Shaping

Shaping is the most commonly used name for magic in Vildrel. It is the process by which a mage (called a shaper) taps into the energy of the physical world (called the ) to create, influence, and shape the world to their will. The process is only referred to as shaping in Estaria , but other such abilities are found all throughout Vildrel by different names. A shaper's abilities are, in theory, limited only by the energy they've tapped into and their own imagination. In practice, the discipline takes a lifetime of study to tap into even the shallowest reaches of the system's true potential.

SHAPERS

Shapers can be born from all manner of mortal men, but they are vastly more common in Droven, Humans and Giants. Chimera are capable of Shaping, but only if they were made from a living creature and at a significantly reduced (about twenty percent) chance of being born a shaper.
Dredges have a uniquely strong attunement to shaping. Among Dredges, shapers are infinitely more common, estimated to be nearly a fourth of all dredges.

God Touched

A being capable of shaping is called God Touched. All shapers, aside from some blood shapers, must be born God Touched in order to tap into the Essence.
Shaper births are tumultuous. Two in three God Touched children are still-born due to a pregnancy complication called the Final Wail.
After the birth, God Touched children have lesser immune systems before they reach adulthood. Approximately four in three God Touched children will die of common disease or infection before reaching adulthood (about twice as much as average), meaning that only one in twelve God Touched pregnancies will result in a healthy God Touched adult.

Rarity of Shapers

A God Touched pregnancy is relatively rare. The chances of a birth being God Touched are not affected by any outside factors including the parents own genetics. Instead, the chances are completely random. Approximately one in one thousand births will be God-Touched.
Because of the high rate of infant mortalities and childhood complications, one in 12,000 people in any given human or giant population is a God-Touched adult capable of tapping into the Essence (or one in every 60,000 Chimeras).
This does not mean that shapers capable of actual magic are this common, however. Of those adults, three in four never manifest any abilities and may be completely unaware of their condition. Only one in those four will have a strong enough connection to the Essence to manifest their abilities and become a true shaper.
This means that one in every 48,000 humans/giants (0.000021%) is a true shaper. In a city the size of Solgrad with a population of over twenty million, there are few more than four hundred shapers with manifested abilities.

THE FIVE REACHES

Shaping requires a source of power for the shaper to cast any spells. The type of energy used determines the type of spellcasting a shaper can perform, and these essential energies are referred to as The Five Reaches. Each Reach corresponds to a natural source of energy, Kinethus (kinetic energy), Temethus (heat energy), Avenethus (radioactive energy), Intethus (energy from death, decay, and detritus), and Vitethus (blood energy).

Kinethus

Kinethus is the energy of movement, wind, and force. Kinethus shapers are capable of accelerating and decelerating objects and even people that they touch, greater Kinethus shapers are able to do this without needing to touch the object or person, and can even focus on multiple objects at once (such as slowing down a barrage of bullets or accelerating a charge of Allied calvary). Masters of Kinethus can even manifest telekinetic abilities.
Kinethus is easier to wield among shapers with mathematical skill, physical strength, and a love for painting.

Temethus

Temethus is the energy of heat and light. A Temethus shaper is capable of producing light and flame, as well as removing heat from focused areas to create ice.
Temethus is easier to wield among shapers with strong will, endurance, and a love of theatre and the performing arts.

Avenethus

Avenethus is the energy of natural radioactive materials. An aventhus shaper is capable of imbuing radioactive materials with their will and infusing that material into an object to create enchanted artifacts.
There is a significant and obvious drawback to this practice. Avenethus shapers are not immune to the effects of radiation, and prolonged exposure brings a significant risk of cancer.
Avenethus is easier to wield among shapers with a strong memory, pattern recognition, and a love of sculpture.

Intethus

Intethus is the energy of death, decay and detritus. Its source is the biological energy given off by breaking down materials and severing the cohesion between the essences that made life. Necromancy is derived from this source.
It is forbidden in some regions because the practice is seen as defilement. Others ban the practice only on the corpses of sapient beings, but still allow Intethus to be practiced on animals and plants. Still more, such as Estaria and Keth put no restrictions on the practice.
Intethus is easier to wield among shapers with strong puzzle solving skills, visual memory, and a love of story telling.

Vitethus

Vitethus is the energy of life and blood. Its source is the life energy in all animals that bleed. It has the potential to be the most potent energy source in Vildrel. However, the manipulation of life is inherently corrupting. The nature of blood shaping, that being a pact with an aberration, only multiplies that danger.
Vitethus requires blood to function. Usually, this means that the blood shaper will tap into their own blood by inflicting a physical wound - the deeper the cut, the more essence can be drawn. They can also take essence from a willing other, but donated blood must be freshly drawn. Blood that is stored will contain no living essence to draw.
Blood Shapers are capable of healing magic, aberrant ritual magic, powerful essence attacks, and enhanced physical abilities. Stronger blood shapers are also able to use the essence from another person's blood unwillingly as a source of their casting, a means of control, or to will another person to die.
Vitethus is easier to wield among shapers with ambition, a lust for knowledge, and a love of poetry.

Dangers of Blood Shaping

Blood shaping can only be learned through a pact with an aberration. This can either be done by a shaper learning the art of Avenethus sufficiently enough that they can reach through the Essence and beckon it to make a pact, or through an Aberration taking interest in a mortal and seeking them out. Aberrations can give the gift of Vitethus even to mortals that are not God-Touched, if they exude the qualities of ambition and a sufficient lust for power and knowledge.
This power is not given willingly, however. The aberration will likely attempt to dominate the blood shaper's mind. Even if the Aberration does not directly attempt to take over the shaper's free will, it will influence their emotions, memories, and dreams to bend them to its will. Blood shapers are prone to madness, avarice, and aggression as a result of the dangerous nature of their practice. Only the strongest blood shapers are able to resist their aberration patron's influence, and even so, they are at a constant danger of falling.

Greater Reaches

The Greater Reaches are forms of Essense energy that can only be controlled with combined proficiency in two or more of the Five Reaches. These forms of shaper magic are incredibly rare, as most humans take a lifetime to master just one of the five disciplines. A master of one of these arts would have to accomplish in one lifetime what most aren't capable of doing in three.
Masters of the Greater Reaches are called Arch-Shapers, beings of unearthly ability whose names are recorded into legend.

Desvethus

Desvethus is the energy of gravity and weight. It can only be manipulated by a shaper who has mastered both Avenethus and Kinethus. It can allow the shaper to create strong gravitational fields, reverse gravity on objects, make objects ignore the effects of gravity, and alter the mass of an object or person by altering its weight.

Giaethus

Giaethus is the energy of stone and the very earth of Vildrel. It can only be manipulated by a shaper who has mastered both Kinethus and Temethus.

Espirethus

Esperethis is the energy of the soul and the lingering presense of life after death. It can only be manipulated by a shaper who has mastered both Vitethus and Intethus, and thus it is forbidden outside of Keth and extremely rare. It can allow the shaper to manifest spirits, shape spectral illusions, speak to the dead, and use Heart Seeds to bind a soul to the mortal world.

Celethus

Celethus is the energy of the atmosphere, weather, and the heavens. It is one of the highest forms of shaping with rarely more than one capable Celethus Shaper in a century. It can only be manipulated by a shaper who has mastered Kinethus, Temethus, and Avenethus.

Essence Artisans

Shapers are not the only beings capable of influencing the energy of Essence and magical abilities. The magic found in the physical world does not require the adept touch of a shaper to influence. Scholars of sufficient knowledge and craft can become Artisans, those who use the energy of the Five Reaches to create magical works and constructs.

Alchemists

(For more information on alchemy and on how to use alchemy in roleplay, see Roleplay Resourse: Alchemy Guide)
An alchemist is an artisan who takes materials from the physical world and combines them to create a magical effect. This is most commonly done in the form of potion-crafting, where organic materials are crushed, heated, and mixed with a solvent. Alchemists may also specialize in combining inorganic materials to create mechanical constructs with enhanced physical properties. Alchemy requires an energy source to create its magical solutions. This is usually temethus energy (heat), but can also be avenethus (radiation), vitethus (blood) or even kinethus (kinetic), depending on the alchemist's preferred technique and the needs of the recipe.

Arborists

(Main article Arborist)
An arborist, also called a Heart Shaper or Seed Soother, is an artisan who uses Heart Seeds to create Chimera. Years of medical study for biological Chimeras or engineering study for mechanical chimeras are required to practice this art with predictable results.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane