Empyreans

(Empyreans are a CA race, and may not be played without making an application.)
((Empyreans older than 2000 ages cannot be applied for without a Unique CA requiring higher standards.))  

"I had never witnessed a sight so glorious, yet so terribly violent. Though the sky was clouded and dark as an abyss, the battlefield shone with the light of day, hundreds of halos illuminating a landscape of gore and demonic visera. It seemed every few seconds that a flash would erupt somewhere amongst the masses, each an announcement of death, taking with it the lives of those hellish beasts that had dared strike out against the divine. Even as those they called 'brother' and 'sister' burst around them, I saw not one of these strange Empyreans flinch, throwing themselves relentlessly against the repulsive horde without any apparent concept of fear. Some went so far as to leap upon the weapons of the enemy to blast the larger of them away, trading their lives without hesitation for just a shred of advantage. I knew then what the wrath of heaven looked like; it made me sick, but it was beautiful."

— Scribe Quintus Aurelius, "Against the Tide: Volume III"

  The Empyreans are the primary, most common form of Demi-Celestial by far, requiring far less magics to create than their Drakofrys counterparts. The Celestials do not perceive time in the same way that mortals do, and thus, when they sought to create a group of beings to aid in their desperate war against the demons, they somehow looked forward to the most dominant empire which would ever exist on the face of Gaia- The Gravicans. Their strength, their tactics, their bravery and resilience, all of these things seemed to be vital in their success. Thus, they created the Empyreans in the image of them. Curiously, it would later be the presence of the Empyreans which would largely help to define the Legions... Regardless of this bit of confusion, the Empyreans have been on the face of Gaia for around a millenia, and the war they were conscripted to fight in lasted around two hundred. Thus, the oldest an Empyrean can be is around 1,200 years, given their ageless nature.    

Appearance

The Empyreans are a people of striking beauty and ethereal nature, designed to mirror a perfected human form, but imbued with a number of divine qualities and traits.   Skin ranges in shades similar to all humans, with complexions that tend to be without flaw or blemish save perhaps for thin and faded scars. All Empyreans are fit for combat based on their physical build, having no tendency to gain excess weight to the point of any functional loss, though some is occasionally seen in combination with underlying muscle mass. In addition, they find it significantly easier to build and maintain said muscle than human counterparts.   Their eyes are luminous and entirely one color, sometimes with a slightly brighter section where the iris would otherwise be. Hair comes in a large variation of qualities from curly to straight and anywhere in between, but is usually of a nature that would be described as healthy by default. Both of these features come in only two colors; white and gold.   Their eyes may be strange, but the two arguably most striking details of an Empyrean are their halos and occasionally horns. Halo shape varies from individual to individual, often spiked or a simple disc, and also comes in shades of either white or gold, casting a significant deal of what is effectively sunlight on their surroundings. Horns are a quality that appears on around half of Empyreans, and are a sign of their draconic heritage, always colored in shades of white or pale cream and coming in numerous shapes and sizes.   Having all white or all gold features are considered blessings of Parabos and Belador respectively. It is thought that those with all white features are measured and wise, whereas those with all gold are righteous and motivated, ideal leaders or ideal warriors.

Body Modifications

Other than modifying their horns, most Empyreans are extremely loathe to modify their bodies, be it dying their hair or getting tattoos. Most of them are more than a little conceited, being that they are created "perfectly," not only in their own eyes, but in the eyes of many of the mortal races. Nevertheless, the practice is not exactly unheard of, merely uncommon.

Racial Abilities

Brawn: Empyreans are stronger than the humans they so resemble. Due to the Celestial Magic that courses through their bodies, they do not struggle when attempting to pick something up, they either can or cannot - Struggle is a foreign phrase to an Empyrean's body. Empyreans at their peak strength can lift overhead anything within two and a half times their body weight.   Bane of the Mind-Killer: Empyreans are supernaturally resistant to fear. Though certain things can still make a base empyrean untrained for combat route, it would take a terrifying monster or hopeless situation indeed to cause them to do so. Trained Empyrean legionnaires, on the other hand, will fight to the last man, and struggle to their last breath, unless a retreat is called. These tempered, divine soldiers are resistant to fear to the point that most simply do not feel it.   Celestial Beacon: The light of an Empyrean’s halo extends 6 blocks in a radius around them, and is counted as sunlight. Though normal sunlight is not uncomfortable for demonic entities, the light of this halo feels like pins and needles on these beings' exposed skin, and will be as damaging to Voudr as direct sunlight typically would be. This light shines about as brightly as a torch. This quality is inherent to the halo itself, and will remain even if the Empyrean is slain and the halo dropped. Upon an Empyrean’s second resurrection however, their final one before permanent death, this effect halts to denote their precarious state.   Against the Dying of the Light: When an Empyrean is slain, their body converts entirely into a flash of brilliant, searing, blinding sunlight, leaving nothing but their halo behind. Anything which is watching within 20 blocks is instantly, permanently blinded as their corneas are seared, though closing one's eyes is sufficient to avoid this. Further, this flash of light causes instant, painful first degree burns to exposed skin, and can cause flash-fires in dry, very flammable materials, such as loose leaves or paper. Notably this is extremely dangerous for Voudr as this flash counts as intense sunlight.   Beings of demonic origin are also much more badly burned by this holy light, even if they are immune to fire or heat, and such beings who are within 5 blocks will be mortally wounded if their heads or bare chests are exposed, otherwise suffering third-degree burns to any exposed flesh. If further than 5 blocks away, they will suffer second degree burns to exposed skin.   If a demonic being touches one of these downed halos without protection, it instantly causes third degree burns, which cuts through any pain tolerance. It will rapidly heat gauntlets, over the course of 2 emotes, and burn through leather instantly. If such a being continues to hold onto it after this burning has reached their hand for an additional round, it is easily capable of resulting in the loss of fingers or the entire hand. Dropping it is an immediate, free action.   The physical form of a dropped halo is akin to unbreakable glass, and when an Empyrean dies for the final time, after their second resurrection, they do not explode and their halo is rendered harmless and inert.   Alien Physiology: Though they appear to be human on the outside, on a cellular level, they very much are not. This renders them immune to all diseases with the exception of magical ones, or special diseases, at ET discretion. Further, Empyreans cannot be blinded by bright lights, nor get sunburns, thus making them immune to the effects of Against the Dying of the Light.   Empyric Purification: Empyreans through a ritualistic prayer to Belador, are able to burn corruption out of non-blooded. This ability can only be used on weaker corruption, and is capable of purifying non-sentient life or non-living matter within a 5x5 area, or a singular item. This purification would leave the general area slightly frail from being broken apart in the purification, leading to it being more likely to break, but would otherwise still survive the process. An Empyrean is only capable of performing this purification twice per age before needing to recover. Please keep in mind Corruption & Purification rules.   See Cold Resistance.

Redlines

-Empyric Purification can not be used to purify corruption on animals or people, only working on plants, items or non-living matter. This will leave it in a usable but damaged state.   -Hair and clothing are not typically dry enough to catch fire from Against the Dying of the Light.   -The feeling of pins and needles on the skin of a demonkin will never result in actual harm, merely discomfort.   -The explosion when an Empyrean dies happens the instant that they die, requiring one to emote closing their eyes as they strike the final blow in order to avoid being blinded, and those nearby to do the same. This requires coordination and teamwork. An empyrean who is not slain, but dies of natural causes, does not explode, leaving behind a body.   -Using a veil or closing one's eyes will prevent one from going immediately blind- however the burning and searing pain will still persist. Those who use veils, or stare directly at the explosion with closed eyes will still feel like they stared at a flashbang, stunning them from ANY action for 2 emotes. The best way to counter this stun is to completely turn's one head from the explosion of light.