Angelologist

One who vows service to angels and gains supernal powers of protection, healing, or empowerment of others.

Annointing

To become an angelologist, one must be annointed by an angel whom they serve. Some are chosen by the angels, others seek out angels to serve, but all must prove themselves worthy before the angel will annoint them and offer them powers for their service.

Chosen and Seekers

Those who are chosen by angels are called g'ab yaa. They are people who meet the criteria of angelic service without actively seeking it out, perhaps without even knowing. They are people who engage in behaviors that are in service to the people around them, the world, the greater good, and they do so because they know it to be right. Those who seek out service to angels are called aeshk'akh. They are usually members of a faith that honors angels and certain kinds of behaviors, agents of that faith who seek out angels to serve in order to serve the faith. Angels refuse those who seek service for their own personal gain or for the service of an oppressor state. Only the true and sincere are taken. Sometimes, a true believer who belongs to an organized religion co-opted by an oppressor state is still allowed to take service, but they usually realize their service will run counter to the state very quickly.

If an angel chooses a servant, they appear to them when they are alone. If the person is rarely alone (a parent, for instance), the angel may contrive a way to get them alone. If a servant seeks out an angel, they must find a way to call the angel. This usually involves an act of self-sacrifice dedicated to the angel. It must, however, be dedicated to a specific angel.

Angelic Sponsor

The angels who accept service of mortals are rare. Most are focused on their own tasks and have little time for mortals, and fewer still want to interact with mortals except in service to their Divine. But those who do do so by taking accountability for their servants. They risk disgrace if their servants betray them, and therefore, they are very exacting. Their servants will gain and lose power based on how well they serve. If they are too far afield, if they betray their angelic sponsors, they will be punished, possibly even killed. Angelic sponsors of angelologists are called earab aa.

Service by Nation

Service to angels requires extremely strict adherence to the angel's specific ethical structure and their individual tasks, as assigned by their Divine. Though all of these vary somewhat by angel, these are the general guidelines:

• Aggelos: tasked to bring wonder and inspiration to the world, to guide artists and entertainers, to engage creatively.
• Ahtlapaleh: tasked to rally those who struggle against incredible odds, to inspire bravery, to act with valor.
• Aingerua: tasked to protect the oppressed, the weak, the denigrated.
• Anidawehi: tasked to protect the community, the nation, the township.
• Beleghall: tasked to protect life itself.
• Cheonsa: tasked to protect the exploited and toiling, to protect and unite workers.
• Devadut: tasked to fight for justice, to stand up for the oppressed against unjust systems.
• The Fallen: tasked to serve the individual interests of the Fallen and their demonic intentions.
• Fersheth: tasked to guide others, to instill wisdom, to learn from experience.
• Hoechste: tasked to bring harmony and music, to bring people together, to uplift voices of the unheard.
• Hojest: tasked to protect and share the truth, to defeat lies.
• Kiggia: tasked to bring love, to empower those who feel love, to bring beauty.
• Mal'ach: tasked to protect womens and the victims of patriarchy, to remember the ancestors before the Fall.
• Malakh: tasked to uphold the 12 virtues.
• Manzo: tasked to protect Mother Shem and the environment, to draw from genesis and create.
• Marayika: tasked to protect the home, to honor hospitality, to protect the hearth.
• Ngirozi: tasked to bring hope, redemption, and achievement.
• Ridwan: tasked to protect the Supernal Realm itself, to bring salvation.
• Sanansaattaja: tasked to protect the family, the clan, the found or blood.
• Sel: tasked to ensure peace, to instill peace, to protect those who fight for peace. They are never part of the Heavenly Host.
• Sugo: tasked to empower those fighting for liberation.
• Tevatai: tasked to provide healing, to teach medicine, to heal.
• Wanzio: tasked to bring joy, happiness, delight.
• Yapa Marra: tasked to empower the meek, the weak, the poor, the striving.

Service by Rank

Service to angels also varies by rank:

• Archangel: varies by individual, as there are only seven. Usually, their tasks are to protect entire nations or countries. Always ridwans.
• Bene Eloh: in service to elohim who serve Divines other than the Mother of Heaven. Never ridwans.
• Chayot: in service directly to the Mother of Heaven. Always ridwans.
• Cherub [messianic]: in service to the World Tree. Usually manzos.
• Cherub [original]: in service to Manifests of supernal beings.
• Darda'il: in service to the Heavenly Host, and thus to the war against the infernal, who are part of the Heavenly Choir. Usually hoechste.
• Dominatio: administer the lesser angels, and so those in service to them are leaders of angelologists serving lesser angels.
• Eloh: in service to Divines other than the mother of Heaven. Never ridwans.
• Er'el: embodiments of valiance. Always ahtlapalehs.
• Guardian angel: protectors of individuals.
• Hafaza: archers in service to the Heavenly Host. Led by Cassiel.
• Hashmal: bring the fires and storms of the Supernal Realm. Often manzos.
• Ishu: in service to mortals.
• Lucens: in service to Elysium and the world. Either ngirozis or manzos.
• Malak: mid-ranking angels whose tasks are often to guide the lower ranks and to obey the upper ranks.
• Malkuk [1st rank]: red light, lowest rank of the Radiant Angels. They bring courage.
• Malkuk [2nd rank]: orange light, second rank of the Radiant Angels. They bring defiance.
• Malkuk [3rd rank]: yellow light, third rank of the Radiant Angels. They bring wisdom.
• Malkuk [4th rank]: green light, fourth rank of the Radiant Angels. They bring harmony.
• Malkuk [5th rank]: blue light, fifth rank of the Radiant Angels. They bring love.
• Malkuk [6th rank]: violet light, sixth rank of the Radiant Angels. They bring joy.
• Malkuk [7th rank]: white light, seventh rank of the Radiant Angels. They uplift.
• Metatron: the voice of the Divines. Messengers and heralds.
• Mu'aqqib: foot soldiers in th Heavenly Host, fighting at the behest of their superior officers.
• Na'wa: makers of supernal weaponry.
• Ophan: the charioteers, responsible for transportation.
• Potestas: responsible for restraining evil forces, guardians of sealed infernal beings.
• Principatus: in service of nations, groups, and faiths.
• Rasul: in service to mortals.
• Sedes: those who mete out judgment.
• Seraph [messianic]: in service to Divines.
• Seraph [original]: intense, powerful, unseeable, often bringers of righteous Divine fury.
• Taxiarch: the individual, Mikal, who heads the Heavenly Host. Those who serve him are elite warriors who fight evil.
• Yazata: generals of the Heavenly Host, in charge of the military strategies of the Supernal forces.

Service by Role

And within each rank and nation, there are roles. Service also varies by role:

• Choir: a support role, singers and musicians.
• Common: toilers.
• Guardian: bodyguards from sin and infernal powers.
• Herald: messengers and harbingers.
• Leader: those who guide and decide.
• Scribe: administrators.
• Warrior: fighters.

Roles are often strongly overlapping with ranks, but within many ranks there are these different roles.

Tripartite Service

So every angelologist serves an angel who exists at the intersection of nation, rank, and role. For example, an angelologist might serve a ridwan dominatio who is a herald, thus their role is to protect the Supernal Realm (via acts of salvation, forgiving of sins) by coordinating other angelologists by bringing them messages from the Divines. Or, an angelologist might serve a sel who is a rasul scribe. Thus, the angelologist serve their angel by doing research for mortals who serve the same Divine. Or, an angelologist might be a kiggia malkuk of the fourth rank who is a choir angel. Thus, they serve by bringing music to the world.

Worthiness

Angels determine the worth of a candidate by analyzing even the smallest aspects of a person's soul. Their every experience, in fullest context, is considered. A mortal is found worthy if and only if they are not in service to evil, to the exploiters and oppressors, and if they have not committed unforgiven acts such as murder, rape, kidnapping, abuse, and so on. If found worthy, they are tested 12 times.

Tests

Tests vary by mortal and angel, but always revolve around things that fit into the angel's milieu. Tests are usually simpler for those who are less ambiguous in their worthiness.

Annointing

If found worthy, the angelologist is annointed with celeste water and given a vial of it. The annointing imbues the inital powers of the angelologist. The vial allows them to restore their powers after used up to four times (four times total, not four per power). After that, they must return to the angel to ask for more, so they must always use their powers judiciously. The angel will grant them new powers if needed for a task or if earned. Angels are very careful with the powers they grant, as they are culpable for how those powers are used.

Redemption

If an angelologist falls out of favor or if a candidate is in a state of sin, they send them on a particularly difficult task which will have remarkable positive consequences if successful or a long-term task such that it takes a life-time of service, with extreme consequences for failure.

Powers

If found worthy, the angel will grant the angelologist four starting powers. Powers vary by angel. Here-listed are those of the commonest angels sought by angelologists, the ridwan:

• Celeste annointment: use of celeste water to wash the target, cleasning body and soul, if the person repents their sins.
• Aura of protection: a soft blue aura that repels infernal energies.
• Supernal droplet: a spray of droplets of celeste water that burn beings or users of infernal energies.
• Heavenly voice: bonuses to PRS for those who seek to talk sense into someone.
• Soulsight: bonuses to reading people; powerful angelologists can scan into the depths of a person's being, but less experienced ones just get small insights.
• Healing wave: a wave of celeste water heals the bodies of the infirm.
• Angel's feather: the angelologist can teleport someone to safety.
• Angel's feet: the angelologist can walk on water.
• Touch of salvation: grants the repentant salvation if they are close to death.
• Heaven's wrath: releases a wave of blue light that eradicates the infernal.
• Halo: perfect protection from evil - acts of evil, including those that contain no infernal essence.
• Calling the Host: angelologist calls upon angels of the Heavenly Host to fight evil.

Inventory

Angelologists carry a vial of celeste water given them by their angel, and they wear special clothing assigned to them if appropriate:

Vial

The vial they are given is spun of a supernal glass callled zguogaa. It is about the size of a human hand, shaped like a small, faceted oval. The stopper is made of the same glass, shaped like a rounded, thin triangle. Inside is the celeste water, shining blue.

Clothing

The clothing of an angelologist varies by angel, but it always reinforces their humility.

Variations

See above for angelologist variations by angelic nation, role, or rank. Some other variations include

• Angelologer: scientists who becomes angelologists.
• Arielian: angelologists who focus on animals, plants, fungi, or some combination of the three.
• Cassielian: anglologist archers who serve as fighters against infernal powers.
• Harmozelian: angelologist thief who commits acts that violate the laws of the oppressors in order to serve their angel.
• Jibralian: angelologists who serve as heralds for the Divines.
• Kalqa'ilian: angelologists who serve through acts of sex and pleasure.
• Mikali: the elite warriors who serve the Taxiarch.
• Mitzraelian: angelologist who serves through humor, comedy, entertainment.
• Panyarshin: angelologists who serve through research and scholarly matters.
• Raphaelian: angelologists who focus on healing.
• Sandalphonian: angelologist musicians, those who play and create sacred music.
• Septal: those who serve the seven angels who reveal, who investigate the mysteries and share the truths with the world.
• Wheel-Bearer: angelologists who serve by bearing others to their destinations.
• Yophiellian: angelologists who serve and protect women and others affected by patriarchy.
• Zurielian: angelologists who serve through works of art

Similar Occupations

Other users of celeste water who do not directly serve angels include

• Alkuli: a Mahadi leader said to embody all genders who represents heaven.
• Child of Heaven: one annointed by heaven to lead people to salvation.
• Consecrationist: one who cleanses people with celeste water to protect or heal them.
• Heavenly Choir: singers in the choirs of the Supernal Realm.
• Hifar: one who finds and digs wells of celeste water.
• Maweiza: a consecrationist who tells parables to entertain others.
• Raqisat 'Iilaha: a dancer who flows with celeste water.

Persecution

Angelology is a forbidden art in most class societies. They are painted as demon worshipers, heretics, and/or frauds.

Skills

Common skills include

• Cooking
• Cleaning
• Caretaking
• Medicine
• Research
• Ancient languages
• Sewing
• Legal knowledge
• Ethics

Stats

Modifiers from base of nation/species:

PRO -2
ATH +1
STR /
AWA +2
WIL +3
STH -3
PRS +3