The Friends of God
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” – Mr. Fred Rogers
Patron: Barachiel, Archangel of Guardian Angels
Islam talks of a people called the Auliya-Allah — the “Friends of God”. Not just human, not quite angels, they have been specially chosen by God to intercede on Their behalf, helping the people when they are in need.
The Eastern Orthodox know Barachiel as the Archangel of Guardian Angels. Perhaps there are also Guardian Angels somewhere, guided by Barachiel; as far as the Huldufolk know, the true guardians Barachiel leads are his chosen Huldufolk, The Friends of God.
Motivations: The Friends of God (or “The Friends”, for short) believe the way to stop evil is to bring good to the world. The Friends are there to provide help when humanity needs it most, and nudge it back into an altruistic direction when needed.
Where the Bringers of Fire focus on the overall progress of humanity, the Friends of God focus on people, making changes both big and small that improve their lives and save them from hardship.
Where the Judges of Light see wolves to be cut down to protect the flock, the Friends of God see humans that are fundamentally good who have lost their way, and can be brought back into the fold.
Goals: Help those in need. Convincing humans to miraculously make the better choice when they would’ve made the bad one. Making sure that there’s always someone there at the right moment to help.
Beliefs Invoked: The world is a good place because people help each other. Someone is watching out for us, and they will help when it’s needed most. The best thing for me to do is to pay it forward, being the good the world needs.
Criticisms: Both the Bringers of Fire and The Judges see The Friends as merely treating the symptoms of the problem. Without trying to push humanity forward, or without stopping the people doing evil in the first place, The Friends don’t solve anything. The Friends instead ask: what happens to the people already hurt? What happens to the people left behind by the glittering future? Without trying to treat the wounds caused by evil in the world, how do we stop the cycle of abuse? Luckily for The Friends, they’re often able to convince the other Blessed to meet them half-way.