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Malhavoc
Press
The
Ultimate Archangel Competition
By Sean
K Reynolds
 To
celebrate the release later this month of Sean Reynolds'
sourcebook Anger of Angels,
Sean brings us a three-round competition in which you decide
who wins the title of Ultimate Archangel! Anger of Angels
is available now in its electronic edition (PDF).
Jump
to Round 1
Jump
to Round 2
Jump
to Round 3
Jump
to The Winner
Angelic
scholars have debated for centuries about which kind of
angel is superior to the others. This question applies to
the archangels as well. Now you can decide!
Greater
than other angels but not quite as powerful as gods, archangels
are known for performing great miracles, speaking on behalf
of the gods, and smiting the enemies of the faithful. But
which of them is the greatest? It's time to cast your vote
in this head-to-head competition between the highest of
the holy.
In a
series of three rounds, you will eliminate seven archangels
from this competition, leaving one with the crowning title
of Ultimate Archangel. In the first round, the angels arrange
themselves into four pairs. Your job is to choose which
of each pair is the mightiest, the most righteous, and the
epitome of all desirable angel qualities.
The
four winners from this first round will be paired up next
week for an identical competition. The two winners from
the second round will proceed to final round where your
votes will determine the winner, who receives a accolades
... and a pie.
Remember,
this is not merely a competition on the battlefield. While
Zeraphiel (an Angel of Death) might be better at destroying
mortals, his opponent Raphael (an Angel of Healing) is better
at saving them. While Michael might be the warleader of
Heaven's forces, his opponent Uriel is captain of the angels
who guard the heavenly thrones. Study the information presented
below on each archangel and cast your vote weighing all
factors.
Each
of the descriptions below outlines the archangel's angelic
race and stats. An asterisk (*) in an archangel's entry
refers to a dominion feat -- a new kind of feat representing
dedicated service to a particular concept or ideal -- described
in Anger of Angels. Several archangels also have levels
in new prestige classes presented in the book. Archangel
illustrations by Kieran Yanner.
Now
... let the contest begin!
Round
1
Voting for Round 1 closed on Sept. 10, 2003. Here are the
competitors -- and the winners!
Zerachiel
vs. Raphael -- Winner: RAPHAEL
Zerachiel:
LG dynama Clr20/Angel of Death5
(ECL 32) |
Raphael:
NG grigori Clr25 (ECL 30)
|
|
 Archangel
Zerachiel ("god's command") is one of the
primary angels who leads souls to judgment. An Angel
of Healing*, he is also the presiding angel of the
sun, prince of ministering angels (those who watch
over mortals), and the angel of children, particularly
children of parents who have sinned (and are therefore
at risk of falling into sin as adults themselves).
He is said to have dominion over the earth.
Like
Michael, he is a benevolent angel of death, and he
was sent to fetch the soul of Moses when it came time
for the patriarch to leave the mortal world for good.
As a judge of souls, Zerachiel is stern but fair,
hiding an inner sadness over the fates that mortals
make for themselves by their misdeeds. He sees fallen
angels and other fiends as largely responsible for
the continuing corruption of mortals. Though he rarely
has time to confront them himself, he sends lesser
angels to locate and destroy fiends.
|
 Archangel
Raphael ("god has healed") is the third
of the most famous classical angels. She is the Archangel
of Baptism*, Healing*, Knowledge*, Light*, and Repentance*,
as well as being an angel of joy, love, prayer, and
science. Raphael is the ruler of Second Heaven, guardian
of the Tree of Life in Heaven, and regent of the sun.
She has been a guide through the underworld for mortals
taken there while still alive (so they may relate
the horrors of Hell to others and thus scare them
away from a life of sin). Raphael is one of the three
angels who visited the patriarch Abraham and his wife
Sarah, announcing that despite their great age they
would have a son. When King Solomon prayed for help
in building his great temple, it was Raphael who brought
him a magic ring that could subdue all demons that
he used to enslave fiends to build the temple. After
the flood it was she who gave Noah the Sefer Raziel,
a great book of medical knowledge, and she who healed
Jacob's injury after wrestling with Gabriel. She dislikes
violence and works to ease misery and sorrow in the
world. She is a grigori, but greatly respected despite
the doom that has befallen others of her kind. It
is partly due to her influence that the repentant
grigori (those cast out for fathering nephilim but
who later atoned for their deeds) were allowed back
into Heaven.
|
Uriel
vs. Michael -- Winner: MICHAEL
| Uriel:
LG cherub Pal20/Angel of Destruction5/Angel
of Terror5 (ECL 41) |
Michael:
LG malakite Pal15/Ftr15/Angel of Death5 (ECL 43) |
 Archangel
Uriel ("fire of god") is a mighty angel whose
martial powers are second only to Archangel Michael's.
He is the Angel of Chance*, Fire*, Libra (see Angel
of the Zodiac*), Lightning*, Music*, and Repentance*,
as well as regent of the sun and an angel of prophecy
and salvation. He watches over thunder and terror, meaning
that all other Angels of Lightning answer to him. He
is captain of the angels of terror who guard the divine
thrones. When Adam and Even were banished from Eden,
Uriel guarded the gate of Eden with his flaming sword
to prevent them from returning. Later, Uriel helped
bury Adam in Heaven and was sent to warn Noah of the
flood. He is known throughout all of Heaven for his
sharp eyes, sharp mind, and his objective and impersonal
manner in implementing his superior's will. When the
Last Judgment comes, he will break the adamantine gates
in Hell so that all waiting souls may come forth to
be judged, even the ancient beings and monsters imprisoned
since the elder days. |
 Archangel
Michael ("who is as god") ranks as the greatest
of all angels in many religions. He is an Angel of the
Balances*, Repentance*, Sanctification*, War*, and the
Waters*, as well as being known as the angel of righteousness,
deliverer of the faithful, and ruler of Fourth Heaven.
Michael is chief of the Virtues (malakim) and was the
leader of Heaven's forces against the rebellious angels.
It was Michael who cast Samael out of Heaven for fomenting
the rebellion, and he bore Heaven's message to the outcast
angels that they were banned from Heaven for their treason.
It is said that the first cherubim arose from the tears
he shed over the sins of the faithful. When patriarch
Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove
his devotion to his god, Michael was sent to stay the
man's hand and tell him of the great destiny that awaited
him. Michael (along with Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, and
Metatron) assisted with the burial of Moses and disputed
with Samael over the disposition of the patriarch's
remains. In some lands he is invoked as St. Michael,
benevolent angel of death (in the sense that he delivers
the faithful from pain and grants them access to immortality
in the afterlife). As St. Michael, he was also one of
the patrons of the Knights of the Round Table. |
Remiel vs. Raguel -- Winner: REMIEL
| Remiel:
NG dynama Clr20/Angel of Death5 (ECL 32) |
Raguel:
LG principality Clr20/Pal5 (ECL 33) |
 Archangel
Remiel ("mercy of god") is called the lord
of souls awaiting resurrection. The promise of this
reward is why he is an Angel of Hope*. When someone
attempts to raise a person from the dead, it is Remiel
who tells the soul who desires its return and gives
the soul the choice to return or not. Remiel is also
a chief of thunder and the angel responsible for true
prophetic visions. At the Last Judgment, it is Remiel
who will guide the risen dead to their proper destination.
He has the power to recognize any soul, and any soul
he ever summoned as a blessed child‡ can sense
this upon seeing him (while retaining no actual memories
of the service). When the conqueror Sennacherib besieged
Jerusalem, in was Remiel who destroyed the attacking
army surrounding the holy city-numbering nearly 200,000
soldiers-in one night.
|
 Archangel
Raguel ("friend of god") is a great angel
but known by name to only a few mortals. He is an Angel
of the Earth*, guard of Second Heaven and Fourth Heaven,
and a manifestation of the divine will, which means
he is in constant counsel with the lawful and good deities
he serves. One of his duties is to marshal the angels
of snow and ice when it is time for battle, and because
of this it is presumed that he is an Angel of Cold*
as well. He brings other angels to account for their
improper deeds, and he is the creator of the forced
apostasy* spell, which is used as punishment for angels
who have transgressed. Because of his actions against
other angels, some mortals have misinterpreted his role
and nature, believing him to be a demon, but Raguel
is benign and only seeks to keep Heaven pure of corruption.
When the patriarch Enoch visited Heaven as a mortal,
it was Raguel who carried him to and from the mortal
world. |
Gabriel
vs. Metatron -- Winner: METATRON
| Gabriel:
LG ophanite Rgr10/Clr13/Angel of Death5 (ECL
39) |
Metatron:
LG hashmalite Clr25/Angel of Death5 (ECL 40) |
 Archangel
Gabriel ("God is my strength") is second only
to Michael in faiths that speak of angels. He is the
greatest Angel of Announcement*, having announced the
conception of the Messiah to Mary and dictated the Koran
to Mohammed. Gabriel rules First Heaven. He is an Angel
of Aquarius (see Angel of the Zodiac*), Fire*, Light*,
and War*, and also the angel of mercy, resurrection,
and vengeance. Some call him the prince of justice,
for it was he who smote the wicked cities of Sodom and
Gomorrah (which also marks him as an angel of death).
Gabriel completed Mohammed's training as a prophet (after
Israfel initiated this teaching) and wrestled with Jacob
before blessing the man. In some legends, Gabriel will
sound his trumpet at Armageddon. |
 Archangel
Metatron is an enigma. Though he has played an important
role in many historical religious events and may be
the most powerful angel of all, in most sources he
is overshadowed by Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael.
(Some believe he is actually an avatar of a deity
rather than an angel.) This does not bother him, though,
for he seems content to work behind the scenes and
interact closely with deities rather than taking direct
action in the mortal world. He is an Angel of Sanctification*
and called the king of angels, voice of god, and chancellor
of Heaven. Metatron is considered the tallest angel
in Heaven, but this may be because of some unusual
perception-confusing ability he possesses, for mortals
who have seen him have perceived him as miles tall
or even as tall as the breadth of the whole world.
Metatron was given many gifts, including 36 pairs
of wings so he may travel fast, innumerable eyes so
he may watch many things at once, and 72 names of
power so that supplicants can reach him and enemies
cannot bind him. Every day his superior gives him
a list of people whose souls must be taken to Heaven
that day. He authored parts of several holy books,
and he alone of the archangels was able to eject two
mortal wizards of power who had transported themselves
to Heaven. It was by his command that an angel announced
to the world the coming of the great Flood.
|
Round
2
Here's Sean's recap of last week's competition.
Zerachiel
vs. Raphael (winner: Raphael)
Though Zerachiel has more martial power than Raphael, this
particular contest was more about the influence these archangels
have over mortal lives. Zerachiel's dominion puts him in
high regard with the souls of dead mortals who have been
helped or saved by him, but Raphael's influence as the greatest
angel of healing makes her the favorite of the dearly departed
and the countless living mortals whom she has helped. That,
coupled with her influential roles in several major religions,
puts her over the top in this competition. Zerachiel respectfully
bows out, having better things to do -- like saving at-risk
souls -- than quibble over fine points such as his dominion
over the sun, the earth, and children.
Uriel
vs. Michael (winner: Michael)
Clearly these two angels are mighty, each capable of battling
evil foes of phenomenal power. It was Michael, after all,
who threw Samael out of Heaven, and in some worlds Uriel
is credited for purifying the earth of all its monstrous
inhabitants. However, this contest is being judged by mortals,
and while Uriel is held in great esteem among the hosts
of angels, Michael is heralded as a great angel and a saint
in many religions. In terms of popularity, he beats Uriel
hands down. Since in other ways they are a close match,
it is the favor of mortals that allows Michael to advance
to the next round.
Remiel
vs. Raguel (winner: Remiel)
These two are the least-known archangels, and because of
this fact, their competition was much closer than the other
three challenges. There are parallels between this challenge
and that of Uriel vs. Michael, for Raguel deals mostly with
angels and Remiel with mortals, and that hurt Raguel's chances.
With the instant recognition of Remiel by any who were summoned
by him as a blessed child, and because many mortals mistakenly
believe Raguel to be a demon for his actions against other
angels (or, in some worlds, his questional bloodline and
role as the guardian of Hell), Remiel wins this round. Fortunately,
Raguel doesn't hold grudges against those he knows are good
and true.
Gabriel
vs. Metatron (winner: Metatron)
Gabriel is a key figure in three major religions, and
Metatron is usually obscured by the other archangels. Named
more often than any other archangel, Gabriel is one of the
most powerful non-divine beings in the multiverse. However,
Metatron beats Gabriel because he just might *be* a divine
being. Dwarfing in stature any other being and some smaller
worlds, Metatron is called the voice of god. In some religions
he speaks on behalf of the overgod, for the unfiltered voice
of absolute divinity could destroy a listener. While Gabriel
is sent as an agent of Heaven's glory, Metatron is
that glory, or at least a very bright reflection of it.
Though most mortals cannot name a specific event that involved
Metatron, his mere presence causes any doubts of his supremacy
to fall away. Gabriel, meanwhile, has work to do, and is
happy to get away from this distracting contest.
Voting
for Round 2 closed on September 17, 2003. Here are the competitors
-- and the winners!
Remiel
vs. Michael -- WINNER: Michael
| Remiel:
NG dynama Clr20/Angel of Death5 (ECL 32) |
Michael:
LG malakite Pal15/Ftr15/Angel of Death5 (ECL 43) |
Archangel
Remiel ("mercy of god") is called the lord
of souls awaiting resurrection. The promise of this
reward is why he is an Angel of Hope*. When someone
attempts to raise a person from the dead, it is Remiel
who tells the soul who desires its return and gives
the soul the choice to return or not. Remiel is also
a chief of thunder and the angel responsible for true
prophetic visions. At the Last Judgment, it is Remiel
who will guide the risen dead to their proper destination.
He has the power to recognize any soul, and any soul
he ever summoned as a blessed child‡ can sense
this upon seeing him (while retaining no actual memories
of the service). When the conqueror Sennacherib besieged
Jerusalem, in was Remiel who destroyed the attacking
army surrounding the holy city-numbering nearly 200,000
soldiers-in one night.
|
Archangel
Michael ("who is as god") ranks as the greatest
of all angels in many religions. He is an Angel of the
Balances*, Repentance*, Sanctification*, War*, and the
Waters*, as well as being known as the angel of righteousness,
deliverer of the faithful, and ruler of Fourth Heaven.
Michael is chief of the Virtues (malakim) and was the
leader of Heaven's forces against the rebellious angels.
It was Michael who cast Samael out of Heaven for fomenting
the rebellion, and he bore Heaven's message to the outcast
angels that they were banned from Heaven for their treason.
It is said that the first cherubim arose from the tears
he shed over the sins of the faithful. When patriarch
Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove
his devotion to his god, Michael was sent to stay the
man's hand and tell him of the great destiny that awaited
him. Michael (along with Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, and
Metatron) assisted with the burial of Moses and disputed
with Samael over the disposition of the patriarch's
remains. In some lands he is invoked as St. Michael,
benevolent angel of death (in the sense that he delivers
the faithful from pain and grants them access to immortality
in the afterlife). As St. Michael, he was also one of
the patrons of the Knights of the Round Table. |
Raphael vs. Metatron -- WINNER: Metatron
Raphael:
NG grigori Clr25 (ECL 30)
|
Metatron:
LG hashmalite Clr25/Angel of Death5 (ECL 40) |
|
Archangel
Raphael ("god has healed") is the third
of the most famous classical angels. She is the Archangel
of Baptism*, Healing*, Knowledge*, Light*, and Repentance*,
as well as being an angel of joy, love, prayer, and
science. Raphael is the ruler of Second Heaven, guardian
of the Tree of Life in Heaven, and regent of the sun.
She has been a guide through the underworld for mortals
taken there while still alive (so they may relate
the horrors of Hell to others and thus scare them
away from a life of sin). Raphael is one of the three
angels who visited the patriarch Abraham and his wife
Sarah, announcing that despite their great age they
would have a son. When King Solomon prayed for help
in building his great temple, it was Raphael who brought
him a magic ring that could subdue all demons that
he used to enslave fiends to build the temple. After
the flood it was she who gave Noah the Sefer Raziel,
a great book of medical knowledge, and she who healed
Jacob's injury after wrestling with Gabriel. She dislikes
violence and works to ease misery and sorrow in the
world. She is a grigori, but greatly respected despite
the doom that has befallen others of her kind. It
is partly due to her influence that the repentant
grigori (those cast out for fathering nephilim but
who later atoned for their deeds) were allowed back
into Heaven.
|
Archangel
Metatron is an enigma. Though he has played an important
role in many historical religious events and may be
the most powerful angel of all, in most sources he
is overshadowed by Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael.
(Some believe he is actually an avatar of a deity
rather than an angel.) This does not bother him, though,
for he seems content to work behind the scenes and
interact closely with deities rather than taking direct
action in the mortal world. He is an Angel of Sanctification*
and called the king of angels, voice of god, and chancellor
of Heaven. Metatron is considered the tallest angel
in Heaven, but this may be because of some unusual
perception-confusing ability he possesses, for mortals
who have seen him have perceived him as miles tall
or even as tall as the breadth of the whole world.
Metatron was given many gifts, including 36 pairs
of wings so he may travel fast, innumerable eyes so
he may watch many things at once, and 72 names of
power so that supplicants can reach him and enemies
cannot bind him. Every day his superior gives him
a list of people whose souls must be taken to Heaven
that day. He authored parts of several holy books,
and he alone of the archangels was able to eject two
mortal wizards of power who had transported themselves
to Heaven. It was by his command that an angel announced
to the world the coming of the great Flood.
|
Round
3
Voting for Round 2 is now closed. Here's Sean's recap of
last week's competition.
Raphael
vs. Metatron (winner: Metatron)
Despite
their differing focuses and pursuits, this pair makes for
an interesting challenge. Though Raphael is a great healer
and diplomat, Metatron is an Angel of Sanctification --
his role is to hallow mortals and angels alike before they
come into the presence of the gods in Heaven. While Raphael
provided Solomon's demon-commanding ring, she was just the
bearer of this
item, not its creator. For his part, Metatron alone had
the power to cast out two mortal wizards who defied all
other archangels. Finally, Raphael bears the stigma of her
grigori racial background -- though she personally remains
true, many of her kind turned from Heaven. Conversely, Metatron
is a hashmalite, an angel created to maintain order in Heaven
on a fundamental level. King of angels, chancellor of Heaven,
and voice of God, Metatron beats out archangel Raphael in
this contest.
Michael
vs. Remiel (winner: Michael)
Though both are great angels, this contest was almost a
foregone conclusion. Remiel may be the shepherd of souls,
but Michael is leader of the malakim and famous in several
religions for his exploits. Though Remiel once destroyed
200,000 enemy soldiers in one night, Michael destroyed thousands
of rebellious angels in the First War, and even personally
threw Samael (once a great angel on par with the archangels)
out of Heaven. All souls recognize Remiel as their guide,
but all cherubim hail Michael as the creator of the first
of their kind, malakim call him their great general, and
mortals are knighted in his name. As Remiel is the angel
responsible for true prophetic visions, he saw this outcome
before the contest even started, and gracefully conceded
to Michael.
Thus
our final challenge is:
Metatron
vs. Michael
The voting for Round 3 has now closed. See The Winner
for Sean's analysis.
| Metatron:
LG hashmalite Clr25/Angel of Death5 (ECL 40) |
Michael:
LG malakite Pal15/Ftr15/Angel of Death5 (ECL 43) |
|
Archangel
Metatron is an enigma. Though he has played an important
role in many historical religious events and may be
the most powerful angel of all, in most sources he
is overshadowed by Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael.
(Some believe he is actually an avatar of a deity
rather than an angel.) This does not bother him, though,
for he seems content to work behind the scenes and
interact closely with deities rather than taking direct
action in the mortal world. He is an Angel of Sanctification*
and called the king of angels, voice of god, and chancellor
of Heaven. Metatron is considered the tallest angel
in Heaven, but this may be because of some unusual
perception-confusing ability he possesses, for mortals
who have seen him have perceived him as miles tall
or even as tall as the breadth of the whole world.
Metatron was given many gifts, including 36 pairs
of wings so he may travel fast, innumerable eyes so
he may watch many things at once, and 72 names of
power so that supplicants can reach him and enemies
cannot bind him. Every day his superior gives him
a list of people whose souls must be taken to Heaven
that day. He authored parts of several holy books,
and he alone of the archangels was able to eject two
mortal wizards of power who had transported themselves
to Heaven. It was by his command that an angel announced
to the world the coming of the great Flood.
|
Archangel
Michael ("who is as god") ranks as the greatest
of all angels in many religions. He is an Angel of the
Balances*, Repentance*, Sanctification*, War*, and the
Waters*, as well as being known as the angel of righteousness,
deliverer of the faithful, and ruler of Fourth Heaven.
Michael is chief of the Virtues (malakim) and was the
leader of Heaven's forces against the rebellious angels.
It was Michael who cast Samael out of Heaven for fomenting
the rebellion, and he bore Heaven's message to the outcast
angels that they were banned from Heaven for their treason.
It is said that the first cherubim arose from the tears
he shed over the sins of the faithful. When patriarch
Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove
his devotion to his god, Michael was sent to stay the
man's hand and tell him of the great destiny that awaited
him. Michael (along with Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, and
Metatron) assisted with the burial of Moses and disputed
with Samael over the disposition of the patriarch's
remains. In some lands he is invoked as St. Michael,
benevolent angel of death (in the sense that he delivers
the faithful from pain and grants them access to immortality
in the afterlife). As St. Michael, he was also one of
the patrons of the Knights of the Round Table. |
The
Winner — Michael!
What
a close contest! With supporters on both sides debating
dogma, the nature of humility, multiplanar theology, and
deeds versus essence, both archangels have centuries of
history and lore backing them up.
In the
end, Metatron's mystery works against him. Michael is understandable
and definable, while Metatron is an enigma, something other
than an angel and yet not a deity. Michael takes an active
role in the mortal world as a vanquisher of evil and patron
of knightly orders, while Metatron works behind the scenes
on the strange incomprehensible plans of deities. Michael
embodies the best of humanity (courage, humility, and righteousness),
while Metatron represents the alien and unknowable (he does
have dozens of wings,
countless eyes, and is freakishly tall).
Michael
is the greatest archangel because he is the best known,
performs the greatest deeds, and has the most appeal to
mortals.
Get
more about the archangels and other angelic—and demonic—source
material for your d20 game in Sean's Anger
of Angels, now on sale. See the official
press release, the table
of contents, art gallery,
and preview.
|
