In Shavarath, angels and devils are locked in endless conflict. Radiant blades spill burning blood, and bolts of force smash angels from the sky. In another layer, champions of justice ride armored dragons, assaulting a titanic airship. In yet another, steel krakens tear apart celestial frigates. There’s only one constant in Shavarath: war.
The war in Shavarath began at the moment of creation, and it will continue to the end of time. Its primary combatants are immortal, and fallen soldiers return within a day or so. The forces are so evenly matched that a decisive victory is impossible. To outsiders, this war seems pointless. Over the last four hundred years of conflict in Nullius Terram, the Legion of Justice has advanced its front line by perhaps 20 feet. Mortals may look at this and ask, “Why continue to fight? Why not just leave the struggle and do something—anything—else?” In particular, it’s common for mortals to see the vast resources the celestials devote to the war and protest, “Why don’t you help us? You claim to be the Legion of Justice, but innocent people are dying in Thaliost while you fight this meaningless war!”
The angel isn’t fighting for a single nation, and this war isn’t driven by gold or politics. The immortals of Shavarath believe that their war is reflected across every reality. Justice. Tyranny. Cruelty. The war in Shavarath is a visible symbol of the balance of power between these forces, and when it shifts in Shavarath, the immortals believe it shifts everywhere. Fallen devils will be reborn. New airships will replace those destroyed. But every tiny victory—every demon defeated, every foot advanced in Nullius Terram—strengthens the forces of justice everywhere. Each angel knows they will never win a truly decisive victory, but as long as they fight, they can at least hold the line.
So to an angel, the destruction of a human city—or an entire nation—is trivial. Mortals will die; that’s their most defining trait. Even a sympathetic angel sees a mortal as a snowflake: unique, beautiful, but gone in a moment (and sooner if you touch it). The angels fought long before today’s mortal civilizations existed, and if they hadn’t held this line for countless eons, the Material Plane would be overrun by chaos and cruelty.
If you’re a hero, you might look to the angel and say, “What can I do to help? Can we fight at your side?” To which the angel simply smiles and responds, “You already are.” Just as every mortal dreams in Dal Quor and has a shadow in Mabar, there’s a sliver of every mortal soul that fights in Shavarath. The skill and power of these conscripts reflect your own courage and will . . . and just like the angels, this sliver of yours can survive a thousand deaths. So it’s not your place to fight on the battlefields of Shavarath. You do your part by living your life, by fighting for the principles you believe in wherever you may be.
There is war in Shavarath, and there will always be war in Shavarath. It can’t be won, and it can’t be abandoned. As a mortal in Shavarath, your primary goal should always be to survive—because in Shavarath, there are a million ways to die.