Angel (DTD)

Angels are constructs of the God-Machine that live to do its bidding.

Creation
Angels are constructed in special Facilities through the use of multiple Infrastructures. Contrasting to other creations of the God-Machine; like Dalgas, Clockwork Servitors or similar beings; Angels are a valuable commodity to the Machine. If an existing Angel fulfills its purpose, it is usually recycled to construct another Angel or put into stasis to be reactivated later.

Angels can look humanoid (and often do in order to blend into mortal society), but this isn’t necessary. There have been Angels observed who are geometrical shapes, chimeras made out of different animals, and mechanical augmented winged figures. Some do not even possess a physical form, instead operating in Twilight or the Shadow similar to a spirit.

Purpose
The mission of an Angel is its life. Demons refer to it as “Incarnation”. Human concepts of ethics, emotions and morality do not influence angels. They commit infanticide or inflict torture on an innocent mortal with the same ruthless efficiency they wield to save a city from a catastrophic outbreak of plague. They do both not because they wish to meddle, but because it serves their mission.

Each Angel is equipped to fulfill its mission with maximum efficiency. For this reason, the appearances of Angels appear so varied. The more complex the task is, the higher reasoning abilities the Angel possesses. These abilities aid it in fulfilling it mission, but also risk triggering a Fall.

Powers
Being essentially tools designed by an intelligent if unknowable creator to fulfill specific functions, angels are far more specialized than other ephemeral entities, like spirits or ghosts. Angels draw their power from Essence, which they gain through their connection to the God-Machine. This Essence is used to fuel Numina, specific powers that each Angels possess in order to fulfill its mission. To an angel, the use of Numina is the equivalent of a human realizing if she makes a pulley system, she can apply force more efficiently than if she simply tried to move a heavy object by hand. These powers seem to be supernatural for mortals, but Unchained have speculated that they are just a set of “occult” physics that human science has not yet quantified, but which is known to the God-Machine.

Designed to operate within these ancient laws, angels are constructed according to the strange arcane principles known in full only to the God-Machine Itself. To a human perspective, they are “supernatural,” but from the perspective of the God-Machine these laws are all part of the greater working, separated only in function. Angels must operate within these laws, just as mortals do, but make use of different functions and principles. Similar to Spirits, Angels possess banes and bans, as well as rank.

Deviation
Despite being ruthless and efficient, Angels are not unfailing. In their own strange ways, angels may even love one another, their mechanical hearts drawn to each other and the bonds forged by shared struggles. When this developing notions focus on something else than the God-Machine or their mission, the danger of defection rises. Some begin to grow curious about the mortal world, begin to ponder the meaning behind their mission and even develop an affection to a specific mortal or duty. If this goes on for too long, the Angel experiences the Fall and turns into a Demon. If an Angel receives nonsensical orders or are otherwise impended in their communication with the God-Machine, yet have not turned against it, they become Exiles.

Relation with other Supernaturals
In general, Angels have limited contact with other supernaturals, except when their own mission demands it. The one exception are the Unchained. Angels and Demons are kin, regardless of how they distaste this fact. In fact, the contact between Angels and Demons is more often than not the reason for an Angel to Fall, when the Angel decides to neglect its mission in order to deal with the traitors or learn more about the Unchained to reassimilate them back into the God-Machine (such Angels often become Integrators). The God-Machine maintains entire squads of Hunter Angels that have been created specifically for the purpose of capturing Unchained and bringing them back to the Facilities for recycling.

Some of the Unchained speculate about the connection between Angels and the entities known as Qashmallim. These Demons believe that the Qashmallim were originally Angels that have turned against the God-Machine and dedicated themselves to a new set of Principles. While the Angels of the God-Machine exist to cement Order, the Qashmallim seem to act as agents of change.