One other point check out Orson Scott Cards "Empire" is a good example of a political fiction around the split of sorts similar to what changed Rome from a Republic to an Empire.

I wonder how many Kings would have turned when they're kindom was being sacked by barbarians or neighboring kindoms?

I don't see it as being so cut and dry. How would a coin that was recently freed react? I also think that alot of angels choose they're victims or partners carefully. I don't think it would be so unheard of for a coin to fall into possession of the right individual. Who knows the black death, 100 years war, WWI, WWII the denarians helped or pushed in just the right directions. When you deal with ancient creatures like the fallen they are monsters unto themselves. For a denarian twenty fifty or a hundred years is a drop in the bucket. A moment in time. Granted Nicco thinks long term it's not unheard of for a longer term plan to be set out. The Denarians plan for all contengenices so long term goals are one such contengency.

Niccodimus' coin might need a new holder? (:>) and alot of other coins are up for grabs.

Dead zone reference was good! Kudos!

One thing though with moral relativism and liberals he or she could be very interesting. The idea that there really is no good or evil but such things are just social constructs. That could be interesting look. We're not promoting evil we're just showing you the "other sides" point of view. I though JB's writing of Nicodimmus in Small Favor was absolutely awsome. I love the idea of how you chip away at the philosophy and slowly bring down the person chip by chip. The idea then moves that the end justifies the means ie Utilitarianism. The moral worth of the item is justified by the outcome not the means. (An idea that harry fights against leading to the end of changes.) After Utilitiariansim you get into colonialistics of manifest destiny and 'We are Right because we are strong' going deeper and deeper into the well. I don't want to turn this into an arugment on philosophy and ethics but just how a upstanding member of society can be slowly turned into a pawn of dark evil. I love the general urbanity of Nicco in how he interacts with folks leading to sadism. 

One thing that I unfortunately learned the hard way was that evil comes in ordinary mundane packages. People who often say, "He was such a nice boy, quiet but nice" when they find the remains of the murdered. (Happened with a friend's neighbor's son who did bad things.) For all intensive purposes Nicco is a very cultured person with expensive taste in clothing and style rather than the crazed homicidal mansonesue murderer. That's why I like the Denarians but it could be any powerfull influencable entity like an evil or dark Faerie, spirit, demon, or vampire. The Denarians though have a certain amount of style and clarity for destruction that I like. When they plan they plan big.


Just imagine how the players are going to deal with explaining that this senator is really a crazed monster thing when they attempt to "out" him or her.

Had a semi original idea. Based on the "vote Cthulu why choose the lesser of two evils" & Dukelzah (msp?) 2054 for Shadowrun, and Vote Saxon from Doctor Who. Just to be fair.

I think the idea would unfold as such: Your senate district is up for re-election. A young well to do upstart rushes in challenging the opponent who suddenly has an "Accident" or dies of "natrual" causes but was perfectly too healthy. The new election candiate is squeeky clean and after he starts to gain popularity he becomes more and more popular. He's perfect. Perfect teeth, perfect hair, perfect suit, and everyone who knows him says what an upstanding guy he is. Except for his recent ex-girlfriend who's suddenly disappeared. She's the only one with the truth and the last guy to investigate his background was found dead from self inflicted wounds. A recent attempt was made on his life but the official story is that the bullet "missed". The ER technician working on the candiate has disappeared having being cited as having a drug abuse problem and has been fired from the hospital.

Kind of wondering what happened to Niccodemus and the coin and how much power they would have with the Senate moving to an eventual presidency. Maybe it was the Denarians who helped the Roman Empire fall? Who knows. But everyone likes an underdog. This could start out as a nice "missing" person story leading to all sorts of dark stuff and intrigue. Maybe the Denarians have a deal with the corrupt members of the Church for they're support in the "religious right" part or some kind of freaky partnership to control "evil". It wouldn't be the first time the church has made a creepy faustian deal. Besides some priests may be so dissolutioned they might volunteer to become monsters thinking they're faith will help them "elevate the angels" You get the idea.  Besides you may disagree that it couldn't happend and I say two words "David Duke".