Virtueborn

When a mortal dies, their souls will generally fade back into the magical energy that infuses the world, dispersing and scattering like fog in the morning sun. When a mortal has lived a life with a particularly intense devotion or adherence to a belief or principle, instead of fading away that soul may instead achieve a sort of apotheosis, being reborn as a semimagical being. In the case of those who live their lives as exemplars of one (or all) of The Virtues, a small number each generation begin a new life as Virtueborn.

Reborn in Light

A soul is not reborn immediately upon the passing of its first life. Rather, the soul does make its way into the background magic energy, but rather than dispersing and fading away, the devotion and focus that the soul carried in life causes it to maintain some level of coherence. Its memories still are lost to the world, but its power and energy remains focused. It exists as a small mote of concentrated magic, flowing with the invisible waves of energy that infuse the world. There, it waits.
At some point in the indeterminate future, somewhere in Lasair, a devotee of the virtues will reach out in a moment of need. They might be a paladin, a cleric, a common person in great need of help. In answer to a call, whether the cleric's desperate casting of a spell or the innocent's cry to the sky, the concentrated mote will suddenly manifest in a flash of light. Taking the physical presence of a human-like form, the newly reborn being arrives fully prepared to respond to the need of the person that summoned them.
The Virtueborn comes into being fully grown and empowered, as a living manifestation of one of The Virtues, whichever is most needed in that moment. They may be wielding a sword of light, or holding bright healing magics in their hands. They will be exactly what is needed in that moment and will feel an unrelenting impulse to rise to the challenge.
Upon completion of that first quest, the being will become free to live a new life. The carry no memories of their prior life, or even knowledge of the world in which they have arrived. If the person they arrived to rescue survived the moment, and are knowledgable in the history of the Order of the Virtues, they may recognize the sort of being that now stands before them and what they will need. If not, the Virtueborn will feel a gentle pull in the direction of a center of Virtue reverence. In either case, they will make their way to where they can be taught of the world at large by member of the Order.

A Living Virtue

Once the Virtueborn understands the nature of the world into which they have been born, they will be free to pursue whatever life they wish. Almost universally, Virtueborn choose to live within the Order of The Virtues, serving as a cleric or paladin. They will immediately be one of the most powerful members of the order, their very nature to be a living emobdiment of one or all virtues. They will always feel a draw to enter the world and serve, rather than entering into the hierarchy itself. The life of a Virtueborn is one of action and example, not of managing and lecturing.
Many Virtueborn, in addition to living as an exemplar of the Virtues, will make a point of spending time existing among and learning from the common folk of the land. Coming into existence as a manifestation of magical power does not leave one with time to understand how to be a person, and make no mistake: the Virtueborn are mortals. They are not Elementals or constructs driven by magical energies that control their nature. They have a desire to live a life - one that will be exceptionally long and full of conflict - but a full life regardless. They will seek out connection, learning, even love, all in an effort to better understand the world which they were born into. Above all, the Virtueborn understands that theirs is a life of service to the world and to the people within it, and they can best do that by becoming a full part of that world rather than standing apart from it.
At the end of that life, whether from violence or other causes, the soul that was embodied within will finally find rest. The passing of the bright being will often be marked with great loss and reverence by the Order, for they were a literal blessing. But their soul will fully pass into the magic of the world - Virtueborn are only reborn once.

Appearance

Virtueborn generally appear in a human-like form though their features will often be a little bit different. Pointed ears, exceptionally long limbs or fingers, etc. This, combined with their glowing silver eyes and skin that can appear in any number of rich, deep colors, grants them a clear otherworldly appearance that makes them stand out. The rarity of them appearing at all (only a few will manifest in a generation) means that wherevery they go they will be seen as a harbinger of something.

Dark Counterparts

As with many things in the world, there exists a balance to the brightness of the Virtueborn - those born of strife and hate and vice.

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