OShTRTh (Astaroth) pronounced "Osh-tar-ot"

Duke Commanding 40 Legions

West

What is the meaning and purpose of magic? Is it a secret advantage? A remedy for inadequacy? A neglected birthright? I see magic approached in the modern world as if it were all of these things. One person will use magic to obtain securities and favors he would otherwise not obtain, while another uses it to perform crimes with impunity, and yet another seeks guidance or healing from it. Those who see magic as a tool for purely spiritual gain often neglect its practical value, and vice versa. If it is a sacred art, it would seem out of line to employ it for such dubious ends as career adjustments and relief from minor worries; but if it is not to be used for ordinary things then its overall value is greatly diminished. I sought, first and foremost, answers about the foundations of magic from this spirit said to guard great Secrets: to know the purpose of magic, its significance as an art or science, and its fundamental mechanisms.

From the very beginning, I received more than what I wanted; but in the end I was not disappointed.

I had spent quite a long time with the spirit and thought that, having received answers and a "discipline" which might elicit more, it was time to say the License to Depart. The room was already thick with haze from copious amounts of incense that had been put on the dying coal, and whether the spirit disappeared or simply faded into the fog was not apparent. It said nothing at its departure, and I wondered if it had gone at all, so I repeated the License to Depart twice more before concluding the ceremony.