Demi-Celestial

This article is a work in progress! Expect more content to be added and/or changes to formatting to be made.

It appears this article is a stub! Alert the author if you'd like to see it expanded.

WARNING! This article is about a player character in the campaign: A Figure in the Mists. If you are a player in that campaign, and do not play this character, please do not read this article!

WARNING! This article contains spoilers for the campaign: A Figure in the Mists. If you are a player in that campaign, please do not read this article.

WARNING! This article is about a player character in the campaign: A Shadow Behind the Crown. If you are a player in that campaign, and do not play this character, please do not read this article!

WARNING! This article contains spoilers for the campaign: A Shadow Behind the Crown. If you are a player in that campaign, please do not read this article.

WARNING! This article is about a player character in the campaign: A Trick of the Light. If you are a player in that campaign, and do not play this character, please do not read this article!

WARNING! This article contains spoilers for the campaign: A Trick of the Light. If you are a player in that campaign, please do not read this article.

WARNING! This article contains spoilers for a future campaign. If you are a player in this world and not planning on GMing in it, please do not read this article.

This document has been contributed by Hasdiel Avantel

Demi-Celestials are mortals descended from celestial blood. Revered for their connection to the gods, or shunned for their rejection thereof, demi-celestials live lives decided by those around them, rarely given the chance to simply be themselves.

Born Demi-Celestials

The first is when a celestial chooses to reproduce with a mortal; this normally occurs when a minor celestial (also known as an angel) does so, but there are a handful of demi-celestials born directly of a god. The latter is incredibly rare, and results in incredibly powerful and unique individuals. To be born a demi-celestial of a god is to live a life in the light (or shadow) of one's deity.
Born demi-celestials of angels, however, hold no such responsibilities. While indirectly tied to the deity that their angelic parent is in service of, their heritage being kept does not rely on them maintaining this connection. Once born, their divine power is inside of them, for better or for worse.

Chosen Demi-Celestials

Alternatively, a demi-celestial can be created early in their life when chosen by a deity. Typically, one can only become a demi-celestial within the first fraction of their life, before they are fully aware of themselves or there surroundings, as the adjustment to divine blood is a startling one. However, there have been known, albeit incredibly rare, cases of adults being chosen by a deity to become a demi-celestial. These situations are always rife with extenuating circumstances to make this possible; the individual must already have some sort of tie to the deity, more than mere worship. They must also accept the transformation, with the knowledge that they will be permanently changed.

Those of Angels and Gods

Born demi-celestials are slightly biologically different from chosen demi-celestials - or, more aptly, demi-celestials of angels are different from demi-celestials of gods. Divine blood was not meant to reside in mortal veins, and while deities have the ability to stabilise it, their angels most often do not. This means that the majority of born demi-celestials are unstable, with divine light eminating from them. They are visibly otherworldly, to any onlookers that may see them. However, chosen demi-celestials appear more normal, visibly mortal until they reveal their divine heritage. When they do, they gain aspects of the deity to whom they are tied. Demi-celestials of Lillon may pale and grey as they sprout spectral, misty wings, while demi-celestials of Khisteus grow feathered, golden wings as their hair turns a yellow remniscient of the sun, and as their eyes transform into the very picture of the lightning their god controls. The exception to this is born demi-celestials directly descended from the gods. They are visually distinct, appearing akin to one of their deities angels more than they resemble their mortal parent.

Defying One's Heritage

There are two additional types of demi-celestials, separate from the ones listed above. Those who have become disconnected from divinity fall under one of two types, these types distinguished by the reason for their severence from divinity.

Fallen Demi-Celestials

Fallen demi-celestials are those who have chosen to reject their deity. Only chosen demi-celestials can become fallen, as born demi-celestials of angels hold no obligation to their deities, and born demi-celestials of gods cannot detach themselves from their celestial parentage. Fallen demi-celestials have an appearance similar to that of a corpse, as half of their life has been rejected. Their divine blood is no longer, and they are independent of their deity and of their responsibility. To some, this fate would be a horror worse than death. But to others, who don't care to live their lives at the whims of their deities, this is simply the cost of freedom.

Forgotten Demi-Celestials

Where fallen demi-celestials are still respected members of society, it is forgotten demi-celestials that pose a danger to the rest. Forgotten demi-celestials are those who did not reject their god, but instead, their god rejected them. To become a forgotten demi-celestial is to abandon all that is right in the eyes of their deity, to commit crimes so heinous that the gods themselves deign that you are unfit to carry their blood. Forgotten demi-celestials are turned away at the gates of any civilised society, even sometimes hunted, as to be looked upon by the divine and turned away by those all-knowing is to show that one is unfit to be a person.

Genetic Ancestor(s)