| “ | On clouds, they walked unburdened; in the eternal warmth of the Heavens, they danced. | ” |
—Excerpt from the 11th Scripture of The Old Tome | ||
The Angel Juriel was a divine servant of the Heavens, and one of the most loyal seraphs of the Archangel Israphel. She served by his side as the means by which he was able to watch over the mortal plane of Esria, keeping a close eye on all life while searching for threats worthy of divine intervention.
Until the events of the Heartstone Crisis, and the Long Night in particular, her existence was kept secret even from the watchful gaze of the Archangels themselves. Only the young wizard Cyril Faulkner would share in such forbidden knowledge, when Juriel chose to disobey the orders of her Holy Lord and reveal herself to a mortal.
She was responsible for revealing the truth of the Heavens' existence to the mortal world during the Long Night, an unprecedented act carried out at the behest of the champions Elric Wybert and David Holmes. The event would directly lead to the beginning of the Blessed Era, and earn her the title of Holy Messenger to those who were witness to it.
Although greatly weakened and devoid of a halo after reforging it into the sword that would become Revenant, Juriel fought alongside other notable figures such as the argent dragon Miravir at the decisive Battle of the Nebelwald, and in numerous minor skirmishes until the demise of the Archangel Netheriel. She returned to the Heavens soon after, to face punishment for her disobedience.
History
Fall From Grace
During the final year of the Heartstone Crisis, in 1381 C.E, Juriel rebelled against the orders of the Heavens themselves and attempted to descend to the mortal world. Her attempts were quickly discovered, however, and she was quickly punished for her disobedience. She was banished, and fell from grace to Esria with tattered wings and barely a fraction of her divine power. Mysteriously, her halo would remain intact and fall with her.
Castigation
When the era of chaos and terror caused by the heartstones had finally ended, and the Archangel Netheriel had been completely destroyed, the Heavens once again opened. This would not bring light for Juriel, however, as although the young seraph would be reunited with her Holy Lord and the divine realm in which she had come to first exist, she had committed a grave sin that could not be overlooked.
In the end, Juriel was destroyed at the hand of her very own creator, the Archangel Israphel himself.
Information
Personality
Although little was known of the young seraph and her behaviour, Juriel was observed to be a quiet and curious individual. She expressed great interest in mortal life, often taking the time to observe all manner of practices and many different walks of life. During extended periods away from the Heavens she often visited various churches, quietly whispering verses of prayer.
Unusually, she possessed both love and empathy for Esria far beyond that of most divine beings, which led to her disobedience during the Heartstone Crisis.
Appearance
Juriel walked the mortal world in human guise, appearing as an odd and quietly spoken young woman of pale skin and snow white hair. Although unable to fully conceal her celestial nature, she was easily mistaken for a highly curious, scholarly looking individual clad in the flowing blue robes worn by priests of the Church.
Two eyes of bright silver shone from beneath her hood, and flawless features lacking even a single blemish told of her true nature. Wrapped around her slender wrists sat linked bracelets of beads, each adorned with a small, silver cross.