fleurdesel | SPIRIT HEALER TRAINING

Not all entities of the Fade are demonic. Many are benevolent spirits consisting of life energy, and these benign spirits of fortitude, compassion, hope and the like rarely seek to cross the Veil, but can sometimes be persuaded to protect and restore life, rather than corrupt or destroy it as demons would. As spirit healers we focus on channeling the energies granted by these spirits, making us indispensable in times of war and peace and capable of feats of magic beyond the scope of the school of Creation. We open a door in the veil to channel their power, mend flesh and cure illness.

Such power is not without risk- for all that we gain this path is a dangerous one. Contacting anything beyond the Veil inevitably draws the notice of demons, more often than not they are powerful. Many tales have been told of a spirit healer being fooled by a demon masquerading as a benevolent spirit and inadvertently bringing them across the Veil... or being tricked into letting down their guard, and possessed. As such, once a you become a Spirit Healer you must be vigilant for the remainder of your life. Once this door is opened? There is no closing it.

Councilor LeBlanc

"While healing spells do exist, spirit healers are well known for taking healing and restoration far beyond a standard mage’s capabilities. In effect, the spirit healer summons a benevolent spirit through the veil and that spirit uses its abilities on the mage’s behalf."

Adelaide is a Spirit Healer and available to train others in the fine art of Spirit Healing. As it is not without it's risks she's careful in the teaching and in who she chooses to teach but if you got a mage with a mind to learn, she's happy to spread the knowledge.

Her requirements are few:

» Necessary: Be a mage.
She can walk non-mages through the theory but to really understand it and get the most out of it? Need to be a mage or magically inclined as a Rifter.

» Need to have an aptitude for Spirits & Spirit Magic.
There's a reason Spirit Healers are rare and it isn't only the danger involved in the practice- those with the aptitude are few. It takes dedicated study, a solid understanding of Spirits and how they think as they work closely with them in order to perform their feats of healing, and a fair amount of skill in the Creation and Spirit schools of magic. Adelaide is exacting in her lessons; if a mage is merely mediocre for their own safety and those of their future patients, she will not continue the lessons.

» Understanding the risks.
Opening yourself to the fade to contact spirits means opening yourself to demons. Undead are likewise attracted to spirit healers- as are confused spirits and ghosts on this side of the veil. If a student can't handle this or learn to deal it is best they don't continue. A heightened vigilance against demons is required as well, learning how to tell the difference between them and spirits will save your life.

» Compatibility with a Benevolent Spirit.

» Training will include focus drills, multitasking, collaborative healing/casting, and theoretical studies on spirits with practical study done via fade meditations.

» The Final Exam includes finding and earning the trust of your own partner spirit- every spirit handles the relationship differently, every mage works out their agreement in their own way. If you aren't sure how to go about it hit me up and I'll be happy to help you sort out what works best. If you don't know what spirit suits your character either, I'm also happy to help with that!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sam is pretty set to start the final exam I think. With plurk discussions I'm definitely leaning towards a spirit of Fortitude. Things I still need to figure out is 1) who would be joining in on the post for when it happens, 2) when to do it, and 3) the kind of contract/requirements the spirit is going to have.

Final exams are all pretty one on one so Adelaide can focus on keeping them both safe while Sam does his thang. Probably when he gets back from EDL we can hammer it out?

Fortitude- that might need a test of character of some sort. A test of valor in the face of adversity or pain; maybe walking a kind of gauntlet that's less about enduring it until the end but making it as far as he can and not giving up? A way to prove he won't be frightened off by a challenge or by the threat of pain.

One on one works fine for me! After fighting Ishmael, Sam is certainly going to want to return back to Skyhold.

That sounds like a pretty good way Fortitude would test someone. I hadn't thought of a gauntlet.

I guess the other thing would be the conditions Sam has to meet while they are partners. Like I know for Adelaide and Compassion it's not harming others?

That falls on 1) the 'every relationship with a mage and their partner spirit is different' 2) depends on the spirit fulfilling it's purpose and
3) how the mage wants to help them do that.

Adelaide likes specificity and Compassion likes helping people deal with pain and soothing it, that is their purpose. Thus, they wrote up an agreeable contract as Adelaide likes knowing her exact limits- and even then some points are negotiable. It's what fits them and their partnership.

I'd imagine for Fortitude to fulfill their purpose they'd want Sam to sand up and help others endure in the face of darkness or despair, to urge them to push through and to stand as an example of how to shoulder what's going on and keep moving forward. So maybe reaching out to people that are losing their fight against 'well what the hell is the point' or standing firm against terrifying odds and defending others that hold the line? Maybe urge him not to act recklessly or in cowardice? However you feel that relationship would work out for the best and what limitations would suit is up to you, these are recommendations.

Sounds like what I try to do with Sam already. Not super outspoken - he's not going to address all of Skyhold - but with friends and individuals he tries to set an example, or tries to help them work out their issue. Sam's pretty level headed so he's not really reckless, but there are times you have to be to protect, which would play into enduring to help.

Should be pretty simple for him to keep doing that and for Fortitude to feel fulfilled and pleased with helping him take care of the people he knows and fights alongside. It's gonna be a great match!

I think so as well. Guess a lot of what's going to change for Sam is probably having Fortitude constantly asking things at the beginning and getting distracted a bit by that.

There is an adjustment period, Adelaide will walk him through that as best she can but- it's different for everyone. Another reason to do this when there's a lull so they both have time to adjust. Fortitude is on it's side of the veil and whether it opts to linger at Sam's awareness like Compassion does for Adelaide or come when needed and flit off otherwise depends on how you wanna swing it.

Yeah. Hopefully there's enough of a lull in things so he'll get to settle.

Hm. I'll have to base that more off of if/when Sam and Bull have a talk about it - and probably Krem.

Think we'd be cool doing this in March? Right before shit hits the ceiling in Skyhold? After that? After the dance party?

Edited (edited to figure out date to do it) 2016-02-20 01:25 (UTC)

March seems like a good time, yep! Let me know when it works for you and we can pop up a log.

I'll probably mark it early March just so it's flexible. I can make a post for it in a little bit.

Where would they be doing this do you think?

The garden, most likely. And as much as she has issues with templars- if things get out of hand? They do need a safety net of some sort which'll either be mages with the ability to dispel or templars based on Sam's preference. NPC's so we can knock this out quickly.

Safety net is easy to handle. He'll probably ask the NPC Templars from Ostwick (yay Burns) to keep an eye on him seeing as a few of them were probably at his Harrowing.

Kalli's already well past the basics and into the journeyman level of Spirit Healing, but there are still aspects she could refine, polish and improve upon. But she's still not yet ready to be known publicly as a mage.

Private lessons held somewhere discreet are likely the best bet to help Kallian polish her skills. Adelaide will be happy to work with her on that!

So Pam being a hedgemage of the Rivaini type has been possessed by spirits before, usually something along the lines of Serenity to heal a child, bring plants back to a burned area, etc.

She's got some familiarity with the Fade, and is definitely interested in Spirit healing. I do need help though figuring out just which Spirit she'd end up most attracted to, however.

HAS SHE NOW do tell adelaide more about that because it's shit the Circles never taught (because REASONS) and she's trying to get as many different perspectives on it as possible but that's. Hard when most mages in the inquisition are circle mages and chantry led 'possession is bad spirit mages are creepy' etc.

Ok despite Adelaide very much having a knee jerk 'wtf NO' icly- Justice. Pam is very much driven about her idea of justice in canon and I think that applies to this AU as well.

SPIRIT HEALER TRAINING

Samouel Gareth

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Kallian Endris

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Pamelia Islain

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