The Maelstrom

The Maelstrom represents the vicarious joy that comes from destruction and tragedy.
It is the strength and readiness that is required to avoid being subjected to that tragedy yourself.

There is nothing dishonorable in absolute victory. Dishonor is a term coined by the weak to dissuade
the use of tactics they are not equipped to handle. Weak minded individuals are incapable of separating
themselves from the morals constructed by society in order to feel comfortable doing what those who
believe in the Maelstrom know needs to be done. Dishonorable tactics should be sought out and used to
the most extreme effectiveness until an opponent presents a valid defense against it.

This is not to say that The Maelstrom is an advocate for totally random acts of violence or disruption.
The victory achieved over another should be more valuable than the life taken or ruined. However, within The Maelstrom,
the value of a life is left open to interpretation - generally favoring how much potential somebody has. There is a
significant difference in killing the weak and killing the yet undeveloped. For example, it is described
as weakness for the one who was victorious if they slay a victim before they've come of age. This instead shows fear
in what the young would one day become. That said, if there is enough to gain from it, it may still be considered.

It may normally be considered weak to poison somebody, but this is not the perspective here. The Maelstrom insists
that the strong are always aware of all threats, even the subtle or underhanded. It paints a picture of a deranged
paranoia in constantly needing to be prepared for the unknown. This paranoia, however, welcomes the challenge. It
refuses to hide in order to prevent bad things from happening, opposite of how The Emperor avoided even his allies
after being burned alive. The Maelstrom even opposes structured society as a whole, believing it is a safety
net that exists so the weak don't fall too far down into harsh realities.

In the cosmic myths, The Maelstrom was the anti-hero who won the most important battles against the
other Aspects who wished to destroy mankind. Within battles of the divine, his philosophies of absolute victory left
him unmatched in combat. The hopeful infer that The Maelstrom chose to fight for Humanity, not just
because Death guided him, but also because he saw Humanity as undeveloped and not yet ready for the fight. The myths
suggest that The Maelstrom died in the final days of the Great War, which may be considered a good thing. His lust for
conflict may have gone unquenched in a time of peace.

Because of all of the above, The Maelstrom is rarely followed with true conviction. Those born under this destructive sign are often
paragons of strength who choose to live their lives away from the safety provided by society. They are defensive and
internalize their problems on their own, rarely allowing others to get close, while working difficult jobs few would want.
They may be able to find comradery in battlefields, but organized conflict of this scale is a rare occurrence in Myriad. Finding a small
group of dedicated and strong-willed friends would be the ideal setting for someone with this sign.