From Heaven a Light Shall Descend

Angels are some of the first creations of God, and in some ways are more pure and perfect than any other creations made by the Creator. They were created to be warriors, keepers, and guardians. After God created the Archangels he gave each of those primordial beings a task, a charge, a concept over which they ruled and which they exemplified. The other Angels were cast into Castes, roles designed by the Creator that made their duties clear and gave them spheres of influence and power. Grigori, Praelia, Custos, and Naturae each had an aspect of the world they looked after and specific tasks which they should and must accomplish.

With his Servants in place, the Creator then turned his attentions to other designs, creating beasts, birds, and the rest of the things which were to populate the world and the Universe he was creating. Accompanied by his two favorite sons, his First Born - Michael - and his Second Born - Lucifer, God set the Universe to order and then charged his sons to light the primal spark which would set the things He had created into motion.

The First Angel War

All was well in the nascent universe, the spheres of the heavens operated as they should, and all things were perfect in their design and deployment. Then God created mankind. God was very pleased with himself for the creation of mankind, believing he had found the perfect form of life. They had souls, shards of power that were similar to his own divine essence, which meant that one day, humanity could become Gods of their own as their souls grew in power and their minds grew in knowledge. With the primal Allfather and Allmother, God called the Angelic Host together and gave them a new commandment, that they were to love humanity more than they loved Him.

Michael, First Born of God, obeyed his Father's command and bowed his head. Lucifer, Second Born, and arguably God's favorite, refused, seeing something in humanity that was just as dark as the light the Creator said they could shine. He refused his Father's command and gathered like minded Angels to him in an effort to try and persuade God to remove humanity. When God refused, Lucifer led a fight against the loyalist angels to try to change God's mind by force. For this, Lucifer and his followers were cast out of Heaven.

Being cast out changed the angels that fell with Lucifer, twisting them into demons. Lucifer, in a last desperate attempt to try and prove his point to his Father, caught and tortured a human spirit, drawing forth all the inherent darkness and transforming that human soul into a demon. Offering this proof of humanity's weakness, Lucifer was cast into Hell and into a prison which he could not escape, all the demons sent with him. It was afterwards that God vanished from Heaven, leaving nine of his most powerful angels, known as Novarchy or the Nine Princes in charge with Michael ruling Heaven in God's place.

The Second Angel War

The Second Angel War is something of a misnomer, as open conflict has not broken out. Michael refuses to allow Angels to make war on one another and the other 8 Princes have stood with him. But, in the shadows and in the mortal world, the seeds of the second war are already bearing fruit. The war is regarding humanity and the Apocalypse. Some Angels hope that triggering the Apocalypse will bring God back out of hiding, while others are tired of humanity ruining the planet. The Angels began gathering in factions, and plans were laid.

At some point in the last few years, the barriers of Hell have begun to weaken, or perhaps the gates of Hell were deliberately opened by someone, allowing more and more demons to come to Earth. Likewise, the Angels are descending to Earth. The Second Angel war will not be fought in Heaven, but on Earth.

What are Angels?

Angels are powerful celestial beings of light created by God to serve as warriors, guardians, and agents of Divine Will. They are extremely powerful beings in the supernatural world. They are superhuman beings superior to mortals in both power and intelligence. Their true spiritual forms prove overwhelming to most mortals; however, some 'special' people can view an Angel's true visage without suffering lasting effects. Neither can demons look at Angels in their true form without damaging their hosts.

Angels are often considered to be emotionless, not permitted to have feelings or free will. In truth, angels are very much capable of both developing human emotions and flaws of character. The majority choose not to admit or display it as emotions are viewed as weaknesses and considered doorways to doubt. Lest these feelings be exploited, Angels are conditioned to avoid displaying emotions openly, although some find a mild form of addiction and exhilaration in it.

Angels consider themselves family to one another, referring to each other as brothers and sisters. The angels also refer to God as their father. Even though God is their 'father', most angels have never met God face to face after they were created.

Some angels look down upon humans and see them as inferior. Lucifer rebelled because God loved humans, a flawed and arrogant species, more than angels. Some angels continue to hold resentment to humanity for this and the fall of Lucifer from Heaven. Other angels are considerably more civil with humanity and others envy humans. Some angels have even become enamored of humanity, fascinated by them and their doings, and believe that humans are better than angels because despite their inherent flaws, a lot of them strive to do good.

Misconceptions

1. Angels Are Good - Angels were created to be warriors first and foremost, and warriors do not always have the luxury of performing deeds which might be considered moral or ethical to today's reasoning mind. Angels will kill, maim, torture, smite, and do anything else required to achieve their missions if they feel they must or are ordered to do so. Angels work in service to God and the Light, but are morally neutral.
2. Angels Cannot Lie - While the concept of falsehood remains somewhat antithetical to them, angels have been known to lie at need or in order to keep information from 'lesser' beings.
3. Angels Can Mate With Humans - While angels can engage in sex, sexuality, or sexual acts, most will find the idea repugnant, not much different from how humans view other humans engaging in bestiality. In Crimson Shadows, Nephilim will not be allowed as played characters, so any such unions between angels and men/women cannot bear supernatural fruit (See psychics for theories on psychic powers and Angelic bloodlines).