The Celestials

These two supernatural beings of Aether and Nether, whom take the shape of a white and a black dragon respectively, are responsible for the creation of the world and all life in it, as well as its balance, both seen as beings of pure untold levels of aether and nether energy.

The Aetherian Celestial, Athyna, is capable of breathing life into whatever she comes in contact with, as well as capable of purging darkness. Athyna is told to be a wonderful dragon of pure white scales, with a smooth body, with a row of feathers down her back, bright blue eyes, feathered wings, and adorned with golden kintsugi-style markings that seem to dynamically change.

The Celestial Scion of Aether is said to be born from one of her sanctified scales.

The Netherian Celestial, Althyon, is capable of taking any life he comes in contact with, as well as capable of purging light. Althyon is mentioned as a mysterious dragon black as the void itself, with horns that sharply point forward, bright red eyes, a row of spikes down his plated body, and adorned with golden kintsugi-style markings that seem to dynamically change.

The Celestial Scion of Nether is said to be born from one of his sanctified scales.

The two opposites complement each other and naturally coexist without quarrel, as part of the natural order of existence. Without them, the world is vulnerable to imbalance and chaos.

They are neutral despite their innate elements: neither good nor evil, and often seen as the symbols for day and night, life and death, light and darkness.

All species know and understand deep down the source of their existence as shaped and given life by these Celestial beings. The most religious members hope that with the permanent defeat of the Entity one day, the gods will return.

The Celestial Chantry

In Aethyr the prevalent religion of all beings is that of the Celestials, followed by a minor religion that worships the Ancestors.

The main building for the Celestial Religion is the Celestial Chantry, located in the City of Aethyria, within the Heartlands, which encompasses both Aetherian and Netherian variants.

In the Capitals of every Kingdom we can find specialized Aetherian or Netherian Chantries and Temples, depending on the Kingdoms' alignment.

Elementless dragons or other non-draconic beings often choose neutrality but remain respectful of the Celestials, or select one of the two to worship, which is acceptable and encouraged.

There are also Sanctuaries and smaller Shrines dedicated to the Celestials spread throughout the world.

Within the Celestial Chantry reside the members of the Celestial Order: individuals of any species that have devoted their lives to caring for these temples, and educating the population about their deities as well as the tennets of their religion. These tennets promote the acceptance of all creatures as holy creations of the Celestials, and should be respected as such. To harm other beings unnecessarily is always considered heresy and a punishable offence by the Order.

The temples are organized in the following manner:

The Grand Divine: They are considered to be the Listeners of the deities, whom speak through them. Depending if the Chantry is of Aether, they will have a female Grand Divine, if it is of Nether, they will have a male Grand Divine. The Chantry in the Heartlands alternates between each successor.

The Grand Cleric: each Celestial Temple has a Grand Cleric, and they are the one to guide every member and uphold both faith and morals. They are the supreme teachers of the Celestials' faith, and their authority is to be respected. They are the ones to oversee the union between members of high society.

Revered Mother/Father: these members oversee Celestial Sanctuaries and smaller temples or shrines, aiding in organization and conflic-solving. They are also the ones to consecrate Templars to become fully fledged members of the Order. They are the ones to unite beings in sacred union. Referred to as "your Reverence".

Clerics: usually assistants to the Revered Mother/Fathers, Clerics are the leaders of the smaller comunities within Celestial Sanctuaries. In the Celestial Temples they aid with other religious tasks such as masses, etc...

Mothers/Fathers: usually assistants to Clerics within Celestial Sanctuaries, also the ones in charge of overseeing the ranks below them.

Brothers/Sisters: the faithful of the Celestials, fully fledged members are expected to follow with their practices and mundane tasks such as scribing, etc...

Volunteers: these are not members yet, but are being trained and taught to be.

All members must follow the Temple's rules, or risk being banished permanently from it.

All are allowed to Unify, but Grand Clerics and the Divine are expected to put their duties before anything else.

Within the Temples, lie the dragon hatcheries and nurseries: rooms dedicated to each element (depending on the location of the temple, with the Heartlands having the Chantry which features enough rooms for both aether and nether aligned elements) to support the hatching of laid eggs, under the protection of the Order, and nurseries to help them grow the first week of their infancy until they are strong enough to walk and run for themselves, which is when they are taken home.

Clerics of each chantry have their own themed robes depending on alignment, with Aetherian having pristine white robes and golden details, and Netherian having obsidian black robes with golden details.

The Celestial Order

The Celestial Order, also known as the Templar Order, is the military body of the Celestial Faith. The sword and shield that protects and aids its members. It is one of the highest professions in the realm.

When the Corruption arrived in Aethyr, a group of valiant dragons gathered together, reuniting the strongest of their kind to protect their kin, independently of their status or wealth, as long as they were strong, capable and would risk their lives for their kin.

Led by Grand Master Vinthur, of the Frostborne House, this group was the spearhead by the first Celestial Warrior which banished the Entity during the First War. Regarded as heroes, the Order was founded, and were since tasked to protect and serve the Celestial Warrior, and later, the world itself in the Celestial's name.

They only answer to Celestial Sanctum, the de-facto leading House of Religion.

The Order is military-oriented and is considered a neutral organization with authority that supercedes any Kingdom, albeit they are still expected to respect the rules of each.

Templar: Members of the Order in charge of keeping the Order Strongholds safe, as well as the entire realm. They only answer to the Grand Clerics and Grand Divine. It is an extremely high honor, and they are chosen from the best of the best the army has to offer. They are demanded their lives for the cause of the Order, which makes it a rather undesireable profession, since they must put the Order and the safekeeping of the Realm over their own safety or that of their loved ones. They must also be in top physical condition and not miss any limbs or anything that could potentially hinder their job. As such, any health issues are grounds to be denied during recruitment. They are also required to have a minimum elemental mastery of Tier 5 (experienced). Templars are assigned to Celestial Temples, but also any regions in which there's even the slightest whisper of Corruption. Templars are also fitted with the best armor to be possibly crafted, which due to their rarity end up often passed down from one Templar to another when they step down or pass away. This armor is easily recognised for its obsidian or white color with golden accents, which depending on the dragons' alignment will be one or the other, regardless of their personal belief.

Sentinel: Dragons in charge of guarding the Temples, often standing by their doors, as well as guarding the troves of knowledge and artifacts within them, but also patrolling twhere higher security levels are needed such as Royal Palaces, and keeping an eye for possible Corruption. They answer to the Order only.

Keeper: Members of the Order of lower ranking, often occupying positions related to the upkeep of the Templar Orders' headquarters, as well as writing of scripts, caretaking of younger apprentices, etc... They answer to the Order only.

The Celestial Scions

Created by the Celestial Gods Athyna and Althyon in a time of despair during the assault of the mysterious Entity which they could not defeat, this being was given a fraction of the Gods' powers in order to fight for them and prevent the otherworldy creature from consuming the world while they took refuge inside the world itself, providing for it from within.

This being was the only thing that stood between life and total annihilation, and was capable of doing so only because of their combined power of Aether and Nether.

Centuries later, two Celestial Scions hatched, and it will be their duty to stand between the Entity and total corruption.

Celestial Scions are able to harness multiple elements at once, as well as the magic of pure Aether or Nether.

Nether Scions can learn Nether elements easily, while Aether Scions are the opposite, learning Aether elements easily.

They always master their elements in their lifetime, and these will always be white or black with touches of gold, depending on whether they are Aether or Nether.

Pure Aether will always be breathed and manipulated as pure white, and pure Nether will always be breathed and manipulated as pure black.

Aether Scions are white-colored dragons with golden metallic kintsugi-like markings.

Nether Scions are black-colored dragons with golden metallic kintsugi-like markings.

Most often, these dragons will look nothing like their parents in coloration, though physical features and traits will remain.

If found, they are taken in by the Elder Keepers to be adequately raised for their glorious purpose.

The Ancestors

While the Celestials is the primary religion, there is a secondary religion that most beings worship as well, called the Ancestral Religion. This religion focuses on worshipping past Ancestors, as sons and daughters of the Celestials themselves whom have returned to their place of origin besides their Makers.

The Ancestral Temple

The Ancestral Temples are often considered "lesser" than the Celestial Chantries, due to their higher accessibility to the common folk.

They are mostly dedicated to hatcheries, orphanages, free schools, and Ancestor worshipping. These large buildings are often under the care and watch of dragon Guardians, who in turn answer to the Elder Guardians.

Ancestral Temples can be found in most Cities and Capitals.

There are the following roles within Ancestor Temples:

Guardians: Dragons in charge of teaching and overseeing the Temple. Only one of each element, but depending on which Kingdom they are located at, there will be only Aether-aligned or Nether-aligned guardians. The only exception to this is the Heartlands in which they will have a mix.

Protectors: Dragons in charge of watching over Temples and Academies, with extensive military training, often regarded as elite warriors. They answer to the Guardians and Elder keepers only. These members are tasked for the specific guarding of highly sensitive targets, such as eggs, high profile members of the Order or the Chantry, etc. They answer to both the Chantry and the Order.

Custodians: Dragons in charge of watching over eggs and hatchlings until they are old enough to be sent to school, as well as any other mundane tasks to keep the Temple functioning seamlessly. They often act as foster parents to abandoned hatclings that are not adopted through their life. They answer to the Elders and Guardians only.

Seers: Dragons with a special "sixth sense" who are capable of tapping into the branches of the Great Tree of Time, also known as Yggdrassil, in order to see past, present and future events depending on their mastery, experience and innate talent.