Path of Konmai

Path of Konmai
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Focus	Control of time, temporal flow, and manipulation of moments
Origin	Konmai

Introduction

The Path of Konmai is a rare and advanced branch of Osia concerned with the manipulation of time spirits tied to Konmai, the Primordial Spirit of time. Its practitioners, known as disciples of the Path of Konmai, seek to influence the flow of time in small, localized ways.

Principles

The Path of Konmai involves the manipulation of time spirits, conscious particles that govern the passage of moments. These spirits exist in every second, in the change from day to night, and in every change over time. Those who follow the Path of Konmai attune their minds to these spirits and learn to bend the flow of moments slightly, influencing events and the perception of time.

Time spirits are not easily controlled, because they are tied to the natural order and cycles of Adaris. Manipulating them requires mental discipline and an understanding of temporal balance.

Spiritual Hierarchy

The Path of Konmai involves manipulating spirits at various stages of development. Time spirits exist in different forms, each representing a stage of consciousness and temporal influence.

• Nascent spirits: These spirits govern small moments, such as the ticking of a clock or the shift from dusk to night. Followers of the Path of Konmai can influence them easily to adjust the flow of time slightly, for example by speeding up or slowing down a minor task.
• Mature spirits: Time spirits that govern longer stretches, such as the passage of a season or the growth of a tree. Manipulating them is more difficult and requires focus and training, as they have greater autonomy and influence over longer cycles.
• Ancestral spirits: The most powerful time spirits, governing epochs and historical events. They are nearly impossible to control. Only the most skilled disciples of the Path of Konmai attempt to commune with them, usually to seek understanding and not control.

Training and Attunement

In the Path of Konmai, time is regarded as a conscious and active force that connects all moments, past, present, and future. Each second is held to have a spirit of its own. Those who follow the Path of Konmai learn to attune themselves to this flow and to influence it slightly.

Training as a disciple of the Path of Konmai is among the most difficult in Osia. It begins with attunement, in which novices learn to sense the movements of time spirits around them. They start by manipulating small moments, such as slightly speeding the passage of time in a controlled setting.

As their attunement deepens, followers of the Path of Konmai learn to extend their influence over longer periods and more complex situations, such as altering the flow of time in one place for a short while or making objects age faster or slower. Only a handful of practitioners become able to affect long stretches of time, and even then the effects are temporary and limited.

Most who follow the Path of Konmai never manipulate mature spirits of time, as doing so requires great concentration and carries risk. The most powerful disciples may seek to commune with ancestral spirits of time. Such attempts are dangerous and can have unintended consequences, including time loops and distortions.