MARTYRDOM: THE TWELVE VIRTUES & SAINTHOOD
The Nameless God is absent. This is a charge held by heretics and critics alike. Yet, while he is lost, the Lost God is not forgotten. Like all the gods, he has servants. The good gods of Narya are usually served by hosts of spirits and celestial beings. The most famous among humankind are probably angels.
Angels are celestial beings born from the very essence of positive energy found in the Heavens. Typically, they resemble winged humanoids with idyllic features but some are formed into stranger shapes by their god's purpose. Regardless of form, they seek out good gods to serve as messengers, warriors and overseers. Even chaotic good gods rely on lawful good angels to carry out tasks and can rely upon the angel to carry out any given duty.
Angels are incapable of committing acts that stray from the path of
order and good. They destroy evil without hesitation and their judgement
is supernatural. Still, this superior power and position in the cosmic
hierarchy has spelled tragedy for many angels who allow their pride to
get the best of them.
Angels that commit evil deeds are marked and cast out of the Heavens by their kind. These are the
fallen.
The fallen retain their powers but lose their connection to the
celestial plane. Some fallen angels seek redemption by committing
themselves to undoing the harm they've caused or living humbly until the
gods offer them a chance to prove themselves worthy of the heavens but
others become resentful of the gods and become corrupted. Some of the
most dangerous fiends were once angels that were brought down in this
way.
There are three levels of angel most commonly known:
The deva are the messengers of the gods. They often disguise themselves and live lives on the material plane, either as priests or humble do-gooders, until forced out of their form to fulfill some higher purpose such as aiding a chosen hero. In their true form, deva are beautiful humanoids with feathery wings and lustrous eyes.
Planetars are weapons of the gods. They can use their divine power to create miracles or blights upon the land. It is impossible to lie to a planetar. They are difficult to deal with and are disgusted by dishonesty in even the smallest form. When forced to work with mortals directly, they prefer to aid powerful mortals who seek to battle fiends. Their true form is taller than any humanoid and they brandish greatswords with grace.
Solar wield god-like power that strikes fear into the heart of the most powerful fiends. A solar can kill even some lesser gods with a single arrow. They are less human-like than their lesser counterparts with some even taking on warped appearances. After all, solars spend most of their time in deep contemplation far from the struggles of material or even outsider problems. There are only a few dozen solar known to dwell in the heavens. The rest wait in some dimension beyond time and space, contemplating their purpose, and preparing themselves for the final battle.
The Nameless Gods's most powerful servants are the
the Twelve. The Twelve are
solar, the most powerful type of angelic beings, that have each taken a vow to hold watch over the world and his children until his promised return. These
Twelve are more proactive in the religion of their god and are often represented alongside the Nameless God in Xalhoteccan art. They each are said to represent one of the virtues, morallly excellent qualities, that all people should aspire to live out in their actions. Rather than pray directly to their god, it is more common to pray to one of the Twelve or a corresponding saint that represents that virtue. Each saint's story embodies the virtue and the challenges of doing good.
