Solar

Solars were the most powerful of all the angels  and indeed of all the celestials. Described by some as truly godlike, only the celestial paragons were more glorious and powerful. Solars never took their own worshipers. Instead, they often served as the direct hand of the divine being to whom they owed their allegiance   and sought to spread the influence of their patron god throughout the universe. Even the demon lords feared these holy celestial beings.

Description
A solar had a deep, commanding voice. Its human-like body was muscular and beautiful, with skin of copper,  silver, gold, or other metallic coloration. Its hair was bronze or metallic-colored as well. Its large, gleaming double wings were of white or coppery-gold,  and its eyes were as radiant topaz. Solars stood about  or   tall and weighed about.

Not all solars appeared like this, however. For example, the solars in Corellon's court appeared rather as androgynous elves in shining white robes.

Abilities
Solars were powerful and influential entities, and only the most fearsome fiends could rival them for power. Like planetars, solars could pray for and cast divine magical spells like the most powerful of clerics.

In addition to the magical powers common to all angels, solars had innate access to a wide range of powerful magics, for which they did not need to pray. These were too many to list entirely here, but they included such wondrous magics as the ability to grant wishes,   to restore victims from ailments,     and to resurrect the dead. They could create a barrier of magical blades;  trigger a massive earthquake;    send waves of exhaustion over their enemies; charm large groups of monsters at the same time; make the effects of certain spells permanent;    blind, stun, or kill with only a single word;    and damage enemies with a prismatic spray. Solars could make themselves invisible,    commune directly with their deity,      and control the weather. By touching a mortal, a solar could grant the ability for that creature to survive in any environment for up to 100 years. A solar could emit a searing burst of holy, magical energy to burn away its enemies, and its gaze could strike blindness in its foes.

Solars sometimes summoned the aid of other celestial beings. Those of lawful good philosophies tended to favor summoning ki-rin. Neutral good solars favored phoenixes, while chaotic good solars chose titans. They had also been known to gate in planetars or devas.

They bore all of the immunities and resistances of other angels and were surrounded by the same protective aura of good. Furthermore, they could only be permanently harmed by magically evil attacks from the most epic of foes;   they could regenerate from any other injuries.

Like planetars, solars could see in the dark and in low-light,  and they always saw things as they truly were,  being able to see invisible and shapechanged creatures and objects,    hidden traps,    and evil auras. They could always sense when someone was lying.

Older scholars even attributed certain psionic abilities to the solars.

Solars could take to the wing at immense speeds with good maneuverability, and were swift of foot as well. Beyond these physical means of movement, they could teleport short distances.

Solars, like all other angels, could use magic to speak any language,  They could also communicate telepathically within.

Personality
As with other angels, solars were always good in outlook, but some leaned more toward law and others more toward freedom,   though perhaps more commonly the former case was true. They were unmovable in their loyalty toward both their divine masters and their alignment. They truly were the epitome of such virtues as devotion, honor, and purity.

Combat
Solars had immense fighting prowess complemented by their magical angelic greatswords as well as by composite longbows that allowed the solar to enchant any arrow as a slaying arrow when nocked. These bows were known as bows of the solars. Their magical greatswords could hover in the air and fight by will of the solar's mind alone, falling only if the solar were destroyed.

Solars were often sent into battle alone, as their powers were so great that only one was needed to slay even the greatest of evil beings in the world. Few, if any, could match the power of these angels. Their senses could track a quarry across any distance and bring divine retribution once it had been found. Fiends feared the power of these angels, as only the greatest of the archdevils and demon lords could stand against a solar's might.

Society
Later scholars believed that there were only ever 24 solars in existence in the multiverse. Earlier scholars had instead used that figure as the minimum value.

Solars resided in the Upper Planes, including Mount Celestia, Bytopia, Elysium, the Beastlands, and Olympus.

Solars were often given multiple names. These names&mdash;sometimes called "words"&mdash;had power over lesser creatures and often described great deeds they had performed or a function for which they existed. A solar with the name of "Peace-Bringer" would be devoted to keeping peace and stability in the world. Should peace be broken, the solar would work towards a swift recovery towards peace, organizing heroes and other beings who could either negotiate peace or fight whatever menace was disrupting the peace. Just the same, a solar with the name of "Fire-Bearer" would be an angel devoted to the powers of fire, not only its destructive nature but also its good attributes, warmth, light, and the purifying power fire possesses. Solars that had such names were given even greater magical and divine powers by their patron gods beyond those normally possessed by these angels.

Solars could travel to any of the planes of existence but only when directed to by the powers, and this was a very rare occurrence. Perhaps once in several millennia, they might be called upon to lead armies of other angels in battle against the fiends. More likely, they were sent on missions of great import, yet which most mortals would not find interesting. When not called into service, solars maintained a state of restful contemplation, awaiting the call into the service of good.

Promotion
Solars were created from the ascendancy of planetars as a reward of the gods that they served. Ascension was voluntary, but such an offer of promotion to so high an order as a solar was exceptionally rare.

Similarly, solars who fail to serve the cause of good can lose their powers and be reduced to a lesser form of angel. In the most extreme of cases, they are considered "fallen" and are exiled from the Upper Planes, stripped of their innate powers.

Ecology
Solars were truly immortal beings and did not die of old age. In fact, as with other aasimon, solars could not be permanently slain unless on their home plane. If their bodies were destroyed anywhere else, their life forces would return to their home plane, where their bodies would reform over a period of 70 years. On occasion, rather than returning to the form of a solar, the spirit would be changed into a light aasimon.

As outsiders, solars were not dependent upon their environment for survival. They did not need to eat, drink, or sleep.

Notable Solars

 * Felarathael and Lashrael, in service to Corellon
 * Gabriel, in service to Bahamut
 * Malkizid (fallen)
 * Viryn, in service to Tyr
 * Zariel (fallen)

Appearances

 * Novels:
 * The Crystal Mountain


 * Computer games:
 * Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal