| abstract
| - The Angels of Paradiso, in particular the Hierarchy of Laguna, make up the primary antagonistic force in the first Bayonetta. They appear to be closely affiliated with the Lumen Sages, battling alongside them during the Clan Wars and hundreds of years later are seen aiding the Masked Lumen Sage in combat against Bayonetta in Bayonetta 2. All Angel seem to share certain characteristics: marble-like skin, gold and ivory armor, and frequently extravagant golden halos made of light. The extravagance of their halo is closely affiliated to their sphere of influence within Paradiso, with lower ranking Angels having rather simplistic halos and higher ranking angels such as the Auditio having multiple halos, each of which can be up to several hundred feet across. Angels that are often felt or seen by humanity, such as the Affinities appear humanoid and closely resemble modern depictions of Angels, while many others, such as the Enchants frequently appear to be much more exotic, resembling wheels. Even higher ranks appear as things that are not traditionally affiliated with angels, such as ships or cars. Other Angels, such as Fearless and Fairness appear to simply be angelic beasts. Like humans, most Angels are physical beings that are able to exist in Paradiso or Purgatorio, being able to influence the human world from either. Some Angels, however, such as Joy, are said to have broken completely free of physical bonds. As a result, Joys are able to manipulate their physical body at will, allowing them to transform into a wide array of beings, and even mimic Bayonetta's weapons and attacks. Despite the positive feelings that most Angels govern and exude, the Hierarchy of Laguna itself is single-minded and sinister. Acting as Father Balder's personal supernatural army, the three spheres of the Hierarchy blindly follow every order given to them by superior beings, such as the Auditio, even if this means harming innocent people or acting as mere fodder against powerful enemies. This makes it difficult to judge if they are not-sentient beings, deprived of free will or simply totally obedient; the lowest angelic ranks are born from the souls of self-sacrificed humans, thus hinting that the Hierarchy are tied to the human race in a way far more disturbing than mere devotion. The four Auditio are, contrarily, extremely intelligent and cunning; even if most angels manifest basic emotions like fear, the Cardinal Virtues are prone to express contempt and anger and also -if it's true that they cast down The Infinite One only for resenting his power- envy: all feelings that belie the status of such ancient spiritual beings. Even if most humans perceive Angels as blurred light, the types of Angel seen in both games have physical bodies with evident biology, though the function of the biology is utterly alien when compared to earthly forms, Angels appear to have a similar dependence on internal organ structure. Massive trauma, vivisection, or beheading an angel can all lead to the Angel's destruction. To protect these inner-organs all Angels appear to have an exoskeletal structure made of gold and marble. Whether this protective layer is a biological part of them, or simply something similar to an ornate set of armor that lay over their internal body is unknown. Despite appearing as stone and metal, the skin is readily pliable, able to bend and stretch similar to skin, as the Angel moves. Many angels also appear to have human faces that are non-threatening and child-like in appearance. However beneath these beautiful and non-threatening appearances are monstrous features like gaping maws or slanted-pupil eyes. This disguise can be a strange quirk of the angels themselves or, since Sapientia said outright that human beings are cowardly and unreliable, it may just be a ruse to further give the impression of caring guardians of mankind.
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