All Monsters in "Archon"
Source Monster Core pg. 26Archons are guardians of
Heaven and enemies of corruption. Before gods and their servants set foot in the celestial planes, archons already resided in Heaven, the original inhabitants of the realm. Upon meeting, the archons and divine
angels quickly discovered they were of a kind, holding justice and righteousness in their hearts. An alliance was formed, and archons now serve as stalwart allies to all celestials and mortals they find worthy.
While the first archons coalesced from the immense seven-tiered mountain of Heaven, they choose willing and worthy Heaven-bound souls to join their ranks. These mortals hear and answer the call of a mysterious voice, manifesting in the Garden at the mountain's peak. There they swear to forever serve the cause of justice and transform into their new archon forms.
Though deeply concerned with defending mortal life and willing to sacrifice themselves in battle against fiends, archons often feel rote and inscrutable to others, and their forms can border on frightening and bizarre. For this reason, they often have issues with interacting with mortals, or with the free spirited
azatas. Despite this, archons draw great strength from others, especially those who exemplify virtue.
Beyond their celestial allies, archons also maintain ancient ties with
aeons. The inscrutable factions can still be seen working together to defend long- forgotten secrets and enforce rules that predate mortal life. Archons explain these missions as necessary without further elaboration, leaving even their angelic allies frustrated with archons' obstinance.
Archon Aesthetics
While archons do not seek to gather or maintain wealth, they do appreciate beauty and art, and their domains are often decorated with valuable crafts and creative works. They themselves are similarly ornate, and they always take time for proper maintenance after battle. Archons value care—and thus tidiness—in all things.
Archon Divinities
As with
angels and
azatas, the most powerful archons count among a group of demigods known collectively as empyreal lords. Each archon empyreal lord is a unique and powerful creature who keeps a domain somewhere in Heaven and is worshipped on mortal worlds. Archon divinities serve a variety of goals and focus on different aspects of righteousness. Some, such as
Arqueros, hold influence over the defense of the innocent, while others, like Damerrich, demigod of executions, emphasize the punishment of unrepentant wrongdoers and seek to obliterate evil in all its forms.
Crime And Punishment
Archons enforce law and order as their most fundamental duty. Not terrestrial laws—those concern archons little. The cosmic order, on the other hand, is baked into their very being. Most archons find themselves unable to consciously break cosmic laws, though some who were once mortal petitioners can call up an echo of their past autonomy. Though they enforce cosmic laws, archons still prefer to bring lawbreakers to redemption. Within the mountain of
Heaven, the Chambers of Repentance hold fiends and lawbreakers they believe can still be redeemed. Whenever possible, they choose this path over destroying a foe, even if the law would justify doing so.
Heavenly Mountain
Though they can be found anywhere in their endless battle against fiends, archons originate in
Heaven, a plane that appears as a single massive mountain. Heaven is broken into seven tiers, with most archons occupying the second level, Proelera, their base of army operations, or the sixth level, Iudica, the administrative heart of Heaven.
Order And Preservation
Though it's part of archons' core identity, the order of the cosmos isn't treated as inviolable dogma. Archons consider the philosophy behind their laws and the value of enforcing them. Though they remain aligned in purpose, archons often debate the laws and their roles within the celestial machinery. A frequent argument asserts that one of the great goods of preserving order is protecting the fruits of creation from entropy and the forces of destruction. Archons appreciate aesthetics and the beautiful things mortals create. What fiends might see destroyed or controlled, archons fight to preserve.
Unknowable Bearing
Gnokesh and exscinder archons have frequent reasons to associate with mortals. This challenges mortals, as most find it difficult to comprehend the thoughts and desires of archons. Even a scholar who studies the same topic as a gnokesh needs to adapt the way they present questions and information to communicate with their archon guide. Exscinders present an even harder challenge, as they're usually encountered while on duty, with the purpose of confiscating or destroying forbidden texts. This means someone first meeting an exscinder is likely attempting to convince them not to destroy a tome containing rare knowledge or even their life's work in scholarship or literature.