Azrael

"Sometimes, we must fight in the darkness to bring a brighter morrow."

-Azrael Shadowstrider, Lord Seraphim of the Ninth Angelic Legion

Azrael, better known simply as The Reaper among his foes, is the ninth born Seraphim son of Ynoch. He and his legion, the Wraithguard, remained loyal to his father when his brother Lucifer rebelled against him. Renowned for a brilliant, calculating mind, and feared for his absolute mastery of stealth, which enables him to perform infiltrations and assassinations with terrifying ease. Whilst he is feared by the pantheons of gods he once helped conquer, none in Creation find their blood more chilled at the mention of his name than his own Fallen brothers, many of whom live in terror of the cold vengeance he will one day visit upon them.

Early Life
Azrael was the ninth of Ynoch's Seraphim sons, born three years after Gadreel and two before Asmodeus. Shortly after he was brought into being, Azrael's brother Gadreel declared himself the new baby's protector, which began a companionship that would last their entire lives, up until Gadreel's Fall.

Azrael was a quiet and thoughtful child, who preferred to listen than to speak, a trait he shared with Gadreel, who accompanied him most everywhere. This was not due to any sort of shyness, like it was for Asmodeus, but rather due to a strong sense of inborn caution and forethought. Even as a boy, Azrael always weighed his words and considered his actions carefully, and was calculating in a manner similar to his eldest brother Michael.

Despite this nature, Azrael's childhood was not without its joys. Like many of his siblings, he was recruited by Gabriel to assist him with pranks on their other brothers. Azrael found during these ventures that he was naturally gifted in stealth, surpassing Gabriel and his other brothers in the field, especially when his inborn gift first manifested at the age of six. Though he found Gabriel's pranks amusing, with witnessing them often drawing out rare bouts of laughter, Azrael himself chiefly used pranks not for the purposes of humor, but for revenge. Whenever he was angry at one of his brothers, they would often find worms in their bed, or all their clothes mysteriously vanished. Gifted in masking his emotions, Azrael was usually able to lie convincingly when confronted about such actions, but if one of his other brothers was ever blamed for his actions, his sense of morality would usually drive him to confess. Letting innocents suffer for his misdeeds was not something he abided by.

Azrael also had a strong sense of curiosity as a child, a trait which he shared with his brothers Gadreel and Bael. His curiosity was tempered by caution, however, and whenever either of them went exploring, he was always there to rein them in with wariness.

The Little Prince
After Azrael was born, and he was introduced to his brother Gadreel, who was closest to him in age, Gadreel declared that as Azrael's big brother, he should be his protector. This resulted in Azrael's bed being moved to be next to Gadreel's. Gadreel was present for Azrael's first steps, and once he learned to walk, Gadreel would constantly take him by the hand and move about with him. As the pair grew older, their brother Gabriel dubbed Azrael "the Little Prince", and Gadreel as his "Grand Warden". Azrael became extremely used to Gadreel's presence, more so than any of his brothers, and up until he was four, would become extremely upset if Gadreel was not in the same room as him.

Young Shadowstrider
It was during a game of hide and go seek that Azrael first discovered his inborn gift. He was six years old, and in the midst of hiding from his brothers, Gadreel and Asmodeus, as they played in the forests outside their home. Azrael was already gifted in the art of sneaking about, as he had been instructed on how to do so by Gabriel two years prior when he and Gadreel had been roped into helping him pull a prank.

Azrael had eluded his brothers, and had climbed up silently into the trees to observe them as they looked for him. Though it was easy to evade Asmodeus, Azrael found that as as he neared Gadreel, the slipping of his foot on a branch attracted his attention. Wishing desperately not to be spotted, Azrael found to his surprise that Gadreel looked right at him, but without any recognition. As Gadreel passed, Azrael saw that he had been cloaked in the shade of a higher branch, and attributed his lack of discovery to being obscured by the shadows. This prompted the beginning of his forays into wielding the Dominion of Darkness, making him the first of his brothers to delve into its use.

Over the next few months, Azrael began advancing both his power over Darkness and own obfuscation ability, primarily through hiding games with his brothers. Naturally, with his burgeoning abilities, Azrael dominated whenever it was his turn to hide, to the point that many of his siblings refused to play if he was the one hiding. However, Azrael also began using the ability to spy upon his brothers, following them about whilst obfuscated, and observing some of their more private moments, driven by curiosity. Azrael felt quite guilty about spying on his siblings, but his success in doing so emboldened him, to the point where he attempted in observing his father unseen. Ynoch was able to spot him as if he was not obfuscated at all, a fact which initially shocked Azrael, but was not at all surprising after further thought. It was his father, after all. Azrael did contemplate telling his father about what he had been doing then and there, but worry over getting in trouble led him to hold his tongue.

During his time playing hiding games, however, Azrael also discovered that Gadreel became able to find him again, despite his otherwise flawless obfuscation ability. Curious, Azrael asked his brother how he had done it, demonstrating his power, and learned that Gadreel had developed one of his own, which he referred to as his far sight. While Gadreel proposed that they tell their father so they could ask him about it, Azrael panicked, and made Gadreel promise not to let him know.

Shortly thereafter, however, Azrael found himself approached by Gadreel alongside their brother Lucifer. When Lucifer revealed that Gadreel had informed him of their new abilities, Azrael was overcome by a rare moment of anger and panic, and shouted at Gadreel for breaking his promise, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him. Lucifer hurriedly pulled them apart, stating that Gadreel had not broken his promise, as he had only promised not to inform Ynoch. When Lucifer asked why Azrael was so worried about not finding out, Azrael tearfully confessed that he had been spying on their siblings, and that he didn't want to get in trouble for doing so. Lucifer gave him a hug, and his forgiveness, and furthermore, promised that he would keep his and Gadreel's abilities secret, provided that they both promised not to invade the privacy of the other members of their family. Grateful for his brother's words, and having gained a deeper level of trust for him, Azrael gave Lucifer his solemn oath, and Gadreel did the same.

Physical Appearance
In terms of looks, Azrael's primary form is that of a somewhat short man, with jet black hair and pale skin. His hair varies in length, but he tends to have it cut anywhere from ear length to shoulder length. Azrael's eyes were possessed of black irises when he was younger, but as he suffered from events which darkened his temperament, most notably the Fall of his brothers, they have become pure black. When Azrael is angry or agitated, his skin tends to grow even paler, while the darkness in his eyes "leaks" outwards into the surrounded flesh, making it appear as if the blood vessels around his eyes have burst into bruises.

As one might expect, Azrael's wings, when unfurled, are pure black. His physique is lean, compact, and graceful, his every movement smooth, swift, and precise.

Personality
"Honor doesn't win battles."

-Azrael to Uriel

Among his Seraphim brothers, there is none more driven by logic and calculation than Azrael. He possesses a keen mind, and is the sort who never acts without thinking, always considering every aspect of a situation and every possible outcome before acting. Azrael is extremely quick thinking, and is highly adept at rapid situational analysis, much like his eldest brother Michael, who he strongly resembles in that regard. Azrael can be said to be even more calculating and restrained than his brother, and less prone to pride, though he is not quite as adaptable.

In terms of his general demeanor, Azrael usually comes off as calm, reserved, and utterly in control of himself. He is usually polite and cordial, but also quite direct in his speech, having little care for beating around the bush in conversation. There tends to be little warmth or joy displayed on his features, or much of any emotion really, most of the time, as a result of how self controlled he is. On rare occasions, Azrael can be prompted to smile or even laugh, but usually only by someone he is close with. Elsewise, he is far too reserved to be prompted to overt displays of emotion.

While Azrael appears to be utterly cold and calculating to those who do not know him well, he is not at all bereft of feeling or morals. Azrael lives largely by an ends justify the means methodology, using whatever methods necessary to achieve victory. In his view, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the view, and if he needs sacrifice some lives for the greater good, he typically does so without hesitation. Still, while doing so, he remains a minimalist, and prefers to minimize loss of life wherever he can, for despite his more cold and clinical nature, Azrael is not without empathy or conscience.

Given his extreme pragmatism, Azrael would not fall under the umbrella of what most individuals consider to be honorable. Though not a compulsive liar, Azrael has no qualms about deception whenever he feels it necessary. When it comes to his foes, Azrael also does not hesitate to break oaths if the need arises, though he prefers to make the act of doing so as secretive as possible, simply for the purpose of being able to manipulate other enemies through promises at a later date. When it comes to his family, however, he is less prone to deceit, though he still does lie to them if he believes it to be absolutely necessary.

Azrael is also, at heart, deeply idealistic, and believed wholeheartedly in his father's Dream. A world prospering at and peace was his vision as well. Practical as he was, however, Azrael recognized that bringing it about would require sacrifices to be made, unpleasant and dishonorable actions to be taken. Out of care for his brothers, and the purity he saw in many of their spirits, Azrael sought to take the burden of ruthlessness upon his own shoulders. To fight in darkness so that others might bring the light.

When it comes to anger, Azrael's is a cold one. The greatest loss of control fury causes is him usually ends at an angry snarl, or perhaps a raised voice. Elsewise, he reacts by chilling his voice. Even when roused to rage, Azrael is adept at keeping his emotions in check to act in his standard calculating manner. If someone has incited his anger, his wrath will find them, and his vengeance will be realized with all of his tactical brilliance brought to bear. There is no time when Azrael is more cold and utterly ruthless than when the fury is on him.

And none in Creation are as wary of that fact than the brothers who betrayed him.

Umbriel
A cerebral and quiet individual, Azrael was not bereft of emotion in any way, but rather, words were not his chosen way of conveying it. Instead, he preferred to do so through music. His primary device was a harp named Umbriel, made for him in his youth by his brother Azazel. Small as harps went, able to be carried about, Umbriel was made of black ebony wood, with silver strings infused with moonlight. The harp is enchanted, firstly, altering its size to fit whoever wields it. Those who play it find that the harp psychically guides their movements, enhancing their playing ability. Furthermore, any who hear its music will also be able to feel the emotions felt by whoever is playing it at the time.

Stats
Power Level: 4

Traits
Strength: 9

Dexterity: 12

Endurance: 9

Intelligence: 12

Charisma: 9

Perception: 12

Skills
Academia: 9

Artistry: 4

Brawl: 8

Charm: 5

Command: 11

Craft: 6

Deception: 10

Empathy: 8

Intimidation: 11

Intrigue: 9

Leadership: 7

Marksmanship: 12

Medicine: 10

Melee: 11

Occult: 8

Performance: 10

Seduction: 3

Stealth: 13

Stewardship: 9

Survival: 10

Torture: 12

Magic
Dominion of Aura: 6

Dominion of Chaos: 0

Dominion of Frost: 3

Dominion of Darkness: 11

Dominion of Death: 11

Dominion of Earth: 2

Dominion of Fate: 0

Dominion of Fire: 7

Dominion of Forge: 1

Dominion of Life: 4

Dominion of Light: 4

Dominion of Order: 9

Dominion of Realms: 8

Dominion of Sky: 3

Dominion of Thought: 10

Dominion of Time: 0

Dominion of Water: 3

Dominion of Wild: 1