| “ | I'm back, bitches. | ” |
Uriel, or Ur'iel, is an ArknAngel and the Second King of the Arkn. He was responsible for the creation of Alex Winter (who represents himself in human form).
He is the main protagonist of A Cry From Winter, a secondary protagonist of Wayward_Winter, and a supporting character in Michael's Camera, MedBoy789, and Book of the Mother.
Story
Background
Early Years
Uriel is the son of the Arkn King Gilgamesh, formed in the Infernous after Gilgamesh had been killed by The Carver. Due to a quirk of his Hethian blood, he absorbed a great amount of energy from the Infernous (which included the life essence of his own father) at his conception. The Carver deposited the newly-formed infant on the steps of the Elysia palace, where he was taken in and raised by the famed Arkn Lord and warrior Lazarus Delphar.
As a boy, Uriel quickly showed promise as a warrior. However, he was also highly idealistic, wanting to help others (humans included) rather than destroy them. When Uriel questioned why the Valkyrium were so cruel in their dealings with others, Delphar informed him that "sometimes, a bad guy is necessary". This would prove a lesson that would remain with Uriel into adulthood.
Uriel was a highly curious child. On one occasion, he transported into a glitched .reality, where he met Edgar Kharon's crew. After the crew noticed his winged shadow, Uriel revealed himself as an Arkn, causing the .reality to glitch and tear. A Lurker appeared, and Uriel helped Kharon fight the beast with his flaming sword. When the sword shattered, Kharon tossed Uriel his Colt Peacemaker; despite being out of bullets, the weapon flashed blue and pulsed with a strange energy when Uriel made contact with it, and magically fired another clip, dispatching the beast. Before Uriel departed from the timeline with Delphar, Edgar told him to keep the revolver; the weapon would become one of Uriel's most prized possessions.
Delphar scolded Uriel for his carelessness, reminding him that humans and the Arkn need to live apart. However, Uriel had developed a fascination with the Human Old West; he would return to the timeline frequently over the years to spend time in the company of the Fearful Four, even assisting them with their heists. When the gang parted ways, Kharon gave Uriel a second revolver, which had formerly belonged to Kyla O'lora.
The Second King of the Arkn
Uriel took the throne as a young adult, becoming the second king of the Arkn and the commander of the Golden Army. Uriel idolized his father, unaware of the bad choices Gilgamesh had made during his reign. After realizing that he had a connection to The Infernous, Uriel returned to the entrance and attempted to re-enter the realm. He was instantly repelled, as the energy he'd carried within him since birth was activated; this energy combined with the power of The Infernous, which formed a living infant. Uncertain of how he did it, Uriel took this child as his son and named him Ellpagg, unaware that The Carver had had a hand in his creation.
Some time later, Uriel repeated the process that created Ellpagg; this time, he created an infant girl, whom he named Seraphina. Seraphina was discovered by the defected Dekn Lilis, who adopted her and raised her under the watchful eyes of the Valkyrium.
The Fall of King Uriel
At some point during Uriel's reign, the Arkn Lords gathered together and plotted to kill the Carver in his own realm. Expecting to use Uriel, they were instantly declined when Uriel told them that he was not about to slay a brother, moral or immoral. Unable to depend on Uriel, the Arkn Lords found the next best option: Ellpagg, the Arkn Knight of Time, Madness, and strangely, Beetles. Ellpagg had already proved to have quite the fire in him, being a soldier of Uriel and an underling to Raphael. Unaware of the non-choice selection, Ellpagg believed that he was volunteering for the task of convincing The Carver to come out and reform, when in actuality he was selected already by the Arkn Lords, who were betraying him. As a parting gift, Uriel gifted Ellpagg with his second Hethian revolver (which had formerly been owned by Kyla O'lora).
After Ellpagg had already been sent down to the Infernous and had his memories stripped, Uriel belatedly went to say farewell to his son, and accidentally overheard the Arkn Lords discussing their plans for Ellpagg. In a fit of sudden rage and fury, Uriel beheaded the Arkn Lord Xan'dri'el. He was arrested and locked away in prison, where his wings were crushed and broken, rendering them useless for flight. Uriel escaped, however, and threw himself into one of the central .Reality cores, killing his body and duplicating him in human form throughout the timelines of the system.
acryfromwinter
After his death, Uriel willingly resides in The Infernous as a form of self-punishment for his abandonment and betrayal of The Arkn. In The Infernous, he reenacts events in the lives of the various incarnations of Alex Winter (his human counterpart in .Reality). Throughout his time there, an enigmatic friend of his, Malek, persistently tries to talk him out of it, but to no avail.
Eventually, Uriel addresses the audience of the Cloud9 feed watching his torment, revealing that he has been in control of his imprisonment the entire time, and had been feigning amnesia and helplessness for much of his imprisonment, showing the audience what he wanted them to see. Unbeknownst to anyone, Uriel had done so by secretly making a deal with The Carver to gain control over the Infernous. Uriel then nervously makes his escape from the Infernous and enters .Reality, where he will meets with Alex Winter "Prime" (his true counterpart) for the first time.
Wayward_Winter
Uriel must take a leave of absence in order to conduct "business". Because of this, he leaves Alex in the care of Allastar, the Dekn High Priest. Alex is brought to a safe pocket in the Infernous in order to be protected from Ellpagg, who (while controlled by The Carver) is going around killing versions of Alex Winter from various timelines. While in the Infernous, Alex is pulled into another pocket of reality in the Nexellium; here, he is met with a Valkyrium called Seraphina, who tortures him for information regarding Uriel's whereabouts. After realizing he truly doesn't know where Uriel is, she gives him the journal of his Timeline A counterpart, which contains valuable information that will help prepare Alex for his upcoming convergence with Uriel.
acryfromwinter (Return)
Sometime after Alex returns to the physical world Uriel's instruction, Alex uses The Traveler's Call to return his original timeline (Timeline A). He finds his car parked at the end of a road (as it was in "Biding The Time"), and realizes that he has not only been returned to his own timeline, but the year 2014. Uriel explains that this gives Alex a chance to "fix" everything. Uriel then states that his power (which was already depleted from his time in The Infernous) is diminishing rapidly. He departs from Alex.
Fate
The Battle of the Arknza (Universe A)
As the End Times begin, the Arkn-Dekn conflict reaches the human realm. As the human world is divided and the nations take sides, Uriel takes the fight to the streets. He is seen battling Dekn in New York City, wielding Edgar's Revolver (and sporting his favorite duster and hat).
In time, Uriel and Alex (who by then is married to Sarah Kestler) converge. Because Uriel's power is depleted, he and Alex must carry out their convergence in the Nexillium (which exists as a plane of almost pure energy). Once he recovers, the newly-converged Uriel Alexander Winter resumes his business, becoming a battle couple with Sarah (who converges with Seraphina, her own Guardian).
Many eons later, Uriel joins the other Arknza on the battlefield, where they meet with The Carver.
The Victory (Universe E)
Azrael, having traveled back in time to an earlier point in the history of the Arkn, encounters Uriel as a young boy. As Uriel grows up, he and Azrael become close friends; Azrael trains alongside him and Raphael, teaching them about the events of his own time — including Uriel's own personal failures. With Azrael's encouragement, Uriel learns to unlock the full potential of his Arknza powers, and he and Raphael take their places alongside Azrael and Raziel as the four Paradox Players.
When Ellpagg reaches adulthood, Azrael is able to spare him from being cast into the Infernous by agreeing to take his place (after giving up his Arknza blood to Ellpagg). Uriel, being spared the loss of his son (and knowing full well what happened in the original timeline), is able to avoid the mistakes his previous self made. He and Raphel train Ellpagg in Azrael's honor, teaching him to use his Arknza power for good. Ellpagg eventually takes his place alongside his father as one of the Paradox Players, and the four are able to track down the rest of the seven Arknza and train them as well. The seven Arknangels eventually come together as a united force; when the time comes to face the Carver, they are able to work together defeat and kill him (with Malek's help).
With their puppet dead, De'ebo and the Hethe depart from the universe, taking with them their power; this grants mortality to the Arknza, allowing them to finally live normal lives. In the absence of the Carver and the Hethe, the War against the Dekn comes to an end; Uriel departs from the rest of the Arknangels, and resumes his position as the reigning king of the Arkn. He eventually passes his kingship onto his son, Ellpagg; when his lifetime reaches its end, Uriel is able to pass away peacefully, knowing that his kingdom is in good hands.
Appearance
In his Arkn form, Uriel was said to be tall, with flowing black hair and a well-trimmed beard. Like his father Gilgamesh, he was more heavyset than muscular. According to Raziel, he had a very beautiful appearance. As Alex Winter, Uriel resembles an average, heavyset young man with dark hair and eyes. Uriel apparently retains Alex's physical appearance after the two of them converge.
When in the Golden Cities, Uriel often presents a casual appearance. However, he dresses in a shimmering suit of golden armor (complete with a gold cape) for special occasions, such as the Day of Great Calling. When he travels, he prefer to dress in Western-style clothing (i.e. a duster and cowboy hat).
Trivia
- In the original timeline, Uriel apparently hid (or downplayed) his connection to Ellpagg, as a number of Arkn (including Azrael, who witnessed most Arkn history) don't seem to know that Ellpagg was his son. This may have been accomplished by having Ellpagg raised mostly by Del'Phar, and treating the Knight as "a good friend" in mixed company.
- It is hinted that Uriel's absence in Wayward_Winter is due to him fighting The Associates.
Quotes
| “ | What does one that left the very people that he so passionately promised to fight for, to avenge and to protect... And then, I just took that and left, just like that. How could I ask to be anywhere else but a place that serves punishment and torment? | ” |
— Uriel to Malek.
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| “ | I hope they have insurance. | ” |
— Uriel to himself.
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Gallery
