I'm aware, and the location of the Sekalyn area is why I specifically said that negroid humans are native to the [I]deep[/I] Balazth and Malith. As a sidenote, Balazth and Malith are both [I]significantly[/I] larger areas than they appear on the map, as they continue far beyond the borders of it. Just Malith alone probably has a combined area as large or larger than the entire northern Kirirak. The Desert of Desperation, for that matter, is many times bigger than both of those combined.

Now, I was thinking about The Prophecy the other day, and it occurred to me that there was a pretty important entry in the Deo'iel Guide to Survival that I had yet to write... so I wrote it.

[HIDER=Archangels][B]Archangels[/B]
[I]Occurrence:[/I] Rarely venture into Reniam for other reasons than being summoned, or to act as a representative of the god they serve. Conversing with archangels has revealed a surprising amount of information regarding the process of how immortals come to be, and which specific circumstances result in the creation of a new archangel. Supposedly, when a spirit of the dead desires to be reincarnated as an immortal with no memory of its former self it must address a deity and receive the aid of one such in the ascendance. The transformation is then achieved through the deity forcing the spirit’s seeds of good and evil together and combining them, causing the two opposing karmic energies to intermingle and unleash an immense amount of immortal energy, the exact nature of which depends on which seed has been nourished the most, with surviving seeds of evil resulting in infernal energy and superior seeds of good causing the energy to attune to the divine. The size of the surviving seed – with its capacity having been decreased through the process by an amount equal to the capacity of the annihilated seed – is what determines how much of this energy the newly formed immortal retains, whereas the rest of the energy is obtained by the deity. Gods in particular then have a tradition of equalizing the power of their angels by bestowing new angels with the power they lack to be equal to their peers, explaining the much smaller difference in power between angels compared to among demons.
Archangels are a special case among angels in that they have so much of their seeds of good left after the fusing of the seeds that their innate power after ascendance is even greater than that of other angels, making them the only divine beings fitting in the category of “greater immortals”, second only to the gods themselves.
[I]Appearance:[/I] Unlike other “breeds” of angels that all appear to assume a form befitting of the way they lived their lives, archangels are unique in that they largely retain their appearance from when they were mortal, causing their forms to range across all mortal species capable of extreme goodness by some standard or another, and while they typically appear as sapient humanoid beings – most frequently as human, given that humans are the most numerous among these – there are records of archangels with the appearance of “inferior” species, like beasts and animals. The one deviance that occurs from their appearance as mortals and which is a common feature across all specimens of archangels is the growth of three pairs of birdlike wings, typically attached to the upper back below the shoulders, with feathers of a color that matches that of the archangels hair, feathers or scales, as applicable. The size of these wings are somewhat dependent on the size of the archangel, but studies have shown that each wing is generally about one and a half times the combined length of its torso and head. Archangels are capable of manifesting these wings at will, however, and can choose to appear entirely as mortals if they so desire.
[I]Danger:[/I] Whereas lesser angels are bound by rules and driven by desires based on their breed, archangels appear to retain almost complete freedom and personalities as unique as those of mortals; indeed, extremely rare cases of archangels being recognized by people they knew as mortals suggest that archangels actually remain the person they were when alive, only with no memory of their mortal lives. This means that an archangel not controlled by a summoner can be just as unpredictable as any mortal and should be treated with caution until their exact nature is known, though they will typically choose to either abstain from getting involved in mortal affairs or fight on the side of those they appraise as the ones on the side of good. Of particular note is that archangels rank among the most difficult of all non-deities to control and typically require the concerted effort of at least several summoners to render obedient and that they, upon being released from the control of those who enslaved them, will often turn against their summoners and seek vengeance for themselves.
Their atypical behavior aside, archangels are potentially extremely dangerous opponents and incredibly valuable allies, not only being among the best fliers in the planes with surprisingly dexterous wings, regenerative abilities on par with those of any other immortal and in possession of physical abilities often many times that of their mortal selves, but possessing a variety of great powers. While some of their abilities appear to differ from one specimen to another with a possible reliance on the aspect of the god that facilitated their ascendance, three powers in particular seem to occur in all archangels: powers of healing on par with those of an Angel of Mercy, powers of remote manipulation and the power to, as they describe it, “seize a second soul”. Their ability to move things without physically touching them is one that varies in potency and proficiency from one archangel to the next, with the most dexterous being able to pick out the needle from a haystack and the most powerful possessing the brute force to reduce entire structures to rubble, but which appears to have certain limits that confirm the archangels’ own explanation of the power: that it is an “extra” invisible hand of theirs, capable of growing or shrinking at will and moving practically anywhere within an indeterminate distance of them. This “divine hand”, as they call it, is extremely durable and quick and can be used as a steadfast shield just as easily as a tool of destruction. It can be dismissed and and conjured forth as they desire, and is thus far most easily detected through the displacement of the air occupying the space it exists in.
Most interesting in the archangels’ arsenal is the ability to “seize a second soul”, however, as this may very well be the single most fearsome power possessed by any immortal short of the raw power of a deity. While the full details and potential utility of the ability is still uncertain, it has been confirmed that archangels are able to grab [I]any[/I] unbound magical energy – including energy molded into spells or otherwise invoked near them – and store it temporarily in a “second soul” contained within their wings, only for them to be able to use it for their own purposes. This means that any magical attack directed towards an archangel – even if carried out by a demon – can technically be completely absorbed and sent back where it came from. Absorbing extreme quantities of magical energy has been observed to put significant strain on archangels, but thus far no true limit to this ability has been confirmed.
[I]Conclusion:[/I] It is naturally best to not face angels entirely but instead aim to end their summoners, but in case a confrontation cannot be avoided, one should exercise the highest caution possible against an archangel and ideally never fight one alone. One should never use magical attacks against an archangel as they can potentially fuel the angel’s retaliation, and trying to land a blow with a physical weapon against an archangel can be incredibly dangerous due to the numerous dangers they are capable of manifesting, from their own physical prowess and divine hand to their surprisingly strong, quick and flexible wings and whatever powers particular to their divine benefactor they may possess; and even if one manages to inflict a wound, it will likely regenerate in seconds. The sheer diversity of their abilities make them one of the most formidable opponents one can face, and it is recommended that none below the fifth circle even attempt to face an archangel, lest lives be lost needlessly.[/HIDER]