Ascended

Lore:
In most of Aegis' legends, the first Ascended are said to have been created an army of lesser images for the supreme God during the first war of Divine and Abysmal power. Through preservation of their bloodline and much perseverance after the war time efforts, the army came to flourish as an entire race which settled comfortably in Aegis.

Other legends claim that the Ascended were descendents of the stars, and had been sent to Aegis as a means to protect and balance the planet as darkness began to clutch onto the ground as well. One knows that without light there cannot be darkness, and vice versa.

Although the fables often clash on their origin, one common theme is shared within the Origin of the Ascended tale: they are not of this world.

Often characterized as holy dieities, the Ascended have numerous temples scattered through out Aegis, which connect the highest council of elders to the surface world below the Skytemple. Not only do these temples play as sanctuary for the surface dwellers, but also as spy outposts for the Ascended to keep tabs on what is going on below.

Government
The Ascended settlement is a monarchy, lead by Master Sage Goon, his high council, and his royal family. Below him are council men whose main practice anymore is to rid the surface world of the Undead, lead by their founder Dia. There are no known diplomats anymore, as the diplomatic powers that kept Aegis in line have fallen, and failed attempts to bring them back have proved that the world has turned to warfare. It has been said by many of the surface races that if the Ascended made an effort to bring back diplomacy they would follow suit, however there is belief that Goon refuses to call back the diplomats on the notion that Incarnate is not on peace speaking terms with anyone.

Notable Features
Although the royal family and the high council are the only Ascended to be permitted wings, citizens of the Ascended race are allowed to cross the barrier between the Skytemple and the surface world through a number of intricate teleportation networks.

Weaker powered Ascended are known to wear heavy cloaks that cover their face in an attempt to block out the constant surge of light enigma pouring down upon them; however the higher power one is, the less they need to hide themselves from the light. There are no known discernable mark of the Ascended, though it is known that The Etherealborn army Goon created? were the only Ascended to bear black markings on their faces. The reason why is unknown, as there is not much history behind the Etherealborn and their failure.

Alignment
Ascended are the deepest of the spectral powers, aligning with the Light enigma. Though they do balance out the dark spectral of the Undead, the war has become apparent that the light is starting to fade, and that the Ascended are urgently trying to fix that.

Ascended Mages are few and far between, as harvesting pure light energy into magic is a school of alchemy that takes a near lifetime to master. Even some of Goon's highest sages are not learned in light magic, but serve as physical warriors when the time is needed. Goon himself is the highest ranking mage along side his sage status, and has reached the point of being considered a God of the Light.

Temperment wise, the Ascended are known as the "police force" of Aegis. They seek peace and balance and are not one to tolerate disputes of any kind. A true Ascended is proud of his or her allegience and will live up to serving Goon in any way possible.

Fallen Ascended
There are two ways to become a fallen Ascended. One is to break ties with Goon's power and stay on the surface for prolonged periods of time, and the other is to be thrown out of the Sky Palace by Goon himself, and snatched up by Incarnate before your powers are completely stricken from the Ascended. It is extremely rare to have the second happen, but the first is not uncommon for those who have families and lives shared between the surface and the Skytemple. It does not make you less of an Ascended, it just weakens your power.

The second though, is a rare and horrible mashup of Undead and Ascended. Although insanely powerful as a buffer and diplomatic force between the Dark and Light, it's near impossible to withstand the spectral forces and not be persuaded by one spectrum.

Let it be known though, that if one does become the mash up, he or she is most likely unwelcomed anywhere by anyone. Goon and Incarnate will not trust those who have tampered with their opposite power, unless deeply proven otherwise.

Notable Ascended
Master Sage Goon

Princess Julia

Sage Liz

Sage Jacob

Sage Soopse

Elder Dia

Elendriel

Also See:
Undead War

Skytemple of the Elders