Angel

**Angels** are a race of supernatural celestial beings native to Heaven and major recurring characters in the *Divine Comedy*.

Angels were created by God and Goddess. They were the first and mightiest beings created long before the beginning of the complete universe and the world.

## History

### Background

Angels were the offspring of God and Goddess but were without form. They came into existence shortly after the blueprints of Creation were set and each one was given a specific set of gifts that would act as the instrument of their power. God instructed them in the arts of music, until he brought them together to make the Genesis Jam: a primordial concert that would bring forth the physical and metaphysical formation of the universe and its worlds. In the beginning of the Jam, the angels were all in harmony with God and one another, but the greatest among them was Lucifer who shone brighter and sung louder than all the other angels, consequently alluring the angels that listened to his music towards him thus said angels would be part of his rebellion in the future.

Through the Genesis Jam, God would present visions of Creation using the lyrics; He showed it to the angels, and explained much of its nature and destiny to them - at the end of the final verse, God and the angels finished the Jam with a 'banger', causing these visions to come into being. Lucifer and many of the other mighty angels were then ordered to descend into it and form it in readiness for what was to come in the foreseeable future as well making it a habitable home for themselves and other creatures of God's hands.

## Description

Angels are humanoid beings that often appear in a variety of forms. Depending on their rank and purpose in the universe they can have a body color consisting of sky blue, yellowish orange, light beige or a fiery orange red. Angels also sport massive feathered wings which can range from up to the regular two to four, six, or even in the hundreds though again it depends on the rank of the angel. In terms of archangels, their wings each sport a color or patterned theme that's unique to the archangel such as Gabriel having rainbow hue on his secondary and primary feathers or Michael having dark brown wings with faded blue tips on his secondary and primary feathers.

Their true forms are nothing less of holy righteous beings which are beautiful as well as hazardous, overwhelming, and terrifying all at the same time. It is said that their true visage is so overwhelming it can be fatal to humans, demons, and monsters. They appear more as eldritch abominations with numerous eyes, limbs, and wings. All angels also sport halos and like their wings the position and shape of their halo corresponds to their ranking in the spheres of Heaven; archangels have large halos that are positioned vertically front from behind their heads and sport a color associated with said archangel. Lesser angels can sport hair of various colors usually slicked back while high-ranking angels have something akin to ethereal hair.

Angels are shown to wear outfits quite similar to those of military uniforms and outfits from the 1700s. They originally wore the typical robes one would see in paintings though according to Gabriel they got rid of it as it made them feel "too exposed". Their outfits change depending on the agency and choir of the angel with one example are the Principalities who dress as federal agents complete with black suits and ties.

## Culture

Because of their instrumental roles in the Genesis Jam, angels have a passion for music and the arts. They are often described as "walking muses", either being inspired or giving inspiration to others in terms of passion in arts and entertainment which they do so through the Nine Muses that inhabit the Nine Spheres. Much like Hell, Heaven has its own strict set of laws as well as facilities that provide goods and services. There are no emergency services such as fire departments as accidents do not occur in Heaven. There are however law abiding forces. Angels rarely, if ever, curse or use swear words, but even though they can curse they choose not to as it is crass and uncouth for them. Cassiel states that angels have a "PG" setting for their language.

Technology is supremely advanced in Heaven compared to Hell where when Charlie and her allies first entered Heaven and saw the cities within the Celestial Spheres they compared it to a retro science fiction fantasy movie. The technology in Heaven appears to implement the use of quantum physics with one such application being the suspension of particles in space, facilitating the creation of airborne pathways and by extension the silver cities in the Spheres of Heaven.

Their weapons are quite powerful to where they can outright kill demons who are reputed to be immortal. Heavenly weapons are one of the very few things in existence than can kill not just a demon but also powerful angelic beings, possibly even archangels like Lucifer. Their weaponry also extends to their battlegear as seen with the Exterminators who are adorned with an almost crude but intricate armor while their leaders such as the archangel Michael has a golden avian themed helm that materializes itself around his head complete with a thin blue visor. Angels only carry bladed weapons and do not use guns since they are capable of firing their own form of projectiles from their hands or eyes.

Angels are not as diverse as demons but they can be differentiated in terms of species. While the term 'angel' is derived from the Greek word angelos which means messenger, it is sometimes used in the broader sense when referring to any creature that resides in Heaven but that is not always the case. The most well known are the Seraphim/Archangel (the highest class/species of angel), the Cherubim (the second highest class/species of angel whom act as the guards of Eden and God's throne), Saints (the souls of those who ascended to Heaven), Chalkydri (humanoid avian angelic creatures resembling small birds), and Putti (also called cherubs who resemble the stereotypical depictions of cupid). Saints can freely traverse most of the Spheres of Heaven but cannot ascend to the highest Heaven where the Magisterium is stationed and above that is the Empyrean, the house of God.

### Religion/Tradition

Angels naturally have a religion which involves the worship and praising of God. They have a specific hour, day, and month where they begin to sing the glory of God. Cassiel explains that their methods of worship isn't as extreme as the ways humans used it for thousands of years though regardless they are quite strict. It is revealed that this method of strict worship was not present until Metatron arrived and it made things somewhat suffocating for even other angels like Gabriel, though they kept their thoughts to themselves.

Angels also celebrate holidays like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and even Saint Patrick's Day to some extent. The archangels in particular are fond of both Christmas and Saint Patrick's Day mainly because it is the time of the year where they are free from their duties. The celebration of Easter is depicted as an event hosted by Ostara which involves the Chalkydri holding an egg and the Saints participating where the latter chases after the Chalkydri to acquire the egg. Only one festival is confirmed to take place in Heaven which is called the Big Paradise Jam or the BPJ for short where angels and Saints engage in interpretive dancing that paints a picture of the way the universe and all its glory was created.

### Hierarchy

Angels also have their own form of complex bureaucracy such as various ranks, roles, and governing duties. This also includes special terms for each such as Dominions, Powers, Principalities, and Archangels. Unlike Hell where one's position in the hierarchy is determined purely by the strength of the individual, the ranks and positions of an angel is based on their proximity to God. Angels are classified in Nine Choirs and categorized in Three Spheres meaning that the Seven Spheres that make up Heaven each have their own choir of angels based solely on their duties to the Sphere and what the latter represents in virtue. The Three Spheres can be described in its simplest terms as Upper, Middle, and Lower Management.

While it is often believed that archangels are the closest to God it is not exactly true. Archangel is actually a rank that can be given to an angel that shows promise, dedication, and strength in their competence and is above the generic angel. The angels which stand above all other choirs are the Seraphim who mainly consist of God and Goddess' firstborn children that being Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel; essentially they're Heaven's upper management. While the system of government in the angelic hierarchy is not centered around monarchy like Hell, the firstborn children of God and Goddess are often referred to as 'princes'. The only known angel with the title of 'king' is Metatron though this was arguably self-proclaimed.

Because of the Seraphim's proximity to God they are the ones responsible for communicating His will to the angels of the lower second and third spheres. However, each of these choirs play their own unique roles and have their own unique species of angel. The only known exception of an angel having a higher position of authority yet is counted among the rank of the Seraphim is Metatron, whose closeness to God is made quite evident in that he is called the Voice of God/Scribe of God, and is God's own "mouthpiece" when He is "not in the mood for a burning bush" moment as well as His "biggest fanboy".

## Trivia

* According to Cassiel, angels are incapable of lying. This is to the point where as they try to spin the truth it feels as though "a lump of words" are caught in their throat and are desperately trying to "push it out by talking". Each time they try though as seen with Cassiel himself, they only spout nonsense and gibberish.
	+ Metatron is the only exception to this as he was never an angel but a former human. As such he still retains his impure human feelings even after ascending to an angel.
* They invented tabletop role playing games with the first being *Dungeons & Dragons* from witnessing a band of mortals going on strange adventures.
* "Pigeon rats" is a derogatory slur often used by demons against angels.
* Angels have no genitals and as such are unable to reproduce with other creatures. However, they are only capable of doing so when they fall from Heaven. The reason for this is because they are ethereal beings and are not bound by the material world but once they fall they become part of the material world and its functionalities.
	+ They also have no specific gender and can simply choose whichever gender they are accustomed to or even both at the same time. Example of this is Asmodeus who can shift between male, female, or intersex.