Alter Aeon The Great Library

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Note - as with any topic, researchers should question the reliability
and veracity of these texts.  The library's aim is to preserve
documents, not verify accuracy.

AABN:  31841
Title: a book entitled 'The Teraphim'

The myriad choirs of angels of the Planes of Light follow strict
hierarchies. Through hard work and obedience, angels may advance in status.
Disobedience, however, results in the loss of rank, and, consequently,
severs their link to divine power as their light and glory are diminished.

An angel may leave the ranks of their choir and become a vesper. They may
be disgruntled, or simply eager to prove themselves. They retain the power
they had, but this generally stagnates. While vespers can learn mortal
magics and skills, there is little they can do to increase their divine
powers.

A very few vespers Fall, selling their divine abilities to demons in
exchange for status and power in the Demon Realms. Fallen angels are
regarded as traitors of the highest order.

The only other way a vesper can gain power is to gather fellow vespers as
worshippers. The leader of a vesper cult becomes known as a teraph, and is
said to be teraphic. A teraphic vesper is more than a leader - their
worshippers lend their waning divine power to the teraph. With enough
followers, teraphim can ascend to archangel status and form a rogue choir.
The teraph can then gather divine energy of their own and distribute it to
his followers. A teraphic choir does not have the sanction of the gods or
angelic society. They observe perverse rites, pursue questionable goals or
even encourage mortals to question the divinity of the High Pantheon.

Teraphim are regarded as dangerous heretics, and not without reason: if a
teraph Falls, its whole choir will become corrupt with it. While angelic
society sees vespers as misguided and redeemable, teraphim and their cults
are actively hunted and destroyed by the High Inquisition.