Saturday, April 30, 2016

Angels Unbound: Zuriel (an a-to-z post)

Zuriel
The Archangel of Wisdom. He represents understanding and judgement, good judgement. He is often sought out by the other Angels, especially Michael, who has become his confidant. Since the War of Heaven, they always fight side-by-side. Zuriel cannot be moved for he is the "Rock of God."

Already released:
 Raziel
 Ornias
 Asbeel

 Barachiel

 Gadreel

 Lailah

Friday, April 29, 2016

Angels Unbound: Yahoel (an a-to-z post)

Yahoel
Yahoel likes to bill himself as the Manifestation of the Power of God. He is the restrainer of the Leviathan and will be the one to unleash it upon the Earth during the End of Days. After the War of Heaven, and because of it, Michael has formed close bonds with Yahoel. He is the Guardian Angel of the Chosen.

He is also the choirmaster of Heaven and taught the Angels to say the praises of the Father.

His body is like a sapphire with hair like snow.



Already released:
 Raziel
 Ornias
 Asbeel

 Barachiel

 Gadreel

 Lailah

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Angels Unbound: Xantros (an a-to-z post)

Xantros
Xantros
If ever there was an Angel who could have been called a loser, it was Xantros. He just never knew what to do with himself. Even during the War of Heaven, he just stood and watched, waiting for someone else to tell him what to do. When it came time to retrieve Raziel's Book from Man, Xantros was just the right amount of expendable.

Get "Xantros" FREE! today!

Already released:

 Raziel
 Ornias
 Asbeel

 Barachiel

 Gadreel

 Lailah

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Angels Unbound: Wormwood (an a-to-z post)

Wormwood
During the War of Heaven, Chemosh, the Destroyer consumed Wormwood. But Angels are eternal and cannot be unmade except by the Father, which is not to say that they can't be changed... What was left of Wormwood was not something that could be called humanoid. He has become the Angel of Bitterness for bitterness is all that is left to him. One day, he will achieve his Purpose and fall from the heavens, striking the waters of Earth into blood.

Already released:
 Raziel
 Ornias
 Asbeel

 Barachiel

 Gadreel

 Lailah

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Angels Unbound: Vehuel (a to z) and Clone Wars -- "Sphere of Influence" (Ep. 3.4)

Vehuel
Not all Angels are satisfied with their place in the order of Creation. Thus was the case with Vehuel, created as only a minor Guardian. He was never quite satisfied with that. After the fall of the Grigori, he took to hanging out with them on Earth, but as a woman, so as not to risk ending up being banished with them. He's on the fringes of Angel "society."


Clone Wars
-- A child stolen is a hope lost.

[Remember, you can sign up to join the Clone Wars Project at any time by clicking this link.]

I think this episode is really about politics. Of course, it doesn't look like that on the surface. It looks like an episode dealing with a kidnapping. But, really, at least to me, the episode is about how the Trade Federation can continue to do bad stuff and retain their status. "Bad stuff" includes dealing with the Separatists, which they do right alongside dealing with the Republic by claiming neutrality. In a world where economic sanctions and bans are a part of the way politics works, I sometimes find this puzzling. Then I remember Saudi Arabia and how we buy oil from them.

Anyway...

Baron Papanoida's daughters are kidnapped in an effort to coerce him to bring Pantora into the Separatist movement. Rather than comply, Papanoida, along with Ahsoka, takes matters into his own hands.

I'm more interested in the politics involved than the rescue attempts.

Fun fact: Baron Papanoida was first seen in Revenge of the Sith played by George Lucas himself.


"I still can't believe they let you teach."

Monday, April 25, 2016

Angels Unbound: Uri'el (an a-to-z post)

Uri'el
Yes, this is the same Uri'el who appears in Shadow Spinner (see Chapter 34: Uri'el) and who guards the entrance to the Garden with a flaming sword. Some say the sword is a manifestation of Uri'el, while some hold that the sword is a separate entity. One thing is certain, the sword can guard the entrance without the presence of Uri'el, and Uri'el can always keep watch over the entrance, no matter where he is, because of his thousand eyes.

He is known to be as pitiless as the most heartless of Demons, even Lucifer himself, even though he is an Angel of Repentance. He watches over "thunder and terror."

Perhaps because of his farseeing gaze and despite his pitiless nature, Uri'el was one of The Three who pleaded the case for humanity when God sent the flood to destroy the Nephilim. It was Uri'el who warned Noah and instructed him on the building of the ark.

It was also Uri'el who rescued John the Baptist from the Massacre of the Innocents. He returned the body of Adam (and his son Abel) to the Garden for burial after their deaths. Uri'el, in his aspect of Angel of Repentance, was the one who checked the door posts for the blood of a lamb in Egypt when Azrael (the Archangel of Death) came to take the first borns. Uri'el told him whom to spare.

He has killed many who have tried to enter the Garden, but it is whispered that he has also killed those who have not. The flaming sword was noticeably absent during the mysterious assassination of Sennacherib, king of Assyria.


Already released:
 Raziel
 Ornias
 Asbeel

 Barachiel

 Gadreel

 Lailah

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Angels Unbound: Temeluchus (an a-to-z post)

Temeluchus
We like to think of Angels as "good" and Demons as "bad," but the truth is that our own, human, perceptions of good and evil come nowhere close to applying to Angels and Demons. For instance, Temeluchus is the Chief Angel of Torment. And he likes it. He likes to cause pain and is known as merciless, the Merciless Angel of Fire. But he has a soft spot for infants and children and considers himself their special caretaker. Therefore, he especially likes to torture those he considers under his care.


Already released:
 Raziel
 Ornias
 Asbeel

 Barachiel

 Gadreel

 Lailah

Friday, April 22, 2016

Angels Unbound: Samael (an a-to-z post)

Samael
No one knows how many Death angels there are, no one but the Father. Mostly, they don't reveal themselves except to those whom they are taking. But Samael is the "Severity of God" and an Archangel (though not the Archangel of Death), and everyone knows what he's about. It was Samael who waited to take Isaac once Abraham had plunged his dagger into Isaac's chest, and he was not completely pleased when given the Command to stay Abraham's hand. Also, he has a history with Lilith. There are whispers...


Already released:
 Raziel
 Ornias
 Asbeel

 Barachiel

 Gadreel

 Lailah

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Angels Unbound: Raziel (an a-to-z post)

 Raziel
Raziel
Raziel was one of the first Angels to step out of the Void and went immediately to the work of writing down all the words of God. He's kind of like the court stenographer. He is the only Angel privy to everything God says and does, closer to God than any other but the Word. He is the Keeper of Secrets and the Angel of Mysteries. He is chief among all the Erelim, the Valiant.

From before time, Raziel wrote down all the words of God and all that happened. He wrote down the War of Heaven and the rebellion of Lucifer. He wrote down when time began and the start of Creation. He wrote of the disobedience of Man... and, then, gave them the book he wrote for them, The Book of Raziel. It was the start of... everything.



Not long after I envisioned the whole a-to-z of Angels and Demons thing, I thought it would be cool to get some other authors involved so that, stylistically, the stories wouldn't all be the same. Getting people on board for a project like this, though, turned out to be more difficult than I imagined. In general, other than a few stories that I knew I wanted to write (because they specifically pertain to larger plot arcs), I was going to leave it up to the individual author to pick the story/Angel s/he wanted to write about. Except for one: I knew early on that I wanted Briane Pagel to write the story of Raziel. Fortunately, he was on board to do that, and he has given me a story that I would never have thought of, which is why I wanted him to do it in the first place.

"Raziel" is FREE! today! Make sure you pick up a copy!


Already released:
 Ornias
 Asbeel

 Barachiel

 Gadreel

 Lailah