Raphael

Siblings: The True Archangels

**Raphael** stands as one of the Seven Archangels, the most esteemed celestial beings in the entirety of Heaven. Raphael is the Archangel of Healing, Miracles and Healers, and is also the Angel of Death who protects the Third Heaven.

## Overview

Saint Raphael is recognized as the patron saint of a diverse array of aspects, including travelers, joyful encounters, lovers, caregivers, doctors, healthcare professionals, matchmakers, Christian unions, and Catholic scholarship. According to tradition, he serves as the guardian of the Tree of Life, situated opposite the Tree of Knowledge within the Garden of Eden. Additionally, he is believed to have enlightened Adam about the celestial conflict known as the War in Heaven, during which Lucifer and the Demons descended, as well as the genesis of the Earth.

While Raphael is not typically associated with romantic love, he finds a place in the Lovers' Tarot deck due to his presence on the Lovers' Tarot Card. This inclusion stems from his role as the patron saint of lovers, owing to his intervention in uniting Sarah and Tobias as recounted in the Book of Tobit, as well as his historical connection with Asmodeus.

Currently, Raphael is the guardian angel of the Third Heaven, Heavenly Eden, where the souls of good human beings go after death to rest and where the body of the Son of God rests awaiting the Day of Judgment.

## Appearance

Raphael, like the other Angels and Archangels, has an indescribable form for human beings, with a powerful light like the Sun and a voice as high as 190 decibels, capable of exploding the eardrums. Raphael sometimes appears with a silhouette made of light and spiritual energy, similar to one of the forms of God.

In his angel form, he is an extraordinarily gigantic humanoid being, having a size close to that of Mount Everest. He has albino skin and rigid muscles that are more resistant than graphene, he has a skirt that covers his waist and has six wings on his body: with two he covers his face, with two he covers his feet and with two he flies. In this form he is able to lift his sword in all its glory and power, the "Redeemer".

## Personality

Raphael is serene and apathetic. Although he is an aggressive warrior, he is very calm with a stoic expression on his face most of the time. He acts indifferent towards most situations, rarely showing sighs of panic and distress even in the most stressful situations. He borders on arrogance and is easily offended when not treated with respect. However, he has a strong sense of duty and is actually quite honorable.

Raphael's unwavering composure is only shattered in the presence of Lucifer. He harbors an intense disdain for his brother and many other Demons, a deep-seated hatred stemming from the anguish they inflicted upon him and his kin during the War in Heaven. When confronted with Lucifer's venomous words, Raphael's anger becomes palpable, prompting him to launch into action against his brother without a moment's hesitation.

Known for being one of the purest among the Archangels, Raphael was a symbol of peace and harmony, refusing aggression and violence. Like many Angels and Saints, Raphael does not retaliate against attacks aimed at him, as when he didn't even try to stop Abaddon's blow. Furthermore, he believed that nothing existed permanently and that each moment should be lived intensely.

Despite harboring animosity towards nearly every Demon, Raphael harbors a unique sentiment for Asmodeus. In their past, Raphael and Asmodeus, previously known as Asmodel, held roles as commander and general, with Asmodel serving as the steadfast general of Raphael's garrison. Their history is marked by unwavering loyalty and camaraderie, setting Asmodeus apart from the rest of the Aemon cohort.

When the demiurge, Yaldabaoth, launched an assault on Heaven, the Angels rallied to defend their realm, with Asmodeus playing a pivotal role in diverting the creature's attention long enough for God to banish it to the remote reaches of the Universe. Asmodeus accomplished his mission, but at a great cost, leaving him severely wounded and on the brink of death. It was Raphael who came to his rescue, saving Asmodeus's life in a selfless act of mercy. In the wake of this life-saving gesture, a profound bond blossomed between them, as Asmodeus found himself falling deeply in love with Raphael, who reciprocated those feelings.

Their once-close relationship took a turn for the worse as Asmodeus's affection began to take on a more sexual nature. Struggling to cope with this change, Raphael made the difficult decision to end their romantic involvement, believing it wasn't working out. However, this decision had unintended consequences, as it exacerbated the situation. Asmodeus, consumed by possessiveness and desire for Raphael, eventually aligned himself with Lucifer, who was then known as Helel, in a rebellion aimed at toppling God from His divine throne, all in a misguided attempt to make Raphael exclusively his own.

Regrettably, this rebellion against God proved unsuccessful, and Asmodeus experienced a tragic fall from grace, descending into Hell and ultimately assuming the mantle of the Demon Lord of Lust. The consequences of their fractured relationship weighed heavily on Asmodeus, and Raphael couldn't help but feel a sense of responsibility for the chain of events that had unfolded.

## Powers and Abilities

**Absolute Invulnerability:** Raphael with this power is immune to any/all kinds of damage, be it physical, spiritual, psychic, or even conceptual giving them a complete and perfect form of infinite defense. Rapheal is also completely immune to Damage Manipulation on an unrestricted basis since no kind of damage would even affect them.

**Air Manipulation:** Raphael can create, shape and manipulate air, the common name given to the layer of atmospheric gases and various compounds (mostly oxygen and nitrogen) surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity, and possibly wind movement of air relative to the surface of the planet. It is an important factor in determining and controlling climate and weather, and the generating force of most ocean and freshwater waves. Wind occurs because of horizontal and vertical differences in atmospheric pressure, and include breezes, squalls, gusts, whirlwinds, zephyrs, gales, tempests, and hurricanes.

**Aura Manipulation:** Raphael can create, shape and manipulate aura, a form of life-force that exists as an invisible etheric phenomenon/emanation produced by and surrounding a person or object.

**Causality Manipulation:** Raphael can manipulate causality, the relationship between causes and effects, allowing them to decide what happens and what doesn't, when and how. There is no need for a "why" however, as the why of something is determined by causality itself, which is at Raphael's command, making it one of the few powers that reasonably don't need a reason.

**Divine-Angelic Physiology:** As an archetype, an angelic god is a character that possesses the powers of both gods and Angels. This type of being can either be born from a union between a god and Angel, be a fusion between a god and Angel, or is an Angel/God that somehow possesses angelic/divine powers.

**Divine Metal Manipulation:** Raphael can create, shape and manipulate holy divine metal that's highly effective against the supernatural, such as Demons and/or Angels. The effectiveness, in question, can range from trapping and/or immobilizing to outright banishing or killing supernatural threats. Furthermore, divine metal itself is nigh-invulnerable by normal means like; melting, corrosion, etc, and may have other properties and abilities, such as healing, Resurrection, summoning Angels and/or spirits of the deceased from Heaven to the material plane.

**Flawless Indestructibility:** Raphael with this power is absolutely immune to any/all kinds of harm, having no physical, spiritual, and mental weaknesses, giving them a complete and perfect immunity to everything that can harm or affect them. To give an illustration, Raphael is immune to any kind of destruction, including from True Oblivion and Total End. They are unaffected by space-time alteration of any caliber and will always remain in perfect condition. Their indestructibility transcends normal physical limitations and boundaries to metaphysical scales becoming independent from reasoning and understanding to such a great point that they can be completely independent of paradoxes, logic, and predeterminism of any kind, essentially making them absolutely immune to anything and everything.

**Light Manipulation:** Raphael can create, shape and manipulate visible light, commonly referred to as light, is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight.

**Love Inducement:** Raphael can induce love into others, including the love for Raphael or love for another person. Effects will vary depending on Raphael's skill and power: those subjected to this ability may develop a strong infatuation for somebody but will remain in control of themselves, or they may feel so much love for somebody that they have an intense desire to make them happy, becoming completely submissive to them. The effect is usually instant, but in some cases it may slowly take effect the more the victim meets Raphael/another.

**Music Embodiment:** Raphael becomes a physical manifestation or personification of music. As a result, Raphael has limitless control over it. They might also be an embodiment of a specific song and it's lyrics.

**Nigh-Omniscience:** Raphael knows almost everything bar certain details, or is limited in some other way, such as being able to see one timeline or universe or have just small patches of information that are missing or blocked out. More simply, they may be in possession of such a vast reserve of knowledge that they can be regarded as "practically omniscient."

**Omnifarious:** Raphael has complete and absolute control over their own *physical* being, allowing them to manipulate their shape, density, size, quantity or to be solid, liquid, gaseous, or pure energy. They can spread their form into smaller segments that keep their ability to transform and recombine as they wish. Raphael can take any form that they can imagine, independently from the laws of physics and logic.

**Omni-Healing:** Raphael can heal/restore anything/everything to optimal condition/health, including people, objects/locations, environments, abilities/powers, defensive powers, souls, worlds, natural forces/concepts etc.

**Restoration Embodiment:** Raphael becomes the living embodiment of restoration and gains the ability to feed off of the healing and restoration of everything in existence. Raphael possesses all the powers of healing, repairing, restoration, resurrection, curing, etc. Raphael becomes stronger when anything is returned to normal.

**Resurrection:** Raphael can bring oneself and others back to life. While this power is similar to necromancy in that it raises the dead, resurrection is different in that it fully restores a creature's body, mind, *and* soul to full health.

**Sephirot Empowerment:** Raphael gains access to the various emanations of the Sephirot of the Tree of Life in Kabbalah, allowing them to tap into the primal, undiluted forces of creation and the divine.

**Solar Manipulation:** Raphael can create, shape, and manipulate all aspects of the Sun (or any other similar star), starting from its immense heat, luminosity, mass/gravitational field, magnetic field, raw nuclear energy, and reaction, etc.

**Spring Manipulation:** Raphael is able to create, shape manipulate and induce the season of spring and the powers/forces it represents: the growth, renewal and new life (both plant and animal) being born. They are empowered during the time of spring.

**Super-Swordsmanship:** Raphael is able to wield a sword with supernatural proficiency in speed, power, dexterity, and skill, allowing them to perform seemingly impossible feats with ease, such as cutting through nigh invulnerable or intangible materials, blocking or deflecting things that should be impossible to block/deflect and even slash targets from any distance.

**Victory Embodiment:** Raphael with this ability is the embodiment of victory and glory. Raphael has the power to grant others victory and also prevent opponents from winning or being victorious.

## History

Raphael initially makes his appearance in the guise of a human traveler, presenting himself as "Azarias, the son of the esteemed Ananias," while accompanying Tobiah, the son of Tobit, on their journey. Throughout their eventful expedition, the Archangel's watchful care becomes evident through various acts of protection, including the binding of a Demon in the desolate upper Egyptian wilderness. It is only after Tobit's sight is restored upon their return that Azarias reveals his true identity as "the Angel Raphael, one of the seven who stand in the presence of the Lord."

In his role as a healer, Raphael received a divine mandate from the Lord to bring about Tobit's recovery from blindness and to rescue Sarah, Tobit's daughter-in-law, from the clutches of the Demon of lust and her former suitor, Asmodeus. This malevolent entity had a sinister pattern of abducting and murdering every man who sought to marry Sarah, cruelly ending their lives on their wedding night before they could consummate the marriage.

Additionally, Raphael holds the distinction of being one of the trio of Angels who visited the revered patriarch Abraham and his wife, Sarah, to assist them in their quest for conception. He is also the Angel who mended the wrestling injuries sustained by Abraham's grandson, Jacob, and bestowed upon King Solomon his mystical ring of power.

## Quotes

*"Eternity is not something that lasts forever. It exists here and now, when our temporal awareness is turned off. These moments are perpetual and survive the vulgarity of time." - Raphael to the humans.*

*"Even if I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I came to save and not shed blood." - Raphael.*

*"The healer of God. He founded the hospitals of the world. He is aware of every type of medical need necessary to aid someone. A powerful healer as he is a warrior." - A human.*

*"His name already reveals the specialty of my little brother - 'Rapha' is the healing that comes from 'El'." - Gabriel.*

*"Oh please Raph, don't act like as if you aren't a dirty little bastard. You aren't innocent. You know what you're doing. Imagine what Heaven would do if one of their purest leaders turned out to have had a relationship with a Demon." - Azazel to Raphael.*

## Trivia

* Some Angels theorize that he is the true firstborn among the Archangels and the most powerful of them all. He just doesn't show his true power by humility.
* One of his names, Angel of Death, is because he receives human spirits at the gates of the Third Heaven after the death of the physical body.
* It was revealed that it was Raphael who protected soldier Desmond Doss during the second World War, due to the soldier's heroic act of not shedding the blood of his fellow men, following the commandment "Thou shalt not kill", this ended up touching the heart of the Archangel of Healing.