It is said that Capitol City was once the most vibrant city in the world. Art, culture, green energy, it had it all. A true paradise on Earth. Unfortunately, it would be the first place to fall. Its pleasant charm made it a prime target when the forces of evil began their march of terror. It is now the primary battle ground for the war between Angels and Demons.
As reality has been warped and time been distorted, the original location of Capitol City has become clouded in mystery. What's more, if anyone were to know of Capitol Cities exact origins, most would not care. Survival is the only thing on anyone's minds these days.
Note: The picture does not reflect all of Capitol City. This is, however, the future vision held by the demons.
When the fabric of reality began to crumble and the demons began their assault on Capitol City, the downtown area was first to be hit. The demons strategically picked this area due to its central location and high population density. Death and panic spread quickly as demons crawled out from fiery cracks in the earth. The word rampage would not come close to describing the unbridled horrors that awaited the unsuspecting citizens, not in the slightest.
Today, the sewers beneath downtown overflow with rivers of molten lava, threatening to spread across the entire city. Demons run free here, venturing out in waves to cause chaos in other parts of the city. They frequently return to their new home to rest or torture captured enemies. It is practically a death sentence to step foot near this part of the city.
Where the light shines strongest, so too shall the shadow be strong.
The shadow of the great city, the slums was where those who did not make their fortune fell to. Criminals, charlatans, beggars, and all manner of people could be found here. There were those who managed to keep an honest living, like the run down shrine offering blessings, but these people were rare and tended to group together for protection. Organized crime syndicates, gang wars and other such things used to keep the understaffed police force stationed here in a state of constant headache, but now, most of them tended to ignore one another in favor of releasing their anger and violent tendencies towards any creature they recognized as 'demons'.
Personality: Balthazar is as ruthless as demons get. He takes pleasure in seeing others drown in sorrow or crushing the bones of his enemies. His laugh can send shivers down any mortal's spine.
Biography: Some say Balthazar was one of the first Angels to join in the revolution against heaven. Some say that he used to be a mortal. Either way, since his arrival in hell, he has been relentlessly trying to escape. Some say he has gone mad with blind rage. Others have described him as a battlefield tactician. One thing is for sure, he will stop at nothing to accomplish his goals. What those goals truly are, only he knows.
Other: I'm pulling from this article when referencing powers and abilities. I do not own this article; it is strictly a reference: "Article on Balthazar"
Name: Gerard E. Vincerra Nickname: The Collector Age: 112 Class: Inbetween Wizard: Magic Specialization - Summoning Race: Human
Appearance:
Personality: Gerard is very cautious due to the worlds current situation. He is fascinated by the creatures both angels, demons, and all the forms they take within the world. Gerard finds it difficult to trust others due to human nature and of course the nature of demons goes without saying. Saying that Gerard doesn't even trust the side of light. The only ones he trusts are the beings that are bound to his soul. For under the Binding Summoner's Contract no creature can betray their Master. He is obsessive about gaining new summons and whenever a particular strong/intelligent/interesting beast appears. He becomes excited to make a contract with it and add it to his collection.
Biography: Gerard was born an the Umbral Shadow World. Which is just a fancy way of saying he has been part of the secret world of magic that has remained hidden to the other humans that advanced themselves in technology. Even before technology had become so advanced the Umbral people were only mentioned as simple superstitions, legends, and myths. To the people of the shadow world those mythcs and legends were seen as historic truths. Gerard had a strong soul and an affinity to Summoning Magic from a young age. When he started cultivated his skills and increasing his knowledge of both himself and the mystical world he started making simple contracts with weak elemental spirits.
By the time the Barriers began to collapse Gerard had collected a large number of unique beings and powerful items as he travelled teh world exploring ancient and hidden locations. To many wizards, witches. summoners were always seen as weak due to the fact that they had to rely on the power and skills of over beings. But thanks to Gerard and other talented Summoners, other specialists have learned how formidable they can be.
Now the more and more Beings of light and darkness are breaching the human world. Gerard aka The Collector has gone to one of the biggest breaches to increase his significantly large number of beings before others.
Notable Skills: Creating Binding Contract, Summoning (powerful beings),Runic Inscribing (Runes Known: Summon, Bind) Conjuration (objects that have been "bound" to the Summoner)
Equipment: Personal Soul-Bound Grimoire http://aut-vincer-aut-mori.tumblr.com/post/26386489300 , Ancient Runic Tarot Cards (Set Incomplete), Extra Dimensional Storage Ring, Chest Board and Chess pieces (black and white)
Summons Collection Beings: Minotaur Angels of Virtue (imcomplete): Chastity Demons of Sin (imcomplete): Gluttony (Shadow Demon:Augmented) Elementals (Incomplete): Earth, Wind, Water Items, Relics, and Artifacts:
Personality "Here, child. Let me show you how it's done..."
Margaret is... old. The witches that are her wards see her as an ancient, immovable figure, and even they likely have no conception of how old she really is on the inside.
She is a scholar, distant and curious, enveloped completely in her work. And yet she is kindly, and warm, like a Grandmother to entire generations of witches who have grown up and lived their entire lives around her. At times, she can be stern, at others fierce, and protective. And at other times still, she seems to change completely, filled with an unknowable madness that drives her into uncontrollable fits.
Her children do not see this side of her often. But when they do, it sticks with them for the rest of their lives.
She is a sly and smug woman, but she has earned this much. The same incredible feats in her past that have broken her and planted the seeds of insanity in her heart, are also the source of vast experience and wit. She shares this with all those she meets, enriching their lives with her breadth of knowledge and superiority.
She can be annoying, for sure. But nobody ever leaves a conversation with her without learning one thing or another. That's the kind of person she is. Always teaching, always learning. A true Witch at heart.
Biography "The secret to my youth? I'm glad you asked..."
The path of a Witch is a short one for most. A twisting road punctuated with highs and lows, rights and wrongs, and eventually a blinding supernova before the inevitable fall into nothingness.
For most of the known history of her kind, this has been reality. That is a fact of life that Margaret, like the countless Queens of Stars before her, sought to change. It was a long quest, filled with equal measures of despair, peril and hope. Thanks to her efforts decades past, Witches in the Modern Era have a place to call home.
Her fight was over.
But her battle was not without its costs. Left wizened and carrying but the merest remaining spark of magic in her breast, Margaret used most of the rest of her power to restore her body. This was not out of vanity, or a desire to go back - rather, she did this for one, sole purpose. Her children, saved as they were, were still directionless. They needed guidance, a figure to walk among them and lead them on the path to the future.
For this reason, she couldn't die yet. She extended her own life through her sorcery, sacrificing much in the process so that she could be there for the people she had rescued from a destiny of suffering.
Notable Skills: Margaret is among the highest authorities on Earth when it comes to Magic and the Supernatural. But her specialty is not in the most arcane arts, which she views as little more than a sideshow - rather, she is a specialist in the field of the true occult. Summoning fiendish powers, leashing magical familiars and enchanted arsenals to her will, and weaving curses that act on strange principles. Those are the primary foundations that form her Magic.
Her mastery of the sorcerous arts are virtually without equal. Had she any more magical power than what is necessary to brew a cup of lukewarm tea, she would likely be a menace more than capable of trading blows with the strongest heralds of the demonic armies.
She doesn't, though. Despite her weakness, she remains an forceful deterrent against the enemies of Witches as a raw testament to her skill in manipulating the battlefield. She is a cunning opponent - employing a wide variety of tactics and magical pitfalls meant to confuse and scatter her opponents. The sight of their enemies being driven before her inspires her multitude of magical followers to give chase, crushing any resistance underneath sheer numbers and intricately woven hexcraft.
(TL;DR: She's a battle nut gone housewife. Learned in the magical arts she is, but she only really uses a few basic spells and curses. Would make a great Magical Lawyer.)
A Witch's skillset consists of two core paradigms: Practical Magic, and Everything Else. As a rule, the simpler the sorcery, the more useful it is in actual combat. This methodology is what embodies Margaret's teaching style, and her own personal skills.Foundational Sorcery: Simply put, an understanding of what Magic "is" and the application of minor manipulations of Magical concepts. Sometimes colloquially known as Low Magic, in contrast to the much vied after pedestal called High Magic. Simple and Low. To the uneducated masses, these are appropriate words for this area of expertise. For an experienced Witch, they are anything but. Foundational is a better word - sure, the Low Arts may be a stepping stone to greater acts of Magic, but they are far from without value. Remove them, and all Magic essentially collapses. They are to Magic, what Math is to Physics.
That all said, what does Foundational Sorcery actually apply to? It's very much the technical side of Magic. Identifying and reverse-engineering spells, tracking magical energy, employing minor Magic that isn't bound by distinct spells, understanding complicated magical concepts as well as the metaphysics surrounding magical beings and their supernatural abilities. These are all things covered by Low Magic. Margaret possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of Low Magic techniques - being one of the foremost scholars in the field. Her lectures on the topic are world-class.
Witch's Curses: The stuff of fairy tales, passed down solely through oral tradition and thought lost to the modern era of Witches. Margaret is one of the last surviving practitioners of this ancient art, and while a master she may be, her lack of raw power makes it rather unimpressive when used in the heat of battle. Only through careful planning and quite frankly abuse, can these archaic forms of Magic be used effectively.
Much of what it covers is cursed poisons, but there are also weakening jinxes, sympathetic hexes and a variety of witchy self-enhancements. Its worth noting that these curses are only minutely effective against unwilling targets, but the definition of "willing" is quite loose, allowing room for deception to close the gap in power. Even when spectacularly weakened, the harm of curses applied many times over can build up surprisingly quickly, causing a sort of domino effect. Common application mediums include a menacing gaze, a wax idol with the victim's hair, or even small, seemingly mundane objects soaked overnight in a tincture of malice and magic.
Supposedly, these techniques are the secret behind Margaret's magically youthful form.
Contract Writing (Magical): The difficulty of writing all-encompassing, binding magical vows is infamously difficult. Even mortals know this much, whether its from stories of vengeful djinn misinterpreting wishes or even just mundane stories of lawyers circumventing expectations in order to exploit and trick ordinary, well-meaning people.
As a Witch whose made a hobby of binding Demons, this is a skill that Margaret has had to hone carefully over many years before even putting it into practice. Her contracts are immaculate, and virtually impossible to break out of without fulfilling the conditions of the vow. To this date, not a single Demon has escaped her Geas, and she suspects that until the day she dies this will remain the case.
Arcane Fabrication: A blanket term for the collective fields of creating objects or beings with magic, as well as altering them for magical purposes. While it covers the creation of magical familiars or enchanted objects, it is most crucial for the creation of magical Grimoires that are capable of containing entire libraries worth of magic in a single book. This is Margaret's specialization, supplemented strongly by the rest of her arsenal of skills.
Also covers the in-depth knowledge of enchanted objects required for identifying and appraising magical artifacts of all sorts. Useful for those who collect magic items.
Mundane Listings(Anything that doesn't necessitate an explanation) Homekeeping skills, especially cooking. Expert at teaching and lecture-giving, as well as raising children effectively. Makes a great Grandmother. Ability to ride most beasts, wild or tame, as well as even the most specialized flying brooms. Can drive most modern vehicles successfully. In-Depth knowledge of strategy and logistics, familiar with the ways of the battlefield from her time as a soldier. Familiar with the lore of many different nations, and intimately aware of the intricacies of the mythos behind Angels and Demons as well as the supernatural world as a whole. Natural fighter with many decades of combat experience with both supernatural and mundane opposition. Easily able to get a "feel" for combat, and predict and control what moves her opponents are going to use.
Equipment: Margaret's Magic arsenal is the primary focus of her strength, and makes up most of the methods she uses both for combat and for day-to-day existence. Seeing as she has very little magical power to work with, she has to make up for her deficiencies by utilizing a great number of powerful magical items and familiars. Worth mentioning first are the greatest of her magical accomplishments, her Witch's Cauldron and Witch's Hut - both of which could be considered world-class magical artifacts in their own right.
Witch's Cauldron: The size and shape of this seemingly simple cast-iron pot vary depending on the owner's needs, changing seamlessly from a pot that can be carried by hand to one large enough to fit multiple grown adults inside. The only constants are the colour (black), and the general image of being a cauldron. Even the trained eye would fail to find anything extraordinary about this piece of kitchenware... when observing it from the outside.
And if they were to look at it from the inside, it would already be too late.
Compartmentalized space, taken to its natural conclusion. The space inside of the cauldron goes beyond simply being larger than the outside suggests - it is its own place, existing in extra-dimensional space and abiding by only its own twisted and purposefully crafted rules of reality. It is essentially Margaret's own, personal little slice of reality, and it was crafted with certain cruel, devious intentions in mind.
The cauldron has a few primary functions. It can retrieve anything stored within its pocket space and immediately transfer it to the "mouth", or the simple physical space the real-world cauldron contains within. This is useful for cooking, as Margaret can simply store the ingredients she needs in the cauldron's dimensional space and then summon them into her food as she wills it. Naturally, she can control what is "swallowed" by the cauldron, and what is allowed to sit in the "mouth" to be cooked.
While its contents can be summoned freely, Margaret's cauldron is a greedy, gluttonous thing that has no desire to let anything it eats free. To accomplish this, the space itself has taken on certain qualities that entrap and ensnare those caught within. Victims find themselves in a fairy tale-like fantasy world, made almost entirely of candy and edible plantlife. The foodstuffs are, in actuality, the crystallized sins of the observing entities - taken, and re-purposed using foul, witchy magic. They are virtually irresistible, and taking just a single bite is enough to lead one into an endless cycle of gluttony and indulgence. This makes it extremely effective against Humans and Demons especially, but not nearly so effective against beings of inhuman or divine origins.
Once a being has partaken of the cauldron's forbidden fruits, they begin to experience an almost magnetic attraction to the strange, twisted cauldron-world. Upon dying, their spirit will be naturally drawn to the fairy tale utopia they once walked. If they are unable to resist the call of the sweets, and they allow their souls to drift into the cauldron, there they will remain - trapped, deep in the belly of the witch's pot.
Forevermore.
Witch's Hut: Perhaps, once upon a time Margaret's hut was just an ordinary, hand-built house. Whatever it once was, it shares no qualities whatsoever besides its appearance with its original form. It is an enchanted object that has reached the level of a Magical Beast, attaining both the power of thought and the ability to move under its own power. It is, essentially, a living thing.
Appearing as a quaint little wooden home, it sprouts massive legs like tree trunks whenever it needs to move. These legs allow the hut to move with incredible speed and endurance, towering over anyone walking on the ground. So great is its strength that it can support the entirety of its weight with just one leg, and use the other one to attack or manipulate objects freely. Its chimney produces a constant, slow trickle of smoke, growing more fierce when the hut is excited or under great stress.
The interior is definitely larger than it might appear from the outside. It is homey, and comfortable enough even while the hut is in motion. The fireplace is ever ablaze with a steady flame, and if you watch very closely, you can even see the fire of the hearth subtly pulsing in rhythm with what can only be described as the house's heartbeat.
It is a hut of many secrets, and some of its magical qualities remain a mystery even to Margaret herself. It is intensely loyal to her, and will defend her ferociously when it senses she is threatened.
(Beyond her two greatest artifacts, Margaret possesses her own personal Grimoire, her broom, and an arsenal of minor artifacts to supplement her skills. They are as follows.)
(It's worth noting that Margaret carries a large collection of generic, not especially powerful magical items in her hut, as well as mundane amenities of all varieties.)Faera Luna: Margaret's magic broom, which she found drifting in the river one day and has carried with her ever since. There is a fairy inside, sealed there by a priest of the Holy Church after it pulled a series of devilish pranks on a local farmer. Carried away and left for dead, Margaret was the one who fixed her up and helped her come to terms with her fate. Something of an adopted daughter to the elderly Witch.
As a broom, Faera Luna is very high ranked. She's swift to the extreme, able to act on her own, and her bristles can release a fine, sparkling powder that renders objects weightless. She is vulnerable to damage, however, and likely could never be repaired if hurt severely. Additionally, her magic reserves - while larger than Margaret's, are still too low to sustain high speed flight for longer than a few minutes. For long-distance or general sustained flight, she takes on a much more efficient, low-speed mode. She can hover even at the lowest magic reserves, preventing her from falling to her demise.
Because Faera Luna reacts instinctively to Margaret's movements, the Witch is never at risk of falling off. Her balance and handling are faultless to a margin nearly indistinguishable from zero.
Magique Cookbook: An oversized, and frustratingly heavy Grimoire that would seem to have to be carried with two hands, and yet somehow manages to be carried as if weightless by its true owner. Contains all of Margaret's witchy recipes, which can be retrieved and recalled flawlessly at a single touch of magical energy. The number of recipes and magical foundations contained in the Grimoire are as to be expected, somewhere in the tens of thousands, covering all of the traditional dishes of Margaret's homeland as well as those traditionally associated with Witches and the witchy arts.
Many of the foods produced using these techniques are magical in nature, possessing qualities beyond what Margaret could manually endow on food using her current magical abilities. The Grimoire essentially cuts out the need for months of complex spellcasting, hastening the process of some of her greatest rituals so that they can be preformed pretty much overnight under most circumstances.
(Some excerpts from the most used pages of the Magique Cookbook) Bad Egg ~Ingredients~ 1x Egg (Preferably chicken. The larger the better.) 1x Demon's soul (Any class works. Higher quality souls will result in...abnormalities.) 100mg Powdered Moonstone (Optional.) ~Instructions~ 1. Softboil one or more eggs carefully over witchflame, while the moon is in the sky. (Moonstone works, but results in runty Bad Eggs.) 2. Utilize the ritual preparations detailed in chapter nine hundred and seventy five to prepare the eggs for transplant. 3. As the eggs finish cooking, simultaneously plant an equal portion of souls into the center of each used egg. Timing must be perfect. Be sure to inscribe any curses into the shell shortly after imprinting. 4. Place eggs in a dark space, such as a cupboard or underneath a bed overnight. Do not check on, under any circumstances. 5. After sunrise, remove eggs from the dark space. They should have sprouted eyes and consciousness. If not, crush underfoot and try again the next evening with the same souls. Place any remains in the fireplace. 6. If instructions were followed thoroughly, the result should be a disposable familiar with the body of an egg and the malice and intelligence of the source demon. Note: Monitor closely over a few weeks after creation. Familiar should sprout legs after 1-2 weeks, and will experience constant evolution as the vessel egg decomposes. After about a month, nothing of the original egg should remain, although the appearance will not change. Test by tapping lightly with a hammer.
Gingerbread Beasts ~Ingredients~ (Additionally use the ingredients listed in chapter 12 for "Granny's Home-made Gingerbread") 5mg ground apple seeds 10mg finely chopped mandrake root ~Instructions~ 1. Begin preparation as normal, before sunset. Include half of the chopped mandrake with the flour and spices. Do not inhale powdered ingredients after this point. 2. Mix ingredients, adding apple seeds and remaining mandrake while cooing motherly nothings into the mixture. If you can't think of anything, just hum a lullaby. 3. Use minor magic listed with gingerbread recipe to speed up the settling process of the dough. Be sure to whisper encouragement to the dough the entire time, do not stop except to breathe. 4. Once dough has reached the desired consistency, roll the dough and use a silver dagger to cut the cookies into the shapes you require, imagining them clearly with each slice. After each cookie is cut, kiss its forehead and give it a name. Do not forget their names. 5. Place into preheated witchfire oven and sit with them while they cook. It will take much longer than usual, be sure not to stop whispering comforting words to the cookies while they bake. 6. They will be finished cooking at sunrise the next morning. Remove them from the oven, greet each one by name and allow them to accustom themselves to you at their own pace. 7. The result should be a disposable and highly loyal familiar. Useful for a variety of tasks, due to their intelligence and various shapes. They are prone to jealousy, however. Do not eat them, do not allow them around small children, take care never to forget their names. Note: In the event of one of your gingerbread familiars dying, do not allow the others to eat their corpse. Throw the remains into the fireplace.
Granny's Signature Jack-o-Lanterns ~Materials~ Fresh pumpkins (Preferably grown in a cemetery. The larger the better.) Witchfire Twig (Try your birth tree firstmost, unless its Oak. Yew always works well.) Ashes of the deceased (Optional. Stronger, but less stable.) ~Directions~ 1. Take your pumpkins outdoors on a moonlit night. (Preferably a full or blood moon. Works best in October.) 2. Whisper words of rousing into the night air, directed towards whichever patrons you choose. Take out your silver dagger and a spoon, and begin gutting your pumpkins. Save the seeds for later. 3. Once you've cleaned the pumpkin, begin carving them into distinctive facial expressions. Make them as spooky and varied as you would like, but make sure they're still recognizable as faces. 4. Place a blade of grass in the center of the pumpkin, and transfer the Witchfire to it. Also pour in the ashes, if you decided to use them. 5. Speak the words of ritual listed in the attached document, spill your own or another's blood over the foreheads of each lantern. 6. Once they start talking, you've done it right. 7. Happy Halloween! You should have a nice little patch of lanterns that are able to spot intruders and shout in alarm if necessarily, or scare of nosey kids trying to party crash your witchy rituals. Note: You can use the seeds with Granny's Signature Pumpkin-Patch Spell to produce more pumpkins for further lanterns, or use them as reagents for a few of her other Halloween-themed recipes. Baked, they also make great snacks!
Name: Gretchen Vradiskii Ufain Age: 19 Class: In between Race: Human
Appearance: Personality: Easy going, lazy and spaced out most of the time, most would describe her as an airy girl, nice but a bit empty in the attic. Those are the people that have not seen her during the admittedly rare times she actually have to work as an exterminator/exorcist, where her ruthlessness can only be matched by the god her family enshrined and worshiped.
Biography: She lived, in an old seemingly destitute shrine, one that seemed to have stood there since time immemorial. It stood out against the drab cityscape, hemmed in by tall building. Oddly, it seemed to give out the air of standing defiantly against all change, instead of being dwarfed and overshadowed by the large buildings surrounding it.
Gretchen lived there for as long as she knew, where her mother worked odd jobs to keep them afloat, as the shrine's location sequestered in the backalleys of the city did not really attract much worshippers, or donations. Not to mention those who thought of them as hacks, liars, and swindlers.
Regardless, she learned of all her family's secrets, their legends and their techniques, of which she put to use in the very rare times someone needed a ghost exorcised, or a demon exterminated. Most of the time however, she was working part time jobs to make ends meet. Until all hell broke loose that was.
Notable Skills: Talisman making, consecrating items, constructions of barriers, Ie. basically everything a shrine maiden/ommyouji should know.
Equipment: Japanese sword, in lacquered wood mountings, that denies the unnatural and accepts the natural, a shitton of paper talismans, a shitton of paper to make paper talismans, consecrated extermination throwing needles, an old 9mm pistol for self defense against mundane things like thugs.
Nickname: Arch Angel of War Age: Unknown Class: Warrior Race: Angel
Appearance:
Personality: A shining example of courage and strength, Achilles knows of no fear as he hurls himself at demonic hordes every chance he gets in the defense of Heaven and Earth. Unwavering in his cause, Achilles at times fights with a reckless abandon seeking to destroy as many of his opponents as possible believing that every demon he slays potentially saves a life. Despite his desire to see humanity thrive and survive the wrath of Hell, Achilles in his most private of thoughts has doubts about the success of his mission and silently accepts that his eventual actions may be for nothing.
Biography: While humanity has often looked upon to Angels for guidance and strength, the angels of heaven look upon to Achilles, a powerful Arch Angel whose sole purpose is to destroy the demonic hordes that threaten humanity and the heavens above. His exact origins remain a complete mystery even to most angels in heaven. Achilles was there in the front lines when the civil war in Heaven broke out... an event he desperately tried to prevent. Despite his efforts the demons of Hell have grown in strength and their presence in humanity threatens the very existence of a world he vowed to protect. With any personal feelings of brotherhood that once unified Angels now thrown away, Achilles arrives on Earth to help humanity make it's last desperate stand against the overwhelming chaos that engulfs the world.
Notable Skills:
Physical traits: Bred to be a warrior, Achilles’ physical traits surpass those of mortals.
Swordsmanship: While Angels have their various weapons of choice, Achilles wields a heaven forged weapon, preferring to destroy his enemies in close, personal combat.
Magical abilities: Despite being of considerable physical status, Achilles is also capable of using a variety of magical abilities such as telekinesis or conjuring heavenly flames. Despite the destructive potential, the uses of such abilities are draining and only used against the most powerful of enemies.
"No sacrifice is too great; no treachery is too small."
Name Zaphiel
Age Null (Giving Angels an age is usually a pointless notion, as they all tend to be old as Creation itself. Zaphiel is slightly younger.)
Rank Celestial Inquisitor
Class Liaison to the Church(In-between)
Race Angel(Thrones- First Sphere, Third Choir) Personality Outwardly cold and unapproachable, Zaphiel seems to live up to the notion that Angels are mental automatons. She destroys demonic opponents with judgments that fit their sins and treason, and casts their ashes back into the void they spiritually spawned from. In actuality she is fairly gentle hearted, and pities the demons she fights. She genuinely works toward the destruction of evil, and seeks to teach those who follow such ways a lesson they won't forget. As she makes her own judgments, she will follow them to the very end regardless of the circumstances of her opponent no matter who they may be.
Biography When the stars were only recently lit by the LORDs divine word, the world was at peace. Zaphiel was not an Angel who existed during these peaceful times. The growing ego and arrogance displayed by Lucifer clearly shattered the notion of a harmonic universe when the fall occurred. 1/3rd of Heaven and humanity itself fell, leaving the universe fundamentally flawed. Zaphiel was an angel created to investigate the signs of corruption and dissent within the angelic ranks shortly before the War in Heaven. No angel, high and mighty General or lowly Guardian, would escape her judgment. However, because of the celestial bureaucracy in heaven their investigation was not approved until now- long after the War in Heaven had reached its final conclusion on the Sea of Glass. Now the forces of Heaven led by the LORD face off against a hell led by Lucifer, locked in eternal stalemate. With the End Times finally beginning, they were approved to begin their Hunt long after its purpose was lost. Zaphiel quickly took control of the LORD's Church by invoking Inquisitorial authority, using it as a shield to protect humanity and a sword to strike back at the daemonic incursion.
The Inquisition has finally begun, and a reckoning worth the long wait will follow with it.
Notable Skills
Wisdom Impartial and sincere, true wisdom allows its user to gain genuine understanding. In Zaphiel's case, she makes impartial judgments based on the rules of Heaven. While they are not an Angel of wisdom, they can make Heaven's judgment in an instant by knowing their opponents Sins and deeds. Even without that capacity, they're an excellent reader of character who can understand others and the situation around them properly. They act on knowledge rather than emotion.
Leadership Rather than Charisma it's administration and to a lesser degree strategy. Charisma is inherent to all angels, at least from the perspective of mortals. Further, when it comes to angelic subordinates, they follow all orders as if they lack a will. So things like "motivation" or "morale" are typically irrelevant for Angels, whose hierarchy is resolute and strong. In her case, she can naturally manage resources and time effectively enough to reestablish the Church as one of the major powers defending humanity against the current demonic incursions.
Producing Pyros Secret knowledge involving her torch. She can produce Pyros, though this is a process that takes around a day for any sizable quantity and isn't a battlefield skill. This can be further refined into large amounts of Lesser Pyros, or be handed out accordingly. The production of Pyros is something beyond most mortals, and only an Alchemist capable of producing a philosophers stone could normally create it in their laboratories. It is one of the necessary steps certain humans use to create "life from nothing", being the Divine Flame. In Zaphiel's case, she produces it through the torch and certain knowledge passed to her with it, since she has no alchemy skill.
Abilities
Angelic Physiology Angels are beings designed with a specific purpose in mind, with the necessary mental and physical attributes to fulfill that specific role perfectly from their moment of creation. Angels are powerful beyond reckoning as a result, far beyond the strength of mortals. In Zaphiel's case, her general physical prowess is around that of a fairly high ranking officer in Heaven's ranks. She does not physically compare to the great Generals of Heaven as a result, being a few steps below them. As a rule, she is rather mediocre physically when compared to Angels of equivalent rank. However, in terms of agility and sheer speed- she can equal or possibly exceed a General.
This is because she is of the Third Choir, Thrones. Her true form is that of a spherical wheel with a seemingly endless number of eyes on every possible surface. Embodying the Motive Force, there are few that can match her speed and thus ferocity in combat. This applies to her flight speed using her wings just the same, though they have no special function beyond flight and movement across the realms of Earth, Heaven, and Hell. As an Angel she is not a truly physical being, though she can interact with the world. This makes her vulnerable to magics, especially those that target spirits; at least in theory. It would take a truly master class Theurgist to even summon an Angel of the First Sphere, let alone to bind it against its will. Mundane physical or energy attacks such as guns or lasers are less effective against her, assuming they even land.
It goes without saying that she takes on a human form when not in Heaven, hence not appearing as a non-euclidean Wheel with a thousand eyes.
Angelic Constitution As an Angel, she is a highly intelligent spiritual being, capable of understanding the universe in inherent ways beyond normal humans. Additionally, they have a magnetism of light about them that calms, encourages, or strikes fear into humans depending on their demeanor. There is a certain level of empathy that they share with all angels; it allows them to typically understand the feelings of a human at most times.
Because they are a high ranking Angel, they can grant miracles or even answer prayers. Additionally, such entreaties do strengthen them, as they are given more power by the LORD through Heaven to enact them. Usually only Generals or Angels of the First Sphere are capable of this, though its not impossible for lower ranked angels to hear and answer prayers. These miracles are used to strengthen her mortal allies, from consecrating their weapons to more literal divine intervention based on faith and belief.
Revelation Angels by default have perceptions that exceed humans, but Zaphiel is a bit different. The eyes on her "body" are genuinely superficial- they don't see anything, and aren't truly functional. She "sees" in a sphere around herself, both inwardly and outwardly using the countless eyes on her original body. Her true forms eyes genuinely exist along that sphere, unseen by normal eyes and certainly unreachable. Within a sphere of sizable meters around her, she can generally perceive and track things at levels that exceed even the most Eagle-Eyed angels. Truly, it is "Seeing with your entire body".
Equipment
Atilla (Whip of Divine Flame) Pyros is the Divine Flame used to create the spark of life. The Empyrean, the Heaven of the LORDs Throne Room is composed of this fundamental material, along with aether. Differing from the Holy Flames typically used by angels, it is something far more fundamental and primal. Normally, only the Seraphim(First Sphere, First Choir), the highest ranked in Heaven(who perpetually guard and sing praise to the LORD next to His throne) have access to its production or use. This is technically false, as the Seraphim don't use the Divine Flame; they are composed entirely of it and exist as a consciousness. Producing more or "using" it is as natural to them as breathing.
To have the capacity to bring justice to even the highest ranked traitors, Zaphiel was given a whip made of Aether and Pyros as her weapon of choice. She is more than capable of manipulating it like an extension of her body or even modify it. Aether is colored by the things it takes within itself, and Pyros is a golden flame that burns away "sin". The length of its burning, the intensity of its heat, and its general radiance are not determined by physical factors, or even magical ones. For a well adjusted and good natured person it will only give a light sunburn, lasting barely a moment. For an Angel or a Saint, it would be nothing more than a high quality whip. Against a demon, it would cause a tremendous blaze that would burn away their sins -and their entire existence- in blinding heat, lasting as long as needed to leave nothing behind.
The Glass Torch (Staff/Divine Light) An eternal light that shines no matter the location. Even in Inferno or the Abyss that is deeper still, its light would shine. Even in the mouth of Behemeth or Leviathan, its proud flare would be like the brightest stars. It has no true direct combat function beyond protecting the user and itself from fell energy of even the highest level. Because of its blazing light, angels are rallied and humans are emboldened even in the face of impossible odds. They can defy or nullify mental, spiritual, and even sometimes physical interference used to confuse or cause fear in them. Additionally, low class demons will usually outright flee unless kept in line by a higher ranked demon. For the Fallen, this light is a reminder of what they once were. The weaker ones are wracked with immense guilt, shame, and fear, while those with a stronger will are reminded of their utter route at the conclusion of the War in Heaven. At the very least, it causes an oppressive air against even the most highly ranked demon.
It isn't a normal light- the torch actually exists both within Earth and the highest heaven. It would be best to say that a shard of the Empyrean, the Throne Room, is brought to the very tip of the torch. This is the cause of the crippling fear most lesser demons feel upon seeing it.
Keys of the Kingdom (Battle Standard/Book of Judgment) Standard of Binding and Loosing, a flag like book hanging below the head of the torch. Grants the capability to detect a persons crimes and sins, thus, their nature. One would think that it's a actual object, but its more or less just a crystallization of her countless eyes and their varied perceptions given form. It detects alignment of the target, and the precise reason for said alignment. It affords the user the capacity to make judgments about whether one should enter the Inferno, Paradiso, or Purgatario. Additionally, it serves as a symbol of being a Celestial Inquisitor, who is granted the authority to seize assets for the Inquisition and have suspicion of any angel without just cause. No angel can deny her status while this standard is held aloft.
Both a battle standard and a symbol of authority over the Inquisition and the right of Judgment.
Followers There are many followers under Zaphiels care and call, though most are human. She is inherently distrustful of the Angels in Heaven, especially after the fall. While humans can willfully choose evil acts, Angels proved themselves to not be above this despite being "perfect". Further, humans have the capacity to be more good and more importantly genuine then angels. As a result, she prefers to be reliant on human comrades and allies rather than Angelic assistance. Anyone and everyone is suspect, but her primary mission is purging former and current angels of the corrupt.
As a result, usually only those Angels she personally trust assist or serve her. They tend to serve as officers or advisers, sheparding Zaphiels sizable human flock. After arriving from Heaven, she quickly unified the various Church's across the timestream, transforming them into a single body dedicated to the defense of humanity. While technically a liason, she has near complete control over them at this point. As a result, she has many loyal human followers, from Crusaders, to Knight Orders, to even Saints and the Souls of the Righteous in Heaven.
“In Hell's darkness, I will be His light. In doubt's bitterness, I will keep His Word. In War's rage, I will master its craft. In just retribution, I will give no quarter. In Armageddon's fire, I will have no fear. In death's embrace, I will have no remorse.”
Name: 'True' name unknown – speculation towards Raquel or Camael Nickname: Aquilina (personal nickname) Age: Null Race: Angel Rank:Exoucia (Second Sphere, Third Order)
Personality: Compared to the judicial, rational inquisition of Zaphiel, or the just righteousness of Achilles, Aquilina could be described as arbitrary, remorseless and (dare one say it to her directly) heartless. Often called on by Heaven to be the final arbitrator of God's wrath, Aquilina's bitterness from the millennia of conflict between Heaven and Hell has been hardened to the point where – while she will not pursue 'minor' sins – an 'in-betweener' who hurts or kills another, or otherwise enables the armies of Hell by their actions, will often be summarily executed. Thus, this Exoucia has a poor reputation as being a bit of a 'blunt instrument' when nuance would otherwise be needed – a 'fanatic', at worst.
If there was a beating heart of emotion or humanity beneath her breastplate, only man's Father in Heaven would know now ...
Biography: The heaven-shattering fall of Lucifer, the once-Morning Star, and a third of Heaven's host was the crucible that forged Aquilina. Raised from the lowest choirs, Aquilina's new purpose from the LORD was not to grant authority to others over nations, or to record and retain knowledge, but to become the form that GOD's holy and righteous wrath would be embodied. To act where coercion, calls for repentance and the then-infant Zaphiel's Inquisition could not. To - if need be - charge into the depths of Hell and tear it apart.
Restrained by the LORD's mercy for humanity, the crucifixion and resurrection of the LORD's Son and the passing of years as GOD's Word spread across the world, Aquilina remained in the boundaries of Heaven, liaisoning and training with like-minded angels for the day when the final clash would be unleashed. The constant stream of information regarding her fallen brethrens' machinations with GOD's children, as well as the few moments where she had to go to Earth to enact the LORD's judgement, only hardened her heart further.
Now, with the final reckoning upon the world and with Lucifer and his lieutenants rampaging across the world, Aquilina's time has now come. The remorseful sinner will be brought back to GOD's mercy by those more knowable and able in this aspect. Aquilina, however, will show none...
Notable Skills:
Angel-At-Arms While it is not normal for an exoucia to become directly involved in the fight against Hell - many instead acting as delegates of power and authority to those on Earth - Aquilina had dedicated herself to the cause to the point where, thus far, she is one of the few exceptions to the normal delegation of roles among the Choirs. She is expected to know combat maneuvering, swordsmanship and unarmed combat at a minimum, but has also taken on training in how to handle a lance (the latter has since supplanted the sword as her primary armament).
Daemonology While this skill would imply that she is skilled in the nuances and summoning abilities of daemons, Aquilina cannot - and will not - willingly bring forth a minion of Hell. Instead, this skill represents the insight taught and ingrained in her of most of the spawn of Hell and how best to counteract them, whether it'd be a minor fallen angel, a Deadly Sin or one of Lucifer's lieutenants.
Knowledge of the Scriptures and Gospels Of all the weapons and defenses in the 'arsenal' of those angels and mortals called to fight against Hell, none is as sharp as the LORD's own Word. As Christ embodied the Word and rebuked demons and Lucifer alike with the Word, so those angels who are called to war must rely on the Word to rebuke the enemy.
When tempted or attacked by the Enemy through words or concepts, Aquilina can rebuke the foe by drawing on the Scripture, often unbalancing or staying the foe from 'getting into her head'. However, this is not something that can be used flippantly – Aquilina must be as precise as possible with her recall of the Word, or the enemy will now have a new avenue of attack (her erring scriptural knowledge).
Abilities:
Angelic Physiology, Angelic Constitution (see Zaphiel)
Mortal Guise Aquilina's true form is not known to mortal eyes and were she to appear to a man without a guise, the individual in question might die out of shock. Thus Aquilina adopts the form of an armoured human woman (winged while in flight or seeking to intimidate) in order to assure that accidental deaths are avoided and to be capable of interacting with the world - at least, until the hexes and bullets start flying.
"Deus Lo Vult" Like her fellow angels, Aquilina has some command of ability from Heaven that can be utilised on the mortal plane. While not as powerful as, say a Seraph, and weaker in some miracles then others, Aquilina can pull off some feats that can only be described as miraculous to mortal eyes:
Angelic Flight Just like it says on the tin. Aquilina is able to fly from points A to B, even down to within a second (if enough power is drawn on and she knows where she needs to go).
Blinding Flare Drawn from the light that shines from Heaven, Aquilina can summon a flash of light that can clear away darkness or fog, and blind or even scorch her foes in a limited area. Cannot inflict fatal harm.
Visage of Heaven Projecting the inner righteousness and power of her physical form and authority, Aquilina suddenly takes on a far more terrifying appearance to demons and sinful in-betweeners alike.
Hands of the Righteous Even while divested of armaments, an angel can still be dangerous. Grappling with her foe's head, Aquilina can attempt to purge the possessed and demonic, exorcising demons and casting them back into Hell with a quickly-muttered rite. As a general rule, the more powerful the demon, the longer the time required and consequent lower chances of success.
Malleus Daemonicum Should all other options fail, Aquilina will drawn on all her energy for one final, pure blow, whether it'd be in the form of lunging forward to plunge her sword into the heart of a Greater Demon, or slamming her lance into the ground and cause a shockwave. Whatever the form of this final act of defiance may take, the results are usually spectacular and - consequently - fatiguing, verging on near-fatal, for Aquilina.
Equipment: Full plate/chainmail armour and cloak, holy lance, sword belt with "hand-and-a-half" longsword and scabbard.
Nickname Death's Right Hand Man Age 187 Class Death Knight Race Death's Spawn Appearance 17 feet tall, 700 pounds of raw evil some say. A hulking, lumbering large mass. Very 'human-like' hands, yet very long nails. Long, silver hair. Very greasy and matte. Usual attire of iron leggings, large clasped cloak. Large bag of iron rings resembling a chain mail vest underneath. Large, iron helm, engraved with the final words of the most sinful souls. Horns on the side, small eye holes. Personality John kept his personality, even after the transformation. Extremely low voice. Very intimidating at first, and will not go along with anyone who isn't a demon themselves. Once talking though, he usually keeps to himself. If you do get him to get talking, John is very logical and quite funny. Very dark and satirical jokes are a strong suit. Once a goal has been set for John, he will let nothing get in the way of that goal. Notable Skills Intimidation: Because John is so large, it takes quite a large amount of willpower to get past the large appearance and mind shattering battle roar of him. Sometimes causes people of small will to go running the other way. Because of his size, he is very slow, and if against a trained opponent, most attacks can be dodged. Battle Roar: Since John is usually in the middle of a large attacking force, his roar became a sense of confidence of the troops. Anyone within range of it gains a major morale boost. Incredible Strength: Because of John's size and Death's transformation, he has gained major strength, enough to move his massive tower shield and Ultra-Greatsword. Primal Rage: If beaten enough without getting a hit in, will "transform" inside. Letting out a terrible screech, and dropping all handheld equipment. Will become extremely erratic, unpredictable, and much quicker. Attacking only with his bare hands, swiping at anything that moves. Any damage taken during this though, is improved an extraordinarily large amount. Very susceptible to mind attacks as well. Harnessing Death's Elements: Can imbue his sword with pure darkness, hell's fire, or a combination if need be. Darkness seeps from his being and covers the ground around him. Death's Transformation: With John's incredible strength, he can hulk his sword around with the technique of a master. He was made to be this way by Death. His Eternal Protector Equipment Death's Ultra-Greatsword Forged from the deepest depths of hell, this blade was made to do one thing. Kill. It can be imbued by it's one master, John, to increase it's killing potential. It is always with John, a constant reminder to what he did in his past, and what he is tasked to do. It's points on the end are used to impale people on the ends during swipe attacks. Material is the same as John's Armour and shield. Corrupted Angel's Sheild One one of John's first battles, angels invaded hell, and he was tasked with the many to fight them back. One of them held a holy shield. Since he lacked one, he took it, and almost immediately, it was corrupted with his evil, and changed to the massive tower shield it is now. The spikes are used to impale as well when shield bashing an opponent. Used to block arrows and other types of ranged attacks. Can be imbued with the same types of things as the sword to repel enemies from John, and repel holy magic projectiles. History Since John was a child, he was always popular, whether it was in school or any type of socialization. He always bullied anyone he could. One fateful day, when he turned 19, he killed a fellow classmate, and got away with it. From then on, he descended to darkness. When he turned 30, he killed more and more. He ate them. Skinned them. Hung them. He began to pray to the devil and death for their sweet relief. 17 years later, he got what he wanted. Death came right to him, and brought him to hell. Death transformed John to be a killing machine then and there. For the next 150 years of his life, he fought as Death's right hand man. One day, he was tasked with coming up to Earth, and was tasked with helping kill all the angels their, and liberating all souls who did not bow down to the power of Satan.
Name: Lilith ('true' name lost to time) Nickname: Herald of Malady, Mother of Sin Age: null Class: Demon Race: Fallen Angel
Appearance:
Personality: Shattered beyond recognition by her own power, Lilith is a twisted shadow of her former self. She erratically moves from one emotional extreme to another, completely changing her behaviour as she shifts from deep despair to burning rage. Her erratic behaviour makes her impossible to predict, even for her allies. Occasionally she has switched sides in the middle of a fight, or simply disengaged from it entirely. She tends towards negative emotions such as wrath, fear and despair, however on occasion something as mild as a bad joke can send her into a fit of laughter that lasts days. Unfortunately, she isn't any less dangerous when she's in a 'good' mood. While usually vicious and destructive, due to her own history children evoke a strange emotional reaction in her. Most of the time she will become more kind and motherly in their presence, but occasionally she will fly into a murderous rage and slaughter them all. It is possible, if risky, to try and change Lilith's mood by talking to her. Those who do this well can even earn her favour, causing her to temporarily enter a 'benevolent' state, acting more like her pre-fall self.
Biography: Once, Lilith was a being of kindness and light. She was known as the Angel of Mercy, using her powers to ease the suffering of mankind. She brought solace to the griefstricken, calm to those consumed with rage, and relief to the suffering. Her mere presence would soothe the woes of the world, and under her gaze humans prospered. Although immortal angels were not capable of conceiving, they were more than capable of love, and Lilith was deeply in love with another angel. But cruel fate seperated them during the War in Heaven, when her husband chose to betray Heaven and follow Lucifer. He spoke of freedom and equality as he fell ever further from the light, and during the war even Lilith was forced to use her powers to fight. For the first time in her ageless existence she was forced to inflict pain instead of relieving it, and the experience broke something inside of her. As the war came to it's climax she was faced with her own husband, now almost unrecognisable as his former self. As an angel he was immortal, and as he died again and again, Lilith could not bear to watch him suffer more. When they were faced with one another Lilith knew she could not fix him. What had once made him a force for good had been lost forever. So she soothed his pain, and soothed his heart, dragging him back from the brink. And she kept pulling, draining out all of his woes, and all that he was, until there was nothing left. She slew him, in such a way that not even an angel could recover from. He was forever lost to oblivion, his very soul turned to dust.
Unable to bear her despair, and unable to take her immortal life, Lilith wielded her powers on herself. She drained herself of her own sorrow, and buried her pain through magic. She became cold and distant, performing her duties out of habit. Slowly, as she retreated ever further within her own being, Lilith's light turned to darkness. Those who received her healing found themselves cold and empty, and the land she watched over became a dark and desolate place. The pain she had suppressed could never truly be erased, and she had merely allowed the wound to fester. It grew within her heart, until her heart itself rotted away. Her pain and agony spilled from her being, and began twisting those around her. Those she had once helped were now thrown into disarray as her manipulation caused war and death all around the world. She was cast from Heaven, and yet even as she fell she had lost the ability to care. She became a creature not quite demon, but far from angel, a force for evil rivalled by few. Empty, twisted by the suffering she had locked within her core. Now, she is motivated only by her own broken mind, and an unrelenting hunger.
Once, she was locked within the bowels of hell by the demons who dwelt there, fearing her erratic influence. But now, as the world itself came to an end, she was unleashed unto the world once more. And none are safe from her darkness.
Notable Skills:
[Angelic Physiology] Like all Angels, Lilith was created as a 'perfect being', possessing physical abilities far beyond those of a normal human. While her physique is not unusual among angels, she is certainly far stronger and faster than most mortals. She can also fly.
[Devourer of Hope] Lilith possesses the ability to drain the emotions of other living beings. Originally this ability was used to remove negative emotions such as wrath and suffering. Now it is used to leave people as empty husks of their former selves. Those Lilith touches find their will to live sapped, their very drive to act. Even a cursory touch will leave a mark of darkness within the soul of a mortal that will haunt them for the rest of their life. Extended contact can even reduce angels to husks, their compassion and love replaced by emptiness. Those who are completely drained become 'husks', near-mindless zombie-like creatures who try to fill the emptiness within by devouring the flesh and souls of the living. It is a fate considered by many to be worse than death.
[Herald of Despair] Once, Lilith's light filled those in her presence with hope and love. Now, her presence brings only suffering. Lilith radiates intense emotion, that fills those near her. She can inflict mind-numbing fear to paralyse her opponents, send her enemies into a mindless rage, or simply inflict excruciating agony upon them. The emotion released by this power often mirrors the emotional extreme she's currently experiencing. The closer you are to Lilith the more extreme this effect becomes, and attempting to fight her face-to-face is ill-advised for those who do not possess truly extreme willpower. Mortals without some sort of magical protection or truly unusual willpower are helpless to this power's influence, and as such Lilith's mere presence usually causes wide-spread chaos and destruction. As part of this power Lilith is innately aware of the emotions of other beings, and can sense strong emotions even over long distances.
[Blood-Sealed Contract] Powerful sorcerors are capable of partially summoning Lilith into the world, and making a 'contract' with her. They carry some shard of Lilith's hunger in exchange for eternal life and superhuman power. These sorcerors were twisted into inhuman creatures, shunned by heaven and gifted with dark power. However, they needed to consistently feed on the lifeforce of living beings or have their own consciousness devoured by the Hunger and become a Husk. These creatures are known among mortals as Vampires, and Lilith is believed to be responsible for the creation of the first vampires. This, among other things, is what earned her the title of 'Mother of Sin'. She is still capable of performing this contract, if one were to ask, and was able to either bind her to their will through ancient magic or convince her to assist them.
