The First Kingdom of Heaven is one of the realms featured in the Darksiders Series. Home as well as an outpost of the Angelic host, its residence are wholeheartedly dedicated to what they believe to be the Creator's will, though he does not interfere in their affairs. While many Angels still remain in the Kingdom itself, many of them have died in the Apocalypse. It is unknown if there are more Archangels within, although it is very possible. Not much is actually known about this realm in the Darksiders universe other than its existence and that originally, at the onset of the Apocalpyse, its Earthbound armies were led by the Archangel Abaddon who falls in combat during Darksiders' prologue. With Abaddon's apparent death, and victory of the Apocalypse pronounced in favor of the forces of Hell, the portals which would have allowed the Angels to retreat back into the First Kingdom were prematurely closed, stranding them on the desolate Earth. The remnants of the Angelic forces, the Hellguard are led by Abaddon's successor, Uriel. Death never actually visits the White City, but he does visit a realm close to and controlled by the forces of Heaven, Lostlight.
Society
Angel society is typified by a militant obsession with the righteousness of their cause and a fervent belief in the rule of law, order, and justice. The Codex Bellum provides an immensely complex code of laws that rule every aspect of Angel society, even strict regulations regarding what romantic relationships would be condoned and which would be condemned, though it was not unknown for angels to bend or break these laws. The angelic system of government has never been defined in Darksiders media, but there are at least two positions of great power.
· Archangel - This appears to amongst the highest if not the highest position in the angelic hierarchy and legions. Whether it is a rank or an actual type of angel is ambiguous. Both Abaddon and Azrael are Archangels.
· Archon - The exact nature of this position is ambiguous. It appears to hold great authority. Some have speculated that the Archons are battle-priests and relic keepers of the angels, as both Archons so far mentioned have been wielding or safeguarding items of great significance to the Angels.
Military
The Hellguard is the name of Heaven's forces led by Abaddon and Uriel to wipe out the Demons of Hell and kill The Destroyer during The Apocalypse. The Angels are cut off from The White City until the world is free of The Destroyer. In the first hours of The Apocalypse, Abbadon is killed and dragged to the depths of Hell. Devastated and vengeful, Uriel assumes command of The Hellguard. War, a Horseman of The Apocalypse, is blamed for his death. The Angels of The Hellguard have been fighting against The Destroyer's army for 100 years. They bring many Angelic technologies and weaponry from The White City. At the end of Darksiders, Uriel leads The Hellguard in an attack against The Destroyer and fails.
Angels are a strong warrior race from Heaven, with only slightly more liking for Humans than Demons. Angels float aloft on luminous wings, and while they often aren't quite as resilient as some of the more powerful demons, they carry far superior weaponry, including heavenly swords, halberds which can shoot blasts of energy and Redemption cannons. Angels in Darksiders are depicted as being more technologically advanced, than the renaissance thought of holy warriors clad solely in loincloth. Angels not only have advanced weaponry, but also advanced armor which they can be seen wearing at all times. The Angels have been at war against the very Demons of Hell, ever since War answered the call to start the Apocalypse. The army of Heaven is strong, but they didn't last. After 100 years, most of their forces have fallen. When War arrives, most of the angels have been locked out of Heaven. Now only small groups of the strongest angels survive. Angels can ride Angelic Beasts into battle, for times when just a little more firepower is needed.
Angel Soldiers are airborne soldiers of light, armed with a halberd-alike melee weapon that doubles as a ranged weapon - Angelic Lance. Like all other Hellguard forces they wear a light dark-golden armor that appears to be made with advanced technology. As Angels, they fight for Heaven against the Demonic legions and stand in the front line against Destroyer's army. These Angel Soldiers appear to be quite noble, as they are referred to as great and honorable warriors, and as The Charred Council states "might they be Lords of Heaven...", indicating that they consider them to be high-ranking figures. They now fight under the command of Uriel, since Abaddon died. They harbor a deep hatred of War, as they see him as the responsible for the early Apocalypse and Abaddon's death. The remaining Hellguard forces are incapable of returning to Heaven until the Balance, that was lost due to the Apocalypse, is restored. Since Mankind has been obliterated by Demonic forces, the Light Angels along with all of the Hellguard are apparently trapped forever on Earth, never to return to the White City.
Angelic Champions are Large Angelic warriors wielding a huge shield along with a sword made of energy, these holy hulking juggernauts are far stronger than their normal soldier counterparts. Their wings are gold rather than blue in order to show their rank in the celestial hierarchy. Angel Champions are the second strongest type of angel, bested only by Storm Wardens and archangels including Abbadon, Uriel and Azrael. Angelic Champions are almost always found accompanied by several Angel Soldiers or another Angel Champion. Unlike the Soldiers, the Angelic champions can be very deadly on their own. Their swords are about the range of War's melee attack with Chaoseater, and they can take three hits from Chaos Form before death. Angel Champions can rise up into the air and smash back down, leaving a small shockwave of energy in the area, which can inflict a massive amount of damage if War is in the attack's radius. Angel Champions are seen several times throughout the game, most noticeably during War and Ulthane's "Pigeon Plucking" contest. They are distinguished by the large golden energy swords, massive shields, and gold wings that they have and should be dealt with cautiously.
Storm Wardens are Heavenly Soldiers which were hand-selected by Archangels themselves, as they are the elite of the elites in the army of light. They do not appear often in the game, as the few appearances they make are located near the end of the game. These angels carry with them a Redemption Cannon that fires balls of flames against the unfortunate ones that place themselves in the weapon's range. Their armour is different from the rest of the Hellguard, as it is silver with little ornaments in gold, while other angel soldiers' armour is usually gold. They are rather difficult to defeat as they are not only very resilient, but highly mobile. Their Redemption cannons are able to pack a great punch and they should be dealt with cautiously as the weapon can also knock War back. To finish them off, they must be grounded by War, where he can then end the Angel's life.
The Ortho, also known merely as the Angelic Beast, is a large Griffin type creature used as heavy support by the Angel remnants. It fires energy bolts against it's targets to bring them down in addition to capably performing as an air vehicle. In the game, War commandeers one to get from one location to the Twilight Cathedral. As soon as War first sees the Cathedral, the Dusk Queen Tiamat grabs the Beast, causing War to fall and forcing him travel through the Cathedral on foot. In two different rooms, War sees the two fighting, with the Ortho losing, although it does put up a good fight. As War faces Tiamat for the last time, she is holding the Beast's corpse and drops it. While being ridden by War, the Ortho is controllable and can move up, down, and side-to-side within its set camera view. You shoot using the weapon formerly owned by the Angel that previously rode the beast. The weapon fires single shots (by tapping the fire button) or charged shots (by holding the button down and moving the targeting reticule over a group of enemies ). Due to the Angel's ability to fly, an Ortho is used more for heavy support rather than travel. It is able to fire energy bolts at its enemies and exhibits extreme durability, as seen when one is able to take on Tiamat and put up a decent fight before death.