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Player: David F. Wall
Email:
Age: 35
Character: St. Raphael The Archangel, a.k.a. Doctor Jonathan Powers
Age: Timeless
Nature: Angelic
Description: An angel can look like anyone, but this one presents a mortal guise of a tall, well-proportioned, subtly handsome man in his thirties. He stands six feet four inches, weighs around two hundred and twenty pounds. For business (lecturing, meeting patients, etcetera) he dresses in well-tailored business suits of gray trimmed with gold. At other ocassions he dresses very casually, in jeans and T-shirts. The most striking thing about him is his red hair and golden eyes. He also wears a golden ring on the middle finger of his left hand, decorated with a six-pointed star.
Note that in other than mundane settings, Raphael's appearance might vary greatly depending on the context and point of view. To small children talking to an imaginary friend he might appear almost cherubic. To demonic servants pursuing a harried innocent he might appear gigantic and menacing.
Personality: Preternaturally calm and patient. Never raises his voice, but it is nonetheless striking, commanding attention and carrying a hint of warning. He never makes an effort to make an entrance, but has a great deal of presence.
Abilities: St. Raphael The Archangel is named in the Bible as one of the Seven Who Stand Before The Throne Of God (Book of Tobias, ch. 12 vs. 15). Charged principally with the healing of the Earth, he disdains violence (but is capable of it, complete with honest-to-goodness flaming sword if things ever really got out of hand). The ring he wears was once described in a story as having been given to King Solomon so that he might subdue demons for the labor to build the Temple.
Raphael is a very powerful being, but there are serious limitations on his power. First and foremost, as an angel not fallen he is submissive to the will of the Almighty, and there are prerogatives reserved to the Almighty alone (judgment, creation of life and resurrection, just to name a few). Second, he is not permitted to interfere with the free will of mortals, and can only intercede on their behalf if asked (though the desire to live is implicit, and need not be voiced). Third, while his presence in the mortal world is not an absolute secret, he is not permitted to declare himself, only acknowledge it to mortals who discover the truth. The supernaturally inclined in Sanctuary's community will be able to fathom his true nature with varying degrees of success. Finally, Raphael's domain is really the health of lives and souls. He has the ability to affect the material world, but is not permitted to tamper with Creation without very good cause.
Raphael's presence here is as a general counterbalance to the presence of Astaroth, in the context of aid and support to mortals of good heart. He is not omnipotent or omniscient.
History: Raphael's mortal guise is that of Doctor Jonathan Powers, a psychiatrist who's come to Sanctuary to set up a small private practice and serve as visiting faculty at Whateley University. He's scheduled to teach a course entitled "Faith and Psychology" during the second semester.
