Angelics

**(*Seraphis psycholevitas*)**

#### Legend

Angelics as a race did not stem from another realm, dimension, or plane of existence. It was highly believed and accepted that they were their own elusive and rare species, descendants of a group of individuals transformed into winged humanoids, by other races that co-existed with them at the time, and by geneticists today.

While the true origin of the Angelic species is unknown, there is a commonly accepted legend that a Witch (*Mysticus sibylla*) named Maldoris had been mildly annoyed with some 20 Human (*Homo sapiens*) workers who unknowingly started to build residential on her land. Enraged that she could not halt the construction, she decided to slowly wreak havoc and chaos on the humans. She begun by giving all 20 the power of telekinesis, which proved difficult to harness. Witnesses report that 'if a man went to pick up a tool such as a hammer, it would be sent flying off into the workpiece he was about to use it on, destroying it.' However, the humans were determined to complete their build, and decided against interacting with Maldoris in order to maintain the safest and most civil relationship possible with their neighbour. As the work continued, Maldoris would try to physically halt the work by disorienting the humans by manipulating their control on reality. The workers were now able to randomly exit their bodies and transcend to different planes of existence, which was also difficult to harness. It is rumoured that people would wake up from a nap in a place they could only describe as a furnace, and had to be dragged back to the neutral plane by others who were awake. Many thought it was in the best interests of the tormented humans to leave at this point, but the houses were almost complete.

The humans tirelessly continued on the build and the project had eventually reached completion, much to Maldoris' dismay. She decided to take more drastic measures and resize the humans to 1.3x their initial size, causing their houses to snap open from the inside. This severely affected their demeanor and willingness to continue, as they would not be recognised as humans any longer by local townspeople. They decided to pack their supplies and tools with the intention of moving to the Giant Lands, however Maldoris was not finished. As a final blow, she generated a large hurricane which swept the remainder of their houses away, and as a by-product, giving the 'humans' retractable feathered wings, which were white and lined with rainbow feathers. These wings gave them the power of flight as they went to seek out a new home in the skies. The Angelics used their resources and built their new home, an island in the sky known as Celestalis. With this action, they would begin a new species.

#### Naming

At the time of the relocation, many local folk and townspeople thought they were some kind of religious symbol, calling them 'Angels' and fearing them. However, the first 20 explained that this was not the case, nor were they linked to any higher power. Still, the fear of the townspeople turned from respect to racism, and the people were outcast from society. 'Angels' were jeered at and quickly became 'Angel-likes', which was eventually shortened to the derogatory 'Angelics'.

However, the Angelics had re-established their existence in the clouds and reclaimed their previously mocking title as the proud name of their species, telling the first generation of Angelic children that followed to be proud of their identity. Sadly, as a result most Angelics are known to be hostile and xenophobic, as horror stories about Humans and other species were often amplified and exaggerated due to limited contact with the outside world from their isolated island. There have been few reports of non-Angelic visitors to Celestalis coming back alive, which is fueled by their innate sense of privacy.

#### Habitat

The sky island of Celestalis is an island with an area of 60km2 (23.2mi2) and had an estimated population of 45,000. It was a large settlement containing three towns and a city, floating around 12km (7.4mi) above the Earth's surface and held in very low earth orbit (VLEO) by both the magnetic field of the earth and the island's incredibly fast velocity, meaning that Celestalis completed an orbit of the Earth every two hours, or 12 times a day. This made the island very difficult to track for non-flying species, and the base of the island was often shrouded in cloud, making detection difficult for others, even with the most accurate orbital predictions.

Celestalis was noted by many Angelic scholars in the 15th century as a 'bare necessities' island, as there were no beaches, mountains or precipitation. Water was farmed by teams of 'Raincatchers' who flew down to cloud levels and held large canopies out to harvest the moisture from clouds, which were then stores in wells, reservoirs, or manufactured lakes. However, there was a plethora of cave systems that Angelics used for storage, for residence and for leisure. The island was surrounded by a large battlement wall dating back hundreds of years to the earliest generations of Angelics, thought to be installed to keep younger, flightless children from falling off the island. There was a main fortress and tower at the highest part of the island's terrain, where a democratic government would meet and reside with their families. The large city in the centre of the island was known as Aethvale, the surrounding east, west and south towns were known as Helon, Aduntu and Eferia.

##### Aethvale

Composed at the time of multiple governmental buildings, Aethvale was more of a business district. The vast majority of visitors were there for leisure or to sell their wares. According to most who visited, Aethvale took pride in their daring architecture, hospitality and museums. The governmental building was a large fort full of stained glass windows, reminiscent of the wings of the first generation of Angelics - seen as a reminder and symbol of pride in their identity. The building had its own secluded gardens, and a room known only as 'The Hive', where meetings would take place with hexagonal seats layered vertically for ease of access when flying into them. The unnamed fortress had a manmade moat, and a large Willow tree that was rumoured to have been planted by the Angelic that first set foot on Celestalis.

##### Helon

Known as the countryside district, most farming took place in Helon as it was on the part of the island that caught the most sunlight, making crop farming ideal. The picturesque scenery of Helon made for a refreshing reminder of nature to Angelics, and it was only habited by farmers and shepherds. Sheep, Cows and Pigs were known to exist in Helon, as every decade, some Angelic agents snuck to the surface to steal cattle under the cover of darkness. As flight allowed Celestalis to innovate faster than the rest of civilisation, an early form of a plumbing system rerouted to Helon as a self-sustaining source of fertilizer. Aside from farmland, Helon contained a forest, a manufactured lake and waterfall.

##### Aduntu and Eferia

Two of the three towns on Celestalis were residential, which housed the majority of civilians and workers. Most residential buildings were known as 'Combs', similar to the honeybee's hive structure, Combs were cylindrical structures of hexagonal prismatic cells, each cell able to house a family of Angelics. These were made out of stone and wood, with decorations not limited to jewels and flowers depending on the residents. Aduntu had 36 Combs, and Eferia 38. Each Comb contained 600 living spaces, or cells.

Aduntu had a thriving town square, which showcased Angelic architecture at it's finest, along with music and art. It was also notable for its blacksmithing and quantity of taverns. However, these establishments were more than just places to enjoy food and drink; they were social hubs where residents engaged in lively conversations, shared stories, and celebrated the unique spirit of Aduntu. It also had a flying track for young racers, as well as an enclosed aerial playground.

Eferia was a town involved largely in fashion, and wing accessories. The residential Combs in Eferia were not only functional living spaces but also artistic expressions in themselves. Residents adorned the exteriors of their Combs with intricate murals, vibrant flowers, and unique architectural embellishments. The town's skyline was a breathtaking display of color and creativity, reflecting its inhabitants. Eferian residents also took pride in their gardens, which webbed from comb to comb, giving the illusion of floating gardens.

##### The Cave Systems

A series of tunnels that run underneath Celestalis' overground living space. The caves are split into three types of channels, simply named **A tunnels**, **B tunnels** and **C tunnels**.

**A tunnels** were the most simplistic tunnels. These thin channels were manually bored out by hand by early Angelics, and tubing was made to prevent crossroads into B and C tunnels. They were one of the earliest known sewage systems, so sewage would be sent from Aethvale, Aduntu and Eferia to Helon's underground irrigation and fertilization system. The Angelics had also found a way to create pneumatic firing pistons to prevent blockades and overflow, which would be placed every few meters along the tunnels. It is thought that these pneumatic blasts caused such significant trauma to the crust, that it was one of the reasons Celestalis collapsed in 1732.

**B tunnels** were transport links and leisure spaces. These lead not only from one settlement to another, but also had helter-skelter style slides around the underside of the island that children frequently used before flying back up. B tunnels were also the only way to access undeground taverns, swimming pools, stadiums, and activity centres. These were the larger cave spaces that were used for public use, and were formed naturally apart from 'Cave Stations', which were openings to the B tunnels with slightly more grandiose architecture surrounding them.

**C tunnels** were also naturally formed, and were similar to the shape of alveoli. These residential caves consisted of a network of cul-de-sacs with luminescent minerals illuminating the caves. This neon lighting allowed for creative cave designs and residents to express their more open-plan homes' designs with their neighbours. C tunnels had corridors which peeled off into smaller corridors, then into large open spherical shapes where Angelics who did not like residency in the Combs or could not fly would live.

### Description

Angelics are known for their extreme intelligence when it comes to infrastructure and knowledge of other realms, however, they are known to be incredibly xenophobic and egotistical as a result of isolation from the rest of civilisation.

#### Physical Attributes

The marjority of Angelics are between seven and nine feet tall. Their wingspan can be up to ten feet when fully extended horizontally. They emanate a slight **glow** the same colour as their wings when expressing emotions at their most intense, such as anger or joy. Depending on the lighting already present in the room they are in, the glow will either not be visible (e.g outdoors in bright light), slightly visible (indoors with good lighting), very prominent (in dark spaces and at night), or will manifest as a thin halo-shape circle between the shoulders and above the head as the glow reflects moisture in the air (rain and humid areas).

Glowing is not controllable by Angelics, however, there are some groups in which their glow is strong enough to be seen even in bright sunlight, and are not dependent on mental state. These groups are the most vunerable, and their glow acts as a defense mechanism to others as a note to be cautious around them:

* Newborns and Infant Angelics
* Injured or Disabled Angelics
* Pregnant Angelics
* Elderly Angelics

Angelics are also known to age 1.4x slower than humans. Scientists cannot give definitive reasoning towards this, however it is theorized that after a few generations spent on an island orbiting the Earth multiple times a day, Celestalis not only convoluted the Angelics' perception of time, but also their biological perception of time. This is also why some paintings depict seemingly adolescent Angelics carry out actions typically associated with adults. Their slow aging also increases their lifespan to around 100-120 years.

#### Wing Plumage

The first generation of Angelics were the only generation to have wings in more than two colours. They had mainly white wings that were lined with rainbow wings, meaning their children's wings would be any colour of their wings. Angelic Wings can come in any colour, but the most common are pastels. Slightly less common are bright primary and secondary colour wings, followed by fluorescent neon wings (however these were mainly found in those raised in C tunnels). An uncommon wing type are those with metallic sheens, i.e bronze, gold or silver wings. However, the most rare are two-toned wings. These are highly respected individuals within Angelic society. See below.

Angelics molt once every decade naturally, but can also partially molt to thin out their wings for aerodynamic speed. Sometimes, however, Angelic wings can molt instantly from high levels of stress or if they are injured. The barbs of molted wings are often harvested by Angelics and made into clothing material, which was reported by humans who traded feather blankets with the Angelics as 'the most soft and pleasant, like being cradled by owls'. Wing molts were also seen as valuable by non-angelics, as Witches paying tribute to Maldoris would pay great prices to be sold a feather to use in potions. Others still, such as Axtetii and some Daemofolk saw it as a sacred object with healing properties. However, they had no magical properties or any significance. It is reported that one human Empress with an Angelic husband collected his feathers to use as quills as a protection from others hunting down his feathers, while he told others that his wings did not molt.

Some Angelics paint their wings to imitate the plumage of birds or birdfolk, or as a social statement. Teenage Angelics would often paint peacock patterns on to their largest wings, or attach charms and jewellery to them for fashion purposes (however over-decorating the wings could lead to matting or fraying, see left). Wing painting competitions would be held, as well as accessory arrangement. Florists and garderners could also take advantage of this custom and arrange their wares within their wings. Wings could also hold items when stretched into a bowl shape, provided they were strong and thick enough to support the item's weight.

#### Forms

Angelics found their size useful when using it to intimidate others or maintain buildings, however their height and wings would come with genetic side effects, the primary being back pain, the secondary struggling with finding clothing that fit their specific wing size. Thus, Angelics discovered that they could retract their wings into their back fully as if they had never existed at any time a few decades after the first generation moved to Celestalis. However, this also meant their disappearing wings had to take a toll on their stature, shrinking around 1.3x their average height, giving the facade of looking like a human. Unfortunately, this also worked in reverse as some human spies teamed up with sympathetic Angelics to fly them to Celestalis to document their lifestyles and experiences. Many of these humans were eventually discovered and either sent back to Earth, or killed.

Their 'human' form also had other advantages. The residential portion of the Cave Systems often consisted of narrow tunnels in hard-to-reach areas. Therefore, Angelics would put their wings away to climb through to their houses and lay on their backs. Many Angelics noted that 'we would all enter our human forms in private or at home because of our backs. We would often have our wings out in public spaces as a social thing, and because it felt like the right thing to do what with all the patriotism about...' Appearing as human also helped the first Angelic Diplomats and their families assimilate with the humans in what is now Norway. The children of the Diplomats were raised as both human and Angelic, one of which went on to be the Emperor of the most powerful world power at the time - this publicity also improved Angelics' relations with other species and broke several prejuidices on both sides. Retaining their Angelic form would be more difficult for children and for those not raised on Earth. Therefore, whenever diplomats had to rescue fallen Angelics from Earth, they did so with great urgency as surrounding towns may not have received the Angelics favourably.

### Behaviour and Culture

#### Social Structure

Celestalis was a feudalistic nation. While there was no royalty, there was an upper council of *Governors* that implemented new laws and controlled populations. There was a class similar to human nobles called *Wingbarons*, which oversaw the welfare of around 5 combs (or 3,000 Angelics) who fulfilled diplomatic missions on the same level. *Defenders* were below Wingbarons, and these were specialised workers that would fight off any attackers to Celestalis, and would carry out the more dangerous occupations that required more expertise, such as Raincatching or Cattle-thieving. Civilians were the lowest class, and these people carried out regular on-land occupations, such as Eferian cave-excavation, A-Tunnel Maintenance, and Helionian farmers.

On a more individual level within Celestalian society, respect was mainly set by wing plumage, as mentioned previously. However, on a more profound level, respect could be garnered by adeptness at flying, and lesser so, the traits of their personality. When it came to courting, friendships and seeking a partner, most Angelics on Celestalis were known to be incredibly shallow by human standards.

#### Family and Offspring

##### Courtship

Angelics typically mate for life. This means they will stay with the partner they select for the majority of their lives, and this is seen as the most important vow an Angelic can take. As a result, this also means they are more detrimentally affected by loss of a relationship, even as far as losing their sanity temporarily, and will mourn the loss of a relationship for the rest of their lives, even if they are in another relationship happier than the last.

Attraction for Angelics would stem from the health and condition of their wings, however fashion trends that damaged the wings saw progress in beauty standards during the 1400s and 1500s, and Angelics saw potential mates based on the competency of their personality traits. Courting would occur much the same as human courtship would, with dates and time spent together. Similar to the Bald Eagle, Angelics would also hold hands and freefall, cartwheeling through the air. This was often to test out the agility of the partner, and also share laughs performing a fun stunt. Angelics would also tuck molted feathers of their partner in their own wings, almost as a public display of their relationship status. Before marriage, partners could also be contested by other Angelics, male or female. Challengers would face off in a public space and display their wings at their full wingspan pointing vertically, these would also be accompanied by semi-choreographed 'dancing' of the wings, and the contested partner would then choose the preferred mate.

Marriage is conducted in a similar ceremonial way to humans, however dress is slightly different, the partners wear a feather of their mate in their own hair, and often wear wing extensions for fashion purposes. The couple then fly around the island holding hands after being officiated, and move into their new Comb/C-Tunnel residence. The theme of the weddings are normally a blend of the couple's wing colours.

##### Children

Angelics are a viviparous species, and babies are usually born at around 15 pounds. Wing colouration can entirely vary, however there are some dominant genes that may override the pattern of the wing. A parent with two-tone wings will have children with two-tone wings, however they may have entirely random colouration.

    As the child reaches around the age of five, wings will begin to develop. Other powers become prevalent around puberty, this is due to Angelics learning to fly before they can safely utilize their other abilities. Wingspan in children grows with the rest of the body, and they may not molt at all until their first major molt in adolescence. Similar to teeth, Angelics have a set of 'baby feathers' that develop as a young child, and these are very thin, delicate downy barbs which can not lift Angelics off the ground very far which is seen as convinient when the child is learning to fly. Some anomalies can occur in which the child can be born with wings, however this correlates with high levels of stress in the mother during pregnancy, and is not uncommon.

Hybrids can occur between Angelics and other similar species such as Elves, Humans, Vampires, and any humanoid-like species. However, several risks are associated with this, especially if the non-Angelic partner is significantly smaller than an Angelic in their natural form (8/9ft tall). The Angelic gene is polygenic, and traits inherited can be dominant or recessive. Most Angelic hybrids will only inherit one or two powers from the Angelic parent, for example flight but *not* the prescence of wings, the prescence of an Angelic form but *not* the innate ability to use the wings, telekinesis *without* the ability to transcend realms, etc.

#### Diet

Angelics would consume anything that grew on Celestalis, and their diet was very rich. While passing through tropical regions, more exotic fruits and vegetable foods could be grown, as well as rice and wheat. Angelics respected nature, and only ate meat if the animal died of natural causes on Celestalis. Helonian farmers produced most of the island's food, and this was how most of them made a living. Their immune and digestive systems are similar to humans, so human food could be eaten in the same way.

#### Customs and Traditions

The painting of tattoos on the arms would be practiced by those living in C-Tunnels. This initially started to aid in visibility when moving through dark areas, but after a while many adopted this to represent the lineage they follow and as a symbol of Angelic pride.

Featherball was a sport played in B-Tunnels, a cross between dodgeball and rugby. A manhunt for luminescent balls took place through the large caves, and if one were to be hit by another team's ball (that they had to find first), they would be frozen until another ball from their own team is found and made contact with the frozen player. The game is won once an entire team is frozen. The name 'Featherball' comes from the pose of wrapping oneself up in their own feathers once tagged.

### Diplomacy and Integration with Society

#### Notable Figures

##### The Duke and Duchess of Oslo and Bucharest

Roland and Alcina were two of four Angelic officials sent to Earth to co-exist with humans and improve relations. They moved in next door to a humble house next to the De Caine household, who owned the Duchy of Oslo and Bucharest. Over the course of a few years, after concealing their identity, the couple had drawn very close to the De Caines. As a result of being childless and very elderly, the Duchy was left to Roland and Alcina, who they trusted wholeheartedly with the role of Duke and Duchess when they passed. Once Duke Roland and Duchess Alcina had a measure of power in the Norwegian Government, they had their only son, Beagle. They also inherited the De Caine family name, and this legacy was now an Angelic one.

Roland was in charge of bringing up diplomatic affairs regarding Celestalis, and convinced humans not only to not see it's orbit as a threat, but in his own words, 'to stop looking for it'. Alcina on the other hand both raised their son and relayed information back and forth to Celestalian officials, and this information was used to study humans. However, both Roland and Alcina missed their lives on Celestalis, and prepared Beagle for the eventuality that they would return without him to retire, however he was to tell others they had passed, in order for him to inherit the Duchy.

Alcina had two-tone white and pink wings, Roland had metallic gold wings.

##### Emperor Beagle de Caine

Perhaps the most notable Angelic, Beagle de Caine was the only child of the Duke and Duchess of Oslo and Bucharest. He was raised amongst humans, and therefore had better control over his Angelic form and Human form. Beagle's initial purpose was to act as a diplomat for Celestalis to other societies on Earth, however after his parents retired back to Celestalis when Beagle turned 18, he focused his efforts on conquest, taking over parts of Europe and becoming Lord, King, then Emperor Beagle.

    Beagle was born and raised in Norway alongside his friend Mazael, and had a rare two-tone white and metallic-gold plumage. This wing colouration was so rare, it automatically made him Celestalis' most respected member. Despite this, the Emperor only visited Celestalis on rare occasions; visiting his parents, his third honeymoon, and bringing his children to see the world of Angelics. He is also noted for successfully siring 4(+) Angelic-Human hybrid children with his wife Mathilda, which gained the attention of the public and improved the general reputation of Angelics amongst other races on Earth.

He is also in-part responsible for the Angelic Renaissance of the 15th century. When he and his wife discovered a fallen Angelic child near the Corsican castle, his childhood friend Mazael was called to ensure the the safe return of Kafziel to Celestalis. The efficiency of the Earth-residing Angelics, the co-operation of the non-Angelic species, and the recognition of Angelic hybrids combined prompted more diplomatic meetings between Angelic Leaders and other Leaders, eventually allowing for Angelics to co-exist with other species. However, it would be years before non-Angelic beings would be allowed peacefully on Celestalis without a chaperone.

##### Diplomat Rakas and Diplomat Tulula

Rakas and Tulula were two of four Angelic governmental officials sent to live on Earth with humans and to improve relations. They moved into the same village in Norway as Roland and Alcina, and were close friends. Once Duke, Roland hired Rakas as a knight, and Tulula worked with Alcina to raise their children. However, Tulula also gave the humans a positive impression of Angelics. She did this by working as a street performer, and brandishing her wings as part of her act. Audiences were amazed to find her glowing cyan wings were real, and she quickly became a micro-celebrity, ensuring both families were financially secure. Rakas had black wings, and Tulula had luminescent cyan wings.

Rakas proved to be a most formidable knight, much to the suspicion of other knights in his unit. When attacked by his unit, Rakas used telekinesis in a moment of blindness to stab an attacker, and revealed himself as an Angelic. While surface-level repairs to his reputation were made, it was no longer safe for Rakas and Tulula to remain on Earth, despite their desire to stay. They bid farewell to their son a few months before Roland and Alcina left for Celestalis, and Mazael was raised as Beagle's brother until his parents departure, where they went separate ways.

##### Diplomat Mazael

As his friend Beagle left to conquer Corsica, Mazael took up the mantle of Duke in his place, but not the De Caine title. He was raised to fight as a young boy, and was respected in his schooling by his human peers. Mazael was the only child of Rakas and Tulula, and was determined to make more of a mark on society than his parents. As an adult he would proudly wear his arm tattoos (see Customs and Traditions), and would fearlessly display his wings. However, instead of using them to instill fear into others, Mazael was known to be friendly and jovial, to the point most would consider him a 'most amiable and gentle giant'.

He frequented Celestalis and left had a good rapport with both Humans and Angelics, as they and his parents had intended. However, more was needed to overturn public opinion of Angelics, and this was not discussed at length until the birth of the first Angelic hybrid, Callum de Caine, and Beagle's son. Mazael's involvement in the Angelic Renaissance was perhaps the most pivotal, as he was the chief diplomat in negotiations with Angelic officials. After relations improved, his parents moved back down to Earth where he gave them the Duke and Duchess role in his place, while he continued with his diplomatic work throughout the Beaglian Empire and Celestalis. He had two-tone black and luminescent cyan wing plumage.

##### Kafziel

Kafziel was the fallen child which triggered the events of the Angelic Renaissance. According to archived testimonies, his falling was a result of his drunken abusive father pushing him and his mother off the edge of the island, and due to his age not being able to fly back up. He landed somewhere in Corsica, where he was found by Emperor Beagle and his wife Empress Mathilda. His mother is assumed to have died or returned to Celestalis of her own accord at a later time. His prescence also summoned Mazael to Corsica, and the need for further communications began.

Due to being raised in the C-Tunnels of Celestalis, 'Kaf' did not have very good control over his form, and would often be seen using blankets and bulky clothing used to hide his luminescent purple wings. He was eventually returned to Celestalis, but lived on Earth for the marjority of his adulthood as a result of improved relations. Later on, all Angelics moved to Earth with the destabilisation and physical collapse of Celestalis in 1732.