Each warrior deemed worthy of becoming a Saint, a protector of Athena, is given an armor known as a Cloth. It is more than just protection; each is, to a certain extent, a living entity with a will and power of its own. There are 88 Cloths in total, one representing eah of the constellations. When not being worn, they take the form of the constellation's figure. There are three classes; in order of descending strength, they are: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. There are twelve Gold Cloths corresponding with the constellations of the Zodiac. The exact division of the remaining 76 among Silver and Bronze is unknown. A Saint must be compatible with his Cloth--in order to wear it and tap into its power, he must have been born under the constellation to which it is connected. A Saint is born under two constellations, one that is part of the Zodiac and one that is not. Therefore, a Saint will first obtain a Silver or Bronze Cloth, and may eventually be promoted to Gold. (The rank of the Cloth designates the rank of the Saint. He will be a Bronze Saint, Silver Saint, or Gold Saint depending on the Cloth he possesses.)
Cloths, when damaged, are not easy to repair. The art of repairing Cloths is all but unknown; at the time of the 20th century Holy War, Aries Mu is the only person with the knowledge to fix Cloths. Because they are close to living beings, a Cloth can die if it takes enough damage. If this happens, a large amount of a Saint's blood (somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of the blood in a human body) is required to revive it. After being revived with a Saint's blood, a Cloth may increase in power, and even change shape.
Exceptions to the Three Classes
Black Cloths - The Black Cloths are imitations of the Saint Cloths, worn by the Black Saints under the command of Phoenix Ikki. Their origin is unknown; the only ones that have been seen are the Black Cloths of Pegasus, Andromeda, Dragon, Cygnus, and Phoenix.
Gold Bronze Cloths - After the siege of the Twelve Temples, the Pegasus, Andromeda, Dragon, and Cygnus Cloths were reborn with the blood of the Gold Saints. Once the Saints raised their Cosmos to their maximum, these Cloths turned a golden color and increased in power.
God Cloths - The God Cloths are the ultimate armors, second only to the Kamui that the gods themselves wear. The God Cloths were created when the Pegasus, Andromeda, Dragon, Cygnus, and Phoenix Cloths came in contact with the blood of Athena and the Saints increased their Cosmos to the highest level.
Steel Cloths - Not actually Cloths of Athena, they were created by the scientists of Mitsumasa Kido's Graude Foundation to be worn by the Steel Saints. They are only technology, not living like the genuine Saint Cloths.
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