Once upon a time there was an Elohite of Judgment by the name of Coxotli
(KO shot lee), who with its Triadmates Lemniel and Mjolnir maintained
eternal vigilance for corruption among the Soldiers of God operating
individually in the southwestern US and Mexico. Like most Dominicans,
Coxotli was quite loyal and dedicated, but like many angels, it was also
troubled. It seemed to Coxotli that serving God necessitated loving God's
creation, and that the purpose of Dominic's Triads should be to protect
mortals and angels from the forces of Hell, who know nothing of love.
What Coxotli saw among the servants of Judgement was hatred of demons
that mirrored demonic hatred of angels, and treatment of mortals as
little more than animate ledgers recording debits of sin and credits of
punishment. But was not Dominic second-highest in Heaven? If what he was
doing was wrong, Yves would never tolerate it; if what he was doing was
right, then did that mean there was no place in Heaven for love to temper
vengeance? Nevertheless, Coxotli did its duty in accordance with its
orders, for Dominic *was* second-highest in Heaven, and surely could not
be in error.
In the summer of 1927 Coxotli (then incarnate as Jewel Maguire,
undercover police agent in Galveston) and its Triad were sent to
investigate the doings of Jerry Hanks, a mortal Soldier who was
reportedly involving himself in criminal doings. Jewel infiltrated Hanks'
nightclub, which was supposed to serve as a sanctuary, meeting place, and
supply depot for angels and their servants in the area, as a singer. Her
comely mortal vessel caught Hanks' eye and he made romantic overtures to
her. On the advice of her Triadmates, she encouraged him and quickly
became first his mistress and then his confidant. Hanks was always kind
and devoted to her, and she developed some affection for him. She did
not, however, let her emotions stop her from reporting on Hanks'
activities as a bootlegger and criminal boss.
Finally, Lemniel decided that there was enough evidence to bring Hanks to
trial. He appeared before him as a servant of Judgement, and offered
Hanks one opportunity to explain his action. Hanks offered as defense
that he was involved in these shady activities only to keep tabs on the
demonsponsored criminal activity of Galveston.
Lemniel said, "You stand condemned by your own lies. You have neglected
your duties and betrayed your calling for mortal wealth and mortal power,
and now you will see what mortal means."
Mjolnir drew his knife and stabbed Hanks.
Jewel shot Mjolnir in the back with a sawed-off 12-gauge. Then she shot
Lemniel in the face.
Hanks, though badly wounded, managed to direct Jewel to the tether in a
cathouse across town, run by a Lilim of Lust to whom he owed several
favors, and who would therefore be interested in saving his life. Lessary
did, but in accordance with her own orders, tried to recruit the newly
fallen Habbalite to her Prince's service. When a little prying revealed
the nature of Jewel's conflict between love and duty, the madame was
quick to assure her that now she was free to express love in the fashion
of the world of flesh she now inhabited, and that in fact it was her duty
to.
Like so many before her, Jewel eagerly obscured the line between lust and
love in search of a little happiness, and was only too willing when her
new friend suggested that this person or that needed love that they
weren't getting from their spouse or friends. Hanks didn't approve at
all, but after being healed by demons he was never really the same man,
and Jewel didn't miss him much when they broke up messily.
After a few years of exemplary performance on Earth, Jewel was recalled
to Hell to meet Andrealphas in person and undergo the Rite of Loyalty.
When she could walk again, she was assigned to entertain visitors to
Andre's Palace in hopes of favorably influencing them, but the
manipulation was too blatant for even Habbalite powers of self-deception
to overcome, and she could never devote her full heart to her work.
Andrealphas was willing to cut her some slack for being so yummy, but
eventually his patience wore thin. Fortunately, before anything bad
happened, Lessary returned to the Palace to make her report, and after
catching up with her old friend, dropped a word on Andre's pillow about
Jewel. The next time Andre got out of bed, he assigned Jewel back to
Earth duty, where her talents obviously lay.
On Jewel's very first assignment, things went disastrously wrong, at
least from her superiors' prospective. She ditched one angel and left the
other staring stunned at the retreating view as she swept into the
nightclub. Looking around, she spotted the eccentric (but *very*
handsome) gentleman in the tailcoat, Miskatonic U Tshirt, and dreadlocks,
and took a seat where she could make eyes at him. Inevitably, he came
over, and she fed him the line about how he seemed awfully familiar, and
wasn't he the noted industrialist and pillar of the community, Mr
Whitney?
Mr Whitney smiled dazzlingly. "Call me Eli."
Jewel was certain she was doomed, to failure and Trauma if not to
outright destruction, but that wasn't at all what Eli had in mind. Over
drinks, and on the dance floor, and on the mountainside above the
labyrinth of lights, and before the fireplace in the sumptous house in
the hills, he explained to her about love and desire, their place in the
Symphony, and the worth of those who denied that place or sought to keep
others from realizing it or muddled the distinction between the two.
Already terrified at being dragged hither and yon by an insane Archangel,
the emotional Habbalite reduced herself to quivering misery at Eli's
explanation of just what she had done wrong.
"Hey, it's not that bad." Eli put his arms around Jewel and let her
sniffle on his lapel. "You're still alive, and life is hope. I should
know."
Jewel looked up, wide eyes glistening and makeup smudged with tears.
"Hope? I... I can be an angel again?"
Eli stroked her hair. "Sure. For Elohites, knowing you screwed up is e
over pi of the battle. You can always come back, if you want to." His
face turned stern. "Not wanting to be a demon isn't enough; to be an
angel, you have to be an angel. But if you are an angel, I can help you."
Jewel understood what love was then, and how it related to desire. She
murmured "Thank you, darling" as her lips met his.
Later, Jewel sat staring at the fire, stroking the orange sheen of Eli's
firelit skin. "I remember before, even when I was... confused, I always
knew what I *should* be doing, and why. Now I don't know anything."
"If you wanted laws and paperwork and instruction manuals, you should
have gone back to Dominic, sweetie."
Jewel hissed viciously, "I'd rather stay a demon!"
Eli patted her thigh. "Can't say I'd blame you. But you can't get mercy
from a lawbook; only justice. If you want love in the world, you have to
make it and set it going. Free will is what it's all about."
"But... I don't even know where to start!"
"You start here and now, and wherever that takes you, start again. Look,
it's easy." He rolled over and looked up at her, fire dancing in his
eyes. "What do you want to do now?"
Later still, Jewel sat on the deck railing, watching dawn wash and bleach
the sky. Eli stood behind her, watching over her shoulder. "Heal the
sick," he murmured, "comfort the lonely, feed the hungry and clothe the
naked." He lifted his chin from her shoulder and said more loudly, "Above
all, aid those who add to the world and fight those who take away."
When she turned around, he was gone.
* * *
The creativity Jewel naturally gravitates toward is that of performing
art, so now she's an actress, migrating from company to company to find
the most creative playwrights and give them a break by giving them a
beautiful and talented leading lady for their first run, and quietly
deals with any interference from the forces of stagnation. She also
participates in any other form of creativity where being beautiful is an
asset; she often works as a model for art classes.
This is not a high-income lifestyle; the big money is in derivative
sell-outs. Nevertheless, Jewel always manages to donate at least a bit
to several organizations that fight against censorship, and help out the
occasional starving artist (provided he's a real artist).
Someone cynical might claim that Jewel's biggest contribution to the
arts is to demonstrate that talent *does* get you babes.
Eli hasn't shown up since that night, but Jewel has faith that he will
one day, and although she shares her favors and affections freely, her
innermost heart is Eli's alone.
* * *
Jewel's vessel appears as a rather tall, graceful, and extremely
curvaceous woman of Caucasian descent with a faint admixture of something
dark and exotic. Her face is heartshaped, her eyes huge and bright blue,
and her straight hair waist-length and of variable color. She dresses to
emphasize her looks, but usually with good taste.
Her Celestial form is of similar shape, but white as milk except for
eyes of infernal red. The vine tattoos that once covered her body have
faded to a faint floral tracery, but are still quite perceptible to
fingers if not to eyes.
===================================CUT HERE===================================
Jewel, Habbalite of Lust in service to Eli
ATTRIBUTES
Celestial 5
Cool 3
Corporeal 4
Culture 4
Ethereal 3
Looks 6
RWS 6
Toughness 3
SKILLS
Seductress +4
Triple Threat +2
Sneaking Around +1
Dodge Like, er you know +2
Shoot Guns +1
Investigation +2
Resist Persuasion/Fasttalk -1
Drive -2
RESONANCE
Sense/Cause Emotion (as the Habbalite resonance, except that Jewel can
only inflict emotions that would cause action, not ones that cause
curling up in a little ball, and she gets a bonus when in skin-to-skin
contact with the target)
ATTUNEMENTS
Clotheshorse (change any clothes being warn into other clothes of
similar bulk and coverage)
Feeling the Warmth of the Fire (by skin-to-skin contact, determine the
extent of someone's creative potential)
SONGS
Corporeal Song of Binding 2 (paralysis)
Celestial Song of Binding 2 (prevent assumption of celestial form)
Celestial Song of Form 1 (shapeshift)
VESSELS
Human female
Peregrine falcon female
DISCORD
Lustful
RITES
Spend three hours in a place where something new is being created
Spend one hour having consensual sex (2 Essence if it's someone who's
never had sex before, 3 Essence if it's a Celestial who's never had sex
before)
Stop someone from censoring or suppressing something new
This file was last modified at 1635 on 22Jun99 by trip@idiom.com.