Codex Maleficarum Volume 4
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
Codex Maleficarum Volume 4
by Annatar
THE PATH OF SCREAMS STAGE II
THE TAPESTRY OF LIES
If and when the Mists of Ignorance part for the Magus, he follows a new fork in the Path. Deeper in the darkness, his groping hands fall upon new wonders and his searching eyes a light on new and cunning guides. Many Infernalists stop short at this point, either so overwhelmed by the Cold Thrust or so dazed by what they've learned that they become lost in the next leg of the journey.
For the Tapestry of Lies is well named. Each weave, every lesson contains deceptions that only time will reveal. A wise warlock learns to separate the truths from the falsehoods, but many new diabolists are lured into complacency, stagnation and ruin because they cannot or will not see through the illusions.
Purgation
When the new Infernalist recovers from his initiation, he often embarks on a wild purge. Now that the worst has happened, he indulges the lusts he once supressed. Generally, this amounts to a binge of debauchery, a careless gallop through the field of experience. With new companions at his side and fresh vitality in his veins, the warlock goes berserk. Whoring, carousing and brutality of inhuman proportions often result, although certain academicians go to the other extreme and lock themselves in their archives for weeks on end. In the wilderness, where whores and books are hard to come by, the new-Fallen one join the beasts; tossing humanity aside, he strips bare, eats his meat raw, and abandons himself to climates and frenzies that would kill a normal man. Through this purgation, the Infernalist celebrates his freedom.
This is the first weave of lies: raw sensual rebellion. Some diabolists stop here, pissing their lives way in endless carnal pleasure. But for most, the spree passes quickly. The marvels revealed by the Cold Thrust and Nightmare Dance make mere perversions pale. With Heaven's blinders removed, the Infernalist sees how far he can go if he whants to. Having exercised his new vitality, he moves on to greater things.
Weaving Dark Threads and Fell Designs
As any magus can tell you, Creation is a deep pool, placid on its surface but teeming with secrets underneath. The Infernalist now grasps this truth; if he has any sort of vision or curiosity, he'll whant to know more. Indeed, it's usually the lure of magic that draws people to the darkness in the first place. In most lands, dark Arts are the province of dark powers. Sadly, some people belive that the only way to master them is to join the Evil One. And so, in their ignorance, they do.
Any half-wit can spin up conjurations; an Infernalist with magick on his mind will inevitably come across tomes of false or misleading lore, delve into esoteric practices, or join some fellowship or other in hopes of learning the "real secrets of magic". This is the second weave of lies: the idea that power can be set down in a book or transferred by following a self- proclaimed leader. Many cultists fall into a this trap and remain there for good, vainly hoping for a touch of magick that may never come, or tht comes in limited fashion. This misled men and women become the servants to grater, darker masters.
There are two forms of the Art that can be learned this way: lesser sorcery, or demon-born Investiments. Through favors or hard practice, the Infernalist can gain a few odd powers; a lesser magician studies esoterica for years, even decades, before managing to master even a sliver of the Black Arts. Many Fallen Ones aren't soo patient: from demonic patrons, they request dark favors that seem powerful unless you compare them to the magesty of True Magick. For their trouble, these Infernalists pile up debts that can only be satisfied by soul- -servitude. Thus, ironically, the rebel who wanted to free himself from God sells that freedom to a devil.
But some Infernalists are smart enough to search for more. They turn away from piles of false gold and go deeper into the cavern. Dancing with their nightmares on end, these rebels distill the True Art from the lies, and come away with the Nine Keys of Creation.
In most common versions of the myth of Innana and her veils, there are seven gates to the Underworld, seven veils she surrenders, and seven keys she gets in return. A mystick of the Infernal Arts knows the true number is nine. Those nine veils represente nine elements of the Art. In the process of learning this Arts, many initiates literally reenact the godess's journey; going through a sucession of gates, the Infernalist is flayed alive,then given a token that represents the Art he is to learn. Spells regrow the lost skin but the pain lingers as the warlock studies his new Art. Some Fallen Ones keep the skins as trophies of their learning. A warlock with nine of his own skins on display in a dangerous man indeed!
As any sorcerer can attest, magic itself is not evil, it's a reflection of the magician. Since a diabolist is, by definition, someone who choses malice over virtue, his magic become maleficium - a deliberate injury to Creation. Black magick bubbles up from the worst part of the soul and eats away at the both the magus and his world. In time, the Scourge and Resonance will reflect these injuries. Our Infernalist, if he lives long enough, will become a literal cancer of Creation. In a way that's his goal: to bring on the Reckoning and let Oblivion end the lies of this world. This is the truth woven amidst the third pattern of lies: That no magick is performed consequences. Eventually, the Infernalist learns this, and either repends,becomes a willing servant.