==== Becoming a shrine maiden ====
To become a shrine maiden, the candidate must be a [[human ]] or a [[halfling]], and they must first be recognized by a shrine or an angelic creature as truly pious and devoted to Angelic values. Sufficient piousness is defined by the number of years spent practicing and upholding the faction's core tenets and values, and staying out of Demonic influence, or committing acts considered impure or harmful to Angelics. The background or upbringing of the human does not actually matter - only their devotion to Heaven does. Contrary to popular belief, being female is not part of the requirements.
If the candidate human is considered to meet the requirements, they must officially state their wish to abandon their humanity in the service of Heaven. This process is known as ''ascension'', as it is implied that becoming angelic is to be above being human. The process is extensive and deeply changing, transforming the humancandidate's body, mind, and capabilities to such a point that they are no longer recognizable as humans. All potential candidates are informed of the changes that will occur should they ascend.
The first changes are physical; regardless of the age and biological sex of the applicant, their body will be transformed, taking on the general shape of a young, female human, regardless of what they previously were (If they already were young and female, their traits will be modified anyway, so they resemble a different person). Smaller details, such as skin tone, eye and hair color, and other miscellanea are usually retained. The new body is what Heaven refers to as ''"permanent purity"''; shrine maidens become permanently sterile, but in exchange, they also cease visibly aging. The life expectancy of a shrine maiden is not unlimited, but is over double that of an average human, at roughly 150 years. This, however, only explains half of the meaning behind the word ''maiden''.