Foot soldiers in the War between Heaven and Hell, soldiers are mortals that have been gifted by Angels/Demons or circumstances to be capable of things greater than normal mortals. Because Angels and Demons are both discouraged from acting directly on Earth due to the Balance, soldiers are the ones who do the heavy lifting of the War.
Some act with total knowledge of Heavenly/Demonic politics, some act in total ignorance of the political games played above or below. Some are gifted with powers at birth, some granted powerful relics to wield, some taught the powerful Songs of the Symphony. Some simply do the best they can to act against the forces on the other side.
What does your character do?
Heroes often have day jobs. Heaven doesn’t have the ability to pay everyone fighting on the side of good and tends to recruit people with a strong sense of purpose and drive, often with a calling that brought them to the attention of Heaven.
What role does your character play in the War?
The War is not just about active conflict. Heroes on the side of Heaven are often tasked with protecting people with important destinies, obtaining materiel to help the war effort, or simply furthering the Word of their superior. Every soldier is recruited for a reason.
Who recruited your character to the War?
How did your character become part of the conflict between Heaven and Hell? Were they rescued from the other side? Were they raised to the struggle? Did they seek out the conflict?
How much does your soldier know about the War and heavenly politics?
Are they tuned into the politics between the different archangels? Do they believe in what they’ve been told? Have they met a demon? Have they fought a demon? Have they befriended a demon?
What powers does your character have?
Soldiers can have many different abilities beyond normal humans. These are represented by Relics and Songs. Songs may represent inborn abilities that a character can simply do(Natural Singers) or powers that they were taught by Angels or Demons(Angelically Gifted). Relics are magical objects, potentially newly crafted, potentially as ancient as time, that may be bonded to a character. Characters may also have other abilities, such as attunements to the symphony, granted by Archangels/Demon Princes.
What Tether does your character serve?
Most Soldiers in Chicago are strongly associated with one of the major Tethers. They often owe some level of service to one of the Angels of the city and work with them in exchange for patronage. They may share responsibilities at the Tether, even live there if it makes sense to.
What is your soldier’s Destiny? Their Fate?
Every mortal has a Destiny and a Fate. Their Destiny represents the highest good they can achieve, their Fate the worst evil they may sink to. Mortals are capable of singular deeds of good and evil and your character will have both of these. They may not be aware of the capacity within them for good or evil, but as a player, you should be aware of how far they can rise or fall.
What is your soldier’s goal?
What agenda does your character have? Why are they part of the War? What do they hope to get out of it? Many soldiers are in the War for their own reasons. Protecting their community, avenging a lost friend, trying to save a lost love, atoning for past misdeeds, all are possible motivations for soldiers.
There are a few special types of hero that might have one or two present in Chicago.
Saints are those who have died in service to a higher cause and been returned to Earth to serve in the War. They walk a fine balance, because their roles on Earth are subject to scrutiny, so they are only used for special tasks. They are theoretically immortal, but are generally only allowed to serve for shorter terms depending on the nature of the service.
Sorcerers are humans who have learned Songs and magics on their own, often using forbidden rites. Generally, the only beings willing to encourage this are Demons, so Sorcerers are few and far between on the side of Heaven. They practice uncanny rituals in the domains of alchemy, necromancy, exorcism and summoning.
Some creatures survived the Purity Crusade and continued to live either in the Ethereal Marches or in the margins of the world. Many of these found refuge with Hell, but a few may have found enough in common with Heaven to overlook the past misdeeds. Some mythic creatures are immortal, minor spirits or former demigods who have been given vessels similar to Angels, some are mortal creatures that continue to live secretly in the world.
Not all immortal beings who serve Heaven are full Angels. Those beings created by Archangels who have not yet achieved their full status as Angels are known as Relievers. Relievers may exist as relievers for centuries or millennia depending on task, and are similar to Angels in their immortality. They do not have choirs and have only 6-8 forces, depending on how far they have to ascend. Relievers often have specific tasks to complete in support of an Angel, though they are also bound by the terms of the Balance. They still retain some degree of free will, as they are not fully bound to the symphony.
Some Angels in the war are not destroyed, but damaged, their souls fractured beyond repair, but their vessels still intact. Some are able to heal over time, others are left with a peculiarly gifted and bereft existence. Remnants do not have Celestial Aspects, but also are not bound by the terms of the Balance. However, their existence is risky, as they are not protected like mortals are.
Demons are able to grant mortals exceptional powers by transforming them into deathless beings. The ritual does not always work perfectly, so undead end up in three different types, as described by Demons.
Zombies- The weakest lose their sense of personality and become mindless foot soldiers. Zombies have no ethereal forces, and are not available as PCs.
Vampires- Vampires retain their sense of self, but in exchange for power, they gain unnatural hungers for blood, bile or other human fluids. Vampires have 6 forces to start
Mummies- The hardest transformation, Mummies have none of the weaknesses of the weaker types of Undead. Mummies have 7 forces to start, but lack strong emotions.
Natural Singer Mortal- Jorge could always move things with his mind. For years he struggled to keep this power in control and secret, but one day, he was cornered in an alley on his way home. Afraid for his life, he ended up mentally hurling a dumpster at his assailant. As he sat there terrified, he was approached by an Angel of War who helped him up and began to teach him how to use his gifts. (Ethereal Song of Motion)
Celestially Gifted Mortal- Amy is a ER doctor at UI Health who works with the forces of the Sword, healing those who are wounded in the course of battle. To aid her healing, she has been granted the ability to channel some of her own essence into the healing of those beyond medical attention, a gift she has used not just for warriors, but for those she hopes still have a future before them. (Corporeal Song of Healing)
Relic Bearer- Jamal found the ewer in an old building as he was scavenging for copper wires to sell. He originally intended to sell it, but when the demons showed up and tried to steal it, he ran. He was taken in by an Angel of Protection who taught him how the water from the Ewer could wash away mental and spiritual wounds when used properly and gave him a place to stay within the tether commensurate with the honor of the artifact. (Ewer of Abu Musa)
Saint- (content warning: police violence) Fred Hampton had been an up and coming leader in the Rainbow Coalition and the Black Panthers when he was killed in his bed by the Chicago Police Department who fired 99 shots to one fired by a Black Panther. He has been sent back by the Archangel of Protection after the events in Ferguson and gifted with the ability to sense the confluence of events that would lead to the death of an innocent at the hands of police. He now seeks to disrupt those events as best he can, but he must be careful, as he remains a legend and his reappearance would raise questions.
Saint- Alice died in the St. Mary of the Angels fire back in 1958 when she was only 10. When she found herself in Heaven before the Archangel Gabriel and the Archangel asked if she would help her with a special job, she said yes immediately. Now gifted with the ability to see through smoke and to lead the righteous through fire without being burnt, Alice works to oppose the minions of Belial who would hurt people with fire.
Mythic Creature- Maeve came over with a family back in 1847, as the famine raged across Ireland. As a house fairy, she cared secretly over the family and protected them from harm. As the generations have passed, Maeve began to look for opportunities to help more extensively and when one of the members of the family(an aspiring playwright) was recruited to be a Soldier of Blandine, Maeve tentatively came with him. While the soldier she joined with(and the last member of the family she cared for) died of old age a few years back, Maeve remains a constant presence at the tether, making healing foods, listening to people’s problems and secretly keeping the home clean.
Redeemed Sorcerer- Luke summoned his first demon as a teenager, learning the process from books he stole from the Newberry Library during a school trip. It was an easy way to get ahead in life, he got money, power, secrets, all by summoning up and compelling the service of demons and spirits. But he didn’t think of the cost, and finally, he found himself in a bind and with everything on the line, he had to choose between killing an innocent and losing all the wealth and influence he had accumulated. He chose the path of righteousness and sought refuge with an Angel of War. Now, he uses the knowledge that he gleaned carefully, gaining information for the war but being careful of the costs.
Reliever- Grant hopes one day to be an Ofanite. They have served the Board of Trade for years, carrying the messages from the futures trader to their intended audience. In that time, they have learned the ins and outs of the streets of Chicago, travelling as fast as they can, but they dream of greater speeds and more important messages. Recently, they have tried to branch out on their own, serving as a sort of emergency taxi service for mortals serving Heaven, trying to prove their broader usefulness. So far, they haven’t missed any of their duties, but they do keep taking risks trying to improve things.
Remnant- (content warning: torture) Judith was an excellent spy, one of the best in Laurence’s service in Chicago. But all missions carry risk and on one mission Judith was captured by agents of Asmodeus. They tortured her for days, slowly burning away her celestial form, and when Laurence’s agents broke into the enemy safe house, it was too late for Judith. She has no memory of her Angelic status, though she retains a surprising number of espionage skills. Now she helps out around the tether, a grim reminder of the costs of the war.