Masquerade Pathway

### Symbol

A jester mask on a with red stars at the feet. A gold star lies on the centre of the mask's forehead. A tear falls from the right eye

### Mythical Creature Form

A grotesquely stretched human body with a jester mask and various trinkets, such as bells, sewn into their skin. Malformed wings of strobing lights emerge from the back

### Main Abilities

Ability copyingDivination
Body bending
Smoke manipulation
Shapeshifting
Hypnotism
Teleporting
Lie detection
Time freezing
Explosion generation
Cryptology
Misleading/altering outcomes
Limited resurrection

## Pathway

### Sefirot

Unknown

Life and death? Right and wrong? None of that matters to a Jester! When the curtain rises, we dance and play to our hearts content. But you don't want to stick around when the curtains falls...

 — The Blind Jester

## Overview

The **Masquerade Pathway** is one of several Pathways brought from the Void Lands to Earth by Gilgamesh. After Lazarus Asmodeus left Earth, the Masquerade Pathway and several others (such as Arcana, Nebula and Transcendant) were also left behind. Masquerade Beyonders can preform Divination, contort their body in bizarre ways, manipulate smoke and fog, preform in-depth hypnosis and teleport.

At Higher Sequences Beyonders can copy abilities, generate explosions, shapeshift, control dolls, freeze time and decipher all sorts of knowledge and secrets. Masquerade Beyonders are also adept with misleading others and blurring the outcome of certain events. This allow them to resurrect from the dead in specific occasions.

The Above the Sequence for this Pathway is unknown, as is the corresponding Sefiroth. The adjacent Pathways (if there are any) are not on Earth either. However the name of the Pathway, Sequences and abilities imply a connection to the Fool and Wheel of Fortune Pathways.

The Authorities of the Masquerade Pathway represent Trickery, Mischief, Madness, Lies, Hiding, Deceit and Reversal.

For unknown reasons (but possibly due to the lack of corresponding Authorities) madness sets in almost immediately for Masquerade Beyonders. In fact the Acting Method, which is meant to reduce the chance of going insane/losing control, actively promotes madness within the Beyonder.

## Sequences

 9
 8
 7
 6
 5
 4
 3
 2
 1
 0

## Pathway Symbol

A jester mask with card suit signs at the end of the sloth. Two red stars lay at the bottom of the mask and a gold star lays in the centre of the forehead.

## Mythical Creature Form

A grotesquely stretched out human with a protruding spine and other bones. The body is as thin as it is long and warps horribly. A jester's mask is stuck to the face with a jagged grin. Trinkets such as bells and watches are stuck to the flesh and a river of black blood flows from the mask's eye sockets. Two butterfly wings of strobing lights are attached to the back that change colour every few seconds

## Sequence 9: Flippant Actor

* The Beyonder can tell if someone is lying or hiding secrets by physical cues, like voiding eye contact or twitching
* The Beyonder can manipulate their own emotions to suit a purpose
	+ Fake tears and boisterous laughter can be perfectly mimicked
* The Beyonder is sensitive to manipulation of any kind

## Sequence 8: Volatile Joker

* Madness sets in and causes the Beyonder to easily lose control over their emotions
* The Beyonder can summon fog to obscure Spirit or physical vision
* The Beyonder can sense the general mood of others
* Beyonders can sense if certain action would have negative or severe repercussions

## Sequence 7: Euphoric Dancer

* The madness of the Beyonder now leaves them on a high that removes all sense of responsibility and self-preservation
	+ This leads the Beyonder to make stupid or even suicidal decisions
* The Beyonder can preform basic Divination
* The Beyonder can influence others with their euphoria
* The fog produced can now serve as a poison
* The Beyonder can bend and twist their body in inhuman fashion

## Sequence 6: Regal Joyseeker

* The madness recedes slightly, leaving the Beyonder capable of restraint.
	+ However, they are still in danger of curious tangents and desires for entertainment, no matter the cost
* The Beyonder gains greater ability to discern lies and trickery.
* The Beyonder can steal the madness of others and carry it themselves
* The Beyonder can teleport within the fog they created
* The Beyonder can preform hypnotisms and install false emotions in others

## Sequence 5: Showmaster

* The madness leaves the Beyonder completely detached from reality and sees all things as just a show of entertainment
	+ For the Beyonder, consequences cease to exist
* The Beyonder can create false phenomenon to confuse others
* The Beyonder can cause anything they touch to explode on command
* The Beyonder can cause others to be drawn towards them and remain fixated
	+ This lowers their guard and leaves them vulnerable towards all sorts of attacks
* Divinations are more accurate
* Emotions can now be faked on the Spirit Body, making it much harder to catch them lying

## Sequence 4: Ringleader

* The Beyonder becomes obsessed with being in charge of "the show" and always desire to be in control
	+ This makes cooperation incredibly difficult and the Beyonder to make increasingly bizarre and outrageous plans
* The Beyonder can cause others to follow their command
	+ Works on any non-Demigod existence
* The Beyonder can extend their body to monstrous proportions and bend in any angle
	+ This ability is superior to a Clowns form the Fool Pathway
* The Beyonder can distort events to favour themselves, even if they were not explicitly involved in said incident
	+ A Ringleader will never suffer a serious lose in any mission they partake in
* The strength of the explosions generated increases greatly and can fully demolish a building
* The Beyonder can sense anything that enters their fog

## Sequence 3: Fickle Muse

* The Beyonder escalates their desire for entertainment and rapidly swings moods
	+ The Beyonder gains a fascination with morbid actions with massive consequences, such as collapsing a country or slaughtering babies en-mass

* The Beyonder can drain or warp the inspirations and goals of others. This is both short-term and long-term
	+ In short-term, the target will no longer carry on and abandon their current task i.e. attacking the Beyonder
	+ In long-term, the target can be influenced to suicide or extremes: worshipping Evil Gods or committing crimes in order to find fulfilment
* The Beyonder can take the powers of others
	+ This is not copying: the target will lose the abilities taken for a long period of time
		- They will eventually recover the ability, but the time required depends on the Sequence
	+ If the Beyonder is unfamiliar with the ability, they may not be able to use it properly
* The Beyonder can shapeshift into others
	+ The lie will hold up under causal inspection of the Astral or Spirit Body, but will be discovered by Angels or certain Pathways (Visionary)
* The Beyonder can now alter their powers over explosions to affect all Bodies
	+ The Beyonder can now make Spirit, Mind and Astral Bodies explode on touch too, either instantly killing the target or severely weakening them

## Sequence 2: Puppet of Mania

* The madness undergoes a qualitive change and begins to affect those around you
	+ You are constantly laughing while crying and those who hear you will be badly affected
* The madness allows the use of a Psychic Shriek that targets the mind
	+ The Beyonder can spread the mania through the fog and affect targets from all sides
* The domain of fog triples and illusions can be conjured within
	+ The Beyonder can leave behind pockets of fog that "They" can teleport into at any time as long as it remains untouched
* The Beyonder can control dolls or puppets to serve as minions
	+ The dolls can be given Characteristics to use but cannot exceed Sequence 5
* The Beyonder can cause the Laws of Reality to falter and twist randomly, producing horrifying and unimaginable results
	+ Concepts will switch or collide against each other, including Convergence
* The Beyonder can attach the Concept of "Madness" to anything and whatever is associated to it is affected
	+ By "Maddening" the sun, then anything connected to it (such as fellow Angels and lower) can be driven mad when associating with it
		- Does not work on things blessed by a powerful existence

## Sequence 1: Absurdity Jester

* The madness of the Beyonder changes to a new facet: the Beyonder becomes more passive in expressing "Their" madness but is determined trick, surprise and confuse others at every opportunity
	+ This may be either harmless or incredibly lethal
* The Beyonder can directly go against what should happen
	+ Example: When attacked by a lethal move, the Beyonder will not die or even suffer damage
		- This can only be done so many times
	+ This is similar to the power of Error, but the outcome can only be switched to an overblown and ridiculous one and can potentially backfire
		- Example: being hit withy a normal pebble makes the Beyonder explode violently
* Absurd luck and chance follows the Beyonder everywhere
	+ Random things that are entirely coincidental yet simultaneously make no sense become commonplace
		- Example: A man slips, dropping a ball that knocks lose a stone, which hits a Beyonder on the head causing them a concussion, which make them unleash their powers in a daze. The powers released then knock over a building and crushes someone about to attack the Beyonder

* The Beyonder can freeze time, where only "They" can move.
	+ The Beyonder can only set up traps during this timeframe: touching anybody breaks the time stop
* The Beyonder can crack any code or secrets before them
* Dolls can gain their own sentience and be bestowed with higher Characteristics
	+ They can also use Sealed Artefacts and dodge most side-effects
* Inside the fog, materialistic items can be conjured that are as real as anything outside the fog
	+ Removal from the fog causes them to collapse

## King of Angels:

A small to moderate improvement based on if the Beyonder has accommodated the Uniqueness. If "They" have, then "They" will receive the following:

* No increase in madness apart from clinical depression and boredom at times, along with a disdain for all other non-Masquerade Beyonders
* The Beyonder can further distort things in an absurd manner
	+ Even if the Beyonder is 100% killed in every way, "They" can revive at least once through an abstract and ridiculously complicated fashion
		- As long as each new method is relatively unique and equally shocking, the Beyonder can keep reviving
* Asymmetry and anything classified as "weird" by society boosts the Beyonder and "They" boost it in turn
* The Beyonder can create Angel Characteristics and items that can remain outside the fog for a certain period of time
	+ Beyonder Characteristics still evaporate at a quick pace but other items (such as Charms) can last for several weeks or even months
* The Beyonder can create a "stage" where all things must follow "Their" directions. The "stage" can be used for a myriad of things:
	+ A secret gathering place where almost no one can spy, including most Gods
	+ A live re-enactment of past events from the Fog of History
		- The War in Heaven and Ancient Sun God's Fall were both shown in this fashion
	+ A place where the Beyonder can seize control over the Spirit Body Threads of others instantly and control them in any way
		- Unlike normal, the captured targets are still conscious while being controlled but cannot break free
	+ The "stage" can attract and store Spirit World Creature and Evil Spirits for the Beyonder's use.
		- The "stage" lures Spirits with an aura similar to Sefirah Castle
	+ **Note:** The Uniqueness does not need to be accommodated for the Beyonder to use the "stage": All Characteristics alone would also suffice.
* The Beyonder gains hyperawareness of any foils or changes being made in "Their" plans
	+ This allow "Them" to allows be one move ahead and fluidly change "Their" plans based on the enemy's response
* The Shapeshifting in near-perfect and no flaws can be detected on the Astral or Spirit Body.
	+ The Beyonder inherits the memories and personality of anyone/thing "Their" shapeshift into so posing as them is as easy as breathing

## Sequence 0-Masquerade

* The Beyonder can "drop" the curtain over the world, causing time to freeze
	+ The Beyonder can also "raise" the curtain, causing time to speed up
* The Beyonder can swap fates, identities and Characteristics between people as easily as changes masks at a ball
* Barriers and seals can be broken with exceptional ease
	+ Door, Death and Justiciar seals are also made less effective
* Anyone who partakes in a "masquerade" with the Beyonder becomes a vessel for "Them" to control or revive in
* The Beyonder can manipulate Spirit Body Threads on a level slightly weaker than a Sequence 1-Attendant of Mysteries.

## Notable members

* The Blind Jester-Sequence 1
* The Deaf Jester-Sequence 1
* The Mute Jester-Sequence 1
* Alicia Grinheart-Sequence 2
* Nero Federov-Sequence 8
* Mikia Urandel-Sequence 9