The Churiphim

Overview

The Churiphim are elite half-angel, half-human warriors created to serve as champions in the fight against supernatural evil, particularly the undead. They are the most powerful mortal agents of The Order of the Sons of Light, granted divine powers through angelic blood and elemental bonding.

Origin and Purpose

Divine Mandate

The Churiphim were created by divine decree after the great flood that destroyed the Nephilim. The Archangel Michael tasked them to serve as intermediaries between The Order of the Sons of Light and the heavenly host, with their primary mission being the destruction of Lilith's children and eventually the children of Dracula.

The 40 Sacred Bloodlines

Only descendants of the 40 chosen families that carry angelic blood through history can become Churiphim. These bloodlines have been blessed with dormant angel essence for thousands of years, making their bearers capable of withstanding the divine transformation process.

Key Bloodline Rules:

Only females can become Churiphim (males have lower success rates and become Aeons instead)
Bloodlines are tracked and protected by The Order
When a Churiphim dies, a replacement is chosen from their bloodline
Families may choose to hide their heritage until children come of age

The Transformation Process

Phase 1: Selection and Preparation (Ages 5-8)

Optimal Age: Children must begin training between ages 5-8 (later starts are possible but more difficult)
Location: Rome, within The House of Scutum Fidei in areas of magical enchantment
Age Suspension: Trainees stop aging while within the protective barriers
Mental Conditioning: Emotions must be subdued and the human side suppressed

Phase 2: Mental Fortitude Training (Years 1-3)

Trainees undergo extreme psychological and physical trials designed to break them down and rebuild them:

Training Methods Include:

Months of isolation
Exposure to freezing weather conditions
Mock capture and interrogation scenarios
Psychological warfare simulations
Combat training in various weapons and fighting techniques

Purpose: To strengthen minds against undead mental attacks and prepare for elemental bonding.

Failure Rate: Those who cannot withstand the trials are reassigned to other Order positions or may suffer mental breakdown.

Phase 3: Elemental Affinity Discovery and Bonding

The Ritual: Trainees undergo a spiritual journey to the elemental realms through divine ceremony.

Elemental Types Available:

Fire, Water, Earth, Air (Primary Elements)
Metal, Electricity, Light, Shadow, Energy (Specialized Elements)
Aether (Extremely rare - only Judith possesses this)

The Bonding Process:

Spiritual essence travels to corresponding elemental realm
Trainee encounters and must mentally dominate an elemental being
Command word of power is spoken to initiate merger
Mental battle occurs - only the strongest survive
Successful bonding grants elemental powers
Failure results in mutation into a crazed elemental-angel-human abomination

Casualties: Failed bonding attempts create dangerous creatures that must be destroyed by active Churiphim.

The Dominion Threshold System

Overview

The Dominion Threshold refers to the critical limit of elemental power usage before a Churiphim risks losing control to their bonded elemental entity. All Churiphim except Leonette (who achieved complete dominion) must carefully manage their power expenditure to avoid crossing into dangerous territory.

The Threshold Scale

Stage 1: Harmony (0-25% Power Usage)

Status: Safe operational range
Duration: Can maintain indefinitely
Signs: Normal elemental manifestation, full mental control
Risk Level: None
Recovery: None needed

Stage 2: Tension (26-50% Power Usage)

Status: Manageable strain
Duration: Several hours of continuous use
Signs: Slightly more intense elemental effects, minor fatigue
Risk Level: Low
Recovery: Brief rest (1-2 hours) recommended

Stage 3: Stress (51-75% Power Usage)

Status: Dangerous territory
Duration: 30-60 minutes maximum recommended
Signs: Elemental power becomes harder to control, physical exhaustion, elemental entity's "voice" becomes audible
Risk Level: Moderate
Recovery: 6-12 hours rest required

Stage 4: Critical Strain (76-90% Power Usage)

Status: Emergency use only
Duration: 10-15 minutes maximum
Signs: Elemental effects become wild and unpredictable, severe physical and mental fatigue, elemental entity actively fights for control
Risk Level: High
Recovery: 24-48 hours rest, possible medical attention needed

Stage 5: Dominion Breach (91-99% Power Usage)

Status: Extreme danger zone
Duration: 5 minutes or less
Signs: Partial loss of control, elemental entity personality begins to surface, physical transformation begins
Risk Level: Severe
Recovery: Immediate intervention required, 72+ hours rest, constant monitoring

Stage 6: Elemental Ascendancy (100%+ Power Usage)

Status: Complete loss of control
Duration: Irreversible without external intervention
Signs: Full transformation into elemental-angel-human hybrid abomination, complete personality override, uncontrollable destructive rampage
Risk Level: Fatal (to the Churiphim's humanity)
Recovery: Death or permanent containment typically required

Threshold Factors

Factors That Lower Threshold Tolerance:

Emotional Instability: Strong emotions accelerate threshold approach
Physical Exhaustion: Tired Churiphim reach limits faster
Prolonged Combat: Extended battles increase cumulative strain
Age/Experience: Younger Churiphim have lower tolerance
Elemental Type: Some elements (Fire, Lightning) are more volatile
Stress/Trauma: Psychological damage affects control

Factors That Increase Threshold Tolerance:

Mental Discipline: Strong willpower and emotional control
Experience: Older Churiphim learn better management
Physical Conditioning: Peak health improves resilience
Meditation/Prayer: Spiritual practices strengthen the bond
Gradual Training: Systematic power development
Rest/Recovery: Proper downtime between uses

Threshold Management Techniques

Standard Protocols:

Power Rotation: Alternate between different elemental techniques
Staged Escalation: Gradually increase power rather than sudden bursts
Team Coordination: Multiple Churiphim share the load
Strategic Retreat: Withdraw before reaching critical stages
Emergency Protocols: Aeon intervention if threshold is breached

Warning Systems:

Personal Monitoring: Each Churiphim learns their individual warning signs
Buddy System: Partner Churiphim watch for threshold symptoms
Aeon Oversight: Senior members monitor junior Churiphim during missions
Medical Checks: Regular assessments of threshold tolerance

Notable Cases

Leonette Alrick - Complete Dominion Achievement

Unique Status: Only Churiphim to achieve 100% control over elemental bond
Method: Underwent second mental battle with fire elemental and won complete dominion
Result: Can use unlimited fire power without risk of threshold breach
Precedent: No other Churiphim has successfully replicated this achievement

Tiana - Training Failure

Element: Water
Stage: Failed initial bonding (Stage 6 equivalent)
Transformation: Became large, winged, wet-skinned beast with deformed body
Outcome: Destroyed by three Churiphim (with casualties)

Mena Halifax - Critical Management

Specialty: Rarely uses elemental powers due to threshold concerns
Strategy: Relies on magical spells and combat skills instead
Observation: Has witnessed other Churiphim lose control to elemental ascendancy
Philosophy: Believes the risk outweighs the tactical advantage

Elemental Type Risk Assessments

High Volatility Elements:

Fire: Rapid escalation, difficult to contain once unleashed
Lightning/Electricity: Unpredictable energy surges
Aether (Judith only): Immense power requires divine-level control

Moderate Volatility Elements:

Air: Can become destructive storms quickly
Earth: Seismic effects hard to reverse
Energy: Pure energy manipulation highly unstable

Lower Volatility Elements:

Water: Generally more controllable, gradual escalation
Metal: Solid matter easier to direct and contain
Light: Typically stable but can become blinding
Shadow: Often subtle but psychologically dangerous

Training and Prevention

Academy Protocols:

Threshold education begins immediately after bonding
Supervised power usage with experienced Churiphim
Mandatory meditation and control exercises
Regular threshold tolerance testing
Emergency response drills for breach scenarios

Field Operations:

Pre-mission threshold assessments
Power usage logs during extended operations
Immediate rotation if Stage 4 is reached
Post-mission recovery protocols
Incident reporting and analysis

The Dominion Threshold remains one of the greatest ongoing challenges facing the Churiphim, with only Leonette's unprecedented achievement offering hope that complete elemental mastery might be possible for others.

Phase 4: The Blood Awakening (Final Transformation)

The Chamber of Light Ceremony:

Conducted by Aeons, Churiphim, and Order priests
Magical formulae summon the specific angel of the trainee's lineage
The angel appears and provides their blood in a golden chalice
The Pact is spoken and sealed through consuming the angelic blood

Physical Transformation:

Intense burning sensation throughout the body
Hair may change color (often to silver)
Eyes emit divine light during transformation
All senses become supernaturally enhanced
Supernatural strength, speed, and healing abilities manifest
Aging stops around mid-twenties

Final Testing: New Churiphim undergo trials to gauge power levels and determine ranking.

Hierarchy and Organization

The Sisterhood of Churiphim

Total Number: 40 active Churiphim at any given time (one per bloodline)
Ranking System: Numbered 1-40 based on power and ability
Leadership: First Rank Churiphim commands all others

Current Known Rankings:

Judith - 5,000+ years active, elemental affinity: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Aether
Mena Halifax - 300+ years active, elemental affinity: Fire, Air (now leads Order of Hellsing)
Fawn - elemental affinity: Metal, Water
Demeter - elemental affinity: Fire
Aradia - elemental affinity: Water
Kassia - elemental affinity: Light
Lena - elemental affinity: Energy
Verena - elemental affinity: Electricity
Catori - elemental affinity: Earth
Bonamy - elemental affinity: Metal

[Additional ranks 11-39 listed in documents]

Blair - elemental affinity: Shadow (current holder)

Former 40th: Leonette Alrick - elemental affinity: Fire (now rogue)

The Aeons

Purpose: Male overseers with power to subdue Churiphim if they go astray
Number: Only three exist at any time
Selection: Males from the 40 bloodlines who survive the more dangerous male transformation process
Authority: Equal in command to First Rank Churiphim
Current Leader: Aeon Patrick Kingston (Master over Western Region Churiphim)

Universal Churiphim Abilities

Standard Powers (All Churiphim Possess):

Supernatural Strength: Varies by rank and training
Enhanced Speed: Inhuman movement capabilities
Accelerated Healing: Rapid wound recovery, can reattach limbs
Enhanced Senses: Superior sight, hearing, smell, and detection abilities
Agelessness: Aging stops in mid-twenties
Weapon Mastery: Trained in all forms of combat
Basic Magic: Healing spells, protective circles, runic magic
Undead Detection: Natural ability to sense supernatural threats

Rank-Specific Enhancements:

Higher-ranked Churiphim possess greater versions of these abilities and additional unique powers.

Elemental Powers by Type

Fire Churiphim (Judith, Leonette, Demeter, Halana, Britta, Millicent)

Fire creation and manipulation
Heat control and fire armor
Flame constructs and weapons
Fire storms and explosive attacks
Holy fire generation (effective against demons)

Water Churiphim (Fawn, Aradia, Imara, Cirrus)

Water manipulation and creation
Ice generation and control
Healing through water magic
Weather control (rain, storms)

Earth Churiphim (Catori, Riella)

Stone and earth manipulation
Seismic activity control
Enhanced physical durability
Plant growth acceleration

Air Churiphim (Mena, Asta, Faye)

Wind generation and control
Flight capabilities
Weather manipulation
Sound wave control

Specialized Elements:

Metal (Fawn, Bonamy, Ismeria): Weapon creation, armor manifestation
Electricity (Verena, Ismeria): Lightning generation, electronic manipulation
Light (Kassia, Zenobia): Illumination, holy energy, illusions
Shadow (Delyth, Ferelith, Sable, Blair): Darkness manipulation, stealth
Energy (Lena): Pure energy manipulation and constructs
Aether (Judith only): Divine essence manipulation, reality alteration

Notable Churiphim Profiles

Judith - First Rank

Active Service: 5,000+ years
Angel Lineage: Rumored to be from a Dominion (Second Sphere)
Unique Abilities: Only Churiphim with Aether control
High Powers: In dire circumstances, can access apocalyptic abilities granted by Seraphim
Role: Intermediary between The Order and heavenly host
Political Influence: Has swayed world outcomes from behind the scenes

Mena Halifax - Former Second Rank

Active Service: 300+ years
Background: Abandoned by father to The Order, emotionally hardened
Current Status: Leader of Order of Hellsing faction
Specialization: Hellfire magic, demon control, gateway summoning
Combat Record: Has destroyed armies of vampires and multiple Demon Princes

Leonette Alrick - Former 40th Rank (Rogue)

Unique Achievement: First Churiphim to gain complete control over elemental bond
Current Status: Independent supernatural detective
Location: New York and Maine
Vendetta: Seeks vengeance against Elspet (lilin who killed her grandfather)

Churiphim Equipment and Resources

The Machaira

Description: Blessed sword effective against undead
Properties: Never loses sharpness, causes maximum damage to vampires and lilins
Restriction: Vampires cannot hold the weapon (skin burns on contact)
Exception: Only Raven Walker has been able to use a Machaira

Sword of the Spirit Armor

Function: Skin-tight protective armor
Properties: Sets undead on fire upon contact, weakens vampire powers
Coverage: Full body protection while maintaining mobility

Sanctuary Access

The House of Scutum Fidei (Rome): Main headquarters and training facility
Regional Houses: Bases in major territories worldwide
Magical Resources: Access to blessed weapons, healing chambers, scrying rooms

Current Organizational Status

The Great Schism

The Order has split into two factions:

Traditional Order: Led by House of Scutum Fidei, maintains original mission
Order of Hellsing: Led by Mena Halifax, more aggressive approach

Active Conflicts

Lilin War: Ancient undead from the Old World threatening to subjugate vampires and humans
Vampire Uprising: New World undead organizing military resistance
Internal Strife: Division between Order factions weakens overall effectiveness

Current Challenges

Reduced Numbers: Some Churiphim have joined the Hellsing faction
Rogue Elements: Leonette Alrick operates independently
Power Balance: Loss of unity has decreased collective strength
Modern Warfare: Undead are adapting technology and military tactics

Strengths and Limitations

Advantages

Divine Authority: Direct connection to heavenly power
Elemental Mastery: Unique supernatural abilities
Combat Excellence: Thousands of years of refined training
Organizational Support: Global network and resources
Immortality: Ageless warriors with accumulated experience

Vulnerabilities

Limited Numbers: Only 40 can exist at any time
Dominion Threshold: Overuse of elemental powers can lead to possession/mutation (see Dominion Threshold section)
Human Heritage: Still retain human limitations and emotions (if not fully suppressed)
Recruitment Requirements: Dependent on specific bloodlines
Internal Conflict: Current schism weakens overall effectiveness

Legacy and Impact

The Churiphim represent humanity's greatest defense against supernatural threats, serving as the bridge between mortal and divine power. Their 5,000+ year history of service has shaped the hidden supernatural world, and their ongoing mission remains critical as ancient evils resurge in the modern era.

Their unique combination of human determination, angelic power, and elemental mastery makes them one of the most formidable forces in the supernatural hierarchy, rivaled only by the most powerful undead entities and demonic princes.