The Ashen Host

In the wake of the Gods leaving the world, several of the most powerful celestials have taken up the mantle of ruling the heavenly realms in their absence. Over time, these have become known to mortals as "The Ashen Host", for being seen as akin to a Phoenix, a union rising from the ashes of what came before to help steer the world.   The Ashen Host is made of twelve separate divines who had once followed the Deities of the world and now aid in answering prayers from mortals. There have been times noted when individuals have come to the mortal plane to intervene directly in mortal conflict or strife. As such, some are even leaning towards worshiping the Host as "new Gods" over those who have abandoned the world to its fate.  

Members of the Ashen Host

    STILL IN WIP Phase     Helian: The agreed current ruler of the Ashen Host, Helian is a female identifying angel depicted wearing a crown made of yellow flowers that glow with light with long elegant robes that flow into plants and roots. Her eyes are feline and rumours have spread she can see through cat's eyes to watch the mortal realm.   She often communicates to those who seek her via prayers via talking through felines rather than appearing physically. Her domains are Light and Nature as her powers involve being able to invigorate plant life and making beasts peaceful with her mere presence. As such she is often prayed to by farmers and hunters along with anyone seeking to address the whole Host.   The Cardinal: This male presenting angel does not reveal his name to mortals so is know as The Cardinal as the first of the Ashen Host who imparted the knowledge of the Host's existence to mortal kind. He is depicted as a peace giver, but aids mortal in sealing dangerous magic or creatures where he can. He often shares divine knowledge to mortals who beseech him.   His Domains are Knowledge and Arcana with powers such as being able to seal magic and creatures along with being able to negate magic with ease. These powers cause most prayers to The Cardinal to be related to dealing with dangerous magical effects or items.     Andarisi: An angel who does not prescribe to mortal gender roles, they have taken to presiding over the passing moments of mortal lives. While the Realm of the Dead is the domain of the Kind Wayfarer, Andarisi helps ease or speed up mortals passing or answers their final prayers if possible. Andarisi and Rediran are often in disagreement as they seek to speed up passing, while she seeks to prevent it.   Their domains are Death and Twilight as they oversee the passing to the Realm of the Dead. Their powers to do so include preventing pain, aiding souls to move to the Realm, and is willing to quicken a mortal's passing. While a darker aspect, those with loved ones suffering without end may pray to them to help the suffering end.     Tholonius:An Divine with torn and broken wings clad in black armour and steel. He was one of the divinities in the early history of the world who directly aided mortals despite the God's early trepidation too and was punished for it. However it became clear the crafting techniques he taught them have helped stave off the worst of the rift activity, so was welcomed back into the heavens before the Departed Era. He is often prayed too by anyone who works to create items from local blacksmiths to guild artisans. As such his domains are the forge and knowledge, and he has powers to shape materials and objects into functional items swiftly or impart magical knowledge to others. He appears to those who pray to him in glimpses of inspiration in tools of craft such as a face in a forge, or a reflection in jewellers glasses.     The Lovers: Despite only being a singular divine, Alroius and Trevander are worshipped as a pair. Alorius was once a mortal man who Trevander fell in love with, and in turn recpricated the desites. Upon Alorius' passing, Trevander elevated him to the heavens as a immportal spirit. The pair now answer prayers together with Alorius giving moral boundries for Trevander to follow. They are sometimes portrayed as merfolk entwined by the tails, or as a pair of sailors atop war ships.   Trevander's Powers exist over magic but focuses on control of the storms and Oceans, as such leading to The Lovers being prayed too by sailors and those travelling over seas, as they oversee the Arcana and Storm domains. The pair often appear to worshippers as murky reflections beneath waters.       Rediran: Is a female presenting angel who is often represented by the sunlight. She is known to be a celestial who intervenes in painful and sudden deaths to aid the dying to pass over to the realm of the dead. She appears to mortals in reflections as a female figure made of light reflecting off the surface of water or other reflective surfaces when their time may be drawing near.   She has the power to stall and prevent Death, granting her powers over the Death and Light Domains. Her and Andarisi often seem in conflict over the treatment of the dying, with her prevention often leaving mortals with lingering conditions to deal with for the rest of their lives. She can even bind souls to objects to keep a person from passing to the Realm of the Dead.   Yoren'fen: appears as an old man, wandering in blue robes and limping with a walking stick in one hand while lighting his way with a lantern holding a star in the other. Most do not realised they have met a member of the Ashen Host until he departs them. Yoren'fen seeks balance in all things and is active in travelling the mortal world to balance things he views as out of balance.   His domains are paradoxically Order and Trickery Domains as his power comes to being able to balance scales. Thieves preying on the rich may pray to him to balance their purses for example. His powers have been known to create darkness, or exchange and balance physical attributes between creatures.   Zerrai: An androgynous figure dressed in a loose gown of white and pale blue along with a crown of white with fruit woven, she is labelled as the Angel of Justice by the people. Zerrai was a battlefield Celestial during the time of the Gods and is used to fighting evil in the Mortal Plane. She often appears when needed to smite a great evil, but only if deemed worthy to her.   Her powers of Judgement grant her access to Light and Tempest Domains, as she can conjure burning sunlight as well as radiant bolts of lightning and flame at will. Those who hunt evil or are under threat of evil (especially undead) may pray to her for aid, or her blessing to slay their foe.   Corishen: is a female presenting angle who has been represented in depictions as controller of the Moon Cycles. As such, she often appears in reflections of a moon to mortals and seems to have some influence over celestial based aspects of nature. While she may not directly influence the random Moon Cyle of Athoria, she has been known to protect areas from the influence of Moon Breaks in answer to prayers.   These lunar powers grant her the Peace and Nature Domains, where she can influence heavenly energy from the stars and moon, along with being able to sooth nocturnal beasts. Those travelling at night or those effected by a Moon Break as her most common worshippers.   Aeoris: A male presenting angel, Aeoris maintains his influence over births and the beginning of life. Some call him "The Reborn" as he was said to have died in the past but returned as a new Celestial but with all his memories of his previous life. As such, his Rebirth has led some to believe that souls are reborn into new bodies in a reincarnation cycle of which Aeoris has influence over. He has neither confirmed nor denied these theories.   His domains include Order and Twilight, which may initially seem at odd with his influence over births, but it is the sheltered aspect of the Twilight Domain he has made his own. Expecting and new parents often pray to him for a healthy child and easy delivery. He has been known to answer prayers to expectant parents caught unaware, offering them shelter in a small pocket plane to deliver their children safely.   Infaritan: A cloaked and masked angel who speaks with a deep voice, they are seen as the master of games and strategy within the Host. Infaritan has a keep mind of all tactics and logic from games as small as checkers in a tavern to great movements of armies across continents in the game of war. They are seen as being able to influence and guide those in need of a winning strategy.   They understandably have domains of War and Trickery due to this, although underhanded tactics rarely seem to play out when Infaritan does directly become involved. But any looking for an edge or advantage may pray to them for the additional tactical knowledge they may impart.   Beloren: This male presenting angel is depecited with an overly large and muscular body, of which his wings are grown from branches of a tree from his back. Beloren is seen as the protector of the wilds in their pure form and breaker of industry. He has been known to answer the prayers of forest dwellers and protectors to drive away technology and industry from the wilds.   His powers are those over all plant life, allowing him to bestow it with animation and drive to act on its own will. These powers have granted him the Nature and Order domains. He often answers prayers of mortals who reside in woodlands and other natural areas to protect the natural splender of those regions. Lumberjacks and other wood workers have also started offering him prayers as offerings in exchange for their work, and some have even taken to replanting the trees simply out of fear for his wrath.