetrated for no reason other than the fact
that the attacker was walking by at the time or whatever. 

Please note that these consent flags are mainly guidelines to prevent
conflicts over consent issues. It is possible to waive the consent flags, but
only if the situation is negotiated beforehand. For example, Melly, set with
the Sex consent flag, wants to ICly sleep with James. James' and Melly's
players talk about this OOCly and decide that this isn't a problem, and go
ahead.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: consent-caveat ======================
Finally, please note that committing certain actions is likely to lead to
certain consequences. Going and trashing someone's property may very well lead
to your incarceration or death, whether you're set with those flags or not.
The moral of this tale is NEGOTIATE! If you want to bomb someone's property,
then use the consent flags as a guideline but talk to them first. Whenever it
comes to roleplaying a scene between two characters or factions, please make
sure that both sides know exactly what the consequences will be of their
actions. 

Finally, if in doubt, talk to a member of staff.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: consent-setting =====================
Consent flags are set during character generation. To change them, you need
to talk to your race admin. (See +staff/all for whom to contact.)
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: consent-tps =====================
ArmageddonMUSH and TinyPlots (TPs):

After reading +news consent, you may still be a little confused about what you 
need to consent to or not, and what permission you need to ask for (and when.)

In theory, the Armageddon world has an ongoing history that we build on as
the MUSH progresses. Characters come and go, interacting and plotting and
wreaking havoc on everything around them. Therefore, a "TP" does not truly
end until everyone who was ever affected by it is gone.

So, while it's fair for you to say at the "beginning" of most TPs, "I don't
want to be involved," "I don't want to get killed," etc., once you get
involved, it's unfair to back out just because you don't like the way it's
going. You may ask OOCly for a preferred outcome, but nothing is guaranteed.
Repercussions from previous actions/events do not constitute a new TP.

You never need consent to ICly talk about or plot against someone. You only
need to worry about consent flags when it comes to resolving actions taken
directly against the person. You do need consent ahead of time to attack
buildings or institutions.
==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

========================== Armageddon +News: humans ==========================
Unlike any other creature that inhabits the last City, the human houses a soul
within his body. And it is this one thing that grants him a mastery of sorts
over every other Realm, allowing him to communicate with, travel to, or summon
other beings from them. The soul of the human is a malleable substance, able
to change affiliations more easily and more often than those of any other
Race. However, it is the human who perhaps has the worst end of the deal.
Everything that humanity had once built was shattered with the coming of the
Armageddon.

General            Blessed            Unchosen           Damned             
Guidelines         Concepts          
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: humans-general ======================
Of all the creatures surviving the Armageddon, none are quite so diverse as
the humans. While the races are mostly confined to one affiliation or the
other, humans may freely choose who they wish to align with. The power of
their soul grants them mastery over the realms in many ways, as only humans
may use the power of Intercession.

However, in many ways, the humans have the most hardships to bear. The coming
of the Armageddon shattered society as they knew it, and in its place rose
Demonic tyranny. Life is a constant struggle for survival, as the last City is
more a warzone than a community. Science has been forgotten, replaced by fear,
superstition, and miracles. There are no new souls; no children are born, no
one ages, and massive die-offs are a common phenomenon.

See also '+news humans-blessed' '+news humans-damned' & '+news humans-unchosen'
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: humans-blessed ======================
"And they were told to rest a little while longer, until the number of their
fellow-servants and their brethren who are to be slain...should be complete."
							Apocalypse 6:11

They are the chosen ones of the Lord God, the Blessed. Their purpose: to
ensnare as many to the will of their God as they can, before the world is
delivered into its last tribulation. Through methods of peace and violence,
the Blessed strive to bring each last sinner to his knees in repentance.

Most of the Blessed have been banned from the City walls, as they are a threat
to the rule of the Damned. Most find sanctuary within the walls of Wormwood
Abbey; one of the last bastions dedicated to peace and the powers of healing.

See '+news humans-damned' '+news humans-unchosen' & '+news humans-guidelines'
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: humans-unchosen =====================
Whether out of indecision or refusal to submit, the Unchosen claim no loyalty
to either the forces of the Lord God or to Satan. They remain caught in the
middle, and some rumor that only when the last has aligned himself will the
battle be over.

Where the duties of the Blessed and Damned are clearly defined for them, the
Unchosen have been left to get along as best they can. Some choose to fill
their days with denial, pretending that life is normal, and all is as it was
before. Others choose to fight the celestial and infernal forces that invade
the earth, and they wish to reclaim the earth and City as theirs. The reasons
why one could be classified as Unchosen are too numerous to count, but all who
are such have one thing in common. They are the ones who decide when this
battle shall end.

See '+news humans-blessed' '+news humans-damned' & '+news humans-guidelines'
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: humans-damned ======================
"If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark upon his
forehead or upon his hand, he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of
God...."
							Apocalypse 14:9

And so the Bible has it written, but then, much of what was written in the
Apocalypse is a far cry from what has actually happened. The Damned who
inhabit the City, making up most of the population, live in luxury and
poverty, in servitude and dominance. They are aligned with the forces of Satan
and Hell, or simply refuse to accept God's Word.

The City is composed of mostly damned humans, and so any position among them
is readily available. They are often the playthings of the Demons or overseers
of slaves. Some are cold and cruel, some are weak and sniveling. Their goals:
to find wealth and power among the ranks of the Morning Star.

See '+news humans-blessed' '+news humans-unchosen' & '+news humans-guidelines'
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: humans-guidelines ====================
When creating a Human character, it is important to keep in mind the basic
theme of ArmageddonMUSH. As this is a post-apocalyptic future with a small
step back in industry and culture, consider the technological setting to be
similar to the late 1980's or early 90's. The only mythical, magical element
in Armageddon should be the Fae; unless your character is inolved with them,
please try to keep your concept along more modern lines.

You may also want to think of -why- your character was one of the few souls
left on Earth after the Armageddon. Why wasn't your character judged and sent
on to either Heaven or Hell? How will he or she react to the ravaged world of
Babylon? How does he or she feel about Demons, Angels, or Fae?

Continued in '+news humans-guidelines2'
==============================================================================
==================== Armageddon +News: humans-guidelines2 ====================
For the most part, just try to be reasonable. Try to think of someone that you
might see walking down the street. Keep in mind that someone eccentric will
mostly likely attract LOTS of attention, and where the Citadel is concerned,
that is not entirely a good thing. Most people just want to fit in and avoid
such unpleasantries.

There is an almost unlimited range of concepts that a Human can choose from.
Only Humans may choose their own affiliation, and switching affiliations is
not an uncommon sight to see. There are archetypes for each affiliation, of
course, but that doesn't mean you have to follow them. As always, you are more
than welcome to come up with new and unique concepts.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: humans-concepts =====================
Blessed Concepts
 * Clergy - These are monks and nuns, chaste and holy individuals. This
character concept would most likely decide to live in Wormwood Abbey.
 * Healers - As the name implies these are people dedicated to caring for the
poor and infirm: doctors, nurses and those with the natural touch of healing.
 * Paladins - A term describing warriors dedicated to slaying Demons, protecting
the weak and innocent and upholding the word of God. Please keep in mind the
time period of ArmageddonMUSH; it is considered out of theme for your
character to go around on horseback in shining white armor. This is not a
medieval setting and this is not King Arthur's court at Camelot. Paladins on
ArmageddonMUSH have most likely been hardened and embittered by life in
Babylon, transforming into post-modern avengers like Batman or the Crow. But,
again, this is just an archetype; use your imagination.

Continued in '+news humans-concepts2'
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +News: humans-concepts2 =====================
Damned Concepts
 * Businessman - You have quite literally sold your soul to the Devil for a
piece of the action. The Demons have allowed you to build your fortune on the
backs of the tortured masses of Babylon simply because it pleases Satan to see
Mankind used and exploited by one of their own. 
 * Citadel Guard - You work to maintain the iron-fisted rule of the Citadel,
crushing the will of the City underfoot. Your senior officers are Demons who
supply you with weapons and armor to help you carry out your duties. 
 * Cultist - You practice rituals and study black magic in the hope of calling
upon the powers of the Demons to do your bidding. Quite often you end up
enslaved by the Demon you just summoned but them's the breaks. 
 * Hedonist - You indulge in every gluttonous urge and lustful fantasy you can
imagine. Hey it's the End of the World, right? So what point is there in
trying to live a productive life? As the song goes you wanna rock'n'roll all
night and party e-ver-y day.

Continued in '+news humans-concepts3'
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +News: humans-concepts3 =====================
Unchosen Concepts
 * Mercenary - Your character works for almost anyone, be they good or evil. You
just want to get the job done so you can get paid.
 * Rebel - Rebels in the City usually belong to an organization known as the
Underground. This group strives to stamp out the influence of the Citadel and
reclaim the City as their own.
 * Wanderer - Your character wanders the world seeking answers, trying to find
the truth of what happened, of your own existance, and of what must be done.
Kane from the original 'Kung Fu' television series is the perfect example of
this.
==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

========================== Armageddon +News: angels ==========================
Angels are the direct servants, messengers, and killers of the Lord. Many
great angelic names likely come to mind, such as Michael, Gabriel, or Raphael,
but your starting character will most likely not rank among these. 

Angels have done the work, some say the dirty work, of God for a long time.
The angels turned many a city into salt as punishment, killed many
for His vengeance, and the list goes on and on. Angels opened the seven seals.
Angels destroyed the world with fire, war, earthquakes, plague, famine,
sending the vast majority of the Damned to Hell. Now, angels in the City
protect the Faithful and fight the Demons, preventing them from invading
Heaven itself. They carry out tasks assigned them in Heaven, keeping the
divine Plan on track. Angels are supposed to love, obey, and worship God, but
some have been infected by their contact with humanity. 

Angels usually treat each other with respect, especially those of higher
standing in the Celestial Host.

Orders             Concepts           Physiology         Seraphim           
Cherubim           Ophanim            Hashmallim         Ischim             
Malakim            Elohim             Heaven             Lexicon               
Grigori            Laws
==============================================================================
========================== Armageddon +News: angels ==========================

 The angels are the direct servants, messengers, killers, among other things
of the Lord. Many great angelic names most likely come to mind, Michael,
Gabriel, Raphael, but your starting character will most likely not rank among
these. 

 Angels have done the work, even could be said as dirty work, of God for a
long time. The angels turned many a city into salt as punishment, killed many
for His vengeance, and the list goes on and on. Angels opened the seven seals.
Angels destroyed the world with fire, war, earthquakes, plague, famine,
sending the vast majority of the Damned to Hell. Now, angels in the City
protect the Faithful and fight the Demons, preventing them from invading
Heaven itself. They carry out tasks assigned them in Heaven, keeping the
divine Plan on track. Angels are supposed to love, obey, and worship God, but
some have been infected by their contact with humanity. 

 Angels usually treat each other with respect, especially those of higher
standing in the Celestial Host.

==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: angels-orders ======================

Ranked from highest to lowest:

Order            Sphere of Influence
-----            ------------------
Seraphim         Destroyers of the World by Flame
Cherubim         Angels of Knowledge and Vengeance
Ophanim          Maintainers of order on Earth
Hashmallim       Judges and Officials of Heaven
Ischim           Workers of Miracles
Malakim          The Lord's Warriors
Elohim           The Messengers

You need to apply to the staff to play a Seraph. (See +staff/all)
Many of the Order leaders are Seraphim and a much more detailed application
will be needed for these positions.

==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: angels-concepts =====================

These are just a few sample concepts to give players an idea of the various
kinds of Angels that are already in play on Armageddon. They are by no means
the only kinds allowed. If you can come up with a new and unique idea, then by
all means do so.

'Good' Angels -- These are the Angels of myth and stereotype. Big fluffy
wings. Halo. White smock. They go around doing Good and being Holy.

'Prophecy' Angels -- These are the AIBs (Angels in Black). They wear
trenchcoats and mirror shades. They're the ones that coined the phrase
'monkeys' when refering to humanity and are generally blunt and bigotted.

'Continued in +news angels-concepts2'
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +News: angels-concepts2 =====================

 'Innocent' Angels -- These Angels have never been to Earth before. They have
big wide eyes and don't understand why we all can't just get along. After a
while they experience enough horrors in Armageddon to lose their innocence,
but for some it takes a long time.

 'Human' Angels -- These Angels have been among Humans for too long. They tend
to act like them, talk like them, think like them. Also, Angels that were once
Human themselves are often included in this group. Other Angels generally look
down upon these throwbacks.

 While these are just a few sample concepts, there are multiple others that
could be possible. Do not feel as if you're forced to mold your character into
these.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: angels-physiology ====================
Most angels have at least two different forms: A Human form and a True, or
Angelic, form.

The Human form is usually basically human in appearance, though there could
be slight discrepencies: you decide the specifics.  Examples could include
slightly pointed ears, missing eyes, etc., but don't think that it's
restricted to something like that. Most of the time, it relates to the
position or personality of the Angel. However, this Human form will sometimes
radiate the Angel's strength and aura, especially if the Angel has a high
ranking in a particular power (see '+news powers') or if he has a high spirit
(see '+news newbie-spirit').

The Angel's True form can be anything from a winged human, to a flaming
pillar, to a chitinous, three-armed beetle. Whatever the form may be, it tends
to somehow represent the Angel's personality in the same way that their Human
form does. This representation may be quite subtle, but it will almost always
be more 'alien' than human. Also, even though an -appearance- of gender may be
seen, an Angel's True form is usually neuter and unable to breed.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: angels-seraphim =====================
The Seraphim are those angels that serve the highest function in Heaven: that
of carrying out God's Plan. Althrough all angels know of His existance, only
the Seraphim speak directly to God; only to declare His Will to the remainder
of Heaven. They oversee the maintenance and progress of the Plan, and dictate
to Him of any newsituation sthat must be addressed.

But that was before the End. Since His disappearance, the Seraphim have been
the key leaders of the Host. No longer able to communicate with God, the
Seraphim have been forced to act completely on their own. Some follow those
last instructions given to them without deviation, even after fifty years of
silence. Others might wallow in depair and indecision now that they are cut
off from their Father. And a select few Seraphs have made new tasks since the
Armageddon, deciding that He would have probably told them to make those
choices anyway. The Seraphim represent both Heaven's greaest strength as well
as its fatal weakness.

(Continued in +news angels-seraphim2)
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +News: angels-seraphim2 =====================
The Seraphim, as mentioned before, are the highest ranking of the angels, the
Princes of Heaven. If you wish to play the position of a Seraph, be prepared
to help out with the Angels both OOCly and ICly. ICly, as leaders, they must
be prepared to find tasks for their lessers, whatever is appropirate. OOCly
they must be prepared to be assistants to the Second Greatest Angel Admin
ever, Helel. Giving him suggestions, recruiting, coming up with plots, etc.

If you wish to play a Seraph, +mail or page the Angel Admin.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: angels-cherubim =====================
The Order of Cherubim have always been the ones that have kept Heaven alive,
moreso than the others. While the Seraphim have dictated how the Plan will be
carried out, the Cherubim have worked to uphold it. Angels of Knowledge, the
Cherubim have labored in the vast libraries of Heaven since the beginning of
Creation. It is said that they keep watch over and record the history of all
humanity; such a monumental task would require an unyielding focus to perform.
The Cherubim were created for their single-minded determination, and they are
among the most patient of all the angels.

The Cherubim are also a sad lot, cursed with the knowledge that they failed in
their charge to guard the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. A brief
distraction allowed Man to partake of the Apple of Knowledge, thus irrevocably
destroying Man's innocence. The shaken Cherubim split into two camps: some
took up the creed of Vengeance, using their single-minded focus to hunt down
the wicked, while others remained true to their original calling and continue
to uphold Knowledge. The two camps carry little resentment towards each other,
but a house divided cannot stand for long.

Apply to the Angel Admin if you wish to play a Cherub.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: angels-ophanim ======================
Man has always been the chief responsibility of the Heavenly Host. The Ophanim
are the shepherds of nations. Ophanim worked alongside the Grigori to teach
humans the skills needed to survive and prosper in the world. Yet when the
Grigori were banished in disgrace, the Ophanim shed no tears for their
brethren; conversely, they grew detached from the humans, fearing the dangers
of forming relationships with Man. The Ophanim remain stern, but fair,
shepherds towards the Flock.

Should Blessed Humans find themselves in danger, the first to come to their
aid are the Ophanim. The numerous wars fought among the Humans have often been
waged by the grim angels, charged to spill the blood of the impious when the
safety of His Children is threatened. Their role in the Armageddon remains
unchanged. Whether through direction or direct violence, the Ophanim shall
always be there to protect and guide those whom have chosen to follow the Path
of God.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: angels-hashmallim ====================
The Hashmallim are the regulators. They keep the other angels in line. The
watch those who are ready to Fall, or even are walking the line to falling.
They keep written records of all human history. More importantly, they compile
all the decrees the Archangels bring forth in the name of God. These mostly
respected Angelic Inquisitors work hard maintaining order and justice, and
getting on one's bad side is never a good idea.

Zadkiel is the current leader of the Hashmallim and rules with a just and
reserved hand. He instills in the Hashmallim the dedication to God and his
work to lead by example when possible, but to judge with fairness when needed.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: angels-ischim ======================
The principal duty of the Ischim is to work miracles on Earth. They are the
chief bestowers of grace, valor and mercy. Two Ischim, accompanied by twelve
other angels, prepared Eve for the birth of Cain. These are the guardian
angels of which the Lord speaks in Matthew 18:10. The Ischim are the Lord's
escort, the great miracle workers. They tend to the sick and the dying, as
well as sometimes giving a painless death. 

The Ischim continue their work on Earth. They have been called the Virtues and
equated with Authorities and Principalities. The Archangel Rafael leads the
Ischim with a gentle but guiding hand. He instills in them the need to temper
the violence needed in the battle with mercy. 
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: angels-malakim ======================
The Malakim are warriors of God. Once called archangels (not to be confused
with the Archangels who rule the various angelic orders), they tolerate no
demons of any sort. Brash and usually quick to draw their sword, the Malakim
are the slayers. 

Their leader, Mikael, is no where to be found. Off on a mission of God, he has
not been seen much since the End. Mendelak, steadfast and dedicated Malakim,
has stepped forward from the ranks to dedicate his work to the leadership and
shaping of the Malakim until Mikael's unknown return. Though keeping the
strength of cause and righteous vengeance, Mendelak now adds the temperment
and foresight of action to enable the Malakim to better serve God's work and
exact his righteous fury. 
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: angels-elohim ======================
The Elohim are the messengers of God. Once equated with the order of angels,
they have again revealed their true name since the End. Many of the greatest
messages to Earth have been sent by the Elohim, including the birth of Christ. 

Since the Fall of Gabriel, Katael has taken the leadership of the Elohim and
resumed the work of God. Always a tight knit group, moreso than the other
orders perhaps, they have banded together even more since Gabriel's Fall,
their continued dedication to God evident for all to see. Elohim are
constantly on the move on Heaven and Earth, bringing the messages of guidance
of God to those who need it. The Archangel Katael herself is known to make a
journey to Earth, though these visits are short and growing more and more
infrequent as she prefers other ways to deliver her messages and to give her
Elohim the time and perspective of the Earth. However, Katael has not been
seen for a long time...
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: angels-heaven ======================
In Heaven, the perfect sanctuary of the Lord, everything is perfect. No one,
other than the Blessed, may enter, save with the direct permission of an
Archangel, or the Lord Himself. Here, nothing can go wrong (all non-opposed
powers automatically succeed), save a contest of wills. Discussion is constant
among the populace, speaking of the different orders and their tasks. If any
sort of discord, be it a loss in faith, is felt, immediately an angel will
deal with it. If a non-Blessed of any sort enters, the angels will know. A
perfect symphony exists, anything like that only disturbs it, which alerts all
to the cause. In other words, nothing can go wrong in Heaven without the
populace knowing about it. Therefor, most secrets cannot be kept, and most
lies are automatically detected.

Heaven is a single chord of the greatest intensity, and yet silent, and
anything that sends ripples through it will speak the disturbance to the
Angels. The emotions of the Archangels also affect it greatly, as well as
other powerful angels.

Heaven is malleable, and something can easily be constructed from nothing,
though it's not always possible to bring it with you to Earth.
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: angels-lexicon ====================
Some common terms used by and in reference to the Angels:

'He' or 'Him'       -- God, Jehovah.
'the Host'          -- Angels in general.
'the Fallen'        -- Demons in general.
'the First Fallen'  -- Satan, Lucifer, the Devil.
'the Soulless'      -- Fae, in reference to their existance outside Creation.
'monkeys'           -- Humans, usually derogatory. Also, 'apes' or 'chimps'.
'trained monkeys'   -- Blessed Humans, usually derogatory.
'the Silver City'   -- Heaven.
'Eres'              -- Earth.
'the Pit'           -- Hell.

Let it also be noted that Angels don't -need- to eat, drink, or sleep, but
those who are close to humanity do more than others.

While the individal Orders have a specified leader and structure, there is no
longer a ranking among the Archangels. The Archangels work together as a
Council to provide guidance and insight for the Host as a whole in addition to
individually providing the path their Order takes to accomplish God's work.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: angels-grigori ======================
The Grigori, the Watchers, were set upon Earth to be ever vigilant of man, and
to direct them in the correct path. They failed. Many of the Grigori, led by
Samlazaz, fell when they took human wives, which led to the birth of the
Nephilim, and taught them charms, enchantments, and many other forbidden
skills. And thus, the Order of Grigori Fell, leaving few members still in
Heaven.

The Fallen Grigori, or Unholy Watchers as they call themselves, were almost
entirely wiped out, but a few escaped into Hell, by deals with Lucifer or
other Fallen Angels. Those that remained Unfallen were quite distraught. Many
went to Earth in hopes of finding their brothers and reconciling them with God.
This failed almost outright, and, because of their failure, almost all that
left stayed upon Earth for the rest of their days. The few that stayed in
Heaven went into hiding, unwilling to meet with their brothers.

Continued in +news angels-grigori2
==============================================================================
====================== Armageddon +News: angels-grigori2 =====================
Now, with the Apocalypse, many of the Grigori, Holy and Unholy, have come
from hiding. The Angelic Watchers that remained in Heaven have finally emerged
from their hidden places and broken their silence. The ones on Earth, as if
bound by some celestial tie, have also stepped forth to watch again.

The Grigori have returned to their original calling: making sure humanity
survives.  Of all the Angels, the Grigori love humans best, even above their
brothers.

The Grigori, as a very exclusive group, are application only, even if the
least holy of all Orders. If you want to play a Grigori, please +mail or page
the Angel Admin for an application form and more information on the Watchers.
==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

===================== Armageddon +News: angels-law-intro =====================
Angels follow a set of rules different than Humans: Angels are created to
perform tasks unthinkable to Humanity; they are also not vessels for souls
like Mankind is. Therefore Humans and Angels must follow different standards
of lifestyles. A 'Sin' for a Human is not necessarily a 'Sin' for an Angel.

The Orders of Angels each follow their own standards: Let's face it, a
Malakim would find nothing wrong with murdering a defenseless Damned
Human...but an Ischim would most certainly be in trouble if they killed a
Human. Each Order has a purpose and their members have a set of guidelines to
follow. These guidelines, set down by the Order Leader, are to be maintained
as well.

The Laws of Heaven are simple and without flaw: The basic laws should be few
in number and straightforward in approach. Most people should be able to be
told them once and understand from that point on what they are not supposed to
do. No Lawyering, no manipulation of the fine print, no getting away on
technicalities; that kind of stuff is for the Demons, not for 'the Society
that God Built'.

The Hashmallim are Judges, not a Secret Police: Since only Serephim are able
to overrule a Hashmallim decision, OOC corruption needs to be tackled right
off of the bat. The Order should not be about running Heaven with an iron fist
(Isn't that the job of another Order? Ophanim?). What the Hashmallim should
focus on is not spying on Angels and seeing who is sleeping with what but that
the Angels are fulfilling the tasks set by their Order Leaders. No Angels
should Fall if there are Hashmallim PCs on the grid, or at least those PCs
that Fall should never reach Hell alive.

(Continued in +news angels-law-intro2)
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +News: angels-law-intro2 ====================
For the Angels, God is a reality. As beings that live their whole lives in
His name, the angels are not forced to perform religious worship; steadfast
devotion to duty replaces prayer and sacrifice for the illuminated spirits. A
set of laws were dictated to the Seraphim by God. These guidelines stressed
adherance to the Angelic Orders and an overall level of care when present on
the Earth. The laws were upheld by the Order of Hashmallim, the Judges of
Heaven. 

The Hashmallim also act as enforcers of the law. They are given the authority
to carry out a judgement on the spot. Hashmallim judgements are the final
word, period. An angel that feels slighted in a decision is free to plead to
the Seraphim to overturn the ruling, and may call for a formal trial in
Heaven. Such trials are open for the remainder of Heaven to witness, but only
the Seraphim may vote on the outcome. If they rule in favor of the angel then
the judgement is reversed. Should they rule against the angel then the
judgement will stay. No additional penalties are added should the Council vote
in favor of the Hashmallim.

Angelic Law is brought up only rarely, and it is done when an angel has
violated the direct rules set forth by God and the Seraphim. It is reserved
for the gravest of offenses, such as when an angel has destroyed a human soul.
Angelic Law is never questioned or manipulated, as it allows no deceit.
Parties may give evidence or speak out on their own behalf, but they cannot
use Angelic Law to their advantage. It is an imparcial system practiced by
beings devoted to carrying it out.

(Continued in +news angels-law1)
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: angels-law1 =======================
THE SERVANT OF GOD SHALL NOT BEGET OFFSPRING WITH MAN

The mating of an angel and a human, in some cases, breeds a monstrous hybrid
creature, known as a Nephilim. The abnormalities of these creatures, along
with the taint of the human bloodline, has caused angel-human breedings to be
outlawed. Consequently, most angels have taken the next logical step and have
prohibited all sexual intercourse with humans.

Modern Interpretation: Since the Armageddon, human birth has been suspended.
This has made the law somewhat obsolete. The majority of the angels still look
upon sex with humans as unattractive, but as long as the outcome is discreet
then the law shall not be brought into effect.

THOU SHALT REMAIN TRUTHFUL TO SERVICE

Each angel belongs to a specific Order which determines their function.
Within that Order they are assigned specific tasks to perform. These tasks
must be carried out to the best of the angel's ability. Dereliction of duty is
a crime for angels, just as it is in any service-based society.

Modern Interpretation: Every Order has specific laws that its members must
abide by. This law encompasses those that are not covered by the Order
Leaders. Angels are allowed leniency in how they conduct their affairs, and
this law is the measuring stick which keeps them on-track. Another way to
phrase this law would be, "It doesn't matter what you do, so long as your job
performance remains positive."

(Continued in +news angels-law2)
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: angels-law2 =======================
THE HOUSE OF GOD IS INVIOLATE

The security of Heaven is an essential priority to the Host, for without the
realm His Plan cannot be carried out. The angels /must not/ take an action if
it may cause the security of Heaven to be compromised.

Modern Interpretation: More than ever, this law is strictly enforced. The
rise of the Demons has posed a greater threat to not only the safety of
Heaven, but all of Creation. Earth also falls under this category. Any Blessed
holdings must maintain their security from harm. Should even a Damned gain the
trust of an angel to become a danger to the Blessed, then the angel shall be
held accountable. This is but one reason why angels do not associate with
Damned.

THE SPIRIT OF MAN MUST NOT BE DESTROYED

Mankind was created in His image, and more importantly they were gifted with
an immortal soul. This fragment of the Holy Spirit is the greatest creation He
ever made. The destruction of a human soul is arguably the gravest offense
/any being/ could ever commit. An angel that has perpetrated this crime
undoubtedly faces its own destruction, for they have murdered a part of God.

Modern Interpretation: There is no 'other' interpretation of this law. It is
forbidden to damage or alter a human spirit, either through rune-magic or
other means. Shaping the spirit of oneself or a non-human being, although
frowned upon, is not considered a serious crime. It is because of this law
that most angels will not touch Demonic Coins or any other product of
Soul-Smelting, nor will they associate with the Fae races (whom may soul-smelt
with humans). The prospect of both is shocking and offensive to the angels.

(Continued in +news angels-law3)
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: angels-law3 =======================
THE SERVANTS OF GOD MUST NOT SHED THE BLOOD OF THEIR BRETHREN

Ever since the Fall of Lucifer, the angels have sought to avoid fighting
amongst themselves. To battle one another is to turn from the path of God.

Modern Interpretation: Another law on the verge of becoming obsolete because
of the times. Few angels have found the time lately to be angry with one
another. It does happen, however, and more often than they would want to
believe swords have been drawn. When it does happen the Hashmallim soon arrive
to mediate the dispute and prevent further hostilities.

THE CREATIONS OF GOD ARE TO REMAIN UNSPOILED

The Earth is His finest work, and to bring damage to it is to make an offense
against God. Angels are forbidden from acting on the Earth, except when they
are performing a task. The Fallen Angels, eager to corrupt His Creation, must
be prevented from bringing harm unto the Earth.

Modern Interpretation: A lot has changed since the Armageddon. Creation has
been halted on the Earth, and Angels are now allowed to exist freely in the
realm. But the law has also changed to suit the Armageddon. Creation of life
is forbidden, be it a simple plant, an animal, or even a human being. Should
an angel be confronted with creation outside of His Plan, the angel must
report of it to their Order Leader. Most likely the item in question would be
destroyed (or rendered incapable of forming a physical form).
==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

======================== ArmageddonMUSH +News: demons ========================

Demons are fallen Angels, led by Lucifer Morningstar, once best-beloved of God
now cast down into the Lake of Fire. Those original Fallen are the true rulers
of Hell, presiding over souls in that domain, and plotting infernal affairs.
Other demons are suspected of having other origins, most of them unknown.
Demons have many, diverse motivations and possible backgrounds. Some were once
human and became demons due to deeds in life. Others are created through the
nightmares of Chaos. Not all of these are "evil" in the traditional sense. It
is enough that they disobey God, or that in one way or another they do not
accede to God's will. As for Lucifer himself, he is nowhere to be found.

Demons may be monstrous in form, or very fair to the eye. Appearances are up
to the individual player. A demon may shift freely between its human form (if
it has one) and its demonic form. Demon characters start out in Hell, and must
be summoned to Earth by a human. Contact a staff member ('+staff' or
'+staff/all' to see a list) if you need help finding a summoner.

---------------------------------- Subtopics ---------------------------------

Motivation         Concepts           Hierarchy          Lexicon            
Cults              Sub-demons         Spawn              Demon-lore         
Imps               Gargoyles          Lake-of-fire       

==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +news: demons-motivation ====================

The motivations of the demons are as wide and diverse as their ranks, but most
center around the goals of Hell, and their own private raise to power and
wealth... via many unique means. Those demons who concern themselves with
humans at all, hate humans for being (as they suspect) favored by God over the
angels. Was not God's own Son born to a human woman? The demons wish to assert
their rightful rule over all the earth, crushing the upstart humans, and
destroying their souls. The demons want to make the humans worship THEM
instead of their Creator, offering corrupting gifts and pleasures as a reward
for that worship... at least at first.

What has God ever given Man? - ask the demons. The demons will raise them to
their true place, or so they say. In the hearts of many demons, that true
place is as miserable ants crawling beneath the rule of the demons. Other
demons see the potential in humans, and would either recruit them as allies in
the war against Heaven, or else wish to dissect them in order to learn the
secret of their power, which is a reflection of God's power, since it was
humans and not demons who were created in his image.

Yet other demons wish to force the humans to revile themselves, admit that
they are as evil and corrupt as the demons themselves, to prove that God
doesn't _really_ love them. In general, demons hate any human they can't
exterminate, or any angel who remains unfallen, but even so, many demons
retain a perverse sense of honor, or perhaps, irony.

==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +news: demons-concepts =====================

There are five major classes of demons. They are: Deceptive Demons, Torturers,
Demons of Wrath and Vengeance, Witches and Warlocks, and Succubi.

DECEPTIVE DEMONS -- These are the demons of trickery and deceit. Tempters,
corruptors and manipulators, they use most skillful illusions and tricks as
their art. These were the demons responsible for spreading the idea that God
didn't exist.

TORTURERS -- These are the demons responsible for torturing the damned souls
in Hell. Their techniques vary widely, but are centered mainly around physical
and emotional pain. The torurer demons very rarely, if ever, leave their realm.

DEMONS OF WRATH AND VENGEANCE -- These are the warrior demons. Usually well
versed in combat, they are often augumented by offensive powers of
destruction. They are the ones who lead the war between Heaven and Hell.

Continued in +news demons-concepts2

==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +news: demons-concepts2 =====================

WITCHES AND WARLOCKS -- Demons dedicated to the pursuit of magic. The idea of
witches and warlocks came from these demons. They usually tend to be loners,
hanging out with others of their covens and no one else. They are the
sorcerers and magicians of the demons.

SUCCUBI -- The tempters and seducers (Succubus for female and Incubus for
male). Usually creatures of exceptional beauty they seduce humans with sex,
riches, powers, and are able to adapt to needs and desires of their victims.
These demons are the ones responsible for so many successful people in Hell,
like Mozart and Bill Gates.

If there are any other concepts that you can think of that aren't listed here,
feel free to use them. If you aren't sure if a concept would be acceptable
then check with the Demon Admin ('+staff/all' for list of admin).

==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +news: demons-Hierarchy =====================

The following is what is referred to as the 'Hierarchy' of Hell. The dukes,
counts and barons are known as the Princes of Hell. The reigning Lord of Hell
(LoH) rules Hell on behalf of Lucifer, who is currently missing.

King of Hell:     Lucifer

Dukes of Hell:    the Nameless, Baphomet

Counts of Hell:   Murmur

Barons of Hell:   Belial, Cho'Gall, Fehu

Lords and Ladies of Hell: Sethnahkt, Lysidious (LoH)

Captains of Hell: Asmodeus

Knights of Hell:  

Demons:          -everybody else-

==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +news: demons-Lexicon ======================

                                Demonic Lexicon                                

Below are just a few of the words and terms used by demons. If you find any
other canon ones, please contact the Demon Admin.

'the Morningstar'	-- Satan, Lucifier, the Devil
'Eres'			-- Earth
'the Host'		-- Angels in general
'Fallen'		-- Demons in general
'monkeys'		-- Humans in general
'Lake of Fire'		-- Hell
'lizards'		-- Term demons use to refer to spawn
'Lost Soul' 		-- Deceased human spirits, usually in the Lake of Fire.

==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +news: demons-Cults =======================

Throughout the history of the world, demon worship has been an active,
although often hidden, part of religious practice. Usually restrictive,
expansive and polytheistic, the demonic cults frequently employed strict and
distinct rituals, calling for sacrifices and vengeance. In the public eye,
many of non-demon related religions, like the pagan sects, were mistakenly
categorized among satanic worships. Yet the true demonic worshipers still
varried among themselves in their beliefs and rituals. Some of the cults were
simply groups dedicated to false deities or mythical creatures, like the
vengeance Cults of Chantico or the pantheons of Set. Most, however, paid
homage to the biblical demons as outcasts of God, and to the infernal beliefs.

The most common of such sects were the worshipers of Satan himself, centering
around pain and blood rituals. Others, pay homage to a greater demon, like
Mephisto the Deceiver, or Succor-Bemoth. In general, the demonic cults center
around Demon Lords, taking one as their main diety, but recognizing others as
parts of the Infernal Hierarchy. The rituals and means of worship vary
greatly, as do the degrees of devotion.

In Armageddon, the changed realities of the world bring many demons to earth.
Some cults are now directly able to commune with their masters, via the power
of intercession and infernal visits. Any cult can become a faction, given the
proper degree of PC involvement.

==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +news: demons-Sub-demons ====================

There are a few sub-demon races that can be well represented in PC population
on the game. All of these races share Hell as their place of origin or
domicile. Some are servants of demons. Others, simply try to carve their own
place in the infernal chain. To play one of those characters, simply choose
your race as demon, for the convenience of the code.

GARGOYLES -- A sub-class of demons, perhaps the result of generic mutations in
the demon's evolution. Unlike their demon kin, gargoyles are less intelligent
and much less adept in the use of magic. However, what they lack in intellect
is more than made up in physical strength and stamina. They appear as large,
semi-reptilian, grey-green, olive-green or dull-green creatures, with huge
leather wings, small horns on the head, and red-orange eyes. These are the
famed gargoyles of legend.

IMPS -- Strange little pot-bellied devils with tiny bat wings, tail, horns and
cloven feet. Never exceeding 3 feet in height, they usually hang out in
groups, although their curiosity often makes them wonder into places alien or
hostile to them. Imps are deceptively innocent, almost cute looking. They
enjoy robbing, over eating, over drinking, debauchery, and getting humans into
as much trouble as possible.

SPAWN -- Mystical reptilian creatures of unknown origin, serving Oblivion and
dedicated to one day claiming Hell for their queen. Please read the news file
on spawn for more information about them.

==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +news: demons-Spawn =======================

The spawn are a race of sub-demons rumored to have existed in Hell before the
Fall of Lucifer. They are all reptilian in form and fiercely loyal to one
another. They serve Oblivion, the great shadow dragon who resides in the dark
caverns of Hell and who spawned all of them. They exist to further her goals
and regain the homelands that they claim were stolen from them so long ago.

The history of the spawn is shrouded in mystery and legend. They believe they
existed before the creation of God himself, when they walked the Earth
with the fae, whom they still call their brethren. When the humans were formed,
the fae fled to Limbo and the spawn to the cold caverns of Hell.
Then, the Morning Star fell and his companions invaded the spawn's home,
driving them out and casting them even further into the darkness where they
sat and waited, growing in strength and biding their time. Until now.

The spawn are all reptilian in nature, their forms being as diverse as the
numerous reptiles which inhabit Earth today. All are covered with scales and
have claws on their hands and feet. Other possible additions include reptilian
wings, long serpentine tails or large armor-like protrusions. Furthermore, all
spawn have similar advantages and disadvantages, showing their unity. Some of
these may be more or less evident, depnding on your specific character concept.

Continued in +news demons-spawn2

==============================================================================
======================= Armageddon +news: demons-Spawn2 ======================

Powers - Most spawn have Sight 1. Other prevalent powers include Shapeshift 2
or Flight 3.

Skills - Since they have been around for so long and have a rich history, most
spawn have History-Hell 2 and Geography-Hell 2.

Advantages - All spawn have a thick, scaly hide which grants them 1-3 levels
of armor with no penalty. They can also -see- with their sense of smell,
functioning perfectly in darkness. They have claws and fangs as natural
weapons, ranging from +1 to +3 levels of damage.

Flaws - All spawn suffer +2 levels of damage from ice and cold-based attacks.
Their eyes are also sensitive to light, giving them a -2 to all activities
where the area is well (artifically) lit.

==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +news: demons-Demon-lore ====================

Level 1: Initiate - You know the public names of most of the Demon Lords in
Hell. With a little bit of time you could whip up a generic summoning circle
or even assist in a ritual. You know the Demons are from Heaven and that they
battle the Angels over Humans. Knowledge equivalent to a Catholic priest.

Level 2: Acolyte - You know key events in the history of Hell, such as the
wars between Demons and several 'Other' races. Without fail you could make a
sacrificial offering to a Demon Lord without offending him/her/it in the
process. You know a little bit of methodology concerning the Demons' war with
Heaven. Knowledge equivalent to a cult leader.

Level 3: Adept - You know enough about Hell to not think of it as a fluke of
nature. The spirituality of the Damned becomes evident, and you can now
recognize ecological features of the realm. You could give a lecture to a
group of listeners or even hold your own in a religious debate with any
ordained minister. Knowledge equivalent to a professor of Theology.

Level 4: Scholar - You know enough to keep your mouth shut around others.
Hell's past is filled with many dark secrets, and you only know the surface of
these lies. The Lake of Fire was not caused by Lucifer's Fall, contrary to
popular belief. Knowledge equivalent to a lifelong student of the occult.

Level 5: Loremaster - Your mind bears testimony to the unpardonable crimes
committed by both sides in the War. You know the ultimate purpose behind those
condemned to Hell...not as punishment but as fuel. There are only two beings
in the universe that know more about Hell than you; both aren't speaking
anymore.

==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +news: demons-Imps =======================

These diminutive creatures, never exceeding three feet in height, tend to
strike outsiders as grotesquely comical. They are Demons in miniature,
generally possessing horns, tails, wings and claws, as well as rounded little
bellies.In personality, they are playful, curious and mischievous, but,
despite their 'cuteness', possess the Demonic penchant for cruelty, albeit in
a petty and childish way. They love playing practical jokes and causing
trouble, as well as indulging in the pleasures of food, drink and debauchery.
The origin of Imps is unknown, but a strange trait has been observed in them:
they reproduce asexually by fission, splitting themselves like amoebas. Imps
prefer to live in groups, and large numbers of them can be seen roaming the
shores of the Lake of Fire. However,they also adapt well to hostile
environments, and their curiosity often leads them to other regions..

==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +news: demons-Gargoyles =====================

Gargoyles look much like their traditional depictions in statuary: large,
semi-reptilian creatures, grey-green, olive-green, or dull-green in color,
with hugeleather wings, small horns on the head, and red-orange eyes. Although
it's a myth that they turn to statues in daylight, they do possess flesh of
stone, givingthem a +5 natural armor bonus, which adds to their overall brawny
build. High in strength and stamina, they are built for physical endurance,
while less-than-average in intelligence and magical ability. Actually,
Gargoyles are not true Demons, in a sense, but were created artificially to
serve as fighters and guards -- a warrior slave race. Due to this, they lack
personal emotions and are blindlyobedient to their masters. The secret of
their creation has been lost, however,and few of these beings now remain --
the eldest of them, around 2500 years.



==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +news: demons-Lake-of-fire ===================

The Lake of Fire is a place of torment for the Lost Souls, and a source of
power for Hell. At the surface, it measures in diameter as large the state of
Texas,but its depth is unknown. It's believed that the gigantic, lava-filled
crater was formed by Lucifer's fall. Any creature submerged completely in the
Lake of Fire becomes bound there, unable to leave, and tormented by the
searing flames. The Demon Lords, however, sometimes retrieve souls from the
Lake for their own use. Imps are able to move freely upon the Lake's surface,
adapting easily to the intense heat, and are often employed for such
retrieval. It's rumored that there are inhabited sub-realms deep beneath the
surface, resembling Dante's Inferno and other legends of the Underworld. It is
estimated that one human soul is consumed every two seconds, although a
definite figure cannot be obtained.

==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

============================ Armageddon +News: fae ===========================
	"I do not like worrying about the future. I am not altogether on
anybody's side, because nobody is altogether on -my- side..."

			- Treebeard, 'The Two Towers' by J.R.R. Tolkien

Fae are not a single race. They are not from any single past nor from any
single realm. They are the Others, the "None of the Above," those who do not
quite fit in the Armageddon universe. They are the cracks in this reality:
they may be ancient gods, or alien scientists, or strayed demons, or
nightmares, or deadly clowns.

They are living metaphors. They are the faces we put on our faceless hopes and
fears. "Fae" is merely the name given to them by the citizens of Babylon.

Warning            Abstract           Metaphors          
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: fae-warning =======================
Since Fae can be so difficult to play without intruding upon the basic themes
of ArmageddonMUSH, we now charge 0.3 XP to create a Fae character. We charge
XP -- which must be paid by an existing alt -- in order to weed out the
newbies and dilettantes who aren't serious about it or who honestly don't
understand how the Fae work here. Yes, some people may think this is unfair,
but past OOC difficulties have made it necessary.

Also, remember that the Fae are meant to be a marginal race on this MUSH. You
can have fun as a Fae, but be aware that life will be difficult for you and
you will not be allowed to build anything permanent here. Fae areas are the
metaphorical sand castles on the beach around the deep, dark sea of
Armageddon. If other players don't ICly kick your creations down, rest assured
that the OOC tide will eventually wash them away.

NOTE: The XP charge is one-time only. If your first Fae character is
lost/killed, you can create another at no additional charge. Just contact the
Fae Admin for approval.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: fae-abstract =======================
What exactly is Fae? At least, what is it here on ArmageddonMUSH? It's almost
easier to ask what -isn't- Fae. Humans, Angels, and Demons are not Fae...

That doesn't help much, does it? Well, the Fae are quite literally everyone
and everything that is not of God's Creation. They are the unanticipated
by-products of Man's imagination and free will -- by-products given life in
this Age of Miracles. It's conceivable that the Fae come from their own
realities and that this world is as alien to them as they are to it, but
whatever else may be out there, it is so far beyond our perception that it
becomes irrelevant. Fae exist on Earth because Man -perceives- them to exist.

Continued in '+news fae/abstract2'.
==============================================================================
======================= Armageddon +News: fae-abstract2 ======================
What Man perceives and what Man -wants- to perceive -- that is what gives Fae
its nature and form. The Fae are living metaphors for everything Man does not
know about the world around him. For example, in the darkness of prehistory,
Man feared storms. He had no concept of the mechanics of weather, but neither
did he think it was meaningless chaos. Instead, he comprimised and gave a face
to a faceless phenomena: the storms that Man feared became a god he could
worship and appease.

That's just one example out of the countless many of what is Fae. At first it
was a pantheon of gods and monsters representing every facet of the natural
world. Then, as Man's understanding of the natural world matured, his need for
gods dwindled and his imagination turned inward. Luck, inspiration, mercy,
paranoia, vengeance, and even the classic battle of good versus evil -- every
irrational quibble still lodged in Man's psyche eventually grew legs and
trotted itself out as a newborn Fae. (See '+news fae/metaphors' for a few
examples.)

Continued in '+news fae/abstract3'.
==============================================================================
======================= Armageddon +News: fae-abstract3 ======================
Here and now, at the End of the World, all of Man's history and all of the Fae
he has created along the way have come crashing together into a single
maddening heap. Ancient pagan gods stroll alongside modern comic book heroes,
while slobbering wererats and bug-eyed aliens hunt each other in the sewers.
Of course it doesn't make sense because it's not supposed to -- these
creatures are not part of God's plan.

They Fae themselves don't know quite what to make of this Armageddon. Unlike
the Angels and Demons, they have no purpose here, so they keep themselves busy
by meddling in everyone else's affairs. A few become powerful and therefore
attract the attentions of Heaven and Hell. Others succeed in escaping this
world and return to places less oppressed by divinity. Whatever happens,
though, they are doomed to be bit players in the drama between the Angels
above and the Demons below.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: fae-metaphors ======================
Here are a few examples of the Fae as "living metaphors":

- Bloodlust and the joy of battle -> war gods
- Fear of the dark and the night -> the boogeyman
- Distrust of technology -> gremlins
- Artistic talent and inspiration -> the Muses
- Paranoia about big government -> the Men in Black
- Drug addiction or schizophrenia -> dopplegangers
- Chastity and purity -> unicorns
- Luck and fortune-telling -> gypsies
- Hope that we are not alone -> cute Steven Spielberg aliens
- Fear that we are not alone -> nasty H.R. Gieger aliens

Got the idea yet? If not, contact the Fae Admin for assistance.
==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

========================== Armageddon +News: powers ==========================
Powers are the supernatural and miraculous abilities that your character may
possess, which you have learned to use over the years since the End. Skills
such as occult knowledge, medicine, biology, chemistry, and so forth may
affect your use of your powers.

The actual use of a Power is to be roleplayed. The greater your Spirit, the
more easily you may trigger your powers through thought alone. Too easily,
perhaps, from the earthquakes, storms, and other disruptions that follow the
footsteps of such as the Archangels and greater demons. Lesser beings must use
rituals, prayers, sacrifices, and the like in hopes of a "miracle." Powers
such as Sight tend to be unpredictable and often incomprehensible to those who
are afflicted with them.

Summary            Rules              Frequency          Modifiers          
Results            Duration           Detection          Countermagic       
Resisting          Example            Intercession       Bless              
Curse              Sight              Omens              Truth              
Shapeshift         Possession         Flight             Dissolution        
Element            Command            Alchemy            Conjury            
Teleportation      Necromancy         Learning           Flaws            
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: powers-summary ======================
Intercession - human power to call upon Heaven or Hell and to alter souls.
Bless - the power to help people, via luck or healing, and bless items
Curse - the power to harm people, via bad luck, disease, etc., and curse items
Sight - supernatural perceptions (sensing auras, visions)
Omens - supernatural expression/illusion (project thoughts, visions, etc)
Truth - the power to compel truth, dispel deceit
Shapeshift - the power to change your form
Possession - the power to enter other minds, control them
Flight - the power to fly (telekinesis)
Dissolution - the power to turn incorporeal, invisible
Element - power over one `element'
Command - the power to make others obey
Alchemy - the power to transmute materials
Conjury - the power to conjure something out of nothing
Teleportation - the power to tranport yourself instantaneously
Necromancy - the power to control and animate the dead
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For each level you have in a power, you are able to use all the effects listed
up to that level. For example, if you have Sight 3, you may use the Sight 1,
Sight 2, and Sight 3 powers.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: powers-rules =======================
The procedure for using a power is as follows:

1) declare OOCly what power you are using (+prove if asked) and any modifiers
   you feel should apply.
2) let other players respond if they wish to spend WP or have special
   circumstances you should know about
3) spend WP (willpower) if you are going to (see +help wp)
4) roll +power or +power/opp, whichever is appropriate (see +help power)
5) depending on the power, you may need to use additional commands
   (+bless, +curse, etc. See the +help files)
6) all characters involved should then RP (roleplay) the results.

Note: Each level you have in a power allows you to use the effects listed up
to your rating. E.g., Bless 2 allows you to use the powers described for Bless
1 and Bless 2 in +news powers-bless.

Continued in +news powers-rules2
==============================================================================
======================= Armageddon +News: powers-rules2 ======================
Unless otherwise stated, roll as follows:

Powers you use on yourself: on yourself:......................+power
          on another, willing target:.........................+power -5
          on another, unwilling target:..........+power/opp =-5
Powers you use on others: willing target: +power
                         unwilling target: +power/opp

Non-sentient targets are always considered unwilling. For ordinary things,
this makes no difference, but magical items are more resistant.

You may maintain a number of effects equal to your spirit level at any one
time. If a character is "killed" (i.e. reduced to 0 temporary health levels)
any power effects they have been maintaining dissipate. If they change realms
without dying, any effects they have on anything on the original realm gets
hit with a -10 to its success level (which may dissipate some effects
outright, or reduce the time period or volume on others.)

Continued in +news powers-rules3
==============================================================================
======================= Armageddon +News: powers-rules3 ======================
Causing damage:
1) use the success on +power/opp as a damage bonus on your +dam/range
2) conjured weapons: you need to have fairly detailed knowledge to make
   working weapons (e.g. gun-smithing 3+) (Same for element-metal and swords)
3) body weaponry: use your spirit/2 (round up) as a damage bonus on +dam/melee
  (Element-fire flamethrower eyes, shapeshifted claws, etc.)

Telepathy: On Armageddon, telepathy is split into 3 different pieces:
1) receptive telepathy (read minds) is a Sight power
2) projective telepathy is an Omens power
3) taking over someone's mind is Possession

Flying:
1) Winged angels/demons in their natural form may fly while in their home
   realm, but not on earth without the Flight power.
2) Shapeshifted beings may only fly if the shape can naturally fly (must mostly
   obey the laws of physics) AND if they have an appropriate flying skill.
   No, dragons can't fly (unless they are the bird-sized kind, or are made
   like zeppelins or something).

Continued in +news powers-rules4
==============================================================================
======================= Armageddon +News: powers-rules4 ======================
Body armor: use your spirit/2 (round up) as your effective additional armor
  and encumbrance rating. (e.g. element-stone, shapeshifted armor hide, etc.)

Specific cases:
Sight 1: +power, unopposed. Extra successes give you a glimpse into the future
   or past of the target.
Sight 2+: +power/opp to see into someone's mind if they resist.
Sight or Truth vs Omens: each player rolls +power (unopposed): higher number
  wins
Possession: usually +power/opp (unless the target is willing)
Truth: +power, +power/opp if the target is trying to conceal the truth.
Curse: usually +power/opp
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: powers-frequency =====================
How often you may call upon a Power without straining yourself depends on your
spirit rating. If you use Power too often, you exhaust yourself and must spend
willpower to force yourself to continue, and even take physical damage.
'Exhausted' in game terms means you lose a health level for each additional use
of a Power, which you may not heal until you have rested.

Recovery time: 1 day, 6 hours, 1 hour, 15 minutes, 5 minutes, 1 minute,
10 seconds, 2 seconds, 0.5 seconds, 0.1 seconds, instantaneous.

For each level of Spirit you have, move up one on the recovery time list. For
example, a Spirit 1 person would have to rest for one day before using a Power
again without strain, whereas a Spirit 6 would only have to rest for one
minute. If they used a Power again before resting, they would lose one health
level. To use a Power a third time without resting, they would have to spend a
WP point AND lose another health level. The spirit 1 character would then have
to rest for 3 days to recover.

It doesn't matter if it's the same Power or a different one, only that you use
_a_ Power.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: powers-modifiers =====================
Range: touch: 0, armslength: -1, close: -2, line of sight: -4
  see on live TV: -5, out of sight: -10
Across realms: -10 to all pre-existing power rolls, -15 to a new roll is
  target is visible, -20 if not.
Distraction: -1 or more, depending on the nature of the distraction
Use name of opponent: +1 or more for "secret" or "true" names.
Preparation, rituals, sacrifices, etc.: +1-2
Have item associated with target (e.g. hair, blood, etc.): +1
Assisted by others (they need not have the Power in question):
  +(sum of spirit ratings of assistants)/10 --- round down.
Willpower expenditures: +WP spent, up to spirit rating.
Multiple targets: -5 per additional target. Roll individually against each
  target with the total penalty. Example: You want to Possess 3 people at
  once: your penalty is -10. Roll +power/opp =-10 for each player
  If it had been teleportation on unwilling targets, it would have been -15
  for transporting 3 people (none of them yourself): +power/opp =-15
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: powers-results ======================
The score you receive on your +power roll tells you how successful you were at
invoking it. Anything under 1 is a failure: the lower the number, the worse
the failure: -1 to -4 is a simple failure, -5 to -9 is a minor botch (you
may take a level or two of damage), -10 or worse is a major botch (potentially
lethal).

The amount of material affected is also determined by your success level.
Rule of thumb: amount = 2^(success level) liters in volume. (See +help element)
For example, a success of 3 would be 2^3, or 8 liters of stuff.

You may ask for staff assistance in the case of major botches.

You may maintain a number of effects equal to your spirit level.

See also: +news powers-duration
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: powers-duration =====================
The duration of the effect (e.g. how long you Possess someone, how long you
can fly, how long you can keep a Blessing going, how long can you read
someone's thoughts, etc.) depends on your success number. The following is a
guideline for duration:

Success #=1: a few seconds, 2: about a minute, 3: about 10 min., 4: hour,
  5: about 4-6 hours, 6: about a day, 7: about a week, 8: about a month,
  9: about six months, 10: 2-3 years, 11: 5-10 years, 12: 20-50 years,
  13: a century, etc.

Note: you can always _end_ an effect whenever you want. The duration chart
is merely a maximum. Once you let go, however, it's ended, and you must
start all over again to reinvoke the power.

Note: Death of the caster also kills off any ongoing effects. A realm crossing
will add a -10 to the duration and volume of any ongoing effects.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: powers-detection =====================
You may detect the use of a Power in your normal sensory range (i.e. if you
see or hear or feel or even smell it) if 1) you have the same Power (even
at a lower level) or 2) if you have Sight 2 and above. You do not need to
roll +power for this. Just use common sense about your attentiveness.
With Sight 1, you automatically detect Powers being used on you.

If a use of powers is being cloaked with Omens, the player watching and
the Omens user each roll +power. The higher number wins.

Otherwise, you cannot directly detect the use of Powers. What you deduce
depends on how knowledgeable you are and how obvious the Power is.

Truth 1 and 2 function just like Sight with respect to detecting Powers.
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: powers-countermagic ===================
You may try to counter the use of a Power if 1) you have the Power at the
same level or higher, and score at least the number of successes on
a +power roll as your opponent did; or 2) you have the Power of
Curse 4 and similarly succeed in a +power roll. (see '+news powers-curse')

A few other special cases exist, in which Powers which are inherently
opposed to each other may be used to detect and counter each other,
for example, Bless/Curse, Element-Light/Element-Darkness, and any other
which the players agree are opposed.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: powers-resisting =====================
Many Powers affect someone else, and may be resisted by the target. To break
free of a Power before it expires naturally, you must engage in a contest of
willpower with the caster of the Power. First you must spend as many WP as
your attacker achieved on their +power roll. Next, you must win a WP auction
against your attacker. That is, you must be willing and able to spend more WP
to break free than your attacker expends to hold you. The first turn in which
you get ahead, you break free.

Example: Player A Possesses Player B: +power/opp B=, for a success of 3
Suppose A has spirit 3 and 10 WP, and B has spirit 2 and 15 WP
B starts spending WP to break free, starting with 2 in the next round.
A sees what is happening and decides to put 3 more WP into it.
Next round, B spends 2 more, which would have been enough to break free, but
not anymore. A decides it's not worth the effort to waste WP on it.
Next round: B spends 2. A does nothing.
Next round: B is now free. B has spent 6 WP. A has 3 success+3 WP=6.
If A had spent more WP, the contest would have continued.

Spending WP to maintain or resist a power counts as a FULL ACTION.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: powers-example ======================
Demon Joe-Bob (with Spirit 3) tries to possess Hank (a human with Spirit 1)
who is sitting next to him at a bar. Joe-Bob concentrates for a moment,
fingering the medallion he has inscribed with Hank's name-rune.
Hank has recently been Blessed by a holy man of Spirit 3, and himself
knows the Power Possession at level 1.
Joe-Bob's player counts up his modifiers: -1 for range, +2 for the medallion
(name+ritual). The Blessing is already coded for. (See +help bless)
Now Hank decides to spend a WP point fighting off the attack, but Joe-bob
counters by spending 3 WP (the maximum number he can spend to work his Power).

Joe-Bob's net modifier = -1 range + 2 name+ritual -1 Hank's WP + 3 WP = 3
Joe-Bob types '+power/opp hank=3'
<<< ARMAGEDDON AUTOJUDGE >>> At a modifier of 3, Joe-Bob wields a Power on
Hank and achieves a success level of 3.
Joe-Bob will Possess Hank for the next ten minutes or so, but since Hank also
has the Possession power, he ICly knows he's being possessed.
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: powers-intercession ===================
Intercession is a Power unique to humans. Humans, said to be created in 
God's image, have the power to change, destroy, or even create souls.
Humans have the ability to open a path between earth and the other realms, 
allowing angels or demons to interfere in earthly affairs, all the way up to 
a full summoning.

Human prayers, curses, and sacrifices are received in heaven or hell.  Each
angel or demon is responsible for its own salvation or damnation, but a
human has the gift of interceding, taking on the weight of another's sins, or
passing one's own guilt onto another, or even wiping the slate clean.

Note that the effects of Intercession are permanent unless otherwise
noted. That is, once you change someone's soul, it stays changed, at least
until the next change.

Continued in '+news powers-intercession2'
==============================================================================
=================== Armageddon +News: powers-intercession2 ===================
1 Prayer: This is the power used in Summoning. You may communicate, or even
  travel, between different realms. See +news summoning.
  Game mechanics: A staff member must be present to adjudicate.
2 Indulgence: This is the power to shift the balance of your sins and guilt.
  You may Damn yourself, take the sins from another, place your own sins
  upon another person or a sacrifice (something of value to you which you
  destroy) or through some form of atonement. Note that placing the weight
  of your sins upon an unwilling target is in itself a terrible sin.
  Game mechanics: +power/opp , mod -5 if the target is unwilling.
  The higher the success number, the more "sin" you are able to shift.
3 Baptism: You are able to change the affiliation of another human, either
  adding or erasing the Mark of the Beast or the Seal of the Lamb.
  Note that if you wish to Damn an innocent or take a sinner into the Light,
  you must first use Indulgence appropriately.
  Game mechanics: +power/opp , mod -5 if the target is unwilling.
  You must be of the target affiliation to change someone to Blessed/Damned.

Continued in '+news powers-intercession3'
==============================================================================
=================== Armageddon +News: powers-intercession3 ===================
4 Reprieve: You are able to carry another's soul/essence in your own body,
  keeping it from external influences, preventing it from being taken to
  heaven or hell.  A body stripped of its soul is a lifeless, decaying husk.
  Game mechanics: +power/opp , mod -5 if the target is unwilling.
  In this case, the success number determines the duration of the effect,
  which may be resisted normally, as for any other power.
5 Soul-crafting: You are able to change, destroy, and even create souls.
  Game mechanics:
    Create a human soul: +power with a basic modifier of -20
    Angel <-> Demon, Fae/Angel/Demon <-> Human: +power/opp =-10,
         with a -15 base modifier if the target is unwilling.
    Destroy soul: +power/opp =-10
         The target loses one spirit level each time the power is used
         successfully. If used in conjunction with rune-magic, this
         can be used to fuel one's own power with another's spirit.

Note: You may need a staff member to adjudicate and to re-set your sheet
  for some of these powers. Botches on higher levels of Intercession can
  be very nasty.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: powers-bless =======================
Bless is the Power of helping others, although if you are a demon, you aren't
going to do this for free. In general, Bless and Curse are opposite in effect,
and may be used to counteract each other.

1 Luck: You are lucky. Seemingly random events tend to work out in your favor.
2 Bless: You may confer your Blessing (see '+help blessings') onto other
  people or objects, making them "holy" for a number of uses = number of
  success on your +power roll. The higher your spirit level, the more effect
  this has.
  Note: A person or item may only hold one Blessing at a time.
3 Heal: The traditional power of laying on of hands. You are able to heal
  injuries, sickness, blindness, deafness, and almost all other manner of
  physical harm or "disadvantage" on a living being. This is the famous
  'miracle' healing.

  Game mechanics: see '+help heal'. It costs 1 WP to heal a number of health
  levels you score on your +power roll. A negative number on the +power roll
  causes you to take that number of health levels in damage to yourself.
  Always a +power/opp if the target doesn't wish such Healing.
                                          
Continued in +news powers-bless2
==============================================================================
======================= Armageddon +News: powers-bless2 ======================
4 Enhance others: You are able to expend your own WP on behalf of others.
  You may spend up to your spirit level in WP to add as a modifier on someone
  else's +power roll. (No roll is necessary to use this ability.)
5 Resurrection and Inspiration: You can revive dead bodies, whether plant,
  animal, human, supernatural, as long as it was living at one time. You may
  bind a ghost (if you are otherwise able to communicate with it) into a body
  and give it true life.
  Cost: 10 WP to bring someone from 0 to 1 permanent health.
  Inspiration: You are able to share your WP with other people.
  See '+help wp' for the coded command.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: powers-curse =======================
Curse is the Power of harming others. In many ways, this power is the reverse
of Bless. The WP costs for Curse 2,3, and 5 are the same as for the
corresponding levels of Bless. See '+help bless' for help on the code.

In addition to the coded effects, you may think up your own custom-made curses
for levels 2 and 3. Be creative!

1 Jinx: you can make lots of little things go wrong for someone.
  Game mechanics: +power/opp  for a duration
2 Curse: you can make your targets less effective and more vulnerable.
  The greater your spirit, the more severe the effect of your curse.
3 Corruption: you may cause illness, poison people, wither life, rot objects
  In game terms, you cause someone to lose as many health levels as you score
  successes in your +power/opp roll. See '+help power'.

continued in +news powers-curse2
==============================================================================
======================= Armageddon +News: powers-curse2 ======================
4 Excommunication and Nullification: Curse 4 enables you to nullify
  Powers used by others, a sort of cancel-magic ability. If you know or
  guess that someone or something is using a Power or is under the influence
  of a Power, you may try to nullify it. You subtract your own success number
  on a +power roll from the number that they got. If you get a higher number,
  their Power is completely nullified.
5 Destruction: You may drain WP from other people and add it to your own
  pool of willpower. It costs you one WP to invoke this power, and then
  the number of WP you drain is the success number you score on a +power/opp
  roll. However, if you score a negative number, you _lose_ that number
  of WP (but your victim does not gain it either; you have just failed.)

  You may also drain away someone's permanent health (compare Bless 5).
  In game terms, you may "buy down" someone's permanent health, where the cost
  is 10 WP to reduce someone from 1 to 0, and 5 times the target health level
  otherwise. For example, you would need to spend 30 WP and succeed on a
  +power/opp roll to curse someone from 7 to 6 permanent health levels.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: powers-sight =======================
Sight is a Power of empathy, of seeing through another's eyes, of seeing
through Fate's eyes, of what was and what will be.
1 See the Mark of the Beast or the Seal of God on someone, sense
  deceit/lies/truth in someone's words or actions.
  Sense Powers being used on yourself. Determine someone's race.
2 Read emotional auras, health, spirit, Blessings or Curses
  Sense Powers being used in your vicinity, or laid on someone or something.
3 flashes of vision, telepathy, true dreams, prophecy, detect ghosts
4 You may immerse yourself in another's mind, becoming that person for a
  time. However, this is purely perceptual, and you have no influence
  on the other's thoughts or actions, and go undetected unless the other
  person has Sight or Truth.
5 near omniscient perception, but only where you choose to look

Note: No +power roll is normally needed to detect Power usage. You just need
to be awake and aware of the source and target of the Power used. If you have
a high spirit rating (7+) you can "feel" the power even if otherwise blind.
Whether you recognize the exact nature of the power being used depends on your
own familiarity with that particular power.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: powers-omens =======================
Called Omens because it was used by angels to communicate to the ancient
prophets, this is the Power of manipulating another person's perceptions, a
Power of illusion and projective telepathy.
1 Project a feeling, show another your Mark, or deceive someone about it,
  glow with honesty/deceit, mask your race or affiliation. (+power)
2 Project a feeling or aura (may be false) that all may sense (area effect).
  Use +power to get a duration. People may choose to disbelieve in the feeling,
  but it is still there. You may hide your use of a Power: automatic unless
  facing someone with Sight or Truth, then each roll +power, higher # wins.
3 Send images or emotions to a specific person. Enter someone's dreams.
  Unopposed. Roll +power to get a duration. Range modifiers apply.
4 Control target's perceptions: individual effect. Use +power/opp
  Personal illusion: you may control everything about how you appear (sound,
  smell, etc.) to everyone. Use +power to get a duration. Others may "see
  through" your illusion as per Omens 5.
5 Major illusion (all normal senses): area effect. Use +power to get the
  duration. Anyone in range must spend your spirit level of WP to "see
  through" your illusions for a scene. If they spend more WP than your success
  level, they are no longer affected.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: powers-truth =======================
You have the Power to discern the truth in others, but you must first be
honest yourself. This is a Power found in Inquisitors, exorcists, and prophets.

When used against another person, use +power/opp.

1 Truthful tongue: you cannot lie (permanent effect)
  Cutting words: you are able to stun someone with an unexpected truth.
    You reveal something they wish hidden, some fault or secret. You need
    to observe/study the person for a time before you can use this power.
    The better you know them, the easier. The more obscure the truth, the
    harder. This can be used as an insult, a weapon, or psychotherapy, etc.
  Detect Powers used on you.
2 Truth-hearing: compel another to speak truth or else be silent
  Riddles: the answers to questions and riddles just spring to your mind.
    Not always. The more obscure, the harder (i.e. the higher a success
    number you need on a +power roll)
  Detect Powers used on others.

continued in +news powers-truth2
==============================================================================
======================= Armageddon +News: powers-truth2 ======================
3 Truth-sayer: compel another to speak truth
  Prophecy: your words reflect the normally hidden aspects of the world.
    God or some other force may speak truth through you.
4 True-sight: compel another to show their true (natural) form
  Mirror of God: you force someone to see the truth of themselves ---
    stripped of delusions, self-deceptions, rationalizations. They
    can neither look away nor pretend not to know. You share the vision.
5 True-realm: banish someone to their true Realm (and unable to return for
    a time as per the duration on your +power/opp roll)
  Illumination: Everyone in your presence (i.e. everyone you sense and
    everyone who senses you) is bound to the truth. True forms, no illusions,
    no lies. Use +power for duration, others must spend your spirit level in
    WP to speak/act contrary to truth.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: powers-shapeshift ====================
You have the power to change your form, although only one will be your "true
form." The variation in mass and volume you may achieve depends on your spirit
rating: one factor of 2 per point of spirit. E.g., someone with spirit 3 could
vary their mass and volume by a factor of 2^3 = 8, becoming 8 times bigger or
smaller than normal. All injuries tranfer across shapes.

1 Facedancer: change cosmetic aspects of your appearance: hair, skin, etc.
2 Metamorph: shapeshift within the range of your species
3 Changer: shapeshift into any natural living thing, but bound by physics and
  biology. (Includes plants, but you are immobile except as normal for that
  species)
4 Polymorph: shift into non-organic items (furniture, vehicles, rocks, etc.),
  and you are able to move around purely by force of will. E.g. Rocks don't
  move by themselves, but you could turn into a statue and still walk around.
5 Discontinuity: you are able to form more than one creature/object. For
  example, you could become a swarm of insects, three copies of yourself,
  etc. However, their independence of action is limited, and they all share
  a single spirit.

Continued in +news powers-shapeshift2
==============================================================================
==================== Armageddon +News: powers-shapeshift2 ====================
Range for level 5: your parts must lie within a sphere of radius 10x2^spirit
meters. (see +help range). All the parts must be destroyed before you are
'killed.' You may only use Powers as a single being, not once for each part.

Alternate levels 1 and 2: if you pick these, you can't use the normal level
1 and 2 powers. Shapeshift 3 encompasses both alternatives.

1 Were-creature: you have ONE other plant or animal form that you may shift
  into.
2 Expanded were-creature: you have a finite number of other forms (all must
  be feasible forms, biologically and physically) that you may shift into.
  The number of other forms is equal to your spirit level.

Flying and other skills that go with a form: you must learn the skills
separately. Just because you can turn into a bird doesn't mean you know how to
fly: you must learn the Flying or Aerobatics skill separately.

Note: Shapeshift CANNOT be used on inanimate objects, which in game terms
translates to anything without a spirit rating.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: powers-possession ====================
With the Power of Possession, you insinuate yourself into another's mind, so
they perceive your thoughts as their own. In a way, you use their brain to
think your thoughts. You can't read THEIR thoughts, though.

1 send emotions
2 send simple thoughts
3 banish existing thoughts (without knowing what they are: you create a blank
  space in their mind), control simple actions
4 send complex thoughts, actions
5 total possession: your spirit rules their body and controls it like a puppet.
  You can even use your own Powers through their body, with a -5 modifier.
  If their body is in another realm, the usual -15 cross-realm modifier still
  applies (for a total -20 modifier).

Notes: Possessing someone does require some concentration. Once you drop out
of your victim's mind, that counts as dropping that use of your power.
Planted memories, erased memories, planted reflexes, reactions, etc. do last
for the whole duration.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: powers-flight ======================
Actually, this is a form of telekinesis. Angels and demons traditionally
have wings, but wings are not the source of this power.

1 Falling: you are able to hover and to control your rate of fall.
2 Gliding: once in the air, you can send youself in one direction horizontally
3 Flying: you are able to fly about, at walking speed
4 Freedom of movement: accelerate, decelerate, as you will, but still
  bound by inertia. You may use this power to throw people or things around,
  causing damage. Use the normal damage rules for powers.
5 Full telekinesis: You now have mastery over inertia. Objects may go from
  motionless to incredible speeds in an instant.
  Add the success on your +power roll to to the normal damage rating of
  your weapon.
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: powers-dissolution ====================
This is the power to dissolve your body into the thin air, or even nothing at
all. Note that any objects you carry will also be dissolved, or else dropped.

1 turn a little fuzzy: physical attacks only do half-damage to you, and your
  weapons only do half-damage to other people.
2 human-shaped mist: physical attacks do not damage you, although you may get
  sucked up in air-vents and so on. It would be bad to revert to solid form
  at such a time. You stay in one piece, mostly, and can ooze through
  anything that's not air-tight.
3 walk through things: you may pass through solid objects. Gravity affects
  you only weakly.
4 invisible: you are invisible and incorporeal, although you still sense the
  world normally. You can fly or travel through solid ground.
5 doubled existence: you may exist in dissolved form (dissolution 3+) in two
  places simultaneously. If you re-solidify, you return to the place you
  started from. Roll +power for duration. Either image may use your Powers,
  but at a penalty of -spirit/2 (round down) since your spirit is split.
  You may even span two realms this way (+power -15), unless you have spirit
  10+, in which case you need to be Summoned to the second realm. Your image
  only loses half as much WP as a normal high spirit PC. (Not coded!)
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: powers-element ======================
You have an affinity for some particular element. Some examples of elements
include air, water, fire, stone, sand, glass, metal, darkness, or
electricity. The amount of your element you affect/create is determined
by your +power roll: 2^sucess liters in solid or liquid form, or the
equivalent mass in gaseous form (be reasonable). (Or +element #. See
+help element.)

1 Shaping: you are able to shape your element through the force of your will.
  The usual distance modifiers apply. In addition, you get a +5 for element
  that you have created yourself via Element 2. Permanent effect: something
  shaped stays shaped, even after you stop using the power.
2 Creation: you are able to create some amount of your element. It will last
  for a duration as per '+news powers-duration'. Maintaining the element
  counts as an ongoing effect, that vanishes when you get "killed."
3 Immunity (the Baldr effect): you are immune to the element. It won't hurt
  you. For example, if you have element-metal, and a metal knife stabs you,
  it will just go harmlessly into your body.

Continued in +news powers-element2
==============================================================================
====================== Armageddon +News: powers-element2 =====================
4 Melding: you are able to shapeshift into the element.
  You share the physical properties of the element.
5 Telepresence: you may bind yourself to your element, where ever it may be,
  teleporting to it or using it as your eyes and ears. Range modifiers apply
  to the target destination, in contrast to Teleportation.
  Note: you suffer disorientation just as someone with Teleportation would.
  See '+news powers-teleportation'
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: powers-command ======================
This is the Power of coercing others into obedience.
1 Voice of Authority: those who hear you are disposed to obey, unless they
  make an effort (spend 1 WP) not to. Use +power to get a duration.
2 Command: you directly order someone and they must obey (+power/opp)
3 Geas/the Call: You may lay a command upon someone, which they must obey even
  when they are not in your presence. If you have someone's Name, you may use
  this power to call them to you. However, it is necessary for them to hear you
  (or read your orders) in order to be commanded. (+power/opp)
4 Binding/Exorcism: You may speak to the spirit in a body (either the one
  normally there, or someone who is Possessing the body), trapping it or
  forcing it to leave or to go to an empty body or object for a time. If it is
  a normal spirit, the base roll is +power/opp -5. If it is a Possessing
  spirit, the roll is +power/opp. You may command a demon or angel back to its
  realm, for a duration as per your +power/opp roll.
5 Mantle of Obedience (Simon says): No one in your presence will do anything
  except at your direct command. Even their thoughts will be stifled.
  Everyone in your presence means everyone who can sense you. Use +power to
  get a duration, then anyone in range must spend your spirit level number of
  WP to be unaffected for the scene. If they spend more WP than your success
  level, they are no longer affected.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: powers-alchemy ======================
This is Power over the material world.
The amount of volume you may affect is determined by the success on your
+power roll: 2^success liters. (See +help element).

1 Identify: You comprehend materials, able to tell gold from the dross.
  Surfaces do not deceive you.
2 Purify: You have some control over the material. You may purify materials
  or contaminate them. This is a permanent effect. (I.e. it continues after
  you stop using the power, and doesn't count as an ongoing effect.)
3 Transmute: You have the power of transmutation, converting one element to
  another. This is a permanent effect upon targets that lack free will
  (spirit).
  Identify location: identify supernatural influences on a location,
  whether Celestial or Infernal or other.
4 Purify Location: cleanse a location of celestial/infernal taint, although
  if beings with said taint remain, they will "leak." This is a permanent
  effect.

Continued in +news powers-alchemy2
==============================================================================
====================== Armageddon +News: powers-alchemy2 =====================
5 Transmute location: cause a location to take on the nature of another realm.

  Transfer: You may transfer powers and properties from one person or thing
  to another. This effect is permanent if the transfer is from one object to
  another, but not if a person is involved. If a person is involved, the
  duration is as normal and it counts as an ongoing effect. This a subtle and
  difficult Power, but is one way to create powerful magical items. This
  ability may be restricted by the staff if it is found to be abused.

Note on Locations: A location which becomes Blessed or Damned becomes more
difficult for people of the opposite Affiliation to find or sense, and once
there, they find it more difficult to use their powers. People of the same
Affiliation find it _easier_ to locate and use their powers there. If the
nature is changed _too_ much, it ceases to be connected to earth.

Skills such as chemistry may be useful for understanding what your powers
tell you, and for directing changes.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: powers-conjury ======================
This is the Power to create something out of nothing. The quality and quantity
of your conjured items depends on your skill, willpower, and Spirit.
Refer to '+news powers-duration' for how long the items last.

Note: Anything created through conjury can be destroyed through conjury.
You need to equal the success level of the original conjuror.

The amount of material you can Conjure is governed by the same rules as
the Element power, i.e. 2^s liters of solid or liquid, where s=success on
your +power roll. See +help element.

To create anything complex, you need to have a clear knowledge of the object.
For example, to make a good sword, you would need to have a skill like
Swordsmithing at 3+.

Note: You are unable to create Demonic Coins (they have souls in them).

Continued in +news powers-conjury2
==============================================================================
====================== Armageddon +News: powers-conjury2 =====================
1 Copy material, if you have some on hand to copy from.
2 Create material: no structure, just "stuff": e.g. water, wood, wine, bread
  (in random lumps), meat, plastic, cloth, etc.
  Copy simple structure.
3 Create simple structures: loaves of bread, clothes, tools, ceramic pots, etc.
  No moving parts.
  Copy complex structures.
4 Create complex structures: machinery, electronics, etc.
  Copy living matter (e.g. you might be able to clone someone, but without
    soul or spirit. Generally the copy will be imperfect, and
    memories/mind/language abilities will be limited.)
5 Create living matter (But it will not have a soul or much of a mind,
  spirit rating 0)
==============================================================================

=================== Armageddon +News: powers-teleportation ===================
This is the ability to instantly transport yourself to another location,
without traversing the space in between. Small personal items and clothing are
transported with you. For other items, or other people, use the usual rules.
Range modifiers apply to the person/thing being targeted, not to the
destination. Trying to teleport between realms (e.g. earth to hell) incurs a
-15 modifier on your +power roll, unless you have spirit 10+, in which case
it is not possible at all.

1 Blink: Shift away by one meter in any direction
2 Skip: Shift to any location within your line of sight
3 The Leap Home: Teleport to any memorized location. You may memorize up to
  your spirit rating # of locations.
4 Movement of Memory: Teleport to any location you remember
5 Movement of Thought: Teleport to any location well enough described

Note: It takes you (10 - your success level) minutes for you to recover from
a teleport. All actions are at -5 while you are disoriented.
Teleportation itself counts as one full action.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: powers-necromancy ====================
Necromancy is the Power to animate dead bodies and control them. Your Spirit
rating determines how complex the commands you may give them can be.

1 Ghost sense: you see/communicate with the ghosts of the destroyed dead.
  Death sense: you may sense something of how someone died.
2 Zombies: you may coerce humans at 0 health level to obey your will,
  and prevent them from healing themselves. They are subject to the
  -7 penalty on their actions for being "dead," and need to spend WP to do
  anything except stand around or walk in the slow clumsy way of zombies.
  You may infuse them with your own WP, at a 1:5 ratio (they get 5 for
  each one you spend). Zombies cannot use any Powers while under your control.
  Zombies lose from their permanent health as they are damaged, and once
  at _permanent_ health 0, they are destroyed.
3 Reanimation: You are able to bind ghosts into bodies that manage to stay at
  permanent health 0. You must infuse them with WP as above, and as long
  as they have willpower, they can keep moving. Reanimated ghosts have an
  effective Spirit rating of 1.

Continued in +news powers-necromancy2
==============================================================================
==================== Armageddon +News: powers-necromancy2 ====================
4 Shape the dead: you may "repair" the dead, merging different corpses,
  and adding limbs, etc. You may add to their effective Health rating and
  improve their physical attributes. However, when they get damaged, this
  effective health is not regenerated until you fix them again.
5 Eyes of the dead: You share a mental link with your undead, enabling you to
  control them from a distance and see through their eyes. Range modifiers
  apply at the time you establish the link: after that, they may be
  arbitrarily far away, unless they cross realms (-10 then, as usual). Use
  +power to establish the duration of your link. Once released, you must
  roll again to re-establish the link.
  You may use your own powers through your puppet at a -5 modifier.

Being weak, half-dead creatures, zombies/reanimated dead only count as
log (base 2) (# of zombies) for the limit on how many powers you can maintain.
Round up to the nearest integer. Thus, 1 zombie counts as 0 uses, 2 zombies
count as 1, 3-4 zombies as 2, 5-8 as 3, 9-16 as 4, 17-32 as 5, 33-64 as 6, etc.

See +help necromancy for the coded commands.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: powers-learning =====================
If you wish for your character to learn a new Power, or to improve a known
Power to a higher level, you need to RP the effort, and spend XP and WP points.

WITH a Teacher costs as follows:
  (4 XP) + (level x5 WP) + (0.5 RL weeks/level)
WITHOUT a Teacher:
 (4 XP) + (level x10 WP) + (1.0 RL weeks/level)

Note, that the 'weeks/level' refers to the amount of time the character will
need to be taught or research the power to be gained. The 'level' in the
multiplier refers to the level you seek to acquire. The teacher must have the
same power at a level as high or higher than the level you want.

Because of the supernatural nature of the powers, you will be affected with
odd flaws and imperfections as you first learn to use them. This will last for
as many weeks after you learn the power as you spend in acquiring them.

Continued in +news powers-learning2
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +News: powers-learning2 =====================
First, you must locate a teacher who has the appropriate power and a level as
high or higher than the level of the power you want. Those going it alone must
search within the character and understand his/her philosophy for want of such
power. Then, you must adjust your lifestyle for the persuits of this power
accordingly. E.g. Learning 'Conjury 1' may mean you need to closely examine
the effects of grow, rebirth, or anything that involves multiplying one
element to acquire more of the same.

While learning a power, you do not have the mental energy to spare to learn
a skill as well. Once you are ready to start learning the power, +mail
the Skills/Powers Admin if one exists, or your Race Admin if one does not.
(Type +staff/all for a list of all current staff members.)

Include in your +mail
- Your character's desired Power and level.
- Your character's beginning and expected ending date in learning the power.
- Who your Teacher will be? If self-taught, what method of seeking you use.

See also '+news powers-flaws' for some side-effects of learning powers.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: powers-flaws =======================
These are some examples of what might happen when you first learn a Power.
Example 1: possible flaws for people learning Possession
  1: You sometimes hear voices (usually not your own) in your head, saying
     weird things, laughing at you, or making sarcastic comments.
  2: The voices tell you to do things. They are irritating and affect your
     concentration. During stressful situations, you may have to spend a WP
     to ignore them or else lose your action for a turn due to the distraction.
  3: The voices are louder, making an almost constant din, pressuring you
     to do things you'd rather not, oftentimes dangerous things.
     Spend WP to say no. Sometimes the noise prevents you from being able
     to use a Power effectively. (-3 on +power rolls)
  4: You have fits, during which the voices take over. You suffer from amnesia,
     false memories, and delusions.  You can try to spend WP to reduce your
     confusion, but even that is not always successful.
  5: The voices take over completely at times, sending you into berserker fits
     where you attack everyone around you at full power, ignoring injuries
     until you are incapacitated or successfully restrained for an hour or
     so, when the fit wears off.
Example 2: possible flaws for an Alchemist, levels 1-3
  1: Your sense of smell is distorted. You smell smoke when there is none,
     rotten eggs at a fine banquet, etc.
  2: Water -> mud effect. Water you touch randomly turns to mud. This can
     include water already in your mouth, or that you have already drunk.
     This generally extends to any liquid that has a large fraction of water.
     Can sometimes make you sick (if you've already drunk the water.)
  3: Random transmutation of things you touch. You can't undo it. Use +power
     to see how long the change lasts.
==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

========================== Armageddon +News: combat ==========================
While the main point of Armageddon is roleplay, combat does occur, more for
some characters than others. Armageddon is ICly a violent world. Combat is
partly coded, but all actions should be RPed. That is, a +combat command
does not substitute for a pose. Players may run and arbitrate combats
themselves (see '+news consent'), but may call for a staff member for
assistance or to judge (see '+help judge'). In that case, the judge's
decisions will be final. Judges must be called for assaults on buildings or
NPC institutions.

The current combat system on Armageddon is not especially realistic.
Combat takes place in "turns", in which each combatant has a chance to take
an action. An "action" means an attack, a use of a supernatural Power, or
an attempt to flee the scene, etc. The use of the coded commands is not
mandatory (if all parties agree OOCly on an outcome within reason.)

---------------------------------- Subtopics ---------------------------------
Rules              Skills             Init               Hit
Multiple           Modifiers          Stats
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: combat-rules =======================
Attention: The combat system is perpetually ``under revision.'' 
We apologize for the inconvenience.

Meanwhile, a combat turn under the current system is structured as follows:

 +init
 +hit
 +dam

Check consent settings (see '+help consent' and '+news consent') and
your combat settings (+combat/show). Make sure your +combat tactics
(+combat/block, +combat/charge, +combat/dodge) are set BEFORE you start
the turn. Type +combat/clear at the end of each turn.

See the individual +help files, and +help combat
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +news: combat-skills ======================
See '+help combat' for instructions on setting your combat skills.

You may not "double-count" your specialized combat skills in your +combat
settings. For example, if you have martial-arts 3, you cannot have both
Offense: 3 martial arts AND Defense: 3 martial arts. You can split the levels,
however. For example, with martial-arts 3, you could have Offense: 2 martial
arts and Defense: 1 martial arts.

This is only for applicable skills. :-) Not for things like firearms and
dodging skills. Hmmm. Now you say, why would anyone take a skill like "dodge"
when they could take "martial arts"? Well, why would anyone create a character
that had anything less than Combat 5, Firearms 5, and Melee 5?
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +news: combat-init =======================
To begin the turn, make initiative rolls: everyone should type +init.
If you are applying willpower, you should spend it before you roll.

Result of +init:
-10 or lower : you botch and lose your action
-9           : -5 to your +hit or +power roll if you attempt either
-8           : -4 modifier
-7           : -3 modifier
-6           : -2 modifier
-5           : -1 modifier
-4 to 9      : take your action normally
10 to 19     : you get an additional action after everyone else has gone.
               If more than one person, extra actions go in order of high
               +init to low.
Special      : If you score below -5, you can choose to skip a turn and take
               your action in the next round, last, without any penalties. This
               reflects people who move/react more slowly than normal.
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +news: combat-hit ========================
Once the order of actions within a turn is decided, players can make their
+hit or +power rolls, if they are attacking or using a Power. Before rolling,
all applicable modifiers must be declared. Expend willpower if you are going
to, and let your opponent do the same. Then use the +hit command. (See '+help
hit').

Results of your +hit roll:
-10 or worse: Really awful botch. Injuries to yourself or another (not your
              target) likely. The lower the number, the worse.
-9 to -5    : Minor botch.
-4 to 0     : You miss your target, or are successfully blocked.
 1 to 9     : You hit your target.
10 to 14    : Good hit. (+5 to +dam/melee roll).
15 to 19    : Critical hit. Choose (within reason) the effect that your attack
              has. Assess damage accordingly (you can do this instead of a
              +dam roll).
20 or more  : Automatically lethal (assuming the target is not in mist form
              or some such, and that the target's consent settings allow it.)
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +news: combat-multiple =====================
Multiple attacks per turn are sometimes possible. In addition to scoring
above 9 on your +init, you may try the following:

Melee combat: You only get one attack per weapon-wielding limb, and you have
 a -5 (cumulative) negative modifier for each additional attack. E.g.,
 your first attack is normal, your second is at -5, your third at -10, etc.

Firearms: you can try to get off additional shots, with a -5 penalty per
 additional shot, cumulative, as above. Physical limitations may apply,
 depending on the nature of the weapon.

The penalties apply to +hit rolls. The extra attacks go at the end of
the turn, in order of +init rolls.

Special skills in 2-gun fighting, etc., diminish the penalty. No roll is
necessary. Simply add in your skill level. E.g., if you have the "florentine"
skill at 3, your modifier for your second attack would be -5 + 3 = -2.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +news: combat-modifiers =====================
We used to have a list of modifiers (beyond WP) that you could apply to your
+init, +hit, and +dam rolls, but it seems to have vanished. So, please use
your common sense (or ask a staffer) if you are fighting in an unusual
situation and want to apply a modifier.

Examples:

+init modifiers: ambushes and rear attacks (+5 for the attacker)

+hit modifiers: multiple weapons (see +news combat-multiple), fighting blind
 (-5 for the attacker, unless the blindness was caused by a Power, in which
 case the negative modifier is the success on the +power roll), point
 blank range (+3 for the attacker), long range (-1 or more, depending on
 the distance), etc.

+dam modifiers: Firearms: add the success on your +hit to your +dam roll.
 Bows and other ranged weapons: add half the success on +hit (round down).

Willpower may be spent on any roll. (Up to your spirit level per turn.)
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +news: combat-stats =======================
------------------------------------Stats:-------------------------------------
STRENGTH adds to your +dam/melee
DEXTERITY adds to your +hit, subtracts from your opponent's +hit
STAMINA adds to your initial health, subtracts from opponent's +dam rolls
INTELLIGENCE adds to +power rolls, subtracts from opponent's +power/opp
REACTION adds to +init rolls
-------------------------------Tactics settings:-------------------------------
CHARGE adds to opponent's +hit and your +dam, subtracts from your +power rolls
  (Explanation: You concentrate on causing damage)
BLOCK subtracts from your +hit and +power, subtracts from opponent's +dam
  (Explanation: You concentrate on reducing damage done to you)
DODGE subtracts from your +hit and +power, subtracts from opponent's +hit
  (Explanation: You concentrate on avoiding getting hit)
---------------------------Skill/Advantage settings:---------------------------
These do not subtract from your +power rolls.
OFFENSE adds to your +hit
DEFENSE subtracts from opponent's +dam
DODGE subtracts from opponent's +hit
==============================================================================

Return to the top of the page.

========================== Armageddon +News: economy =========================
                    The Economy and Businesses of Armageddon                  

The world of Armageddon is unique in the fact that the economy is as unstable
as the elements which live in it. However, there are certain IC principles
which should be upheld by /all/ players concerning resources and financial
ability. Remember when you @create objects, they should either: have come when
you initially started your character and be somehow worked into your
background, or should have been acquired through an IC -feasible- way (e.g.
purchase, gift, theft). If your @created objects do not fit these requirements
then they should /not/ be considered IC by any of the players you interact
with. Second, the times and environment of the world of Armageddon prohibit
the ability to obtain large amounts of /any/ materials. Food and organic
substances are extremely scarce and those who own restaurants, pubs, or bars
should only be obtaining their expensive supplies through conjurers (if they
happen to have this power, all the better). Also, it is these business owners
choice whether or not to make IC income off of their food/services, however
their +income (see +help income) will be influenced by such factors as so to
explain how they are supplying their rare oddities. Stores and businesses
should not be highly lavish or modern, unless IC resources or justification
can be shown as to why they are such.

To continue type: +news economy-econ2.

Examples           Money              Commodities        Price-list         
Application        Businesses         Rules             
==============================================================================

*** NOTE: many of the economy files are frequently updated. You should check
the online version, if you are interested in applying for a commodity
or acquiring an existing business.

======================= Armageddon +News: economy-econ2 ======================

The Economy and Businesses of Armageddon (continued)...

Use descriptions that are seen about the city and near the chosen location of
your structure to get a feel as to how your homes/businesses should be desced.
If it is near a part of the city where only rotting sky scrapers and twisted
iron is, then it probably should be constructed out of the same loose and
available materials. Cars or other modes of transportation are /extremely/
rare, due to the requirement that their parts and structure either had to have
been rebuilt or conjured by an individual who has knowledge of care designs.
If you do not ICly have the resources to have such a tool, please do not RP as
if you do. Remember the economy can only be truly balanced by the people, and
their wish to make its means of exchange (DCs) useful, please try to encourage
the use of money when performing transactions or engaging in RP.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: economy-examples =====================
Some business examples or suggestions for the world of Armageddon:

	Herbal Store
	Fortune Teller/Palm Reader
	* Medical Facility
	Supply Store
	Brothel
	Gambling Hall/Casino
	* Newspaper Mill
	Pub/Dinner/Restaurant
	Strip Joint/Night Club
	* Drug Facility
	* Academy
	Smith
	Clothing Store

* Shops limited to 1 or 2 in the city, extremely expensive/rare.

If you have any ideas/questions, would like to open a business, or need your
+income set up: +mail the Economy Admin listed in +staff/all.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: economy-money ======================
	The City is ruled by Infernals, who trade in hell-marked Demonic Coins.
Anyone who uses Demonic Coins is in danger of damnation, yet barter is
technically illegal and the guards from the Citadel arrest anyone caught using
any other currency. Each Demonic Coin is stamped with the face of a damned
soul from Hell, which is caught inside and whispers to its owner in dreams, in
hopes of entrapping him or her and thus forcing him or her to take its place
in the coin. This was the promise that the Infernal Treasury made to these
souls when the Coins were made. Should you believe it? There are stories,
things that happened to a friend of a friend...
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: economy-commodities ===================
                         The Commodities of Armageddon.                       

The commodities of Armageddon are run by elite chosen characters who the
staff and the Economy Admin feels will be fair players while at the same time
active and RP encouraging in their roles. The following are the commods of
this MUSH and who is responsable for their sale:

Light Objects: Candles, Lanterns, Flashlights - Hoodoo at the LightHouse Shop.

Ships: Row Boat, Sail Boat, Caravel, Galleon -  at the
Boat Shop

Radios: Basic Radio, Advanced Radio - Althaliel at The Steel Pigeon

The Application to be a Commod Dealer can be viewed in '+news
economy-commodities2'.
==============================================================================
=================== Armageddon +News: economy-commodities2 ===================
Application for Commodity Dealers:

Please send the following application to the Economy Admin in a +mail with the
label of 'Commod Application'. Also, be sure to note what commodities are
avialable on '+news economy-commodities' so that you are not appying for one
unavialable. There can only be *one* Commod Dealer per commod. Thank you.

Application:
	1. What commodity are you applying for?
	2. Why do you think you should run this commodity?
	3. What is your ERWT (estimated regular weekly activity time)?
	4. How do you feel you running this commodity will help RP and the
economy of the MUSH?
	5. Do you plan on running this commodity from is current shop or a new
location? If new, where?
	6. Are you currently affiliated with any faction(s)? If so, what
faction(s)?

Please fill out the questions above accordlingly. Good luck.

Comments or questions should be addressed to the Economy Admin.
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: economy-price-list ====================
The following is meant to be a bench mark for prices in DCs for businesses
whom serve food or drinks and use the Bartender Parent.

Cost of Foods:
	Bread:2 DCs
	A Full Dinner (Some Meat besides the cheap sources, vegetables,
          etc.):10-50 DCs
	Fruit:5-15 DCs (depending on type of fruit).
	Vegetables:5-30 DCs (depending on type of vegetable).
	Cheeses:5-10 DCs
	Soups:3-12 DCs (depending on contents).
	Chicken (Fried or otherwise):10-20 DCs
	Veal:40 DCs
	Beef (depending on requested quality):10-30 DCs
	Chili:4 DCs
	Hotdogs:2 DCs

The above is a reference for the wealthier classes (Business owners themselves
or wealthy Demons) costs of food.

The following is the costs for average eating materials of normal classes
within Armageddon's society:

	Human Flesh:2 DCs per pound.
	Crow:2 DCs
	Vulture:1 DC (these often carry disease).
	Rat:2 DCs
	Blood:1 DC

Cost of Drinks:

	Wine:5 DCs
	Beer:2 DCs
	Water:1 DC
	Mead:3 DCs
	Hard Liquor:4-10 DCs

Comments or questions, please contact the Economy Admin.
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: economy-application ===================
Application for a new business:

Please send the following appliaction to the Economy Admin in a +mail with the
label of 'Business Application'. Thank you.

Application:
	1. What type of business do you wish to open?
	2. How do you feel it will help the overall economy of Armageddon?
	3. The average business makes 10-15 DCs a week. How much do you think
your business should make?
	4. How much quota do you feel you will need for your business?
	5. Are you currently affiliated with any faction(s) on the MUSH? If so,
which factions?
	6. Where will you get the supplies/resources to build this business?

	7. How often do you sign on? What is your ERWT (estimated regular
weekly activity time)?

Please fill out the questions above accordingly. Good luck.

Comments or questions should be addressed to the Economy Admin.
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: economy-businesses ====================
The following is a list of the non-commod bussinesses of Armageddon MUSH and
their owners. You may use this list to contact the owners if you are searching
for employment or have a question about their establishment that would make
more sense to be related to them rather then the Economy Admin.

A '*' denotes a bussiness which must use the Bartender Parent.

Restaurants/Pubs/Raves:
	* The Garrote:Benny
	* Joint Erosion:Lestat
	* The Abyss:
	* Coffee Shop:
	* Last Chance:Jon & Maeve

Gambling Sites:
	The Cathedral:Cho'Gall

General Stores:
	Mazarin's Emporium:Myche
	Ergon's:

Radio Stations:
	KHEL Studios:Fehu

Apartment Complexes:
	* Gallowglass Arms:Eleanore
	The Warrens:

Corperations/Others:
	* The Bank:Lysidious
	Myche's Tattoo Parlor:Myche
	* The Store of Ages:Eleanore
	The University:
	* The Colosseum:Fehu & Lysidious
	Slave Market:Byrrah

Those places  will be ICly for sale by the Bank of Babylon. Please
contact the Economy Admin or the Bank's Manager if you are interested in
purchasing the establishment and running it. For those unable to purchase a
establishment, good online time and other incentivites will be taken into
consideration, along with the formation of an IC 'deal'.

Comments or questions should be directed towards the Economy Admin.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: economy-rules ======================
The following are rules that all business owners should read and understand
before assuming the IC ownership of a business or building one!

Rules:

1) All businesses built and approved by the Economy and Building Admin are
deemed "Public" buildings and are not OOCly owned by the player who builds
them.

2) Upon an idle period of 30 days (1 month) without notification of a business
it will be inspected and a decision will be made by the Building and Economy
Admin as whether to a) Redistribute the business b) @nuke the business or c)
Remove the business from the grid for a length of time. (Following that length
then performing either a or b).

3) The Bank will be used to ICly facilitate the transfer of a 'Repossessed'
business (or a business which has been deemed inactive by the Economy and
Building Admin). The owner of the Bank is not to be blammed ICly or OOCly, or
OOCly harassed in anyway, at any time for the transfer of this business should
the original or previous owner return and suddenly wish to claim the now
transfered establishment. If abuse does occur the staff will take actions
deemed appropraite by them against the instigator.

4) A "Will" may be left if in the event that you (the IC owner of a business)
go inactive with the Economy and Building Admin.
	*NOTE:* It can not, however, allow you in the future to reclaim this
business and can only imply instructions as to what the business is to be done
with on the terms of normal idle businesses (See possible choices in Rule #2).

Questions or comments should be directed towards the Economy Admin.
==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

========================= Armageddon +News: summoning ========================
When demons or angels are killed (reduced to 0 temporary health levels), they
are banished back to Hell or Heaven respectively. This may also happen to
humans who are either Blessed or Damned, especially if they are aided by a
being with the Power Bless (at level 4). They can only manifest on Earth again
if sent by God (rare), use a teleportation power (if their spirit is under 10),
or if summoned by a human.

Beings of spirit 7+, due to their stronger connection to their home realm,
have the ability to return whenever they wish. See +help ic. Lesser beings
are only freed upon their deaths, or if a human opens a doorway for them.
(Or if certain other Powers are successfully used.)
However, the Chasm is rumored to have a physical path to hell...at least
some have fallen somehow into the infernal regions that way.

Rules              Modifiers          Results            Botches           
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: summoning-rules =====================
All summonings must have sufficient IC justification (as ruled by the staff
adjudicator.) Players may not summon their own alts, use their suppets to
summon their main PC, or vice versa. Puppet summoners ARE legal, but the
the puppet should be a developed character with a background and personality,
and not be a transparent OOC convenience. The staff may refuse to allow a
summoning if the target lacks a @desc or a background or if the IC reason
for summoning is inappropriate or lacking.

The basic roll is +power -10 (using Intercession 2). The gate may go either
way: a human can summon someone to them, or go to the target. It's also
possible to travel between realms this way without summoning a specific
individual, but you need some knowledge of where you are trying to go.
You may go to Hell without a summoning, by jumping into the chasm: get a
staffer to reset your realm. A staffer should post on the Summonings bboard
whenever they adjudicate a summoning.

See also: +help summoner
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: summoning-modifiers ===================
Modifiers to the +power roll:
-10......basic modifier, between realms
-20......basic modifier, on the same realm
-30......basic modifier, "parallel" universe, once specifically located
+WP......willpower spent, up to spirit level of summoner
+1-2.....rituals, prayers, sacrifices, deep need (must be RPed out)
+1-5.....specialized skills, such as lore-hell, sorcery. A less specific skill
         only counts for half.
+1.......name of target used.
-1-5....distraction or hurry (combat would give -5)
+1/-1....good/bad location
+s/10....1/10 the cumulative spirit level of people assisting you (round down).

Fae: base -5, but no skill or location mods are allowed.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: summoning-results ====================
    -5 or below : Major Botch
       -3 or -4 : Mediocre botch: Unconciousness, moment of pain.
             -2 : Dizziness
             -1 : No effect
              0 : You are able to communicate with target for 1d8 minutes.
              1 : Deduct 2d4 health levels. One hour for target to appear.
              2 : Deduct 1d4 health levels. Half hour for target to appear.
              3 : Fifteen minutes for target to appear.
              4 : Ten minutes for target to appear.
              5 : Five minutes for target to appear.
              6 : Two minutes for target to appear.
              7 : Thirty seconds for target to appear. Minor special effects.
              8 : Target appears within seconds. Mediocre special effects.
              9 : Target appears nearly instantly. Good special effects.
       10 to 14 : Target appears instantly. Earthquakes, lightning, etc.
       15 to 19 : Target appears instantly. For an instant, there is a stable
                  connection between realms.
            20+ : Target appears instantly. For 1d3 minutes, a portal is
                  created between realms out of which a maximum of 2d3
                  additional beings may use.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: summoning-botches ====================
Here are some samples of what can go wrong. You can make up other ones if
you want.

* realm mixup: summoner ends up in the wrong realm, either with the target
  or in some other random realm, or the target ends up in the wrong realm.
* target mixup: summoner calls up some other being (it might even be the
  wrong race). This other being may be friendly, or...not.
* possession: the summoner calls up the wrong spirit, and gets possessed
  for awhile (the worse the botch, the longer). Example: Aleister once got
  possessed by a demon of gluttony.
  * rot: the summoner loses some random body part, which cannot be regenerated
  or healed by Bless, Shapeshift, or any such power. A prosthesis will decay
  and fall off.
* inversion: the target is summoned, but inside out. Upon arrival, the target
  expires and is sent back to its home realm.
* russian dolls: the target arrives, but INSIDE the summoner, who explodes
  and "dies." Oops. If the summoner is in mist form or something, they still
  get so munged with the target that they take damage.
==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

========================= Armageddon +News: building =========================
If you want to build something, you may link it to the appropriate room of the
Armageddon Building Nexus. You should put succ, osucc, and odrop messages on
all exits. Rooms will be inspected for this, spell-checked, and to see
whether they fit in with the theme before being linked into the IC grid.

Things to keep in mind:
Wood is rare, earthquakes are common, the weather is unpredictable,
plants are dead unless supernaturally protected, and most people are afraid.
The architecture tends towards the paranoid, defense against violence being
a priority for most.

Try to be original. Take a look around the City to what's already there.

A note on exit aliases: in interior rooms, please include one exit aliased
to 'o' and 'out', as the main route back to the street.
Also, please do not use 'l' or 'r' as exit aliases, since that makes it
hard to 'l'ook (or 'r'ead) your room description.

Housing            Help               Example            Building-app       
Builder-app       
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: building-housing =====================
The Church of Satan - offers housing in its dormitory. Contact Ancanus.
 The Citadel - provides housing in the barracks for Citadel employees. Contact
Fehu. 
The Gallowglass Arms - provides rooms for rent. Contact Eleanore. 
The Joint Erosion - provides rooms for rent. Contact Dora or Lestat.
 The Last Chance - provides rooms for rent (for anyone not openly Blessed or
with the UG). Contact Lucretia, preferably, or Starsmore. 
SW Villas: For the rich or their servants. Contact the current Building Admin. 
The Warrens - low income apartments in the SE (mostly for the Damned). Contact
the current Building Admin.
 Wormwood Abbey - live with the monks and nuns out in the plains. +Mail Abbey. 
Continued in '+news building housing2'
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +News: building-housing2 ====================
Players who provide housing (i.e. the players found under +news building
housing) should contact the current building admin via +mail whenever they
acquire a new resident so that the new room may be inspected. The
aforementioned players should also encourage the reading of +news building
and, finally, the @desc'ing, @succ'ing, @osucc'ing and @odrop'ing of exits.
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: building-help ======================
Quick info on building:
1) find a @chown-able exit. (Look in the building nexus from +ooc)
2) @chown 
3) @name =Some Exit ;se;some exit
4) @dig YourRoom
5) @link se=
6) @set se=!halted
7) @open =#
8) @desc the room: @desc here=
9) put @succ, @osucc, @odrop, @desc on all the exits.
10) to add to a desc, @edit here/desc=$, 
	with  in curly brackets

See also '+help view' on how to add additional details to the room.
You can also read the regular help files on each of the commands used:
E.g. 'help @chown'

More info on building on this web site.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +News: building-example =====================
A simple example:
Suppose you start in Parking Lot, which you own. You type:
@dig Inside the shop=Shop entrance ;se;shop entrance,Out ;o;out 
@desc se=You see the front door of the shop. A sign says, 'Welcome.'
@succ se=The door opens as you walk up, and you enter the shop.
@osucc se=goes into the shop.
@odrop se=comes into the shop from outside.
se
@desc here=A nice shop, with lots of stuff. The air is cool and clean.
@desc out=This is an automatic caution door leading to the parking lot.
@succ out=You leave the shop.
@osucc out=goes out to the parking lot.
@odrop out=comes out from the shop.

Hints:
* Remember not to put ':''s where you don't want them!
* Exit aliases are case-insensitive.
==============================================================================

=================== Armageddon +News: building-building-app ==================
Building Request Application:

Please send the following application to the Building Admin via +mail.

1.Description of what the building is.
2.The building's intended purpose.
3.How you plan to accomplish the above.
4.How will your character come into possession of this building?
5.What resources (financial, material) are necessary to
build/purchase/renovate the building? Does your character have the above
resources?
6.Possible locations for the building.
7.How will this contribute to the MUSH?
8.What makes this building different from similar buildings?
9.Any other information you think relevant.
==============================================================================

=================== Armageddon +News: building-builder-app ===================
Builder Request Application:

Please send the following application to the Building Admin via +mail.

1.What is the builder for? (A faction, a business, etc)?
2.What is the purpose of the builder? (Example: To build/own my faction's
headquarters but not faction member's personal rooms.)
3.Provide a rough layout of what you plan to build.
4.Estimate the amount of money and quota needed for the builder.
5.Besides yourself, who else would have access to it?
6.Any other relevant information.
NOTE: Anything you build or @chown to your builder must be approved as well.
==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

========================== Armageddon +News: special =========================
This covers miscellaneous special aspects of the world of Armageddon MUSH.

Ghosts             Sorcery            Soul-smelting      Rune-magic         
High-spirit        Realms             Spirit-code        RM-example 
RM-learning        Patrons
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: special-ghosts ======================
With 0 permanent health and no body, ghosts find it extremely difficult to
interact with the world of the living. After a few hundred years, one may
gain enough willpower to reform a corporeal body, but in the meantime, a
ghost is undetectable by natural means, and similarly may only affect the
world with great difficulty.

A ghost can spend a willpower point (See +help wp) to manifest for a few
seconds. See any number of traditional ghost stories or movies for what
ghosts can do. A ghost needs to spend WP to be able to see its environment
clearly. Otherwise, it is prone to hallucinations and nightmares.
Ghosts may not enter dwellings (cross walls, doors, windows, etc.) without
an invitation. Their own home is of course an exception.

Some ghosts may seek out necromancers, or be sought by necromancers,
who may bind them into bodies, at least temporarily, in return for various
services.

When you die and become a ghost, all effects from Powers you were maintaining
cease to work.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: special-sorcery =====================
Magic only works in specific ways in the world of Armageddon.

1) Intrinsic powers (the ones you get in chargen, fueled by your Spirit)
   Humans: focus via prayer, ritual, ceremonial magic, good-luck charms,
      hexes, witchcraft, magical herb-lore, psionics, etc.
   Non-humans: It's more an expression of their nature.
      It's not just what they _do_, but what they _are_.
2) Borrowed powers (i.e. someone else's intrinsic powers)
   Humans: Humans may contact any number of supernatural beings via
      their Power of Intercession. These beings may then choose to
      use their powers to help the human. They are able
      to do so since the human has opened a gate between realms.
      Yes, the recovery time applies to Intercession as it does to other
      Powers.
3) Soul-smelting: Demons/Angels: You have an innate ability to smelt souls, 
   but you must be trained in the skill to use it. Some Fae are even able 
   to work with stubborn human souls, but the exact details are a mystery.
   (Please contact the Fae Admin if you are interested in this form of magic.)
4) Rune-magic: a very rare form of magic which draws upon the spirit for power.
==============================================================================

=================== Armageddon +News: special-soul-smelting ==================
Angels and demons are ultimately made of the same "stuff" --- some fragment
of the divine spirit which is more malleable than human souls. Some 
angels/demons have the skill of "smelting souls," i.e. absorbing the other
soul into one's own. For this to happen, the other soul must consent to being
swallowed (although the consent may only be a weak moment, as long as the
smelter catches that moment, the other soul may be absorbed.) Even with
consent,
there may be a struggle to see which persona dominates. The smelter gains
some of the Powers of the soul thus smelted, although much may be lost
to the ether. The smelter may also gain fragments of the other soul's memories
and personality. If the smelting goes badly, the smelter may end up as the
one submerged and absorbed.

Game mechanics: you must have some form of occult/sorcery skills and lore
to smelt a soul, at level 3 or above. Possible skills include Sorcery,
Magic, Angel-lore, Demon-lore, Occult. You must also have a staff member
present to act as a referee/judge.

Note: It is also possible for Fae to smelt human souls, in their own fashion.
Generally, the victim survives soulless.
For more details, ask a Fae staffer.
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: special-rune-magic ====================
Rune magic is a very rare and costly magic, by which you destroy your own
spirit in exchange for power. Your soul fragment is bound up in sorcerous
runes and wards. Rune magic may only be countered by more rune magic, or by
destroying (truly destroying, not merely "killing") the spellcaster (e.g. by
smelting their soul into nothingness...), stripping their spirit rating down
to 0.

Rune magic is the source of the rare "magical items" that exist in the world
of Armageddon. Some examples of Rune Magic are listed below:

WARD: a mystical lock, a command over openings and closings, control over who
	 may enter or leave a place, who may see or not see a thing, etc.
SUMMONS: a mystical summons, more powerful than ordinary human Summons,
	 usable even by non-humans
SPELL: Words/Runes invested with your spirit, that can be used for various
	 effects. Use your imagination.

You cannot bind or bar someone of greater spirit than you. Hurt or damage,yes.
The damage is finite, though.

Continued in Rune-Magic2
==============================================================================
==================== Armageddon +News: special-rune-magic2 ===================
COST: Each use of Rune Magic costs 1 spirit level.
	 You must have at least Spirit 3 in order to use Rune Magic.
	 The Spirit drain is permanent. You can only regain your spirit by
	 paying WP, as per the usual costs.

REVERSAL: A person skilled in Rune Magic with Spirit equal to or greater than
	 the caster _at the time the spell was cast_ may counter the magic
	 by spending a spirit level to destroy the spell.

DANGERS: Rune Magic is risky even when practiced by a Master. There will always
	 be a chance that the spell will fail, or even worse, backfire.

Note: Any use of rune magic must be approved/adjudicated by Taisch.
	 Contact her if you have any comments or questions.

Continued in Rune-magic3
==============================================================================
==================== Armageddon +News: special-rune-magic3 ===================
Knowing rune-magic may be likened to knowing a language.

1) You know your own name. In times of great need, you may unconsciously
	 cause something to happen.
2) You know a few words. You can try to put an effect together, but you
	 lack control over it.
3) You know the grammar. You can work basic, simple effects fairly
	 consistently.
4) You are fluent. Basic, simple effects pose no problem. More complicated
	 workings may still trip you up.
5) You are a poet. Your rune-magic is elegant and powerful.

Continued in Rune-Magic4
==============================================================================
==================== Armageddon +News: special-rune-magic4 ===================
Multiple single-shot spells/items:

Let S=your spirit level. You may spend one spirit level to make S-1 (fewer
if you are not completely successful) identical "minor" items.
These items have an effective spirit level of 1, and act as single shot
spells.

For example, if you had spirit level 5, you could make 4 scrolls that,
when pasted over a lock, opens it. The scroll would dissolve after it
was used. (Or burn, or turn black, or whatever suits the adjudicator's
fancy.)
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: special-rm-learning ===================
Learning rune-magic: You may not have rune-magic out of chargen. You need to
either take lessons from another character or try to learn it yourself. In any
case, the lessons need to be RP'ed with the Rune-magic Admin adjudicating,
and success is not guaranteed. You risk death, disfigurement, and other
 serious side-effects.

Costs: No XP. At least 1 spirit level each time you gain a level of r-m.
WP costs: 5xLevel with a teacher, 10xLevel without.
You may optionally spend more WP if it is appropriate ICly. It may or may not
influence the outcome.

Time: 0.5 week/level with a teacher, 1 week/level without.

Example: To go from rune-magic 2 to rune-magic 3 with a teacher costs AT
LEAST 1 spirit level (minimum 3), 1.5 RL weeks, 10 WP, and a couple of RP'ed
lessons.
=============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: special-rm-example ===================
Suppose you want to cast a ward to keep all Blessed from your room.This is an
example of what might happen, depending on your skill level:

1) You fail, and only manage to keep out that one person who's been bugging
	 you, never mind their affiliation.
2) You only manage to keep out that one angel you happen to know. They
	 exemplify Blessedness in your mind.
3) You do keep all Blessed out, but a clever use of Omens might be able to
	 fool your ward.
4) You do keep all Blessed out, even if they try to be tricky.
5) You not only keep all Blessed out, another rune-magic user has a really hard
	 time removing the ward.
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: special-high-spirit ===================
High-Spirit

Characters with spirit of 10 and above are godlike in their power, and suffer
accordingly. They have particular difficulties visiting the earthly realm (and
almost never live there.) The precise effects (in addition to the WP drain)
depend on the race and affiliation of the character, and gets more severe as
the spirit level increases.

ALL characters with spirit 10+ will need to be summoned by a human summoner,
just as for angels/demons/fae.

The WP drain: Basically, you lose 2*[(your spirit level) - 6] WP every 3 hours
you are out of your home realm, whether you are logged on or not. This is to
keep godlings from casually hanging around in night clubs, and so on.
Your appearance is always an Event.

Continued in High-Spirit2
==============================================================================
=================== Armageddon +News: special-high-spirit2 ===================
Humans:
 * Unchosen: You go to your own personal realm, where everything conforms
exactly to your desires. However, unless you spend XP or use rune-magic to get
a "real" realm, no one else can visit your personal happyland. Everything in
your happyland has a spirit level of 0, since they are only an expression of
your own self.

You may visit other realms (e.g. Earth, Heaven, Hell...) but your visit only
lasts until the first time something would happen contrary to your desires.
Then you flip back to your own realm (where what you wanted to happen, does),
but, depending on how perceptive you are, you may not even notice.

 * Blessed: You have chosen to submit your will to God, trusting that God
will create a better realm for you than you could on your own. Thus, you are
bound to Heaven rather than your own egocentric happyland.

 * Damned: Having accepted your own damnation, you are bound to Hell. You have
the option of becoming a demon. (1 XP/spirit level, or else via yourself or
other PCs using the appropriate Intercession power.)

Continued in High-Spirit3
==============================================================================
=================== Armageddon +News: special-high-spirit3 ===================
Blessed and Damned Humans: 

You automatically gain Necromancy 1 (you freely communicate with ghosts), due
to a sympathetic resonance effect with the underlying powers that govern this
earth. (You've bought into the mythical aspects of Earth/Heaven/Hell, so in a
way you become part of it, and can now sense the invisible spirits inhabiting
it.) This power will not work in the Fae realms, nor in personal realms.

While on earth, you are besieged by hordes of ghosts: some want to harm you,
some want your help. One might want you to send a message to their Aunt Bessy
in Hell, while another one won't leave off haranging you about what a mess
you've made of Earth. Many will want you to get them resurrected, or want your
WP, or your soul, or your love, or your hate, or your life itself. In any
case, for every ghost you get rid of, about ten more take their place. Even
rune-magic can only banish *all* other people from your vicinity, both living
and dead.

Due to the distraction of the ghosts, you have about a 50% chance of missing
any given event that you would normally notice, and a 50% chance of
misdirecting any action towards a ghost. (This includes things like Power
usage, combat, and conversation, of course.)

Continued in High-Spirit4
==============================================================================
=================== Armageddon +News: special-high-spirit4 ===================
* Angels and Demons:
Heaven or Hell is your home realm (except in the cases of some Unchosen
demons). On earth, disasters of biblical proportions mark your passage.
Earthquakes, blood rain, man-eating locusts, firestorms, deadly plagues, etc.,
depending on your own nature. You cannot contol the effects, except in the
case where God personally sends you on a specific mission.

Normal NPCs drop dead in your wake. The higher your spirit level, the more
damage you do.

* Fae:
You go to your own corner of Fae limbo, where you are a god. If you have your
own realm, it can have more solidity (i.e. be real to other people besides
yourself). Unlike Unchosen human happyland, your corner of limbo is not
completely isolated, and you retain the ability to travel to other parts of
the Fae realms. Getting to Earth (and other realms) is much harder. Beyond
needing a human summoner, you need a willing human sacrifice. The sacrifice
need not actually die. There are at least a couple of possibilities:

Continued in High-Spirit5
==============================================================================
=================== Armageddon +News: special-high-spirit5 ===================

* Patron: If you have a Vassal, they may summon you normally, with no extra
sacrifices necessary. While out of Limbo, you cause the world around you to
warp in strange ways, depending on your own nature. This will not be under
your conscious control. The higher your spirit level, the worse the
disturbance.

* Full human sacrifice: The soul of the human is smelted to give you full
reality on the earthly realm. For each level of spirit of the sacrifice, you
may make one separate trip to earth. (Trips to Heaven/Hell cost twice as much.)
An NPC may be used as the sacrifice. As above, you warp the world around you.

* Avatar:
You pour your essence into a human (with spirit 6 or less) avatar. The avatar
must be both willing and Unchosen. While in the avatar's body, you are limited
to the avatar's spirit level and powers, but you do not suffer a WP drain. The
avatar's soul is suppressed. They lose all control over their body, but you can
communicate mentally. (It's like a dream for them.)

Continued in High-Spirit6
==============================================================================
=================== Armageddon +news: special-high-spirit6 ===================

("Avatar" summoning continued:)

You occasionally inadvertantly reveal your nature in small, strange happenings
around you: these are usually temporary and illusory, and appear as such to
those with Sight or Truth.

Due to the strain to the human body caused by your presence, once you leave,
the human will be maimed physically or mentally (determined by the staffer
adjudicating) for a number of days equal to your spirit level. This cannot
be healed either through willpower or Blessing, but does not cost WP to heal.
(Only time.) You must roleplay the injury, taking negative modifiers as deemed
appropriate by the staffer.

Examples: eyes rotted away (blindness), aphasia, severe amnesia, loss of
a limb, severe arthritis, severe anemia, etc.
                                                    
Code: Have the staff use the +avatar command to make a puppet with the
stats of the avatar for the fae player to run. Remember to destroy the
puppet once the "possession" is over.

==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: special-realms ======================
The three basic realms of ArmageddonMUSH are Earth, Heaven, and Hell. Limbo
is not truly a realm, but merely called that for convenience: "limbo" refers
to the not-quite-real time and space outside the realms. Humans are native
to Earth, angels to Heaven, and demons to Hell. Blessed and Damned humans can
make Heaven and Hell, respectively, their homes. Those of high (7+) spirits
("saints" or "godlings") must do so. All starting characters enter the game
in their home realms.

Because the Armageddon realms are stable, characters cannot easily escape
them. Small pocket ("personal") realms are possible, but difficult. Parallel
realms, with varying histories and physics and so forth, do exist in theory,
but in practice cannot be accessed except via staff-adjudicated TPs.
Unchosen demons, Fae, and Unchosen humans with high spirits are unbound to
any realm (unless they have their own), and thus can only count Limbo as
their home.

See also +news angels-heaven.

Continued in +news special-realms2.
==============================================================================
====================== Armageddon +News: special-realms2 =====================
Only the Unchosen may create their own personal realms.

XP cost:
5 XP for a basic personal realm if you don't use rune-magic.
It is assumed to be a "spirit 10" realm, which means it can be
destroyed or altered or bound or otherwise messed with by someone of spirit 10
or above using rune-magic.
+1 XP per additional 2 levels, up to your own spirit level.
+2 XP per human bound to your realm. Max sum of spirits bound to
	 your realm cannot exceed 2^S.
	 Each bound human is then affiliated to you, and no longer
	 Blessed, Damned, or Unchosen.
	 Use the normal affiliation change rules for this.

Transportation:
Humans with Intercession may summon to and from the realm, just as they do
with Heaven and Hell, but they must know of the realm, or at least suspect it.
Lore modifiers to summoning rolls work as usual here.

	Continued in realms3
==============================================================================
====================== Armageddon +News: special-realms3 =====================
Players with personal realms that remain in play, by buying the realm rather
than retiring the character as a PC, consent to their realm being attacked
(and probably eventually retired or destroyed, hopefully only after the
player is bored with it) both by PC plots and staff plots, damaged, or changed.
If you just want to have your character off and safe, that can happen ICly, it
doesn't cost any XP, but your character is then counted as retired from the
game (althought occasional guest appearances as NPCs might be fun.)

Rune-magic will not be able to keep people out of realms on a long-term basis,
since Intercession is not like normal teleportation, people can just appear.
It CAN be used to make it painful for people to remain in the realm, however.
==============================================================================

==================== Armageddon +News: special-spirit-code ===================
The only effect of high spirit that is actually coded is the willpower loss
while in the realm of earth, and the +poof command to return to your home
realm (See +help ic). The WP loss affects every character with spirit over 7,
whether or not the player is online. This is harsh, but the purpose is to
prevent characters from dawdling casually on earth when they have such high
spirit levels. The character should only be on the earth for single "scenes,"
or else suffer the consequences. The loss is currently set at:
 (spirit - 6) * 2 WP/3 hour cycle
For example, a spirit 10 character would lose 8 WP every three hours while
their realm is set to Earth, whether they are online or not.

All other effects should be roleplayed, possibly with staff assistence.
==============================================================================

======================= ArmageddonMUSH +news: patronage ======================
Armageddon is more than a physical battleground: it is a war for souls. To
facilitate roleplay, we have introduced rules for Rank and Patrons.
Basically, humans of spirit 6 and under are able to pledge themselves
to non-humans (angels, demons, even fae) and humans of godlike spiritual
stature. Patrons gain Rank from the number of humans pledged to them.
Rank is an OOC measure of just how well the Patron has been preaching the
gospel/suckering the rubes for their respective Affiliation. The higher your
Rank, the more in favor you are with Heaven/Hell and the more likely you are to
receive special assignments, offices, titles, treasures, powers, whatever.

The rules are currently still in development. Changes are likely. If you
have any comments or questions, please contact a staffer.
---------------------------------- Subtopics ---------------------------------
Rules              Damned             Blessed           
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +news: patronage-rules =====================
Humans of Spirit 6 or less can pledge themselves, via Intercession 2, to a
Patron of their choosing. This pledge can be anything from a simple baptism or
oath of allegiance to a slavery contract or literally selling your soul. What
you (the Human) get in return for your pledge can be anything from a promise
of protection to a living wage to, well, certain personal favors. *blush* The
specific IC terms are left up entirely to you (the Human) and your prospective
Patron.

Note that alts and puppets may not take each other as Patrons!

To make the actual pledge, ask a staffer to judge a +power roll for
Intercession 2. If your roll is good and your IC ritual is completed, the
judge will reset your Patron and Affiliation as needed. That's it.

Continued in '+news patronage-rules2'
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +news: patronage-rules2 =====================
1. Any Human (including puppets) of Spirit 6 or less may take a Patron. Humans
who are already Blessed or Damned but do not have a Patron can still take one,
preferably within their existing Affiliation. When a Human reaches Spirit 7,
they have "ascended" and can thereafter be a Patron to other Humans. (Y'know,
your typical canonized patron saint.)

2. Any non-Human (yes, including Fae) can be a Patron. The specific IC terms
that you demand from/offer to a Human are entirely up to you, but you'd
better make them good if you really want to enlist anyone.

3. To pledge yourself to a Patron, RP the IC ritual and ask a staffer to judge
a +power roll for Intercession 2. Typical rituals include baptisms, blood
oaths, knightings, slavery contracts, and so on. The pledge holds as per
'+news powers-duration', but is unaffected by death or realm-crossing.

Continued in '+news patronage-rules3'
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +news: patronage-rules3 =====================
4. A Patron can release a Human from their pledge at any time. However, if a
Human wishes to break a pledge and leave a Patron, they must make a +power
roll at -10. (Yes, it's hard, just like breaking Vows.)

5. When calculating a Patron's Rank, only ACTIVE characters are taken into
account. Active characters include all players and puppets that have logged in
within the last month. This is to stop Patrons from accumulating meaningless
pledges from absent players.

6. Rank -is- visible to a successful Sight roll. The IC manifestation of this
varies according to the character, but it is usually a sense of majesty and
influence. However, Rank -cannot- be disguised with Omens. Why? Because it is
an aura imparted by Heaven / Hell, not projected by the character itself.

Continued in '+news patronage-rules4'
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +news: patronage-rules4 =====================
7. A high Rank is no guarantee of rewards. It only means that you will get
special consideration when the time comes, whenever that time may be. Most
appointments, titles, and offices will still be decided by IC politicking, but
Rank can and SHOULD be cited when arguing for or against particular
candidates. As stated before, Rank is a measure of the character's favor with
Heaven / Hell. The details are left to the respective Storytellers.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +news: patronage-damned =====================
This is the draft of the rules system for Patronage as used by the Damned.
It is still in a testing stage. Please send feedback to the staff!

Damned Patronage takes place between two willing participants: a Demon or
Spirit 7+ Damned Human (henceforth known as 'Patron') and a Damned Human
(henceforth known as 'Vassal'). Witnesses may be present, along with
sacrificial victims and a third party individual organizing the
ritual/contract signing.

The Vassal makes the actual +power roll to form the bond (using Intercession
2), with standard modifiers for +power rolls (see +news powers-modifiers).

* A failure (0 to -5 on the +power roll) results in instant death of both
Patron and Vassal (one death.)
* A botch (less than -5 on the +power roll) results in a damaging and painful
effect, to be decided upon by the staff adjudicator.

Continued in '+news patronage-damned2'
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +news: patronage-damned2 ====================
* Any success (1 or above on the +power roll) results in a bond, with duration
determined as per the first part of '+news powers-duration' (the notes do
not apply to Patronage.)

A Vassal gains the following benefits:

1) Telepathic communication between Vassal and Patron, even between Realms.
Neither is able to read the thoughts of the other. The effect is as per
Intercession 1 (prayer).

2) The Vassal may 'channel' the powers of their Patron. If a successful
+power roll (with modifiers for distance/realms/etc.) is made, the Vassal may
then use one of the powers of their Patron, just as if the Vassal possessed
the power on their own +sheet. The channeled power is temporary (5-10 minutes
maximum), and the Patron will be unable to use that power for the duration.
The Patron may at any time refure to allow their power to be channeled.

Continued in '+news patronage-damned3'
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +news: patronage-damned3 ====================
3) The Patron's True Name will appear upon the forehead of the Vassal,
underneath the Mark of the Beast, when viewed by others with Sight. 

A Patron gains the following benefits:

1) The same Patron-Vassal telepathic link as described above.

2) Rank. Rank measures the esteem the Patron has in the eyes of the Realm of
Hell itself. It is recognized by the spiritually inclined, and is separate
from the titled nobility and societies within the Damned. For each level of
Rank possessed, the Patron may add a modifier to any of their +power rolls,
reflecting the greater individual strength that Patron has upon reality,
and does NOT work when the Patron is resisting a +power/opp by another being.

Continued in '+news patronage-damned4'
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +news: patronage-damned4 ====================
3) At higher levels of Rank, the Patron is sent images in the form of
dreams. These images (mostly vague) cannot be blocked out, and may cause
insanity unless steps are taken to understand the messages (Truth 3).

4) The seal of the Realm of Hell will appear on the forehead of the Patron,
underneath the Mark of the Beast, when viewed with Sight. Both Vassal and
Patron may use Omens to cover up the marks.

The bond can not exist between Damned Patron and Unchosen/Blessed Vassal.
However, the Vassal may Damn him/herself before undergoing the bond.
Otherwise, the attempt will result in death for both parties (the same as if
the +power roll had simply failed.)

The bond can be negated with Curse 4. The number of successes must match or
exceed those made when the bond was formed. Otherwise, refer to '+news
patronage-rules3'. Additional aftereffects vary, depending on RP and the
specific contracts formed.
==============================================================================

===================== Armageddon +news: patronage-blessed ====================

Three basic types of Blessed patronage exist on Armageddon:

1) Guardian Angel - one on one relationship between an angel and a Blessed
 human.
2) Overseer - an angel is the Patron of multiple Blessed humans.
3) Connection - a human of spirit 7+ (a Saint) can have Blessed human vassals.

The vassal to be bonded (must be a Blessed Human of spirit 6 or less) and the
Patron (an angel or a Blessed human of spirit 7+) must ICly agree to the
bonding. In the case of a Saint, all the Saint's other vassals must ICly agree
to the new addition as well. An Intercession roll is made by the vassal-to-be.
On a failure, nothing happens. On a botch, Something Bad happens (determined by
the staffer adjudicating). The bond lasts as per +news patronage-rules.

(continued in +news patronage-blessed2)
==============================================================================
==================== Armageddon +news: patronage-blessed2 ====================

Guardian Angel - This bond gives a +1 bonus to all +power rolls for either
Patron or Vassal and a +2 bonus to /all actions/ while in the same location.
Also, the Angel knows, unless blocked by Omens or a similar power, the location
of the Attuned, as well as their current emotional state. With a successful
+power roll, the Attuned can channel the powers of the Patron. This can only
exist with a one-to-one bond. 

Overseer - If an Angel has more than one Blessed human servitor, the bond
changes in some way, shape or form. No longer is it personalized, but there
exists strength in numbers. The humans all gain a +1 bonus to +power,
as before, but now form something of a collective. When necessary, any of the
Vassals can make a +power roll, with the +1 bonus, to speak telepathically to
any other Vassal, or the Patron, of their Patron. Any of the Vassals can
channel the powers of the Patron, as long as another Vassal is not channeling
the same power at the same time. The Patron can, at any time, speak with any
of his Vassals, and also gains a +1 bonus to his +power rolls for every rank.

(continued in +news patronage-blessed3)
==============================================================================
==================== Armageddon +news: patronage-blessed3 ====================

Connection - This sort of bond exists between a Saint (a Blessed human with
spirit 7 or above) and a Blessed human of spirit less than 6. This bond
provides the usual bonuses as if an overseer (+1 bonus to +power, pseudo-hive
mind, +rank bonus to +power for patron), but also the bonded can summon the
Saint without so much difficulty. A +rank modifier is added to the summoning
roll of a Connection vassal if summoning the Saint. As an added bonus, the
Saint and the Vassal can share WP by using the following method:

The Vassal makes an Intercession roll using the normal +power modifiers, but
instead of the Saint coming to the Vassal or vice versa, a pathway is opened
between the two. The success of the +power roll determines the number of rounds
that WP can be transferred. (E.g. A Vassal with a spirit of 4 gets a success of
3 and can therefore transfer a maximum of 12 WP) This particular aspect of
Connection patronage requires the utmost concentration; any disturbance will
break the pathway.

==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

========================= Armageddon +News: factions =========================
In the End, people of similar race, affiliation, and goals gathered together.
These (usually) closely knit people all fight for what they believe in. And
fight they must, for in the Armageddon, with thesis comes anti-thesis..
These are some of the current factions. Check the factions/RP board ('+help
bb' for help on reading the global bulletin boards.) for more recent
information.

This news topic is obsolete. Please use +faction instead. See '+help faction'
for more information.

*** NOTE: many of the faction files may be out of date. It's best to
check with the staff and other players.
==============================================================================
============================ +faction Information ============================

You can access information on any of the following factions:

Abbey        Guild        TG           Black_Sun    Bank         Citadel      
UG           ISL          Cathedral    83rd         SSD          SOD          
IBI          

==============================================================================

========================= +faction Information: Abbey ========================

Located in the southeastern plains, the Abbey was built a decade or so after
the end of the world by the old Abbot Polonius. It is a place of healing and
respite, where those with the Seal of God may come to find refuge from the
City's evils. Through supernatural aid, it has remained a bastion for the
Blessed for nigh on forty years.

It is ruled over by a council known as the Synod, a group of seven
Ecclesiastics. Their leader, the Abbess, is a woman named Laura and the
remaining Ecclesiastic is a child named Dyno. Those seeking entrance must come
and speak with one of authority, for past events have prevented the Blessed
from opening their gates to anyone. Those bearing the Seal of Lucifer will be
turned away; those with no mark may be permitted inside, but only with good
reason.

(Interested? +Finger AbbeyBLDR, and feel free to send mail or pages.)

Owned by AbbeyBLDR.

==============================================================================

========================= +faction Information: Guild ========================

The faceless and rather eccentric Guild is a growing union of scholars,
artisans, and craftsmen dedicated to reclaiming the arts and sciences that
were lost in the Apocalypse. Although magick and miracles are not forbidden,
the Guild teaches that such things are often frivolous and impermanent. "The
people of Babylon deserve better," proclaims the Guild. "It is madness for us
to live like this amidst these ruins, murdering each other for scraps and
illusions. We -can- rebuild..."

Owned by Silverhammer.

==============================================================================

========================== +faction Information: TG ==========================

OOC: Since you are not a demon, you know nothing about this faction ICly,
unless someone who does know has told you. This faction is open to damned
demons only. If you would like information about joining it, contact
Sir_Storyteller through mail or page.

Owned by Sir_Storyteller.

==============================================================================

======================= +faction Information: Black_Sun ======================

Black Sun is more of a guild rather than a faction. The guild is an assasins
guild, a place where the assasins of Black Sun, may stay, and train. The guild
is comprised of 2 main sections: 1) Assasination 2) Terrorism. Sometimes the
assasins may be asked to do some terrorism work. The Black Sun is currently
loking to hire Assasins, and Terrorists.Not just anyone can become an assasin
of Black Sun. First, you must prove your worth in an act of true evil, that
will be decided at the time. The next test shows your 100 percent loyalty to
Black Sun, and your bravery. one more test will conclude, known as the trial
of blood... Once a member of Black Sun you will assume the rank of apprentice.

Here are the ranks: I: Apprentice, II: Assasin III: Experienced Assasin IV:
Master Assasin V: Trainer, VI: Guild Master. The ranks go from least to
greatest. Trainer is not necessarily a higher rank then anywhere from I-IV.
(OOC note: please mail me if you are interested in becoming an Assasin, or if
you are an assasin, please mail me.)

Owned by Duke.

==============================================================================

========================= +faction Information: Bank =========================

Forged within the shadows and seemingly erected over night the Bank of Babylon
is a structure that represents both greed and deceit. Its massive stone and
titanium fortifications have never known to be pierced and in it is assumed to
lie a vast fortune of demonic coins providing almost unlimited resources.
Those who work for the Bank are shrouded in secrecy, cloaked and disguised as
executives or spies in other branches of this money printing machine. It is
believed that the Bank strives to eventually control the entire city, yet many
think it already does through its economy and properties. Its tactics are calm
and often innocent in appearance, coercing the public into willing
participants as it feeds them loans and partnerships for their businesses and
monuments for their City. Its civil duties often help it to remain neutral
from the hate which so strongly is focused on the demonic hierarchy. Its
security force is never a wise thing to tangle with as it rivals even the
Citadel's in strength and armament: dressed in clothing as black as night and
as strong as steel they brandish automatic weapons and rifles while wearing a
glinting silver star that glows in a red tinge, a constant reminder of its
brainwashing perspective for Communistic tendencies--share with all and may
prosperity come to us all is its shallow motto.

* Faction WWW Page: http://www.concentric.net/~garret/Bank.html *

Owned by BankBLDR.

==============================================================================

======================== +faction Information: Citadel =======================

The Citadel is perhaps the strongest and well-known force of Hell upon Earth.
It rules over the City with an iron fist or with a flagrant slap (Although
Starsmore, the current Lord, is known for his use of force), enacting the will
of Hell's ruling Hierarchy on the domain of Earth. The life pulses of the
Citadel are the officers and guards that pledge their loyalty to its service.
They gain fame, strength, powers, skills, and the stories of daily adventures.
From torturing an unruly Underground member bent on overthrowing the Citadel,
to capturing Angels, to the simple harassment of the slightly unruly
citizenry, they do it all. If you pledge loyal service to the Citadel, the
chances of working your way up the ranks are high, if you have the proper
guile and wit.

*Contact 'Starsmore' for information, also an Info object in the Info Center*

Owned by Jon.

==============================================================================

========================== +faction Information: UG ==========================

Not everyone can accept the rule of the Citadel. Some can see through its
veils of lies to the corruption and the manipulation, and those that choose
not to hide have banded together. Against the influence of the Celestials and
the Infernals they stand. Their cause is to promote the freedom of humanity.
They are the Underground.

Founded soon after the Citadel's manifestation by the legendary Adrian, Prince
of Rats, the Underground became infamous for its militia tactics and animosity
towards both Heaven and Hell. Few citizens of Babylon have not heard of the
raids of Locke and Yossarian, and of the popular Babbling Rat in the northern
sector of the City. Lately, now that the Babbling Rat has been restored and
the Unchosen sector of the city is getting some renovations, people have begun
to wonder if the UG is beginning to resurface.

(For more information, +finger Mr.Underground.)

Owned by Mr.Underground.

==============================================================================

========================== +faction Information: ISL =========================

The 'Freedom Fighters' of Hell, the Infernal Solidarity League is a faction
composed of Damned Humans, Lost Souls and Demons alike, seeking a better way
of life for all Damned beings. It's rumored that the ISL supports freedom and
equality for the Lost Souls in Hell, although the faction maintains carefully
diplomatic relations with the Hierarchy. The ISL teaches that the Left-Hand
Path is a way of honor, nobility and dignity, promoting the ideals of
Lucifer's rebellion for all races. Its goals include aiding the impoverished
Damned of the City to become self-sufficient, winning converts to the Damned
cause via persuasion and reason, rather than deceit, and fostering the
spiritual development of its members.. the ultimate goal, Godhood for all who
seek it. The current President is Claribel Vidriani, known as the
'Lightbringer', an enigmatic Mage of Hell.

Owned by Claribel.

==============================================================================

======================= +faction Information: Cathedral ======================

Primarily used for performing rituals, The Cathedral is home to many of the
damned patron that walk the Earth. Many enter its glorious entrance, through
the vestibule, and into The Gambling Floor, where people gamble their life
earnings and souls away. Forlorn in its past glory, The Cathedral continues to
serve the damned community as an aid for many events, such as a summons, the
damnation of an ether-affiliation, or simply for those who wish to have a
great time at the slot machines. The lovely Cynthia will attend to all guests
needs, as they enjoy a relaxing rest in the many booths available. Through the
old, comes the new. From the new, comes oppertunity, and the Cathedral is full
of it; the regal Cathedral makes itself the prime abode to all on Earth.

Owned by CathedralBLDR.

==============================================================================

========================= +faction Information: 83rd =========================

The 83rd Legion of Hell serves the Inquisition of Hell as its military arm on
Earth and performs anything from Black Ops to open ground assault against
enemies of the Inquisition. In the 83rd Legion of Hell there is a strict
command structure that is well defined. There are currently four squadrons in
the Legion: Alpha Squadron, which is responsible for ground assault; Delta
Squadron: which is our special ops/black ops group; Omega Squadron: which is
our demolitions group; and finally our Hell Hounds: the elites of the 83rd
Legion. Admission into the Hell Hounds is only given to those who have proven
themselves time and time again as worthy servants of Hell and the Morningstar
through combat and leadership. The hierarchy of the Legion is as follows:
Commander, Lieutenant, Colonel, Master Sergant, Sergant, Legionaire and
Private. We accept Unchosen and Damned Humans and most certainly Demons. (OOC:
If you are interested in joining +mail me or Sethnahkt for more in depth
detail on the Legion)

Owned by Jakal.

==============================================================================

========================== +faction Information: SSD =========================

Risen from the ashes of Hell, this society seeks out the magic, mystery, and
lore of the darker side of life. The SSD, or Socitas Scientiae Diaboli, is
currently seeking more earthly agents to serve its dark interests. In the
realm of Eres, they have no home, but the Tower of Sorcery is frequented by
the elite members of the faction. The SSD are shrouded in mystery, but that is
their nature. (OOC: To join, contact Amatoria or Thiazi.)

Owned by Thiazi.

==============================================================================

========================== +faction Information: SOD =========================

The 'Shadows of Darkness' are one of the more mysterious sects.They follow the
forces of darkness, sometimes serving the will of the Lords of Hell.They are
rumored to have obtained wisdoms of darkness from their leader known as the
"Dark One".They are known to wear black robes.At times, they preform dark
rituals.
 
(OOC) To join or for further information, contact Bnases through +mail or page)

Owned by Bnases.

==============================================================================

========================== +faction Information: IBI =========================

(OOC) I.B.I. is an X-files, C.I.A, F.B.I. type faction. 

 The I.B.I. independently investigated all events, occurances, and people
within and outside the walls of the city. Like a real investigative branch,
you will be expected to take a case, and collect as much information as you
can, with the minimal amount of contact with the subject or subjects. The
I.B.I. is based on a code of loyalty, integrity, courage and a aggressive
character. There are positions abailable in Science, Ferensics, Ballistics,
Research/Development, and Field Agent. All Personnel will gain powers, skills
and strength, Damned and Unchosen are accepted, after completing the required
training. After all the required training has been completed, you will be
sworn into the I.B.I. and given your badge, certificate of completion, and
your issue pistol. We are not part of the Citadel, or the 83rd Legion of Hell,
although we can contract our services out to the other factions. Remember
knowledge is power, for further information, contact Othello. 

(OOC) It is best to contact the player or players you are investigating ooc
first before you begin your investigation. By contacting the player ooc you
can get them to drop you clues, and aid you in collecting information about
them. I do not expect characters to pledge their entire playing career to the
I.B.I., if for some reason you want out IC, we can always rp a retirement, or
other to remove you from our faction.

Owned by Othello.

==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

=========================== Armageddon +News: staff ==========================
These are some guidelines for the staff at Armageddon MUSH. Players, feel free
to read and refer to these, especially when complaining about staff members!

DISCLAIMER: This is a game. If I were a real character in this MUSH, I would be
either Damned or Unchosen, despite my good intentions. This is in no way
meant to discriminate OOCly or insult OOCly players of any (or no) religious
faiths. I.e. the game is a *fantasy* based on the Christian Bible.
Ideas and RP preferences reflect those of myself (Taisch) and others who more
or less agree with me. It is not meant as a universal RP guide, but the
philosophy of this particular MUSH.

General            Npcs               Positions         
==============================================================================

======================= Armageddon +News: staff-general ======================
*** Stay calm and use your common sense! ***
 - Please do not swear at players, nor summon nor teleport to them without a
paged warning. Do not teleport to a private area if you are refused permission.
 - When a player misbehaves, please give them a clear warning of what they've
done wrong before taking any disciplinary action. Keep a log if you can. Post
to the staff bboard.
 - Summonings: Make sure the players involved have a clue (descs, IC 
motivations, etc.) Don't let people summon their own alts or puppets. Post
on the Summonings bboard with who summoned whom, for what (IC) reason, with
what results, and any other comments you feel appropriate.
 - Try to get a neutral staffer to adjudicate in any situation your own PC
is involved in.
 - Try not to overstep your own area of authority. If you do do something
that another staffer is technically responsible for, be sure to tell them!
 - Absent/idle staffers may be removed and replaced.
 - Do not lie to the players (or the staff). If you don't want to answer
something, say so, rather than lying.
 - Staff are just as accountable to the rules as any of the players. The only
exceptions are when the deviations are specifically designed to support an
approved TP or when agreed upon by everyone involved. (For example, fudging
so that a character doesn't die.)
 - If you feel burnt out or stressed, quit or take a break!

 - Don't abuse your staff powers! What does that mean? Basically, do not
use your staff powers for personal reasons. Staff bits are not meant to be
a reward for your service, but rather a tool you are entrusted with. Your
reward should be the satisfaction of making the MUSH a fun place for the
players. Private (and low profile) coding projects are fine, as long as
they are strictly OOC and do not affect the rest of the MUSH nor infringe
on anyone's privacy.
 - Respect players' privacy! This includes not revealing information about
backgrounds or stats (if the person has their +sheet hidden) unless
specifically required for adjudication purposes. Do not reveal information
about alts to the players, or site information.
 - OOC "spying": The only case in which it is legal to invade a player's
privacy is if they are suspected of plotting harm to the MUSH: breaking
into the site, crashing the MUSH, hacking the DB, etc. In such cases,
the other staffers need to be informed.
 - @walls/global spam: Please use these ONLY for serious MUSH-wide
announcements. For fun things, please use the ARMAGEDDON channel.
 - *Respect* the players. Listen to their ideas, and if they propose things
you think are out of theme/stupid/silly/twinky/unworkable/etc., please tell
them "No" *politely*.
==============================================================================

======================== Armageddon +News: staff-npcs ========================
* Staff NPCs are for the benefit of the players, not the staff. *

Enjoy your staff NPCs, but always keep in mind that their purpose is to make
the MUSH more fun for the players. Oppose PCs, but don't smother them.

 * Theme NPCs: NPCs can reinforce the basic theme and setting of the MUSH.
People like to play rebels and heros, exceptions to the rule. "Boring" normal
NPCs (even the powerful ones) show where the stereotypes came from. They are
an anchor for the MUSH reality. This is not to say they should be bland paper
cut-outs, only that they are more the rule than the exception.

Continued in NPCS2
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: staff-npcs2 =======================
 * Weird NPCs: NPCs can also add mystery and surprise to the MUSH. Players can
get to know everything *too* well, becoming complacent and bored. Staffers
have more leeway than players to introduce new elements (of course, players
may suggest them as well) to the game. Don't use these to overshadow the PCs.
You're staff. You can give NPCs whatever stats you want. That's not the point.

Remember, your job is to let the players have fun. Often, your NPC is destined
to lose in the end, since the PCs are the protagonists of the game. You are
not the center of action, but rather the scary mysterious foe. Don't make the
players feel helpless. Encourage creativity. Give plenty of space for PCs to
make a difference, even if it means your TP will not go as planned. Ensure that
the PCs can make meaningful choices, rather than just being along for the ride.

Continued in NPCs3
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: staff-npcs3 =======================
Consent issues:

It should be made clear to players that involvement in attacks and plots to use
powerful NPCs or institutions subjects their characters to the risk of death,
disfigurement, injury, or change. Scenes involving such TPs will generally be
coordinated/arbitrated by a staff member. If someone wishes a guarantee of
safety, make sure the staffer knows before the scene begins. Sometimes such
guarantees are possible, and some way should be found to disentangle the PC
before the situation gets too messy.

Powerful, sweeping events that affect large portions (or all) of the population
should be handled with extreme care. These are special cases in which the
players are at the mercy of the staff, with basically no chance to non-consent.
Try your best to be fair.

Continued in NPCs4
==============================================================================
======================== Armageddon +News: staff-npcs4 =======================
Keep in mind that the side-effects of an extremely high spirit apply to NPCs
as well as to PCs. Super-powerful NPCs should rarely venture out of their
home realms, and then only for a scene, for a specific purpose. They usually
have super-powerful enemies, too (though those may never be explicitly known
to the general population) who might attack them when they are exposed. Super-
powerful NPCs can sometimes be summoned (though this is dangerous), but usually
work indirectly through minions, portents, and rumors.

NPCs nearer the average player level of power can be more open and direct.
It's nice to have staff NPCs be open to changes (including death, conversion,
and mutilation) since PCs are often made with a specific concept in mind that
the player doesn't want to change.
==============================================================================

====================== Armageddon +News: staff-positions =====================

Disclaimer: Staff positions and duties fluctuate, depending on whom we can
sucker into the jobs. The actual staff roster at any given time may or may not
correspond to the descriptions below.

See +staff/all for a more accurate list of who's doing what.

* Arch-wizard

The arch-wizard is the final authority in assigning and removing staff, and
banning players. All decisions regarding changes in staff, rules, and code must
be ok'ed by the arch-wiz. The arch-wiz handles appeals of decisions made by
other admins, but after that, the decision is final. Other staffers should
inform the arch-wiz in the case of rulings made "in the heat of the moment."

Continued in +news staff-positions2
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +News: staff-positions2 =====================
* Asst. Arch-wizard

The assistant arch-wizard aids the arch-wiz in keeping the MUSH running on an
OOC level: mediating disputes, listening to player and staff complaints, and
keeping track of things generally.

The asst. arch-wiz acts as arch-wiz when the arch-wiz is absent, and can rule
on staff addition/removals, player disciplining, and game rules if the arch-wiz
has been absent for more than a week.

* Theme Admin

The theme admin's duty is to keep the MUSH unified, by preventing characters
and plots from going too far away from the original theme. The theme admin may
suggest or run NPCs and TPs, and disapprove certain powers, items, or
characters.

Continued in +news staff-positions3
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +News: staff-positions3 =====================
* Storyteller Admin

The storyteller admin's duty is to supervise the other storytellers and
coordinate their efforts.

* Storyteller (ST)

A storyteller helps in the administration of affairs relating to their
sphere: helping newbies, checking that character sheets are ok, running TPs,
assisting in player-driven TPs, keeping up the +news files for their sphere,
acting as an advocate of their sphere in staff discussions, etc.

* Code Admin

The code admin is responsible for code maintenance, updating, and creation.
The code admin can also help other people with their own coding.

Continued in +news staff-positions4
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +News: staff-positions4 =====================
* Site Admin

The site admin is responsible for providing a home for the MUSH,and keeping
backups of the DB in case of crashes.

* Building Admin

The building admin is in charge of approving new building projects, and
inspecting and linking them once they are done. The building admin keeps the
building nexus in order, answers questions about building, and checks that
existing buildings are still in theme, are properly desc'ed, and still have
active owners. The building admin has the authority to edit buildings for
spelling, grammar, and conservation of DB space. (I.e. some excess, non-used
rooms may be moved to +views, exit descs, etc.)

Continued in +news staff-positions5
==============================================================================
===================== Armageddon +News: staff-positions5 =====================
* Advancement Admin

See +news advancement. Apply to the advancement admin for learning powers and
skills, gaining special items, followers, etc.

* Economy Admin

The economy admin supervises the MUSH's economy system: rules, code,
applications for businesses or income, etc.

* Assistants/Understudies

Admins may appoint assistants (subject to veto by the Arch-wiz) if they wish
to.
==============================================================================
Return to the top of the page.

Credits: These news files were originally written by Taisch, but by now have been heavily edited and added to by many of the other players/staffers on the MUSH, especially the sections on each race. Contributors have included but are not limited to Aphrael, Asmodeus, Garrett, Helel, Isla, Murmur, Nemesis, Silverhammer, St. Brude, St. Cecil, and Talisein.

Converted into this form in February, 1999 by Taisch.
Revised --- January 11, 2001
URL: http://www.trailing-edge.com/~cchang/arm/arm-news.html
Send comments, corrections, and suggestions to cchang@trailing-edge.com
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