Sahariel, The Angel of Flowers
Risen Goddess of Penitence, Vistas, Duty, and Devotion
This article is about the Goddess Sahariel, The Angel of Flowers. If you are looking for the page for the Ruler of Sahar and the Person Sahariel, click here.
The beauty of her creed is its simplicity. There is no preaching. No special treatment. No one to talk down to you, convince you to repent like other faiths do - treat you like a monster, a failure, a thing to be exterminated, a sinner, a creature that cannot be understood or reasoned with. Not her. To her, we are simply people - and if we work hard, we can redeem ourselves. If we are lax in our efforts, we're punished. Scolded, as any unruly child should be. We warrant no special attention or ire - a fact which can irk many of us, who are used to soothing our Egos with the words of those above or below us. That's not all, however - if that was it, more than half of us wouldn't have cared to follow her, would we? Such words are a dime a dozen in this cosmos, after all, and mere equality is hardly enough to elicit anything more than a laugh in many of us. Indeed, many such as I quite enjoyed laughing in the face of Naive upstarts who thought themselves capable of taming a Devil - of redeeming us. Oh, how the word sickened me. Redemption. As if my beliefs were wrong, and theirs were right. I relished in skinning them and consigning their souls to the depths. For many of you, your struggles were much the inverse - and of course, I've spoken at length on the same follies of 'Corruption'. No - the most beautiful part of her creed is the part that goes unwritten. We can all be angels - each and every one of us. We don't need to be virtuous from birth to earn a transformation after death. We don't need to be born again on the shores of Archainus. We don't need to be or become some Sanctimonious, Feathered Fool to be an angel. So long as we behold the beauty of the heavens, and contemplate it - take it within ourselves and understand it - we can be like her. You truly can't understand how that feels - to be told you are as worthy as any other. That even you can be as an angel is. That the boundaries that once divided us mean nothing before true goodness. How I wept when I saw my first sunrise...when I beheld the beauty of the heavens, and understood. I will never forget my homeland. I will never stop believing in its teachings, or wishing for its growth and betterment. But I am not my homeland. Though I was born on its burning shores, I am not my homeland. I am an angel. I am hers.Titles: The Angel of Flowers, The Fragrant Lady, The Daisy of the Battlefields, The Silverwing General, The Lady of the Lightning Legions, The Rising Sun, The Great Silver Seer Favored Weapon: Halberd, Starknife Alignment: Lawful Good Church Moniker: As Sahariel is a Risen Deity who is somewhat unique in the incredibly divided nature of her following(Possessing massive followings in the Outer Planes and Materia Sphere both), her church is likewise divided broadly into two categories - the Church of the Unifier, which tends to operate primarily within the Outer Planes and is largely made up of Outsiders who have forsaken the creeds of their Planes of Origin to find unity and new purpose beneath the Angel of Flowers, and the Church of the Daisy which tends to operate within the Materia Sphere and is thus largely dominated by mortals of all breeds, cultures, and walks of life who often range from Mountaineers and Hikers who worship the Angel of Flowers as the Goddess of Mountaintops and other Vistas to Guardians, Guards, Wardens, and other warriors or those who seek redemption for past sins. Though the Church of the Unifier, populated largely by outsiders, is just as expansive if not moreso than its Materia Sphere counterpart, it is largely considered a Heretical Cult by most all types of Planar Outsiders and thus operates largely in secret. Obedience: Spend one hour as the sun rises(Or in an area with iconography that evokes the image of a sunrise) in quiet meditation surrounded by floral or other pleasing natural scents. During this hour, weave flowers into a crown and, once completed, slowly unweave it(Consuming each piece of the crown as it is unmade) while whispering prayers to the Angel of Flowers - taking notes on the flaws or mistakes you made during the crown's construction for next time. Obedience Effect: Imbued with the unstoppable power of the rising sun and the celestial vistas of Archainus, your soul is touched by the energies of the Celestial Heavens - you gain Celestial as a bonus language, Darkvision 60ft, and Low-Light Vision as you are infused with Angelic energies. Additionally, by channeling the power of the Angel of Flowers, you can call down a Magic Circle against Evil or a Lesser Globe of Invulnerability as a Full-Round Action that provokes attacks of opportunity by conjuring images of glorious heavenly vistas and resplendent sunrises - these circles emit light as a lantern, are marked with flowers, and must be placed centered on a square you can see within 20ft. You may only have one circle in effect at any given time, and any effect or attack that destroys the ground the circles are inscribed upon(and/or the flowers marking them) will disrupt the circle(GM Discretion).
Divine Domains
Plant, Protection, War, Community, Sun, Travel, Law, Good
Artifacts
In truth, the artifacts of Sahariel are few and far between compared to those of other deities - perhaps the greatest of all artifacts of the Angel of Flowers is the legendary city of Sahar itself; a city said to be bound to the will of its Mistress such that its layout can be changed, its streets and buildings remodeled, and the city itself even shifted or relocated entirely at but a single whim of its master. This city, said to be largely Extraplanar but capable of anchoring itself to different Planes of Existence, was founded by Sahariel and her first followers nearly a thousand years ago on a mountaintop in far-distant land - each brick woven and enchanted with what very well have been the first true blending of Angelic, Devilish, Demonic, and other Planar Energies woven into the brickwork and foundations of Sahar to bind it to their new and beloved Mistress Sahariel.
This city, though it has expanded in the intervening centuries since its founding, remains firmly bonded to Sahariel and stands as the sole bastion of unity in the Outer Planes where all may come and trade as equals under the watchful eye of the city's Mistress.
Besides the city of Sahar, Sahariel has precious few items that could be considered artifacts in the traditional sense - and what few she does possess are believed to be kept in her personal possession or in her personal vaults in the depths of her palace in the city of Sahar. These items, largely trophies taken during her conquests throughout the Outer Planes or given as gifts or tribute by powerful outsiders or other Cosmic Beings who wished to curry her favor, are myriad and powerful in their own right - though almost none are given out on any sort of basis to her faithful, as Sahariel herself seems to prefer giving out "Blessings" to those who earn her attention and prove themselves worthy.
These blessings can vary wildly in nature and appearance but usually involve a transformation of the body or spirit - often blessings such metallic skin, Angelic Truesight, metallic wings, or any number of other beneficial transformations are not uncommon, though sudden manifestations such as the bestowal of a single metallic feather from her own wings(Said to grant a one-time protection from nearly any attack) to sudden fields of flowers appearing to disperse magic or attacks against her faithful. Perhaps the best example of these blessings involved a blessing given to one of her lowly followers centuries ago in the Inaran Imperium, who spontaneously manifested a set of enormous metallic wings wreathed in flowers after being attacked by Tamamo-No-Mae(Who had yet to ascend to godhood at the time, and was Empress of the Country) after attempting to convince her of the truth of Sahariel's teachings. These wings, upon manifestation, proved easily able to swat aside multiple magical invocations of the 9th tier and above with little difficulty, and spirited the faithful in question away from the site of the attack without much issue - a fact which has earned Sahariel the eternal ire of Tamamo-No-Mae ever since.
In truth, many theologians and religious and magical scholars believe that, for reasons that are not entirely clear, the power and potency of the blessings Sahariel can bring to bear often reach or eclipse the power of those normally reserved for True Deities despite her status as a Risen Deity.
Holy Books & Codes
Sahariel's Teachings
Divine Symbols & Sigils
A daisy inside a rising sun
Tenets of Faith
Cast down the unworthy. He who speaks of wants and needs yet does not labor in pursuit of them shall be met by the righteous fury of the faithful.
Seek the heavenly summits. Stand atop the highest peaks, Behold the most beautiful sunsets, and Seek the natural wonders of the world to behold the beauty of the Heavens. See to the preservation of such places at all costs.
Devotion is Divine. Be the last to abandon that which you love, and the first to criticize it for its flaws. Stay true to that which you have sworn yourself and mock not another for what he has devoted himself to - if you truly love something, you must not go easy on it.
All are capable, few are worthy. So long as one labors towards it, nothing shall be beyond a creature's grasp - even redemption. Offer your aid to those who work tirelessly and do not let their efforts go unrewarded - only the scars of sacrifice can wash away the stain of sin.
Holidays
The Day of Descent
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Sahariel's primary goals are generally a mystery - she has not left her city in any significant manner since its creation nearly a thousand years ago except for a handful of extremely unique circumstances, and seems to content herself with managing the city and her ever-increasing flock of faithful. Whatever her greater goals may be, they are as mysterious as the Angel of Flowers herself.
My love for you is without breadth nor depth. As infinite as the sky and as sure as the coming dawn. My patience, however, is not. Try, and I shall aid you. Work hard, and I shall protect you. Give your all, and I will make sure no effort of yours goes unrewarded. Be you Angel, Be you Demon, or be you Mortal; Hard work alone shall light your path.
Divine Classification
Religions
Alignment
Lawful Good
Children
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