Angels, sometimes called moon angels to distinguish them from the mythological concept, were a kind of supernatural being associated with celestials. Archangels were a completely different, true celestial race.

Birth of an Angel

The Temptation of Mortals was a powerful phenomenon, but it was impossible for mortals to become true supernatural beings. In a way, the "angels" were a compensation for this: if a mortal, through heroic feats or the like, was worthy of celestial ascension, they could be rewarded with angelhood instead. In some cases, angeldom was not at all awarded for heroism, but instead for great suffering or some other form of servitude or devotion to a powerful celestial.

Mortals could be given angelhood by any celestial, in a ritual called Angel's Birth. At the end of this process, the creator said the word "Crescendo" - meaning "reform" or "think", and not "ascend" - and a new angel was born. This was not a true ascension, but, in an angel's words, "just sadness, pain, and servitude". During this, a mortal's soul was slowly ripped from its physical shell, until it lived only in the Weave and its physical body was simply a magical manifestation of its spirit. In a sense, the process killed the initial creature and created a new being from its soul. The most common races to undergo this process were sentient humanoids, especially gaians, faelings, and elves.

In most legends, the process of Angel's Birth was not painless and connected with many years of humility or suffering. This was often given as an explanation why many angels were described as plain, boring, or emotionless. According to some sources, the process was also used far more often, or was more successful, on female humanoids, which is why the majority of appearance had a feminine physical form. However, this is not necessary, as some angels were known to take the appearance of the opposite gender - or even a completely different mortal race.

Angels were also known as moon angels because of the emotion of sadness associated with their birth and existence.

Appearance and Characteristics

Pseudo-Immortality. Although angels were not true celestials, they nevertheless enjoyed a form of power and immortality which many people saw as equivalent to a true celestial's. They had access to the magic of the Positive Planes, could fly, and often appeared like envoys of a deity when embracing their angelic form. They were very difficult to harm, because they did not have real biological bodies, but were rather a material manifestation of their torn soul in the Weave and could accordingly easily rebuild their physical form. By being in truth a Weave spirit, they were virtually unkillable.

Angels were often bound to their creators by an oath, also known as Angel's Bond. While bound, they were forced to obey all orders and intentions of the person they were bound to, and could be recalled across the known world at the person's whim. As a result, celestials often treated angels as simple servants - attendants, guards, low-ranking officers on the battlefield, or messengers - and exchanged angels like they would material assets. If freed of their bond, angels could act freely as they pleased, and they always had the option of giving their Angel's Bond to someone new.

Style. Though angels of course had their own agency in deciding what they wore and, to some extent, what their physical appearance was, there was a norm followed by the vast majority, no matter their bond-holder or plane of residence. Typically, angels kept to their humanoid form, and did not use extensive decorations like jewels or makeup. Angels preferred a simple, humble style fitting their personality: plain white cloth. This gave many celestial steadfasts a similar feel: humanoids in plain white clothes would stand guard by major arching doorways, giving the area an impression of peace and humility.

Physical Forms

Angels had two physical manifestations: a humanoid form, and an angelic form. In humanoid form, angels often appeared as an individual of their original mortal race, though they typically embodied the peak of physical beauty and fitness for that race. Often, angels had somewhat sharp facial characteristics, and had straight black hair and eyes. Sometimes, a natural black outline formed around angels' eyes, giving them a hollow or spooky appearance. Despite being a magical creation, these bodies were nevertheless very real to the touch, and even bled naturally if the angel willed it. Most often, however, angels bled either white or black, and not red.

In angelic form, angels no longer resembled humanoids at all. When taking a more moderate form, they sprouted radiant wings of brilliant white from their back, and their faces disappeared: their eyes were brilliant orbs of white light, and their face was hallowed, as if they were screaming in pain. In a more extreme form, angels' entire bodies could turn into swirling, radiant light, and their size could grow up to five times that of their humanoid form.

Transitioning between the two forms took a moment. In the heat of the moment, angels in humanoid form to quickly flash their angelic face - terrifying anyone near them - or let it shine through in dim light. When battle demanded, they could rather quickly change into angelic form. Turning back, however, took a while, as if an internal fire needed to be quelled. In around ten minutes, and angel could dim the light radiating from it, reduce its size, and reform an organic physical body with skin over its immaterial form.

Known Angels

Despite the relatively restrictive process through which moon angels could be created, the Angel's Birth produced a wide variety of celestial servants, some of which managed to make quite a name for themselves - and countless others which wiled away in silent servitude.

Hienia was a chief avatar of Frea, the faeling goddess of peace and air.

Herna was an angel of the archfey Gaen, subject of Oran the Green Lord.

Ay was an angel bonded to Zorl.

Tiniane was one of Ishnarrs 222 handmaidens.

Anahe was an angel bonded to the gaian god of justice. She served as a Thozeian queen for a century.

Trivia

The Silmarilus decided that it would not create any angels, because the nature of angelhood did not fit with the elven gods' ideology. This was much to the despair of certain determined servants, such as Eme'nee the Unwanted.