Duriel
Kyriotate Friend of Beasts
Corporeal Forces: 3 Strength: 6 Agility: 6
Ethereal Forces: 5 Intelligence:12 Precision: 8
Celestial Forces: 4 Will: 9 Perception: 7
Skills: Chemistry/3, Computer Operation/1, Dodge/2,
Fighting/3, Knowledge (Biology/1, Biochemistry/1,
Genetics/4, Genetic Engineering/4, Research/1),
Medicine/4
Songs: Beasts (All/3), Entropy (Corporeal/3,
Ethereal/3), Light (Celestial/1), Fruition
(Corporeal/2), Machines (Celestial/1), Shields
(Corporeal/2)
Servant: human/3 (Diane Goodall, Soldier of Animals)
Attunements: Kyriotate of Animals, Call of the Wild,
Animal Magnetism, Friend of Beasts
Duriel was once one of Vapula's rising stars. She
(Duriel, even as a Shedite, had a fondness for the
female gender) worked as a biological researcher,
coming up with better killing through genetics. It
was even said that she had a shot at the Word of
Mutants. Her Redemption was a bit of a shock, as
Duriel certainly didn't precisely like humans very
much (something that's true even now, although it's
nothing like her earlier loathing).
Unfortunately, nobody checked to see whether she liked
anything else. Duriel always seemed to have a way
with animals: this ability was truly aberrant for a
Shedite, so she kept it quiet. Unfortunately, she
found herself feeling more and more empathy for the
lab rats and monkeys she was using for her
experiments, which is why she got out of Carcinogenic
Cosmetics and into Genetic Research in the first
place. Unfortunately, she was a very good genetic
researcher, which caused her even more mental anguish.
The last straw was when Vapula himself praised her
latest line of research (a retrovirus that could boost
neural tissue in most mammalian species). His insane
cackling on how this would be perfect for the
experimental animal/machine hybrid servitors he was
currently obsessing over caused Duriel to get very
quiet in her laboratory after her Prince left. This
wasn't going to be good. Vapula was ready to turn the
entire animal kingdom into a dangerous plaything for
humanity: true, the idea of rampaging hunter-cyborgs
eviscerating random mortals was tempting, but it would
turn every other species on Earth into expendable
resources. Unlike humans, the rest of Earth's species
didn't deserve that kind of Fate.
Screw it. Reliable rumor hinted that at least one
Archangel had his priorities straight. Duriel very
thoroughly trashed her laboratory (holding on to her
best viral cultures) and ran for it.
Duriel's Redemption was painful, and she very nearly
didn't survive it (it didn't help that it was done by
Jean). The new, weakened Kyriotate was adamant about
serving Jordi, and despite some misgivings, the
Council let her. They did insist that she get therapy
from Servitors of Flowers, and despite herself Duriel
came out of them with a somewhat healthier attitude
towards humanity. She doesn't hate them anymore: she
just thinks that most of them are fairly idiotic.
This isn't exactly uncommon among angels, though, so
what can you do?
Still, working for Jordi was fun. The Archangel of
Animals doesn't get many Servitors who originally
served Technology, and Duriel was cooperation itself
when pointing out new and better Tethers to firebomb.
She soon rose in his service. When she thought the
time was right, the Kyriotate started hinting
delicately at a little project that she thought Jordi
might find ... fruitful. It took a while to convince
him, but the Archangel eventually allowed himself to
be persuaded. The idea called to him, in spite of
himself.
Today, Duriel works in a very secret, very isolated
Tether of Animals in the middle of the Amazon
rainforest. Her servant (a very talented, albeit
fanatical deep ecologist) acts as her sole assistant
and set of hands. Duriel hopes to change that soon
(although Diane is one of the few humans she really
likes): her research is very promising. Before one
gets ideas, Duriel isn't working on a virus designed
to wipe out humanity, or any other form of genocide.
That would be flaunting God's will.
However, God didn't say anything about boosting the
reasoning capacity of the rest of the animal kingdom.
The virus cultures Duriel managed to hold on to were a
good start, but she wants something more potent.
Unlike most researchers, Duriel isn't interested in
uplifting animals that can communicate with humans: as
long as her charges can work together effectively, let
the humans worry about how to talk to them. The angel
is especially interested in uplifting insect colonies
into a sort of collective consciousness: such a
gestalt mind could be effectively immortal ... and a
perfect recruit for Jordi. All of this must be done
very carefully, of course, but Duriel eventually hopes
to give countless species the opportunity to know and
praise God.
The fact that these species will also be able to more
effectively demonstrate their objections to having
their homes bulldozed by shortsighted humans is merely
a serendipitous effect.
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EDG <[email protected]>
In Nomine Collection Curator