By Paul Strack (pfstrack@chgrp.com)
Legal stuff: Celestial Chorus, the other tradition and sphere magic names are all copyrights of White Wolf, and none of this is intended to infringe on those rights. I don't particularly care about copyrights myself, so you can feel free to butcher the rest of this.
The Minoans were ruled by Priestess-Queens, and with the magical aid of the Chorus, achieved an advanced level of technology. The Minoans were a trading race, ruling the seas around their island home. Their culture spread to mainland Greece as well. Their cities were populous and unwalled, for under the shining shield of the One Goddess, there was no war.
This peace was not to last. Successive waves of Greek invaders pushed the Minoans off the mainland, and eventually reached Crete as well. Though more technologically and magically advanced than the Greeks, the peaceful Goddess worshippers were unable to deal with their warlike ways, and were slowly overcome. By 1400 BC, the Minoans were completely conquered by the Greeks, and the One Goddess was replaced by Greek deities. Some of the Minoan mages assimilated, but most fled in search of another home.
Amenhotep IV ascended the throne of Egypt around 1380 BC. Some of the Celestial Chorus had earned his trust and faith. Much to the surprise of the priesthood of Egypt, he forbade the worship of all gods but the One, whom he named Aton, the solar disc. In deference for the One, he changed his name to Akhenaton, meaning "Useful to Aton."
Worship of Aton did not spread amongst the Egyptian people however. They found the conception of a single God bizarre, and were unwilling to give up some of their other, more popular deities. The supernatural forces in Egypt, caught off guard by Akhenaton, were quick to rally. Vampires, mages and Garou, all quite numerous, worked together to drive out the foreign Celestial Chorus.
By 1360 BC, Akhenaton was murdered by his own guards. His son, still a child, was made pharaoh, and the Priesthood forced him to change his name from Tut-Ankh-Aton to Tut-Ankh-Amen. Using him as a puppet, the orthodox Egyptians reestablished the worship of their old gods. Young Tut-Ankh-Amen did not live past the age of 20, and with him died the last hope of establishing worship of the One in Egypt.
The Hebrews and the Chorus wandered through the deserts of the Middle East, looking for a home. There began the first of the many schisms that plagued the Chorus. In Egypt, the One's gender had become vague, being referred to as a neuter sun. The conservatives amongst the Chorus continued to view the One as the Goddess, desiring to reestablish to peace of Minoan Crete.
Moses, along with younger, Hebrew Celestials, felt the Hebrews needed a more warlike, male God in order to survive in a dangerous world. They argued against the conservatives, claiming their goals were unrealistic. Moses retreated into the mountains to commune with the One, in the hopes of receiving some revelation. When he returned, he and his followers attacked and disrupted a service of Goddess worshippers before her sacred image, the bull. With this coup, and Moses' reputation as a savior, the Male God's advocates won the day.
Once established, however, the schism began to rise again. Some of the Hebrews began to worship the older Goddess. The ruling Hebrews called this blasphemy, and did their best to stamp it out. The Goddess worshiping Celestials, for their part, claimed the Hebrew had become as violent and corrupt as their enemies of the past. The kingdom was plagued with internal disputes, and was unable to defend itself.
Piece by piece, Israel was taken apart, until the last of it fell, and the Hebrews were taken as slaves into Babylon, around 600 BC. Their faith in the One kept them from being assimilated, however, and they even won further converts amongst other dispossessed Semitic peoples. In Babylon, the Hebrews collected together their sacred writings, and set down an account of their history using a uniformly male image of the One. The Goddess worshiping Celestials again acquiesced, some of the going elsewhere, others biding their time.
The Zoroastrians were in direct competition with the magi and kindred of the fertile crescent, and thus were always in a precarious position. The Zoroastrians and the Hebrews synchronized, borrowing many ideas from one another. Once the Zoroastrain-backed Persians conquered Babylon, the Zoroastrian Celestials helped the Hebrews return home. The Zoroastrians continued for many centuries thereafter, but eventually were overwhelmed by more recent religious movements.
Finally, when the Hebrew were under the rule of Roman empire, such a redeemer arrived. A man from Nazareth came to Jerusalem, preaching a new revelation of God, and his teaching took hold like fire. Some believed him to be the king of the Hebrews, here to lead them to victory over the Romans. His closest followers, though, recorded that he taught of the universal love of the One, and redemption for all of mankind.
The powers in control of Jerusalem could not tolerate his subversive teachings. The Romans, with the collusion of the Hebrew government, had him captured and crucified to prevent revolt in the Hebrew kingdom. His disciples survived him, however, and as they did not advocate immediate revolution, were allowed to escape.
In the modern Celestial Chorus, there is nearly as much debate about the nature of Jesus of Nazareth as there is about the One. Most believe he was some sort of emissary of the One. Some believed he was merely a prophet, not the redeemer, and continued to follow the Jewish faith. It is unclear how much, if any, influence the Chorus had on Jesus, or his disciples. Only the most hubris-filled claim that Jesus was a member of the order, but it is a common belief that some of his disciples were of the Celestial Chorus (which ones is a matter of dispute).
From this time forward, an incredible diversity appeared in the once uniform teachings of Christ. A multitude of sects arose, some bearing only passing resemblance to the original teachings of Jesus. Many sects intermingled and were influenced by other, non-Christian ecstatic cults that were popular in the empire at the time. Though many in number, the Christian sects could be divided into two basic camps: the Gnostics and the Orthodox.
The Gnostics were the most diverse of the two camps. The Gnostics emphasized the more mystical aspects of the teachings of Christ. They believed that by pursuing the same path as Jesus, they too could reach an enlightened state. They held that personal religious experience was more important than the teachings passed down from the disciples. Their groups were loosely organized; no hierarchy could be established when a pupil's revelations might someday exceed his teacher. The Gnostics thought the Orthodox had misunderstand the fundamental teachings of Christ, and were too obsessed with worldly things at the expense of the spiritual.
The Orthodox held that strictly following the teachings of Jesus was the path to salvation. They worked to establish a unified organization and were very active politically. They justified their organization by claiming a succession of leaders going back to the original apostles. They sought converts amongst the Roman slaves, and willingly martyred themselves for the glory of Christ. The Orthodox thought the Gnostics were, at best, cowards unwilling to test their faith in the crucible of the world. At worst, the Gnostics were heretics, distorting the teachings of Jesus. One further problem was that some of the Gnostics were once again teaching of a female divinity, hidden but superior to the male Hebrew God.
The Romans began with what they considered to be very reasonable demands. They asked the Christians to simply burn an offering to genius of the emperor, as proof of their loyalty. When the (mostly Orthodox) Christians refused, they were thrown into jail. Rather than recanting, many Christians swarmed forward, admitting their guilt as a testimony to their faith. Swamped, the Romans became more severe, executing and eventually torturing to death the Christians, including death in the arena. Rumors were spread about the secret, malevolent activities of the Christians in the hope of turning the people against them.
For their part, the Chorus supported early Christians in their faith, and began to fight for their freedom. Again, mostly the Orthodox Celestials worked toward this goal. They steadily converted several important Roman officials, and began to trace the persecutions to its source, the vampires of Rome. The tide began to turn, and at last the Chorus won a decisive victory in the conversion of Constantine, the current Roman emperor, in AD 313.
With Constantine's conversion, the persecutions ended, and a movement began to make Christianity the official religion of the empire. With this at hand, many felt that some sort of doctrinal unity was needed. With Constantine's support, the Council at Nicaea was held in AD 325, determining which Christian writings were canonical, and which were not. The Council was largely attended by Orthodox Christians, who felt responsible for the victory of Christianity. They proceeded to label most Gnostic writings as heretical, making Orthodox Christianity the most powerful religion of the empire.
Over the next century, the Orthodox Christians rapidly gained ground, becoming the state religion in AD 381. The Orthodox worked hard to root out Gnostic heresies, and the Chorus was again distracted by internal disputes. It was long before they realized how easily manipulated they had been. When the Chorus paused in its internal battles, they realized the everything the empire had found threatening had been excised from Orthodox Christianity. Some advances had been made, such as the elimination of the arena. Yet slavery and sexual inequality persisted, and the Church was being used to prop up the State.
The Orthodox Celestials began to examine these recent developments. To their horror, they discovered the controlling hands of vampires everywhere. The vampires, rather than being defeated, had stepped around the problem, and were now doing their best to subvert Christianity as they had done with so many other religions in the past. The vampires desperately needed the burning faith of Christianity to inspire its forces, for the Empire was beset on all sides by encroaching barbarian enemies.
Enraged, the Orthodox called a truce with the Gnostics. Though they would not reinstate Gnostic teachings, they agreed to allow some of the more mystical elements of Gnosticism to reenter mainstream Christianity, and to encourage Monasticism as a safe outlet for Gnostic urges. The now unified Chorus worked quietly to pull down the vampires' empire. They worked to undermined the military of Rome. When the barbarians came, rather than rallying the armies of Rome under the banner of Christianity, they were silent.
With the growth of the Church, the Chorus was able, for the first time, to establish its paradigm over a large region. This divine paradigm was known as the Dominion. The essential tenant of the Dominion is that all good flowed from the One. Faith in the One gave the worshipper access to divine miracles, but only for pious requests. Relics and sites related to the One were filled with divine power. All of Christendom awaited the return of the Savior, the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth, and the universal redemption of mankind. The Chorus saw this as the Ascension, which they called the Reconciliation, and tentatively established the year 1000 as the time they would work to bring it about.
All magic that did not come from the One was, by definition, evil. In order to explain other sources of power, the church acknowledged the existence of an Adversary to the One. The Adversary was the source of evil in the world, and all magic not of the One must come from the Adversary. The Adversary sought to undermine the faith of the pious, stealing them away from the grace of the One. The exact strength of the Adversary was a source of conflict amongst the Chorus. Those claiming too much strength for the Adversary were called dualistic, and heretics. The official policy of the Orthodox church was that the Adversary could only work through deception and illusion, and could not match divine power with miracles of his own.
Though the Dominion spread over Europe, it was by no means universal. In many areas, secret hold-overs of older, pagan worship continued, especially under the guidance of the Verbena. Despite the fact that the Verbena and their druidic followers had also been persecuted by Rome, the Chorus saw no similarity between the two Traditions. The Church's tendency to identify pagan gods with the Adversary did nothing to win them popularity in Verbena circles either.
The Chorus was especially confused by Islam. The Moslems obviously worshipped what was another manifestation of the One, but in many ways Islam was radically different from the Christian faith. Denying the divinity of Christ, they chose instead to follow the word of their prophet, Mohammed. The Chorus was uncertain how to react to the new religion.
Some Celestials, especially those with ties to the Jewish faith, advocated taking the Moslems under the wing of the Chorus. Lacking further information, the more Orthodox Celestials agreed to explore the possibility. Emissaries were secretly sent amongst the Moslems, only to be quietly rebuffed. After a time, it became clear that Islam was under the influence of yet another, secretive Tradition, but the Chorus could learn little of these mysterious Ahl-i-Batin.
The matter was temporarily shelved, as the end of the first millenium was rapidly approaching. The Chorus worked frantically to united the fragmented Christian world, and prepare the path for the returning Redeemer and the Reconciliation. Yet when the appointed day arrived, nothing happened. Appalled, the Chorus spent the next several centuries trying to determine why the Reconciliation had failed.
They first turned their attention to the Middle East. Some Celestial scholars concluded that it was the loss of the holy land that led to the failure of the Reconciliation. With the backing of the Chorus, the Church launched the first of several crusades in the eleventh century to try to reclaim Jerusalem. The crusades had mixed success. The holy lands changed hands several times over the next two centuries. The crusading knights were more interested in pillage than piety. The Church was forced to make several compromises back in Europe in order to win the necessary support for the continuing crusades.
At last the Chorus was able to contact the mysterious Ahl-i-Batin, and work out a compromise. The Batini proposed an ambitious plan of magical networking and holy pilgrimages that would link many of the holy sites of the middle east in a powerful web of faith. The Chorus, no longer certain that Islam was responsible for the failed Reconciliation, agreed. Reenergized by their share of this potent network of nodes, the Celestials once more turned their attention to Europe.
To make matters worse, the Chorus learned that an entirely new paradigm had been created beneath their very nose. The Order of Hermes, a wide-spread and powerful group of mages, had successfully spread a new paradigm of magic, which they called the Mythic Age, over many places in Europe. Celestial scholars pointed to the Hermetic paradigm as opposing the Dominion and the true cause of the failed Reconciliation.
The Chorus found the smug arrogance of the Hermetics insufferable. The Order had spread its influence widely amongst the courts of Europe. The majority of the Hermetics ridiculed the Church as needless superstition. The Celestials uncovered evidence that some of them even had regular commerce with spiritual beings that could only be the servants of the Adversary. The wrath of the Church was not long in coming.
The office of the Inquisition had long been a part of the Church, to regulate the spread of heresy. Now this office was given new power. The church reversed its earlier doctrine that the Adversary could only work through the power of illusion, and directly attributed all non-divine magic to the Foe. The Inquisition went on a rampage against the enemies of the church, including heretics, the infernal, and other Traditions of magic.
The Hermetics were unprepared for the onslaught, and their paradigm crumbled. The Inquisition got out of hand, though, as it uncovered more and more supernatural presences to combat. Discovering vampires and werewolves, as well as other practitioners of magic, the Inquisition went on a frenzy of killing, in which even innocent Sleepers were not safe. The Chorus struggled in vain to rein in its wayward tool, and even a few Celestials were caught in its vice. After the Church ended its support, the Inquisition continued in the form of a witch-hunting craze that didn't subside until the 17th century.
The break up of the Church did not end there. Other, alternate Christian views began to crop up, such as Calvinism, and the Anglican heresies. Unlike the past, these heresies were widespread, and had the support of kings rather than a few outcasts from society. Soon Europe was embroiled in a series of violent religious wars, seeking to establish the dominance of one version of Christianity or another. A few Celestials saw the futility of these wars, but most were blind.
At the same time, a new secularism was rising in Europe, with a growth of ideas the Church was unable to reckon with. The Italian Renaissance resulted in art, music and culture separate from the Church. An obscure astronomer, Copernicus, challenged the view that Earth was the center of the universe. The Church, caught up in its own wars, battled these new ideas sporadically. Even though they would crush the authors, the concepts themselves still spread.
As the wars ended, the Chorus blamed most of their losses to a counterattack on the part of the Hermetics. They believed that the Hermetics wish to destroy the Dominion in the same way the Church destroyed the Mythic Age. Modern Celestials, however, believe this was one of the first acts of the new-born Technocracy, including recently converted Hermetics. The early Technocrats helped spread Luther's ideas and exacerbated the problems with the newly invented printing press. Much of the scientific advances are easily attributed to them.
Celestials traveled to the Americas, Africa India and the Orient. These mages were an individualistic lot, and took both the best and the worst of the Church with it. In some instances, they tried to protect the native population from exploitation by the Europeans. In others, they tried to force the natives to convert to an alien religion.
The Chorus took the Divine Paradigm with them where ever they went, and this gave some Celestials a vision of global Ascension. Many realized, however, that with the Christian community so drastically divided, and with their magical resources spread so thin, there was little hope of that. Indeed, though the Dominion was established in a few areas, most of the European exploration served instead to expand a new paradigm, one only recently created, that of the Technocracy.
The first event was a great meeting of important leaders of the various factions of the now splintered Church, held once more at the site of the ancient city of Nicaea. Catholic and Protestant were there, as well as a Jewish and Islamic representatives, and even a few Gnostic Christians and old Goddess worshipers, long thought destroyed. The meeting was held in secret, for the followers of each faction would not have approved.
The exact content of the meeting, called the Seventh Council of Nicaea, is unknown. It is known that the various Celestials were in agreement that the Church was teetering, and the world was changing in a way that was increasingly hostile to magic, Holy or otherwise. The groups tried to hammer out some sort of compromise that would satisfy very diverse religious viewpoints.
The only compromise they could settle on was a radical one. Up to this point, it was the doctrine of the Chorus that, just as there is only the One, there can be only one path to salvation. All the internal conflict of the Chorus had be driven by the need to have one, and only one faith. The council broke this doctrine. It was agreed, rather tentatively, that they may well be a multiplicity of paths to the One, that there may be some validity in all of the various faiths. This was called the Doctrine of Tolerance.
This doctrine is not fully accepted, even to this day. Jewish Celestials point to the Tradition's lack of decisive action during the Holocaust as proof that the new doctrine has a long way to go. Some groups only grudging tolerate other ideologies. Others claim the multiplicity of paths still only include Christian faith. Nearly all would agree that the only true paths are those that acknowledge that there is one, and only one Divinity.
Regardless, the Doctrine of Tolerance did put an end to the violent religious wars that rocked Europe. The various members of the Chorus learned to coexist, if not cooperate. There was even a resurgence of some of the "lost" groups and symbols, as Gnostics, Goddess and Sun worshippers became increasingly more open.
Though it took a great deal of debate, the Tribunal at last set aside their basic differences for at least as long as it took to crush this new threat. The Tribunal felt that, with the combined might of three Traditions, the problem would soon be dealt with. The Traditions drastically underestimated their enemy. They had no idea how entrenched the new Technocracy had become.
All of the Tribunal's attacks were bitter failures. The Church's condemnation of scientific advances was ridiculed, rather than being solemnly accepted as it once was. The Hermetic surge in mysticism was rapidly marginalized, and crushed. The Verbena succeeded only in causing a brief resurgence of the witch-hunting craze.
Off balance from their lack of success, the Tribunal was completely unprepared for the Technocracy's counterattack. Chantries were razed, nodes raided, and countless mages slain. The Traditions were amazed at the number and power of their enemies, who had been hidden for so long. The war was nearly lost then.
The losses did help cement the temporary alliance, however, and the Tribunal reconvened. They also expanded their outreach, contacting other mages who now suffered under the onslaught of the Technocracy. The Tribunal was expanded to the Council of Nine, and with the pooled resource of all the Traditions, they managed to created a great Horizon realm, known simply as the Horizon, where they could regroup. This allegiance has lasted until this day.
The Chorus shifted their tactics however, becoming less political and more humanitarian. The Celestials have increasingly concentrated on winning back the hearts of the people, and have worked to improved the lot of the average man, especially those in desperate need. The Chorus sees itself as the champion and salvation of the Sleepers. Despite effort on the part of the Technocracy to secularize such aid, the church is still the primary source of charity in this world.
The Chorus has not limited its attention to the Technocracy alone. The Celestials continue to fight against its more traditional demonic enemies, servants of the Adversary, including the Nephandi. There are those that say the Chorus secretly continues its Inquisition against the vampires of this world.
The other Traditions are wary of the Chorus, for they still remember the Inquisition. There are those who believe the Celestials would happily replace the world-wide Technological paradigm with a world-wide Dominion, and those beliefs are not entirely unfounded. The Chorus has never shirked its duty in the Horizon wars, however, and has been amongst the fiercest opponents of the Technocracy and the greatest defenders of man. This, if nothing else, earns them the respect of their allies.
Most of the Universalists point to Catholicism as the one true Faith. Even they are not in total agreement, however. There are a fair number of Universalists that subscribe to Eastern Orthodoxy as the true path. The Eastern Church has been badly battered over the centuries however, and this is the weaker half of the Followers of the Path. Both factions of the Universalists are amongst the most conservative Celestials.
Other than their use of female imagery and a tendency to matriarchy, this subtradition is surprisingly conservative. They harken back to the days of the Minoan Goddess worship, but lacking better information, tend to be otherwise orthodox in their religious practices. They can be very militant, perhaps to overcome the stereotype of feminity. Some of them go so far as to advocate female supremacism, including, perhaps the inner circle of the Gesserit. Not all of the its members are female, nor are all Goddess worshipping Celestials in this group.
A few of the Millenialists subscribe to a darker belief. They feel that the second coming of the Redeemer may (or will) fail, and the world will be plunged into a thousand years of darkness, ruled completely by the Adversary. Only at the end of the third millenium will the Redeemer return for a final time to save mankind.
The Cabalists have many links to the Order of Hermes, and a fair percentage, or even the majority, are actually Hermetic. Cabalists often use Hermetic foci, and they are the strongest link between the Chorus and the Order. Some of Cabalists have actually formed a hybrid tradition, with two spheres as their specialty, both Forces and Prime. These Cabalists find that their ordered view of the universe and their abhorrence of evil makes it impossible for them to use Entropy, however.
Immediately under the Twelve are the Archepiscopus, who oversee large regions of the globe known as Archdiocese. Under them lie the Episcopus, who oversee local areas, Diocese, no larger than a nation, and more commonly only a part of a nation. Episcopus are invariably the head of a Chantry, and often have a few other Chantries under their jurisdiction, including Chantries of mixed traditions. The proper term of address for Episcopus and Archepiscopus is "Your Grace" and "Your Holy Grace," respectively.
There is a separate scholastic and educational arm of the Chorus, which has a great deal of influence. Major figures, either the head of a school or in control of a major library, are called Prefects. Though technically answerable to the local Episcopus, they often often powerful enough to have access to the ear an Archepiscopus, and sometimes even a Princep. Less members of the order are called Praeceptors.
Other Celestials generally rank themselves by their knowledge of Prime. When there is a dispute in leadership, Celestials will defer to the Celestial with the highest rating in Prime, or, failing that, Arete. Superiors are addressed as "Father" or "Mother," peers as "Brother" or "Sister," and relatively inexperienced Celestials as "My Son" or "My Daughter."
Early advancement is measured solely by one's progress with the sphere of prime. This is still important to holding positions in the hierarchy as well. Only Adepts can be Prefects or Episcopus, and only Masters can be Archepiscopus and Princeps. When a position needs to be filled, the Celestials under the authority of the position have a conference to give recommendations to the tier immediately above it. The superior will generally select amongst the recommended individuals, though this is not necessary. The selection process is often one of intense politics, with those above and below the position.
Since the Doctrine of Tolerance, the Chorus has tried to integrate members of all faiths into its hierarchy. This task is somewhat eased by the Edict of Westphalia, declaring in 1427 that no member of the Celestial Chorus could hold a rank above Priest or Abbot in the Church. Doctrinal differences can still be a major hindrance to advancement, however, and many subtraditions accuse conservatives and Universalists of excessive control of the hierarchy.
This rigid organization is both a help and a hindrance to the Chorus. It has helped the Tradition withstand the often brutal attacks they have faced from the Technocracy, and coordinate counter thrusts. They have more efficient channels of communication than any other tradition, and other mages sometimes get references from the Celestials when traveling from one region to another. However, the problems with advancement can breed ambition, pride and rivalry. Some of the more liberal members, while recognizing the importance of unity, chafe at the restrictions imposed by the hierarchy.
Status amongst the Chorus is gained through the three Virtues: Word, Faith and Deed. The Word is revelations of the One, and insights into the nature of the world and magic. Scholarly treatises on magic and theology are carefully recorded, and stored in ancient libraries. Faith is a measure of devotion to the One. The most common measure of faith is through denial, voluntarily giving up something of the world as proof of one's devotion. Faith is generally deemed greatest when it is chosen without knowledge or reward. The final virtue, Deed, is acting to improve the world and help mankind, including charity and fighting evil.
Members of the Chorus usually try to meet at least once per week, generally on Saturday, called the Sabbath. These meetings are a time when Celestials can renewed their faith, and celebrate the glory of the One. The meetings are punctuated song and readings from the holy scriptures. It is in very poor taste to bring up matters of the world during the Sabbath, so impending business is usually discussed after worship.
Initiates of the Celestial Chorus are generally selected on the basis of faith (though this need not be faith in God). Initiates are watched carefully, and are secretly "tempted" away from the righteous path by the Chorus. These temptations are more to educate and illuminate rather than truly test the Initiate. When the Chorus feels the Initiate is ready, they reveal themselves, and in a great ritual of worship, awaken the Initiate's Avatar. Afterwards, the Initiate is assigned a mentor, and undergoes four years of schooling in the history and power of the Tradition. At the end of this time, the Initiate vows to obey the Hierarchy and be true to their faith. They are then accepted as full members of the Tradition.
The most powerful Chantry house of the Tradition is in Rome, hidden within the Vatican, as it has been for nearly two thousand years. Within its horizon realm, the Dominion still holds sway. This has always been a sticking point amongst the non-Orthodox members of the Tradition, and there have been numerous attempts to have the Chantry moved, most likely to Jerusalem. Given the amount of power invested in the Roman Chantry, this is unlikely.
The Chorus has a two-fold view of Ascension. The smaller path, is of personal Ascension. Personal Ascension can be achieved only through faith. The closer you are to the One, subsuming yourselves to her will, the greater your enlightenment and well being. The larger path is of the Universal redemption of man. The Celestials believe the One will return in a grand event they call the Reconciliation. All humanity will be lifted up in her grace. There is only so much mere mortals can do to bring this about, but the Chorus does their humble best to prepare the path for the One.
An issue in great dispute amongst the modern Chorus is the Adversary. They have recanted their position that all non-holy magic comes from the Foe, but a few Celestials believe that this is not enough. Having spoken to other mages about the metaphysic of magic, and how belief structures reality, these Celestials feel that the focus the Chorus puts on the Adversary is dangerous. It may serve to strengthen the belief of the Masses, and thereby strengthen their Foe. These Celestials point to the recent spate of movies centering on Demonic power, some with the creatures of darkness portrayed in a sympathetic light. Their critics ask how one can deny the reality of the demons they fight on a nearly daily basis. It is an issue with no easy resolution.
The Chorus believes that the appearance of Paradox is caused by a lack of faith. Those that are faithful, and true to their action, need fear nothing. Those with the seeds of doubt within them can fail, and be punished for their pride. Celestials acknowledge that Paradox does sometimes affect even advanced mages, perhaps as a test of their faith.
Celestials believe that a mage's Avatar is a guardian spirit, or angel. This angel chooses you at birth, watches over your development, and tries to protect and guide you. For the most part, the Avatar will remain hidden. Upon your death, your Avatar will choose another individual to protect. The Celestials do not believe the Avatar is part of a mage's own soul, for the Avatar returns, and the soul goes on to its eternal rest.
The existence of True Faith is an important and complex issue for the Celestial Chorus. Though more common in this Tradition than any other, nowhere near a majority of its members possess this power. Those with True Faith are exalted as blessed, though it plays no role in the hierarchy of the Chorus. It is generally believed that Celestials, possessing greater knowledge, find it more difficult to access faith, which must always be at least somewhat blind.
Be that as it may, the Celestials believe that all magic flows in some way from faith. Like many Traditions, they have myths of the tenth sphere of magic, which they believe is faith. While there is a great desire for those Celestials with True Faith to explore this possibility, there is always the fear that greater knowledge will result in the loss of that faith.
"Take care when you have congress with spirits. The Servants of the Adversary are many, seeking to seduce unwary. Destroy them whenever you can. Our allies in the spirit world are the Angelic host, servants of the One. With study, one can learn how to call for their aid. We recognize now that there are spirits not aligned with either the One or the Adversary, but they do not concern us. They are unimportant in the scheme of things."
The Angels the Chorus deals with resemble the benevolent spirits of the various faiths the Celestials subscribe to. The Chorus will only bargain with such Angels, never compel them. For their part, the Angels are predisposed to aid the Chorus, but only in righteous tasks. The Angels, like most spirits, are extremely reticent when it comes to discussing the structure of the spirit world, often saying "It is not for us to speak of such things."
Recently, there has been some indication that the spirits working with the Chorus are the lesser part of a greater host. Apparently, they have come to the lower realms as part of an act of penance, whereby they are able to removed some sort of taint. The Angels themselves will not speak of the matter. While the Chorus can sympathize with the quest for redemptions, the idea of even slightly fallen Angels makes most of the Chorus distinctly uncomfortable.
Cult of Ecstasy: These fools pursue endless pleasures and the degradations of the flesh. They know nothing of the dangers facing them, lost as they are in their own decadence.
Dreamspeakers: The shamans have great peace of mind, and an inner wisdom one must envy. Yet their view of the One is too simple. She is more than just the world, she is all. Their lack of unity will be their downfall.
Euthanatos: These mages deal in a darkness best left alone. Though not servants of the Adversary, their doctrine of reincarnation is false; their memories of past lives delusions. Once they realize this, they will see the evil in what they do.
Hollow Ones: The children are living proof of the failure of faith in the modern world. They believe in nothing, and it leaves a hole in their soul. They must reach out, and find something to live for.
Order of Hermes: We have settled many of our differences with these mages, and have even accepted some of their views on magic. We must never forget their arrogance, for they have brought us failure in the past. Their blind, mechanical magic is too much like the Technocracy we fight to be to our taste.
Sons of Ether: These petty fools are little different from the Technocracy, having founded the organization. Their godlessness is a constant affront. Why they are allowed membership on the Council of Nine is beyond us.
Verbena: We know now that the powers most of them worship are not the Adversary, but the spirit of nature. Nature is subservient to the one, however, and they need to set their sights higher. Watch them carefully, for a few of them do indeed stray down the dark path.
Virtual Adepts: They have truly broken their allegiance from the Technocracy. Now all they need do is free themselves from the Technocrats' misbegotten ideas.
Orphans: These lost souls are a sign of the darkness of today. Take them in where you find them, and guide them to the light. Such poor individuals are often targets for the Adversary.
The Technocracy: These vile fiends are responsible for much of the evil in the modern world. They have no respect for the One. Fight them at every turn. Even if they are not servants of the Adversary, they unknowingly do his work.
Marauders: Poor confused souls, trapped in their madness. Aid them where you can. Avoid them otherwise.
Nephandi: These fiends are irredeemable, having willingly sold their souls to the Adversary. Show them no mercy.
Vampires: These damned creatures should have been destroyed ages ago. Were we not so beset by other enemies, we would continue our war against them.
Werewolves: They are an anachronistic throw back that once preyed on mankind. They are a dying breed, not worthy of our attention.
Wraiths: Do not meddle with the spirits of the dead. It is forbidden. If you are able, help them on to their final reward.
Faeries: There is a tale that in the first war, some Angels did not take sides with either the One or the Adversary. They were also cast out, but fell only to earth. Perhaps this is the origin of the Fey. Treat them as such: halfway between the Divine and the Infernal. Do not give them your trust.