Celestials and Coldsleep

Invariably, the question comes up, "Why should celestials bother with coldsleep?" After all, a celestial has no physical need to sleep, to eat, or even deficate; as long as their vessel or host has access to air, the breath of life, they can survive indefinitely in the normal human range of environments. Comfort is a non-issue during travel; a servitor can easily survive being packed in a shipping crate in a cargo hold as they can survive being in a first-class cabin with room service and Internet Gamma TV (Admittedly, most celestials won't -want- to take the former option). So why go to all that trouble getting wired and plumbed up to be stuffed in what is essentially a high-tech life-support coffin for several weeks?

The answer is simple. "Role Maintenance." Ever since humanity started reaching en-masse for the outer planets, there was a need for the angels and demons to follow along. And the only way to do that unobtrusively was to do as the humans did. In the early days, journeys to Mars, the Asteriod Belt, and Jupiter could take months if not a year or longer to accomplish. Most humans could not stand the isolation required for such a long trip, nor could most ships carry the necessary supplies to maintain a full crew and passengers. A person who appeared not to need sleep, food, or restrooms may have become valuable to whatever company was sending the ship in question, but he would also become very noticeable. In the present day, coldsleep is still used for the longer journeys to Jupiter and Saturn and the stations orbiting them, though it has begun to be phased out for the shorter trips to Mars and the Earth Sphere colonies. Therefore, it is still required for many celestials to undergo the rigors of coldsleep if they are travelling to the outer planets in order to maintain their Roles and some semblence of humanity.

Of course, with this answer there also comes a problem, namely how to deal with any Dissonance that might occur due to being 'asleep' for such long periods of time. Listed below are the potential conflicts.

*No Problems*

The following Choirs of angels and Bands of demons do not have any difficulties with coldsleep as part of their essential natures, and will not incur Dissonance for undergoing it.

Seraphim, Elohim, Mercurians, Grigori, Balseraphs, Djinn, Habbalah, Impudites

*Possible Problems*

The following Choirs and Bands may have difficulties staying in coldsleep for extended periods of time, if an outside condition causes the potential for Dissonance. The condition may also wake the sleeper if the underlying cause continues, accumulating Dissonance in the celestial.

Cherubim

If the Cherub is attuned to any being or item during Coldsleep, and the object of the attunement is in danger, then there is a potential for accumulating dissonance due to the Cherub being unable to protect its charge.

Malakim

A Malakite is at risk of Dissonance due to coldsleep if any of his Oaths forbid him to be restrained, bound, inert, inactive, or at rest (a possibility with Malakim of the Wind or those of the more proactive Superiors). This obviously needs to be evaluated on a Malakite-on-Malakite basis.

Kyriotates

If the Kyriotate has all its Forces invested in one Host, and if the host is hurt during coldsleep, it will be unable to leave the host without accumulating Dissonance. They will also not be able to leave the Host while it is asleep, since that portion of their Forces are also 'asleep'. Note that Coldsleep itself extends the normal amount of time the Kyriotate can spend in a Host (since the body's metabolic processes are slowed), and will not accrue Dissonance for staying overlong in one body.

Lilim and Bright Lilim

The Daughters of Lilith, Dark and Bright, are at risk of a Geas on themselves being invoked while they are in coldsleep. Being unable to act on the Geas while asleep will cause them to accumulate Dissonance.

Calabim

The entropy fields of the Calabim may cause excessive damage to the coldsleep chamber and any adjacent ones if not caught in time, or kept under control.

*Definite Problems*

The following types of celestials have extreme problems with coldsleep. They cannot use it, and must find other ways to travel, otherwise they will accumulate dissonance rapidly.

Ofanim

The Wheels gain Dissonance every time they are restrained or contained and do not act to escape said confinement. Since coldsleep requires a living being to be strapped down inside a metal life-support shell for days and weeks on end, with even one's body slowed, few Ofanim would even willingly undergo the procedure.

Shedim

The Corruptors MUST corrupt their Host once a day, even in a trivial fasion. It is impossible to corrupt a Host while asleep, and since coldsleep keeps a Host unconcious for extended periods, dissonance would accumulate rapidly. Of course, nothing stops a Shedite from jumping to another Host for the duration while the first sleeps... and Shedim of Asmodeus do not have this difficulty, since they do not need to corrupt their Hosts!

*No Problems*

The servitors of the following Superiors will not gain Dissonance from undergoing coldsleep; it will not violate the Dissonance Conditions inherent in their Words. However, this does not cover any potential problems that may develop from their Choir/Band nature (see above).

David, Dominic, Eli, Jean, Laurence, Marc, Michael, Novalis, Yves, Andrealphus, Asmodeus, Baal, Beleth, Belial, Kronos, Saminga

*Possible Problems*

Those celestials who serve the following Superiors may get into trouble for not carrying out their duties during coldsleep if they are unconcious for a period of time longer than specified. Note that it is rare for coldsleep to be used for journeys shorter than seven days, but it still occurs.

Blandine

If an angel of Dreams has a dream-ward in the corporeal realm, and that dream-ward is threatened, he will be unable to warn them in their next dream, and therefore will accumulate Dissonance.

Gabriel

Gabriel's angels must always watch for the cruel in society, and it is impossible to do so if they are in coldsleep. Any sleep past the Angel's Celestial Forces in days for punishing the cruel will cause Dissonance if they have been assigned a target.

Janus and Valefor

If the ship they are on is moving and is small enough, then a celestial who serves either Janus or Valefor will not gain Dissonance. However, if the ship or station is large enough, it can possibly count as one 'location', and after 3 days, the celestial will begin to accumulate Dissonance. If the ship isn't moving, then Dissonance is certain to occur.

Jordi

Coldsleep is a human invention, a conveyance for human interests, not animal ones. Jordi does not care much if one of his servitors undergoes coldsleep... though the odds are good that if they try to Invoke him because of a Coldsleep related incident, he'd be a little frosty (sic). However, the system has been thoroughly tested with animals and used to transport whole herds of livestock and other creatures to other planets and colonies. Jordi doesn't care if cattle or domesticated animals are moved in this fashion, but is angered by the notion of using coldsleep on predators -- rendering docile the fierce hunters of nature. Transporting cryogenically frozen fertilized eggs is a much safer bet.

Haagenti

Gluttons cannot go more than their Corporeal Forces in days without forcing a living being to Consume. It's difficult to convince someone to Consume when you're in coldsleep.

Lilith

Those who accept Lilith's Rites also accept her Dissonance Conditions. One of those conditions is to not be restrained, physically or conceptually, unless the restraints are negotiated for equitably. Since there has to be a formal agreement before a being is put into coldsleep, there is usually no problems.

Vapula

Vapulans must keep their infernal artifact close to them, either directly in their possesion or within the coldsleep chamber's storage container. Otherwise, there is a risk of their boon falling into mortal or angelic hands.

*Definite Problems*

The servitors of the following Superiors are at extreme risk of Dissonance due to their Dissonance Conditions, and therefore do not use coldsleep except for extreme measures.

Kobal

Kobal's servitors cannot go a single day without worsening someone's misfortune by laughing at them or causing someone else to laugh at them. There isn't much laughing that can be done while in coldsleep. (Now, causing a suite of coldsleep chambers to be dumped overboard by accident instead of cargo containers in mid-flight... now that's funny...)

Malphas

Servitors of Malphas cannot go more than one day without causing division between two people, and it's hard to interact with other people while in coldsleep.

Nybbas

Nybbasites cannot go a single day without contributing to the world's media for an hour, and unless you're doing an in-depth expose' on "Coldsleep from the Inside", you're stuck acquiring Dissonance.