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| - The Mastigos or Warlocks are those who gain their magical power from the realm of Pandemonium, the Realm of Demons, nightmares, and punishment. Mastigos have a reputation for being deceptive, manipulative, and evil, and in some cases, this reputation is fully deserved. However, many Warlocks take great pains to remain on the path of virtue and as many more are as difficult to categorise as simply good or evil as anyone else. Many Mastigos believe that they function in a Darwinian role, exposing the weaknesses of their fellow mages, that these mages may improve themselves. This sounds callous to outsiders, but in the quest for ascension, any weakness unknown to the mage may be exploited by their enemies, so it is best to expose and remove as many of one's weaknesses as possible.
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| abstract
| - The Mastigos or Warlocks are those who gain their magical power from the realm of Pandemonium, the Realm of Demons, nightmares, and punishment. Mastigos have a reputation for being deceptive, manipulative, and evil, and in some cases, this reputation is fully deserved. However, many Warlocks take great pains to remain on the path of virtue and as many more are as difficult to categorise as simply good or evil as anyone else. Many Mastigos believe that they function in a Darwinian role, exposing the weaknesses of their fellow mages, that these mages may improve themselves. This sounds callous to outsiders, but in the quest for ascension, any weakness unknown to the mage may be exploited by their enemies, so it is best to expose and remove as many of one's weaknesses as possible. Many Mastigos are characterised, at least in early stages of their Awakening, by paranoia. Sudden awareness of the many minds surrounding them leads them to wonder what secrets those myriad minds hold, and this in turn leads to the Mastigos spying or manipulating the people around them, giving each Mastigos a useful set of espionage skills, but also bestowing a reputation as an amoral mind-rapist. Once they achieve the ability to read any mind they want they often wish they couldn't; the minds of their fellow man, be they mage or mortal, can be akin to an open cesspool. Many Mastigos become revolted by what they see. Another, common ailment that characterises young Mastigos is a bout of claustrophobia, Mastigos are suddenly aware of the limited space around them making them slightly territorial about their personal space. The Warlocks are fiercely independent, acknowledging no master save themselves. They throw cultural mores out the window, following only their own personal code of conduct. Sometimes, this leads to an excruciatingly strict set of rules more at home with a monk than a Mastigos; others take this philosophy as excuse to do whatever they want, ignoring the consequences for themselves or others. Warlocks are often perceived by the more xenophobic members of other Paths as corrupt, scheming and extremely ruthless. But this reputation only takes in account the basest applications of their self-sufficient lifestyle. Its is true that, for a person already leaning towards destruction and chaos, the path of the Mastigos grants many new tools to fully realize their vision of turmoil and ruin. But an Awakened on the Mastigos path with a predisposition towards caring and respect for others will be just as able to use their powers for good. In turn, the traditional view of a Warlock is to perceive members of other Paths as preachy, critical, or simply crude. Each Path resonates with a particular flaw to them; Acanthus are flighty, the Moros overly dramatic, the Obrimos hypocritical, and the Thyrsus savage.
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