The History of Vasilias Vol. V: Angels of Vasilias

The History of Vasilias is a series of books on Vasilias and other important figures in the mythology written by a halfling named Thernio Fimbledon. Thernio was himself not a highly religious individual, preferring instead to try and do unbiased studies of different religions. Though The History of Vasilias is a long series, spanning several volumes, some of them have been, unfortunately, lost to time. After the Mallus there were several volumes lost such as Volumes III (The Seven Kingdoms), VI (Forms of Worship), and the fabled final volume, added much later by another scholar, Volume IX (Last Words and Destruction). The fabled Volume IX was written immediately after The Mallus, but do to the utter chaos of the time, the transcript was lost and the volume never printed.

The Book itself is a fine looking red book with a purple piece of fine fabric attached to the seam to act as a book mark. There are gold straps on the spine of the book, acting as decorative set-pieces, and the front of the book has the symbol of Vasilias engraved in brown. The symbol, of course, is two Hands, One in a closed fist holding a mighty scepter, the other lower and open giving grain.

## Contents

### Prologue

*"The Gods are a great and mighty force, indeed it is true. However, much of their greatness comes from their mastery over lesser primordial or celestial spirits. These are called angels, and there are different ranks and races of them. For example, Solars are the top lieutenants of an army, and Devas are mid-tier celestial warriors. The huge scope of angels under Vasilias alone deserves it's own book series; however in this volume of The History of Vasilias, we will be exploring six of Vasilias' most important angels.*

### Chapter I: Naha, Solar of the Vasilian Army

*Naha, a female angel of great power, is Vasilias' top soldier and solar of his army. So powerful is she, that it is said that her powers and strength could rival even some minor gods, such as Anemos. In battle she displays virtues of wisdom, speed, and experience; all of the most important virtues for a good warrior. She acts not out of quick, rash, emotion based decisions but instead long and thoughtful deliberation. Like a skilled swordsman, does not waste time or energy on fruitless endeavors, but instead waits for the absolute perfect moment to strike. Further, she never makes a move until she knows exactly what her enemy has planned. She if often memorialized by her symbol: her gilded armor surrounded by gold and silver ivy briars.*

*In combat, she is a martial master. With her giant tower shield and longsword, she blinds enemies with radiant light from the shield and wields her sword like a professional, always waiting for her moment. Due to her mastery, she also trained both her younger brothers, Anok and Munkir (later detailed in this book), in the art of war and battle. She is known to be a very protective sister of her brothers - more like a mother than a sister. It is said that one of her key assets is her ability to judge and value the strengths of warriors, so as a result she trained both her brothers based on their strengths.*

*Outside of combat, she is old and wise. She often does not choose to lead her brothers or even any others to conclusions but instead allows them to make choices for themselves and provide teachable moments when she can. She is very protective of her master, her troops, and especially her brothers. She is not only Vasilias' Solar, but a top advisor, trusted for her steady demeanor and wisdom.*

### Chapter II: Munkir, Soldier of Passion

*Munkir is the younger brother of Naha, and commonly seen in depictions of battles and wars. It's no small wonder, for Munkir is likely the strongest angel in Vasilias' army. Unlike his sister, his energy and devotion to battle stem from his strong passions. He uses his own strong emotions to fuel his battle-prowess. This is not the only way in which Munkir is unlike his sister and even his younger brother.*

*He cares not for hierarchy or politicking, and often Munkir rushed off to battle with his men prematurely. Sometimes Munkir has been called 'The Screaming Angel' because he would fly into the battle field calling out a fierce war cry, sending fear and terror over enemy troops. Although he may have rushed to war, even Vasilias himself would admit there is no one better in fighting in it. Naha may have a better battle-sense due to her meticulous tactics and strategies, but when it comes to cutting down huge swathes of enemies, Naha herself would call in The Knights of Munkir. The Knights of Munkir were essentially a very skilled special operations team that would embark on only the most dangerous, outrageous, and difficult tasks.*

*Though most tales of Munkir talk to his rashness and are mostly precautionary tales told to children, there is a great deal lost in these simple nursery rhymes. The passion and strong emotions of Munkir could have several origins. Recently, an Aurian Theologian has asserted that once Munkir had loved a beautiful woman, but she became trapped in some alternate dimension, never to be seen again. Some say that it is simply a symptom of being a middle-child; and some say that Munkir is just a bit off his rocker.*

*Nevertheless, Munkir often seems to think that his master's court would be better off if they allowed him and his knights to have free reign. In battle, Munkir is absolutely brutal. With a small shield strapped to his fore arm, he can defend blows or use it as a blunt instrument to shove, hit, and discombobulate. In his other hand, he carries a towering double-ended spear called Tolmirok, usually depicted covered in blood and remains. Unlike many other prominent angels in Vasilias' army, Munkir chose no icon to represent him.*

### Chapter III: Anok, Solar in training

*Anok, in nearly every way, is the opposite of his brother. He is the youngest of his other two siblings, but nevertheless he the most intelligent. A strong believer in codes and laws, everything Anok does is exactly by the books. He is loyal, eager, and confident; so much so that he has been made an officer under Naha, and it is said that one day when Naha is gone, Anok will take her place. As such, he is often given commands of men to take with him to do war not important enough for Naha herself, and he is also given several other less important officer duties.*

*An inspiration to any troops he fights beside, he, like his siblings, is very skilled in battle. His form, his movement, his finesse - all textbook definitions of perfection. He is a beautiful and skilled fighter, and his form is absolutely impeccable. He strives for perfection in everything he does, and he is keen on one day assuming the role of Solar and being able to do as much for Vasilias as his sister. His armor, not quite as heavy as Munkir's or as light as Naha's, is somewhere in the middle. His real skill comes with his brilliant greatsword, named Agios, that he uses to both attack and defend. He is a master of maneuvering with Agios, and can often maneuver his enemy into any position he wants. Naha trained and outfitted him from a very young age, so the fact that Anok is always able to maneuver himself into the upper hand is no surprise. Like his sister, his icon is his armor surrounded by rose vines and petals.*

### Chapter IV: Tachyatus, Divine Messenger

*Tachyatus, Vasilias' divine messenger, is said to be a being of primordial nature - an elder angel. One of the first of the primordial spirits to be conquered by Vasilias, Tachyatus is rumored to have originally come from the elemental plane of air. He is often depicted not as a humanoid, but by a mass of six huge angel wings, stained crimson at the tips. In the center of this mass of wings, a large mouth, seemingly made from storm clouds and wisps of air. He is sometimes prayed to as the patron angel for navigation and travel, and when prayed to in this way, he is honored with the symbol of six unfurled wings in a concentric circle, bathed in luminous light.*

*Depictions of Tachyatus, however, vary sometimes with location. Among Vassoans, Xoncocuans, Darmans, and the other kingdoms, he was often depicted as a holy and miraculous bearer of news from their God. Looking at Congerian depictions, he is called the Scourge of the East, for the mighty flapping of his wings could be heard from miles away and always was a sign of impending doom or even destruction.*

*When pushed to fight, Tachyatus fights skillfully with his six angel wings. With such fine sets of wings, and incredible speed, he is able to move his wings blindingly fast enough to use them as slashing weapons. He also has a wide array of wind energies available to use and is quite formidable in battle. His skill in battle and his blinding speed are the main reasons that Vasilias chose him as his divine messenger, to bring word to his allies and his enemies. This also means, of course, that due to Tachyatus' role as a messenger he is very well known by human worshippers and in some cases there is more confirmed information about Tachyatus than there is about Vasilias himself, who has not been seen since the Golden Era.*

### Chapter V: Exypnok, Guardian of the Dawn Mother

*Exypnok, the White Bearded Angel, was made for a very particular reason. Vasilias created Exypnok long ago, 'ere time and mortals begun. When Vasilias begot Auria, so great was his love for her, and so trying were his duties, that he needed help in raising and protecting the girl goddess. The result was Exypnok. He was powerful indeed, but not in a way similar to any other angel. Whereas Munkir or Tachyatus heavily relied on their martial abilities to be able to preform their duties, Exypnok had no such need.*

*Expynok's need was not in martial prowess, but wisdom and intelligence enough to raise not only a little girl - but a little goddess. As a result, when he had to defend the girl, he would do so not with his brute strength (which he had none of anyway) but instead his keen mind and telepathic ability. Thin and tall, the angel was often underestimated; which of course is exactly what Vasilias wanted. Eventually Exypnok's prowess became known, and among Vasilian worshippers he became the patron angel of guardianship and loyalty. He usually symbolized by a pair of wings over a baby's cradle.*

*Eventually Auria grew up, and had an army of angels of her own. At this time, late into his life, Exypnok left Vasilias' army to join Auria in an attempt to advise her and steer her down the right path. As a result of this, Exypnok is a major angel in the Aurian faith, made to be the patron angel of wisdom, intelligence, and the elderly; for it was also at this time that signs of age began to show on white-bearded Exypnok. He began to grow wrinkles, and he found himself straying away from a taxing position in Auria's army. He was content to sit in relaxation and advise when necessary; however don't let his quiet demeanor and wearied looks deceive you, for his brain is still sharp and powerful. Many threats to the Dawn Mother learned this the hard way. To this day, Exypnok continues to sit beside, guard, and advise Auria.*

### Chapter VI: Broúntzok, Smith for the Gods

*Broúntzok is another angel famous in the Vasilian mythology, most well known for his part in the tale of Vlad's challenge. An angel smith, Broúntzok was responsible for making weapons for all of Vasilias' celestial forces. He is known for famous works such as Vasilias' scepter, Munkir's Tolmirok, Anok's Agios, and many other celestial weapons of fame. It was said his weapons were not forged from flame or magma, but instead the radiant light of Vasilias himself.*

*It was unknown exactly what the light was and how it was sent, but most worshippers seem to believe that the light was gift from Vasilias so that Broúntzok could practice his craft. Though always a warrior of skill, he wasn't always a smith. In his earlier years of serving Vasilias, he was a warrior under Anok's command. One day, in a battle against an invading demon threat, Broúntzok was captured and mercilessly tortured. He was wounded, cut, beaten, and worst of all, de-winged. In a grueling torture method, the demons would strap helpless angels into a device that keeps stretching out their wings until they tear off or the angel breaks. Broúntzok did not break. He escaped imprisonment a few decades later and returned to Vasilias scarred and battered. Vasilias allowed the poor angel to remain in his army, as a smith.*

*Now, not only does Broúntzok forge the weapons for the army, but also the wings for Vasilias' champions. They are modelled after the wings he had built for himself, prototype wings made from a celestial steel. Though useful in battle as a shield, they are not quick enough to allow him to fly very high or very long, and he cannot utilize them as much more than a shield or blunt weapon. However, learning from his mistakes on his own wings, he learned to make wings from the light of The Forge of Radiance itself, forgoing the need for steel or any other material. For all these reasons, Broúntzok is regarded as the patron angel of craftsmen and is symbolized by a hammer hitting a beam of light on an anvil.*

### Epilogue

*It is important to remember that although these may seem like a lot of angels, that there are truly many more under Vasilias' command. However, none appear as frequently in human tales as these six, and so they are the most notable. The angels serve an important role in The Vasilian Religion, serving as symbols for people to hold onto in times of difficulty or strife. Often, angels like Tachyatus or Exypnok are prayed to for help and support. In this way, not only do Vasilians see their God as a nurturing, commanding, and beloved figure; but his servants too.*