3.8   THE SORCERER To some extent sorcerers are outcasts in society.  They must always conceal a part of themselves from the world—not just to shield themselves from the ridicule and persecution of other humans but also to protect against the celestial beings who would torment them if their true nature was revealed.  For the Charlatans, no such hiding is necessary.  They brazenly proclaim to the world that they possess these mystical powers, when in fact they are nothing more than frauds who seek to swindle people out of their hard earned money.   They are not hunted by angels or demons, for these celestial emanations see them for what they are.   Chances are that if a child of clay proclaims himself a wizard in public, he is a hoax. For the real sorcerer, life can be a lonely existence.  Many find themselves unable to cope with the everyday problems of mundane men.   They are children of clay and yet some how find themselves removed, distant, from their own kind.   They seldom marry and almost never have children.  Even friendships are hard to come by.  They mistrust other sorcerers and must hide a part of their soul from the uninitiated. Besides, there is no time for such frivolous relationships. All their dreams and ambitions are funneled through the study of the art. This is not to say, that all practitioners occupy the fringes of the society, shadowing figures lurking the grimy back alleys or far removed wilds.  Indeed, some have great prominence in the world.  They are politicians, bankers, and CEOs, and while there social skills may seem beyond reproach, it is all an act designed to hide their true nature. Sorcerers are neither good nor evil inherently.  They do, however, almost always have a selfish agenda to fulfill.   Perhaps it is the magic itself or the personality type that is drawn to these endeavors, but the practitioners of solomonic sorcery seem to always have a skewed perception of things   Their views are always slightly different from the norm.  Some are merely eccentric, while others push the bounds of sanity to its very limit. To progress past the stage of mere curiosity, a would-be sorcerer must find a mentor.   With out guidance she would flail helpless at the art (accomplish nothing).   But popular culture has led us to believe that sorcerers convene in large enclaves, but this couldn't be farther from the truth.  They are too distrustful of each other to gather in groups of larger than three.  Instead the master/pupil relationship is a one on one endeavor.   Even here, though, the master sorcerer is unwilling to divulge too much information to his student at once.   The disciple must prove his worthiness and loyalty over time.   In the end, the greatest gift a master can bestow upon his pupil is to present him with the master's own grimoire.  This is usually done near the end of the master's life. Being a sorcerer does not automatically relegate a child of clay to Tartarus upon his death.  If the life led was a good one, he will still ascend to Eden.  No pact with Sammael is ever entered into, and sorcerers firmly believe in the existence and power of the Almighty.   It is this divine authority that they call upon to bind celestial beings.