Maleficist

A **maleficist**, meaning "one who is depraved" in Rigoric, is a mage who performs the forbidden arts including, but not solely restricted to, blood magic.

## Background

### Sibyllan nations

The Ministry has used religious rhetoric to make maleficists the most stigmatized brand of mages. Although Sibylla was never explicit about what brand of magic transgressed against the Watcher's laws, Matron Augora I has interpreted the Holy Tome verse that defined what maleficists were, and established her own definition.

Augora I defined apostates as mages who went against the Ministry's laws, and maleficists particularly were those apostates who used blood magic to harm others. With the Ministry being the most dominant religious organization in Morgaea, Augora I's decree of her interpretation became widely accepted, and all those branded maleficists were treated with the utmost hostility. The Ministry faithful have further interpreted Augora I's words and extended the definition of maleficists to all who use forbidden knowledge and dangerous practices like the summoning of demons. Over the centuries, the difference between apostates who use unfamiliar magic and maleficists has become increasingly difficult to distinguish.

Apostates are not technically by definition maleficists, but many are. Opposing the authority of the Institute of Magic usually leads a mage into exploring the forbidden, especially if they feel they need such power to stay alive. This is common enough that many templars will simply assume that any apostate is also a maleficist, or close enough to becoming one that it makes no difference.

Apostates who practice magical arts not well known among Institutions, such as shapeshifting, are sometimes referred to as maleficists. This distinction is not exact and is usually born from the common ignorance and prejudice to associate all unique forms of magic with blood magic.

Templars relentlessly hunt maleficists, making use of lucenium for tracking and fighting them, even up to torturing with poisons made available by the Ministry. Those deemed a maleficist are generally sentenced to death. Sometimes, the mere accusation of being a maleficist is enough justification for an Institution to force a mage to become a Serene. Other times, they may expose an alleged maleficist to mage prisons where the Veil is thin, like the Aeonod, with the intention that, should the accused attract denizens of the Dreaming, particularly demons, it would make it easier to determine the accused's innocence or guilt. Such actions show the commitment of the Ministry and the Templar Order to stamping out forbidden schools of magic. Should practice of forbidden magic be too widespread for the templars to control, the templars may even resort to carrying out the Right of Nullification in order to purge the mage population of corruption.

The most cunning and dangerous maleficists are also hunted by the Inquisition; and in the past, mages aided the Inquisitors in hunting these threats. However, the cooperation between Inquisitors and mages has long been forgotten in contemporary times, and is a rare occurence due to the new politics affecting their relationship.