FrivYeti/EnliFivePaths
Contents
The Five Paths to Power
There are many ways for heroes to set themselves apart from those around them. In particular, however, there are the Five Paths to Power. The Five Paths are more or less recognized by the inhabitants of Creation, although not all of them are specifically understood as such.
Of the five Paths, two rely on a character's Kismet, two rely on a character's Essence, and the last, most dangerous path relies only on one's force of will and willingness to descend into evil. All of the Paths have the same experience cost and may be chosen interchangeably.
Knacks
The Tapestry of Fate weaves itself eternally, the Spiders of the Loom measuring out destiny and prophecy, and the actions of heroes and gods changing the weave, keeping it from becoming stale and brittle. The fabric of Destiny is well-woven, and it does not tear or sunder. However, small ripples can appear, surrounding heroes or places. When these ripples surround a place, they create Resonance, and these locations are much sought-after. In heroes, the weave of destiny creates the Knacks.
A Knack is a tag attached to a hero's destiny, a small change in the way that they interact with the world. Normal cause and effect are altered ever-so-minutely, shifting matters in a hero's favour. Knacks are the baseline of the five Paths, and are accessible by any hero. Unlike the other Paths, Knacks never have a Kismet requirement or prior Knack prerequisite. However, they often have other requirements, either Attribute, Ability, or other.
Understandings
Occasionally, there are born those for whom the whispers of the Universe simply make sense. These are the Savants, and their awesome might allows them to construct amazing creations, objects that can, occasionally, shake the very foundations of the world. Fortunately, Savants are few and far between, or else the world would be stranger even than it already is. When they are found, savants are much sought-after and closely guarded, for their capabilities are incredible and frightening. Wars are fought over them, and their abilities are jealously guarded.
Most savants are weak and able to make only small objects, which tend to degrade rapidly and must be maintained. Even then, they can be extremely interesting to live around. More skilled and educated savants exist, but they are far more rare. Fortunately, due to their innate Kismet, they are also hard to kill or corrall, and owning one makes for interesting times in a kingdom.
A Savant's Understandings determine the ways in which she constructs artifacts, and vary greatly from savant to savant.
Techniques
The world is made of Essence. Such is the claim of many scholars, and such is the premise behind the Enlightened Martial Artists. By unlocking one's understanding of the world, one can learn to accomplish feats that would be deemed impossible.
The Techniques of the Martial Arts are far stronger than the Knacks of most heroes. However, they are not simply flukes in the Tapestry. They require incredible dedication and effort to attain, and a student must search long and far to find a teacher to impart their secrets. On the Blessed the Immaculate Order teaches only the Five Dragon Forms, and holds all other attempts to emulate the world to be heretical and demonic. Still, the corners of the world hold many masters, searching for students to whom they can pass on their secrets, and hundreds of martial arts span the world.
The Martial Arts follow a relatively complex Technique scheme. Martial Arts are divided into four Technique categories: Student, Adept, Master, and Pinnacle. While the cost to learn a given Technique is no greater, the requirements are much higher.
Thaumaturgy
Manipulation of Essence does not always require prayer and understanding. Instead, there are those who seek to find it through faith or knowledge. The power of Thamaturgy allows a character to develop mastery of the Mystic Arts, spreading their knowledge through many disciplines in order to learn how best to channel it.
Thaumaturges take the form of priests, wizards, herbalists and scholars. Some are innocuous or helpful, while others are dangerous and powerful. All thaumaturges, however, are important; anything less would demean their profession.
Thaumaturges follow the Arts, a list of disciplines within which they act. Each Art can be purchased repeatedly, increasing its power and fearsomeness.
Bestowments
Some people take a fifth, and final, path towards power. Instead of increasing their own powers, they call upon the spirit world, gaining powers that come from others. Spirits of all sorts are able to grant these powers to someone whose soul is strong enough, and these Avatars are willing to accept whatever aid is offered. This is not without cost, however. Such Bestowings are not given lightly, as they require great sacrifices from the spirits in question. Avatars must find ways to bribe, cajole, or threaten spirits into giving their blessings.
Bestowings come from two sources. Most Avatars draw their power from gods, either as their priests, or by travelling and earning the favour of many gods to draw a greater number of Charms. Others, however, draw their power from the Primordials, allowing a small portion of their being to be reshaped in exchange for free access to all the Charms that Primordial possesses. In a few cases, this is done in alliance with the Primordials of the godly courts. More often, it represents a dangerous foe, an Avatar who is the minion of the Yozi Courts.
