WeirD&D: Celestials & Angels

Praise be the heavens, we are saved – so long as we stay far away and let them do their duties.

— Witness to Celestial Response

Celestials are extra-dimensional beings that enter the material plane in response to planar intrusion. Like the cells in a body responds to foreign matter, Celestials seek to destroy the infection from other worlds and cleanse the wound. The angels serve no gods and no master save for the alien intellect that rules their home plane.
The arrival of Celestials is an ill-omen, for they only appear in times of trouble and they care little for those who live on the Material Plane.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Celestials come from a demi-plane called the Membrane. Though separated from the Material Plane, the Membrane is stretched over it like a protective sheath and guards it against dimensional incursions. In this changing realm of living metal and blood made from light, Celestials are born and forged, where they evolve to new forms and fight in endless battles against every kind of extra-dimensional terror.

Like their home realm, Celestials are ever-changing and come in an endless array of shapes. Throughout their existence, Celestials warp into new bodies and evolve into entirely new creatures. No matter what form they take, almost all are formidable combatants.
In general, Celestials have roughly humanoid shapes with otherworldly attributes like silver skin and bio-mechanical weapons. Even Celestials of the same classification can look distinctly different, depending on what armaments they have evolved for.

The Celestials know little peace. The Membrane guards entry to the Material Plane, and it is constantly scraped and probed by other-planar beings seeking a way in. From hordes of demons to elemental infiltrators, the Celestials hold eternal vigil against all - no matter their origin or intent, none shall pass them by.

But the Celestials aren't always successful, you see. There are ways to get around them. Some sneak through; others brute force their way before the angels can respond. Summoning spells open a sort of.. Short-cut. A slice through the Membrane and into our world. If you ever wonder why careless summoners seem to fell afoul of disaster so often, I wager the Celestials don't care for that too much.

— Katheric, Wizard-Scholar of T'haq

Divine Right

As individuals, Celestials are almost automaton-like in behavior. When they appear on radiant beams of writhing light and heralding trumpets, it is only in response to some dimensional infection and they care for little else. Once their task is done, they depart again. Any attempt to stop them from doing either is met with immediate retaliation. Despite their zeal, Celestials either can't or don't respond to every infraction. Summoning spells and rituals mostly go without retribution; it is only when the transgressions become hideous or the Membrane rent by the weight of magic that the angels appear.

Wise wizards summon what they have to - no more. There are enough cautionary tales of ancient, foolish sorcerers, and their grisly ends.

Celestials don't speak but use an entirely telepathic language. It conveys intent and emphatic reaction instead of words, with no written alphabet. The few who have communicated with Celestials say their presence was an overwhelming light inside their minds.
Despite this, Celestials have no trouble coordinating tactics and have been observed to wage war miles apart in perfect unison.

Most of the time, Celestials pay little heed to the inhabitants of the Material Plane. They are stern guardians, more concerned with the whole than the tiny, fragile beings that inhabit it. When they have spoken to mortals, they are absolute in their certainty. They don't bargain or deal in subtleties, but demand and act.

Celestials & The Material Plane

Celestials are rare sights on the Material Plane. Only when there is a breach between worlds do they appear to stamp it out. In places of unstable realities, they are more common sights and wage furious war against all matter of horrors. Despite that, Celestial seem to take little interest in the Material Plane outside these crusades. They spend most of their time in the Membrane, seeking higher forms of evolved forms and fight wars that will never be known to mortals.

The only exception is when Celestials are summoned and bound to serve by mortal spellcasters. It is a duty they resent and will invariably attempt to leave as soon as they are able. If they can be subdued, they are formidable servants who excel at slaying extra-dimensional terrors.
The second time a spellcaster might encounter a Celestial is through mishap. Should their spells cause unusual or devastating rift in reality, either though failed ritual or deliberate overreach, Celestials are drawn to the chaos to quench it.

Few have visited the Membrane. Celestials do not tolerate Material Plane visitors for any longer than it takes them to pass through to whatever destination they seek. But travelers need to be wary - returning back through the Membrane is far more hazardous. Celestials will attempt to stop any who have become tainted or infected by the other planes.

The Membrane

The home-plane of the Celestials is a world of living metal and shifting flesh. It lies between the Material Plane and the rest of the multiverse. Everything that travels into or out of the Material Plane has to pass through the Membrane.
Among the rarefied field of planar scholars, there are many theories as to why only the Material Plane is known to possess such a demi-plane to protect it. Some think it proof of the Material Planes as the epicenter of the multiverse - others that it is the only place home to beings fragile enough to require it. Who, or what, created the Membrane is still unknown.
The only evidence is scattered across the multiverse like bones. Remnants of.. Something of an unfathomable past. Monolithic of living metal that looks similar to the structures in the Membrane.

Some dare few think that the Celestials aren't there to protect them at all, but planar cast-aways that have chosen the Material plane as their new home.

Demons

Not all evolutions go according to plan. When Celestials attempt to reach new heights of power and forms of flesh, sometimes they fall short. Some unknown aberration causes them to mutate into strange and abnormal shapes. Such failures are destroyed as soon as possible, but they don't always succeed. These mutant failures have escaped, into other planes and into the darkest corners of the Membrane, where they have become Demons.
Demons share many traits with Celestials, but where the Celestials are orderly and focused, Demons are chaotic and destructive. Their flesh is a constant bubble, warping and twisting near-constantly. Where Celestials seek to shield the Material Plane from contamination, the Demons seek to consume, infect, and spread their corruption like cancer.

Cherubs

Thought to be the larval form of Celestials, Cherubs are only found within the Membrane. Early Cherubs molt and change shapes frequently, adopting the likeness of multiple animals. As the Cherubs evolve and their path are chosen, they eventually solidify and become another, higher form of Celestial.
Distilled Cherub is one of the most powerful reagents a Transmutater can hope to acquire, though few dare to risk the Membrane for it.

Common Celestials

Though their host number an infinite strange and terrible form within the Membrane, some are seen more often on the Material Plane.

Devas

Devas are messengers and heralds. With silver skin and feathery wings, they serve as telepathic carriers for the angelic host, constantly relaying any message sent to them to all nearby angels. When Celestials go to war, the Devas are spread throughout their formations and through them, a single command can quickly reach the whole host.
Though they aren't primary warriors, Devas often mold one of their arms into powerful crushing maces of metal bone and silver-skin.

Planetar

Planetar are the living weapon of the Celestial Host. While their basic form is that of a winged humanoid with green skin, they come in a great multitude. From bone-blades sprouting from their arms to carapace-armor, the Planetar evolve and change to best wage war.
Planetar comes in a thousand different forms, but all of their mutations and bio-mechanical improvements are meant for war.

Solar

One of the most highly evolved forms of Angel, there are few Solars. Each one is unique, with shapes and improvements that suit their specific temperament and duties. Most are leaders of the host and coordinate the battle through Devas, but some act alone as terrible godlike beasts.
Only twenty-four Solars have ever been recorded as having visited the Material Plane. How many more might dwell in the Membrane is unknown.

by Rock Cafe.info