Soulshaping

Developed in ancient Jomon first as a means of self-defense and second as a means of maintaining the country's delicate social status quo, soulshaping is a unique form of magic that has only recently been made accessible to outsiders. According to Jomon philosophy as established by the Philosopher-King Saburou Mori, the soul is a physical, tangible object that resides in each living being. Mori posited that, as their soul is as much part of a warrior as their fists or feet, it would then stand to reason that it, too, could be turned into a weapon. 
The art of soulshaping allows the practicioner (traditionally referred to as a soulshaper, though certain cultures may have different terms) to form physical objects of magical energy around themselves, such as elaborate garments, weapons, or even natural features such as horns or claws. These objects, referred to as a soulshaper's regalia, are always intensely magical in nature and often flamboyant in appearance... though appearance of regalia does vary wildly from soulshaper to soulshaper, even when creating something with roughly the same effect. While the name 'soulshaping' isn't quite literal - there's no evidence to suggest that the regalia is constructed using any part of the soulshaper's soul, and damage to them does no evident harm to the soulshaper - they are formed from materials that have yet to be identified in any real scientific capacity.
There are no official institutions for learning the art of soulshaping, even in Jomon. To learn to become a soulshaper, one must petition another soulshaper for tutelage. While there are a few veteran soulshapers who will teach anyone who asks out of a desire to keep the art alive, soulshapers as a whole are an extremely insular group. The higher levels of soulshaping exist entirely within the confines of Jomon's nobility, and the most powerful forms of soulshaping are likely only known to God Emperor Shichirou Mori, the country's seemingly-immortal protector.
Category:Gadelica
Category:Gadelica Magic
Category:Gadelica Terms