I'm not sure what possessed me to try to make a Heaven-Hell
based RPG, but fortunately for the world, the idea required just entirely too
much complication for me to go through with it. The angel drawings,
however, continued, and thus, here they are. These are, in fact, the
actual angel choirs as detailed by Dante's Paradiso, except for the Ophanim,
which are actually called Chariots or Thrones. I got the idea to call them
Ophanim out of Memnoch the Devil, by Anne Rice, because it matched with
the Cherubim and Seraphim. The Ophanim are an angel choir, though I don't
know what they do. Additionally, in a general sense, the functions of the
angels are, literarily, correct. I made up some of the specifics, though,
since most of the books I saw tended to get a bit vague as the choirs moved
up. The names of the particular angels in each of the drawings are the
rulers of each particular choir, as my sources seem to indicate, though they're
all archangels than angels of their particular choir. Oh well, I'm allowed
to cheat.
Guardian Angels: One guardian angel exists for every mortal, and their task is
to watch over their charges as best they can. Bound by the
non-interference Covenant, they cannot reveal themselves to humans save under
the most extreme circumstances, and can usually only offer gentle, indirect
guidance.
Archangels: Archangels, while only the second choir of angels, have the most
authority and power of all the angels. They are the generals and
commanders of God's armies and the messengers of his word. Though it is
not known precisely how many archangels exist, seven have been named as the
highest of God's generals: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Metatron,
Raguel, and Raziel.
Principalities: The principality is the guardian angel of nations, and the
guardians of mankind as a whole. They have the duty of overseeing the
well-bring of all mankind until the Day of Judgment. One principality
exists for each nation in the world, carefully guarding each race of
peoples.
Powers: The powers are the principal military might of God's armies, the chief
soldiers on the spiritual battlefront in the war between Heaven and
Hell. The powers keep the demons in check, both from invading Heaven and
from creating havoc on Earth.
Virtues: The virtues are the preservers of the earth and the cosmos.
They maintain the laws of physics and the orders of the stars, bearing the
authority to spin matter out of the ether in their efforts to maintain the
life of the universe. The virtues are the principle helpers of God in
the expansion of creation.
Dominion: The dominions are the guardians of reality, hovering at the edges of
the universe to keep the myriad realities from grinding against each
other. In guarding the sanctity of the universe, they are granted the
power to alter reality, so long as the various realities do not spill into
each other and create chaos.
Ophanim: The ophanim are the gatekeepers of Heaven, who guard its borders from
intrusion. Ever vigilant and never-tiring, the ophanim constantly patrol
the edges of Heaven, searching for beings who have entered without permission.
Cherubim: The cherubim are the guardians of Heaven. They maintain peace
and order in Paradise and defend the realm when hostile powers do somehow
evade the watchful ophanim. They preserve the integrity of Heaven and
guard its secrets against all hostile forces.
Seraphim: The seraphim are the highest choir of angels, beings of fire and
light who surround God's eternal throne, continually singing praises to His
name. It is not known what actual purpose the seraphim serve in their
adoration. Some have speculated that the seraphim reaffirm and reassure
God in His eternal task, while others have suggested the seraphim to be nearly
physical extensions of His will. Obviously, no confirmation exists for
either side.
