Litheroy

> The world is waiting to be revealed, in all its glory.
>
>

Nothing can reach its potential until taken out of hiding, and light in dark places robs the shadows of their rest. Litheroy and his servants see to it that nothing remains concealed, and that darkness is never allowed to lie undisturbed.

Litheroy is a contradiction, a seraph who has made a real effort to understand the nature of humanity, simply out of a fascination with the concept of secrets. His success is only partial, and he depends on his servants on Earth to help him find out more. He exists in a constant state of wonder that God’s most complex creation spends so much time hiding from itself. His own desire to uncover everything is comparable to a human urge to open up an anthill or peer inside the shell of a turtle . . . only more so.

Litheroy’s angels are noted for their curiosity. They see themselves as an army in a very particular war ~ the war against the Labyrinth, the tendency of humanity to fold itself over and over in secrecy until everyone is paranoid and alone. They respect the concept of privacy but must often have the details explained to them in their quest to shake humanity free from its desire for secrets.

When Litheroy appears on Earth, he prefers to be seen as an aging man with a sparse beard and piercing eyes. He wears rumpled clothing that suggests he’s been climbing through ancient ruins for the past few days and hasn’t had time to wash up (often, this is true).

## Subsidiary Words

Debunking, Deductive Reasoning, Demons, Evidence, Investigative Jounralism, Objective Journalism, the Quest for the Holy Grail

## Dissonance

Litheroy’s angels respect both the letter of the truth and the spirit behind it. It is dissonant for the servitors of Litheroy to lie to anyone, for any reason. If they answer a question, it must be with the truth, eschewing tricks of language. They are not compelled to tell the whole truth, but a partial truth that creates deception is as dissonant as a lie. When it comes to blurting out the inconvenient truth that leaves other agents slapping their foreheads in dismay, a Litherite will out-seraph the seraphim. Asked if he is a police detective, an ordinary seraph might reply, truthfully, “I’m assigned to investigate this case,” and hope for misdirection. A Litherite might, at best, answer with a question and hope the questioner would subside. A Litherite seraph, of course, would answer “No.”

The one secret these angels may not reveal is that of their Heavenly nature . . . but they still cannot lie about it. If they are asked if they are angels (or other questions about their Heavenly nature), the servitors of Revelation must either not answer at all, or say “I can’t answer that,” or something similar. Telling the truth about their celestial nature is subject to disciplinary action from their archangel . . . but it is not dissonant. After all, it’s true. Roles are forbidden to the angels of Revelation, because a Role is a lie not just to others, but to the Symphony itself.

### GURPS Classic

As a Dissonance Condition [-5], Truthfulness [-5] and the Quirk of “no Roles” [-1]. Taboo Skills of Fast-Talk and Acting [0]. This is -11 points for most Choirs, but -6 points for Seraphim ~ they already have Truthfulness as a Dissonance Condition. All Litherite vessels must have the advantage of Zeroed [10]; this is counted as part of the servitor package, since Litheroy does not make any other kind of vessel.

### Dissonance Myths

Servitors of Litheroy hate secrets. They hate hidden things. They hate not knowing things. They hate remaining silent when they are questioned or sitting on the answers when they know someone else is ignorant. They really hate concealing a secret that harms someone (anyone!) else. They have little concept of what other people consider reasonable privacy. They are, in short, nosy and inclined to tell everything they find out, and Litheroy is the most nosy and open of them all. Enough of his servitors partake of this attitude that it is frequently believed they become dissonant if they do not answer a question or allow a secret to exist. Demons are the commonest sources of this misinformation ~ which a Litherite would be quick to correct! ~ but servitors of Jean have been known to speculate on the topic as well

## Choir Attunements

The attunements granted to Litheroy’s servitors reflect their role as Heaven’s agents of revelation, magnifying their own abilities in areas appropriate to rooting out hidden things.

### Seraph (restricted)

Litheroy’s fellow seraphim are among the finest detectives in Heaven. Whenever they invoke their choir’s resonance, roll d666 normally, and then the player decides which of the three dice is the check digit. (Yes, the player could choose a low check digit, or even deliberately make a roll fail! However, choosing to not know something would be anathema to one of these angels, or even ~ at the GM’s option ~ dissonant.)

#### GURPS Classic

Litheroy’s Seraphim effectively have the Luck advantage (p. B21) when they make a resonance roll; it is not restricted to once per hour of real time. If they roll an intervention (divine or infernal), they must stop rolling ~ even if they had one or two rolls left ~ and use that result. Naturally, they never get more than three rolls per a given use of resonance! The breakdown is Extraordinary Luck [30], usable at any time (+10%, based on calculations for Marc’s seraph choir attunement as per *GURPS In Nomine*; this enhancement is not suitable for use without accompanying limitations, such as “only for resonance”), only for resonance (-50%), which cannot avoid hostile Interventions (-10%). 15 points.

### Cherub (restricted)

If one of the cherub’s attuned items is ever deliberately hidden from him, or (in the case of living things) ever hides from him, the angel will know immediately, and may make an immediate resonance roll. For this roll, ignore the check digit (except for purposes of interventions). Treat any success as though it had a check digit of 6, and if the roll fails, it doesn’t interfere with near-future use of the resonance at all.

#### GURPS Classic

Resonance enhancement, adding “or attuned is hidden” to a cherub’s Danger Sense (p. IN46), reducing the limitation to -20% and adding 2 points; Resonance enhancement (Successes are critical, +60%; Failures do not burn out resonance, +30%; only immedi�ately after the attuned is hidden, -20%; only once per hiding of the attuned, -20%) [18]. 20 points.

### Ofan

Masters of the chase, the Wheels of Revelation cannot be inconvenienced by locks or seals, provided they are in pursuit of something hidden, or of someone trying to hide something (including himself). Locked doors will unlock at a touch, security systems will turn a blind electronic eye, and so on. The Wheels are on their own for getting out afterward, though, and living beings may still opt to bar their way.

This attunement extends to computers, so long as the ofan has enough familiarity with technology to get to the password-protected information in the first place. (The GM need not require Computer Operation skill, but an angel with no understanding of computers will be hard-pressed to even turn the thing on.)

#### GURPS Classic

New power, loosely based on Remote Control (p. IN95). 40 points.

### Eloah

Whenever one of Revelation’s Powers uncovers a hidden truth, object, or person, he knows immediately why it was hidden (but not by whom). The revelation must be expressed in a simple sentence ~ “the gun is hidden because it’s a murder weapon,” or “the child is hiding because she thinks monsters are chasing her.”

### GURPS Classic

Symphonic Knowledge: Reason for Hiding (No roll required, +66%; Limited scope, -40%). 38 points.

### Malak

The foes of these Virtues cannot hide. After the malak has fought an enemy, he will always recognize that enemy in the future, even in a different vessel! (For concerned demons, Redemption will usually cancel this effect . . .) Further, the malak can see through any cover his opponent hides behind and exploit any weak points it may have. This requires a successful Perception roll, and reduces the penalty by the check digit, though it cannot be reduced below 1.

#### GURPS Classic

Symphonic Knowledge: Enemy Recognition (No roll required, +66%; Limited scope, - 30%; Must have fought subject, -30%) [32]; Symphonic Knowledge: Weaknesses of Cover (Limited Scope, - 20%) [24]. (As usual, the check digit is replaced by the degree of success; the penalty can never be reduced past -1.) 56 points.

### Kuriotes

If Litheroy’s Dominations are possessing animal predators (wolves, birds of prey, sharks, etc.), they have Tracking/6, and are considered familiar with the territory they occupy. (This can be bought by other choirs, but only functions while they are in vessels of animal predators.) The Area Knowledge aspects are available to any other hosts they might be in at the time, but the Tracking is connected to the keen senses of the hunter and restricted to that body alone.

#### GURPS Classic

When in a predator host (or vessel, for other choirs), these angels gain Tracking (M/A) at IQ+3 [8], Area Knowledge (M/E) at IQ+1 [2], and Survival (Appropriate Environment) at IQ [2] with the limitation “Only when in a predator host or vessel” (-10%). 11 points.

### Mercurian (restricted)

The Intercessionist resonance for politics and association makes these angels excel at rooting out conspiracy. When applying his resonance to a group, a mercurian of Revelation will know, on a check digit of 3 or higher, exactly who in the group is sharing secrets, and who (if anyone) is being kept out of the loop. On a check digit of 6, he’ll know what those secrets are.

#### GURPS Classic

Resonance enhancement granting knowledge of who is sharing secrets (and who is not) with a degree of success of 6 or less and knowing what those secrets are with a critical success (+50%). 15 points.

### Bright lilu (restricted)

If Litheroy has any bright lilim, or acquires any, they also receive boons when the natures of choir and Word co-mingle. Like Litheroy’s seraphim, such a Gifter can choose which die is the check digit when she uses her resonance to discover any non-obvious Need. If she attempts to Geas someone to reveal a truth that was hidden, her Celestial Forces are an additional penalty to the target’s resistance roll.

#### GURPS Classic

As with seraphim, a form of Luck applied only when using their resonance to discover a non-obvious Need (p. IN69); the penalty to uncover such Needs still applies (Extraordinary Luck [30], usable at any time (+10%), only for resonance (-50%), only for non-obvious Needs (-10%), cannot avoid hostile Interventions (-10%) [12]). Resonance bonus averaging +3 (Only added for contest to “set” Geas to reveal a hid�den truth, -30%) [3]. 15 points

### Ohr

Celestial X-ray machines, these ohrot can see inside of anything within their light.

## Servitor Attunements

### I Tell You Three Times

The angel may tell any secret he knows to any one person and be believed, even without proof . . . once he repeats the secret three times. (There is no time limit between tellings, either.) The hearer’s further response depends on the secret; if he doesn’t feel personally involved, he may well believe it completely but never act on it or repeat it. This costs the angel 1 Essence if he speaks to his subject in person (payable on the third recitation), or 2 if he writes it down or otherwise records it for the recipient to find later (the Essence is spent immediately, and only the intended recipient will be affected by the message). The secret must be true!

#### GURPS Classic

Symphonic Influence: Believe Truth (No roll required, +66%; Must repeat truth three times, -10%; Costs Essence, -20%). 41 points

### Key to the Locked Mind

Litheroy’s servitors are masters at getting people (and celestials, for that matter) to open up to them. The Litherite can spend 4 Essence to divine the necessary “key” to opening up a dialogue with a resistant being ~ ultimately leading to true trust and the revelation of secrets (or so the Litherite hopes). This key can be a conversational point, a favorite hobby, or even an object. The attunement doesn’t grant special knowledge beyond the existence of the key ~ a Litherite might learn that playing a game of checkers is the key to getting through to a withdrawn child, for example, but won’t learn how to play the game or gain any special skill at it. In the case of an object, the attunement does not give the Litherite the location of or route to the object, but the Litherite has a mental image of it and will recognize it on sight.

If the key is successfully used with the target (at the GM’s discretion), the Litherite immediately gets a new reaction roll from the target with a bonus equal to his total Forces. If this roll succeeds, the target will talk with the Litherite for at least 10 minutes times the check digit of the reaction roll, and if the Litherite asks a question the target would be reluctant to answer, the target must make a Will roll minus the check digit of the reaction roll to resist answering. If the reaction roll fails, the target will respond based on the new failed roll’s check digit, even if he was positively inclined toward the Litherite before.

#### GURPS Classic

This is a supernatural influence skill, considered to be Mental/Hard and bought at IQ+3 level [10], with the enhancement of No Roll Required (+66%), and a cost of 4 Essence (-40%). If the subject’s reaction roll is Good or better, he temporarily gains Truthfulness while talking to the user ~ an enhancement worth +50% ~ and will talk with him for at least (10 × 1d) minutes (+20%). 19 points.

### Sense of Significance

Angels with this attunement, when seeking to reveal hidden things, can know the import of any clue they find with a successful Perception roll. An angel searching for a kidnapped child who finds a smear of blood will know at a glance that the blood is the kidnapper’s, not the child’s, and (with a high enough check digit) that it contains traces of drugs that will lead to the culprit’s favorite dealer. Finding a piece of torn cloth in the next room, the angel will instinctively know that it has nothing to do with the case, and will not be distracted by it. The Perception roll is made by the player, and will pick up a number of helpful clues equal to the check digit. At the GM’s option, this can either be a number of minor clues equal to the check digit, or a lesser number of more significant clues. So, when investigating a robbery and getting a check digit of 3, the angel might find three minor but significant clues (recognizing which muddy sneaker print is the robber’s, finding a torn piece of cloth from his T-shirt), or one or two more significant clues (realizing a security camera across the street would have recorded the crime). On a failed Perception roll, the servitor loses access to the attunement for a number of hours equal to the check digit.

#### GURPS Classic

Symphonic Knowledge: Clues [30]. The number of clues is equal to the degree of success ~ and the degree of failure indicates how long the attunement is off-line. 30 points.

### Untangling the Labyrinth

These servitors have been given a special understanding of navigation. When confronted with any kind of map or directions ~ spoken or written ~ they know if the directions are accurate and understand directions perfectly. These servitors also recognize blind alleys, misleading route markers, and other means of confusing the trail on sight. This attunement doesn’t allow the Litherite to recognize shortcuts or other deviations from the directions they have been given (though the ofanic resonance may apply as usual). Maps that contain puzzles or other cryptic clues will still need to be solved before the path can be followed, but the Litherite will instantly know if his solution is correct. These servitors can also complete maze puzzles on paper as fast as they can draw the line.

#### GURPS Classic

Intuition, with the enhancement of no roll required (+66%), and the limitation “only for physical directions and deliberate camouflage” (-40%). 19 points.

## Secret Songs

Many Superiors have secret Songs, but not Litheroy. If he learns about the existence of a Song hitherto unknown to him, he announces its presence to the world (even though he won’t necessarily teach that Song to others). Those archangels who have access to secret Songs are careful not to let Litheroy or his servitors know it. Servitors of Revelation do have an affinity with the Songs of Opening, however

## Distinctions

### Vassal of Inquiry

When these angels ask questions, they know if their subject is lying or being evasive. Indeed, they can detect hidden truths when they hear anyone speak. This power picks up outright lies, half-truths, and misdirections, but the vassal only knows “something is being concealed by these words.” (It is akin, but not identical, to a seraphic resonance, continually operating at the check digit 1 level.)

#### GURPS Classic

Celestial Rank +1 [5]. Symphonic Knowledge: Hidden Truth (No roll required, +66%) [50]. 55 points.

### Friend of the Quest

This sistinction grants an intuitive knowledge of hidden things. The angel automatically knows if something has been deliberately hidden within a number of feet equal to his Perception. This reveals trip wires, secret passages, the key under the welcome mat, the bruises under the makeup, the derringer in the vest. It gives the specific location of the hidden object as well as the general category of what the object is. A hidden passageway is self-explanatory, though the friend may have to work out how to get inside. In the case of concealed items, the angel would only know someone has a weapon hidden up his sleeve, not what kind of weapon.

#### GURPS Classic

Celestial Rank +1 [5]; Symphonic Knowledge: Hidden Things (No roll required, +66%; Limited scope, -10%; Severely limited range, -50%) [32]. 37 points.

### Master of Discovery

Those with this distinction can look upon any living being and know what secrets they are victims of. A woman whose husband is cheating on her; a spy with a posthypnotic suggestion planted in his skull; a child who is eating school lunches that were made with condemned food by the lowest bidder ~ all of them carry an aura visible and readable to the angel, who will know both the nature of the secret and those responsible.

#### GURPS Classic

Celestial Rank +1 [5]; Symphonic Knowledge: Harmful Secrets and Those Responsible (No roll required, +66%; Only secrets, -10%) [47]. 52 points.

### Seeker

Among Litheroy’s servitors, there are a few who have dedicated their existence to solving the unsolvable. Drawn by the calling of their hearts, they seek to unravel the ineffable, the unknowable, and the irresolvable puzzles and paradoxes of humanity and Heaven alike. When Litheroy recognizes a servitor’s calling is true (and the subject of his calling is worthy), along with a career of exemplary service and skill, Litheroy grantsthem the distinction of Seeker. A Seeker follows the path of his heart, calling upon the resources of the Abbey as needed to continue his journey to the unknowable truth. Some quests, both past and present, include Seeker Mothias, seeking the truth of the divinity of Jesus Christ; Seeker Chamuel, the angel of the Quest for the Holy Grail, who seeks both the Grail and understanding of its nature; and Seeker Elspeth, who strives to understand the nature of mortal and celestial free will and how it relates to destiny and fate.

A Seeker does not command his fellows any more than he would refuse the commands of a Friend of the Quest. However, it is understood that in situations where the object of his Quest is involved, the Seeker can ask for whatever assistance he needs and other Litherites will help to the best of their ability. A Seeker can also have another of Litheroy’s distinctions, and some Seekers have also petitioned for and been granted appropriate Words connected to their quests.

At a cost of 7 Essence, a Seeker can enter a fugue-like state for 10 minutes. During this time, he experiences a vision related to one question or puzzle (often related to his quest, but not always). The vision will be symbolic instead of literal, and must be correctly interpreted to be understood. Other attunements and distinctions such as Sense of Significance or Untangling the Labyrinth cannot be used to help interpret the vision. The nature of the vision is ineffable, and its meaning can only be suggested, not made plain.

#### GURPS Classic

One level of Celestial Rank [5] that applies at all times, as they have been granted a distinction, which inspires respect. They also have Celestial Rank +3 [15] (total of +4) that only applies when the object of their Quest is involved (-40%) [6]. They gain a form of Intuition [15], which costs 7 Essence (-70%) and must be interpreted to be useful (-20%) [2]; however, limitations beyond -75% are lost, so 4 points. This is a total of 15 points.

#### On Revelation and Prophecy

The nature of Revelation is literal, not metaphoric. Prophecy, particularly the prophecies of Gabriel, are of great interest to Litheroy and his Snitches, but do not come naturally to them. The plainspoken Litherites do not easily relate to prophecy. Prophecy can be confusing and is rarely clearly understood. Litheroy is happier speaking plain truths to those who listen.

However, the Seeker Distinction approaches at least the trappings of prophecy. Some Litherites believe this is because where most servitors of the Word of Revelation work in very real-world areas ~ acting as detectives, archeologists, and (anonymous) journalists ~ the Seekers work in the ineffable and the philosophical. For those Seekers, the questions cannot be answered no matter how much effort is put in, so Revelation takes on a new form.

When asked about his own experiences using the powers of a Seeker, Litheroy has said he has never tried it. The distinction’s abilities are meant to unravel the unanswerable question that dominates the Seeker’s existence. The question that dominates Litheroy’s existence is the nature of humanity. If Litheroy used the Seeker distinction to gain insight into the answer, it would be an acknowledgment that the nature of humanity is ineffable and unknowable. Litheroy does not believe that to be the case, and so his own quest continues without the elements of prophecy to guide his path.

### Reference Librarian

There is nothing quite as tantalizing to a Litherite as Yves’s Library. A Cathedral that contains all recorded knowledge of all times, past, present, and future, is almost dazzling to the average babblesnake, who could throw himself inside its halls and read everything he could get his hands on and be perfectly happy for all eternity.

Obviously, this vice can’t be indulged. However, Litheroy and his servitors recognize the tremendous value the Library has both in divining the truth and in understanding mankind. So, to most efficiently exploit the Library’s resources, Litheroy has organized an order of his servitors, called his Reference Librarians. Requests for information from the Library typically have to go through one of these angels, who then will either coordinate the search or give advice to the servitor before he makes his own pilgrimage. They also catalogue and index the folios Litheroy’s scribes produce. It is said some Reference Librarians have been given the ability to step from the Abbey’s folios right through to Yves’s Library.

## Relations

Litheroy is firmly against involving himself in Heavenly politics, believing it impossible to engage in politics without hiding something. While his company is pleasant, any archangel with something to hide avoids him ~ which suits Litheroy, who is usually deeply engrossed in his latest mystery or quest. When he does mingle, he is one of the few of the Host of Heaven who feels truly relaxed in the company of Dominic ~ at least, on his own behalf. Dominic’s all-concealing cloak does tend to perturb Revelation. Jean and Litheroy are often in direct conflict, since Jean’s interpretation of his job involves keeping all non-human innovations and revelations away from mankind. Janus generally avoids his company, since Litheroy wishes to uncover the archangel of Wind’s movements and purposes. This means that Litheroy’s servitors get underfoot and disrupt the Wind’s schemes far more often than the Windies might like.

> . . . in politics, there is a distinction, unknown to science, between Truth and Justice.
>
> W. H. Auden,

Not to belabor a point, but Litheroy doesn’t participate in politics. If he learns something valuable to an archangel ~ even an archangel he is hostile to ~ he lets that archangel know as directly as possible. If he opposes a given plan, he explains how and why he is opposed to all who will listen. And if he learns something that another angel or archangel wishes to remain secret, he tells everyone ~ embarrassment is a small price to pay for eliminating a desecrating lie from Heaven.

One would think his fellow members of the Seraphim Council would despise Litheroy. However, for the most part that isn’t true. Litheroy is absolutely honest, true to himself, and true to the principles of Heaven. Every archangel who isn’t himself a seraph has seraphim in his service, and knows how difficult it is for them to conceal the truth. So rather than oppose Litheroy or undermine him, his fellow archangels simply . . . exclude him. In fact, the entire concept of “secret committee meetings” of the Seraphim Council dates after Litheroy’s accession. Before then, a word from Michael or Uriel was enough to ensure silence on the part of all Council members. Litheroy simply doesn’t keep silence without intercession from God or a specific commandment from the Seraphim Council . . . and the latter is not nearly as certain as the former. It is easier on everyone to simply leave Revelation out of the loop.

**Allied:** No one (and none consider themselves Allied with Litheroy)

**Associated:** Yves, Michael, Laurence (Laurence is Associated with Litheroy)

**Hostile:** Jean, Janus (Jean is Hostile to Litheroy)

### Archangelic Opinions

Although Litheroy refuses to play politics with the other archangels, it does not keep him from having opinions of them, nor they of him. And as befits the archangel of Revelation, his opinions are freely and unflinchingly expressed.

> Truth and kindness in sweet embrace,
>
>
> Righteousness and peace are God's grace;
> For truth out of the earth does spring,
>
>
>
> And righteousness from heaven ring.
>
> Faye T. Bresler

**Blandine:** I have noticed Litheroy and his servitors spending time in the Marches, trying to unravel the mystery of humanity. They are not disruptive. They observe and learn. They ask questions and listen to answers. They do not attempt to impress their agenda onto the dreamers. I appreciate such respect. *(A fascinating archangel, though so lonely. It seems to me that Blandine’s pain comes from hiding from the truth ~ even if Beleth Redeemed tomorrow, I don’t know that she would return to Blandine. The sooner Blandine accepts the truth of what has happened, the sooner she can put the pain behind her and move on.)*

**Christopher:** Litheroy doesn't talk down to children. If a child asks a question, he wants a serious answer, and Litheroy doesn't hide the truth from them. *(Children want to know things. Satisfy their curiosity, don't stifle it. Christopher understands that.)*

**David:** Competent enough. Litheroy promotes his Word and opposes Hell. What more could we expect of him? I keep him at arm’s length, though ~ he digs in the ground and under stone, revealing things that should remain hidden. I think he would have dug Magog out if he had known where to shovel. *(Sometimes the most painful way to lie is not to say anything at all. David’s silences conceal his heart and give rise to rumor and hard feelings. I wish we could sit down and talk, but he won’t speak.)*

**Dominic:** If every angel were a servitor of Revelation, my duties and heart alike would be light. It is said Litheroy is indiscreet ~ would that all angels had this “vice.” His devotion to unraveling mysteries and unearthing secrets is unquestioned, and his motives are refreshingly pure. He can probe too deeply sometimes, however, and will not be satisfied eas�ily when his curiosity is piqued. At least he came to me after a truly egregious error in judgment . . . *(Oh, my brother seraph, seeker of truth and Divine Inquisitor. Don’t you understand? If they would just explain themselves openly, you could help them make good choices. And if you would reveal yourself to them, and be open with them, then they would trust you. So long as they lie . . . so long as they hide themselves . . . then your burden will be as heavy as that unfortunate cloak. Won’t you let us help you bear that burden? I would, if you’d let me.)*

**Eli:** I always liked him. Cute kid, really. And creative, too. These days, I have to keep away from him, though. *(I don’t understand. If he has a good reason to be down on Earth, then he should tell us. If he doesn’t, he should come back. Either way, he’s hurting all of Heaven with his secrets, and that’s just not fair. Still . . . I wonder what he’s learned about humanity. And I wonder if he’d share his insights with me when he returns.)*

**Gabriel:** The flickering light of the torch reveals the contents of the chamber, but shadows are cast as well. That which you see is not what is truly there. Comprehension takes more than sight. Understanding comes from within. Do not be fooled by surfaces, Revelation. Do not be fooled by what you see. *(We once worked very closely together. Gabriel used to be a part of my life and even fueled my Word ~ what was the announcement of the birth of Christ if not Revelation? What was the appearance to the shepherds, telling them not to fear, if not the power of Revelation? What was the Quran itself, if not the essence of Revelation? We have to help Gabriel back to sanity. She is too important to leave as she is.)*

**Janus:** Litheroy? Litheroy’s like a little brother, you know? He’s like the little brother who not only isn’t cool but doesn’t care about being cool. He’s the little brother who tells on you not to get you in trouble, but to keep you out of trouble. I have no beef with him, but he can make things difficult for me. *(I just don’t understand Janus. Chaos just confuses people, and confusion scares them. If you have to be an agent of change, why not do it through education? As it is, he causes a lot of trouble and needs to be reined in.)*

**Jean:** We worked very closely together before Raphael’s death, but even then we clashed. His methods are not mine, and further, they are dangerous. If Litheroy had his way, we would have taught Neanderthals how to make gunpowder and given Alexander the Great nuclear warheads ~ and mankind would be little more than our pets, performing the tricks we taught them. They must do it on their own. Litheroy doesn’t understand that. *(I think Jean means well, but he’s utterly wrong about so many things. He does worse than hoard knowledge and keep humanity in the dark ~ he encourages their muddling around with theories that are just plain wrong. He let them believe in ether and spontaneous generation and Aristotelean “science” for centuries. I wonder if, when Galileo was forced to forswear Copernicanism and sentenced to life imprisonment, Jean was pleased? I should ask him sometime.)*

**Jordi:** They say humanity is special. They say humanity is set above the beasts. They say this and they say that. Litheroy seems to be the only one to ask “why?” To ask what makes this so unnatural of natural creatures what they are. I wish him luck. I have nearly given up trying to understand them. *(Jordi is always willing to answer questions about the animal world. He will go into depth and is patient with followups. He seems genuinely interested in my observations of humanity as well. He doesn’t usually come to the Abbey, but I enjoy visiting his Savannah on occasion.)*

**Khalid:** Revealing the truth is valuable work, but a mortal's faith is often stronger when he has only that to rely on. Litheroy serves God well, but I prefer that his servants stay out of the way of mine. *(I understand why he forbids his angels to reveal their true natures, but our work is nearly the opposite of one another. He inspires faith without evidence, and I reveal evidence to inspire faith. We are complementary, in an odd way, but our servitors don't work well together.)*

**Laurence:** Although of sadly limited utility in planning the War, Litheroy couldn’t be easier to work with. He is intelligent and enthusiastic, without being zealous or impatient. His servitors work tirelessly to expose the enemy’s secrets and bring intelligence back to Heaven, and Litheroy’s own dedication to Heaven is flawless. Through it all, he maintains a reverence appropriate to an archangel, to the point that on occasion I take up the robes and observe devotions in his Abbey, content to know we are serving Our Lord. *(A fine, honorable angel and an excellent Commander. Laurence gives me what resources and assistance he can, answers my questions, and doesn’t hesitate to ask for my expertise and my help. Unfortunately, he subscribes to the “classified information” vice, but we’re working on that.)*

**Marc:** Litheroy? Oh, he breaks my heart. I’ve never met an angel so devoted to understanding humanity ~ and that includes members of my own choir ~ and yet he keeps missing the point. He’s too paternalistic by far, and he can disrupt delicate negotiations. And he absolutely ruins any poker game he sits in on. But he means well, and his information is always ~ always ~ reliable. Naturally, I try to help his quests where I can, but I don’t have nearly enough time in my day to answer his incessant questions. *(With Eli’s tragic self-exile, Marc is an invaluable resource on humanity. However, he seems to share humanity’s incomprehensible love of the Labyrinth, and extracting useful tidbits from him can be distressingly like dental surgery. Also, he seems overly concerned with appearances and trappings, when what I’m really interested in is the human heart and soul. Still, he’s the best we’ve got on the subject. But I hope Eli comes home, and soon.)*

**Michael:** Some of my associates snigger about Litheroy’s earnestness. They call him names like “babblesnake,” and expect me to be sympathetic to their discomfort around him. Don’t they understand? Don’t they realize how much I yearn for a world where Litheroy’s brand of simple, unadulterated truth can be given free rein? I respect Litheroy more than any other seraph. Even steeped in the tribulations of the world he never, ever compromises his principles, and his highest principle is truth. How could I ever denigrate that? Absent that world, however, I must do what must be done. *(The first of the seraphim. The highest of the seraphim. I cannot imagine Michael’s burden, though I try to every day. I know he omits parts of the truth sometimes ~ the myth of “security” ~ and that saddens me. But to his credit, it saddens him too. In the meantime, I will help him any way I can.)*

**Novalis:** So many seraphim are dismissive of humanity. Litheroy isn’t. Litheroy really loves humanity. He spends so much of his time among them, and I truly believe he wouldn’t hurt a fly. I wish that compassion extended to Hell; he doesn’t seem to hate our Fallen brothers and sisters the way so many do, but he is firmly committed to fighting them. His confederacy with Laurence, Michael, and Dominic speaks volumes. Still, he’s never had a cross word for me, and I’m happy to talk with him. I just have to be careful what I say. *(Unlike Michael or Laurence, I really don’t have a problem with Novalis. Certainly, I admire her compassion and value her insight. Still, I don’t see how she can be so . . . accommodating of Hell. Every demon has turned his sight from the Symphony’s truth. So long as they embrace self�deception, our first responsibility has to be eliminating their threat. While I pray that means redemption, I don’t shy away from the sword if that’s what it takes. I’m all too conscious of their impact on humanity.)*

**Yves:** Litheroy is a true believer. He believes that through Revelation the War can be won, Hell redeemed, and the world made whole and pure. He never loses faith. He never loses heart. He simply keeps moving forward. He embraces the grand Revelations that change nations and the quiet Revelations that ease individual human hearts. Through understanding comes destiny, in Litheroy’s world. I think we could use more true believers, don’t you? *(I adore Yves. How could I not? His Library is open to all who would walk through its doors. His credo is plainly spoken and impossible to dismiss. More than peace and more than violence, he wants all the world to find its destiny. I respect that . I wish . . . I wish he would be more open himself. He could answer so many questions about Gabriel and so many other things. But there is time yet to convince him.)*

**Zadkiel:** It's hard to protect against the unknown. Litheroy exposes threats. Sometimes his angels are a little careless in revealing things that will endanger others, but it's not intentional. *(A valiant archangel, providing an oasis of stability in a troubled world.)*

### Princely Opinions

Though Litheroy is, by circumstance and even by design, a minor archangel, the demon princes of Hell do know of him and do have opinions. And of course, Litheroy’s driving need to understand extends fully to the subject of infernal Superiors.

> I can teach thee, coz, to shame the devil
> By telling truth: tell truth and shame the devil.
>
> Hotspur, Henry IV Part I

**Alaemon:** I know he wants to destroy me. So self-righteous, so meddlesome, Litheroy thinks he knows everything about me. But I know things he's never discovered, and someday, I will use those secrets to destroy him! *(My antithesis, my poor Fallen servant. He thinks he's my greatest enemy, but he can do little to damage my Word, while every day, with every revelation, we erode his.)*

**Andrealphus:** Ugh. What part of “wet fish” don’t you understand? I tried seducing him once. I say, “tried” because that . . . copulation hardly counted as seduction! He cheerfully agreed and spent the entire time asking questions! Nothing I did would make him focus on what he was feeling. It was all “do you like it when I do this?” and “do people like that, usually?” and “what do they make the flavored oils out of?” And then he wouldn’t stop calling me with more questions. I had to change my cell-phone number. Just . . . ugh. *(If you’re asking me if we’ve had sex, then the answer is yes. It’s an interesting experience, though he should improve his communication skills. Dominic had to question me afterward, of course. He told me not to do it again, and then wouldn’t explain what he found so . . . amusing. It was good to hear him laugh, though. As for Andrealphus himself . . . hm. I pity him more than anything. Don’t let his servitors distract you from the truth. If you get the chance, make them confront that truth themselves. It can bear fruit.)*

**Asmodeus:** Litheroy’s strategy is a limited but acceptable one. He deceives himself if he believes he doesn’t have one, of course. Still, there is something to be said for open play ~ and only a fool underestimates an opponent who doesn’t keep his hand hidden. Not all games reward bluffing, after all. In the end, however, his limitations keep his position weaker than it might otherwise be. *(One of the greatest enemies of Heaven. The essence of the Game is hidden ~ feints and bluffs, twists and unexpected moves. Where Alaemon con�ceals by Word, Asmodeus conceals by nature. That’s what I despise most about Hell. Asmodeus must be terribly lonely.)*

**Ba'al:** Inconsequential. I respect his sense of honor and his determination, but he is so woefully inept a warrior that coun�tering him is of little priority. He was more dangerous with Raphael to guide him. Sometimes, he can be useful for get�ting choice facts into Heaven, however. *(Ba'al is everything Michael is not. A liar who believes he’s telling the truth. A traitor who cloaks himself in the trappings of honor. A thug who believes he is a prince. If we could just cut through his web of self-deceptions and imagined insults, I think we could save him. Until then, he must be stopped. Human beings are suffering every day because of him.)*

**Belial:** I don’t like him. I don’t like him! In the old days, when you burned things, that was the end of it. You burned them and then they were gone. Consumed. Burnt! Now there’s arson investigation and clues and things to reveal at burn sites! Fire. Doesn’t. Reveal. Kill him. Kill all of his wretched kind. They’re weak, so it won’t be hard. *(All the charm of Saminga, all the danger of Haagenti. Belial and Mariel always worked to similar ends. Belial destroys what we would reveal. He cannot be permitted to succeed ~ and he’s held Fire hostage too long. Fire should reveal and inspire, not consume and destroy. It’s sad, really.)*

**Beleth:** A little bitty annoyance, but still an annoyance. He is all too willing to talk peoples’fear out of their heads, and we can’t have that, can we? I sometimes think he’s too stupid to be scared himself, but he does have fears of his own. Everyone has fears. Help Alaemon make him even less relevant than he is. *(All Beleth’s power comes from misunderstandings and secrets. Nightmares are born in lack of knowledge. If people truly understand each other, they have nothing to fear. If children understand the monster in their bedroom is really a pile of clothes on a chair, they won’t fear it. In the end, Beleth has no strength we don’t give her, and we don’t have to give her anything.)*

**Fleurity:** An open drug culture would suit me fine. Until that happens, though, Litheroy is an annoying pest, exposing users and revealing my dealers and supply networks. *(The most destructive thing about drugs is that people keep them secret. I'm not saying drug use should be encouraged but trying to suppress drugs clearly does more harm than good.)*

**Furfur:** Hey Litheroy, I gotcher revelation right here! Don't go nosin' 'round in my business or I'm gonna spank you like your daddy! *(He and his followers aren't hard to find, I'll say that for him. He's just another violent prince; one wonders why Lucifer felt a need for him.)*

**Haagenti:** I got bigger things to worry about than Litheroy. Like lunch. Any given lunch, really. *(When Haagenti con�sumed Mariel, I believe he took something of her nature on. He doesn’t lie often ~ or particularly well, compared to others ~ but he consumes. And what he consumes is lost to oblivion. That can’t be permitted.)*

**Kobal:** Possibly the worst audience on the face of the Earth. He doesn’t even make a good straight man, because he tries to explain the joke he’s in the middle of. And he doesn’t get embarrassed. Ever! The most humiliating things happen to Litheroy and he just shrugs, moves on, and tells everyone within earshot what happened! I mean, Andrealphus slept with him and all Litheroy did was tell everybody! I hate Litheroy. *(I’ve been told by people I trust I don’t have much of a sense of humor. I try to understand humor. I really do. Maybe it’s Kobal’s influence ~ I just don’t see how anyone thinks he’s funny, whether in Heaven or Hell. He seems to be in a lot of pain, don’t you think? I wish I could talk things over with him.)*

**Kronos:** A useful pawn for Heaven, who can also be a useful pawn for Hell. He’s rarely an effective foe, because explaining someone’s fate to him doesn’t necessarily prevent him from reaching it. Still, he can be an effective counter to Jean when properly utilized. *(Mysteries cling to Kronos. I don’t understand him. There’s something about him that just isn’t . . . right. He’s exceptionally dangerous, and every soul lost to Fate is truly lost, so he must be opposed. But the only way we’ll ever defeat Fate is to understand Kronos, and right now there are too many unanswered questions.)*

**Lilith:** Litheroy is bad for business. He gives away things we would sell, and he’s almost incapable of making a deal. Once I tried to get him to trade information for information, but I’d hardly put the deal on the table before he told me everything I wanted to know and a considerable amount I didn’t want to know. And not only didn’t I have a hook into his soul, it almost felt like I owed him. Fortunately, his servitors are easier to tempt and less guileless in general. *(I wish Lilith weren’t so wrapped up in her own self-deceptions. If she could let go of the past and let go of Hell, she’d be an invaluable resource. I mean, she’s a human being who has seen the world of angels and demons from the inside. Think of the insights she must have. But she doesn’t like to talk about herself. Well, maybe next time.)*

**Magog:** All those centuries, no one unearthed me. Did Litheroy really not know where I was? I think he's a liar and a hypocrite, but he'll die like all the rest. *(Because his burial place was a secret, Malphas was able to find him and set him free. Had we known where Magog was buried, we could have put a guard over him, or destroyed him.)*

**Malphas:** What a lovely little angel. He proves every�thing I’ve been saying, really. See, all Litheroy wants is for everyone to be fair and open with one another. Like all seraphim, he’s dedicated to the Truth with a capital “T.” And he’s completely open about all his goals. And what is Heaven’s response? They keep secrets from him, they avoid him, they set up secret meetings away from the Seraphim Council specifically to exclude him . . . factionalism, pure and simple. And then when he does learn their secrets, he tells everyone, and inflames passions all around him. Long may Litheroy seek. *(Malphas embodies the corruptive nature of shedim. He corrupts associations, turning them against each other and fomenting hidden agendas. How ironic, really ~ a shedu is a corrupt kuriotes who can only see one point of view, and yet Malphas breaks people up into their own separate points of view. I wonder if that means we can Redeem him.)*

**Mammon:** An irritating pest who's always trying to expose my dealings. My books are closed and will remain so. *(Greed only flourishes when people are able to keep their wealth and their financial dealings hidden. If everyone did business in an environment of complete openness, no one could be cheated, and greed would not be so tempting.)*

**Nybbas:** You ever hear of a Murrow’s Ghost, babe? They’re the ones who sit in the back of news stations and whine about objectivity and hard news. That’s Litheroy all over ~ he’d turn every newspaper into an encyclopedia. He’d turn every television station into PBS. Not the good stuff, either! He’d wanna know why a purple dinosaur! He’d want to know how that dog got big and red! And he’s putting his nose in my business! Angels of Objective Journalism and Investigative Journalism causing trouble . . . he better figure out the exposé goes around and the exposé comes around. *(I don’t pretend to understand impudites yet, but Nybbas seems pretty typical of their breed. He’s all about flash and appearance, not about substance. So long as he dominates the mass media, he can obfuscate the truth and force propaganda on humanity. We can’t let him succeed at that any more.)*

**Saminga:** When Litheroy is ready to investigate the ultimate truth, I’ll be glad to help him get there. Otherwise, he’s nothing to me. *(A horrible creature, but one worth studying. There is much we don’t understand about the process of death that, absent contact with the archangel of Death, we’re not going to learn. And certainly much we don’t understand about the nature of the undead. The more we can learn about both, the stronger our weapons against Saminga. And if our understanding becomes complete enough, perhaps we can find a way to rescue the undead from their curse.)*

**Valefor:** You know, if I wanted to commit a crime in Cabot Cove, the first thing I’d do is kill off Jessica Fletcher. That “amateur detective” bitch gets her nose into everyone’s private business and then blabs her mouth off to everyone. Silence her, and you can kill everyone you want in that town and never get caught. You get my meaning? *(So many mysteries cling to Valefor. Who is he? Where did he come from? What is his relationship to or with Janus? Who was his Superior before he got his Word? How did he get Genubath’s Word? Where did Genubath go? Did Valefor really get a book from Yves’s Library? If so, how? And why? So many questions . . . and I think both Heaven and Hell want the answers, don’t you?)*

**Vapula:** Though it can be lonely and frustrating to be so misunderstood, I can take heart that someone in Heaven does understand. Not only is Litheroy an effective agent against Jean ~ and a vocal critic of Lightning’s methods ~ but he is passionately devoted to revealing all of Lightning’s secrets to the world. If he manages to succeed, the benefits to scientific inquiry will be robust ~ we should be as supportive as possible. And regardless of his success, find out everything Litheroy and his servitors know. It shouldn’t be that difficult ~ just ask. *(If I ever begin to doubt my opinion of Jean’s methods, I have only to look at Vapula to reaffirm my resolve. Vapula is the embodiment of the “scientific process,” and his methods create destruction and horror. If Jean revealed the secrets of the universe to humanity, Vapula would melt away to nothing. If we taught humanity how to do all the things they seek to do, the Word of Technology would die in Vapula’s breast. Absent an epiphany on Jean’s part, we must do all we can to learn what Vapula’s up to and contain the damage he causes.)*

### Humans and Others

> Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little mistaken.
>
> Jane Austen,

**Humanity:** God has told us that human beings are very, very special. So special that He wanted to leave them alone, but the demons would not allow that, so we must walk among them. Absent the ability to leave them alone, we must do all that we can to understand them ~ understand their delightful ways, their perceptions, the way they can influence the Symphony without perceiving it. Understand how they can choose to follow their fate and why they would reject fate for destiny instead. Understand how they can use fiction ~ fiction ~ to reveal truth to one another, and learn how to distill that truth so we can give it to them without couching it in ambiguous terms. Human beings are wonderful.
**Soldiers of God:** Among the most valuable resources we have. They can go places we cannot, they can fit into their world in a way we cannot. We do not disguise ourselves in the Symphony with Roles, which means we need our Soldiers to perform certain tasks. More importantly, however, they have insight into the human condition, which we can learn from.

> Litheroy is so unlike the rest. I feel comfortable with his angels. They never make me feel inferior, and they don't patronize me. They don't quite understand me, but I really get the feeling they're trying to. I wish he'd laugh once in a while, though.
>
> Angela Weiss (Solder of God),

They also serve as an example, to Heaven and God Himself, that humanity can accept the existence of angels and still remain true to themselves. Value them. Use them.

**Hellsworn:** A terrible shame. We must do everything to make them understand their choice, in detail. It’s not too late for them. It’s not too late. But if they insist on damning themselves there’s nothing we can do. That may be the greatest tragedy of them all . . . and the greatest triumph of Hell’s lies. Help them.

**Sorcerers:** These are the most tragic of Hell’s soldiers, and yet the ones we must have the least sympathy for. They have sold their birthright for a lie, and they perform terrible acts in the name of selfish desire. We must try our best to capture them, and we must learn everything they know. Everything they have done. I’m terribly, terribly sorry, but we can’t afford to be gentle about it.

> Our greatest enemy is Litheroy, who brings us lies and insists they are true. The Cabal of the Night understands how to cut the falseness away from his lies. Do not listen to what they say to you, but pay attention to what they say to each other. The Cabal of Night and Lord Alaemon pay dearly for such morsels.
>
> Anton Mournfield (Acolyte of the Night)

**Ethereals:** Deceptions given form. They are lies that live off of humanity’s Essence. They are interesting, given that they form out of humanity’s impressions ~ perhaps they are created in similar ways as tethers or even the shaping of Words. This bears further investigation. But if you see them out of the Marches, intercede. And if they claim to be gods, remind them and all who listen of the truth. They can’t abide the truth.

> Don't talk to me about Litheroy. His power was born in the wave of Christianity that cut us off from our worshippers and destroyed our temples and tethers. He claims to love only truth, yet he spreads Heaven's lies and never, ever questions whether we might be right and Heaven wrong. He's a hypocrite at best, a murderer at worst. Ask him how he argued at the Trial of Uriel! Ask him! And then don't ever mention his name to me again.
>
> Apollo

### Knowledge, Wisdom, Lightning, and Revelation

For eons, Raphael was the key actor in the development of human education. She worked with her close allies, Jean and Yves, to encourage the philosophy, science, and humanities of the people of Earth. When the demons escaped Hell and returned to the world, Lucifer set not just one but two demon princes in opposition to Raphael: Gebbeleth, the balseraph prince of Secrets, and Mariel, the impudite princess of Oblivion. The angels looked to the wise ~ and manipulative ~ eloah archangel of Knowledge to counter both demonic propaganda and infernal misinformation.

Raphael saw herself, Jean, and Yves as a trinity of sorts: Lightning as Science and Mathematics, the understanding of the physical; Destiny as Philosophy and Wisdom, the contemplation of the eternal; and Knowledge encompassing elements of both, bridging the realms of the spirit and the mundane. Yves was content to let Raphael direct philosophical development and education, as it freed him to concentrate on individual destinies and other projects. Jean, on the other hand, was more active in the process, willing to defer to Raphael, whom he respected greatly, but also willing to argue with her in eloahic debate ~ if only to ensure that her logic was sound.

That she wished to avoid bias from her fellow Power was the overt reason she cultivated the angel of Revelation as a trusted advisor, and to Litheroy’s mind, it is logical enough. While Litheroy was not an archangel, he was uncowed by rank and he had independently developed a philosophy in opposition to Jean’s. Where Jean was conservative in the means of encouraging and shaping human scientific progress, insistent that humanity was not ready for most truths, Litheroy wanted to express complete truth to humanity, in all things, and trust in their ability to evolve and grow. Raphael listened to Litheroy and Jean both, synthesizing their opposing theses into plans both could accept. When Litheroy ascended to archangel of Revelation, his voice became even stronger, and the balance between his openness and Jean’s caution became codified and almost ritualized. Jean and Litheroy might not have cared for each other, but with Raphael in the mix they were able to work closely and even harmoniously.

Until 1008 e.v., anyhow. Jean never believed that Litheroy’s Word and elevation were entirely explained as a “balance” to his own logic; they were elohim, and therefore capable of ignoring bias. He suspected that she wished to use Litheroy against the princes of Oblivion and Secrets. However, whatever other plots Raphael might have had perished with her. If Yves knew of them, he has said nothing.

It is worth noting that after the death of Raphael, a majority of her servitors entered Jean’s or Yves’s service, an echo of the original trinity. Of those remaining, most entered Litheroy’s service, and are among his most dedicated Heavenly servants.

### The First Demon Prince of Secrets

While the conflict between Litheroy and Alaemon is well known, it is easy to forget that for 15,000 years, Litheroy led Knowledge’s war with Gebbeleth, the balseraph prince of Secrets. Though lacking the strength of an archangel, Litheroy was a powerful servitor of distinction with a Word that gave him insight into investigating and exposing the very things Gebbeleth based his own existence on. It was natural that Litheroy would top the balseraph’s enemies list, just below Raphael herself.

However, Gebbeleth never had the intensely personal dislike of Litheroy that Alaemon has (or appears to have, anyway). If anything, Gebbeleth grew to enjoy the challenge Litheroy represented. He used the angel of Revelation to test his own servitors by fire ~ if a follower of Secrets could successfully conceal information Litheroy actively sought, that servitor would be rewarded in the Lodge Gebbeleth had formed within his organization. If a follower of Secrets deceived Litheroy, Gebbeleth’s pleasure and patronage grew.

As for Litheroy himself, Gebbeleth was ambivalent. Certainly, the angel of Revelation’s complete honesty rankled the demon prince of Secrets, but at the same time Litheroy was far from the most discreet of servitors. He was high up in Raphael’s service and a trusted advisor to Raphael herself, and many of the concerns the Seraphim Council has today over Litheroy’s lack of discretion can be traced back to information leaks Gebbeleth was able to capitalize on, thousands of years before the birth of Christ ~ not the least of which was the very existence of the grigori, which cost Heaven a vital advantage in the War. Through it all, however, Raphael never chastised Litheroy or tried to change his methods. In fact, with a typical eloah's resourcefulness (and manipulative nature), she grew adept at feeding select tidbits of information to the enemy through Litheroy . . . not that the angel of Revelation ever knew it was happening.

After Gebbeleth disappeared (a fact even Litheroy didn’t suspect for centuries), the Lodge of Gebbeleth began to lose its effectiveness against the powerful angel of Revelation. This was compounded by Litheroy’s ascension to archangel ~ suddenly, their most persistent enemy had resources the semi-orphaned Gebbelites couldn’t hope to match. This forced their alliance with Mariel, demon princess of Oblivion, and she began to devote her resources to fighting the archangel of Revelation directly. Mariel adopted the Lodge of Gebbeleth as her own and protected them until her own destruction. It was during this battle that Litheroy began fighting to rescue both knowledge and antiquities from oblivion ~ a fight that he continues today with his interest in archaeology

### Twenty-Three Years of Revelations

Though he was linked with Christianity at the time of his ascension to archangel, the most significant boost in Litheroy’s Word after his ascension came from the founding of the third Abrahamic religion. Islam came about when Gabriel visited the prophet Muhammad from 610 e.v. to 632 e.v., bearing divine revelations that Muhammad turned into the Quran. All devout Muslims accept the divine inspiration of the work, testifying that the words are not Muhammad’s, but Heaven’s, passed through Muhammad. This belief strengthens Litheroy’s Word, which he is comfortable with, knowing it to be based on truth. Whether the Quran represents the true will of God or not ~ Litheroy does not pretend to know ~ it unquestionably came from Gabriel and Yves, and therefore there is truth in the Muslim claims of authorship.

Khalid, the eloah archangel of Faith, understands that Litheroy benefits from the Quran’s influence on the Word of Revelation and is content. Litheroy is not a Muslim any more than he is a Christian or Jew, but Litheroy acknowledges the power of Faith and is deeply devout. Khalid does object to Litheroy’s methods. He believes Litheroy seeks to explain matters that humanity should not question in the first place, but instead accept on faith. Khalid’s dissonance conditions are directly contradictory to Litheroy’s, and their goals could not be further apart. However, as the Law of Heaven states that angels may not reveal themselves to the world, Litheroy is content to leave theology in Khalid’s hands (for now) and concentrate his efforts on secular matters ~ matters that put him in conflict with Jean.

There may come a day, however, when Revelation and Faith openly oppose one another, despite their shared interest in Islam.

### Truth, Science, and Humanity

It seems odd. A seraph and an eloah, both archangels, both tasked with guiding the development of humanity, and both once very close associates of the archangel of Knowledge, should at least be able to accept each other’s differences. And yet, Jean and Litheroy compete with one another, and promote their own agenda, at each other’s expense.

Jean has attempted to explain his philosophy to Litheroy. At length. There is a natural growth and development process, which humanity must undergo. Even as Charlemagne was not ready to have machine guns and mortars on the battlefield, so mankind is not yet ready for the deep secrets of the universe. Further, by exploring those secrets for themselves, human beings can discover new, innovative ways of putting them together. While Jean understands the rules of the universe in precise detail, he does not know every way those rules can be expressed or applied. Humans (and, Jean is forced to admit, Vapula) often hit on those expressions if they’re forced to blunder around in the dark, searching for the answers. And of course, sometimes humanity discovers things that culturally it’s just not ready for (especially when influenced by demons of Technology or other supernatural meddlers). In those cases it’s important to manage humans’ efforts and keep them from hurting themselves.

Litheroy, on the other hand, believes passionately that human beings have the capacity to deal with the truth. So long as human beings blunder through the Labyrinth unguided, they not only make mistakes but hurt each other. They are left open to the depredations of Vapula. They mistake supposition for reality, and they end up hurting themselves or others terribly, often for theories that are completely wrong. If the truth were revealed, humanity would have to adjust to it. But Litheroy knows humanity could make that adjustment as it has made so many others, and then, with a foundation of reality instead of theory to go on, continue to grow unimpeded and undamaged.

Both want what is best for humanity. Jean wants humanity to achieve for itself. Litheroy wants to trust humanity with the truth. Neither can be said to be wrong. But there is simply no reconciling the two positions without intercession from a party they both respect. Raphael once filled that role. Today, only Yves could hope to take her place between the pair . . . and Yves has not chosen to do so.

Because of Litheroy’s inability to play politics, Jean has the upper hand when convincing the Seraphim Council to follow his desires. On the other hand, Litheroy is not shackled by the need to consider the Council’s interests before moving. Where Jean must try to predict the Council’s wishes and weigh his actions accordingly, Litheroy simply does what he feels is right, whatever the consequences. More than once, this has proven to be to Heaven’s advantage.

### Untwisting the Labyrinth

No conflict of Litheroy’s is as complex and visceral as the one he has with Alaemon. The demon prince of Secrets claims to be devoting his entire existence to the destruction of his former Superior.

Litheroy has responded with zeal, fighting hard to eliminate Secrets and if necessary destroy Alaemon along with them. He has made adjustments to his organization to cover the weaknesses Alaemon has so fervently attacked.

As far as Alaemon himself goes, however, Litheroy is far more hurt than he is angry. It is far worse than betrayal. Litheroy has had servitors Fall before, and while he hates that fact with all his heart he understands in what way they failed before they Fell. But Alaemon . . .

Litheroy just doesn’t understand Alaemon. He doesn’t understand the animosity that Alaemon has brought into the conflict. Even Gebbeleth didn’t seem to take Litheroy or Revelation as a personal affront. Litheroy will not permit the demon prince of Secrets to further injure Revelation, Revelation’s servitors, or Litheroy himself. He will do whatever is necessary to both stop Alaemon and defeat him. And he will do everything in his power to destroy the Conspiracy utterly.

But more importantly, Litheroy is going to understand Alaemon. Completely. Even if it kills both of them in the process.

### Objective Journalism

Though it hasn’t really begun to track on either Heaven or Hell’s radar yet, there is a battle brewing between Revelation and the Media that could get vicious . . . and given the relative power levels involved, deadly for Litheroy.

Litheroy cannot and will not stand for media spin, doctoring, hyperbole, or propaganda disguised as journalism. While the angel of Journalism herself is a servitor of Destiny, Litheroy has gathered Wordbound angels related to honesty, integrity, and investigation in journalism, led by his angels of Objective Journalism and Investigative Journalism. Litheroy simply does not accept that the purveyors of fact in human society apply their own agendas, distortions, and deceptions to the truth they purport to present.

Nybbas has noticed this, and has every intention of wiping Revelation from the face of the Symphony in response. To date, however, he has tried to use the tools he always brings to bear. First, he attempted to corrupt and absorb Revelation, to get it working for him. That failed because Revelation refused to accept partial truths (much to the disgust of the demon of Sensationalism).

Next he tried innuendo, lies, distortions, and exposés. The problem is, Litheroy and his servitors typically have no skeletons in their closets, and Litheroy is willing to admit to anything he’s done in the past; even in the corporeal realm, Litherites have no Roles to besmirch. Further, spreading rumors about Litheroy seems to be impossible, because there is nothing that Litheroy “won’t dignify with a reply.” In fact, he’ll disabuse any falsehood at length. And, since Litheroy never conceals his movements, there are no unaccounted-for minutes that Nybbas can twist into sinister intent.

This is utterly contrary to Nybbas’ experience, and he’s having some difficulty dealing with it. The most obvious course of action is for Nybbas to attack Litheroy with force instead of subtlety, but Nybbas is an impudite, and that’s not the way he thinks.

However, Nybbas is not a fool, and he is beginning to understand the nature of his foe. And as he adapts his weapons and brings more of his resources to bear, the much less powerful archangel of Revelation could be in significant danger

### Revelation and Creation

Very few Creationers have entered into Litheroy’s service. There is too much hunger among the Litherites to learn the truth about Eli’s absence for most Creationers to be comfortable in the Abbey. In the words of one Creation servitor who served Revelation, then transferred to Destiny, “It’s not that they didn’t trust me. It’s that they wouldn’t shut up about it.”

Those few Creationers who remain have a tough row to hoe. The Litherites are far more interested in nonfiction than fiction, representative art than abstract, and exposition instead of action. “Show, don’t tell” is not a Litherite truism. The happiest Creationers serving Revelation find themselves illuminating manuscripts or otherwise bringing beauty to truth, thus bringing the two sides of their nature into harmony.

The more practical-minded Litherites appreciate having agents beyond human beings who can adopt Roles and otherwise deceive humanity as needed. Of course, using the Creationers in that way risks having to explain their actions to their own superiors (or to Litheroy himself).

### Dealing with Judgment

What part of complete and utter disclosure of all relevant and more-than-a-little irrelevant information doesn’t make sense? Needless to say, Litheroy’s servitors are among the very few to both volunteer and look forward to being debriefed by Judgment. In situations where Judgment is investigating aberrations among the Litherites, the babblesnakes do everything in their power to assist.

There are certain Dominican triads who absolutely dread investigating Litherites . . .

## Rites

* Work at solving puzzles (word, jigsaw, etc.) for at least three hours.
* Convince someone to confess a long-kept secret.
* Expose a corrupt judge or policeman. (+2 Essence)

### Expanded Rites

* Spend at least two hours uncovering long-lost treasures (note that this can as easily apply to digging out yearbooks hidden away in a box in someone’s attic as to the Ark of the Covenant).
* Debunk a faker or charlatan in front of at least five people.
* Explain the subtext of a story to someone in a way he can clearly understand.

### Invocation Modifiers

**+1** A puzzle book, untouched

**+2** A puzzle book, completed in ink

**+3** Successfully guessing what’s in a wrapped gift

**+4** A penitent man who “comes clean” about a secret despite the consequences

**+5** Exposing secrets that drastically change the reputation of a celebrated or significant historical figure

**+6** Publicly exposing a plot of international significance (or discovering a plot of the Prince of Secrets!

### GURPS Classic

**Invocation Base:** 4 [10 points]

> American virtues are daylight virtues: honesty, integrity, plain speech. We say yes when we mean yes and no when we mean no, and all else comes from the evil one.
>
> Richard Rodriguez, "Night and Day"

## Names, Appearance, and Manner

Litheroy is known as “Litheroy” to his followers, to his friends, to his confidants, and often to his enemies. Whether in Heaven or on Earth, Litheroy does not adopt a pseudonym or any more protective coloration than is required by the Law of Heaven. If he could, he would simply appear as a seraph at all times and be done with it. He does not adopt titles, which to his thinking are little better than pseudonyms ~ and the less said about pseudonyms, the better. The three exceptions to this rule are titles that he feels do adequately describe him, minimizing confusion and perhaps giving insight into who he is: Archangel, Revelation, and Father.

“Archangel” is self-explanatory. Litheroy is an archangel, and it would be disingenuous to not answer to the title. While he thinks a person’s name is preferable to formality, he recognizes that the formality makes others comfortable. Being called by his Word is less palatable, but still acceptable. While Litheroy does not subscribe to the theory that the Wordbound is the Word (he feels no celestial can fully embody a concept, and no concept can fully describe a celestial), he recognizes that when someone refers to “Revelation” in common discourse, he means the archangel of Revelation. Finally, he accepts “Father” as the Abbot of Litheroy’s Abbey. It is proper for his servitors and pilgrims to the Abbey to call him by that title, because it makes his position clear and tells visitors who’s in charge. He recognizes that his servitors use “Father” in a paternal sense as well, and Litheroy is content to allow this. While his role is more complicated than fatherhood, he recognizes that he is the father figure for his servitors and accepts this responsibility.

Note that while he accepts “Archangel” as a title, he does not like and will not respond to “Lord” or “Lord Archangel.” The Lord is an accepted way of referring to God, and Litheroy sees no reason to confuse the issue. Other titles and glorifications are likewise rejected as deceptive. He is Litheroy ~ that should be sufficient for anyone. His servitors respect his wishes, though a Litherite will often refer to his archangel as “the Abbot” when speaking of him. Other angels (and more than a few demons) refer to Litheroy as “Babblesnake.” The one time it was done to Litheroy’s face, he wasn’t offended ~ it seemed descriptive enough ~ but he pointed out that since his servitors are also called babblesnakes, it wasn’t precise enough without a qualifier like “Head Babblesnake” or “Archangel Babblesnake.”

(It is worth noting that insulting Litheroy to his face tends to be unsatisfying, at best, as he seems incapable of taking offense and often asks for clarification far beyond what would make the name funny or hurtful.)

In Heaven, Litheroy prefers to appear in his true form: a seraph of unusual size, snow-colored, with iridescent eyes that look everywhere at once. His serpent’s head darts from side to side, wanting to miss no details, and his full wings are often dingy from crawling under desks or through caverns. When appropriate, he wears monk’s robes displaying the rank of an abbot. On the rare occasions that he appears human in Heaven, he adopts what most consider his “usual” human form ~ an older man of pleasant demeanor and great energy, wearing those selfsame monk’s robes.

On Earth, when conducting one of his projects, Litheroy generally wears a vessel like his “human form” ~ it’s best, he feels, that he appear as others expect him to, to avoid confusion. His clothing is generally rumpled but well-made, designed for exploration or work, and it’s inevitably covered in dirt or dust. He never dresses to encourage his (nonexistent) vanity, and if he ever wears a suit it’s because he’s been told that otherwise he won’t be allowed in to see something he wants to. On his own, however, he has been known to wear vessels of all kinds of human beings, male or female, young or old, of any race or culture, and dressed in a variety of ways. Litheroy’s driving desire to understand humanity has led him to try to see the world from many viewpoints. However, he always answers only to the name “Litheroy,” even in a female vessel, and never hides who he is unless bound by Heavenly Law. Even the nickname “Roy” rankles his sense of the truth, and he will take the time to quietly correct the hapless speaker even after multiple mis-namings.

Litheroy is enthusiastic and friendly, never seeming to take offense or get angry. He sometimes seems disappointed when confronted with deceptions and betrayals, but his demeanor is a mild one. His smile is quick, though small, and he is happy to talk to anyone. His conversations are dominated by questions, but they aren’t unpleasant ones. At the same time, Litheroy is extremely plainspoken ~ he doesn’t dissemble and he doesn’t speak with discretion. He will blurt out the secrets or embarrassing personal details of those he’s talking with to the worst possible people, then look puzzled when the victim of his indiscretion takes offense. And, though he does smile, he never seems to laugh.

## Twists of the Labyrinth

It is widely held that the Labyrinth is Litheroy’s metaphor for the enemy. Contextually, it is a fair observation. A labyrinth conceals with complexity, using blind alleys and puzzles to obfuscate the one correct path in and out. The very word “labyrinth” conjures up images of dark halls and fearful turns.

However, if you asked Litheroy about the Labyrinth, he’d deny any negative connotations to the word. After all, a labyrinth looks like it has many answers. It looks like many possible paths will take you to your goal. In that same way, many people (and angels) believe that there are many routes to the truth, to understanding, to perception . . . to anything, really. And they believe that any path is acceptable if it gets you there.

Litheroy does not believe this. In his eyes, there is one true solution to any given problem. Any other solutions may take you close to the center, but they won’t actually get you there. And sometimes you can put tremendous time and energy into following a blind alley, convinced that if you just figure out which turn you overlooked, you would arrive at the truth. Some investigators refuse to let go of their blind alley, even when it becomes clear it can’t possibly bear fruit.

This, to Litheroy, is the core of the Labyrinth. You must always keep in mind that until you arrive at the truth, and verify you have arrived at the truth, you might be in a blind alley. You must be prepared at all times to retrace your steps and check every possible turn, no matter what “intuition” tells you. The Labyrinth is a philosophy. And, when you solve a labyrinth puzzle on paper, you mark your path, so all who come after can see the solution, revealed in all its glory.

Humanity, Litheroy feels, exemplify the Labyrinth. Human beings twist and turn and hide themselves and hide from themselves. But Litheroy knows that the true path can be found.

## History

> Truth, naked, unblushing truth, the first virtue of all
>  serious history, must be the sole recommendation of this personal narrative.
>
> Edward Gibbon

Unlike many archangels, Litheroy was created after the Fall, not before it. In fact, Litheroy was created, almost immediately after the Fall, by the archangel Raphael. Raphael recognized, with eloahic objectivity, that in the wake of Heaven’s losses new servitors would be needed ~ servitors not shackled by memories of Heaven before the Rebellion ~ both to fill in the gaps and to bring a fresh perspective to the work ahead. Litheroy was one of the first of this group and distinguished himself early on. Energetic and optimistic, Litheroy worked diligently to spread Knowledge to Heaven and Earth alike. He helped force Heaven to confront the truth ~ a third of the Host did rebel, did Fall, and were sealed away in Hell . . . for the moment. He helped Heaven adjust and get back to work.

Litheroy was also distinctive in his appreciation of humanity. Where seraphim as a breed were focused more on Heaven and the drive to join the Trisagonists, Litheroy was far more interested in the corporeal and humanity. It is thought Raphael intended this result, in hopes of bringing the Most Holy closer to the needs of Earth.

Litheroy was very successful at what he did. When the Seraphim Council convened for the first time (in 22,000 p.e.v., 625 years after the Fall and Litheroy’s creation), the newly created council invested Litheroy ~ already at the very top of Raphael’s organization ~ with the Word of Revelation. While still a servitor of Knowledge, Litheroy had become one of Raphael’s most valuable agents and tools both in Heaven and on Earth.

Litheroy’s Word made him a natural leader in the cause of spreading Knowledge, and he directed Raphael’s servitors with passion. He also was given the task of passing certain Knowledge on to humanity, which was appropriate for the angel of Revelation. He began building Raphael’s organization on Earth, always mindful of God’s Law and the injunction against revealing Heaven’s true nature, but also recognizing both the need for humanity to understand good and evil, and Heaven’s need to understand humanity.

He was so skilled at this that after the demons slipped the bonds of Hell and the creation of the grigori, Litheroy acted as Raphael’s liaison with those servitors ~ mostly of Stone ~ tasked with integrating and training the Watchers for their roles as observers and teachers of humanity (and sentinels against infernal activity). Litheroy did this gladly, appreciating the grigori’s acute perceptions as tools for investigation and revelation. He also found himself the spearhead of Raphael’s new war with Secrets and Oblivion, at first seeking to drive the secrets Gebbeleth hoarded into the light of Revelation, then later opposing Mariel’s push to consign truth to Oblivion. Through all of these trials, Litheroy never lost his optimism or his humble joy in truth.

Litheroy’s role changed again some 5,000 years after the grigori’s creation. Litheroy was the one of the first servitors of Heaven to discover what at first looked like a new breed of human being but turned out to be the monstrous nephilim. The Wordbound seraph took this information to Dominic, only to be brought into the confidence of ~ and ordered to silence by ~ Dominic and Eli, the Archangel of Creation, who had discovered the nephilim’s horrifying origins as angel/human crossbreeds. Though it was Eli more than Litheroy who had ferreted out the shame of the Watchers, Dominic noted the angel of Revelation’s zeal and skill, and remembered it later.

He was not the only archangel to take notice of the angel of Revelation. One of the key battlegrounds for Heaven and Hell was the Roman Empire, where Uriel’s patronage was undermined by Andrealphus and Beelzebub, demon prince of Corruption. Litheroy passionately fought Beelzebub’s influence, uncovering corruption throughout the provinces and analyzing the demon prince’s movements and habits. Naturally this information was passed by Raphael to Uriel, then Lord Commander of the Heavenly Host, who was able to use it to predict and confront his nemesis far more effectively. It enabled the archangel of Purity’s 300-year campaign against Corruption, ultimately resulting in the destruction of the first Prince of Corruption. Uriel did not forget the role Litheroy played.

However, while Litheroy had the support of Knowledge, Judgment, and Purity, it was a different event that led to his ascension. The founding of Christianity brought Revelation to the forefront of humanity. Christianity was largely founded on divine revelation. Gabriel had announced the conception of Jesus Christ to his parents, and appeared to shepherds and brought tidings of his birth. The final book of the Bible, as it evolved, was titled the Revelation of St. John, or just Revelations, and concerned knowledge being sent down from Heaven to Man, revealed in all its glory through divine inspiration. As Rome turned to Christianity, prophets and scholars and seers alike spoke of revelations from Heaven. Litheroy’s Word grew tremendously during this time, though he was disturbed that so many of these “revelations” were false, and corrected the record whenever he could. As a strong follower of Raphael, Litheroy was also a part of Raphael’s, Yves’s, and Gabriel’s efforts to spread Christianity throughout the world.

With his Word burgeoning with strength and Revelation seemingly inexorably linked with Christianity, Litheroy finally seemed to be growing out from under Raphael’s shadow. When Rome officially converted to Christianity under Constantine, and the Council of Nicea convened in 325 e.v., Uriel and Dominic took the opportunity to declare their open support of Christianity, and the Seraphim Council took several steps in response. One of those steps was to recognize Litheroy by making him archangel of Revelation. To this day, the connection of Litheroy’s ascension to Christianity is reflected by his Cathedral near the Halls of Worship. New archangels typically have Cathedrals that abut their former Superior’s, but Litheroy’s Cathedral was closer by far to Uriel’s.

While Litheroy was happy to be associated with a religion that he found fascinating (and full of mysteries to unravel), he was not a dogmatic archangel. Far more interested in investigation than indoctrination, and totally uninterested in the politics of the Seraphim Council, Litheroy isolated himself from the rest of the archangels, and counted only Raphael as an ally. Litheroy was a more important and more effective agent of Heaven when he served Knowledge than as an archangel himself ~ without Raphael’s governance over him, Litheroy embraced his philosophy of openness and truth over all other things. Even Uriel began to exclude the archangel of Revelation from sensitive meetings, though he never had a word of complaint about the seraph. For his own part, Litheroy obeyed any commands the Commander of the Host gave him, and always gave Uriel unembellished, blunt advice when he felt he should. Uriel valued both traits, and accepted Litheroy’s philosophy as pure, if nothing else. Following Uriel’s recall, Laurence accepted the archangel of Revelation’s aid in the same spirit ~ but also kept the same precautions.

> Talk to me about the truth of religion and I'll listen gladly. Talk to me about the duty of religion and I'll listen submissively. But don't come taking to me about the consolations of religion or I'll suspect you don't understand.
>
> C. S. Lewis,

Though less integral to the overall War effort, Litheroy continued to faithfully serve, acting as a foil to Jean where he could, working closely with Raphael, studying the mystery of humanity, and exposing lies, deceit, and secrets to the glare of revelation. It was a magnificent time for Litheroy . . . but it came before a terrible blow to the archangel. Not having been alive for the Fall, Litheroy had never experienced either the terrible pain of loss nor the bitter feeling of betrayal the way the ancient angels had. Both were to come to him, first with the death of Raphael, and then with the crowning of one of his own Fallen as the Prince of Secrets, replacing Gebbeleth as a particularly vicious enemy of Revelation.

Raphael’s loss came first, when she sacrificed herself to destroy Legion. Suddenly denied his one true, unremitting ally, oldest friend, and creator, Litheroy took the death of Raphael hard. Jean was also crushed by the death of his collaborator, and while the two would become increasingly intolerant of one another over the centuries following, they were able to comfort one another in the wake of her death. Even the destruction of Litheroy’s most dogged enemy, Mariel, in the aftermath of the Legion affair could not hearten Litheroy. Still, he had a role to fulfill and a job to do, and he did them, not concealing his grief but not letting it impede him. Though Raphael’s sacrifice hurt, he understood it. So long as he could understand, he could accept.

This was a comfort he did not have when a new Prince of Secrets was crowned in the year 1800 e.v. ~ and was apparently Alaemon, a former mercurian of Revelation and created by Litheroy himself. While it cannot be confirmed that this Alaemon is the same celestial being that Litheroy knew, this new Prince of Secrets used extensive knowledge of Revelation’s methods to attack Litheroy’s servitors and organization, seize valuable assets, and bury important secrets. Litheroy was shocked and deeply hurt, but accepted the challenge and began to fight back, exposing Alaemon’s conspiracy as completely as he could. In the centuries that followed, the two have largely been stalemated, and a significant portion of Litheroy’s energy and resources has been devoted to confounding Alaemon.

## Personality and Outlook

> For all men live by truth, and stand in need of expression. In love, in art, in avarice, in politics, in labor, in games, we study to utter our painful secret. The man is only half himself, the other half is his expression.
>
> Ralph Waldo Emerson,

Compared to many Superiors, the Archangel of Revelation is straightforward. He says what he means, holds little back, and answers questions he is asked. There are many who, confronted with this almost humble creature, believe Litheroy to be naïve. Even simpleminded. Certainly lacking in sophistication and perhaps even childlike.

They are very, very wrong.

For a seraph, Litheroy is very knowledgeable about the world and how it works. He understands that human beings (and most celestials) value privacy and discretion. He simply knows they’re wrong. Utterly wrong. Sometimes tragically wrong. And he does not coddle that wrongful thinking, regardless of whether he hears it from a 16-year-old girl lying to her parents or from Laurence, archangel of the Sword, Lord Commander of the Heavenly Host and Defender of Heaven. Litheroy knows this costs him the support of many of his fellows, and willingly pays that price.

> Everybody in America is soft, and hates conflict. The cure for this, both in politics and social life, is the dame ~ hardihood.
> Give them raw truth.
>
> John Jay Chapman,

What Litheroy is, at his core, is earnest. His demeanor is always serious, even if he has a smile on his face. He takes joy in truth and in his work, but does not laugh. He answers sarcastic questions honestly and literally. He never assumes a question is rhetorical. In fact, he finds that by answering “rhetorical questions” he can force the questioner to question his own assumptions. Any question is important enough to be answered. Any assumption is important enough to be challenged. Any secret is important enough to be exposed.

In devoting himself to the corporeal and the question of humanity, Litheroy is trying, ultimately, to understand. He accepts on faith that humanity is important ~ God has decreed it, and Litheroy believes it. To Litheroy, it is now absolutely necessary to understand why humanity is important. God would not so favor a creature of Earth without good reason, and it is incumbent upon God’s servants to decipher that reason. Further, he has learned to love humanity deeply in his studies. He truly enjoys human beings. He enjoys listening to them and reading their books and uncovering their antiquities and examining their culture ~ in exactly the same way an entomologist loves ants, studies the structure of ant colonies, unearths the fossilized remains of ant colonies, and enjoys learning about the unique culture that forms within ant colonies. While Litheroy is the seraph who most loves humanity and strives most diligently to understand it, he lacks the essential perception of who and what mankind is. He remains one of the Most Holy, the choir most distant from humanity, and the youngest of mercurians has insights that Litheroy will seemingly never comprehend.

To his credit, Litheroy accepts the truth about his understanding of humanity. And to his credit, he is not discouraged. He forges ever onward, following the paths of the Labyrinth one by one, certain one of them will one day lead him to the truth.

### Priorities

Litheroy’s priorities are straightforward:

* Reveal hidden truths and penetrate deceptions wherever they are found.
* Spread truth whenever and wherever possible, debunking rumor, supposition, and outright falsehood.
* Oppose the demon prince of Secrets and his efforts to both conceal valuable information and hurt the servitors and Word of Revelation.
* Study humanity and gain both insight and understanding in them, while giving them back the cultural heritage lost to Secrets or Oblivion.
* Penetrate the secrets of Hell and support the War in any way possible, following the orders of the Lord Commander of the Host when needed.

If asked to elaborate, Litheroy will go into depth on each point, but the core remains the same. God and the Symphony love truth and abhor lies. Everything else is window dressing.

### Views on the War

As he often states, Litheroy is convinced that if all participants in the War understood each other, there would be no demons left and the War would be a distasteful memory. By hiding from one another, the demons deny the truth, becoming miserable and spreading misery.

Litheroy wants nothing more than to make his infernal enemies understand. But he believes, quite firmly, that they have made a choice. A stupid, wrong-headed, tragic choice. And as a result, the demons are less important than the human beings they try to lead into deception. While Litheroy would gladly Redeem any demons who could be made to understand the depths of their mistake . . . his servitors’ instructions are to fight demons first, and to convert them only if no innocents are in danger and a perfect opportunity presents itself. As tragic as the self-deceptions of demons are, the horror of the lies they perpetuate on humanity always take precedence.

Unlike many angels, Litheroy has more sympathy for Hellborn demons than for Fallen ones. When an angel Falls, he is denying the truth that is his birthright, and therefore is committing the greatest sin imaginable. Litheroy is sympathetic, and will always help that demon see the error of his ways, but he believes there is a harsh justice in that demon’s destruction. In contrast, a Hellborn demon has been lied to for its entire existence ~ it has had little chance to learn the truth, so it cannot be said to be denying the truth. Litheroy believes those demons deserve a chance to understand their own nature, and the nature of what has been denied them. However, he does not believe that chance should ever come at the expense of Heaven or Earth.

In fighting alongside his fellow angels, Litheroy is a good soldier. He obeys the Lord Commander and the Seraphim Council, and directs his angels to obey in turn. He seeks the advice of Michael, Dominic, and Yves, and implements those suggestions. And though he is often excluded from corporeal operations because of his lack of discretion, he never keeps information he learns to himself. He knows that the Litherites are valuable intelligence gatherers, and he makes certain that what they know is passed up the line as swiftly as possible.

## Servitors

***Litherites, Revealers, Snitches, Babblesnakes***

Litheroy’s servitors are noted for their humility and their affection for their archangel. They’re also noted for their dedication to duty, which is convenient because their corporeal duties are among the hardest any angels must perform. Their lives are devoted to the pursuit of their highest ideal: truth. Any deception must be rooted out. Any falsehood made pure.

And yet, they cannot be truthful.

More heartbreaking ~ and more difficult ~ is the need for faith in everything they do. For Litheroy, it comes easily; the archangel of Revelation knows that God is in His Heaven and man is on Earth, and that there is an answer to all questions. He is certain, and does not doubt. His servitors, on the other hand, have to have faith in Litheroy . . . and Litheroy isn’t exactly shy about admitting when he doesn’t know the truth.

And yet, despite the difficulty of the work, the distance other angels keep from Litherites, and the painful need to accept so much on faith while being devoted to only verifiable facts, the servitors of Litheroy maintain a humble serenity and joy in their existence. It might not be easy, but Litheroy says it’s important . . . and Litheroy only says true things.

### Organization

For people outside Litheroy’s Abbey, the monastic order may seem to be just a metaphor, a way of giving meaning to the Babblesnakes’ tasks. It’s not. Litheroy has designed his own method of giving praise to God and organized his work around the concept of a monastic order, and his followers are expected to be both devout and scholarly. To the Litherites, the act of study is a pious one, and stripping away layers of deception from God’s Truth is sacred. Litheroy’s servitors are expected to cleave to monastic occupations: prayer and labor, including but not limited to copying and illuminating manuscripts, educating themselves and others, artistic endeavor (always in ways that illuminate the truth, rather than obfuscate it), the keeping and distribution of historical documentation, and missionary work on Earth.

While the Abbey is monastic, it is not removed from Heaven. Litherites are expected to participate in Heavenly affairs and cooperate with other angels. However, the distance many angels keep from the indiscreet Litherites does isolate them.

The Litherites are frugal (seeing little point to material goods beyond their historical value), but Litheroy’s Abbey is not specifically Catholic, and the Litherites do not take vows of chastity, celibacy, or poverty. Instead, their vows focus on their work ~ the seeking of truth, the exploration of the Labyrinth, the preservation of knowledge from oblivion, the uncovering of secrets, and the foiling of infernal plots.

Litherites in Heaven (and particularly in the Abbey) wear gray robes, generally with bare heads (for those angels with heads). Male and female Revealers work side by side, and call one another Brother or Sister. The leaders of the order are those who have Litheroy’s distinctions, and projects are generally headed up by those with the best talent, skill, or experience in a given area.

Much to the disgust of certain Lightning angels, no Litherite has ever taken a vow of silence.

#### Rewards and Punishments

Litheroy is not unkind, but like many seraphim he lacks a certain perspective about the world. He is trying to remedy that but he simply can’t understand how any of his servitors might become Word-dissonant. After all, dissonance only comes from deception, and none of his servitors would willingly deceive anyone, would they?

As a result, Litheroy grills dissonant servitors, determining if they violated their choir dissonance conditions or their Word dissonance conditions. If a servitor violates its choir’s nature, Litheroy is saddened and concerned, and rather than removing the dissonance will assign the servitor to extended tether duty. The servitor is expected to devote himself to prayer, labor, and contemplation of his failure. This duty typically lasts twice as long as is needed to relieve the dissonance.

Should the dissonance be bad enough to lead to discord, Litheroy will recall the servitor to the Abbey for Heavenly service, where his discord, regardless of type, is clear for all to see. The servitor is expected to fully explain how he became discordant, both to his superiors and to the Heavenly Inquisition, and then labor in Heaven for a considerable length of time, in addition to any sentence from Judgment that might or might not occur.

Word dissonance (or, worse yet, discord from Word dissonance), utterly stuns Litheroy, every time it happens. He can’t accept one of his servitors actually lying. For such betrayals, he usually removes signs of his favor (including Rites and attunements if the lie was egregious enough) and will often remove the dissonance only to inflict a Truthful discord on the servitor, at the same level as the servitor had notes of dissonance. Litheroy will require the servitor to undergo significant penance and prove his commitment to truth and Revelation before lifting this punishment.

Litheroy does not truly understand the gray area his servitors exist in, particularly on Earthbound duty. Tasked to understand humanity and conceal their Heavenly nature, Litherites can be caught between violating Heavenly Law and their Superior’s dissonance conditions. Because Litheroy’s intolerance in this is well known, his servitors find themselves avoiding returning to Heaven until they can cleanse themselves ~ or even lying about how they became dissonant (not that anyone dares lie in Litheroy’s presence, of course). Many Fallen Litherites started on their downward path by concealing dissonance they could see no way to avoid.

Failing mission objectives does not incur Litheroy’s wrath. So long as he knows the Revealer tried his best, Litheroy and his lieutenants rarely punish Servitors for failure. However, they will also be painfully honest about their doubts the next time a mission comes up. Litherites who fail in several missions will find it very hard to avoid copying manuscripts in Heaven for centuries just to keep busy.

> Like all seraphim, I speak only truth. Still, like many of my fellow Lightning servitors, you know I have little time or patience for the archangel of Revelation. Our Lord knew this, of course. It was why, when the Snitch mercurian named Jania asked to enter Lightning’s Service, Lord Jean asked me to accompany her when she went to petition archangel Litheroy. He knew I would cleave to the truth, satisfying old Babblesnake, while retaining the skepticism necessary in such a situation.
>
>
> It was excruciating for Jania. He debriefed her to the point of grilling her. Why did she want to leave? Why Lightning? When had she started having these feelings? What about Lightning appealed to her? Who had she talked to? Did someone influence her decision? He wasn’t angry, but his clear bias against us made it impossible for him to accept her wishes.
>
>
> Finally, emotionally exhausted, Jania slammed her hand down upon the desk she was sitting behind. ‘You just don’t understand, Father,’ she sobbed. ‘You’ll never understand!’
>
>
>
> You know how little regard I have for Litheroy. But to see his shocked look of surprise . . . to see the hurt on his face . . . I would gladly have never seen that sight. If you want to know more, or know how he felt, you will have to ask him. I do not choose to. And I do not associate with Jania, mercurian of Lightning, and recommend you do not, either. If she could hurt her creator that deeply . . . I shudder to think of what she does to acquaintances.
>
>  Sorith (seraph of Lightning)

Litheroy typically “rewards” his Servitors with a hearty “well done.” He is a simple soul, who feels that good work is its own reward. If a servitor wants an additional attunement, artifact, rite or distinction, Litheroy expects the servitor to ask for it, openly, and give his reasons. If he doesn’t feel the servitor has earned the perk, he’ll say so, and explain what the servitor can do to raise his esteem in Litheroy’s eyes. Litheroy is not stingy; if he has the resources available to indulge a favored servitor’s whim, he will do so.

The ultimate reward for a Litherite, however, is to have some discovery he was intimately involved with commemorated for all eternity in the Chambers of Discovery.

#### Changing Superiors

It is a sad truth that many of Litheroy’s servitors cannot live up to his standards. One either has the calling to Litheroy’s absolute truth, or one doesn’t, and those who don’t are expected to say so. If a servitor finds an archangel who better fits his philosophy, he is expected to explain and justify his desire to Litheroy ~ after making certain the new Superior would welcome his service. If Litheroy feels the angel will continue to pursue truth and Revelation in his new service, he typically permits the transfer. He may allow his former Servitor to keep his attunements and rites, but not distinctions. While Litheroy might grant a distinction to a non-Litherite, no Litherite who leaves his service may still hold rank within it.

#### The Redeemed

Litheroy believes, with all his heart, that Redemption represents the ultimate forswearing of Hell’s lies for Heaven’s truth. Therefore, he accepts redeemed servitors not only as trusted companions but as living proof. Redemption itself embodies Revelation, and Litheroy treats those who survive it with respect, and honors those who perish in the attempt.

Not many Redeemed angels end up serving Litheroy, even if Litheroy Redeems them. After the systemic lies and deceptions of Hell, Litheroy’s brand of unadorned truth is hard to embrace. Further, Litheroy would not accept a Redeemed servitor until after he had been fully debriefed by Judgment. Those who leave such a debriefing still amenable to Litheroy’s methods tend to join Judgment or Destiny instead. Those few who do enter Litheroy’s service are generally started in the Abbey, giving them a chance to get used to the life of a Litherite.

### Wordbound Servitors

Litheroy’s lack of political acumen or capital means Revelation is on the short end of the stick when it comes to Words. There are few Words that suit Revelation better than Destiny, Trade, or (most annoyingly) Lightning, and while Marc or Yves are willing to cede a Word or two to their less powerful comrade, Jean tries to keep powerful Words (and therefore significance) away from Litheroy. This includes, most painfully, Sidney, cherub of Lightning, angel of Archaeology. What Wordbound Litheroy has are usually more specialized.

However, Litheroy has managed to make the best of the situation. Elisa, eloah angel of Objective Journalism, and Janiel, seraph angel of Investigative Journalism, both serve Litheroy, as do the Angels of Evidence, Debunking, and Deductive Reasoning. And though Jean tried hard to sway him, Sandorson, the acerbic eloah angel of Skepticism, chose to enter Litheroy’s service instead of Jean’s when his creator, Raphael, was slain.

### Choirs

Each Litherite’s duties center around two basic ideas: finding the truth, and spreading that truth to all who will hear. Even those Litherites assigned to unraveling the nature of humanity are working to find, or proclaim, the truth. All of Litheroy’s servitors have devoted themselves to the ideals of truth, expressed as simply as possible to as many people as possible.

All the choirs play their part in Litheroy’s mission. Detectives, archeologists, and sociologists, each walks the Labyrinth by a different path. There are tasks and skills Litheroy typically assigns to specific choirs, though as always there are exceptions to this. (One frequent exception, for younger angels, is to set them to investigating Lightning servitors in an area. It’s good practice in asking nosy questions.)

#### Seraphim

The keenest detectives among an organization of detectives, Litheroy’s seraphim are the point men for penetrating Secrets or uncovering unpleasant truths. Their attunement makes it far more likely that their resonance will be successful, and often means that a successful resonance will yield a higher check digit. As a result, they are the best servitors at divining the truth known, and the babblesnakes take full advantage of this.

#### Cherubim

Litheroy’s cherubim were the vanguard in his battles with Mariel, Princess of Oblivion. While their original opponent is no more, their ability to penetrate attempts at hiding their attuned make them excellent foils for Alaemon’s Conspirators ~ especially when one remembers that servitors of Secrets must hide something once a day, or become dissonant. They are often dispatched to areas where Secrets is known to be operating, and several cherubim specialize in learning the techniques of Alaemon’s different secret societies.

#### Ofanim

The Wheels are the bloodhounds of Litheroy’s service. When an enemy is flushed, the ofan can’t be slowed down while pursuing him. As a result, ofanim and malakim work together to hunt down and destroy the enemies of Revelation and Heaven. They are among the Litherites most often requisitioned for service by the archangel of the Sword, and spend less time studying humanity than they do fighting infernal powers.

#### Elohim

Litheroy’s elohim form the core of Revelation’s scientists. Archaeologists, anthropologists, sociologists, and criminologists, the Powers of Revelation use their keen insight to fill in missing puzzle pieces. They understand, more than most, that revealing a secret is just the beginning: learning why the secret was hidden in the first place can lead to far more profound discoveries. Because of their more analytical natures, those few times that Litheroy must cooperate with Jean, he sends his elohim. However, despite their dispassion, they remain Snitches born and bred, and Lightning servitors know to keep their mouths shut around them.

#### Malakim

These are Litheroy’s combat specialists. The Virtues of Revelation often serve alongside War or the Sword, using their exceptional perception and uncanny ability to recognize their foes to cut through enemy deceptions. Along with the Wheels of Revelation, babblesnake Virtues are hunters, revealing Heavenly truth at the point of a sword.

#### Kuriotates

While the kuriotes attunement is useful for hunting down the enemies of Revelation, kuriotates take much fuller advantage of the attunement than that. A kuriotes who possesses a fox or coyote not only becomes an expert tracker, but becomes familiar with the animal’s territory. Possessing a few local animals can give the Domination an excellent picture of a broad geographical area, which can be an advantage when Litherites are in unfamiliar territory. Further, lost children or items are far more easily found with the kuriotes's superior tracking skills, and that in turn can make human beings trust the angel’s confederates more easily. Litheroy values the kuriotes's’ ability to see humanity from many sides.

#### Mercurians

The core of Litheroy’s great quest to understand humanity, the Litherite Friends of Man are the masters of exploring the Labyrinth. Well versed in following the twists and turns of the human psyche, and gifted with the ability to sense secrets between associated groups, Litheroy’s mercurians provide tremendous insight into mankind and into humanity’s love of deception and secrets. The most successful Litherite mercurians can unravel these webs of deceit, leaving behind them human beings who understand each other a little better. However, the seductive nature of both humanity and the Labyrinth have led more than one Intercessionist astray ~ Mercurians are the Revealers most likely to become dissonant, and more mercurians have left Litheroy’s service than any other choir.

And of course, Alaemon was (allegedly) a mercurian of Revelation once . . .

### The Terminators

Litheroy’s more militant choirs ~ his ofanim and especially his malakim ~ are the angels most often requisitioned by the Sword for military operations. Laurence truly appreciates the malakim of Revelation, who complement his own warriors very well.

In particular, Litheroy’s malak and ofan attunements well suit those Sword servitors who possess Laurence’s Hunt attunement, and Hunt suits malakim and ofanim of Revelation particularly well. As a result, a disproportionate number of Litheroy’s malakim possess Hunt and the ofan of Revelation attunement. (Some of Litheroy’s ofanim possess Hunt and the malak attunement, as well.)

Given the relative scarcity of malakim of Revelation, the common possession of Hunt among them, and their dogged persistence in tracking down and destroying their enemies, many demons have taken to calling these elite killers “the Terminators,” at least since 1984. They know where you are. They don’t ever stop coming. Doors won’t bar them. Death only temporarily inconveniences them. And when they find you they show absolutely no mercy. Litheroy’s malakim do not mind the label.

Some demons mistakenly believe Hunt is a part of Litheroy’s malak attunement, and avoid engaging known Litherite Virtues at all costs. While any good babblesnake would correct this misapprehension, not many demons get close enough to ask.

### Seekers

* Mothias, seeking the truth of the divinity of Jesus Christ
* Elspeth, who strives to understand the nature of mortal and celestial free will and how it relates to destiny and fate.

### Masters of Discovery

#### 22 Forces

* Chamuel, the eloah angel of the Quest for the Holy Grail and Seeker

### Humans

During Litheroy’s efforts to understand the human Labyrinth, he has managed to recruit many to his cause. Many of his “Soldiers” are more at home in a museum or in an archeology department than fighting Hellsworn in back alleys, but they are an invaluable resource all the same.

Part of their value, of course, comes from their existing within the Symphony. When no Servitors of Litheroy can have Roles, people who do not cause disturbance and who are known within corporeal databases are invaluable. And while only Mercurians of Litheroy will admit it (and Litheroy is horrified to hear it), it’s useful to have assistants who can lie on behalf of angels without repercussions. Of course, any lies need to happen well away from the Litherites they’re helping, but experienced Soldiers of Revelation understand how to best serve the angels they work with.

Litheroy and his Servitors also make use of Servants, both because of their convenience and to help in the Snitches’eter�nal quest to understand humanity. Of course, by bonding with a Servant and imposing their desires on them (represented by the Will rolls necessary to command Servants to do things they don’t want to do), the babblesnakes end up changing the very people they are trying to understand. Litheroy’s Intercessionists understand this, but have trouble explaining the concept to Choirs that are further away from man

## Tethers

Tethers to Revelation tend to reflect both spiritual revelations and secular ones. Many of Litheroy’s tethers have to do with archeology, but Litheroy’s involvement in archaeology has prevented tethers from forming at other important sites. Litheroy’s most significant tether is the Tomb of King Tutankhamen in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, which was discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter without Litheroy’s assistance. The excavated site of the city of Troy, which Litheroy was deeply involved with, has no tether connected to it at all. There are also tethers associated with religious revelation, whether that revelation can be shown to have been inspired by Heavenly agents or not. The most significant of these religious tethers is This Is The Place State Park in Salt Lake City, Utah.

* The Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem
* King Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt
* This Is The Place State Park in Salt Lake City