On Angels

Angels are mysterious creatures. At first I thought them to be a unique race of Fay, but that appears not to be the case. They are on par with the Fay in terms of ability and purpose, serving as gatherers of lost souls. In some instances angels act as guardians to protect mortals from demons or other unmortal evils.

When a mortal dies they become a spirit, unless they have through some means become soulless (in which case they are absorbed into Yggdrasil, much like a deceased Fairy). These souls are gathered by the angels and taken to a respective paradise. It appears that souls which are pure in some way are given the opportunity to evolve into an angel. When a soul becomes an angel they often undergo a drastic change, taking on a new form (although humans and elves seem to change very little) and regaining their memories of life (should they have been lost.)

This return of memories often creates some strife within the spirit, and only those who can learn to live with their pasts may evolve.

Angels are ranked by tier, with the lowest set possessing seemingly feathered white wings which protrude from their backs. They also wear a golden halo which floats between three and five inches above their head. All angels appear to radiate light, although they can dim this for various purposes.

Angels with a higher rank go through yet another change where they become more powerful than they had been before. In this next form their wings lose physical properties, seeming to become pure light. They can best be described as being formed by many blades of rainbow light. They retain their golden halos.

Beyond this second stage of angel exists a form which retains no physical characteristics. Only the most faithful and good of angel may reach this evolutionary point. The light which is their bodies shines so intensely that gazing upon it will burn a mortal's eyes from their skulls. Because of this these angels can manifest physical objects at will, typically creating feathered wings with which to curtain themselves and conceal their light. These are the archangels.

These three angels are the angelic equivalent to a Seelie Court. They battle and act on the behalf of goodness. It is not known if they are following the command of a more powerful being, or if they act simply on their nature of existing and are somehow an extension of Yggdrasil, like the Fay. Some Faeries theorize that the angels were created by a being which resides in the center of the omniverse and cannot be witnessed by multiversal beings, but this is not a popular opinion. It is speculated that should an omniverse exist the beings which inhabit it would be similar to Yggdrasil, which is regarded as being above the Fay and so may exist beyond what of it we can see.

It is not known what happens to angel upon its death, but it is assumed that its energies are returned to Yggdrasil, just as are the energies of all spirits upon death.

Angels are not perfect creatures. Those that turn bad undergo a split evolution into what is called a "fallen" angel. Fallen angels are similar in concept to being Unseelie. They are often consumed by cruelty, and develop a wicked appearance to reflect this. While their good counterparts shine with light the fallen angels seem to be shrouded in darkness and shadows, always appearing darker than they truly  are.

In addition to the angel and fallen angel there is a third, less common, variety of angel. Exclusive to areas of intense cold are snow angels, which are created from the souls of adventurers who froze to death in the glaciers. These angels act as guardians of their desolate homes, rescuing travellers who might meet the same fate. Snow angels are more commonly created in areas where something evil sleeps so that they may prevent it from waking. Fallen angels possess black-feathered wings and have lost their halo. Oddly, they do not seem to be able to make use of the same magics that angels and archangels do, suggesting that the angel's magic comes from their halo, and upon losing it, cannot be used.

Snow angles are generally themed with blue and white. Everything from their hair, to their skin, to their feathered wings are either white or some icy shade of blue. Even their eyes share this chill appearance. Despite this they never appear to have been frozen, always being smooth and pleasant to see, and shining with the same light as their cousins. Their halos have the appearance of being made of ice and light, as opposed to the typical halo which appears like a molten and glowing metal.

Angels, like Fay, possess a unique brand of magic. They are capable of healing most injuries and wounds, and possibly even reviving the dead should the situation call for it. All of an angel's magic is performed utilizing light in some fashion, and they have been show to wholly manipulate the photons generated by a light source nearby. Snow angles have an additional control over their native element, which aids in the rescue of lost adventurers.

Unlike Faeries, however, angels do not naturally possess any glamour. If they wish to conceal themselves they must do with clothing, or otherwise learn for themselves how to make use of glamour and other such magic.