►Gihon

Some basic details about the Angelic Realm have been listed below.

    »Population: Roughly one and a half million angels inhabit this realm.

    »Geography: Covering a small 2000 square kilometres, Gihon is largely covered in woods and hills. At the heart of it all, however, lays a widely spread city, made up solely of white stone. On the outskirts lay small farms and settlements. The main Church, the headquarters of the Guard and the residence of both the ruling families can be found in the centre of the city, surrounded by a fast area of serene parks.

    »Language: the most commonly known language would be Kelaiah, spoken by the majority of Gihon’s populace. Ancient languages can be found in old scriptures within the confines of Elon, the Great Oak Library of Gihon, read only by a select group of scholars. There are also some scriptures that have been locked away from the public entirely.

►Education

Although there are those who decide to remain with their families in the pursuit of more practical futures, such as taking over a family farm or tavern, an extensive educational system is available to those who seek it. This system is based on the three stages of Youth.

    »Bliss: from birth to the age of five, children are expected to be kept at home, playing and finding their footing in this life. This stage has been called ‘Bliss’, since the children are not yet aware of any type of responsibility.

    »Acknowledgement: after spending their first five years in Bliss, the children will commence their religious studies with a dominée, either at one of the Churches spread throughout Gihon or, if the child shows great aptitude, at the main Church. In this time, they will be introduced to a variety of subjects, all illustrating the way the Father is incorporated in every fiber of their being, as well as the world around them. They will learn of the traditions and of the duty that will be trusted upon them, hence this stage is called ‘Acknowledgement’. At the end of this stage, most children are around the age of sixteen.

    »Reckoning: having concluded Acknowledgement, the young angels are expected to decide on a path of interest from the four paths available to them, becoming apprentices. One is studying with a Master of Crafts, learning how to exploit one’s talents and contribute to society. The second is becoming a dominée, studying how to become a true servant of the Father and spreading the faith. Another is becoming a scholar, molding their life around the acquiring and preservation of knowledge. Lastly, there is the Guard, an elite group of angels, dedicating their lives to the safety and sanctity of the community.

►Political system
Like most people, the angels of Gihon have a need for a political system. This system is constructed mainly around the Council, made up of twenty two selected scholars.

    »Election: the election of these scholars is done after the Priest selects a group of able men and women through a ritual before the eyes of the Father, who will then be presented to the public as possible candidates.

►Energy, Wings & Graces
One of the most prominent features of the angels is their close-knit relationship to their celestial nature. There are three main points to this attribute.
    »Energy: every organism has energy, which flows through them and gives them the strength to exist. Every single energy has a different color as unique, to a being, as a fingerprint. Angels are known to have very light colored energies, opposed to demons, who have dark energies, while humans possess very vivid colors.

    »Wings: to angels their energy is yet more proof of them being a blessed species. Energy doesn’t simply flow through them, it materializes as wings when they wish for them. These wings emit a soft light corresponding to the person’s colour of their energy and are not completely tangible.

    »Graces: despite their wings being unique to angels, what sets them apart most is their possession of Graces. Every angel is born with the ability to manipulate energy in a certain way, these graces however are not unique to each individual.

♦Passive & Active There are two main types of graces: passive and active. Passive graces are those which, as the word suggests, need no specific trigger, but are rather constantly in use. It is rather common for passive graces not to be noticed until a child studies with a dominée, around the age of six or seven. Active graces are graces that have to be wielded consciously by the angel and are usually more explosive in terms of power.

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If you wish to go back the the actual story, click HERE to return to Chapter Three: Curiousity-filled Suitcases!