Commander Azrael is a character from the fictional Warhammer 40,000 universe, where he is currently the Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels Chapter of Space Marines.
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History
Believed to have been recruited from the headhunters of Kimmeria, Azrael is considered to be one of the greatest Chapter Masters of the Dark Angels. He rose quickly through the ranks of the Chapter, especially for his heroic performance during the scouring of Truan IX and the crushing of the Techno-revivalist uprising on Faze V. The extremely secretive nature of the Dark Angels makes Azrael's achievements after these events nearly impossible to trace, but it is known that he was appointed to the Deathwing company, and then to Brother-Captain of the 3rd Company. He later became master of the Deathwing company, and it was to no one's surprise that he was appointed Chapter Master after the last Grand Master of the Dark Angels died. At this point, Azrael was given the title "Keeper of the Truth", and presented with two relics of the Chapter: the Lion Helm (which was previously worn by Lion El'Jonson) and the Sword of Secrets, foremost of the fabled Heavenfall blades, created from a meteorite that struck the Rock after the Horus Heresy. In battle, Azrael is always accompanied by a short, mysterious creature known only as a Watcher in the Dark, which carries the Lion Helm.
Modelling
In the context of the game, Azrael can be included in any Dark Angels army of at least 2,000 points as an HQ unit.
Trivia
Gargamel, the main antagonist in the animated children's cartoon called The Smurfs, has an orange pet cat who is also named Azrael. "Azrael" is an alternate name for the Angel of Death.
References
- Chambers, Andy (2003). "Commander Azrael", Warhammer 40,000 Codex: Dark Angels, 2nd Edition, Nottingham: Games Workshop. ISBN 1-84154-302-0.
Lion EL'johnson Ten times the time of snow and blizzards came to the forest home of the young Primarch who
would become known as Lion El´Jonson. By this time he was full-grown, his genetically
instilled powers accelerating his growth at a greatly enhanced rate. Cut off from human
contact, he could not speak, only roar in anger, rage or frustration. He ran naked through the
dark pine forests, hunting, and being hunted in his turn. His hair was long and unkempt, his
brooding eyes glowering at the world from behind a fringe of yellow-russet hair. His nails
were long and engrimed with dirt and blood.
So it came to pass that one day this wild-thing, more lion than man, heard a strange new
sound. It was a sound he had never heard before. The sound of human laughter. Overcome
by curiosity Jonson was drawn towards this strange new sound.
He came upon a hunting party gathered in a clearing, laughing and talking over the dead
body of one of the ferocious chaos-beasts of the planet. Eyes wide with amazement,
Jonson studied these strange creatures, so like himself, but so utterly different. So stunned
was he by what he saw that his natural caution was forgotten. This almost cost him his life.
One of the knights glanced up, and spied Jonson on the edge of the glade. What he saw
was not a man but some form of wild beast. Instinctively the knight drew his bolt pistol and
fired a volley of shots. Only Jonson´s super-humanly fast reactions saved him from death,
as he hurled himself to one side. Even so, one of the bolt shells clipped his left shoulder and
exploded, sending agonising shards of white-hot adamantium deep into his flesh. Reeling
away, Jonson attempted to escape, but was quickly cornered by the hunting party. His back
pressed against the bole of a massive tree, Jonson growled at the semi-circle of knights that
surrounded him and prepared to sell his life dearly.
The history of the Imperium would have been very different if Jonson had been gunned
down there and then, but it was not to be. As the knights levelled their bolt pistols, one
amongst them cried "hold!" Amidst deathly silence this young knight dismounted and
advanced towards Jonson, re-holstering his pistol and dropping his chainsword as he did
so. Jonson did not attack as the young warrior advanced towards him. The knight put out a
hand and brushed the hair back from Jonson´s face, revealing his perfect human features
and the fierce light of intelligence that shone from his eyes.
"Look," said the knight. "He is a man, not a beast." And with that he led Jonson back
towards the rest of the knights, who stood and stared in wonder and i awe. The young
knight was named Luther, and his fate and that of Jonson and the Dark Angels were to be
inextricably entwined from that point on.
