Mystic

Hermits, Monks and Sages

The Mystics are beings who are waking dreamers of the Shroud, able to navigate its arcane power and possibilities without the use of the arcane. While Mystics have been known to manifest spotaneously, they are often associated with the teachings of the Shedra of Ryuk Areman, still operating from within the ruins of Tokor, originally said to have been founded 11,000 years or so in the Age of Crossed Swords.


The Mystic orders who have persisted through the ages have done so by living in remote monastic temples called 'Shedras', persisting through many Interregnums which they refer to as the 'Times of Great Suffering'. While the widespread destruction of The Fall and the events that followed wiped out many of Geron's communities, most Shedras are innately designed for privacy and defense. It is from these refuges that the Mystics now strike out into the world, seeking to follow their destinies.

Mysteries, Ways and Rites

Mystics choose Mysteries to invest in, and Mysteries have Ways, and those ways in turn have Rites. As Mystics are initiated in the path of various Rites, they develop superhuman and supernatural capabilities. Every time a mystic puts a point in a Rite, the Mystic must select a Restriction and put a point in it.

Restrictions

Restrictions are a kind of taboo, curse or prohibition that the Mystic must abide by or lose the potency of their powers. They tend to vary region and culture, and cover a significant breadth possible traditions.

Meditation

Returning powers after violating a restriction requires meditation, a state that requires forging eating, sleeping or drinking for a rest period.

Selflessness

For the most part, these special abilities that Mystics have revolve around the self. As a result, a Mystic's great power comes from acting selflessly. For example, a Mystic may be transiting dangerous terrain to tie off a rope for a fellow adventurer, or by holding on to a powerful an ancient evil that might consume others.

Public Opinion

The Mysteries are thought to pass down a form of primal but powerful magic practiced in days of old. Such practices are looked down on as 'Lizard Magic' by the Arcane College, who consider the Mysteries to be antiquated and unrefined. Those who brave the stigma and attempt to learn both Mysteries and the Schools of magic are outcasts, unwelcome by Ryuk Areman] and feared unwelcome by the Grand Accord.

Multiclass Options

The Mystic exemplifies the extreme utility of raw self empowerment without the corruption associated with arcane magic or the hyperspecialization of divine magic. This blends well with many other available classes, providing either a way for warriors like the Brute or Skirmisher to put their mental attributes to use, or by providing powerful new tools to Shadows or Hunters. There are no wrong answers, even the outlaw Mage Mystic has a plethora of powerful options without the use of magic items.

The Five Mysteries

• Mystery of Wind (Perception)
• Mystery of Fire (Willpower)
• Mystery of Stone (Intellect)
• Mystery of Void (Presence)
• Mystery of Water (Cunning)