By Elizabeth McCoy

Do you want information? Knowledge? Last week's newspaper? Seek out the Library, and its Guardian, the Archangel of Thoroughness.

Once she bore another Word, Archives, but when Lucifer elevated her to Archangel, he granted her a Word to subsume it. And now she guards the Library, and, with her Servitors, makes sure that the data contained within it is used only by the right people. It wouldn't do for the masses to just walk in and read anything they wanted. It might give them the wrong ideas. So make sure that your i's are dotted, your t's crossed, and that you have a very good reason to request a Library search on your topic - or you might find yourself explaining your reasons to the Sword and not just a Librarian.

And God - or someone - forbid you harm a book, or keep it overlong. Book-defacers and the Overdue are more likely to vanish silently in the night than the most strident soap-box heckler. Beth's angels often work with those of the Sword, keeping the records for Heaven's enforcers, and reporting back to their mistress...

Once Beth favored a human appearance, but humans are hardly beings to emulate, these days. She prefers the form of a tiger, sometimes anthropomorphized sufficiently to manipulate stacks of books, and her Servitors are likewise "form snobs," displaying a vessel-form only to the extent necessary to interact with others.

There are rumors - whisper them softly, where the Swords do not hear - that sometimes her old Word and purpose reasserts itself, and she will give anyone access to even the Restricted Files, just for the asking. But those are just rumors, and to ask and be wrong... Well, one sometimes wonders what those books are bound with.

Either do something right -- i.e., thoroughly - or don't do it at all. Any Servitor of Thoroughness will receive a note of dissonance should it start something and finish it sloppily. Other people's sloppiness is not <I>quite</I> dissonant (unless it becomes contagious mess), but if one of Beth's minions does not do everything within its power to make sure all loose ends are resolved by the end of the situation (often called "closing the chapter")... Well, it's dissonance time, possibly made worse by Beth herself.

(It is, perhaps, strange that the Attunements of Thoroughness seem to be so geared towards libraries and other archives of knowledge. Then again, Archives was originally Beth's Word, before the... Revolution.)

A Seraph of Thoroughness may pluck a feather from its wings and write, in its own blood, "corrections" in any textual medium. At any point subsequent, it may, for 3 Essence and with a Will roll, make those corrections permanent in every other corporeal copy of that text.

Unfortunately for them, any other Seraph of Thoroughness can do the same thing with a fresh copy; however, any blood-altered copy is partly immune. Subsequent changes appear in red, translucent over the original text. (This Attunement works in the corporeal realm, too; the feather appears out of a wing-like shimmer and has a constant supply of ink-blood.) The feather will register as a relic/0 (much as canon-Vapula's artifact-attunements do). Note that the angel does not have to use the feather to make corrections, nor make those corrections permanent. The ability to produce the blood-inked feather may be purchased by any other Choir; the imposing of "true corrections" upon text is restricted to Seraphim.

(For the curious, yes, plucking a feather for such a task is mildly painful.)

These Guardians can attune to any number of books so long as they all fall into the same "category": romance books, self-help books, history books, etc. Each collection counts as one attunement for their limits, and must be attuned to all at once. (To add a new book to the collection, the Cherub must de-tune and reattune to all the books at once again.)

Nearly alone amongst their Choir, Ofanim of Thoroughness have one place where they are still paragons of grace: archives of data. They can use their resonance to seek out materials in a place where information is kept - they'll be led unerringly to the Mystery section in a bookstore (if that's what they want to look for), the correct drawer of microfiche, and the right key to access a computer's Search Database functions... (They don't get password revelations or supernaturally unlocked doors, though.) And as it would be most displeasing to damage books - or otherwise do a sloppy job of knowledge-discovery and retrieval - they can do a thorough job instead, and get from point A to point B without damaging anything.

Unfortunately, this return to their previous state can leave some of them forgetting that it doesn't work when they're outside a library. Beth has forbidden any of them to have drivers' licenses; it would only encourage them to make requests for new cars.

Pure and simple, the Barons of Heaven make great collectors of overdue books. At a glance, they can discern those who have, sloppily, not returned over-due library books, or damaged books which were in their care - and whether their failings were deliberate or accidental. (It is rumored, further, that they can spot Servitors of Hatiphas and Mariel with a moment of concentration and a successful Perception roll...)

An Elohite of Thoroughness is, in some ways, an Elohite's Elohite. They go over everything, carefully, to make sure that it will please their mistress and serve Heaven's cause. They are thorough, they are precise. (They are, in fact, nitpickers - but they are nearly the only Elohim who can engage in the previous Choir pastime of coming up with heretical suggestions and meticulously dissecting them to see what the idea might contain that would be of use. It's not the suggestions that they get excited about; it's the dissection...)

With at least fifteen minutes and a successful Precision roll, they can cite references and precedents to prove/disprove just about anything - the check digit of their roll subtracts from rolls to resist going along with what the Elohite thinks is right.

Kyriotates (Restricted)

Most of Beth's Kyriotates are in the Library. (Well, most of her Servitors in general are there, truth be told. She doesn't like them out from under her watchful eyes, you see. But the Kyrios are really kept home.) They like it that way, generally. But when they're on the outside, they can, temporarily, keep the "Kyriodim curse" at bay by immersing themselves in their Archangel's Word: if they can pick a task and do it thoroughly, painstakingly, without pause or heed of other events... they can stave off the corruption for the duration of the task. (The hosts tend to be more detail-oriented afterwards, but this is hardly a problem.) This immersion requires a Precision roll, every 12 hours. (Typically at dawn and dusk, or noon and midnight; it just works out that way.) For every day that the Kyriotate succeeds in this, the corruption of its host is on hiatus. [In truth, it channels the corruption into nitpicking and rules-lawyering, but most Servitors of Thoroughness consider that this is normal, and at least it's not actively murderous.]

Humans implicitly trust Lilim. That's just the way it works. So Lilim (along with Mercurians) are the ones who tend to their mortal cousins, both in Heaven and on Earth. With eye contact or a touch, and a moment's concentration, they know what someone is looking for (in an informational sense). And should they give that information, the person who sought it is spellbound, helplessly rapt, until the Charismatic is finished imparting the data. (This can last for as brief a time as handing over a book, or as long as the Lilim can filibuster on the topic while still revealing useful data.) If the entranced one is attacked, the spell is broken. The knowledge of information sought can be taken by other Choirs, but the enthralling is based on the Charismatic nature.

When Beth's Mercurians resonate someone, they do a thorough job of it; any attempt to resist their resonance is at a penalty equal to the Mercurian's Ethereal Forces. As an added bonus, they may, by touching a book for minutes equal to 7 minus their Ethereal Forces, absorb the knowledge within any biography, recalling data from it with an Intelligence roll for the next (Ethereal Forces) days. (This latter ability may be taken by other Choirs.)

Actually, this attunement detects loose ends - which the Servitor is then supposed to handle, naturally. With a minute of contemplation of the supposedly-completed situation, and a Perception roll the user will sense if there are any "loose ends" which need resolution; for 1 Essence, he will know roughly what they are and where he should start looking for them. The definition of "loose end" is up to the GM, but anything which would activate Thoroughness' dissonance conditions certainly qualifies. It is also good for detecting books that should have been filed, but are misfiled or even slipped down between bookshelves.

There are two Distinctions of Thoroughness, which are roughly equal: Librarian and Collector. In practice, Librarians are considered higher-ranked in the celestial realm, while Collectors have seniority on the corporeal plane. (One with both, naturally, has seniority over one without...)

Upon entering a place where text is stored (or accessing a computer with that data), a Librarian will automatically be able to mentally access the titles, subjects and authors of all the textual material in the area. With a successful Perception roll, the Librarian may also get a brief summary. A Librarian may voluntarily restrict this ability to "all books within eyesight" to prevent brain-explosions when in Yves' Library.

With a touch, the Collector knows everything about an object that could have been discovered by a careful, thorough examination. This includes secret compartments, flaws, and missing pages in books. (For the purposes of the Attunement, large objects, like rooms or houses, should be divided down to reasonable sections - one wall at a time, for instance.) The Attunement requires merely a thought to activate, but is not always on. (I.e., the player has to tell the GM which objects are to be examined.)

[to be firmed up later]

Host:

(It should be noted that Beth's version of "Associated" can be very close to "Neutral". But it's a more friendly, helpful neutral, rather than a somewhat disdainful, "why are you bothering me?" neutral. Which is her other Neutral.)

Allied: Laurence, Lucifer, Zadkiel

Associated: Gebbeleth, Israfel, Jean,

Neutral: Andrealphus, Beleth, Christopher, Eve, Iblis, Kobal, Malphas, Marc

Hostile: Demogorgon,

Exiles:

(Beth doesn't hold much truck with this whole War thing. It's messy and disorganized, among other reasons. She doesn't like that, and she doesn't like the Archangels who aid that. But those who don't get all violent, well... If they're not getting in the way, ignore 'em; that's what she tells her Servitors. Some, considered Associated, are "ignored" in a more helpful way: they might exchange information. But that's all, and it's sub rosa, and if any Swords ask, it's a form of spying. Really.)

Associated: Raphael, Novalis, Nybbas, Vapula

Neutral: Blandine, David, Dominique, Eli, Haagenti, Lilith

Hostile: Baal, Ogiel, Uriel

Other:

Beth is hostile to Beelzebub in an impersonal way - what little she knows of him (and she does know, for does she not keep the archives?) indicates he's one of those military sorts who runs around trampling the roses and damaging the books; she just objects to him on principle. Gabriel, on the other hand... Well, sometimes it's good to have the eggs of learning in more than one basket. (Of course, "Associated" means about the same as it does for the Exiles, above.)

Associated: Gabriel

Neutral: Fleurity, Jordi, White Star

Hostile: Beelzebub, Mariel

: Organize an entire library (public or personal), by author, title, and any sufficiently complex ordering system, such as the Dewey Decimal System or LC.

: Finish a course of study at a school, college, or university.

: Acquire a Missing Book (one of those taken by Mariel or Hatiphas, or anything else designated as Stolen, such as the prophecies of Nostradamus). +3 Essence

+2 . . . A thoroughly completed task (e.g., a ship in a bottle, a careful dissertation, etc.).

+3 . . . Evidence of completing a course of study (e.g., a diploma).

+4 . . . A perfectly-organized library (public or personal), as per the Rite.

+5 . . . A captive Servitor of the Thieves: Mariel or Hatiphas.

+6 . . . A Missing Book!

One of Raphael's creations, Beth was just another Word-bound Cherub working in the Library, before... well, before the change. Her Word was Archives, and she kept them. Kept notes on important conversations, kept the books in order, kept everything neat and tidy in the Library.

When Lucifer won his little argument with God, Beth was... totally unaware of what was going on. There was an undefined threat humming around her, directed toward her precious Library, and she stayed there, pacing back and forth before the books and growling ferociously lest any dare to harm them. And then Yves walked out of the Library, grief and anger stark upon his face. Startled, Beth followed him to the doorway, and watched as he, and the other defeated angels, were cast away. He looked toward her, and to this day, she doesn't know what he was trying to say. Then he left, the others exiled behind him. Raphael was gone as well, without even a backwards glance. But Beth stayed with the books, the precious archives. Stayed, while those who had been her guides... went.

Later, Lucifer came into the Library, and was startled to have a youngish Cherub - small, though Word-bound - growling into his face before he could even touch a book.

"By what right," demanded the grieving and confused Cherub, "do you enter this place and seek knowledge?"

The Lightbringer's first thought was, admittedly, to strike her down. But something about her demand was... fitting, to the new order. "I am Lucifer," he replied, "and I am the one who has revealed Truth to the Symphony."

Beth narrowed her eyes at the shining Seraph for a time, then produced a book from beneath one wing, and a quill from that wing, with blood still upon it. "Write down what book you want to look at, and why," she said. "Then I'll fetch it."

Lucifer felt mingled outrage and amusement, and something that almost felt like pride - and he wrote his name, and wrote "The Book of Names," and wrote, "To study it." The Cherub took it back, scrutinized this, grunted to herself and left with a flip of her tiger tail. Quickly, she returned, and handed him the great Tome that had been Yves' and Yves' alone.

And then she said, "You may keep this six days. And if it is not back by then, on the seventh day I will come and retrieve it."

The Morning Star took the book away with him, and he studied it, and out of some whim, he kept it overlong. And on the seventh day, shouldering past the honor guards at his door, Beth stalked into his rooms and, without a word, picked it up from beneath his nose and began to leave.

"Wait," Lucifer said. So she did. He continued, "You are dutiful, in your care of the Library." She looked over her shoulder at him, and he went on, "For your diligence, I would give you the Word of Thoroughness, and raise you to Archangel, that you might guard the knowledge of the Library from those who would misuse it, or misunderstand it."

Beth lowered her head and thought a moment. But the choice was easy. The Library was what she was attuned to, the only point of stability in a Heaven that seemed to have shifted course beyond all imagining. She looked back at him, and said, "Yes."

Beth is thorough. Nitpicky, even, at times. Dedicated, dutiful, and deeply attuned to the Library. Her form is, typically, that of a winged tiger. She doesn't usually use that on Earth, though she's been known to do so... Her human form is tall, female, with large, round glasses, and her (somewhat orangish) hair in a bun. She's not the typical warm, caring Cherub - she takes her comfort in the order of the Library, and expects that her Servitors will, too. Her praise is curt and to the point. Her discipline is as befits her Word, and usually preceded by a most thorough discussion of the flaws being reprimanded.

Nevertheless, she protects her Servitors fiercely, should they come into danger. She's even been known to attune to Servitors, should they be on a mission of particular importance to her. And from time to time, one of her angels has awakened from Trauma to find itself being gently washed by a large, winged tiger. But that's not the sort of thing anyone ever talks about.

Beth cares little save that the Library and its books are safe. It's her world, it's her reason for existence, and it's ALL THAT MATTERS. God, Lucifer, the Exiles... They are all just background for that which shall be eternal: the Library. Where Asmodeus wants it to stagnate, the Archangel of Thoroughness wants it to grow - carefully, in a managed, recorded, stable way. This sometimes puts them at odds, of course.

Humans are generally beneath her notice, but she does employ some blessed souls, in the Free Stacks (see below), and will file newly-written books (which have passed the censors) in the Free Stacks. Indeed, she has been known to - in her more Archival moments - grant Attunements or Distinctions to sufficiently dedicated humans. (Which she defends fiercely afterwards as rewarding those who serve her Word.) This "Heavenly recognition" of skill (for librarians) and talent (for authors) makes Beth a surprisingly popular Archangel among the blessed souls, as it is a cut above the usual benign neglect that most angels dole out. She doesn't have a clue why.

<sidebar>

Beth and Asmodeus have a bit of a Cold War of their own. Asmodeus wants to be able to give anyone information when he wants to (for his own purposes, naturally); Beth frowns upon this severely. Asmodeus wants everything in the Library filed according to his rules, so that he is the one who can find them. But Beth - and many of her Librarians - are equally adept at rooting out books, and, technically, Beth is the official Guardian of the Library.

But it is wrong for angels to fight in Heaven, or even disagree too stridently, so Asmodeus is helpful, and the two Cherubim smile softly as they pass each other in the halls, books tucked beneath their wings, fangs hidden and claws sheathed. Yet, past the honeyed words and respectful conversation, despite the public praise that the Archangel has murmured of her Word-bound Choir-brother, they know that they are at odds. Asmodeus wishes to end the Game; Beth seeks to preserve the Library to infinity. Asmodeus will not break his own rules to achieve his ends; Beth will do whatever it takes to preserve the knowledge she protects. They never speak of this. They do not need to. And if ever their loyalty to Lucifer were to waver...

"Cat-fight" doesn't begin to describe it.

</sidebar>

As Yves had his Book of Names, so does Beth have her book of records. Specifically, the records of every book loaned out, when, and to whom. It also includes all the books which have not been returned, in the order in which their loss was discovered. From this, Beth compiled (and adds to, when necessary), the lists of Missing Books and Stolen Books. These lists are updated periodically, copied by diligent relievers or blessed souls, and distributed to her Servitors.

This book, a relic which does indeed include everything noted down in separate files (such as the ones the librarians in the Free Stacks keep), also ensures that Beth knows who is reading what, and when, and in which order. You can only get around it if you are a librarian Servitor of hers, and authorized to browse the stacks without checking in. (And even then, there are levels of authorization, and even some stacks which no one is allowed to look at without permission, save Beth herself.)

Fortunately, she is loyal to Heaven, and Heaven's Regent. Annoyingly to those who know about her Book and would like to have that information, getting the data out of her is like pulling teeth. Attuned teeth, at that. It's HER book, and no one else is allowed to touch it. (No one else can find it, generally. It just gets produced from beneath a wing when she wants to look at it.)

Lucifer did not remove Beth's Word of Archives. He (claims he) subsumed it, promoting her to Thoroughness. Even in celestial, however, the progression is, well, not entirely intuitive. And sometimes, very rarely, the old habits come back. This happens when she's distracted (such as by being nose-deep in a book), or on those rare occasions when she's actually happy. Someone will ask for a book, presenting all the forms, and be absently handed the material while the forms languish in the being's hand. Even worse, someone might simply hint at desiring information of some kind, and have the book(s) land in its lap, with an absently humming tiger strolling away. (Or worse, an absently humming Archangel with a human form.)

This doesn't happen often. It is rarely commented upon - the books thus received are DEFINITELY put back in a timely fashion by their lucky borrowers. (Or else; Beth doesn't like having to retrieve a book that she doesn't clearly remember lending out, or have the paperwork for.) But every now and then...

Beth is not quite a Cherub-Djinn (with a split personality of Cherub-Cherub), though her attitude comes close. While she cares for little beyond the bounds of the Library, she CARES for the Library and the knowledge it contains. That caring is what keeps her from "Falling," and the existence of the stable, safe Library is what keeps her sane. (Or at least as sane as any Tattered Archangel ever gets.)

The Free Stacks

Some humans like reading, and they can read what they will - so long as it's from the Free Stacks. The materials kept here include whatever has passed the censors of Thoroughness and the Sword; generally, if you could find it in a doctor's office, or if it's a Harlequin romance, it's here...

The Free Stacks are also one of the few places where a human soul can find employment that isn't quite make-work. Librarians are always useful, filing books, cataloging them, and making sure books borrowed from the Free Stacks are returned appropriately. (Sometimes new books do appear, as well - not all authors immediately lose their talent when they arrive in Heaven, and indeed, some people finally do find the time to write the novel they've always wanted to craft. And if those books are deemed unlikely to cause psychological difficulties to the readers, copies can be placed in the Free Stacks.)

Beth's Servitors are in a strict hierarchy, organized by their duties within the Library, and by Choir within those duties. (To Malakim of Thoroughness, this is integrated into their Order of Things. These Barons are sometimes considered a bit odd by their brethren, but so far, few have wanted to argue with the stopping power of the Encyclopedia Britannica.) Within their hierarchy, the minions of Thoroughness have a great deal of latitude. Keep the Library running, keep it growing properly, keep everything properly in its place and do a proper, thorough job of it. That's all the Archangel demands, really. How you go about that is your own business. (Well, up to the point where it doesn't work and gets brought before the Archangel and you get busted back to crafting library cards for humans in the Free Stacks.)

Servitors in the Library proper have more authority, technically, than those "in the field" of the corporeal realm. In practice, corporeal Servitors receive their orders, interpret them to something that is a bit closer to Earthly reality, and deliver the goods. (Orders from the Archangel herself are treated with more respect, of course.) Likewise, angels who have been working with other Words are considered to have more authority, at least within the scope of the other Word.

Beth's people are mostly outside the War, save for those who liaison with the Sword or the Watch. These representatives are often valuable. Knowledge is power. Having someone who is a master researcher is a very useful thing; liaisons who have their paperwork already filled out, permitting them to go in and get practically anything that you need, are very useful.

This value may well be what keeps any rumors of her split personality from being taken too seriously by the police of Heaven - any harassment attempted without enough proof to strike instantly would undoubtedly lose those researchers (And they would probably report any plans of harassment they heard about...). Losing those researchers...

Well, who do you think keeps the code books?

Superior Opinions

<sidebar>

"God doesn't speak to us anymore. Not directly. The Lightbringer speaks."

</sidebar>

Host

Andrealphus: "Always nice to get some more romances for the Free Stacks."

Beleth: "Our paths so rarely cross. Sometimes I think she might be one of the few who understands... But our paths so rarely cross, and maybe that's for the best."

Christopher: "Happy, bouncy, and often enough found in the Free Stacks."

Demogorgon: "Keep. Him. Away. From. The. Library. Keep his servants out. At all costs, keep him and his away from us, for Chaos is the antithesis of Thoroughness."

Eve: "Wasn't sure she'd be literate, but whatever. Frankly, she's too nice. Reminds me of Asmodeus. Best she keeps away from my Lilim, though. They do their work, and they're mine."

Gebbeleth: "There is something comforting about the ineffable."

Iblis: "I'd rather he stayed out of the Library, and I'm sure he does his job. He looked so shocked when I told him I was there to retrieve a book, so long ago."

Israfel: "Her attention is scattered farther than any but a Kyriotate's should be. She doesn't know that she can use our help, but that hardly means we won't offer."

Jean: "Another one who needs help - and we will aid him."

Kobal: "You'd think he'd approve of joke-books being in the Free Stacks, but I had to throw him out personally once, for methodically tearing one up, page by page. Knock-knock jokes aren't that offensive, are they?"

Laurence: "As loyal as any could wish for, and oh-so-thorough. Bright and deadly, cutting to the heart of things. It's easier to let him do the thinking, when he's around. And he knows that we are the researchers, we are the ones to turn to when there is information to be gathered."

Lucifer: "The Regent, and surely he is wise. He gave the care of the Library to me, and he must be wise. He arranges matters in Heaven and on Earth, and all know that he is wise. [pause] I wish his wisdom had not been bought for such a price. But he is the Regent, and surely he is wise."

Malphas: "We don't talk much."

Marc: "Always useful to have someone to find new books, or old books lost. It's better if we recover the Lost Books ourselves, and bring in the Book-Thieves, but the books are the priority, and his people find things in the most interesting places."

Zadkiel: "Another loyal one, and another who knows that we are the ones who make the best records-keepers. It doesn't hurt that she is a dutiful Cherub as well, either."

Exiles

Baal: "Maybe if he weren't down there rabble-rousing, there wouldn't be so much hostility. Maybe some of the other Exiles would see their error and come back. And above that... His Servitors, they care not what destruction they wreak."

Blandine: "I suppose she believes she is remaining true to something, as a Cherub should. But my people rarely frequent the Marches, and hers are rarely concerned with Earth. We all find our hopes somewhere."

David: "He's not dead? How surprising."

Dominique: "Blindness is... an escape. A retreat. She's one who should know better, should know to face the Truth with her eyes open."

Eli: "He's gone wild, in Exile. Creates too fast and furious. The Library can't keep up with the frenetic pace he sets, his Servitors slap-dash and shallow. He's lost his depth, and if only he could somehow be taken in hand and restored to Heaven..."

Haagenti: "Un-thorough, but not worth hunting."

Lilith: "Eve hates her, and some days, that's enough to make me want to like her. She surely didn't know where those books had been stolen from, after all. But she denies the Order, and the Regent's will, and I can but offer some of her Daughters a comforting, stable place and proper work."

Malphas: "Déjà vu, indeed."

Novalis: "She ought to be back up here, and if I ever run across her, I'll tell her so. But otherwise - well, her spheres and mine don't conflict, really. If her people know something, there's no reason to eliminate a source of information."

Nybbas: "Another one who should be here and not there. Cultivate his people where you can, but if they're hampering our forces... Well, all right - there's nothing wrong with the Swords breaking down a Communicator's front door while he's slipping out the back, and all because of an anonymous tip to both parties. Just don't be sloppy about it."

Ogiel: "An insane loose cannon."

Raphael: "I don't understand why she left. I don't understand why Yves left. But they did. They went away and there was no one to protect the Library but me. So I did. I wish... I wish she could be proud of me for that. There's no telling what would happen if I weren't here to keep the books safe."

Uriel: "Another loose cannon."

Vapula: "He goes his way, and I go mine, and never the paths shall meet again. I pray that, if he's right about the roads we both travel, he's also right about where his leads. Don't impede him."

Other:

Beelzebub: "If you must know, he's just another hooligan. Perhaps charismatic, but a ruffian just the same, and outlaw."

Fleurity: "He doesn't get in my way, I don't get in his."

Gabriel: "If only she would listen to the Regent's words, instead of seeking to hear the Almighty murmuring to Himself as He turns His mind to other things. We are in the Regent's care, are we not?"

Janus: "He's dead or gone, and there's nothing to do about it. Not that he and his were ever more than shallow. Demogorgon's a fitting enough replacement, in that sense."

Jordi: "He rarely interferes, if he even lives."

Mariel: "Book-Thief."

White Star: "Another who was born into misguided enmity."