Yes, I know Elysium exists, and I also want something distinct from it. I've been thinking about this for a long time, and hints of it can be seen in the story Trouble in Paradise.
Ontology
Heaven draws heavily from Paradiso, albeit with just five locations instead of all the planets, focusing on a Magic take on the four cardinal virtues. With the exception of the Sun Sphere, all have a single virtue but defined by the lack of the opposite virtue, which is a theme in Dante's Paradiso. They all have planetary names because I couldn't come up with alternatives; just assume this is a plane with equivalent planets to ours.
- The Sun Sphere
is the highest section of heaven and attainable by those exemplifying all four virtues. It is an unfathomly strong light, perhaps a palace of sorts (Fair Basilica but less gross).- The Moon Sphere
is for those exemplifying prudence but lacking in fortitude. The landscape is dominated by seas of silver, that can be sculpted to the souls' pleasing. Intellectual discourse abounds, a bliss in exchanging ideas and crafting perfection, but with the hollow regret of not being brave in life.- The Mercury Sphere
is for those exemplifying temperance but lacking in justice, those who did good out of selfish reasons. It is a dim city lit by luminous gold, forming liquid pools and mires but also everything from coins to building blocks. It is an hedonistic existence, but the ambitious residents are forever reminded of being barred from the highest sphere.- The Mars Sphere
is for the courageous ones brimming with fortitude but no prudence. It is a superficially hellish landscape of lava and fire, but dotted by beautiful coliseums and art museums. All manner of games and artistic pursuits are availiable, almost enough to make one forget the regret of not being wiser in life.- The Venus Sphere
is for those who exemplified justice (by the broader definition of "giving everyone what they deserve") in life but lack temperance. As such, it is an Eden full of vast forests and vineyards. Its residents live in arcadian bliss, though perhaps wishing they had more temperance and self-control in life.The Angels
The plane's angel's ultimately spawned from the
mana of the Sun Sphere, but as they were reassigned to the lesser spheres they acquired characteristics of their mana.- The Malachim, despiste their lofty position in the Sun Sphere, are the angels most likely to interact with still living mortals and go fight evil beyond heaven. They most closely resemble the generic winged people, albeit with a few minor eldritch traits like multiple pairs of wings with eyes on them. They serve as heaven's armies and guardian angels to the mortals, as well as psychopomps bringing the souls of the righteous to the afterlife.
- The Ophanim are associated with the Moon Sphere and thus represent the more abstract angelic concepts, being wheels with eyes. They converse with the intellectual souls, inspiring them to meditate on the nature of divinity.
- The Hashmalim are associated with the Mercury Sphere and are forms made from gold or amber, usually humanoid and winged but bearing an exposed ribcage with no heart. They effectively act as the caretakers of the ambitious souls stationed here, catering to their needs and inspiring them to reach new heights. A number resent their lot in life, but are not stupid enough to go against the combined forces of heaven and make a coup.
- The seraphim are associated with the Mars Sphere and resemble angelic dragons or serpents, bearing six pairs of feathered wings. After the Malachim they are the angels most likely to leave heaven to strike at heretics, but many remain within their sphere, living sources of inspiration for artistic endeavours. Many playfully spar with their soul charges in coliseums.
- The cherubim are associated with the Venus Sphere and are chimeric amalgamations of animal and human body parts, thankfully usually covered by their wings (which usually have eyes in them). They rejoice with the souls of their sphere in their bacchanalias, but many often patrol the borders like guard dogs, territorially defending their realm from the rest of paradise.