"Will you follow me into fire, into storm, into darkness, into death? And the nine said yes."
-Delenn, Babylon 5

Gabriel
Ofanite Archangel of Fire

"The world is a flame in danger of being extinguished. It is our role to prevent this."

DISSONANCE

Gabriel not only punishes the cruel, but also inspires humanity toward faith in God's glory. An angel of Fire who damages a human's faith will suffer dissonance, unless they manage to either restore it, or inspire an equal or greater faith within a number of days equal to the angel's Celestial forces.

Those who are able to detect cruelty do not incur dissonance if they do not choose to punish the cruel, but a good explanation is the least expected of them should they do nothing about it.

The only constant in Gabriel's appearance when he or she manifests on the Corporeal plane are his or her eyes, which always bear the look of one who knows far too much, and which glow faintly in dim enough light.

CHOIR ATTUNEMENTS

Seraphim: (Restricted) Gabriel's Seraphim can tell with a resonance roll what a being belives to be True about their faith. On a check digit of 6, this will reveal a Malakite for what it is, as well as whether its loyalties lie toward the Host or the Exiles.

Cherubim: (Restricted) Gabriel's Cherubim are charged with punishing those who have betrayed someone devoted to them. Cherubim of Fire can identify those guilty of this type of cruelty on sight, and may attune to them without having to touch them. Once the attunement has been made, the cherub may engage hre attuned in a contest of Wills. If successful, the cherub inflicts a sense of guilt so powerful that it inflicts Mind hits equal to the check digit + the cherub's Ethereal forces. Cherubim of Fire take no dissonance either for allowing those they have attuned to in this manner to come to harm, or for inflicting harm through the use of their choir attunement.

Malakim: At will, these Malakim can encircle their hands with green celestial flames, burning everything they touch. As a weapon, this is a hand-to-hand attack with Power equal to the angel's Celestial forces, and Accuracy of -1. When used against angels serving the Host, the Power is at +2.

Ofanim: Charged both with pursuing the guilty and with delivering revelation (no matter the location of those for whom their message is intended,) Gabriel's Ofanim are immune to all corporeal damage from heat, radiation and electricity. Their vessels' bodies balance automatically, with any excess being distributed across the rest of the Symphony, and any deficit being drawn from it.

Lilim: (Restricted) Lilim of Fire can, by making eye contact, tell either exactly what punishment an offender Needs to repent of his cruelty, or what he Needs to restore his faith. The Lilim must decide which of the two she is trying to detect before attempting this.

Elohim: (Partially Restricted) Gabriel's Elohim can sense those who delight on inflicting psychological or emotional pain on others. An Elohite of Fire who has detected such cruelty may then make a resonance roll to detect what the cruelest action is that the subject has taken, with the check digit indicating the extent of the cruelty the subject of the attunement has indulged in.

Kyriotates: If a Kyriotate of Fire possesses someone who enjoys inflicting physical pain on others, it gains no dissonance for leaving its host in worse shape than when it took control, as long as the harm came as a result of the Kyriotate taking steps to make amends for its host's cruelty.

Mercurians: (Partially Restricted) Gabriel's Mercurians can sense those who delight in cruelty to themselves. Rather than punish these, if the Mercurian can prevent him from harming himself for a full day, it gains 3 essence. Only Mercurians can gain essence in this manner.

SERVITOR ATTUNEMENTS

Dance of the Atoms: As written in Superiors 3

Eyes of Flame: By staring into a flame, those angels of Fire who are able to detect the cruel have the ability to sense the location of the nearest being that is guilty of the type of cruelty they are attuned to. If the angel using this attunement is able to sense more than one type of cruelty, they can also tell which type of cruelty the one they sense is guilty of. This does not convey either sound or the exact distance to the attuned, just general direction. All this attunement requires is an open flame and one turn's concentration.

The Last Spark: As written in Superiors 3, with the following addendum: If this is used to restore a human's faith in order to avoid dissonance, but the subject's faith is lost once more after the hour expires, the angel of Fire takes two points of dissonance!

Smite: As written in Superiors 3.

The True Shape of Flame: As written in Superiors 3.

Whispers of Inspiration: As written in Superiors 3.

DISTINCTIONS

All as written in Superiors 3.

HIGHER DISTINCTIONS

The only higher distinction Gabriel has granted was General of the Armies of Fire, to Soldekai, Angel of Hope, as her reward for his faithful defense of the entrances to Heaven from her Volcano.

RELATIONS

Host:

Allied: None
Associated: Jean
Hostile: Eve, Laurence, Malphas, Zadkiel
Enemy: Demogorgon, Lucifer

Exiles:

Allied: Khalid, Soldekai
Associated: Blandine, Lilith, Novalis, Raphael
Hostile: Malphas

Other:

Allied: None
Associated: Beelzebub, Fleurity, Mariel
Hostile: Adam, Malphas
Enemy: Jordi

BASIC RITES

Spend three hours near an intense heat source.
Spend an hour in intense conflict, mental or physical.
Kill a member of the Host with Fire (+3 essence)

EXPANDED RITES

Inspire a human to perform a selfless action.
Inspire faith in God, rather than in the lies spread by the Host (+2 essence).
Protect someone who is the recipient of genuine inspiration (creative or divine, +2 if both).
Purify a source of flame that has been corrupted by the Host.

CHANCE OF INVOCATION: 2

INVOCATION MODIFIERS

+1 Praying before a fight.
+2 Cleaning a piece of metal in flames.
+3 The life's blood from the vessel of a member of the Host.
+4 The tomb or grave of one who died to protect others, or as a martyr to an uncorrupted faction of one of the divine religions.
+5 In, or surrounded by, flames.
+6 While engaged in mortal battle (+7 if Laurence's or Lucifer's personal troops are involved).

GABRIEL IN DETAIL

Where once Gabriel was equal parts divine messenger and punisher of the cruel, the continuing degradation of the Symphony has forced her to increasingly leave punishment in the hands of others - although if a being manages to be guilty of sufficient cruelty to demand her personal attention, in her masculine form Gabriel will spare little effort to eradicate him.

HISTORY

Gabriel stood alongside Lucifer when Metatron spoke "Let there be light" on God's behalf, his Fire mingling with Lucifer's Light to form the first star. As the universe was formed, the two of them worked most closely with Eli, taking great joy in building each star, and in some cases shepherding them through their destruction to form the nebulae that, while not mandated by divine plan, made the physical Heavens mirror the beauty of their celestial counterparts.

When the angels were given the task of forming the Earth, Gabriel formed Belial and Soldekai from his own forces, and set them to the task of furthering his Word on the fledgling planet. Where Soldekai was tasked with creating and guiding the fires aboveground (which Lucifer in turn used to further his own Word among the humans,) Belial was charged with guiding the molten fires that raged below.

It was when Gabriel noticed that the humans were using their fires for more than mere food and protection against the night that he created Khalid, and assigned him the duty of spreading stories which stressed the glories of God. It was also during this time that Gabriel first felt the burning touch of prophecy upon his mind, and so Gabriel himself would also appear to the humans periodically to deliver a message (or herself, depending upon the culture to which the Archangel of Fire was sent.) This is when Gabriel and Yves worked most closely together.

Eventually, however, the day came when the voice of God that channeled itself through Gabriel did so not as the heat of inspiration, but rather the chill of fearful warning. "TAKE UP THY ARMS AND FIGHT, LEST THE SPIRES OF HEAVEN BE TOPPLED LOW," Gabriel spoke to a gathering of the Seraphim Council, his eyes unseeing. The first reports of Lucifer's army's assault came moments later.

Gabriel fought with the fury of a thousand suns, Belial, Soldekai and Khalid at his heels as they blazed their way through the rebels. But at the wrong moment, Gabriel was once again paralysed by the prophecy that tore through him. He never had the chance to tell another of the vision God granted him, however, as it was at that moment that Lucifer chose to attack. Blazing both with his own Light and that stolen from the shattered corpse of Metatron, Lucifer descended upon Gabriel, battering Khalid and Soldekai aside. Belial stood his ground, his devotion to protecting his master as admirable as it was short-lived. Despite the power Gabriel had invested in him, Lucifer tore him apart almost without noticing that he had been there at all. It was only Michael's intervention that saved Gabriel's life, and only at the cost of his own. As the fight ended, Gabriel merely wept as he saw the final moments of the Heavenly Revolution play itself out; cold despair almost succeeding in the destruction that Lucifer had failed in only through Michael's sacrifice.

As Yves fell from Heaven, Gabriel gathered his resolve, then tore his cathedral from Heaven and flung it into the Marches. Turning toward Lucifer, his male form and shredded robes of celebration melting away into a female form wreathed in robes of mourning, Gabriel uttered a final prophecy: "THE SEEDS OF BITTER DEFEAT HAVE BEEN PLANTED IN THE SOIL OF HOLLOW VICTORY." And with that, Gabriel gathered up the last few fragments of Belial's flaming sword, and silently joined the Exiles.

Gabriel spoke little during the years following the imprisonment of the Exiles in Hades, providing what inspiration she could through her infrequent bursts of prophecy. Then at last the day came when the voice of God thundered through her, seeming to resonate throughout the entirety of Hades: "THE UNEXPECTED KEY TURNS." The gates of Hades shattered moments later, as Lilith's plans to free the Exiles knew success.

Since then, Gabriel has wandered the planes of existence, rarely staying in one place longer than she can avoid. Unwilling to merely plan, or to wait for Lucifer to take the battle to the Exiles, Gabriel sought out her former companion's followers wherever she could find them. In her female form she delivered the words of God, and in her male form she delivered His wrath. Few can decide which was more terrifying.

The struggles between Gabriel and Lucifer over divine religion that once were seen as a tool to allow humanity hope of something other than service to angels in the afterlife have become an increasingly bitter private war. Most attribute this as the reason for Gabriel's ever-increasing isolation and instability.

What few know (although it is the subject of some rumors on both sides,) is that the voice of God that once spoke, sang, and at times even screamed in Gabriel's head has been fading into incomprehensibility: As the Symphony has degraded, so too has the certainty with which Gabriel is capable of delivering even the simplest of prophecies. The exact effect this has on Gabriel's sanity is a matter of speculation among the few who know of this, as well as great fear - Gabriel herself no longer confides in any of this, and none have the courage to ask.

HOLY MYSTERIES

Although it is common knowledge that Gabriel's Volcano allows access to Heaven through the Marches, it is rumored that Gabriel has other means of entry, as well. Some even whisper (but among the Host, only to the most trusted of their friends) that Gabriel has been granted audiences with Lucifer himself! The reasons for these visits, as well as their results, depend on the one telling the tale. The rumors among the Exiles tend to have Gabriel intervening on behalf of angels (or even humans!) persecuted by the Host. Those among the Host typically range from Gabriel begging to be allowed back into Heaven for good, or to any number of humiliations by Lucifer.

It is whispered that a fiery woman can sometimes be seen wandering the more remote and deserted streets of Heaven, sometimes spreading words of comfort, always striking down any who choose to bar her way. Despite brutal suppression by Laurence's secret police, these rumors keep resurfacing.

Some say that, immediately before Laurence joined the battle against Lucifer, Gabriel appeared before him with a prophecy meant for him alone. While none claim to know the exact words of it, all maintain that this was why Laurence knelt to pray when he did. If it had not been for Gabriel's prophecy, the stories continue, he might have been able to save Michael from Lucifer's killing stroke.

ARCHANGELIC OPINIONS

The Host:

Andrealphus: "In the name of Love, he lies down with those who spat upon the love God had for his creations. But what is the greater cruelty, to shatter the chains of delusion she has wrapped around herself, or to leave her to punish himself in his own way?"

Beleth: "Too wrapped up in her own Fear to serve the purpose for which she was given her Word."

Beth: "Thoroughness sacrificed its purpose upon the altar of recordkeeping. If she left the Library she stole from Yves' corpse, then we would need to deliver the vengeance of the Lord upon her. As it is, she is best either ignored, or pitied for her lack of vision."

Christine: "Blinded by her own Word. A lesser threat than those of her fellows among the councils of the Host, however, and even her faith deserves some degree of protection."

Demogorgon: "The Host tore the Symphony itself asunder through its rebellion, and this abomination revels in grinding filth into the wounds. Destroy its servants and its works when and wherever you can."

Eve: "Our greatest failure."

Gebbeleth: "One of the few signs of hope among the Host, yet condemned alongside them."

Iblis: "The empty Glory of a hollow spirit, and nothing more."

Israfel: "THE SHIP SINKS, YET SHE BAILS IT WITH A SPOON."

Jean: "Where his actions inspire awe and reverence for God, assist him. Where his actions assert the dominance of the Host, stop him."

Laurence: "His treachery is surpassed only by that of the Lightbringer who blinded him."

Lucifer: "AN EMPTY THRONE IN AN EMPTY HEAVEN, SEATING AN EMPTY KING."

Malphas: "THE SNAKE THAT SWALLOWS ITS OWN TAIL SHALL IN DUE TIME COLLAPSE UPON ITSELF."

Marc: "The measures he takes to lighten the burden of benign neglect the Host has placed upon the mortal souls within their clutches is to be admired, yet it does not mitigate the fact that he still serves those that place the yoke upon their shoulders."

Zadkiel: "When Heaven itself collapses from the wounds the Host has inflicted upon the Symphony, the walls she guards with such obsession shall form her tomb."

The Exiles:

Baal: "His blindness is twofold: First, blindness to the true price of his rebellion, and second, blindness to all save his desperation to put things to rights far too late."

Blandine: "Dreams have inspired the faith of humanity for millenia. Despite her pain and loss, Blandine serves God in a way few others have the courage for."

David: "Oh, Brother, how can a pain so deep be eased?"

Dominique: "Through blindness she has gained a clarity of vision, yet it seems that she can now do little more than try to reverse the direction in which the world's unbalanced scales tilt."

Eli: "Creation and destruction are but two faces of the same coin. Which do you serve now, Brother?"

Lilith: "This one stands as proof of the subtlety of the plans of God. That she strides among archangels as equal only further proves the blindness of the Lightbringer to the Truth he once heard with such clarity."

Malphas: "THE SNAKE THAT SWALLOWS ITS OWN TAIL SHALL IN DUE TIME COLLAPSE UPON ITSELF."

Novalis: "Aid her however you can. If her faith in God's plan should fail, we all shall pay the price."

Nybbas: "Too obsessed with spreading the message to listen to the words."

Ogiel: "THE FLAME THAT BURNS TWICE AS BRIGHTLY BURNS HALF AS LONG. THE DAY WHEN HIS FLAME BURNS MORE BRILLIANTLY THAN ANY OTHER APPROACHES."

Raphael: "The warmth of her joy in learning has cooled to the bitter ember of her struggle to survive. Weep for her if you must; find reason to restore her faith in God's plan if you can."

Soldekai: "So long as he stands, the tunnels within the Volcano allow us entry into Heaven. So long as we have those, we have Hope."

Uriel: "In the name of duty to God, he places his Word beneath the cause of retaking Heaven. The first of his kind, he may well be the greatest of all the Exiles."

Vapula: "HIS SECRET SHALL EITHER SAVE, OR DAMN, US ALL."

The Others:

Adam: "WHAT PROFIT IT A MAN TO GAIN THE WORLD, IF THE COST BE HIS SOUL?"

Beelzebub: "Despite the insult of his taking the Word of the Firstborn, this one is to be aided where possible."

Fleurity: "Beware the barbs hidden within the tools of healing, but hinder him only when the cost of giving aid would prove too high."

Jordi: "THE CANCER AT THE HEART OF CREATION. BURN IT AWAY, LEST ALL BE LOST."