Rogue Angel
Encyclopedia
Main Character
- Annja Creed
Annja Creed is a world-traveling archaeologist with a penchant for adventure, lost cities, mysterious codes and puzzles, and shadowy history that was never recorded. Heir to Joan of Arc's mystic sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
, Annja finds herself drawn into the webs of darkest villainy with lives on the line.
After growing up in an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
, where she developed a love of history—primarily because she didn't know her own history—as well as an interest in martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, Annja scored high enough to earn a full-ride college scholarship and studied diligently. She's achieved a Masters in Archeology, concentrating on medieval and renaissance time periods, and has specialized knowledge in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, botany, art, and is perpetually a student of things that come her way. Her first major dig while in college was at Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
battled the Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
.
Once she had her degree, Annja worked hard to gain recognition and finally caught a lucky break on the David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
Show. She's beautiful, charming, and extremely intelligent.
Within days of the Letterman appearance, Annja was offered a job working as a host on Chasing History’s Monsters, a syndicated television show specializing in sensationalizing the stories of vampires, serial killers, mythic beasts, mass murderers, and pop culture legendary beings.
Although Annja tries to bring a certain amount of factual material to the episodes she hosts, she invariably gets remembered (if she gets remembered at all, since the other hostess of the show was hired for her generous figure) more for the unbelievable aspects of the show than for any concrete details she reveals. This frustrates her, but the salary
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
and expense account involved allows her to travel a lot and ensures she has a high public profile that brings other jobs her way.
In addition to the field work and the television career, Annja also researches COAs (certificate of authenticity) for different museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
pieces and items in private collections. She's written several articles and a few books.
Her current base of operations is in a loft in Brooklyn, New York.
The Sword
When Joan of ArcJoan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
was burned at the stake for heresy, her sword was shattered and two men, who were supposedly her body guards, were cursed to scour the ends of the earth to find the pieces and reassemble the sword. Joan was a Champion, one whose fate was tied closely to the struggle against the darkness
Darkness
Darkness, in contrast with brightness, is a relative absence of visible light. It is the appearance of black in a color space. When light is not present, rod and cone cells within the eye are not stimulated. This lack of stimulation means photoreceptor cells are unable to distinguish color...
that always lies in wait.
Annja was on hand when the final piece was found, and again when the pieces were all put together. At her touch, the Sword reformed and became magically tied to her. She has the ability to place the Sword in otherwhere, where it can't be seen or taken, and draw it out with just a moment's notice.
No one can take the Sword from Annja. Even when she throws the blade
Blade
A blade is that portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with a cutting edge and/or a pointed tip that is designed to cut and/or puncture, stab, slash, chop, slice, thrust, or scrape animate or inanimate surfaces or materials...
at a foe, she can call it back to her hand. Time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
and space mean nothing to the Sword. It serves Annja and may, although no one is certain yet, draw evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
to Annja so that it can be destroyed
Destroyed
Destroyed is the first full length studio album by punk band Sloppy Seconds. It was released in 1989 on Toxic Shock records. The album cover is a parody of the Kiss album Destroyer from 1976.-Track listing:#"I Don't Wanna Be A Homosexual"...
.
One thing Annja knows for sure is that her life has changed drastically since the sword came into her life.
Other characters
- Roux
Roux is an old man
Old man
-Roles:*Father*Husband*Captain of a merchant ship or a warship*Any male amateur radio operator-People:*"Old Man" of La Chapelle-au-Saints, a skeleton*Joseph "Old Man" Paruta member of the Gambino crime family...
apparently in his sixties who has been alive even longer than the five hundred years he admits to. He loves golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and Texas Hold 'Em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
poker. He lives in a castle-like mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
outside of Paris, France. He has a mentor relationship with Annja, but draws the line at ever becoming a father
Father
A father, Pop, Dad, or Papa, is defined as a male parent of any type of offspring. The adjective "paternal" refers to father, parallel to "maternal" for mother...
figure. Although he will help Annja on occasion, he wants her to be strong, fierce, and independent. Annja just wants to interview him and see the things he’s seen. He's operating on his own agenda, tracking down various items purported to have magical powers, and sealing them away from the world. And if he has to entice Annja and lie to her about it, he'll do that. Roux's a man that will take care of his own needs first.
- Garin Braden
Garin Braden was Roux's apprentice five hundred years ago. A bastard child, he was ill-treated in his father's house by his father's wife
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
. He was given by his father to Roux at an early age just to get him out of the house. Five hundred years later, he's rich
Rich
Rich may refer to wealth. Rich may also refer to:- Organizations :* B.C. Rich, guitar manufacturer* Rich Products, international food products corporation* Rich's, U.S. department store retail chain in the southern U.S....
, arrogant
Pride
Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris...
, and contemptuous of Roux. Over six foot tall, athletic and musculine, he sports a goatee and long black hair and dark eyes. He's afraid that the reassembly of the Sword has put an end to his longevity, and believes that if the Sword were destroyed again that he might live forever. However, where he was once Annja's bitterest rival for Roux's attention as well as wanting to destroy the Sword, he’s found himself respecting Annja Creed more and more.
- Doug Morrell
Doug Morrell is Annja's producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
at Chasing History's Monsters. He's 22, self-involved, and doesn't have a clue about history. Nor does he care. In television, as he often reminds Annja, it's all about the ratings. Although he has a good relationship
Interpersonal relationship
An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the...
with Annja and they are friends, he's not above guilting her to get her to do what he wants her to do.
Series History
The series was first envisioned by Randall Toy, a Harlequin executive who fell in love with the history concerning Joan of ArcJoan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
and wanted to develop the idea of a present-day Joan. Veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
action-adventure editors Feroze Mohammed and Nicole Brebner teamed up with Mel Odom to flesh out their series.
The first eight novels were written by Victor Milan
Victor Milan
Victor Woodward Milán is an American writer known for libertarian science fiction and an interest in cybernetics. In 1986 he won the Prometheus Award for Cybernetic Samurai. He has also written several shared universe works for the Forgotten Realms, Star Trek, and Wild Cards Universes...
and Mel Odom. New writers joining the series starting with book nine include Jon Merz and Joseph Nassise
Joseph Nassise
Joseph Nassise is an American horror author. His debut novel, Riverwatch, was nominated for both the Bram Stoker Award and the International Horror Guild Award...
.
Novels
Although these books can be read individually in any order as discrete adventures, it is actually better to read them in order as there is some continuity within the character development and sub-plots.Usually Annja's adventures revolve around an artifact that falls into her hands temporarily before being taken by the villains or a third party that might or might not prove to be evil. Or she might take up the trail of an artifact that was lost in history or only thought of as a legend.
The trail progresses quickly as Annja risks more and more to reach her prize. Along the way she learns more about historical periods and the people who lived in them. She also becomes more knowledgeable about the sword and it's bond to her as time progress.
Sources
Rogue Angel is very similar to the premise of the 2001-02 Witchblade (TV series)Witchblade (TV series)
Following a pilot film in August 2000, the cable network TNT premiered a Witchblade television series based on the Witchblade Top Cow Productions comic book series in 2001. Some of the episodes were written by Ralph Hemecker, Marc Silvestri and J.D...
, which in turn was adapted from the Witchblade
Witchblade
Witchblade is an American comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, from 1995 until present. The series was created by Top Cow editors Marc Silvestri and David Wohl, writers Brian Haberlin and Christina Z, and artist Michael Turner.The series follows Sara...
comic book series, first published in 1995.
Rogue Angel also has elements similar to the Outlanders
Outlanders
Outlanders is a long-running series of science-fiction novels created by Mark Ellis and published by Gold Eagle, an imprint of Harlequin Enterprises.- Plot :...
series (1997–Present) created by Mark Ellis
Mark Ellis (writer)
Mark Ellis is an American novelist and comic-book writer who under the pen name James Axler has written scores of books for the Outlanders paperback novel series and other books, as well as numerous independent comics series....
.
Audiobooks
In January 2007, GraphicAudioGraphicaudio
GraphicAudio is an audiobook publisher that creates "A Movie In Your Mind". The GraphicAudio format features a full cast of actors, narration, sound effects and cinematic music...
began releasing the books in a dramatized audio format.
Series listing
- - Destiny
- - Solomon's Jar
- - The Spider Stone
- - The Chosen
- - Forbidden City
- - The Lost Scrolls
- - God of Thunder
- - Secret of the Slaves
- - Warrior Spirit
- - Serpent's Kiss
- - Provenance
- - Soul Stealer
- - Gabriel's Horn
- - The Golden Elephant
- - Swordsman's Legacy
- - Polar Quest
- - Eternal Journey
- - Sacrifice
- - Seeker's Curse
- - Footprints
- - Paradox
- - Spirit Banner
- - Sacred Ground
- - The Bone Conjurer
- - Tribal Ways
- - The Dragon's Mark
- - Phantom Prospect
- - Restless Soul
- - False Horizon
- - The Other Crowd
- - Tear of the Gods
Forthcoming Volumes
32 - The Oracle's Message (September 06, 2011)33 - Cradle of Solitude (November 01, 2011)
34 - Labyrinth (January 03, 2012)
35 - Fury's Goddess (March 06, 2012)
Comicbook series
In 2008 IDW PublishingIDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
will release a debut miniseries written by Barbara Kesel
Barbara Kesel
Barbara Randall Kesel is an American writer and editor of comic books; her bibliography includes work for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Crossgen, Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics.-Biography:...
and featuring art by Renae De Liz.
External links
- GraphicAudio Books Dramatized audio book adaptations of the Rogue Angel Series.
- MySpace.com Annja Creed's profile on MySpace.
- Renae DeLiz MySpace page Artist on IDW's comic series.