Glaurung
Liberal's alt
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2014
- Messages
- 186
Drawing influences from Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and a bit of Tolkien, I envisioned my idea for a Celestial Plane - an imperfect though genuinely benevolent realm of positive spiritual energy. I called it Elysium, and it is not a true paradise in the Christian sense of the word, for there is no utmost union with the Lord and non-existence of sin, nor does a mortal soul remain in Elysium for eternity, but rather a period of time which varies objectively and subjectively from person to person. In this I imagine is the greatest tragedy of Elysium - it is a place you will never want to leave if your soul ever reaches it in its afterlife, but sooner or later the cosmic law of reincarnation will take its toll, and make your stay in Elysium unbearable the longer you stay past the allotted time. It is not any external agents that will escort you out of Elysium, but rather your own soul.
Elysium is a plane of Spirit, which causes physical laws to become highly mutable and compliant to one's internal state - you could say that every single thing in Elysium is a symbolic representation of one's spirit and is subject to constant change guided by the plane's guardians. Suffering, pain, misery and woe do not exist in Elysium in all but their most mildest forms, there is no disease, physical injuries are impossible, and while sufficient impact can cause a sensation of pain in one's body, it is akin to mild discomfort and easily shrugged off on a physical level at least. As far as emotional and spiritual pain - these are not negated automatically, but rather made largely irrelevant, albeit residents of Elysium are very much capable of feeling negative emotions, such as sorrow/pity for deceased loved ones who were sent to suffer in one of the lower planes, or frustration over philosophical/political/religious disagreements. This further reinforces the concept that Elysium is not a perfect place, nor is it the ultimate goal of one's spiritual evolution - rather, it is the closest a flawed universe can come to mimic the Supreme Reality free of illusion and suffering.
In addition to the sphere of Spirit, Elysium is aligned with the element Air, at its most general it is a boundless aerial void with no ground beneath and no outer space above (if such directions are even relevant in absence of absolute orientation), filled with a myriad of solid fragments of earth suspended in the air, ranging from the size of a pebble to a small continent. The islands are spread over thousands of kilometers in every direction, and many are populated by all manners of living creatures, the relatively uninhabited ones are often claimed by human civilization and transformed into communities, hamlets, towns, or large cities. The lowest island is also by far the largest, it is called Arcadia and is about the size of North America, filled with lush forests, enormous lakes, mountain ranges, and other landscape features. Above Arcadia are multiple layers of clouds and further islands in the space between them, among them a gargantuan floating city of crystal spires (currently unnamed), standing on a variety of islands fused into a single foundation through a multitude of horizontal supports and bridges. It is home to millions of citizens and a major cultural center of the realm's human community.
Although the residents of Elysium are spread over numerous islands, they are not by any means stranded or restricted in movement. Zeppelins, gliders, flying beasts and known aerial currents provide the means of transportation through both vertical and horizontal airways, keeping communities connected. Nor is there any real danger in accidentally falling into the boundless sky - if a hapless person does end up falling through the endless sky without being noticed by a helpful airborne scout/creature, their body will simply lose form and rematerialized in a location most similar to the person's inner state. At worst, you may get lost on a far-away island, and will have to spend time meditating on your inner state to find the path back to familiar locales.
Two groups of sentient beings reside in Elysium. Its most numerous inhabitants are humans - mortal souls who accumulated enough positive karma in their life on the physical plane and resolved their issues in Purgatory, refining their spirit to an advanced state compatible with the Celestial Plane. Since old age and death are non-existent in afterlife, mortals' sojourn in Elysium may last for years, decades, even centuries, but the time to leave will make itself known to everyone in the end. Even though Elysium is filled with every variety of creature, knowledge, entertainment and opportunities for spiritual growth, after a protracted stay the person will gradually become irrevocably desensitized to life in pure happiness, unable to further appreciate this place on a deeper psychological level, despite often consciously wishing for it to continue. After this moment the mortal soul must make a choice between remaining in a non-enticing paradise, or retiring to Limbo where their soul will await a new life on the physical plane.
The Elysian society of universal benevolence only exists due to the harsh selection all deceased mortal souls must go through in Purgatory, but good intentions alone cannot sustain the society for thousands of years without guidance from beings of power. Angels are the creators, guardians and advisers of Elysium, they oversee every major aspect of Elysian society and the metaphysics of the plane itself.
Angels are mortal souls that have reached enlightenment, having the chance to transcend the imperfect world of illusion, suffering and sin, but instead chose to remain behind in order to help others reach enlightenment. In the instant of reaching enlightenment, a human receives an omniscient vision of the world and their own inner spirit, and have to choose between achieving perfect unity with the Lord by leaving the mortal world behind forever (becoming known as saints), or staying behind to fulfill a specific mission that will contribute to universal enlightenment, becoming an angel. Angels abscond sin and illusion from their souls, becoming both powerful and genuinely benevolent to a degree inaccessible to mortals, but they do not remain omniscient and are capable of error.
The hierarchy of angels is divided alongside Seven Vital Virtues, with seven archangels leading the rest in their collective and individual missions. They do not control Elysian society, so much as provide guidance and help where needed, leaving people to govern themselves on an everyday basis. As a principle, angels are not supposed to interfere in the affairs of mortals back on the mortal place, their jurisdiction is solely over the plane of Elysium. However, due to the severe imbalance emanating from the plane of Inferno, angels often have to choose between upholding their principle in the face of human suffering, or helping mortals at the cost of risking igniting a second War of the Planes.
Angelic spirits are woven into the substance of the Celestial Plane and sustain all elements of its nature, they take human form when conversing directly with mortals or each other, otherwise they manifest purely through the element of their domain. Archangels embody broad natural concepts like water, air, fire, earth and so on, the angels under their jurisdiction embody subdivisions of the original seven. Angels are divided in two halves - the Wing of Harmony (Wisdom, Mercy, Faith) and the Wing of Majesty (Justice, Diligence, Valor), with Unity standing in the middle and serving as their leader.
Archangel of Justice embodies all things made of water - lakes, rivers, fountains, rainfall, ice. Her human form is that of a handsome older woman, stern, collected, yet understanding and possessing a subtle sense of humor (think Athena). Angels of justice mediate disputes, advise on the creation of laws, and facilitate their enforcement. They have the power of sensing true intentions and detecting lies, making them impossible to trick. Elysium has no need of a comprehensive and permanent police force, but it is not a perfect place, disagreements are present on all levels of the society, and the rare aberrant act of crime requires swift action to prevent it from spreading unchallenged throughout society. Back on the Mortal Plane, angels of justice typically act as assassins, special agents who can cripple a rising demonic force by striking at the one person at its center.
Archangel of Diligence is the embodiment of earth and everything it contains. His human form is that of a heavy-set middle-aged man with features that are not conventionally handsome yet projecting immense dedication and competence (think Hephaestus). Angels of Diligence are experts in all forms of craft and building, constructing cities, palaces, spires, bridges and other projects that sustain civilization in Elysium. They have the unique ability of creating raw materials from scratch (so as to prevent the defilement of earth) and shaping them flawlessly to their will, which is impossible outside of Elysium. They lead construction projects of all scopes and sizes. On the Mortal Plane, angels of diligence are armigers and blacksmiths, providing weapons/armor of celestial power to those worthy of wielding them against the forces of evil.
Archangel of Valor is personified through fire and light. He appears as a vigorous young man with golden hair/beard and a booming voice (think Thor). Angels of Valor are Heaven's primary military defense force, and the majority do not remain in Elysium for long, preferring to wage war against evil wherever it is strong. They have the power to inspire great courage and strength in mortals, and have supreme skill in both swordsmanship and martial arts. On Elysium where no war has existed since time immemorial, they are cultural historians, teachers of ethics and proper manners, trainers of martial arts and athletics.
Archangel of Wisdom manifests through air, wind, sky, and clouds. He appears an all-knowing old man, neither frail nor wizened. Angels of Wisdom provide insight and knowledge both in Elysium and on the mortal plane. They lead Elysium's academia and educational system, being able to flawlessly memorize process immense volumes of data makes them walking libraries with an endless zeal for research and improvement.
Archangel of Mercy is embodied through all living things - flora, fauna and such. She is a kindly middle-aged woman, hospitable and caring. Angels of Mercy have powers that make living things grow and prosper, they sustain Elysium's economy and agriculture. Under their guidance, farmers cultivated special sorts of plants with flesh-bearing fruit - providing an endlessly renewable source of meats that does not require the slaughter of animals, which is not physically impossible on Elysium (animals are as impervious to pain and injury as humans). In the mortal world they provide healing to innocents in need.
Archangel of Faith is the embodiment of darkness, night, rest, mystery and dreams. She appears as a young woman with serenely beautiful features and a melodic voice. Mortals often associate darkness with evil and ignorance, fearing it above all other elements, yet this perception is itself a product of illusion and sin, as darkness is no less vital to life than light and warmth. Without darkness there is no rest nor respite, it is vital for self-reflection and intimacy. It is not darkness itself that we fear, but the monsters that may be lurking under its cover, and in a world where no real danger exists darkness is blessed and revered. Angels of Faith are the road towards enlightenment, having the closest link with the Supreme Reality beyond the coil of illusion. They have the power to inspire hope and foresee the future, their job is to maintain religion, morality and spiritual enlightenment.
Archangel of Unity is the leader of the angelic hierarchy, yet does not embody any specific element, preferring to work through the six other archangels and their followers to ensure that Elysium is a single, cohesive home to all who have reached it. Without Unity, inevitably the other elements would find themselves at odds with each other - winds would blow inhabited islands from their course, living things would drain the fertility of the earth, rivers would flood the lands, over time reducing Elysium to a primal chaos where no enlightenment is possible. Angels of Unity are the least numerous of all, and they concern themselves with the leadership of Elysian communities, ensuring that politics does not hinder enlightenment and prosperity, but rather sustains. They have not ventured into the mortal world since the end of the War of the Planes, during the War they served as commanders of angelic armies and wielded terrifying power against demonic forces and their allies. Whether they will have to take up this mantle once again remains to be seen.
There's more I could write about Elysium, but there isn't enough space. Please don't do tl;dr trolling, I actually invested some thought and feeling into this. Tolkien's Silmarillion was probably the biggest influence on the idea behind the angels, in addiiton to basic Christian and Buddhist lore, however, I was not aware that Game of Thrones had the "church of the seven" (which in some ways parallels the seven archangels) at the time of writing this, as I had never read the books/seen the series.
Elysium is a plane of Spirit, which causes physical laws to become highly mutable and compliant to one's internal state - you could say that every single thing in Elysium is a symbolic representation of one's spirit and is subject to constant change guided by the plane's guardians. Suffering, pain, misery and woe do not exist in Elysium in all but their most mildest forms, there is no disease, physical injuries are impossible, and while sufficient impact can cause a sensation of pain in one's body, it is akin to mild discomfort and easily shrugged off on a physical level at least. As far as emotional and spiritual pain - these are not negated automatically, but rather made largely irrelevant, albeit residents of Elysium are very much capable of feeling negative emotions, such as sorrow/pity for deceased loved ones who were sent to suffer in one of the lower planes, or frustration over philosophical/political/religious disagreements. This further reinforces the concept that Elysium is not a perfect place, nor is it the ultimate goal of one's spiritual evolution - rather, it is the closest a flawed universe can come to mimic the Supreme Reality free of illusion and suffering.
In addition to the sphere of Spirit, Elysium is aligned with the element Air, at its most general it is a boundless aerial void with no ground beneath and no outer space above (if such directions are even relevant in absence of absolute orientation), filled with a myriad of solid fragments of earth suspended in the air, ranging from the size of a pebble to a small continent. The islands are spread over thousands of kilometers in every direction, and many are populated by all manners of living creatures, the relatively uninhabited ones are often claimed by human civilization and transformed into communities, hamlets, towns, or large cities. The lowest island is also by far the largest, it is called Arcadia and is about the size of North America, filled with lush forests, enormous lakes, mountain ranges, and other landscape features. Above Arcadia are multiple layers of clouds and further islands in the space between them, among them a gargantuan floating city of crystal spires (currently unnamed), standing on a variety of islands fused into a single foundation through a multitude of horizontal supports and bridges. It is home to millions of citizens and a major cultural center of the realm's human community.
Although the residents of Elysium are spread over numerous islands, they are not by any means stranded or restricted in movement. Zeppelins, gliders, flying beasts and known aerial currents provide the means of transportation through both vertical and horizontal airways, keeping communities connected. Nor is there any real danger in accidentally falling into the boundless sky - if a hapless person does end up falling through the endless sky without being noticed by a helpful airborne scout/creature, their body will simply lose form and rematerialized in a location most similar to the person's inner state. At worst, you may get lost on a far-away island, and will have to spend time meditating on your inner state to find the path back to familiar locales.
Two groups of sentient beings reside in Elysium. Its most numerous inhabitants are humans - mortal souls who accumulated enough positive karma in their life on the physical plane and resolved their issues in Purgatory, refining their spirit to an advanced state compatible with the Celestial Plane. Since old age and death are non-existent in afterlife, mortals' sojourn in Elysium may last for years, decades, even centuries, but the time to leave will make itself known to everyone in the end. Even though Elysium is filled with every variety of creature, knowledge, entertainment and opportunities for spiritual growth, after a protracted stay the person will gradually become irrevocably desensitized to life in pure happiness, unable to further appreciate this place on a deeper psychological level, despite often consciously wishing for it to continue. After this moment the mortal soul must make a choice between remaining in a non-enticing paradise, or retiring to Limbo where their soul will await a new life on the physical plane.
The Elysian society of universal benevolence only exists due to the harsh selection all deceased mortal souls must go through in Purgatory, but good intentions alone cannot sustain the society for thousands of years without guidance from beings of power. Angels are the creators, guardians and advisers of Elysium, they oversee every major aspect of Elysian society and the metaphysics of the plane itself.
Angels are mortal souls that have reached enlightenment, having the chance to transcend the imperfect world of illusion, suffering and sin, but instead chose to remain behind in order to help others reach enlightenment. In the instant of reaching enlightenment, a human receives an omniscient vision of the world and their own inner spirit, and have to choose between achieving perfect unity with the Lord by leaving the mortal world behind forever (becoming known as saints), or staying behind to fulfill a specific mission that will contribute to universal enlightenment, becoming an angel. Angels abscond sin and illusion from their souls, becoming both powerful and genuinely benevolent to a degree inaccessible to mortals, but they do not remain omniscient and are capable of error.
The hierarchy of angels is divided alongside Seven Vital Virtues, with seven archangels leading the rest in their collective and individual missions. They do not control Elysian society, so much as provide guidance and help where needed, leaving people to govern themselves on an everyday basis. As a principle, angels are not supposed to interfere in the affairs of mortals back on the mortal place, their jurisdiction is solely over the plane of Elysium. However, due to the severe imbalance emanating from the plane of Inferno, angels often have to choose between upholding their principle in the face of human suffering, or helping mortals at the cost of risking igniting a second War of the Planes.
Angelic spirits are woven into the substance of the Celestial Plane and sustain all elements of its nature, they take human form when conversing directly with mortals or each other, otherwise they manifest purely through the element of their domain. Archangels embody broad natural concepts like water, air, fire, earth and so on, the angels under their jurisdiction embody subdivisions of the original seven. Angels are divided in two halves - the Wing of Harmony (Wisdom, Mercy, Faith) and the Wing of Majesty (Justice, Diligence, Valor), with Unity standing in the middle and serving as their leader.
Archangel of Justice embodies all things made of water - lakes, rivers, fountains, rainfall, ice. Her human form is that of a handsome older woman, stern, collected, yet understanding and possessing a subtle sense of humor (think Athena). Angels of justice mediate disputes, advise on the creation of laws, and facilitate their enforcement. They have the power of sensing true intentions and detecting lies, making them impossible to trick. Elysium has no need of a comprehensive and permanent police force, but it is not a perfect place, disagreements are present on all levels of the society, and the rare aberrant act of crime requires swift action to prevent it from spreading unchallenged throughout society. Back on the Mortal Plane, angels of justice typically act as assassins, special agents who can cripple a rising demonic force by striking at the one person at its center.
Archangel of Diligence is the embodiment of earth and everything it contains. His human form is that of a heavy-set middle-aged man with features that are not conventionally handsome yet projecting immense dedication and competence (think Hephaestus). Angels of Diligence are experts in all forms of craft and building, constructing cities, palaces, spires, bridges and other projects that sustain civilization in Elysium. They have the unique ability of creating raw materials from scratch (so as to prevent the defilement of earth) and shaping them flawlessly to their will, which is impossible outside of Elysium. They lead construction projects of all scopes and sizes. On the Mortal Plane, angels of diligence are armigers and blacksmiths, providing weapons/armor of celestial power to those worthy of wielding them against the forces of evil.
Archangel of Valor is personified through fire and light. He appears as a vigorous young man with golden hair/beard and a booming voice (think Thor). Angels of Valor are Heaven's primary military defense force, and the majority do not remain in Elysium for long, preferring to wage war against evil wherever it is strong. They have the power to inspire great courage and strength in mortals, and have supreme skill in both swordsmanship and martial arts. On Elysium where no war has existed since time immemorial, they are cultural historians, teachers of ethics and proper manners, trainers of martial arts and athletics.
Archangel of Wisdom manifests through air, wind, sky, and clouds. He appears an all-knowing old man, neither frail nor wizened. Angels of Wisdom provide insight and knowledge both in Elysium and on the mortal plane. They lead Elysium's academia and educational system, being able to flawlessly memorize process immense volumes of data makes them walking libraries with an endless zeal for research and improvement.
Archangel of Mercy is embodied through all living things - flora, fauna and such. She is a kindly middle-aged woman, hospitable and caring. Angels of Mercy have powers that make living things grow and prosper, they sustain Elysium's economy and agriculture. Under their guidance, farmers cultivated special sorts of plants with flesh-bearing fruit - providing an endlessly renewable source of meats that does not require the slaughter of animals, which is not physically impossible on Elysium (animals are as impervious to pain and injury as humans). In the mortal world they provide healing to innocents in need.
Archangel of Faith is the embodiment of darkness, night, rest, mystery and dreams. She appears as a young woman with serenely beautiful features and a melodic voice. Mortals often associate darkness with evil and ignorance, fearing it above all other elements, yet this perception is itself a product of illusion and sin, as darkness is no less vital to life than light and warmth. Without darkness there is no rest nor respite, it is vital for self-reflection and intimacy. It is not darkness itself that we fear, but the monsters that may be lurking under its cover, and in a world where no real danger exists darkness is blessed and revered. Angels of Faith are the road towards enlightenment, having the closest link with the Supreme Reality beyond the coil of illusion. They have the power to inspire hope and foresee the future, their job is to maintain religion, morality and spiritual enlightenment.
Archangel of Unity is the leader of the angelic hierarchy, yet does not embody any specific element, preferring to work through the six other archangels and their followers to ensure that Elysium is a single, cohesive home to all who have reached it. Without Unity, inevitably the other elements would find themselves at odds with each other - winds would blow inhabited islands from their course, living things would drain the fertility of the earth, rivers would flood the lands, over time reducing Elysium to a primal chaos where no enlightenment is possible. Angels of Unity are the least numerous of all, and they concern themselves with the leadership of Elysian communities, ensuring that politics does not hinder enlightenment and prosperity, but rather sustains. They have not ventured into the mortal world since the end of the War of the Planes, during the War they served as commanders of angelic armies and wielded terrifying power against demonic forces and their allies. Whether they will have to take up this mantle once again remains to be seen.
There's more I could write about Elysium, but there isn't enough space. Please don't do tl;dr trolling, I actually invested some thought and feeling into this. Tolkien's Silmarillion was probably the biggest influence on the idea behind the angels, in addiiton to basic Christian and Buddhist lore, however, I was not aware that Game of Thrones had the "church of the seven" (which in some ways parallels the seven archangels) at the time of writing this, as I had never read the books/seen the series.
