Seraf

Serafs are the peculiar, humanoid offspring of Bodies, the custodians of the Sky on High and the ancestors of all birds and Sorcerers.

## Heavenly Princesses

Once the Bodies birthed by Sofia reached their titanic maturity, each saw to the spawning of a daughter-governess to look over the Body's cavernous bowels. So came to be the first Serafs: towering women possessed of their mothers' three eyes and the capability of flight. Like the Bodies, they were burdened with Sofia's hatred, and did not fare well as queens; to offset this somewhat, Solomorn granted them the ability to make consorts by burying a rib within a Body's outer flesh. Blessed with brother-dolls to dote upon, the Serafs found it easier to take up their purpose of maintaining the Bodies, if only to provide for their consorts.

## Dimorphism

Female Serafs are the dominant half of the species in every regard. They are massive next to an average human, easily reaching over 13ft; they are possessed of their grandfather's four arms, have three eyes and small birdlike wings in place of hair. A pair of flight-capable wings also grows from their backs. Like their male counterparts, they do not have ears; their temples are connected by an arching halo instead. Unlike the males' bone halos, those of female serafs never stop growing, and eventually thicken into a full disk, should a Seraf live long enough. Female Serafs do not age as humans do, but they can be wounded and destroyed for good if they are killed in the absence of their male counterparts.

Male Serafs are at most half the height of their female counterparts and resemble pretty, if uncanny dolls. Though they are also capable of flight, their wings grow directly from their long, flowing hair. They are three-eyed, but typically possess only two arms. Their voices can naturally channel Magic through birdlike singing, and they can use this power to sustain, heal and even revive their mates.

## Offspring and Legacy

The bloodlines of Serafs are irregular and follow a strange set of rules that ensure no Body is ever left without a keeper.

Though Serafs do not age as humans do, male Serafs in the Sky on High have limited lifespans. It is unknown what determines the natural length of a male Seraf's life; towards the end of it, he will become capable of seeding an heir within his mate. This one and only Seraf daughter will be born in a thick shell, and her delivery will likely kill her mother in childbirth; this is preferable, as else she would need to kill her mother later to claim her position.

Shortly after siring a daughter, a male Seraf will typically find a place on the skin of his home Body and dissolve into a feathered, treelike growth, called a **quillow**. As Bodies pass over the Good Old World, old quillows can reach down to the world's surface and drag over it like a veil.

Should a female Seraf perish without an heir, a Body will produce a new female Seraf.

### Heavenschildren

Heavenschildren are said to be the first birds. They are laid by male Serafs; every Body has an associated bird family, and all male Serafs descended from its blood will lay the same family of birds.

The ability to lay and nurture Heavenschildren is vital to male Serafs, as they consider it an expression of love and gratitude. They are driven to produce as many flocks as possible.

### Misbegots

Misbegots are the live offspring of female Serafs, seeded by a male nowhere near the end of his lifespan. As Misbegots do not possess a sturdy shell that would allow them to survive in their mothers' bodies and be safely delivered, they are forced out prematurely and then discarded, preferably in another Body, where they can wreak havoc should they go unnoticed for long enough and grow into monstrous maturity. Sometimes, Misbegots are cast out into the Good Old World, where they mimic the behavior of Sofia; that is, they devour anything in their path.

## Fallen Serafs

As female Serafs consider male Serafs their dolls and property, it is unfortunately not uncommon for female Serafs to discard their current consort in favor of a new one. Male Serafs that fall out of their mate's favor have their wings cut and are thrown out into the Good Old World. This is the worst fate any male Seraf can suffer, as they consider it their purpose to please their mates; being discarded not only rids them of that purpose, but also the ability to fly and spawn Heavenschildren.

Despite that, some fallen Serafs find joy in the Good Old World. While somewhat unnerving, male Serafs are still divinely beautiful by human standards, and are prized as consorts by human aristocrats, even kings and queens. They can sire human children, and it is from fallen Serafs all human Sorcerers are descended.

## Naming Conventions

Female Serafs will always take their mother's name as a surname; their first name will always be a Venochian number, marking their order in an unbroken line of daughters. Their titles then reflect how many times their line has been broken.

For example, the first daughter born from the Body of Iehas will be known as **Firstborn Ennoia Iehas**.

Her daughter will be known as **Firstborn Bara Iehas**.

Should their line be broken and renewed by their Body, then the next Seraf will be known as **Secondborn Ennoia Iehas**.

And so on.

Male Serafs do not have names in the Sky on High. They are referred to by pet names; giving a male Seraf a name is considered poor manners and a mark of fading favor by both male and female Serafs. However, fallen males adopt human names.

## Herdlings

While female Serafs in general have very little interest in humans, they are also compelled to spoil male Serafs as much as possible. For this purpose, they employ human herds to occupy their home Body and produce whatever a male Seraf might need or want, from clothes to food to any imaginable luxury. The more industrious female Serafs seal formal pacts with human domains; in exchange for human servants, female Serafs provide the given domain with boons and protection.

Many humans consider their life's purpose to become a herdling. Though living within a Body can be a strange and taxing experience, humans cease aging in the Sky on High, and should they avoid angering the ruling Seraf, they may get to live forever on the heavenly plane. The most valued retainers may even be gifted with a Heavenschild egg, which allow them to take to the skies.

## Notes and Trivia

* The ribs taken out of a female Seraf's body in order to grow a male Seraf cannot be regrown or replaced by any means. A female Seraf can therefore only produce a limited amount of consorts.
* While most female Serafs do not consider male Serafs truly sentient, they look down on women who discard their consorts often and sacrifice far too many ribs. Those Serafs are seen as frivolous, indecisive and irresponsible, and may find themselves visited by the Vagrant Queen, who supposedly hunts heartless Serafs.