The world is in need of purification. I am merely the instrument.
Uriel was the first Elohite, created shortly after Michael and Lucifer, along
with Baal, David, Eli, and Gabriel. He helped to cleanse and purify the elements
as the world was created. He existed as the embodiment of purity of thought
and emotion and was considered by many to be the perfect angel.Then Lucifer
rebelled against God. Wisely, Lucifer knew better than to try and tempt the
Archangel of Purity from the light of the Almighty, and so he manuevered around
the diligent Elohite. When Uriel learned of Lucifer's betrayal, he was outraged.
For the first time in eons, the cool calm that had so defined his existence
shattered. God noted Uriel's fury and made him an offer: to become the first
of a new Choir, one perfect in it's purity and whose mission it would be to
eliminate the new evil that had sprung into existence. Naturally, Uriel jumped
at this offer and became the first Malakite. Many of his staunchest servitors
followed him in the transformation, and the ranks of the Malakim swelled virtually
overnight.
Uriel's drive went from the purity of self to the purity of others. He and his angels became the foremost demon hunters in all of Creation. Even Michael admitted that the angels of Purity were the best at what they did. When Michael stepped down as head of God's army, Uriel took his place and geared his angels for the new "cold war" that now exists between heaven and hell. This was fine with Uriel, for this meant he could now wage the war his own way, even if it meant doing it quietly.
After the persecuetions of Michael and Gabriel by his old friend and ally, Dominic, Uriel began to notice an ever-increasing schism in Heaven, as more and more the Archangels started arguing with one another over the course of the war. Many of the Archangels were not coping well with how to handle a subtle "cold war" and were constanly bickering over how best to deal with their ancient foe. This troubled the Archangel no end, because to him, division was another form of impurity. He began seeking a way to reunite the Archangels.
Also, Uriel had long been irritated by the presence of the ethereal spirits and pagan gods who drew the worship of humanity. Uriel was a staunch supporter of Christianity, and desired to see the humans united under the belief of one God. The ethereal spirits, and creatures of myth, such as the dragons, while he held no true animosity towards them, he saw them as a deterrent to his goals and as unwitting pawns of Hell. He desired to remove them from the "game board" so that he may focus solely on the Infernal forces.
That was when he had his solution. If he launched an all-out assault on the creatures of myth and the Old Gods, he hoped that he could unite Heaven behind him, giving them a new foe to confront directly. This would destroy what he considered a dangerous nuisance as well as a potential "fifth column" in the War. Thus the Purity Crusade began, early in the 4th century A.D.
At first, response was limited. Uriel's war parties first assaulted the dragons, unicorns, and griffons. This drew the anger of Jordi and protests from Novalis, but little attention elsewhere. Soon, the mythic beasts were all but destroyed and they faded into the realm of dreams. Uriel soon began hitting the pagan gods next.
The Celtic pantheon was the first hit, and Uriel hit them with EVERYTHING. Because of their legendary warriors and knowledge of strange Songs, Uriel considered them the most dangerous. He wanted them removed to prevent them from organizing the other gods against him. He was succesful and VERY thorough. No Celtic deity is believed to have survived his onslaught. Though, deep in the Marches, rumors do persist...
Before the ethereals could recover from their shock, the Olympians and the Aesir fell under attack next. Odin was well-prepared and suspected treachery. He and several of the Norse gods fled into the dreaming. The Olympians were not so lucky, and many of their eldest fell to Uriel's Malakim. The few remaining are led by Athena, as they hide on in the Marches.
One by one, the other pantheon's slowly met the same fate. The only exceptions being the totems of the Native American tribes, and the spirits of the Aboriginies. Since they did not deny the existence of a single God, and since the martial and honorable codes to which many of them adhered to appealed to many Malakim,they were spared from Uriel's Crusade.
Uriel's Crusade finally achieved his second objective of unifying Heaven when his angels pursued fleeing Ethereals into the Marches, burning and tearing through Blandine's domain, though not in the way he intended. At her urgings, the Seraphim Council recalled Uriel for trial for his actions. There Jordi, Novalis, and Blandine accused Uriel of going to far in upholding his Word. This was met with quiet consent from Michael and Yves. The rest, while not as concerned, did agree that Uriel had overstepped himself.
There was a snag: Uriel had not actually committed any crime. He was upholding his Word, and as a Malakim was in no danger of Falling. He had betrayed no one, and broken no oath, yet many agreed that Uriel, one of the oldest beings in Existence, had done wrong. Add to the fact that many of Uriel's Servitors seemed ready to go to war to defend their Superior, and the Council was divided on how to proceed.
Uriel then realized his error. While he may have united Heaven against him, his own soldiers were ready to start a new War to defend him. This was not what he had wanted. Even his Crusade had backfired, because many of the surviving pagan gods had allied with Hell in order to protect themselves from the Archangel of Purity, thereby re-enforcing the Infernals position. He did not regret the Crusade itself, only that he had so miscalculated the consequences of his actions. He stood defiantly before the Council and defended his actions as just, hoping that if he could acquit himself, then things would return to normal. It was then that God filled the chamber and called Uriel to his side and vanished, taking any decision out of the hands of the Seraphim Council. The Archangel of Purity was never seen again.
Until now...
During a normal session of the Seraphim Council, a blinding flash of light engulfed the Chamber. When those present recovered, there stood Uriel, in almost the exact spot from where he was recalled. Next to him, stood a never-before-seen Elohite of immense power. He introduced himself as Azrael, Archangel of Death. Then, with no explanation, Uriel and Azrael left the chamber and proceeded to organize their Cathedrals. It seems that a small host of angels, came down Jacob's Ladder at the same time as their appearance, claiming to be Servitors of the two Archangels. Also, some of Uriel's old Servitors who have returned to his service. Also, the Tsayadim are Outcasts no longer.
The other Archangels have reacted with suprise, concern, and in a few cases, fear, at the return of Uriel and his new-found ally. Laurence, actually pleased to see his old boss, offered him the position of General of the Army of Heaven back to Uriel. He refused, stating that God had another purpose for him. He and Azrael have been working together quite closely, excluding almost everyone but Laurence from their presence. Needless to say this has not garnered much trust from the others. Perhaps even more disconcerting, is the rumor that when Yves heard of what happened in the Council chamber, he displayed something no one could ever recall seeing on his face before: surprise.
Personality and
Outlook
Uriel appears as a Caucasian male in his late twenties with long black hair,
and wearing dark clothing, in whatever style is appropriate for the location
he's in, or people he's conversing with. On first meeting him, Uriel comes across
as calm, almost cold. Unlike most Archangels, Uriel prefers to deal with his
angels directly and while he does not micromanage his people, he does watch
them closely.
Uriel takes his work very seriously and does not tolerate fools or what he sees as incompetence. To those who have known him for any lenght of time, they realize that Uriel seems bothered by something, but any attempts to pry only earn an icy stare and his permission to go about your business.
Priorities
Uriel's "new mission" is unknown except to himself, Azrael, and possibly
Laurence (though he'll say nothing either way) and the Servitors that followed
them from the High Heavens (NOTE: Any PC Servitors of Purity or Death are considered
to be newly created or transferred angels, NOT from the Upper Realms, unless
the GM wishes otherwise.) Other than continuing the serve the Word of Purity,
and hunting demons, Uriel's goals are unknown.
As an Elohite, Uriel embodied Purity of thought and purpose, and he still does, though he focuses now on the more external aspects of Purity. In this manner, Uriel prefers smooth, sure action. Much like his former Choir, bias and emotion shoule have minimal influence on decision making, and any decision, once made, should be followed through on. Uriel hates those who don't finish what they start.
Since the Rebellion, Uriel has focused more on the purity of those around him. Demons, Hellsworn, and any generally evil, corrupting influences should be removed from the Symphony, purifying it from the stain of dissonance. While he borders on the fanatical, Uriel does understand that differing points of view are acceptable. As long as they do not corrupt the Purity of the Symphony or God.
Demon Hunters
Uriel's angels are the best demon hunters in existence, primarily because they are the most obsessed with their work. Angels of Purity consider every demon as a stain on the Symphony. Because of this, every Servitor, even Mercurians will take the time to destroy any demon they encounter, provided it won't disrupt their current plans or orders.
Dissonance
It is dissonant for the Servitors of Uriel to let ANY demon or Hellsworn mortal
to live unless directly ordered by a higher ranking authority or the current
assignment prohibits it. They also gain double the dissonance if the angel breaks
the dissonance rules of their choir, tainting their own purity.
Dealing with dissonance with the Archangel of Purity is touchy business. In truth, the best way to remove dissonance from yourself if you can't do it normally is to approach Uriel or any Master of Purity (see below) directly, explain the situaton and humbly ask for help. As long as you don't make a habit of being impure, the request is generally granted (though the process is quite painful) and a stern lecture is given. Doing this TOO many times without good reason will generally earn your destruction.
Then the last option for the select few who know is to spend a day quiet reflection in the Castle of Purity in Heaven, for each point of dissonance earned.
Politics
Uriel has little contact with the other Archangels aside from Azrael and Laurence.
He will occasionally speak to Dominic, Michael, and David over the course of
the War. He has isolated himself within the Castle of Purity, except for his
forays to Earth to visit his Servitors. He has been curt and refused to answer
the inquiries of the other Archangels and barely acknowledges the Seraphim Council.
Azrael: All we be made apparent...soon.
Blandine: He has done more harm to me and mine than Beleth has ever done.
David: I can't say I'm glad to see him. The last time he had free reign, he strengthened Hell's cause. But he is a great warrior and will be a marvelous asset in things to come. I just wish he'd stop hiding in his castle.
Dominic: At last, Heaven's greatest champion has returned. Soon Purity and justice will return to the Symphony.
Eli: Uriel's back? Oy vey, that's not good. I need a drink.
Gabriel: He claims he's returned with a new mission straight from God, but he refuses to speak of it. If he is not careful, his fire may consume us all.
Janus: Talk about scary! This guy makes Dominic look like a party animal! I sure hope the Big Guy knows what he's doing letting him come back down.
Jean: And they say I'M obsessed with my work?
Jordi: He's erased whole species of my charges! I would grind him beneath my teeth if God would but permit it.
Laurence: Now that he has returned, Hell will soon fall to our forces. Victory is almost within our grasp!
Marc: I don't approve of his methods, but he leaves me to my business. I don't trust him though. He's playing things to close to the chest.
Michael: On one hand, I'm glad he's back. With him on our side, we are stronger than ever. On the other hand, I cannot trust him. He seems more consumed by his Word than ever. And this mysterious mission? I agree with Yves. Something isn't right here.
Novalis: Before Lucifer Fell, he was calm and intense, devoted utterly to the beauty of the Symphony. Now he rages,so consumed by weeding out the discordant notes,he can no longer here the song. I weep for him.
Yves: lookind off into some vague horizon, This isn't right... he's not supposed to be here...
Choir Attunements
Aside from their attunements, Servitors of Uriel are protected by the Word of
Purity. NO angel of Purity can Fall. Treat them as Malakim in terms of dissonance
and Discord.
Seraphim
The Seraphim of Purity, are able to detect any being who uses lies to corrupt and tempt others into evil, on a successful resonance roll. In addition, when used, they can tell if the subject is mortal, spirit, or demon.
Cherubim
The Cherubim of Uriel can inflict injury and death on the subject of their attunement without dissonance, provided they are evil or Hellsworn.
Ofanim
The Ofanim of Purity know where all Servitors and Tethers of Uriel are in a given city.
Elohim
The Elohim of Uriel when invoking their resonance, can the purity of the subject's motives. In other words, they know whether or not their motivations are selfish, or selfless.
Malakim
Uriel's Malakim never fail a resonance roll on a subject, except for a Diabolical intervention.
Kyriotates
Kyrotiates of Purity may leave a vessel harmed without gainind dissonance, if the person was Hellsworn.
Mercurians
The Mercurians of Uriel, are responsible for trying to save mortals from corruption and temptation. They gain a special bonus to their resonance, so that on a successful check, they know if any of their relations is trying to lead them to impurity.
Servitor Attunements
Moment of Clarity
An angel may use this attunement to detect corruption and demonic influence in someone.This does not necessarily identify demons, though it can be a pretty good indicator. The angel must a make a Perception roll and spend 3 Essence, the angel knows whether or not a person is beingcorrupted by infernal forces, or is a willing servant of demons.
Distinctions
Vassal of Righteousness
Angel's with this distinction may communicate with other other Servitors of Purity on the Corporeal plane via telepathic link. The angel must spend 2 Essence and roll Perception to establish a link. Note that the angel must know the Servitor at the other "end."
Friend of Holiness
The same as above, but it can be used to contact Servitors of Purity on the Ethereal and Celstial realms for a cost of 4 Essence.
Master of Purity
An angel with this attunement can burn Discord from another Celestial. Upon making contact with the target, role the angel's Will. The roll succeeds unless an Infernal Intervention is rolled. The target suffers the check digit times the triple the level of Discord in Soul Hits. This can cause loss of Forces.
Basic Rites
spend an hour in a confessional
stop an infernal plot (+2 Essence)
bring an evildoer to justice
Chance of Invocation: 1
Invocation Modifiers
+1 Slay an Undead
+2 Slay a Demon Servitor
+3 Preven a mortal from falling under Demonic influence
+4 Slay a Word-bound Demon
+5 Bring an Outcast Angel back into the Light
+6 Single-handedly attack at least 6 demons
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