Earth as we know it is not alone in the cosmos, but bound to other worlds like Middara. Earth is protected from demonic influence, protected from powerful rituals and strange magic. Here the soul is secure, and humanity may grow without fear.

Earth is not necessarily the most ideal habitat for humanity. Other realms have more inviting climates or are less burdened by disease. Some are entirely absent of physical predators. Yet while Earth might seem imperfect or even dangerous from a physical sense, it benefits from protections unseen elsewhere in the cosmos.

Beyond it, the realms of creation bleed into one another. Physical space cannot constrain the vast powers that reach between worlds, facilitating travel, bargain, and power. Those capable of bridging realms are often far greater in scope than a single human being. Where they would interfere, no civilization without incredible magic of its own can resist. Yet somehow, Earth’s humans do. How is this possible?

Earth is surrounded on all sides by a force mightier than the Great Bounty, and more enduring than any Supernal Seal. Middarans call this force the Veil.

The veil prevents travel, communication, and even influence from other realms. Assemblage rituals do not function, demonic pacts cannot be signed, and those relying on otherworldly forces for their power find their strength ebbs and fails. Only those Espers already present on Earth, or those who travel to it through a Portal, may exert any influence or control on those dwelling there.

This veil exerts an influence on all earth life, not just humans. While creatures of other realms have a degree of exposure to magic—and an opportunity to develop resistance—Earth life does not. Many explain the Advancement this way, as the natural consequence of contamination by this alien force. Humans are not unique in this regard—any living creature born of Earth who travels beyond it will also experience this Advancement.

The Veil is more than a natural force diving worlds. It also has agents—the Angels.

Theories vary wildly on the origin of these creatures, the purpose of their creation, and the forces they serve. To some, they are the concentrated force of the Veil itself, shaped by the expectations of humans who observe them. Others take an opposite view, and insist angels are the intentional creations of a greater divine being, perhaps even the traditional Monotheistic God.

To the eye first exposed to magic, Angels are truly horrifying to behold. They vary wildly in size and power, from their lowest trumpets to the heralds of great choirs. None look or act exactly alike, suggesting either an invisible ecology they belong to, or frequent and wild mutation to serve their intended purpose.

Rigorous debate remains over their origin, but none disagree on their motives. Where the Veil is a static protection, angels are dynamic, flowing into earth’s wounds and sealing them tight. Angels are drawn to anything that does not belong—any Esper, any being wielding disciplines, and any touched by magic.

Ancestry offers no protection against their wrath. Humans or animals who travel beyond Middara are tainted by magic and will not be spared angelic punishment. Those who conceal their nature and refrain from using disciplines may survive for a time—but angels are just too numerous, their eyes too watchful. Those who leave Earth behind even for a moment will never truly be home there again.

Angels exact only one punishment: the total eradication of otherworldly forces, and erasure from the planet and minds of those who observed it. A soul-devouring demon attempting to wiggle through gaps in the veil will be treated just as harshly as an innocent child kidnapped from Earth against their will, and only trying to return to their parents. Death waits for both.

The greatest angels wield powers beyond the apex of what even magical humans can achieve. They cannot be overpowered in conflict, or tricked. Gathering humans from Earth might be completely impossible, were they not so incredibly rare.

Angels are not a numberless host—a finite number exist, each one with long history of slaughter to its name. Their powers are incredible, but their view is finite. This is how Harbingers facilitate the birth and recovery of humans born from Middaran parents—through concealment, planning, and caution.

Angels are ruthlessly destructive and utterly merciless in their charge. At the same time, they never act malicious—angels do not torture or otherwise punish those they capture. They seem to feel no joy from their duty. Likewise, they take exceptional care to never inflict collateral damage on the innocent. No angelic sword will slice at innocent flesh, even when tainted beings place them directly in the path of harm.

This does not mean angels are driven to protect humans and other Earth life, however. They cannot be threatened with harm to human hostages or tricked into allowing magical beings to escape to rescue innocents in peril elsewhere. Rather, they will never directly inflict harm on uncorrupted beings. A harbinger may cower behind their human mark for cover from a wave of angelic magic, for example. But if they threaten to strike the human down if not allowed to leave, their angelic attacker will stand by and watch the victim fall without action.

Though angels ruthlessly erase all trace of magic, they wield a power of their own that seems except from this restriction. In its simplest manifestation, angels go unobserved and unnoticed by mundane humans. Only the presence of nearby magic, or someone else acting to alert an ordinary person of their presence, allows them to be noticed.

This cloak allows angels to move unseen through unaware humanity, slaughtering any threats to the sanctity of Earth, then to erase the damage of their conflicts behind them. When a specific human witnesses too much, angels sometimes concentrate this influence, turning memories of whatever horrifying thing they witnessed into a distant, foggy nightmare.

A rare number of humans also serve Angels directly and are permitted to retain their memories of the supernatural. These people serve as the antidote to angels' limited vision. They actively seek out Harbingers and other magical beings. Where they find them, they may use rituals or artifacts to call down angelic wrath. These people are called Loyalists, and represent one of the greatest ongoing threats to Harbingers. The flaming wheel burning all around it to ash is at least easy to spot—but there’s no way to know who might call one if they see you.

Any presence of magic is Corruption to the angels. Any discipline, any esper from beyond Earth’s Borders, any being that has passed through the Advancement and been transformed as a result. Yet not all off these call out to angels equally—if they did, no Middaran could return to have children on Earth.

Rather, there are degrees of Pollution. Lesser degrees invite a smaller response, while greater ones might summon the ruthless angels to war directly.

Beings of Earth do not invoke the wrath of angels. Lineage doesn’t matter—a baby may be birthed from a Middaran, or an Esper might be the descendant of ancestors who violated a portal to corrupt the earth. So long as they were born beneath the Veil, they are considered pure to an angel’s sight and will not be harmed. Unless they take actions that corrupt themselves, of course.

A limited number of magical disciplines and powers may be made to function on Earth. These usually require the intervention of a tainted being—Middaran, or otherwise. Regardless, some humans may learn these disciplines, and wield them. These are the witches, warlocks, and other rare humans who wield supernatural power.

These actions do not draw angelic attention directly. Instead, an angel must witness them by chance, or be informed of them by Loyalists. The punishment for this crime is usually the loss of memory, with angels erasing enough of the individual that their understanding of forbidden magic goes with it. A person who loses their powers this way cannot learn them again unless they leave Earth.

Those who were once natives of Earth who are corrupted by magic but later return are considered Tainted by angels. Almost all Middarans fall in this category—the Advancement makes permanent changes, robbing you of your home forever. Angels cannot naturally sense the presence of this pollution, and are not automatically summoned.

Should they witness a tainted creature, no disguise is sufficient to assuage their wrath. They will pursue ruthlessly, and slaughter all they find.

Magic wielded by tainted creatures is far greater in scope than any a native human may learn. Many of these take the form of Disciplines, including many that are both ubiquitous and straightforward to learn in Middara. Trying to invoke them on Earth may be successful, but creates such a profound violation that angelic scouts are sure to notice.

Smaller, weaker angels are usually those first dispatched to investigate, and may arrive seconds or minutes after magic is used. They will search diligently for the perpetrator, but not attack. Once they discover the guilty, these scouts cry out, drawing down their greater siblings to dispense justice.

In a similar fashion, beings that were never native of Earth but who try to travel there will attract angelic attention almost as soon as they arrive. Whatever portal or other profane gateway they used will soon be swarming with scouts, ready to summon a whole Choir of angels to cleanse the earth.

Some magic is beyond the scope of common disciplines. Ancient arts lost to most of Middara, strange powers granted by divine beings, and other incredible feats can only be described as greater magic. Whether restoring the dead to life, piercing the Veil to another realm, or similar feat—all these draw angelic wrath directly.

To use these powers is to guarantee an angel of great strength arrives within moments of the power’s invocation, ready to slaughter the wielder and any of their accomplices. No spies or scouts are necessary, this violation is so profound that it calls out like a beacon, and stains the caster so deeply that angels will know where to find them for hours or even days afterwards.

Only a few have ever been brave or foolish enough to use powers like these on earth. Stories of them inevitably end with their painful death, as a warning to any bold enough to violate the sanctity of Earth.