Legends & Lore: Celestia and the AngelsThis week, we’ll take a look at Celestia, one of Etheria’s two moons, and home to many of angels that have been integral to Etheria’s history, such as [mwcard=MW1C39]Valshalla[/mwcard], [mwcard=MW1C31]Samandriel[/mwcard] and [mwcard=FWC13]Selesius[/mwcard].
First, let’s look to the sky! Etheria has two moons,
Celestia and
Ves. Celestia appears as a golden white color, Ves is primarily a hazy dark grey. Celestia is the closer body, and moves through the night sky more quickly; Ves is further out and moves much more slowly.
Twice a year, the two moon are aligned, one behind the other, and are in line with Etheria and the sun, causing a lunar eclipse. These two eclipses are the core of the Etherian calendar, and mark the changing of seasons, as well as festivals and holy days for followers of Asyra and others.
In fact, if you take a look at Priestess’ mage card, the golden circle design at the end is called
The Crescent Celestia, and is the symbol taken by the followers of Asyra. The design of the symbol is a representation of the twin orbits of Celestia and Ves around Etheria, with the top open to symbolize one of the eclipses, and the staff base symbolizing the second of the eclipses. The Crescent Celestia has also been adopted by the Holy School of Magic.
Celestia itself is home to the angels, a race of beings that are mostly humanoid in appearance (if you look past the wings), but who are far older, hardier, and more shaped by the essence of Voltari. As such, angels do not age as most humanoids of Etheria do. They can still be slain, or fall pray to a virulent disease, but the ravages of old age pass them by. Legendary angels like [mwcard=MW1C39]Valshalla[/mwcard], [mwcard=MW1C31]Samandriel[/mwcard] and [mwcard=FWC13]Selesius[/mwcard] are many hundreds of years old, and all fought in the Infernal Interregnum (the Demon Wars), battling back [mwcard=MW1C01]Adramelech[/mwcard] with the combined Etherian forces of Merevaran. (More on that in a future Legends and Lore).
What is Celestia like? By all accounts, it is a beautiful place, tranquil, with white and silver-hued landscapes, majestic mountains, ancient, gleeming cities and oceans of pearlescent gold. That said, it is a place humans cannot visit, except with the aid of powerful magic or sustaining artifacts; Celestia has no atmosphere, no air.
Luckily for the angels, they don’t need it. Still staring up at the starry sky, the one thing that has drawn their attention and fascination over the ages is the beautiful blue and green globe of Etheria. Millienia ago, angels contrived ways of exploring that globe, through powerful V’tar artiacts and angelic magics. (You didn’t really believe they flew there did you?) Now, they have established a network of portals (all cunningly hidden or powerfully protected) that they can use to move from one place to another.
Though Etheria is beautiful and exotic, and they are endlessly fascinated by the blue skies and endlessly shifting clouds (which they do not have), most (though not all) angels prefer life on Celestia. Those who do stay tend to work with the Churches of Asyra, the Dawnbreaker, or Bim-Shalla.
Etheria’s other moon, Ves, is also inhabited by angels, though Celestial angels and Vessian angels are very different in terms of motivation, ethics, and personality. A Vessian angel is depicted on the card [mwcard=MW1E25]Maim Wings[/mwcard].
