| Protagonists | |
| Raphael | |
| |
 )Thomas Krause ) Pierre Monbouchet ) Alessandro Ricci )Adán Latonda | |
Raphael is the last guide of the Tower, the last of its "Gardeners". After having received the Egyptian Masks from the Gnarl, Adam and Rebecca are finally eligible to enter the Tower. Stepping off the Tower Gate, they immediately make Raphael's acquaintance, as he is in the midst of roasting a fish upon a small campfire, cheerfully welcoming them to the wondrous climes of the Tower.
Name[]
Raphael (Hebrew רפאל Rāp̄āʾēl) is a male given name of Hebrew origin. Its meanings include "It is God who heals", "God Heals", "God, Please Heal". The suffix -el is cognate with the Babylonian word "ELLU" and can be translated as "shining (one)", hence another possible translation of the name is "The shining one who heals". The latter information is also reflected in the notebook that Adam and Rebecca find on the pulpit inside St. Michael's. Infact, as Adam and Rebecca travel through the Tower, they occasionally encounter so-called Kudurrus, monolithic orthostats which bear the rune symbols of the Realms. Some of them glow in an orange light and touching them will restore a certain amount of health. This could be regarded as a work of Raphael as the Tower is his dominion.
Theological Background[]
Raphael with staff and fish.
Raphael first reveals himself in the Book of Tobit[1] and is furthermore named in the apocryphal Book of Enoch[2]. He is also mentioned in the Talmud[3][4].
According to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Raphael is one of (usually) seven[2] archangels. His faculty concerns all manners of healing[5]. He appears as a young man carrying a flask, a staff or a fish. The fish hereby represents the healing power of God and is a reference to the Book of Tobit wherein Raphael tells Tobias to catch a fish and then uses the galbladder to cure his father's blindness[6]. When Adam and Rebecca encounter him in the game for the first time, he is amidst preparing a fish for himself.
The Gardeners[]
Raphael is the last of a group of Tower guides called "Gardeners".
Florentine relates one of his acolyte's experience with a gardener in his journal, precisely in the entry of January 15, 1330. Said acolyte, Thomas, ostensibly encountered within the Tower someone who called himself the Gardener. Apparently, the Gardener aided Thomas "in his escape only moments before the gibbering madness of the Ire fell upon him". Florentine is sceptical about Thomas' account as his then-confidant Belial claims that "the last of the Gardeners perished at the Fall of the Stone".
In his entry of March 15, 1330, Florentine talks about a manuscript which he has had sent from France and which constitutes French magician's account on his travels through the Tower during the 13th century. There is no mention of any Gardeners in this document. It is, however, just a fragment of a much larger body.
In the entry of April 15, 1895, then, Florentine writes that Belial regrettably informed him that "the Gardeners had in fact returned to their precious Tower despite his promise that they had all perished at the Fall of the Stone".
Raphael and Aelf[]
Apart from the fact that both Raphael and Aelf are portrayed by the same actor, Dave Roberts, there is one major clue in the game supporting the assumption that they are actually one and the same. After having freed Hawk with the Key of Tears, Adam and Rebecca ask him about Aelf to which he responds that he and Raphael are of the same blood. Rebecca states that she has noticed some resemblance and asks if they are related, which Hawk negates.
Another vague parallel proposes itself in the fact that Raphael is the last of the Gardeners, and Aelf is the last of the Falshire Knights.
Gallery[]
Script[]
Arriving prematurely by the tower gate to Arqua[]
| “ |
Raphael: Know that you approach the Divine Realm. Traveller, you have no Rightful Passage unto this place. Turn back and seek the Device of Passing. |
” |
Discussing Raphael[]
| “ |
Adam: This Raphael fellow. What do you make of him? |
” |
Discussing the Gardeners[]
| “ |
Adam: The Gardeners Raphael mentioned. Who could they be? |
” |
Reflecting on Raphael[]
| “ |
Adam: Raphael... what is he? Of the same blood as Aelf. Brothers? No, Hawk refuted it. Of the same blood yes. What did he mean by that? Place your trust in Raphael. His names are many... same blood... |
” |