Artifacts Archive · Celestial Command
Mandates
Commands That Bind Angels to Obey
- Issuer: a superior angel
- Recipient: subordinate angel or angels
- Effect: binds the recipient to obey the stated assignment
- Known use: reassigning Xandir and Zeus from Watchers to Angels of Reconnaissance
Celestial Orders With Force
A Mandate is more than a supervisor giving instructions. Xandir recognizes the form immediately and understands that an angel is bound to obey a Mandate issued by a superior. The mechanism gives Heaven’s chain of command supernatural weight.
Assignments Can Change
Azazel uses a Mandate to temporarily reassign Xandir and Zeus as Angels of Reconnaissance during the Giant investigation. The same system had previously been used when Xandir became a Watcher, showing that Mandates can establish or alter celestial duties.
Mandate Versus Covenant
A Mandate comes downward from authority; an Angelic Covenant is a sworn bond between participants. The two can reinforce one another, but they are not the same mechanism. The Giant crisis uses both: a command establishes the mission, while a Covenant later binds the Watchers to a specific course of action.
Michael D. Young 