Jean-Paul Valley (Azrael)

# Azrael

## Jean-Paul Valley

Azrael

*Description Here ~ Tal*

## History

### Early Life

The New World, 1602. Having faced overwhelming adversities when the early migrants to the foreign land find themselves repeatedly attacked by a number of pagan cannibalistic tribes, they are pushed into the tunneling deep into the earth to establish safe passages away from the fledgling village should trouble come upon them again.

During one of these excursions, a pair of ancient swords dating back to the crusades is unearthed from deep in the ground. Upon each blade is inscribed the words that label them the Sword of Sin, and the Sword of Salvation. A scroll found among the relics emphasize the sacredness of the two artifacts. Promising supernatural strength and agility to the wielder if he is blessed by the God of the Bible and receives the calling to serve the Lord in body and spirit.

Among the migrants is a man named Francois Dumas, who becomes obsessed with the promises inscribed in that scroll if it'll mean keeping the village safe. Speaking charismatically to the others about the hope to be freed from their oppressors, the villagers soon take fervently to his version of religion. Chanting prayers to the God who'd sent them the Swords, till it is Francois Dumas himself who becomes the first of many to be chosen to be a vessel to the angel Azrael. A spiritual being so powerful that it would waylay every single enemy who'd dare encroach the village, and send the others fleeing fear. Jubilant to finally have the peace to live their lives, the villagers adopt the notion that Dumas must be a saint, and therefore should have an order named after him.

Therein lies the birth of the Order of Dumas.

And so the Order persists much through the expansion and modernization of the village that eventually evolves into the town of Gotham. It isn't till a religious crowd built up from new migrants to the land deems the teachings found within the Order of the Dumas unscriptural and cult-like, that they're deemed heretics, and their followers chased out of town. Dismayed by the turn of events, the remaining members of the Order of the Dumas move to France and establish a monastery there. Vowing someday to make a return to the land of their birth to redeem Gotham from their blindness and sin, and to lead the people in the true way of faith.

After many years, the Order of the Dumas make their first foray into the city with a warrior they'd trained for the task named Theo Galavan. A man loyal to the Order and zealous to do its work. Together, they consider bringing righteous judgment to the land that'd stolen away the right of their predecessors to worship in the land that they'd helped to found. Dressing Galavan up in consecrated armor, they chant the angel Azrael into Galavan... except the results aren't as they expect. Galavan soon goes completely unhinged with the power of the angel in him, and kills so many people - including their own, that the sect themselves opt to put him down. Coincidentally, after Galavan perishes, the power of the swords dwindle out together with the man. No one can return the holy power to the swords, and for a while, the members of the Order of the Dumas believe they've been cursed. In their gnashing and weeping to God, they repent of their murderous thoughts, and ask to be realigned with their original purpose. That was to protect the people of Gotham, not to destroy them.

The second attempt to imbue someone with the angel Azrael goes slightly better than the previous. The warrior trained for the task is a man named Shawn Hampton, who uses Azrael effectively for a number of vigilante efforts - enough to be noticed by the Batman, and requested by Bruce Wayne to take on his cowl and help get the city under while the billionaire is forced to temporarily retire due to a terrible injury. Even while Shawn doesn't go off the deep end at the beginning, by the end a similar affliction begins to befall him, causing him to act much too impulsively and violently to fulfill what he needed to. Fortunately, Bruce Wayne was recovered by then, and it is up to him to retake the cowl and send Shawn into retirement.

To fulfill the need for a third warrior, The Order of Dumas decides this time to send a godly man from its monastery in France. Coincidentally, it's close to the time of the siege, and Jean-Paul finds himself trapped in the Gotham Cathedral with a number of frightened and displaced civilians. He calls upon the angel Azrael to help him, and it's through this symbiotic relationship that the Cathedral is kept safe during the siege. And while rescuing a woman from death, Jean-Paul finds the swords' holy power restored to it. He believes this is a sign from the heavens that the Order of the Dumas has again found the favor of God - and maybe the ongoing protection of this woman is his higher calling.

## Powers and Abilities

### Skills

* **Theological Proficiency.**
* **Minor Medical Training.**

### Powers

* **Host to the Divine:** Vessel to an 'angelic' spirit that enhances Jean-Paul's strength and speed, as well as grants him the ability to float above the ground.
* **Divine Form:** When in 'angelic' mode, he embodies the Suit of Sorrows, wields the Sword of Sin, which legend says will force the person struck with it to remember every sin over the course of their life which they must atone for, and the Sword of Salvation, which legend says will force the person struck with it to remember every past tragedy over the course of their life all at one time. Effect varies person to person, depending on their internal will power.