Mephistopheles
As requested by @random-conspiracy Two or three years ago, when I was in my 'underdog' pagan phase, revisiting Janus and Baba Iaga for the first time, I ran into the Devil in a bookshop. Not improbable- it was a rural town, close to a railway, full to the brim with the abandoned husks of churches, and wandered by the abandoned husks of the faithful. I never saw his face, but I could smell him- leather and tobacco ash, and the amber vapor of brandy. Mephistopheles, or Mephisto, is the sum of all 'sell your soul for knowledge/wealth/power' stories; his is the name given to a character in the German play Faust, generally assumed to be synonymous with the Devil. He is charming, and nihilistic, and passionately spiteful.
This incarnation of the Devil is a bright-eyed salesman- 'wouldn't you like to, wouldn't you dare to, wouldn't you give anything to have something more' - and a trickster that will only return as much as you are willing to risk. He never asked to take my soul, only that I would trust him when we came to the crossroads. He never pushed me to deceive or to steal, only to make sure that the truth was worth telling and the item worth paying for. My devotional acts were leaps of faith- ask for that pay raise, hit that publish button, approach that cute guy. Do this, and I will have my thumb on your end of the scale. Do this, and I will make sure you succeed. Do not, and I will make sure you fail. I know you want to. That was always the thing about working with him. You had to go all in, or you would never see the fruit of your labors. But I went all in, and now I have him to thank for my life as I know it. When we parted, it was on friendly terms, at least.
UPG:
He is a creature of light and smoke, liquor and gold, poison and ink, and these are all wonderful offerings for him.
He will not help a follower who has unpaid debts, to him or to anyone else. If you cannot be trusted, or have no ability, to keep your end, he will make no deals with you.
He appreciates doublespeak and loopholes, but never act as though you have outsmarted him. Sometimes you may find that his words come out of your mouth, so to speak. Get very comfortable with telling performative half-truths to protect your interests. He will always urge you to 'look the part.' Take care of your appearance; if not fancy, at least cohesive, especially if approaching him directly. No work with Mephisto is permanent. He makes things better for his followers, and quickly, but there is a point where the magnitude of the risks becomes uncomfortable. Be ready to thank him, pay your last, and take your leave.



















