Mastema Amarandos
The Lion of Amaya & Of the Sister Seas
I don't get mentioned very often at court anymore, you say! Well, that's to be expected. No one likes to holler about unpleasant issues from the past! Although I've been known to yell about them in public before, but that's a private decision. One must embrace missteps in order to course correct. That Dragon would say that every Player's character arc requires both ups and downs before they come to rest, after all. I daresay I agree. Now, the only question is… what exciting plot twist to my life lies ahead? Which twists of fate will visit my former colleagues, next? And where will the story go by its end?
Overview
It is said that in order to survive and thrive in the complicated and treacherous court of Samael Asther, one must have great power, great courage or great cunning. That being the case, it may have been inevitable that a man who possessed all three would experience a meteoric rise.
A rise that was all the more impressive in retrospect… once it became clear that he had possessed each in significantly greater quantities than had been obvious.
Of course, that revelation carried any number of other implications as well, considering the length of time he had kept himself "hidden." As a member of the Wisemen - the Four Pillars of Amaya - Mastema was a diplomat and a nation-builder… as well as one of the closest confidants of the infamous Samael Asther.
He made friends and forged alliances. He competed with his friends, and he laughed with them, too.
And yet, though wartime and peacetime, in the face of life and death… Mastema never showed his true face.
The question - one that never quite received a satisfying answer - is why?
History
Born in 28,159Y Mastema born into a mining family, the Amarandos Clade, as the second child of the Dominus, Zaeladora, and her consort Ziros. At that time, the Amarandos Clade was an Auctor class house known for their history of producing approximately Vaham level fire Djinn - including the Dominus, Zaeladora, whose abilities lingered at the border between Vaham and Vallus. The favored Legat, Mastema's elder brother Donalam, had shown the potential to truly break that barrier and enter the true Vallus tier for the first time in their family's history, making him a rising star not only of their family itself, but also of their small home city, Syklomor.
Gabriel's Notebook
Yeah, so... Mastema.
This is a kind of weird one, since I left off before he actually showed up in that novel… so all I really know about him is what people were muttering until that point and all the stuff people say about him now.
Which is a lot!
Grigorius said he's unhinged. Cain said he's manipulative. Asmodeus just kind of gave me big wide doe eyes, but he always kind of looks like that so I'm not sure if it actually meant anything.
But, okay, I've been watching him a little and, to me, he mostly seems like a big cat that tore up the couch and got thrown out on his butt so now he preens and tries to be cool so his old owners will like him and let him back in... and when no one is around he starts circling the house looking for an open window.
GabrielMastema, therefore, grew up smothered by Donalam's shadow.
As a child, he seemed intelligent enough but neither remarkable nor disappointing. He attended a fairly high tier educational facility, where he showed a robust affinity for the fire element in line with the traditional talent of his family, though he lacked the imagination and flexible thinking to make the most of that talent. In short, he was what he was expected to be, no more and no less. He was passed over for the second Unveiling, and no one was especially surprised about that. It's said that his family spent the entire event talking about Donolam's own Age of Tempering Unveiling centuries earlier.
However, while his Lumen did not offer any particularly significant impression, there was another part of him that did: his personality.
When one lacks significant talent, they must find another way to survive, and Mastema certainly did. As a child he was always popular with his peers, and by his late teens he was well known in Syklomor for being almost preternaturally magnetic. As he approached the age of majority, he became a recipient of a seemingly endless line of friendships and potential romances… though he tended to avoid the latter, much to the confusion of his peers.
Given that his skills lie almost exclusively in the social sphere, Mastema was placed in a forward facing position within the Clade. He would attend events on Zaeladora's behalf, as she was not especially social. It was Mastema who negotiated contracts, forged alliances, and settled disputes… as well as dealing with the concerns of the tenants they housed in their secondary business of land stewardship. He was, for all intents and purposes, a cog in the Amarandos machine - irrelevant to Zaeladora's long held dream of elevating the family to a higher social tier.
For nearly a millennium, Mastema performed his duties as part of the family. And then, in 20,077Y, something changed.
Zaeladora gave birth to her third child, a daughter named Joravi.
Joravi's birth triggered an audit of the family's situation, leaving Zaeladora concerned about the future of her children. Donolam was the heir so that was no concern, but there was no obvious place for Mastema or Joravi to land. That being the case, she decided that it was time to aggressively pursue greater status and opportunity.
The plan was simple: send Mastema to court to charm the quite young (for a Demon) and still relatively new (…for a Demon lord…) Dominus Regas, Samael Asther. Mastema was chosen for obvious reasons: Donolam was needed at home to prepare for taking over the family's affairs, Joravi was a baby, and Mastema was competent but ultimately expendable. It took three years to prepare the resources necessary to get Mastema off to a bold and striking start.
And so, in 29,080Y, Mastema boarded a VoidEngine with all of the Aline his parents had saved and everything he held dear, and set off for the Capital.
The Lion & The Crow
Upon his arrival in Ruavine, Mastema immediately set himself to learning about the young Dominus Regas. He observed the man from afar, analyzed his behavior and personality, took notes of what Samael most liked and who it was that he surrounded himself with.
A Historic Meeting
When the future Lion of Amaya met the future Imperator of Incaendium, the chemistry was... confusing. Eventually, they would come to know one another better, of course.
He discovered that Samael was temperamental, but generally not dangerous to those who behaved well in line with the cultural and legal constraints of Ruavine… which were surprisingly lax. Samael enjoyed luxury, yes, but it seemed that more than anything he enjoyed expression. Artwork, music, theater, extravagant fashion… these were all things that interested Asther, and so Mastema began to learn about those things.
It seemed a natural thing to do; not dissimilar to the way he had approached negotiations in his previous position as the family's public face. And so, when Mastema entered Court as a representative of the Auctor class Clade of his birth, he did so with relative confidence that he knew how to approach this.
For two years, it appeared that he was successful… and also that Samael himself was incredibly dull and boring. Eventually, however, Mastema realized that Samael was actively playing along for his own amusement… and so a new, more honest game began.
It did not take long until Mastema had been drawn into Samael's inner circle. Much as he had in Syklomor with his family's businesses, he rose to become Samael's primary diplomat and stand-in for events.
Then, in 29,088Y, the neighboring Domain of Kinat picked a fight with Amaya in a border dispute; as a Domain with very few forests and lava flows - and thus very little traditional Incaendian building materials - they sought to take advantage of Samael's relative lack of experience to control of Amaya's southern lava flow.
The conflict that followed could hardly be called a war - Astaroth's gift for strategic planning made it a relatively short. However, for the first time, Mastema joined that battle, showing his skill as a fire Aetherweaver - something that his own family did not yet know.
Regardless, his participation set the stage for the Amarandos Clade's ascension through the social ranks, driven by Samael's fondness for Mastema.
A Tale of Two Brothers
By 29,1091 Mastema's family had risen decisively to the status of Parisot. Zaeladora, having achieved her goal and believing herself to have secured the futures of her children, decided to step back and permit Donolam to rise to Dominus of the Clade.
The Ceremony of Transfer
This refers to a formalized transfer of title from a current leader to the leader to follow. This is not mandated - leadership can be transferred without any formal process. That said, many do prefer to mark the moment with a celebration.. particularly when the transfer is voluntary and thus without rage or resentment.
As with any transfer of leadership, challenges will sometimes occur to intercept the succession.
Like all of the Clade, Mastema was invited to and attended the change of title ceremony. However, unlike the others, he arrived with an agenda. Just before the change of title took place, he challenged Donolam to a formal battle for control of the Clade.
This seemed like a very bad idea - a guaranteed path to embarrassment for Mastema. Everyone knew that he had no chance - even greater skill with his abilities as earned during the scuffle with Kinat could not bridge the gap between Vaham and Mid-Vallus.
Even so Donolam accepted the challenge, intending to indulge his brother let him have his moment.
The Battle began.
But Wait. Rewind.
(Well... rather than rushing ahead, let's pause to take a look at Mastema's youth again… this time from another angle...)
Born into a mining family, the Amarandos Clade, as the second child of the Dominus, Zaeladora, and her consort Ziros, Mastema first saw the world in in 28,159Y. t that time, the Amarandos Clade was an Auctor class house known for their history of producing approximately Vaham level fire djinn, with Zaeladora lingering at the border between Vaham and Vallus. The favored Legat, Mastema's elder brother Donalam, had shown the potential to truly break that barrier and enter the Vallus tier for the first time in their family's history. Truly a rising star destined for greatness.
The Amarandos Clade
An official portrait of the noble Family of Amarandos.
Mastema, therefore, grew up smothered by Donalam's shadow.
It wasn't simply the lack of expectations that annoyed him - it was the assumptions. The dismissals. As a young boy, he heard a great deal about how magnificent his brother was, and a great many reassurances that Mastema did not have to equal Donolam - an impossible task - in order to thrive as a member of the Amarandos Clade. All he needed to do was find another talent - something he could lean on while Donolam took the spotlight.
He was judged to be inferior, Mastema thought, even before he had the chance to explore whether that was even true.
Frustrated, Mastema became disengaged from his training and withdrew into himself. Alone in the forests around Syklomor, he began experimenting with his abilities - a method of learning that proved remarkably fast due to his natural intelligence and… something else.
However, still a child, Mastema didn't realize how gifted he was. When he tried to assess his abilities honestly, all he could hear was his mother's voice telling him it didn't matter that he was unremarkable, as Donolam would carry the family forward on his own shoulders.
Lessons of a Lonely Child
Initially, hiding his self-taught techniques was insecurity. His strict parents expected him to follow his lessons, and he had stepped outside of them. He didn't really understand why following the specific rules was so important, but he knew that it was, and so he would pretend not to know things - allow himself to be taught things he had long since put together.
After some time, as he began to recognize his own talent… he held back out of spite. If they could not see his worth, then why should he lend it to them? No, he would hold his secrets to his chest and then, when the opportunity occurred he would… perhaps unveil himself in a moment of desperate need and embarrass all of his family and trainers for their foolishness. Perhaps something else.
Opportunities came and went. Mastema held his secrets even so - the time never felt right, and once that much time had passed, it became difficult to unveil for other reasons, too - the questions, the demands. It would be annoying, and so he held it down.
When he left home for Ruavine, it was his first opportunity to start fresh with people who had not already labeled him lesser. Through the peacetime, he did not hide his power over fire… but nor did he display himself like a peacock in front of the court. No battles had been fought, and so no excessive use of force had been shown.
Until they were invaded by Kinat. There, on the field of war - however short a war it turned out to be - he stood beside his friends and laid waste to Kinat's forces.
In the closing, an impressed Samael paid for an new assessment; Mastema showed his flames, and he was placed correctly this time: A Vallus tier AetherWeaver.
(At least for now.)
Now we rejoin the present.
A Tale of Two Brothers (Resumed)
The battle began, yes. But it had only barely begun when Mastema's Fire Weaving was unleashed. In the short battle to come, his fire burned through Donolam's clothing, and screaming and his surrender. Like a destructive storm Mastema fell down on his brother and tore him to shreds even as he begged for his life.
The Fall of Donolam
It was barely a battle. It was butchery.
Mastema rose to the Dominus of the Amarandos Clade, but at what cost? After millennia of placing all of her hopes and expectations onto Donolam collapsed, Zaeladora collapsed as well. Her golden child had died, and she barely survived the loss. No one could deny that Mastema's victory was fair… but no one could believe, as well, that he would kill a brother bent in surrender.
Mastema became head of the family, but it was a family that could barely stand to look at him, now.
It is unclear how Mastema felt about this - he never spoke on it unless spoken to first, and never seemed to show much grief. However, he also never engaged with his family again, and never appointed a temporary decision-maker in his absence.
Despite having just risen to the heights of society, they were rudderless and faltering while Mastema returned to Ruavine.
The Wisemen
Approximately 60 years later, in 29,153Y a Celestial came to Incaendium in search of a criminal. The criminal, Zecian Anlain, had carved a bloody gash through Gaean on his way out of Astrum - a gash that ran straight through to Incaendium. The hunter, Grigorius Bieloskytes, would change the course of history by chasing first his romantic feelings for Samael and then his increasingly powerful bonds with Mastema and Astaroth.
The Four Pillars of Amaya
With the arrival of Grigorius Bieloskytes in 29,153Y, the pieces that would turn Amaya into Incaendium's great superpower fell into place. As individuals, Samael Asther, Astaroth Dracothis, Mastema Amarandos and Grigorius Bieloskytes, were each on par with a Dominus Regas. Together, they had the strength to stand in for an entire army with only the four of them.
Their unofficial moniker, "the Wisemen," was somewhat ironic for certain… but it was bestowed upon them by the populace of Amaya itself with respect and affection for their unconquerable defenders.
For Mastema, the years with them this is likely the most content he had ever been. Surrounded by peers and, eventually, facing daily challenges… his mind was forever consumed with plotting and maneuvering. Truly, his ideal environment.
Soon the Sword of Paradise had come to split his time almost evenly between both Realms - Mastema would joke that no one knew the shortcuts between Astrum and Incaendium as well as Grigorius… though in reality he flew the entire distance every time.
At that time, Grigorius may well have been the strongest of the four men who would become known as the Wisemen - the Pillars of Amaya, who kept the Realm afloat and kept war at bay through their presence alone. Once Grigorius realized that Mastema and he shared an element, their rivalry began as they each tried to outdo the other. Whenever tensions threatened to escalate between them - most often between Grigorius and Astaroth - it was Mastema who smoothed the conflict and kept them together. Grigorius would call him the heart of the alliance.
However, in Incaendium, power resists when other powers gather too well.
In 29,158Y, after five years of rumors that the Imperator of the time, Abrazus Zozket, was concerned about the powers gathering in Amaya, Zozket finally acted. He sent his brother Narov to Ruavine, where he dropped a dire insult to Samael and his Clade.
Diplomat that he was, Mastema vaguely warned against retaliation… but Samael had the man killed and shipped back to his brother in Baehar in pieces.
For the next four years, rumors continued to swirl, but no new activity actually occurred… until Zozket sent his armies to Ruavine in retaliation for Narov's death.
It was the final days of 29,158Y. The four Pillars joined forces, along with Astaroth's Dragon, Foti, and the Crimson Legion, to drive the armies of Baehar out of Amaya, but the damage was done: Thousands of civilians had been killed, and Samael would be forced to act in delayed defense… but worst of all were the three found among the casualties: Astaroth's parents, Oniam and Kelia, and Samael's beloved and long suffering former handler, Ilan.
In that moment, it became personal… at least for Samael, Astaroth and Foti. On the turning of the new year, Samael declared war.
The 3,000 Year War
The Endless War stretched on for over 3,000 years. Though emphasis is generally placed on the actions of the Wisemen in particular or Amaya in general, Mastema did manage to broker alliances with five other Domains: Heliles, Dispat, Mahanaim, Vin and Marsi. In addition, many of the Domains that were eventually absorbed into one of Amaya's allies had negotiated a surrender through Mastema. Even so, the vast majority were unwilling to break with the Imperator and risk their necks by betting on an upstart.
And then, in 29,954Y, Abrazus Zozket fell, his Lumen absorbed in its entirety by the man he had sought - successfully! - to provoke. At about 800 years long, the War would have been long even if it had stopped then.
The Fire Djinn
But it did not stop then. Samael and Astaroth were unsatisfied at stopping with the defeat of Zozket and the annexation of Baehar. Instead, they pushed to confront the remainder of the Domains that had fought them - which was the majority of the Domains in Incaendium.
This was the very first strike at the heart of the friendship, as Grigorius argued against continuing the campaign against those who were, in the end, collaborators rather than primary actors. Even so, the war continued.
As the centuries rolled on, Mastema became closer to Grigorius. While Mastema had no particular objection to waging the war, he nonetheless listened to and nodded in time with Grigorius's occasional concerns. Their little rivalries were, at the time, perhaps the only thing allowing Grigorius to distract himself from his moral complications.
And so the war continued.
There were, of course, lulls in the fighting as well. In those moments of relative peace, Mastema would represent Samael in negotiations, sometimes succeeding, but more often returning to Amaya with the Dominus Regas of the Domain's threats and anger seared into his mind to convey to Samael… who greeted their threats with a laugh every time.
In truth, Mastema may not have tried every hard to persuade the leaders into peace.
During what would turn out to be the final throes of the war - though they did not know it at the time - Mastema went on a diplomatic trip into Jiro with Taladan Asther, Samael's elder sister.
As they traveled together, Mastema got to know her… quite directly. He probed her for information on her background, her frustrations, her resentment. At first it was just information for his info bank - something he could pull out to help him persuade her into doing something if he needed to in the future. But as he listened, he began to understand the shape of Taladan's person. She had been the first Legat named by their father, and had lived as the heir for centuries before Samael overtook her and then replaced her.
As they traveled to Tarumand, Taladan said something of note; she said that, while she loved her brother, he was difficult to share a world with, because "when he enters a place, every scrap of light and air rush to abandon the room to surround him… leaving everyone else suffocating and unseen."
The thought settled like a stone in Mastema's gut. He could not, and did not, attempt to disagree.
The Endless War Ends
Mastema and Taladan returned to Amaya with the seal of Tarumand's Dominus Regas on a letter of surrender. They returned in triumph, but they also returned to a new world. In the year they had been away, Samael had apparently traveled to Atria personally… and when he came back, he brought a young Human man named Cain as his siv Hari Suum.
Two of the Shadows
The relationship between Mastema and Taladan Asther is one of the more complicated and confusing alliances in Incaendian history. Their connection was understandable - and their personalities somewhat similar.
The nature of that connection is less clear… as is what one did to inspire the other to betray the "brother" that the world feared and they both loved?
Debates have long raged regarding whether Mastema and Taladan were friends, lovers, or even simply allies. Unfortunately, Taladan is long past answering and Mastema has only ever answered the question with a laugh.
Cain was beautiful, and intelligent, and soon became Samael's vavine. That was fine, but soon it became evident that something else was beginning to occur. Samael became distracted from his ambitions. The burning rage that had always lurked behind his eyes - the driving force behind his conquest - began to calm. And then, in an act of absurdity, he raised that man to be his official consort.
Mastema could not deny that Samael became a better person, and perhaps a better ruler, with Cain at his side. However, he also became something else.
Boring.
Getting restless, Mastema and Taladan decided to leave court for a time and pursue their own adventures. They brought a Living Book in case Samael required them to return home quickly.
Somewhere along the line, adventuring moved from the land to the sea as the two of them purchased, furnished and set to sea a pirate ship called the Sea Salamander.
They remained the raiders of the Lonely Sea for twenty-one years, every day wondering if Samael would call them back. In that time, they built a name for themselves that many a warlord would envy… and Mastema developed a profound fondness for Sea Salamanders after finding a nest of babies that had lost their mother.
When they finally returned to court, they brought a great deal of accumulated wealth and noteworthy additions to their strength via Exedis against their enemies. However, they brought something else, too: Ambition.
To Kill a King
Had he felt it before, or had Taladan's frustration spilled onto him during their years at war and at sea? Perhaps a bit of both, or perhaps neither. It may have been, for them, the strange mix of offense and dread that came to linger in the Living Books over the years; dread that their Master would call them back and they would need to run to his side regardless of what they were doing… and offense at the implication of their expendability because he never did.
M,
How awkward to communicate this way. Treason is not half so enticing without your witticisms to buoy my intent in those moments when I am most tempted to drown in my fears, and my concerns. I know you have said that I do the same for you. We will only know whether that is for the better once this is all over.
I have been considering your comments about Grigorius. It's my understanding that he is currently a bit adrift as well; Samael tells me that he asked Gri to babysit his new vavine - that Mortal he loves so well. At least for now. While this seems a bastard of a move even for my brother, it does permit us some leeway - in recent days, Grigorius has been in Cain's company more than Samael's, and so if we move quickly, we may not need to neutralize him.
If that does become necessary, then… well. I understand your conclusions. It cannot become necessary.
However, if it does… I will leave Samael to you, and I will grapple with the Aurali myself. Neither of us is truly equipt to fight Samael, but with you at least he will have the disadvantage of surprise.
Share your thoughts. And, as always. don't forget to burn this note.
T.
Regardless, when they returned to court, any reluctance Mastema may or may not have had was extinguished by the crushing weight of what the Crimson Court had become. There was a reason Samael had never summoned them - the war had ground to a complete halt, and did not seem likely to restart. Samael had turned his attention away from forging an empire and toward building that empire into something worth fighting over 3,000 years for. At his side, Cain - a powerless human who had crawled from the Dregs of Atria to the throne of Amaya… and who had taken on Mastema's role as a diplomat in his absence.
Immediately, they began to move, quietly, to set the stage for a coup. The plan was for Mastema, ever the charmer, to use his longstanding friendships with Grigorius and Astaroth to gather information about Samael. Furthermore, he would also befriend and probe the man with the most current intel on Samael's status quo: his consort, Cain.
The two believed that together they would be able to manage Samael himself, but they recognized that it would be impossible if they could not somehow remove Astaroth and Grigorius from the table. Sensing a strange undercurrent of sourness in Astaroth that had not been there before, Mastema believed that they might be able to turn Astaroth under the right circumstances… but not Grigorius.
The Celestial was a serious problem, being second only to Samael in raw power and loyal to a fault — loyal enough that he had fought a war that he hated for millennia out of fear that abandoning them would change the balance of power and lead to the deaths of his friends.
Indeed, they were so distracted by their concerns about Grigorius that they failed to notice the true danger.
Cain was far more intelligent and observant than either of them had expected. He felt a wrongness in the interactions between himself, Mastema and Taladan, and he traced that wrongness back to the subtle communications between them. Suspicion rose, and he alerted Samael.
To his credit, Samael used his Network to confirm their duplicity before he acted.
Samael confronted Mastema and Taladan. Without hesitation, he executed Taladan. She had challenged him once before, and the second time could not be forgiven as the first had.
Mastema was a different story altogether. Samael hurled accusations; Mastema refused to defend or explain himself. The confrontation turned physical, as it was always meant to. And there, faced with the full strength of the Imperator of Incaendium, Mastema finally revealed his true nature.
Oops, Sorry. Rewind One More Time
As a very young child, Mastema didn't really understand the rules of Aetherweave. He knew that he could command fire - and he would copy his mother and his brother from afar. He didn't know that he shouldn't be able to control his flames so well at his age. He didn't know that his fires should not burn so brightly.
A Child's Curiosity
He didn't know that, as a fire Djinn, he should not be able to make the rivers dance the way his father could.
And so, in his ignorance of impossibility, Mastema did the impossible: he developed two elements. And then a third, when he tried to call a stone from the ground to his hand just to see if he could. Once he found out that this was "impossible," he feared that his mother would be angry with him for disobeying her educational guidance if he told her… and so he didn't. Not even when he found that he could also stir the sky.
Not even when his hand turned from flesh to Aether.
Shortly thereafter, he did learn the word for what he was: AetherWright. Capable of shaping the very substance of the world - every element, every demisphere. He could wield them separately, together, and even in impossible combinations.
By the time he had reached his teen years, he had long since realized that telling his family would not result in punishment - quite the contrary. But he was still angry at them, still unwilling to let them exploit the power that they never helped him to gain, or believed he could achieve. And so he stayed silent.
When he arrived at the Crimson Court, he considered Unveiling himself before the Dominus Regas… but ultimately, he did not. Better to keep a trump card locked inside, he thought. In a world of challenges and violent coups, he didn't need to be seen as a threat. It would make his life too complicated!
And so, once again, he did not speak, or show his hand.
And so the years rolled on… ...Back to the present.
To Kill A King (Resumed)
Fully unleashed for the first time, Mastema's body changed as he took on his more formidable form - a man tall as a castle, made of shadows and starlight. Undaunted, Samael engaged with him, and as they fought they left much of the Crimson Palace in ruins. In time, they came to fight over the Lonely Sea - an area Mastema believed would give him a greater advantage, as Samael's elements were Earth and Fire.
A Strike from Brutus
It did give him an advantage he would not have otherwise had - separated from the land, Samael would need to produce elemental materials himself, which took greater effort. It was a disadvantage, yes.
But Samael was not just an AetherWeaver. And, though Mastema managed to inflict severe injuries on the Imperator… ultimately, he was unable to conquer his old friend.
The weakened Mastema found himself confronted by Grigorius. After millennia dealing with the ways of Incaendium, Grigorius was hardly surprised at the treachery, but he could not comprehend Mastema's hidden nature, his held back power. In the end, Mastema's closest friend was the one person least capable of understanding his obfuscation.
Drained of his stamina and near-defenseless, Mastema might have expected death, or at least Exedis. But Samael did neither. Instead he stripped Mastema and his entire family of their status, plunging them into disgrace, and banished Mastema himself from Ruavine.
Mastema left Ruavine to return to the sea; Grigorius punched him in the gut before he left.
Lion of the Sister Seas
Mastema disappeared from the Crimson Court. During this time, he improved his ship, even gathered a fleet of pirates to stand with him. He became the terror of the inland - and later the endless - waters - the Lion of the Sister Seas. He also adopted a Salamander named Iri.
A New Start for the Lion
Away from the suffocating presence of Samael and the constant restraints imposed by Grigorius's morality or Astaroth's destructiveness, he was free to act as he wished - to kill the foes he wished to kill and free the ones he wished to free. To take what he wanted without permission or remorse. At times, he ventured back to land, becoming quite familiar to the merchants and shopkeepers on the other side of the Lonely Sea.
For once, he was not the invisible shadow behind his brother… as he had been with Donolam and Samael both.
One could say he found himself. However, the more of himself he uncovered, the more he came to realize a few, frustrating but undeniable things.
He had felt confined by the Crimson Court, suffocated by Samael's presence — and to leave that behind had been liberating. But, to leave that behind meant leaving everything else, too. His friendships, his memories, the specific wines produced by Ruavine alone, and Astaroth's wit, Grigorius's raucous laughter. And Samael's presence. Because Samael would block the light from one's face, yes, but he could also make a person feel bathed in sunlight with his attention, and his favor.
Moreover, he was bored. Mastema hungered for the rush of danger — or at least a decent challenge. On the sea there was no such thing as a challenge for him - he was always the apex predator.
Five years after departing Ruavine, he began writing letters to Samael, formal petitions asking for permission to return. He would write one or more letters a year, every year, for nearly 500 years.
Status Quo
In 33,072Y he was finally permitted to return, but he came back to a changed court. Grigorius had been pulled into servitude… somehow… which Mastema didn't mind. Samael and Cain had separated - which Mastema definitely didn't mind. Astaroth had become even more monstrous than he'd always been - potentially problematic? And Samael himself… he trusted no one save Astaroth and his mother… and he barely listened even to them. He also kept referring to Mastema as a house cat or a kitten, which was irritating.
To all outside appearances, he was a closed fortress. But Mastema had fought beside the Imperator for 3,000 years and he knew two things only those who had lived in Samael's inner circle could know:
That being the case, Mastema was convinced that he could eventually wear Samael down.
As of now, that remains his current task.
He still isn't getting along with his family.
Mastema & the World
As a child, Mastema received a high quality education in all of the basic core skills necessary to thrive in Incaendium. Being who he is, he especially thrived in contract negotiations, history and emotional regulation. He was anywhere bad to mediocre at all training regarding his abilities, but of course he was doing that on purpose.
The Salamander King
While Mastema is best known as the Lion of Amaya - or the Lion of the Sister Seas, more recently! - he does have another, more niche title: Captain of the Salamander King!
This refers to his status as the Captain of the Pirate Fleet Konut-Vyrel ve Iko-Pumpapa-Tizansi — "Mobile Court of the Salamander King." It is casually referred to as "Pumpapa-Tizansi" - Salamander King.
Mastema chose this title specifically because it sounds a little silly.
Despite his tumultuous history, he is well-loved by his followers for his jovial personality and tendency to lead them in incredibly loud sea shanties.
Indeed, it can be very difficult to discern exactly what he is good at or bad at, since he tends to obscure skills, knowledge or abilities in accordance with whatever is the most useful skill-set at the time.
Employment
Of all the things Mastema is good at, he is perhaps best in the role of a diplomat. Unsurprisingly, that has also been his most frequently held position, from his years in Syklomor to acting as the face of Amaya during the Endless War.
Since the conclusion of the war, he has primarily acted as "self-employed" via piracy. Whether one considers that "work" is down to individual judgment, of course.
Notable Accomplishments & Failures
Objectively, Mastema has many great accomplishments and only one great failure. Of course, his attempt to remove Samael from power thus far overshadows everything else he's done, including numerous alliance contracts and stewarding various Domains into either annexation or absorption into Amaya.
He would say his greatest accomplishment thus far was either making Samael call for a healer or attracting his fleet, including dozens of Demons — and even a few mortals and rogue Celestials — to follow him in his conquest of the seas.
Psychology
It's said that people are generally multilayered - personalities alter from situation to situation while still remaining part of a single cohesive whole. A person may act differently with friends than parents but they are still, at base, the same person. It's difficult to determine whether or not this applies to Mastema as well.
The Hidden Interior
Mastema's personality and social behavior are always filtered through a lens of obfuscation. This is a habit that began in childhood, when he emotionally withdrew from his family due to their discouragement and dismissal, and then continued into adulthood. Since then he has revealed only fragments of himself as is convenient, or advantageous, at the time.
Yeah, fuck that guy. I've got no time for people who can't be trusted. How are you supposed to sleep when some bastard that's supposed to be your friend is just eyeing your back for a good stabbing spot?
You can't. So so pay attention: you don't want to get involved with that mess. He's great at seeming friendly, but he's unhinged. No heart. No loyalty. Nothing.
He'll eat everything useful about you and come back for seconds.
I'd just avoid him. Or better yet, punch him in the face.
...
And another thing. Who the hell lies about their element for three thousand years? You want to talk about who's unhinged? That's unhinged.
Ah, Mastema. We were close, once, many years ago. Before he betrayed me and brought my sister along with him. Yet, time marches forward and a man cannot hold onto his rage forever. It is interesting to watch him attempt to learn the systems that have grown inside the court that he abandoned. Perhaps that is why I allowed him to return.
Oho, you want to know about our lost lion? You have come to the correct source, obviously. Why, he and I were close as twisted fingers, once upon a time. Now, let's see... I haven't spoken to him in almost 500 years! He was always a secretive little cat, but even so, no one would have guessed that he would try to bite so far above his weight.
Frankly, it's the kind of thing I generally would enjoy watching. But in Mastema's case... he chose the worst possible person to betray. Now he is skulking around the court trying to claw his wayback into our good graces.
Knowing Samael, it may even work. His heart and all of its sentimentality has always been his greatest weakness. Personally, I am wholly uninvested in the outcome.
You will hear a great many fervently stated and contradictory opinions about Mastema from people who never knew him well enough to have a valid opinion... and people who knew him too well to understand anything about him.
For my part, I can say he and I had very little in Common, but we shared an important tendency: we observe before we act. And it's rare for anyone to notice that we're doing it. For me it is a matter of survival. For him, it is all a game.
...do you see what I'm saying?
Everyone knows the part of him that he feels will be most useful for them to see. So, if you're going to become involved with Mastema, the only counsel worth anything is this: take note of the personality he is showing you, and ask yourself what he gains from making you see him that way.
The quiet son. The under-performer. The diplomat. The warrior. The friend. The hero. The traitor. The brigand. The monster…. these are all aspects of himself quieted or exaggerated by the needs of the moment.
In short, there is a substantial gap between his inner world and his outer presentation that makes it difficult to pinpoint who he actually is - which part is real and which part is an act… and whether there is anything real underneath that act. And, generally speaking, Mastema is not inclined to clarify.
That said, this much is clear: he is not empty of emotions, but his emotional landscape is, nonetheless, limited. He feels, and those feelings are as deep and intense as he can imagine them being… yet in comparison to the average person who is not Mastema, his attachments and emotions are noticeably shallow.
The Charmer
Despite his shallow emotionality, Mastema has absolutely no shallowness of affect. He is animated, boisterous - with a loud laugh and an expressive face. His movements are large, almost grandiose - bordering on theatrical, but somehow without actually feeling fake.
This is possibly mostly because he is unbearably charming - the sort of person who could verbally eviscerate a man to his face and walk away before the man realizes he's been insulted. He always has a good story, a new joke, an exciting anecdote to share, and he is able to make even mundane turns of event seem epic to those listening.
His at times cutting and sarcastic sense of humor is often rendered inoffensive, even endearing, through the sheer force of his charisma and his presence. Indeed, since his youth, Mastema has had a gift for making others laugh at themselves, which means he also has a gift for disarming others, getting past their defenses, and defensiveness. Thus, he is able to form rapports with even the most prideful and guarded of people.
You could say he as unreasonably well-developed social intelligence, and this way with people is among his greatest assets. It is often said that without Mastema, the Wisemen would not have functioned as a group - who else could have bridged the unbridgeable gap between the the sadistic and amoral Astaroth and Astrum's pride, Grigorius. The fact that the alliance fell to pieces as soon as Mastema was excised from it does seem to bear this out.
But, it should be noted that charisma is, for Mastema, a tool rather than expression of genuine warmth. Note that this doesn't mean that there is no genuine warmth, but rather that whether there is or is not is almost immaterial to whether he shows warmth. He may feel warmth and seem cold; he may feel cold and seem warm. Expression is a way for him to control the impression he leaves, and thus a natural extension of his obfuscation.
It also helps him to move others to wherever it is he needs them to be. It is true, Mastema is profoundly manipulative… but unlike the other puppetmaster of the Pillars, his manipulation is not malicious or cruel - it is simply how he moves through life. In the interest of making those movements, he can even absorb disrespect or humiliation as long as it serves his goals.
The Shadow Self
It is likely evident by now, but to be clear: beneath his friendly face lurks a far more calculating mind. His intellect is easily overlooked beneath his jovial facade, but in fact he is fiercely intelligent.
However, he does tend to become deeply entwined with spite and pride. As a child, he was told he was mediocre, and this core wound festered into bitterness and then into pettiness until he decided that, rather than try to prove his family wrong, he would purposefully, maliciously, "prove" them right just to withhold the benefit of his talents from them. It is that same spite, that same resentment, that allowed him to kill his elder brother during their duel despite Donolam's attempt to surrender.
Perhaps that is why he has never been able to truly let his guard down or share his secrets… or perhaps he simply finds it more advantageous to always have a hidden trump card ready to play. One could even speculate that Mastema's own duplicitous personality makes him more inclined to see duplicity in others - after all, ever accusation is a confession, or so they say. Perhaps that is why he has never let a single person close enough to understand him.
In lieu of letting others close to him, however, he consistently strives to get close to others. It is only from nearby that he can observe, calculate, tailor his behavior to fit the situation. And because he does change his presentation in line with the situation, the impression he leaves behind differs greatly even among those who knew him well — or thought they did.
The Contradiction
Perhaps the most confounding aspect of his personality is the way he perceives and uses friendships and alliances. His ability to form and then abandon or betray these ties may make them seem fake to others, but in truth, Mastema does form genuine bonds. His feelings for his friends were genuine. His anger at his parents stemmed from disappointed love, not from a lack of care.
However, while these attachments are real to him, that does not actually stop him from using, betraying or abandoning them as needed.
A great deal of prattling is happening and yet no one is saying anything interesting.
Well, that's the way it is, I suppose!
In other words, rather than being a man who cannot make friends, Mastema is the sort of person who can kill his friends, and feel no malice in doing so. To this day, he would say that Samael, Grigorius and Astaroth were truly friends, and he would likely stand beside them against outside threats… yet, that would not stop him from shanking them in the back without notice.
That may be the most chilling thing about him, in the end.
And In Closing…
If there is one thing that Mastema cannot tolerate, it is complacency. When he is not moving, not planning or at least preparing to plan, he is restless. When there is nothing to challenge him, mentally or physically, his mood becomes depressed. He cannot enjoy things that are easy, predictable or both.
Finally, Mastema dislikes living in others' shadows. It reminds him all too sharply of his centuries living under Donolam.
This may have ultimately been the deciding factor that drove him to betray Samael.
Presentation
Mastema is an exceptionally imposing man, standing 6'6" tall with a large, heavily muscled frame. He has dark skin and a meticulously kept anchor beard; his eyes are red and emit a dim glow that brightens when he makes use of his abilities.
His most notable innate feature is his red-streaked black hair, which is curly, wild and falls to his mid-calf. Despite its unwieldiness, it is always styled, decorated, groomed. Typically, there are braids, twists, etc in various places throughout his mane; there will also be ribbons, beads, bands, jewels and just about anything else he feels like using at the time.
His overall physical appearance is striking, imposing and incredibly theatrical.
When Mastema uses any elemental ability at a high enough level, his appearance shifts slightly to reflect the relevant element. This will most commonly mean that he has a slightly fiery look to him, simply because he uses fire the most and the most openly.
However, when Mastema truly releases his full strength, he takes on an Aetheric look - his skin darkens to near black with a bluish tint and his shadowed places reflect starfields. He has been described as looking like shadows and starlight. In this form his eyes may lighten to a pale yellow. Notably, his physical size is highly alterable in this form - when fighting Samael, he nearly matched the height of the Crimson Palace itself.
Apparel & Accessories
Mastema's clothing style is, to say the least, unique. His clothing is elaborate, including many layers. He prefers loose garments - harem pants, robes, vests, robes on top of vests, hell maybe vests on top of robes, who knows. Every individual piece will be exquisitely made - fine cloth with heavy embroidery and jewelry both hooked into and hanging from the clothing itself.
Additionally, Mastema wears an excess of jewelry most of the time - heavy earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings. He may be wearing a belt or multiple belts, typically with engraved golden buckles.
On a typical day, he may be wearing a v-neck shirt or tunic beneath a vest, a pair of harem pants and a long coat or robe with a waist cape.
He almost always wears laced up sandals.
Special Equipment
Mastema often wears jewel encrusted scimitars at his side. As far as anyone knows, the last time he actually used one to fight was during the Endless War. Perhaps at this point it is just there for show.
Social Inventory
Mastema has shown little to no interest in sex or romance, at least as far as anyone can tell. There have been persistent whispers that he and Taladan had been romantically involved, but he has never confirmed or denied that, seemingly in favor of being amused at the chitter chatter and speculation.
Relationships
Mastema's relationships are a mess of broken ties, resentments and betrayals… mostly on his part. He is no longer on good terms with his family and, despite technically being the Dominus of the Clade, does not interact with them in any significant way.
My son... no. I have not spoken to my son in many centuries. I could not look at him after what he did to his brother. My Donolam... I couldn't bear it.
I suppose, as his mother, I might be expected to embrace him once more, now that he has landed in the gutter. But I will not. He has dragged us to that same gutter along with him... and he does not... care.
How am I to care for someone who cares nothing for me?
Perhaps I should take the better path. He, himself, would say that we have all reached a place of justice. That he earned his trip to infamy through his treachery... and I earned mine, as well, for... whatever it is he imagines that I've done.
The is the sort of man he is.
I suppose he believes Jirovi has earned ignomy for having been born to me.
This has created even greater resentment among them than his initial killing of Donolam even managed, as they have been directionless for centuries. His betrayal of Samael threw them into disgrace, and he has not permitted another Dominus to replace him in order to try and correct their trajectory.
Historically, and probably to this day, his most personally significant relationships were with the other Pillars, and then later with Taladan.
Among the Wisemen, Grigorius was his closest friend — and friendly rival. Now, that relationship is far more fractured than even his relationship with Samael or Astaroth. Grigorius, being the man he is, has been unable to forgive Mastema… for lying about his element, which bothers him infinitely more than the coup does, actually.
Astaroth shows no particular signs of enmity or fondness - this is to be expected, and Mastema is well aware that Astaroth will not warm to him unless Samael does first.
The most complicated dynamic, then, remains that with Samael. It has been difficult for Mastema to get a true read on Samael's intentions or inclinations. He has allowed Mastema to return to court, but openly mocks him as a house cat. Even so, there is less vitriol in his words than one might expect.
His most difficult relationship is with Cain, who understands the way Mastema thinks more precisely than anyone else. This means Cain is the most challenging to deal with -- he sees through Mastema's games very quickly — but also the most crucial… because despite Samael's ridiculous behavior where Cain is concerned, anyone who knows the Imperator well knows that Cain is, even now, the fastest route back to Samael's side.
Finally, there are the members of his pirate fleet. Mastema maintains strong contact with them - some having accompanied him back to Ruavine. Most remain on the Lonely or Boundless Seas, but he maintains contact with his closest kasut-mae and sunte-kasut and continues to issue orders when necessary.
The most important member of the fleet is, of course, his pet Salamander, Iri.
Ability Inventory
Mastema is one of the most powerful beings in Incaendium - perhaps in Empirica Sin as a whole. His most powerful - and most famous - abilities are certainly his Aetheric affinities, however he is also an exceptionally strong Void-dancer. In addition, he is a physical powerhouse by most standards, though he was not the most physically impressive among his friend-group by any means.
The Aether Giant
Is this his true form or a form he can take? It's difficult to tell, but when Mastema truly unleashes, his very body is altered in its substance.
The farther into his most extreme manifestation Mastema goes, the more resistant to Elemental attacks and elemental-adjacent attacks he becomes. Beyond that, his semi-substantial body becomes immune to all but the most heavily enchanted weapons.
The Spectral Lion
One of Mastema's favorite tricks is to use his Phantasmal Matter in conjunction with his Aetheric abilities to manifest a lion, which acts semi-autonomously on his behalf.
It will not do anything that Mastema would not approve of, but it will act in his defense or in his interests without direct order.
The lion can be infused with any elemental aspect Mastema prefers.
It does seem to remember things. Which raises questions.
To break this down:
The Ultimate AetherWright
Mastema's key ability is the true mastery of Aether. As an Aetherwright, he is able to command all four elements, as well as every demisphere that he bothers to learn and several unique combinations that can only be accessed by those who manipulate Aether directly.
This means that not only can he unleash fire, water, air and earth directly, he can also produce and manipulate magma, plants, electricity, ice, etc - anything involving Aether, he can control or produce. He is also able to transmute one Aetheric substance into another - fire to water, air to electricity, earth to poison, water to liquid metal.
This is notable since Aether is technically the basic substance of physical reality in Empirica Sin. That being the case, it is likely that the world has not yet seen the extent of what he can do… though it's unclear whether this is because he himself has not yet explored his abilities to their limit or because he chooses, once again, to obscure them.
AetherWrights as a whole are exceptionally rare - one cannot choose to become one, and the gift appears in a vanishingly small percentage of the world. Beyond that, even the ones that exist are typically on the lower end of ability. Mastema, on the other hand, is Vallus rank in his use of Aetheric Abilities, which is almost unheard of.
The Art of the Dance
As is to be expected from a powerful Demon, Mastema is also a strong void-dancer. He does not use a magic system; like most Demons, he directly accesses and manipulates Void energy instead.
His skill is primarily focused in the fields of Extirpation - particularly elemental voidart, which he uses to enhance his Aetheric abilities - as well as Learning/Communication, Illusion/Phantasmal Matter and Travel/Summons. In these areas, he is a high Vaham to low Vallus ranked Void-Dancer.
Additionally, he has strong affinities for Life/Heal/Cure Voidart - in fact, he served as the Pillars' primary healer which one can see as ironic.
Combat Skills
Mastema is a known master of the scimitar, although he never uses it so it's unclear how he got to be that good. It's possible that he's lying?
Trivia Moment!
Though Grigorius is probably justified in his irritation over Mastema's dishonest element claims... Grigorius actually is a stronger fire wielder than Mastema. Much as Mastema once burned through Donolam's own fire resistance and overcome his ability to manipulate flames, it is likely that Grigorius could do the same to Mastema.
But only in that one element.
Anyway it's the principle of the matter. (Says Grigorius.)
What is known, and has been witnessed, is that he is an exceptional weaponless combatant - and particularly adept in wrestling and general brawling.
Life Skills
Mastema's life skills, beyond the core skills taught to any Demon, break down into three primary fields:
First is his professional Skills. These are the core of his "package" so to speak. This includes a deep knowledge of contracts negotiation and general Incaendian law. It also encompasses his skill in diplomacy and general negotiations and his understanding of the mining and resource extraction industry, as demanded by his family's business.
Next are his maritime skills - these are perhaps the most important skills he has had in his time away from Court. This includes the full suite of skills necessary to act as a sea captain, such as navigation, leadership in general, captaincy in particular, seamanship, etc.
This also includes sea salamander husbandry, of course.
Finally, the "what a bastard" skills… which are, of course, the skills he has used in questionable ways that have gained him the reputation of being a terrible person. This includes covert information gathering, keeping track of information, etc. It also includes his ability to read people and infer motivations from their behavior.
It's fair to say that he's also an exceptional actor… though his stage is all of life.
Mastema is also an exceptional singer with a rich, melodious bass-baritone voice.
General Combat style
As a general rule, Mastema fights more like a Void-Dancer or Aetherwright than a physical combatant - indeed, he is by far the least inclined to get into a melee confrontation. Instead, he keeps his distance and unleashes a hell of elements and void energy on his enemies. He is exceptionally skilled in the use of his Aetheric powers, and can rapidly adjust to any situation that arises on the fly.
That said, it isn't advisable for anyone to make the mistake of thinking his preference for ranged combat makes melee combat a weakness of his - it is not, and he is more than willing to demonstrate his melee skill if necessary… preferably only after he takes off his fancy jackets and robes, however!
Threat Assessment:
Mastema's Aetherwright abilities are inherently terrifying, and his level of ability with them is even more so. With access to every demisphere and every primary sphere, Mastema is capable of turning the ground beneath a person to toxic gas, or a wall of flame into water. He can make the sky rain fire and ball lightning, or turn mortal flesh to rot. In many ways, his abilities are limited only by his ingenuity, and he is known to be a brilliant man.
In addition to that, Mastema has the loyalty of an unknown number of pirates - a mix of Demons, Celestials and Mortals.
Taking that into consideration along with his high level Voidart and skill in melee combat…
Mastema himself is a Vallus tier threat....when he's holding back.
However, when he truly lets loose - when his skin turns to starlight and shadow and his shadow swallows towns...
Mastema is unmistakably (and unfortunately) a Vis tier threat.
A powerful djinn from a low-level aristocratic family. He came to Ruavine to advance his family's name and ended up becoming close friends with Samael Asther. Together with Astaroth and Grigorius they rewrote Incaendium's map through blood and war. Eventually he joined with Taladan Asther and tried to overthrow Samael. He ended up exiled, and has only recently been permitted to return to court.
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