Qaddiysh

''They came down from the heavens, through golden portals cut into the sky itself. These Angels, these holy ones, each shining bright like the sun itself. They looked upon us, and said in words unheard but understood "O how low these ones are, squabbling in the wet earth, struggling for food, ignorant of greatness. We shall teach them, grow them, shape them, lest they wither away in the holes they came from. Praise Iyr!" And so they did, and under their golden hands we were taught, grown and shaped. The weak, the disobedient and the unworthy were forsaken, and so became dust. But we were strong, we were worthy, and now have purpose. Praise Iyr!''


 * - Extract from a Nesgalth religious text. Cosk 18:49

The Qaddiysh (Pronounced Kad-eesh) are ethereal entities known by many cultures throughout the universe as The Divine, or Angels, and as such are often worshiped.

They're extremely fond on subjugating other species and cultures.

Physiology
The Qaddiysh are seemingly composed of light and energy, and can actually take on many forms and sizes. They are not actually capable of shape shifting at will, rather their forms develop over lengths of time.

Each Qaddiysh has a core, which resembles a ring with a wispy flame at it's center, though neither are actually what they seem, the ring being made of light and the flame itself an unknown energy. The core can be hidden, but will never change in its basic appearance, though the central light can dim and brighten over time. The core does not actually have a set size, and can be quite large or small.

The core itself is all that is needed for a Qaddiysh to exist, the exterior forms being nothing more than solidified light and energy. They can be reduced to their core if sufficient damage is done to their facades, though this doesn't hinder them much, as the core itself needs to be assaulted for the Qaddiysh to suffer a death.

Many Qaddiysh take on the appearance of their Cradles(See Life Cycle) before leaving The Highest Place, but once they do, many soon take on forms similar to natives of planets they visit, albeit in a strange twisted way and much more grandeur. Unnecessary wings are also popular despite being able to fly without them, a trend which occurred due to the influence of worshipers.

For a Qaddiysh to take on a realistic appearance of any other species in it's entirety is greatly frowned upon, many finding it disgusting, weak or just strange.

Life Cycle
When a Qaddiysh dies, their core flame is released from it's ring, and returns back to the Cradle which it originated.

A Qaddiysh cradle is a series of rings, each one a different size, nested within one another. When a flame returns to it after death, the rings begin to rotate rapidly, each on a different axis. This is part of a process which rejuvenates the flame.

Once the flame is strong enough, it is given a new ring by other Qaddiysh to become whole again. However, even though the flame remains the same, the Qaddiysh that emerges is as if new, retaining only part of their previous life.

Abilities
All Qaddiysh are capable of flight, although it's not certain how this is achieved. It always appears as if the Qaddiysh simply ignore gravity.

They are also capable of controlling light in ways other species can barely comprehend, shaping it to be solid with nothing but thought, using it as a weapon, so on. The light however must come from their own presence, and as such can be somewhat draining.

They are also capable of opening holes in reality leading back to The Highest Place, though this isn't done often or easily.

The Heavens
The Qaddiysh do not have any actual planets, rather their homeworld seems to exist in a separate reality to the known universe. Worshipers refer to it as Heaven or Paradiso, though the Qaddiysh refer to it in their own language as The Highest Place

Very little has ever been seen by outsiders, and those that have seen it only catch glimpses through holes in reality that the Qaddiysh create to travel back and forth. It's reported to be very bright, pristine and ornate.

History
It's unknown how the Qaddiysh came to be, and those who worship them claim the Angels have always simply existed before time.

Society and Social Behaviour


Subspecies/Subcultures
