A left-handed legacy that any Path or Order can join[1], the Scelesti (Singular: Scelestus), or the Accursed, are mages who chose to gain power through service to the Abyss, their souls tainted by allowing the void to merge with them.[2] This causes many to perceive them as mad, and are generally given the death sentence by the Pentacle.[1] Because of this, most Scelesti are loners, and will not share their legacy's secrets until they believe the potential student is safe enough to teach.[3]
Supposedly, the Scelesti are ideological descendants of the Empire of Kish, one of the first to rise after Atlantis' fall.[4] They claim to have invented the concept behind priesthoods, and that humanity owes them a favor for helping organize the anarchy after the Fall.[4]
The abilities of the Scelesti allow them to command antinomian magic, magic that encompasses both magical practice and its impossibility in the Fallen World, charging the magic with abyssal energy.[5] Their oblations include anything that causes chaos or misery, such as breaking mirrors, cutting one's self, and murder.[6]
It should be noted that all mages who consort with the Abyss, even if not officially a member of the left-handed legacy, are considered Scelesti by the Pentacle and Seers of the Throne.[7] This means that other legacies that involve the Abyss can be considered branches of the Accursed, such as the Legion[4], the Cult of the Doomsday Clock[4], or even the Fangs of Mara[4], who are actually researchers into the weaknesses of acamoth but who use Abyssal techniques to probe the dreams of their quarry and understand fear in general.[8]
Culture[]
Despite the constant danger and short life expectancy, the Scelesti have managed enough members at one time or another to attain something akin to a shared culture. This includes hierarchy, traditions, and even a specialized form of magic called Antinomian Sorcery.[5]
- Cup Bearers (Rabashakim) -- the lowest level of the ziggurat, these magi are neither part of a legacy nor bound to a fallen watchtower. They are only recognized for their interest in mastering the Abyss.[5]
- Joined (Nasnasi) -- named after a half-demonic being from Arabic lore, they become tied to one of the fallen watchtowers, aka Dur-Abzu, thereby rejecting their old philosophies and mindset for one of paradox and freedom.[9]
- Shedim (singular: shedu) -- adepts trained enough in antinomian sorcery to subtly and slowly alter the world for the day when the Abyss may destroy the Lie.[10]
- Autarks -- a term for the "lone wolves" of the order, intent on creating personal legacies to better control the Void.[10]
- Baalim -- lords of the Abyss who have mastered the third attainment of an accursed legacy, and inducted one other into the Scelesti. They have spoken with the Eleventh Aeon, the Old Man in the Anima Mundi, to acquire what is called the Elder Diadem, his personal blessing.[11]
- Aswadim -- archmasters aligned to the Abyss, regardless of whether they started off as Scelesti before ascending.[12]
- Qliphoth -- are Scelesti who fell so far that the Abyss hollowed them out. These wretches have little humanity left[13].
Notable Scelesti[]
- Angrboda, an infamous Norwegian Scelestus who most famously destroyed the Ministry of Geryon
- Rubedo, Doorkeeper of the Glass Chrysalis, Baal warden of an Abyssal Verge
- Brother Ben, Father of the Golden Quorum, Scelestus Evangelist
- Zerzura, Singer of the Fallen City - Qliphoth and portal to an eternally falling city within the Abyss
References[]
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