Aeons

> The seraph leaned close to the cherub. "You have to be kidding me," he murmured.
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> "New Wordbound often let their eyes exceed their significance," the cherub said quietly. "Still, if he thinks he can fit all of this into the space he's allotted--"
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> "A band shell? A rolling hill for sitting? Arching spires behind? What is his Word again?"
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> "Outdoor Theater."
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> "Have you the plans?" The newcomer's voice echoed with chimes. The sound was melodic, though the words seemed distant, and alien.
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> The seraph nodded, handing them to the newcomer. He gleamed with gold, his body a simple pyramid as he examined them.
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> "These plans are unacceptable," he said after a few moments. "The acoustics of the stage will not permit clear hearing in these parts of the audience on the hill," he said, marking the blueprints in several places. "Please let the angel of Outdoor Theater know that if he reduces the band shell here, here and here, adjusts the angle of the hill by nine degrees, and reduces the audience's capacity by sixty-two, the problems should be resolved. And the arches will be garish, but that's just my opinion, Most Holy."
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> "Mm," the Seraph nodded. "Thank you, Corial." He watched the aeon rise and float off.
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> "I've never gotten used to them," the cherub murmered.
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> "To all their place," the seraph responded. "To all their place."
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The aeons are the celestial builders of things and makers of order. While a part of celestial life, and certainly not too uncommon, they remain a minor choir in the War. Rather than being a part of the struggle for the hearts and souls of man, the aeons are the crafters of Heavenly spires, only rarely descending to the corporeal world. Those rare exceptions are corporeal builders and shapers, echoing their celestial role in the scheme of things.

## Resonance

Aeons are strongly oriented to structures. They can perceive the order within an edifice, barricade, or other physical buildings. This allows them to quickly discover flaws within either an existing building or a blueprint for one, and the method of shoring up or eliminating those flaws. They can also sense what maintenance needs a structure has (rotting wood, crumbling foundations, corroding plumbing and so forth) and the best method to accomplish them.

Their resonance also allows them to determine the feasibility of a design and ~ with an appropriate resonance roll ~ the most efficient way to construct it and the most effective location for it.

## Dissonance

Being so oriented towards the order of a structure, aeons take dissonance from introducing chaos into that order. Aeons take dissonance from any activity that significantly damages a physical structure or significantly diminishes the whole of it. "Significant damage" is usually damaging a building's structural integrity or design (breaching its walls, knocking out a load bearing support or the like) or its aesthetic integrity (hurling red paint onto a white wall, for example.) Significance is relative, of course ~ a chip of a brick building taken off by a bullet doesn't look good, but it isn't really detracting from either the aesthetic or structural whole. Breaking a normal pane glass window isn't dissonant. Breaking a wall sized window would be significant structural damage ~ allowing the elements into the building. Shattering a stained glass window would be significant aesthetic damage. Breaking off a proper gargoyle from the corner of a building would be both structural damage (significant damage to the drainage system) and aesthetic damage, and be worth two notes of dissonance. Aeons dislike any sort of chaos, and find even insignificant violence to a structure deeply distasteful.

## Manner and Appearance

In their celestial form, aeons are metallic geometric shapes with smooth lines, often very regular in appearance. Their shapes usually reflect their personality, and sometimes their color reflects distinctions they may have received (usually, more precious colors indicate higher distinctions) as a series of metal inlays. These forms don't have to be symmetrical ~ a pyramid-shaped aeon may have the top "trimmed" for a fifth flat surface, for example ~ but they are uniformly aesthetically pleasing.

When in their rare corporeal forms, aeons value simplicity in their appearance. They tend to be small, dexterous people as opposed to powerful looking ones. Aeons are generally happiest working in Heaven, cheerfully repairing and building the spires of the Eternal City. Aeons also keep up the abandoned domains of Fallen and slain archangels ~ a somber duty they do as cheerfully as they possibly can.

Aeons are cheerful and pleasant, if somewhat distant and perhaps alien to other angels ~ especially kuriotates, mercurians, and other angels that are close to humanity. As a minor choir devoted to Heaven's divine structure, aeons often have little to do with the corporeal realm and less understanding of it. While certainly not as close to the Divine as seraphim, their experiences are decidedly not corporeal ones.

Aeons like the company of other aeons very much ~ it's rare for two aeons to disagree with one another, so aeons feel their interpersonal relationships are an effective model for the other choirs.

Musically, aeons see themselves as steel drums ~ adding rhythm to the whole while being expressive and beautiful in and of themselves.

## Game Mechanics

The aeonic resonance allows the angel to both identify flaws and weak points in existing structures, and more effectively work on new ones. As always, the check digit of the resonance roll determines the effectiveness of the aeon's resonance:

### Assessing existing structures

1. Tell how well made, maintained and stable a building currently is.
2. Tell how well made a building was, and how much it has deteriorated.
3. Determine the specific points of deterioration in a building, or specific flaws in the building's design, whichever is more significant.
4. Determine the specific points of deterioration in a building and all specific flaws in the building's design.
5. Determine all design flaws and points of deterioration in a building and learn precisely what must be done to repair or compensate for them.
6. Determine all design flaws and points of deterioration in a building, learn what must be done to repair or compensate for them, and learn what retrofitting can be done to improve it beyond its design.

### Assessing blueprints or designs

1. Determine how stable a building will be if built by these plans.
2. Determine a building's stability and primary weak points in its design.
3. Determine any flaws in a blueprint.
4. Determine the flaws in a blueprint and how to correct them.
5. Determine all flaws in a blueprint, how to correct them, and all possible improvements to make a design more efficient, stable and cost effective.
6. Determine the same information as in check digit 5, and also the most opportune available location for the building.

In addition to their resonance, most aeons are taught the Song of Building. Aeons will often work as a Chorus to speed up the construction and perform greater works than might otherwise be possible.

## Superiors

Not all archangels create aeons or even employ them on a regular basis. Some archangels, when confronted with a building project in Heaven, will borrow aeons from a friendly archangel who does employ them regularly. Some archangels use aeons quite extensively ~ those archangels might even have attunements for the aeons to use as well. These attunements are always restricted.

**Blandine:** Aeons are builders in the celestial realm, not in the Marches. Blandine only rarely has need of their services and is most likely to borrow them from Yves if necessary. It is said that her Tower, raised by love, had nothing of aeons in its construction.

**David:** One of the greatest patrons of the choir of aeons, David uses them in many places in Heaven and throughout his realm, teaching them the arts of shaping stone.

**Dominic:** Dominic has a small cadre of aeons, dedicated to the making and maintenance of prisons and other containers.

**Eli:** The Archangel of Creation had nearly as many aeons working for him as David. However, he mostly dispersed them to other archangels when he went on walkabout, with very few exceptions. And most of his aeons, whether dispersed or not, have fully entered the service of other Superiors ~ aeons are simply too communally based for such randomness.

**Gabriel:** Even when she was associated with Heaven, Gabriel had few aeons associated with her. She was more likely to employ David's for any sort of work she needed done.

**Janus:** The building of permanent structures is alien to Janus, and working for such a chaotic force is alien to most aeons.

**Jean:** Jean employs a small but versatile staff of aeons in the Halls of Progress.

**Jordi:** Jordi will occasionally use one or more of Novalis's aeons to shift a habitat for creatures of the Savannah but has no need for permanent aeons of his own.

**Laurence:** Laurence's aeons are, with Michael's, among the most likely to be sent down to Earth for occasional duty. Laurence is most likely to assign his aeons to the construction of new Catholic churches, of course, but he's recognized the value of other houses of Christian worship. (It is rumored he even loans some aeons to Khalid to work on mosques.)

**Marc:** As the Heavens reflect new goods and services available on Earth, so Marc must have aeons to build and shape places of business. Furthermore, they act as property appraisers.

**Michael:** The Architects of War are combat engineers, often sent to Earth to help build fortifications and otherwise prepare for assaults. They make poor front-line soldiers, as they can't break through enemy fortifications without suffering dissonance, though they will fight alongside their fellows if needed and will not flee a fight any more than any other angels of War.

**Novalis:** Novalis has few aeons, but the ones she has stay busy working for Flowers in Heaven, keeping the structures of the Glade in perfect harmony with nature.

**Yves:** There are a few aeons who move through the Library, though no one has ever seen them building or working on it. Yves does not have a special attunement for his aeons.