Celestials

Celestials are beings created in The Firmament, their bodies composed of celestial, instead of worldly, matter. This celestial matter is formed in the realm known as the First World, via a similar process to that which transforms basal energy into matter in the Primal Wild, then drawn away by the many Gods of Aiaos to fashion their servants and treasures.
Unlike mortals, celestials are not born, nor are they spawned as fiends are, but rather are each made 'to order' by a god or their servants, then imbued with animation and intention by an act of divine will. As a result, although the greatest celestials have agency, none have true free will. Mortals can choose against their creators' will because each generation is different from the last. This is not true of celestials.
DIVINE BEASTS are the simplest of celestials, created to do one thing and to do it well. They are defined not by their form, but by simplicity of intellect and purpose. They are usually created to act as guards, companions or mounts for other celestials or favoured mortal champions.
ANGELIC HOSTS - the term is used both singly and collectively - are the foot soldiers of the Firmament. They have more autonomy and intelligence than divine beasts, but only limited individuality.
HARBINGERS are divine messengers, of good or ill tidings. They take a multitude of forms, but are distinct enough from one another that they are more likely to be identified by name them by type. They are also more likely than most celestials to be permitted to continue existing after their immediate task is performed, as a recognisable face adds weight to a message.
ATTENDANTS fulfil a wide variety of functions. They are complex individuals with agency and discretion, entrusted with the most challenging and nuanced of tasks.
HERALDS are the most powerful and flexible of celestials, some even managing to act against their creators' design. Whether this is a necessity of such creative problem-solving, or whether there is a limit to the gods' ability to predict the behaviour of their creations is a matter of theological debate.

The Naming and Summoning of Celestials

The core of a celestial's being is their name. Called their nominate, it is a gift of their god and the word by which they are spoken into being.
Once spoken, the nominate gathers about it a body of celestial flesh called numina. This form is patterned on the name, and shows the true nature of the celestial. A second form, this an accretion of pure energy, radiates from the numina; this aureole is the mechanism of all the celestial's power.
When sent or summoned to the World, however, the numina is changed to physical matter, and called corpus. If the corpus is destroyed, the celestial's numina reforms in the Firmament. Only by destroying the numina in the Firmament can a celestial be slain, although it is not uncommon for a god to unspeak the name of a servant whose labours are now unneeded.
There are very few old celestials, since they are unspoken instead of lingering, and simply respoken if they are needed again, reforming as if new, without corruption or experience. As a general rule, celestials can only convey the knowledge of their creator, as they themselves have no memory.
To summon a celestial, a mortal must supplicate thor god and nor the celestial in question. To this end, conjurers make great books of celestial names and descriptions to guide them. Should a summoning be permitted and the celestial in question not currently exist, it will be spoken into being.