Cherubians

About Cherubians

Cherubians were created to guard humans. They are what humans call angels, but don’t go saying that too loudly with one of them around. Unfortunately, humans have the mistaken idea that cherubians fly around with white robes and flowing long hair, usually petting a faun or playing a harp. Nothing could be further from truth. For starters, white robes and long flowing hair simply aren’t practical. White wings are also particularly absurd. The mornachts would have destroyed their entire race ages ago if they entered a battle with those huge white targets on their backs. Also, no cherubian would ever want to be caught playing such a silly thing as a harp unless he or she was imitating a faun.

Cherubians actually look more like this:

• Wings: Their wings resemble falcon wings, which open up twice the length of their bodies and retract flat against them when not in use.
• Bodies: Get rid of all pictures of frail, waif-like long haired beauties flying around. Cherubians are warriors of the highest caliber from a civilization that values honor and valor. They have proud eyes and strong arms and legs. Think “thick.”
• Civilian Clothing: Cherubians fall into two classes: civilians and soldiers. Civilians wear robes, but they look more like Roman robes, and they are never white. The wealthy often wear robes that shimmer.
• Military Uniforms: Most of the military, including heralds, wear armor akin to that of a Roman soldier. They wear black breastplates and cuirasses (the back armor), maroon kilts with black trim, and black leather boots to protect their feet from all the tracking they do under the cover of the woods. Seraphs (aka generals) wear silver kilts instead of maroon. One division of soldiers, the Reconnaissance & Sabotage Order (RSO), wear bronze armor and greenish brown kilts and tunics instead of black.
• Weapons: All cherubians–even civilians–carry weapons. The most common civilian weapon is a sword, but some carry a small bow. Elysia requires its soldiers to carry at least one sword and a bow or a crossbow. Most soldiers also add at least one dagger, and a few carry sunstars–a throwing star with crystal tips.

Cherubians live much longer than humans–up to and sometimes over 1,000 years. They officially become “adults” around 100, and they are required to enlist in the military no later than 120.