Celestials
The Celestials are less one species and more an entire group. They are spread across Istrum and Lastra. They believe they were born to be custodians of all that is good and decent in the world. As such, many religions display them as messengers and even children of the gods. Beings such as the Archons and Azatas alike represent the Lawful and Chaotic sides of good and even blend to become the Neutral side.
The Celestials have faced trial after trial and still stand tall against the evil that encroaches upon their charges. However, they have been sapped of their numbers and there are even rumors that Celestials begin to question their role in the wider universe, especially with beings such as the Elders and Eternals who far outclass them. When their origin is in question and they don't even know if the ones they serve are real, stories of Fallen Celestials become more common. And if embodiments of good can fall, what hope can mortals have?
Basic Information
Anatomy
Angels are one of the most seen by normal people. Afterall, they are often messengers of the other Celestials. They often appear as humanoids with varying shades of color with anywhere from 2 to 6 wings. They even have some appearances that appear as horrific as aberrations with countless sets of eyes or appearing a flaming set of wheels.
Archons appear similar to angels at first but have far more variety to their appearance. Their wings can appear as multiple color unlike angels or even in forms such as broken glass or divine light. There have even been reports of Archons with swords for hands.
Guardinals often appear as animal humanoids similar to Lupin or Alomri. They have a pair of wings they can summon as well.
Azatas have the most exotic appearance out of any of the Celestials. Sometimes, they appear as normal people with vast differences in skin color. Other times, they appear as if they are made out of gems or stone or even have the lower bodies of specific animals or even a plant.
Civilization and Culture
History
The story of the Celestials begins with the realms of Istrumand Lastra. If the Eternals are to be believed, these worlds were created by Eno, favoring the cosmic good alignment. After the Eternals disappeared, the worlds began to develop on their own. And from the worlds spawned the Celestials. Istrumbecame the home of the Archons as they formed an organized system that would help the world develop. Lastra became the home of the Titans and a symbol of what chaotic good can be like. Similar to Faenum, forests and other environments span the world, overgrown except for moments where Titans find each other to clash and become stronger.
The two stranger variants are the Angels and Guardinals. Guardinals form a neutral good stance as they focus more on caretaking. Whether it be the homeworlds of celestials or even
Mortis itself, they are seen as custodians. And the Angels served as messengers and warriors of the Celestials. And it was the Angels who found some of the other worlds. Especially the home of their mortal enemies: The Fiends. At first, the two groups just ignored each other. Each had a fundamental disagreement but they didn't see a reason to destroy each other. That began to change as some Celestials began to argue otherwise. That was when the Calling supposedly began.
Countless Celestials claimed to hear voices telling them that the Fiends are a scourge that must be eradicated. Those that survived claimed that it was the Gods telling them to act. Others claimed the Eternals speaking from wherever they were cast out to. No one knows for sure but what is know is that the Fiends heard the same thing. In fact, every outsider did. And they threw themselves into a war still raging to this day. The Blood War.
The Celestials gathered in mighty legions, champions of their realms claiming that they were in the right. That this was their divine mission and they would succeed against all odds. Many of those champions would not live to see the end of the Blood War for the Celestials. Despite their numbers, despite their might, the Fiends slaughtered them without a second thought. Campaign after campaign, their foes inched closer to their worlds. It seemed as though good would die out in the universe. That was until the Fiends fractured amongst themselves. And in that disunity, the Celestials had an idea.
They crafted a curse that would hold the Fiends at bay. They created a seal that would keep Fiend legions out of Isturm and Lastra. While lone fiends could still get in, the hordes couldn't unless one faction had control over both their homeworlds. And thus, the Blood War changed from a war between Good and Evil to a war between Evil. The Celestials, for a time, were safe.
That time of safety would come and go as eons later, the Elders came to eradicate reality. All the outsiders were weakened by strife and conflict, potentially set up by the Elders themselves. And so they could barely hold the line against them and their Aberrations. Matters only got worse when they breached the cosmic barrier and attacked Avestra itself. Countless Celestials fell into despair as they believed they had been abandoned and that reality would soon come to an end.
That all changed when Aeternum appeared in the skies of Avestra. And with them, the Eternals. The celestials were visited by the creator of their world, Eno, who rallied them against their Eldritch enemies. Fighting side-by-side with Fiends, Elementals, and others, they were led by the Eternals against the Elders and won the day at great cost.
Now, the Celestials live in a world where beings far stronger than them exist. And with that realization comes doubt. Fallen Celestials have popped up as they begin to think that Good can't survive in a world such as this. That reality can't survive with creatures such as the Elders around. Or even that the Celestials are useless with beings such as the Eternals existing. These heavenly figures find themselves divided as they question the universe and their role in it.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Celestials have the biggest friendship with their kin, the Aasimar. Between the Blood War and the Elder Invasion, they spent time nurturing Aasimar to be vessels for good in Avestra. They hoped that they would be able to spread good faith in the world and prevent evil from spreading. They were disappointed with those who fell but they held out hope that they could still keep going despite the fear and persecution they feel. The Celestials who fell understand why the Fallen Aasimar exist and serve as guides to them, sometimes towards Evil and other times simply serving as someone to talk to when their normal guide has abandoned them.
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