Rous is growing up in a country that has been at war for 300 years. Locked in a hopeless stalemate by the clash of magic and technology, both sides are becoming desperate to tip the scales.
Rous isn’t particularly interested in the war. He’s more interested in shaping, the kinetic form of magic that allows people to move non-living objects, usually at the price of the shaper’s health. However, as he advances, he realizes his powers do not have the delicate, artistic bent he admires, but a powerful and violent nature perfect for warfare.