The Sabafly Owls
This is the first written entry in my Hadarian AP Fragment project. Announced on dice.camp, this project is an encounter book with creatures based on anagrams of Pathfinder 1e monster entries. I call it an encounter book because these entries aren't necessarily about combat. When stats are generated, it will be for the Cypher System.
From the Abyssal Wolf came the anagram of the Sabafly /SAH-buh-flee/ Owls. In various temples, these eight entities are revered as the Owls of Heaven's Parliament. According to tradition, they represent personifications of the Eight Highest Virtues. Sabafly, their leader, is said to represent the virtue of love.
They appear as human except for their white horned owl heads. They have large wings that can be tucked on their back or wrap around the front of their body, covering their arms and feet. Each one is dressed in white robes, but can be distinguished by each one's unique accent color in their robes. All the owls except Sabafly wear white accented by a color of the rainbow in their robes and feathers. Sabafly shine in their silver and white.
The Sabafly Owls are described in various texts as archangels - powerful, benevolent beings that hold sway over all of creation save the gods.
In reality, their motives and actions are inscrutable and their demeanor aloof. If they choose to fight, they employ magical light, swords, and circular blades that can be thrown.
Their opposite, the Catharadians are considered in temples to be the Vulturine Council of Hell led by Catharates.
They are described as tall humans with massive banded wings of gray, white, and black. Their heads are multihued with long vulture-like black beaks. Though they are regarded as archdemons by many representing the eight great vices, the Cathartadians are neither sadistic nor cruel.
When encountered, they appear apathetic. In the realm of the dead, they feed occasionally on small amounts of the realm's souls. No individual soul is entirely consumed.
Inhabitants in the realm of the dead are drained just enough to forget their lives in the land of the living.
Ptoma, the One Between is a former Sabafly Owl drained by Catharates, themself. Ptoma, full of zeal, launched an ill-advised assault on the Cathartadines only to suffer a painful defeat. With part of his soul consumed, he has chosen the path of abdeath maintained by alchemy fused with sheer force of will.
Abhorred by all, Ptoma seeks others that also wish to live unconstrained by Heaven or Hell. The patron of knowledge, alchemy, and chaos searches all realms for acolytes and followers.
When the Compendium encountered Catharates, researchers originally believed their universe to be similar to one of the various Sanderson or Lu Yùn Shĭ universes. They discovered, however, that the concepts of Heaven and Hell were not the same as those universes. Hell was a land of the dead. It's where souls went in an endless land where residents lose their memory of life in the mortal world. There is no fire, brimstone, or endless torture there. Many researchers say that Hell would be better named Ennui for all the listlessness and perceived boredom.
Heaven, as it turned out, was a different plane created by those with religious inclinations. A soul, by force of will, could end up in this plane instead of Hell if they believed strongly enough in a place of reward for the truly devout. For the Romans of the various Sanderson universes, Heaven would exactly like the Elysium fields. For those that believe in the pantheon that includes the Sabafly Owls, the Cathatadines, and Ptoma, Heaven is a place of endless virtue. (The eight virtues are love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and restraint). Heaven is also a place where those that are not religious enough are zealously converted.
Catharates is a celestial being that originally came to guide the powers of Hell to make changes. Hell changed from a hunting grounds for religious zealots to the land of dead described earlier. Ptoma, one of the original Sabafly Owls, rebelled against these changes forcing Catharates to permanently alter him. The unintended consequences, though, led to the creation of the cult of abdeath.