Initiations

Initiation into the Schools

Initiations represent the methodology which the character practices to understand and use the Aether. These Initiations vary from spell to spell and person to person. There are many ways people have come to understand the pathway to power, which is reflected by these differences. That said, spells within each school will have thematic similarities. For example, Elementalist initiations are grounded in their understanding of nature and the physical world around them, while Temporalists tend to focus on the interstitial qualities of the Aether itself. Clairvoyants focus on the power of thought, mind, and humanity. Vitalists focus on the cycle of life and death, and on the immortality of the spirit.

Elemental Powers

Elementalists tend to focus on the outside world, understanding that the environment dictates much, and that its power must be understood in order to be harnessed. Even when looking inward, an Elementalist will think of how their traits and characteristics associate to different elements and external things. Initiations within the school tend to reflect this mental framework.
Elementalists use components that match with the cycling and relations of elements around them. To connect with fire, one needs something such as wood to fuel it with. Fire or charcoal can be used to create earth, and earth can be used to create metal. Water might be used to wash away earth, douse fire, or feed wood. These associations are not universal, and vary from culture to culture, but the understanding is important for Spellcasters in order to initiate and understand the spells which they pull from the Aether.
Elementalists tend to rely heavily on channels, physical motion, and geometric sigils and runes rather than incantations and meditation when casting. These external tools better connect them to the powers which exist beyond the Aether. Below are a few examples of Initiations for Elementalists;
Manipulate (Element)

• Prerequisite: Environmental Specialty, General Survivalist, Naturalist, or Herbalist
• Cost: 1-2 Intensity
• Components: A channel, and a component made of a fueling element (consumed)
• This power allows the character to manipulate the element of their choice. With a channel and a fueling component, they can conjure the element through the Aether for an additional intensity. Whether conjuring or manipulating existing elements, the character may manipulate 2m worth of the element, at a range of (Mind Rating)m. Control of these elements is limited still, and attacks with them suffer a -3 penalty.

Clairvoyant Powers

Clairvoyants look inwards to the human mind and psyche. They thrive on understanding themselves and others, and believe whole-heartedly in the view of "mind over matter". As such, Clairvoyants rarely use channels to access their powers. Instead, they use components that have special significance to themselves and/or others. Many Initiations make use of grounding components as well, which are meant to connect their spell to reality. They commonly use mantras to help their spell take shape, and to eliminate all other tangental thoughts that might muddle its potency. If not mantras, Clairvoyants might also meditate, or focus on drawing complex patterns.
Telepathy

• Prerequisite: Aetherist, Insightful, or 3 Mind
• Cost: 1 Intensity
• Components: An unworked piece of copper or tin (grounding), and a piece of the target (consumed)
• This power allows the character to communicate thoughts and ideas into and out of the minds of others. These psychic communications are one way, but can communicate all the senses, thoughts, and emotions. Outgoing communication from the caster are short; 1-2 words, a flash of visual information, or brief empathic connection. Likewise, they can only skim the surface of another's mind. A psychic interrogation is likely to yield a similar amount of information as what the caster can send out. The clairvoyant does have control of what they search for in the person's mind however; it is not randomly determined by the storyteller. That said, the hints gleaned from this power are up to the storyteller to determine.
This Initial Power can only affect one target. The range at which the clairvoyant may use telepathy is within 1km.

Telekinesis

• Prerequisite: Aetherist or 3 Mind
• Cost: 2 Intensity
• Components: An unworked piece of iron (grounding), and fire or water (consumed)
• This power allows the character to move things with their mind. They can move a number of objects equal to their Mind rating, weighing up to 25kg. The clairvoyant's control of the object(s) is tenuous, and attacks made with them are made at a -3 penalty. The character can control objects within (Mind rating)m, and move them (Mind rating)m from their origin points. The character must either see the objects, or otherwise know where they are, in order to manipulate them.

Telesthesia

• Prerequisite: Alert, Aetherist, or 3 Perception
• Cost: 1 Intensity
• Components: Clear crystals or pure water (consumed), and a piece of the target if there is one (consumed)
• This power allows the character to sense distant occurrences. Entering a semi-conscious trance, they may reach out with their minds up to 50km away. They may search this vast area with only one (Mind + Perception) roll at a -3 penalty.

Extracognition

• Prerequisite: Alert, Aetherist, or Insightful
• Cost: 1 Intensity
• Components: Sand (grounding and consumed), Clear crystals or pure water (consumed), and a piece of the target if there is one (consumed)
• This power allows the character glimpses into the past or future. Entering a semi-conscious trance, they plunge their mind into the Aether to search for insight. Without a target, the character can see up to 1 day into the past or future of the area they are in. Specifically they can see what is in eyesight and hear what is in earshot. With a target, the caster can focus their minds on them rather than the general area. The clairvoyant's mind cannot sustain the trance for long, and they are permitted only one (Mind + Perception) roll at a -3 penalty.

Temporal Powers

Temporalist think not of the external, or the internal, but the interstitial. They seek to understand what connects and separates everything. Aether. The Temporal school views all else to be somewhat meaningless. After all, it is the Aether which allows practitioners of the other schools to access any power at all. Temporalists find no pursuit more paramount than mastering Aether, as it is the route to all magic.
The Temporal school is perhaps the most cerebral among magic practitioners. They make enchanted artifacts and write complex formulae and calculations to access their powers. There is no need for incantations or mantras, physical motions, or meditation. It is perhaps a necessity for a Temporalist to keep notes and records however, as they may need to reference them frequently. Many of their spells require either calculations, artifacts and machinery, or both in order to function.
The complexity and austerity of the Temporal school makes it the rarest of the schools. Few practice their spells, let alone understand how to recreate the things that make them function. Those who study the ancient Temporalist works find fragmentary at best, and difficult to follow besides. The remnants of those texts, as well as surviving Temporal artifacts, are all that the people of Isyra have to go off of. Still, some can manage the basic Temporal spells with dedication to the craft.
Aetheric Manipulation

• Prerequisites: Aetherist, Researcher, and 3 Mind
• Cost: 1 Intensity
• Components: Unworked electrum, blood (1 Health), and vital energy (1 Vigor)
• This power allows the character to reduce or expand Aetheric Rifts, changing the amount of Intensity Points available in a given area by 5.

Eral's Wrath

• Prerequisite: Aetherist and 4 Mind
• Cost: 3 Intensity
• Components: Inscribed electrum-bladed weapon, blood (3 Health), and vital energy (3 Vigor)
• This spell requires an enchanted weapon from Eral's armory, held in the Capstone Temple in Cyrahain, to function. Swinging the blood-soaked blade of the weapon creates a sliver of Aetheric rift which envelops and closes around a target, shearing chunks of them from reality. The rift launches from the blade out to 3 meters. Anything struck by it or the blade is voided from reality.
Attacks that strike with this spell inflict major and grave wounds rather than Health damage. If a major wound is inflicted, the target's Health is reduced to half of its current amount. If a grave wound is inflicted, the target's Health is reduced to 0, or they are declared dead. The weapon needs to have taken 3 Health from a living thing in order for the spell to function. Once it has, the spell takes effect, and each swing takes 3 Vigor from the Temporalist until the blood has been cleaned from the blade.

Vital Powers

Vitalists are considered the most spiritual and mystical of the schools. The immortal soul is the thing that most intrigues them. The Vital school holds that the spirit is what links life to death, and what makes all pursuits hold meaning. They see cycles in everything, and believe that a spirit presides over every cycle. They study these cycles, as well as the functions of life and death, and what happens to the spirit when it continues the cycle beyond death.
Practitioners of this school are more likely to partake in religious ceremonies and rites to connect with the spiritual world, and may include aspects of these in their spellcraft. Vitalists often take from components from the living and the dead, and mix them with grounding elements to bring their powers into reality. These mixtures take many forms; they can become votive sculptures, potions and elixirs, etc. Mostly they are consumed by the Aether upon use.
Restoration

• Prerequisite: Mystic or Field Medicine
• Cost: 2 Intensity, Health, and Vigor
• Components: A channel, pure water (consumed), and the blood of the spellcaster (consumed)
• This power allows the character to restore a living thing to a healthy state, including closing wounds, restoring health and vigor, and even sating hunger and thirst. This power allows the vitalist to restore a number of Health and Vigor points by sacrificing half that number of their own. If the amount of health restored is equivalent to half the target's health, any major wounds they have are closed. If they are restored from 0 health to half of their health, a grave wound can be reduced to a major one, and so on. 
The vitalist can sate hunger and thirst by simply taking those conditions on for themselves. This particular use of the power only costs the 2 Intensity and 1 Vigor. The spellcaster may use this spell on anyone within (Mind rating)m of them. 

Abolition

• Prerequisite: Mystic or Field Medicine
• Cost: 2 Intensity, Health, and Vigor
• Components: A channel, blood of the spellcaster (consumed), and a piece of the target (consumed)
• This power allows the character to harm a living thing by applying wounds, taking health and vigor, and causing starvation and dehydration. The vitalist must sacrifice a number of Health or Vigor points equivalent to half of the amount they wish to reduce their target's by. 
The vitalist can afflict someone with hunger and thirst by transferring them from themselves to their target. The main caveat being that they must be hungry, thirsty, or both in order to do so. This particular use of the power only costs the 2 intensity and 1 Vigor. The spellcaster may use this spell on anyone within (Mind rating)m of them. 

Command the Spirit

• Prerequisites: Mystic, Aetherist, and 2 Mental Fortitude
• Cost: 3 Intensity, 2 Health, 2 Psyche
• Components: A channel, gold or silver (to capture only), blood of the caster (consumed), piece of the target (consumed), and pure water (consumed)
• This power allows the character to possess and command spirits. They can use this power to capture a spirit within gold, silver, or electrum so long as they are within (Mind rating)m of them. Once captured, the spirit is trapped in the metal. The caster may give the spirit a command immediately or hold onto the trapped spirit until it is useful. If they chose to hold onto the spirit, they must cast the spell again in order to issue their command. Once it has fulfilled the orders of its master, the spirit is freed.