Written By Cyan
Angels were a divine race of beings born after humans, elves, and giants developed conscious thought, thus creating gods through their beliefs. Angels indirectly appeared without belief as a way to preserve these gods by spreading their word through the mortal plane, camouflaging themselves as these races by hiding their wings and appearing in various forms. The first angel to appear under the watch of Valgar, god of wisdom, was named Tobias. A large being with an even greater ambition, one that proved to present issues as time passed. However, in the beginning, Tobias served as a lawful angel to Valgar, carrying his words to the giants and subtly convincing them towards belief. In fact, the creation of robots under the giant’s hands is largely attributed to Tobias’s conviction towards wisdom, a guiding hand in the youth of the inventor.
Angels, unlike most races, don’t have parentage or a line of genetic traits. This is due to the fact that they are born miraculously, suddenly appearing within the heavenly domains without any realised cause. No pattern has ever been noticed within this birth cycle, thus being labelled as a random event that needs constant monitoring. Despite this atypical birth, angels do have certain consistencies such as their aging cycle which, whilst not endless, does maintain the divine being’s health for up to 1000 years on average. However, some angels have been known to greatly outlast this lifespan with the help of their gods.
Similar to gods, angels have a base form which appears as a human-like form with wings in the higher beings plane. However, also similar to gods, when visiting the universal plane they have different forms provided by the worshippers of their concepts. An angel may conceal their wings and act like any other race, however if they unveil themselves the perception of their form differs depending on the belief of the person perceiving. For example, a giant seeing an angel unveiled would possibly see a giant-like angel with wings whereas an elf may see an elf-like angel with horns. This is different in the gods where the form switching isn’t chosen by the angels at will and is instead dependent on perception. If someone does not believe in the angels god to any degree, then the angel will appear in its base form, visually similar to a human with feathered wings.
As a race, angels typically act on their own and don't usually have much social interaction amongst their people, limiting such frivolities for important events. However, this is not always the case. For the first 25 years of an angel’s life, before they are assigned to a godly domain through their trial, they exist within the higher beings dimension alongside all those in the same situation. These ‘patient villages’, as they are called, house all unassigned angels. Caring for them are the angels of gods such as love, all compassionate in raising the next generation.
As for the trials, they differ depending on the god. If an angel is unsure on what trial to choose, they can perform a blood sacrifice for guidance, as it's highly likely that the trait of the god they’re destined to serve runs through their veins. All trials undergone by angels exist within their own minds, the tools of the ceremony carving unlimited time within their consciousness. For example, a trial that takes a year will only truly last mere seconds. As for the ceremonies, these occur annually allowing for those who turn 25 and those who failed a prior test.
The different trials are listed below:
God of War
A colosseum fight against all kinds of creatures from the mortal realm. Losing any of the fights will deem the trial a failure. Cannot be attempted more than once. The angels that serve the god of war, due to their own beliefs, force angels born near their domain to attempt this trial first, banishing all that fail it and marking their body with a seal, deeming them “unworthy” of being amongst their ranks.
God of Justice
Presented with the one they hate the most, the angel is given the choice to kill the being or release them to a fair trial. Choosing the former will result in a failure, mercy being deemed as a necessary justice in the eyes of the god. This trial may be attempted only once.
God of Wisdom
The angel will be placed at a temple, and will have to help others by giving advice on whatever issues they bring. By the end of the day, all who visited the angel must have their life improved by the advice given to them. If failed, the trial can be attempted again, wisdom being a learnable skill.
God of Fire
The angel must meditate in the center of an active volcano and keep their mind clear of all worry for 24 hours. They will be protected from the lava by the God of Fire, but they’ll still have to endure the extreme temperatures caused by it. Any stress or panic will cause the protection to break and the trial will be deemed a failure. Can be attempted as many times as needed.
God of Time
The angel shall be placed inside a statue like form within the universal plane. Protected from both artificial and natural damage, the angel must endure 400 years simply observing the world change around them. This is designed to ensure the angel understands the importance time holds, providing a visual simulation as to how much the world could change during their normal lifespan. The angel may leave the trial at any time but this will result in a failure, preventing any attempt until the next ceremony. It can be attempted more than once.
God of Darkness
Placed in a country-sized maze, the angel must find the exit shrouded in complete darkness, alone. One must entirely trust in the dark, understanding that the absence of light may not be a loss. The trial can be left at any time by lighting any of the lanterns spread across the walls. This can be attempted more than once.
God of Fate
As a test to their devotion, the angel must watch several tragic events unfold before them. They can intervene at any moment to stop them from occurring, but doing so will be considered a failure. This test outlines the importance of letting fate take its course, a force not to be controlled. Cannot be attempted more than once.
God of Water
The angel is chained down to the bottom of the deepest ocean, having to meditate and keep their mind clear for 24 hours. The greatest trouble is the pressure, never causing damage but the pain it produces still lingering. If an angel's mind sways in panic or desire to leave, the trial is considered a failure. Can be attempted as many times as needed.
God of Light
The angel is placed within an enclosed town, busy with people for 10 years. Throughout this time, a living shadow constantly shapes itself and moves around, never killable and never stoppable. To successfully complete this trial, the angel must maintain the light in the town even with the shadow’s influence, constantly playing catch up to reignite light. This showcases that the angel understands how light always precedes and follows darkness. Can only be attempted once.
God of Nature
The angel must protect and cultivate a single sapling from life to death. The greater their connection to nature, the faster the tree will grow. This leads to a dynamic where those connected to nature pass the trial and those committed to nature also do, simply having to take a longer route. It can only be attempted once, and failure is shamed amongst other angels of the nature god.
God of Thunder
The angel will be suspended in a pit, arms held by two metal cables and torso locked in place by a lightning rod, while a raging thunderstorm occurs. If the angel is able to take in the lightning’s electricity while keeping themselves calm, the trial is deemed a success. Can be attempted more than once.
God of Love
The angel would be presented to a wide crowd, and would be tasked with finding and pairing the two soulmates amongst it. If the task isn't completed within 24 hours, the trial will fail. Can be attempted once every ceremony.
God of the Sky
Placed in a barren land with no ground, the angel must traverse through rain and tornadoes and find the exit to the trial. If the angel is wounded at all, the trial is deemed a failure. Can be attempted as many times as necessary.
God of Life
The angel will be assigned a location that is within proximity of a civilisation . Here they must protect all life within the area so nothing dies in any way that isn't a natural cause. Illnesses are the only thing considered a “natural cause”, murder, or even a tree being cut, will count as a failure to the trial. This trial can be attempted more than once. However, this trial is also only one of three that do not occur within the angel’s mind. This trial actually takes place within the universal plane, life being a concept deemed worthy of reality.
God of Death
The angel is bound to a soul within the universal plane that is on its deathbed. The trial is to guide this soul into the after death, acting as a soothing voice within the person’s last moments. If the target in question moves on peacefully, the angel has successfully completed the trial. Like the trial of life, this trial happens within the real universal plane. Cannot be attempted more than once.
God of the Underworld
The angel is implanted with a handful of memories of a drifter soul who became an undead. The angel’s task is to hunt down their unique undead, sending them to the underworld to pass onto the after death within 24 hours. Unlike the trial of death, this occurs within the angel’s mind. This can be attempted more than once.
God of the Sun
In this trial the angel is confined to the core of a star. However unlike fire and water, they are not surviving the pain but rather the task. They become the central force holding the star together. In their hands they wield two chains, ones which must be pulled on to maintain the stars' integrity. If after 24 hours the angel has not let go, they pass the trial. This cannot be attempted more than once.
God of Mischief
The angel simply must play pranks on mortals to amuse the god of mischief. The “pranks” can include anything, so long as it isn't sin and amuses the god. If the God of Mischief becomes bored, the trial is immediately failed. This is the only subjectively marked trial. Cannot be attempted more than once.
God of Space
The angel is tasked with cultivating and designing a solar system. Time is sped up and thus the task is not tedious, however the angel has full control over the design. This means if any failure is detected, it is entirely their doing. Successful completion of this trial requires an entirely functioning solar system that lasts 1000 years sped up. Cannot be attempted more than once.
God of Earth
The angel taking this trial is given a small chisel and placed in front of a large mountain. To complete the trial successfully, the angel must chisel a tunnel through the heart of the mountain, showcasing the resilience of the earth. Cannot be attempted more than once.
God of Dreams
The angel is placed inside a troubled person’s mind, and must protect their dream from turning into a nightmare for 7 nights. Can be attempted more than once, however the god may change that if they traumatise the person.
God of Gods
The angels who serve the god of gods must complete ALL trials, as a means to prove their worth. This produces the most elite force of angels, all highly skilled and typically even more reserved due to what they have endured. Can be attempted more than once.