Corporeal Forces: 3 Strength: 6 Agility: 6

Ethereal Forces: 5 Intelligence: 12 Precision: 8

Celestial Forces: 4 Will: 9 Perception: 7

Skills: Chemistry/3, Computer Operation/1, Dodge/2, Fighting/3, Knowledge (Biology/1, Biochemistry/1, Genetics/4, Genetic Engineering/4, Research/1), Medicine/4

Songs: Beasts (All/3), Entropy (Corporeal/3, Ethereal/3), Light (Celestial/1), Fruition (Corporeal/2), Machines (Celestial/1), Shields (Corporeal/2)

Servant: human/3 (Diane Goodall, Soldier of Animals)

Attunements: Kyriotate of Animals, Call of the Wild, Animal Magnetism, Friend of Beasts

Duriel was once one of Vapula's rising stars. She (Duriel, even as a Shedite, had a fondness for the female gender) worked as a biological researcher, coming up with better killing through genetics. It was even said that she had a shot at the Word of Mutants. Her Redemption was a bit of a shock, as Duriel certainly didn't precisely like humans very much (something that's true even now, although it's nothing like her earlier loathing).

Unfortunately, nobody checked to see whether she liked anything else. Duriel always seemed to have a way with animals: this ability was truly aberrant for a Shedite, so she kept it quiet. Unfortunately, she found herself feeling more and more empathy for the lab rats and monkeys she was using for her experiments, which is why she got out of Carcinogenic Cosmetics and into Genetic Research in the first place. Unfortunately, she was a very good genetic researcher, which caused her even more mental anguish.

The last straw was when Vapula himself praised her latest line of research (a retrovirus that could boost neural tissue in most mammalian species). His insane cackling on how this would be perfect for the experimental animal/machine hybrid servitors he was currently obsessing over caused Duriel to get very quiet in her laboratory after her Prince left. This wasn't going to be good. Vapula was ready to turn the entire animal kingdom into a dangerous plaything for humanity: true, the idea of rampaging hunter-cyborgs eviscerating random mortals was tempting, but it would turn every other species on Earth into expendable resources. Unlike humans, the rest of Earth's species didn't deserve that kind of Fate.

Screw it. Reliable rumor hinted that at least one Archangel had his priorities straight. Duriel very thoroughly trashed her laboratory (holding on to her best viral cultures) and ran for it.

Duriel's Redemption was painful, and she very nearly didn't survive it (it didn't help that it was done by Jean). The new, weakened Kyriotate was adamant about serving Jordi, and despite some misgivings, the Council let her. They did insist that she get therapy from Servitors of Flowers, and despite herself Duriel came out of them with a somewhat healthier attitude towards humanity. She doesn't hate them anymore: she just thinks that most of them are fairly idiotic. This isn't exactly uncommon among angels, though, so what can you do?

Still, working for Jordi was fun. The Archangel of Animals doesn't get many Servitors who originally served Technology, and Duriel was cooperation itself when pointing out new and better Tethers to firebomb. She soon rose in his service. When she thought the time was right, the Kyriotate started hinting delicately at a little project that she thought Jordi might find … fruitful. It took a while to convince him, but the Archangel eventually allowed himself to be persuaded. The idea called to him, in spite of himself.

Today, Duriel works in a very secret, very isolated Tether of Animals in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. Her servant (a very talented, albeit fanatical deep ecologist) acts as her sole assistant and set of hands. Duriel hopes to change that soon (although Diane is one of the few humans she really likes): her research is very promising. Before one gets ideas, Duriel isn't working on a virus designed to wipe out humanity, or any other form of genocide. That would be flaunting God's will.

However, God didn't say anything about boosting the reasoning capacity of the rest of the animal kingdom. The virus cultures Duriel managed to hold on to were a good start, but she wants something more potent. Unlike most researchers, Duriel isn't interested in uplifting animals that can communicate with humans: as long as her charges can work together effectively, let the humans worry about how to talk to them. The angel is especially interested in uplifting insect colonies into a sort of collective consciousness: such a gestalt mind could be effectively immortal … and a perfect recruit for Jordi. All of this must be done very carefully, of course, but Duriel eventually hopes to give countless species the opportunity to know and praise God.

The fact that these species will also be able to more effectively demonstrate their objections to having their homes bulldozed by shortsighted humans is merely a serendipitous effect.