The Exalted Ones - By Bill Silvey
(inspired by White Wolf/Masamune Shirow)
Frequency: Very Rare
No. Appearing: 1-3
Armor Class: -2
Move: 10"/20"
Hit Dice: 6-10
% In Lair: 5%
Treasure Type: U,V,W,Z
No. Of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: By Weapon
Special Attacks: Magic Use, Psionics
Special Defense: See Below
Magic Resistance: 50%
Intelligence: Genius
Alignment: Good (50% lawful, 50% chaotic)
Size: M
Psionic Ability: 150
Attack/Defense Modes: A,B,C/E,F,H
Level/XP Value: VIII/7450 + 10 per HP
On rare occasions, the servants of higher beings known as Planetars, Solars or Devas (q.v.) will breed with (willing) humans on the Prime Material Plane. The usual result of this mating is a normal child with no discernable differences other than a higher-than-normal Constitution and comliness. However, very rarely the child is imbued with some of the power of their heavenly progenitor. Offspring so enabled are called Exalted Ones. Typically the childhood of such a being is "normal", but as they grow older and enter their tenth year, they begin to exhibit some of the powers given them by their divine origin; rapid healing abilities, some mild Psionic capabilities, and an uncanny ability to Detect Good or Evil are some of the signs that the child is one of these rare breed.
When they reach their 21st birthday, their parent will send a celestial being (usually a Ki-Rin, Coatl or other like being) to them, or they may elect to appear themselves, to tell the child of their origin. During their lives beforehand, the Exalted will always feel a degree of separation from "normal" humans and may indeed experience some persecution if they exhibit their abilities too frequently amongst the superstitious.
At their 21st birthday and meeting with their parents, they are imbued with their full abilities and can use them with total mastery. Their usual destiny is to remain on the Prime Material Plane as a manifest force for good; some follow their heavenly parent back to the higher planes to dwell there until such time as they are needed again. Note that the Exalted are rarely the result of chance encounters between the abovementioned beings and humans; almost invariably there is a need for such a person in a given place on the Prime Material Plane and their lives and destinies are writ long before their birth.
The Exalted usually rise to the occasion, and become great heroes of legend or religions, and ascend into the higher planes upon completion of their duties.
Note also that their celestial parent will always ensure that the human parent is either aware of their child (such as when the human parent is male) or in the case of a human mother will always ensure that no harm comes to her - becoming, quite literally, a guardian angel.