The Angels of the Firmament are the Second House. They were the ones who guided the winds of creation, who granted the breath of life to all living things, and who defined the spiritual connections between living beings.

Beings of life, health and air.

Favored Attributes Wits, Resolve, Stamina

House Lore: Lore of Awakening, Lore of the Firmament, Lore of the Winds

Anshar, the Visage of the Firmament is one of the Apocalyptic Forms available to the Fallen, specifically those of the House of Asharu.

Appearing as strange, almost alien beings with large eyes and wings, the Anshar see beyond mortal means with enhanced senses and a strong intuition. Although they strive to connect and create relationships, they themselves are afraid of growing too close to things that can hurt them in one way or another. High-Torment Anshar shroud themselves in mist and smoke, and shrink into bony bags of flesh. They are difficult to spot, and can attack quickly and destructively while being almost totally aware of what is going on around them. Eventually, they fade away completely, causing them to lose every connection they ever had.

The Anshar were once among the most powerful of angels. They formed the relationships between everything, from those of the simple animal to the complex range of human emotion. Every connection once fell into the abilities of the Anshar to create and control; the Fall reduced these powers to a mere shade of what they were capable of. Most debilitating was the loss of the ability to create new kinds of connections; Anshar may only manipulate the ones that currently exist.

Image: These Angels are ethereal figures with pale skin and large gray eyes. When they speak, their voice echoes faintly, as if from a great distance, and they alternate between bouts of silent distraction and periods of intense scrutiny.

Torment: Monstrous Anshar seem to retreat even further from the physical realm, shrouded in a mantle of malice. Their skin turns an almost translucent gray, and their bodies become bony and emaciated, the skin stretches taught over their faces until they resemble leering skulls.

(In ancient Sumerian mythology, Anshar was one of the gods of the sky. He is both the brother and husband of Kishar, a goddess of the Earth.)

Dagan, the Visage of Awakening is one of the Apocalyptic Forms available to the Fallen, specifically those of the House of Asharu.

The winged Dagan epitomize health and vitality, and their mortal vessels appear rejuvenated and infused with supernatural vigor when they assume their true forms. So great is their vitality that is spills over into their vicinity, and their mere presence heals and energises. Dagan in this form reflect the life they are full of with perfect health and an amazing vitality. When they become consumed with Torment, however, their vitality becomes rot, and their flesh becomes riddled with disease and parasites. The reek of decay seeps from their mouths, they grow additional limbs, and dead flesh sloughs off in clumps. They may even go so far as to become completely skeletal.

The Dagan were present from the beginning of everything. Every life on Earth came from their own breath, no matter how meek or mighty. The Dagan also enjoyed a surprisingly fruitful relationship with the Namtar, helping them recycle death and life. The Rebellion brought the hope that they could help humanity embrace the life they created, but instead it forced many of them to despair when humans were inflicted with disease and age. In addition, the special partnership with the Namtar was obliterated when God forced the Angels of Death to take the souls away instead of just worrying over the physical form left behind. In the end, the Fallen who brought life were left with nothing but death.

Image: The Apocalyptic form of the masters of animation infuses the angel's mortal body with the blush of youth, grace and vibrant health. This aura of life and vitality radiates as a palpable sense of warmth, like an beam of sunlight, and every living being near the Dagan feels it. Wilted flowers return to full bloom, the injured gain strength and the old forget their afflictions.

Torment: As their demonic nature corrupts the Dagan, their bodies transform into a breeding ground for disease and cancerous tumors. They are covered with misshapen growths and weeping sores, and their foul flesh smells of death.

(Dagan is the name given to the Semitic god of agriculture and the main god worshipped by the Philistines.)

Ellil, the Visage of the Winds is one of the Apocalyptic Forms available to the Fallen, specifically those of the House of Asharu.

The Ellil show themselves as beings who thrive in the wind, complete with wings, the ability to keep themselves from being injured by falls, and the sight of a predatory bird. They seem to be constantly in motion, and the wind surrounding them reflects how they currently feel. Too much Torment, however, makes them become more vulture-like, always bent over and ragged. They can claw their foes to pieces swiftly and without mercy, or can damage them through an armor of quills or a foul bile. No matter the changes, a so-called "ill wind" always surrounds them, at the least putting others at unease, and at the worse outright making them ill or killing them.

The Elill, like many of the elemental Visages, worked closely with other Houses and Visages as well as focusing on their own element. Their primary partnerships were with the Dagan in providing the literal breath that gave things life, and the Adad in creating weather. Also like many elemental angels, the Elill provided potent firepower during the War of Wrath, causing havoc with fierce, battering windstorms. The Elill were among the first angels to discover and master music, able to use air to manipulate objects into creating new sounds. It was in this way many attempted to communicate with humans without violating the will of God; alas, in the end, the humans simply did not understand either way.

Image: The monarchs of the air reveal themselves as tall and lithe, with large eyes and swift, graceful movements. When in revelatory form, the Ellil are constantly surrounded by shifting winds that ebb and flow with the intensity of their emotions. Any smoke or steam in the area is often sucked by these winds into a swirling vortex that circles their heads and shoulders like an ominous halo.

Torment: Ellil who succumb to their demonic nature grow lean and hatchet-featured, their faces dominated by their large, unblinking eyes. Their once-magnificent wings grow ragged and mangy, and their tall stature becomes stooped. Large quills rise from their form. They are always restless, unable to sit still for any length of time.

(Ellil is another name for Enlil, the Babylonian god of winds.)

As Angels: The Guardian Angels had an enviable role in Paradise. Entrusted with carrying the sacred Breath of Life and protecting that life, their duties brought them in close contact with their beloved humanity. But even as they keenly felt the pleasure of humanity's presence, they felt more keenly the  pain of humanity's frustration. The nearness was both torment and elation, and the tension drove many of the Guardians to rebel along with Lucifer.

The Pitt: The Scourges suffered at least as greatly as any others in The Pitt. The pain of being unable to protect the humans they once loved, and knowing that their curse made every human doomed to die was a great torment as they dwelled in darkness.

The Return: Scourges were once the parents ton humanity—indeed, all life— and the needful call of one of their children still draws their attention.

But this world, the wreckage of Paradise, is full of fears, real and imagined. A Scourge may be drawn to genuine fear, only to find that it is for selfish reasons.

Possession: Scourges are drawn to those who know what it means to sacrifice, to those who have laid down their lives to protect another (e.g. military personnel, devoted parents). Many Scourge also have an affinity with those that seek to control lives, protecting humanity sometimes involves taking over (e.g. preachers, doctors).

Factions: The most hopeful Scourges tend toward the Reconciler camp. The concept of a world healed is more tempting to them than the alternative.

Other Scourges continue to pledge fealty to Lucifer, believing that he somehow escaped the rage of the all punishing God, and that he would have the key to sparing humanity. Faustians find few Scourges in their numbers; The Second House was, and in some way still is, intimately concerned with the safety of humanity. They may bless or curse, but coldly using people as tools doesn't come naturally. Though some become Raveners, very few Scourges find value in joining the Cryptics debating society.