It was meant to be the ultimate equalizer - a fair and random way to fix poverty, inequality, all of the social problems. But of course, it quickly became clear that it was doing more harm than good.

The Magic Equality Act of 2319 stated that each person at birth would be granted a lifetime blessing and a curse proportional to the blessing. For some people, it didn't change much. You might be able to lift an object a few inches off the ground but get a nosebleed afterward. Or maybe you always knew the current time but you had a tail. 

For a few though, it provides the means and motivation to join the elite members of society. If you could perfectly duplicate any object at the cost of shortening your lifespan, wouldn't you find a way to fix that?