Azrael

Azrael, formerly known as The Archangel of War, Shadow and Death, Azrael, is one of three entities that comprises the Fifth Angel alongside Midnight Strike and Nocteruinam. He was once an Archangel of God, and was Christianity's original guide of the dead and harbinger of darkness.

Background
Azrael was one of the five Archangels of God, alongside his brothers Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Lucifer. He had a small number of followers primarily situated in a land that would much later become the United Kingdom, dubbing themselves the "Black Templars" in his honour.

When Lucifer was cast from Heaven for attempting to become greater than God, Azrael was overcome with paranoia. He rallied his faithful on Earth and covertly directed them to desecrate several Christian artefacts and sites, as revenge for casting out one of his kin. This did not go unnoticed by God, but the good word of Jesus Christ prevented the Lord from taking action against the rogue Archangel.

After so long, God grew tired of Azrael's machinations and declared his powers obsolete. Azrael defied God and fled to the mortal realm of Earth, only to be hit by God's striking light and his body torn apart. The lost immortal soul was almost immediately bound into a vessel that had just arrived on Earth through a Rift; one already containing two souls. After some infighting, the three formed a pact and their own plans became one, overarching goal.

The vessel travelled to the shores of what would become Wales, making his way to England while gathering warriors from all around the future British island. These warriors were led by five, elite soldiers who took the mantle of the Black Templars, following their Archangel Azrael as he began his plot for revenge. In 1065, the entity known as "The Fifth Angel" finished his conquest of Anglia, Caledonia, Eire, and Cambria, reforging them into the United Kingdoms of Albion.

In that same year, some of the Fifth Angel's scouts travelled over the Anglia Straight (later renamed the English Channel) and came into contact with the future nation of Germany. The scouts were attacked for their faith, returning with casualties and injuries. The Fifth Angel, outraged that someone would attack his faithful without word to him, ordered a mass defensive line be established across the Anglia Straight in case of a full-scale invasion. This proved to be a sound decision, as their enemies attempted to land soldiers but were all cut down by the Fifth Angel's army. However, the Angel's forces were not without loss on their own side. Of the 935 who took their stand against the overwhelming horde, only 115 remained alive. This meant little to Azrael, but he noted that Nocteruinam, a fellow soul inside the vessel known as the Fifth Angel, was uneasy at the exact numbers.

For the next century, Albion and the Holy Roman Empire were locked in a war that raged for so long, the Holy Roman Empire gained a new king. King Frederick Barbarossa attempted to call upon unholy beasts in the form of "Geistkraft" to overwhelm his enemies with an army of the dead, but was only met with an equally-defiant "Dead Man's Strike" by the Fifth Angel's own Divinium Zombies, provided by Nocteruinam's Void abilities. This war became known as the "Dead Man's War". It only ended when the Fifth Angel and King Barbarossa clashed blades personally, with both being transported to the Crazy Place between dimensions. There, the Fifth Angel slew Barbarossa with his electricity, as their blades had been left behind. Azrael, along with his closest allies and the corpse of Barbarossa, remained in the Crazy Place for generations, unable to leave.

In the year 2050, the Fifth Angel was suddenly summoned back to Victis by a man known as Archius. He was both horrified at what his nation had become and elated by the news of the Midnight Empire's return to power. As Archius gave the Fifth Angel the run-down, he returned power to their religious oracle and the name Azrael once again struck fear into the heart of the German people.

In 2060, the Fifth Angel instructed the Midnight Empire, who had been losing the Fifth World War, to pack all they could into their impressive fleet and make for the Bermuda Triangle. His followers did so without much question, with a rather large group staying in the UK to hold back the pursuing German and Russian fleets. This included Archius. While out at sea, unrest began to spread among the Fifth Angel's forces until the Rifts opened before them. They passed through and were taken to Equestria, later revealed to be the Promised Land as written in the Nightfall Codex.