Heaven
Introduction
Paradise, Eden, Elysium, Arcadia—Heaven has many names depending on the speaker. Regardless of a mortal's religion or beliefs, it serves as a home to angels and the final resting place for souls who devoted their lives for good. As the first realm created, Heaven epitomizes everything God intended the world to be: lush of life and full of endless beauty. However, even Heaven hasn't remained untainted but has suffered greatly since its initial creation, resulting in dead flora and corrupted fauna at its distant edges, crumbling architecture, and madness among some of its long-time residents.
While Heaven can be left through mirrors or any other reflective surfaces, the divine realm may only be entered through heavily guarded portals. A total of five can be found around Heaven: one in its capital city and four surrounding it in all the cardinal directions, split across separate floating isles. Twenty of the oldest cherubim oversee the portals, guarding them with their lives. Unless accompanied by a seraph or an archangel, no lower-ranking angel is allowed to enter the divine realm on their own.
Related
History
Heaven's history can effectively be split into two chapters: before and after the Rebellion. While only a fraction of angels has lived long enough to witness it themselves, the story is used to inspire fear and obedience in the new generations. With only the leader of the erelim able to access the scrolls detailing the actual recount of the events, oral history is all most angels will ever learn.
Before the Rebellion
In the beginning, Heaven was the first—and evidently, the only—realm to exist. Empty and void of life until God created His first angel: Samael, the archangel of Humility. Followed by six other archangels, they were the first beings to be born, cherished by their creator. As God continued to fill Heaven with more life in the form of other angels, He was pleased with his firstborns and communicated with them often before eventually shifting his attention towards a new pet project: another realm below Heaven.
As God's attention was increasingly captivated by other creations, Samael grew jealous and spent most of his time in the realm beneath, trying to regain his Father's favor. Pridefully, he demanded God to abandon the middle realm, as it had been tainted with the presence of the seven deadly sins and was thus undeserving of His love. By the time God relented, the realm was destroyed by the countless battles between two equally powerful biblical forces, forcing Him to start anew with another one.
Once again feeling left out, Samael was overtaken by pride and threatened to turn God's old creations against Him, should He continue to turn His back to His first children. As God retorted with a force that shook the very foundation of Heaven, Samael eventually submitted and left his creator to attend to His newest project, retreating into solitude at the top of Heaven. Yet he was still filled with resentment towards his fickle creator, and so Samael began to convert God's followers against Him until He revealed His final plan for the new realm:
It would not only be filled with animals but a new, more evolved species called humans, whom He wanted the angels to oversee and protect.
After the Rebellion
Finally, Samael's hatred flared, and he declared war against his Father, driving his kin into a violent civil war. Witnessing His creations rebelling against His will, God punished Samael by casting him out of Heaven, along with his nineteen followers. However, doing so tipped the cosmic balance, and corruption crept into Heaven. Barely noticeable at first, Hell's influence grew stronger, slowly taking over plant life and killing any animals that came in contact with the unholy growth.
As God's presence and influence in Heaven dwindled, angels born after the Rebellion were left to name themselves and swear obedience to a creator they'd never met. Creatures that had once roamed Heaven were suddenly few and far between, littering the divine lands with their tainted corpses. archangels found themselves occupied defending Earth's growing population from the deadly sins' influence, spending less and less time in their home realm. What had once been admiration for the new realm and fondness towards the new species had turned into damage control and confusion, leaving angels lost and desperate for instructions.
And their creator still hasn't answered their prayers after several millennia of silence.
Without God, all that's left of Heaven are its celestial residents unless someone finds a way to call Him back or uses whatever essence is left of His power to return the realm to its former glory. But with all known Enochian sigils either lost or already used, Heaven's—and, as such, humankind's—demise seems barely more than a matter of time.
Perhaps it is finally time to take matters into angelic hands… But who'd be mad enough to try and replace their creator? Who could be bold enough to decide the fate of entire realms? Who would be authoritative enough to command the army of Heaven and claim the mantle of God for themselves?
And would they risk a fall from grace in the name of the common good?
Geography
Split into five separate isles and three vertical layers, Heaven is designed for winged entities. Surrounded by low-hanging cloud cover and surprisingly treacherous terrain, the five islands—called Thrones—only allow safe flight between them during still weather. Even with minimal wind, the distance between the floating islands makes the journey both demanding and risky, offering no rest for the weary. It is advised for young angels to avoid traveling the Thrones without a knowing guide, lest they wish to try their luck with a seemingly endless fall to their death.
The Thrones
His Water
The central isle is the biggest of the five and called Tox Zodinu—"His Water"—referring to the island's central lake. Serving as the first piece of land for newborn angels to explore, Tox Zodinu is filled with life. Its varying terrain creates strong winds for young angels to ride, and a large amount of water often brings refreshing rain. Also referred to as "the blue isle," Tox Zodinu offers the closest experience to a carefree playground Heaven's winged residents can experience.
His Paradise
The northern isle, characterized by its forests, is called Tox Madriax—"His Paradise"—better described as an everblooming garden. Nearly all its trees grow fruit, and the ground is colored with various berries and fungi, providing enough food and usable material for any need. Also known as "the garden of Eden," it is rumored Tox Madriax was originally designed for humans yet abandoned after the first sin. Nowadays, the isle is barely visited, its flora tainted with creeping corruption and death.
His Earth
The eastern isle, Tox Caosga—"His Earth"—is known for its dry and arid landscape. Harsh winds fill the air with sand and dust, leaving behind smooth stone and flat terrain. Navigating the isle is challenging due to the limited field of vision, yet it serves an important purpose at training young angels to endure hardship. The weather often turns into thunder due to the high amount of friction in the air, yet with little to no water to form rain, the resulting sandstorms are truly worthy of the nickname "nightmare desert."
His Beauty
The southern isle, Tox Turbs—"His Beauty"—is filled with breathtaking greenery and exceptionally diverse plant life. No color is underrepresented, neither on the ground nor in the sky's numerous rainbows. While Tox Turbs may offer a stunning view into the beauty of creation, it has a minimal pragmatic purpose and merely provides a peaceful surrounding to those wishing to relax. Without insects or pollen taking away from the experience, a flight into Tox Turbs is worth every effort.
His Rock
Finally, the western isle Tox Patralx—"His Rock"—splits the horizon with its high mountain peaks and can be seen all the way from the northern isle during clear weather. Beautiful in its own brutal way, Tox Patralx is also the most dangerous of the five isles: full of sharp pillars and deep ravines, losing one's footing or colliding with the jutting rocks can lead to a painful death. However, Tox Patralx is guaranteed to offer a worthy challenge for those hoping to hone their flying skills.
The Dominions
Vertical travel is much safer and happens through portals placed at key locations within the realm. Known as Dominions, the layers are located on top of each other, united by a light beam that runs through them and illuminates all of Heaven. While traveling between the two lower layers isn't controlled, attempting to enter the third Dominion—or even worse, the fourth one—should only be done with a higher-ranking angel's permission.
Dominion of Choice
The five Thrones form Londoh Alca—the Dominion of Choice. As Heaven's lowest layer with nothing but impenetrable cloud cover beneath it, falling off the isles sends the unfortunate celestials out of Heaven into another realm known as Limbo. With no way back, those trapped in the realm between are considered forever lost and used as examples to further scare young or disobedient angels, adding to the countless myths and legends about Heaven's hidden ground layer. Most prone to turbulent weather and an Earth-like environment, Londoh Alca is the last stop before sending new angels off to duty.
Dominion of Knowledge
Located above the Thrones, Londoh Iadnah—the Dominion of Knowledge—consists solely of Heaven's cities. Split into seven districts around the capital, each built around an archangel's tower, the heavenly cityscape is vast and takes hours to cross. Wrapped in clouds and occasionally covered in mist, navigating Londoh Iadnah is best done by following its structures or using the city's portals for teleportation. Much for the same reason, attempting to fly into the city is seen as an unnecessary risk.
Dominion of Manifestation
Londoh Zarman, the Dominion of Manifestation, resides above the divine city and acts as an engine for Heaven's power. This is the layer where human souls are carried as they enter the afterlife: partners and close family members are brought together to live through their happiest memories in an eternal loop, forever protected from any and all harm. Souls that have not yet had a chance to earn their place in Heaven or Hell—i.e., babies and young children—are reborn shortly after their death. Visually represented as a crystallized pillar of blinding light, the collection of souls shines a sun-like light across all Dominions. As long as Heaven has more content souls than angels, its power over other realms cannot be shaken. It is also why Londoh Zarman is the most protected layer of the three; should an invasion happen, its soul crystal would be the most coveted treasure Hell could ever hope to steal.
Dominion of Nothing
Unknown to most angels, there is one additional layer: Londoh Affa, the Dominion of Nothing. Used as a prison for demons and fallen angels considered too valuable to kill, Londoh Affa's existence is a highly guarded secret only a few seraphs and the archangels know about. Almost as a testament to the phrase "the end justifies the means," even Heaven is not above inhumane treatment, as its residents are still in search of the sole angel whose rebellion once started the realm's downfall: Lucifer.
Landscape and weather
Heaven's landscape is full of mountains, waterfalls, and floating monuments, creating stunning visuals around the realm. Despite the breathtaking views everywhere, there is a blemish in Heaven's splendor: the ominous presence of corruption. Once green landscapes have started to wither and die, turning Heaven's edges into nightmarish scenes of rotting corpses and daylight into dark, red twilight. Contact with the corruption is strictly forbidden, for those curious enough to wander too far into its influence are known to die or become mad. All efforts to contain or cure the land have been in vain, leaving Heaven defenseless against the hostile invasion.
While mostly caressed by sunless daylight, the divine realm is not immune to changing weather. Strong winds create frequent rain and occasional thunderstorms, turning Heaven's unassuming cloud cover into a violent display of nature's power. Ignorant angels have been known to be struck down and severely injured, if not killed, due to a lightning strike.
Heaven does not have seasons but instead is blessed with eternal summer and warm temperatures at all times. Time is rarely measured, leaving angels to refer to Earth's calendars when calculating the passage of time. Unlike Hell, Heaven's timeline moves slower compared to the mortal realm, approximately in a proportion of 1:36, meaning each hour stretches over thirty-six times their duration on Earth. Because of the lack of noticeable daylight or seasons and slowed down time, angels visiting their home realm are prone to underestimating the time they spend in Heaven, returning to Earth years or even decades later.
Flora and fauna
Heaven's flora mainly consists of plants similar to those native to humid subtropical and Mediterranean climates; they are colorful, evergreen, and in eternal bloom. As Heaven's vegetation does not require insects to flourish but is instead maintained by God's will, only corruption can wither a blooming plant. Even plucking them will not take away from their perfect beauty, but trying to take them to Earth will instantly kill any green meant to be nourished by divinity.
Once grown and never chopped, Heaven's trees are as majestic as they are ancient. Massive and tall forests covering the land—particularly in Tox Madriax—are a remarkable sight. Hanging heavy with fruits or blossoming, flying through a forest's thick leaf cover may result in unexpected collisions. Trees hit by lightning are a rare sight; their split and regrown trunks are an inspiration for perseverance through hardship.
After the Rebellion, most creatures wandering Heaven's lands have since succumbed to the corruption's effects, been infected, and died off. Griffins, pegasi, sprites… Nothing but a handful of survivors and countless bare bones are left behind of Heaven's once diverse fauna. Resurrecting the dead animals has merely brought back their spirit, leading to a second and an even more painful death trapped inside their rotting body. Whatever is left of God's magical creatures has been seized within the city, far away from the sickness lurking beneath, controlled and contained in the hopes of a miracle cure.
Architecture
The closest description of Heaven's architectural style would be ancient classical, particularly the Tuscan and giant order; the absence of decorative details gives way to pure practicality. Characterized by pillars, arches, and domes built from marble, gold, and blue glass, Heaven's city is built for flying. The lack of walls allows free flight and the soul crystal's light to illuminate every corner of the divine realm, leaving little space for privacy. Despite being connected with bridges and platforms, walking across the realm is a heroic feat left for the mad and masochistic.
Heavenly capital
Heaven's capital—Tia Torzu—is best recognized by its most notable building: the Temple of Ascension. Surrounding the soul crystal in all horizontal directions, Tia Torzu is nothing short of a fortress: seemingly impenetrable, heavily guarded, and filled with maze-like hallways meant to disorientate intruders. Navigating the temple can be done by following holy ley lines all angels can sense, including the youngest of Ishim. Around the temple are several smaller buildings used for training and socializing, including a bathhouse, a library filled with chronicles of Earth's history, and a barracks-turned-stable used to hold the last of Heaven's wildlife.
The Virtues
Surrounding the capital are seven districts called Virtues: Balit Val, the Virtue of Humility; Balit Gisa, the Virtue of Justice; Balit Pal, the Virtue of Patience; Balit Atraah, the Virtue of Charity; Balit Drun, the Virtue of Temperance; Balit Don, the Virtue of Diligence; and Balit Ger, the Virtue of Chastity. These districts are visual and physical manifestations of their corresponding archangels, reacting to their personal tastes and moods by continually shifting and changing. In the center of each district is a spire that serves as personal space to the Virtue's archangel, silently humming in sync with the soul crystal whenever their angelic counterparts are present.
The only eternally silent district is Balit Zuraah, the Virtue of Humility—ever since the Rebellion, no celestials except the archangels have been allowed to set foot into Lucifer's abandoned tower or its surroundings. It is said to have started Heaven's corruption, even though no lower-ranking angel has been able to verify the rumors, and those who have seen its condition are unwilling or unable to describe it.
Technology
There is next to no technology in Heaven; most advancements made by human science are to be kept among mortals. Over time, the erelim—angels reborn after living a human life as martyrs or saints—have adopted a handful of mortal techniques to be used in their new home. Using pigments, weaving, painting, and pottery are a few examples of Heaven's limited knowledge of non-divine creation. Even the existence of Tia Torzu's bathhouse results from an erel taking it upon themselves to introduce bathing and hot water to the divine realm. They've also taught their kin the basics of cooking by boiling vegetables and roasting meat, although the latter is rarely utilized—with the inevitable harm to an innocent animal, most angels are vegan by choice and may even avoid eating altogether, as their bodies do not naturally require calories as nourishment.
When an angel descends to Earth for the first time, their knowledge of human technology is extremely limited: with the long span between their visits and Heaven's aversion towards mortal contraptions, things like smartphones are inherently foreign to them. Some may remember old black-and-white movies and the first airplanes, while others haven't seen any new inventions since the 19th century. Adaptation to such a differing reality boils down to personality; younger angels may find technology fun and exciting or be scared of it, while older generations may have seen what humans are capable of and are not surprised by the latest technological advances. Celestials who spend most of their time in Heaven may have developed a distaste towards anything that enables mortals to fulfill their needs without an appropriate amount of work, causing them to feel deep repugnance towards humanity's natural search for comfort and easiness.
Economics
Angels have an equally limited understanding of money—whatever they need in Heaven is already provided or can be traded for and thus holds no inherent value to itself, apart from any effort used into making it. While they are instilled with a strong work ethic from the moment they begin their training, the concept of human jobs is foreign to them. Lunch breaks mean odd free time in the middle of the day, gossiping about co-workers would never cross their mind, and handling a cash register fills them with confusion. Waiting for a paycheck and managing their bank balance might prove challenging, nevertheless spending the money on something they don't desperately need, i.e., a bed or an extra, weather-appropriate change of clothing.
Understanding an advanced economy is even more difficult: differing prices, competition between rivals, fluctuation in value resulting from inflation, and the refusal of foreign currency seems needlessly complicated, especially concerning basic mortal necessities like food. Angels are best suited for mundane jobs with clear instructions, like accounting or rearranging books at a library, where they can follow orders without surprising situations. Unforeseen events—like an attempted robbery—can rattle even the most experienced angels, as heavenly orders are not the same ones they have to follow on Earth, leaving the celestial helpless without an authority telling them how to act.
Lastly, angels don't really grasp the concept of personal property—yours vs. mine. When everything is shared by default and materialism is seen as a sin, it's no wonder inexperienced celestials often "borrow" something that doesn't necessarily belong to them or give away their money and possessions to those in need. This makes them easy targets for all kinds of thieves and scammers, leaving the poor celestial to stand in an empty apartment and wonder why their altruistic acts didn't result in mutual, shared benefit.
Clothing and fashion
Once an angel is assigned their rank and thus freed of an ishi's initial, ghostly robe, they are gifted with armor appropriate for their new position. These are the first pieces of clothing an angel can wear and remove of their own volition and are considered an extension of their wearer. Unlike any other outfit, an angel's armor is preserved within its true and human forms, unaffected by the transformation. While the armor can be damaged, it will repair itself as its wearer is healed, thus corresponding to the angel's physical health. If an angel is displaying their wings while wearing their armor, their eyes will glow either in amber orange (brown eyes), golden yellow (green eyes), or pale blue (grey and blue eyes).
archangels
archangels have the most intricate and stunning armor—each unique and detailed with empowering sigils based on the archangel's corresponding virtue. The pieces can be any natural color but always have embedded gems as detail and golden trims that radiate holy light. An archangel's armor covers their whole body, including their face, and is built to protect its wearer from harm with minimal exposure. While it may appear bulky or unwieldy, the armor is surprisingly light and allows for unrestrained movement.
Seraphim and cherubim
Seraphim and cherubim have similar armor; their most notable difference comes from their functionality. While a seraph's armor emphasizes free movement and curved shapes to deflect hits, a cherub's version offers less mobility but covers more surface area with its metallic pieces. Consisting of both hardened and soft materials, these armors offer an ideal balance between fashion and function. While other colors may appear, platinum white with gold trims is the most common.
Erelim
Erelim wear the least amount of protective pieces, as their duties keep them away from any battlefield. Their armor varies significantly in style and color, ranging from comfortable dresses to more decorated attire. Made from fabric and leather with minimal stylization, an erelim outfit is the most casual heavenly fashion available.
Malachim
A malach's armor is a downgrade from the seraph version: less about protection and more about freedom of movement, its wearer is meant to be expendable. Malachim armor only deflects hits on their middle body, barely allowing them to deal more damage and serve as a distraction or a temporary shield before succumbing to their injuries. However, penetrating through even a malach's armor takes brutal force, far more than a human could deal—an angel's divinity makes them naturally resistant to most damage, including regular ammunition and small explosions.
