Adapted by Jon Walton w/ Maurice Lane & Mike Walton

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He is the Lightbringer, the Lord of Hosts, Most Devout of Trisagonists, Most Holy of the Most Holy, and the chosen Regent of God Almighty. With Yves and Michael long gone, He is the eldest being in existence, one created in the earliest primordial moments, when the spirit of God moved over the face of the waters and said "Let there be Light." He is, without a doubt, the single most powerful being in existence. Baal may rule the Exile Council with his forceful personality and authority, but, in the end, the Archangel of Valor is a leader among equals. This is clearly not the case in Heaven.

It is lonely at the top. As a being without peers, Lucifer discusses his thoughts and actions with no one, except for the occasional comment that slips in during conversations with his servitors. After all, he is the Regent, a being whose authority is unquestioned. His every word is a Divinely Inspired command and is taken as such. Therefore, it is widely assumed that Lucifer doesn’t question his own decisions. If God’s chosen vassal admitted that he had any doubts about the future, the results could possibly be disastrous.

Worst of all, Lucifer knows that he is being coddled, ignored, intentionally misdirected, lied to, railroaded into decisions, or otherwise manipulated by those around him. He is, after all, the First (formerly Second) Seraph, and he doesn’t need to know the Truth to know the truth. However, there is honestly no good solution. If it was up to Lucifer, he would cleanse the entire Host of all deceivers, but the Regent knows deep down that such a crusade would claim everyone, including Lucifer himself. Self-deception is the most dangerous kind, and the Lightbringer has played that game for far too long.

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It is impossible for anyone to look upon the Regent Lord Commander and wonder why God has chosen Lucifer as His chosen sovereign in the Lower Heavens. In fact, many angels find it difficult to even gaze upon the Lightbringer at all, so much does He radiate the power and authority of the Almighty. It is also whispered that, in order to make His servitors and fellow Archangels more at ease, Lucifer makes a great effort to conceal his own overpowering Divinity. Despite this, the glory of Heaven’s Regent is impossible to mask completely. As much as He would like to put His Light under a bushel, Lucifer’s illumination shines brightly for all the world to see.

As if this were not enough, the Lord Regent has also proven, time and again, His Unquestionable Authority as the mouthpiece for the Ineffable Will of God. It was Lucifer, as merely the Archangel of Light, who illuminated the deception inherent in the being known as the Metatron. Sensing that the Light of God’s Holy Word was being darkened and refracted for selfish purposes, Lucifer became the Lightbringer by liberating Heaven from the manipulations of an alien power. At the Metatron’s death, Lucifer was elevated in Righteousness to become Lord Regent of the Hosts of Heaven, proving the Divine Justice inherent in His actions and His Worthiness in the eyes of God.

*OELT = "On Extended Loan To"

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Angels of Light cannot promote darkness – either literally or metaphorically. They would no more extinguish a light source than they would allow heresy to go unchallenged. Not interfering with natural cycles of light and darkness is fine, as is letting a temporary light source expire naturally, but switching off a lamp or snuffing a candle is not kosher.

It is also Dissonant for these angels to learn (let alone use) the Songs of Shadows or to assist in the spread of heretical information.

It is important to note that Lucifer’s Light is not the light of 'real knowledge' as much as the light of 'proper knowledge'. His main concern, now that Truth is lost to the Tattered Symphony, is orthodoxy and the enforcement of a uniform understanding. Failure to support this key part of the Lightbringer’s Word is an affront to the Light and, therefore, dissonant.

Note that the Michaeline Heresy is an 'officially approved' underground movement and Lucifer has made it exempt from his Dissonance conditions, though only a few know of this ("Of course it’s the truth! I heard it directly from a Servitor of Light, and they would never spread false rumors!").

The Servitors of Light are relatively few, though the exact number tends to fluctuate widely. Lucifer has the habit of specially creating Servitors for certain missions … and then returning them to a pile of Forces afterward. This way, the utmost secrecy is kept and no one is left to leak information to the Lightbringer’s enemies (or allies). These 'instant' Servitors are most often Malakim and form a "special forces" branch within the Lightwings. They are all Oath-bound to sacrifice their lives according to Lucifer’s whim, and the few that run away from certain death end up as a twisted mass of Discord, easily found and eliminated. In the event that Lucifer needs 'kamikaze' servitors that aren’t Malakim, the created angels are always Gease-bound to accept their imminent destruction by Julian, Lilim of Light and the Angel of Facing Death Honorably.

Besides those transient servitors, Lucifer keeps a tight organization that is 75% smaller than most other Archangels. The more compact nature means that servitors of Light, the majority of which are ancient and powerful beings in their own right, are given a great deal of freedom to make their own day-to-day decisions. Over half of the Lightbringer’s forces have Words of their own, after all, and the Word-less are often servants of the more powerful Word-bound.

As for those few Servitors who don't have their own Words, or a special assignment from the Regent, and aren't subservient to another Word-bound... Well, those few angels do their damnedest to always 'look busy' whenever the Boss comes around. Otherwise, Lucifer might decide that their Forces could be put to better use elsewhere...

Lucifer does keep a small contingent of 30-some angels as his personal servitors, and these honored celestials answer to no one but the Regent himself. Many officially serve Saminga, as Guardians of the Presence, but in fact only follow the Kyriotate as long as Lucifer feels they should continue to do so. If the Angel of Darkness ever decides to over-assert himself, there are specially placed angels of Light ready to rectify such a problem. The remainder of Lucifer’s personal Servitors is a complete mystery. Certainly, some are likely spies among the Exiles and some are probably kept busy researching topics of special interest to the Regent, but their exact numbers and duties are hard to estimate properly.

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Like most Superiors, Lucifer occasionally appears in a variety of incarnations and outward forms. However, the Regent seems most fond of three distinct personas that each come with their own quirks.

Most often, he appears simply as 'Lucifer', an almost Elohite-esque androgynous figure, glowing with unsurpassed radiance. Imagine a godlike, frighteningly-beautiful David Bowie and you have something of the Regent’s most common Celestial form. Any audience with Lucifer in his throne room, except perhaps in times of Celestial war, will be had with the Regent taking this form.

Still, occasionally Lucifer takes it on himself to don the armor of 'Satan', his warrior aspect and the Celestial shape he wore to kill Michael and the Metatron. This overwhelmingly male form wears Greek-looking battle attire of a brilliant gold, rivaling the color of the sun itself. Often times, Satan will carry a sword or spear of matching hue, and strut about militarily, as a commander reviewing his troops. If an angel every chances to see Lucifer-as-Satan, departing swiftly is probably the best course of action, for the Regent is undoubtedly in a warlike mood.

'Lucy', Lucifer’s female form, was the shape the Regent donned when she masterminded the Creation of the cosmos (with a great deal of help from a male Gabriel, but don’t deign to mention him to her). Lucy is no less haughty and commanding than any of Lucifer’s other forms, but she does have a strong motherly streak that makes her a great deal more possessive about Servitors, missions, and bits of Light’s organization. Whereas Lucifer or Satan will only rarely stoop down and converse with a servitor on their own level, Lucy takes an active interest in the physical and mental health of her Servitors. Of course, if anything is wrong, the Servitor may be up for a session of self-criticism, or worse.

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Inexplicably, the effective skill of this ability has diminished over the years. It used to be that Lucifer’s Seraphim were considered to have the song at level 6 (extending the aura for 6 yards, magnified by any Essence spent), but, over the millennia, that number has dropped to 2. Essence is often used to ensure the difference is not too obvious, but the Lightbringer himself also seems to have been affected by this lessening of luminance.

Even Lucifer doesn’t burn quite as brightly as he once did.

Lucifer’s Cherubim can, for 1 Essence, create a mystic line-of-sight to an object of their Resonance. The link ignores distance and visual obstructions between the angel and the target’s location, but visual conditions at the target’s location still apply. Anything viewed through this link is treated as if it is only 10 feet away for the purpose of using Songs and Attunements, but the angel is unable to see anything at her current location. The link may only be used to affect the person or object to which the Cherub is attuned – no playing a Song of Shattering on the demon who’s attacking your buddy!

No other Ofanim can move like the Wheels of Light – they can use their Resonance to move at the speed of light while in Celestial form! This power can be used for up to one minute per day per Celestial Force that the angel has.

Note that, when using their Resonance in this way, Ofanim of Light must be extremely careful, since the normal restrictions on moving through obstacles still apply in their Celestial form (though only to Celestial obstacles). Unwary Wheels may find themselves ramming into a very dense surface or, worse, an unknowing angel while traveling at this ludicrous speed. Such disasters are rare, though not unknown, and Lucifer would kill anyone responsible for such accidents … if they weren’t already soul-dead (along with anyone else involved in the collision).

Lucifer’s Malakim are a class apart from their own Choir. Unlike its dark-winged brethren, the Barony of Light is carried on wings of pure illumination, clearly setting them apart.

The Malakim of Light are, in many ways, similar to their darker Choir-mates, it’s just that they are … brilliant. Lightwings glow with a disturbing aura, one that has been compared to the headlights that freeze deer in place or the light of an oncoming train. It is a horrible, ominous radiance, which causes all who see their Celestial form to make a Will roll or be unable to act (this should be done at the beginning of each round of combat or each time the viewer looks away and then back again). Other than this, they are treated as normal, but for obvious reasons (see sidebox) other Blackwings cannot get the Malakim of Light Attunement.

Many Malakim wonder whether the Lightbringer’s Barons have lost touch with their origins. After all, few in Light’s service seem to show proper respect for Uriel, the King and first-among-Malakim. Others suspect Lucifer of using his own Attunements and Distinctions to brainwash the Barony of Light with the Regent’s own worldview. Then again, Lucifer is the chosen vassal of God, and his authority must not be questioned. Constantly being in the presence of such divinity must be the cause of the 'Lightwings' overwhelming devotion.

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The Malakim provided Lucifer with a strange predicament. Here was an entire choir that came into being, as far as anyone could tell, out of the Almighty’s divine indignation at the killing of Metatron and Michael. The Blackwings were formed to oppose the Lightbringer, and Lucifer was as surprised as anyone when Laurence bowed down before him to become his first vassal.

Something must be wrong.

The 'Proper Order of Things' that the Malakim were formed to uphold should have ended with God. Lucifer’s opposition to God should have put the Lightbringer in opposition to the Order and, therefore, right on the chopping block. But it didn’t. Somehow, Laurence’s interpretation of the events, that Lucifer’s triumph showed God’s favor for the Son of Morning, became directly embedded in the Malakite chain of command, like a tumor on a healthy organ. And so, despite all odds, many, many Malakim swore allegiance to Lucifer and assisted in the Lightbringer’s easy ascension to the Regency of Heaven. With so many of the Host’s most valiant angels on his side, who could dispute Lucifer’s right to rule?

However, once the Revolution was over and the Regency was secured, Lucifer began to ponder the situation of his Blackwinged servitors. Could he be secure in hoping that his overwhelming radiance would continue to subdue their natural inclinations (as with Saminga, Angel of Darkness and servitor of Light), or would his own Malakim eventually betray him out of duty to their own birthing? Lucifer was optimistic, of course, but he was also not stupid. He had to be quite certain that the Barony of Light was firmly in his control.

Thusly, a mere few centuries after the Revolution, the Lightwings were born. To be completely honest, no one is quite sure how Lucifer did it, though some point to Jordi’s Embodiments and recall just how close the Lightbringer and the Archangel of Animals were at that time. Did Jordi help the Regent rebuild his Malakim from their base forces? Initially, it may have been the case, but so few of the original Lightwings still exist, that it’s impossible to know for sure.

It’s also important to note that Laurence, the first Baron to pledge service to Lucifer, is not a Lightwing. Laurence’s ascension to Archangel of the Sword and then Commander of God’s Armies happened very early on, when Lucifer had not yet begun the process of indoctrinating his Malakim.

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Elohim of Light are immune to anything that would blind them or obscure their sight. This includes darkness, smoke, fog, sand, and sight-based illusions.

The Attunement was originally meant to help preserve their Elohite objectivity by removing any specks or logs in their eyes, but has lost the meaning that it once had. Note that Seraphim of Light often get this Attunement as well, in their vain search to see a truer Truth.

The Regent’s Charismatics are keenly attuned to everyone’s unstated Need to 'fit in', that yearning to join the larger orthodoxy of the masses. As such, Resonance rolls to detect such Needs succeed automatically (though a roll should still be made, in order to get a Check Digit). Additionally, every mortal should be considered to have at least a level 1 Need to 'fit in', and so Lucifer’s Charismatics learn to be amazingly good at working Gease/1’s for all they’re worth.

Unfortunately, from the perspective of the Lilim of Light, 'fitting in' isn’t nearly high enough on everyone’s personal Top 10 List. Everyone wants to be a strange outsider these days. It’s even become 'cool' (damn Nybbas!). But Lucifer’s Lilim don’t want anyone to feel left out, and so do their best to cultivate 'natural' feelings of insecurity and loneliness.

The Cursed of Lucifer can create Vessels made of light (luminescent clouds, swarms of glowing motes, burning bushes, etc.). Light Vessels costs Essence equal to their lifespan in hours. As per Lucifer’s conditions, Kyriotates of Light gain a note of Dissonance if they allow a light-Vessel to be destroyed. Fortunately, light-Vessels are immune to physical damage (but not to Songs or damaging Attunements). These Vessels can also pass through any transparent barrier such as glass, ice, water, or non-opaque plastics.

The few who know of Saminga’s Word find it rather amusing that the Kyriotate Angel of Darkness often appears Corporeally in a vessel of light.

Lucifer’s Mercurians are relatively few in number, as the 'Friends of Man' feel slightly uncomfortable around a being who makes his general apathy about mankind so apparent. Still, however much he would like to, the Lightbringer remains unable to completely abandon the least divine Choir to their humans.

Mercurians of Light have a special Rite, usable a number of times per day equal to their Celestial Forces. Any time they cause at least one human to recognize the inherent superiority of the Divine (and that their life means nothing in the great cosmic scheme of things), they gain a point of Essence. Note that the number of humans convinced doesn’t matter; each use of the Rite must be a completely separate incident. Lucifer enjoys winning the War in little, subtle ways. After all, these minor victories may be the only ones left to him.

Those who argue that Jesus was a Soldier of Light (including many in the service of the Sword) often point to this Attunement.

With a touch and 3 Essence, the angel can allow another being to see what he sees. This applies both to literal sight and to 'seeing' in the sense of understanding; however, 'understanding' should not necessarily be the equivalent of 'agreement'. The target can understand why and how the angel feels what he does, but may still find room to disagree with his point of view. The sight lasts for a number of minutes equal to the recipient’s Ethereal Forces. Understanding, once granted, lasts indefinitely, or until the target can put the strange experience out of his mind.

Somehow, it’s very rare that an Exile agrees that it’s better to serve Lucifer, though many have been tempted through the use of this Attunement.

An angel with this Attunement can never be completely lost as long as she can see a natural heavenly body (the Sun, the Moon, any star, etc.) with her unaided eyes. Using the Songs of Sight counts as unaided eyes for this purpose. The angel is able to determine the cardinal directions, as if she had a built-in compass, and can estimate, in very general terms, her distance from well-known landmarks.

On the Ethereal and Celestial planes, Beleth’s tower or any Cathedral allied with Heaven counts as a heavenly body.

A single word (and a point of essence) from the angel tears illusions asunder. All illusions (the Ethereal Songs of Form and Light, the effects of hallucinogenic drugs, the resonance of an Exiled seraph, etc.) within the angel’s total Forces x 3 yards are disrupted by a burst of heavenly light, as long as the angel succeeds on a Will roll.

Lucifer’s few Masters are divine logicians and instructors. They add their Celestial Forces to any attempt at logic or persuasion. This bonus applies to both the target number and to the CD of a successful roll, but the real power is that the bonus is contagious; a person who hears the Master’s arguments first hand has a bonus of (the Master’s Celestial Forces) to the target number when persuading or teaching a third party!

It is sometimes whispered that Lucifer’s Master-level Distinction is all that keeps the organization of Light so sure of the message it preaches, since the top of this chain is often Lucifer himself, who wields this Attunement like Laurence wields a blade. However, since the exact number of Lucifer’s Celestial Forces is open to debate, anyone under the influence of the Regent’s 'Illumination' simply gets +6 to the target number when passing on what they have been taught.

Lucifer creates higher distinctions as he needs to, but has no 'standard' ones specifically mapped out to his organization.

Lucifer is not allowed to play favorites. After all, he personally raised most of the Host’s Archangels to their positions and (though he may occasionally regret past decisions) must continue to support them all (yes, even Demogorgon) lest the others take his disdain as an order to remove the weakest link. This said, the Archangels listed as 'Allied' are the ones that maintain personal contact with the Regent and are generally assumed to have his favor.

As for the Exiles, Lucifer cannot officially maintain a relationship with any of them, since they are the enemy and he has to set an example for the Host. Besides, it is very doubtful that they would be willing to talk to him at all. Not after Michael. However, it should be noted that, despite the company he keeps (Laurence, Zadkiel, etc.), Lucifer is not a member of the war party, though he is often considered a patron. The Lightbringer will be very sorry to see the Exiles destroyed, but if that is what must be done…

What goes for the Exiles goes double for the Others. Though the Lightbringer does occasionally wish he could speak to Gabriel, God’s prophet, or Jordi, one of his oldest friends, things have moved far beyond that point and can never return to the way they once were.

The Host

Allied: Beleth, Gebbeleth, Kobal, Laurence, Zadkiel.

Associated: Everybody else.

The Exiles

Hostile: All.

The Others

Hostile: All.

: Spend two hours basking in natural light of the Sun or the full Moon, or three hours watching the stars (time is halved if the angel can spot Venus, the Morning Star)

: Bring someone to a true (i.e. orthodox) understanding of any subject

: Spend at least 30 minutes paying proper ritual devotion to Lucifer himself, the Regent of Heaven, and/or Laurence, the Commander of God’s Armies

Lucifer’s light may be a little dim these days, but he’s not dim enough to allow lesser angels to summon the Regent of Heaven. The Lightbringer has much, much more important things to be dealing with than babysitting celestials who can’t take care of their own problems. If you really must get in contact with the Regent, there are proper channels to be followed. Talk to his secretary and she’ll be sure to give you an appointment … provided the matter truly deserves Lucifer’s attention.

The history of the Regent of Heaven is the history of the universe itself, and so need not be repeated in too much detail.

Lucifer was created in the very beginning, after Yves and Michael, but before anything else came into being. He was one of the most-loved children of God, and all admired his illumination. The Second Seraph was quickly dubbed 'The Lightbringer' for his unsurpassed radiance and the Word of Light was soon to follow. Along with Gabriel, Lucifer created the firmament of Heaven and star-studded sky. He put planets in their motions around suns and kept the universe from being a dark and barren place.

However, the creation of the planet called Earth was somewhat disturbing to the Archangel of Light. With so many spheres in the universe, why did the Host need to focus on this particular planet? But the words of God, interpreted through the Metatron, were very clear. This was to be the Magnum Opus of the Divine, the ultimate creation of God and the Hosts of Heaven. So Lucifer obeyed without comment, believing the Metatron to be a true interpreter of God’s will and the Almighty to be infallible.

Soon, Lucifer’s suspicions grew deeper. Man was allowed to take form and this newest of creatures was the root of many concerns. At first, the Lightbringer was a great friend of humanity, teaching the evolved simians about fire and its many uses, but mankind slowly grew more and more selfish, a point-of-view completely alien to the Seraph. How could humans consider themselves to be separate and superior, when it was obvious that they were a part of the universe, not unlike everything else. Lucifer’s frustration with mankind grew, until he withdrew to Heaven to ponder the new development.

Jordi, one of Lucifer’s closest friends, finally decided to destroy humanity, but was stopped by the Archangel Michael. Unsatisfied, Jordi confessed his secret dark desires to the Lightbringer, and the Angel of Animals’ words were reflections of the feelings in Lucifer’s soul. But the Archangel of Light cautioned Jordi. The time was not yet right to make a stand. The source of the problem had not yet been revealed. If there was a flaw in the Great Divine Plan, it couldn’t be with God himself, but must be within the interpretation of God’s word. And so the two angels began to watch the Metatron very carefully, searching for signs of misunderstanding. Falsehood was not even considered as a possibility, since this was in the early days before lies.

With Marc and Dominic being awarded their Words, it was hoped that the gap between humans and angels would soon be healed. Not so. Tensions continued to increase, until a good portion of the Host, including Lucifer and Jordi at the center, were not too pleased with the situation. In an effort to solve the problem, Yves announced that the Corporeal Plane is to be closed to the children of Heaven, and that humanity is to live unaffected by the actions of angels. Lucifer was further dismayed by Yves’ choosing of sides. Humans became arrogant, so angels get punished by being restricted from visiting a full third of God’s creation; the portion that Lucifer had the strongest hand in creating. It was simply unacceptable.

Then came the Eden Experiment. It was rigged, of course, which the Lightbringer found very disconcerting. Before Jordi’s pawn, Ophis, even managed to sneak into the Garden, the experiment had already been corrupted by Celestial interference. It seemed like ever little problem was an excuse for angels to mess with the variables. From the very moment that Lilith walked out, Lucifer and his faction claimed victory (and, of course, Lilith was rewarded for her part in that). Man was too selfish to be handed the keys to the kingdom. Lucifer went to talk to the Metatron.

That conversation ended with the Metatron’s death and a declaration of Revolution in Heaven. The Lightbringer’s forces emerged victorious, with God and the Truth firmly on their side. Lucifer next opened his arms to those who had been on the losing side of the Revolution. What he received in return was spit in the face, as Novalis (along with the other Loyalists) chose Exile instead. Though absolutely floored by the stubbornness of the Exiles, Lucifer struggled to remake Heaven as God intended it to be. Michael was dead, one of the first with his back to the wall when the Revolution came, and Laurence, leader of the newly formed choir of Malakim, took over his position as Commander of the Armies of God. The Seraphim Council adjusted to the changes, and the Lightbringer settled into his new role as Regent, taking over for the Metatron as interpreter of God’s will. It looked like everything was going to work out just fine.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Okay, imagine that you're a juggler. You're in a room with a ceiling you can't quite see, and the objects that you're juggling are vials filled with nitroglycerine. You can't quite remember how many vials you had to begin with, and they aren't coming down in quite the same places that you presumably threw them up. Throw them up too hard, and they hit that ceiling that you can't see; too softly, and the damn things will come back down at the same time as three other vials. You've got a bunch of people running around with pillows, and the theory is that you can throw these vials onto the pillows and get them out of the way. The only problem is that you don't quite trust the pillows - or some of the people, and they can't seem to stay in one place, no matter how much you ask them.

Just to make matters worse, there's a whole bunch of other people who either want to: practice their own juggling; take over juggling for you; clear out the room NOW so they can have a square dance, and never mind the vials still up in the air; or just see the pretty explosions. The guys with the pillows are supposed to be keeping these lunatics firmly away from you. They're doing a good job at that, but guess what? That means no pillows. You're pretty certain that some of these vials are from the other jugglers, too.

And, of course, you have an itch in your nose that you don't dare scratch.

A human who read the above might nod wisely, smugly certain that he now understands the troubles assailing the Regent. Hah. If they could understand properly, Lucifer would never have started the Revolution. The situation is infinitely worse.

Lucifer has problems. Lots and lots of problems. To begin with, very few of the Host realize that the Regent has had a little difficulty with his memory: until a few centuries ago, he apparently had the habit of editing out the embarrassing or ignoble bits. Lucifer can't understand how he could do something so idiotic: and, of course, he can't ask anyone. The Lightbringer is also disturbed at the hint that this isn't the first time that he's discovered the joys of objectivity: apparently, something keeps happening that makes self-delusion palatable.

Second, Lucifer is simply not well-served by his advisors. He was expecting that the Revolution would be a simple, straightforward matter with little bloodshed and a quick capitulation from his enemies. After that formality was over, the next step would be the Host insisting en masse that God at least explain why these talking simians were so important. Even if it didn't work, he'd at least have the advice of the rest of the Seraphim Council to fall back on.

It didn't happen that way. Michael died (he's sure that he didn't want to kill Michael; mostly sure, at least). Yves went into Exile (which never, ever even crossed Lucifer's mind as a possibility) and died there (which led, apparently, to the Regent's first bout with subjective memory editing). Dominic left. Gabriel went mad. Novalis - Novalis, one of the rising stars of the new generation - spit in his face on her swan dive down. The Lightbringer was left with the disaffected and the ambitious, with a gleaning of the pragmatic. He was not left with those that would tell him to his face when he was being an idiot, and that wasn't good; even if he's spent long periods of time denying that fact.

By now, the stalemate between Heaven and Hades is such that Lucifer knows that reconciliation is impossible. There's at least one Exiled Archangel who has made it clear that he'll trade his existence for that of the Regent, and most of the others aren't much more forgiving. He has to fight them off: Lucifer is still certain that humanity isn't worth the effort (he's only met one that could possibly be exempt from that dislike: he made her an Archangel, and even she can't do anything with them), but the Exiles are too stubborn to accept it.

Lucifer does not trust anyone to do a better job than him - he is, after all, the most powerful member of the holiest Choir of angels, so clearly he’s best suited to lead celestials - and anyone who tries to stop him must be firmly, and permanently, dealt with. He may regret the necessity, but the buck stops here. It's his responsibility. It's a lonely one: he doesn't even have many Servitors. They seem to get too proud of themselves after a while.

If only he could remember what it was that keeps sending him into self-delusional behavior...

Lucifer tries very hard not to take an active role in the War, instead leaving that to his chief commanders and Archangels. After all, if the Regent were to step forward and take control, would that not usurp the positions of Laurence and the other generals in the War? Would it not be taken as a sign that the Lightbringer did not have full trust in his chosen vassals? Of course it would. So Lucifer contents himself with leading from the rear. He plots the course of the War and then leaves it to everyone else to actually carry it out. This 'backseat driving' method does have its problems.

For one thing, Lucifer is particularly out of touch with the actual day-to-day workings of the War. Since, most days, he simply sits on his throne listening to the Song of Trisagion, hoping that God will bend down and notice His servant, he doesn’t know a thing about what the average angel is doing in the trenches. Laurence compensates for this, making slight changes to the orders that come down from on high, but there have been some spectacular failures over the years resulting from Lucifer’s lack of first-hand knowledge.

Lucifer shares his opinions with no one. The following then is completely hypothetical and these words most likely will never pass the lips of the Lightbringer.

God: "As he died, Jesus apparently said ‘My God, my god, why have you forsaken me?’ I might do the same, except that I already know the answer."

Humanity: "What a piece of work is a man, how petty, miserable, stupid, arrogant, and violent. I used to think that mankind and angelkind were incomparable, but as I look at the world today, it becomes clear that they are not so different as we would like to believe. Humans are truly our children, and, like a ninth Choir, they are yet another step down in divinity. However, they are not completely alien in thought and action, and, honestly, that is more than a little unsettling."

The Symphony: "The song remains the same but the band plays on. The Symphony has become a drone, one that is continually rising in pitch until it becomes inaudible to all but dogs. I’m afraid that I haven’t heard a familiar tune in far too long."

Andrealphus: "I am beginning to think that this one has outlasted her usefulness. It’s quite clear that the world will not be saved by Love. Everyone who’s ever tried has ended up dead. I feel that Andrea’s turn may be coming, sooner than anyone expects."

Beleth: "Beleth is wonderful. She has yet to destroy Blandine, but that is a minor quibble. The Mistress of the Chancel is a twisted knot of fear and loathing, very predictable, relatively easy to manipulate, and yet a complete demon if pushed too far. I must remember to keep putting pressure on her."

Beth: "She is not Yves, obviously, but what she lacks in vision she more than makes up in precision. Beth gets far less credit than she deserves."

Christopher: "Kobal’s child is amusing. She provides a fresh perspective and a blind faith that I have not had for … I can’t remember how long. Still, it is unclear what will happen when the child grows up, as all must eventually do. This is not the best environment for raising children."

Demogorgon: "Some consider Demogorgon to be my biggest mistake. I have never regretted it for a minute. He is not just a replacement for Janus; the Word of Chaos embraces what the Symphony has become. Those who underestimate him are welcome to continue to do so. He is only going to grow stronger."

Eve: "This one has a commendable attitude."

Gebbeleth: "He claims to have glimpsed the Higher Heavens… Honestly, that puts me in a rather awkward position. Luckily for both of us, Gebbeleth has proven his usefulness time and again, which has allowed us to keep a mutually beneficial alliance. We both have information the other wants and no intention of sharing."

Iblis: "He attempts to reflect the Divine, which is a noble purpose in an angel and insufferable arrogance in a mortal. Though I am very found of Iblis and his angelic servitors, sometimes I wish he would do more to curb the egotism of his human pawns."

Israfel: "My canary. Some days she sings sweet songs, but her real purpose is only apparent on those days when she doesn’t sing. We are mining the last scraps of divinity from the Symphony, and when the canary dies, it’s time to get out."

Jean: "Lightning has struck twice, it seems. I have yet to determine the extent of the old man’s recent change of heart …and whether or not the reinterpretation of his Word is in the best interest of Heaven. Let’s hope, for his sake, that my concerns about Jean are unfounded."

Kobal: [The Regent grins.]

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- Feste, Twelfth Night

Kobal makes Lucifer smile. That’s not an easy thing to do.

Many angels suspect that Kobal is kept around simply as an amusement of the Regent’s. Whether that is true or not, there certainly is a strong bond between Lucifer and his 'jester'. As with any courtly fool, the Lightbringer will accept criticism from the Archangel of Laughter when he will accept it from no one else. This is more than a little frustrating to beings like Jean and Israfel, who try to offer suggestions on the course of the War, suggestions that have a great deal to do with saving the crumbling Symphony. However, Lucifer often ignores them, refuses to see them, or grows incredibly angry at the mere mention of fault on his part.

Kobal, for his part, is able to waltz into an audience with Lucifer. The Lightbringer’s secretary and intermediary, the Angel of the Presence, has been specifically ordered to not interfere with the comings and goings of the Regent’s Fool. This means, for obvious reasons, Kobal (who would otherwise be one of the more widely despised of Heaven’s Superiors) has become very popular. Not even Laurence has the kind of access to Lucifer that is enjoyed by Laughter.

Of course, none of this escapes the attention of Kobal. Though the Mercurian Archangel may act the Fool, he carries one of the sharpest minds in Heaven. And, no one should forget that Kobal had one of the last close conversations with God Himself, right before Lucifer’s last conversation (which ended with the Metatron’s death). Given the secrets he carries and his favor with the Lightbringer, it’s quite possible that Kobal, the Archangel of Laughter, is the most significant of all Superiors in Heaven.

Just don’t let Laurence hear you say that.

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Laurence: "What would I do without my Sword? Laurence’s unquestionable loyalty, unfailing dependability, and clarity of vision are my light in the darkness. Whenever I grow weary of the burden I have been given, I look at how well the Archangel of the Sword carries his own. He is a role-model for any angel and I am blessed to have him at my right hand."

Lucifer: "I offer no excuses for myself. I am what I am. God has chosen me and I will not let Him down."

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In another time and place, Lucifer would make a very good Habbalite. No matter how bad things get, no matter how much the Symphony dissolves, no matter how much the Host seems to be losing an uphill battle, the Lightbringer will continue to believe (through self-resonating and sheer force of conviction) that he is God’s True Servant in the world. There is no one who serves the Almighty more steadfastly than the Regent Archangel of Light, and Lucifer knows that no one, NO ONE, is able to take his place. This is why he perseveres, this is why he carries on, this is why, through thick and thing, winning and losing, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, he remains the Regent, God’s chosen vassal in the world.

Because of this, the stress Lucifer puts on himself is enormous. When he fails, there is no one to carry the burden for him. Lucifer has personally let God down so many times. He has failed to hold the Symphony together, failed to lead the Host in the true path of righteousness, and failed to put humanity in their proper place in the Great Chain of Being. The simple fact that the Exiles, a separate faction of God’s children, exist and fight against the Host is a constant reminder of Lucifer’s failure.

But there is no one else.

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Marc: "Somehow, the fact that Marc remains a supporter of the Host is not reassuring. The company he keeps also disturbs me, but not enough to put too much pressure on him. He would simply bolt to the Exiles, who would welcome him with open arms. For now, as with everything else, Marc is a trade-off."

Malphas: "He has the right idea, you must admit that. Unity is essential, especially in times like these, but between the Exiles, the Others, and the constant bickering within the Host, he certainly has his work cut out for him. Unfortunately too, creating Coalition often involves compromise. There are some lines that won’t be crossed, no matter the possible benefits."

Vephar: "A bright soul killed long before his time. The fact that Oannes wasted his talent by making him the Angel of Sailors only further proves the idiotic literalism of the Waters. Vephar was far better at replacing Yves than Israfel has ever been. Not a day goes by that I don’t wish the Archangel of Journeys was still present among us. Damn Janus a hundred-fold."

Zadkiel: "My watchdog. Zadkiel has proven her mettle time and again. She is indispensable to the normal operations of the Host, for how could we get anything done with the constant threat of attacks from the outside? The Archangel of the Watch frees up other hands to do God’s work. Her personal sacrifices in this regard deserve our eternal gratitude."

Baal: "There is no Valor in losing, and Baal knows it. Of all the Exiles, he was the easiest to replace."

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After the Exile, Lucifer wasn’t left with many Archangels, much of a Seraphim Council, or a nice support structure. Of the remaining angels left in Heaven, a sizeable portion didn’t even particularly like Lucifer, but had sided with the winner (when it was clear what the outcome would be) and stayed in Heaven for lack of other options. Furthermore, important Words were no longer represented, and, since the Exiles still lived, the Lightbringer couldn’t reassign them.

Lucifer’s solution? Bring in new blood, assign them new Words, but still try to replace the Archangels that had been lost to the Exile. Did it work? Well, that’s debatable…

Baal (Valor) <=> Iblis (Glory)

Blandine (Dreams) <=> Beleth (Fear)

David (Stone) <=> Malphas (Coalition)

Dominique (Justice) <=> Gebbeleth (the Holy Mysteries)

Gabriel (Fire) <=> Israfel (the Symphony)

Eli (Creation) <=> Jordi (Animals), Jean (Lightning)

Janus (the Wind) <=> Demogorgon (Chaos)

Jordi (Animals) <=> Eve (Nature)

Michael (War) <=> Laurence (the Sword), Beelzebub (War)

Novalis (Flowers) <=> Christopher (Innocence)

Raphael (Knowledge) <=> Beth (Thoroughness)

Uriel (Purity) <=> Zadkiel (the Watch), Laurence (the Sword)

Yves (Destiny) <=> Vephar (Journeys), Israfel (the Symphony)

The replacement strategy wasn’t implemented all at once, but it did start right after the Revolution and continues right up to present day, as Lucifer continues to shuffle responsibilities around. Some of his attempts at plugging holes have failed dramatically, as with Beelzebub and the sudden demise of Vephar, but the Lightbringer still has faith that he’ll get it right eventually. After all, it takes some time to build a winning team.

Especially with the players he’s got to choose from.

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Blandine: "Ah, the silence of the lambs. The truth of the matter is that Dreams, no matter how strong, can never triumph over Fear. One day, Beleth with see past her own insecurities and discover what must be done. Then, I will be happy to help lead the lamb to slaughter. Blandine, like Lilith, encourages insubordination with Dreams of the unattainable or forbidden."

David: "David is a rock in a hard place. The choices he’s made as an Exile and a Malakite forbid him from joining the winning team, even though I know that, deep down inside, David is a winner. I only wish he could overcome his own guilt, pride, and self-hatred to return to the Host."

Dominique: "Karma? Irony? I think not. The path of Justice, of seeking to balance what cannot be balanced, only leads to self-inflicted blindness. If you don’t see the discrepancies, maybe you can imagine they don’t exist. Life isn’t fair, but it was never intended to be."

Eli: "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? You know better than anyone how precious Creation is, far too precious to waste on the prodigal sons of Adam, hoping in vain that they will one day return to the fold. Worse yet, you continue to devote yourself to protecting the creations of humanity, ignoring the more perfectly crafted creations of God."

Haagenti: "The earth was not created for man, and it certainly wasn’t created to sustain billions of insatiable mortal appetites. Haagenti would solve more problems by killing a few instead of feeding them."

Lilith: "The liberation of the Exiles destroyed the Pax Lucis, the golden era of peace that existed after the Revolution. Ever since then, Lilith has made it her duty to destroy happiness by creating discontent. The world was meant to be a Dictatorship of the Divine, with God as the supreme commander. In his absence, someone must step forward and I am the only appropriate candidate. Why does she insist on questioning my Divine Right?"

Malphas: "The Exile’s simulacrum appears, in the long run, to have been more affective than ours."

Metatron: "The Voice of God is now silent. No … silenced. For that, I am thankful. If it were here now, I fear that it would only be my Accuser, and I have plenty of those already."

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"Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him."

-- Genesis 5:24 (NRSV)

According to tradition, the great-grandfather of Noah was a man named Enoch (also known to the Babylonians as "Enmeduranki"). Enoch was fairly unique, being one of only two figures in the Jewish scriptures 'taken' by God.

Do not die. Do not pass 'go'. Do not collect $200. Enoch was brought straight to Heaven where he became the first (and only) bodhisattva to serve the ineffable being known as Metatron. It is whispered that Metatron was so closely connected to the Divine that it felt detached from humans, the most precious creatures in God’s creation. Enoch’s exaltation, then, was intended to start a more direct line of contact between mortals and God, which would circumvent the angels. Metatron, with Enoch’s assistance, could now directly transmit information between humanity and the Almighty.

Many, including Lucifer, were not pleased by this development.

Like Lilith (who also never died), Enoch existed on a level beyond the rest of humanity. During his brief period of service under 'the Voice of God', Enoch also became the first Saint, traveling back to the mortal plane on several occasions to deliver God’s messages. Enoch told humans that God loved them best, that they were the chosen children of the Divine, and that all creation was made for their sake.

It was the last claim that really ruffled some angel feathers. To Lucifer and many other Archangels who had been involved in the Creation, the idea that the world was created for man seemed completely absurd. There had been no mention of humanity in those early days, no idea that some creature would some day have absolute dominion over what they were making. Quite frankly, the idea was insulting.

After all that work, angelkind was being given the boot. With Enoch and the Metatron in place, humans no longer needed angels to bring them the Word of God. Now that humanity was being handed the keys to the Corporeal plane, angels were no longer needed to protect and support the natural world.

It was not surprising then that, when the Revolution came, Enoch was one of the first with his back to the wall … right after Metatron.

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Michael: "He was the first among Seraphim, but Michael could never see the Truth. He was blinded by his own ego and vanity, more blind than Justice is today. He thought himself equal to God and that was a crime I could never tolerate."

<sidebar>

Lucifer never gave many reasons for Michael’s death. The truth of the matter is that the Lightbringer never thought he would end up in mortal conflict with the First Seraph. That he might end up killing the Firstborn of God? It was unthinkable. But it happened. And, like any rational being, Lucifer tries to justify it to himself.

"Michael was arrogant," he says, which may have been true enough. "Michael took a position that was above his assigned station", the Regent argues, which could also be considered true. But, as the First Born, stepping in for the fallen Metatron (as chief spokesman for the Almighty and leader of the Host opposing Lucifer) was Michael’s duty, and Mike was never one to shirk his responsibilities.

Much good it did him.

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Novalis: "Honestly, I like her now, more than I ever have. Before she was a pansy and today she’s a tough, twisted rose, complete with an array of thorns. Still, she had the audacity to spit in my face, and for that I am honor bound to destroy her."

Nybbas: "When he first appeared, I thought him incompetent and harmless, which was a mistake. However, once proven wrong, I began to fear that he was our most dangerous foe yet, which was another mistake. Nybbas could be extremely dangerous, but luckily he continues to spread himself too thin, broadening his Word while lessening his impact. Encourage that."

Oannes: "This one never reached its true potential, or even understood what was there to be achieved. Oannes is the perfect example of an angel trapped by a literal interpretation of their Word. There is a reason that the Breath of God once moved over the face of the Waters, but that is now forever lost to all but myself."

<sidebar>

-- Genesis 1:1-3 (NRSV)

Take the beginning of Genesis and the Words described there: Darkness, the Wind, the Waters, and, finally, Light. What does this indicate? Well, according to the Michaeline Heresy, Michael, the first Seraph, was the original holder of the Word of Darkness, which explains the pre-existence of "Darkness" in the passage above. However, following that train of thought, Genesis seems to suggest that both Janus (the Wind) and Oannes (the Waters) predated Lucifer (Light). Those two, of course, would be in addition to Yves and the Metatron, who are generally accepted to have been nearly as old as God.

How coincidental then that every being more ancient than Lucifer is no longer a part of the Symphony. Stranger still, the Lightbringer couldn’t have planned it better if he tried. He killed Michael and Metatron personally, Yves died slowly under Lucifer’s sentence of Exile, Oannes was killed by Vephar (who in turn was killed by Janus), and Janus vanished in a freak accident. All the deaths were either carried out by the Regent himself or by celestials that are also now deceased. One might even suggest that someone was covering their tracks.

And with God currently unavailable for comment and the only sure connection to the Almighty (Gabriel, Archangel of Fire and Prophetess) growing more insane with each passing century … there’s no one left to challenge Lucifer’s orthodoxy.

After all, thanks to some lucky breaks (?!), the Lightbringer is the oldest being in the Symphony.

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Ogiel: "What he resists is change itself, one of the most common themes in the Symphony. He does not understand that my rise to Regent was as natural as the turning of seasons and still struggles to turn back the clock, undoing what has been done."

Raphael: "Raphael, the most knowledgeable being in the universe, chose Exile…? It implies she knows something I don’t. But, after all, that wouldn’t be surprising."

Uriel: "What would you cleanse, Uriel? Would you cleanse me? Go ahead. I am Light itself, and, though I may have grown dimmer, the purity of my Word, my cause, and my spirit have never been in question."

Vapula: "I’m afraid I don’t understand this one. At times he seems almost … optimistic? Jean has finally adjusted to the reality of our situation, but Vapula continues to believe in ideas like ‘progress’ and ‘human achievement.’ I’m afraid all humans have ever achieved is the digging of their own graves, and they are ever so proud of their work."

Yves: "Ours is a world without Destiny, and I don’t think anyone, Host or Exile, has truly come to grips with what that means. I didn’t kill the Future; the Future wasted away, dying a slow death, miserable and alone. We should take note, for a similar Destiny may await us all."

Adam: "The embodiment of everything I oppose. The fact that he still lives, going against the natural Order of Things, simply proves the arrogance that consumes him and all of his bastard children. Before this is all over, he will bow down before me, and then I will take personal pleasure in killing him slowly."

Beelzebub: "This one, I admit, may have been a mistake. I have the worst luck with Kyriotates."

<sidebar>

Why is it, many angels often wonder, that the Lightbringer seems to have such a penchant for associating with the Cursed? Throughout the Regent’s long history, he has almost always had a Kyriotate 'lieutenant', one with whom Lucifer seems to share a side of himself that few others ever get to see.

The very first was Oannes, the deceased Archangel of the Waters, but that relationship went sour when they ended up on opposite sides of the Revolution.

The second was Jordi, and we all know how well that worked out.

The third was Beelzebub, and now you can see a pattern emerging.

The fourth and current one? Would you believe Saminga?

If there weren’t already enough signs of conflict between the Archangel of Light and his personal champion and bodyguard, the Angel of Darkness, the simple fact that Lucifer has never, ever had a successful relationship with a Kyriotate leads many to look for signs of impending doom.

</sidebar>

Fleurity: "I would have sought you out long ago, Healer, except that your medicine is a false promise. We are all already on death row, and euthanasia is the coward’s escape from what is to come. I was there in the beginning and I intend to be here for the end."

Gabriel: "Prophet or false prophet? It is certainly hard to tell. If, in the beginning, Gabriel listened to the voice of God, then who is it that whispers to her now?"

<sidebar>

In the darkest corners of the most God-forsaken parts of the Corporeal and Ethereal planes, a secret is whispered that sears the mind.

In the beginning, so the rumor goes, a primal Male force, one of flame and penetrating heat, impregnated a receptive Female force, one that then gave birth to a million stars, sprinkling them across the far reaches of the universe. It’s a retelling of an ancient metaphor: Fire causes the birthing of Light, fulfilling an essential link in the chain of causation.

Of course, anyone found whispering such nonsense is killed. And quickly. And painfully. And has their carcass strung up as a warning to all.

Orthodoxy, after all, must be maintained.

For, sadly, that bright spark of the first passion, if true at all, has been written out of history.

</sidebar>

Janus: "An ill Wind that blew no one good, Host or Exile. However, Janus’ departure may end up having far larger repercussions than his staying ever would have. I have wished, more than once, that I could have nailed down the Wind."

Jordi: "My greatest hate born of my greatest love. Jordi was one that I trusted above all others, for I knew we truly shared one mind about humanity. Now … what is there to be said? Jordi is no longer worth any sympathy and remorse … though, strangely, he continues to evoke mine."

Mariel: "Often I wonder what you have of mine, Mariel, things that you have taken and things that I have given you. But, then, I reconsider and decide I may not want them back."

Soldekai: "Gabriel’s general still breathes, which could be taken as a sign that his Word still exists in the Symphony. Why, then, am I working to destroy my second canary? Honestly, I’m not entirely sure."

White Star: "All of Blandine’s children seem to provide both promise and damnation. As with his older brother, White Star’s existence points to something far greater, and is enough to make me live with both hope and absolute dread."