The Tiers of Mastery
As a practitioner peels back the layers of reality, their spiritual rank advances through defined tiers. Each tier represents a degree of separation from the material and a step closer to the Source. And within each tier exist three grades—rungs on a ladder, marking the practitioner's mastery within that level before ascending to the next.
Tier 0: The Disconnected
Nature: Ordinary humans, fully bound to the physical realm.
Access: None. The astral planes are invisible to them.
Knowledge: Superstitions, folklore, secondhand tales of mystics and spirits.
Power: None. They live and die as puppets to cycles they cannot perceive.
Presence: Indistinguishable from any other human.
No Grades: This tier exists outside the mystical hierarchy.
Tier 1: The Initiated
Entry Methods:
Spirit-child birth (born with partial soul separation)Ritual initiation (blood oaths, fasting, ancestral invocation)Near-death experience (forced soul separation)Apprenticeship under a Master
Access: The veil lifts. Spirits become visible as faint shadows. Ancestral presence can be felt.
Knowledge: Understanding that the physical realm is not all there is. Awareness of cycles, entities, and the structure of existence.
Power Shift: Enhanced intuition, ability to sense danger, basic communication with spirits (through mediums or Masters).
Presence: Subtle—slightly unsettling calm, eyes that seem to see through deception.
Three Grades:
First Grade (Novice): Basic spirit sight, vague impressions of the astral
Second Grade (Intermediate): Clear ancestral communication, precise dream recall
Third Grade (Near-Master): Fleeting out-of-body glimpses into the Dream Cycle
Tier 2: The Apprentice
Requirements:
Years of study and practice Survival of the First Trial (varies by tradition—3 days fasting in a graveyard, retrieval of an object from the Dream Cycle, etc.)Demonstrated ability to separate soul from flesh
Access: Can enter the Dream Cycle for minutes at a time.
Knowledge: Understanding of rituals, basic pact negotiation, recognition of entity types.
Power Shift: No longer dependent on mediums. Can perform basic rituals independently (protection wards, minor divinations).
Presence: Unnaturally calm demeanor, eyes that pierce through lies.
Three Grades:
First Grade: Unstable Dream Cycle entry, requires intense focus
Second Grade: Reliable Dream Cycle navigation for short periods
Third Grade: Extended Dream Cycle journeys, beginning to sense the Ethereal Drift
Tier 3: The Adept
Requirements:
Negotiation with a minor entity (ancestor, nature spirit) and successful pactMastery of a signature ritualSurvival of the Second Trial (astral combat, entity temptation resistance, etc.)
Access: Full Dream Cycle mastery. Brief glimpses of the Ethereal Drift.
Knowledge: Deep understanding of entity hierarchies, pact mechanics, Light vs. Dark Path implications.
Power Shift: Aura becomes visible to other Adepts and higher—gold for Light Path, crimson for Dark Path, gray for mixed.
Presence: Overt—common people feel discomfort or reverence. Animals react strongly.
Three Grades:
First Grade: Unstable Ethereal Drift perception, aura flickers
Second Grade: Solid aura, extended Ethereal Drift visits
Third Grade: Mastery of Ethereal Drift navigation, entities become fully visible
Tier 4: The Elite
Requirements:
Bind a named entity (specific ancestor, djinn, elemental spirit)
Complete a grand ritual (sacrifice 100 black goats at dawn, meditate through a solar eclipse, etc.)
Establish a spiritual anchor (temple, bloodline, sacred grove)
Access: Ethereal Drift for hours. Can perceive the edge of the Primordial Vein.
Knowledge: Mastery of complex rituals, ability to teach Apprentices, understanding of cycle manipulation.
Power Shift: Chosen Route manifests dramatically:
Elite Warriors fight 10 trained soldiers alone, presence paralyzes weaker foes
Elite Seers see multiple future branches simultaneously
Elite Rulers end riots with a single command
Presence: Entities become visible behind them to other Elites and higher—ancestors hover near Light practitioners, shadows cling to Dark practitioners.
Three Grades:
First Grade: Newly bound entity, unstable manifestations
Second Grade: Entity bond solidifies, Route powers become reliable
Third Grade: Mastery of Route, entity obeys perfectly, Primordial Vein access begins
Tier 5: The Master
Requirements:
Survive 7 days in the Ethereal Drift without losing sanity.
Perform a life-altering sacrifice (beloved person, prized possession, fragment of one's own soul)Train 3 Apprentices to Adept level
Access: Full Ethereal Drift mastery.
Tentative Primordial Vein contact.
Knowledge: Secrets of cycle manipulation, ability to rewrite minor fates, communion with Primordial Entities.
Power Shift: Reality bends subtly around them:
Warrior Masters walk battlefields untouched—arrows veer, swords hesitate
Seer Masters speak prophecies that MUST occur unless countered by another Master
Ruler Masters rewrite laws that feel divinely ordained
Presence: Visible aura to all Initiates, oppressive to the Disconnected (who kneel instinctively, avoid eye contact).
Three Grades:
First Grade: Unstable reality bending, Primordial Vein contact is brief and dangerous
Second Grade: Reliable Route mastery, Primordial Entities acknowledge them
Third Grade: Near-Enlightenment, reality bends consistently, one step from the next great leap
Teleu's eyes snapped open.
His breathing was heavy, as though he had been running. Sweat dotted his brow. His hands gripped his knees so tightly his knuckles had turned pale.
The knowledge settled into him like stones sinking into deep water.
He understood now—truly understood—the architecture of the cosmos. The layers he would have to pierce. The entities he would face. The tiers he would have to climb, grade by grade, like ascending an impossible ladder toward infinity.
He was a spirit-child. and He had already advance to the apprentice stage of two of his routes, and the and the adept stage of one of his routes. A route he had chosen to walk on the dark path. Initiate would see him as quite advanced. At the age of 20 that was quite high.
However, it was still insufficient
It meant nothing if he did not advance further. It meant nothing if he could not accomplish his revenge
He closed his eyes once more but this time to sleep, he had exhausted all his spiritual energy and needed rest.