In the First Two magic of the Silver Sky we dealt with the forms of magic that were present in the cosmos and what they can do. In the third we will discussing how the peoples of the cosmos view the magic and those who wield it.
The Inner Path.
Of the three forms of magic it enjoys the most positive reception and wide spread use. It is accessible by all people, as long you are willing to put in the effort. The abilities that it grants are already present,the Inner Path merely severs as the key to unlock them. True devotes of the Inner Path are rare, these examples of physical and mental perfection are treated with awe,but awe of a different than practitioners Spritism and Aethercraft receive. Spirtist are granted their power through a relationship with Spiritual entities. Aethercrafters while their power comes from an internal source the nature of that power is Cosmic. Both Spritist and and Aethercrafters are operating on another"plane" beyond the experiences of the common people. Pathians achieve incredible things without leaving the common plane,their feats are far more"tangible" in the minds of the people. As stated before Devote's of the Inner Path are rare, however it's lesser practitioners are ubiquitous. And they effect every facet of life, from preternaturally dexterous surgeons to therapists that can read a patients emotions and state of mind,countless others.
Spiritism.
Spiritism was the second most common form of magic in the Before Time and in the modern cosmos it is the rarest. Like the Inner Path it was accessible by anyone under the right set of circumstances. the Spritborn possessed their abilities naturally as a part of their mixed heritage. Others were blessed by a Spirit with a supernatural endowment. The Shaman were either naturally attuned to the power of a Spirit or actively cultivated a connection through meditation and training. Priests were much like the shaman with exception that they accessed the power of the Spirits through the medium of their Gods's numina and as agents of the gods possessed incredible luck;which was most pronounced when the Priest was actively working in line with their Gods's will. The impact of Spiritist on their communities were great and their roles within them varied greatly. Being intercessor for the often fickle Spirits was one of their most important jobs. Aside from that the role played by a Spritist was determined by the nature of their powers. Which were rooted in the abstraction,symbolism and dream-logic, even those that produced immediately tangible effects such as weather workers and healers. Spirtist were also capable of binding their power into objects creating "charms". As a result of their civic roles Spritist were normally held in high esteem,even higher than the more overtly powerful Aethercrafters.
Aethercraft.
Aethercraft was the rarest form of magic in the Before Time however in the modern cosmos it is the most common next to the Inner path. Aethercraft while in theory accessible by anyone who was willing to put in the effort, in practice has always been in the hands of an elite few. Those without the genetic predisposition for harnessing Aether could only access the power by perusing a most arduous training regimen. Even if one of the "ungifted"succeed they would never wield the power with the fluidity of a natural Aetheral. However nothing stopped an "ungifted" from possessing more technical proficiency than a "Gifted" did in the Craft. Society dealt with inherent elitism of Aethercraft by metaphorically exiling them. Cultures that literally exiled its Aethercrafters never lasted long as they were inevitably overwhelmed by cultures that retained theirs. A social barrier between the heart of society and Aethercrafter always developed and was especially pronounced in those societies where the Gifted were the effective or actual rulers. Aethercrafters were treated with deference,viewed with awe, but never acceptance. The roles played by Aethercrafters were determined by their skills. However one role that they all inevitably filled regardless of personal aptitude was advisor. Aether is the energy of life with more access to it than the average person Aethercrafters enjoy a lifespan at least one and half times that of mundane members of their clade. By virtue of their life experience people seek out elder Aethercrafters for their counsel.
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