The Cagliostro is the title of the person in charge of the Cult of Cagliostro.
Personality
The Cagliostro appears to have been a troubled man, once describing his position as “a solitary King whose crown devours that which makes one human.” A powerful magician, his talents caused him to feel distanced from other people, with the Cagliostro stating that they (humans) may as well be another species. Despite this, he was known, on occasion, to display goodwill towards many less magically-endowed individuals, such as the journalist Martin Rank, who the Cagliostro invited to his final performance.
The Cagliostro seemed to have a strong emotional connection with his final apprentice, Lauren Ellsworth. Her proficiency in telemancy comforted him in his last weeks and, during the days leading up to his performance, he had in his mind “an image of [himself and Lauren] bound together, forever.”
Biography
Little is known about the early life of the Cagliostro, other than the fact that he had been alive for many centuries. Where he was originally from remains a mystery.
Cagliostro was born with magical potential, including the gift of foreknowledge. At some point in time, he inherited the mantle of the Cagliostro from his predecessor. In the process of gaining the title, he became controlled by the Cult of Cagliostro, which had some unknown power over him. He lived a presumably lavish lifestyle, performing magic shows for the cultural elite, and owning properties in major cities such as New York City, Turin, Marrakesh, and London. In an email conversation with Martin Rank, it was revealed that the cost of a ticket to the Cagliostro’s magic show is a million dollars.
The Cagliostro was first encountered in Fragment Five, when recruits gained access to his private email server and database. It was revealed that he was in possession of Volume Three of The Monarch Papers, which recruits were able to use to solve fragments six and seven.
Over the years, the Cagliostro took on many apprentices, before finding his final, true successor, Lauren Ellsworth. During the course of Phase Two, he utilized the Monarch Papers to test Lauren’s will and aptitude, with her passing the test after burying the journal in The Ramble and unlocking its pages.
He seemed to have had some connection with Kemetic Solutions, as they host his email server.
Death
After Lauren’s awakening, Cagliostro revealed that a successor had been chosen to supplant him, a man who had been groomed since childhood for the role despite lacking comparable magimystic aptitude. The January 31st, 2017 performance was meant to be his last, after which he would be killed and the title of ‘Cagliostro’ passed on.
In an email with Lauren, entitled ‘The Book,’ Cagliostro described killing a Cagliostro as “nearly impossible.” After his final performance, the Cagliostro stated that “they” would call for him, proceeding to have one last supper before draining all the blood from his body. His successor would then feed on his blood, while the Cagliostro was magically transported to a location holding a device that “rends all matter, even impervious flesh and iron bone.” Once he was dead, the “fire” that holds the power of the Cagliostro would be transferred to another person. The Cagliostro claimed to have seen the machine, though he seemed to accept his fate.
Unwilling to accept Cagliostro’s death, Lauren attempted to harness Sullivan Green’s spell, used to shield an individual from magic, in order to prevent the Cult of Cagliostro from killing him. After skirmishing with Cole Sumner in the Morgan Library, Lauren obtained an Ackerly Green book, Seven Cradle Songs, but she unknowingly allowed Cole to escape with the spell, which was inside of the book.
Having failed to retrieve Sullivan’s spell, the performance went on as planned. During the final spell, The Translation, the Cagliostro summoned a sacrificial altar for a god. Casting himself on the spire, he was able to die and transfer his power to the person closest to him: Lauren. In an email sent after his death, the Cagliostro revealed that he had always known the true purpose of the spell. Using his foresight, he knew that his true successor would help him unlock its potential and end his life. At the end of the email, he told Lauren not to grieve for him. “Perhaps I have traveled beyond the lying veil, to the source of all this power. Or perhaps I am atoms scattered in the dark. Either way, I am free”.
Phase Three Cameo
The Cagliostro was briefly mentioned in The Low Report, with the two hosts, Nathaniel and James, replaying Martin Rank’s wire recording from the Cagliostro’s final performance. The hosts appeared unaware of the origin of the recording, but had knowledge of both the Cagliostro and Lauren, though they seemed to have no knowledge of the events that occurred after the performance.
Trivia
- The Cagliostro shares the same name as Count Alessandro di Cagliostro, a magician who performed for the elite in the 1700s.
- The image moving behind the “C” on TheCagliostro.com is two ouroboros interlocked, like a figure eight, doubling up on infinity symbolism.