In our world, it is reasonable to say that the more skillfully an item is crafted, the better its quality becomes. A suit made by an expert tailor is higher quality than a mass-produced suit of the same cut. Similarly, you might expect that a sword forged by a master blacksmith would be much stronger than a blade forged by an amateur.

This fundamental principle of the universe is different in Animus.

In Animus, an item's quality does not depend on how well it is crafted. In Animus, an item's quality is ultimately determined by how well that item is taught its purpose.

As items are used they are instilled with purpose, becoming better at what they do.

This happens to all items gradually.

Items which survive long enough tend to get more powerful.

The process of teaching an item its purpose is known as Shaping.

Shaping only works on non-living objects, without a will of their own.

There exist individuals in the world who are better able to teach an item what it needs to do. These individuals are known as Shapers.

Whether through natural talent or hard work & practice, Shapers are capable of sculpting the purpose of items in a much more controlled and efficient way.

Shapers are well respected owing to their ability to quickly make items and buildings of unique design.

Shaping is most often learned by apprenticing oneself to a master. This process of learning takes years.

There is a Shapers College within Rastaban. Its main role is to oversee the accreditation of Shapers.

Among other things, accreditation is officially required before a Shaper can sell their services.