Azrael, Archangel of Death

Matthias Wasser · 07-04-2010, 09:08 AM

The world, perhaps, will never die. But everything in it shall.

The Word of Death started out as a minor one, like all the others. A member of the then-youngest Choir, the Dominations, took on the responsibility of regulating the return of certain acidic compounds to less complex forms. As these compounds grew in size and complexity, so to did the Word, until it expanded to its present form - an Archangelate, one of the larger ones, devoted to ensuring every Corporeal thing ends at the time most proper to the Symphony. It metaphorically incorporates silence, darkness, transition, and time.

The Azraelites do not consider souls to be the equivalent of people; death is, for most people, something quite real even in the face of reincarnation. The transmigration of souls only signifies that which the recycling of amino acids does: that we, as patterns, are impermanent; only the Symphony is eternal.

The Archangelate has three divisions. The eldest, The Prophets of Winter, work with the Archangelates of Animals and the Garden (Flowers) to regulate Earth's ecology, organizing die-offs and engineering plagues. Most agree with Jordi that humanity is above acceptable population levels and most likely due for extinction - just have an Elohite look at the numbers; it's obvious! - but executive authority over that sort of question has long since been centralized to the Seraphim Council as a whole, with periodic rogue attempts dealt with in the standard manner. More limited authority over the human realm resides in the Cup of Plagues, which ensures that men and nations die at their appointed time. In addition to miniature apocalypses, they protect targets of Hell and exterminate Hellsworn, Sorcerers, Undead, and the continual attempts by Technology to engineer human immortality. The Crown of Flowers helps people to deal with death: mainly on a mass level, by promoting a healthy acceptance of its inevitability. They also assist angels and blessed souls recovering from Trauma.

The Archangelate is far from wholly non-Interventionist - it recognizes a distinction between what is best for the Symphony and what would occur absent Celestial intervention. But it also maintains as a general policy that, given limited information, they can be treated in the general case as at least correlated. Heaven generally is more reactive than Hell - it's on the long-term defensive, after all - but Death, and especially the Cup of Plagues, finds that it is extremely reactive: almost all of its limited resources can be put to directly counteracting Infernal influence.

Dissonance

It is Dissonant for angels of Death to directly end or extend life. Any such intervention must be at least three steps removed from a direct act of murder or healing. This does not extend to life forms smaller than a cockroach - the angel does not have to adopt a facemask or broom, like some extreme Jains, although some angels of Death do - nor to Undead or Celestials in Vessels. Nor does it extend to those the Azraelite knows to be alive or dying due to direct Celestial intervention.

Choir Attunements

Azraelite Seraphim can tell, from looking into an animal's eyes, when that animal will die, absent Celestial intervention. (Humans are animals.)

Cherubim of Death do not suffer from Dissonance if their attuned died of natural causes.

No one dying in the presence of Thrones of Death, called Psychopomps, can linger as a ghost - or suffer Trauma. Additionally, these Ofanim can see, converse with, and attack ghosts as though they were material.

Azraelite Powers can hear the Disturbance from the death of a human as if their Perception were (Celestial Forces) x its current rating.

Virtues of Death make no noise as they move, and they can distinguish Zombis, Vampires, and Mummies from naturally living humans with a glance.

Dominations of Death know when their hosts would die absent Celestial intervention, and gain no Dissonance from dying on them "in time."

Mercurians of Death are master detectives. They may use their resonance on a corpse, grave, or memorial, learning both of the dead person's relationships and of the relationships of others to her death.

Attunements

By looking at a corpse, grave, or memorial, an Azraelite with the proper Forensic Attitude can see the scene of her death.

Distinctions

With a touch, a Vassal of Good Passing can put a dying person in pain commensurate with her guilt. A man with no (moral) regrets feels instantly and completely soothed; one with many is transported into agony.

A Friend of the Bereaved cannot directly kill any being without intending to. This is wonderful for avoiding Dissonance - and Hell if you end up catching it anyway.

The Master of the Book of the Righteous can tell by looking at anyone whether they have achieved their Destiny, their Fate, or both.

Basic Rites

coax out a (sincere) deathbed confessional
attend a funeral

Relations

the Prophets of Winter:

Allied: Animals
Associated: the Garden, the Wind, other Death
Hostile: Everyone Else

the Cup of Plagues

Allied: the Wind, Purity, other Death
Associated: War, Fire, the Shield
Hostile: Lightning

the Crown of Flowers

Allied: the Garden, Faith, the Cup of Plagues
Associated: the Wind, the Prophets of Winter

sir_pudding · 07-04-2010, 12:38 PM

If Azrael is a normal Archangel with ordinary servitors, then why is he so mysterious and unknown? IIRC the Angel of Teenage Suicide (or whatever) in Night Music took the word (and isn't a Death servitor) because he hoped to meet the mysterious Angel of Death.

Matthias Wasser · 07-04-2010, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

If Azrael is a normal Archangel with ordinary servitors, then why is he so mysterious and unknown? IIRC the Angel of Teenage Suicide (or whatever) in Night Music took the word (and isn't a Death servitor) because he hoped to meet the mysterious Angel of Death.

Because I don't care about violating canon. (If Azrael exists, then Druiel is one of its Servitors.)

Yamiblade · 07-06-2010, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

If Azrael is a normal Archangel with ordinary servitors, then why is he so mysterious and unknown? IIRC the Angel of Teenage Suicide (or whatever) in Night Music took the word (and isn't a Death servitor) because he hoped to meet the mysterious Angel of Death.

I figured Azrael is constantly trying to poach him from Christopher.

tbug · 07-07-2010, 11:50 PM

We're out of previously-described minor Archangels to make into e23 products, so maybe Azrael will be next. :)

Is there any canon about him other than in Night Music?

Rocket Man · 07-08-2010, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbug

We're out of previously-described minor Archangels to make into e23 products...

Not quite. There still hasn't been Superiors: Christopher or Superiors: Furfur yet ...

Matthias Wasser · 07-08-2010, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbug

Is there any canon about him other than in Night Music?

I believe he's supposed to be a Grigori.

It always struck me as off that Hell got a major Death Word and Heaven didn't, since it's a natural concept. (It's for this reason that I like to interpret Infernal Fire as more metaphorical, if anything, than Divine.)

robkelk · 07-08-2010, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbug

We're out of previously-described minor Archangels to make into e23 products, so maybe Azrael will be next. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

Not quite. There still hasn't been Superiors: Christopher or Superiors: Furfur yet ...

When did Furfur Redeem? <g>

There's also the Grigori Archangel of Song, whoever he or she might be. (If SJGames was in the mood to publish IN supplements and I was in the mood to write one, I'd offer to include a writeup of Song in a Grigori splatbook, thus covering two related topics in the same supplement.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by tbug

Is there any canon about him other than in Night Music?

No.

Fanon says he, she, or it is a Grigori, but that's unconfirmed.

Rocket Man · 07-08-2010, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robkelk

When did Furfur Redeem? <g>

Whoops. Teach me to read more closely ... :-)

tbug · 07-08-2010, 11:14 AM

I forgot about Christopher. Thanks. :)

I remember reading a mention of the Archangel of Song someplace, but I can't seem to remember it now. Is it canon that he/she is a Grigori?

07-04-2010, 09:08 AM	#1
Matthias Wasser Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Boston	Azrael, Archangel of Death The world, perhaps, will never die. But everything in it shall. The Word of Death started out as a minor one, like all the others. A member of the then-youngest Choir, the Dominations, took on the responsibility of regulating the return of certain acidic compounds to less complex forms. As these compounds grew in size and complexity, so to did the Word, until it expanded to its present form - an Archangelate, one of the larger ones, devoted to ensuring every Corporeal thing ends at the time most proper to the Symphony. It metaphorically incorporates silence, darkness, transition, and time. The Azraelites do not consider souls to be the equivalent of people; death is, for most people, something quite real even in the face of reincarnation. The transmigration of souls only signifies that which the recycling of amino acids does: that we, as patterns, are impermanent; only the Symphony is eternal. The Archangelate has three divisions. The eldest, The Prophets of Winter, work with the Archangelates of Animals and the Garden (Flowers) to regulate Earth's ecology, organizing die-offs and engineering plagues. Most agree with Jordi that humanity is above acceptable population levels and most likely due for extinction - just have an Elohite look at the numbers; it's obvious! - but executive authority over that sort of question has long since been centralized to the Seraphim Council as a whole, with periodic rogue attempts dealt with in the standard manner. More limited authority over the human realm resides in the Cup of Plagues, which ensures that men and nations die at their appointed time. In addition to miniature apocalypses, they protect targets of Hell and exterminate Hellsworn, Sorcerers, Undead, and the continual attempts by Technology to engineer human immortality. The Crown of Flowers helps people to deal with death: mainly on a mass level, by promoting a healthy acceptance of its inevitability. They also assist angels and blessed souls recovering from Trauma. The Archangelate is far from wholly non-Interventionist - it recognizes a distinction between what is best for the Symphony and what would occur absent Celestial intervention. But it also maintains as a general policy that, given limited information, they can be treated in the general case as at least correlated. Heaven generally is more reactive than Hell - it's on the long-term defensive, after all - but Death, and especially the Cup of Plagues, finds that it is extremely reactive: almost all of its limited resources can be put to directly counteracting Infernal influence. Dissonance It is Dissonant for angels of Death to directly end or extend life. Any such intervention must be at least three steps removed from a direct act of murder or healing. This does not extend to life forms smaller than a cockroach - the angel does not have to adopt a facemask or broom, like some extreme Jains, although some angels of Death do - nor to Undead or Celestials in Vessels. Nor does it extend to those the Azraelite knows to be alive or dying due to direct Celestial intervention. Choir Attunements Azraelite Seraphim can tell, from looking into an animal's eyes, when that animal will die, absent Celestial intervention. (Humans are animals.) Cherubim of Death do not suffer from Dissonance if their attuned died of natural causes. No one dying in the presence of Thrones of Death, called Psychopomps, can linger as a ghost - or suffer Trauma. Additionally, these Ofanim can see, converse with, and attack ghosts as though they were material. Azraelite Powers can hear the Disturbance from the death of a human as if their Perception were (Celestial Forces) x its current rating. Virtues of Death make no noise as they move, and they can distinguish Zombis, Vampires, and Mummies from naturally living humans with a glance. Dominations of Death know when their hosts would die absent Celestial intervention, and gain no Dissonance from dying on them "in time." Mercurians of Death are master detectives. They may use their resonance on a corpse, grave, or memorial, learning both of the dead person's relationships and of the relationships of others to her death. Attunements By looking at a corpse, grave, or memorial, an Azraelite with the proper Forensic Attitude can see the scene of her death. Distinctions With a touch, a Vassal of Good Passing can put a dying person in pain commensurate with her guilt. A man with no (moral) regrets feels instantly and completely soothed; one with many is transported into agony. A Friend of the Bereaved cannot directly kill any being without intending to. This is wonderful for avoiding Dissonance - and Hell if you end up catching it anyway. The Master of the Book of the Righteous can tell by looking at anyone whether they have achieved their Destiny, their Fate, or both. Basic Rites coax out a (sincere) deathbed confessional attend a funeral Relations the Prophets of Winter: Allied: Animals Associated: the Garden, the Wind, other Death Hostile: Everyone Else the Cup of Plagues Allied: the Wind, Purity, other Death Associated: War, Fire, the Shield Hostile: Lightning the Crown of Flowers Allied: the Garden, Faith, the Cup of Plagues Associated: the Wind, the Prophets of Winter

07-04-2010, 12:38 PM	#2
sir_pudding Wielder of Smart Pants Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ventura CA	Re: Azrael, Archangel of Death If Azrael is a normal Archangel with ordinary servitors, then why is he so mysterious and unknown? IIRC the Angel of Teenage Suicide (or whatever) in Night Music took the word (and isn't a Death servitor) because he hoped to meet the mysterious Angel of Death.

07-07-2010, 11:50 PM	#5
tbug Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Victoria, BC Canada	Re: Azrael, Archangel of Death We're out of previously-described minor Archangels to make into e23 products, so maybe Azrael will be next. :) Is there any canon about him other than in Night Music?

07-08-2010, 11:14 AM	#10
tbug Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Victoria, BC Canada	Re: Azrael, Archangel of Death I forgot about Christopher. Thanks. :) I remember reading a mention of the Archangel of Song someplace, but I can't seem to remember it now. Is it canon that he/she is a Grigori?

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