It is definitely possible (though difficult) to have the Gift opened more than once, and to more than one tradition. Rules for that can be found in Hedge Magic: Revise Edition p7-8 and in Rival Magic p6-7
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I do think the easiest explanation on the book is having it be a tractatus or low-level summa coupled with a mystery intiation script. Theoretically, you could have one high-Presence character learn the ability and then perform the script, and then you could have that one open it for the others. It might also require them to find another 1-2 books that are 'referenced' by the original book to get their skill high enough to initiate.
(I don't know much about how Viktir actually work. You could have it be someone who 'escaped' a viktir apprenticeship and was kidnapped by a crusading Flambeau or something, a gifted apprentice taken as spoils of war.)
And you can always have a demon involved, right? A corruption demon who's masquerading as a book.
The 'initiation script' could also involve them taking a journey to a certain secret highly magical place and sacrifice something there.... which will 'wake up' the creature asleep in the mystical pool, who then actually acts as the mystagogue teaching them.
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@raccoonmask You know I think yeah, you can always have the option a demon is involved - but you do not always have the aggreement from the players side to use demons. It is important to note that demons in this settings are the near-equivalence of certain doom. I think the storyguide should discuss this possibility with the players before using this kind of - undetectable, so unavoidable - hook for getting characters involved in demon themed stuff.
I think the word you are looking for is "apostasy".
It is all well and good to convert to "our" side, and repent of your evil former ways. But woe befall you if you show evidence of backsliding.
Perhaps I am biased by what I know of the Spanish Inquisition - they were often on the look out for Apostasy.
I don't have the books in front of me, but from memory the parens needs a minimum opening Lab total to open a Gift to Hermetic Magic. This minimum total will erase any other supernatural ability the initiate had before.
To keep certain supernatural abilities (eg Magic Sensitivity), the necessary opening Lab total needs to increase to account for each supernatural ability.
And there are supernatural abilities/virtues that can't be erased (eg Faerie Blood). The opening Lab Total needs to take that into account.
Theoretically, an entire Magic Tradition can be preserved while initiating into Hermetic magic, but the Opening Lab total needs to be so high it rarely happens.
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@lvgreen You need a minimum total based on the amount of Supernatural Abilities. If your Lab Total is lower than that, you cannot open the person's Gift. If you have more than minimum you can open it, but the person will lost the previous S. Abilities. When you have double of the needed Lab Total, you can keep the S. Abilities of the target. Just as @ErikT mentioned in earlier post.
So you can reopen a person, but - as you pointed out - it is really hard to keep somebody's previous S. Abilities after the opening.
Yup. And if the persons Gift had been opened before the minimum Lab Total is increased by 30.
So to open their Gift again, and letting them keep their previous abilities, you would need a Lab Total of at least 60 - not counting any other Supernatural abilties or Art scores or other virtues which can easily drive up the needed Lab Total by a LOT.
Which is why it's usually done by Pralixian Magi.