Angel of Iron

Saints come and go with time. Some are great and known throughout the world, some are patrons of local villages, and their memories will be forgotten within a generation. But one saint stands above all, forever immortalized in cities all over the world where century-old effigies drip red with rust. With bladed, ferrous feathers, the Angel of Iron's openly spread wings keep eternal vigil over the many faithful worshipers of Sanctism.

Though mortal name has long been lost, the Angel of Iron is spoken of as the protector of mankind, patron saint of all.

Wings of steel

As with all saints, performing a miracle is what grants status as holy, worthy of divinity. But the Angel is so ancient, so old, that whatever miracle triggered his ascension is a matter of speculation. Most accepted among the faithful is the the story that he was stabbed, pierced by tens, if not hundreds of blades on the battlefield. And rather than succumbing to death, the weapons formed as wings on his back, reborn a saintly angel. As to "why" and "how", different stories offer different explanations. In the grand scheme of things, the truth does not matter.

In the earlier stories, the Angel of Iron's sole purpose was to use his new wings to fly the wounded and desperate away from battle. In slightly more recent legend, it was said he also brought the dead away from battle, taking them to whatever afterlife awaited. In modern sanctism it is an axiom that the angel comes to all dying faithful, and the last sound heard by a mortal soul is the creaking and shrieking of metal wings.

Rust

The saint's iron wings are almost exclusively depicted as rusting. While the likely reason is that early icons made from primitive iron rusted easily, it has now become part of the symbol. No one wants to see a pristine metal feather, because that just ain't the saint.

Implications

In sanctism, knowledge of whatever divinity may exist is reserved for saints. For mere mortals, that knowledge is forbidden. In fact, it is blasphemy. But it is well within law and reason to recognize the deed and duty of saints. In acknowledging the sanctity of the Angel of Iron through prayer, worship, and storytelling, tidbits of true divinity may emerge. And as long as spoken of in the right context, it makes for a convenient loophole.

Common stories of the angel implies a whole lot about divinity that would otherwise be arcane knowledge:

Angels

First, and literally formost, there exists beings called angels. They are human, but also more, possessing wings and the powers to defy mortality as we know it. They are likely allowed to know divinity, on par with saints, or above.

Miracles

Defying death, transmutation, and flight are all miracles worthy of sainthood under right circumstances, and are powers that can be granted by the divine. Given the vagueness and variation in stories, these powers are judged case-by-case. For example, transmutation through mutation is considered mundane, and transmutation through sorcery is grave blasphemy.

Afterlife

As it has long been considered the saint's duty to bring mortals to the afterlife, an afterlife must exist. Pondering on what afterlife truly means is of course illegal to sanctists, but a controversial opinion oft spoken is that all the truly faithful shall finally know divinity in death, just like saints can in life.

Icons of the Iron Angel

Being likely the most prominent figure in all of Sanctism, depictions of the saint comes in all shapes, sizes, and media. More often than not, he is depicted as tall and muscular, with shoulder-length hair, wearing simple robes and a wreath.

Statues

Present as small statuettes in most homes, grand monuments on cathedrals, and life-sized figures in churches and chapels; statues of the Angel of Iron are usually made from marble and iron, the latter preferably rusted. Artisans in the Freelands, Arkovoij, and Ghardlind all strive to find the most efficient ways of rusting the feathers before sale, while the sea-hardy people of Craw Eiland are happy to leave their icons out in the salty winds.

Paintings

Enter any sanctist church, and among the many paintings on the back wall, you will spot the angel in the center. Some images are painted using a mix of pigment and rust, while, strangely enough, some older paintings do not depict the wings as rusted at all.

Personal effects

Iron feather pendants and iron rings are worn by many sanctists on a daily basis as a symbol of their faith. This to the glee of many blacksmiths who can sell their apprentices' practice pieces as religious jewelry.