Appearance

Celeste’s appearance can change on a whim to whatever is most pleasing to their audience. Their natural state is tall, willowy and androgynous, with skin like an iridescent pearl, crystalline eyes, and long hair. They prefer flowing robes of fine linen and silk, with gold and pearl ornaments.

Tenets

Five things a Celeste follower should do:

1. Create art regardless of whether it has a practical purpose.

2. Express your emotions. Nothing is gained by not being clear about what you feel or want.

3. Follow your intuition and imagination.

4. Help others achieve their heart’s desires. Introduce potential lovers and provide artistic assistance.

5. Celebrate the joys of life, both great and small. There is always time for a party.

Five things a Celeste follower should not do:

1. Be dishonest or lie to others. Beauty comes from being true to yourself.

2. Second guess yourself. You know what is right for you.

3. Put off your creative urges. Who is to say that this isn’t the right time and place?

4. Allow yourself to be pressured by others to do what they wish instead of following your dreams.

5. Take credit for work created by others or shame others for their desires or identity.

History

Celeste was not born a god. They were crafted by Magnora, goddess of the forge. Magnora had grown lonely in her isolation, deep within the mountains of Gerdain. Having obtained the rune of creation from Valdr, her father, Magnora sought to do the impossible; craft herself a lover. She collected from the mortal world incredible crafting materials that would awaken creativity, inspiration, beauty and merriment. Using the rune and her own masterful skill, Magnora fashioned a being that embodied all those qualities and more. Unfortunately for her, she also gave it free will.

While Celeste did love their creator, they did not love her solely. Celeste wished to see the world, to explore and inspire the mortals. They left Magnora, unaware that she was heartbroken, and set out on their own path. Never put off by Magnora’s beard or scars, Celeste embodies unconditional love and beauty of both form and spirit.

Celestial Heaven: The Life Fields

Celeste is unique amongst all of their divine family in that They do not have their own Heaven, for They were created long after the first gods claimed their own Celestial Realms, nor were there any left behind unoccupied by those that perished in the Celestial War. Their creator Magnora did not wish for Celeste to lack a place of their own, and thus she planted a garden that covered the entire surface of her Realm. At the same time, Magnora herself remained ensconced underground or high upon her throne at the peak of her mountain fortress. Aside from Celeste themselves, it was the one other thing of beauty that she had ever created. Plants and animals from lands both new and unfamiliar populated its carefully manicured forests, grassy meadows and a great hall built from polished marble. A shining crystal was set in its center. Once Magnora had given life to her creation and was subsequently heartbroken by Celeste’s rejection, Magnora could not bear to look upon either of her creations from her throne. Thus, in a single day, she surrounded her mountain with a wall of impossible height, for no matter how high of a height one might reach, Celeste would never be able to see over its battlements. There are no passages through this wall, save one – a single, ordinary door is set within the walls, but it can only be opened from Celeste’s side. Although the door has never been opened, the walls have since been used by Celeste’s faithful as a canvas, with a now-countless amount of murals painted upon its sheer surface.

Ever since they took possession of Magnora’s heavenly Realm, Celeste and their followers have delicately shaped it further in accordance with their own artistic desires. Although it is all almost indescribably beautiful, a thousand communities of artists practising countless differing artistic disciplines have given their Heaven a rather chaotic feel. These Spirits tend to gather in small communities based around a particular art or style thereof, usually with a particularly noteworthy artist leading the creative direction of the commune. One particular commune focused on stone carving might display their works in a museum with soaring ceilings. At the same time, another might find purpose in the delicate manicure of the meandering forest paths that stretch through Celeste’s Realm. Newcomers are exuberantly welcomed into any of these communes, for they bring new styles and inspiration from the world of the living.

It is common for the followers of Celeste to leave their Heaven on a “tour” of the other realms, where they travel, often without consent, to find inspiration and beautify anything that they believe might have potential. Their favourite target of these “art invasions” is, surprisingly, the celestial Realm of Baaagh. The natives of the Realm of blood find these invasions particularly vexing and often have to spend as much time ferreting out these hidden works of art as they do destroying the artists that make them.

Realms Within The Life Fields

• The Elysian Galleries

This great hall was meant to be the home to which Magnora intended to retire to, had Celeste not rejected her. Its walls are a white marble polished so bright it is almost a mirror, and its ceiling is a crystal so clear that even actual glass seems cloudy by comparison. Celeste, themself, has taken up residence here, although they are not often found within its walls. Instead, They are often found touring the various communes of their Realm, where they collect their followers’ most beautiful and worthy creative submissions. Once a year, these collections are presented in a glitzy art gala hosted by the God themselves, with the most beautiful works winning their creators great prestige and renown.

• The First Vault

Celeste is the patron of Artisans everywhere, and it is said that the mysterious arts that these skilled craftspeople employ to create their vaults find their origins in the magics that Celeste used to create the First Vault. Its contents are unknown, save to Celeste and the Archangels that They have set to guard its entrance. Only They have the singular key, which may open the vault, with said vault supposedly opening up into an extradimensional space set in the void between the planes. It is here that Celeste stores their most valuable and dangerous treasures. The most beautiful painting ever made by mortal hands might sit right next to the gore-slicked axe of Baaagh’s most powerful angel. Even if one were able to gain ingress without Celeste’s permission, they would likely have their hands full fending off Celeste’s angels. The fact that even combat can be beautiful is something oft-forgotten by Celeste’s enemies.