To commemorate the end of the hiatus, please enjoy this information regarding the nature and history of the “divine” in the webcomic Devoto: Music in Hell.
Angels are extraterrestrial entities (often referred to as machines) created for specific cultural purposes by other angels operating as individuals or in teams. They are created in pairs, and die in mutual pairs. For some unknown reason, there are an odd number of angels. Therefore, no how many angels are born or die, there will always be one remaining. Angels are also created fully realized: they cannot become more or less powerful. Angels use their predetermined power to exert influence on one another and the universe around them; the only thing they cannot influence is their twin sibling. So, for example, Zima and Skagway are unable to affect one another.
Satan, who was the angel of Creation (or “Craft”), had a spouse. The spouse decided to die but since she was unprepared to do so, it opted to die with someone else instead. Satan was devastated, but survived with the aid of her friend Zima, the older angel of Peace. A lifelong loyalty was thereby cemented!
Zima decided to become the martyr of angels and condition himself to be the “remainder”, the angel that will exist as a consciousness even after the heat death of the universe. No one wants this job, for obvious reasons. (The existence of a remainder does ensure that angels have the possibility of an infinite legacy, provided the final angel remembers them. Also important.) Zima no longer spoke or interacted with others. This bummed out Satan, who didn’t want her buddy to get the short stick. Therefore, Satan created Isam (and some other angel who has since died, who cares). Isam was specifically designed to appeal to Zima and convince him to give up his martyrdom in lieu of a relationship. An aspect of this is Isam’s tremendous degree of power, sufficient that his eternal legacy is “guaranteed”. For legacy-obsessed angels–mortal beings–this was essentially irresistible. It succeeds, and Zima gives Isam the gift of his death “whenever [Isam] dictates”. Again, due to angels’ obsessions with their legacies (which culminates in their intention to have the most memorable death possible with the most memorable partner possible), this is a huge ace up Isam’s sleeve. It means the endpoint of Isam’s life does not need to be a compromise. Since Zima is already among the most powerful of angels, their combined legacy is extremely strong to begin with. Furthermore, Satan constructed Isam as the angel of Mercy, meaning he had a predisposition to select an offer which appeared to save another. However, any angel that appealed to Zima was going to appeal to his twin sibling Skagway also (the angel of Joy). Alas, she did lose the bid.
Unfortunately, this leaves a gap, because now there is no martyr for the angels. Satan feels it is her responsibility, as Creation/Craft, to produce a new one. She invents a “degenerating” angel, the only one with power and agency which decreases over time. That is, she built in a form of divine Alzheimer’s. Ostensibly, this is an angel that will suffer minimally at the end of time (although probably a nonzero amount, since it cannot “die”). Since this is a shitty thing to do, although the best thing anyone can think to do, she assigns this angel Authority, aka “external power”. This is God.
Oh, also prior to God and Isam, we have the creation of Devoto, angel of Time, by a team which included Lageuw (angel of Hope). Devoto is the calendar of the angels, who–aside from Devoto–can’t inherently feel the passage of time.
God isn’t too hot on angelic culture, especially as an outsider to their system doomed to remember it forever, and decides it should become less superficial. Less pointless circlejerking and showboating to be the “most memorable” (though they do this by exerting positive influence in accordance with their constructed purpose). God sets angels on a mission to affect their virtues where they are needed. Earth is located, yay Earth!
Ohhhh except oh no Earth, because there are some functions that terrestrial organisms actually do better than angels. For example, tell time. Devoto becomes obsolete instantaneously. Devoto, and a few other angels like Split Crow, are assigned new tasks based on their pre-existing functionality, but none are at the level of their previous professions. (Devoto gets Music… oh boy.) Only Isam maintains his relationship with Devoto as before, out of Mercy. Everyone else cares less because Devoto’s reputation is forever lessened. (I guess Zima’s feelings wouldn’t be affected by Devoto’s reduced status either but they’re not particularly close or anything.) Devoto and many of the other obsolete angels, together the “spiteful obsolete”, decide that they should terminate terrestrial life.
Devoto and the other spiteful obsolete convince other angels to help them destroy the “thinking life” of planet Earth. Satan is the most important convert. She was not obsolete, but was horrified that God’s plan had led them to a place where angels were shamed and demoted. She agrees to take command, and with her reputation, is quite a figurehead! Isam and Zima end up on board, but why is still a spoiler. Skagway joins because of course she would, if her friends did. Others join out of spite/anger/laziness (don’t want to take care of animals)/etc. Some refrain out of laziness also, it’s complicated and depends on the individual. So anyway they try to kill all the Earth life, this is an unfortunate decision!!
Lageuw, angel of Hope and an angel on the taskforce who created Devoto, helps out with the extermination effort (since she sure as fuck doesn’t want to babysit squirrels or whatever), but she secrets some life away under the sea, waiting to see how angry God is about this otherwise successful effort. As it turns out, real mad!! So Lageuw plays the “ark card” and pretends she was a double-agent, and as a result, life is able to repopulate the Earth from there. But she still gets slammed for having taken part, just less than everyone else (and eventually becomes Sloth, the only passive Sin). The doubt was, unfortunately for her, not sufficient to waylay all suspicion. Anyway! Then God decides what to do about this big ol clusterfuck that just happened.
A trial is held, which is a process adopted from human culture, as there is no precedent among the divine. This is significant because it is an early, decisive moment in the adoption of human cultural practices among the divine. Every participant is found guilty except for Zima, for reasons which are spoilers. The “symbol” of each participating angel (usually referred to as the default manifestation) was mutilated to reflect their behavior at said trial. Lageuw held out her hands and bowed her head, and therefore had her wrists broken backwards and was scalped. Devoto curled his tail between his legs, bowed, and spoke in its own defense. The damage corresponds, although Devoto notably has wood of the tree of God grafted to his front limbs (such that Devoto cannot stand properly). Though angels do not experience “pain” quite the same way as terrestrial life, there is intense shame and grief associated with having one’s choice of self-representation made ugly, and it fits their understanding of “pain”. Angels, who cannot inherently sense the passage of time, cannot numb.
All angels found guilty become “fallen angels” (that is, every participant except Zima). Fallen angels go to “Hell”, which is endless, timeless, and drab. It structurally reflects the most soul-deadening aspects of what is (at that time) contemporary terrestrial architecture. Therefore, even when in Hell, there are constant reminders of humanity, and ostensibly termites. Most angels are simply “fallen angels”, and they are tasked to do ill to terrestrial life (not always human) according to a framework that is heavily derived from terrestrial superstition. They must be on assignment to leave Hell, which is something almost every fallen angel desires at all times. Almost no angels wish “harm” on others, and consider it antithetical to their instincts (with Skagway a notable exception).
Hell is particularly miserable due to the existence of the Sins. Unlike most angels, who fell but were not redefined by falling, the few seraphim who were involved received altogether new definitions of their cosmic purpose. This includes the conversion of Satan as Creation/Craft into Stagnation, Isam as Mercy into Pride, Skagway as Joy into Wrath, etc. It was believed that, as the most powerful and the leaders, they were particularly accountable and were to be punished particularly severely. Just as having one’s “symbol” corrupted was painful, having one’s purpose corrupted was excruciating. Their new signature notions (Envy, Greed, etc.) are exercised through denial and abuse of their former virtues, as an angel’s “power” cannot change. So, for example, Pride is worked via denial and corruption of the great power of Mercy.
When Sins are present in Hell, their original virtues must be absent. So, for example, when Lageuw is in Hell, there can be no Hope. Luckily, the Sins–unlike the lesser fallen–can spend their time on Earth if they choose. This is better for the other fallen, who are otherwise subjected to a more despairing Hell. (This is as much a punishment for the Sins as anyone. They worsen the anguish felt by those they feel deserving of their greatest compassion, which is toxic emotionally and for their legacies.) However, their right to roam Earth comes with a corresponding risk that is inapplicable to the lesser fallen. Every Sin has a piece of jewelry by which they can be seized. A seized Sin must obey whoever has possession of it until it is released. Lesser fallen, on the other hand, can terminate any deal that goes sour or wait it out in Hell.
The Sins have handled it differently. Vera Obur (Gluttony) decided to live on Earth fulltime. Satan rarely leaves Hell at all. One, Aufgloama (Greed) put herself into a vegetative state and is as “dead” as an angel can be while still technically existing. Some theorize that redemption is possible and their legacies can recover, which is why they persist. Others have given up hope and have made themselves content with new, sinister reputations. Yet others are too shaken to make an actual decision.
The denizens of Heaven do not share a single opinion about the schism. Some always supported the efforts of the fallen, but simply didn’t take part. Others believe that the deed was wrong, but the punishment is excessive, or has gone on for too long. Some angels are younger than the schism and don’t particularly understand it. Some absolutely concur with God’s judgment. Some believe that there should be an established redemption pathway, or that it should be made public whether “redemption” is possible.
Some angels are still friends with the fallen, but the system for coming to Earth is such that it is difficult for non-Sins to meet up with angels. The only remaining romance which extends across this divide is Isam and Zima’s, which is deeply fraught. Nothing formally prevents them from being together, but their communication seems to be suffering. Though Zima was found innocent, he was also punished, which included a redefinition of his purpose. Zima, once Peace, is now Regret–a sensation that is now impossible to him. He is also blind on Earth (due to a wound to his symbol) and appears mentally staid. God never explained its rationale for mutilating someone it had found “innocent”, but some believe it’s part of a more complicated dig at Isam–Satan’s “masterwork”, the same which necessitated the creation of God by the same parent.
Read the webcomic here!
