Raziel Moonfire

Ruling lord of the territory of Easthaven, Raziel Moonfire is honored for his caste but viewed with some unease among his peers; he initially tried to conceal his caste in order to pass as a lesser angel, putting him at odds with the strict hierarchy of the Kingdom. He's known for running a somewhat unorthodox household of misfits.

Personality

Despite the whispers about him, Raziel has the dignity, strength, and natural authority that befits a member of one of the Kingdom's ruling castes. He governs Easthaven fairly and is well-liked by both the members of his household and those who live in the villages and towns within the territory's boundaries. In person he comes across as quietly confident, quicker to listen than to speak but choosing his words with great care when he does talk. Though his initial concealment over his caste is still a matter of gossip and rumor among the Eyrie Court, his deft management of Easthaven in the years since he was placed in control have done a great deal to assuage any uncertainty about his suitability. In the privacy of his own home, however, Raziel still isn't quite the picture of a typical Seraphim. He understands that it's his place to rule, and feels a great deal of responsibility and affection for those who serve in his household, but he doesn't feel the natural call to dominance that is typical for his kind and is often uncomfortable with the submission shown to him. He makes a point to build Easthaven's household out of those who seem similarly at odds with the Kingdom's natural order, understanding full well that there may be few other places willing to give them a home.

Abilities

In his physical prime, Raziel is a talented swordsman and fighter. He can use his six wings to stay aloft almost effortlessly, making him well-suited to travel vast distances across the length and breadth of the Kingdom. Though he's relatively slimly built, flight and physical training mean that he's stronger than he appears at first glance. Like all members of the Seraphim caste, Raziel radiates a natural authority that lower castes are instinctually drawn to. His commands carry enormous weight and are hard for others to resist; this same dominance means that he can draw on the link between himself and his servants in order to use Kingdom magic with overwhelming power. Raziel and his servants have bitter experience at using this magic in tandem, making them an effective force under his command.

Backstory

Raziel was born in the coastal lowlands of the Kingdom, in a small town called Sandover. The child of Avian parents, he was raised alongside the rest of the town's children and forged a strong friendship with Kajaa and Gabriel; Kajaa was similarly Avian-born, while Gabriel was the child of one of the town's resident Angelim. The three grew up incredibly close, hoping that later in life they'd be able to stay in close proximity to one another and maintain their friendship. As the three grew into adolescence, the relationship between them became more complicated. Raziel and Gabriel developed a certain degree of friendly rivalry exacerbated by the fact that both were beginning to have a romantic interest in Kajaa, and while they still got along, there was a tension between them that hadn't existed before. This was further complicated when the three came of age. While Kajaa was Avian and Gabriel was Angelim, Raziel unexpectedly developed into Seraphim; one of the ruling castes of the Kingdom and one that would mean being assigned to a territory far away from where he'd grown up. Desperate to try and hold onto the life he enjoyed and the friends he loved, he did the unthinkable and concealed his true caste by binding his lowest set of wings and concealing himself as Angelim. Raziel's deception allowed him to stay in Sandover, but his hopes of preserving the simple life they'd once had fell apart. The rivalry between he and Gabriel continued to grow, and the relationship between the two became increasingly hostile with Gabriel antagonizing him more and more frequently. Kajaa chose to serve in Gabriel's household, and while she still did her best to act as a go-between to keep their friendship together the simmering jealousy and tension between the former friends finally boiled over. What had started as a friendly sparring match turned deadly serious, leaving Raziel with a scar on his cheek and his true caste revealed when Gabriel unknowingly cut through the bindings on his lower wings. The idea of a Seraphim concealing their status was a scandal among the hierarchical structure of the Kingdom, leaving Raziel in the odd position of being expected to take up a territory while also being the object of gossip and some disdain. While not exactly disgraced, many of his peers considered him a sort of deviant. He was reassigned to Easthaven territory, taking power from the former Nephilim ruler there due to his higher level of dominance, and formed a household with what remained of his former servants from Sandover. While he proved to be a competent ruler of Easthaven and earned the respect of those living in the territory, the reputation he'd earned for his deception continued to follow Raziel. Filling out the ranks of his household took time, with many Avian kingdomborn reluctant to serve under someone who was thought of as hesitant to take his role as a master. As a result, Raziel's servants tended to be those who also had some sort of black mark against their name; misfits, those thrown out of other households or considered undesirable as servants. Though it did little to quell the rumors about him, the resulting Easthaven rose as an odd but surprisingly stable household bound together by a strong sense of gratitude and loyalty. Several years into his rulership of Easthaven, Raziel made a contract with a disgraced and houseless Avian called Krahe. The two bonded and eventually began a romantic relationship, complicated by the involvement of Krahe's former master and Lord of Ysvaeth Territory, Mephistopheles. Meph's ongoing attempts to reclaim his former servant who he still saw as his possession soon turned into a deadly hatred of Raziel, and led to one of the few open attacks from one ruling House against another in the Kingdom's history.

Important Relationships

KRAHE OF EASTHAVEN
Raziel initially took Krahe in due to the fact that her disgraced status would make it hard for her to find another house, but the two ended up finding themselves powerfully attracted to one another and became a couple despite Raziel's concerns over the imbalance of their respective castes. Though they've struggled with the ongoing intrusions of Meph, Krahe's former master, the two are happy with the life that they currently share. MEPHISTOPHELES, LORD OF YSVAETH
Though they had only been tangentially aware of one another as lords of their respective territories, Raziel and Meph came into conflict when Raziel took in the Nephilim's disgraced former servant. Meph took this perceived slight very personally, and would eventually breach all Kingdom tradition by outright attacking Easthaven in force. GABRIEL
Gabriel and Raziel were childhood friends, but the Angelim has never gotten over a sense of resentment that Raziel grew to be a member of the ruling castes. Raziel's home in Easthaven means that they're on opposite sides of the Kingdom, but their occasional meetings on holidays and at Court are always tense; Raziel's childhood love Kajaa serves in Gabriel's household, and Gabriel is always quick to flaunt that relationship with the specific intention of hurting his former friend. KAJAA
Part of a trio of childhood friends with Raziel and Gabriel, Kajaa was Raziel's first love and a large part of the reason he tried to hide his Seraphim caste in order to stay nearby. Though she ended up in Gabriel's household instead of his, Raziel still cares for her a great deal and enjoys the few chances he has to see her. Their friendship remains as genuine as it was when they were young, despite the ongoing tension between Raziel and Gabriel.