If you ask any Archangel (whether of the Host or of the Exiles) about Jordi, they will tell you very honestly that he is completely and irrevocably mad, utterly insane, and not to be sought out under any circumstances. Asking the same question of your average angel will probable yield the response of "Who?" Strangely enough, both answers are equally accurate.

Jordi is a heretic’s heretic. Though firmly on the side of Lucifer during the Lightbringer’s rebellion, Jordi soon found the Host to be far too hierarchical and human-centered for his tastes, especially with Laurence in charge. So he left.

Jordi has been solely on the Corporeal plane for some time now, moving his consciousness through various aspects of the world’s ecosystem. The angels that have been able to keep up with their leader, abandoning Heaven behind, living on earth long-term, surviving Jordi’s Word-shift from Animals to Animism, still follow him with an almost fanatical zeal. However, Jordi is a harsh taskmaster and Animism is not an easy Word to serve. It never fails for Jordi to have fewer and fewer Servitors with every passing decade, as some are inevitably lost to madness, dissonance, and disbanding.

Still, there is no doubt in Jordi’s Kyriotate mind. Jordi feels a connection with the natural world that is completely beyond simple love for his Word. Though the rest of Celestial society takes this as a sign that he has gone off the deep end, Jordi has actually begun to feel that he is the soul of the universe, working from within the innards of everything. His servitors, of course, are more than happy to support him in this delusion, and so, as the Symphony continues to dissolve (and Jordi along with it), it has become increasingly difficult to determine where Jordi’s forces begin and end. Currently, the Archangel of Animism has gotten so enmeshed in the global ecosystem that it is may actually be impossible to separate him from it.

Reflecting this, Jordi feels any destruction of the natural world or the loss of a naturalist human community as a personal blow to himself, much the way Israfel experiences the dying of the Symphony. His own Servitors, these days, are not so much trying to protect the ecosystem as trying to preserve the existence of their own Superior. Of course, having a Kyriotate Archangel bound up within the body of the planet has not done a great deal of good for the earth itself. Though the "Kyriotate Curse" was not thought to have much affect on animals, plants, rocks, or bodies of water, the rest of the Celestial world is beginning to suspect that the long-term effects of Jordi’s twenty-thousand-year possession could have far graver consequences than anyone previously imagined.

Okay, get this. It is Dissonant for Servitors of Jordi to fail to honor every Corporeal thing as if it had a soul. Vague? Yes, please. Easy to accidentally screw up? Most definitely. And does Jordi enforce it with the Wrath of God? You betcha.

Of course, if all of this seems a little overkill, you have to start thinking like Jordi. In the mind of the Archangel of Animism, the point is for his servitors to act like animals, plants, rocks, water, or any other part of the natural ecosystem (from which Man has excluded himself). If they were to do that, they would instinctively honor everything as a fellow creature and not have to worry about Dissonance at all. However, many of Jordi’s Servitors, especially his Mercurians, still have problems not thinking like humans. They’ll intentionally squash an annoying bug or yank up a dandelion and then get hammered by Jordi’s conditions.

The Archangel of Animism is quite liberal in using Dissonance as a teacher, since his angels can always work it off by serving at one of his few remaining Tethers. Most of his seneschals are actually non-Celestial shamans or spiritualists who can always teach a Dissonant angel a thing or two.

Jordi’s organization is unique in all the world and somewhat confusing to those who aren’t aware of the history behind its development. There is still a definite hierarchy of categories of focus, but it has been slightly altered by the sparse presence of Word-Bound and the recent invention of Embodiments (see the below Distinction).

As it currently stands, Word-Bound and Embodiments are treated the same, with the Angel of Cobras and the Embodiment of Eels both reporting to Ophis, the Embodiment of Serpents. (Note that Jordi’s chain of command is currently ranked more by mythological and spiritual guidelines than by the scientific study of nature.) All of Jordi’s angels have an immediate Superior, who in turn reports to his Superior, and so on until the chain reaches Jordi himself. Of course, any angel of Animism can contact Jordi directly, but the Archangel prefers that proper channels be used unless something of great importance needs his direct attention.

Other than that, Jordi’s Servitors are pretty much allowed to do as they please, though each is expected to be constantly working to support and protect the natural world. There is a great sense of crisis in the ranks of Animism a sense that was very intentionally started by Jordi himself. He wants his Servitors out doing things, not simply planning to do things or talking about how to got about doing things. Action itself is an imperative from the Archangel and the servitors of Jordi scramble to obey.

As for Animism’s human, animal, mineral and other varied components, Jordi prefers to deal with them personally if they do not fit within other established channels.

All of Jordi’s servitors (except Kyriotates) must purchase at least one non-human vessel. Animals are the most popular choice, obviously, though some angels with unique tastes or goals will often choose to ask Jordi for plants, rocks, or insect swarms as vessels. Whether or not the Archangel grants these strange requests depends on how he feels about the specific angel and what kind of mood he is in at the time.

No matter the form of the vessel, nothing that angels of Animism do while inside any naturalistic, non-human vessels (and not just the one they are required to have) disturbs the Symphony. This includes everything from an animal suddenly killing a human (though that would probably cause Dissonance) to a boulder vessel rolling down a hill and crushing several cars. Note, of course, that inanimate vessels have the same restrictions on movement and action as do inanimate hosts (see Kyriotates, below).

Though the truth that the Seraphim impose on others is often fleeting, what with so many Seraphim walking around imposing their own truths, Jordi has little use for flakiness and people who support Animism for a little while. To him, that is just as bad as the New Age "Animists" who leech any real power out of the belief system, making it a cliché.

Therefore, if a truth has been imposed on someone by a Seraph of Animism and later that truth is counteracted by another Seraph’s resonance, the Animist angel will know immediately. More over, at that exact moment, the Animist can resonate on the target like a Cherub, getting a general idea of where the person is. Hopefully, then, the Seraph can track the target down and turn them back towards the "real" truth. Of course, after the initial moment has passed, the Seraph must use his own methods of tracking.

Jordi’s Cherubim are the ultimate guardians of the natural order, and many are so devoted to the cause that they would rather be completely destroyed themselves than allow harm to befall that which they are charged to protect.

The Guardians of Animism can take any damage, physical, mental, or spiritual, that is being done to their attuned and instead apply it to themselves. In this way, the angels takes Body, Mind, or Soul Hits in a quantity of her choice, and that many hits are subtracted from the damage taken by the attuned. In absorbing the damage, the Cherub can choose to convert it to damage of another type. For example, physical damage to the attuned could be taken as Mind Hits, if the angel so desired.

Not surprisingly, Jordi’s Cherubim suffer an amazingly high rate of vessel destruction, insanity, and disbandment. Many take the fact that they can absorb their attuned’s pain as a charge that they must. Jordi does little to discourage them from this belief, simply because it makes them better guardians.

When using their resonance in a natural area (such as a forest), Ofanim of Animism cause no damage, noise, or disturbance if they end up with a check digit that lets them pass through things. The natural environment simply parts in front of the angel (or, in the case of trees and boulders, the angel passes right through them like a ghost). There are even rumors of Ofanim who have used this Attunement to run straight through mountains that were silly enough to get in their way. If this is true, then it would definitely be limited to Jordi’s most powerful Word-bound Wheels. Lesser Ofanim who tried would probably end up buried.

Jordi’s Powers have the unique ability to resonate on a place to get a general feel for its Animistic tendencies. For instance, an Elohite could resonate on a village, a building, a forest, a city, or an entire nation and get a sense of how its occupants feel about the Word of Animism. The place resonated upon can be as large or small as the Elohite wants, but the angel must be able to see at least a part of the place. The angel doesn’t have to be in orbiting the planet to resonate on an entire country, but she does have to be either in that nation or looking over the border into it.

Resonating on very large areas is typically useless because the general feeling the Elohite receives will be completely unspecific. Oh, and it might be important to note that resonating on the entire planet provides the depressing (but unsurprising) information that most people on the earth don’t care much for Animism

The Barons of Animism are a strange breed. Serving a renegade Archangel, they no longer support either Lucifer’s hierarchy or the Exiles interpretation of God’s plan. Instead, Jordi’s Malakim subscribe to the "natural order of things" and must work to honor it. Jordi, of course, is currently in the process of literally embodying this natural order and so he leads the hierarchy, speaking for an absent God.

Jordi’s Barons can focus their Resonance more specifically to find out what a target has done to dishonor the natural world. Then, they can work to right the wrong, avenge the dishonor, or teach the target to do better, depending on the preference of the Malakite in question.

Jordi has never allowed any Lilim within his ranks. He has deep-set feelings against Lilith and considers these "Daughters" to be of less worth than even the worst mortals. But what can you expect from a Choir created by a human?

Animism’s Dominations are the truest reflections of their Word, endowed with the ability to possess absolutely anything. They can be found in rivers, cliff faces, insect colonies, computer networks, asteroids, pick-up trucks, food, and even humans. This very simple yet immensely powerful ability means that Jordi’s Kyriotates never have an excuse for not finding a host.

Note that the Kyriotate can only use the host to perform functions that the body could normally do on it’s own, without assistance. So television sets cannot turn themselves on, cars cannot drive themselves, and so on. Obviously, objects and trees are not going to be able to move of their own accord. However, the angel does still keep all of its supernatural senses while inside a host (or hosts), and inanimate objects can be very useful for spying, especially if you can get another host to plant yourself on someone.

The Archangel of Animism once held a strong distaste for Mercurians due to their bond with humanity. However, he has become more accepting in recent years and, in fact, it was one of his own Mercurians that was able to convince him that all humans were not fit for extermination, an insight that eventually led to Jordi’s Word-shift. Still, the Mercurians of Animism are pretty much left to do as they please. Their Attunement is actually left over from when Jordi was still Archangel of Animals, but it is so useful that the Mercurians have kept Jordi from updating it.

Jordi’s Mercurians have the astounding ability to use their Resonance with great effect on animals and insects, convincing the creatures that the angel is part of their clan or family group. This sense of kinship can be encouraged no matter what vessel the angel is currently inhabiting, leading to such strange occurrences as a lion lying down with a lamb. However, since the customs and behavior of animals are quite different from that of humans, Mercurians should be very careful that they indeed want to be accepted as a family member.

Along with being treated like a specific species of animal, the angel also gains the ability to communicate with members of that species using sound and gesture (exactly the same as Jordi’s original choir attunements when he was Archangel of Animals).

There are, of course, drawbacks to this Attunement. Being considered a "wolf" among a pack of the creatures may keep them from attacking you and enable you to better gain their assistance, but they also might elect you head of their family group, want you to mate with some of them, or want you to join in the hunting parties. Most angels who acquire this attunement already have a fairly good knowledge of the animal behavior and are able to find a way out of such things (note that animals aren’t anywhere near as persistent in being suspicious as humans are), but occasional problems do still occur.

This Attunement allows the angel to be totally surrounded and hidden by the natural environment. By spending 2 Essence and concentrating for 30 seconds, the angel finds herself gathered up by the surrounding natural forces and completely hidden from view. The way this occurs is variable and greatly depends on the surroundings. Possible examples include being enclosed within a tree truck, swallowed by the earth, engulfed by a body of water, carried up into the clouds by the wind, and other such measures. In any case, the embrace lasts as long as the angel wishes and during that time there is no need to worry about food, water, breathing, or other such concerns. However, it is usually impossible for the angel to sense anything outside of the range of the embrace and timing when to emerge can be tricky. It is possible to bring others along and have them be hidden by the embrace, but the angel must spend an additional 3 points of essence for each one.

While in the embrace, any efforts to summon Jordi are at +3. This is simply due to the fact that the cause of the embrace is simply Jordi himself, possessing the surrounding natural landscape with a branch of his consciousness. When using this Attunement, the angel is surrounded by the Archangel.

There is no real hierarchy of rule in the natural world, aside from the food chain, and so Jordi has no distinctions based on rank. Instead, he has special Distinctions that are bestowed upon those who prove themselves worthy.

One of Jordi’s biggest headaches once he became an outsider was the inability to Word-bind his Servitors. Though this Distinction is not really an adequate replacement for Words, it’s the best solution the Archangel has come up with so far. The Embodiment ritual is also one of the first things anyone brings up when pointing out Jordi’s insanity. To best explain exactly how Embodiment works, it’s probably good to start with the Distinction’s history.

Ophis, Jordi’s Angel of Serpents and his most ancient servitor, was stripped of his Word by Lucifer, the one who had awarded the Word in the first place (after the angel’s assistance in the Eden affair). Ophis had been captured by a band of Malakim of Light, who had been investigating him for rumors that he was encouraging the worship of himself, as the embodiment of the souls of serpents, and was actually drawing large numbers of people away from honoring Heaven. He had been making great advancements among the peoples of Central America, turning them away from the new influx of Catholicism and back to honoring the old god Quetzalcoatl (there were even rumors that he had the direct support from the remains of the Aztec Pantheon).

To set an example that this behavior would not be tolerated, Lucifer painfully stripped Ophis’ Word in front of a massive audience of onlookers, including all of the Archangels of the Host. The Lightbringer showed that he was not above severely punishing Ophis, even though the angel had been a great help in starting Lucifer’s rebellion. Afterwards, the former Angel of Serpents was released to crawl back to Jordi, a husk of what he had formerly been and completely suicidal. Ophis begged Jordi to rip his Forces apart and allow him to cease existing, for the angel had been connected with his Word for so long (his was the second Word awarded by Lucifer, after Laurence’s) that he was nothing without it. Jordi only smiled sadly. Then he gathered up the remains of Ophis and carefully took the angel apart, one Force at a time.

Once he was done, Jordi reassembled Ophis as the Embodiment of Serpents. In rebuilding his Servitor, legend has it that Jordi took an entire nest of vipers, broke them down unto their base Forces and attached them all deep within the being of the angel, mixing the amalgam together until it was impossible to distinguish what had been Ophis from what had been serpent.

From that point on, Jordi has never worried about not having Word-bound. Now, Ophis is more serpent than angel, and is more connected to his former Word than he ever was before. Obviously, everyone from Lucifer to the lowest ranks of the Exiles considers Jordi’s Embodiments to be abominations, fit only for complete destruction. Jordi just thinks that he’s bringing Celestials closer to nature, and he’s right, at least, about that.

Jordi’s Shamans are basically on the way to becoming Embodiments. The Archangel of Animism knows the dangers involved in merging angelic Forces with those of the natural world. He himself is a product of such a thing (on a much larger scale of course) and he realizes that it can be a hard adjustment for many.

To help pave an angel’s path towards Embodiment, Jordi first awards them with this Attunement, which provides them with a much more limited form of Embodiment and tests out their responses to it. Shamans are given a "Totem" that represents some aspect of nature and then are bound with the Forces of their Totem in a manner similar to Embodiment. In becoming a Shaman, the angel is not completely taken apart and put back together. Instead, Jordi simply attaches a few Forces of their Totem creature or substance onto the angel’s already existing Forces, something that can still be quite traumatic. Angels who cannot adapt well to being a Shaman will quickly have the alien Forces stripped and are unlikely to ever get the chance to prove themselves this way again. After all, manipulating Forces in this way is extremely tiring for the Archangel and he does not bestow this gift on the unworthy.

Once they have become comfortable with their new being and the new way of thinking that it often brings, all of a shaman’s rolls involving their totem have their Celestial forces added to the check digit.

<Sidebar>

There are some pretty messed-up angels out there: Jordi, Demogorgon, and Israfel, just to name a few. However, Ophis remains in a category by himself. After all, even Jordi finds himself worried about his oldest Servitor from time to time.

If there was ever a creature whom the Symphony decided, above all others, really needed a good mind-job, there you have it, Ophis again, the clear winner. Simply having his Word stripped by Lucifer was traumatic enough, especially since the Lightbringer didn't simply stop with just the Word of Serpents. In a rare showing of the Second Seraph's utter ruthlessness, Lucifer completely destroyed one of his oldest allies, bringing Ophis down from a healthy 17-Force powerhouse to a shriveling 6-force disaster area. The Archangel of Light could have easily turned the lesser Seraph into a Remnant or worse, but he decided that it would be far crueler for Ophis to clearly remember his horrifying experience. So, the creature who had once been the pride of Jordi's followers slithered back to his Archangel as an absolute mess. It took Jordi a while to even recognize the gathering of Forces as his foremost Seraph. Things, it seemed, could not get worse.

It's funny how things turn out.

There are many that say Jordi had been pondering the idea of Embodiment for some time. Others say that the shock of seeing his best warrior in such a state drove the Archangel mad with anger, making him sink to depths not imaginable before. In any case, being rebuilt was definitely not what Ophis had in mind. The wreck of a Seraph was seeking nothing more than oblivion, to be euthanized by the one who loved him above all others. When the Archangel finally took Ophis in his hands and tore the six remaining Forces apart, the Seraph thought that he had reached his final rest.

It's funny how things turn out.

The rumor that Jordi rebuilt Ophis using a nest of vipers is complete nonsense (though that would explain some of the finer points of his new personality). The Archangel of Animism, while bordering on the insane at times, is not stupid by any means. Jordi fully intended for Ophis to all of his original Forces back, but if he had rebuilt the Seraph with 6 angelic Forces and 12 from various serpents, even the Will of Ophis probably couldn't have kept that unbalanced mass together. The new being would have torn itself apart before it could accomplish anything.

Jordi rebuilt Ophis in a carefully arranged balance of half-angel, half-serpent. Two of the Archangel's own Forces were known to be involved somehow, as well as one Celestial Force donated by the Ethereal god Quetzalcoatl (in gratitude for Ophis' millennia of service in support of serpents everywhere). The rest are open to speculation. One thing that is known is that Jordi gathered Forces from every major kind of serpent for his rebuilding of Ophis, not wanting the Seraph to lean too closely on one species or another. In Jordi's mind, Ophis was to be his ultimate creation, the perfect mixture between animal and angel, with the best qualities of both.

It's funny how things turn out.

Jordi barely hears from Ophis anymore. The first of his Embodiments is a loner, only occasionally keeping tabs on his own servitors. The Servitors of Serpents who are also Embodiments claim to hear from him more often, saying that Ophis often appears to them in dreams, providing bits of emotion, snatches of information, and pieces of revelation. Ophis always appeals directly to the part of them that is snake, and, after his "visitations" his fellow Embodiments often have trouble regaining control of their animal sides. In addition to whatever else the creature has learned over the years, Ophis seems to be able to throw the delicate balance of Embodiments out of whack, at least as far as serpents are concerned.

For this, and for some of the Seraph's rumored powers over dreams, Jordi blames the Ethereal Quetzalcoatl and his donated Force. Tragically, this has somewhat worsened relations between Jordi and the Ethereals, even those with roots in Animism.

For now, Ophis remains off on his own, one slithering, crawling amalgam of angel and snake. However, there is one thing that is clear in his mind: Lucifer must pay.

Ophis now imagines himself to be the ruler of all Serpents, the one and only God of Snake-kind. Lucifer is, in many ways, exactly what he wants to be, a Seraph coiled serpentine around the Throne of God. Obviously, there is a discrepancy. Ophis plans to someday stand before Lucifer and exercise his rightful power over the Archangel of Light, who is, after all, just another serpent, all told.

Then Lucifer will bow before Ophis and be summarily executed, for his former humiliation of the Angel of Serpents (a being with whom Ophis now identifies only hesitantly, seeing himself as much more than what he was).

Then Ophis, Lord of the true children of God, the Serpents, will sit on His throne as Regent.

And everything will be as it should be.

</sidebar>

Relations (Host)

Associated: Lucifer

Tolerates: Israfel

Dislikes: Everyone else except…

Hostile: Jean, Marc

Enemy: Laurence, Eve

Relations (Exiles)

Tolerates: Novalis, Eli

Dislikes: Everyone else except…

Hostile: Vapula

Enemy: Lilith

Relations (Other)

Associated: White Star (White Star is appalled by Jordi’s continued existence)

: Convince a human to truly follow Animism

: Watch a human die from the unintentional mercilessness of nature

: Watch or participate in an Animistic ritual

+1 A celebration honoring "Mother Earth"

+2 A human who devoutly follows Animism in any form

+3 A Walkabout or Dreamquest in progress

+4 The ruins of a factory, overgrown with plants

+5 A traditional celebration of the Sundance (ouch!)

+6 Laurence’s body, mauled by angry lions

Jordi was always the quiet boy in Heaven. Never loud, never obtrusive, he spent most of his time strolling in the Savanna and talking with the souls of deceased animals. Even back before there were really definite concepts like Words and Archangels, Jordi had a bizarre affinity for the animal mind and quickly drew a following among the angels that attended to the natural world.

For some reason, animals just seemed so much purer and simpler than Celestials to Jordi, and he preferred their company to all others. The animal mind sang with the song of the Symphony itself and had no need to mask itself in lies, deceit, or obsessive worrying. From this Jordi learned a great deal and began to approach those around him as if they were animals too, cutting through all the conflicting desires that made Celestials (and, later, humans) more complicated. Jordi always appealed to one's base instincts and after a conversation with the quiet Kyriotate, the other side usually came away stunned by the way Jordi able to penetrate deep within them and draw out who they really were.

It was the complicated nature of humanity that Jordi found astoundingly revolting. He simply couldn't understand why God, having made such a perfect creation populated with plants and animals that instinctively felt the Symphony work inside them, would feel the need to make such flawed creatures as humans. Humans lied. Humans were often confused. They would make set beliefs and promises and then change them. They tried to distance themselves from their animal natures and pretend that they were above the rest of the natural world. And, worst of all, they destroyed the beautiful creation around them.

For a while, Jordi left humanity alone, though he clearly separated them from animals and refused to have anything to do with them. God, being ineffably perfect, would realize the error of his ways soon enough. In fact, He had probably already done so and was simply waiting for the right time to wipe humanity from the face of the earth. So Jordi waited. And waited. And waited. Humanity's numbers soon became overwhelming and the creatures spread all over the globe like a disease, destroying everything in their path and upsetting the balance of nature. Eventually Jordi couldn't take it anymore. Deciding finally that God must have created him with this specific purpose in mind, Jordi set out to wipe humanity out of existence (around 25,000 BC: see the Game Master's Guide, p93). Unfortunately, Michael got in his way.

Telling Jordi that he was acting on direct orders from God himself (a claim Jordi never believed), the soon to be Archangel of War refused to allow the Kyriotate to destroy the various species of homo that populated the world. Knowing that he could never go toe-to-toe with Michael, Jordi muttered something and struggled to go about business as usual . . . and began talking to the Archangel of Light.

Jordi and Lucifer got along very well. By the time the Eden Experiment came about, there was no way that humans were going to come out of that situation on top. Jordi had his servitor, Ophis, in the vessel of a serpent, make sure of that. Metatron was obviously not doing his duty in clearly reporting the Will of God, for God would never be so careless with his creation as to put it in the hands of that plague known as humanity. When the War In Heaven began, Lucifer had no stronger supporter than Jordi, who (legend says) grinned with all of his many mouths as the Seraph of Light took out first Metatron and then Michael. There are even rumors that Lucifer, exhausted from his battle with "the Voice of God" was losing to Michael until Jordi stepped in like a cloud of fury and ripped the Archangel apart. As they say in Heaven, "Payback is a Kyriotate."

But Jordi, who was soon made Archangel of Animals, soon becomes disgusted with the way Lucifer was running things in Heaven. For all the help that Jordi gave the Archangel of Light during the War In Heaven, Lucifer wasn't going to do the right thing and let Jordi wipe out humanity.

So Jordi left, and he is never going back.

Jordi did some miraculous Word-shifting around 1000 AD when, to the amazement of Superiors on both sides, he reemerged as Archangel of Animism. Many claim that this was simply the result of Jordi’s possession of the natural world corrupting the Archangel’s Word, just as surely as Jordi was corrupting the natural world. Others claim that an intervention was involved or that Jordi has simply moved beyond Words and is now really the Embodiment of Animism, instead of an Archangel (the latter is a favorite among his servitors).

Whatever the case, Jordi continues to be what he is, one of the most baffling beings in the entire War.

<sidebox>

No, really. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Over the years, the more liberal factions of Animism have always taken it to be their duty to convince Jordi that humans aren't all that bad. Nowadays, this practice isn't quite so common (mostly because of the results of past tries; many Animists are still wincing from the Word-shift), but the Mercurians of Animism still do their best to continue the tradition. After all, it's tough being a "Friend of Man" under a very anti-human Archangel, especially one as fanatic and arguably insane as Jordi is.

Still, guessing how the Second Kyriotate will respond to a given amount or type of pressure is nearly impossible. Lucifer himself tried to send a message to Jordi, after all, with the deconstruction of Ophis, and what the Lightbringer recieved in return was a serpentine Seraph and the rest of the Embodiments. The reactions of the mad Archangel are almost predictably unpredictable and often manage the exact opposite of what is intended.

Take Gregory for instance.

Sometime after the whole Ophis affair, when Jordi had tired of making Embodiments and was taking some time to reflect, a senior Mercurian, one by the name of Gregory, decided it was time to see if he could bring Jordi around. The angel suggested that if Jordi himself were to spend more time among humanity (as only a Kyriotate can), the Archangel might appreciate the natural ingenuity and spirituality that humans possessed. After all, Gregory argued, aren't humans animals too? Don't they possess souls as well? Why was Jordi ignoring the needs of the creatures that made up a large part of his Word? Shouldn't some part of Animism's forces be in charge of furthering the cause of the outcast Animists among humanity?

These arguments had all been put forth before, of course, but Gregory had petitioned the mad Archangel when Jordi was in one of his peculiar moods and the Kyriotate listened very intently to what his servitor was saying. Then, like any good leader, he delegated responsibility. Gregory, it seemed, was to be in charge of the new wing of Animism's forces, composed mostly of its Mercurians, which would be responsible for the human portion of the natural world. At first, Gregory was overjoyed, thinking that Jordi was finally beginning to appreciate the human factor, but, of course, it wasn't nearly that simple.

Gregory had been a Shaman for some time, at that point. It was not totally unusual for one of Jordi's angels, most often a Mercurian, to be rewarded by having a human Force bound into them. In this way, the angel could experience true human emotions and sensations, in virtually the same way that a real mortal would. Consequently, it was also not totally unusual for a "Human Shaman" to become lost in the world of human experience and never be heard from again. Still, that was not what always happened, and Gregory was one of the few exceptions that made Jordi continue creating the occasional Shaman with human Forces. The bonding hadn't done anything but strengthen his conviction to help humanity rediscover its connection to the natural world.

However, even the hardest nut cracks under enough pressure.

After being rebuilt as "the Embodiment of Humanity," Gregory lasted two weeks. Most of that time was spent in a catatonic state (something that is relatively common among new Embodiments) trying to adjust to his new spectrum of experiencing the world. Once that time period was over, Gregory was gone.

Now, it would be easy to blame Jordi for unleashing such a potentially dangerous creature out into the world (and most other Archangels do just that), but the mad Kyriotate hasn't really seemed to think twice about the situation with Gregory. After all, every single Animist is already considered "outcast" in the eyes of the rest of the Celestial world, and Jordi thinks it fairly hypocritical to track down and punish the outcasts' outcasts. Besides, in Jordi's eyes, how can anyone say that Gregory isn't, in his own way, working hard to bring humanity closer to Animism?

As a literal half-human, half-angelic creation (unlike the Nephalim, who are naturally conceived and born), Gregory has some very peculiar characteristics that make him a thorn in the side of Celestials everywhere and someone who is virtually impossible to track down.

First of all, Gregory can successfully mate with humans without the Song of Fruition. Here, it is also important to note that Gregory (or "The Watcher," as he as often called by rumor-squashing agents of the Sword) was known to have both male and female vessels at the time of his Embodiment, meaning that he could potentially be able to bear children as well as father them. However, according to the detailed records of his suspected activity, kept by both the Exiles, the Host, and Mariel, more than 80% of those thought to be his offspring are Nephalim (and rules-wise, can be treated as such). Still, this accuracy of this percentage is very doubtful, since it has become common practice to explain away any newly discovered Nephalim as one of the many "Children of Gregory." Obviously, that is also a convenient explanation for a half-breed's real Celestial parent.

Secondly, for game purposes, Gregory can be treated as having Asmodeus' canonical "Humanity" Attunement, permanently activated. This means that the pseudo-Mercurian does not disturb the Symphony AT ALL and is thusly very difficult to track down. It is even suspected that Gregory may not be able to intentionally spend Essence anymore, and instead uses it instinctively like most normal humans. Other suggestions have been made that Gregory himself no longer knows of his Celestial nature, having slipped into one of his many Roles long ago. Still, most of his pursuers believe that the half-Celestial knows exactly what he's doing, slipping from Role to Role and Vessel to Vessel, being very careful to cover his tracks.

After all, if he wasn't diabolically clever, wouldn't they have destroyed him by now?

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Jordi is insane. Everyone will tell you that. Of course, Jordi himself doesn’t share this opinion. The Archangel of Animism sees himself as an island of sanity in a world that is falling apart. Why doesn’t everyone understand that humanity is the reason that everything is going down the drain? It was humanity that was responsible for the War in Heaven, humanity that led to the Exile, humanity that is spreading uncontrollably over the face of the planet, and humanity that is ultimately responsible for the fracturing of the Symphony. Not a single day goes by where Jordi doesn’t regret not wiping humanity out all those years ago, Michael or no Michael. Sure, since then, a few humans, those practicing Animism, have been able to crawl out of the mass grave that is humanity, but surely those few haven’t balanced out the horrors committed by the masses.

However, just as humans don’t really understand their place in the natural world, Jordi doesn’t really understand humanity. You could say it’s his biggest weakness. Try as he might, the Kyriotate Archangel just cannot image how some creatures could see themselves as above nature or the masters of all creation (mandate of God or no). Jordi is completely in tune with the instinctual animal mindset. Sometimes, he even goes as far as to act like a plant or a rock, being acted upon instead of actually making conscious actions. Still, this strange behavior really does nothing more than to alienate Jordi even from his own servitors. Truth be told, the only angels that can remotely be said to understand the Archangel of Animism are his own Embodiments. Of course, it may just be the case of the insane empathizing with each other’s madness.

Jordi does not believe in the War. The only war he wages is one for the survival of the natural world and, consequently, himself. In the conflict between the Host and the Exiles, Animism is the ultimate wildcard. His Servitors have been known to step in from time to time, on one side or another, but usually they keep to themselves and attack both sides with equal hostility. Any alliances made with Animism are often brief and will end at the whim of the Archangel. Just because Jordi helped you out last week doesn’t mean that he won’t screw you today.

Jordi makes no attempt to hide his contempt for Laurence, Lilith, & Eve, and his Servitors are encouraged to destroy the influence of the "Corrupter of Light" (Laurence) and the "Whores of Adam" (Lilith & Eve) whenever it doesn’t interfere with protecting the ecosystem.

The Others

Beelzebub: "Who?"

Fleurity: "Stupid. He wants to treat the pains of the world, but like everyone else, begins with the human pains, the superficial ones, and rarely affects the sickness that is at the heart of it all."

Gabriel: "Prophetess. Funny … in all these years, she has never spoken of what will happen to the world … and what will happen to me. She must not be able to see the forest for the trees."

Mariel: "Human memory is as fickle and impermanent as anything in this world. Animal memory though … I could tell you stories that have been passed down by the Serpent tribes since before Lucifer’s ill-fated rebellion. And you wouldn’t believe the recollections that are carried by mountains and oceans…"

White Star: "The best of the worst, one could say. He understands the natural world more than almost any of them, but he still insists in focusing on the human component. Well, he is his mother’s son, and too much like his older brother in the robes. He also despises me, which is highly amusing."

The Host

Andrealphus: "There is no such thing as Love. It is simply false delusions that cover up darker desires and lusts, something to make the sentient feel better about doing their biological duties."

Beleth: "Rocks don’t fear. Plants don’t fear. Oceans don’t fear. Even animals don’t really fear: they simply react. A rabbit doesn’t spend its time dreading the instant when it will be eaten by a fox. With no sense of the future, there is no fear, and what does time mean to a planet that has existed for billions of years?"

Beth: "You have to be kidding."

Christopher: "Humans like to think that innocence is the natural state of their existence and that they only get dirty when they grow up and sin. Sin, however, is the natural state of the world. They world is dirty and ugly and beautifully savage. Innocence is an illusion crafted by the weak."

Demogorgon: "Heh, heh. Definitely an interesting character. I think I’m going to have to get my servitors to talk to his. He’s almost as mad as everyone says I am."

Eve: "A human. Obviously Lucifer is getting more and more incompetent over the millennia."

Gebbeleth: "He masks his words as if they are supposed to conceal great truths, but all they conceal is nothing. Absolutely nothing. There are no secrets. There are no mysteries. The world is open to you if you are brave enough to experience it. Mysteries are for eunuchs."

Iblis: "There is no glory in being an imbecile."

Israfel: "Again, a sad tale, but Nature isn’t gentle on Her children. No one said that life was easy."

Jean: "Silly old man. It’s far too late to try to play 'save the world'. If you want to do something that will matter in the long run, you know where to find me."

Kobal: "Only a fool laughs at his own oncoming doom. Perhaps it makes him feel better about his insignificance."

Laurence: "The beginning of the end. Laurence is the Alpha and the Omega. He will be the death of us all."

Lucifer: "He is so far gone from the bright Seraph that I knew in the days before. If only I could be there to help him solve this mess, but he wouldn’t listen to my advice now. And I would never offer it anyway. Not after Ophis. Lucifer is aging into a impotent tyrant, and he will never be as he once was."

Malphas: "Hmm … a fascinating being. I am really interested in getting samples of his Forces. Do you know how I might procure them?"

Marc: "The worst of the worst. There is no trade. Give and take is the way of the world and equality is a dream of those at the bottom of the food chain."

Zadkiel: "Who does she watch? And, to offer a cliché, who watches the Watchmen? Well, she can watch the world end, I suppose."

The Exiles

Baal: "Like Michael, only stupider. No, I don’t know how that’s possible, either. "

Blandine: "Silence is golden, but I think it’s only because there’s nothing more to say at this point, is there Dream Queen?"

David: "I have come to the sad conclusion that David knows nothing about stone. He never has and he never will. As one who has been the planet, I could tell him a thing or two…"

Dominique: "What is there to judge? We are all innocent and we are all guilty. The words are meaningless."

Eli: "He had his head on straight once, but that was a long, long time ago. The way things stand now, I don’t know why he bothers getting up in the morning."

Haagenti: "Since I don’t remember him, he must have been forgettable."

Lilith: "Yet another human. Why must the other angels insist on repeating the same mistakes? Never trust someone sentient."

Malphas: "Hmm … a fascinating being. I am really interested in getting samples of his Forces. Do you know how I might procure them?"

Novalis: "Flowers belong in the ground. Not in someone’s hair or resting in a vase on their grave. Why does she insist on causing death?"

Nybbas: "Another idiot. Communication is nothing. No one can truly understand anyone else. Each living thing on this planet is a species of one."

Ogiel: "Completely unimportant."

Raphael: "Knowledge is the lines in a 5-billion-year-old rock face. Get her to stop by some time and we can see whose information really matters in the long run."

Uriel: "Purity, like innocence, is an illusion and a lie. The world is a dirty place, everything is covered in the filth. Still, denial can be a powerful (though incredibly human) feeling."

Vapula: "The rape of the planet began with him. Before, humans simply were arrogant bastards, but Science made them dangerous. Simply for their arrogance, humans deserved death, so what is to be said for Vapula?"