Maphaeus (Total War)

"So you've come to take revenge on us, revenge for letting you live?. (...) You know what fate awaits all of us if the Triforce runs its course."

- Maphaeus to Sulkaris.

Maphaeus (Akkalan: Mafrasus, lit "forever burning") is one of the first seven Sages of the Goddesses, created at the dawn of Hyrule to defend the Triforce.

Etymology
Mapheaus's real name predates many Hyrulean languages, and is lost to time.

Her Akkalan name was Mafrasus, meaning Forever Burning. The modern version of this name was Maphaeus.



Physical Appearance
In the Book of Mudora, Maphaeus is described as "created of form, yet free of it, Maphaeus briefly rebelled against her inception until accepting her place. She was as wild as the flames that wrapped about her, and her wrath was swift". It is assumed Maphaeus is likely a being composed entirely of flames or magma. Portrayals of her in later ages depict her as a burning humanoid that is often dancing.

Maphaeus appears as a Hylian woman composed of ash, magma, and flame, with billowing white hair made of smoke and fire. Her eyes glow a deep, fiery red.

Powers and Abilities
Maphaeus was given the ability to control and manipulate heat, most commonly through the use of fire and explosives. She could ignite anything she chose.

Maphaeus' powers as Sage of Fire are not displayed during her confrontation with Sulkaris. Because of the freezing air from Malkorbagia's sage medallion, Maphaeus couldn't burn or ignite anything.

Personality
Maphaeus' personality is described as wild, chaotic, and free. She dislikes restrictions being put on her and is often left to her own devices.

Creation of Hyrule
Maphaeus was the fourth Sage to be created by the Golden Goddesses. She was created to power the engines of the Goddesses and assure that they remained operational. Maphaeus taught the Trilith the concepts of freedom, fun, and the thrill of the hunt.

Six of the seven First Sages, including Maphaeus, almost immediately forsook their duties and coveted the Triforce for themselves, waging war with each other as well as Sulkaris, the only First Sage who remained loyal to her duty. In order to deal with Sulkaris and each other, the traitorous First Sages summoned the Druthulidi to the world, only to find them uncontrollable as the Druthulidi betrayed them. Turning to the aid of Majora, they successfully defeated the previous Druthulidi as well as Sulkaris, who was stripped of her powers by the others and cast down to the surface of Hyrule; the First Sages chose to spare Sulkaris' life in order to mislead mortals into thinking that they cannot be killed.

The First Sages proceeded to forge a false version of the events, and Demoko used his Oocca servants to perpetuate it. According to this myth, the Druthulidi were summoned to Hyrule by Majora and later defeated by the First Sages during the Goddesses' purge, and it was Sulkaris who was the traitor that attempted to take the Triforce for herself and was stopped by Solahrasin. When the Trilith later awoke into Hyrule, Maphaeus, the other so-called 'loyal' First Sages, and the three Oracles passed the Triforce unto them and placed it in their care.

After having defeated Sulkaris and made a tenuous truce with the rest of her siblings, Maphaeus chose the volcanic Death Mountain Range as her home.

In 3000 BG, after Sulkaris took control of the Gohma remnants of the Druthulidi Iemanis and led them on a rampage across Hyrule, Demoko forced the rest of the First Sages to choose successors for their mantle; Maphaeus selected the Volvagian warlord Dakkon. Maphaeus is worshiped by the Gorons as a lesser deity, and is often referenced or prayed to by their people before battle. In later eras she is often associated with freedom, free will, rebellion, fun, dancing, burning, and destruction.

The Return of Sulkaris
In 128 AG, after killing Malkorbagia, Sulkaris invades the Death Mountain Range, traveling to Maphaeus' sanctuary and confronting her. Sulkaris reveals her death at Gustaf's hands led to the realization that their kind was not immortal, and muses that they knew all along, and exiled and vilified her all to prevent the mortals of Hyrule from knowing their vulnerability. Maphaus taunts Sulkaris by saying that she seeks revenge for being spared, to which she retorts that her plans are not petty revenge but designed to reveal the Sages and their plan for the Triforce and mortal souls. Maphaeus responds that they both know what will happen if the Triforce completes its purpose. Sulkaris reveals her plans to take the Triforce for herself and rule Hyrule, and is mocked by Maphaeus as "finally acting like a First Sage." Sulkaris orders her Shroud Walkers to fill Maphaeus' chamber with gas, then uses the Water Medallion taken from Malkorbagia to freeze the air and magma, resulting in the Sage of Fire cooling to stone, to be shattered by Sulkaris' sword. Sulkaris then gains the Fire Medallion from Maphaeus' corpse.

Upon her death, Daurunia can no longer feel the fire and subsequently cannot call upon the powers of the Sage of Fire to combat the warring forces on Death Mountain, forcing him to rely on physical strength to escort his people to safety.

Trivia

 * Maphaeus uses Cia's voice clips.