Balseraphs

"And what's he, then, that says I play the villain? When this advice is free I give and honest, Probal to thinking, and indeed the course To win the Moor again?" -Iago, Othello (V.iii.336-339)

Balseraphs, the Liars, are the first Band of demons. They oppose Seraphim. {| class="toc" id="toc" summary="Contents"

Contents
[hide]*1 Resonance and Dissonance
 * 2 Aptitudes
 * 3 Celestial Appearance
 * 4 Stereotype
 * 5 External Links
 * }

[edit] 1 Resonance and Dissonance
While Seraphs have an unsurpassed closeness to the Symphony, Balseraphs have the ability to drown the Symphony out in a limited space by amplifying their personal demonic symphony. The average Balseraph is far more powerfully selfish than just about any other demon. So much so that, by filling the aforementioned spaces with the sounds of their personal symphonies, they can convince another of just about anything via a contest of wills.

If one defines "to lie" as "to deliberately state something other than what one believes to be true", Balseraphs cannot lie without causing themselves significant pain -- it is in fact dissonant for them to say anything that does not agree with their personal symphonic truth. (The disconnect unnerves them.) Rather, they believe truth to be a construct of will -- the Truth is the construct of God, a very powerful spirit whose will consequently spreads over a very large area. However, at least in a small area, they can push this aside with their own truth. It's not that they "don't realize they're lying"; it's just that they tend to disagree with the idea that Truth is anything but something maintained by force of will.

[edit] 2 Aptitudes
Balseraphs are masterful manipulators. This can be put to use in the War in a number of ways, ranging from politics to Men in Black "cover-up" jobs. They also do make good lieutenants to higher-ranking demons, on Hell or on Earth, but being a Balseraph doesn't necessarily entitle one to greater respect or authority.

While Seraphim genuinely do (at least to some vague extent) outrank other angels, Balseraphs do not necessarily have any special authority in Hell's "grab what you can" power structure. However, they very much like to pretend they do, and Superiors try to keep them happy with empty appointments and titles. (The more real the Balseraphs can make these titles in practice, the better.) Write the text of your article here!