The Welders Society

The Welders’ Society is a fellowship that has been operating in secret since the dawn of time. This society never reveals itself to the uninitiated, who are unaware of its existence, as well as that of the Wild.

The missions of the Welders are:

⚖️ **To watch over the balance between Humanity and the Wild**, and to restore it when it is threatened. For a long time, the Welders made sure that the Wild did not take over the humans. But when the balance of power shifted, the Welders quickly lost their influence. Nowadays, they are not really active on this mission anymore, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task.

🔐 **To protect the 9 Crucibles** which contain the essence of the 9 Elemental Gods; each Crucible is assigned a bearer, who is responsible for it for life and is in charge of passing it on.

🛡 **To keep the Welded Objects** in Armories or Collections scattered all over the world - and to use them only in case of extreme emergency.

The way the Welders work is similar to that of a companionship: it is the old ones who train the new ones and perpetuate the tradition by passing on their knowledge.

It is not easy to become a Welder: in almost all cases, the only way is to be the son or daughter of a Welder and to take up the torch passed down for dozens, even hundreds of generations. But nowadays, Welders are hard pressed to find successors. The world has changed.

The Welders use a form of magic that is passed down in great secrecy, and some of its spells are recorded in books: its purpose is to control the spark of life that burns in every being and thing, the Poesic Energy.

In the past, Poesic Energy was channeled through certain vibrations - songs, words, sounds, percussion - that awakened and attracted it. Today, some Welders use far more modern methods, via machines. This energy can also be stored in materials, such as certain crystals and metals, where it acquires different properties.

Welders are Poescient, meaning they are able to see and hear the Spirits of the Wild. But this ability is not innate: one must undergo an initiation rite, where one is brought into contact with a Welded Object. The Poesic Energy infused, in small doses, into the initiate's body then allows him or her to perceive the Spirits of the Wild. Another way to perceive the Spirits is to become a Midwayer.

In the past, the Welders had an armed section, very similar to the samurai, with a code of conduct and a martial practice, with its own techniques and masters. This art was very useful in the past wherever Humanity and the Savage fought. But the memory of it has been lost little by little. Some writings remain, but they are rare and well hidden. It is also said that there might be some masters left. But no one knows where they are hiding anymore.

For almost two centuries, the Welders have been dormant: Humanity has established its dominion over the Wild, thanks in particular to the collaboration of certain Welders who have renounced their promise to maintain the balance. Knowledge has been lost, especially that related to the art of war. Humanity has domesticated the Wild… At least, that's what we thought.

Because today, the Wild is rebelling: storms, tornadoes, tsunamis, thunderstorms, floods, fires... The whole planet seems to be burning with an immense anger, destroying everything in its path. The Spirits of the Wild are revolting against Humanity. Long weakened by industrialization and pollution, acting in a scattered order since the departure of their gods, some of them have nevertheless decided to launch their last forces in a war against those who have wrecked their world.