Cultivation

Cultivation is the process by which a Mage can improve their Attainment in a given Path of magic (that is, to increase their Tier in a path of magic).

This is a difficult, time consuming process, relying on a combination of luck and experiences, and most mages generally do not make it to the higher Tiers in a path.

The cultivation process is different for different paths, in a way befitting of that path and exemplifying the characteristics of that path. Since the activities and behaviors required for cultivation are different for different paths, and generally all are time consuming, mages generally do not branch out into too many paths.

Cultivation can be done through various ways:


 * Learning about the concept of a particular Path, such as from books about that path (this generally can only be used up to a low tier of attainment)
 * Meditation and introspection on the nature of the path
 * Living life in a way befitting the path
 * Having epiphanies related to the path. This is generally the only way to get to the highest tiers of attainment, but is also the rarest and cannot be controlled in any way. Because of this, it is difficult to cultivate to the higher tiers.