Paths of Magic
The Paths
There are different sides to magic, different ways to tap into it. They are called the Paths.
These paths are not very well understood, and most of the magical organizations have a mixed philosophy, not strictly adhering to a single path.
Serenity
This path is one of emotional absence. Those who manage to clear their minds and let the magic take the place of thoughts and emotions can tap into this path of magic. A good example of an organization that follows this path is the Shulin Order.
This path is opened further by discipline, internal peace, and altruism.
Dedication
This path is one of effort, the act of being willing to do things and to be dedicated to something or someone. These are the things that open this path of magic. A good example of an organization that follows this path is the Lumin Order, but there are many who mix this one into their philosophy as a secondary source of power, because it is the most compatible with other paths.
This path is opened further by effort, willingness, respect, and sacrifice.
Liberation
This is the path of power, it is open by the free flow of emotions and giving in to instinct. A good example of an organization that follows this path is the Rayth.
This path is opened further by passion, a sense of self-preservation, desire, and ego.
Path Abilities
Each path grants different abilities, some are easier to use, and others require a deeper connection to the Path.
Clarity
Path: Serenity
Difficulty: Novice
This ability quickly clears the mage's mind of surface-level annoyances such as intrusive thoughts, and it dampens overwhelming emotions, all in exchange for mana. This ability scales very well with a mage's skill, and stronger mages can greatly amplify its effects, clearing their mind completely.
Whispering Breath
Path: Serenity
Difficulty: Adept
This ability allows the user to lower their heart rate, as well as their magical signature, masking it more efficiently than would be possible for other mages. It also allows them to store up stamina and oxygen, so they can later go longer without.
Silence
Path: Serenity
Difficulty: Expert
This ability allows the user to move in complete silence, muffling all sounds made by the mage completely. This ability drains mana quickly, though.
Stone Flesh
Path: Dedication
Difficulty: Novice
This ability allows the mage to turn their skin and bones to stone for a time, making them much harder to injure. This causes increased exhaustion.
Endurance
Path: Dedication
Difficulty: Adept
This ability delays the effects of injuries and dulls pain. This is useful, allowing mages to keep going, even if gravely injured. The danger is that they might not realize how dire their situation really is. The ability also slows bleeding, but once it wears off, all the effects of the injuries will come rushing in, all the pain that was previously avoided now comes all at once.
Alleviation
Path: Dedication
Difficulty: Adept
This ability allows a mage to relieve themselves of a portion of their exhaustion and other burdens, such as pain. It shifts this burden onto the ambient energy instead, in exchange for a large amount of mana. This creates a large mana burst, very easily noticeable by other mages in the area, and it leaves a trace behind, making it easy for mages to find the area where this ability was used, even days or weeks later.
Life Lend
Path: Dedication
Difficulty: Expert
This ability allows a mage to take on another person's injuries, either fully or in part. In doing so, the severity of the injury is lessened somewhat. This can also be used to give others your stamina, take someone's fatigue, or even their pain.
This ability is a symbol of sacrifice and requires very little mana to use. If you take lethal injuries from someone, it even grants you a powerful mana surge.
The danger is, of course, that you might die in the process, or be permanently scarred, or disfigured.
Push
Path: Libration
Difficulty: Novice
This ability releases a wave of energy that pushes people and objects away. by defealt it is a wide wave that effects a large area, but it can be foucesed into a tighter beam, which transfers much more force.
The same can be achieved with regular telekinesis, but not for such little mana, and not nearly so easily.
Leech
Path: Liberation
Difficulty: Adept
This ability allows the mage to feed off the emotions of others, as well as feed emotions to others. It can both strengthen their emotions as well as cause those of others to go out of control. Stealing emotions grants mana, and feeding emotions costs mana.
Riot
Path: Liberation
Difficulty: Expert
This ability allows mages to create a field of emotions around them, causing all nearby to fall prey to their current dominant emotion, whether that be fear, anger, or joy. The catch is that this also affects the mage itself. The more people affected, the stronger the mage becomes. This field takes a lot of energy, though, not magical energy, but mental energy. Keeping the field up too long can cause a mage to become overwhelmed and pass out.
Path Mastery
Each path, when mastered, grants a different, unique ability for those who have mastered it. Only those who are fully committed to it and understand the path completely will be able to unlock such legendary abilities.
Mastery of a path is the task of a lifetime. When one first taps into a path's final ability, it is cause for celebration, even though at this point, they probably can't do much with it yet.
Once mastered, each of these abilities unlocks a special skill, a hidden power that is unrivaled by the lesser. Even masters of a path struggle to reach this level of skill. These powers are called the Final Acts because they are often activated when the need is most dire.
Concentration
Path: Serenity
Difficulty: Master
Masters of Serenity, and this ability, are called Stillstep.
This path grants the masters the ability to slow down time. When in a state of meditation, and when completely serene, one's senses start to work overtime, and one's bodily movements are sped up, giving the illusion that time has slowed down, while in reality, you are just experiencing it faster. This doesn't work the same as time dilation, which was originally thought, and spending large amounts of time in this heightened state of mind doesn't accelerate one's aging process. On the contrary, it is believed to slow it down significantly.
Final Act: Silencing Storm
The Master Stillstep is able to create an aura of stillness around them, which forces the emotions and thoughts of others to flee their minds. fear, rage, determination, hope, all replaced by all-encompassing stillness. It grants the master extreme speed, bordering on supersonic, making them a storm of magic, slaying all that bar their way.
This ability slows down the master's bodily functions significantly, to a degree that it is dangerous to stay in this state for prolonged periods of time. It can even cause the master's own body to start shutting down, putting them in a coma. If overused, the mage will simply suffer a heart attack and die.
Growth
Path: Dedication
Difficulty: Master
Masters of this ability are called The Redwrought
This path grants masters the ability to gain complete control over their bodily functions, as well as the healing process. This means that as long as these mages are alive and aligned fully to dedication, they are very hard to kill. Masters of this ability are feared and respected across the galaxy.
Final Act: Blood Surge
The Master Redwrought can bind themselves to survival. When mortally wounded, their body will prioritize survival above all else, entering a hyper-regenerative state that restores them from catastrophic damage, even decapitation or dismemberment. This process is excruciating, and they can only trigger it a limited number of times in their life, lest they risk the total collapse of their body.
They can also heal others by siphoning their own life force.
Incineration
Path: Liberation
Difficulty: Master
Masters of Liberation, and this ability, are called Ashvein.
This path grants masters the ability to bring forth flames from their hands. These flames may have different colors, depending on the dominant emotions evolved, and their strength may vary.
These flames burn only magical energy, but they can set things on fire. The stronger the mage's connection to liberation, the hotter the flames burn.
This has the effect of making the mage more resistant to heat over time, but it also dries and wrinkles the skin.
Final Act: Eruption
Master Ashveins can call upon their deepest emotions and channel them into a storm of flame and heat, called the eruption. This is an Ashvein's last resort. If this ability is used too many times, it will burn the mage to a crisp, and any time they do use it, they severely burn themselves.
While the ability is active, they become one with flame, turning into an avatar of incineration, burning everything in their path.
Path Emotion
Followers of serenity consider emotion to be a contagion, a false guide. They believe that the idea of liberation is a path that leads only to destruction. Differently, the followers of liberation say that it is one of strength, and its results speak for themselves.
Followers of dedication, those who do not mix it with others, say that the only true source of power is the pursuit of something greater. This is why it is called dedication.
Path Ambiguity
Most organizations mix paths, especially that of dedication, although the paths of serenity and liberation are considered to be opposites.
Path Unity
It is not known exactly how these paths work together, if mixing them strengthens or weakens access to magic, there are different opinions on this, but all who follow any single path say that the others only corrupt or weaken.
Is unity a path, or is it a vain hope? One that has yet to find backing in truth?
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