Brightwind is the lofty realm of angels; a place ruled by kindness and love. The natural creatures are meek and gentle, and while they do eat one another, it is almost invariably consentual. Natural denizens of this angelic realm do not share the natural fear of being eaten that most other creatures do--as such, they are more than willing to feed themselves to one another. The angels happily give their bodies to nourish the native life, and the native life is all too eager to return the favor; to the denizens of this realm, snuggling up in the belly of a loving Angel is a greater heaven than any other imaginable.

Brightwind's landscape is dominated by rich, gold-brown earth, clear flowing water, and vibrant plantlife dressed in flowers. To some it is the most beautiful place in all creation. To others, such as the demonesses of Faneglut, it's just about the most annoying place imaginable. The majority of the realm of Brightwind is composed of a single, enormous planet--a planet infinitely larger than any in any other realm. The sky is lined with rings of smaller planets, some as small as twenty meters wide, others hundreds of miles, on which live a great variety of creatures. Many angels have their own tiny planet hanging in the heavens of Brightwind, serving as their home in the sky. Further out are several rings of stars which constantly illuminate the surface of Brightwind, and their waxing and waning provides the world's day and night cycle.

There is a second world in Brightwind, just underneath the first. The gigantic planet is actually hollow, like an eggshell, and a mile or so beneath the crust is a whole new world, complete with reversed gravity. In this realm it is usually night, as the light of the outer stars is blocked by the enormous planetary crust. However, the sky in this upside-down world is illuminated by countless tiny stars and planets in rings and clusters, creating a view of breathtaking magnificence. People live on these tiny planets just as they do above ground.

In between the inner and outer regions are a series of caves which are also inhabited, often illuminated by great glowing flowers that feed off of natural rivers and waterfalls that flow between the inner and outer world.

There is very little pain in Brightwind. Even those who come from other realms find suffering nearly impossible in this land. Death is not an issue in this world, as it is one of the few places where those who die are reborn with all of their memories intact, ready for a new life that has all the wonders and friendships of the old one. There are, quite simply, no "Mortals" in this realm.

While all manner of creatures live here, the predominant species are Angels. The many different angel species are split into genetic families called Seasons. Each Season of angels has it's own quirks and ways of thinking, but they intermingle much more freely than the factions of other realms. In fact, most angels at least know someone who has a mate from a different Season, and all angels have friends from other Seasons.

Creatures of Brightwind

Angels in General

"Angel" is a catch-all term that describes most of the creatures that live in Brightwind. There are visible sub-species within the numerous families of angels, however, just as there are with other archtypes.

There are certain abilities that all angels possess. First off, nearly all angels can fly. Secondly, angel souls possess the ability to reform their body just as it was before it was destroyed, rendering them effectively immortal; the only way they can truly die is if their soul is destroyed or digested. Finally, angels recover their physical energies exceptionally quickly, allowing them to regenerate wounds faster than most.

While most angels cannot digest souls, they do possess the unique ability to hold a soul inside them for prolonged periods. They typically only do this in order to transport a soul to Brightwind, where it can be reborn as an angel, though it has other, more exotic uses as well. The soul in question will typically be held in a state of stuporific bliss, it's essence being sustained by the energies of the angel.

One secret aspect of angel honey is that it can be poured on the remains of a digested creature to bring her back to life, provided their spirit is still present. It requires a fairly large amount--sometimes more than a single angel can comfortably produce--but it will restore them fully, provided it is used before the person's spirit reincarnates. This generally requires some magical exertion on the part of the angel as well, particularly if they are going solo or don't have a large supply of honey.

They also have other, more subtle powers. Most angels are at least slightly empathic, being able to feel the emotions of others. They can also project their feelings into others, which they typically do to express love, but anger and other negative emotions can seep through when the angel is confronted with something or someone she doesn't like. Related to this is their ability to radiate energy which promotes a sense of well-being to other creatures and can actually help sustain them physically. These effects are not terribly strong except in certain species (most notably Rose Angels).

Angel species are formally named after flowers, but most of the more well-known species have an alternate name used by those who live in other realms, such as Cherubs, Seraphs, Lunars etc. Their formal classification is generally used in conjunction with their season, so if you ask an angel what kind she is, she may say "Cherub" or she may say "Summer Daisy."

Cherubs (Daisy Angels)

Cherubs, or "Daisy Angels," are what most people think of when they hear the word "angel." They are slightly shorter than a normal girl and tend to be petitely built. Cherubs are innocent and kind, preferring to play, learn and love in their native land of Brightwind. A few of the more restless ones become adventurers, travelling to Prime or beyond, either out of a desire to see new things or a desire to help people. A few leave out of sheer boredom, but this is very rare as life in Brightwind--while predictable in many ways--is also overwhelmingly pleasant, especially for it's native angels.

Daisy Angels vary in personality according to their season. Summer daisies tend to be exceptionally shy, idealistic and good-mannered, but often go out of their way to do what they think is right. This means that, despite their shyness, they are also among the most welcoming to new angels. They are often very forward in welcoming strangers. Their shyness is expressed in other ways; while they are the quickest to make friends, they have trouble mustering the courage to talk about more intimate, personal subjects, even when they want to. Kissing a Summer Daisy on the cheek is often enough to make her blush fiercely, half with embarassment, half with excitement. Once they choose a mate they are fiercely loyal; in fact, the shyness of Summer Daisies is so pronounced that they will often choose a mate and resolve to stick by her forever without ever actually letting her know.

Spring Daisies are impulsive in the extreme, a trait that can sometimes get them into trouble. They often speak before they think and are often chatterboxes. They are very energetic and don't like to sit still for very long. Spring Daisies have much more chaotic sex lives than most--often they are too excited about their latest escapade to pay any heed to slower-paced concepts like romance. Ironically, they have a tendency to become hopelessly enamoured with Winter Daisies, hatching overly elaborate schemes to win their hearts because they think something huge and dramatic is the only way to get a Winter Angel to notice you. (The truth is closer to the reverse; Winter Daisies, for all their intelligence, are very unassuming and terrible at taking hints--even huge and dramatic ones. Straightforward, simple tactics like "I want to be your girlfriend" are usually the best bet, which is the last thing a Spring Daisy would ever think of.)

Autumn Daisies are among the most balanced of daisies; they are playful, friendly and intelligent, and seem content to simply bask in the pleasure and beauty of Brightwind, happily going wherever life takes them. They each have their own quirks and preferences but are generally open-minded, getting along well with most other types of angels. They are often very artistic, writing or telling stories, painting, or wooing their mates with wildly differing kinds of poetry.

Winter Daisies are exceptionally intelligent and precocious. They are far more cerebral than other angels--including other Winters--and spend much more time engaged in activities like reading, practicing magic, or playing games of strategy with one another. Sometimes they will simply sit and watch other angels, and many are known to pace back and forth or sit motionless as they ponder and reason, sometimes for hours on end. Winter Daisies are not shy in the emotional sense, but are in the social sense; they do not approach other angels as often, meaning it is up to others to create friendships with them. (This is a large part of what gives them their reputation of being aloof.)

Curiously, though Winter Daisies are among the most confident of angels and seem the least interested in love, the Rose Angels often seem to give them special attention. The reasons for this vary from Rose to Rose: "We call them Winter Angels because their little hearts get cold faster than most!" "Their minds are so big, it takes a lot of love to fill them!"

In truth, Winter Daisies need as much love as any Angel, but their self-isolating nature means they don't tend to recieve as much. Their activities are stimulating to the intellect, not the heart, which means they need extra attention. Most Daisies recieve enough love by playing near their Caremistress, only needing personal attention as the occaisional "Booster." Winters, on the other hand, tend to shutter themselves away for long periods, meaning they need to make up for lost time.

• Feeding Habits: The tiny Cherubs are one of the few Angel races that can survive for prolonged periods on normal food. While they are not physically capable of surviving off of it indefinately, they can supplement what they derive from food by absorbing local energy, such as the spiritual energies given off by other angels. Their primary source of this energy is the Rose Angels, whose "love" is more than just emotional--it has a powerful magical component that literally sustains the Cherubs in their care. Cherubs can feed on living creatures in lieu of this, but most are quite shy about it; typically a Cherub will only eat a creature who asks (which will almost invariably make them blush). One of the best kept secrets among Cherubs is that many of them have eaten their mates at one point in the past (and some do it nearly constantly), yet nobody knows how common this is because they're all too shy to admit it.

• Mating habits: Cherubs have two primary modes of mating. Some cherubs will choose a single primary mate, which they cherish and favor above all others (though sometimes a third person will be allowed into their circle, if only temporarily). Other, more extroverted cherubs prefer a more open approach and share their intimacy with a number of friends, or--in extreme cases--anybody and everybody that seems even the slightest bit receptive to the idea. Large numbers of cherubs often sleep in the same bed together, sometimes with their caremistress, but whether these large numbers actually have sex depends on the group. Sometimes the closeness alone is enough for them and they don't bother to have much sex at all.

• Honey: Cherub honey makes the drinker deliriously happy, putting them in a carefree and playful state in which anger and other negative emotions are difficult to maintain. It is also difficult to focus on complex or mundane tasks after drinking Cherub honey as it tends to make the person restless and energetic in addition to being playful. Even those who have the willpower to continue to act appropriately will still find it difficult not to giggle at just about everything. It is also one of the few honeys that differs according to the angel's season; they each impart a small level of their season's "personality," meaning Winter Daisy honey won't be as mentally distracting, whereas Spring Daisy honey will have most people bouncing off the walls.

• Special Powers: Cherubs have a form of limited psychic ability. It is limited primarily not by it's range or it's potency, but by it's scope. Cherubs have an instinctual sense for distress in others, and have an uncanny ability to find innovative ways to alleviate it. While these solutions will not always make sense--even to the cherub herself--they are often very effective. Few things are more distressing to a cherub than a problem they can't solve. As the saying goes, "An angel always knows how to make it better."

Rose Angels

Rose Angels are exceptionally tall angels, averaging twice the size of a Cherub (which also makes them almost twice the height of a normal girl). They are caring, kindhearted and diligent, and are the "Caremistresses" of Brightwind. Many of them dedicate their lives to caring for the Cherubs, guiding them and doing their best to ensure their happiness--a task for which the wise and loving Roses are very well suited. They are considered the most loving of an already loving species, and the only sure way to make one unhappy is to isolate her and make her feel unloved; conversely, they can readily accept anything fate has in store for them so long as they believe someone cares for them. Ever the extroverts, they express this by caring for others.

Rose angels disdain violence and negative emotion even more than most angels and thus are rarely seen in the unpredictable realms outside of Brightwind. Only an exceptionally strong need can bring the Roses to Prime or other realms, but when that need is present, the Roses will meet it no matter the danger. While they are among the most sensitive of angels, they also have the strongest of hearts. An Ironbelly warrior-poet who once travelled to Brightwind described it as this:

"Imagine the heart of the deepest mountain; unmovable by the strongest wind, unburnable by the strongest fire, unchangeable by any but the most apocalyptic of forces. Imagine staring into the heart of that mountain, seeing that depth, wondering if you're going to lose yourself in it. Now imagine that you feel it's arms wrapping around you. Imagine you feel it's soft skin as it cradles your head to it's breast. Imagine that you feel one great heartbeat reverberating throughout the entire world as this mountain whispers that it loves you. You open your eyes, and the mountain becomes a woman, smiling and holding you as the scars of every battle seem to wash away. Imagine that, and you have some small conception of what it is like to to *see* a Rose Angel. The feeling of truly being embraced by one I do not even have the words for."

Just as Rose angels project the beauty and love of Brightwind more strongly than any other angel, so too do they rely the most on it's energies. Rose Angels become weak if they leave Brightwind and can actually die if they stay away too long. Only the strongest-willed of Roses--those who's energy comes from within--can survive to bring their power to other realms.

• Feeding Habits: Rose angels can sustain themselves reasonably well on normal food, but they have greater energy needs than the cherubs and must regularly consume living meals (at very least one per week) in order to stay healthy and vibrant. Like most angels they are quite careful about choosing their prey, strongly preferring that it be willing--many flat out refuse to eat an unwilling target under any circumstance, preferring death by starvation if it comes right down to it (though normally they would simply feed themselves to someone else rather than starve). Luckily for them, willing prey is not in short supply in Brightwind; in fact, oftentimes the cherubs under their care will request to be eaten by their caremistress in order to feel closer to her, and practically any will do so if they know she's getting really hungry. Archangels and Clovers will often volunteer to feed themselves to the Rose Caremistresses as well.

• Mating Habits: Rose Angels most typically have a single mate. Some of them sleep with that mate, while others sleep with their cherubs and meet their mate during daytime liaisons. A few Roses prefer to forgo having a mate and instead focus all of their attention on the Cherubs in their care; others will simply merge their cherubs with those of their mates and take care of them as a single group.

• Honey: Rose Angel honey is one of the strongest of angel honeys, and it is what most people think of when they think of angel honey (the other being Lotus Angel honey).

  Rose Angel honey instills a strong sense of peace and well-being in the drinker, eventually pulling them into a deep, blissful slumber. Rose Angels use this to pacify those who are suffering. Angel honey can melt through even the strongest rage, grief and physical pain, causing the drinker to pass peacefully into sleep. During this sleep they are still aware of what is going on around them, but in a hazy way, and in any case they will be too relaxed and contented to care, suspended as they are halfway between the real world and a perfect dream. They will feel cared for, peaceful, and protected.

  And protected they will be. While the drinker is asleep, she cannot be harmed--the energies of the honey will sustain them through attack, injury, and even protect them from digestion. (It might not do much for them when they wake up, but still...)

  A girl who has been put to sleep by Rose Angel Honey cannot be awoken until the effect wears off. The only thing that is known to rouse such a person is Naga Honey, powerful magic, or an angel's wake-up call (this can be as simple as a gentle whisper or as elaborate as a trumpet blast).

  Rose Angel honey does not spoil or change over time, so it can be bottled and kept. They rarely sell it, and when they do, it is often expensive. They sometimes give it as gifts to trusted friends or to those they suspect will need it, but most often, they feed it directly to whomever needs it, fresh from the breast. This allows them to cradle the person as they sleep, which is something the ever-sentimental Angels are fond of doing.

• Special Powers: Rose Angels are powerful empaths. They can feel the emotions emanating from other creatures, allowing them to sense their feelings and motives. They also possess some degree of the psychic abilities common to angels, giving them an uncanny knack for ferreting out emotional problems and finding solutions for them. These solutions are usually a lot more straightforward than those offered by cherubs, as the Roses are straightforward thinkers. They believe that love and acceptance can at least put a dent in any problem, no matter how complex.

The projective empathic powers of Roses are much more powerful than normal as well; in fact, they are so powerful that they are difficult for the Rose to control. Though stray emotions are easy enough for them to contain, strong ones--such as strong love, or significant sadness or hurt--will imprint themselves on the people around her whether she wants them to or not. There is a sort of instant kharma when it comes to tampering with the emotions of Rose Angels; if you make them feel loved, you will immediately feel loved back. If you hurt them, you will immediately feel that same hurt. And, due to the emotional depth of Rose Angels, the feeling is usually magnified several times over.

Archangels (Lotus Angels)

Archangels, also called "Seraphs" or "Lotus Angels," are one of the more commonly encountered angels outside of Brightwind. They are most typically recognized by their multiple sets of wings, though, ironically, only about half of archangels actually possess multiple wings, and a few do not have wings at all. (Wingless Lotus Angels tend to have other, unique and sometimes even more pronounced traits.) Archangels are among the most adventurous of angels, seeking new sights and new experiences beyond the borders of Brightwind. They travel throughout the realms helping people and bringing peace and love to the universe. Usually. Though the countless worlds of Prime are rife with stories of fallen angels--of those who turned cruel or joined the ranks of the demonesses--such events are, in actuality, fairly rare. The well-known "Dark Angels" are not fallen angels at all but are, in fact, a species of demon-angel hybrid that are typically born in Faneglut or Prime.

Nonetheless, the personalities of Archangels vary quite a bit. Some of them are loving idealists who would never dream of harming another creature, even if the need was dire; others are perfectly fine with an "eat first, ask questions later" approach to potential enemies.

The vast majority of Brightwind's guardians are Lotus Angels, with the remainder typically being composed of Orchids, Kyosar, Ivies, and a handful of angels from other races. The rank and file of Angel armies are almost always Lotus angels, and Lotus angels are by far the most common angel race in Prime.

• Feeding Habits: Archangels are slightly less picky about having willing prey, particularly when they are outside of Brightwind. They typically choose prey who they think "deserve" to be eaten; wicked and heartless individuals or those who have harmed others. They typically use their magic to disable their prey. The more skilled will either by shrink, paralyze or imprison them, whereas the rest utilize more traditional attack spells--fire, ice, lightning and so forth. Many Lotuses are also skilled swordswomen, and the areas surrounding Brightwind's portals maintain many barracks for the training of angelic guardians.

• Mating Habits: Archangels have less stable relationships compared to other angels. They typically participate in brief dalliances with numerous mates, and while they can develop a lasting affection for many people, they rarely settle on one permanent mate for very long. (They are not averse to a would-be mate choosing to follow them on their travels, however, and many have eventually found themselves permanently enamoured by such a loyal companion.)

• Honey: Lotus Angel honey instills a deep sense of love, loyalty and courage. While it does not remove fear, it makes it much easier to overcome and instills a sense that the drinker is not alone in their struggles, no matter what they may be. It also increases physical strength and endurance to a limited extent.

• Special Powers: Archangels possess notable magical skill and are physically stronger than other angels. They do not have any other unusual powers aside from those possessed by all angels (such as the ability to fly). They typically have much more experience in combat than other angels, making them more formidable enemies. Their psychic abilities primarily allow them to sense dischord and violence; this is why they are common in prime, where they can help to end wars and thwart villains.

Lunar (Iris) Angels

An enigma even among their sisters, Lunar angels (formally called "Iris Angels") are a species that is not well understood. Legends hold that they are half fae, but the angels know better (so do a lot of the fae, for that matter). Lunar angels seem to be everywhere at once, a belief that is not entirely inaccurate. They also have a reputation for knowing just about everything--that belief is not entirely inaccurate either. Lunar angels have the ability to disippate themselves and become part of the greater throng of life around them. In this form they can swim through the universe like it was a river, experiencing the thoughts and feelings of everyone and everything around them. This is described as being a dreamlike state, when the Lunar Angels are vaguely aware of themselves but much more aware of the hum of life and the quiet murmur of a dozen different thoughts in a dozen different minds.

This gives Lunar angels a base of knowledge that is unrivalled by almost any other kind of creature, but it also leaves it's mark on their own minds. Lunar angels are considered very eccentric by most creatures, and with good reason; as simple a question as "how are you today?" is met with only a confused look by these enigmatic beings. Their sense of self is far different than that of a normal creature, and this is reflected in their behavior. Despite this, they are quite intelligent and actually seem to have a stronger innate sense of identity than most other creatures. They are typically unflappable and quite easygoing, though they tend to have slightly odd patterns of speech which can often shift back and forth--they are notorious for taking on the mannerisms of other people, often the last person they saw or talked to (or are currently talking to).

Ironically, though they share the thoughts and feelings of all creatures, Lunars are adeptly good at keeping secrets. They consider it a matter of personal virtue not to go blabbing about someone's inner feelings, preferring instead to respect their owner by keeping them discrete. This is reinforced by the fact that the line between their mind and the minds of others are slightly blurred--if they cause strife in another person's life, chances are they will feel the repercussions of that.

• Feeding Habits: Lunar angels do not typically eat very much themselves, but rather, they obtain sustenance from the people around them--they literally live off of the emotions of others. This works best when they are around creatures which are "generous" with their radiant energies, such as other angels. When surrounded by other races, Lunar angels often cannot sustain themselves without eating another creature periodically. They avoid this whenever possible, as Lunar angels are one of the few creatures who digest souls as well as bodies (an ability which they cannot control) and they cannot disapparate when another creature is in their stomach. Because of these difficulties, Lunar angels are comparatively rare outside of Brightwind.

Despite all this, the Lunar angels' ability to digest souls does serve a purpose. When an angel wishes to move on to another life and a new identity without leaving Brightwind, they go to the lunar angels to digest them. (Under any other circumstance, they would simply be reborn just as they had been.)

• Mating Habits: Lunar angels are very passive when it comes to mating; while they are not shy per se, they never make the first move in a relationship, instead waiting for someone else to choose them as a mate. As a result, they rarely mate with their own kind, ending up instead with other angels, typically Cherubs or Roses. It is believed that the reason for this is that Lunar angels are very strange, and as such it takes a special kind of angel to love one. Winter Roses or Winter Lotuses in particular seem to be common mates for Iris angels.

• Honey: Iris angel honey is more or less an instant knockout drug. It is extremely strong and operates on the brain rather than the body, so rather than weakening the muscles or paralyzing (as with Kari or Arachne honey) it simply renders the drinker unconscious. If they remain conscious they will be extremely disoriented. Creatures with extremely strong mental powers or a very flexible sense of self--such as other Iris angels--experience something different. In truth, Iris angel honey doesn't knock a person out so much as it instantly gives them the same powers as an Iris angel, which typically throws their unprepared minds into oblivion until the honey wears off. For those rare minds that are prepared, they can become one with the world around them just as the Iris Angels can. (Their physical body remains where it was, however--they do not disapparate as true Iris Angels do.)

• Special Powers: Lunar angels can both disapparate (vanishing into thin air) and teleport. While disapparated, they find it very difficult to interact with things physically or magically; they can only affect the smallest changes, like causing a candlestick to topple over or creating a small light in the air. They can slightly influence the minds of the people around them in this form, but this effect is subtle--they cannot force a person to do something they do not wish to do. They describe it as more of a union than anything else; it is as though they are both the same person, and they will both want to do the same thing. Only the most experienced of people can even tell that they have shared a moment with a Lunar Angel, and most describe it not as a moment of being controlled, but instead, a moment of clarity or compansionship and compassion.

When in physical form, they can teleport from place to place as if they were simply stepping across the intervening distance. This partially makes up for their inability to fly, which marks them as one of the only angel species that cannot naturally do so. Instead of granting flight, their wings are magical energy manipulators of sorts. This, in addition to their attunement to external energies, means that Lunar angels can make better use of ambient mana supplies than most creatures. As such they are far better at casting spells when their personal reserves are depleted.

The psychic power of Lunar angels does not allow them to sense strife nor anguish as a normal angel would. Instead, they can sense foolishness and misunderstanding. Do to their unusual perspective of being part of everything, they have an uncanny ability to see through fallacies and get right to the truth. They are often sought as wise women and sages when all other avenues have failed; their insights, while never quite what you expect, are often both simple and profound.

Shadow Angels

Sometimes when new souls come to Duamutef's universe, they are "damaged." Other universes can be quite traumatic; spirits can arrive an inch away from being hopeless, unable to feel love, or even wishing their own soul would just disappear forever. While there are many places the Powers That Be will send such souls, occaisionally one will be sent to Ishara under Duamutef's care. These souls are--nine times out of ten--sent to Brightwind to incarnate as Shadow Angels.

Shadow Angels often begin their existances in Ishara as spirits that have already lost hope; spirits who's faith was ground into dust or spirits who were taught over and over that love is just another form of pain. They may have been optimists trapped in a hopelessly cruel world, sensitive souls shattered by inescapable horrors, or even beings of courage who intentionally put themselves through a particularly difficult life (or even series of lives) in order to learn and grow. Regardless of their origin, they all seem to arrive with the same problems. Often they will not trust their own life; they will see all the beauty, pleasure and serenity of Brightwind and fear it to be a trick, something that will soon disappear and be replaced by torment as so many things have in their previous lives.

The lives of Shadow Angels are designed to melt away these scars; to prove to them time and time again that in this world, everything really will turn out right and you will never be punished for being happy. In this world the Gods are real and there really are angels looking out for you--angels you can touch, and who will not be ashamed of touching you back.

Even the most broken spirit can be healed in time, but it takes exceptional power. It takes a life that is bright enough to restore their hope; a life that is so filled with beauty that the spirit truly wants to be a part of it. The spirit must want to heal, and it must believe that healing is possible.

Brightwind provides this power. Shadow Angels are given everything they might have lacked. When they look in the mirror, they will see someone beautiful. When their skin is touched, it will feel pleasant. When someone expresses love to them, their heart will fill with it like a river.

Yet pleasure and happiness are not enough. One cannot simply build a new castle of bliss atop a foundation of pain. In time Shadow Angels must face all the things that have happened to them, but Duamutef first ensures that they cannot swallow her up. A new foundation of beauty is built for the shadow angel, allowing her to marshal her strength before facing her old wounds and coming to understand that they are over--and to understand why such things were allowed to occur in the first place.

Shadow angels are outwardly indistinguishable from cherubs, archangels or others; in fact, they literally are a member of one of these species, at least physically. Those who know, however, can sense the weight that presses on the soul within. Typically the first to notice are the Rose Angels, who take extra care when dealing with the strong-willed but vulnerable Shadows. Other angels can only tell that a Shadow Angel may behave differently than other angels, which they are perfectly accepting of. The only truly common thread about Shadow Angels is that they are different, both from each other and from other angels, and that they are usually the only angels capable of being depressed about something for more than five seconds. (Indeed, since the brain of an angel is basically programmed to be happy all the time, it takes a lot of outside force to even make it capable of such.)

Rose Angels feel a special compulsion towards Shadow Angels. A Rose who is acting as Caremistress to a Shadow Angel will become very protective of her, giving her much more personalized attention. Other Daisy Angels under their care seem to sense that something is amiss, so rather than becoming jealous, they too often decide that the correct course of action is to treat the new angel with care. Both Cherubs and Roses have a sense that Shadow Angels are important, though neither of them necessarily knows why. Very few beings know the true nature of Shadow Angels; they simply know that there is a spirit among them who is simultaneously hurt, vulnerable and often hopeless. What they feel towards Shadow Angels is not pity, but rather a somber sense that something important is happening--that something important needs to be done. Something much more important than the day to day playing and giggling that they normally spend their time on.

Shadows gradually shed the pain of their previous lives and begin to incarnate as other creatures or as "normal" angels; often exceptionally strong ones. Though it is very difficult for true trauma to occur in Ishara, occaisionally a spirit will undergo some form of harrowing trial that prompts Duamutef to make them into a Shadow Angel to expedite healing. While the overwhelming majority of creatures in Ishara are left to do as they please, watched over by friends, family, angels and the Pantheon, Shadow Angels are unknowingly under the personal supervision of Duamutef. Healing a badly wounded spirit is beyond the ken of most creatures and often requires some unorthodox tactics; Duamutef orchestrates these in consultation with the Powers That Be, for even he understands only a fraction of the true consequences of a damaged soul and how such souls can be healed.

Kyosar

The most overtly powerful of angels and also the most rare, Kyosar are terrifying to behold. They draw and utilize more magical energy than a whole host of angels, and their "wings" are actually gigantic chakras that process and channel this tremendous energy. The wings of a Kyosar look like a surging distortion in the air, bleeding off power as only the occaisional strange light or shadow echoes their shape.

Kyosar are the elite among the elite. Few souls can even control the powers they possess, and precious few angels are born as Kyosar. They are typically employed as the last line of defense against serious imbalances in the natural order; whether it be a rogue army of giantesses, an alliance of dark sorcereresses or an empire of hyperintelligent space monsters, the Kyosar are employed against the most dire of threats.

Even with all their natural power, Kyosar are hardly created equal. Their power gives them great potential, but that potential is so lofty that only the smartest, wisest and strongest of Kyosar ever reach it. These Kyosar are all but undefeatable by practically any enemy, but only a handful of such beings exist. Some even believe they could challenge the goddesses if they wished.

Most angels believe the Kyosar do not have a flower associated with their species (a few even question whether they are technically even angels) but this is incorrect. Though none but the most seasoned of scholars knows this, Kyosar were once known as "Snapdragon" Angels. Even many Kyosar are not aware of this ancient name, and most equate it more with the mythology of the ancient world; few people even know the term "Snapdragon," and even fewer use it. Ironically, the assertion that Kyosar are barely even angels is true--while they have more in common with angels than they do any other species, they have less in common with normal angels than normal angels do with succubi. The race they do mirror the most closely, disturbingly enough, are the terrifying Epirisai of Faneglut, though "mirror" is the most important word in this case--they are almost total opposites, equal in power but utterly different in where that power lies.

• Feeding Habits: Kyosar typically only feed in combat, swallowing enemies and flash-digesting them for energy. The rest of the time they subsist on ambient energies and conventional food, though some are more conventional than others--many Kyosar find that only magical metals and gems have the energy density they require to sustain themselves. Kyosar are among the few races that can be lithovoric; while most species can digest metal and stone, they derive little nourishment from them. Kyosar can draw some amount of spirit energy from them, particularly if they are magical.

• Mating Habits: Kyosar rarely get the chance to mate in their native realm, busy as they are defending it against the latest demonic plot to invade brightwind or the latest threat to the fabric of Prime. When they do choose mates, they are typically heroes chosen from among the mortal races; Kyosar are, above all, attracted not to charisma or beauty but to strength of heart. To them, no face is more beautiful than a face filled with spirit and courage.

• Honey: Kyosar honey is fairly straightforward--it confers great strength, speed, and stamina upon the drinker. If it is not drunk, it will lose it's potency over time, becoming inert after several days. In some rare cases, it can have a secondary effect; it can confer visions of the immediate future on the drinker, but they will only be visions of things the drinker can change through their own strength and courage.

• Special Abilities: Kyosar have flash-digestion powers; that is, they can digest a creature and derive energy from it in mere seconds. With experience they are also capable of funnelling their prey directly into their chakras, their mana reserves, or wherever else it is most needed. They can fly, channel almost limitless amounts of magical power, and are physically faster and stronger than any other creature--potentially. Newborn Kyosar do not actually possess any of these powers; they must be learned through experience. Their bodies can do almost anything, but only if the Kyosar knows how. While a newborn Empirisai can slay a dragon, A newborn Kyosar appears to be little more than a human; albeit one with an incredible level of potential.

Clover Angels

Clover Angels are similar in most ways to Cherubs, but there is one glaring difference--their size. Clover angels are only an inch tall, including their wings, and unlike faeries, Clover angels cannot naturally change their size.

The vast majority of Clover angels typically pick one of two lifestyles; that of a "long helper" or a "short helper."

Long helpers work behind the scenes to try to make other angels happy. They watch over the Cherubs while they sleep, they make magical gifts and leave them where they will be found by excited angels and they concoct magical potions that seem to appear at just the right times. They are very industrious and love to work on things for others. They use their angelic empathy to excellent effect by using it to coordinate their efforts when more than one clover angel is needed to finish a task. Long Clovers are very outgoing and sociable with one another but are very shy around other angels, preferring to hide after planting their gifts in a conspicuous place.

Short helpers, on the other hand, are so-named because their contribution to the Angel community is very short--they exist to be eaten. A Clover who chooses to be a short helper will typically wait just long enough to spot an angel who strikes her fancy, then offer herself to that angel as a snack. Clover Angels are unabashed voraphiles, and as a result they have a very short lifespan. Hence the term "short helper."

This means that many angels figure that if they see a clover angel, it's okay to go ahead and eat her. That is part of the reason that Long helpers prefer to hide; besides being shy, they don't want to be mistaken for short helpers and eaten. While they wouldn't mind, they figure they can do more good by living a long life. Both varieties are voraphiles, however, and the choice between short and long is ultimately one of personal preference--most long helpers end up feeding themselves to an angel eventually anyway.

A third option is occaisionally explored, where a Clover Angel becomes a companion, familiar, or (sometimes) living sex toy for an angel. Such angels cherish their little Clover friends, often taking them everywhere they go, and are very protective of them. This protectiveness is often necessary if for no other reason than an unprotected Clover will often be seen as a snack by other angels. (Of course, like all angels, the Clover will be reborn--at worst it's just a mild annoyance)

Clovers are very common in Brightwind. Less frequently, pockets of them can be found in Prime. When this occurs, they typically try to serve good-hearted girls and other mortal species since there are no angels to be found. In these cases their priorities often shift more towards protecting their charges than simple gifts and favors, as Prime is a much more dangerous place. Clover angels in Prime respond very well to gifts of honey, fruit, jewelry or even just thank-you notes; such gifts are often left by girls to ensure the protection and continued goodwill of the Clovers.

• Feeding Habits: Clover angels typically subsist on normal food, often the foods that are discarded by regular angels. They will very occaisionally eat one another, but they see this as wasteful--much better to feed themselves to a real angel. Like most angels, they have a particular fondness for sweets; while a Girl leaving a gift of apples to the Clovers is much appreciated, the ones who really know them will take the time to conjure eclaires and chocolate.

• Mating Habits: Clover angels typically stick with clover angel mates, for obvious reasons, though those who become a companion to a normal angel are not unheard of. They are both monogamous and polygamous, depending on the individual's preferences. Most of them prefer to sleep in the same bed together with many mates, forming a family of sorts. These beds are often hidden away and made from discarded items; one family may sleep in a set of hammocks slung across a fallen candleabra while another might place lanterns and beds inside an old piece of armor. The most common place to find them, particularly in Brightwind, is in hidden areas between walls and above cielings.

• Honey: Clover angel honey doesn't do much besides taste good, but on the plus side clover angels produce a lot more of it than other species do. It is often used to make sweets and such for the angels to eat.

• Special Powers: Clover angels have an extremified version of the angelic ability to solve problems. While they cannot sense problems, either before or after they occur, they have a supernatural ability to solve them completely on accident. Clover angels are highly impulsive and tend to do whatever it is they feel like at the time, whether it be mixing love powder, making a hair ribbon or blowing out a candle next to a sleeping angel. Yet, somehow, these seemingly random impulses always end up giving someone just what they need, just when they need it.

Clovers are adept at hiding, and some even say that if a Clover is hiding from you, they are literally invisible. This ability typically extends to their hiding places and homes as well; an object that is converted into a home for Clover Angels tends to be overlooked, even if it's in plain sight. This ability quickly diminishes if someone is actively looking for them, however.

The other magical abilities of Clovers are commensurate with their size, and as such are not terribly strong. The one advantage they have is in enchantment; they can create wondrous things with a minimum of effort compared to most species. While their size still limits the magnitude of what they create, just a few Clovers can make a fairly substantial magical item, whether it be a dress, a pair of slippers or even a story book with animated pages.

Also, while it's debateable as to whether this is a special power or not, Clover Angels are one of the tastiest of an already tasty set of species. Their taste is so sought after, in fact, that Clovers will often offer themselves up as prizes to the winners of angelic games, guaranteeing that the competition will be fierce. They also digest fairly quickly, and while this can be a drawback to those who like squirming prey, it does mean their nutrients and energy are passed into the body right away, giving a pleasant feeling to the eater. (Some people theorize from this that the Clover Angels have some genetics in common with the Shior Tass.)

Orchid Angels

Orchid angels are travelling nomads who perform as exotic entertainers and merchants for adventurers of all species. Orchids have strange, hybrid wings, black and leathery like those of a succubus but ending in feathers along the crest and tips. They are mostly angelic in nature but have a taste for the erotic and for physical pleasures. They sometimes grow minor demonic features like small horns or a tail, but most appear normal except for their wings.

Orchids travel between the angel cities putting on shows, carnivals, dances, and even tournaments of numerous kinds. They are free-spirited and a little hedonistic but are also friendly and good-natured. They are often good friends with Lunar and Shadow angels, as they all have something in common--they are unusual.

• Feeding Habits: Like most creatures, Orchids need to eat other living beings to survive. Many subsist on the lesser creatures that inhabit brightwind, but they also have a reputation for seducing a great number of other angels during their shows. It is very common for an Orchid actress to offer one of her new fans a dance, followed by a whirlwind romantic evening that ends either in her bed or in her belly (or both). They still hold to the tenet of only ingesting willing prey--at least while they're in Brightwind--but they often use the age-old arts of seduction to obtain their prey's consent. They are well-versed in inducing pleasure and desire in others, so that by the end of the evening even the most shy and conservative cherub will be aching to crawl down the Orchid's throat.

When encountered outside of Prime, the rules change a bit. Orchids are still generally unaggressive, but will happily feed on monsters or bandits who attempt to attack their caravans. They will occaisionally seduce and eat a stranger, but as people outside of Brightwind are generally mortal, this is discouraged even when the meal is willing.

• Mating Habits: Orchids rarely stay in one place, and their mating habits reflect this. They are open to having sex and even loving just about anyone, but will not tie themselves to anyone outside of their caravan. They see sex as openly and casually as they see friendship, though the occaisional love stories of a Daisy Angel running away with the Orchids or an Orchid staying behind with her true love are not unknown.

• Honey: Orchid Angel honey makes the drinker partially invisible and muffles any sound she makes. This is very useful in stealth, and, as Orchid Angel honey keeps without much modification, it is not terribly difficult to obtain--Orchids sell their honey more readily than most other angels.

• Special Powers: Orchid angels have a fairly weak version of the Succubus' seduction powers. They can instill a feeling of desire in a target, but as they are still mostly angel, this desire is generally more affectionate and less overwhelmingly carnal than that of a succubus. They have enchanting voices when they wish to and excel in the theatrical arts (though this has as much to do with their culture as their genetics). They are also somewhat more skilled in grey and void magic than most species, owing to their hybrid nature of demon/angel.

Perhaps one of the most unusual abilities of the Orchids, however, is the normally difficult (and normally forbidden) art of binding souls into items. This ability is typically restricted to demonesses, who will bind a spirit into an item for a short time--sometimes for utility's sake, but more often for their own amusement as they trap someone's spirit inside a dildo which they subsequently spend the entire weekend with. These bindings are almost always temporary, for only an exceptionally skilled demoness can bind an unwilling soul for any length of time.

The practice is held in disdain and fear by the vast majority of people, angels most of all. Yet the practice is perfectly accepted among the Orchids, who possess the rare ability to bind a soul to an item for a prolonged period--sometimes permanently.

Their secret--and the reason their use of the technique does not attract the ire of the other angels--is that they use only willing souls.

At first one could only imagine what sort of lunacy could convince someone to willingly let their souls be bound into an inanimate object. It was regarded with suspicion and disbelief until a mortal woman named Rosanja was bound into an amulet and subsequently reborn as an angel in Brightwind, remembering the intervening time she spent in the amulet. She tells her story thus:

"I would have been afraid, had not the overwhelming pleasure of expiring inside her washed away all comprehension of fear. Then it began. It was a strange thing, to be sure, yet not as strange as you might think. As my spirit left my body and hers in turn, I felt myself flowing into the amulet. It did not feel cold, nor even metallic, as you would expect. More than anything, it felt spiritual, like I was an underground river flowing deep within a mountain. It felt like a blanket was wrapping around me, like each glittering emerald in the silver pendant was a treasure that was truly mine--mine in a way that no avarice could understand. I could see all around me, though it was as though my eyes had been shed and the world was simply known to me now. Yet it all seemed distant and vague, like a dream...all except myself, and the woman who was wearing me. Against the shadowy backdrop of the room her skin glowed with more color and vibrance than I could ever remember seeing, even though I had no eyes to see them. And though I had no skin, I could still feel her touch.

"That is a feeling that words cannot explain. I felt her skin against me as I laid on her chest. It was a touch deeper than any I had felt, as though now that my skin was shed, hers was passing through that void and touching my soul. It's warmth and beauty was beyond all words, beyond all desire. When her fingers wrapped around me I felt exhalted. When she spoke command words, I could not help but obey, not out of some alien compulsion or some magical bonds, but because I wanted it so much. I did it because I loved her. I loved her touch and her voice, and each time I cast a spell in her defense I could feel it inside, like a deep kiss. Being worn was my sustenance, being used was my bliss, both of them as real and physical to me as your hands and eyes are to you. And to this day it sets me to wonder, every time I pick up a magical item--soul or no--if that seemingly inanimate object feels the same way I did...if by lifting it off the ground I am touching a piece of the divine. I cared for Sansi before, certainly...but it was not until I was placed into a supposedly empty piece of metal and gemstone that I truly knew how pure love could be, unfettered by thought, unfettered by need, unfettered by being human."

It is somewhat telling that after many heroic adventures as an angel, she once again chose to be bound into the very same amulet, held by the very same owner.

Items with souls in them are no normal items. They gain all the abilities that a physical body does when it is fused with a spirit body--they can repair themselves, generate mana, enhance their physical properties, and even cast spells. No sword can be sharper than a sword with a soul; no amulet can have as many magical powers. Many conventional magical items are given names when they are created, but their power can scarcely be compared to those who not only have names, but know them.

This is the main reason why binding a soul to an item against it's will is temporary at best--with time, the soul can magically erode it's own bonds and free itself. Given long enough, it could gain enough practice in magic to pose a serious threat to it's owner. While a soul in an item will typically be suspended in a dreamlike state, some are still aware enough to recognize an old enemy and fry her with a fireball.

In addition to the powers granted by the person's soul, such items can have traditional enchantments placed on them as well. These enchantments are analagous to the innate physical abilities a person has; their soul does not determine what they are, but nonetheless has a lot of influence over their use.

Orchids who make such items treat them with great reverence. Sometimes they will be traded or given as gifts, but typically only with the consent of the spirit within. The majority of the time they are kept by their creator and passed on to family or close friends. When the need is great, Orchids will lend these potent items to a hero or a warrior who needs them. Even when there is no need for the item, the Orchids treat it with care--the one thing item-bound souls don't like is to be locked in a closet and ignored. On the other hand, simply being touched by a living creature is bliss for an item-bound soul, and as such the Orchids make every effort to keep their precious items "happy" by wearing them, cleaning them, practicing with them, or even just holding them.

The Orchids have a number of such items, some of them as ancient as they are powerful. Stories even exist of items that have more than one soul, carried by the greatest of Orchids and possessing almost unbelievable power.

Berry Angels (Poppy Angels)

Of all the angel species, the only ones who cycle through bodies faster than the Clovers are the Berry Angels, for, like the Clovers, the Berry Angels are unabashed voraphiles and their favorite passtime is feeding themselves to other creatures. This is not merely limited to other angels--they will feed themselves to practically any creature in Brightwind, from girls to nagas to plants and just about anything else that has a big enough belly to hold them (and some will even try to find ways to get around this basic rule).

Physically they are similar to Daisy Angels, having the same general build and features. They also have similar powers, with the exception of their psychic powers. Rather than sensing distress, they can predict hunger, often far into the future. Berry angels are often wanderers and tend to show up just when someone would otherwise start getting very hungry. Other times they settle in one place, becoming the local population's equivalent of fast food.

Berries are lively, impulsive, and joyful--so much so that to some people they seem downright ditzy. They are very friendly and, since they have no fear of being eaten, they tend not to be afraid of much else either. They are very forward and are perfectly happy to walk up and introduce themselves to all kinds of creatures--angels, humans, monsters, and even demons. If a conversation gets off to a bad start, the Berry Angel will almost invariably say the same thing: "I bet a good meal will make you feel better!"

Feeding Habits: Berry angels tend to get eaten too fast to get many meals themselves, but when they do, it's usually other angels. When they travel outside of Brightwind they almost always feed themselves to the first person that strikes their fancy--assuming they don't feed themselves to the very first creature they come across. If this takes too long, Berries usually eat critters and fruits.

Mating Habits: While some berry angels are flirtatious, most do not initiate sex unless the person somehow shows an interest. If that interest is shown, however, they will shower all kinds of physical affection on just about anyone. They are as free, fearless and indiscriminate about sex as they are about who eats them. They'll happily bombard the most terrifying Thaegon with kisses and are more than happy to give a dragon a peck on the cheek if they think it will like it.

Honey: Berry Angel honey is very unusual in that it has the opposite effect of most honeys. Most honey satiates the hunger of the drinker in addition to any other effects it may have, but Berry Angel honey actually makes the drinker hungrier. Berry Angel honey does not spoil and they practically give it away to anyone who asks, so it often finds it's way into the hands of girls who have, shall we say, some very "creative" uses for it...

Special Abilities: Berry Angels reincarnate much faster than most angels, though they sometimes reincarnate quite a distance away from where they were last eaten. They are slightly clumsy fliers--in fact, they tend to be clumsy in general--but don't seem to mind when they smash into a tree. In fact, they really don't seem to mind much of anything. That may well be the reason they're clumsy in the first place.

Seita

The Seita are mysterious creatures, even to other angels. Many do not even know they exist, and others have only heard about them in stories. They are quite real, however--a fact that would surprise many, considering that the stories about them often contain things that even a faerie would scoff at.

Seita are a very unusual breed of angel for many reasons. First, they have the distinction of being one of the only pureblooded angel species who are not capable of flight. They do not have wings either, per se, though they do manifest something like them under rare circumstances (see "special abilities" below). Like Berry angels, they are wanderers, and many Seita live their entire lives without ever having been to the same place twice.

But for all the strange things about them, the most unusual aspect of the Seita is their magic.

The magical discipline of "Void" is not unknown--in fact, most mages at least know of it, referring to it as the magic beyond magic, or the magic that isn't magic. Beyond that, void magic is not well understood except by it's practitioners, and even they are often stunned by the effects that more powerful void mages can achieve. The reason for this is that void is the one kind of magic that cannot be improved simply through practice. It is enlightened magic; an expression of a person's understanding of the universe. Most magic spells utilize some sort of shortcut built into the chakras; void is the only magic type in which the effects are created completely by the caster directly controlling their chakras rather than letting their chakras figure it out. Because of this, there is no birth class or species that begins with knowledge of void magic--with the sole exception of the Seita.

Inborn knowledge of void magic gives the otherwise meek and unobtrusive Seita powers that even the greatest Empirisai would envy. These abilities are not valued for their raw power; Seita cannot inherently summon great storms of meteors or mentally enslave armies of monsters. Void is simultaneously far more subtle and far more powerful. Void magic almost defies description, but there is one thing the common folk of Ishara do understand about it: it breaks the rules.

Void mages have been known to cast spells through stomach walls, alter the flow of time, move spirits from one body to another and even resurrect those who's spirits have been utterly destroyed. They have slain the most powerful of dragons without laying a finger on them and have even moved the stars themselves. While most Seita are not nearly that powerful, the fact remains that you'll never know just what she's capable of until she does it.

There is a literally fatal drawback to being a Seita, however: if their bodies are digested, their spirits are always digested as well, regardless of what kind of creature ate them. It is as though their spirit disperses and feeds itself to the other creature. This is even true in Brightwind, where all souls are immortal. Digestion to a Seita always means death. Offsetting this, however, is one last ability--an ability that is as rare and unique as all the others. Seita, while possessing an almost supernatural beauty even for an angel, do not inspire hunger in other creatures. A creature who sees a Seita will have no inherent desire to eat her. They may intellectually recognize her as a potential meal and decide to eat her anyway, but the natural urge will not be present. And, like everything else about them, a Seita's reaction to someone trying to eat her will rarely be what you would expect.

Many wonder why it is that the Seita have so many strange abilities which no other creatures--not even other angels--seem to share. Some say that they are agents of the Goddesses. Others say they represent a species which is not truly Angel at all, nor Fae, Human, Monster or Demon, but something totally unique. Still others say that when a void mage's soul is digested, the unique properties of void magic cause part of her knowledge to remain, causing her to be born as a Seita. As for the Seita themselves, they claim not to know; they rarely have any memories from previous lives. Though they have strong urges to travel to certain places and perform certain acts, this trait is present in many other angel species.

The one thing that is known for certain is that no one whose life has been touched by a Seita is ever quite the same again.

Feeding Habits: Seita do not need to eat as often as most creatures--especially creatures as sophisticated as they are. When they do get hungry, they rarely have trouble finding food--in fact, individuals often seem drawn to hungry Seita. This could be seen as similar to a succubus' abilities were it not for it's range; a creature will often venture for miles to find the Seita and become her meal. While some postulate that this is a trick of their magic, others believe that it is the beauty and innocence radiated by the Seita that draws other creatures to them. Most who have seen them believe there is no way that feeding yourself to something so pure and beautiful could be unpleasant. And indeed, it isn't; for those who are seized by this urge, all fear and negative reactions are washed away before they even materialize.

There is another peculiar aspect to Seita that further differentiates them from succubi. Where succubi can potentially digest souls, Seita can potentially make them immortal--at least for the duration of their digestion. While it seems to be an inconsistant effect, many of those who are digested by a Seita reincarnate in the same body with all of their memories intact, regardless of their species or location. When asked, they describe their time with the Seita as nothing short of incredible; many believe the only reason some people don't reincarnate is that their mortal lives would seem dead and lifeless by comparison. But again the Seita prove paradoxical; rather than keeping a piece of those they digest, those they digest claim henceforth that they feel as though they have kept a part of the Seita. Such individuals seem almost haunted, but in truth, any distant look in their eyes is inspired by the awe of what they feel inside them.

Mating Habits: Seita rarely mate. When they do, it is typically only with someone who is very lonely (though they are hardly the only angels who do this) and they will only remain for a short time. Often, their brief mate will rather the Seita eat them than leave them. Sometimes she will. Other times their new mate will follow them through their wandering, and this is one of the only times a Seita will have a mate for any length of time. During these periods the Seita is perfectly willing to receive and return affection, though most never seem to truly "come down to Earth." The one time they will show true loyalty to a mate is just before their deaths; their way is to ensure their mate has the chance to be eaten by them before they themselves are eaten. What happens then, nobody knows, as the souls of both disappear as though they were both Seita.

Honey: Seita honey is sometimes called the Honey of Secrets. Though it is exceedingly difficult to obtain Seita honey through almost any means, those who do get a taste of it will immediately learn something of great significance--something that few people, if any, know about. Sometimes it's even something about the person themselves--something even they didn't know. It is believed that the Seita learns the same secret--if she didn't know it already--but that she will never tell anyone, regardless of what the secret is.

Special Abilities: Seita are one of the few--if not the only--creatures in all creation with a natural ability to use void magic. Because void magic can mean a lot of different things--in fact, it can mean just about anything--Seita have a limitless array of potential abilities. Typically the actual "spells" known vary drastically from Seita to Seita.

Seita are thought not to have wings, but during times of extreme danger or urgency they can cause enormous, blindingly bright wings to erupt from their bodies. These will essentially incapacitate anyone who looks upon them, with the exception of those the Seita wishes. They do not do this often (if ever) and cannot do it for long, but it seems to affect even the most powerful of creatures.

Ivy Angels (Blade Angels)

Ivy Angels, also known as Blade Angels, are among the few angel species that are more powerful physically than they are magically, though they owe most of this to magically-powered abilities. Ivy angels have a strong elemental affinity for metal--specifically, steel. They are, in a sense, a hybrid of angel and elemental. They are primarily angels, but their affinity for steel means they can transform parts of their body into it, particularly when it contacts other metals. This takes place on a small scale--a Blade Angel struck in the arm by a metal weapon will only have a small part of her arm converted into steel, and only for a second or two, but this is enough to afford them excellent natural protection from conventional weapons.

This effect is primarily achieved by an innate form of sympathetic magic, so it is more difficult for them to do it conciously--at least for their skin. It is easier for their skeleton; they convert their skeleton into steel at will and cause steel blades to spring out from between their knuckles, elbows, fingertips, and other joints. A steel skeleton in combination with their sympathetic steel conversion makes it almost impossible to harm them with nonmagical metal unless it is carrying a tremendous amount of kinetic energy (a cannonball, for example). The only drawback to activating their steel skeleton is that they cannot fly while it is active--the chakras that normally allow them to fly are too busy compensating for the new weight of the angel's skeleton so that it will not slow them down (though this does mean the angel isn't slowed down by it at all).

One final ability they have is the ability to convert their wings into steel. This typically happens automatically at the same time as they convert their skeleton. They can also cause their wings to split into razor-sharp shards and begin to fly on their own. The angel controls the movements of the feathers, though most can only concentrate well enough to control them as a group rather than individually. (Those few Blade Angels who master the skill are capable of defending or attacking with every single feather as if it were a separate weapon, however, and this, in addition to their ability to extend metal blades from their skeleton, is where they get the name Blade Angel.)

Ivy Angels are often warriors and are more aggressive than most other angels. They are kind and non-violent unless someone has shown hostility, but they enjoy competition and sporting combat a great deal more than most. Though combatative, they form a minority of most angelic armies simply because they are not very common. Those that do exist often form part of the main lines of angel combat units or the cores of specialist units and elite strike teams.

Feeding Habits: Ivy angels are one of the few angel species who hunt, though they will not eat creatures that ask them not to (with the exception of enemies or those that have angered them somehow). They typically feed on the non-angel or hybrid species that inhabit Brightwind, though they will eat Berry and Clover angels when the're around.

Mating Habits: Ivy angels are not quite as romantic as most others, though they can be very loyal mates if they ever bother to get one. While they do not seek out sexual pleasures, they are actually very intense lovers once they're into it. Their Heart chakras surge with a great deal of energy when they are with a lover, and this effect is constant rather than simply when they are near orgasm.

Honey: Ivy angel honey grants the wielder the same elemental affinity that the blade angel herself has--when the wearer's skin touches metal, it will turn into metal for a moment. This effect is fairly short-lived and is reduced each time the conversion takes place, meaning the drinker can only take so many hits before it has worn off. Ivy angel honey naturally keeps for about a day, but mixing it with certain earths or herbs will allow it to store for months or even years. Mixing it with powdered adamant will not only drastically extend it's shelf-life, but will amplify the duration of it's effects many times over (depending on the type of adamant--the most potent actually seems to be normal adamant, which increases it's duration by about ten times. Some say that silver adamant is much more potent, but few people are willing to waste such a rare and precious resource on what is essentially an armor potion).

Angel Goddesses

Angel Goddesses do not always favor temples and worshippers in the same sense as other Goddesses, but there are still relatively consistant ways to gain their favor. While they share the trait that most Goddesses do in that they only notice people who are looking for them, once they do have their attention they are willing to help anyone--angel or no--who is kind and good, regardless of whether they formally worship them. They are gentle and often subtle Goddesses, however, so those who pray hoping for lightning bolts are likely to be disappointed. In fact, few people ask for favors from the Angel Goddesses in general; the Angels usually don't need to and the other races often don't know about them or don't think they would respond to non-Angels. The irony is that the reverse is true; they will not only respond to non-Angels, but if they know it is needed, they will often help regardless of whether the person asked. Since they don't descend in flaming chariots, however, their intervention often goes unrecognized.

Though Angels have little to ask for that they do not already have in abundance, they still worship the Goddesses out of love for them. They are inspired by the fact that there is a Goddess who they know would help them if they needed it; it doesn't matter that they rarely do. Inspiration is, in turn, what they often give. A worshipper of Petal may build a small shrine of flowers and dedicate it to her, expecting nothing in particular in return. Petal, for her part, will bless the angel with a small thrill of beauty whenever she sees flowers from then on. As with other aspects of their lives, Angels dedicate themselves to what they love, and it loves them back.

That being said, they still perform the duties that other Goddesses do when it is appropriate. For those who wish it, they will inspire knowledge of spells and strengthen the chakras of their priestesses.

Each Angel season has it's own patron Goddess: Petal for spring, Wind for Summer, Leaf for Autumn, and Snow for Winter. While they are each associated with one season, there is no exclusivity involved. Any Goddess can be worshipped by any season of angel and they are as interchangeable as the angels themselves.

Petal is a very shy and gentle Goddess. As her name implies, she loves flowers; worshippers of Petal build elaborate gardens, planting flowers, flowering bushes and ivy in any spot that can get sunlight. Temples to Petal look more like glowing, multi-tiered gardens than actual structures, and indeed, Petal doesn't seem to care if there is any structure to them at all--simply watering and caring for a small plot of flowers seems to be enough for her. This is a good thing, considering Spring angels are not known for having a spectacular attention span. Priestesses who worship Petal primarily focus on spells of healing and growth.

Some say that praying to Petal is something of a mixed blessing; her simplest and most common gift is joy. The really hyperactive kind. If a human were to gain Petal's favor and receive this blessing, she may not want to sleep for a week--and the rest of her village may not get any in the meantime, thanks to her.

Wind is a generous and impulsive Goddess. She is very much the "random acts of kindness" type; the best way to gain favor with her is simply to have fun and help others whenever possible. This suits the angels just fine. Temples to Wind are open, sunny places predominated by glass, plants and many open windows. Wind Priestesses specialize primarily in magic that aids others, but also in literal air magic. Weather magic is a particular specialty of theirs, as is knowing when to make it sunny and when it would be more fun for everybody to frolick in the rain.

Wind's blessing is simple: like Petal, she endows happiness, albeit of a different sort. To pray to Wind is to share her heart, generousity and hope. While hope may not be necessary in a place like Brightwind, it's value can be immeasurable elsewhere. Her light dispells any illusion of bleakness or pain.

Leaf is a more introspective Goddess and believes in both self-improvement, kindness, and courage. Like her namesake, the falling leaves of autumn, she believes in shedding the old and of growing anew. Followers of Leaf do not build temples--rather, they consecrate a personal item which, to them, represents the presence of Leaf. This item is typically an item involved in some sort of craft or skill; a sword, a paintbrush, or even an alchemy set can be used as a symbol for Leaf, and they show their reverence to her by studying and increasing their skill with that item. Priestesses of Leaf focus their magic through these skills. They can obtain supernatural levels of skill and the very act can become suffused with magic, as can any items made with it.

Though many would be skeptical of such a claim, it has been said that no prayer to Leaf goes unanswered; anyone who asks for her blessing receives courage and the resolve to do what is right, though some would claim the latter part is more of a curse than a blessing. Though there are numerous Goddesses that mortals pray to for protection and courage, those who can claim Leaf as their patron count themselves as the luckiest of them all.

Snow is very much an eccentric. The Winter angels always seem distant, as though there is something just beyond their eyes that no other angel can see. If it could be said that that thing truly existed, it would be Snow's wondrous face. Snow is a wanderer who bestows the very spirit of winter with a magical aura, bringing peaceful feelings to landscapes blanketed in white. She is also said to guard the dreams of angels, along with Moonheart. Temples to Snow are typically either simply forests in which prayers are said, or small marble temples constructed in wintery regions. Reverence to Snow can also be shown with holy items, much as they do with Leaf, but in Snow's case they are usually magical items which are used to help others--amulets that can channel spells of healing, for example. She also favors angels who share their knowledge and wisdom with others.

Priestesses to Snow specialize in metamagic and protective magic. Countermagic in particular is extremely potent while in the hands of a priestess of Snow; they can summon almost impenetrable spheres that will turn aside even the most powerful of spells.

Snow shows her favor with insight. The flashes of understanding--the eureka moments--are as much a joy for her to inspire as they are for their recipients to experience. Anyone who is ready for knowledge can receive it, provided Snow believes the time is right. She will not share knowledge that she believes will cause strife or be used against someone else under most circumstances, but of all the Angel goddesses, Snow is probably the only one who could be described as pragmatic. She knows that sometimes conflict is necessary before a greater good can be achieved, and indeed, for some, conflict is how they achieve happiness.

There are three other major Angel Goddesses: Moonheart, Brightfeather, and the Goddess of Good, Masalla.

Masalla is worshipped by good creatures everywhere, and the inhabitants of Brightwind are no exception; indeed, the fact that she was once a Rose Angel herself makes them feel that she is literally one of their own.

Moonheart and Brightfeather are sister goddesses who represent the light and dark in Brightwind. Brightfeather brings vibrance and passion to the day, while Moonheart brings calm and tranquility to the night. Brightfeather is said to light the stars, while Moonheart lights the planets. Most importantly, Brightfeather is the guardian of all of Brightwind while the stars shine, while Moonheart is it's protector when the sky is darkened.

Priestesses of Brightfeather and Moonheart practice a wide variety of magics, but the most typical are Light magic and Lunar magic, respectively. (Lunar magic is a particular flavor of magic that mixes aspects of Grey magic, Sorcery, and Void magic.)

Minor Species

Many less common species and sub-species of angel exist, from half-monster angels to girls and fae that have made their homes in Brightwind. These types of creatures are typically found in their own communities, but can also be found in many of the larger angel cities.. There are also a variety of lesser beasts in Brightwind which are often small, furry and extremely cute. They serve both as food and as pets for the angels and other inhabitants. Critters, like the angels themselves, actually reform with their previous bodies and memories, so it's no big deal if someone's pet is accidentally eaten--they'll be back before too long.

Demonesses

Ironically, next to the Angels, the second most common archtype is not humans, nor fae, nor monsters; it is demonesses. Faneglut's culture looks dubiously on love, and many of those who seek it find their only option is to come to Brightwind. In any other realm they would be hunted, but in Brightwind, so many succubi, demonettes, thaegons and others have come in search of genuine love that it is accepted that anyone who is not an invader is basically an angel with bat wings. The denizens of Faneglut have yet to ever find a way to exploit this inherent trust, largely because it has it's roots in the fact that most angels are empathic and it becomes very hard to hide hostile intentions when one is constantly surrounded by them.

The Secret Ways

Most non-hostile demonesses who come to Brightwind do so via the Secret Ways. The Secret Ways is the catch-all term for a huge, largely unpublicized network of portals that lead between Brightwind and Faneglut. In fact, while it would surprise and alarm most people to learn, for every heavily guarded, well-known portal between Faneglut and Brightwind, there are hundreds of completely unguarded portals that one can use to literally walk from one realm to the other. In fact, the cave network in the "crust" of the primary planet directly overlaps much of the Shatter caves in Faneglut. In fact, the Secret Ways lead almost everywhere, but more portals lead to Faneglut than anywhere else.

However, while the Secret Ways may connect to Faneglut geographically, they behave more like they were part of Phaesili. They are ever changing, and they seem to actively seek out those who wish to find their way to Brightwind while constantly evading those who would use them to harm the Angels. Demonesses who have left demonic society tend to feel drawn to the areas in the Shatter that will lead them to Brightwind. There are even "border cities" in Faneglut that reside within the Shatter near Brightwind portals, where Angels and Demonesses freely intermingle.

Another largely unknown fact is that many of the Secret Ways lie in the Dark Heart. This area is normally lethal for demonesses, but those who seek love will often find--if they are courageous enough to follow their instincts and enter that strange vista--that it will not harm them.

Other Races

Monsters and Fae are both common in Brightwind. Unlike in other realms, monsters are not seen as enemies and are much like every other race. They sometimes prefer living in their own villages as opposed to the angel halls, but there are monsters to be found in almost every angel hall and angels in almost every monster village. Monsters are actually one of the primary sources of commerce; many busy themselves as tailors, alchemists, and builders in between eating the ever-eager angels and having sex.

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