Mysticism

**The information on this page is "player-written". It is not regarded as official lore and hence may not be compliant with the official Elysium events. Regardless, the information on this page describes lore which may be used by one or more players within the Elysium community. You are welcome to incorporate as much or as little of this information as you choose.**

## **The Soul**

The Soul is unexplainable, as we barely know anything about it. What we do know is that our souls make our personalities for the most part, and separate us from everyone else. They are what makes us different. The Soul can be described as a powerful force within ones body, and once one has died, their soul exits and leaves the body to drift to other realms unknown of. Alteration of the soul is possible through both dark and light means, and is generally seen as an evil omen. Every living thing in Elysium possesses a soul; plants and trees possess a soul of their own in fact, but it could never be as adept as that of a sentient race such as a Human.

## **Mysticism**

A Mystic is a holy man or woman who has become one with a spiritual entity or well of energy. This means, that through a certain means, a practitioner has gained a spiritual and intimate communion with a powerful Angel, Demon, God, or Dragon. When this is done, the Mystic will receive particular graces and attributes given by these beings. A Mystic may also commune with a well of energy, in particular, Heaven or Hell. Mysticism is also a strictly benevolent practice of magic. It is considered the counter-magic of the dark arts, however it is very different from holy magic. Mysticism is merely the purest form of magic.

## **Abilities**

*The abilities of the Mystic depend on their degree of spiritual enlightenment, and the specific source of their enlightenment.*

**Animancy**- The Mystic with this ability has a special power over life-force itself. The user has healing powers, and can also sense any illness -physical, mental, or spiritual- in a person. However, this ability is limited because in order for the user to use this ability, they must convince the person they are helping that they will be healed. Mysticism largely consists of the power of belief. For example, for a Mystic to heal someone with cancer, they must first have the person with cancer believe that they can be entirely healed. If the person has doubts, they will not be able to be healed.

**Astral Manipulation**- The Mystic with this ability is capable of Astral Projection, and can also manipulate their Astral Form. A person who uses Astral Projection are capable of projecting their soul out of their body when in a prayerful or meditative state. They can project their soul to different realms, such as the Underworld or Heaven, or to other places. This is dangerous due to attacks from spiritual entities, however this is where manipulation comes in. Astral Projection is an ability capable by anyone, however only Mystics can manipulate their Astral Form. When doing this, they can produce constructs such as weapons or shield in order to defend themselves in such a vulnerable state. They can also force a person's soul out of their bodies.

**Energy Matter Manipulation**- Mystics are capable of creating constructs, such as weapons or shield, that have physical properties. Although this is made of Mystical Energy, the color of the energy is usually the color of the Mystic's aura.

**Telekinesis**- The user can to an extent manipulate matter and objects.

**Telepathy**- The user can communicate with others via telepathy, however minds can easily banish a Mystic from their thoughts.

**Teleportation**- The user is capable of crossing large distances through influxes of Mystical Energy.

**Cosmic Awareness**- The user is aware of events on larger scales, rather than small and unimportant events, such as war of gods, death of higher beings, or great destruction.

**Reincarnation**- Due to the Mystic's capabilities of manipulating the soul, they are able to reincarnate themselves at death into a new body. They will not be aware of their reincarnated state, however they are capable of realizing this. The user is also capable of accessing memories from their past lives.

**Divine Empowerment**- In times of great need, the source of the Mystic's power is capable of giving them heightened spiritual abilities. This is very rare, and is not done by the will of the Mystic.

## **Red Lines**

* Magic used by others can overwhelm the user.
* Large influxes in energy can overwhelm the user.
* Deific magics, such as those by demons or angels, can overwhelm the user.
* Mystics, by nature, not will, are extremely benevolent. Therefore, they are incapable of becoming angry, and only fight in defense.
* Soul Absorption or Negation work directly against Mysticism.
* The Dark Arts are capable of overwhelming the user.
* The use of Arcane Magics can greatly weaken the user's Mystical abilities.
* During Astral Projection, the user's body is *extremely vulnerable*.

## **Attaining Enlightenment**

In order for one to even be capable of practicing Mysticism, one must be enlightened. This means, one must be in a heightened spiritual state, or have increased spiritual awareness. There are three stages of attaining the capability of Mysticism: The Purgative Stage, the Attentive Stage, and the Communal Stage.

**Purgative Stage**- The first step of the Mystic is to first disconnect and spiritually die from the world. This may be done a variety of ways. The most normal is fasting. The Mystic must fast from all food, and all drinks, besides water, for at least half a year. The second most popular method is mortification. The Mystic will usually scourge themselves, refuse themselves sleep, or perform other bodily tortures. The third method is social mortification. The Mystic may go through a very long period of utter silence, at least a year, or must live in the wilderness for an extended period of time.

**Attentive Stage**- After the Mystic has died from the world, they must prepare themselves to connect to something otherworldly. This is done through intense periods of meditation or prayer. The effect of this is an increase of cosmic awareness and spiritual intuition. The user greatly grows in wisdom and benevolence and turns away from the things of the world. They become aware of higher powers, and become obedient to the wills of these higher powers. This is when Enlightenment occurs.

**Communal Stage**- When the Mystic has concluded the Attentive Stage, they must then connect themselves with an otherworldly entity. This is done by prayer, meditation, and contemplation on such entity. A sign of this spiritual communion with the entity is an increased knowledge or desire to understand the entity. After this stage is done, the Mystic will be able to train in the Mystic Arts.