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Uriel: The Shadow Watcher of Dark Matter

Urial

In the cosmic landscape of Dark Matter, where gods play cruel games and mortals are caught in the crossfire, Uriel stands as one of the most complex and fascinating characters. Known as the Shadow Watcher and the Master of the Memory Keepers, Uriel’s role is both profound and paradoxical. He begins the story as a loyal servant of the gods, tasked with overseeing the multiverse’s infinite threads of existence. But as events unfold, Uriel becomes something much more: a betrayer, a rebel, and an unknowing pawn in a larger game.

Let’s explore Uriel’s character, his journey, and his impact on the events of Dark Matter.

The Keeper of Memory

Uriel was created by the Nameless Gods as their tool, a being woven from shadow and silence. His purpose was singular and immense: to guard and record the threads of reality, preserving every moment, every thought, and every secret across the multiverse. As the Master of the Memory Keepers, Uriel’s existence was defined by duty. He didn’t merely watch the multiverse—he understood it, perceiving its infinite variations and ensuring that the gods’ cycle of creation, suffering, and destruction continued undisturbed.

For eons, Uriel fulfilled this role without question. He was the perfect servant, carrying out his duties with precision and loyalty. His existence revolved around the gods’ design, the endless web of replicated souls and branching realities that the gods controlled.

But then, Uriel encountered something he had never seen before: Yehoshua, a singular being who existed outside the multiverse’s rules. Unlike every other soul, which had infinite variations across the threads, Yehoshua had no duplicates. He was one-of-a-kind, a flaw in the gods’ design. This discovery marked the beginning of Uriel’s transformation.

The Encounter with Yehoshua

Yehoshua’s existence wasn’t just an anomaly—it was a threat. The gods, fearing the disruption he could cause, sought to erase him. They manipulated Saul (later Paul) and other agents to imprison Yehoshua beneath the Vatican, binding him in chains forged with ancient magic. While the gods succeeded in silencing Yehoshua’s physical presence, they couldn’t erase him completely.

Uriel, as the Memory Keeper, became aware of Yehoshua in a way the gods hadn’t anticipated. Even after Yehoshua was imprisoned, his influence lingered, spreading like a faint whisper through the multiverse. Yehoshua’s defiance of the gods planted a seed of doubt in Uriel’s mind—a seed that grew over time.

For the first time, Uriel began to question the gods’ cruelty. He saw the multiverse not as a masterpiece, but as a prison, a mechanism of suffering designed for the gods’ amusement. Yehoshua’s whispers—subtle and persistent—nudged Uriel toward this realization, slowly unraveling the blind obedience that had defined his existence.

The Betrayal

As Uriel’s doubt grew, so did his defiance. He began to rebel against the gods in quiet, calculated ways. Though he couldn’t openly oppose them without risking annihilation, Uriel used his knowledge of the multiverse to subtly manipulate events.

His most significant act of rebellion was choosing Zivah as the mother of the prophecy. Uriel saw in Zivah a strength that the gods had overlooked—a strength that could nurture a child destined to challenge the gods’ design. Uriel guided Malleck, whispering forbidden spells into his mind to save Zivah and her unborn son, Joshua, during childbirth. This act set the prophecy in motion, ensuring that Joshua would one day become a central figure in the rebellion against the gods.

Uriel’s betrayal wasn’t just a rejection of the gods’ authority—it was a declaration of his own agency. By planting the seeds of rebellion, Uriel broke free from the role the gods had assigned him, transforming from their servant into their enemy.

Uriel’s Duality

Uriel is a character defined by duality. He is both a being of immense power and a prisoner of his own nature. As the Shadow Watcher, Uriel holds the memories of all existence, including the secrets of the gods. This knowledge is both his greatest weapon and his greatest vulnerability. The gods cannot destroy him without exposing their own deceptions, but Uriel cannot act openly without risking everything he has worked to protect.

This duality makes Uriel a deeply conflicted character. He is a rebel, but he operates in the shadows, pulling strings and planting seeds rather than waging open war. His rebellion is calculated, born not of rage but of a quiet, simmering resolve to undo the gods’ cruelty.

Uriel’s duality is also evident in his relationship with Yehoshua. While Yehoshua’s whispers guide Uriel’s rebellion, they also reveal the limits of Uriel’s understanding. Uriel believes himself to be the architect of the rebellion, but in reality, he is being manipulated by Yehoshua—a pawn in a game far larger than he realises.

A Protector and a Manipulator

Uriel’s role in the story is both protective and manipulative. He chooses Zivah, guides Malleck, and plants the thought in Joshua’s mind to send Beris to Father Bussi. Each of these actions serves to advance the rebellion, but they also reveal Uriel’s willingness to use others as tools in his larger plan.

This makes Uriel a morally complex character. While his actions are ultimately aimed at dismantling the gods’ oppressive system, they come at a cost. He sacrifices Asher to protect the prophecy, killing Zivah’s beloved without hesitation. He manipulates Malleck and Bussi, pulling them into a rebellion they barely understand.

Uriel’s methods raise important questions about the nature of rebellion and the price of freedom. Is it justified to use others as pawns if the cause is righteous? Can one fight oppression without becoming oppressive in the process? These are questions that Dark Matter leaves unanswered, but Uriel’s character forces us to grapple with them.

Uriel’s Relationship to the Multiverse

As the Master of the Memory Keepers, Uriel has a unique perspective on the multiverse. He sees its threads in their entirety, understanding the infinite possibilities and variations that define existence. This perspective gives him immense power, but it also isolates him. Uriel is not bound to any one world or timeline—he exists outside of them, a shadow in the spaces between.

This isolation shapes Uriel’s character in profound ways. While he has unparalleled knowledge, he also carries an immense burden. He is responsible for guarding the multiverse’s memories, but he is also complicit in the suffering those memories represent. This dual role—guardian and accomplice—creates a deep well of internal conflict that drives Uriel’s actions throughout the story.

Uriel’s Impact on the Story

Uriel’s presence looms large over Dark Matter. Though he operates in the shadows, his influence is felt in every corner of the narrative. Without Uriel’s intervention, Zivah and Joshua would not have survived, and the rebellion against the gods would never have begun.

Uriel’s knowledge of the multiverse also shapes the story’s stakes. As the keeper of the gods’ secrets, he understands the fragility of their system and the immense power that Yehoshua represents. His decision to betray the gods is not just an act of defiance—it’s a calculated move to unravel their control and create a path toward freedom.

Why Uriel Matters

Uriel is one of the most compelling characters in Dark Matter because he embodies so many of the story’s central themes: rebellion, manipulation, sacrifice, and the struggle for agency in a universe governed by oppressive forces. He is neither wholly good nor wholly evil—he is a shadow, existing in the moral grey areas that define the story.

Uriel’s journey from loyal servant to quiet rebel is a testament to the power of doubt and the resilience of the human (or in his case, semi-divine) spirit. His character forces us to question the nature of power, the cost of rebellion, and the ways in which knowledge can both liberate and ensnare.

Through Uriel, Dark Matter explores what it means to resist, even when resistance feels futile. He reminds us that even in the darkest corners of existence, there is room for defiance—and that sometimes, the most powerful rebellions begin with a single whisper in the dark.