Path

A Path is a distinct conceptual branch or category of magic. Any given Spell can belong to one or more paths.

For spells with a single path, a mage must have sufficient Attainment in that path in order to cast the spell. For spells with dual paths, a mage must have sufficient attainment (having at least the same Tier as the spell's Tier) in either of the paths, and must have at least the spell's Tier - 1 in both paths, in order to cast the spell.

There are many paths of magic. These include, but are not limited to:

Some paths are contained within one or more other paths. Attainment in the greater, more generic path allows casting spells of the contained paths, but attainment in the greater path is harder to achieve and usually mages would first make attainments in the contained path first as a stepping stone to making attainments in the greater path.

A mage can, through Cultivation, improve their attainments in a path, that is, to reach higher Tiers. 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.

A mage can accumulate attainment in multiple paths of magic. A mage can gain attainment in a path through Cultivation 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.