Rite

**Rite** is the technique that allows humans and metahumans alike to manipulate their life force or **Spirit** that is generated from the Vision of Abyss. The term “Rite” is also used in conversation to refer to Spirit. Due to cultural differences between Konigsmen and Norans, different institutions around the world view Rite as either a foundation of power or an enhancement of existing power.

## Acquisition of Spirit

*Rite* is simply the application of the energy *Spirit*, so one must first generate Spirit before using Rite at all. Similar to the other Visions, there are 2 main methods to awakening Spirit, and 1 extremely rare case.

The first method is through internal meditation. One must understand the abyss, the nothingness that surrounds the world, the certainty of death, and the futility of all things. Spirit is then generated by *defying* that realization, and *asserting* oneself in the cosmic food chain. As with the other Visions, this first method of connection is more time consuming.

The second method is through external stimulus. This is viewed as something akin to a “near-death experience,” or some other traumatic encounter that brings one face to face with their mortality. This is only the first step, however, as one must then survive the encounter with a will to live. This will to live, to defy the certainty of death, is what sparks Spirit within humans and metahumans.

The extremely rare third method is another method of external stimulation, which involves the exposure to the corresponding First Degree Element--Death.  Just as exposure to arc Fire can help jumpstart one’s Vision of Power, exposure to the Death arc can help jumpstarts one’s Vision of Abyss. However, due to the immense scarcity and rarity (and possible nonexistence) of the Death arc, this third method is only listed as an academic hypothetical possibility.

No matter the method of tapping into the Vision of Abyss, this end result will be the same. The Vision user, human or otherwise, will begin producing a silver-green aura or slight electric spark. This is Spirit.

## Rite in Society

Due to cultural differences between Konigsmen, Progressive Noran, and Conservative Noran culture, the knowledge of even the existence of Rite varies around the World.

In the Interior Nations of the Konigsman Realm, the culture seems to prize Arc above all things when it comes to personal and military might. As such, the military is dominated by metahumans, who find power in mastering various arcs and rays. Rite isn’t instructed in any official capacity in most Konigsman nations. While the standard Visions are meant to be discovered on one’s own and act as a supplement to their arc power, Spirit and Rite are almost nonexistent amongst the militaries of the Interior Nations. It is extremely rare for even elite metahumans to bother with learning Rite, while their “normal” powers with arc and Vision are considered “enough.” It is even rarer for these metahumans who use Rite to advance beyond the basic techniques.

In the Exterior Nations of the Conservative Noran Realm, the culture, society, and military are very anti-arc, and anti-Konigsman. As a result, their warriors and soldiers are trained in Vision *first*, with the elite almost definitely advancing to supplement/enhance their Vision with Rite.

Officially, the world around knows of all of the powers, however the common metahuman may go their whole life without knowing about or encountering a Rite user.

## Basic Techniques

Once one is able to access their Spirit, the first tier of learning to use Spirit and Rite is mastering of the Basic Techniques. These basic techniques become second-nature to those experienced in Rite. For example, a beginner must learn to use *Steel* and concentrate to maintain it; whereas someone with experience will practically always be in a state of *Steel*, even during sleep.

### Spirit Steel

Once a person has awakened their spirit, they must first learn *Steel* in order to contain their spirit, and stop it from burning away indefinitely. *Steel* is the act of readying one’s spirit for later use, by conglomerating it around the body. *Steel* appears as a soft silver glow around the person.

*Steel* provides a base level of defensive capability, as one’s body is enshrouded by an aura of Spirit. This, however, can be easily overcome by one with a stronger Rite. That being said, if the defender has a stronger Rite, they can defend attacks with *Steel.*

### Spirit Spike

Once a person has readied their spirit with *Steel,* they can then use it with *Spike. Spike* focuses on outputting a large amount of spirit, and projecting it outward explosively. This energizes the body and spirit. *Spike* appears as a green, sparking, subtle electricity.

*Spike* provides a base level of offensive capability, as one’s body is enshrouded by an energized aura of Spirit. This, however, can be easily overcome by one with a stronger Rite. That being said, if the attacker has a stronger Rite, they can break through defense with *Spike.*

### Spirit Safe

While *Steel* readies Spirit, and *Spike* activates the Spirit, Safe is a technique of cutting off one’s flow of Spirit outside their body. This is seen as a meditative act to preserve stamina and Spirit volume, but it also helps suppress one’s Spirit so it can’t be sensed by enemy Rite.

### Spirit Surge

While *Steel* readies Spirit to defend and *Spike* activates Spirit to attack, *Surge* is understood as the ability to rapidly and real-time switch between *Steel* and *Spike* to keep up with combat speed. If one isn’t careful, or trained in *Surge,* they may be caught off guard by an opponent. An inexperienced Rite user may be preparing and activated attack Rite while they should be guarding, thus resulting in a less successful guard.

### Spirit Silver

*Silver* is the simultaneous use of *Spike* and *Steel,* allowing one to create an aura that acts as both offense and defense--this is seen as the true mastery of *Surge.* This is seen as the pinnacle of the basic techniques, as it amps the user’s stats overall, rather than focusing on a certain attribute while sacrificing another. Mastering *Silver* is necessary to advance to higher levels, as most other techniques involve first activating *Silver.*

## Advanced Techniques

After mastering the basics up to *Silver,* there are many ways in which a Rite user can employ their Rite.

### Spirit Forge

*Forge* is the most basic of the advanced techniques, and involves shaping one’s spirit and changing its composition in a certain manner to perform a certain number of effects. The basic Spirit Forge techniques are *Strike, Scale, Steed.* They focus on attack, defense, and speed respectively, though it should be stated that one who masters a Spirit Forge offensive technique will always beat one who has mastered just *Silver.*

#### Strike

**Strike** involves using *Silver* and *Surge* to allocate most of one’s activated spirit to a specific area on the body, and then change the attributes of that spirit to mimic either a sharp attack, blunt attack, or ranged attack. While many choose to alter the shape of their spirit so it mimics which attribute they are using, that isn’t necessary. If one were to focus a sharp attack onto the aura on their palm, and then place this palm on a piece of paper, the paper would be cut in half even with no motion or blade shape.

#### Scale

**Scale** is the creation of extremely durable spirit armor around one self. It is shown that *Scale* is simply the creation of a durable solid spirit that protects what is within while sacrificing some mobility. To this effect, *Scale* may be used externally to imprison or slow down foes.

#### Steed

**Steed** is the alteration of one’s spirit to create microscopic activations and deactivations of the body to improve one’s overall speed. Just as with most Rite powers, this can be used in whole or in part.

### Spirit Augment

**Augment** is a Rite ability common in the realm of the Alden Church, as it relies on an external object in tandem with advanced Rite to produce greater effects. *Augment* involves a Rite user and their spirit becoming very familiar with a substance or object. This familiarity leads to the Rite user being able to “fuel” their object or substance with their spirit, gifting their object or substance with greater abilities and, possibly, transformations.

### Spirit Arms

**Arms** is a Rite ability common in the realm of the Alden Church, as it relies on an external object in tandem with advanced Rite to produce greater effects.

### Spirit Amulet

**Amulet** is a Rite ability common in the realm of the Alden Church, as it relies on an external object in tandem with advanced Rite to produce greater effects.

### Spirit Empire

**Spirit Empire** is a powerful and versatile advanced application of Rite that involves forcibly inserting one’s Spirit into foriegn objects, and then using your Spirit to enact changes on the object. This differs from other object-based Rite techniques because *Empire’s* power is on another scale entirely, allowing a user of this technique to not be limited in what objects they invade. However, there does seem to be a different in quantity and quality between a Rite user of *Empire* and one of *Augment.* While an *Augment* user can instill great transformation and augmentation to their objects, they are limited to only their objects. While an *Empire* user is almost unlimited as to what objects they can use, they are limited in the scope of change they can enact on the object.

## Drive, Mastery Techniques, and Individuality

Beyond the realm of the Rite advanced techniques lie what is called **Drive.** Drive is a Rite user’s individual, unique, signature power that is said to be their “method of survival.” Drives come from one or more of the **Six Systems of Survival** (or just **Six Systems**), which are similar to the larger Rift’s **Six Arc Elements**, in that they are the basis for all Drives. In addition, the analogy continues in that Rite users may specialize in a certain system, or branch out in other systems, however almost always have an affinity for just one of the systems. A rite user isn’t considered to have “mastered their Rite” until they develop a Drive that uses at least one of the systems.

* **Fight**: spirit that generates raw power
* **Flight**: spirit that focuses on moving itself or other things
* **Freeze**: spirit that isolates and rejects
* **Fawn**: spirit that changes its composition and attributes
* **Flood**: spirit that causes a great change in the physical body
* **Fatigue**: spirit that can rebuild itself and others

### Pyromancy

The most popular way of determining one’s system affinity is through **pyromancy** or fire divination. One sits before a flame and feeds their *Spike* into the flame. The flame’s reaction to the user’s *Spike* determines the user’s affinity.

* If the flame increases in size, the user is primarily a **Fighter**.
* If the flame goes out, the user is primarily a **Fleer**.
* If the flame shrinks down but remains lit, the user is primarily a **Freezer**.
* If the flame changes color, the user is primarily a **Fawner**.
* If the flame produces smoke or a scent, the user is primarily a **Flooder**.
* If the flame persists but its sources does not burn away, the user is primarily  a **Fatiguer**.

### Overdrive

Some, not all, Rite users may designate one of their Drive techniques their *Overdrive.* This is an arbitrary personal designation of that technique as their ultimate tool for survival, i.e. their "ultimate technique."

## Spirit Systems

### Fight

If a Rite user increases the size of the flame during their pyromancy, then they are primarily a **Fighter.** **Fighting** is the ability to increase one’s combat potential in the realm of both skill and power. Fighting Drives are the least unique amongst users, and usually just result in a bolstering to their Basic and Advanced Rite Techniques or Vision techniques that raises them to a new realm.

### Flight

If a Rite user puts out the flame during their pyromancy, then they are primarily a **Flier**. **Flying** is the ability to move oneself or other objects. Flight Drives usually revolve around speed, movement, or long-range attacks, and may act as an enhancement to already mastered Basic, Advanced, or Vision techniques.

### Freeze

If a Rite user shrinks the flame during pyromancy but the flame remains lit, then they are primarily a **Freezer**. **Freezing** is the ability to reject the world around oneself. Freezing Drives most often revolve around defense and support.

### Fawn

If a Rite user changes the color of the flame during pyromancy, then they are primarily a **Fawner**. **Fawning** is a straightforward ability that allows a Rite user to alter the substance of their spirit, turning it into something else. While spirit always has a physical presence in the world, the act of Fawning is literally turning one’s aura into another substance. The most prominent examples of Fawning use it to mimic and compete with the Arc Elements.

### Flood

If a Rite user changes the flames scent or produces smoke, then they are primarily a **Flooder**. **Flooding** is a straightforward ability that allows a Rite user to directly alter their body in shape, form, or attribute. Flooding grants great physical transformations that can be powerful on their own or greatly supplement other Rite powers.

### Fatigue

If a Rite user causes the flame to persist without its source burning away, then they are primarily a **Fatiguer**. **Fatiguing** is an ability that allows one to use their spirit to heal the bodies and spirits of themselves and others.