Essence is the basic energy of the Symphony. Humans and Celestials alike catch one Essence per day: angels at sunrise, humans at noon, and demons at sunset. Celestials in the service of Superiors can also gain Essence through Rites. A being can hold a quantity of Essence equal to their total number of Forces; e.g., a 9-Force angel can hold up to 9 Essence.
Essence can be used for a number of purposes: Songs and many similar supernatural abilities are fueled by Essence. It can also be used to nudge the Symphony one way or the other, permitting minor feats of reality-bending. Either use generates Disturbance by disrupting the natural order of things.
A celestial or Soldier consciously using Essence to help with a particular attempt always creates a telltale sign or two. It may be subtle at small quantities (one or two Essence), but it will be technically noticeable even to mundane humans: a flash of flame following a demon's punch, for instance. Most humans will pass it off as their imaginations, of course. These signs do not reliably indicate much about the performer, in terms of whether they are human or celestial, angel or demon.
Essence can be freely transferred among celestials, and it sometimes takes on the role of a "currency" of sorts.
Bookkeeping[]
There are a few commands for keeping track of Essence reserves.
+essence shows a timestamped Essence count. This can be updated by staff as necessary: for example, before beginning a major scene.
Rites[]
Rites are rituals and deeds associated with a Superior, which further that Superior's Word and thus channel Essence to both the Servitor and the Superior. These can supplement a Celestial's natural Essence regeneration. Each Rite can only be performed once per day.
1-Essence Rites can be performed a number of times per week equal to the character's Celestial Forces. See news commands for more information.
Multi-Essence Rites generally have unusual requirements that cannot be routinely met. They are handled case-by-case.
External Links[]
- Fact: with enough Essence, you too can be Batman.