Cherub

Gallium veins press against the underside of their crystalline *skin* and gleam warmly. Their body is perfect, and the whole of it is wet with amniotic slick; could they have just now peeled themself off an oil canvas? Were they cast into the material realm by a dreaming, dripping brain? Whatever the embryo, they are now the archetypal *creatureType*; it's all there in impeccable simulacrum: *features*. Perfection is realized.

Perfect

Cherubim are a class of powerful tier 8 creatures that can be found roaming Qud, as well as guarding the tombs and reliquaries of the sultans. There is a variety of cherubim to represent each of the old sultanate-era factions.

In the Tomb of the Eaters, each sultan's tomb is guarded by several cherubim of the factions with whom the sultan had favorable relations during their lifetime. Typically, these factions came to be favored by each sultan by playing an important role in their sultan histories. The cherubim stand watch over the sultan's sarcophagus and reliquary. These cherubim will typically be neutral to the player so long as the player character bears the Mark of Death and does not attack them or attempt to disturb the sultan's possessions. Each cherub gains additional abilities based on their aligned sultan's themes, as noted below.

Cherubim who are generated as sultan tomb guards in the Tomb of the Eaters will be part of the Cherubim faction exclusively, while others will be a part of the faction that corresponds with the type of cherub that they are. This may be overridden when spawned for other reasons like being a guard or convert, as normal.

Non-mechanical cherubim have the ability to reheat themselves by 60 degrees per turn if they are ever frozen, and have a 100% chance to reflect projectiles, while mechanical cherubs heat themselves 50 degrees and only have a 50% chance to reflect projectiles. This reflection is vulnerable to EMP blasts.

List of Cherubim

Mechanical Cherubim

Dials tick and vacuum tubes mantle under synthetic *skin* and inside plastic joints. *features* are wrought from a vast and furcate machinery into the ideal form of the *creatureType*. By the artistry of their construction, they closely resemble their referent, but an exposed cog here and an exhaust valve there betray the truth of their nature. Their movements are short and mimetic; they inhabit the valley between the mountains of life and imagination.

Perfect

If the sultan that the cherubim are related to is from the 4th period or later, they will be Mechanical instead. They have slightly different stats than normal cherubim. Mechanical cherubim also will attempt to heat themselves up by 50° per turn when frozen, and will reflect projectiles 50% of the time.

List of Mechanical Cherubim

Sultan Theme and Abilities

All cherubim gain dynamic abilities based on the sultan's theme their faction is allied with.

Theme	Caste	Description	Notes
glass	glass	• Attacks have a 10% chance to dismember. • Reflects 25% damage back at attackers.
jewels	jeweled	• +10 Ego. • Attacks have a small chance to transmute opponents into gemstones.	There is a 5% chance to to transmute into gemstones. This is instant death, even if the target was a dominated creature.
stars	star	• Light Manipulation 10
time	time	• Temporal Fugue 10
salt	salt	• +10 Willpower • +100% HP
ice	ice	• +100 Cold Resist • Ice Breath 10
scholarship	learned	• +10 Intelligence • Attacks discharge clockwork beetles.
might	mighty	• +20 Strength
chance	chaotic	• Whenever this creature is about to take damage, there's a 25% chance they blink away instead. • Whenever this creature attacks, 50% of the time the Fates have their way.
circuitry	electric	• +100 Electrical Resist • Electrical Generation 10
travel	quickened	• +5 Quickness • Teleportation 10