A History Of Azrael

(Please note that the following is intended to give a certain grounding and is not meant to be a factual account of the existence of Azrael.)

Azrael has existed far longer than any of us have memories. But like us all, Azrael had a beginning.

Humanity has chosen to represent certain aspects of this great universe as man-like creatures called angels. A long time ago, an angel called Michael was overburdened with his duties. On top of everything else he needed to attend to, he was also responsible for the human life cycle. Particularly, Michael had to administer and orchestrate that most mortal of notions, death.

His record was notoriously bad. Some died out of turn while others lived for many centuries. It became clear to him that this process needed exclusive attention.

So it was that he went to earth and scooped up a handful of soil in his hand. He combined this with some of his own angelic force and created a new angel, one that was both mortal and immortal in the making. This was the angel who is known to us as Azrael. Death has been an ordered and constant business ever since.

As Azrael is energy, he does not exist in a form human beings could recognize on its own. Thus, the interpretations of his appearance are many, and none more correct than any other. Riverhead accepts the standard European “Grim Reaper” variation as its main symbol, but all versions are welcome.

Azrael presides over a spot in space called the Riverhead. The flow of human mortality is a celestial river which flows through Azrael’s outpost. Entering Riverhead, the river is a fluid rainbow of color. These are the colors of life. Azrael’s powers of Death cleanse the incoming force to prepare it for the next mortal incarnation. Flowing from Riverhead back to the earth, the river is pure white and silver.