Theogony, Mortals Ascended to Godhood

Who are the Saints

Powerful individuals have been the subjects of worship in the Realms since time immemorial. However, scholars throughout the world agree that a significant shift occured near the end of the Age of Prosperity, when the first truly powerful, seemingly immortal, divine beings came into the forefront: The Saints. These prominent personas appear in religious and historical texts as extremely powerful individuals performing miracles previously unheard of and unmistakably etching their names into the annals of history.

The Saints are a group of powerful individuals, each with their own personality, ethics and beliefs, all united into a collective serving the interests of Iaoth, the Creator. There are simple and distinct relationships between the Saints who, even in their immense power, are not immune to mortal feelings of love, hate, vengeance, etc.

Common folk believe that the saints were created by Iaoth to lead mortals away from Ophiel, the Destroyer. Very few know the truth however, mostly because it has been buried in the thousands of years since anyone could remember what actually happened. Even so, there are hints and clues in surviving historical texts, where the astute student of history will begin to question the divine origins of the Saints.

Origins

The Saints worshipped in churches around the Realms today are none other than the surviving Aes Volari, a group of rebel Aes Sedai, who gained immense power after combining Saidin , Saidar and The True Power at the end of the Age of Prosperity. They did what their contemporaries believed impossible: access Ophiel's prison, extract as much of his power as safely possible (The True Power) and infuse themselves with enough of the three energies to become powerful, immortal, magical beings. They gained enough power to distinguish themselves from any other mortal being, though still nowhere near Creator's power level.

Coming into power

These new divine entities quickly started shaping creation according to their whims. They created new races, modified the planes of existence and even created small pocket dimensions, or demi-planes. Eventually, as they settled into their powers, they created a hierarchy for themselves, set internal rules of conduct. They categorized Creation into portfolios, or domains, over which they presided. They appeared before mortals, calling themselves the Family of Iaoth, servants of the Creator, and gained followers among the mortal races. In time, they created their own divine kingdoms spread across the planes, granting their followers divine powers for their continued devotion and worship.

Locations

Most of the Saints are concentrated on the Upper Plane of Celestia, while a few are scattered in some of the other Outer Planes.

In common lore

Collectively known as Saints, the Holy Family, or the family of Iaoth. While the common folk do not know the details of how the Saints gained their power, it is generally believed that most Saints were sent to Realms by Iaoth, who imbued them with their divine powers to lead the people away from the Dark Ones' influence, in a way "saving" their mortal souls from Ophiel's dormant nature.

More information

See The Saints of the Holy Family .

The Exiled Saints

It is commonly believed that some time after the Age of Prosperity, a dispute broke out between the members of the Holy Family. Some of the Saints gave in to the Dark One's influence and attempted to free Ophiel from his prison. This led to a long, violent conflict between the Saints, which permantnely changed the face of the continent on the Material Plane, as well as other Planes of Existence. The catastrophic event is known as The Breaking of the World .

At the end of the battle, the Saints that wished to free Ophiel were defeated. As punishment, their peers stripped them of most of their power and imprisoned them in a pocket-dimension, using a prison similar to the one the Creator used for Ophiel.

The imprisoned saints are known as the Exiled Ones to the people around the world. According to legend, THe Exiled Ones will play a role in the eventual release of Ophiel and the destruction of humankind by Iaoth.

Also see Exiled Ones

Worship

The church of Iaoth is present in nearly all countries across the Realm. They are not a military group, but they have significant influence with the rulers as well as the common folk. Their center of command is the Cathedral Of Wisdom in Frostport. The church owns vast strands of land across Ylarra, and monasteries, shrines and temples abound. They are dedicated to promoting good, preserving history (including art and music), and maintaining a balance between nature and civilization by keeping kingdoms small and the destruction of animal and plant life to a minimum. They do their best to prevent wars and always seek peaceful resolutions. They do not shy away from violence when they believe it is all for a greater good, all of course under the veil of secrecy.
Those that feel more connected to Ophiel and the Exiled rarely admit it openly. There are numerous cults devoted to Ophiel or any of the Exiled saints.