Post by Zadkiel on Dec 7, 2013 14:31:37 GMT -5
Zadkiel
Name: Zadkiel Alias: Zak Age: Ancient Occupation: Zadkiel holds dominion over forgiveness, mercy and benevolence. He is the patron angel to those who forgive. One of the two standard bearers who follows Michael when the Head Archangel goes to battle, during times of peace, Zadkiel guards the West Gate of Heaven. Member Group: Angel - Seraphim Playby: Chris Hemsworth |
Personality Assessment
When God first crafted Zadkiel, he was a freedom fighter with a pacifists outlook on life. He abhorred bloodshed and advocated turning the other cheek. As the angel of Forgiveness and Mercy, this made sense. It did not mean he would not follow orders when they came - but they did trouble him from time to time.
Things have changed since then.
From the dawn of the decision to enact the Apocalypse, Zadkiel's ability to respond readily to the orders of the Archangels became compromised. He did not approve of the decision, but he maintained an air of neutrality that kept him under the radar. When the civil war erupted, Zadkiel pulled the Cherubim back and kept his garrison out of the fray. He refused to war against his brethren. As his garrison and the Cherubim were considered of less value than others, he once again escaped retribution.
After the death of the last of the archangels, Zadkiel among many other Seraphs were turned to for leadership. His continued devotion to God and his refusal to wage war made Zadkiel a favorite among the battered brethren who were weary of war and infighting. Since the Expulsion, Zadkiel has remained a leader amongst the lost angels. He keeps his garrison close, the Cherubim closer, and welcomes any who have need of him.
What few seem to realize or recognize, is that Zadkiel is an angel of Free Will. his refusal to fight was a personal decision - his gathering of the others an act of defiance against the notions of the Apocalypse. When the time comes, should it come, Zadkiel will fight.
Zadkiel will do all in his power to avert the Apocalypse, for he believes it defies God's true will. His love of humanity is above all other things. Zadkiel believes the Apocalypse to be a test of faith and loyalty - that though it was written does not mean it is to be so. This, Zadkiel believes, is why God has been absent. He is testing Heaven's ability to love humanity without His presence to enforce it - and as far as Zadkiel is concerned, Heaven is failing miserably.
Historical Overview
Zadkiel was born after the Archangels and many Seraphim, though long before the Angels of Days. From the beginning, Zadkiel knew nothing but love for his brothers and sisters, admiring those above him and caring for those who came after. He acted as a guiding hand to many, and was happy for any time that was allotted to him by his elders. Being incredibly humble by nature, Zadkiel did not deign to consider himself an equal with the older Seraphim, though he always made the effort to ensure the younger ones were healthy and hale.
When it came to the Archangels, Zadkiel was always happy for even a moment of their time, and was all but driven to his knees in reverence and awe when he was granted position as one of Michael’s standard bearers. The position was worthy of the best of Angels, and Zadkiel accepted the honor as gracefully as he possibly could in his shock. He was granted a garrison, which simply astonished him, and God himself gave him two missions before he stepped away from Heaven.
The first and most incredible of Zadkiel’s missions is the one for which he to this day is famous amongst his siblings and the humans. For it was Zadkiel and his garrison that was sent by God to cast Adam out of Heaven after Lilith’s fall. Torn by the fall of Lucifer and still having a difficult time accepting that his beautiful brother was not only gone from Heaven, but twisting beauty in his rage, Zadkiel was hesitant for the first time in his existence.
Michael was his inspiration, for there was none whom Lucifer had loved more than Michael – and Lucifer had loved all dearly – but Michael had not hesitated. Michael had been strong in the face of his brother and had obeyed their father. So Zadkiel went down and led his garrison against Adam, casting the man from Heaven and earning his name in the religious works of humanity.
The second mission Zadkiel received from God was much less troubling, and Zadkiel was happy to undertake the role. This too, he is recognized amongst humans for, though obscurely at best. The prophet was to be tested, and it was Zadkiel who reached out to Abraham and held him back from sacrificing his son toward the end. To this day that act remains as one of Zadkiel’s favorite moments.
Since the time of God’s apparent disappearance, Zadkiel continued to play his roles accordingly. For generations, his vessels have been the descendants of Abraham, though in this day and age it is more notably the descendants of Samuel Colt who host him. It was Samuel who first introduced poor Zadkiel to whiskey, and the angel still has flashbacks to the acrid taste. Humans and their tastebuds being fascinating and all, that is one thing he will never partake in again.
Things took an unexpected turn when Zadkiel’s siblings took it upon themselves to jumpstart the Apocalypse, and the Angel of Friday was quick to make himself scarce. While he would happily carry Michael’s standard when the time came, this was not that time. Zadkiel had no idea how he knew this, or if he was correct, but as far as he was concerned this was all quite wrong. He stayed clear of it all, even when the Angel of Thursday became directly involved. Zadkiel didn’t dare approach, lest he be expected to choose a side, and instead simply focused on answering the prayers of the devoutly forgiving.
He did find that the Winchesters were incredibly crafty, and when he could he would peek in just to see how the humans were holding up against matters. The final check he did had him witness the Angel of Thursday take on Michael with Holy Fire. To say that Zadkiel was astounded would be the understatement for this millennia. One did not take on the Head Archangel with Holy Fire, certainly not! Lucifer’s resultant exploding of Castiel had Zadkiel fleeing once again, the horrific bloodshed simply too much to be stomached. By the time Zadkiel peeked out of hiding again, Michael was locked to the cage and Raphael was at war with Castiel. How this was possible Zadkiel could not comprehend. Raphael was an archangel and Castiel was supposed to be dead. In the end, after some careful sleuthing, Zadkiel deduced that God had returned Castiel and that this civil dispute was simply another test. He allowed it to carry on as it was, because he saw no reason to object.
And then came the New God, and his fury set Heaven alight.
The power of Castiel was enormous and wrong, and the devastation he brought upon Heaven drove Zadkiel to his knees. Always closer to the gentler emotions of humankind than much of his brethren, Zadkiel had wept for days as he gathered the corpses of his brothers and sisters with a few able and equally wretched helpers as Castiel raged his warpath upon God’s earth. Zadkiel wept for the Angel of Thursday, so lost and tainted was his grace that he would take their father’s name and destroy so much, with so little thought. He wept for Castiel when his elder brother tried to write the wrongs and unleashed the Leviathan instead, sacrificing memory in exchange. He wept for the loss of hundreds of siblings in one fell blow, and he wept for an angel who had forgotten God.
The devastation brought on in the wake of Castiel’s war with Raphael had left the angelic orders in a state of extreme disarray that the few remaining Seraphs were left working desperately to overcome. With no archangels left alive to step forward and take charge, there had been an extreme power vacuum that none had dared to try and fill. Instead, Seraphs like Naomi had taken charge, filling the roles of their dead with surviving soldiers.
Promotions had resulted in a strict organizational structure as the Seraphs and their chosen equals worked to rebuild the garrisons and re-establish a sense of order in Heaven. During the chaos, the Seraphs and those they had chosen to serve beside them were counted as the eldest order and as a unit, had acted as Heaven’s leaders.
Zadkiel had adopted the remainder of a fallen Seraph's old unit and had been managing the Cherub organization when he had been approached to join Naomi. He had not involved himself in the war between Castiel and Raphael, had been a neutral party during the Apocalypse and as a Seraphim was among the oldest of his order. He had declined politely in favor of his current duties, keeping his garrison organized and ensuring that those who were new to him felt welcome and understood what was expected of them.
Naomi and her followers left him in charge of the Cherubim as that was the corner of Heaven he had taken his garrison to during the upheaval, knowing that Heaven’s youngest Order would need immediate tending to and presuming him to be utterly nonthreatening. As a result, Zadkiel was left blissfully unaware of what Naomi was doing and remains oblivious to her crimes, which is perhaps both a good thing and a bad one.
On a mission to Earth during this period, Zadkiel met and fell in love with a child of the Morningstar. He kept this to himself for a time, but the depth of his emotions for Belial were bringing to him thoughts he had never before believed he would face. He had spoken to Belial once about Falling to avoid the conflict, only to have two very astonishing things come forth.
First had been Belial’s abject horror at the idea of him Falling and the other. The other stands among Zadkiel’s most treasured secrets. His Father had approached them – God Himself – to tell them that he was fond of the love they held for one another. That was all he said, no advice or guidance, no warning of what was to come. Just his blessing.
It was more than Zadkiel needed and more than he had ever realized he desired. It pushed him onward and gave him the strength to face the judgement of his brethren when it would surely come, and to love Belial freely without any sense of shame. It also solidified the entirety of his belief that Heaven's actions against humanity, that the Apocalypse itself, was nothing more than a test. God slipped away once more and Zadkiel wisely chose not to speak of his extremely brief resurgence.
Things had appeared to have finally settled, the remaining angels finding solace under the teamwork and leadership found beneath the Seraphs and the ones who were promoted to the role of Seraph beside them, when Heaven was infiltrated. Zadkiel had been where he always was, watching over the Cherubim at the Western Gate with his garrison, when the Expulsion occurred.
Zadkiel fell hard, crashing down just west of Samuel's Devil's Gate in Wyoming. At a loss for what had occurred, he sought out Samuel's last descendant and acquired him as a vessel. Since, he has been searching for his garrison and Belial, desperate to know what had occurred and determined to do what he could to protect his few remaining brethren.