Principalities

The most widely-accepted angelology of the Middle Ages was that of Pseudo-Dionysius, which had nine choirs in three triads:

Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones
Dominations, Virtues, Powers
Principalities, Archangels, Angels

In Nomine uses eight of these nine, changing "angel" as a choir to "Mercurian," using "archangel" for the Superiors, and using alternate names for some of the others. But "Principalities" just got dropped. These are the guardian angels of peoples and nations. It would be easy enough to re-introduce them.

The Principalities are a group of powerful, Worded Cherubim. Each is either a Cherub of Destiny in service to Protection or a Cherub of Protection in service to Destiny. The two kinds are about equal in number. The Word of each Principality is the nation or people it protects. they are something like the senechals of Tethers, on a grand scale.

According to Gustav Davidson's Dictionary of Angels, there are 70 nations or peoples on Earth, for celestial purposes. According to other quaint books I've read, there are 72. More of the diffence anon.

In any case, there are over 200 nation-states in the modern world, and far more ethnic groups. But the Principalities divide up the world differently. They don't ignore national, ethnic, and linguistic divisions, but they don't follow them slavishly, either. In fact, they divvy humanity up at their own convenience, to balance the work-load and re-group populations along lines of efficient administration. Thus, in the late 19th century, the British Empire would have been too large for one Principality; now, China is too large. And, as the world population has grown, the Principalities have acquired more servitors to help them.

Principalities, even more than most Cherubim, have to juggle lots of conflicting goals. First, they're supposed to guide and protect their people, but in what sense? They have to balance spiritual gains against material gains. No doubt, spiritual gains should come first, but if your people are losing wars, or afflicted with poverty or tyranny, they are subject to all manner of temptations to wrath and despair, and, in the extreem case, their existence is imperiled. On the other hand, there are plenty of temptations to evil offered by prosperity and victory, especially if these involve conquest.

Which brings up another juggling act. One nation's gain is often another's loss. Non-zero-sum games are great, but you can't always find them. They are easier to find on the plane of spiritual benefits, but even there, if party A is to learn pity or fortitude, there has to be a party B who is hurting or oppressing.

Between these conflicts and fairly frequent re-shuffling of jurisdictions, Principalities do a lot of business with each other.

They are also called on, by Yves, to move their peoples toward certain events. Under Yves's direction, they are Heaven's instrument for controlling political history.

They don't have an easy time of it. Besides the general opposition of Hell, they have their fallen counterparts, the Tyrannies, mostly Djinn, some of them former Principalities.

And why is the number sometimes given as 70 and at other times as 72? Because two of the Principalities aren't typical. One is Michael, who, besides being an Archangel, is the Principality of Israel. (Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1). This certainly includes the Jews; Christians claim it includes them, too, but this can be left in Canonical Uncertainty.

In Daniel, Gabriel describes Michael as contending against the prince of Perisa, a reference to a Tyranny. In fact, Asmodeus – famous in Persian lore as well as Jewish, the Prince most associated with misrule and aribtrary, oppressive authority – was Tyranny of Persia at that time; the Prince of the Game has appointed himself one of the Tyrannies and always takes a leading world power of the age as his domain. (According to legend, Asmodeus was bound to the service of King Solomon by means of a magic ring, given the king by Michael.)

The 72nd is the Principality of the Dispossessed. It watches over various classes of refugees, fugitives, homeless, stateless, and alienated peoples.

Principalities or their servitors would be encountered when celestial activities intersect great issues of cultural, political, or military importance.

Example Principality: Samuel, Principality of America

Let's call him Samuel, or "Sam" for short, or even "Uncle Sam" if you're feeling familiar. He's the principality of the USA and of course received his post sometime in the late 18th century. His Word is the USA, and he works at making that country approach its ideals of freedom, equality, and justice.

He is a Cherub (as all principalities) originally created by Marc, moved to Destiny, and recently promoted from working under another principality reated by Marc, one John Bull, of England. (Marc because the US is the champion of capitalism and England is notoriously the "nation of shopkeepers.") And, no, John does not hold any grudge against Sam for the affairs following 1776. On an ideal plane, John saw that a world-spanning empire was not necessarily the best thing for England's spiritual condition – though of course he worked hard to promote fair play etc. within the empire. On the plane of celestial politics, John had always had his hands full, since receiving his post in the 11th century – not only defending against infernals, but trying to cooperate with the principalities of Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall (*sigh*), France (DEEP sigh), and later the many principalities of India, Australia, etc. (Far past sighs.) As far as John was concerned, Sam was just taking some of the work off his hands.

Sam soon cam to understand John's sighs. A number of Amerind principalities lost their posts because Sam was unable to restrain the territorial greed of his charges. His whole post was in danger during the American Civil War. And so on.

Sam is generally found haunting Washington in the guise of a tourist. His vessel looks like a tall, skinny, white man, white-haired, around 60. He hasn't worn the chin-beard since the 19th century, and he only wears the star-spangled suit to parties. If you could follow Sam around without running afoul of the Cherubim and Malakim who watch over him, you'd see him pottering about the back rooms of the Smithsonian or the Library of Congress, or at the top of the Washington Monument, or sitting on a bench near the Lincoln Memorial or the White House, apparently taking it easy. Except that business-suited figures approach him every few minutes, have short conversations, and then depart.

These are, of course, his subordinates, working in Roles as congressional aides, Secret Service agents, agents of the FBI or CIA, and, mostly, colorless but crucial members of the vast civil service bureaucracy. One particularly harrassed individual is the President's personal guardian angel.

Sam is most likely to come into play if the game starts to touch mortal politics in the US. Thus plots to start wars, or promote or depose particular politicians, or wreak or prevent economic havoc, or manipulate the mass-media culture, will attract his attention, though the PCs will first encounter his agents, of course, unless they are his agents.

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