The Dread Guard

**The Dread Guard** is the cavalry in charge of ensuring Dione's safety, especially when outside the cathedral. They are a group of cleansed bird demons or other winged beings (colloquially known as *val'chyria*) that have had their crimes pardoned by the Dreadmother themself, with the catch that they must serve the matriarch for the rest of their lives.

## Ladybird

Ladybird is **The Leader** of the Dread Guard. She stands at 6'0" and wields a zweihander. She has two pairs of white wings stained with blood. Physically about forty years old, Ladybird is a master pyromancer and has been serving Dione the longest out of the seven. Her hair is long, red, and textured with loose curls. She has tawny freckled skin, and a scar across her cheek on the left side of her face. She's curvy but has a strict training regimen to stay fit and toned. She has a take-charge, can-do attitude, but is incredibly serious when need be. She often acts as an advisor when Dio's wardens aren't present, and often keeps them company in the shrine.

## Virtue

Virtue is one of **The Twins**. They are 5'10" and wield a golden whip. They have a pair of great white wings permanently stained with ash. Virtue looks young, about their late twenties, and sports incredibly long, straight platinum hair and porcelain skin. They have lots of scars across their lithe frame due to their extensive mastery of pyromacy, but the upper half of their face is clear. Virtue is obsessed with having their sins forgiven and is a fearsome protector. They truly believe Dio's forgiveness can grant them peace in life. Little do they know, they already have it.

## Vice

Vice is the other one of **The Twins**. She stands at 5'11" and wields a greathammer. She has one pair of big black feathered wings flecked with gold. As she is Virtue's biological twin, she has the same alabaster skin tone, but does not have the scars her sibling does because of her previously overly-cautious way of life. She has short black hair that stops at her shoulders, and a couple of gilded streaks. She has an average body but is "*admittedly bust-heavy*" (Vrakheil). She doesn't know a lot of pyromancy, but is trying to learn in her free time. Vice likes to describe herself as a brat and therefore appears to follow Dio's orders because it's part of her sentence, but deep down, much like Virtue, she can feel the sins begin to slough off her back with every foe she dispatches.

## Cleaver

Cleaver is one half of **The Lovers**. She stands at 6'4" and wields her namesake. She has one pair of small black leathery wings. Cleaver has short, spiky copper hair, a scar that runs diagonally across her face, and tanned skin. She looks to be around thirty but does not know any pyromancy, and has a toned but leaner body type. Cleaver is selectively mute, and only speaks to Bonesaw and rarely Dione. She doesn't remember what she used to do for a living before she was sentenced, only that she was an accomplice and Bonesaw saved her life. She is stoic and silent, often emotionless, but enjoys assisting Dio in trips to the market to get sakura and lavender cookies. On the battlefield she's a fierce warrior, and easily breaks her enemy's spirit solely by not reacting to their attacks.

## Bonesaw

Bonesaw is the other half of **The Lovers**. She is 5'9" and wields her namesake. She has two pairs of black wings that are eternally singed at the tips. she has neck-length, straight jet black hair. Her skin is a clear olive, and she does sport a few bodily scars. She is curvy but a little chubby-average. Prior to her sentence she was a surgeon, and so she knows a fair bit of pyromancy, but mostly healing. She is quiet, soft-spoken, and reserved, and has a knack for the arts. She enjoys painting murals but usually keeps to herself in her office or tags along with Cleaver. Because Bonesaw isn't really a fighter, she works as Plague's accomplice and assists her in her healing work, though she could defend herself and Dio with no help if need be.

## Plague

Plague is **The Medic**. She stands at 5'6" and wields a heavy crossbow. Plague only has one feathery black wing, and the other is a stump that she could not heal. She looks to be in her forties or fifties and has textured, (unnaturally) white hair and dark skin. She has a burn scar on her left-side jawline from practicing pyromancy, and is the most experienced in it out of the seven of them. She has an average but softer build. Her crime was the least severe, and because of this Dio often asks for her company or for someone to go on walks with around the cathedral along with Bela, as she is mainly a physician. Plague is patient, kind, and maybe has a screw loose or two, but nothing that couldn't be too endearing. In her free time, she enjoys inventing new spells to heal via magic.

## Gore

Gore is **The Tank**. She stands at an impressive 6'8" and dual-wields two fiery napalm flails. Her wings were brutally severed, and they never grew back. She has brown skin and short, messy red hair. Two scars run across her lips and through one eye, making her half-blind. She has a beefy build (think *Noi* from *Dorohedoro*); Venewrynd often says she's "*built like a brick shithouse*". Gore is tough and guarded, and doesn't really speak unless spoken to unless she's being spoken to by a man. She has a brutal distrust of men and usually plays up the silent treatment when they talk to her. Her crime was that of passion and revenge, so Dio does not wish to correct her behavior as they feel she should be able to set her own boundaries outside of her royal duties. She usually only accompanies Dio on their trips outside Alcaeus, particularly dangerous areas.