"Ah, Mastema. We were close, once, many years ago. Now, my lion despises me just enough to prove entertaining; there is always amusement in seeing how far I can push him before he lunges."
— Samael Asther
 

Overview

To survive the maneuvering of Blood Game, it is said that one requires a quick mind, an excess of charm, and the ability to wield both with scalpel-like precision. Of course, the other way is to achieve the seemingly impossible goal of winning the longterm favor of Samael Asther - favor more substantial and long-burning than simple amusement.

As a former member of The Wisemen, Mastema among the most powerful residents of Amaya, as well as a close friend of Lord Ashter. Known as the Lion of Amaya, he was renown as an excellent Player, and a foe as fearsome on the battlefield as in the court of Bloodwood Fall. His future was seemingly secure... until he betrayed his lord and fell from grace. It has taken centuries to claw his way back from exile... but the question of what motivated his actions remains open.

 

General Information

Notes

Sometimes I run into someone that only showed up on one page or scene when I was reading "Crimson Court". It always makes me worry, because I have no idea what to expect, but at least if they've shown up a little I can make some decent guesses about what they want.

 

But Mastema's not in the book! At least he wasn't when I left off. I think I remember him being mentioned offhand as a guy who used to be around more, but that's about all I have.

 

Asmodeus tells me he's unhinged. Cain tells me he's manipulative. But to me, he mostly seems like a big cat that tore up the couch and got thrown out on his butt; 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.

Gabriel

History

The middle child of three born to Zaeladora and Ziros Amarandos, Mastema was born without an immediate road to power as it was always assumed that his elder brother, Donolam Amarantoswould take inherit once zaeladora stepped down. That is, it was assumed by everyone but Mastema, whose ambition reach exceeded his grasp... at least at the time. Through the desire to seize power, he was driven. Through that same desire he achieved great heights... and ultimately, that desire brought him into a fall from which he has never truly recovered.

The Unremarkable Middle Child

As a child, Mastema seemed unremarkable. He learned well enough, but neither disappointed nor impressed his tutors or his family. He showed a strong affinity for the fire element, but lacked the imagination and flexible thinking to make the most of that talent. In essence, he spent the majority of his first centuries of life making no impression in particular, and thus making no waves. The only thing he was truly good at was charming others, and so the thought at the time was to place Mastema in an ambassadorial position - perhaps as a liaison to The Crimson Palace - in the hopes that he could help to elevate their already influential family to even greater heights.

So it was that zaeladora ordered that Mastema depart their home in Syklomor to meet with the newly elevated DominVisRegas Samael Asther in Bloodwood Fall.

His family had, unknowingly, fallen right into Mastema's hands: Mastema had never been unremarkable or mediocre at all. Rather than an average member of an exceptional family, he was a djinn whose intelligence, ambition and long hidden strength had positioned him as the most formidable Amarandos by far... as he proceeded to demonstrate once he arrived at Bloodwood Fall.

The Wise Men

Having been sent to charm and make contact with Samael, Mastema set to work observing and analyzing the new lord's behavior and personality - what Samael liked, who he surrounded himself with, etc. Once he had reached a reasonable conclusion, he set about ingratiating himself. This seemed to work for a short time, but it eventually became clear that Samael had recognized the insincerity of his presentation and allowed it to continue out of amusement. Once Mastema realized that Samael realized he had been playing him - or rather once they realized they ahd been playing one another - they were able to find a more honest bond, built upon their mutual interest in gameplaying.

Soon Mastema, Samael, and Samael's longtime best friend Astaroth Dracothis thrived together as they pulled the strings of the Courtiers and bent the Court to their will. Eventually, a diplomatic mission from Astrum introduced them to Grigorius Bieloskytes and soon the four of them came to form the center of Amayan society as the The Wisemen.

In time, the remainder of House Amarandos was able to move from Cyclomoor to Bloodwood Fall, relocating their home, Amrash to the capitol near the Crimson Palace. Once they arrived, and having achieved her dream of raising their House to the highest rung of society, zaeladora stepped away from leadership and Donolam prepared to take the role of Domin... only to find Mastema ready to challenge him.

Vallus Domin Exim

To this point, the family had failed to truly understand Mastema, or what had brought him to his status within the Crimson Court.

Believing that he was, as they had assumed, a charmer with little skill or talent beyond his beauty and his charisma, Donolam was unaware of what he was walking into when he met his brother for that challenge. There, Mastema unleashed some part of his true self, both outsmarting and overpowering Donolam with seemingly little effort, and ultimately butchering his elder brother even as Donolam moved to surrender.

With this ruthless act, he rose to Vallus Domin Exim and took control of House Amarandos. He also impressed Samael, who had never had much of an appetite for mercy.

Mastema demonstrates his abilities as a "fire djinn."

The Lion of Amaya

In the centuries that followed, The Wisemen, as they came to be known, would shape not only Amaya but much of Incaendium as well. Samael's hunger for expansion, Astaroth and Mastema's drive to power and Grigorius's addiciton to excitement drove them outside the borders of Amaya, where they waged The Five Thousand Year War. In this world-changing (and seemingly endless) conflict, Amaya expanded its territory to become the largest Nation-State in the Third Realm... and extinguished several Archdemon lines, absorbing those bloodlines' powers into themselves. In this way, each of them outstripped their natural potential... with Samael in particular establishing himself as Imperator - the most powerful of all demonkind. These acts would have consequences for Grigorius eventually.

After endless centuries of waging war, Amaya's Tower's stopped to take a proverbial breath. Grigorius returned to Astrum. Astaroth settled into a new role as the leader of the Crimson Legion... and Mastema went adventuring across the Crimson Sea. In a consequential move, he agreed to bring Samael's sister, Taladan Asther (Deceased), who had always wished to see the world beyond Incaedium. For some decades they were away from court, growing closer, and then growing closer than that. In the absence of Samael's unignorable presence, their mutual ambition blossomed and they returned to the Bloodwood Fall ready to return to the field.

However, in their absence, the Court had changed. Grigorius had not returned. Astaroth had become more enamored of mind games than wargames, and Samael had fallen in love... first with debauchery and then with the human boy Cain Amortus. Moreover, Samael had grown too far into his role as the Lord of Amaya in more than one way. He had become invested in the domain as it was, and interested in seeding the future for the kingdom he had already conquered rather than looking to greater vistas. Worse, he had become intolerant of challenge and disobedience. Soon, it became clear that there would be no room for breath in the room as long as Samael stood within it.

Oh right, that person. Well, I haven't thought about him in centuries... and why would I? When someone becomes irrelevant, they fall right out of my head. It's embarrassing to admit this, given he used to be a friend of mine, but he's a reckless idiot. I was surprised! He had always been far too passionate about far too many things to remain level-headed, but I didn't realize he was also stupid and incapable of thinking things through like a normal person. Of course, that could be hindsight speaking, I suppose. Failure makes fools of the wisest men.
— Astaroth Dracothis

The Treacherous Blade

Mastema and Taladan formed a conspiracy, then - an alliance with the aim of deposing Samael. To achieve this, Mastema first became friendly with Samael's consort at the time, Cain, gathering information and relearning Samael's ways - his strong points, and his weaknesses. Despite knowing that Samael would be able to overpower either Mastema or Taladan on their own, they had reason to believe it might be possible to defeat him in tandem - though always powerful, Taladan had gained strength from the merging of the extinguished bloodlines into the Asther line, for example. And as for Mastema, he had been holding a secret back from the others even through millenia of friendship and comradery: Mastema was not a fire djinn at all. He was, in fact, a exceptionally strong Aether djinn, with the ability to control all elements. Thus they moved forward with their plans...

However, Taladan and Mastema had failed to take into account two crucial things: First, Samael was far stronger than they had realized and, while it might still be possible to defeat him with sufficient preparation and a surprise attack, he had an asset that the two demons had vastly underestimated: Cain, who lacked any physical power but balanced it with his observational skills, and his razor sharp mind. Though Cain soon found himself out of favor with Samael, he was able to alert Samael to his suspicions before their estrangement.

After some months spent observing his sister and friend alike, Samael confronted them. He executed Taladan on the spot. He then stripped Mastema of all status and banished him from court. Though the Amarandos attempted to salvage themselves by disowning Mastema, it did them no good - Samael stripped them of their titles and sent them into disgrace, forcing them to flee Bloodwood Fall and return to Cyclomoor. They were not permitted to relocate the manor, which stood for centuries falling into disrepair.

"Yeah... him. I've known Mastema for hell of a long time 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'm talking metaphorically here. He's not a cannibal. Probably.
— Grigorius Bieloskytes

Inpio Vis Unus

Mastema disappeared from the Crimson Court for nearly two centuries, during which time he worked to rebuild his reputation and his social networks and influence. Periodically, he would petition to Samael requesting a return from exile. He was repeatedly refused... until just recently, when he was permitted to come back to a court that had changed even more than it had during his first absence, as Grigorius had Fallen and landed in Samael's pleasure house somehow. Mastema was admittedly pleased to see that Cain, had lost his remaining influence and had come to seen as a bit pathetic for his continued emotional attachment to Samael. Samael himself had become, if anything, crueler than ever. Indeed, only Astaroth seemingly remained consistent.

The Lion at Court

Still lacking influence and title, Mastema has begun to reestablish his presence, but his reason for wanting to return is arguably unclear, given the difficulty he is sure to face in trying to claw his way back to prominence. Morever, there is no obvious reason that Samael has permitted him back from exile to begin with. As it stands, these former friends remain at arm's length, with Mastema trying to unlock the secret of how to regain his lost status and Samael seemingly batting him around not unlike some predator playing with its food.

 

Character

Persona

There are a few things that are immediately and undeniably evident about Mastema.

First, Mastema is charming, intelligent and quick-witted. Despite having a somewhat cutting and sarcastic sense of humor much of the time, he presents himself with such magnetisim and confidence that it is difficult to be offended. He has a gift for making others laugh at themselves, which means he also has a gift of disarming them, getting past their defenses and defensiveness, and building rapports with even the most prideful and guarded people. This way with people is among his greatest assets - it was through his personal magnetism and charisma that he elevated himself and his family to unimaginable heights, earning the respect and trust of the notoriously difficult Samael Asther, and bridging the otherwise unbridgable gap between the amoral Astaroth and the literal archangel Grigorius. For this reason, Mastema served as the diplomatic face of the Wisemen for the length of their alliance, negotiating countless surrenders, ceasefires and occasionally even mutually beneficial alliances between nation-states.

However, this is just the smallest part of who Mastema is - the part he found most beneficial to reveal at the time.

Mastema may well be a friendly person, but that masks a more calculating mind, fueled by his great ambition. While his initially mediocre presentation as a child was not entirely fake - his ambitions at that time were low, and he was discouraged by how little others thought of him - it was relatively early in his life when his mindset shifted. Rather than living down to low expectations, he decided that he would make mediocrities of them... and so he did. Mastema's burning drive and natural intelligence served to propel him forward as he sought to excel while simultaneously hiding his talent from others. This necessitated that he teach himself the things most need years of tutors to learn. This taught him a focus that sharpened his mind to an razor. It also taught him to hide and to lie.

Even much later, after having lived, laughed, and served alongside his group of friends for centuries, he was unable to truly let his guards down enough to share his secrets.

Mastema on board his pirate ship, The Sea Samalander, with his fleet.

Interestingly, despite his ambition, Mastema lacks substantial ego - as an example, he had a long-running friendly rivalry with Grigorius as they were both associated with fire... with the notable caveat that Mastema is actually not a fire elemental at all, but rather an aether elemental. He found it advantageous to be seen as less versatile than he was, and so he allowed his abilities to be misjudged. He is always observing, always calculating, always tailoring his behavior to his own advantage - so much so that it can be difficult to discern what his true intentions are, or even who he truly is. As a result, the impression he leaves behind differs even among those who kne whim best.

In short, Mastema is duplicitous and manipulative, though perhaps in a less malevolent way than the words normally imply.

Perhaps.

As it stands, he seems set on regaining his former status, though Samael makes it difficult as the Demon Lord enjoys tormenting Mastema and forcing him to lose his temper... which happens frequently, resulting in a great deal of storming out of rooms and barely restrained attacks from Mastema upon his Lord. There is a quirk to this, however: Mastema is in no way known to harbor a poor temper or impulse control in any way. Indeed, it's said that he rarely even raises his voice. Isn't that interesting?

Motivations

Despite his relatively laid back demeanor, Mastema is internally fixated on continued achievments and advancement... to the point that he was unable to rest and enjoy the fruits of their conquering as his friends had, and was instead driven to seek further adventures and new terrain. This is how he came to his second (and current primary) career as the Lion of the Crimson Sea. Indeed, he seems to take greater joy in life as a pirating adventurer than he did as a diplomat or a soldier, perhaps because of the freedom it affords him; foir the vast majority of his long life, he lived under the control of others - first his parents and elder brother, and then Samael Asther. It wasn't until he struck out on his own after the Five Thousand Year Wars that he was fully freed. One could speculate and say that perhaps it is the desire to maintain and shore up his agency that fuels his hunger for continued growth... but that could only be a guess, as Mastema remains as difficult to unlock as he ever was to this day.

Quirks, Habits and Mannerisms

Mastema is noted for his loud and infectious laugh, his rich confident voice, and his gift for elaborate storytelling - which may or may not be exaggerated. If one looks closely enough, he can often be seen watching the faces of those he is speaking to for a split second too long - observing their reaction and processing it. It is always his goal to be the best at anything he sets his mind to, and it is very difficult to deter him from that goal once he's set his mind on it.

Mastema continues to carry a scimitar at his side, but no one has seen him draw it in centuries. Who knows why he's still carrying it around?

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 like recognizes like. 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.
— Cain Amortus
 

Ethical Inventory

If Mastema has a true or stable moral philosophy he has yet to exhibit one. Generally, he seems to act in his own best interests, so one might consider him amoral and selfish... however in the past, he has also shown consideration and support for those he was close to, at the time, e.g. he risked his life for his three friends countless times. On the other hand, he also betrayed them just as easily. So it's difficult to tell whether he supported them selflessly or as part of a larger plan of self-advancement or, perhaps most likely, some combination therein.

Secrets and Lies

Mastema's willingness to lie cannot be overstated or overemphasizied. A partial inventory of his lies and secrets (at least the known ones) include:

  1. A pretense of mediocrity that lasted for over a century and fooled his entire family.
  2. Claiming to be (and living as) a fire djin for several thousand years until the moment most advantageous to reveal his true element (Aether).
  3. Many pretenses at friendship, some of which may have become true in time.
  4. A great many of his stories and anecdotes are either wholly fictional or greatly exaggerated.

Personal Taboos

Unknown if any.

 

PHYSIOLOGY

Appearance

Mastema is a 6'6" tall dark skinned man with a black anchor beard and gleaming red eyes. His black and red streaked hair is curly, wild, and falls to around his mid-calfs. It is always styled and decorated, often with beats, ribbons, braids, bands, or just about anything else he feels like using at the time. He is muscular, broad chested, and generally striking.

Notable Features

When he takes on his djinn aspects, his appearance shifts to reflect the element being used at the time. This will most commonly mean that he has a slightly fiery look to him. His truest form reflects his aetherial nature, but it rarely seen. In this form, his skin darkens to a blueish tint, lights like starfields appear in the darkest shadows around him, his hair becomes blue tinted, and his eyes glow red or pale yellow.

Identifying Marks

Note known.  

Clothing Style

Mastema's style is quite unique, even to the people of Empirica Sin. It is extrremely elaborate, including extensive embroidery and jewelry, both hooked into and hanging from the clothes, in addition to the necklaces, earrings and rings that he wears on his own person. There are often many layers of clothing involved which makes his large frame appear even more impressive. On a given day, he is likely to be wearing an v-neck shirt or tunic and/or a vest, a pair of harem pants and a long coat or sleeved-cloak with waist cape. All cloth will be heavily embroidered and/or adorned with jewelry sewn into the cloth. His jackets and cloaks typically feature decorative golden armor or pieces on the shoulders. He also typically wears any number of belts and may finish it off with bracers. He sometimes wears jewelry on his forehead, including chains, symbols, sigils, or simple decorative jewels. He does sometimes go shirtless.

 

Abilities

Mastema's true form as a vallus-bordering-on-vir Aether djinn.

General Combat Style

On the battlefield, Mastema has an easy away about him that can make him seem less formidable than he is... but those who make that mistake do not do so again, even if they survive the

 

Physical Abilities

Sociosqu odio curabitur nec molestie sociis vivamus posuere venenatis erat integer eget, phasellus porttitor suscipit imperdiet fusce pulvinar nam maecenas est rhoncus. A at blandit ac sem vel montes dignissim per ultricies, nostra quisque et ad conubia pharetra ligula etiam. Penatibus dignissim hac ante viverra natoque consequat conubia nibh, quisque inceptos ornare urna quam sociis rhoncus malesuada platea, orci habitant hendrerit nec laoreet proin nascetur.

Subsection 1

Odio, fringilla ultrices arcu lacinia primis tristique vulputate at luctus posuere. Mollis dapibus egestas in magnis taciti sociis pharetra dis phasellus elementum, consequat cursus cum penatibus conubia natoque dictum senectus faucibus, aliquet cras lobortis turpis aliquam integer neque pellentesque curae.

Subsection 2

Aliquam luctus inceptos orci himenaeos eget consequat augue eros, purus ut netus eu commodo pretium sed, per ad placerat facilisis dapibus natoque id. Congue leo cursus blandit nibh nisl accumsan tincidunt, maecenas enim ultrices hendrerit nostra condimentum vel, sapien potenti ante ullamcorper felis tempus.

 

Magic

Sociosqu odio curabitur nec molestie sociis vivamus posuere venenatis erat integer eget, phasellus porttitor suscipit imperdiet fusce pulvinar nam maecenas est rhoncus. A at blandit ac sem vel montes dignissim per ultricies, nostra quisque et ad conubia pharetra ligula etiam. Penatibus dignissim hac ante viverra natoque consequat conubia nibh, quisque inceptos ornare urna quam sociis rhoncus malesuada platea, orci habitant hendrerit nec laoreet proin nascetur.

Subsection 1

Odio, fringilla ultrices arcu lacinia primis tristique vulputate at luctus posuere. Mollis dapibus egestas in magnis taciti sociis pharetra dis phasellus elementum, consequat cursus cum penatibus conubia natoque dictum senectus faucibus, aliquet cras lobortis turpis aliquam integer neque pellentesque curae.

Subsection 2

Aliquam luctus inceptos orci himenaeos eget consequat augue eros, purus ut netus eu commodo pretium sed, per ad placerat facilisis dapibus natoque id. Congue leo cursus blandit nibh nisl accumsan tincidunt, maecenas enim ultrices hendrerit nostra condimentum vel, sapien potenti.

Psionics

Sociosqu odio curabitur nec molestie sociis vivamus posuere venenatis erat integer eget, phasellus porttitor suscipit imperdiet fusce pulvinar nam maecenas est rhoncus. A at blandit ac sem vel montes dignissim per ultricies, nostra quisque et ad conubia pharetra ligula etiam. Penatibus dignissim hac ante viverra natoque consequat conubia nibh, quisque inceptos ornare urna quam sociis rhoncus malesuada platea, orci habitant hendrerit nec laoreet proin nascetur.

Subsection 1

Odio, fringilla ultrices arcu lacinia primis tristique vulputate at luctus posuere. Mollis dapibus egestas in magnis taciti sociis pharetra dis phasellus elementum, consequat cursus cum penatibus conubia natoque dictum senectus faucibus, aliquet cras lobortis turpis aliquam integer neque pellentesque curae.

Subsection 2

Aliquam luctus inceptos orci himenaeos eget consequat augue eros, purus ut netus eu commodo pretium sed, per ad placerat facilisis dapibus natoque id. Congue leo cursus blandit nibh nisl accumsan tincidunt, maecenas enim ultrices hendrerit nostra condimentum vel, sapien potenti.

Elemental

Sociosqu odio curabitur nec molestie sociis vivamus posuere venenatis erat integer eget, phasellus porttitor suscipit imperdiet fusce pulvinar nam maecenas est rhoncus. A at blandit ac sem vel montes dignissim per ultricies, nostra quisque et ad conubia pharetra ligula etiam. Penatibus dignissim hac ante viverra natoque consequat conubia nibh, quisque inceptos ornare urna quam sociis rhoncus malesuada platea, orci habitant hendrerit nec laoreet proin nascetur.

 

Subsection 1

Odio, fringilla ultrices arcu lacinia primis tristique vulputate at luctus posuere. Mollis dapibus egestas in magnis taciti sociis pharetra dis phasellus elementum, consequat cursus cum penatibus conubia natoque dictum senectus faucibus, aliquet cras lobortis turpis aliquam integer neque pellentesque curae.

Subsection 2

Aliquam luctus inceptos orci himenaeos eget consequat augue eros, purus ut netus eu commodo pretium sed, per ad placerat facilisis dapibus natoque id. Congue leo cursus blandit nibh nisl accumsan tincidunt, maecenas enim ultrices hendrerit nostra condimentum vel, sapien potenti ante ullamcorper felis tempus.


 

Extra Information

QUIRK 1

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit nullam diam, iaculis conubia turpis rhoncus sollicitudin donec lectus venenatis lacus ultricies, lobortis odio egestas sociosqu suscipit viverra aenean sem. Aliquam luctus inceptos orci himenaeos eget consequat augue eros, purus ut netus eu commodo pretium sed, per ad placerat facilisis dapibus natoque id. Congue leo cursus blandit nibh nisl accumsan tincidunt, maecenas enim ultrices hendrerit nostra condimentum vel, sapien potenti ante ullamcorper felis tempus. Fermentum faucibus platea quis tristique erat risus mus magna hac, auctor curabitur duis non elementum neque dictum massa. Nam urna pulvinar torquent tellus aptent, nulla class justo fringilla.

Subsection 1

Odio, fringilla ultrices arcu lacinia primis tristique vulputate at luctus posuere. Mollis dapibus egestas in magnis taciti sociis pharetra dis phasellus elementum, consequat cursus cum penatibus conubia natoque dictum senectus faucibus, aliquet cras lobortis turpis aliquam integer neque pellentesque curae.

Subsection 2

Aliquam luctus inceptos orci himenaeos eget consequat augue eros, purus ut netus eu commodo pretium sed, per ad placerat facilisis dapibus natoque id. Congue leo cursus blandit nibh nisl accumsan tincidunt, maecenas enim ultrices hendrerit nostra condimentum vel, sapien potenti ante ullamcorper felis tempus.