Angels

Angels are primarily subjects of stray rumours or old scrolls. Obviously, the latter are more precise, but are usually inaccessible to the average creature with feelings. What even the poorest farmer has heard (and may have even allegedly seen) is that Angels are on the "good side" in the stereotypical black-and-white war. They use the name "angel" for those enigmatic men and women (sometimes even children) who show up in times of distress and then mysteriously disappear, whose beauty surprasses even that of elves, who wear white clothing and banish evil.

But not even old scrolls are in agreement with each other: angels are described sometimes as the emissaries of the gods, as champions of the light, or even as last remnants of a long-bygone civilization. In arts, they are nearly always depicted as winged humanoids. Theories aside, angels are sighted much less often than Demons, whose existence is definitely much more tangible.

Ophans
The regular, "generic" angels, the most well-known ones: they are essentially humans with two wings. They are the stereotypical angels that are consistently depicted and represented in arts and religions, far overshadowing the more powerful, but less-known variants.

Seraphs
In cities where there are churches, convents or shrines dedicated to the Light, even the dumbest beggar knows the meaning of this name. For clerics, monks and knights these are the archetypical martial Champions of Light who appear when the world turns to darkness, take the battle to the Forces of Darkness, and then disappear as mysteriously as they previously appeared. At least, this is what the Church of Titanius claims they do - legends and traditions relating to other religions tell vastly different stories. None of the different theories manage to override the popular image of them, these angels are symbols for warriors, who want not to banish, but destroy and exterminate all forms of evil. They are portrayed with two, or less frequently, four wings.

Chayots
Fire is the most dangerous element for the undead, but it is worthy to mention that fire also fills the hearts of the living with fear - but not those who see fire as the symbol of purification and rebirth. These ancient cults of fire (including the still-exant Fire Cult of Neressa) follow beliefs that Fire is in fact the source of the Light. In contrast with other writings, these legends show much closer resemblance to each other, which has drawn the curiousoty of many young magicians and clerics, who believe these legends to contain more truth than others - the older generation on the other hand disagrees, fanatically believing that fire is harmful to dead and alive alike. Sporadic writings call these creatures "chayots", but the colloquial name for them is "fire angels".

Fire-cultists view these angels in a similar light as Light-cultists view Seraphs, considering them even more fanatical instruments of struggle against evil.

Cherubs
More recent writings seldom mention these angels. This can be attributed to the fact that legends focusing on these angels are much more sporadic and diffuclt to decipher. They haven't had roles in folk tales for centuries, thanks to the fact that it was never explicitly mentioned that they were serving Light, only that they were fighting against Darkness. One of the few things all the legends about them have in common is that these angels are always depicted with six wings. In the colloquial vocabulary, they are also known as the "faceless angels", despite usually being depicted with faces.

Nephils
Only in a very small number of writings do these black-winged angels (or sometimes wingless giants) make an appearence - it is very possible that the two creatures are unrelated and share the same name by accident. Regardless, whether black-winged angels or wingless giants, the word "nephil" is nearly always associated with darkness. Where were they mentioned first, did they have a more friendly role - all unknown. Did they ever exist? This can only be debated.

Zahrils
Most people identify Fallen Angels with Demons, especially Devils, Demon Lords. But are Fallen Angels and Devils really the same, or is this just another legend which hasn't been proven?

There are legends about certain Fallen Angels, known as the Zahrils, who, even after their fall, have remained angels: strong, beautiful, still angelic in looks and posture, in opposition to those ugly and red-skinned horned devils that are difficult to believe to have been once angels.

But do they really exist? No one really knows, as there are only a few inaccurate and unreliable historical accounts that swear by the existence of actual Angels, not Demons, fighting on the side of Darkness. But how did they look like? How many wings did they have? What colours? If they ever existed in the first place, we can only theorize..