Pathfinder Religion Guide: Angels and the Angelic Empyreal Lords

[@drunyonator]

I love Ragathiel's commitment. He got turned down by heaven and said "Challenge accepted. I'm going to wage such a devastating campaign against evil with such ceaseless determination that they'll have to let me in". Great inspiration for anyone playing a character determined to prove that their evil parents won't define them. Strong Book 4 Zuko energy.

[@grinningbuck]

Such a badass! There's a part of me that gets why the Celestial Realm would be hesitant, but he's proven useful, at the least. Also, A:TLA only had 3 seasons, iirc. Unless there is another Book 4 you're referring to?

[@drunyonator]

@@grinningbuck Oops, I meant Book 3. I forgot they didn't actually do one for each of the four elements.

[@sunshinecarnivores1919]

Gotta respect everything Ragatheil has done in the name of good.

[@AmericanAurochs]

I’ve always liked Pathfinder’s angels. Reading about the forces of evil to much always make me feel stained afterwards, but celestials make me smile. Thank you very much for all this great content.

[@zolgathor]

I enjoyed the content, and I am letting you know, in the comments, down below.

[@TheMythkeeper]

Haha! Thanks, I appreciate that.

[@Chopthemonions]

True, this good content.

[@casimirlawnicki8990]

Out of all of the Angelic lords, I strangely like Tolc the best. The detail that his "Wings" are ivory tusks is just way too darn cool. I'm really down with the idea of using Vildeis as a celestial villian someday. Her design is badass, and her blinding devotion to eradicating evil could take her down the ideological train of thought that ends at "The fact that mortals are capable of both good and evil still means that they can do evil. I cant stand for that." Which is a pretty cool villian idea.

[@TheMythkeeper]

Tolc is also a favorite of mine, mainly because I'm pretty sure he's secretly Tulkas from Tolkien's mythology, the name and physical description are just too close to be a coincidence. (I actually talk about Tulkas in the Rings of Power video I did, if you ever watched that.) Vildeis is definitely a shade away from evil. I like that she and other capital-G Good characters like her exist because it goes to show that alignment system is not actually a direct map to anything approximating contemporary ethics. 😅

[@goldenbrigain7031]

I really like Vildeis. Something that became painfully clear to me when I played Pathfinder was that this is a game centered around slaughter and warfare, and it's in a setting (canonically) that very well justifies conflict being such an integral part of the game. Especially as a Paladin, someone who champions the pursuit of good who's primary method of doing that is, at least ostensibly, through slaying evil in it's most extreme forms. I got a big hit not only of the fact that just wanting the world to be nice and trying to push everyone who opposes you to redemption is a good goal that's not always (depending on the circumstances, not even usually) attainable, but also that there are consequences from being unable to fight and WIN. It's not just going to the battlefield, playing around with weapons and spells and then coming back home to a nice warm mug of 🍺 ; if you lose? Some people die, and a lot more are gonna wish they were dead. There are always stakes. That makes me really appreciate someone who in my eyes represents a fundamental of Pathfinder, or similar games itself in my eyes: when you're in the right (and you being the player characters that's gonna happen a lot more often than not) and you're all that stands between an innocent and an abomination, the choice on whether or not to use force is something you're given by the actions of the opposition in front of you. When they swing down an axe to lop off your head so they can turn your corpse into a fleshlight for the victory party afterwards, you raise your blade, be it a literal one, or some kind of defensive magic to incapacitate them for a chance at redemption later, gladly. You do whatever you can, because they've taken away any other options in front of you the second they come for your life and the lives of all dear and kind in the world.

[@TOUGHEYES]

You know, I generally wouldn't think much of it at all, but Arshea shows to me this basis for acceptance and also consideration, while not going anywhere near the sheer lust of Calistria or the depravities of either Urgothoa or Lamashtu. My 5 winged man of Self Redemption and the constant inner struggle speaks to me more, though. It's hard between so many of the big guys, to tell who'd be a direct Divine Intervention, if the situation was that bad. Literally answering a cry for help.

[@TheCleber96]

Ragathiel lets gooooo!!! Love me that edgy avenging angle!

[@brotherbear92]

One of my favorite 2e characters was a Vishkanya Champion of Ragathiel

[@TheCleber96]

@@brotherbear92 My next character is definitely going to be your standard Aasimar Vengance Paladin of Ragathiel can´t wait to enforce some divine revenge

[@placeholdername3818]

He wasn't mentioned, but Tanagaar is one of my favorite Empyreal Lord. Even though he is lawful good and seems to be more frontier town focused. I feel like he'd make a great patron for a Batman inspired character.

[@TheMythkeeper]

He's coming soon! My video on archons is not so far out now.

[@justincherry4027]

This is my favorite pathfinder channel. So in depth and well narrated. Good stuff man.

[@TheMythkeeper]

Thank you!

[@trajanfidelis1532]

🎵In the arms of the angels~🎵

[@ColinGrym]

I really enjoy your videos about the various planes and their inhabitants. I found the alignments of some of these Lords odd, such as Arshea being Neutral Good instead of Chaotic Good which I think would fit their character much better, but that's not a critique of your reading. Vildeis was also memorable because it seems she represents Good taken well past the brink of self-destructive obsession. That's a unique and bleaker take on militant "Good" (the universal concept/force) that differs appreciably from the much more common "noble/vengeful crusader" archetype in an interesting way. In a way she is a cautionary tale that, even in a universe where exemplars of virtue are manifest, the dose makes the poison and even the most laudable goals can be pursued to the point of harm.

[@TheMythkeeper]

I hear that in the Pathfinder Remaster project they will be finally doing away with alignments altogether, which I think will serve this setting very well. Vildeis is definitely not 'good' in any kind of modern conception of the word, but she is certainly loyal to the Heavens and the Angels.

[@ColinGrym]

@@TheMythkeeper I'm also very interested to see how an alignment-free system works, given that it's been such a cornerstone of decades' worth of TTRPGs. I look forward to hearing your take upon release given your love and familiarity with the setting.

[@TheMythkeeper]

@@ColinGrym - Me too! I'm sure when Remaster is available I'll make a video, but I'll likely keep it lore focused because that's what my channel's focus. Sometimes the rules are built around the lore, sometimes they're very decoupled. This is a case where I think the rule change will signify a subtle shift in the lore too.

[@Pathsfound]

There's a Confessor Angel on the cover of Pathfinder Tales: The Redemption Engine!

[@TheMythkeeper]

That's great art too. Should have figured out a way to work in into this video. 😅

[@jacobshroyer537]

Some of best quality pathfinder lore videos on KZbin keep up the good work.

[@TheMythkeeper]

Thanks Jacob!

[@alexwatts1064]

Currently writing an extended fanfic wherein one of the protagonists is a Crimson Templar of Ragathiel. The General of Vengeance is so rad. Great video!

[@andrewkashian3987]

dude, you are a powerhouse.

[@israelmorales4249]

awesome work, angels are a great theme!

[@Owl-yc2yu]

Ragathiel makes me proud to play angel path in WotR.

[@beardlesswizard9197]

Love this! I recently discovered these divinities. I sort of see them as Saints - and in-game, use that honorific before their name.

[@TheMythkeeper]

That's essentially how they function. Its a good way of looking at the demigods.

[@rabbithaze9707]

Great video as always thank you. Really excited for the Azata video (always and forever biased towards chaotic good)

[@TheMythkeeper]

They should be out fairly soon. Archons & Agathions are already up on the channel, with Azatas coming soon. Also Devils and Daemons are up as well with Demons coming next week.

[@namelesssomebody2557]

Sweet. I've been waiting for this

[@RicardoPM777]

Awesome video as always 👏👏👏

[@grinningbuck]

Just realized that Dalenydra (the Blessed Attendant) is just a Golarion version of Blizzard's Mercy from Overwatch

[@RicardoPM777]

New video! Nice ! 👏👏👏

[@MrFahqup]

This is perfect as I'm prestige classing to stargazer, and I want to learn more about empyreal lords and specifically pulura.

[@Farscryer0]

Just found your channel. Awesome work, dude!

[@TheMythkeeper]

Thank you! Welcome to the channel 🙂

[@svensonsen1572]

Great Art! Even if its from MTG sometimes.

[@TheMythkeeper]

I use canon art when I can, but some stuff just doesn't have art out for it yet.

[@sa-sy5no]

What a great collection of Celestials. Big fan of your videos and thank you for helping me learn more about PF2e before I buy the core books and an AP. (Do you suggest one outside of the beginners box?)

[@TheMythkeeper]

Eventually I'll do a PF2 AP guide, but in the meantime I'd really just suggest going here - paizo.com/store/pathfinder/adventures/adventurePath - scanning through the AP descriptions and just pick the one that calls to you the most.

[@sa-sy5no]

@@TheMythkeeper Thanks!

[@marcussimoes2909]

Hey pathfinder fans, Pathfinder Tales novels by James L. Sutter, Death’s Heretic and The Redemption Engine are the perfect choice if o Like angels, multiplanar voyges and mistery!!!

[@nathanmaresh2948]

Another awesome video! Wondering if Pathfinder organizations are on your to-do list? A comprehensive history of the Pathfinder Society, for example, would be a doozy, but immensely helpful to people involved or interested in the Organized Play arena. Thanks for the many hours of edutainment!

[@TheMythkeeper]

Yes sir! Organizations have been on the list a long time, but I think I'd like to get a few more of my in-demand creature features out the door before I get to them.

[@ayyyyylmao]

I clicked on this video before, if I'm not mistaken it was for channel members only before, right? Thank you so much for opening it up, I love your religion videos about pathfinder so much!

[@TheMythkeeper]

No worries! Just so you know, members get early access to videos so if you see one you can't access yet just wait a bit and you'll get it evenutally.

[@ayyyyylmao]

@@TheMythkeeperthanks for that, I appreciate the effort a lot

[@PeskeyStrider2]

Great video as always Mythkeeper. I got a question if anyone can answer it. Are Demon Lords on par with the power of Empyreal Lords? or are they weaker?

[@TheMythkeeper]

On balance they are about the same level of power. Individual demon lords or empyreal lords may have slightly different levels of power, but all are considered demigods in the same way.

[@PeskeyStrider2]

@@TheMythkeeper Thanks for the respond, looking forward to your next videos.

[@Уробо́рос-м1й]

мне понравилось ! лайк и комментарий , для алгоритмов ютуба =)

[@marcolinosalgarone9442]

My favorite Empyrial lord is a lesser one: Chucaro Maiden of Haze and Whimsy because there is a castomization for the asimar that gives iridescent eyes and in pair with a psychic like the good and goofy feeling of the caracter

[@TheMythkeeper]

I'll talk about Chucaro in more detail when I get around to doing a video about the Azatas.

[@SeanSpeer]

Well all know you're the real angel.

[@TheMythkeeper]

Now this comment is truly celestial.

[@JohnBrown-no4od]

The bald woman in the Pulura part of the video is not Pulura. It's Elliandra who is a 20th level cleric of Pulura. She resides in Pulura's Fall, a temple to Pulura, in Sarkoris.

[@rickveenbergen9021]

Hello mythkeeper their is a video called pathfinder creature feautre: classic monsters. Is that one still supposed to be locked to members only because its already been a month. Kind regards. random person on the internet.

[@TheMythkeeper]

That one is two weeks out. Stupid youtube shouldn't be sharing what's coming. 😅

[@giorgioguolo7196]

After the Empyreals are you going to talk about other types of demigods?

[@TheMythkeeper]

Yes I am. I have a video about Devils and Archdevils already available to the mythwatcher's members and it should hit the regular channel in about 3 weeks. There are literally hundreds of demigods in Pathfinder so it will take me a long, long while to get through them all, but I hope to eventually do that on this channel.

[@joshwills5202]

Could you do a video on the eldest now and that you have done one on the fay?

[@TheMythkeeper]

I have already done one on the eldest: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYOyh3dmnax3mrs&ab_channel=MythKeeper

[@theprecipiceofreason]

If an angel starts to get worshipped and hasn't actually done anything but they gain a big following, through happentstance and mistake, do they ascend and just have to deal the embarassment of it among the rest of the celestials?

[@TheMythkeeper]

Unlike in some other D&D settings, worship on its own does not confer power. So if an angel suddenly starts being worshipped by a bunch of people, they dont' necessarily 'ascend'. Its the other way around. An angel that acquires enough power that they can begin to distribute that power to mortal worshipers will start to acquire a following. There are some very powerful deities out there (like the Peacock Spirit) who like to hide and therefore have no worshipers at all. People also worship all kinds of non-divine entities. Its just that doing so won't give a cleric any magical abilities.

[@VoteJesusNow]

im looking for Zohls

[@VoteJesusNow]

oh found her in archons

[@TheMythkeeper]

@@VoteJesusNow Yeah! There she is

[@mysterionlibrary]

Why do I see more lords of lust and perversion among just one group of angels than among all three types of demons?

[@Rimmer7]

Generally when blatant and disgusting sexual fetishes start showing up in Pathfinder writing, the guilty party is Amber E. Scott.

[@StrangeCreed]

Slight mistake: Astradaemons are not from the Abyss. They, like all daemons, come from Abaddon.

[@TheMythkeeper]

Oops! Thank you for the correction!

[@CoffeeForAll]

It’s disturbing how similar these themes resembles those of the Imperium from Warhammer 40k. Remove the thematic aspects of heaven and you’d find the archive angels aren’t that different from servo skulls or servitors. Strip away all the glamour and lofty ideals and the river of souls is just an assembly line for recycling souls. You go to an outer plane and either become an entity or fuse with the realm itself. Ask yourself self this.. what are the floors, walls, statues and ground in heaven made of. I’m telling you. Pharasma the soul janitor is the most evil entity in the entire Pathfinder setting.

[@TheMythkeeper]

Yes! This is a great take

[@Owl-yc2yu]

It's weird how old some of these empyreal lords are but yet Iomedae is a god.

[@TheMythkeeper]

That's because the Starstone is a convenient magic cheat code to divinity.

[@redblack9618]

Describing Arshea as "both" genders misses the point of Arshea pretty hard.

[@TheMythkeeper]

My apologies. FWIW that verbiage was pulled pretty directly from the books.

[@redblack9618]

@@TheMythkeeper That's okay, sometimes even Paizo (and even their trans writers) miss the point. XD

[@agsilverradio2225]

I like the angels, but the lords seem unbearably woke.

[@TheMythkeeper]

Wait until we get into the Agathions and the Azatas. Angels & Archons both are oriented around goodness in society as much as they are around goodness in the individual and this can give them a preachy moralistic vibe sometimes. Archons being as much entities of law as they are of goodness are in fact pretty militant about what consitutes the right kind of ethical standards a society needs to comply with. Azatas in particular are conversely much more of the live and let live vibe.

[@agsilverradio2225]

​​​​@@TheMythkeeper Actually, I'm more bothered by the ones with, (what I would consider,) more chaotic principles. ... Well, at least these lords all have good intentions, and If I don't like any part of the lore, I can just homebrew it out of my own games. ... But, when you look at it as, "outer-planers can be preachey ideologes," I guess it makes sense. ... P.S. I'm suprised I havn't gotten any backlash on this yet?

[@agsilverradio2225]

​​​​​@@TheMythkeeper Oh boy... Wait, these guys are lawfull?! I was under the impression they were were of various good allignments? ... I.e, that Godess of reapecting sexworkers is clearly chaotic good. A lawfull good solution would be to arrest the abuser, and send the victum to an intervention to help them get out of that industry. ... A lawfull evil solution may be to make prostotuion illgegal, and then stick both partys in the same jail cell.

[@TheMythkeeper]

@@agsilverradio2225 Hey you expressed your pov respectfully. No one can fault you for that. ;-)

[@TheMythkeeper]

@@agsilverradio2225 Every single one of these is of LG alignmnet. I have some more Empyreal Lord videos coming with the other alignments on their way. The term Lawful is confusing in this context, and I'm actually happy that Pathfinder is moving away from alignments in the new edition (although I'll still be releasing my Empyreal Lords videos based on the current lore because I'm in midflight). Here's a clearer way to think of the difference between LG and CG. LG is about rules for creating a harmonious society. CG is about rules that maximize personal liberty. Both believe in goodness, but LG will sacrifice personal freedom for a happier overall society. CG will sacrifice overall happiness of the society if it gives individuals slightly more control over their lives.