Empyreal Sorc Sacred Cistern

[Kazaan]

Is there any clarification on whether the Empyreal Sorc's Sacred Cistern ability allows you to channel positive energy regardless of actual alignment (a la Oracle of Life) or if it should be taken at face value and follows standard Cleric rules for channeling? Additionally, if it's positive only, can you use the Variant Channeling rules or is it a hard and strict "Positive and nothing else"? I presume that if it actually was intended to be positive or negative, Variant Channeling is a non-issue. If there's no official clarification on the subject, I suggest we FAQ it.

[Michael Sayre]

"Sacred Cistern (Su): At 9th level, your bloodline makes you a natural receptacle of divine energy. You can channel energy once per day as a cleric of your sorcerer level – 4. This bloodline power replaces wings of heaven."

It doesn't specify any particular type of energy, it seems pretty straightforward that it would follow all the normal rules for feats, alignment, variant channeling, etc.

Sure it is a variant of the Celestial Bloodline, but "a quasi-divine nature" could come from having trace amounts of an evil deities essence in your bloodline just as easily as a good.

[Kazaan]

All the other bloodlines modify a base source; Linnorm are still considered a "Draconic" bloodline but a more primitive form of Dragon, for example. So it stands to reason the Empyreal bloodline is inherently a part of the Celestial bloodline. There are no "evil" Celestial beings; they cease to be Celestial beings if they become evil. So really, the question becomes, "Could Celestial beings naturally channel negative energy?" Is an Evil Empyreal Sorc stuck channeling Positive and only Positive? Alternatively, is an Evil Emperyal Sorc able to channel positive despite being Evil?

[Michael Sayre]

"Celestial
Your bloodline is blessed by a celestial power, either from a celestial ancestor or through divine intervention."

Asmodeus is a divine being, and capable of divine intervention. As are Rovagug, Lamashtu, and for that matter any of the scores of Neutral Deities. Don't let a narrow view of what you think is thematically appropriate become a mechanical hang-up. This is one of those situations where the fluff is clouding the crunch, and is not something likely to be addressed in FAQ or Eratta

[Isil-zha]

A fallen angel might accept Urgathoa's blessing and become one of her clerics, therefore able to channel negative energy... and somewhere along the lines he entered your bloodline.

But it has been mentioned on several occasions that bloodlines are not to be taken solely as having a certain ancestry, there are other ways of manipulation that can infuse beings with those powers.