Deva

The Deva are known by many names. In the west they are known as Goddesses, Gods, or Angels. The truly uneducated even name them as Celestials, lacking the knowledge of the true deity that goes by the same name. The Deva are one of the few that can be directly connected to the Firstborn, those that augmented themselves directly instead of evolving naturally like their cousins the Atlantean's did. Winged and mystically powerful, with inhuman beauty and pride to match, the Deva live up to their legendary blood.

— Grand Scholar of Conlis, Magnus Everlight

Anatomy

Deva are the source of what humans now reference as "absolute" or "classical" beauty, due to their interference with humanity's own culture and viewpoints. Gifted with supernatural physical attraction, they are physically flawless in nearly every way. Known as the fairest and most cunning of all living creatures regardless of their age or individual quirks, they are always viewed as handsome or beautiful to the point of being unnatural. The alterations to themselves that lead to this, however, have caused most Deva to have a single month every ten years to attempt mating, and one in ten Deva are born infertile.
They are often born dark of skin but there are some variations to this. Three traits they will always maintain however is the two great swanlike wings that sprout from their lower backs near their waist, with their bright golden eyes marking their potent Firstborn blood. Like their Firstborn ancestors they have four toes and fingers (instead of five) ending in dull, but strong talons. Their hair is often hues of blonde, gold, or gingers and is the only thing that physically changes as they age slowly turning to silver and platinum.
All Deva hold hollow bones similar to the avian sources of their augmentations, making them often viewed as physically fragile in comparison to their original Firstborn ancestry. Similarly due to their extra set of limbs in the form of their wings, in order for their joints and bones to not clash with their shoulder blades, they have another set of similar, but smaller bones along the back of their waists to support the additional wings, even if a large amount of their flight is based on their innate magic.

Abilities

Granted with unnatural charm and mystical beauty, Deva are able to passively lower the guard of those they are near aside those of the strongest of wills. Simply by being near a normal person they may draw out their desires, honest opinions, lesser secrets and goals. Often being treated as a close acquaintance even if they just met someone. This is emphasized further by their voices and motions, moving with an unearthly grace as if each motion was that of a dancer, every word that of a performer.
This unnatural grace and fairness of appearance is augmented in that most Deva appear to be neither male, nor female aside from their reproductive organs of their choice. Though there may be deviations in some individuals, many Deva may choose to purposely alter their physique or appearance in order to change how others view them. Deva are effectively able to be male, female, or both at once as they desire in any amount. Though these changes are not instantly and require days to slowly shift their appearance into their new, preferred state.
Alongside this ability to physically alter their bodies in order to maximize their own reproductive capabilities (not wishing to die out as their original species did), they are also able to seemingly change the rhythms and sounds of magic to their whims. Allowing them to effortlessly weave Primordial Magic not through memorized words, but instead as a flowing poem, song, or dance. They are especially gifted at illusion and empathic-based magics.

Social Behavior

Deva are creatures born of a culture that once represented might, power and intelligence domineered by arrogance. But despite many odds, they have learned from these mistakes and are instead generally beings of peace. Their pride remains, they are aware of their power after all, but they are also aware of the power other races weild. Just as the beings they once called slaves overtook them entirely.
As many Deva are the children, or grandchildren of the first of their race that recall the Great Rupture and power of humanity, it is deeply ingrained in all Deva that though they should have pride in themselves, their past, their people, never should any other creature ever be underestimated. Always they should be shown respect and wariness. Sacrificing power for cleverness, and exchanging hunger for power to a desire to survive.
With this desire to right the wrongs of their species past, they often will never do harm unto other races, but especially not humans. Instead they often will come in peace, offering safety, knowledge, and any other help their tribe may afford. This outlook combined with their own acknowledgment that their genetics have become flawed, often leads to Deva finding mates among the other species. Despite this they do not wish to lose their race, either and so they often will still try and breed with those whom are at least a quarter Deva, doing their best to avoid any form of incest that could further worsen their flawed genetics.
Deva often are found in small, but incredibly elegant, masterfully crafted towns of gold and marble that are sung into being through their voices joining together as a tribe. This tribe is often derived of two to four families, and are incredibly close-knit small societies of these extended families. Often due to their lifespans, and willingness to mate with other species in order to attempt and alleviate their own defunct genetics, these families are generally many separate generations.
Most Deva take multiple mates, due to both their lingering Firstborn ideals, as well as the cultural pressure to avoid extinction. Despite this fact there is a common practice they have adopted from the Giant-kin to have a single, or two at most, "Soul Mates", that are considered something far more precious than simple breeding partners. This close-knit bond is an oath of loyalty, love, protection and a mystical bond to never lie to one another.

History

Deva are the end result of the last Firstborn left on Xardia refusing to die out, and instead forcibly augmenting themselves through hasty alchahestry and genetic splicing. They wished to never suffer population problems, so they ensured they could change their sex at will. With a desire to live above the other races and have a place to escape to while most other races were bound to the earth, they granted themselves avian traits.
Their pale skin often burned against the sun, and so they darkened it. Augmenting their eyes for keen vision that didn't suffer against such intense light. They lacked natural weaponry and so they provided themselves talons, sacrificing what they viewed as their pointless superior physique and height to instead focus on mystic prowess and charm. Never wishing to repeat the mistakes of their ancestry and underestimate the other races.
And so they made themselves beautiful, fair, peaceful and clever. Intermingling themselves peacefully with humans and ensuring that they were viewed as kind greater powers. They puppeteered the humans as they overtook the world, and ensured their own mountain homes were left undisturbed. Yet a problem they had not foreseen arose, as with the many sudden alterations to their bodies came drawbacks. Even if they could change their sex, the window in which they could breed was small.
Some of their number even born infertile after the first generation, and so even though they lingered in the world, their grand plans to repopulate the world ruling over the humans as their kind benefactors began to crumble. Further still, their immense charm, magic and connections began to disperse as the years went by. Humans began to recognize their golden eyes and immense power. They saw through the charms and manipulation, realizing the Deva wished to puppeteer them from a safe distance: and for some had already been doing so for many years.
Fear of the Deva spread, and they were forced to retreat to their mountain homes outright. Yet the Deva did not lash out, they had learned from the mistakes of their forebearers, and now that they knew their population wasn't guaranteed they decided as a species to wait out this (regretfully earned) ire. Never engaging in battle with humans or other races, only ever offering peace, advice, and simply making due within their grand mountain homes to the north-east of Zaria.

Lifespan
1,200 Years
Average Height
7' (213 cm)
Average Weight
130 lbs (100 kg)
Genetic Decendants

• Cerub: The term used for individuals with half or less Deva blood mixed with a neutral blooded species such as Elves, Hin or Humans, granting them unnatural charm and physical appeal alongside a latent talent for magic but lacking the wings and true, Firstborn prowess of the Deva.
• Nephalim: An incredibly rare end result of mixing Deva and Daevata blood together, often mingled with a neutral blood due to the unlikelihood of such a union. Generally born with exotically colored avian wings with unnatural grace and beauty, yet tainted with black blood and Daevatan traits.
• Harpies: The monsterous result of magical over-exposure, Harpies are what the failed attempts at mutation from Firstborn into Deva became. Twisted creatures with lower intellect, but superior physical abilities and far more avian anatomy.