Three Realms

The Three Realms

Everything that is is divided into three realms; The Celestial Dominion, The Infernal Horde and the Mortal Realm. Currently the realms coexist, though not for long, and hardly in harmony.

One day, the four riders will ride across the sky, signaling the beging of the end, apocolypse. The three realms will go to war, with one being the sole survivor, and the victor.

Knowing this, and along with their already substantial differences, the celestial and infernal largely despise each other. They are always scheming and fighting against each other. The mortal realm, despite being the largest, remains largely unaware of the others, and the impending doom. For this reason, many assume they will be the first to go in the great war.

The Celestial Dominion

The realm above is the domain of celestials.

Many mortals may believe that the celestials are the rightful rulers of the cosmos and represent all things good. This is a myth. Good and evil are purely mortal concepts. Celestial instead embody more specific concepts of order, temperance and selflessness. While some celestials align with what many consider good, other very much do not.

None the less, this reputation has afforded them great influence over certain mortals.

Hierarchy of the Dominion

Order, discipline and law are important aspects of the celestial kingdom. There is a strict hierarchy and series of rules for every tier of management. Disobedience is severely punished.

The Celestial One

Known by many names, the Celestial One is the origin and absolute ruler of all things celestial. They have no sex or physical form, and almost never witnessed in person, preferring to send messengers to lesser beings.

By some rumours the Celestial One was a sibling of the Infernal One. By some others, the two were once a single entity that split due to internal conflict. Regardless, the Celestial One represents everything the Infernal does not; order, temperance and selflessness.

Seraphim and Cheribum

Consider renaming to Higher Celestials

The highest celestial beings below the Celestial One, are their personal servants and agents, Seraphims and Cheribums.

Neither needs to take corporeal form, but when they do, they tend to assume complex forms of light, wings and eyes. Seraphim tend to bear three pairs of wings and multiple sets of floating eyes or hands. The Cherubim form often features four pairs of wings and multiple animal heads. It is quietly suspected that the Cherubim are embarrassed by their child-like depictions by mortal artists.

Archangels

Next in line are archangels, the highest being most celestials will ever meet. There are seven known archangels, one of each of the holy virtues.

They can take many forms but often choose to take humanoid form, occasionally with wings, halos or extra eyes and hands. It is not unusual, especially within the celestial realm, for these humanoid forms to lack specific features, appearing smoother and cleaner than humans. Almost as though they were a template for humans but not assuming the appearance of an individual. This might include missing or blurred facial features, no indication of sex or even having multiple voices. Some have also been known to wear armour and carry various tools or weapons to symbolise their power and purpose.

While they each go by many names, the Archangels are commonly known as the following:

Gabriel: Archangel of Chastity.
Timna: Archangel of Temperance.
Caridad: Archangel of Charity.
Michael: Archangel of Persistence.
Raphael: Archangel of Mercy.
Agaton: Archangel of Kindness.
Metatron: Archangel of Humility (or Authorirty).

Considering just removing the names (along with ties to abrahamic faiths) and just going by the virtue.

Maybe swap one of these for stuff like Honesty and Law/Authority, to distinguish them a little more (and open the door to more evil celestials)

Greater Angels

Directly below each archangel are several greater angels. They are the middle managers and captains of the Celestial Kingdom. Like their respective archangel, each greater angel will have an assigned virtue they specialise in. They tend to take mostly humanoid form with traits highlighting their virtue.

Greater Angels are rarely seen outside the Celestial Dominion, except on special missions or to check in with their agents.

Lesser Angels

Under each greater angel, are scores of lesser angels. Lesser angels are the most common but least powerful celestials. They can spend as much time in the mortal world as the celestial. Their main purposes are to encourage their respective virtues among mortals and to be foot soldiers in conflicts with the infernals.

Note about jinn and other not-quite-angels

Celestial Champions

Celestial champions are mortals granted power by a celestial patron, typically a lesser or greater angel.

Celestial champions tend to be notable rulers, preachers and soldiers. Many have been known as paladins, exorcists, witch hunters, healers and more. Most champions began their lives as humans, though on rare occasions, other animals have been chosen. Horses, birds and dogs are particular favourites of celestials. Sometimes champions might be created from inanimate matter such as golems being made from stone or clay.

While generally respected, champions are not officially part of the Celestial Dominion, acting more like mecenaries or contractors. They hold no official status or authority in the dominion, and any unofficial influence they hold usually depends upon their celestial patron.

Famous Celestial Champions throughout history include: Pegasus, King David, St. Peter, St. George, Beowulf, Charlemagne, Joan of Arc, Napoleon and Queen Victoria.

Virtuous Souls and Holy Water

Holy Water is the Celestial Dominion's greatest weapon against the Infernal Horde. It is extraordinarily dangerous to greater and lesser demons, and may be so to other infernals, though that has yet to be proven. It is not uncommon for angels and celestial champions to incorporate holy water when opposing infernals.

Holy Water is created in special rituals that require the consumption of virtuous souls. There are conflicting stories as to what this does to the souls, but the prevailing opinion is that they experience an eternity of bliss compressed into the moment before they are consumed. Though others might suggest the souls are simply destroyed or sent back to the Mortal Realm to be reincarnated into other life and body.

Only mortals have souls, therefore, it is in the Dominion's interest to foster virtues among the mortals, so they can provide for these rituals and grow their power against the Horde.

Virtues

Virtues are a major part of celestial function and culture.

For virtues to be true, they must be done with no selfish intent. Mortal scholars have long debated weather this is even possible as the satisfaction of doing good deeds can be seen as a reward in itself, and seeking that satisfaction is inherently selfish. Regardless, it is still possible to utilize the virtue of mostly selfless acts. The more selfless, the more virtuous. Curiously, this selflessness requirement only applies to the one performing the virtue, not the angel encouraging it. A selfish angel can still benefit greatly from encouraging selfless acts.

True virtues also only hold power when they are done so consciously. The lack of opportunity is not the same as a conscious intent to abstain. A prisoner is not considered chaste or temperant if they cannot access such indulgences even if they wanted to. Likewise, a mortal who is unaware of an opportunity or the consequences of their action or inaction, is not the same as one who is aware and chooses to perform a virtue.

Charity

Charity is the act of giving freely to those who need it, without judgement or expectation of reward. This can include giving anything from money, to advice, to simply one's time.

Common Acts of Charity:

Giving money or material goods to the needy.
Helping another person with a difficult task.
Offering genuine advice.

Chastity

Chastity is the practice of abstaining from carnal desire. This primarily refers to sexual intercourse, but it can also mean abstaining from romantic relations and devoting one self purely to a greater purpose, be that the Celestial One or some great cause.

Common Acts of Chastity:

Abstaining from sexual intercourse or other carnal activities.
Abstaining from marriage or romantic relationships.

Humility

Humility is a lack of vanity or expectation. It is not the presence of self doubt or self deprecation, rather the absence of vanity and narcissism.

Common Acts of Humility:

Allowing others to take partial or full credit.
Performing a difficult or humiliating, but often necessary, task.
Accepting responsibility for mistakes and making genuine effort to improve.
Acknowledging when you are defeated, ending the task or fight.

Kindness

Common Acts of Kindness:

Mercy

Common Acts of Kindness:

Persistence

Persistence is the drive to keep going regardless of difficulty or adversity, particularly when the motivation is purely selfless.

Common Acts of Persistence:

Completing a difficult task despite adversity or danger.

Temperance

Temperance is the resistance to temptation. Commonly referring to abstaining from indulging in purely recreational acts or substances, such as alcohol, excessive food or foul behavior.

Common Acts of Temperance:

Abstaining from harmful or taboo activities and substances, especially in the face of peer pressure.

The Mortal Realm

Though arguably weaker, mortalkind outnumbers both the celestial and infernal kingdoms combined, and by a considerable amount. Where there are thousands of celestials and infernals, there are just under a billion humans and countless other mortal organisms.

The mortals have no single government or ruler, but are instead composed of countless tribes, nations and faiths, each with their own rulers and agendas. Most mortals are unaware of the coming apocolypse, as such, the other realms view them as woefully unprepared and destined for destruction.

Mortal Perception Veil

Most mortals have an uncanny ability to rationalise any irrational things they witness, often incorrectly. If a mortal sees something that does not conform to their understanding of the world, such as an atheist seeing an angel or demon, their brains may simply project some other reality onto their memory. It was just a trick of the light, a dream or perhaps they drank too much.

Some mortals, for whatever reason, do not posses this power and, upon witnessing something beyond their understanding, will subconsciously choose one of two paths. They can embrace the new reality and change their world view, perhaps even befriend these otherworldly entities. Or they can simply go mad and quickly find themselves in a straight jacket or on a pyre.

If a player chooses to play a human or a champion they will likely be one of those who see through the veil and have accepted the celestial and infernal worlds.

Mortal Souls

Unlike celestials and infernals, mortals have souls. Most mortal souls fade away after death but particularly virtuous or sinful souls are instead snatched up by the Dominion or Horde respectively. There they dwell alongside other souls and serve as power sources for magic and miracles, notably that which is used to produce holy water and hellfire. For this reason, mortal souls are a very valuable resource for both celestials and infernals.

Poison

Mortals are vulnerable to poison. Remarkably, most poisons were invented and created by mortals themselves. This habit of mortals creating the instruments of their own destruction has always baffled celestials and infernals.

The Infernal Horde

The realm below is the domain of infernals.

Infernals are dark and passionate beings often associated with evil and corruption by mortalkind, this is untrue, well mostly untrue. Good and evil are purely mortal concepts. The infernal are instead agents of the night, individualism, creativity, indulgence and pleasure.

Pecking Order of the Horde

Due to their nature, infernals are less organised or disciplined as celestials. Chaos, fear and base desire rule in the horde rather than strict laws. Despite this, infernal armies are still capable of fulfilling their goals with brutal efficiency.

The Infernal One

The Infernal One is the source off, and ruler of, the Infernal Horde. Like the Celestial One, the Infernal One has no physical form, however they do frequently send an avatar as a visual representation of themselves to converse with lower beings. This avatar takes many forms of differing size, shape and sex.

By some rumours the Infernal One was a sibling of the Celestial One. By some others, the two were once a single entity that split due to internal conflict. Regardless, the Infernal One represents everything the Celestial does not; chaos, indulgence, passion and selfishness.

Fiends

Fiend is sometimes used as a blanket term for all infernal creatures but it technically refers to a specific class of demon, those who have no master, besides the Infernal One. They are not necessarily superior or lesser to other infernals, though the ones that survive without being subjegated are often well renowned and feared. Fiends rarely venture into the Mortal Realm, preferring to stay in the darkest depths of the infernal kingdom. Those that do enter the mortal world often enter legend and myth as gods, great monsters and eldritch horrors.

Archdemons

Archdemons are the closet thing the infernal horde has to nobility or royalty, besides the Infernal Being themselves. Most of the horde handles social hierarchies through strength, favours and fear rather than titles. There are seven known archdemons, one for each sin. All the infernals under each archdemon are tasked with tempting their respective sin in the Mortal Realm, therby creating sinful souls to fuel the Horde's might.

Asmodeus: Archdemon of Lust.
Beelzebulb: Archdemon of Gluttony.
Mammon: Archdemon of Greed.
Belphegor: Archdemon of Sloth.
Abaddon: Archdemon of Wrath.
Leviathan: Archdemon of Envy.
Behemoth: Archdemon of Pride.

Likewise, i'm considering removing the names and having them go purely by the sin.

Greater Demons

Under the archdemons, more by fear than order, are greater demons. Greater demons are de facto leaders among the lower ranks of infernals. Typically a greater demon needs to hold dominion over a few dozen lesser demons before being considered a greater demon. They can do this in many ways, such as violence, fear, lust and even genuine respect.

Lesser Demons

Under the greater demons are lesser demons. They are practically minions or slaves. They are lowest infernals, though some might technically hold dominion over a couple familiars or slaves of their own. They often serve as the foot soldiers and laborers of the Horde, many of them serving in the Mortal Realm alongside champions.

Note: Demons vs Devils

The distinction between demons and devils is a mostly arbitrary one. They are both terms used broadly and almost interchangably for any infernals, usually excluding fiends. However, it is more common that demons refer to the more anarchic and violent infernals while devils refer more to the more subtle and cunning infernals. A demon might attack or frighten you, while a devil might trick or charm you. Some devils, particulary prideful ones, might insist that they are devils not demons and even that devls are greater than demons, but this is purely subjective.

Infernal Champions

Sinful Souls and Hellfire

Hellfire is one of the infernal kingdom's strongest weapons against celestials. It is a cold, green flame that does not require oxygen or traditional fuels to burn.

Some mortals believe hellfire is used to torture the souls of dammed. This is technically true, just not in the way they think. Souls aren't simply exposed to the hellfire they are the fuel for it. The more mortals tempted into a life of sin, the more fuel the infernals have for hellfire and the more powerful they become.

Only mortals have souls, therefore, the Horde seeks to tempt mortals into sin, growing their arsenal.

Sins

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