Szuriel

Szuriel

(Deity)

Titles

Rider of War
Horseman of War
Angel of Desolation
Seraph of Devastation

Realm

Cinder Furnace, Abaddon

Alignment

Neutral evil

Areas of Concern

War

Worshipers

Arms dealers, looters, mercenaries, soldiers, urdefhans, warlords

Edicts

End all mortal life through war, obliterate faith

Anathema

Show mercy to creatures who do not worship Szuriel, choose to marry or have children

Cleric Alignments (1E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (1E)

Evil, Fire, Strength, War

Subdomains (1E)

Blood, Daemon, Ferocity, Tactics

Cleric Alignments (2E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (2E)

Ambition, destruction, fire, might

Favored Weapon

Greatsword

Symbol

Pale hand and black sword

Sacred Animal

Horse, vulture

Sacred Colors

Red

Images of Szuriel

Source: Book of the Damned, pg(s). 96–97 (1E)
Gods & Magic, pg(s). 86–87, 130–131 (2E)

Szuriel

(Creature)

Type

Outsider
(daemon, evil, extraplanar)

CR

28

Environment

Any (Abaddon)

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Images of Szuriel

Source: Bestiary 6, pg(s). 164

The Apocalypse Riders ride out with Szuriel top right.

Szuriel (pronounced ZUR-ee-el) is the Rider of War: a deadly and destructive Apocalypse Rider from Abaddon. She appears as a black-winged woman with bleeding eyes and ragged teeth, served by her deacons, the purrodaemons from her citadel, the Cinder Furnace.

History

Szuriel was once a mortal paladin. No one remembers why she was excommunicated from her faith, but she regardless gathered an army of bloodthirsty soldiers to conquer her homeland, declaring herself empress, and putting all members of her former religion to the sword. As she prepared to invade neighbouring nations, they sent assassins to kill her; one was successful, and Szuriel was sent to Abaddon.

As a shade, Szuriel avoided the daemons long enough to be transformed into a daemon herself. She rallied other daemons under her, killing and taking the power of progressively more powerful daemons. Shortly after Lamashtu's invasion of Abaddon, which resulted in the destruction of the then-Rider of War Roshmolem and his replacement by Ortaro, Szuriel acted. She led her armies to the Cinder Furnace and ended Ortaro's brief reign, succeeding him as Rider of War.

Appearance

Szuriel resembles a 20-foot tall angel with flowing blonde hair, ivory skin, black wings, jagged razor-sharp teeth and onyx-black mirrored eyes constantly dripping blood.

Relationships

Szuriel is allied with the other three Riders, but disagrees with them on how to destroy mortal life. She counts at least two daemonic harbingers as her servants: Geon, who trains and commands her cavalry; and Zelishkar, whom she originally created. Lamashtu holds a grudge against Szuriel for having turned away her invasion of Abaddon; and Asmodeus, who wishes to corrupt and claim souls, is opposed to her destructive consumption of them. Szuriel seemingly randomly receives missives from Archdevil Moloch for unknown reasons; she is one of the very few non-devils that have set foot inside his Melqart Keep.

Gorum views Szuriel as a rival: he is sometimes allied with her and sometimes her enemy, but takes all conflicts against her personally. Gorum supports battle and wants mortals to embrace the glory of war, while Szuriel wants them to accept oblivion, and this outlook can draw away Gorum's worshippers. The divine realms of Urgathoa and Zyphus lie within Szuriel's territory; she does not communicate with them, and her daemons do not fight them, but sometimes trade information with their servants.

Cults

Szuriel is worshipped by those that profit or earn glory from war, especially where the war has lasted so long that both sides have forgotten the reason why they fight. Her clergy consists of predominantly clerics, inquisitors, rangers, and souldrinkers; and to a lesser extent, oracles, antipaladins, and magi. They usually keep the identity of their patron secret, and welcome new initiates with hidden rites. Due to Szuriel's hatred of procreation, her followers are expected to sacrifice their spouses and children to prove their loyalty to her, and execute non-combatants and surrendered foes.

Unholy symbol

Szuriel's unholy symbol is a pale hand holding a black sword upright. She carries the sword Lamentation of the Faithless, which has been borne by all Riders of War.

Faith on Golarion

The Rider of War is worshipped in Magnimar.✝

References

Paizo published a major article about Szuriel in Rasputin Must Die!.

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.