ANGELS AND DEMONS F.A.Q.
What is the otherworld?
The otherworld (or the ether) is the non-physical realm that exists in tandem with our own. It's home to demons.
What are demons?
Demons are incorporeal creatures of the otherworld. Their only source of sustenance is human life energy, which they take by crossing the barrier into the physical realm and killing humans. The average demon doesn't live very long, as it's difficult and dangerous to cross the barrier for food. But demons reproduce rapidly, so their population is always strong.
What are angels?
Angels are created from demons. They also subsist on human life energy, but in a symbiotic way rather than a predatory one. They are bound to a specific human bloodline, and when that bloodline ends, so does the angel. If the bloodline is uninterrupted, angels can live several centuries before dying of old age.
Are there other supernatural creatures besides angels and demons?
Angels and demons are no more supernatural than humans. They just originate from a different dimension. As to werewolves, ghosts, zombies, and the like – no. They don't exist here except in fiction.
What are halos and why do angels have them, but demons don't?
When a demon is bound to a bloodline and changed into an angel, it becomes sustained by the life energy of every living human in that bloodline. The halo is their grace – a visible mark of that constant energy flow. It's the energy source that allows them to fly, to heal other angels or any humans in their line, to cross to the otherworld, and even just to live.
Do angels and demons look just like humans but with halos or wings?
More or less, yes. In addition to the more obvious halos and wings, both angels and demons also have a slightly different musculature of the chest, shoulders, and back to allow for their wings. They also can (but don't always) have vibrant eye colors, sometimes ones not seen in humans like violet or yellow.
Angels can't heal just anyone?
No. Angels can heal other angels, but not themselves. Angels can heal humans, but only those within their bound line.
How do you make an angel?
When there is need for a new angel, an existing angel steals a fledgling demon from the ether. A binding ceremony is immediately performed to bind the child to the human bloodline. The newborn angel then stays with the existing angel to grow and learn.
Then where did the first angel come from?
No one knows for certain. The current popular theory is that demons used to raid freely within human populations. At some point, perhaps during such a raid, a human and a demon mixed blood and formed a faint bond – a simple precursor to modern bonds. The mutual benefits were discovered, and through trial and error, the process for deliberately forming the bond evolved. These more elaborately bound demons eventually changed so much, they could no longer be considered demons.
Once angels are bound, do they forget their existence as demons?
No, but as with human childhood memories, they fade and are often distorted or lost. They know where they come from.
If demons are non-physical, how do they come to earth?
Once they cross the barrier, they are forced into a physical form. They appear mostly human except for their large, black wings. Only strong, adult demons can make it through to earth, and even the strongest cannot hold themselves here for long before they're pulled back by the ether.
If demons can't stay here, then how do angels?
When a fledgling is bound to a human bloodline, the process also binds them to the physical plane. They are anchored on earth by the link to the line, but still straddle the two worlds, and are able to cross from the earth to the ether and back. When demons cross through, the entirety of their being crosses, so they fully manifest, wings and all. Angels are tethered to both worlds, and their wings are the link between them – thus, angel wings are incorporeal and invisible to the human eye.
Can't angels reproduce without stealing demon babies?
No. Once bound, angels cannot reproduce on their own. Demons breed rapidly, but live short lives. Angels live long lives, but cannot produce offspring.
How often are angels created?
Raising an angel isn't unusual, but a new angel is only raised if it's necessary – if an existing angel is old and near death or if the human family has grown and one angel can no longer effectively protect them all. Stealing a fledgling is risky, so it's not done lightly.
If a human dies without having children, can the angel switch families?
Yes, provided there is someone else of the same bloodline – siblings, cousins, niblings, etc. The bloodline is only valid from the source down, meaning the individual whose blood is used to bind the angel is the top of the line. For example (assuming everyone were alive), if Dean were the source, the resulting angel would be bound to him and any descendants, but not Sam or John. If John were the source, the angel would be bound to him, Dean, Sam, and any future descendants, but not Henry. If a childless human dies and is the last of their line, the angel will die.
Can angels die even if their bloodline still lives?
Yes. Angels aren't all-powerful. They can be hurt and killed. Other angels can heal them or they can heal the same way humans do, but if they're injured too severely, they will die.
What if my angel dies? Can I get a new one?
If there's another angel somewhere in the bloodline, then a new angel can be raised to replace the one that died. If that was the last angel of the line, then there can't be any more for that individual human, since the binding ceremony requires the blood of the human, the fledgling, and an angel already bound to that line.
Can I have more than one angel?
Yes. If two humans – each with their own angel – reproduce, then both of those angels will be bound to any children. It's not uncommon, though if there were another person in the family without an angel – a sibling or cousin to one of the adults – then one of those angels might shift to that family member. If the two original parents have no other family, then both angels will stay.
Do angels live with their humans?
Not usually. Though they often spend a lot of time with their humans, most angels live in barracks with others from their garrisons. Humans consider angels to be family.
What do angels do all day?
Angels protect the bloodline to which they are bound. They heal the sick and injured. But most of their time is taken up defending the physical realm from demons – guarding the barrier with their garrisons and killing as many demons as they can catch trying to break through.
How do angels kill demons?
The same way demons kill angels – any way they can. Usually it's done with knives, as angels always carry a blade with them. Technically, humans can kill demons, too, but they don't often have the chance. Demons are fast, strong, and vicious, and by default, are ambush hunters as they push through the barrier between worlds. It makes them very difficult for humans to kill.
Can angels answer prayers?
Angels can hear prayers from anyone within their bloodline. If a human is in trouble, they can call for help from their angel by praying. They don't answer prayers like granting wishes, however. They don't have that sort of power.
What if I need help, but can't pray for some reason?
Then help might not come. If an angel is physically close enough, they can feel what their humans feel – pain, strong emotion, etc. The farther away they are, the weaker the connection. They can hear prayer from anywhere, but if their human cannot pray, the angel might not ever become aware of the danger.
Why do demons let angels steal their babies?
They don't. That's why raising an angel is dangerous. An angel must find a suitable fledgling and try to snatch it without being seen. Otherwise, demons will follow and try to get the fledgling back.
Do demons have families?
Yes, but they're not so closely knit as the average human family. Their lives are short and brutal. Fledglings cannot cross the barrier, and so strong adults must bring back life energy for them until they're strong enough to procure their own. After they're self-sufficient, they mostly only care about themselves.
Why don't angels and demons get along if they're essentially the same creature?
Though angels are made from demons, they aren't the same. Demons believe angels to be child thieving monsters that prevent them from feeding freely on the humans. Angels see demons as murderous animals. They believe demons to be uncivilized, and that transforming a demon child to an angel is a mercy – that they're saving the fledgling from a cruel life.
CASTIEL FAQ
Why does Cas have wings?
Castiel's binding ritual was interrupted. Normally, a fledgling's blood is mixed with the blood of a human and that of an angel bound to that human's line. The demon's blood is of the ether. The human blood anchors the child to both the physical plane and to that specific family. The angel's blood provides the link between the worlds, allowing the child to live permanently in the physical realm, but also to cross the barrier into the otherworld. Castiel's blood was never mixed with the angel Hannah's in the ritual – thus leaving him bound permanently to the earth. He cannot cross the barrier any more than a human can. He has no link to the ether, and so his wings are physically manifested.
Why does Cas have a halo, and why didn't he know he had it?
Castiel has a halo for the same reason angels do. His life is sustained by the life energy of the Winchesters. As a demon, he had no halo, but he'd never had a physical body. He gained a body and the halo at roughly the same time, so had no "before" to compare to. While he would've been able to see it in a clear mirror, he only ever saw his reflection in less perfect surfaces – water, metal, glass, etc. Halos are too diaphanous to see in such a poor surface.
Seriously, though, what exactly is Cas? Angel or demon or what?
Castiel is neither and both. Since the ritual was disrupted, he has some features of both, but also is unique in other ways.
Why did Cas stay small for so long?
Because the binding ritual was incomplete, his bond with the Winchester bloodline was weak. It was enough to sustain him as he was, but not enough for him to grow, and not enough for him to recognize the link to John. When Dean was born many years later, it strengthened the bond, and when Castiel healed him at the pond, it completed it. From that point on, he grew as he should.
Why didn't Cas hear prayers before, and why does he now?
The incomplete bond with the Winchester line didn't allow for it. Once the bond was complete, he slowly gained the ability to feel emotion from Dean and Sam as the link between them strengthened over time. Dean's desperate emotional state the night he nearly drank himself to death finally broke through and allowed Castiel to hear his prayers.
Why didn't Cas kill that baby?
As a demon, he would have without hesitation. Once a demon is bound to a human line, it becomes affected by human emotion. Even though Castiel wasn't fully bound, it was enough to give him some compassion for the frightened child.
Why were all those angels trying to kill Cas?
Wings = demons. That's really all the angels took the time to see. The hatred between the two species is intense, and both demons and angels are dangerous enough to each other that neither can afford any hesitation. Kill first, don't bother to ask questions later.
Why isn't Cas affected by angel wards or demon traps?
Because he's neither angel nor demon. Angel wards repel anything with a link to the otherworld – i.e. angels. Devil's traps work on anything not of the earth. Castiel has no link to the otherworld, so angel wards have no effect, and he's as bound to the earth as a human, so devil's traps are ineffective as well.
Sooooooo are Cas and Dean, like...together or what?
Not romantically. Consider it an epic friendship, a profound bond, or a bromance for the ages.
"OTHER" FAQ
Was Mary killed in an ordinary fire or was there something else going on?
The house fire that killed Mary was just a terrible accident. Faulty wiring started the fire in the void space between the ceiling and attic, and by the time anyone realized what was happening, it had already spread and weakened the structure. The ceiling in the bedroom collapsed, trapping Mary. Even if he'd tried to pull her out first, Gabriel couldn't have saved her.
What about John? Did he die in a targeted attack?
No. Even if demons were organized and interested enough to target a specific person, they couldn't. It's too difficult to break through the barrier. Demons search for a live body, and aim for it. Unfortunately, demon attacks are fairly common. John was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
What happened to Gabriel when he was banished?
He couldn't hear or feel the boys or go anywhere near them. Though the banishment severed his link to Dean, Gabriel was still bound to Sam, so he could still draw life energy from him as usual. Had there been other Campbells around somewhere, he could have joined them, but Sam and Dean were the last living members of the Campbell line. Instead, Gabriel stayed with his garrison and focused on his duties there.
If you have any additional questions not answered here, please feel free to ask. Thanks for reading!
ETA - there's a possibility of a sequel. I'm working on it, but it may or may not come to fruition. And even if it does, it'll be a while. ;)