Note: this is a major reworking based on discussion between Chris and Mildred back in 2014 (as a result of creating the Sirens, over in the daedra section), and there will be a number of further updates.
Celestial Background
Almost of the gods and goddesses of the pantheon had children before the Great Fall, and many of them had at least several children. Then those children had children, until before the the Great Fall the Nine Heavens were filled with millions of the gods’ divine progeny.
The offspring of the Gods/Aedra Lords are called Celestials, and sometimes Aedra (usually this latter term is used by the daedra when talking about their cousins).1
Most of these beings are now in the Dreamlands, where they continue the Great War against the daedra. Some, however, have made their way into the mortal world, where they often assimilate into mortal society (but could be dragged back into the Great War by circumstance). If someone uses the term Celestials (with the capitalization), they usually refer to these generations of progeny born before the Great Fall.
Other types of celestials have arisen from the interbreeding of the fallen gods and various mortal consorts; these are called Earthbound Celestials. Most of them have been born since the Great Fall, and unless they actively choose to participate in the Great War, they don’t hold official rank among their pre-Fall cousins. Some may not realize that they are even related to a god, unless something happens to trigger their abilities. Most of those born before the Day of the Starchild (which is also an example of what happens when the powers of a mortal child of a god is “activated”) were at some point claimed by their divine parent and brought into the ranks of the Great War.
Generations of pre-Fall Celestials mating with mortals, and generations of Earthbound Celestials/Fiends having children since the Great Fall eventually dilutes the strength of the divine essence in the bloodlines to the point that plane-touched mortals are born; more powerful than mortals but not approaching the strength of their divine ancestry.
For information on the moral and ethical alignments in MK2K, see the article on Good and Evil.
Appearance
| Height | Weight | Body Type | Skin Tone | Eyes | Distinguishing Physical Traits |
| variable | variable | variable | variable | variable | variable, based on bloodline |
Celestials born before the Great Fall
A Celestial born before the Great Fall is categorized in two basic ways. First is their bloodline, the common ancestry and characteristics that they share with their family and ultimately the gods that gave birth to them. Second is their rank, which is a complex interaction of how many generations they are removed from the fallen gods and the power and strength of the essence each has within themselves.
Celestial Bloodlines from Before the Great Fall
The following list is of the better known Celestial/Daedric bloodlines. It is not a complete list, but these are the bloodlines that have the most members, have been very active as a group, or have attracted enough attention as a specific bloodline.
The bloodline will influence how the Celestial looks. For instance, a Glimmer from the Eladrin bloodline may have the impression of golden feathers while one from the Kerub bloodline may have a rosy glow.
In cases where the parents are on different sides of the Aedra/Daedra line, the bloodline is attached to the mother’s side of the pantheon, unless a majority of the bloodline have consistently shown a predisposition to the father’s temperament/powers. For example, the Fates and the Dream Walkers are all children of Samekkh and Nocturna, but the Fates are considered to be Celestials because of their connection with the future and prophecy is more closely associated with Samekkh, while the Dream Walkers are considered to be Daedra since they have a deeper connection to dreams and actively work with Nocturna and her consort Malger. Both are fairly neutral and “benign” in comparison to other Celestial and Daedric bloodlines.
(Note: To ask about a bloodline/parent combination that isn’t listed, please contact Chris/RavenB first. It is possible that your mix is already under development, the concept is completely free for discussion, or it is better covered by another existing bloodline.)
Devas
The Devas are warrior-beings who specialize in doing battle against the daedra and their servants. The first devas were children of Kammoloth by Akkala, but they are now a celestial race in their own right. They can take on a variety of forms, but they most often look like humans or Elves with large feathery wings. Most devas encountered on Earth (about 90%) are female; it is unknown if this is indicative of an actual sex bias in the birth of devas, or if there is simply a difference in the assigned duties of male and female devas.
These celestials are the gods' counterpart to the balrog: fierce combatants who never back down from a fight. Devas, however, also have a wide range of spells and spell-like abilities to call on, which they use in addition to brute force. They are rigidly lawful beings, and their devotion to the Great War is unwavering. Often they will become so committed to defeating a certain evil that they lose sight of the collateral damage their battles are causing; thus, the celestial princes endeavor to keep them on a short leash.
“I do not believe mercy is considered a sign of insanity, Lug.” I poured myself a cup of tea and sat down before the fire, my eyes fixed on the flames.
Behind him, Sylvia turned away from the door, making a sound of disgust. “Forgive me, Mistress, but in this case I think you're wrong. Showing mercy to a deva is insanity. You should have killed it, or left it for the hunters.”
The flames danced before my eyes: wild, powerful, made safe only by their careful confinement. “She's only a child, Sylvia.”
“No,” Sylvia snapped. “This isn't one of your little lost orphans, Mistress. It's a weapon. A tank with legs. Remember the Battle of Red Hill? Twenty devas snuck past our lines and killed an entire nest of succubae. What was the body count that day? Something like a hundred adults and four hundred children?”
“Four hundred and fifty-three,” I whispered. I'd been with the medical team that looked for survivors that day. A futile gesture; as ever, the aedra had been supremely thorough.
Sylvia knelt by my feet and looked into my face, drawing my eyes away from the fire. Her own eyes burned with greater intensity than the wood.
“If that thing lives, it will become a monster,” she said. “It will kill our kind wherever it finds them. Even if it keeps its word not to harm us, it will kill hundreds of other daedra before it falls.”
“You don't know that.” Whether I was trying to convince her or myself, I do not know.
Sylvia looked on me as if in pity. “It isn't like us, Mistress. You're always going on about how our humanity is what makes us special, how it gives us the freedom to choose our own path. Well, that thing doesn't have any humanity, not even a little bit. It can't deny its nature.”
—Isri Fallon, Unpublished Story2
Eladrins
The first eladrins were born to Velena during a short relationship (lasting only a few centuries) between her and Dokorath. Because all's fair in love and war, the eladrin have grown up with far more chaotic tendencies than their cousins, the devas.
The eladrins don't care much for open battle, although they are cunning and effective warriors when need be. Instead, they prefer to work alone, pulling strings here and there and working among mortals to fight the forces of evil and injustice. More than a few uprisings and assassination attempts against evil tyrants were the result of an eladrin's influence. In the Great War, the eladrins are the spies and special-forces operatives, building alliances with the native inhabitants of the Dreamlands while sabotaging the efforts of the Lords of Hell-in-Exile.
Eladrins can take a wide variety of forms to accomplish their goals, but their "truest" form is that of a tall, dark-skinned human with golden feathery wings. About 90% of eladrins encountered on Earth are male; it is unknown if this is indicative of an actual sex bias in the birth of eladrins, or if there is simply a difference in the assigned duties of male and female eladrins.
Most eladrins are committed to the Great War for emotional reasons, despising the daedra's mistreatment of the Dreamlands' inhabitants and fearing what would happen to that realm if the celestials were to abandon it. That having been said, eladrins are far more likely than devas to desert from the War if they find themselves being pulled into the Material Plane. Some feel like their particular talents can be put to better use in the human world, where war is not all-consuming and they can afford to spend years or decades working to reverse some great injustice or social evil. Eladrins have also been known to become attached to individuals whom they consider "special projects", working to turn them to the side of good. More than a few Plane-touched bloodlines have resulted from eladrins who fell in love with their mortal charges.
Fates
Nine powerful celestials who are believed to guide events in the mortal world, weaving the tapestry of the future according to the instructions of whatever higher voice directs them (possibly Iluvatar Himself). They are children of Samekkh and Nocturna, and are apparently neutral in the Great War. The true extent of their control over mortal destiny has been a topic of hot debate among theologians for centuries; the Ecclesia denies that they have any power to guide events, but the Meraist Church and many Universalists believe that they play a more active role.
Kerubs
Kerubs are descendants of Velena and Kammoloth who are tasked with watching over mortal-kind and ensuring that those who are faithful in their devotion to love and beauty are appropriately rewarded. Their expertise as romantic match-makers is legendary — as are their occasional misguided efforts, which can be both highly amusing and highly embarrassing.
The kerubs generally feel out of place in the Dreamlands War, and make their way to the mortal plane whenever possible. Many of them have become members of Velena's Hope Foundation, but some live unnoticed among the mortal races, quietly continuing the work they were born for.
Muses
Nine goddesses of inspiration, dedicated to the various artistic and creative pursuits. They are Samekkh's daughters, the result of a past relationship with Velena, but he does little to direct their activities. (He cares little for the illogical behavior of most artistic types.) The Muses' immediate supervisor is Sakkan, a goddess who some old tales say was a member of a previous pantheon that was defeated by the current gods and goddesses. According to the story, most of these subjugated deities sought to save themselves by swearing fealty to Lord Kammoloth and taking up lower positions within the hierarchy of the Nine Heavens. Sakkan, Goddess of the Arts, was the last surviving member of the old pantheon to submit in this fashion, and she only did so in order to gain the help of the gods in saving her last worshiper from deadly peril. (Some legends also say that Sakkan was once a mere human woman who was apotheosized, but it is impossible to determine whether this story is true.)
Nereids/High Nereids
Descendants of Wvelkim and Artela, the nereids are sea-nymphs that associate themselves with features of the undersea world — coral reefs, underwater caves, kelp forests and deep-sea vents. They reproduce by mating with Maeril, and gain power in ways similar to those of nymphs.
Nymphs/High Nymphs
Unlike other celestials, the nymphs have always been defined by their connections to the material world rather than the outer planes. Descendants of Artela and unknown mortals, nymphs are always female; they reproduce by mating with mortals or Dreamlander natives who catch their interest. Each nymph is bound to a host, a particular feature of the natural world — usually a tree, cave, lake or river. A nymph draws sustenance from the mana generated by its host, as well as any mana conduits that run through the area; a nymph whose host is destroyed cannot survive.
Because of their inherent vulnerability, nymphs are jealous guardians of the wild places where they live, and a mortal who injures or kills one nymph is likely to face retaliation from her sisters and cousins in the area. Nymphs are generally nonviolent, but they can cause trouble for mortals by altering local weather patterns or seducing and then imprisoning them, holding them in suspended animation within their trees, caves or waters. Many a greedy land developer has been forced to give up on harvesting in an old-growth forest simply because all of his employees went missing … and heavy rains buried the machinery in three feet of mud.
Nymphs resemble extremely beautiful human or Elven women, often with some features that resemble their hosts. Thus, dryads will have leafy hair, and cave-nymphs often have a stony appearance.
A nymph draws some power from each of her children; dryads, or tree-nymphs, also draw power from each of the trees spawned from her host tree.
If a nymph gains enough power to influence a large area, such as an entire valley or forest, then she becomes a high nymph, transcending dependence on a single host and expanding her influence over an entire geographical area. At this point she is no longer bound to an individual host, which greatly improves her odds of long-term survival. Most trees, after all, do not live more than a few centuries, but a forest can persist for millennia.
High nymphs are widely regarded as having a rich wisdom about the natural world, and they can often call on the aid of many lesser nymphs (usually their own daughters). Most of the unspoiled wilderness left in the modern world has remained unspoiled because it is protected from mortal exploitation by high nymphs.
Sylphs
Children of Dvalin and Artela, sylphs are weather-spirits typically associated with cloud formations. Like nymphs, they draw energy from natural phenomena, but they are not bound to a specific host. Sylphs rarely interact with mortal civilization, but they have been implicated in sabotaging the weather-control spells around some large cities. They are also known to cooperate with their distant cousins, the nymphs, in retaliating against mortals that despoil nature, sending down heavy rains and the occasional lightning bolt to disrupt the destructive activities.
Notes on other Possible Celestial Bloodlines
Akkala was completely faithful to Kammoloth until the Great Fall, despite his many dalliances. She ended that relationship when she discovered that Kammoloth impregnated a human woman for the sole purpose of creating a living weapon to use against their siblings, the Daedra Lords. As such, any pre-Fall bloodlines associated with her would have been promoted from another bloodline. She has had some relationships after the Fall.
Most of Artela’s pre-Fall children are the Nymphs and High Nymphs, her children with various mortals. She did have some children with her siblings. Some, like the Sylphs and Nerieds, still have an anchor to the material plane. Her few children with other gods do not have the same anchor requirements. Since the Fall and her marriage to the King of Quenardya, she has not had any more children and the reason for it has not been discussed.
Kammoloth (a god of celebration) & Dvalin (a god of agriculture and fertility) were known to sleep around a lot, while Velena (a goddess of love) fell in love with most of her siblings at one point in time or another. There are likely a number of Celestial bloodlines out there for with these Aedra as the head.
Samekkh may have had some relationships (long term and short) other than Velena and Nocturna before he met Ophelia, his Oracle and consort. Since meeting her, he has been faithful to her.
Yajiit did not have any children born of her essence before the Great Fall, because her power was so overwhelming. Even promoting a Celestial from another bloodline was considered to be too risky, since her power could burn even her siblings were she to touch them.
Celestial Ranks
Celestial rank is a complex interaction between their generational removal from their divine ancestors and in the strength and power of their essence. There are ways for most Celestials to increase their rank above from the one that they were born to (see Promotion, below).
The list below is from the highest rank to the lowest.
Celestial Princes
The most powerful and favored of the celestials are called celestial princes (once in a while a female will decide to take the title of Princess, but that’s extremely rare). These are the few children of the gods who have shown themselves faithful and skillful enough to be entrusted with their own minor spheres of influence. Such a sphere is always subordinate to that of the particular god or goddess the prince serves; for example, the weather god Dvalin might have princes beneath him with such titles as Master of Lightning, Mistress of the Winds, or Master of Floods.
With the gods exiled to the Material Plane, the nobles are the ones in charge of administrating the Great War.
In addition to the gods' "natural" descendants, some Celestial Princes are beings who were inducted into the rank of Celestial Prince. These may include the gods of older religions, now long dead, or even former mortals who have been apotheosized because they were favored by one of the gods of heaven, or lower ranked celestials that were promoted to a higher rank. Sakkan, Mistress of the Arts, is a celestial princess who falls into this category; see the section on the Muses for more of her story. (see Promotion, below).
Any candidate for Celestial Prince (from among the High Archons) must show legendary capabilities in all respects before consideration. Also, there needs to be a space among the Celestial hierarchy for a promotion to happen.
High Archons
Below the Celestial Princes are the High Archons, the generals of the Nine Heavens. They have only been seen on Earth on a few scant occasions in the entire history of the Lothanasi, and their appearance always heralds some great event in the heavenly realms.
Any candidate for High Archons (from among the Archons) must show extraordinary capabilities in all respects before consideration. Also, there needs to be a space among the Celestial hierarchy for a promotion to happen.
Archons
When a lesser celestial has proven itself worthy of greater power and responsibility, it undergoes a mystical process that transforms it into an archon. Archons are the colonels of the celestial army. They are brilliant tacticians and can wield divine power far greater than that of a deva or eladrin.
Any candidate for Archons (from among the Glimmers) must show respectable capabilities in all respects before consideration. Also, there needs to be a space among the Celestial hierarchy for a promotion to happen.
Glimmers
The humblest of celestials, the glimmer appears as little more than a small, glowing ball of light, with a shape that is reminiscent of their bloodline. They are intelligent creatures that can speak to the mind of nearly any creature (assuming the creature has a mind). The other celestials use glimmers as scouts and messengers. Most young celestials born in the Dreamlands start out as glimmers, and advance to more powerful forms with age, experience and merit.
Rank Exceptions
There a few bloodlines (see below) who do not fit into the traditional hierarchies. These include the Muses (Children of Samekkh with Velena), the Fates and the Dream Walkers (Children of Nocturna with Samekkh and Dvalin), the Nymphs/Nereids/Sylphs (Children of Artela/Lilith/Talia with a mortal/Wvelkim/Dvalin), the Sirens (Children of Suspira with Wvelkim), and the Incubi/Succubae (Children of Suspira and any individual of lower rank, including mortals).
Muses, Fates
The Muses and Fates hold themselves neutral in the War. The Muses care more for the arts that they are attuned to and the Fates do not take direction from the fallen gods (even their parents) but listen to another force (the source of that force is up for debate).
Nymphs/Nereids/Sylphs
Since Nymphs and Nereids are tied to a geographical area and Sylphs are tied to weather phenomenon, they don’t often have personal contact with each other and as such they do not engage in the hierarchy games as that other outsiders do. In cases where one nymph’s/nereid’s area grows to encompass another the weaker will submit to the stronger one as long as they are the same alignment (i.e. if the nymphs are both descended from Artela or Lilith). If two areas with different alignments come into contact, then nature plays its course and the stronger forest will take over the weaker one, changing the alignment of the area. Also, they protect their territories from any threat, whether it is spill over from the Great War or mortal actions. Sylphs are not tied to specific locations and are free to move from place to place. Being tied to weather phenomenon, their personal power may wax and wane (sometimes drastically), but no one has had the opportunity to test that theory to date. It is also not known what happens when two sylphs meet (be they of the same alignment or different ones).
Promotion
The lower levels of the hierarchy can, with enough power, merit, and ability, undergo a ritual to “level up” to the next rank. Proving one’s merit and gaining enough power becomes harder to do so as the rank increases.
For example, many Glimmers can gain the Archon rank with time and dedication, but it extremely rare for a High Archon to be promoted to the rank of Prince and those who have been are legends among the Celestials. There has never been a Prince who gained “godhood” by this method, although there have been some attempts. After the Great Fall, it is possible that if a Prince were to kill a fallen god, that they would take on that power and place in the pantheon, but so far it appears that only mortals have had the audacity to do this.
These increases in rank also physically transforms the entity (unless otherwise noted in the exceptions below), and their bloodline traits become more prominent as their rank increases.
These transformations of rank and essence may only take place on the Material Plane if they are at a site of intense magical power (usually a node) and at least one Fallen God or Celestial Prince Noble is there to perform the ritual, otherwise the transformation ritual must take place in the Dreamlands (or one of the other non-materials Planes that they can access).
It is possible for an entity at a higher rank to invest essence into an entity at a lower rank to raise their rank via a ritual (wherever they are). The investment cost depends on who is doing the investing, the rank of the recipient, and how many ranks they are being raised. For example, a Celestial Prince may raise a Glimmer to an Archon with a small investment of essence and power, but to raise an Archon to a High Archon costs considerably more, and raising a Glimmer to a High Archon has an even higher cost. One restriction is that an entity can only raise an entity to with any rank below their own.
An entity from one bloodline can invest essence into an entity from another bloodline, and the lower ranked entity will take on the characteristics of the higher ranked entity’s bloodline. This transformation costs the higher ranked entity more essence than if the lower rank entity was from within the same bloodline, and the greater the rank of the donating entity, the more characteristics the lower ranked entity takes on from the new bloodline. The closer the bloodlines are in flavor and temperament, the lower the cost is for promotion (e.g. it would be easier for the healthy Akkala to promote someone from Veluna’s bloodline of love than it would be for her to promote someone from Dokkarath’s bloodline of war, however honorable.)
The Discovery of Promotion
The Daedra Lord Tallakath discovered the process of increasing an entity’s rank and the additional cost in essence to cross bloodlines when he raised a Nephilim from another bloodline to become his first Daedra Noble at a great cost to himself, and the new Daedra Noble’s former bloodline characteristics were mostly eradicated to the point that it is not certain to which bloodline the Master of Decay belonged to (most believe that it was Revonos’ while some speculate that it may have been one of Lilith’s non-dread nymph brood… but the Master of Decay and his Prince of Pestilence will not give an answer when asked). Tallakath did this as an experiment since he was completely uninterested in the fornications that gave his siblings their children, but the essence expenditure was so great that he later experimented with the old fashioned method of sex, which created Daedra Nobles with a much lower essence expenditure. He also invested essence into some of the older death and pestilence gods that were dying from the lack of worship (although rumor holds that he let at least one of those old gods that offered their services to him die so he could observe the process). This investiture into dying older gods cost less essence than uplifting a being from other daedric bloodlines, but cost more than having sex with another Daedra Lord (which even after several nights with Suspira and Lilith, Tallakath remained unimpressed with sex). Samekkh would use that latter process to rescue the older Goddess of the Arts, Sakkan, from certain death to be the mentor of his daughters, the Muses. Eventually, most of the other gods followed both practices to increase the size of their bloodlines and forces in the Great War. Before the Fall, Yajiit and Oblineth refrained from this practice because the strength of their power caused harm to even their siblings, and they couldn’t “drain” enough out to invest in an individual from another bloodline.
This investment of essence from one entity into another is what lead the Aedra Lords to discover the process that creates the Avatars. Before the Day of the Starchild, it was possible for a god to raise a mortal to the ranks of the Outsiders at great cost. Due to the expense, it was rarely done but for the most dedicated of mortal servants. They also discovered that it was possible to invest mortals with a lower level of essence to create an Avatar. While it is possible that there were more of them before the Fall, there are few now since the fallen gods have a limited amount of essence available.
Promotion Exceptions
The power and rank of a Nymph/Dark Nymph is not tied into her age or experience, but on the size and strength of her anchor in the natural world and the mana source she has as a result. As one grows stronger, the size of the area that her bond is tied to also extends.
Once that strength hits a certain point, a nymph will grow to be a High/Dread Nymph, but she will not go through an obvious a physical transformation (her physical appearance is always tied into the health of their anchor, but the effect is more subtle).
Nereids are tied to water based locations and gain power in the same way as a nymph, however their bloodline does not originate with a pairing with a mortal, allowing some to be promoted to the rank of Prince/Noble in service to one of their parents.
Sylphs are not tied to specific locations and are free to move from place to place. Being tied to weather phenomenon, their personal power may wax and wane (sometimes drastically), but no one has had the opportunity to test that theory to date. Like Nereids, since sylphs have two divine parents, some have been promoted to the rank of Prince/Noble in service to one of their parents.
Visual Aids
To help visualize the bloodlines and ranks, and how they interact across the pantheon, there's two files to help (will open in new windows):
Earthbound Celestials
When one of the lesser celestials mates with a human or other mortal, the result is a Plane-touched — a mortal with mild supernatural talents and a connection to the forces of light or darkness, law or chaos.
When one of the ex-gods themselves mates with a mortal, however — or with a lesser outsider — the result is something more powerful than a normal Plane-touched. Because these individuals are born in the mortal world, they tend to be more human in form and mannerisms than the races of celestials that originated in the Nine Heavens; however, they are still immortal, and as such they are considered true celestials and not mere Plane-touched mortals.
Earthbound celestials are classified by their parentage, and they generally display powers similar to those of their parents, though to a lesser degree. Dokorath did not have any Earthbound children before he died, and Kammoloth's only Earthbound child was Merai Starchild
Akkalites
Before the Great Fall, Akkala was faithful to Kammoloth, in spite of his numerous (and infamous) dalliances with mortals and other members of the pantheon. When it was revealed, however, that Kammoloth had seduced a human woman for the sole purpose of creating a living weapon, Akkala's patience finally ran out. She disowned him and chose to remain at Metamor while Kammoloth retreated into the wilderness. She would not see him again. In the years since she has had a series of relationships with mortal humans, who have given her a total of 37 children; however, she has never felt a strong enough bond to any of these men to apotheosize one of them. The Akkalites are active in a variety of organizations dedicated to health and healing, and many of them work with the International Red Spiral, the Imperial Department of Health and the Lothanasi. (Interestingly, two of them have joined Talia's Church of Eternal Brotherhood, assisting them in the development of blood banks and maintenance of a clean, healthy blood supply. While their motives were good, their association with the Vampire Queen has been a source of lasting tension with their mother.)
Artelites
Artela has not had any new children since marrying the king of Quenardya in 1453. Before that time, however, she had brief dalliances with at least three mortals, including an Elven ranger. She had four children as a result of these couplings, two sons and a pair of twin daughters.3 All four of them share the wanderlust and passion to explore the world that were once Artela's defining traits, and they seldom stay in the same place or profession for more than a few decades. They are a close-knit family, however, and stay in touch with each other wherever they go; because of this, they have often been valuable intelligence-gatherers for their mother, as they see and hear things that might otherwise never reach Quenardya.
Dvalinites
More than any other member of the Pantheon, Dvalin has scattered his seed far and wide. Charming, handsome and charismatic, he has endeared himself to countless lovers over the centuries; at any given time his harem numbers between two and three hundred, and he will quite readily lie with any attractive woman who propositions him. He has chosen to make his seed highly potent, and these couplings invariably result in pregnancy. He prefers human women — perhaps because they require so little in terms of long-term commitment — but he has been known to mate with Plane-touched, Silvaan, lesser celestials, and succubae, as well.
It is rumored that he has had a long, secret affair with Talia, the Vampire Queen, though the daedra lord remains mum on the identity of her children's father. All in all, the Dvalinites probably number in the tens of thousands; their appearances are as varied as those of their mothers, but they can be identified by their command over wind and lightning, their pearlescent, opal-like eyes, and their ability to fly with little more than a thought. They are, as a rule, beautiful, charming and passionate, and fearsome to behold when angered. Dvalinites can be found in nearly every walk of life, from the Lothanasi to the Church of Hedonism.
Rickkter's kin
Rickkter and Kayla have had several children over the last 1300 years. All of them have taken on the appearance of theriomorphs, even though they have full control over their appearance. They share their father's ability to enhance combat abilities — both their own and those of mortals — but they can usually be found assisting Rickkter in his efforts to prevent war rather than perpetuate it.
Samekkites
Samekkh is slow to show affection, and in the years since the Great Fall he has had only one love — his Oracle and consort, Ophelia (who was transformed into something resembling a naga by Samekkh's divine power). He apotheosized her in 730 CR, the first of the pantheon to do so, for the power that had sustained her before the Fall had begun to fade. Samekkh could not bear to see one so wise and intelligent wither and die, and it was out of this appreciation of her talents that he came to find true love. She has borne him 15 children over the centuries, and their sound judgment and insight is a source of great pride to Samekkh and Ophelia both. All of their children have served as helpers and assistants in Pyralis at one time or another, but Samekkh does not wish for his children to labor too long under his shadow, and inevitably they make their way to other lands where their brilliant minds will be of use.
The children of Samekkh are problem-solvers and tinkerers; where something worthy is being imperfectly done, they will study it, break it down and figure out how to make it better. Majestrix Kyia employs a few of them as researchers and troubleshooters for the Empire of Metamor. (Six of the Samekkites have chosen to follow their hearts rather than pure logic, pursuing interests in art, religion, drama, or other vocations where passion is crucial. Samekkh is somewhat perplexed by this, but he consoles himself with the knowledge that their formidable intellects will surely improve the execution of whatever matter they set their minds to.)
All of Samekkh's children are fair-skinned, like their parents, and have naga-like serpentine tails in their natural forms (though they can shapeshift to a more humanoid configuration whenever they wish). They pass this ability on to their own descendants, which often leads to some confusion as to whether one is dealing with a naga of [Rukilia or a Plane-touched descendant of Samekkh.
Velenites
On the surface, it seems almost inconceivable that Velena, out of all the gods, should be alone. Yet no member of the pantheon has been more unlucky in love than the goddess of love herself. To be sure, many have sought her affections over the ages, and have received them; the problem is that Velena gives of herself too readily. She has apotheosized a lover twenty-two times, often within a year of meeting them — and each time she has been forced to accept that power back when her lover left her. The problem seems to be that the types of people Velena is attracted to will enter into relationship with her without understanding the heavy burden that comes with immortality. After the novelty fades, and friends and loved ones age and die, the world seems a sadder and emptier place, and many are unwilling to invest in the whole process of befriending mortals again when they know that the same thing is going to happen. It's also undeniable that Velena spends a lot of her time helping others, and some of her consorts have simply been unable to cope with sharing her attentions with so many other people.
Despite the unhappy endings of each of her relationships, Velena has found joy in the children those unions have brought to her — 73 of them since the Great Fall. Some of them work for the Hope Foundation, but others have spread throughout the world, following interests as diverse as humanity itself. Their powers are similar to those of the kerubs, only more potent, and their actions among humans in need of love are often similar…
Wvelkimites
Wvelkim has remained faithful to his longtime consort, Queen Neria, with whom he fathered the Maeril race. They continue to periodically bear new children, two or three every century, who serve as princes and leaders over the Maeril. They use their command over the forces and creatures of the sea to protect the Maeril and their environment from exploitation by mortal races.
Yajiiti
The gods and daedra lords all responded to the Great Fall in different ways, but only the sun-goddess Yajiit reacted with complete and utter joy. With her essence being fueled by an enormous fusion reactor, Yajiit had been unable to touch anyone or anything prior to the Fall — the brush of her hand would turn mortal flesh to ashes, and burn even the celestial flesh of her fellow gods. When Merai drained her of the bulk of her power, however, that fiery aura faded away, and Yajiit was at last able to express the gentle, loving heart that had always been inside of her. She discovered sex within days of her transformation, and to this day there are few in the pantheon who engage in intimacy as totally and completely as Yajiit. Pregnancy, too, came as a joy like none she had ever known; having never had children during her years in the Heavens, she soon made up for lost time upon reaching Earth. Yajiit has had over 300 children since the Great Fall — some by other Outsiders, Elves, Silvaan, and even a few good-hearted lutins, but most by humans. The Yajiiti, as they are called, tend to be soft-spoken but passionate, capable of childlike wonder and appreciation for the simple pleasures of existence. They are peaceful creatures at heart, but if they ever are provoked to anger, their wrath is terrible, as they can produce flames to rival the most powerful sorcerer or pyrokinetic. Yajiiti tend to have golden skin, bright blue eyes, and flame-red hair; they are surrounded by a radiant glow when they are happy, and a dark, roiling smoke when they are angered. They love people, but they prefer small groups to large crowds, and they will be found more often in towns and villages than in big cities like Metamor.
Warding & Consecration against Celestials
It is possible for mortals, through divine wards and blessings, defend their home against the intrusion of minor celestials. This isn’t seen all that often, since most people wouldn’t think to bar their home to a celestial, but those belonging to cults to one of the Daedra Lords will use them. Minor blessings and wards need to be refreshed regularly, and certain actions (like crossing the barrier) can dissipate them.
Wards and blessings only work against Glimmers. Higher ranked celestials can easily overpower these defenses.
However, it is impossible for any rank of Celestial to enter an area consecrated by certain religions, e.g. a shrine center for a the Church of Ba’al, regardless of their personal alignment, once their power is manifested (Earthbound Celestials can enter these consecrated areas until they reach puberty/their powers manifest).
The fact that wards and consecration blessings against Celestials exist is a fairly well-kept secret, mostly by the fact that it is almost never ever discussed (anyone using these defenses certainly aren’t talking about it to just anyone).
Arcane wards, of course, work differently, and as such are often used by followers of the Daedra Lords to mask and hide any divine based wards, blessings, and consecration. In fact, they tend to use divine works only during rituals and events to bolster the arcane wards to minimize the timeframe that they could be detected. (See magic for more details.)
Known Celestials
- Celestials
- Earthbound Celestials
- Merai Starchild, Kammoloth's only Earthbound child.
- Baronesa Delilah Velasco de Moraine (suspected Velenite)
Author’s Notes
Due to the nature of divine magic, it should be impossible for Aedra/Celestials to enter any area consecrated by certain religions or cults. More clarification on this to come, but if Daedra/Fiends are barred from places based on Light-divine consecration, (which is supported by the story The Muse), then the opposite should be true.
Original Source [http://transform.to/~ravenb/stories/mk2k/bible/celestials.html], Kyia
