Water-shaping

A type of low magic developed on both Equis and Noctis, water-shaping is the manipulation (mainly kinetic) of existing bodies of water. It is a key component of Noctis' magic steam engines.

Description
As its name implies, water-shaping involves the magical manipulation of water. Commonly, this involves starting or stopping the flow of water, or directing that flow in different directions. Water-shaping also allows for the control over steam and ice, though the latter is much harder to control, as water-shaping takes advantage of existing energy in water, and there is less of this available in ice. Density is also subject to manipulation and is commonly used for the "water-walking" practice used by many water-shapers. Advanced water-shapers can alter the temperature of water as well, creating ice or steam on their own, though the average water-shaper requires a heat source (or sink) of some kind to accomplish this change.

Water-shaping requires direct physical contact with the water so affected, and becomes more difficult with greater concentrations of impurities in the water. It can, however, be used to remove such impurities, though this tends to be a laborious process. It also bears noting that a water-shaper cannot create water out of nothing, though they can condense a small volume from water vapour in the air. These two points distinguish it from High water magic.

Practitioners
Water-shapers are found on both Equis and Noctis, and can be of nearly any race. There is superstition among water-shapers in Equis that wearing blue or teal tones "attunes" them to the sea, and so many wear these colours; this practice has spread to some extent to Noctisian water-shapers as well. Noctisian water-shapers tend to deal more with steam than Equisians, and so often carry protective equipment to deal with it. Conversely, Equisian water-shapers work more with ice, and many prefer colder climes.

Water-shapers of both worlds tend to carry multiple flasks or skins of water with them at any given time to give them a basis with which to work their magic, even in the absence of outside water.

History
The low magic of water-shaping appears to have been developed independently in both Equis and Noctis, though it is hard to say if that is really true. In any case, Noctis appears to have discovered water-shaping later, sometime near the middle of its industrial revolutions. The development was monumental, and led to the creation of Noctis' all-important magic steam engines by integrating with another, more popular form of low magic: technomancy. It remains an essential part of Noctisian life, and many water-shapers have key roles in cities maintaining steam engines.

In Equis, the history of water-shaping is of a much lower profile. Water-shapers are believed to have first arisen in the Age of Magic among a sea- or coastal-dwelling race, possibly of nomads, due to the high abundance of water there subject to manipulation. It sees use in modern times as a means of finding water sources for new settlements or purifying water to make it potable.