Celestine

Religious works, like Commentaries on the Divine?, discuss several types of immortal beings such as the Quintessence? and The Primal Powers; these are entities unfathomably beyond human scope. Together, these two supernatural forces are believed to have shaped the world and created the laws of reality. However, their progeny, the Celestine dwell among men and face the same destruction at the hands of the Ennwrathi.

The Celestine

Humans are poorly equipped to understand the Celestine. They are not physical entities so much as spiritual powers of fire and light who exist beyond the need of a flesh and blood form. These spirits cling tenaciously to life and, even when brought low by violent acts, the spirit may survive if it can anchor itself to this realm. All Celestine are inherently immortal, not invincible; they may be killed by violent means.

Artists often depict the Celestine as luminescent beings vaguely resembling humanity, even though the true nature of their form is unknown.

Before the rise of the Ennwrathi and the corrupting power of the Adversary, the Celestine often adopted physical form to allow them to interact with men. Many of these forms were anthropomorphic, that is to say they resembled man. However, the Celestine have been known to take the form of exotic animals or of mythic beasts such as great stags, mighty hounds, or winged serpents. Later, exposure to the corruption of the Adversary changed this. The nature of this enduring evil easily perverted the physical form of the Celestine, enslaving their spirit to the physical form. Once trapped, these mighty spirits were corrupted and bent to the will of the Adversary. Beings such as the Entuku, monsters capable of destruction on such a massive scale that legends persist more than a thousand years later, are the results of this corruption among the greatest of the immortals.

The corruption of the Celestine Dheymos and his court gave the Adversary both a general of great skill and a waiting army. This was but the first of many defeats suffered by the Celestine in the start of the First Ennwrathi War. Armed with a fearsome legion, the Adversary pressed his cause against the immortals. The remaining Celestine fled in terror of the corrupting influence; they refused to take form and instead fought the Ennwrathi through proxy. They twisted the forms of other creatures, including men, to make them suitable for war.

The retreating Celestine formed into compacts based in part on how they felt the threat of the Ennwrathi should be solved. These compacts still persist today and are the basis for the factions of the Celestine.

The number of Celestine remaining is unknown.

The Aesar

The Aesar? are the dominant Celestine coalition active on Roen. The Great Fellowship names these luminous beings as the Prophets of Ro?. The Aesar are believed to number less than a dozen and are considered saints within the church. Those who venerate one of the Prophets will often wear a silvered coin with flames rising from the lower half. At the top of this pendant is a rune depicting the specific saint invoked by the talisman. Avalloch? is the highest-ranked saint in the church hierarchy, while Brynn? is widely regarded as the most popular of the Prophets. Other Celestine Prophets include Tamalin, Aislyn, Brón, Shevonne, and Cinaed.

The Fenn

The power center of this violent sect is far to the north among the Glacian? people who revere these powerful immortals as the gods of the Brotherhood of the White Temple. The Fenn? have waged a continuous war against the Ennwrathi and their minions. Many of the faction have assumed the form of gigantic, powerful humans who lead their followers in battle. Centuries spent locked in the flesh undergoing constant violence and worship has driven a deep wedge between the Fenn and other Celestine. The symbol of the Brotherhood of the White Temple is a quarter moon interlocked with a five-pointed star, which is worn as a pendant of silver. No single Celestine rules the Fenn. The most powerful and respected members are Bors for his wisdom, Bori for his cunning, and Terak for his prowess. Other members of the faction are Wyff, Trey, Voland, Jayla, and Idanya.

The Jann

Once Taranis? was but one of many immortals bent on twisting mankind into an army to defeat the Ennwrathi. Now, he rules alone over hundreds of his own descendants with human concubines. The Jann? follow the will of Taranis in word and deed for the least offense is punishable with death. The lands of the god-king are noticeably free of the taint of the Ennwrathi but Taranis’s own corruption may be worse than any threat posed by the Ennwrathi.

The Re

The mysterious Re? are arcane spirits guarding the lands of the Erenn?. Like the Fenn?, they dwell among their followers and treat them as parents treat a well meaning child. Unlike the Fenn, the Re are seldom seen by outsiders. Traces of their bloodline has mingled with the Erenn which implies that they do take physical forms if only for the purpose of producing children. The Re are an insular faction discouraging those who trespass in their mountain homes. They have claimed the lands of Erenn and defy those who would claim or corrupt it.

Aislyn?: Aesar Celstine
Avalloch?: The leader of the Aesar Celestine in Annwynn?.
Bori?: Fenn. Known for cunning
Bors?: Fenn. Known for wisdom
Bron?: Aesar.
Brynn?: Popular Aesar. [Baldur, Galahad]
Cinaed?: Aesar
Eorma?: Primal power who carried message from Ro to the Celestine.
Idanya?: Fenn
Jayla?: Fenn
Shevonne?: Aesar
Tamalin?: Aesar
Taranis?: The bloody god-king of the Radiant Kingdoms. [Aries, Modred]
Terak?: Fenn. Known for prowess.
Trey?: Fenn. The hunter.
Voland?: Fenn. The smith. Forger
Wyff?: Fenn. Female warrior.