Manifestation

A Manifestation, also known as a "quint", is a living concept of the universe.

Name
Manifestations are often erroneously called "angels", because of their wings. According to a Kaworu, angels are a thing which does exist, as servants of gods, but it is not what they are. In fact, "angel" is more appropriately a title given to the souls who act as agents of the Manifestations (as seen in Mobius).

"Quint" was a term coined by Peggy, from "quintessence", when he learned about their nature.

Role
According to Sesshoumaru, the Manifestations are their concept. They are not interpretations or avatars of the power, but the power itself, sapient and with a will.

There are worlds in which certain Manifestations do not exist, and in those worlds the concepts themselves do not exist, but all manifestations of the same concept take roughly the same form, with some minor variation to accommodate the nature of the world. They are also incapable of acting contrary to their natures or subverting their own interests, so long as they exist.

Worlds without certain manifestations, given as examples, include a universe where there is no Folken, and thus no progress, and so a world of perfect stasis, or a world without Sesshoumaru, and thus a lifeless universe.

Yue's nature is often defined as "the will of God", meaning the universe was designed by an intelligent creator who decided they should all be there and should enforce their roles, but what exactly God is remains undefined and vague.

Appearance
All Manifestations have wings - most of them two sets (though rarely are more than two wings visible), "Space Wings" for everyone and "Time Wings" for everyone but Folken, with Kaworu having the addition of "World Wings" - but no two look alike. Their wings do not have to be physical body parts; Suitengu's are made of blood and Cain's seemingly of light. They can make their wings visible or invisible at will, when they are outside of their mortal lives.

Most Manifestations are ethnically ambiguous, and some seemingly disinterested in appearing fully human at all. The exceptions are D, who is visibly Chinese, Folken, who appears Scandinavian, and Isis, who is north African. Yue and Sesshoumaru rarely look passably human, and Abel's humanity is only temporary.

White or silver hair is a common trait amongst them - Yue, Suitengu, Abel, Kaworu, Bakura and Ryou, and Sesshoumaru. In addition, Folken has an unnatural hair color, normally teal, while the others have natural hair.

All Manifestations are physically attractive, and as perfect as they want to be; Bakura and Suitengu have visible scars relating to their natures, while Cain and Rune and Tintlet are gloriously beautiful. Effeminacy or androgyny is a somewhat common theme, with Rune, Yue, and D's genders often indistinguishable.

Life Cycle
All Manifestations live at least one mortal life, after which they realize their potential and come into their power. With one exception (Folken), they live non-chronologically, and as long as they are ever born, they will always have existed.

Their mortal life does not necessarily have to be human, or strictly "mortal". They have lived as youkai and kami as well, at least.

Common Members
There are 12 common manifestations:

Yue (Law)
Yue embodies what is and what should be. He defines the other Manifestations and the natural laws, and his allegiance gives authority to the one who determines the nature of the world - his acknowledgement is what gives God his or her absolute power over the world.

Kaworu (Free Will)
Though his true name is Tabris, the Manifestation of Free Will usually goes by the name Kaworu. He is what allows sentient beings to act according to their own will. Unusually, he is also the manifestation of Fate, and often meddles with mortal affairs to bring about his own preferred outcomes. He is also the only Manifestation who can act to oppose his own nature, and the only Manifestation with knowledge of other worlds in the multiverse and his own place on them.

Bakura / Ryou (Opposition)
The Manifestation with two faces, depicting two sides of the same force, Bakura and Ryou embody that against which one strives. Bakura is more direct opposition - an enemy, a natural disaster - while Ryou is the concept of overcoming for personal growth and development through suffering and hard work. They are also known as "the rock and the hard place", "the angel of fuck you", and "The Adversary".

Isis (Magic)
The Manifestation of Magic and arcane knowledge. Isis depicts herself as a beautiful North African woman with falcon's wings and often stars in her hair, usually elegantly dressed. She is both the incarnation and granter of magical gifts and knowledge, and the keeper of same. One of the few Manifestations that may or may not appear, depending on if a particular world is magical on any level.

Folken (Progress)
Though often associated most closely with technology, Folken is the Manifestation of progress and development in all forms. He believes in knowledge for the sake of knowledge and change for the sake of change, and is the only Manifestation with a linear view of time.

Cain (Ego)
The Manifestation of Ego insists upon nothing but himself. He is the embodiment not merely of arrogance but of sapience, the self-awareness with which life recognizes its own existence and worth, and perceives its power over its environment.

Abel (Death)
In the moment the first thing lives in a universe it must also die, and that is when Abel Manifests. He is Death, not just of conventional living things but concepts and ideas and worlds as well. His is the reaper's scythe that cuts down the old to make room for the new.

Sakura (Joy)
Manifesting as a girl or young woman, Sakura is one of the most human of the Manifestations. She rarely meddles but loves to watch mortals and set circumstances in their path to bring them fulfillment and of course, joy.

Rune and Tintlet (Love)
Where Bakura and Ryou are a Manifestation with two faces, Rune and Tintlet are a manifestation in two parts, because all love requires more than just the self. They embody every facet of love, from the romantic and the familial to the dutiful or the obsessive.