The Barae

These seven men and women, the mighty paladins of Ubtao, are chosen by their god to defend the holy city of Mezro. They live forever; their wisdom and faith shield them from old age and sickness. However, they can be murdered or lose their lives on the battlefield. In return for everlasting life, they must protect Mezro from all harm. If a bara is killed, another is selected by Ubtao to replace him. That is the only time a mortal may enter the barado, in the great Temple of Ubtao. The bara test is deceptively simple, and centers around the Chultan belief that each individual's life can be represented as a maze. If the supplicant correctly completes the maze of his life, Ubtao then grants the new paladin a fantastic power to be used in service to Mezro; if the supplicant fails, he's carried off into the afterlife.
For lack of a better term, the barae of Ubtao are super-paladins. Their powers often dwarf those obtainable by mortals, and their lifespan can last thousands of years. Many of the scattered clans of rural Chult worship the barae as intercessors with mighty Ubtao. Many clans can trace their roots back to one or more of the seven paladins first chosen by Ubtao to protect holy Mezro.
Of the original seven barae, only Ras Nsi is known to have survived up until the the destruction of Mezro at the beginning of the Spellplague. The other six barae died when Mezro was flooded, and Ras Nsi has not been seen since, although he is presumed to linger somewhere deep in the jungles of Chult. With Mezro lost, and Ubtao having abandoned Chult, no further Barae have been selected since.