High divinist

High divinists are elite divine spellcasters. Every priest desires to attain the title of high divinist. To reach this level of magical understanding is to, in a small way, transcend mortal existence.

As they gain power, divine spellcasters gradually see more and more of the fundamental nature of their magic. They cast greater spells that draw upon more intense facets of their faith. Such understanding comes to all priests eventually, but some move beyond these tokens to true revelation. These are the high divinists, living icons of the entities or beliefs they represent.

As the archmagi of the Kirin Tor are to magi, so high divinists are to priests. They give up some of their spellcasting potential to unlock esoteric secrets of their magic and other powers. Their foes approach them with wariness, for while they may be able to predict the actions of a normal priest, a high divinist possesses unknown abilities.

High divinists in the world
High divinists command respect or fear wherever they tread. They are the most direct conduits the mortal races have to the divine.

Many priests who become high divinists call themselves high priests. However, they may not take titles at all, allowing their power to speak for itself.

While they are divine analogues to archmagi, unlike their arcane counterparts, all high divinists do not belong to a single organization like the Kirin Tor. Rather, each faith usually maintains its own cadre of high divinists. Night elves boast high priestesses of Elune and great human healers become high priests of the Holy Light. Other races also become high divinists, of course, and the entities that command their reverence and the powers they wield are much darker. Naga high priestesses of the tides are frightening and powerful creatures of corrupt magnificence, and frothing Atal’ai high divinists spill hot blood in the name of Hakkar the Soulflayer.

In adventuring parties, high divinists continue to serve in the same roles they filled before. Their spellcasting ability remains powerful and important, but their unique abilities add something new to the party’s combined efforts.