TERRIEL

Seneschal of the Dallas Morning News

Elohite Master of Stone

Role: Hal Harwell, Senior Editor, DallasMorningNews

Terriel is an experienced angel, but not an ancient one. He's been in Texas since the 18th century. David originally assigned him to counter the divisive effects of journalism, which commonly stirred up feuds, class warfare, and xenophobia. With such vague marching orders, Terriel became a journalist, initially a reporter, and later an editor. He moonlighted as a demon-hunter, usually teaming up with a Malakite or a Cherub. He had a knack for putting himself in an obstructing situation where demons or their minions would be incited to attack him, but without ever actually manipulating their emotions (which would be dangerously close to acting like a Habbalite).

In the 1920s, he had already earned David's Friend Distinction when the Dallas Morning News began its campaign against the Klu Klux Klan. Terriel participated in that campaign, and helped keep the paper's staff united in the face of persecution. He also helped direct angels of War and the Sword towards Malphan instigators among the Klan and their Sympathizers.

When the DallasMorningNews became a Tether to Stone, David appointed Terriel as its Seneschal. As the DMN remained the only divine Tether in the area and the War heated up in Dallas, David boosted Terriel's power a bit more than usual for a relatively young Seneschal in charge of a small Tether. He has added several Forces and granted a number of Songs to the Elohite to make sure he remained the most formidable Seneschal in the area. Terriel has served ably and well. His role now is as a senior editor, Hal Harwell, who's been working at the paper since the 40s. All mortal employees know Hal, and he's one of the most respected figures there. Unfortunately, Hal has been around so long now that the Role will have to be "retired" pretty soon, since his associates believe him to be in his 90s. Thus, Terriel is developing a new Role as "Harry Stone" (the local demons know who he is anyway), a reporter who's just started working at the DMN, and whom Hal Harwell has "taken under his wing."

Part of Terriel's problem is that the Dallas Morning News is no longer a feisty city paper run by locals, but a media organ owned by a large parent corporation. Thus, even as a respected, senior editor, he has much less influence over its day-to-day operations. Servitors of Nybbas has been trying to weaken the divine Tether for years, and occasionally infiltrate the paper (though Terriel and his minions are pretty good at rooting them out).

He cooperates willingly with Judgment and will provide aid to other angels when he can. He's more willing to provide mundane help (a search through the archives, media coverage by a reporter, even a favorable mention in an editorial) than supernatural aid, and he will not cooperate with angels who are too "noisy" in the city.