Fintan's Academy Encyclopedia

Practitioner Notes

Usually those who are able to use magic are able to do so because they were initiated into it and taught by an experienced practitioner. This is the easiest method of learning, and more "official."

Others were "granted" specific abilities due to their strong belief and/or need. As for how long they need to believe in a specific deity/spirit/entity, it depends.

Practitioners need to have a strong sense/belief/understanding of something, of which depends on the religion, belief system or philosophy. For example, and in a more generalized way:
* Abrahamic practitioners usually have a strong sense of justice (not necessarily about good and evil, or moral and immoral).
* Eastern and Southern Asian practitioners usually have a strong sense of the cosmic forces (positive and negative energies).
* Shamanic or nature-based practitioners usually have a strong sense of the flow of nature.
* Atheistic or Agnostic practitioners usually have a strong sense of recognizing patterns in objects or worldly events. (Atheism is the religion of expanding their knowledge of the corporeal world.)

In order to be granted these abilities, a sacrifice must be made. The greater the ability, the greater the sacrifice. What the "sacrifice" is depends on the person, the ability, and deity/spirit. It could be as little as a sugar cube to resorting to cannibalism.

Some abilities may look like psychic abilities, but this sacrifice and daily worship is crucial.

The practitioner only needs to sacrifice once before being granted an ability, and then they can use it whenever they want without anymore sacrifices (aside from energy), but occasional offerings reconfirm the user's relationship with the deity/spirit.

They can also lose their ability if the relationship is broken. When losing the ability, it's a soul-hurt that can't be repaired or healed by normal means.

There can be second chances, depending on the deity/spirit, but they would need to sacrifice something again. Something greater, and worth more.

Deities live in a different plane that anyone can reach if they are allowed through or they find their own way. It's in the same plane as the Akashic Records.

Divine Spirits, such as the lwa, can travel between the corporeal realm and the Akashic realm.

People can become a divine spirit if they achieve a set of conditions:
* A large amount of people put their faith and belief into them.
* A large amount of people give a portion of their life force into them.
* A large amount of people continue to worship them after their death.

People can lose their divine spirit status if they lose followers.

Being an "official" practitioner is viewed as the "right" path in general society, while the "granted" are mysterious and unknown. The "officials" have tried to discredit them by spouting that the "granteds" are just psychics disguising themselves as divine, and are frauds.

To the government, "officials" can be kept an eye on, while "granteds" are impossible to keep track of how many there are.

A "granted" can become an "official" by revealing themselves to their community and becoming an apprentice to an "official," as penance.

While "granteds" get their abilities from deities/spirits, most "officials" get their abilities from other "officials" whom are skilled enough to do it. Often times, however, the abilities passed down are similar to the "official" granting the abilities. This makes it easier for the government to keep a record of who's been granting abilities, and who's been granted and by whom.

"Granted" abilites are entirely up to the "granted's" soul-shape and the deity/spirit's influence, which makes the granted's abilities unique.

"Granteds" can also grant abilities to others just like the "officials," but this generation is known as the "given."

"Granted," "official," or the "given," the abilities granted to others can get watered down generation after generation. Practitioners can strengthen their abilities if they are deemed worthy enough by a deity/spirit and have their soul remorphed.

"Soul-shape" refers to the "feel" of the soul, which is influenced by the person's past, relationships, and their primary emotion.

Remorphing souls is an extremely painful process of refining the soul or part of the soul so the abilities can manifest at the practitioner's will.

Whether granted by a deity/spirit, or another practitioner, not everyone survives this, and it takes an extremely skilled practitioner to even attempt this, which is why people granting others abilities is rare.

"Officials" have had an easier time granting abilities due to extensive and sanctioned record-keeping they've amassed through trial and error. Because "granteds" prefer to keep hidden, it's even rarer for a "granted" or "given" to be able to grant abilities to others.

When a deity/spirit/official/granted/given takes away the practitioner's powers, that part of the soul is either ripped entirely out, or is remorphed to where the ability is closed off. Again, a painful process, and, again, not everyone survives.

When "granteds"/"officials" remorph other's souls, their intention may not always work. It's trial and error, but because the "officials" have resources to extensive documentation, they have more success.