Population Regulation

The Espers were at the top of the food chain.

And since the use of magic, they had also acquired the means to raze mountains, devastate forests, and drain lakes.

Their means of food production had developed, but history had shown that even though they were at the top of the pyramid, famines and epidemics could have a real impact on their population, which had exploded because of magic.

The Chaos War had not made things any better from the point of view of resources.

Entire stretches of land were now unusable for decades, landscapes once flowing with rivers and forests had become arid deserts where nothing could grow…

It was under these conditions that the Seven Shapes encouraged discussions about complex and sometimes taboo subjects.

The question of population and its regulation was one of them.

In a world with limited resources, the population could not continue to swell without asking what should be done.

Should they really continue to sacrifice the future of the young in order to prolong the lives of the elderly, as had sometimes been the case in the past?

Should they not consider choices, even difficult ones, at a time when those choices could still be made?

The use of magic had turned the Espers’ gaze toward a bright technological mirage promising wonders beyond imagination.

But reality was far more difficult to hear or to look at…

The decisions and choices they made would paint the future of generations to come…