Solar Maidens

[SirenSon117]

I have a really cool concept for a pseudo-race called the Solar Maidens, and I'd like to share them with you guys to provide inspiration and work out the kinks. My settings are all individual worlds sharing a universe, so I can't really go to deep into lore here. Solar Maidens are women of any mortal race that are born with a mysterious blessing that grants them the power of the Sun. Since Magic in my setting is based in imagination, ideas, and individual consciousness the "power of the sun" is less "living battery of nuclear fire" and more so the Sun as a concept: warmth, justice, life, etc. The flames of a Solar Maiden's essence are holy flames, and flame is the literal essence of a Solar Maiden. There exists an entire school of Magic called Suncraft that is inspired and pioneered by Solar ?Maidens. Touching them is like touching a campfire. Facing them in battle is like trying to put out a conflagration. On some worlds Solar Maidens are revered as angels among men. Other times they are feared as omens of destruction. How they exist is unknown, but most agree that something is putting Solar Maidens on worlds as a countermeasure to some great evil. What that evil looks like is uncertain, but a common thread is that very old gods are involved. Thus, many believe that Solar Maidens exist for the same reason Demons exist, to keep other Divinities from becoming threats to Cosmos as a whole. Legends tell of one Solar Maiden who went rouge on a galactic scale. Tanya the Bloodflame, though she is long gone, is an unspeakable memory of a tyrant whose spells bathed entire planets in holy fire. Since Tanya, most of the major Gods and Extragalactic Factions have measures in place to restrict the power of Solar Maidens, for better or for worse depending on the case. The largest complaint Solar Maidens have is infertility. The body of a Solar Maiden runs at very high temperatures, including the womb. A Solar Maiden's womb is like a nuclear reactor and most fetuses don't survive. Sages theorize that this is by design, motherhood is a potent distraction from the dispensing of justice.

If there's anything you think I can add to that description that'd be great. You're welcome to use the concept so long as you change it a little.

 

[Saigonnus]

I think the ideas are solid, though you should consider outlining just how they are perceived on the various planets within the universe. Also, you should come up with a few "orders"; religious or otherwise that either revere/venerate the Solar Maidens or malign them. Each one would likely have a different take on the Solar Maidens and their abilities.

Also, come up with a few ideas about what abilities are permitted; or how they are supposed to act. It would be easy enough in the scheme of things to justify "euthanizing" unrepentant criminals or mass murderers and call it "justice" in the eyes of a Solar Maiden. I know you want "good" people... but when you have great power, you also have the great temptation of using your abilities for selfish ends. I would imagine there would be some element of corruption even among the Solar Maidens.

Another thing to consider is some sort of counter to their power. If you have only one group of special people... then as time goes by, the chances of corruption are greater; unless they have some sort of opposing force. Jedi vs. Sith, Superheroes vs. Supervillains etc. If you don't have some force to balance their power, then the universe will create one.

 

[SirenSon117]

I think the ideas are solid, though you should consider outlining just how they are perceived on the various planets within the universe. Also, you should come up with a few "orders"; religious or otherwise that either revere/venerate the Solar Maidens or malign them. Each one would likely have a different take on the Solar Maidens and their abilities.

Also, come up with a few ideas about what abilities are permitted; or how they are supposed to act. It would be easy enough in the scheme of things to justify "euthanizing" unrepentant criminals or mass murderers and call it "justice" in the eyes of a Solar Maiden. I know you want "good" people... but when you have great power, you also have the great temptation of using your abilities for selfish ends. I would imagine there would be some element of corruption even among the Solar Maidens.

Another thing to consider is some sort of counter to their power. If you have only one group of special people... then as time goes by, the chances of corruption are greater; unless they have some sort of opposing force. Jedi vs. Sith, Superheroes vs. Supervillains etc. If you don't have some force to balance their power, then the universe will create one.

I have two things already set in my verse that serve to counter Solar Maidens. First off, Anti-Magic works amazingly on them. If another Tanya the Bloodflame should arise, then Anti-Magics and Anti-Magitech will immediately be used by the governments of the universe. Secondly, Gods in my verse are defined either by a Yang or Yin aspect. Solar Maidens are Yang, so Yin-aligned Divine Spirits like Demons and Devils(Devils in my verse are just Demons who've reached a certain threshold of power) counter them. If a God of any kind becomes too powerful it's up to a Devil to take them out. Thirdly, and I'm just spinning this now, Solar Maidens can be stripped of their power by the Vague Cosmic Forces who made them who they are. It takes pretty grievous crimes for that to happen though. Worlds have to burn for that to happen. Personally, morality in my verse comes down to the idea that there are people with ideals and the means to make those ideals a reality. For an Autistic person with a black-and-white perspective on the world I've managed to make my verse a nice shade of grey just by insisting that there's good and evil in everyone. Everyone, even people who are literally made out of negative or positive energies, have a Yin and Yang both inside them. Solar Maidens may be gods among men, but they're still mortal at heart. They can be killed. Sometimes they turn into Phoenixes after they die, but even then what can't be killed can usually be contained.

 

[WooHooMan]

Just a thought: as the sun (or stars more generally) provide light and heat to the universe, I’d imagine the counterpart of your solar maidens would embody darkness and coldness, like the cold void of space. I think that would fit in well with your “old gods” idea but I might be misinterpreting what you mean by “old gods”.

I kind of have to wonder what is there to put the solar maidens on the right path. Like, if I was just some lady and then I suddenly got sun powers, I don’t know if my first thought would be “well, I guess I’m an angel now - I better go fight some demons or something”.
If there was some kind of deity who acted as their leader, that would solve that but from your post, it seems like the solar maidens are a separate faction from the gods.

 

[SirenSon117]

Just a thought: as the sun (or stars more generally) provide light and heat to the universe, I’d imagine the counterpart of your solar maidens would embody darkness and coldness, like the cold void of space. I think that would fit in well with your “old gods” idea but I might be misinterpreting what you mean by “old gods”.

I kind of have to wonder what is there to put the solar maidens on the right path. Like, if I was just some lady and then I suddenly got sun powers, I don’t know if my first thought would be “well, I guess I’m an angel now - I better go fight some demons or something”.
If there was some kind of deity who acted as their leader, that would solve that but from your post, it seems like the solar maidens are a separate faction from the gods.

Solar Maidens are considered pseudo-angels thanks to their Yang aspect. Solar Maidens often receive visions of the enemy they're supposed to fight. True Angels only appear when absolutely needed, so if a Solar Maiden somehow isn't doing her job a higher ranking Yang Divine Spirit will come down to help out. Solar Maidens don't really have a direct counterpart but there are "Cold Demons" of a sort in the verse. In fact, the "Cold Demons" are the main characters in my current WIP. In my verse the word "Old God" refers to Divine Spirits who predate the universe's reincarnation. Mother Winter, the Lilith figure in my verse, happens to be one of them. The First Solar Maidens were designed to counter her specifically and they failed. Ever since, Solar Maidens have been building their up the hierarchy of Demons. Most people nowadays recognize Mother Winter as a necessary evil, since she holds back the real big bads from entering the mortal realm. In fact, Solar Maiden's have been known to assist Mother Winter and her Royal Moon Company in taking out stray True Demons. Some Solar Maidens even end up falling in love with Demons, and the children of those unions can bust planets from the moment they're born. This is the case of two characters in my WIP, a Solar Maiden and a Half-Demon getting the babies ever after ending after a very long and dramatic romance arc.

 

[WooHooMan]

So, are solar maidens an organization? If so, who or what sets their agenda?
You mentioned that the original solar maidens were “designed”. By whom?

 

[SirenSon117]

So, are solar maidens an organization? If so, who or what sets their agenda?
You mentioned that the original solar maidens were “designed”. By whom?

They are not an organization. Solar Maidens are independent agents. They get help from True Angels because the Angels sympathize with the Solar Maidens. I want to keep it ambiguous where the Solar Maiden blessing comes from, but if I had to say I'd say it's from the True Angels or a similar high ranking Yang Power. They aren't designed in the sense of being artificially created in a test tube. It's more like, something out there wants them to exist so they do. It's more of a mutation of what already exists than a distinct species of divine women.

 

[SirenSon117]

They are not an organization. Solar Maidens are independent agents. They get help from True Angels because the Angels sympathize with the Solar Maidens. I want to keep it ambiguous where the Solar Maiden blessing comes from, but if I had to say I'd say it's from the True Angels or a similar high ranking Yang Power. They aren't designed in the sense of being artificially created in a test tube. It's more like, something out there wants them to exist so they do. It's more of a mutation of what already exists than a distinct species of divine women.

Essentially, It's more about being on the same side than anything else.

 

[WooHooMan]

Alright, understood. In any case, I’d go back to questioning why any of them would pursue the “demon killing” mission if there’s no authority ordering them to pursue that cause.
Especially since the “falling in love with demons” angle implies that the two aren’t inherently/instinctually antagonistic towards one another.
I guess I just don’t get their motivation.

 

[SirenSon117]

Alright, understood. In any case, I’d go back to questioning why any of them would pursue the “demon killing” mission if there’s no authority ordering them to pursue that cause.
Especially since the “falling in love with demons” angle implies that the two aren’t inherently/instinctually antagonistic towards one another.
I guess I just don’t get their motivation.

Solar Maidens can choose to ignore their mission. You bring up a good point for motivation. I guess it comes down to the individual. Some choose to slay Demons, some choose to target more political evils, and some choose to live their lives in peace. How that specific Solar Maiden grew up is also a factor. If she was raised to be a hero or an avenger that's probably what she'll end up doing. If things are calmer in her environment, she'll pursue more peaceful ends. If a Solar Maiden grows up in a toxic environment, it's more likely that she'll take it out on the world. I guess it's more about the individual temperament of the character when it comes to whether or not she'll go on a crusade. I don't really know, I never really looked at it that way.

 

[WooHooMan]

Ok, so just to make sure I’m clear: the central premise of this idea is that the powers-that-be in this setting had “elevated” mortals into divine beings to fulfill a specific purpose (killing Mother Winter) but not only was that purpose not fulfilled but it was ultimately proven non-beneficial but these beings are still in existence so a different purpose is created for them based on circumstances and individual choice (with an emphasis on how these beings tip the scales of divine powers in the universe).
If that is the central premise, I dig it. It’s a cool idea that can lend itself well to stories.