Magi
Titles God of Magic, Purveyor of Souls, the Mad God, the Split-Souled Pantheon Trinity Areas of Concern Magic, Power, Knowledge, Duality Destiny’s Leaning Neutral Siblings Natu, Tekk Sacred Site College of Damocles Notable Devotees Carter Moonwing, Silas Clemens (estranged), Jaz’Farrah
Magi, the Split-Souled
To some, magic is a potent force. To others, it’s a flexible instrument. And to a select few, it’s a profound purpose. Through mastery of spellcasting, beings can wield fire at will, beckon otherworldly entities for aid, enchant the senses, and even resurrect the departed. The power to reshape reality to align with one’s needs and desires is a compelling call, a dream most aspire to, yet only a handful can truly wield with mastery.
The Most Dangerous of the Trinity. Where Natu is constant and Tekk is methodical, Magi is the wildest member of the Trinity. He is the most interventionist of the three gods, the most willing to communicate directly with mortals, and the most likely to demand from his followers acts that his siblings would refuse to even contemplate. His clergy is the smallest of the three. This is partly because his standards are the most extreme, and partly because most of those who try to serve him do not survive the attempt.
Split Soul. Among the Trinity, Magi stands as a revered and equally feared figure. As the Purveyor of Souls, Magi embarked on a quest to unravel the secrets and latent potential inherent in the realms beyond and find a way to bestow Souls to Mortals. In this pursuit, Magi’s mind fractured from the overwhelming knowledge, witnessing the fabric of creation conceived before his sister Natu ever was, the universe’s enigmas that his sister ignored, and the extensive tapestry of what has been and shall be: Destiny.
Mad God: The Soul Wars. Gaining boundless power and the expertise to harness it came at the expense of his core essence and mental stability. This division led to a Split Soul, a ceaseless conflict within. One side is inclined to sunder the world, to cleanse it through suffering and ruination, to destroy all that exists. The other seeks to safeguard the world, to elevate and enlighten all living things with Souls, and to liberate it from Natu’s imposed constraints. Magi’s interference and constant duality was the catalyst for his descent into madness, and the start of the Soul Wars.
The Second Law. From the Edicts of Balance: “Respect the ethereal weave. You must study the arcane arts with reverence and share the light of knowledge, guarding the world against the horrors of the void. Do this, and the stars will guide your path through the darkest nights.”
A Theological Disagreement. Magi disagrees with his brother Tekk on the nature of the Undead. Tekk teaches they are “fundamentally unnatural and innately malevolent.” Magi counters that they are simply “a product of ordered chaos,” neither evil nor natural, but the inevitable shape that Souls take when Paradise is sealed off. This is one of the longest-running doctrinal arguments within the Ecclesia Solari.
Rivalry with Tekk. A subtle rivalry runs through the cosmos: the prideful Tekk contends with Magi’s innate magical abilities. Magi wields raw arcane might; Tekk’s brilliance lies in artistry. It is an eternal interplay between magic and machine, and the two brothers have not been on truly easy terms since the Soul Wars.
Recent Interventions
- The Saturnus Rex Incident. Through his loyal devotee Carter Moonwing, Magi demanded the death of Silas as “penance for betrayal.” Carter obeyed. He drove a javelin through Silas’s heart, simultaneously saving him from a lava pit and gravely wounding him. Silas survived. Carter has never been asked to explain which half of Magi’s Split Soul issued the order.
- Silas’s Renunciation. Following the revelation that he and Carter had nearly murdered Talleah under Magi’s influence, Silas removed his Ring of Magi and thrust it upon Virtus in fury. Magi’s magic waned from his body. Silas has not worn the Ring since. Magi has not responded.
The Two Boons
When Magi grants a mortal a boon, his Split Soul sometimes (not always, and never predictably) gifts a second boon shortly after. The first boon always seems generous. The second always seems cruel.
Mortals who have received both report, when they are honest enough to admit it, that the cruel boon was the one they actually needed. The benevolent one is the one they regret. This is the Mad God’s most consistent pattern, and the closest thing his clergy has to a working theology of the Split Soul: each half gives what it believes is mercy, and only the recipient, in time, can tell which half was right.
Carter has received both. Whether Silas received both before he renounced the Ring is one of the more dangerous questions to ask aloud within the Ecclesia Solari.
Edicts & Anathema
Edicts. Seek out magical powers, uncover the secrets of the universe, bend reality to your will, guide souls
Anathema. Pursue mundane paths over magical ones, lead a life of ignorance, deny pleasure
Areas of Concern. Magic, Power, Knowledge
Destiny’s Leaning. Neutral
Notable Devotees
- Carter Moonwing: Loyal to a fault; the most dangerous kind of disciple.
- Silas Clemens: Once-blessed, now estranged. Renounced the Ring of Magi after the Saturnus Rex incident.
- Jaz’Farrah: The Mad Shamaness of Saturn; her temporal madness aligns suspiciously well with Magi’s destructive half.