Klytokenistry
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Klytokenistry (Pron.: Kl-eye-toe-k-eye-n-ist-ree) is a school of Thaumaturgy unique to the Iblesi Dawi of Cartulia. The practice of Klytokenistry became a distinct school of magic between 418 and 498 ICC with the formation of the Guild of Klytokenes by Caira II, but draws its origins back beyond the foundation of Cartulia with the informal localised practice of thaumaturgical artifice among the Iblesi Dawi of the region. Examples of Iblesi Dawi thaumaturgical artifice can be found dating well before even the semi-mythological figure Cartu Valdez d'Lus and the overthrow of the Idaasi civilisation, however only a small fraction of these are considered to be of proto-Klytokeneic design. Practitioners of Klytokenistry are referred to as Klytokenes. Although Klytokenistry is undoubtedly a form of thaumaturgical artifice the Klytokeneic process is somewhat different, as are the goals of Klytokenistry. Rather than seeking to create an inherently 'magical' object that is enchanted or possesses reality warping abilities, Klytokenes create stable materials that would be impossible to create without the application of thaumaturgy, this does not mean that they cannot create enchanted objects, simply that this is not the defining characteristic of their craft.
Etymology
The word Klytokenistry comes from the Ancient Iblesi words Klytos, meaning "artisan" and Kene, meaning "magic user", thus a Klytokene is literally an artisan who uses magic. The specific translation of Klytokenisty is "crafting objects through the use of magic", while a Klytokene is "a craftsman who utilises magic in their trade." The terms themselves first entered the common vernacular during the 2nd century ICC as a means to distinguish craftsmen specialising in metallurgy and the shaping of matter from those who created powerful magical artefacts. Initially the term Klytokene was used derisively, to denote a person of lesser magical talent, or a mage who 'debased themselves' by plying their trade as a common craftsman; however by the time of the 5th century foundation of the Guild of Klytokenes it had become a prestigious epithet.
Practices
The central concept of Klytokenistry is the manipulation of inanimate matter through the use of magic. At a very basic level this means to change an object's shape, and indeed novice Klytokenes are first taught how to shape clay into various useful forms through the application of thaumaturgy. At such a level the process is an expensive way to make a clay pot, however the application of Klytokenistry goes well being simply changing a material's shape. A journeyman Klytokene is capable of manipulating inanimate matter at a particulate level, meaning that they can create alloys that would be impossible in a conventional forge, this however remains very much a basic example of the craft. True mastery of the practice allows a Klytokene to imbue materials with properties they normally would not possess, or even to enhance the properties that it already has; for instance through the application of the Klytokene's abilities a steel dagger could be made to be lighter, sharper, and harder by far, and remain so.
The key difference between Klytokenistry and regular thaumaturgical artifice is that Klytokenistry produces stable passive results. The goal is not to make an object as extraordinary as possible, but rather to make the object extraordinary in a way that will last without the need for additional thaumaturgical input. This places substantial limitations on the extent to which a Klytokenistry alone can warp reality, and also requires a very specific process in order to work properly. Like with a blacksmith working steel and Klytokene must spend a great deal of time and care to produce an end result; knowing when to apply magical abilities and when the metal worker's artifice will suffice is part of mastery of the art and all Klytokenes are thus necessarily well trained metalsmiths and metallurgists even without the use of magic.
A common misconception about Klytokenistry is that it can be done quickly. Unlike certain forms of thaumaturgical artifice and matter manipulation, Klytokenistry is a time consuming art because it works at the particulate level within the materials being manipulated. A Klytokene cannot simply pass their hand over a dull blade and make it sharp again, they would have to spend hours (at least) disassembling the blade piece by piece and reassembling it in a superior form, however once complete the result is not just a sharpened blade, but a blade that will remain sharp. Where many other forms of thaumaturgical artifice seek to bend reality to manipulate objects by force Klytokenistry instead bends reality in such a way as to allow the Klytokene to work with the materials they have at hand; this is another area in which Klytokenistry is limited. The application of Klytokeneic ability alone cannot force an object or material to do something that is completely impossible, such as making a blade out of water.
Once an apprentice Klytokene has completed their apprenticeship and granted the status of journeyman there are many options open to them. Specialism in a specific material or type of material, or specialism in creating a certain object are common, but for those with a particular gift or talent for thaumaturgy there is the option to learn other forms a thaumaturgical artifice. Such individuals are rare, even among the ranks of the master Klytokenes, partly due to the rarity of such considerable magical power, but also partly due to the ideology adopted by the Guild of Klytokenes. The application of magic to blunt force a change upon a material is something that all novice and apprentice Klytokenes are taught to avoid and the prevailing principle of Klytokenistry is that the craftsman should work with the materials available, not against them. However for those who do learn other forms of artifice the possibility to create objects of great power is there, however such objects tend to bear the limitations and hallmarks typical of enchanted items crafted by those not trained in Klytokenistry.
Abilities
A fully trained Klytokene will possess a number of key abilities granted to them through their training. These are academically referred to a Análisis, Desmontaje, Reensamblar, and Manipulación.
Análisis
Análisis, or Analysis in Xedan, is the ability to feel an inanimate material's composition. Through focus, often requiring that the Klytokene close their eyes, they are able to sense the precise structure of the object under their scrutiny and how its different constituent parts fit together down to a particulate level. For unknown reasons the technique does not work on living matter, nor on certain magically active materials (such as animated golems), and it does not seem to work on dead flesh either but will function on bone once it has either been removed from the body, or the body is dead. Analysis is the first ability taught to all Klytokene apprentices and is critical in the use and development of all other Klytokeneic abilities. Lead and lead ores are usually used in the teaching of this ability due to its availability and the fact that it is a relatively soft metal even when solid and the first lesson any apprentice must learn is how to identify how the particulate matter within the object fits together.
Desmontaje
Desmontaje, or Disassembly in Xedan, is the ability to separate individual material particles. Once Analysis has been learned the apprentice will be taught Disassembly in order to learn the basic principles of matter manipulation. On a very basic level Disassembly allows the Klytokene to separate the constituent parts of a material, rending an object into a pile of dust. The process is time consuming because, if done incorrectly, there is the risk of explosion, implosion of any number of other unintended reactions. Disassembly shares the same limitations on its use as Analysis. Apprentices are usually taught Disassembly by being asked to separate lead ore into the individual materials that make it up, for a master this could take perhaps five to ten minutes, for an apprentice it may take as many hours if not more.
Strengths & Weaknesses
The central strength of Klytokeneic products is that they last. Because the finished product itself does not bend the laws of reality a Klytokeneic product is essentially just another object in the world, but one which has been constructed by magical means. In order to retain the core characteristics the object was imbued with during its construction Klytokeneic objects need no further input; of course as with anything they will degrade over time, but only at a natural rate; a Klytokeneic axe made out of iron for instance will still rust unless treated with care. A common misconception is that a Klytokeneic object needs to be taken to a Klytokene for maintenance; while this would be true if the object in question had broken, or succumbed to rust or degradation, simple day to day maintenance requires no more expertise than for any other object of its type.
Another strength that Klytokenistry possesses over regular thaumaturgical artifice is that it has a higher potential output over time. If a group of adept Klytokenes are assembled and provided with the necessary tools, materials, and time they can create an assembly line of sorts allowing them to produce multiples of the same object with the same properties. The process is still time consuming and is far from easy, but through cooperative work it is possible for a group of Klytokenes to produce modest quantities of whatever object they are asked to make, provided it is not too large or complex. It should be noted however that such potential output requires a substantial investment of time and resources, as well as multiple trained Klytokenes; the reverse of this strength being that individual objects and Klytokenes take far longer. Klytokenistry is a time consuming craft, there is a minimum level of input required, thus if only a single small object is required it would take a Klytokene longer to produce it than a thaumaturgical artificer of another kind. The result of this is that Klytokenes seldom work alone and charge exorbitant fees when asked to produce small individual bespoke works.
The nature of the Klytokeneic process is such that reliability is another strength that Klytokeneic products enjoy. Any adept Klytokene crafts objects to be dependable as a matter of course. This is partly down to the intense training they receive, and the pride they take in their work, but is also mainly down to the fact that rushing the Klytokeneic process is extremely dangerous. There are number of things that can go wrong when trying to rush Klytokeneic work, and it isn't a case of if things go wrong, but rather how they will go wrong and how badly. A famous historic example, which the Guild uses as a cautionary tale for its apprentices, is that of Andrejo Perez d'Antoine, a famous Klytokene inventor and infamous experimenter. D'Antoine was attempting a process which would speed the production of iron based objects, but miscalculated and fed too much energy into his work, the result being that the small four inch long iron rod he was working on exploded sending white hot shards all around the workshop and severely injuring d'Antoine. Other less impressive examples include axe heads that would fracture after a single use due to particulate misplacement, or alloys which melt at a far lower than expected temperature.
The main shortcoming of Klytokenistry is that it does not result in the kind of magical objects traditionally expected from thaumaturgical artificers. A Klytokene of exceptional skill, who has trained in other forms of thaumaturgical artifice as well, may be able to produce a flaming sword, or a shield charged with lightning, but they would do so through the application of these other techniques and not Klytokenistry. The practice specifically revolves around the manipulation of existing traits and properties within the raw materials being used during the Klytokeneic process, and thaumaturgical energy is only used for this purpose, not for the purpose of imbuing the object with reality bending powers. The benefit of this is that even an untrained and magically incapable person can use a Klytokeneic object, because it doesn't require any magical input; the attendant deficit being that the object in question while superior to anything a regular smith could produce, is not enchanted in the traditional sense.
A lesser know issue with Klytokenistry is that it cannot be used to produce refined materials for use by non-Klytokenes. A bar of a Klytokeneic alloy cannot be worked by a normal blacksmith because the moment it enters the forge it starts to revert back to its natural state. For instance a bar of Klytokeneic iron would just become normal iron within a few minutes in a regular forge. This is because Klytokenistry relies upon establishing an abnormal status quo; so long as the resulting material is stable it will retain its properties - but when one tries to manipulate it further by non-Klytokeneic means its starts to regress. This does not mean that Klytokenes do not create ingots of Klytokeneic metal, in fact it is a common training technique for a teacher to create such ingots so that by examining them through Klytokeneic means the apprentice may learn the principles behind its construction.