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Angels are one of the many creature types that can be encountered, and potentially recruited, in Atlus' 1997 Debiru Samana- Souru Hakka-zu (Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers) Sega Saturn roleplaying video game [said title was also ported, with slight enhancements, to the Sony Playstation in 1999, but, like the original version, it's only available in Japan.] In Soul Hackers, Angels conform to the Neutral-Extreme-Law alignment, a life philosophy that places order and balance above all else, ignoring the morality of good and evil altogether. These heavenly ladies are further classified as members of the Tenshi (Japanese for "angel") Clan, a group that encompasses all the lesser Christian angels (Virtues, Thrones, Principalities, Powers, Dominions, Cherubim, Archangels, and Angels). This is contrasted by the Light-Law Daitenshi Clan ("Great Angels", the Seraphim and other high angels) and Neutral-Chaos Datenshi Clan ("Fallen/Degenerate Angels", an assortment of demons found in occult grimoires).
While Angels are the weakest of the Tenshi, they are also the most numerous--they usually make up the bulk of any Lawful angelic host. An Angel is equal parts warrior and healer. She smites her foes with either blasts of searing holy light or gale-force winds generated by the beating of her wings. An Angel also possesses the ability to mend wounds and cure diseases.
While the Tenshi are dependable and stalwart, their obsession with maintaining balance and order, regardless of the cost, makes them merciless and inflexible. Unlike the benevolent Daitenshi, whose judgements are tempered by compassion, or the insane Datenshi, whose actions are completely unpredictable, the impartial Tenshi can only see the world in black and white, shades of gray simply do not exist for them. As such, the divine powers that employ them must be very careful in how they word their commands, for the Tenshi have a marked tendency to execute any assignments that they're given far too literally and zealously.
Angels, along with Principalities/Rulers and Archangels, make up the celestial trio that comprises the third angelic Sphere or Choir. The triple Choir arrangement (nine angel types, divided into three groups) was first proposed in the 5th century by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in his book De Coelesti Hierarchia (The Celestial Hierarchy). While Angels are the lowest order of angel, they are also the most active amongst humankind, serving as messengers and guardians.
Materials:
Newsprint, tissue paper, wire twist ties, white glue, and acrylic paint.
Dimensions:
2.0 cm/0.8 in. x 5.1 cm/2.0 in. (widest point x highest point, excluding wings and blindfold tails)
Maximum wingspan: 9.0 cm/3.5 in.
Note: The numbers given assume a neutral standing position and will vary depending on how the figure is posed.
Articulation:
14 points: Neck, wings (2), shoulders (2), elbows (2), mid-torso, hips (2), knees (2), and ankles (2). Additionally, the long tails of the blindfold are bendable and each link of the chain can move freely.
Time:
One day. I started, and finished, customizing the Cylin-Dra base body on January 5, 2012. This primarily consisted of: (1) Modeling a pair of wings, her face, hair, the blindfold, and the tubetop restraint. (2) Slightly modifying the lower torso to reflect her nudity and drilling holes in the back of the head and upper torso to accommodate the addition of the wings and blindfold tails. (3) Fabricating a metal chain from scratch. (4) Painting the figure.
For comparison/informational purposes, below are some relevant images:
REFERENCES:
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This is a nonprofit web site.
Any and all copyrighted imagery, terminology, etc., depicted here belongs to its respective holders/owners, namely Atlus.
The repeating background symbol is from the Super Famicom version of Shin Megami Tensei, while the foreground texture is a fill pattern from the GIMP art program that I edited.
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