The Channelers: Soul-Labor Class

The Hidden Cost of Magic

For The Field's infinite energy to become usable fuel, it must flow through living human consciousness. These intermediaries—called Channelers—sacrifice their minds so others can wield magic.

Worldwide, 50,000-100,000 people work as channelers. Most will be husks within 5 years.

How Channeling Works

Channeler stands in a Node of Power's invisible aura. When operator activates the node, The Field's energy flows through the channeler's consciousness:

• Feels like being struck by infinite thoughts simultaneously
• Mind becomes conduit between Field and physical reality
• Converts formless cognitive energy into concentrated SU
• Ore crystals capture the converted energy

Duration: 2-16 hours per day (depends on employer)

Pain: Extreme mental strain (like brain used as electrical wire)

The Three Categories

Hired Channelers (35% of workforce)

Who They Are:

• Desperate poor (no other employment)
• Debt-slaves (working off obligations)
• Ambitious fools (think they'll quit before damage)
• Families sacrificing one member to save others

Compensation: 2,000-5,000 silver/month

Conditions:

• "Humane" Guilds (rare): 2-4 hour shifts, medical care, retirement plans
• Standard Guilds (common): 6-8 hour shifts, minimal care, worked until broken
• Cruel Guilds (common): 10-16 hours, no care, discarded when depleted

Career Lifespan: 3-10 years before retirement (damaged) or death

Forced Channelers (45% of workforce)

Who They Are:

• Prisoners (all crimes punishable by "soul-labor")
• Political dissidents
• Religious minorities
• Random arrests (Zahhak's quota system)

Compensation: None

Conditions:

• Chained to nodes continuously
• No shift limits
• No medical care
• Worked until husk-state

Survival: 6 months to 2 years before complete mental death

Zahhak's System: Arrests 1,000-2,000 people/month. Channels them to death. Endless supply through persecution.

Slave Channelers (20% of workforce)

Who They Are:

• Kidnapped children (age 8-12 channel best—undeveloped identity lasts longer)
• Bought from desperate families
• Breeding programs (raised specifically for this)
• Captured during raids

Compensation: None (property, not employees)

Conditions:

• Permanent chains
• Fed and maintained (valuable property)
• Worked 10-16 hours/day
• Some have been channeling for 20+ years

The Horror: Living ghosts. Fed, breathing, but minds are empty. Kept working long after consciousness has fled.

The Progressive Damage

Total Hours	Mental State	Symptoms
1-50	Functional	Exhaustion, headaches, memory issues
50-100	Damaged	Personality flattening, emotional death, confusion
100-300	Severely Impaired	Barely responsive, follows commands only
300-500	Near-Husk	No initiative, robotic, minimal consciousness
500+	Complete Husk	Biological functions only, no detectable consciousness

Economic Reality

Guild Profits:

• Extract: 50,000 SU/day from major node
• Pay workers: 3,000 silver/month (10 workers)
• Sell SU: 50,000 silver/day (at 1 SU = 1 silver)
• Monthly profit: 1,500,000 silver revenue - 30,000 silver labor = 1,470,000 silver profit

The Math: Obscenely profitable. This is why guilds fight to control nodes.

Social Crisis

The Resistance Demands

1. Ban forced channeling (voluntary only)
2. 2-hour daily limits (protect workers)
3. Lifetime caps (500 hours maximum, then mandatory retirement)
4. Medical care required (healing, counseling)
5. Living wage (10,000 silver/month minimum)

Guild Response: "Economically impossible. Magic prices would increase 10x. Society would collapse."

Truth: Profits would decrease. Society would adapt. They refuse because greed.

Zahhak's Expansion

Seized 50+ nodes. Uses prison labor (forced). Output: 500,000-1,000,000 SU/day. Fuels entire military.

Arrest Quotas: Need 500-1,000 new channelers/month (replacements for depleted). Any dissent = arrest = soul-labor.

Vicious Cycle: Need magic to control → need workers → need prisoners → need control.

Husk Disposal

When channeler reaches complete husk state:

• "Humane" guilds: Subsidized care facilities (vegetative state)
• Standard guilds: Discharge to family or streets
• Cruel guilds/Zahhak: "Mercy killing" or use as mindless laborers

Estimate: 10,000-20,000 husks exist currently. Cared for by families who cannot afford it, or abandoned in streets, or killed quietly.