In Nomine Berkeley

San Francisco

My version of In Nomine San Francisco is based on David Edelstein's version, although it does diverge somewhat. San Francisco is firmly under the control of the Host— in particular, non-militant archangels (Marc, Novalis, and Zadkiel) have the most influence there.

The East Bay

The Host has slightly more influence in the East Bay than does the Horde, simply because they have San Francisco as a base nearby; however, the difference is small. Truth to be told, the East Bay has been a bit neglected by the Host, as they are more likely to be thinking and looking southwards towards San Jose and (eventually) Los Angeles. As a result, the demons do have a reasonable presence in the East Bay, and the angels don't limit it as they do the demons' presence in San Francisco proper.

Heavenly Tethers

The following are the well-known Heavenly Tethers in and near Berkeley.

The Berkeley Rose Garden

Although very much a minor and secondary tether to Flowers in comparison to the major tether at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, this tether is the older one. Before "flower power" of the sixties, indeed, this tethers was Novalis' primary connection to the region. The sensechal is Erinnirothoniel (known to her friends as simply "Rose"), a Kyrioite Friend of the Gardens. Erinnirothoniel usually inhabits several of the flowers in the garden, although she has been known to inhabit birds, squirrels, and other small animals present in the garden.

Mrs. Benson's House

Another tether owned by an Archangel who has a more important tether in San Francisco, this is a small tether to Zadkiel.

There was a kid in school at Martin Luther King Jr. High, who was just asking for trouble. Not only was he small and awkward, but he was afflicted with that one terrible quality that attracts schoolyard bullies like no other: incredibly low self confidence. Daily, this kid was tortured during recess and lunch by the bullies in his school. They said they did it for his lunch money, but really they did it because they could. The punishments grew more and more severe as time went by, and one day the kid ran from the school. Down the street, he broke down and collapsed into a heap, crying. A kindly, plump woman found the kid, took him into her house, fed him, and sent him back to school. Thereafter, every time during lunch the kid would walk down the street and have lunch at Mrs. Benson's house. It served as a refuge from the pain and humiliation of the torture dished out by the bullies. Mrs. Benson spoke with the kid, and over time found within him his own reserves of self confidence. Eventually, the small, awkward kid could hold his own, and no longer had to flee to Mrs. Benson's house. That kid is now a successful businessman living in Chicago.

This was one of those cases where a small and seemingly insignificant event, touched by an angel, caused the surprise creation of a heavenly tether. To this day, Mrs. Benson's house on Grant street near Rose is a tether to Zadkiel. An Elohite named Pethasel has since taken the role of Mrs. Benson, whose neighbors simply think is a very remarkably preserved elderly woman. Pethesel is the seneschal of the tether. Every day, a handful of the most dejected, bullied, and unsure kids from King Jr. High have lunch, and have their spirits bolstered at this tether.

Blue Lightning Digital Research

Farther away from Berkeley, this is a more significant tether than the two mentioned above. Located in Silicon Valley near San Jose (south of Berkeley and the rest of the East Bay) is a small high-tech consulting firm. In the last two decades, this firm has engaged in partnerships with a number of Silicon Valley companies, out of which came a number of the (primarily hardware) real developments during the dot-com bubble; the firm continues to thrive today.

The Blue Lightening facility itself is modest. It's largest electronics laboratory is a tether to Jean. About half of the staff is in on the secret— including Gil Balter (Gulestrupniel), the Seneschal of Blue Lightning Digital Research. This tether is one of the key places where Jean releases heavenly technological knowledge when he feels that it is time for that information to be released.

Mt. Diablo

A Tether to Stone exists here. A short way off of one of the trails that lead through the state park near the summit of the mountain, there is a collection of interesting rock formations that forms the locus of the tether. This is the oldest tether in the East Bay, having been present for many centuries.

Infernal Tethers

The following are the well-known Infernal Tethers in and near Berkeley.

People's Park: Much to the chagrin of Novalis, this park which has been the site of various peace demonstrations— and perhaps to the chagrin of David that a park which has been the site of various cases community organizing— has also been the site of a lot of strife between students and administration of UC Berkeley, between people and the city of Berkeley, and between other competing interests. In the early 1970's, it became a weak Tether to Factions, and its history since has done nothing to disturb its nature. The exact locus of the Tether varies a lot with time; sometimes it encompasses the whole park, sometimes only small patches of the ground. But there always is a modest tether to Factions here.
Danny's Cafe: A small "greasy spoon" sort of grill-type restaurant on San Pablo Ave. near the El Cerrito border, which really doesn't warrant the name Cafe. The menu includes typical huge hamburgers and sandwiches with generous sides of greasy fries and so forth. The piece de resistance, however, is the massive super burrito, which comes piled with sour cream and guacamole, a generous side of rice and beans, and (perversely) half-covered with curly fries. The waiters celebrate anybody who manages to complete one of these... and people do, surprisingly often. This small restaurant is a tether to Gluttony.
The Basement of Etcheverry Hall: In 1986, Berkeley voted to become a nuclear free zone. Four weeks after the "Now Entering a Nuclear Free Zone" signs were put up on major roads at the city borders, nuclear engineering students at UC Berkeley added signs beneath it: "Electrons Only!" Shortly thereafter, agents of Kobal noticed that the research reactor in the basement of Echteverry Hall on the UC Berkeley campus had become a potential tether to Dark Humor. Even though the reactor is now shut down, the basement remains an out-of-the-way minor tether to Kobal. Agents of Dark Humor every so often organize a rally against nuclear medicine at area hospitals, and are always sure to watch when a truck bearing nuclear material headed to or from the Port of Oakland pass through the city. They were particularly amused when in 1991, a cat whose thyroid problem was treated with Iodine-131 left some very mildly reactive kitty litter in a local landfill, causing a minor uproar in Berkeley. One of these days, they hope to arrange a spill of highly radioactive nuclear waste material immediately beneath a "Nuclear Free Zone" sign.
International Blvd. & 53rd Ave. (Oakland): This intersection in Oakland was the site of a late-night shootout between Soldiers on both sides of the War in the early 1980's. Interestingly, there were no angels or demons involved in this, even in instigating it; it was an open skirmish in the War that was fought entirely by humans. The Infernal side trounced the other side, and the result of this was the formenting of a Tether to Baal. The locus of the tether is the intersection and a couple of buildings on either side of the intersection along the South side of International Blvd. The Seneschal is Garroun, a Calibite of The War.