Mystagogue

Mystagogue is a Gatekeeper creature that appears as a masked, hooded figure in tattered robes, hovering above the ground and only touching down when defeated. In the field, Mystagogues are often found idling or wandering, sometimes accompanied by Neophytes, and they always travel with at least one Mystagogue Eye. They are hostile to anything that is not a Gatekeeper, Defense Robot, or Corrupted Robot, and will alert nearby Gatekeepers when possible.

Mystagogues are dangerous partly because of their mobility and support. They periodically raise a wide Hardlight shield in front of themselves, can generate a psychic field that blocks enemies from getting close enough for melee attacks, and their Mystagogue Eyes harass targets with laser fire. Their attacks include:

• Fireball: lobs a fireball that creates a burning patch of lavender fire on the floor for a short time.
• Telekinetic Strangle: if a player is close enough, the Mystagogue lifts them into the air, chokes them for a few seconds, then throws them away.

Their shield does not surround the body from every angle, and it is not always active, so positioning matters. Since the shield stays in front of the Mystagogue, players often need to wait for it to drop or change approach. Electric damage is especially effective, and attacks that damage through shields can make the fight much shorter. Mystagogue Eyes are fragile, so explosives can remove a Mystagogue’s support quickly. If the Mystagogue is killed before its Eyes, any surviving Eyes will begin firing at nearby players with highly accurate laser attacks.

A few other combat traits are worth noting:

• The levitation that keeps a Mystagogue airborne prevents damage from floor hazards, but it also means it cannot cross floor gaps.
• Players cannot attack while being strangled.
• If a player starts swinging a Heavy Weapon just before being picked up, that attack will still connect.

On death, Mystagogues drop Arcane Scrap and Imbued Parchment guaranteed, with a chance to also drop Lodestone Fragment and a GATE Defense Rune. They can also be harvested for a Mystagogue's Head and a Human Arm (Military). Their Gatekeeper compendium entry describes them as deeply arcane Gatekeepers whose backgrounds can include doctors, priestesses, brujos, shamans, and other seekers of occult knowledge.