Focus
A Focus is the word that a uses to define themselves and their practice. A Focus is a deeply integral part of the person that they are and has been since before their Awakening. This word lies at the heart of everything that their Practice allows them to do and will shape whatever they set out to accomplish with it. Their Focus is both what allows them to access the power of practice and shape the world, but it is also their biggest limitation. To attempt to use their practice in a way that does not align with their focus is nearly impossible and can have psychological implications for the Potential.
Other Details
- A Focus has been described as acting as a lens or maybe a funnel through which a Potential channels their practice.
- "it is nothing less than the vehicle for their Practice to act upon the world."(2)
- Snowfire has stated that Focuses have an emotional context with the Potential which limits what types of words are typically chosen. For example Damage would not be a word used for a focus whereas Wrath or Vengeance would both be viable options.(1)
- A Focus is conveyed by a single word for the sake of simplicity in stating it and this word is always chosen by the Potential. Even Potentials with the same chosen Focus can be very different because of how they personally define and relate to the Focus they have chosen.
- "Whilst exact definitions can lead to different manifestations of the same named Focus, it remains impossible to work beyond those limits barring a few key exceptions."(2)
- A Potential wields considerable power, but only within the area covered by their Focus
- While united work is possible with the help of certain Insight Focused, or more usually Harmonials, it is both limited and highly complex.
References
Snowfire (September 2016) "To elaborate a bit on what a Focus is"
Snowfire (May 2019) Informational: Known Potential Mechanics