(A word of explanation: this Khalid was created after The Final Trumpet was published. It is an attempt on the part of J. Michael Neal to create a Khalid that is actually the Archangel of Faith, instead of being Archangel of Islamic Terrorists or Archangel of The Lollipop Guild. I think he succeeded, and it is with his generous permission that I present an alternate Khalid to you.)

Khalid is very young for an Archangel, created shortly before the original Fall. He is a Cherub, with all of that Choir's stubbornness and fortitude. He was a zealous Servitor of Purity, looking over his charges to ensure that they remained pure in their hearts. His task was to ensure that humans always had someone to look to for guidance so as to avoid temptation. For his efforts, he was deemed worthy of the Word of Faith.

Though he was a determined protector of his Word, Khalid's own faith remained unfocused for amny centuries. He was electified when he heard the messages that Gabriel carried to a tradesman in a seemingly unimportant corner of the world. The Angel of Faith took a place amid the small band of believers that gathered around Muhammad. For the next twenty yares he spent most of his time in Arabia, nurturing the new faith of Islam. He provided encouragment when spirits flagged and assistance when danger threatened. Yet even he was surprised when Islam made its meteoric rise after the death of the Prophet.

It is claimed by some in Heaven that Khalid adopted Islam out of a desire to oppose Laurence and that their costly rivalry was furthered, or even began at that time. There may well be truth to this, for Khalid has always been ambitious, and he certainly disapproved of the way in which Laurence and Dominic were using Christianity. Really no one, even the two protagonists, knows why a once strong friendship soured so badly. But it was a decision that took on a life of its own. Either the Word of Faith pushed it's Angel into acceptance of Islam, or this acceptance strengthened the Word, or both. Regardless, Khalid truly believes in Islam with a deepness that no human religion has inspired in any of his fellow Archangels, save perhaps Uriel.

Khalid reacted with anger to Laurence's elevation to the position of General of the Host, despite becoming an Archangel himself. For reasons both simple and complex, it was a decision he opposed. He is proud enough of his own abilities to think that he would have been a better choice. But he also believes that Laurence was a deficient Servitor of Purity. The Angel of the Sword actively promotes a faith in which he does not believe himself. Viewed through the prism of Khalid's interpretation of his own Word, this is an act of supreme falsehood. He can not see it in the practical goal of strengthening humanity, but instead he assumes that it is a cynical ploy to build a political power base.

For a time, Khalid remained in Heaven, fighting a struggle to make the others adopt his view. He became increasingly strident in his complaints. At last, David, the elder to whom Khalid feels most akin, advised him to leave. The Archangel of Stone recognized that the rancor had no good outcome; either Heaven would be split or, more likely, Khalid's bitterness would only escalate.

So the Archangel of Faith left his cathedral, and has returned only rarely. Unlike Gabriel, he has taken up residence primarily on the Corporeal plane. He has served in many roles over the centuries, from charismatic imams preaching to the faithful to sufi mystics to simple Arab tribesmen or Indonesian peasants. He has seen his religion from every position save that of temporal ruler. He viewed corporeal politics as trivial when measured against celestial faith.

The change in homes did Khalid good for several hundred years. Islam flourished and its patron lost himslef in his duties. It was a golden era, and all seemed right in the world. It was old rivalries and his disregard of earthly power that brought it to an end. He viewed the Crusades and the Christian assaults on Islamic Spain as a direct attack by Laurence. When he attempted to fight back, he found that the rot at the heart of the Abbasid, Fatimid and Umayyad caliphates made coordinated resistance impossible.

To fight against the onslaught, Khalid overcompensated. The Seljuq Turks proved to be an effective fighting force and Khalid embraced tehm whole-heartedly. Unfortunatly, these tribes were incapable of sustaining the dynamism of the rest of society. Despite what on maps seemed to be a great expansion, Islam fell into a long period of intellectual and cultural stagnation. The Archangel of Faith symbolized this decline completely. When the Mongols destroyed Baghdad in 1258, he didn't even recognize what had been lost.

As the tide turned against the Muslims centuries later, Khalid could only watch helplessly as European powers colonized the lands of Islam. The umma (community of Muslims) was incapable of serious military resistance, and he had sunk so deep into despair that he could not see another path. Matters outside of Islam were less and less likely to draw his attention. The Protestant Reformation, a tremendous expression of Faith, passed by largely without his notice.

The catalyst for change was a young angel named ir-Rahman. Her Kyriotate nature absorbed the intellectual revolution against ossified legal formalism that began in the late 18th century. She joyously brought these developments to the attention of her Superior. Through much hard work, she reawakened his interest. Servitors of Faith were part of the religious reforms of Wahabbism and the intellectual revival under the Qajar dynasty in Iran.

And yet, Khalid finds himself in a position where he is losing his own faith. The post-colonial world brought to power avowedly secular rulers in most of the Islamic world, and the most powerful opposition to these governments seem to be bent on establishing regimes as narrow-minded as those that existed before colonial times. A key event was when Gabriel's Tether at the Dome of the Rock fell into Malphas' hands. He cannot fathom why Allah would allow the site of Muhammad's ascension to Heaven to become a gate to Hell. Khalid can feel all of his gains slipping through his fingers, and he fears that he is on the verge of Falling. And Malphas may be ready to give the final push.

PERSONALITY AND OUTLOOK
Khalid has become increasingly withdrawn, not just from Heaven, but from those close to him as well. When he looks into the future, he sees the twin blights of disbleief and fanaticism; simple faith seems incapable of withstanding their pressures and his Word weighs heavily upon him. He is reluctant to take any action, as he is unsure of its efficacy. While not subscribing to all of the political implications, Khalid is philosophically sympathetic to Shi'ite beliefs. In practice, this means he accepts mystical revelation and is closer to sufi orders than many Sunnis. He also believes in the eventual arrival of the mahdi who will lead the spiritual community. Yet, he can not understand why the time for the mahdi's return has not arrived, and why he no longer feels that mystical connection to God. Deep in his heart, Khalid is beginning to fear that he has been wron all of these centuries.

He is now a difficult Archangel of get a hold of. He lives in an isolated desert camp and recieves few visitors. He is extremely reluctant to give guidance or encouragment to those who do arrive. He is more likely to share his bleak forebodings, but he does not really wish to inflict them on others either, so he is more likely to remain silent. Those who meet with him will be struck by the aura of weariness and apathy that he carries with him.

Like all Cherubim, Khalid is very protective. In times past, he has been warm and supportive to those around him. That he can no longer be so pains him greatly and contributes to his isolation. He can still be roused to great wrath should any of the things which he holds dear be thretened. He remains polite in his personal dealings.

The two angels who have the most influence over him are ir-Rahman and Bashir, the Angel of Ikhwan (Brotherhood). The former can still, on occasion, pierce his despair and bring him to action. The latter, though, reinforces Khalid's lethargy while preaching militant opposition to other Servitors of Faith.

PRIORITIES
For centuries, Khalid has promoted Faith and Islam in whatever fashion seemed most effective. He still wants to protect his flock, but is increasingly unable to articulate long-range objectives. Others, usually the two mentioned above, can focus him on a specific problem, but it has no carryover effect.

The goal on which Khalid has fixiated is the redemption of the Dome of the Rock. He would take this as a sign of the return of God's favor. He is so focused that he is ignoring the long-term dangers his quest entails. He has conversed with Malphas, who is using all of his charm and wiles to win over an Archangel. In other circumstances, he might give up the Tether if it would secure Khalid's Fall, but he has other plans right now.

The one idea that Khalid is developing for a long-term goal, urged by the not entirely independent advice of Bashir and Malphas, is that the time has arrived for Armageddon. That, surely, owuld bring about God's justifying Faith. And a small part of him whispers that if it did not, then it is better for the world to end.

DISSONANCE
It is dissonant for a Servitor of Faith to deny that in which he believes, or to affirm that which he opposes. This is not the same as the dissonance conditions of a Seraph; an angel of Faith may lie about many things, but he must always be honest about those principles he holds most dear.

It is also dissonant for an angel of Faith to abandon a cause of goal as hopeless. Tactical retreats are acceptable and sometimes even necessary. But he must return to the task on another day, from another direction, until it is accomplished, regardless of the odds.

CHOIR ATTUNEMENTS
In addition to the choir attunements listed below, those of Khalid's Servitors who follow Islam instinctively know what direction Mecca lies in and when it is one of the five appointed times for daily prayer. This knowledge raises the target number for any attempt at dead reckoning navigation by 2.

Seraphim
Khalid's Seraphim hunt those who profit from false proclamations of Faith. Their resonance roll to detect a swindle that promotes false hope and belief automatically succeeds. Roll to obtain a check digit or intervention.

Cherubim
Cherubim of Faith are the guardians of ideas. A subject to which they are attuned may add the cherub's celestial forces to any Will roll to resist resonances or songs that would affect their minds. This includes the resonance of a Kyriotate, Balseraph, Habbalah, Shedite or an Impudite's Charm.

They may also attune themselves to a book, letter or other tangible method of transferring information. They will know if this object is tampered with so as to change its meaning.

Ofanim
These Wheels are the messengers of Faith. They delight in bringing tidings of hope to the faithful. Khalid's Ofanim use their faith to sustain them through hardship and overcome difficulty. Their ceaseless travel brings them no weariness and all travel, be it a wide ocean or a sheer cliff, is treated as a flat plain.

Elohim
With a successful resonance roll, Elohim of Faith can tell what a person believes in and how strongly. It is their task to test the faith of those they meet in order to make it stronger in those who pass. This is also a test of the Elohite, as they must sometimes act uncomfortably like the Fallen Habbalah.

Malakim
Malakim of Faith are the mailed fist of vengeance. When they look at the corpse of a martyr, they know who caused her death. They add their celestial forces to any skill or combat roll in the cause of bringing the perpetrator to justice.

Kyriotates
Khalid's Kyriotates reinforce a person's Faith in themselves. The mind of their host does not retreat entirely to the Marches. This allows the Kyriotate access to the hosts skills. It also allows the host to remember the time during which it is possessed, though any obviously supernatural event will be fuzzy and remembered incompletely. The host will remember any successful action the Kyriotate takes using the hosts skills as if it were his own and use it to build confidence in his abilities.

Mercurians
These angels bring hope and faith to those who have none. at the cost of 2 Essence, they may make a resonance roll to determine a person's Need, as the Lilim resonance. They will not find Needs that would push the target towards their Fate.

SERVITOR ATTUNEMENTS

Ray of Hope
With this attunement, an angel can make a human aware of what he is capable. The human will know with confidence of his ability to accomplish those things that make up his Destiny. It doesn't make him aware of the concept of Destiny in general, just that he can accomplish these things. It in no way compels the human to follow this path.

Evolution of Cooperation
For 3 Esence, the angel can make any two humans asist each other the next time they have the opportunity. They will not act treacherously to each other until they do. If the first instance is not one of mutual cooperation, the obligation remains on the one that did not provide the aid, so long as the other does not betray him in the meantime.

Faith Can Move Mountains
With the expenditure of 2 essence, the angel can raise the target number of any action by 3, regardless of negative modifiers.

Wrath of Allah
As described in The Final Trumpet.

DISTINCTIONS

Vassal of Childlike Hope
Khalid's Vassals know whether someone is, in general, trustworthy.

Friend of a Higher Cause
The angel is a superb orator. Add 4 to the target roll of any Emote skill roll, so long as the angel believes what he is saying.

Master of Inner Strength
With a perception roll, a Master of Inner Strength knows the beliefs of his target and how strongly he holds them.

POLITICS
Khalid largely withdrew from active participation in Heavenly politics long ago, but he has obviously not cut himself off completely. He still makes sure that his opinion on important issues is known. He also makes sure that those of his Servitors that he thinks are worthy of a Word are able to petition the Seraphim Council.

Much of Faith's business is conducted through David. Khalid's long time friend will often serve as a proxy in bringing issues up. The Archangel of Faith has long been a militant on the issue of prosecution of the War, but it has been noticed that recently this ardour has waned.

Allied: David
Associated: Gabriel, Michael
Hostile: Dominic, Laurence

BASIC RITES

• Successfully defend a place of worship or meeting for the faithful.
• Spend an entire day helping the poor and those in need.
• convince someone who is skeptical to place their faith in something beyond their control.
• convert a non-bleiever to Islam (+2)

INVOCATION MODIFIERS
+1
+2
+3
+4
+5
+6

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