Lord of Mysteries discussion

[Dverin_Oshiban_Duren]

Ask me any* questions you have about the Lord of Mysteries novel, manhua or donghua (animation).
I can also try to avoid spoilers and customise the answer for you if you ask.

"Lord of Mysteries" a.k.a "Lord of the Mysteries" (诡秘之主) is a series written by author Cuttlefish That Loves Diving (爱潜水的乌贼) on Webnovel.
We call it LotM for short.

WARNING: Since it is in the mystery genre, pretty much everything can be a spoiler.
Even the title of the book is a mystery (It is only confirmed in Volume 7 what a "Lord of Mysteries" is). Every page of the wiki is a spoiler, the titles of some volumes are spoilers if you haven't read volume 1, some of the art and memes you can find are spoilers, the map of the world has several major spoilers and if you translate my username you can get another spoiler.
Reddit might be ok as most users do try to put spoiler warnings but its still better to read the novel before that.

Genres, themes and other stuff:

• Mystery (obviously, and the mystery kinda goes into everything)
• Fantasy with magic (secretly cultivation; there are magical people, creatures, objects and places)
• Reincarnation into another person's body in another world (how though? were there others? was is natural?)
• Historical Victorian England and colonial setting with tons of research done by the author on the society and economy of that time, minus 70% of the f-ed up stuff Victorians did.
• Action: there are fights with guns, fights between demigods and fights between deities (honesly, I still have trouble understanding some of them) Less than 25% of the book is action though.
• Slice of life. The story does have slow, happy and chill moments, especially in the early volumes where the MC just does his job, chats with his colleagues and family, and tries out different delicacies.
• Food. There's a lot of descriptive content about food.
• Eldritch/cosmic horror (there are many evil deities and other high-level characters who are extremely powerful and can even influence concepts)
• Gore, violence and body horror (flesh and blood magic; beyonders who lose control tend to turn into monsters or die; use of guns and explosives, +more insane stuff that might be spoilers)
• Dark history, grim present and future? (some people are ingredients, some sacrifices were made and more have to be made)
• Themes of divinity vs humanity.
• Many funny moments and mental remarks. (Klein lampooning is one of the best parts of the early volumes)
• Many tragic moments (spoiler: some people die)
• Romance (there is definitely some romance between some characters though this isn't central or abundant in the story)
• Multiple identities/personas (the MC has to pretend to be multiple different people and other important characters also have multiple identities)
• Travelling (MCs have to travel between multiple locations to meet their goals, basically around the world but mainly focused on one or two countries and many islands; volume three is titled "Traveller")
• Jobs: People doing their job, studying to get better jobs, etc
• "Police" activities but most of the paperwork is off-screen. Activities include: finding missing people, exorcising spirits, investigating suspicious things, shooting bad guys and more.
• "Private Detective" activities (cases may include: finding a missing cat, finding a missing person or corpse, try not to get killed by a murderer or somebody who is backed by a country, catching adultery, being a bodyguard to a journalist or friend, finding a serial killer and trying to not get murdered, investigating yourself (and getting paid for it) and solving a grand conspiracy that might be connected to everything)
• Money. There's so much content about money, salaries, fees, bounties, prices and deals.
• Killing people and getting loot.
• Breaking into places to steal things.
• Revenge (not the main focus but very important for the first half of the first book)
• Some characters smoke and drink alcohol.
• A little gambling (and cheating).
• Depiction of poverty and other miserable conditions. (Its not too visceral or anything)
• War and suffering caused by it (Its not really detailed but is crucial for the plot)
• Badass moments (I wanted to avoid using "aura farming". There are many moments in the series where characters display incredible power or intellect and most of the time they are not trying to look cool or anything. I just find myself very amused and smiling during those scenes. Even the one guy who is trying to be edgy cringes afterwards.)
• Life of aristocracy and tycoons (Lifestyle, work, parties and relationships of nobles and rich people are shown; Nope, the MC does not get promoted to a noble or anything)
• Knowledge is power but also dangerous. Low-sequence formulas could be sold for hundreds of pounds; partial mid-sequence formulas could go for a few thousands; objects with high-level info can have some level and power on their own. Knowing high-level secrets without sufficient level or protection can cause corruption.
• Spirits and undead (There are many kinds of spirits, zombies, wraiths and similar entities. Dead people with strong resentmens haunt people as spirits or get turned into zombies due to improper burials or effects caused by things in the undead domain)
• Mythical creatures and other monsters.
• Pirates and bounty hunters.
• Dozens of organisations. Half of them are called "secret organisations" but they're really not and it's not very hard to keep track of them. All of them have some kind of goal and purpose in the story.
• The public knows very little about mysticism and most of history is hidden (also a mystery)

Pros and stuff:

• This is waaayyy better than the hundreds of generic Isekai manga I wasted a lot of my time on. (That might sound like a low bar but now you know it must be at least decent)
• And the mystery is in basically everything. Sometimes it is difficult to be sure of whether someone is an enemy or ally; strong or weak until the end.
• Elaborate power system (not like those copy-pasted videogame menus or occasional random bullshit in cultivation) and it goes hand-in-hand with the story. Refer to reply #12 for the basics.
• I'll add another point for the power system. Because of the nature of pathways and sequences, every advancement is special and memorable with the MCs. And since same sequences of the same pathways usually have the same abilities, this allows powerscaling and gives us clues to various things.
• Most victories depend on planning, playing smart and having resources.
• Most characters are smart and cunning or powerful. Even weak characters with some experience know how to play safe (except for a fraction of all pirates).
• All major players and their schemes are already at play even before the novel starts. A lot of these span over thousands of years.
• Even some seemingly basic things are not what you might think they are.
• One (and maybe more?) of the tags is actually false! Its a diversion.
• The fun is in learning about the world, people and their abilities and trying to figure out what did and will happen and then getting surprised or satisfied by the result.
• Ignoring the confusing parts leaves us with fire writing
  Spoiler: don't think too hard
• The story will often remind you important details when a mystery is solved.
• Iconic quotes and moments.
• Arguably one of the best parts of the story are the Tarot club meetings where the MC pretends to be some unknown powerful existence who is recovering and tricks everyone.
• MC is very introspective and cautious but not annoyingly so.
• Some of the frustrating/annoying stuff do have explanations.
• Not a harem (book 1 at least), in fact the MC tries to avoid such relations like a true virgin gentleman. Also he isn't a pervert.
• Churches aren't evil or weak (for the most part).
• LotM takes a lot of inspiration from cultivation stories (as it can be seen with the sequences, cogitation, spirituality and a few other stuff) but unlike them the characters aren't always overly proud, psychotic and trying to kill each other.
• You know that thing in some power fantasies where things get more imbalanced and earlier low-level things are just forgotten? That's not an issue here until we get to the final volumes.
• Terrifying opponents. Pretty much all of his opponents are stronger than him in some way.
• One Piece and Bloodborne references. There's also references to the SCP foundation, Doraemon, and more pop culture stuff.
• Those volume endings really get you.
• MC is not overpowered but maybe a bit lucky especially at the start but that is explained by various abilities of many characters and their schemes.

Cons and other stuff:

• It's quite obvious that the author (of the book) favours some characters over others.
• First 100 chapters might be a little boring but it will get better soon after that.
• Some of the fight scenes are a bit difficult to follow.
• A few characters who are supposed to be pretty strong are just careless. We call them frauds.
• Some stuff is super predictable but most of it is not, so depending on your mentality you might not like it.
• There is actually a surprising amount of weird stuff that happens especially when taken out of context. (Refer to post #6 below)
• You might get a little frustrated from not understanding anything. Don't worry that happens to all of us. You are not stupid, some parts of the story are just confusing on the first read.
• It's called "Lord of the Mysteries", you gotta consume the material instead of complaining about stuff. Some mysteries take time. Not everything will be told to your face. Don't worry, you can ask for help and stuff.
• You might feel like this meticulously developed world is not explored enough in the story. (To be fair, a story doesn't need to showcase the entire world to be good)
• A good chunk of the special creatures are just briefly mentioned or only shown as ingredients and not much goes into their biology, habitat and stuff.
• You might find the MC to be a bit too cautious or smart like a gary-sue type character. Honestly, it isn't that annoying. He still makes mistakes and suffers a lot.
• You might find situations to be escalating a bit too fast towards the end of each volume at the beginning.
• You might find some coincidences to be a little annoying but maybe they are not really just coincidences...

I am hoping for questions about the story, pathways, sequences, abilities, power system, potions, history, characters, organisations, deities, rituals, blessings, rules, artifacts, locations, languages, spirit world, tarot/blasphemy cards, etc, what ifs, basic stuff or tips for reading.
Maybe you could ask something to get yourself interested?

The first novel has 1394 chapters in 8 volumes and 38 bonus chapters in an extra volume. The second book (Circle of Inevitably) has over 1100 chapters in 8 volumes. According to the author, the actual main story should end there.
You could also just read book 1 and stop there.
There used to be an old manhua with 60-something chapters (it was kinda low quality) but english chapters aren't available anymore on mangadex.
There is an ongoing manhua with superb art (for some reason Tencent could only afford one overworked and over-exploited artist).
The first season of the animation aired in June 2025 and it includes 13 episodes but it skips one really interesting arc which be aired later in 2026 as a special. Each episode is like 30 or 40 minutes long with beautiful art, animation and sound but it has a few problems with pacing like the first volume but in the other way.
There are many more seasons, specials and a movie announced to be out in a decade.
There is also a game but ain't no way my phone handling those graphics.

If you have already read or watched it or are in the process, start your post with where you are currently at - if you want to avoid spoilers.

There is no OP for season 1
Here is the ED:

I might post more stuff here which might include spoilers.
You can also post memes but be sure to cover up the spoilers.

Noticed how I haven't given any major spoilers or plot points yet?

My goal is to maybe get people interested in what I am interested in but it's mostly to have fun.

*By "any", I meant the actual lore and writing of the series. We shall NOT discuss about the author's fetishes, understood? Also I don't know everything.

**Don't ask me how I know anything.

 

[BakedBanana]

Do you think the Lord of Mysteries MC would rather have cake or pie?

 

[mylovenovels]

Do you think the Lord of Mysteries MC would rather have cake or pie?

What if both

 

[Dverin_Oshiban_Duren]

Do you think the Lord of Mysteries MC would rather have cake or pie?

In the novel, the MC likes pie from Desi bay and dislikes food with too much sugar.

This just means he prefers pie over cake.
But he likes delicacies so if it is some special cake then he would try it.

I am eating fried banana right now.

 

[yogurtman250]

Honestly, I'm quite surprised you have the guts to make an AMA before you even hit 100 messages here.

Is it Yuri or yaoi?

 

[Dverin_Oshiban_Duren]

Honestly, I'm quite surprised you have the guts to make an AMA before you even hit 100 messages here.

Is it Yuri or yaoi?

How should I put it....?
It kinda has all of it though most of it is not on-screen.

The novel itself is not erotic, it's just that a lot of weird stuff happens.
The animation also has some good frames.

There is:

Spoiler: Content

• Normal sex (implied).
• Cheating (wow there is a lot: one guy is found dead after doing the deed; another caught on camera; one guy writes his casanova deeds in his diary and it is circulated throughout the continent).
• Wet dreams (one is a premonition of danger and the other is mentioned in a funny scene).
• Friends with benefits? (book 2)
• Yuri (not really, it's more like sisterhood depending on the second wet dream and one lesbian cop who likes big pairs).
• Yaoi (not really, this is mostly generated by the fandom but there are a few gay characters).
• There is like one bi character but it's more like... freaky.
• Genderswap (this is an important part of the plot; m2f and f2m included; this isn't funny and is actually about identity and serious stuff).
• There is one artifact—A mirror that can answer questions in exchange for answering one of it's questions and it often exposes people's sexual desires and orientation.
• Technically you could say that there are some sugar daddy and sugar mommy like characters.
• Also some characters can make anything pregnant and some others can make anybody want to get pregnant.
• Crossdressing (for serious purposes of course).
• Mpreg (book 2 only, its a major threat).
• Some characters can change their gender at will.
• There is a pathway dedicated for seduction ("The taste of a demoness ain't bad."— Roselle Gustav)
• Enslavement (Pulling the soul out of an individual to enslave them, not really used, there is some actual slavery mentioned in the story but it isn't used like that Isekai trope.)
• Mind control (I don't think this is ever used in an erotic way, but there are several different ways to control other people in the story).
• Taking over other people's bodies.
• There are multiple organisations whose entire motto is "Be freaky".
• Some priests are weird.
• There is whole country filled with playboys and another with "barbarians" who do "unspeakable things" to victims after bombing them.
• Some children are kidnapped by traffickers so there are some depictions of trafficking but no explicit sexual violence.
• Some characters have multiple bodies and 'They' might have given birth to themselves.
• Some characters can force others into genderbending with just their presence.

Some characters are the literal embodiments of degeneracy, fertility, pregnancy and horniness.

There is actually a lot more things that are super weird if you think about it. Like giving birth to a child who IS the parent, evil deities trying to kill people and take over them by impregnating people, talking to an unborn foetus and making it do child labour, etc

Dang, that's a lot...
Ok I know this might sound concerning but it really isn't that weird, trust me.

Wait, didn't I specifically request not to ask about this? Ah, whatever.

 

[Cosmism]

(book 2)

I consider what you call book 2 a different novel. I couldn't really get into the sequel. The first book was enjoyable enough for me. It was certainly very unique and had excellent world-building and plenty of suspense and climactic moments but wasn't one of my favorite webnovels. It also used up all my freakyness tolerance for the next several years, so that's that.

 

[Dverin_Oshiban_Duren]

I consider what you call book 2 a different novel. I couldn't really get into the sequel. The first book was enjoyable enough for me. It was certainly very unique and had excellent world-building and plenty of suspense and climactic moments but wasn't one of my favorite webnovels. It also used up all my freakyness tolerance for the next several years, so that's that.

Would you like to know a little secret of mine?

I also stopped at the end the end of book 1 and haven't finished book 2.

What do you think of my spoiler-free-ish and out of context explanation? yogurtman was overwhelmed.

 

[Cosmism]

Would you like to know a little secret of mine?

I also stopped at the end the end of book 1 and haven't finished book 2.

What do you think of my spoiler-free-ish and out of context explanation? yogurtman was overwhelmed.

Fantastic. It's just pretense. Yogurtman will be ravenously devouring LoTM like it's his favorite fermented dairy product within a fortnight. /j

 

[Dverin_Oshiban_Duren]

Fantastic. It's just pretense. Yogurtman will be ravenously devouring LoTM like it's his favorite fermented dairy product within a fortnight. /j

You know him well? I am new here.

 

[Cosmism]

You know him well? I am new here.

No, I'm goofing off.

 

[Dverin_Oshiban_Duren]

Lord of Mysteries basics

Power system:
The power system is based on "characteristics" (which people can obtain from potions) and authorities and symbolisms.
Basically people drink potions to advance along paths of the divine.

Potions:
People get permanent abilities from drinking potions with certain characteristics. Those who do so are called "Beyonders".
Every potion has a formula, main ingredients and supplimentary ingredients.
Drinking a potion which was made correctly is the safest way to gain powers and advance in sequence but they still come with risks which can be minimised by cogitation and the acting method.
All potion formulas and names originate from the Blasphemy slate (which is a very important and legendary item).
Drinking a potion also allows one to gain knowledge of their new abilities by listening to strange ravings during the advancement.
Advancement also increases the amount of spirituality that can be held and used.
Depending on the pathway and sequence you can gain some combination of physical, spiritual or magical enhancement.

Most potions (and characteristics) have somewhat unique colours, texture, taste and visual effects but that's not important.

A pure characteristic can be considered equivalent to all main ingredients of a single potion so it can be used as a substitute.
What's a characteristic? It's like a little piece of jelly or crystal that can be absorbed into anything.

All characteristics have some amount of madness in them which could make a person go crazy while trying to absorb it.
Increased spirituality also increases sensitivity to things that should not be seen or heard.
This makes a lot of things risky for beyonders as losing control of one's thoughts or spirituality could lead to death or turning into a monster anytime.

Pathways:
Also called paths of the divine.
There are 22 standard pathways to choose from. These pathways are based on the 22 major arcana tarot cards with some changes.
You can think of a pathway like a class or job in an rpg but that changes quickly.
Every pathway has sequences ranging from 9 to 1 and once you pick a pathway starting with a sequence 9 potion, switching to another pathway or skipping a level is risky as it could lead to losing control and turning into a monster, dying or something else.

A pathway is typically named after the name of it's beginning or end.
The 22 pathways are (with seq 9 names only):

• Seer
• Marauder
• Apprentice
• Spectator
• Sailor
• Bard
• Reader
• Secret supplicant
• Sleepless
• Corpse collector
• Warrior
• Hunter
• Assasin
• Savant
• Mystery pryer
• Monster
• Arbiter
• Lawyer
• Planter
• Apothecary
• Prisoner
• Criminal

Sequences:
Sequences correspond to the level of a characteristic in an item, creature or potion.
Sequences go from 9 to 1; the lower the number, the higher the sequence and power.
So we can say that a person became sequence 9 or gained sequence 9 abilities after drinking a sequence 9 potion.
Advancing in sequence also improves vitality, lifespan and also enhances previously acquired abilities.
Every pathway has 9 sequences. There is more and you don't need to put much effort to figure it out. In the animation they just tell it to you straight that the pathways lead to divinity.

Sequence 9, 8 and 7 are considered to low-sequences.
At sequence 7 or 6 a qualitative change would alter your biology in some way.
Seq 7 can also be considered as a mid-sequence.
Sequence 6 and 5 are mid sequences.
Sequence 4 and above are considered high-sequence demigods.

Spoiler: high-sequence info

Because they have some amount of divinity and can partially access their mythical creature form.
Seq 4 and 3 are also called saints and they can live for centuries.
Starting from seq 3, beyonders can choose honourific names/titles which can be used to hear prayers from followers.
Sequence 2 and 1 are called angels and it is only at this stage one can have a good chance of surviving against attacks from deities. They can also act like a deity but with less power.
Seq 2 and above are respectfully referred to with deitial pronouns which in English are just normal pronouns but written in quotations and with the first letter capitalised (a 'he' becomes "He", 'she' becomes "She" and 'they' become "They")
"They" might also have some authority over a certain concept which depends on the pathway.
Technically most sequence 2s are strong enough to affect a planet and even rule over one.
It is kinda impossible to kill a seq 1 through normal or physical methods.
Sequence 1s are also called Archangels.
Having more than just one sequence 1 characteristic gives them King of Angels (KoA) status which gives them more authority over a pathway.

Those at the pinnacle of a pathway can send information to lower sequences through ravings that can be heard during advancement.
They can also detect anyone's advancements in their pathway.

Spoiler: Major spoiler for early Vol 2

You can probably guess this (especially after reading the author's note at chapter 130 of Vol. 1 which mentions "220 jobs"): There is a sequence 0 for every pathway which corresponds the position of a "true deity".

A seq 0 is supposed be the embodiment of certain concepts and they have full and partial authority on certain things including their own pathway along with being able to use some "symbolisms" which is the most important and powerful thing they can have.

Seq 0s are immortal and the only limits to Their powers are consequences and their own imagination along with a few other things.
Even after death they can resurrect multiple times.
Just "Their" name and image alone can create special effects.
"They" can hear their true and honourific names from around the world.

Rituals:
To go from seq 6 to 5 and every advancement after that, a ritual is needed to either guarantee safety or help some kind of process.
Note that a lot rituals involve something like killing a certain type of creature, other cruel acts or drinking the potion under specific conditions.
At the highest sequences, rituals may even involve a large city, an entire continent or even multiple planets.

Spirituality:
Spirituality is basically mana or spirituality in the cultivation genre.
Every magical action requires some amount of spirituality. Everything magical or living has some amount spirituality. Beyonders, related items and creatures of higher sequences have higher spirituality.
Spirituality can be recovered by resting, eating food and other means. It can be controlled by cogitation and can be used for some basic actions almost everyone can do like spirit vision, divination and a few other little tricks.
Not regulating or not having enough spirituality could cause exhaustion and even loss of control.

Honourific names:
Honourific names are short titles or descriptions of a high-level being (seq 3 or above) like a beyonder, strong spirit world creature or deity which can be used to get their attention when spoken in a mystical language without any obstructions.
At least three different stanzas must be said consecutively in order for it to work with a deity and at least five are needed for others.
Speaking honourific names in mystical languages must be done carefully as it could accidentally point to something other than your target. So it is better to avoid ambiguous titles and stick to official ones selected by the target or very clear and unique ones.

Acting method:
The acting method involves trying to 'act' according to the name of the potion in daily life and other times while following certain principles and vague sensations typically using the newly gained abilities from the potion untill it is properly digested.
What the acting method does is that it tricks the characteristic and body to integrate.
Better digestion lowers the risk of losing control.
For example, if you drink a sequence 9 hunter potion then you have to act like a hunter. To act like a hunter you can just do what you normally expect hunters to do along with following certain principles like understanding the prey, observing and using the environment, hunting prey stronger than yourself, figure out what can and cannot be eaten in the wild, staying calm and being patient.

Once you do a certain amount of acting then the potion will fully digest so you no longer have to continue acting. Fully digesting a potion allows one to use their abilities to their maximum while having a lower risk of losing control which also makes the next advancement safer.

Then if you drink the next potion you have to act according to it's name. So if you go from a sequence 9 Arbiter to a sequence 8 Sheriff then now you have to act like a sheriff to digest the Sheriff potion.
It is possible to do the acting beforehand to the digest some potions sooner.

Note: What counts as basic or advanced knowledge depends upon the time and place.
Most people and even most low-sequence beyonders in present times do not know about the nature of characteristics, the acting method or much about demigods unless they are part of an organisation.

Mystical Items:
Items which can produce mystical effects.
These are very valuable because they allow beyonders to use abilities outside of their own sequence or without consuming too much spirituality.
Mystical items and sealed artifacts also contribute to the overall strength of a person or organisation.
In general, mystical items and charms are safer to use than sealed artifacts.
Most mystical items and sealed artifacts have characteristics from the pathways.

Charms are throwable little pieces of metal or some other material.
Depending on the materials used, words inscribed on them and blessing bestowed by a high-level existence they can have various effects.
They are either for one-time use or have to be reloaded in some way.

Sealed Artifacts:
Mystical items with special abilities and side-effects which are handled by organisations.
Churches and others usually put some kind of seal on the artifacts to control them but even those without any seals are also referred to as sealed artifacts.
All artifacts have some kind of ability or special property but they also come with side-effects.

Depending on how powerful and dangerous they are, sealed artifacts are classified into four grades: grade-3, grade-2, grade-1 and grade-0.
This grading system is only used by the seven orthodox churches.

Artifacts are also referred to by their code names which is their grade number followed by the order of appearance.

Grade-3 sealed artifacts are relatively safe to use and for churches they can be borrowed for missions requiring at least 3 people.
Most of them correspond to low-sequences.
For the church of Evernight, the minimum clearance needed to use one is being a formal member of a Nighthawk squad.
Grade-2 sealed artifacts are considerably more dangerous.
Most of them correspond to mid-sequences.
Clearance for Nighthawk captains, bishops and above.
Grade-1 sealed artifacts are even more dangerous.
Corresponding to saint level.
Clearance for Nighthawk deacons and Diocese bishops or above.
Information of grade-1 and grade-0 artifacts are shared between the churches.
Grade-0 sealed artifacts are the most dangerous, confidential and important. They are not to be inquired, disseminated or spied on.
Corresponding to Angel level or even above.

Some sealed artifacts also act like living beings and they can have varying degrees of consciousness.
The behaviour of a sealed artifact depends upon the characteristic, mental imprint of the the person who had it and other factors.
Churches call artifacts gotten from their own dead saints holy artifacts and matching the psyche of that person can make it easier to wield.

 

[Itsukimoto]

What do you think of the character Melissa-nya?

 

[Dverin_Oshiban_Duren]

What do you think of the character Melissa-nya?

Well I think she is a wonderful, cute, hardworking and smart younger sister who can still smile even with their poor situation and after what happened in the story.

 

[Dverin_Oshiban_Duren]

Table of Sequences:
Here is a table for all sequences of the 22 pathways.
Note: Seq 9 is typically used as the name of the pathway by ordinary people.
Some sequences can also have ancient names different from modern names.
Not every sequence is showcased in the story but that doesn't really matter.

Warning: knowing the names of most sequences early can be a spoiler, especially for the Seer pathway and other high sequences but honestly it doesn't matter after you're done with volume 4 of the first book.

Sequence 9	Seq 8	Seq 7	Seq 6	Seq 5	Seq 4	Seq 3	Seq 2	Seq 1	Seq 0 (Tarot card)
Seer	Clown	Magician	Faceless	Marrionettist	Bizzaro sorcerer	Scholar of yore	Miracle invoker	Attendant of mysteries	Fool
Marauder	Swindler	Cryptologist	Firestealer/prometheus	Dreamstealer	Parasite	Mentor of deceit	Trojan horse of destiny	Worm of time	Error (The Lovers)
Apprentice	Trickmaster	Astrologer	Scribe	Traveller	Secrets sorcerer	Wanderer	Planeswalker	Key of stars	Door (The Magician)
Spectator	Telepath	Psychiatrist	Hypnotist	Dreamwalker	Manipulator	Dreamweaver	Discerner	Author	Visionary (Justice)
Bard	Light supplicant	Solar high priest	Notary	Priest of light	Unshadowed	Justice mentor	Lightseeker	White angel	Sun
Sailor	Folk of rage	Seafarer	Wind-blessed	Ocean songster	Cataclysmic interrer	Sea king	Calamity	Thunder god	Tyrant (The Heirophant)
Reader	Student of Ratiocination	Knowledge keeper/detective	Polymath	Mysticism magister	Prophet	Cogniser	Wisdom angel	Omniscient eye	White tower (The Tower)
Secret supplicant	Listener	Shadow ascetic	Rose bishop	Shepherd	Black knight	Trinity templar	Profane presbyter	Dark angel	Hanged man
Sleepless	Midnight poet	Nightmare	Soul assurer	Spirit warlock	Nightwatcher	Horror bishop	Servant of concealment	Knight of misfortune	Darkness (The Star)
Corpse collector	Gravedigger	Spirit medium	Spirit guide	Gatekeeper	Undying	Ferryman	Death consul	Pale emperor	Death
Warrior	Pugilist/gladiator	Weapon master	Dawn paladin	Guardian	Demon hunter	Silver knight	Glory	Hand of god	Twilight giant (Strength)
Assassin	Instigator	Witch	Demoness of Pleasure	Demoness of Afflictions	Demoness of despair	Demoness of Unaging	Catastrophe	Apocalypse	Demoness (The Empress)
Hunter	Provoker	Pyromaniac/fire mage	Conspirer	Reaper	Iron-blooded knight	War bishop	Weather warlock	Conqueror	Red priest (The Chariot)
Mystery pryer	Melee scholar	Warlock	Scrolls professor	Constellations master	Mysticologist	Clairvoyant	Sage	Knowledge emperor	Hermit
Savant	Archaeologist	Appraiser	Machinery specialist	Astromancer	Alchemist	Arcane scholar	Knowledge magister	Illuminator	Paragon (The High Priestess)
Monster	Robot	Lucky one	Calamity priest	Winner	Misfortune mage	Chaoswalker	Soothsayer	Snake of fate	Wheel of fortune
Lawyer	Barbarian	Briber	Baron of corruption	Mentor of disorder	Earl of fallen	Frenzied mage	Duke of entropy	Prince of abolition	Black emperor (The Emperor)
Arbiter	Sheriff	Interrogator	Judge	Disciplinary paladin	Imperative mage	Chaos hunter	Balancer	Hand of order	Justiciar (Judgement)
Planter	Doctor	Harvest priest	Biologist	Druid	Anient/classical metallurgist	Pallbearer	Desolate matriarch	Naturewalker	Mother (The World)
Apothecary	Beast tamer	Vampire	Potions professor	Scarlet scholar	Shaman king	High summoner	Life-giver	Beauty goddess	Moon
Criminal	Unwinged angel	Serial killer	Devil	Desire apostle	Demon	Blatherer	Bloody archduke	Filthy monarch	Abyss (The Devil)
Prisoner	Lunatic	Werewolf	Zombie	Wraith	Puppet	Cursed artifact/ disciple of silence	Ancient bane	Abomination	Chained (Temperance)

Intermediate-advanced info:
One way to help a lot of the plot and the power system make sense is by thinking from the top of the pathways.

Spoiler: Spoilers for mainly volume 1 and 2 but it could also go beyond that

Law of conservation of characteristics:
The amount of available characteristics in every pathway is fixed and cannot be changed so there is a limit to how many beyonders, special creatures and artifacts can exist.
Also having more high-sequence entities in a pathway decreases the number of low-sequence entities.
This is the reason some special creatures die or consume each other for reproduction.
There can only be three Seq 1 characteristics in each pathway.

Law of characteristic indestructibility:
Characteristics cannot be created or completely destroyed and they only transfer between bodies. Characteristics can be split and merged.
This is the reason dead beyonders leave behind special items and also why some people can be born with half a sequence 9 characteristic or higher.

Law of convergence:
Characteristics have a tendency to converge and the higher the sequence the stronger it gets. This applies at the physical level and also with fate.
This is why the characteristic of a dead beyonder or broken item will usually precipitate and condense into an organ or item.
For high-sequence beyonders it's almost impossible to avoid others of the same pathway and neighbouring pathways.

Similar or neighbouring pathways:
Some pathways have some similarities and at high-sequences people can switch over to neighbouring pathways without accumulating additional madness.
For most pathways this can be done safely only after seq 5.

The pathways are in fact a way to reach divinity.

More advanced info:

Spoiler: advanced info

Everything including all the characteristics originate from the Original Creator.

To become a Sequence 0:
One must have all three sequence 1 characteristics of their pathway and accommodate the 'uniqueness' of the pathway.

A uniqueness is usually an abstract concept or symbol which also exists as an object. They are the authority or symbol of a pathway.
A uniqueness is a manifestation of a pathway's authority and is essential for a "true god".
They can be activated and exist as an item, sealed artifact (which may or may not have some degree of consciousness) or be accomodated by a beyonder.
A uniqueness is unique, indestructible, indivisible etc and more than one of the same uniqueness cannot exist nor can their authorities be used by more than one body at the same time.

To become a Seq 0 one needs consume the seq 0 potion while doing the corresponding apotheosis ritual.
Every seq 0 potion's main ingredients are: all the sequence 1 characteristics other than one's own and the 'uniqueness' of the pathway.

Another way is for a King of Angels who is accomodating the uniqueness and all seq 1 characteristics to do the ritual.

A uniqueness can be activated by giving it life, a body, by certain rituals or sometimes on their own after meeting certain conditions and the activated uniqueness can be half a seq 0 with limited authority on the pathway.
Depending on the activation it could be stronger than a King of Angels with all the sequence 1 characteristics and a uniqueness (Because a King of Angels still has to fight madness while trying to control the uniqueness)

A uniqueness can be accommodated by concocting it into a potion and consuming it with an incomplete seq 0 ritual.

An activated uniqueness or a person accommodating it can be considered half a "true god" and they can shorten their honourific names to three lines which can be kept that way even after losing the uniqueness. Their death imprint in the river of eternal darkness also becomes unique.

 

[cigarsuger]

Here is a table for all sequences of the 22 pathways.
Seq 9 is typically also used as the name of the pathway.
Some sequences can also have ancient names different from modern names.

Warning: knowing the names of most sequences early can be a spoiler, especially for the Seer pathway but honestly it doesn't matter after you're done with volume 4 of the first book.

Seq 9	Seq 8	Seq 7	Seq 6	Seq 5	Seq 4	Seq 3	Seq 2	Seq 1	Seq 0
Seer	Clown	Magician	Faceless	Marrionettist	Bizzaro sorcerer	Scholar of yore	Miracle invoker	Attendant of mysteries	Fool
Marauder	Swindler	Cryptologist	Firestealer/prometheus	Dreamstealer	Parasite	Mentor of deceit	Trojan horse of destiny	Worm of time	Error
Apprentice	Trickmaster	Astrologer	Scribe	Traveller	Secrets sorcerer	Wanderer	Planeswalker	Key of stars	Door
Spectator	Telepath	Psychiatrist	Hypnotist	Dreamwalker	Manipulator	Dreamweaver	Discerner	Author	Visionary
Bard	Light supplicant	Solar high priest	Notary	Priest of light	Unshadowed	Justice mentor	Lightseeker	White angel	Sun
Sailor	Folk of rage	Seafarer	Wind-blessed	Ocean songster	Cataclysmic interrer	Sea king	Calamity	Thunder god	Tyrant
Reader	Student of Ratiocination	Knowledge keeper/detective	Polymath	Mysticism magister	Prophet	Cogniser	Wisdom angel	Omniscient eye	White tower
Secret supplicant	Listener	Shadow ascetic	Rose bishop	Shepherd	Dark knight	Trinity templar	Profane presbyter	Dark angel	Hanged man
Sleepless	Midnight poet	Nightmare	Soul assurer	Spirit warlock	Nightwatcher	Horror bishop	Servant of concealment	Knight of misfortune	Darkness
Corpse collector	Gravedigger	Spirit medium	Spirit guide	Gatekeeper	Undying	Ferryman	Death consul	Pale emperor	Death
Warrior	Pugilist/gladiator	Weapon master	Dawn paladin	Guardian	Demon hunter	Silver knight	Glory	Hand of god	Twilight giant
Assassin	Instigator	Witch	Demoness of Pleasure	Demoness of Afflictions	Demoness of despair	Demoness of Unaging	Catastrophe	Apocalypse	Demoness
Hunter	Provoker	Pyromaniac/fire mage	Conspirer	Reaper	Iron-blooded knight	War bishop	Weather warlock	Conqueror	Red priest
Mystery pryer	Melee scholar	Warlock	Scrolls professor	Constellations master	Mysticologist	Clairvoyant	Sage	Knowledge emperor	Hermit
Savant	Archaeologist	Appraiser	Machinery specialist	Astromancer	Alchemist	Arcane scholar	Knowledge magister	Illuminator	Paragon
Monster	Robot	Lucky one	Calamity priest	Winner	Misfortune mage	Chaoswalker	Soothsayer	Snake of fate	Wheel of fortune
Lawyer	Barbarian	Briber	Baron of corruption	Mentor of disorder	Earl of fallen	Frenzied mage	Duke of entropy	Prince of abolition	Black emperor
Arbiter	Sheriff	Interrogator	Judge	Disciplinary paladin	Imperative mage	Chaos hunter	Balancer	Hand of order	Justiciar
Planter	Doctor	Harvest priest	Biologist	Druid	Anient/classical metallurgist	Pallbearer	Desolate matriarch	Naturewalker	Mother
Apothecary	Beast tamer	Vampire	Potions professor	Scarlet scholar	Shaman king	High summoner	Life-giver	Beauty goddess	Moon
Criminal	Unwinged angel	Serial killer	Devil	Desire apostle	Demon	Blatherer	Bloody archduke	Filthy monarch	Abyss
Prisoner	Lunatic	Werewolf	Zombie	Wraith	Puppet	Cursed artifact	Ancient bane	Abomination	Chained

What the try hard

 

[Dverin_Oshiban_Duren]

What the try hard

Yeah I'm thinking this could be like worthy of a title. But really I'm just fooling around.
Still not as impressive as @whosaint though.