NARCISSITES "And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you". [Exodus. 3.13-14] "And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?...". [St. Mark. 8.27-29] God is gone. That sort of leaves an opening. Narcissites are Angels who decide to set themselves up as independent deities to fill such an opening. All of them psychologically require human followers who revere and worship them. In return, the Narcissite provides leadership and guidance for their flock, as well as protection against the rest of the world. REQUIRED ADVANTAGES: Charisma +4 (20 pts), Handsome or Beautiful (15). REQUIRED DISADVANTAGES: Overconfidence (10 pts). CELESTIAL NARCISSITES Celestial Narcissites tend to be about as arrogant as an Angel can get, and certainly, no Angel operates more publicly. Jealously, they require that their servants profess no other allegiance but to them, and frequently set up communes away from main-stream society, where "secret wisdom" is taught. Initiates may not, at first, be told that the holy leader is themselves supernatural, but eventually, the Angel will reveal themselves in all their glory to their cult. Because their goals tend to be personal, Narcissites are only loosely affiliated, and frequently quarrel. Stereo-types Apocalypt: God gave no orders to initiate Apocalypse. Thus, we must make do as best we can in his absence. Bachae: By God's own example, Eden must only be available for the obedient. Bhoddidsatva: They teach humanity to look inwards, instead of looking for something greater beyond themselves and their limitations. What more insane arrogance can there be? Children of the Crucible: Yes, we must guide. But a guide must not only council - a guide must lead. Fury: They prefer exorcising their power to administrating it wisely. Yes, a shepherd must be stronger than his sheep, but no sane shepherd slaughters his flock just because he can. Justicar: If one is going to reward and punish, it is only fair to make people know the rules, and also to let them know that you can reward or punish them. Lamenter: A good parent is not just someone who kisses bruises better. A good parent trains the child to be careful in the first place. Mammonite: Simply throwing money at a problem has never been effective. You also need a capable administrator. Muse: Patronage is an excellent ambition. However, a patron should also use their power to ensure that their darling behaves well, otherwise, it could reflect very badly... Infernal Narcissite: A leader does not skulk. They have no dignity, and so can never rule effectively. Reaper: What is the point in rooting out weeds if you are not going to plant something healthy to take their place? Tiamatic: Chaos just means that people will indulge any wickedness that crosses their minds. Why just stand by and let that happen if you know better than they? INFERNAL NARCISSITE The main difference between Celestial and Infernal Narcissites is that the Infernals are happy for their adoration to be done in complete secret. In fact, they get a thrill out of an outwardly normal and respectable person secretly worshipping them behind closed doors. Thus, followers of the Narcissite will often pretend to profess beliefs very different from the ones they actually hold, leading to an abundance of Narcissite agents in positions of power and trust. If the Narcissite can convert a priest to worship them, that is considered the greatest prize of all. Despite the veil of secrecy, Infernal Narcissites enjoy using their supernatural power to reward the "faithful". Like their Celestial brethren, Infernal Narcissites do not co-operate very effectively, and frequently feud among themselves. Stereo-types Apocalypt: The business isn't closing down. It is just under new management. We will not allow them to jeopardize our new found status. Bachae: If pleasure is so valuable, why just give it away? Bhoddidsatva: These "holy" men are just Narcissites who are too hypocritical to admit it. While denying that they are leaders, they seek to lead humans down their chosen path! Children of the Crucible: Making humans better is a sensible goal, but Children of the Crucible forget to decide what they are going to make them better at. Angels used to make humans better at serving God's will, but God is gone now. Personally, I make them better at doing my will. Fury: Punishment isn't punishment if you inflict it all the time regardless of how the human behaves. And without punishment, there is no obedience. And without obedience, there is no power. Justicar: I applaud them. Its a shame that they need to justify what they do by appealing to God's authority instead of their own, but that's just a formality. Lamenter: If they are so unhappy about the way humans are running things, you would think that they would welcome a change of leadership. Mammonite: I really can't tell them from Bachae. Muse: If an Angel is going to be responsible for a human achievement, then its only fair that we be credited! Celestial Narcissite: Brothers of ours who just go about things a slightly different way. Reaper: Yes, the cull is stage one, but clearing a space at the top is hardly an end in itself! Society needs leaders. Tiamatic: This distinction between order and anarchy is an illusion. Under order, the strong make the rules. Under anarchy, the strong rule without rules. Either way, we are the strong.