Other Hand Practioners

There is a lot of money that can be found for those people who practice the Phasma Arts. However, different practitioners go about developing their magical skills in different ways. Other Hand Practitioners refer to those people who choose to not work alongside the spirits, known as Phasma. Rather, they seek to control the Phasma for their own means. There are clear benefits to choosing this path. Most importantly, Other Hand Practitioners do not have to waste what can amount to years building relationships with their chosen Phasma. Since they are not asking, but demanding, they are able to receive more consistent and effective results. Thus, many people will seek out Other Hand Practitioners for immediate needs. Particularly if they feel like their need may be frowned upon by "proper" society. Additionally, the speed in which it takes to go from iniatiate to practitioner is greatly reduced, so those who wish to develop skills in the Phasma Arts are also inclined to pay more money for faster results.
Being an Other Hand Practitioner is not illegal, in and of itself, although many people look down upon those who do. However, there are certain practices which have been deemed illegal. In particular, the practice of "merging" with a Phasma so that their power can flow through you. The means in which this is done is a highly secretive method that is passed down to only the most advanced practitioner. In short, those who are successful in completing the Unwilling Merger are able to access all the power of the Phasma while still maintaining their sense of self. This is considered highly dangerous and often comes with irreversible consequences. It is a well-known scientific theory that Phasma feed off of an unknown source of energy in humans. When a practitioner completes an Unwilling Merger, they are allowing the Phasma full access to their energy. In doing so, if the practitioner does not have a strong sense of will, they risk the Phasma transforming as a result of the energy it is feed -- twisting the originally neutral being into a darker version of itself that grows with the deepest desires of the Practitioner. As the Phasma gains strength, the Practioner loses it. Eventually, the Phasma will completely take over the Practitioner's body and the Practitioner will succumb to the disease Vita Hurundo. Hirundines are human bodies which have been completely taken over by dark manifestations of Phasma. There is no cure for this affliction; there sole purpose is to act on the darkest desires of the human; and they are nearly impossible to kill. However, death is the only peace a practitioner who has succumbed to Vita Hurundo will receive. For this reason, Unwilling Mergers have been banned throughout Phasmatum and the ban has been ratified by the Phasmatum Council.
There are other methods -- not nearly as dangerous, although they do pose a risk -- that Other Hand Practitioners follow in order to receive instant results. The most common method is through using sigils that allow for the summoning and almost instantaneous banishing of Phasma. In the moments that the Phasma is in the practitioners' presence, they are able to extract some of their M Brane Particles and place them in a gemstone. This stores the power for later use. Although some look down upon this method, Phasma have a nearly unlimited supply of Brane. As such, it causes no harm to them and it allows for the use of magic without having to rely on the whims of Phasma. The most common risks include allowing the Phasma to ascertain your identity; they are known to retaliate against those who extract Brane without permission. Additionally, if the practitioner extracts more Phasma than the gemstone can hold, they risk it shattering and chaotic Brane discharging throughout the area. Brane Extraction is limited by the amount of Brane a gemstone can hold -- each gemstone can only hold one power at a time and the resources are limited depending on the size and clarity of the gemstone.
Although there are various methods that Other Hand Practitioners use, I will touch on one final controversial method. It allows for the flexibility of power that an Unwilling Merger provides with the general safety of using gemstones for Brane Particles. Practitioners are able to become masters of Phasma through the use of very rare gemstones of sufficient size and clarity. When they bind a Phasma to that gemstone, Practitioners are able to access the Phasma's power through the stone or command a Phasma to do their bidding. The bond is only released when the Practitioner chooses to allow the Phasma to go free or the gemstone is shattered (often through the use of a large hammer or some other tool). Unfortunately most Other Hand Practitioners are not able to secure the finances and do not have the connections necessary to acquire one of these gemstones. This is why many of them turn to the Unwilling Merger in order to access the powers they desire.