The Shapers

Order · Day · Hard Kh · Hard Zar

MOKH-tzar

Order Day Hard Kh Hard Zar

"The world obeys when commanded correctly."

Philosophy

You believe the world yields to clear command and visible authority. You favor structure, coordination, and decisive action. Allies trust you to lead openly. Enemies know where you stand—and fear the consequences of defiance. You work best when plans are stated plainly and carried through without hesitation.

The Pronunciation Dispute

The Shapers hold the most uncompromising position on pronunciation. They believe the hard 'kh' torn from deep in the throat is not merely correct—it is *necessary*. The god who shaped reality through sheer force of will would never accept a softened name. To speak softly is to doubt, and doubt is the first crack in any structure. Shaper priests have been known to halt ceremonies mid-ritual if they detect insufficient force in the congregation's responses.

Tendencies

Actions are more reliable when planned and declared openly
Commands and oaths carry extra weight
Failure tends to be binary—works fully or collapses entirely

History

The Shapers trace their origin to the First Convocation, when the surviving priests of twelve shattered kingdoms met to establish a unified doctrine. According to Shaper histories, their founder—a general named Vethran the Voiced—spoke the Name so forcefully that the temple stones cracked and reformed in more perfect alignment. Whether this is literal truth or founding mythology, the Shapers have never wavered from their conviction that reality itself responds to properly commanded speech. Their influence peaked during the Century of Edicts, when Shaper priest-kings ruled nearly a third of the known world through a combination of divine authority and exceptional logistics. The empire collapsed not through military defeat but through a succession crisis—three claimants, each with legitimate backing, each refusing to yield. The Shapers learned that even perfect command requires a single voice to speak it.

Notable Events

The Cracking of Vel Thorum

When Archpriest Malachar spoke the Name during the siege, the enemy's fortifications reportedly split along fault lines no engineer had detected. Skeptics attribute this to undermining; believers note the cracks formed words.

The Silent Rebellion

A Shaper province fell when its governor simply stopped speaking. No declarations, no commands, no prayers. Within a month, the entire administrative apparatus had dissolved. The Shapers still debate whether this was sabotage or prophecy.

Scholarly Commentary

"Those who pronounce the Name with force believe the world listens because it must."

— Talarion of the Third Seal, On Divine Authority

This text was burned by Shaper authorities, who objected not to its content but to Talarion's insufficient credentials to make such observations.

"A whispered command is a request. A shouted command is a negotiation. A command spoken with absolute certainty is simply a description of what will occur."

— Vethran the Voiced, attributed

"The Shapers do not argue. They have never needed to."

— Accounts of the Second Convocation

Written by a Keeper observer, possibly sarcastically.

Relationships

Natural Allies

The Architects The Breakers

Traditional Rivals

The Whisperers The Keepers