Deva (DAY-wa)

The Deva are the servants of the gods, creatures that at the dawn of the world were uplifted and imbued with magical power in a myriad of ways. They include everything from demons to angels and everything in between, so they are more a family of species, than a species unto themselves.

An angel, a type of Deva usually dedicated to Arathion

A few Deva are almost as powerful as gods, and are indeed worshipped as such, while countless others are less powerful than even an average human. The one thing they have in common is that their consciousness is bound directly to the Aether in a way that is different from other mortals, and though they need flesh to manifest in the world, they are not entirely bound to their own flesh. This is especially true of demons, who are both willing and able to float through the Aether as spirits, occupying mortal vessels when and where possible, rather than stay in a body that is their own.

While all types of Deva might be capable of such a feat, to some (such as angels) the idea is so anathema to everything they stand for, that they would never attempt it.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Deva vary so much in shape, size and presentation that there are only few things that they share across all subtypes. Their consciousness is only partially bound to their flesh, and so they can exist as formless spirits in the Aether. Usually Deva are incapable of communicating or even thinking much while in this state, comparable to sleeping and dreaming for mortal creatures. The very strongest Devas may be able to take an etherial shape formed directly from the Aether, and communicating and even physically interacting with the world in this state, but for most, they need substance to occupy, in order to take physical form, and to be conscious. The most common ways of doing this is through possesion or manifestation. Possesion is, as it sounds, when a Deva spirit occupies the body of a mortal creature, be it animal or man. Only the most powerful Devas can do this by their own will, as they are unconscious before possesion, and so, it usually requires a magical ritual perfomed by someone else, who wants a deva to appear. Devas who come into being through possesion are usually called demons. Manifestation happens when a Deva shapes it's body from plants or an inanimate medium such as water, dirt or fire. This can also happen through magical ritual performed by someone else, but also occasionally happens spontaniously, when a deva's spirit is bound to a particular place. These types of creatures are often called elementals. True of most devas is that once they occopy a medium, be it flesh or otherwise, they will usually begin to take on a vaguely humanoid shape. If a mortal creature is possesed their body will often be warped severely, sometimes loosing all resemblence to it's former self.

Civilization and Culture

History

The first deva were created around the time of the creation of the first races: humans, dwarves, elves and shadowkin. Depending on the mythology, they are either created directly from the Aether by the Gods, or reshaped from other creatures, both sapient and not. Indeed, some Deva may be one, while some are the other. Considering how much they can vary in shape, size and power, it seems reasonable to assume that they have been created in a variety of different ways.

Genetic Descendants

• Demons
• Qiu-Dragons

Origin/Ancestry

Aetherbound Spirit