Codex Maleficarum Volume 6
From Atlantic Roleplay Wiki
Codex Maleficarum Volume 6
by Annatar
THE PATH OF SCREAMS STAGE III
THE HOWL OF FREEDOM
Infernalists are a decadent lot. After a while, nothing - not even the wildest perversions he can imagine - can stir a Fallen One's passions for long. If he sees through the Tapestry of Lies, our warlock becomes a very powerfull man. Which is not to say that life becomes boring for him; quite the opposite - the closer he gets to the Pit, the more interesting his life becomes.
The warlock seeks to become a Fallen Angel on Earth. Once he has learned the secrets of the Arts, he pits himself against the harbinders of Light. Once, he cursed his god. Now he actually goes to war with his servants.
Walking on Fire
All magi are tempted by their power. Infernalists are no different. But where a virtuous wizard might be ruined by raw power or decadence, the warlock considers both of those things his due. To other magi, the Fallen One seems to be groping around in a thicket; as the Infernalist sees it, raw materialism and carnal indulgence are simply the rewards of freedom.
But indulgence can make you weak and blind. Most Infernalists lose sight of the Abyss and stumble around in the thicket until some do-gooder brings a castle down around their ears. To walk on fire, one must tread carefully... or with total abandon. Hesitation can sear the soul as well as the soles, and often does. After a while, the Devil's Brand - the Scourge - grows from a dangerous annoyance to a deadly hazard. Thus, after a period of self-indulgence, a wise warlock retreats away from open decadence and takes up one of two pastimes: corruptiion or withdrawal.
Corruption is a Fallen One's most infamous game. The rules are simple: Pick a target, find out what she wants, offer it to her, and see how far you can make her reach to get it. Then when she's leaning over the abyss, give her a push and see how far she falls. It's wonderfull to see how often the game succeds.
This contest of challenge, seduction and betrayal takes a Lex Predatorious to its logical extreme. The Infernalist pits himself against goodness and virtue and says, Let's see how good you really are!
On a philosophical, even metaphysical, level, an Infernalist re-fights the War in Heaven with every trap he lays. Each soul he tarnishes becomes one less candle held agains the Void. With each victory, he snaps another link in the Divine chain of being.
Hunger of the Void
The secund past time, withdrawal, removes the Fallen One from mere mortal contact. Retreating to some bizarre realm, the Infernalist gradually strips off his humanity and becomes a veritable devil. The Resonance of his deeds transforms him into a monstrosity; weird malformations twist his mind, body and soul into something only vaguely human. setting himself up to some sort of inverted god, the Fallen One creates his personal hell and populates it with lesser fiends and aspiring diabolists. Releasing his inner Satan, he becomes a satan to others.
This is the legacy of the Devil-kings, who succeeded the decadent witch-priests: to become demons upon the Earth, or to establish hells outside it. Few Infernalists ever achieve this kind of status, but those who do become new gods of Darkness.
Through it all, the Patronus bides its time. Like a servant, it performs black miracles when the Infernalist demands; like a master, it makes its own demands upon the Fallen One. Just as the warlock plays games with mortals and magi, soo the demon amuses itself with his little "ally". It's said that demons gain status through soul-trade and sin. Through its patronage, the demon turns a mortal into a walking whirlpool, then channels the souls he catches and guides them toward its own unspeakable designs. In a way, the two are partners. But in the long run, the partnership seems one-sided indeed.