A shrine maiden is, in short, a formerly human angelic creature, devoted to serving Heaven and spreading angelic values.
Within the angelic hierarchy, they are '''C-rank''', above [[angel|angels]] and [[pterolykos|pterolykoi]], placing them at the same level as [[guardian angel|guardian angels]] and [[feathered serpent|feathered serpents]], and under [[seraph|seraphsseraphim]] and [[colossus|colossi]].
The process on how humans can become shrine maidens is explained in the [[Shrine maiden#Becoming a shrine maiden|section below]].