Empty Thrones
God and Lucifer are missing. The universe persists as it always has. A dark urban fantasy setting revolving around sacrifice, rituals, and the cost of power.
Heaven
Heaven is the realm of order and structure. Angels serve as extensions of the will of the Throne of Heaven, creatures more like sophisticated machines than true individuals...at least within the lower choirs. The seraph Michael serves as the regent of the Throne in the absence of God, abiding at its foot in eternal patience for God's return.
Angelic Choirs
Angels are organized into seven choirs based on the four cardinal and three theological virtues: Temperance, Justice, Wisdom, Fortitude, Charity, Faith, and Hope.Angelic names are unique in the higher ranks of the choirs. Lesser angels receive functional names describing their intent, such as Diligence in Pursuit of the Wicked or Mercy Upon the Meek. Multiple angels may share the same name, but have no issue distinguishing between each other, to the confusion of many magical practitioners.
Angelic Manifestation and Possession
Angels prefer to manifest subtly on Earth. The natural forms of angels are often conspicuous and sometimes unsettling, and direct intervention by angels can introduce disorder into the mortal world. When angels must manifest overtly in a physical form, without a host, the new vessel is crafted to slot 'naturally' into reality. This painstaking process is time consuming and resource intensive, only done when strictly necessarily for a mission.The more common option for angels on short-term missions is possession. Unlike demons, angels only possess a living host when absolutely unavoidable. Angels prefer to possess the recently dead and pick up where the host left off with their lives as a cover while they accomplish their duties. The drawback of this method is that dead hosts tend to provide less information for the angel to work with as a cover - although for most angels, this 'drawback' simplifies the difficult reality of being physically anchored in a mortal body.
Hell
Hell is the realm of disorder and freedom. Freedom, that is, for those with the power to acquire and hold it. In the wake of Lucifer's disappearance, the most powerful demon lords of Hell have fallen into factionalism. A fragile coalition rules over Hell now, but it is in constant flux, and some whisper that the demon lord Adramelech even now covets the Crown of Hell as his exclusive prize.
Demonic Types
Demons are aligned in types roughly corresponding to the seven deadly vices: Pride, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth.Demonic names are generally unique only for more powerful demons. Lesser demon names are descriptions of their innate natures, such as Haze of Desperate Longing and Frigid Ire. Demons who share name elements or even full names typically fight or scheme to force each other to surrender their names, with the loser either adopting a lesser name according to the convoluted customs of Hellish prestige or losing the right to a name entirely.
Demonic Manifestation and Possession
Demons are more likely to manifest physically on Earth than angels, but not because it's easier for them. Physically crossing into the mortal world from Hell is painful, harrowing, and fraught. Demons often lose some of their more overt demonic features as they're 'compressed' by the transit, which weakens them, but has the upside of making it easier for them to pass as mortal humans.Demonic possession is a grab bag. Most demons who do it aren't picky about their hosts, treating them like stolen cars for a joyride or a bank robbery - things to drive fast, hard, and crash into a wall. Demons will possess living mortals who are vulnerable for the deluxe experience, or the recently dead as especially disposable vessels.
Earth
The province of mortal beings. On Earth, much appears as it is according to the mundane conception of reality. In the margins, exorcists, infernalists, witches, and more eke power out of rites and pacts for ends both selfish and noble.
Magical Practitioners
Magical practitioners go by many names in many traditions. Not all of them make pacts with non-mortal beings for power, but doing so is often a shortcut to power that otherwise requires years of study to master.Exorcists are any magical practitioners (and their non-magical allies who rely on the power inherent in certain rites instead of magical practice) who combat possessions and banish angels and demons back to their own planes.Infernalists are magical practitioners who make use of the magic of Hell. It is a dangerous magical art to use in the absence of a pact with a demon. Summoning and binding demons is one form of infernal magic.Witch is a term used for all genders to refer to a magical practitioner who traffics in darker forms of magic for ill ends. A controversial and derogatory label - one person's witch is another's unfairly maligned practitioner.
other powers
The realms of Heaven and Hell are far from the only powers in the spheres of being. More information on the other powers will be revealed in time.