Shaping in the Korachani empire

Originatlly shared next week, here'e some new art and lore detailing the organisation of the magickal Minasteria - the governing bodies overseeing the training and accreditation of shaping - within the Korachani empire. Also included is a small map marking where the headquarters of the individual Minasteria are located within the empire.

All this information is already visible in the Encyclopaedia Elyden in far more detail, so head on over and check that out if you're! I'll probably be sharing individual posts detailing each of the Minasteria over the coming weeks so you can keep an eye out for those.

Here's the text from the image to make it easier to read:

Shaping in the Korachani empire

The tradition of shaping has seen great change within the Korachani empire over the millennia. Shapers have gone from wielders of the more classical magickal traditions popularised by legends and pulp novels, to ubiquitous workhorses who at best form an unglorified backbone of industry or at worst are unwilling slaves to technarcane machines. 

Regardless of the form they take, shapers remain an integral part of the running of the empire, and this is made possible by their various governing bodies, known a the Minasteria of Shaping.

the Art of Shaping                                                  

Shaping is the process through which a mortal is able to tap into the Materia Omna to alter aspects of the Material Plane, through the Firmament and Atramenta, as a by-product of the Shaping of Creation by the Demiurges ages ago.

To shape, an individual (known as a shaper) must attain a state of focus, which is a form of higher consciousness in which they can perceive the Materia Omna in the form of the Integument. Once focused, the shaper is said to be attuned, and can view the world through a spectrum that is unique to shapers, and which appears slightly different to every shaper. The act of focusing forms the bulk of training that most student shapers undergo, and the first time a shaper reaches a continued sustained state of attunement is a major milestone in their training.

Once focused, the shaper is able to manipulate the Materia Omna to achieve a specific desired result. Not all shapers can shape in the same way – one may have an affinity for plants, while another may only be able to shape the weather, or manipulate metal, or fire. Throughout the history of shaping, mortals have done their best to categorise shaping. These areas of expertise are referred to as spheres, and no two shapers have access to the exact same spheres, and while these spheres have a role in generalising skills for the purposes of categorisation, training or licensing, they are far from the unmalleable dogma that some make them out to be.

Shaping takes its toll on the body, and slowly corrupts both body and mind. Assuming a healthy diet and quality of life, most shapers peak at 30 – 35-years of age at most, with their shaping declining after reaching that milestone as their health begins to deteriorate. This is the price of shaping. Dietary supplements, controlled use of shaping, mediation and superlative training may put this up to 35-45, while the opposite (bad diet, sub-par living conditions, etc.) can put it down to 25 or less. Old shapers are frail and may show signs of dementia, or acute physical deterioration – a badge of honour, so-to-speak, that typically forces them into retirement, after which they may become teachers or mentors, if they are capable of doing so. Those who are still active may make use of drugs or orthoses (such as the technarcane aids known as iron mantles or soulsuits) when shaping to increase the potency of their shaping.

A common ‘side-effect’ of shaping is an increased appetite and tiredness. Eating and sleeping restore energy lost to shaping, though has given rise to the belief amongst commoners that shapers are lazy.

Though many people (particularly uneducated laypersons) believe that shapers have god-like powers within their sphere, the truth is largely more pragmatic, with shapers limited by individual skill, amount of training or knowledge, aspirations (or lack thereof) as well as the vagaries of the Arcane Tempers, and not to mention limitations imposed on them by their respective Minasteria and the licenses they are issued with. The act of shaping itself is highly stressful and exhausting (which is where the common misconception of them being lazy and gluttonous comes from), and the type of powerful shaping that is popularised by mythology, legends, and pulp novels is simply beyond the grasp of most shapers, and those few that are capable of preforming such legendary acts are either beholden by law or simply disciplined enough not to, while others became famed (or rather, infamous) historical figures. These individuals have garnered the nickname basileans in the Korachani empire, which was an old word for a ruler, signifying great personal power over others.

The use of shaping is typically highly regulated in civilised society, and in the Korachani empire this is overseen by the various Minasteria of Shaping.

the Minasteria of Shaping                                      

Shaping in the Korachani empire is overseen by the many monolithic and overarching institutions known as the Minasteria of Shaping. Taking their name from the various branches governmental offices that oversee the daily running of the empire, each of these offices is devoted to a specific form of shaping, and is responsible for the search for and recruitment of prospective shapers (via the independent organisation known as the Order of Proselytisers), their training and indoctrination, the issuing of licenses to trained shapers, as well as issuing warrants to those practicing illegally. Each Minasteria is the face of the form of shaping associated with it, and maintains a single dedicated headquarter as well as regional centres across the empire.

These Minasteria of shaping emerged in around 1230 RM following many centuries of decentralised traditions in various territories that often clashed with each other, in both idealism and execution. The Minasteria established themselves in most major imperial cities over the coming decades and were responsible for a period of sweeping reforms to laws concerning the education, certification, and policing of shapers within the empire. This period of assertation was followed by another now known as the Great Culling between 1312 – 1345 RM, during which older shapers who had escaped the reforms were hunted down and rounded up and either sent to the Minasteria for education or neutralised through various means, including execution.

Most of the major Minasteria maintain various bases or colleges across the empire, where their scouts and recruiters from the Order of Proselytisers can send promising young shapers (known as Prospects) to one of the Minasteria for study and training. All Minasteria receive funding from the Korachani government, but some of the more popular ones also survive through donations from Patrician Houses that allow them to operate in more locations, furthering their influence. By contrast, the smaller or less influential Minasteria many only have a single college serving the entire empire. In some cases, smaller Minasteria might be annexed to a larger Minasteria, particularly if their spheres of influence have a degree of overlap.

Once rounded up, Prospects undergo simple testing using Atramental foci - an array of small objects, each made from a material that is sensitive to a different facet of the Materia Omna that are used to test potential shapers. These are used to determine where a Prospect’s aptitude lies. Those who are able to manipulate at least one of the foci are sent to the relevant Minasteria to study and train for their license. This training typically lasts for 2 – 5 years, depending on the Minasteria, and any specialisations the shapers may opt for.

Those of strong-enough disposition will go on to become licensed shapers, while those who fail their practical exams might go on to take less glamorous roles, such as archivists, or even internment within heart engines. The latter is also used as punishment for those who display egomaniacal or otherwise dangerous tendencies.

Not all shapers who are members of a particular Minasteria necessarily share the same sphere, as there exists a great deal of overlap between their shared abilities. Indeed, the terms are merely attempts by mortals at categorizing abilities which are inherently individual. As a result, two shapers who might be considered to have abilities from different spheres might have a certain overlap, leading to them being members of the same Minasteria.

Iron Mantles                                                              

Iron Mantles are technarcane augmentative equipment that are worn by shapers to enhance and widen their range of powers. They are commonly manufactured and utilised by most post-industrial civilised lands around the Inner Sea, including the Republic of Almagest, the Reformed Empire of Sarastro, the Korachani empire, and the Secular Republic of Parthis.

The mantle usually takes the form of a technarcane engine that is worn on the back, covering the shoulders like a mantle (indeed, this is the origin of the common name) and which is integrated with the user via umbilicals connected to occlusions on the torso, head and arms. They are intended to be used in the field so are designed not to be of detriment to movement, though their weight may slow down users, who are typically womb-born and sapient, of free-thought, and is almost always a shaper, whose abilities are enhanced and amplified by the mantle. 

Less commonly they may take the form of a permanent graft and may be used in battle or in more administrative roles, though the cost of their maintenance precludes them from seeing widespread or mundane use, though they remain an important part of life around the Inner Sea.