Simon Magus

Simon Magus was born in the small town of Gitta, about thirty miles North of Jerusalem. A Samaritan, he apparently chafed at the countrified lifestyle of his kin and in his formative years journeyed to the greater centers of learning to make something of himself. 
People back home believed that Simon had encountered St. John the Baptist during his travels, and had fallen in line with John's following. The truth was much darker - Simon had encountered a young and talented Witch named Helen, and she had inducted him into the esoteric rituals and teachings of her local Coven. 
== Facts: ==
-'Magus' simply means Sorcerer, so Simon's full name is Simon the Magician or Simon the Sorcerer. 
-Simon proved a talented student of Witchcraft, and in time was inducted into the Order of Witches. He was a truly apt pupil, and rose through the ranks quickly. According to occult lore, the leader of Simon's Coven died and was replaced with a younger Witch named Dositheus who was also a rival for Helen's hand. Simon defeated Dositheus in a duel of spell-casting and was so named head of the Coven. 
-Simon was not himself religious, but he often cloaked himself in the local religious culture and community of his homeland. Simon would often pass himself off as a prophet or miracle-worker, using his Magick to forfeit miracles. 
-Simony, the crime of paying for office within a church or religious body, is named after Simon. In the New Testament of the Bible, Simon is said to have tried and paid off Sts. Peter & Paul for their knowledge, believing them to be magicians like himself. 
-Simon made for himself a following among Witches, Occultists and other Magick-users. Known as the 'Simonians,' they were quite devoted to Simon whom they regarded as the most powerful Witch of his day.
-To be fair, they might have been right. Simon appears to have been a truly accomplished Magick-user and his use of spellcraft was quite impressive. He dominated the Covens of the Holy Land when he was at the height of his power. 
-Simon took an interest in a burgeoning new religious sect of his day, one he hoped he could infiltrate and use to his advantage. These 'Christians' were quite unique and Simon soon found himself attending meetings in order to learn as much about them as he could. When two of their top tier leaders, Peter and Paul, came around preaching, Simon saw an opportunity...
== Duel With St. Peter: ==
Simon's thirst for knowledge ultimately proved his undoing when he offended the religious sensibilities of two of the earliest pillars of Christianity. Sts. Peter & Paul, both members of the Order of Infinity and powerful Theists in their own right, were preaching their faith in Rome when Simon approached them one day and offered them money for their knowledge of spells. 
Simon had completely misjudged them, and Peter's rebuke was so strong, and Simon so surprised, that it actually caught the veteran Witch off-guard. Simon apologized, asked them to pray for his soul, and made a hasty retreat. 
But this wasn't the end of it.
When Peter and Paul heard news of Simon continuing to work miracles and wonders, they felt obligated to act. Since they now knew the truth of Simon, that he was a Witch and his miracles were mostly frauds, they tracked him down in the Roman forum and challenged him to a contest of supernatural might.
The exact details of this duel have changed slightly throughout history, but the gist of it is that Simon proceeded to levitate into the air. Awed, the people on the ground fell to their knees in adoration and were convinced that he had been sent by God Himself. This only angered the saints even further, and Peter quickly called upon his connection with God to fly into the air to meet Simon. 
The resulting conflict in the sky was powerful but short-lived. Peter defeated Simon and threw him to the ground whereupon he shattered one or both of his leg bones. The crowd of people, seeing Simon defeated thus and realizing that he was a fraud, charged forward to stone him to death. 
Simon called upon one of his darker spells, and a chariot driven by horned demons materialized to whisk him away to safety. However, Peter attacked again, and with holy light and energy, he destroyed the demonic chariot and sent Simon hurtling to the ground a second time.
This time, Simon didn't get up. 
The church of Santa Francesca Romana in Rome is purported to be built on the exact spot where Simon fell to his death. It also claims to house a Relic, a slab of marble bearing the imprint of the knees of Sts. Peter & Paul while they prayed at the sight of Simon flying.
Category:Magick
Category:Covenant Network
Category:Infernal
Category:Christian Coalition