Szuriel
Horseman of War
Angel of Desolation
Seraph of Devastation
Szuriel (pronounced ZUR-ee-el)1 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 purrodaemons2[citation needed] from her citadel, the Cinder Furnace.34
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.5
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.5
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.5
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.56789
Gorum viewed Szuriel as a rival. He sometimes allied with her and sometimes was her enemy, but he took all conflicts against her personally. Gorum supported battle and wanted mortals to embrace the glory of war, while Szuriel wants them to accept oblivion; this outlook could draw away Gorum's worshippers. The divine realms of Urgathoa and Zyphus are within Szuriel's territory; she does not communicate with them, and her daemons do not fight them but sometimes trade information with their servants.5
Cults
Szuriel is worshipped by those who 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.5
Religious symbol
Szuriel's religious symbol is a pale hand holding a black sword upright.10 She carries the sword Lamentation of the Faithless, which has been borne by all Riders of War.11
Faith on Golarion
The Rider of War is worshipped in Magnimar.✝12
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.
- ↑ “Appendices” in Campaign Setting, 247. Paizo Inc., 2008 .
- ↑ “Monsters A to Z” in Bestiary 2, 73. Paizo Inc., 2010 .
- ↑ “Chapter 3: Religion” in Campaign Setting, 175. Paizo Inc., 2008 .
- ↑ “Chapter 3: Religion” in Campaign Setting, 183. Paizo Inc., 2008 .
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 “Szuriel” in Rasputin Must Die!, 71–75. Paizo Inc., 2013 .
- ↑ “Chapter 1: Fiendish Divinities” in Book of the Damned, 112. Paizo Inc., 2017 .
- ↑ Inner Sea Bestiary, 63. Paizo Inc., 2012 .
- ↑ “Moloch, the Ashen Bull” in The Inferno Gate, 72. Paizo Inc., 2016 .
- ↑ “Chapter 1: Fiendish Divinities” in Book of the Damned, 97. Paizo Inc., 2017 .
- ↑ “Szuriel” in Rasputin Must Die!, 72. Paizo Inc., 2013 .
- ↑ “On a Pale Horse” in Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Book of the Damned Volume 3, 12. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ “Magnimar” in The Skinsaw Murders, 59. Paizo Inc., 2007 .
- Articles in need of citations
- Canon conflicts
- Szuriel
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