Dominic

### Source(s)

Amadan + Liber Neglecta 1, 2, & 3 + Eric Burns, William J. Keith, Beth McCoy, & Rolland Therrien on the In Nomine Collection

## Choir Attunements

### Grigori

It was with deep disappointment that Dominic sentenced his own grigori to be outcast with all the rest, for they had been some of his most useful servitors; not only for their keen senses, but because they were also his executioners. They were charged with passing Judgment upon mortals guilty of the most terrible crimes. A grigori of Judgment could injure or kill a mortal without creating a disturbance. (To do so unjustly would of course be dissonant.)

The grigori of Dominic oppose Belial (justice vs arson)

### Menun (partially restricted)

This angel can tell when the accused in a court proceeding or tribunal believe themselves to be innocent. Menunim can use their Will resonance on such individuals without first using their Perception resonance and gain the +1 TN bonus automatically.

### Ohr

The Light of Judgement can use its resonance on any celestial with three or more ranks of Discord.

### Aeon

With a successful resonance roll, the Architects of Judgement can determine where the weakest points in any prison cell or other jail can be found, with the check digit indicating how much detail aeons get on possible escape methods.

### Chezeq

Chezeqim of Judgement can add Ethereal Forces to their Perception at each viewpoint within themselves, when "haunting" a place, e.g., a crime scene.

## Relations

Adding to the tension between Michael and Dominic is Michael's participation in the paramilitary group known as the Light of Heaven; War is clearly acting beyond his jurisdiction. Judgement only tolerates the activity because it keeps heaven “clean.”

## Servitors

### Unknown Rank

* Fujimaro, malak angel of Gi ("righteousness")
* Humilitas, malak angel of Humility

### Masters of Law

#### 11 Forces

* Mahanehdan, the cherub angel of Correctional Facilities

### Servitors

#### 10 Forces

* Angus, a seraph
* Torviel, a malak
* Ulysses, a malak

#### 9 Forces

* Asirah, a kuriotes
* Ra'uf, a menun
* Rosalina, a mercurian

## Roles

The Role Dominic has maintained for the last five hundred years or so (through about eight incarnations) has been as a scholar of the theory of law. He associates himself with middling-renowned academic institutions, settling in as a respected professor at a young age ~ one who shows promise, and who has been patronized by a fairly well-known, established professor (his previous Role, of course). He sets about gaining tenure with a series of decent textbooks which brings in some respect (and funds) for the school; little new information, but a coherent and tightly organized interpretation of known theory which is presented in so clear a fashion as to thoroughly impress reviewers and other professors. The papers he writes are usually on subjects of little interest to the rest of the legal communtiy; decent research, but peculiar interests. Still, they're generally papers that make some people's reference shelves. Overall, as a scholar, he does okay work. Nothing groundbreaking, but obviously a good hard worker who keeps his nose clean, generally stays above faculty politics, and brings in his share for the department. Doesn't spend much either ~ travels occasionally, to conferences and such, and he gets calls from the oddest people, but that's about it. And as a teacher . . .

. . . he's quite good, really. Students report that his grading is fair and consistent, his insight into the nature of the law penetrating and convincing. He has an uncanny knack for judging the amount and kind of work that a class is capable of. He's hard to reach outside of the school's required office hours each week ~ he seems to just wander into the library and disappear ~ but he also seems to turn up regularly at the oddest moments when a student is struggling in his class. Personally, he's quite distant ~ no one can seem to get a handle on his personality, as if he constantly went around cloaked and hooded instead of in a respectable three-piece suit ~ but that's of little importance. Overall, a fair-minded man with a keen grasp of the law and a clear ability to convey his knowledge, which is really everything you want in a prof.

Just don't cheat in his class.

He **always** catches them.

## Leitmotiv: A Dirty Job

"Genupinon, you're not helping your case!"

Dominic kept staring at the eloah of the Wind currently on the speaker's stand before the Seraphim Council, who was on trial for massive choir dissonance.

"I don't give a damn about my "case", you damn Nazi! I told you, I haven't done anything wrong!"

. . . And for having the discord of Anger. Which was not making the Power very cooperative. Before the eloah could add anything else, however, Dominic turned around and glared at him, causing the Windy to gulp and slump back silently.

"Now, if you're quite done? Thank you." Dominic held up a filer and opened it to read some of its contents. "This file states that you remained within the city of San Francisco for two weeks, time which you spent futilely trying to hack into a rock group's computers . . . Metallica, to be specific, and attempted to fill all their files with Napster file uploads, is that correct?"

Genupinon simply crossed his arms and turned away, grumbling slowly. Dominic frowned and coughed before repeating, "Is that Correct?" The eloah, startled a bit, nodded and mumbled a quick "yes" before slumping in shame again.

". . . And this, despite your slowly growing Word dissonance?"

"But you don't understand, Most Just! Some demon of the Media ass-wipe installed a new firewall on their computer! I had to do something to humiliate those Napster-crashing dip . . ."

"Enough! It's Bad Enough you allowed yourself to grow dissonant in regard to your archangel's Word, but allowed yourself to lose your Objectivity, the basic nature of your choir! Now look at yourself! You're so dissonant I have to block out my malakic attunement, and you're suffering from the discord of Anger! I dread to consider what would've happened to your Heart if we hadn't found you in time . . ."

The eloah, now calmed down, lowered his head in shame, unable to respond to the archangel's words. Dominic saw the apparent repentance in the subject and turned to the council of seraphim to announce his Judgment. "Distinguished Trisagonists, I think it's obvious this celestial is as yet unfit to return to the corporeal plane for active duty in his condition. I recommend assigning him to celestial duty, performing miscellaneous tasks in different areas of Heaven, under the supervision of one of my cherubim. Your Final Judgement?"

The various seraphim on the seats of the council argued amongst each other for a moment, then nodded to one another and turned to Dominic, before one of them, a snake with wings of energy, seemingly animated through CGI, spoke out. "We agree with your judgement, Most Just. Genupinon may in fact begin his work in the Halls of Progress. We have currently need of someone to debug our servers."

Dominic nodded, then turned to leave, as Genupinon was escorted away by a large German-shepherd-shaped cherub, his appointed "parole officer". As he approached the egress to the Council Chamber, a female malak in dark robes walked up to meet Dominic, holding a tiny kitten with a black leather collar in her hands. When Dominic stopped before her, she handed him the kitten, which he took into his own arms and began scritching it between the ears. "Thank you, Bronwen. I hope Solomon wasn't too much of a bother?"

Bronwen, Dominic's conscience, simply smiled and shook her head silently. Dominic nodded and turned back to step out of the Council Chamber, where his cloak began to melt and shift, the cape spreading out to form his wings, and his cowl turning into frills, as Dominic revealed his natural seraphic form, that of an iron-colored, semi-anthropomorphic cobra (with arms and hands, to keep holding Solomon). He then took flight, rising up to his personal quarters amongst the highest Council Spires, Bronwen taking flight beside him. As they rose up to the Spire, a whirlwind built up before them, slowly taking the blurred shape of the ofan archangel Janus, before resonating with a voice that sounded like a windstorm: "Dominic! Why did you not send Genupinon to me for punishment? I would've dealt with him effectively!"

Dominic held his kitten closer, the poor thing mewling from the sudden windstorm, then locked his gaze with Janus' own while hovering. "I do not answer to you, Wind. The Word of Judgement is my province, as God assigned me to it. Your servitor has been judged and punished appropriately for errors. No more, no less. He shall serve his term here in Heaven until he has worked off his dissonance and discord. Then he will be returned to your service, whereupon you can chide him all you want."

Janus frowned, his whirlwind beginning to spark with fiery lightening, before turning away to leave. "This isn't over, Judge . . ."

As the ofan Superior left, Dominic gently stroked the kitten between the ears to calm it, before silently turning back to his spire to enter his home office. There, he gently placed the kitten on the floor and slithered to his desk, folding his wings back into a cape as his form shifted back to a more humanoid configuration, while Bronwen took her familiar place in a darkened corner of her master's office.

As he sat down to his desk, Dominic took the time to look upon the books stacked at either end of it. On one side was a plaquette with ten commandments written upon them, over more books and scrolls of laws and regulations. On the other end was just one book, bound in iron-shaded scaled leather.

The Judge took the second book, then opened it to the first page, where the name Lucifer Morningstar was written in dark letters, with the epithet "Fallen" written next to it. Underneath Lucifer's name were more names. Andrealphus. Ba'al. Beleth. Asmodeus. Belial. Kobal . . . . All with the word "Fallen" etched beside their names like a dark title. And under their names where many, many more names, the names of angels who'd listened to Lucifer's damned heresies and followed him right into Hell.

Dominic sighed and frowned, his eyes watering a bit, before he willed them open as he turned the pages, forcing himself to read through the whole list of Fallen angels, some still marked "Fallen", others with that word scratched out, the word "Redeemed" replacing it, but not as frequently as the word "Soul-killed" was.

He continued this reading until he arrived at another set of pages, containing the names of an entire choir. And there Dominic paused again to weep, the memory of the loss of the grigori still fresh in his memory. He had used the Song of Symphony to call upon God's Judgement on that day, and it resulted in the entire choir's Hearts being shattered by the Symphony, resulting in their casting out. The memory caused Dominic to slump and begin to weep, until he felt a form run across his lower tail, and he heard a purring.

Dominic placed the book down on his desk and looked down, and saw Solomon rubbing itself against his tail, trying to comfort him. He smiled warmly and wrapped his tail around the tiny kitten, picking it up into his arms, where he cradled the purring feline, stroking it slowly as he rested into his chair, still slumping slightly. He then felt Bronwen's hand rest on his shoulder and relaxed at her comforting touch.

The seraph rested there for a moment, staring at the wall, then sighed again and closed his eyes, now filled with tears. "When, Bronwen? When will I finally stop paying for not seeing Lucifer's crimes before it was too late?" In place of verbal comforting, he felt Bronwen's hands clench on his shoulders, and knew she felt his pain.

The Trisagonist nodded. "Yes, I know . . . . I should not blame myself for something that no one saw coming. Nor should I have the hubris to think I could've stopped Lucifer on my own. But I was the angel of Judgement, damn It . . . . I should've seen Lucifer's heresy for what it was before it was too late."

Dominic frowned, then leaned forward to gently put Solomon back down on the ground, as Bronwen stepped back to her corner, as her archangel took up the book and closed it, pausing only to look at the title.

*Liber Perditio*.

The Book of the Lost.

"I've failed twice so far, Bronwen. I didn't stop Lucifer in time, and I didn't stop the grigori in time." The seraph placed the book back down, the picked up a rather large folder, with the name "Eli" written in golden letters on it. "I won't fail a third time. I will bring Eli back to Heaven, kicking and screaming if need be. He shall answer for his actions, and he will be made to repent his deeds."

He reached down to touch the book bound with his own skin, then closed his eyes. "We've lost already too many to heresy. I won't allow any more of us to Fall like Lucifer did. No matter what needs to be done, I won't let Eli Fall." He then morphed his frills back into a cowl, concealing his face. "If God needs me to be a Javert to Eli's Jean Valjean, then so be it, I shall be that villain. I shall be the Sin-Eater of Heaven, finding discord before it grows into heresy. I will be the one who gazes into the Abyss, even though the Abyss stares back without repose."

He then stepped back towards the door, about to return to his duties. Then he paused to speak, more to himself than anyone else. "Let Michael call me Hyena. Let Novalis frown in my presence. Let Gabriel glare at me with her burning gaze. Their scorn means nothing to me."

He then whispered, "They could never Hate me for what I do . . . as much as I hate myself . . ."

He then stared off onto Heaven, his steely gaze never wavering.

## A Rumor of Judgment

Once, it is said, there was a reliever who came into being. (And none, not even the reliever, knew how, for relievers often appear simply when the essence and wonder of Heaven is made manifest somehow.) She chose to serve Judgment and fledged into the most beautiful and gentle seraph in the celestial realms. (Though not the most peaceful; that distinction belongs to one of Flowers.)

It is said that her devotion and dutifulness made cherubim gaze after her in admiration. It is said that her sense of honor and justice made malakim kneel as she passed. It is said that her balance and unswerving clear-headedness made elohim smile, if only to themselves. It is even said that her pure and encompassing love for every being she met caused mercurians to flutter their wings in awe and send her presents or invite her to social occasions.

But because of her unfailing loyalty to the Word of Judgment, she sent all the invitations and presents back (politely), and though she cared deeply for all beings, she did not let that sway her personal judgment. (For the Love of Heaven is not a compromising Love and can be awesome and terrible as well as gentle and compassionate.) And she served well, and fearlessly, ever without guilt in her heart.

And it is said that she rose high in the Most Just's ranks, gaining all manner of attunements and distinctions, and that she was the most trusted of all his servitors. That sometimes, he would even take his cloak off entirely in her presence, that she might taste the Truth of something without its cloaking influence.

Then one day, the rumors tell, in their duties on Earth, she and her triad came face to face with the Lightbringer. And as is his way (for Temptation is a tool of evil), he offered the triad each a boon. Further, he wrapped each member of them in a silence so that they could not hear each other's answer. (For mistrust can be a tool of evil as well.)

But the cherub turned his face away from the First Fallen and shook his head. And the eloah lowered its head politely and murmured that though it was a generous offer, it could not accept. And the seraph . . .

The seraph spoke to the First Balseraph, her triad reported. Spoke with him, and frowned, and spoke again with impatience and emotion in her motions. And he replied. And she nodded. And he stepped forward and smiled, as she raised her face to him, and then he kissed her for a long moment.

After he had stepped away and vanished, the seraph and her triad returned to Heaven, and she would not say what had passed between herself and the Lightbringer. Nor could the Truth in her refusals be sensed, nor her memories searched, for the First Liar had clouded the encounter totally.

And so, because she would not speak, she was placed on trial. For consorting with the Lightbringer. For obstructing Judgment. For betraying Heaven. And she was found guilty of the first two, by the testimony of her triad and her own silence, though when she pleaded not guilty to the third, she did indeed believe it firmly.

Yet she still would not speak. So, the Most Just gave judgment, that she would be stripped of all distinctions. That she would be stripped of all attunements save the one his seraphim had for Truth (for Truth might yet save her soul). That she would be stripped of her vessel and her Corporeal Forces that she might never wander upon Earth again. That she would be confined to a room in the Celestial Tribunal, with a window to gaze upon Heaven's glory and as many books to read as she might wish ~ but that she would never again speak to any but an archangel, lest a hidden seed of taint spread to infect others in Heaven.

And though she had held herself straight and met the eyes of the Most Just as the trial had proceeded and as he pronounced sentence, she closed all her own eyes and bowed her head and furled her wings about her body as she wept. And she whispered, "So, it was True. I had told him nay, when he said that you did not Truly trust anyone, not even me. But it is indeed True." And she turned her face away as she whispered, "I repent."

It is said that she lives yet, a seraph of Silence, who ever and always requests a Role that will let her watch and guard the Commander of the Host's churches: that of a nun with a vow of silence.